Archive for the 'Our Awesome World' Category
Our Awesome Planet: Volcanic Cloud OF DOOM.
May 8th, 2008
No, that’s not an asteroid strike, one of the Great Old Ones or Other Gods visiting Earth, nor is it a sign of the Singularity—or the Rapture, the Great Judgment, or ( insert your own apocalyptic event here )—it’s a volcanic eruption in Chile. According to the original article on National Geographic News:
The mingling of lightning and ash seen above may be a “dirty thunderstorm.”
The little-understood storms may be sparked when rock fragments, ash, and ice particles in the plume collide to produce static charges—just as ice particles collide to create charge in regular thunderstorms.
Hmmmmm. I think a “dirty storm” is going to show up in my fiction sometime soon, because that there…that’s just awesome! Makes me wish I lived somewhere within shouting distance of an active volcano: far enough away to avoid pyroclastic clouds, lava bombs, and the like, but close enough that I could sit on my back porch and enjoy the primal fireworks and ash-falls.
Technorati Tags: our awesome world,volcano,chile,national geographic
Our Awesome World: The Crystal Caves
January 26th, 2008
Mexico is not often thought of as a place of breathtaking natural beauty—unless, of course, one is willing to look under the ground.
National Geographic News presents a stunning, literally awe-inspiring photogallery of Mexico’s Cueva de los Cristales (Cave of Crystals). The cavern system was discovered near the town of Delicias, Chihuahua, in 2000 by a mining operation who subsequently drained the caves to reveal gigantic gypsum crystals unlike any ever seen before.
But how did the crystals get so large? Simple!
[F]or millennia the crystals thrived in the cave’s extremely rare and stable natural environment. Temperatures hovered consistently around a steamy 136 degrees Fahrenheit (58 degrees Celsius), and the cave was filled with mineral-rich water that drove the crystals’ growth.
Fortunately for the delicate crystals, the caves will probably never become a tourist attraction, thanks to the fact that the crystals need to be maintained at a godawful 120+ degrees Fahrenheit in order to keep them from crumbling.
If anyone reading this wants to brave the searing heat to see the crystals for him- or herself, do give my regards to Juan Romero and wish him a happy transition.
Technorati Tags: national geographic,crystal caves,crystals,mexico,chihuahua,geology,gypsum,awesome
