[ By Steve in Geography & Travel & History & Trivia & Nature & Ecosystems. ]
Volcanoes have caused incalculable destruction throughout history but even the most massive lava blaster has a heart. Volcanic plugs (the eroded cores of extinct volcanoes) are all that remain of some of the Earth’s most fearsome, fiery fumaroles after many millions of years of wind, water and weathering.
Devils Tower, Wyoming, USA
(images via: Richpix, VirtualTourist/Toonsarah and Ranger Doug’s Enterprises)
One of the most famous volcanic plugs and the first declared United States National Monument, Devils Tower rises 1,267 feet (386 m) from the rough terrain of northeastern Wyoming state. Most geologists estimate Devils Tower to have formed at least 50 million years ago, but a firmer fix on the time and even the method of formation remain problematic as most of the associated rock formations have eroded away.
(image via: Louis J. Maher, Jr.)
The polygonal porphyry columns that help define the sides of Devils Tower are confirmation of its volcanic origin, while providing the approximately 4,000 hikers who complete the near-vertical ascent to its summit each year with an unforgettable rock-climbing experience.
The Pitons, Saint Lucia
(images via: Travel4America, St. Lucia Wedding Guru and Up To Date St. Lucia)
Looking like stand-in scenery for Lord Of The Rings, the Pitons rear up from the coast of St. Lucia like the two last teeth of a VERY large shark. Gros Piton stands 2,530 ft (771 m) tall while its neighbor Petit Piton is just slightly smaller at 2,438 ft (743 m) tall. St. Lucia must have been the ultimate anti-tourism “hotspot” back in prehistory when the worn-away volcanoes that produced the Pitons were at their fire-breathing best.
(image via: Banana Pancake)
The Pitons don’t just dominate St. Lucia’s scenery, they’re a part of the Caribbean island’s culture as well. Be sure to enjoy a Piton beer next time you visit… in fact, make it two!
Ailsa Craig, Scotland
(images via: Amazing Nature Blogspot and Hoyus)
Rising 1,110 feet (340 m) above the breathtakingly chill waters of the outer Firth of Clyde, the now-uninhabited island of Ailsa Craig is a volcanic plug marking the location of an ancient volcano last active around 500 million years ago. The ruggedly pyramidal isle’s oft-precipitous slopes feature exposed columnar basalt formed when magma in the core of the volcano cooled and crystallized.
(images via: Ayrshire History, Flores Azores and Garrique Cottage)
Ailsa Craig’s cold, hard heart doesn’t just keep this ancient volcanic plug extant when everything around it has long eroded away. Curling’s top skips & sweepers know the best “rocks” are those ground from fine-grained Ailsa Craig Common Green and Blue/Red Hone granite by Kays of Scotland.
Sigiriya Rock Fortress, Sri Lanka
(images via: Localyte, Boston.com and Travelpod)
Spectacular Sigiriya (Lion’s Rock) in central Sri Lanka may have been inhabited since prehistoric times. The rock formation and the surrounding area underwent lush landscaping and extensive building in the 5th century. Formed from a very ancient volcanic plug of indeterminate age, Sigiriya soars 1,214 ft (370 m) above sea level and can be seen from quite a distance as there’s nothing like it on Sri Lanka’s central plains.
(image via: WHL Travel)
Erosion has undercut Sigiriya’s base in some areas, giving it a mushroom shape from some vantage points. The enormous igneous rock formation made an ideal, easily defended fortress and hosted a Buddhist monastery up until 14th century.
The Nut, Tasmania
(images via: Victor Augusteo, Killynaught Spa Cottages and SMH)
The Nut is a steep-sided volcanic plug that anchors one end of the bay fronting Stanley, Tasmania. Though The Nut’s official name is Circular Head, bestowed upon it in 1798 by explorers Bass & Flinders, most just call it The Nut and nobody really complains. Only 469 ft (143 m) tall, The Nut still affords a picture postcard perfect view of Stanley and the surrounding area as it’s the only high point around.
(image via: Carldashjonesdotcom)
Steep sides notwithstanding, a well-worn footpath leads to the flat-topped summit of The Nut and, of course, back down again. If that’s too much trouble, a ski-resort style chair lift offers those with no fear of heights one of the most scenic trips around.
Taung Kalat, Myanmar
(images via: Oddity Central and Asia Explorers)
Taung Kalat is a 2,417 ft (737 m) tall volcanic plug located in central Burma. The steep-sided pedestal rock is topped by a centuries-old Buddhist monastery that can be reached by climbing 777 steps.
(image via: Wikipedia)
The monastery crowning Taung Kalat occupies almost every bit of available space on the summit. Visitors are advised not to bring meat with them as doing so could offend the “nats” – disaffected spirits who occupy the site. There’s also a practical reason: dozens of macaque monkeys who mob exhausted tourists who manage to reach the summit.
Shiprock, New Mexico, USA
(images via: Terragalleria/QTLuong, SUNY Orange and Blood Orange Review)
Shiprock is a jagged remnant of an ancient volcano’s throat located in extreme northeastern New Mexico. The formation looms 1,583 feet (482.5 m) over an eerie desert landscape that has been steadily eroding away since the magma that formed Shiprock began to cool about 27 million years ago.
(image via: Alex Maclean)
Shiprock got its name in the mid-nineteenth century when travelers noted its resemblance to a huge clipper ship, and it was first successfully climbed in 1939. The rock formation is sacred to the Navajo Nation and figures strongly in their most cherished origin myths and legends. Out of respect for the Navajo people, climbing Shiprock has been expressly forbidden since 1970.
Kapsiki Peak, Cameroon
(images via: Cameroon Discovery, Science Photo Library and Corbis)
Located in an otherworldly landscape near Rhumsiki village in Cameroon’s Far Northern Region, Kapsiki Peak is perhaps the most striking of several sharply eroded volcanic plugs. It’s also one of the tallest volcanic plugs on Earth, measuring a nosebleed-inducing 4,016 ft (1,224 m) in height.
(image via: My World Travelguides)
Kapsiki Peak has a noticeably phallic appearance, a fact noted by the native tribes in the region. This distinctive characteristic has attracted barren women to the formation for many centuries, and continues to attract tourists in the modern day.
Trosky Castle, Czech Republic
(images via: Rich Pick and Kurositas)
If you were a medieval warlord looking to build a castle, the pair of basalt volcanic plugs in the Czech Republic’s Český Ráj (Bohemian Paradise) would be a great choice – and so it was, between the 14th and 17th centuries when Trosky Castle was built, rebuilt, and rebuilt yet again.
(image via: Kurositas)
Though not especially tall, the 154 ft (47 m) tall Baba (Old Woman) and 187 ft (57 m) tall Panna (Young Maiden) provide excellent vantage points for keeping an eye on tenant farmers and invading armies.
(image via: All Empires)
Legend has it that there’s buried treasure hidden inside Trosky Castle; the fruits of a raid on the nearby Opatovice monastery. Supposedly the treasure was secreted in an underground chamber sealed by a huge boulder, subsequently buried in rubble and scree. Sounds like the plot of the next Indiana Jones movie – the producers will at least have a spectacular location to work with!
Morro Rock, California, USA
(images via: Visit USA, City of Morro Bay and Morro-Bay.com)
The knobby, rounded volcanic plug known as Morro Rock has been a familiar landmark for many generations of Californians. Rising to a height of 581 feet (177 m), the formation was named in 1542 by the Portuguese explorer Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo. Though quarried for stone used to build the Morro Bay Breakwater, efforts by environmentalists to protect and preserve the rock came to fruition in 1968 when the state government created the Morro Rock State Preserve.
(image via: Solis-Family)
Unlike many famous volcanic plugs, Morro Rock doesn’t stand alone though it does claim seniority by virtue of being the tallest of the so-called Nine Sisters of San Luis Obispo County. It’s a reminder that the California coast has always been a geologically active region though these days residents need not fear any new volcanic eruptions.
(image via: Sahara Overland)
Like most of us, volcanic plugs were wild & restless in their youth but with the passage of age, settled down and mellowed out – and that’s a good thing. When it comes to volcanoes, it’s best to let sleeping dogs lie and don’t EVER think of… pulling the plug.
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15 of the World’s Most Scenic Swimming Pools
[ By Steph in Geography & Travel. ]
Summer’s sweltering heat is just weeks away, and if you’re already daydreaming about stunningly scenic swimming pools in exotic locales, there’s no inspiration like these 15 cool pools around the world. From the world’s largest man-made pool in Chile to cliffside infinity pools overlooking the Mediterranean Sea, these swimming spots are among the world’s most beautiful.
Marina Bay Sands Hotel, Singapore
(images via: swag like me, kiwi collection)
When most people envision a pool with an incredibly scenic view, they most likely think of tropical beaches, not skyscrapers – yet there’s no denying that the scenery at the Marina Bay Sands Hotel pool is absolutely breathtaking. Not only is this nearly 500-foot-long pool set into a rooftop skypark, 679 feet above the ground, but it’s an infinity pool, giving swimmers the feeling that they could swim right off the edge of the building. The pool looks out onto one of the world’s most modern cities, which is brilliantly illuminated once the sun goes down.
Bondi Icebergs, Sydney, Australia
(images via: derek swanson, kate ausburn)
Can’t decide between a peaceful swim in an enclosed pool or a romp in the ocean surf? You can have both at the incredible saltwater pool at Bondi Icebergs. The ocean waves break right into the pool. Unlike most of the other swimming pools on this list, Icebergs is open to the general public for a nominal fee.
Ubud Hanging Gardens, Bali, Indonesia
(image via: redvisitor)
Not only does each villa at the Ubud Hanging Gardens Hotel in Bali have its own private infinity pool, but some guests get lucky enough to snag a room with a pool positioned directly over the main infinity pool for an experience unlike any other. From any of these pools, you can gaze into the jungle at monkeys and wild birds – not to mention a Balinese temple.
Conrad Rangali Islands, Maldives
(image via: kta public relations)
What’s not to love about this gorgeous infinity pool at the Conrad Rangali Islands hotel in Maldives? Lounging on a chaise placed on a special platform in the pool, all you can see is sparkling, clear blue waters.
Kempinski Hotel Ishtar, Dead Sea, Jordan
(images via: theboyg, xihalife)
Literally the lowest point on earth at 1,300 feet below sea level, the north end of the Dead Sea is a beautiful place, and the Kempinksi Hotel Ishtar Dead Sea is the ideal home base from which to explore it – particularly due to its collection of serene pools and lagoons overlooking the sea.
Evason Phuket, Thailand
(image via: edachsund)
It’s difficult to imagine anything that could make this image of the adults-only infinity pool at the Evason Phuket Resort look more like paradise (except maybe a frozen organic daiquiri). Surrounded by 64 acres of tropical parklands and gardens, the Evason pool overlooks clear blue waters with a grassy island in the distance.
Hayman Great Barrier Reef Resort, Queensland, Australia
(images via: hayman.com.au, sarah_ackerman)
Seven times larger than an Olympic swimming pool, the pool bar at the Hayman Great Barrier Reef Resort in Australia is practically a small sea unto itself. Actually, it’s a pool-within-a-pool; the smaller central pool is freshwater and heated while the outer lagoon-like pool is as salty as the sea that lies just steps from the hotel. Four boardwalk bridges connect this little slice of paradise to the hotel.
Intercontinental Hotel, Hong Kong
(images via: intercontinental hotel, designsxtra)
Another rooftop pool with a prime city view is the infinity pool at Hong Kong’s Intercontinental Hotel.
Hotel Caruso, Ravello, Italy
(images via: citalia)
Renowned for its spectacular rocky cliffs overlooking the sparkling Mediterranean Sea, Italy’s Amalfi Coast is one of the most beautiful places in the world. At Hotel Caruso in Ravello, guests can enjoy these views from a heated infinity pool on a clifftop 1,000 feet above sea level. The modern pool is a stunning contrast beside the historic 11th century hotel, a former palazzo.
Golden Triangle Resort, Chiang Rai, Thailand
(images via: igor prahin)
High above the Mekong River where Thailand, Laos and Myanmar meet is this elegant free-form infinity pool that seems to spill out onto the tropical vegetation that surrounds it.
San Alfonso Del Mar, Chile
(images via: hipster travel guide)
The San Alfonso Del Mar isn’t just one of the most beautiful pools in Chile – it’s the largest pool in the world, measuring more than half a mile in length and reaching 115 feet deep (an amazing 11 stories!). The 66 million gallons of water needed to fill this mind-boggling pool come straight from the adjacent Pacific Ocean. It costs $4 million a year just to keep it clean.
Hotel Joule, Dallas, Texas
(images via: urban fabric, lost at e minor)
Dallas, Texas is home to a stunning cantilevered rooftop pool, which not only juts out eight feet from the 10-story Hotel Joule, but features a glass end wall.
Rio Calma, Fuerteventura, Spain
(images via: bogoboo, krzysztof)
The Canary Islands look even more magical when you’re enjoying the salt lagoon at the Rio Calma Hotel in Fuerteventura. The lagoon looks out over the white sand beaches that border the Atlantic Ocean.
Cavo Tagoo, Mykonos, Greece
(images via: bogoboo, homesresult)
Gaze out at the iconic all-white architecture of Mykonos from the still, soothing waters of your own private infinity pool at the Cavo Tagoo Hotel. A number of rooms at the Cavo Tagoo have their own pools including the ultra-luxurious 2-bedroom Golden Villa, where the private walled infinity pool – secluded from view of other guests – offers a full sea view and blends right into the horizon.
Gellert Baths, Budapest, Hungary
(images via: chop1n, move with us international)
Most interiors as beautiful as this are cathedrals, where it’s not exactly polite to lay on your back and stare up at the ceiling. In this case, however, leisurely gazing is not just appropriate but encouraged. Even in a country known for its luxurious spas, the Gellert thermal baths, built around natural mineral hot springs in an early-20th-century Art Noveau complex, are an amazing sight. The water in this pool, located in the main hall, is actually effervescent for an even more unique experience.
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Stylish, but Sustainable? Synthetic Super-Sized Wood Trees
[ By Delana in Art & Design & Geography & Travel & News & Politics. ]
An ambitious architectural project seven years in the making has finally opened in the heart of Seville, Spain. As the largest bonded-wood construction project ever attempted, the Metropol Parasol serves to tie together the ultra-modern parts of Seville with the historic medieval areas.
(image via: Inhabitat)
The impressive structure features undulating wooden surfaces that reach heights of up to 30 meters (90 feet). Beneath the wave-like surface of the parasol are a museum, bars and restaurants, a farmer’s market and a raised plaza for concerts. The very top of the structure features a long, winding walkway and terrace with incredible views of the surrounding area.
(image via: Inhabitat)
Plaza de la Encarnacion, the area of Seville where the Metropol Parasol is now located, was once destined to be a parking lot. But when excavations revealed the ruins of a Roman district beneath the surface of the location, city officials decided that a cultural statement would be a more appropriate use of the land.
(image via: Dezeen)
A competition to determine the most interesting design for the land netted plenty of enticing ideas, but Jürgen Mayer H’s design captured the imaginations of the judges. The architectural firm was given the go-ahead to begin the project, but the complexity of the design meant that it took several years to become a reality.
(image via: The Guardian)
The Metropol Parasol is a modern structure through and through, but the fact that it is made mostly of wood hearkens back to a different architectural period entirely. The polyurethane coating on the wood and the high-performing glue holding everything together link the present to the future. Seville’s iconic new structure is poised to change the entire dynamic of this vibrant city.
(image via: The Guardian)
Although the structure is not entirely wooden – there are concrete and steel elements – the neutral feel of the wooden elements lends a natural feel to the overall project. Combined with the organic shapes of the undulating parasols, the Metropol Parasol project evokes the feeling of being in a natural space in the middle of the city. Thanks to the honeycomb-like patterns of the overhead elements, the Parasol even provides some welcome relief from the bright Spanish sun.
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Earth in a Bubble: Unique Flipped Landscape Photography
[ By Delana in Art & Design & Geography & Travel & Nature & Ecosystems. ]
Our world is undoubtedly a beautiful mystery, with countless wonders just waiting to be seen. But we can sometimes tend to become numb to those wonders after seeing them every day; that is why a new perspective can offer a renewed sense of amazement. A young Flickr user has given the world a whole new way to see all of the beauty surrounding us every day: through a tiny glass sphere.
Flickr user Cabe26 only decided to take up photography less than a year ago, just before a trip to Alaska. While on that trip, he perfected a technique that would let him show his surroundings in a strange, isolated, yet completely intimate way: through a small glass marble. He calls the series, appropriately, “Life Through a Marble.”
Cabe26, a New Jersey teenager, had seen other photographers create stunning images with large crystal balls, but he had never seen anyone use tiny glass marbles. His experimentation with a smaller glass bubble led to these breathtaking nature photos which have been earning the teen international attention.
Since beginning the series, the young photographer has practiced his technique with many different types of landscapes: icy vistas, serene trees and colorful beaches have all been given the marble treatment.
The result is always stunning. The portion of the scene viewed through the marble is turned upside-down while the background behind the marble itself is soft and out of focus. The unique perspective turns nature photography on its head and gives viewers a whole new way to think about the world in which we live.
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Puss & Boats: Tashirojima, Japan’s Island Of Cats
[ By Steve in Animals & Habitats & Geography & Travel & Nature & Ecosystems. ]
Tashirojima, the “Island of Cats”, is located in Ishinomaki Bay just east of the city of Sendai, Japan. The island’s many semi-domesticated cats vastly outnumber the island’s aging human population, who depend on the cats to control rodents (and attract tourists) and have constructed a number of cat-shaped buildings as a homage to their feline friends.
A Purr-fect Paradise
(images via: NGiley)
Tashirojima (田代島) is a 3.14 sq km (7.9 sq mi) island in northeastern Japan located 20 km (12.4 miles) east of the port city of Ishinomaki. The island sits just west of the Oshika Peninsula and travelers from afar wishing to visit usually fly into Sendai, the largest city in Miyage prefecture. If you’re starting in Tokyo expect the journey to take about 4 hours.
(images via: Tashiro-Hamaya and Tofugu)
There is no airfield on the island so visitors arrive via a ferry (above) out of Ishinomaki – the trip takes roughly 40 minutes. Don’t expect a large welcoming committee when you get there, however… at least, not of the human persuasion. There are only 73 people living on Tashirojima, almost all of them over the age of 65. The island’s population has dropped by 90% over the past 50 years. The cats though, they’re doing just fine thank you.
(images via: Pets Adviser, The Age, Sparkle and Amusing Planet)
Tashirojima has long been known as “The Island of Cats”. Domestic kitties were first brought to the island many centuries ago when Tashirojima’s main agricultural activity was silkworm farming. Since mice would prey on both the silkworms and their precious cocoons, the farmers imported cats to act as a natural form of pest control and encouraged the cats to, well, feel right at home.
Cat Fish Hunters
(images via: Tashiro-Hamaya, Med-India and Tra News)
Times change, and by the late 19th century improvements in fishing nets allowed Tashirojima’s residents to pursue more lucrative activities offshore. Though the silk industry declined, the island’s cat population did not – people had gotten used to having cats around and the latter continued their mousing activities in and around the island’s docks, boathouses and storage sheds. Here’s a short video of Tashirojima’s cats doing their thing:
Tashirojima’s rich offshore fishing grounds attracted fisherman from other locations. Often these off-island fisherman would stay at inns on Tashirojima and the local cats would come around, begging for scraps. A form of folk wisdom soon established itself concerning the cats: it was believed that studying the behavior of the cats would help determine upcoming weather and fishing conditions.
(images via: Tofugu)
An apocryphal story concerns the cats of Tashirojima: “One day, when the fishermen were collecting rocks to use with the fixed-nets, a stray rock fell and killed one of the cats. The fishermen, feeling sorry for the loss of the cat, buried it and enshrined it at this location on the island.”
(images via: Amusing Planet and Tofugu)
A small building (above) was constructed on the site and people would leave small cat-related talismans there in order to encourage the benevolence of both the living cats and the spirits of their ancestors.
(images via: NGiley and Tofugu)
“The cats here have always been something like a lucky charm for us who bring good catch,” said local fisherman Tsuneo Endo. “We enshrine them because they are important to us.”
The Local Cathouses
(images via: Tofugu and Travelpod)
Japan’s many small and isolated communities often try to raise their profile by actively promoting anything that might distinguish them as being something special – and worthy of a visit. Tashirojima is no different, and the island is studded with inns and outbuildings boasting a cacophony of cat-like detailing.
(image via: Tofugu)
This is the country that gave the world Hello Kitty after all… you’d better believe there are people ready, willing and able to make the long and complicated trip to Tashirojima just to spend a night in a building shaped like a cat. Just don’t bring Fido along, for obvious reasons.
Animal Magnetism?
(images via: Tashiro-Hamaya)
“You may think this place is so peaceful,” says Yutaka Hama, “but if there’s a fire, there is nobody who can help put it out.” The 49-year-old Hama heads a group seeking to promote travel and tourism to Tashirojima – and maybe more.
(images via: Tashiro-Hamaya and Dance Like No One’s Watching)
“I want young people to come,” explains Hama, “there are folks here who would teach them fishing.” Hama, who moved to Tashirojima a few years ago and now operates an inn on the island, may hold out prospects of employment as a lure to visitors but it’s the island’s cats who seem to be a far bigger draw.
(images via: Eigapedia and Rahen Z)
Tashirojima’s cats made a sudden leap to pop-culture prominence several years ago when a TV documentary on the cats of Tashirojima focused on one particular cat: Jack the Lop Ear, a black & white tom with a drooping left ear. There’s also Nyanko The Movie and its sequels, which feature the cats of Tashirojima. To paraphrase Field Of Dreams, “If you film it, they will come.”
Saved By A Whisker
(images via: A Hosoda and Inedit)
The magnitude-9 earthquake which struck northeastern Japan on March 11th, 2011, shifted the entire Oshika Peninsula and its associated islands 5.3m (17 ft) towards the epicenter and lowered it by 1.2m (3.9 ft). The tsunami which followed was as high as 10m – the image above shows the waves about to inundate Ajishima (網地島). Tashirojima is a rugged island, however, whose highest peak rises to 96.2 meters (315 feet) above sea level. The two main villages on the island are Oodomari and Nitoda (home to most of the cats), with latter situated on high ground.
(images via: The Daily Tail and Love Meow)
The NASA satellite image above left, taken shortly after the tsunami hit, shows Tashirojima above water and reports from the Japan Earthquake Animal Rescue and Support (JEARS) indicate all of the islands residents (cats AND humans) survived the disaster.
(images via: Mainichi Daily News, Catster and Buzzfeed)
It was not until the morning of March 22nd that Japanese ASDF helicopters were able to land on Tashirojima, bringing much-need emergency supplies. 800 kilo-liters of gasoline and kerosene, food for 100 meals, and satellite phones were delivered but the situation on the island still remains precarious. JEARS has set up a Facebook page to keep concerned netizens advised on the situation on Tashirojima.
(image via: Discovery)
Massive earthquakes and nightmarish tsunamis are no strangers to Japan’s northeastern coast – they have happened before and will happen again, if history is any guide. The cats of Tashirojima are survivors, however, and it’s good to know that once again they have landed on their feet.
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Low Tech to High Concept: 3 Ideas for Water in Africa
[ By Steph in Geography & Travel & Science & Research & Technology & Gadgets. ]
Most of us don’t think much about taking a bath, washing the car or setting up a sprinkler to water the lawn. But in many parts of Africa, there’s so little safe, fresh water to drink, millions of people die from water-related disease every year. Drought, pollution, mismanagement and regional conflicts have compounded scarce availability, but ingenuity – often using renewable energy and eco-friendly materials – could make a big impact on many lives.
These three water projects, from the most basic sand filter to vapor-harvesting towers, make existing water sources cleaner and provide additional water in surprising new ways.
Using Dirt to Purify Water in Cameroon
(images via: inhabitat)
Low-tech, effective and easy to replicate, bio sand filters are already saving lives thanks to the Life and Water Development Group Cameroon (LWDGC), with the help of Engineers Without Borders USA. The team constructed and installed these filters in LWDGC founder Peter Njodzeka’s home village of Nkuv.
Based on the seemingly dubious concept that “everything that will filter the water is already in the water”, the bio sand filters consist of several layers of sand and gravel within an iron mold on a concrete base. Water is poured through these materials, and within three weeks a biolayer forms, which removes 99 percent of the bacteria from the water. When contaminated water passes through this layer of ‘good bacteria’ and then through the sand and gravel, at a rate of about one liter per minute, it is free of disease and safe to drink.
Solarball Purifies Water with the Sun
(images via: physorg)
It looks like a hamster ball or a kid’s toy, but the ‘Solarball’ by Jonathon Liow can produce three liters of clean water per day with nothing but dirty, contaminated water and sunlight. Named as a finalist in the 2011 Australian Design Awards, the Solarball uses direct sunlight to cause the dirty water to evaporate and condense, pulling the purified water into a separate compartment and leaving the dirt and contaminants behind. There spherical design captures light and heat from all 360 degrees.
While at this stage the concept only produces three liters of water, which is well below the minimum of ten liters required per day for each person, it could be the beginning of an even bigger idea with far-reaching benefits.
The Water Vapor Project: Large Scale Dew Collectors
(images via: yanko design)
More ambitious and highly conceptual than the previous two ideas, the Water Vapor Project aims to make Africa’s deserts more viable for agriculture. While 57% of the continent’s inhabitants are involved in some form of agriculture, only 10% of the land is truly suitable for such a purpose. Using the basic principles of water vapor, these towers pull in cooler air close to the surface of the earth and sends it through a ‘vortex tube’ where it is met by air that has been heated by the sun and then pumped back outside, increasing humidity levels.
While perhaps not viable for the most arid desert regions where humidity in the air is hard to come by, such an idea could extend the range of the few naturally water-rich areas that already exist.
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That’s No Moon… It’s A Supermoon!
[ By Steve in Geography & Travel, History & Trivia, Science & Research. ]
On March 19, 2011 when the Moon loomed to its closest approach to Earth in almost 20 years, the usual gang of doomsayers spewed forth apocalyptic predictions while seeking to link the Extreme Supermoon event with recent natural disasters in New Zealand and Japan. While science has shown the Chicken Little’s laid a colossal egg, at least we were given a plethora of marvelous moon photos to swoon over.
Moon River, Wider than a Mile
(image via: Global Times)
With apologies to Johnny Mercer and Andy Williams, the March 19, 2011 extreme supermoon looked more than a mile wider than the average moon and actually WAS miles closer. Though the moon’s distance from the Earth (measured center to center) varies between 357,000 kilometers (222,000 mi) at perigee and 406,000 km (252,000 mi) at apogee due to the elliptic nature of the lunar orbit, the March 19 event saw our solitary satellite snuggle up to within a mere 356,577 km (221,572 mi). Since the average lunar perigee is 364,397 km (226,432 mi), on March 19 the moon was about 7,820 km (4,860 mi) closer to the earth. Above is the March 19 supermoon rising behind Berlin’s Funkturm radio and television tower.
(images via: Say To All and Ajorbahman’s Collection)
It gets even better. Supermoons are most notable when they occur at what astronomers call “perigee-syzygy”: a full or new moon that coincides with lunar perigee. While this in itself isn’t all that special (run of the mill supermoons occur 4 to 6 times a year), so-called “extreme supermoons” like this year’s one looming over Sofia, Bulgaria (above, top) are a different story.
(images via: Say To All, Global Times and Jano)
There have been 14 extreme supermoons since 1900 with the most recent occurring in 2005, 1993, 1992, 1990, 1975, 1974, 1972 and 1954. We can look forward to enjoying (weather permitting) future extreme supermoons in 2016, 2018, 2023, 2034 and 2036… so save the date, we’re brewin’ up some moonshine!
Here’s a short video primer on supermoons and supermoon-mania by some folks who know a thing or two about the moon… NASA:
ScienceCasts: Super Moon, via ScienceAtNASA
(image via: Wikipedia)
Numbers are all well and good but are these differences in distance actually noticeable from our Earthly vantage point? Indeed they are. The average full moon at perigee appears around 12 percent larger than an average non-perigee full moon. Supermoons, even more so. The difference is even greater for extreme supermoons such as the March 19, 2011 event as shown in the comparison split-screen image above. It’s estimated that the moon appeared 14 percent larger and was 30 percent brighter!
The Tides That Bind
(images via: Daily News Global, Frugal Cafe and Ajorbahman’s Collection))
For those of us on Earth (basically ALL of us, ISS-crew excepted), the moon’s gravitational force is most evident in the way it influences the tides. One might expect an extreme supermoon to induce some extreme tides, and indeed that’s the case though “extreme” is a relative term; up to 15 cm (6 in) depending on local conditions.
(images via: Celestia Screenshots Gallery, BBC and Will Barnes Online)
Tidal forces also affect land masses though not enough to be noticeable. That’s not the case on some of the solar system’s other heavenly bodies, specifically the moons which orbit large gas giant planets. These moons heat up from the constant stress and stretching; Jupiter’s moon Io is a leading example. Other moons affected by tidal forces are Enceladus (Saturn) and Triton (Neptune).
(images via: Gaia Souls, Free PSP Movies Portal and National Geographic)
Where we run into problems of speculation and extrapolation is when we try to apply marine tidal dynamics to land masses. The forces involved with plate tectonics and earthquakes are not affected by lunar tides, not to mention that old favorite of astrologers: the alignment of the planets.
(image via: Fast Company and Ajorbahman’s Collection))
Some attempts have been made to show causal relationships between the January 10, 2005 extreme supermoon and the December 26, 2004 Indian Ocean Earthquake and tsunami in Indonesia as well as the March 19, 2011 extreme supermoon and the March 11, 2011 Great Tohoku Kanto Earthquake and tsunami in Japan. Not so fast: it’s been proven unequivocally that “the 2011 Tohoku earthquake is the only destructive earthquake of 8.0 magnitude or greater to have occurred within 2 weeks of the 14 extreme supermoons from 1900 to the present date.”
“I’m Ready For My Closeup”
(images via: Ajorbahman’s Collection)
When the moon hits your eye like a big pizza pie, that’s amore! Or to be more precise, that’s an extreme supermoon! Hmm, maybe it’d sound better if Dino sang it. In any case, you may have noticed the vast majority of the photos that accompany articles on the supermoon feature the moon’s face hovering just above the horizon. There’s a good reason for that: supermoon or not, the moon just looks bigger when it’s rising or setting.
(images via: Spirit Voyage and Ajorbahman’s Collection)
It isn’t really bigger, of course. Our brain’s visual centers aren’t equipped to accurately judge the distance of objects, especially those as distant as the moon. Instead, we compare the relative sizes of objects sharing the same field of vision. A full moon riding high in the sky looks smaller than one rising up from behind a city skyline because there aren’t any visual cues for comparison – clouds and stars don’t count. The same theory can be applied to rising and setting suns.
(images via: EarthSky, Pat Dollard and Cosmos TV)
Everything said up to this point applies to supermoons seen by human beings – including our primitive ancestors. Go much farther back in time and a lot of what those aforementioned doomsayers have been saying takes on more than a glimmer of truth. That’s because the moon didn’t always orbit the Earth at its current, slightly variable distance. It used to be closer… a LOT closer.
(images via: German Aerospace Center, Ecogirl & Cosmoboy, Science Photo Library and Bob Willits)
Astronomers believe the moon was formed by a spectacular collision between the Earth and a Mars-sized rogue planetoid approximately 4.5 billion years ago, very early in the history of the solar system. The impactor slammed into the mostly molten proto-Earth, splashing a goodly glop of magma into space where it first became a Saturn-like ring before coalescing into the moon.
(image via: Science Photo Library)
The newborn moon orbited exceptionally close to the earth – approximately 25,500 km (15,845 mi) away. Imagine the tides a moon that close would raise on an Earth awash with oceans of magma! The moon continues to slowly spiral away from the Earth at a rate of about 3.8 cm (1.52 in) per year, thus making each future supermoon slightly less super than the one before.
Look Skywatchers!
(image via: ScriptingNews)
So you missed the 2011 extreme supermoon due to cloudy skies in your area; not to worry. There’ll be another one soon enough… well, 2016 isn’t that far away. Maybe you, like the future President of the United States, will be able to see it from your house. Hey, that’s no moon!
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(Images via: Field of Science)
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Luxurious Eco Travel: 12 Elegant Green Destinations
[ By Steph in Animals & Habitats, Geography & Travel, Nature & Ecosystems. ]
Staycations and ultra-rustic nature-centric accommodations may be the greenest way to spend your vacation time, but sometimes, special occasions call for a luxurious getaway. The good news is, elegant eco-resorts do exist, and while some have more green cred than others, they offer experiences that rival those of traditional pampering luxury resorts but in a more environmentally sensitive manner.
EcoCamp Patagonia, Chile
(images via: ecocamp.travel)
There are rustic eco resorts and there are luxury resorts with dubious green claims, but EcoCamp Patagonia in Chile is the best of both worlds – a luxurious getaway that is 100% carbon-free. You’ll sleep in a geodesic dome inspired by the huts built by the native Kawesqar people but enjoy modern comfort and convenience, right in the wilderness of the Torres del Paine National Park.
Wolgan Valley Resort & Spa, Blue Mountains, Australia
(images via: wolganvalley.com)
The first hotel in the world to be certified carbon-neutral through carboNZero is nestled in the Blue Mountains of Australia and definitely emphasizes guilt-free luxury. Winner of numerous awards, the Wolgan Valley Resort & Spa is made from recycled materials and renewable resources, runs on solar power and is located on a private conservation and nature reserve. Each free-standing luxury suite has its own private terrace and swimming pool, and guests can indulge in massages and skin treatments in between outdoor adventures.
Six Senses Hideaway, Thailand
(images via: sixsenses.com)
The Six Senses Hua Hin on the Gulf of Siam set out to prove that luxury and minimal environmental impact are compatible with its SLOW LIFE philosophy (S-Sustainable, L-Local, O-Organic, W-Wholesome, L-Learning, I-Inspiring, F-Fun, E-Experience). The resort, which features 55 pool villas and a holistic spa, has committed to green operations including energy efficiency, waste minimization and water conservation.
Gayana Luxury Eco Resort, Borneo
(images via: gayana-eco-resort.com)
Experience a lush jungle on a coral reef island off the coast of Borneo at the Gayana Luxury Eco Resort, which not only offers accommodations on the water with stunning views of the ocean and Mt. Kinabalu, but also operates its own Marine Ecology Research Center which propagates endangered giant clams and engages in other conservation and restoration activities. Guests can dive, kayak, trek through the jungles or lay back for a relaxing day in the luxury spa.
Miraval, Tucson
(images via: miravalresorts.com)
Not interested in venturing beyond the U.S. borders? America has a few eco resorts of its own, including Miraval in Tucson, a luxury spa and wellness retreat on 400 acres populated with rammed earth buildings and plenty of cacti. The rammed earth (clay adobe brick) construction makes the structures energy-efficient; water is heated with solar energy; the guest rooms feature green materials like non-toxic paints and the landscaping is all native. Miraval specializes in wellness and stress relief, with yoga, meditation, nutrition instruction, fitness activities and much more.
Gaia Luxury Hotel & Nature Reserve, Costa Rica
(images via: gaiahr.com)
High on a hill in the pristine wilderness of Costa Rica is the Gaia Hotel, a modern resort on 12.1 acres of nature reserve populated with local wildlife like squirrel monkeys and three-toed sloths. The 5-star, 20-room boutique hotel in the Manuel Antonio area has been named Central America’s top green hotel for its efforts to minimize the effects of tourism on the surrounding ecosystem.
CESiaK, Mexico
(images via: cesiak.org)
Often named among the world’s best green getaways, the Centro Ecologico Sian Ka’an (CESiak) is located adjacent to ancient Mayan ruins in Tulum. All proceeds from the surprisingly affordable yet comfy and exotic resort fund education and conservation programs at the Sian Ka’an Biosphere Reserve, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Dar-Hi, Tunisia
(images via: dar-hi.net)
Made almost entirely from local materials and labor, the Dar-Hi eco hotel in Tunisia is architecturally stunning and environmentally sensitive. The Dar-Hi is located on the edge of the Sahara Desert and features 17 rooms in four ‘styles’ that have different ways of interacting with the environment and the hotel: elevated ‘pill houses’ with beautiful views, ‘troglodyte houses’ built into the ground, ‘the dunes’ at ground level with a design inspired by wind-sculpted sand and the ‘dar malika’, a traditional house within the village. Accessible only on foot, the Dar-Hi offers secluded luxury just three hours from Paris.
Sanctuary Chief’s Camp, Botswana
(images via: sanctuaryretreats.com)
Twelve luxury bush pavilions in the Mombo Concession, an area of the Moremi Game Reserve in Botswana known as the ‘predator capital of Africa’, offer a beautiful and comfortable place to stay while experiencing Africa up close and personal. Included in a stay at the Sanctuary Chief’s Camp are ‘Mokoro’ dugout canoe excursions in the Okavango Delta and game drives on 4
Staten Island Dump Rehabbed into Gigantic Green Space
[ By Steph in Animals & Habitats, Geography & Travel, Nature & Ecosystems. ]
For decades, Staten Island – a borough of New York City – has been associated with stink. That’s because it’s home to Freshkills, the world’s largest landfill, which received its last load of trash in 2001. But the island’s unsavory reputation won’t last long, now that Freshkills is set to be transformed into an incredible green space three times the size of Central Park.
At 2,200 acres, Freshkills will be the largest park developed in New York City in over 100 years, and its environmental mission is illustrated in plans for ecological restoration, a showcase for sustainable strategies like methane harvesting from the buried waste, and possibly even renewable energy demonstrations complete with towering wind turbines.
The new park will have five main areas: Confluence, the cultural and recreational waterfront core of the park; North Park, a natural wildlife area with wetlands, meadows and creeks; South Park, with active recreation spaces like soccer fields, an equestrian facility and mountain biking paths; East Park, a scenic drive through the landscape, and West Park, where an ‘enormous earthwork monument’ is envisioned in remembrance of September 11th.
At its peak, Inhabitat reports, Fresh Kills Landfill received 29,000 tons of trash per day, hauled in on barges from New York City. The same mounds that were once nothing but smelly trash will now serve as grassy hills upon which visitors can picnic, and enjoy views of acre after acre of greenery and waterways. The full build-out will continue in phases for the next 30 years, with projects and facilities opening as they’re completed. The public can currently access the park on free bus tours, which are available between April and November.
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Born Freezing: Meet Antarctica’s First Citizen
[ By Steve in Geography & Travel, History & Trivia, Nature & Ecosystems. ]
You say you’re from the Deep South? From Down Under, perhaps? Emilio Marcos Palma would like a word. Born in 1978 at Argentina’s Esperanza Base on the Antarctic Peninsula, Palma can be considered to be the first native Antarctican.
Snow Kidding
(image via: Fotolog)
He may not be the last man on Earth but Emilio Marcos Palma (above, aged 30) was the first man born on the continent of Antarctica. While this unique claim to fame may not overly impress members of the opposite sex, Palma’s place in history is assured thanks to the cold hard facts of his birth.
(images via: Dinosaurios de Argentina, Taringa! and Skyscraper City)
A little background: The 1959 Antarctic Treaty (to which Argentina is a signatory) “does not recognize, dispute, nor establish territorial sovereignty claims,” and Argentina has staked out a triangular wedge of the continent that encompasses most of the Antarctic Peninsula and narrows to a point at the South Pole.
So-called Argentine Antarctica (Antártida Argentina, in Spanish) is administered as a department of the province of Tierra del Fuego, Antarctica, and South Atlantic Islands with the governor residing in Ushuaia, Patagonia.
(images via: Filatelissimo and Taringa!)
Argentina has strongly supported its claim to Antártida Argentina with people power – the country has sent more humans to Antarctica than all other nations combined.
(image via: Skaboii)
Orcadas Base (above) in the South Orkney Islands was established in early 1904 and was the first permanently inhabited base in Antarctica. Over the succeeding century, Argentina set up 5 other permanently occupied bases including Esperanza Base, where Emilio Marcos Palma was born.
A Man, A Plan, Antarctica!
(images via: Fotolog, Andinia and Alfinal)
In the 1970s, Argentina was ruled by a military dictatorship with expansionist ambitions. The nation’s political hierarchy thought that announcing births in Antártida Argentina would help support Argentina’s claim to the territory. This was easier said than done: like Mars in Elton John’s “Rocket Man”, Esperanza Base ain’t the kind of place to raise your kids; in fact it’s cold as Hell.
(images via: Bill’s Movie Emporium and A Nerd Goes To The Movies)
Speaking of which… those who’ve watched the classic Clint Eastwood film High Plains Drifter (1973) will immediately note the resemblance between Esperanza Base and the film’s fictional Old West town of Lago, after the latter received an extreme makeover of sorts.
(images via: Search.com, Mezvan and Esacademic)
But back to the problem of population. The solution came courtesy of Captain Jorge Emilio Palma, leader of the Argentine army detachment at Esperanza Base, and his wife Sílvia Morella de Palma who at the time (late 1977) was 7 months pregnant. Once it was assured basic medical facilities and staff were on hand at Esperanza Base, Mrs. Palma was flown in to complete her pregnancy.
It was an ideal set of circumstances: Sílvia did not have to face nutrition issues in the sensitive early months of her pregnancy, and the child would be both an Argentine citizen (as were his parents) and the first child to be born in Antarctica.
(images via: Taringa! and La Casa de las Palomas)
Esperanza Base was one of the larger Argentine antarctic bases in 1978 and as of October 2010 had a population of 66. Once ensconced at the base, the remaining weeks of Sílvia Morella de Palma’s pregnancy passed without complications and on January 7, 1978, Emilio Marcos Palma entered the bottom of the world weighing 7½ pounds (3.4 kg). If it was any consolation to the family, Emilio’s birth occurred at the height of the Antarctic summer with the midnight sun shining bright and the average temperature hovering around 3°C (37°F).
He Comes From A Land Down Under
(images via: Welcome Argentina, Ecosolnorte and Nuestromar)
Sorry Aussies, you can’t get any more “under” than Antarctica but with that said, Esperanza Base lies north of more than 90 percent of the frozen continent. The base, founded by Argentina in 1952, is situated near the tip of the Antarctic Peninsula – that long, narrowing tentacle of land that reaches up towards the southern cone of South America from Antarctica’s central massif.
(image via: Taringa!)
The rugged, mountainous peninsula is actually a continuation of the Andes, a geological fact that connects the two continents (and helps support nationalistic claims to Antártida Argentina).
(images via: Skaboii, Vibracobra23 and Britlink)
Territorial claims in Antarctica typically look like radial sections but unlike a pie, things are anything but cut & dried. The Argentine, Chilean and British claims (Antártida Argentina, Antártica and the British Antarctic Territory respectively) all significantly overlap and, on a lighter note, have their own unique flags.
On a further, even lighter note, Emilio Marcos Palma has a plausible claim to British nationality as Esperanza Base lies within the competing UK claim of the British Antarctic Territory.
Great Scott, it’s an Antarctic Baby Boom!
(image via: Far and Away Photographic Arts)
Antarctica: an ice place to visit but I wouldn’t want to live there… oh really? Emilio Marcos Palma may have been the first human born in Antarctica but subsequent blessed events proved he’s no fluke.
To date (2009), eleven children have been officially born in Antarctica or antarctic territories, which are defined as being south of the 60th parallel. Eight of these erstwhile Antarcticans were born at Esperanza Base.
(images via: YidnaMU and Ateneo Fotografico)
Three other Antarctican babies share a birthplace at Chile’s Base Presidente Eduardo Frei Montalva, situated on King George Island at an approximate latitude of 62° south. Chile’s first official Antarctican is Juan Pablo Camacho Martino, born on November 21, 1984.
(images via: Historias Con Historia and @rt Outsiders)
Well, it WAS an Antarctic baby boom but it seems to have become somewhat of a bust… all indications are that the most recent child born in Antarctica was Ignacio Alfonso Miranda Lagunas, born on January 23, 1985, in the Chilean Commune of Antártica.
As of 2010, the number of people working on scientific research and other work in Antarctica and islands nearby ranges from a low of about 1,000 in winter to around 5,000 in summer – and surely they aren’t all the same sex. What happened?
(image via: AntartidaAbierta)
Maybe now that the ice has been broken, so to speak, governments who operate Antarctic bases realize there’s no longer any good reason to risk the lives of mothers and babies far from large, modern hospitals. Penguins may have evolved to cope with Antarctica’s frigid conditions; humans still have a ways to go.
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