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Geography fun facts and oddities: Difference between revisions

Geography fun facts and oddities (view source)

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== Physical geography oddities ==
== Physical geography oddities ==
=== Caves ===
[[File:Lanzarote 5 Luc Viatour.jpg|thumb|Lanzarote 5 Luc Viatour|alt=Lanzarote 5 Luc Viatour.jpg|World's longest "lava tube" in Cueva de los Verdes (wikipedia)]]
* '''Cueva de los Verdes ("the cave of Verdes")'''
** world's longest "lava tube" was created 3,000 years ago by the eruption of Monte Corona, Canary Islands
** lava tubes are formed when a lava stream cools and solidifies at the top, while lava below continues to flow, leaving a cave after full draining.
** the cave is 3.7 miles long on land and extends another 0.93 miles under water
** see [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cueva_de_los_Verdes Cueva de los Verdes (wikipedia)]
[[File:Kirkhelleren traena nordlan.jpg|thumb|Kirkhelleren cave in Norway (wikipedia)]]
[[File:Kirkehellern.jpg|thumb|Norwegian artist Anneli Drecker playing inside the natural cave Kirkhelleren on Træna, in the cave traces of human activity dating 9000 years ago has been found (wikipedia)]]
* Kirkhelleren, Træna,Norway
** an ancient cave that carved out by glaciation (glacier cycles)
** was inhabited at least 9,000 years ago
** has a large rock in the center which may have been used as an alter or for some form of worship
*** thus the cave is known as the "Nature's Cathedral"
** see:
*** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tr%C3%A6na
*** [https://partner.sciencenorway.no/cathedral-fram-centre/natures-cathedral-people-have-gathered-in-this-cave-for-at-least-10000-years/2071325 Nature's cathedral: People have gathered in this cave for at least 10,000 years (sciencenorway.no)]
=== Earthquakes ===
=== Earthquakes ===
* 5-largest recorded earthquakes by magnitude:
* 5-largest recorded earthquakes by magnitude:
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</gallery>
</gallery>


=== Geysers ===
* Yellowstone, Wyoming is the largest geyser field in the world
** has 1,283 geysers that have erupted with 465 active per year
** Old Faithful geyser
*** "Old Faithful" erupts regularly between 44 minutes and two hours
** Steamboat geyser, Yellowstone
*** currently the tallest geyser in the world, reaching over 300ft
*** Steamboat does not erupt regularly, with intermittences of 3 days to 50 years
* Dolina Geizerov or "Valley of Geysers"
** second largest geyser field in the world
** located on Kamchatka Peninsula, Russia
** has about 90 geysers
** it is very remote, reachable only by helicopter
* El Tatio, Chile
** "El Tatio" means "grandfather" or "oven"
** located on a volcanic belt that spans across the Chilean and Bolivian border
** it is the third largest in the world
** at 14,170 ft in altitude it is likely the highest large geyser field in the world
* Waimangu Geyser, New Zealand (extinct)
** was the most powerful geyser in the world between 1900 and 1904, its 1st and last observations of major eruptions
** its plume reached 1500 ft
** now extinct due to a landslide that changed the water table
*** it went fully extinct in 1908
<gallery widths=300px heights=200px caption="Geysers gallery">
File:OldFaithful1948.jpg|thumb|OldFaithful1948 at Yellowstone National Park (1948)
File:Steamboatgeyser1.jpg|thumb|Steamboat geyser at Yellowstone, the worlds tallest active geyser
File:Dead trees at Mammoth Hot Springs.jpg|thumb|Dead trees at Mammoth Hot Springs, Yellowstone
File:Valley of the Geysers.jpg|thumb|Valley of the Geysers, Kampchucka, Russia, the 2nd largest geyser field in the world
File:Géiseres del Tatio, Atacama, Chile, 2016-02-01, DD 01-02 HDR.JPG|thumb|"Géiseres del Tatio," Atacama, Chile, the third largest geyser field in the world
File:ElTatio-CerroSoquete-2004.jpg|thumb|The Andes rise behind El Tatio|alt=The steam plumes of the field at the feet of mountains, with higher snow-covered mountains far away
File:Waimangu geyser.jpg|thumb|Waimangu geyser, New Zealand, erupting in 1903. It went fully extinct in 1908.
</gallery>


=== Glaciers ===
=== Glaciers ===
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File:Kirkjufell in Iceland.jpg|thumb|The Kirkjufell mountain in Iceland.
File:Kirkjufell in Iceland.jpg|thumb|The Kirkjufell mountain in Iceland.
File:Rainbow Mountain Peru.jpg|thumb|The Colored stripes of Mt. Vinicunca, Peru, known in English as the "Rainbow Mountain"
File:Rainbow Mountain Peru.jpg|thumb|The Colored stripes of Mt. Vinicunca, Peru, known in English as the "Rainbow Mountain"
</gallery>
=== Volcanos ===
* '''Cueva de los Verdes ("the cave of Verdes")'''
** world's longest "lava tube" was created 3,000 years ago by the eruption of Monte Corona, Canary Islands
** lava tubes are formed when a lava stream cools and solidifies at the top, while lava below continues to flow, leaving a cave after full draining.
** the cave is 3.7 miles long on land and extends another 0.93 miles under water
** see [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cueva_de_los_Verdes Cueva de los Verdes (wikipedia)]
* '''Mt. Mayon, Philippines'''
** a stratovolcano that has a near-perfectly symmetric, or "perfect", cone
** = the most active volcano in the Philippines
** traditionally worshipped
** see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mayon
* '''Mt. St. Helens, Washington (state)'''
** an active stratovolcano
** part of the "Cascades Volcanic Arc"
** lies 52 miles from Portland, OR
** erupted on May 18, 1980
** "lateral" eruption (sideways instead of straight up)
*** was triggered a 5.1 magnitude earthquake
** deadliest volcano in U.S. history
*** 57 people killed
*** destroyed 200 homes, 47 bridges, 185 miles of highway
** the eruption's thermal explosion equivalent was 24 megatons (1600 times the power of the Hiroshima atomic bomb)
** as a result of the eruption:
*** mountain summit elevation dropped from 9,677 to 8336
*** left a 1-mile wide crater
*** Yakima, WA received 4-5 inches of ash
**** Portland, OR, only received about 1/2-inch of ash, as the winds blew the ash northeastward from the explosion
** researcher David Johnston and photographer Robert Landsburg were killed during the eruption
*** Landsburg had protected his camera and film with his body, which were recovered
*** another photographer, Gary Rosenquist and his companions were 11 miles away and survived the blast due to the land topography, which protected them
*** Rosenquist's photos have been compiled into a video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VTIyBsPagro
** Mt. St. Helens was remained active until 2008, when a new lava dome emerged
* Volcano pranks
** '''Mt. Edgecumbe, Sitka, Alaska''', 1974 April Fools Volcano Prank
** '''Great Blue Hill, Milton, MA''' 1980 eruption prank
** see https://school4schools.com/wiki/index.php?title=Famous_hoaxes#Geographic_hoaxes
<gallery widths=300px heights=200px caption="Volcanos gallery">
File:Mt.Mayon tam3rd.jpg|thumb|Mt.Mayon, Philippines, with a "perfect" cone (wikipedia)
File:Lanzarote 5 Luc Viatour.jpg|thumb|Lanzarote 5 Luc Viatour|alt=Lanzarote 5 Luc Viatour.jpg|World's longest "lava tube" (wikipedia)
File:MSH80 eruption mount st helens 05-18-80-dramatic-edit.jpg|thumb|MSH80 eruption mount st helens 05-18-80 (wikipedia)
File:Mount St. Helens, one day before the devastating eruption.jpg|thumb|Mount St. Helens pictured the day before the 1980 eruption (wikipedia)
File:MSH80 st helens from johnston ridge 09-10-80.jpg|thumb|Mount St. Helens four months after the eruption (wikipedia)
</gallery>
</gallery>


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</gallery>
</gallery>


=== Famous rocks around the world ===
==== Famous rocks around the world ====
[[File:Qasr al Farid.JPG|thumb|Qaṣr Al-Farīd (Arabic: قَصْر ٱلْفَرِيْد), meaning ‘the Lonely Castle’ is largest tomb at the archaeological site]]
[[File:Qasr al Farid.JPG|thumb|Qaṣr Al-Farīd (Arabic: قَصْر ٱلْفَرِيْد), meaning ‘the Lonely Castle’ is largest tomb at the archaeological site]]
* Qaṣr Al-Farīd
* Qaṣr Al-Farīd
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File:Angular glacial erratic on Lambert Dome-750px.jpg|thumb|Angular glacial erratic on Lembert Dome.
File:Angular glacial erratic on Lambert Dome-750px.jpg|thumb|Angular glacial erratic on Lembert Dome.
File:A079, Acadia National Park, Maine, USA, balanced rock, 2002.jpg|thumb|Bubble Rock, Acadia National Park, Maine
File:A079, Acadia National Park, Maine, USA, balanced rock, 2002.jpg|thumb|Bubble Rock, Acadia National Park, Maine
</gallery>
=== Geysers ===
* Yellowstone, Wyoming is the largest geyser field in the world
** has 1,283 geysers that have erupted with 465 active per year
** Old Faithful geyser
*** "Old Faithful" erupts regularly between 44 minutes and two hours
** Steamboat geyser, Yellowstone
*** currently the tallest geyser in the world, reaching over 300ft
*** Steamboat does not erupt regularly, with intermittences of 3 days to 50 years
* Dolina Geizerov or "Valley of Geysers"
** second largest geyser field in the world
** located on Kamchatka Peninsula, Russia
** has about 90 geysers
** it is very remote, reachable only by helicopter
* El Tatio, Chile
** "El Tatio" means "grandfather" or "oven"
** located on a volcanic belt that spans across the Chilean and Bolivian border
** it is the third largest in the world
** at 14,170 ft in altitude it is likely the highest large geyser field in the world
* Waimangu Geyser, New Zealand (extinct)
** was the most powerful geyser in the world between 1900 and 1904, its 1st and last observations of major eruptions
** its plume reached 1500 ft
** now extinct due to a landslide that changed the water table
*** it went fully extinct in 1908
<gallery widths=300px heights=200px caption="Geysers gallery">
File:OldFaithful1948.jpg|thumb|OldFaithful1948 at Yellowstone National Park (1948)
File:Steamboatgeyser1.jpg|thumb|Steamboat geyser at Yellowstone, the worlds tallest active geyser
File:Dead trees at Mammoth Hot Springs.jpg|thumb|Dead trees at Mammoth Hot Springs, Yellowstone
File:Valley of the Geysers.jpg|thumb|Valley of the Geysers, Kampchucka, Russia, the 2nd largest geyser field in the world
File:Géiseres del Tatio, Atacama, Chile, 2016-02-01, DD 01-02 HDR.JPG|thumb|"Géiseres del Tatio," Atacama, Chile, the third largest geyser field in the world
File:ElTatio-CerroSoquete-2004.jpg|thumb|The Andes rise behind El Tatio|alt=The steam plumes of the field at the feet of mountains, with higher snow-covered mountains far away
File:Waimangu geyser.jpg|thumb|Waimangu geyser, New Zealand, erupting in 1903. It went fully extinct in 1908.
</gallery>
</gallery>


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** [[https://www.history.com/news/deadliest-tsunami-2004-indian-ocean The 2004 Tsunami Wiped Away Towns With 'Mind-Boggling' Destruction (History.com)]]
** [[https://www.history.com/news/deadliest-tsunami-2004-indian-ocean The 2004 Tsunami Wiped Away Towns With 'Mind-Boggling' Destruction (History.com)]]
</div>
</div>
=== Volcanos ===
* '''Mt. Mayon, Philippines'''
** a stratovolcano that has a near-perfectly symmetric, or "perfect", cone
** = the most active volcano in the Philippines
** traditionally worshipped
** see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mayon
* '''Mt. St. Helens, Washington (state)'''
** an active stratovolcano
** part of the "Cascades Volcanic Arc"
** lies 52 miles from Portland, OR
** erupted on May 18, 1980
** "lateral" eruption (sideways instead of straight up)
*** was triggered a 5.1 magnitude earthquake
** deadliest volcano in U.S. history
*** 57 people killed
*** destroyed 200 homes, 47 bridges, 185 miles of highway
** the eruption's thermal explosion equivalent was 24 megatons (1600 times the power of the Hiroshima atomic bomb)
** as a result of the eruption:
*** mountain summit elevation dropped from 9,677 to 8336
*** left a 1-mile wide crater
*** Yakima, WA received 4-5 inches of ash
**** Portland, OR, only received about 1/2-inch of ash, as the winds blew the ash northeastward from the explosion
** researcher David Johnston and photographer Robert Landsburg were killed during the eruption
*** Landsburg had protected his camera and film with his body, which were recovered
*** another photographer, Gary Rosenquist and his companions were 11 miles away and survived the blast due to the land topography, which protected them
*** Rosenquist's photos have been compiled into a video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VTIyBsPagro
** Mt. St. Helens was remained active until 2008, when a new lava dome emerged
* Volcano pranks
** '''Mt. Edgecumbe, Sitka, Alaska''', 1974 April Fools Volcano Prank
** '''Great Blue Hill, Milton, MA''' 1980 eruption prank
** see https://school4schools.com/wiki/index.php?title=Famous_hoaxes#Geographic_hoaxes
<gallery widths=300px heights=200px caption="Volcanos gallery">
File:Mt.Mayon tam3rd.jpg|thumb|Mt.Mayon, Philippines, with a "perfect" cone (wikipedia)
File:MSH80 eruption mount st helens 05-18-80-dramatic-edit.jpg|thumb|MSH80 eruption mount st helens 05-18-80 (wikipedia)
File:Mount St. Helens, one day before the devastating eruption.jpg|thumb|Mount St. Helens pictured the day before the 1980 eruption (wikipedia)
File:MSH80 st helens from johnston ridge 09-10-80.jpg|thumb|Mount St. Helens four months after the eruption (wikipedia)
</gallery>


== Physical geography extremes ==
== Physical geography extremes ==
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