We
live on one small planet floating amongst trillions of stars and yet it
still has countless barely known places that inspire our souls and
intrigue our minds. This is our second collection of very strange and
wonderful places that our very own Earth has to offer.
“No quote is ever worthy enough for the miracle that is nature.”
Paul St. Claire (1964 - )
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Located
near the southern end of Tasmania, Eaglehawk Neck is a thin stretch of
land which links two Islands and is remarkable for two reasons. It is
the World’s finest (surface-level) example of a Tessellated Pavement and
is also credited as the place where the notorious “Dog Line” was first
invented. The indented slab formation is a geological feature caused by
the erosion of fractures in the rock. The same area was also once a
crossing place for escaped criminals that had been deported from Britain
to Tasmania. To stop escaped convicts crossing this 200 metre wide
strip of land the local military commander deployed nine ferocious dogs –
each chained so that that they could nearly reach each other but
couldn’t actually fight. Convicts that tried to cross the neck would
find himself within range of two of these half-starved monsters. Only
three people ever made it past the dogs. (Image credit: Noodle Snacks:
Wikimedia Commons)
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You
will find Bear Lake in the borough of Fairbanks North Star in the
American state of Alaska. While the Lake itself is beautiful it is also
the place from where a person can often see the incredible celestial
display known as the Northern Lights or the Aurora Borealis. Literally
translated the name means - Dawn Winds.
This phenomenon has been
recorded for thousands of years (Pliny). Legend is that the lights were
caused by Aurora - the Roman Goddess of the Dawn - who flew across the
night sky to foretell the rising of the Sun. Many legends refer to the
dance of the lights and Vikings are said to have believed that they were
Valkyrie taking the souls of dead warriors to Valhalla. Scientists
believe that they are really caused by solar winds as they collide with
the magnet field that encompasses the Earth.
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Part
of the Wai-O-Tapu geothermal complex located near Rotorua on the North
Island of New Zealand, Champagne Pool is one of the most striking
natural wonders. The brilliant orange ledge is actually formed from
arsenic deposits and the gasses that rise and sparkle like champagne are
carbon dioxide released from the water vents. Translated from the Maori
language, Wai-O-Tapu means “Sacred or Colourful Waters”. The entire
region of Rotorua is intensely active and Champagne Pool is just one of
the hundreds of strange geological features that have been formed by the
action of water, steam and subterranean volcanic energy. Translated,
Rotorua means The Second Great Lake of Kahumatamomoe who was the uncle
of the Maori lord Inhenga who discovered the lands.
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This
is yet another strange geological feature discovered by users of Google
Earth. From the ground the Badlands Guardian appears unremarkable and
is merely a collection of small grass covered ridges and valleys.Often
described as a Native American wearing a traditional headdress it has
caused controversy since its discovery due to what appears to be an
audio plug in its ear. Located near the town of Medicine Hat and the
village of Walsh in Southern Alberta, Canada it is known as the Badlands
Guardian. Although the formation is approximately 70 million years old
the earphone is a new addition and is reputed to be either a natural gas
or oil well. The actual location was visited in 2006 by TV News Watch
Reporter Dale Hunter who interviewed local residents who, up until that
time were unaware of its existence. It’s probably just a strange
geological feature caused by erosion but who knows for sure. A
competition was held to name the face and Cypress County Council
selected “Badlands Guardian”. The discovery is credited to Lynn Hickox
of Saskatchewan Province, Canada..
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At
one time in pre-history this part of the Sahara Desert was deep
underwater and deposits of chalk built up over the millennia. Today,
this region near the oasis of Farafra, is above sea level and the wind
has eroded the ancient lime and chalk deposits to create a bizarre and
beautiful landscape in a truly White Desert. (Sahara el Beyda) The
actual region is 45 kilometers north of Farafra and has become a popular
tourist destination that is also close to the Black Desert and the
Crystal Mountain. Still, many irresponsible tourists light fires against
these ancient rocks causing them to fracture and at certain times of
the year after key religious festivals the area is littered with
refuse. This wonderful image is accredited to Hathor 13 of Wiki Commons.
After years of petitioning by leading figures in the world of
conservation and archaeology it has now been identified as a protected
natural reserve but it appears that this has barely limited the
ecological damage that careless tourists are causing to the area. Like
so many natural wonders that exist for us to see it may be that all our
children will have is the digital images our cameras take today.
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At
4,085 square miles in size Salar de Uyuni is the biggest “salt flat” in
the world. What is even more remarkable is that it is over 3,500 metres
above sea level and is the world’s most important future source of
Lithium containing as much as 70% of all known reserves. It is also
incredibly flat and people have been known to experience a form of
vertigo and visual disorientation when looking across this vast and
desolate vista. It covers a lake said to be up to twenty metres deep and
was once part of a vast lake some 40,000 years ago before the effects
of a series of Ice ages changed the topography. The Aymara, the
indigenous people of the Western Andes have a legend that the Salar
(Salt Flat) was created when the Giantess Tunupa and her baby were
abandoned and cried so that her tears mixed with breast-milk creating
the lake. As such, there is a local movement to have the area renamed
Salar de Tunupa. This remarkable image displayed above is accredited to
Luca Galuzzi (2007) - a truly extraordinary photographer from Italy.
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Located
in the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park is the Pu'u 'O'o geo-magmatic
vent. At the time of writing (2009) the Pu'u 'O'o eruption has been
taking place sporadically for over a quarter of a century. During this
time it has produced more than 3 cubic kilometers of lava that have
re-buried 117 square kilometers of the islands surface. Some of the lava
flows from this vent have managed to travel 12 kilometres before
plunging into the sea. Even as we write this article (16 December 2009)
we’ve just discovered that Kilauea is erupting again and the plume is
visible from space and completely obscures the Pu'u 'O'o crater. This is
one of Hawaii’s most energetic volcanoes and has provided scientist
with some of the most important insights into the relatively new science
of volcanology.
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Created
by 19th century diamond miners, it is still widely believed to be the
biggest hand-excavated hole in the world as it also once had a hill
above it. The first diamonds were discovered in 1871 on the De Beers
farm near the town that is today called Kimberley. Within months
thousands of prospectors had arrived to unearth the gems. Over the next
43 years more than 50,000 people would discover nearly 3,000 kilograms
of diamonds. In total, it is estimated that using nothing more than
picks, shovels and miners buckets they displaced more than 22 million
tons of earth and rock. At its deepest point it was nearly a quarter of a
kilometer in below ground level. After mining became too dangerous and
unproductive in 1914 the Big Hole was partially filled in with rock from
other excavations and water has since accumulated to a depth of 40
metres. (Image is accredited to Irene (2005) Wikimedia Commons.)
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Located
in the Northern Territory of Australia, Uluru is a massive outcrop of
eroded red sandstone (inselberg) that towers above the surrounding
region. The name derives from the local Pitjantjatjara and
Yankunytjatjara peoples, the Anangu, and is a sacred place for both
groups. There are many myths and legends surrounding the origin and
purpose of the formation. One source claims that it is the physical
embodiment of the Turtle Spirit. It is reputed to be very bad luck to
take away any stone or part of Uluru. There are apparently many reported
cases of people who have gone to great lengths to return items that
they once took. Geologically Uluru is many millions of years old and has
numerous caves and small fountains. It is estimated that the area has
been inhabited for more than 10,000 years and examples of ancient rock
paintings can still be seen in some of the caves. (This image is
accredited to Bo-Deh (2005) Wiki Commons.)
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The
real name of this place is Lake Nyos but the locals now call it “Killer
Lake” or “The Lake that Killed” - a well deserved name. Located in a
crater on the flanks of an inactive volcano the extremely deep waters
lie above a pool of magma that slowly leaks carbon dioxide. It’s part of
the Oku volcanic configuration and is located in the north-west region
of Cameroon. In 1986 a vast bubble of carbon dioxide mixed with sulfur
and hydrogen spewed to the surface. In total, 1.6 million tonnes of this
lethal gas spread over a huge area - reaching 23 kilometers away from
the source. Hugging the ground this deadly and near undetectable
concoction swept over villages and small towns. Approximately 1,700
people and 3,500 farm animals were killed within two hours. Survivors
experienced long-term side effects including lesions, soft-tissue burns
and respiratory illnesses. (This image is accredited to the USGS -
United States Geological Survey).
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“No quote is ever worthy enough for the miracle that is nature.”
Paul St. Claire (1964 - )