10. THE CHOCOLATE HILLS, BOHOL
PHILIPINES
 |
| Chocolate Hills |
The
Chocolate Hills are probably Bohol's most famous tourist attraction. They look
like giant mole hills, or as some say, women's breasts, and remind us of the
hills in a small child's drawing. Most people who first see pictures of this
landscape can hardly believe that these hills are not a man-made artifact.
However, this idea is quickly abandoned, as the effort would surely surpass the
construction of the pyramids in Egypt. The chocolate hills consist of are no
less than 1268 hills (some claim this to be the exact number). They are very
uniform in shape and mostly between 30 and 50 meters high. They are covered
with grass, which, at the end of the dry season, turns chocolate brown. From
this color, the hills derive their name. At other times, the hills are green,
and the association may be a bit difficult to make.
Legend
has it that the hills came into existence when two giants threw stones and sand
at each other in a fight that lasted for days. When they were finally
exhausted, they made friends and left the island, but left behind the mess they
made. For the more romantically inclined is the tale of Arogo, a young and very
strong giant who fell in love with an ordinary mortal girl called Aloya. After
she died, the giant Arogo cried bitterly. His tears then turned into hills, as
a lasting proof of his grief.
However,
up to this day, even geologists have not reached consensus on how they where
formed. The most commonly accept theory is that they are the weathered
formations of a kind of marine limestone on top of a impermeable layer of clay.
If you climb the 214 steps to the top of the observation hill near the complex,
you can read this explanation on a bronze plaque.
 |
| Chocolate Hills |
9. MARIANA TRENCH, PASIFIC OCEAN
The
Mariana Trench is located in the Pacific Ocean, just east of the 14
Mariana Islands (11"21' North latitude and 142" 12' East longitude )
near Japan. As you probably already know, it is the deepest part of
the earth's oceans, and the deepest location of the earth itself. It was
created by ocean-to-ocean subduction, a phenomena in which a plate topped by
oceanic crust is subducted beneath another plate topped by oceanic crust. The
deepest part of the Mariana Trench is the Challenger Deep, so named after the
exploratory vessel HMS Challenger II; a fishing boat converted into a sea lab
by Swiss scientist Jacques Piccard.
On
this site, you will find information on the main characteristics of the
Mariana Trench, its exploration, and its ecosystem. The Biology section of
the site covers the fish and various (organisms and microorganisms) of the
deep, what makes these creatures unique, and the fascinating ways in which they
live and survive. The Oceanography section explores the data
pertaining to the Mariana Trench and other deep sea formations.The Exploration
section relates some of the events pertaining to the first survey of the MT,
and the history of deep sea exploration.
We
have also included a section on the Mariana Arc, from an article published
by NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) Magazine
Online. In addition to this, we also added a nautical measurement
conversion table, so that you mayIn closing we have added two supplemental
sections so that you may continue your research into the fascinating world of
the deep. Whether you are seeking answers to questions about the Mariana
Trench, or are simply interested in Marine Biology, Oceanography, or related
subjects, we hope our site will help you better understand the mysteries of the
ocean floor.8. PAMUKKALE SPRING, TURKEY
The
hot springs of Pamukkale can be found trickling down the white cliffs of
Pamukkale in southern Turkey. The cliffs cascade downward in a widening series
of steps from a plateau more than 100m (300ft) high on Cal Da?i mountain. Water
constantly bubbles up from thermal springs under the plateau and emerges into
the air at around 38°C (98.5°F). As it journeys underground to the surface,
this warm water passes through beds of limestone, dissolving calcium carbonate
from the rock.
Water
that steadily spills over a pool's raised edges trickles down the outside of
the "column", depositing more travertine as a growing outer skin.By
constantly adding fresh layers of travertine to the cliffs, the mineral-rich
water prevents plants from gaining a foothold and the elements from weathering
Pamukkale into a dull, shapeless mass.The name Pamukkale is Turkish for
"cotton castle".
7. SALAR DE UYUNI, BOLIVIA
World's
largest salt lake known as Salar de Uyuni (Uyuni salt flat) is a visually
captivating place, one of the most stunningly beautiful places you will ever
come across in Bolivia and South America. A surreal vision in the
Bolivian Altiplano created by amazing geological formations,
geothermal springs and brine lakes.
Covering
an area of over 10,000 square km. in the departmentes of Oruro and Potosi (SW Bolivia),
Salar de Uyuni is estimated to have a reserve of 10 billion tons of salt. Some
40,000 years ago the region was covered by the giant salt lake Minchin. At some
point the lake dried, leaving behind two small lakes (Poopó and Uri Uri) plus
two salt lakes: Coipasa and Uyuni.
The
vast expanse of salt in Salar de Uyuni will definitely leave you amazed by its
beauty and its mere existence. Salt can be as thick as ten meters in the center
and during wet seasons, the vast expanse will be covered with water.Most tours
that include Salar de Uyuni will also offer you other various attractions that
are also breathtaking. Another common attraction that you can also see when
going on tour is Laguna Hedionda and Isla de Pescados which are both
spectacular.
6. GUAIRA FALLS, BRAZIL-PARAGUAY
BORDER
If you’ve ever seen Niagara Falls, you
know the tremendous amount of water that tumbles over the edge of the falls
each second. Could you believe there’s a waterfall with a flow more than twice
as great as Niagara?
This waterfall, known as Guaira, is on
the Parana River, on the border between Paraguay and Brazil. In Brazil, the
waterfall is known as Sete Quedas. Guaira is just ,ver three miles wide, and
only about 110 feet high. But Guaira has the largest .iverage flow of any
single waterfall on earth.
On the average, about 212,000 cubic feet
of water passes over Niagara Falls each second. The average flow of Guaira is
470,000 cubic feet per second. And during seasons when the Parana River is
high, the flow over Guaira can reach 1.7 million cubic feet per second!
5. METEOR CRATER, USA
The
story of the Barringer Meteorite Crater is a story about the collisions and
impacts that have shaped the Earth and other planets in our solar system. But
it is also a story about how we know what we know about craters, meteorites,
and the planet we live on.
The
crater is named for Daniel Moreau Barringer, a Philadelphia mining engineer.
Barringer was one of the first people to claim that the crater was the result
of an impact, contradicting the most eminent scientists of his time. Though he
never found the fortune in meteoritic iron he was convinced lay beneath the
floor of the crater, Barringer’s theory of the crater’s origin was eventually
vindicated and accepted by the scientific community.
The
story of the crater is the story of scientific discovery, and of the heated
debates and complex personal histories that make discovery possible. It is a
story about how we have come to understand our world, and it begins 50,000
years ago, high above the Arizona desert.
4. SOCOTRA, REPUBLIK OF YAMEN
The
Socotra Archipelago is a part of the Republic of Yemen. Located in the northwestern Indian Ocean,
about 350 km south of the Arabian peninsula.
The archipelago consists of the main island of Socotra and three smaller
islands: Abd Al Kuri: 25x5 km, about 200
inhabitants, reachable in 10 hours by boat from Qalansiya Samha: 10x5 km, about
60 inhabitants, reachable in 4 hours by boat from Qalansiya Darsa: not
inhabited
The
long geological isolation from Arabia and Africa has resulted in very high
levels of endemism. 308 endemic plants (36 % of the total), 36 endemic vertebrates (reptiles, birds),
more than 300 species of endemic
invertebrates are found on the islands. Rich marine diversity: to-date 33 genera of
hermatic corals found; 3 possible endemic species including an ophichthis-like
eel which may be new to science
Socotra
is the 9th of ten most important islands
in the world, in terms of biodiversity conservation importance. (Millet et al.
1996, Royal Botanical Garden Edinburgh) One of the Globe 200 important eco
regions (according to WWF). Socotra forms
one of the world’s 221 globally important Endemic Bird Areas (BirdLife
International recognizes 22 Important Bird Areas on the islands) International
Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) names 52 endemic Socotri plants in
the Red List of Threatened Species.
3. MOUNT RORAIMA, SOUTH AMERIKA
Mount Roraima (mountain, South America) giant flat-topped
mountain, or mesa, in the Pakaraima Mountains of the Guiana Highlands , at the
point where the boundaries of Brazil, Venezuela, and Guyana meet. About 9 miles
(14 km) long and 9,094 feet (2,772 metres) high, it is the source of many
rivers of Guyana, and of the Amazon and Orinoco. Mount Roraima is a pretty
remarkable place. It is a tabletop mountain with sheer 400-metre high cliffs on
all sides. There is only one ‘easy’ way up, on a natural staircase-like ramp on
the Venezuelan side – to get up any other way takes and experienced rock
climber. On the top of the mountain it rains almost every day, washing away
most of the nutrients for plants to grow and creating a unique landscape on the
bare sandstone surface
This
also creates some of the highest waterfalls in the world over the sides (Angel
falls is located on a similar tabletop mountain some 130 miles away). Though
there are only a few marshes on the mountain where vegetation can grow
properly, these contain many species unique to the mountain, including a
species of carnivorous pitcher plant. The mountain marks the border between
Venezuela, Brazil and Guyana, although more than three quarters of the mountain
is in Venezuelan territory. It is the highest mountain in Guyana, but
Venezuela and Brazil have higher mountains. The triple border point on the
summit is at 5°12'08N, 60°44'07W. Roraima lies on the Guiana Shield in the
southeastern corner of Venezuela's 30,000 km² Canaima National Park, which is
roughly located in the Gran Sabana region . The tabletop mountains of the
park are considered some of the oldest geological formations on Earth, dating
back to the Precambrian Era, some two billion years ago.The average height of
the plateau is about 2,500 metres (8,200 feet), making it the highest point for
distance of 549.44 kilometres (341.48 miles) in any direction. The nearest peak
that is taller is Cerro Marahuaca, to the west-southwest. Despite the fact the
steep sides of the plateau make it difficult to access, it was the first major
tepui to be climbed: Sir Everard im Thurn walked up a forested ramp in December
1884 to scale the strangely wind-and-water sculpted plateau. This is the same
route hikers take today. It is thought that the reports from early Victorian
expeditions to the mountain inspired Sir Arthur Conan Doyle to write his
classic adventure yarn, The Lost World, in 1912 - now made into countless films.
Since
long before the arrival of European explorers in Venezuela the mountain has
held a special significance for the indigenous people of the region and it is
central to many of their myths and legends. The Pemon Indians of the Gran
Sabana see Roraima as the stump of a mighty tree that once held all the fruits
and tuberous vegetables in the world. Felled by one of their ancestors, the
tree crashed to the ground, unleashing a terrible flood. "Roroi" in
the Pemon language means blue-green and "ma" means great. Mount
Roraima has been climbed on a few occasions from the Guyana and Brazil sides,
but as the mountain is entirely bordered on both these sides by enormous sheer
cliffs that include high overhanging (negative-inclination) stretches, these
are extremely difficult and technical rock climbing routes
2. THE GREAT DUNE OF PYLA, FRANCE
Largest
sand dune in Europe is the great dune of Pyla. Size of sand dune of Pyla is
about 60,000,000 cubic meters, It measures 1,640 feet (500 m) wide and 1.86
miles (3 km long), with the height ranging from 328 to 383.8 feet (100 to 117
m) above sea level. The Dune of Pilat is also known as the Great Dune of Pyla It
is located in the La Teste-de-Buch of the Arcachon Bay area at 60Km from
Bordeaux, in the South of the Arcachon Bay, it is possible to visit the highest
dune in Europe, the Great Dune of Pyla (or Pilat)
This
hight of dune of Pyla reaches upto a height of 107m. At this summit, the view
is spectacular with the ocean coast, the inlet of the Bay, the large pine
forest and, when the sky is very clear, the Pyrenees Range. This Great Dune is
constituted of fine sand which the siliceous grains have about the same size. Since
about ten years, this area is also became a point of start to the lover of
delta planes. The Great Dune of Pyla is located on the “La Teste de Buch”
district (Gironde) and it is a national listed landscape. Since Europe has no
deserts, you’d think the title of “Europe’s largest sand dune” would go to
something that wasn’t particularly impressive. But you’d be wrong.
The Great Dune of Pyla is 3km long, 500m wide and 100m high, and for reasons I
will probably never understand, it seems to have formed in a forest. The dune
is very steep on the side facing the forest and is famous for being a
paragliding site. At the top it also provides spectacular views out to sea and
over the forest (since the dune is far higher than any of the trees surrounding
it). This unique place is great traveling opportunity for those who would like
to experience how it is like to be in desert and this little version of desert
is less than a hour of ride away from Bordeaux. A number of such smaller sand
dunes can be found at the soul of sandy moor of Gascony. This dune is huge
enough to be visible from the space. From above, it looks like huge white
rectangle
1.THE DOOR TO HELL, TURKMENISTAN
1971. A
group of Soviet Scientists were rooting around the small village of Dervaza.
The village crucially lies in the Ahal Province of Turkmenistan, an area known
for its abundance in one useful resource… Natural Gas. They found it. A site
was identified next to the village and preparations were made for the drilling
rig and camp to be set up on site, so as to facilitate the gathering of the
sweet, sweet combustible resource. There was, of course, an incident.On an
undisclosed date shortly after completion, the drilling rig was drilling.
Surrounding it was a cornucopia of equipment dotted around the drilling camp.
Gas was rapidly pouring in and being stored for transportation and the Soviet
Scientists were reveling in their success.In an instant the ground beneath the
camp cracked and tore open, revealing a new crater 100 metres across. The camp
and rig plummeted downwards, swallowed by the depths of this new menacing construct.
It was a disaster none of them saw coming, fortunately no lives were lost.
Despite the lack of injuries or deaths the Scientists were faced with a
substantial problem, besides the massive new crater of course. The problem was
the gas, of which there was a great deal. The Soviet Scientists recognised the
threat, if left to its own devices, the crater would continue to pour out
natural gas into the local atmosphere and poisoning the air itself and killing
hundreds of people in the vicinity. This was undesirable to say the least. A
plan was conceived.
Firstly
they would leave the camp and drilling rig down there, as you can imagine
volunteers to enter the crater filled with poisonous gas were thin on the
ground. Instead they would set the gas alight. This would prevent the air being
poisoned and after a few days the crater should burn off any excess gas seeping
through before the fires too died out. Then they could return and see what was
salvageable from the camp. The plan worked. The gas was burnt, preventing the
poisoning, and the crater kept burning over the next few days. It has been 40
years, the crater still burns. It is known as the,’Door to Hell.‘The
cursed craters effects are noticeable to this day and have not made it a nice
thing to be around.From its burning mouth pours the stench of sulphur, fouling
the local air and making anything with nasal cavities flee from the vicinity.
Were the stench not untenable not enough, the roaring flames in the crater do
their part also. In addition it glows day and night, the leaping flames nested
are so ferocious that they produce a hazy glow which can be seen from several
miles away.
In
April 2010 the president of Turkmenistan ordered the fire to be quelled and the
hole to be sealed so as to stop it removing gas from nearby gas drilling sites.
While it is an amazing site that many would like to keep around we cannot
expect it to last forever, the gas being burnt is much worse than Carbon
Dioxide in its contributions to global warming. While the planet should
preserve its places of oddity we must respect the environment.To this very day
no-one knows where all of the gas is coming from and we may never understand
quite how the,’Gateway to Hell ,’ has kept burning for
40 years.
Tidak ada komentar:
Posting Komentar