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This image is included in a gallery "Les insectes...ceux qu'on aime...ceux qu'on aime moins...# 8" curated by Impatient_1.
Pyrops candelaria is a species of planthopper that lives in Vietnam, Hong Kong, Laos, Thailand and other parts of southeast Asia. It is the type of the genus Pyrops erected by Spinola in 1839. Members of this genus are sometimes called lanternflies. Like all Fulgoridae, P. candelaria feeds on plant sap: including longan and lychee trees, among others. Its long, slender proboscis is used to pierce tree bark to reach the phloem. The family Fulgoridae is a large group of hemipteran insects, especially abundant and diverse in the tropics, containing over 125 genera worldwide. They are mostly of moderate to large size, many with a superficial resemblance to Lepidoptera due to their brilliant and varied colouration. Various genera and species (especially the genera Fulgora and Pyrops) are sometimes referred to as lanternflies or lanthorn flies, though they do not emit light.
Scientific name: Laternaria candelaria
This image is included in a gallery "God's Beautiful Earth" curated by Pat Goltz.
The traffic on the Lijiang River was very busy on this misty autumn morning.
(explored: Sep 6, 2018 #256)
Mt Tasman and Aoraki/Mt Cook from a distance, near Fox Glacier, Westland/Tai Poutini National Park, South Island, New Zealand. This was taken near Matheson Cafe.
This image is included in 3 galleries:- 1) "Wild Animals", 2) "
Nature Photos #3" and 3) "Nature #5", all curated by Kathy(kfocean01).
Two species of bears inhabit Banff National Park: the Black Bear, and the Infamous Grizzly Bear. Black Bears are the smaller of the two species of bears found in Banff National Park. An adult male black bear can weigh 150 lbs to 300 lbs. Black Bears are curious and shy. For the smaller bear, they like to make their homes in dense forests. A black bear will spend most of its life within its "home rage." Female black bears will typically stay within 2.5 to 10 square miles of their den, where males will travel between 10 and 59 square miles from their den. Black Bears are omnivores. Their diets are heavily influenced by the season. It’s estimated that 85% of a Black Bear’s diet is made up of berries, roots, bulbs, and corms. In Banff, Black Bears like to snack on yellow dandelions that grow freely.
Captured this image after visiting Columbia Ice Field, on our way back to Hidden Resort in Banff, near Rampart Creek Campground. This lone bear was feeding on young leaves. It was very close to where we parked. It took one look at us, then turned its back and crossed the creek and disappeared in thick trees. Rampart Creek Campground is situated 88 km north of Lake Louise, just 11 km north of Saskatchewan River Crossing on Highway 93 North, the scenic Icefields Parkway.
Huangshan 黄山 (Yellow Mountain) is a jagged range of more than 70 knifelike peaks in eastern China’s Anhui province. The region's low-hanging clouds, distinctively shaped granite rocks and twisted pine trees have been subjects of numerous classical paintings and poems. Cable cars provide access to several peaks, and steep paved trails with thousands of stone steps snake past many of the range's famous viewpoints. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and one of China's major tourist destinations.
黃山位於中國安徽省南部黃山市境內。黃山古稱黟山，南北長約40千米，東西寬約30千米。黃山素以「奇松、怪石、雲海、溫泉」四絕聞名天下。那72峰、24溪、2湖、3瀑，峰峰奇特，溪溪曲折、極盡天下山水之美，更聚名山大川之勝。黃山最高峰是蓮花峰，海拔1860米 ，位 於黃山中部、站在玉屏樓向前望去, 猶如一朵含苞初放的蓮花, 峻峭高聳, 仰天怒放。晴天從蓮花峰頂可遙見江西的廬山和似帶的長江。黃山三大主峰之一的天都峰，與蓮花峰爭雄對峙。它位於黃山東南部，人稱無上之都會, 海拔1829米、從玉屏樓至天都峰約15千米，其間有黃山最險峻的峰嶺，峰上的石樓，坡度都在70度以上；尤以中途的鯽魚背最險。
This is a hand-held HDR.
This was taken between Punakaiki and Greymouth, while travelling along New Zealand State Highway 6, between Punakaiki and Greymouth, South Island. The rugged coastline was a marvel to look at. Beyond is Tasman Sea.
Entering Zion National Park from the east entrance immediately reveals a colourful display of orange, brown and white slick rock that includes one of the parks landmarks, Checkerboard Mesa. The unusual crack pattern in the sandstone hills resemble a grid much like you would see on a checkerboard. The majestic criss-crossed mountain appears as a massive hill towering 900 feet above the Zion-Mt. Carmel Highway and resembles a giant, extended chess or checkerboard. The vertical and horizontal fissures are more evident on the north side of the mesa, where most of the photographs of the mountain are taken. The left to right deep scratches are due to a north to south wind direction while the vertical cracks are a result of weathering, a cycle of freezing and thawing. (sourced from internet)
This is one of Western Australia's most well known and spectacular flowering trees growing mainly in sandy soils of the South West between Geraldton and Esperance. It is the largest member of the mistletoe family and as such is a semi-parasite, attaching its roots to other plants and obtaining some (but not complete) substance from them. However, the nutrients it does obtain are essential to maintain the tree as it quickly dies if all the surrounding plants are removed. (ref: Wild Flowers of the Western State.)
They flower around Christmas, thus the tree is commonly called Christmas Tree. Took this one at Cape Le Grand National Park. Frenchman's Peak is in the distant right centre. These flowers looked spectacular in the wild landscape.
Zhangjiajie 張家界, also known in Tujia language as Zhangx, is a prefecture-level city in the northwestern part of Hunan Province, China. It comprises the district of Yongding, Wulingyuan and counties of Cili and Sangzhi. It contains the Zhangjiajie National Forest Park, part of the Wulingyuan Scenic Area which was as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1992 as well as an AAAAA scenic area by the China National Tourism Administration.
The floating 'Hallelujah Mountains’ movie Avatar by James Cameron were inspired by a real place on Earth - Zhangjiajie.
This was taken on board a cable car going up to see the scenic spots. The autumn mist makes this vista atmospheric, like a Chinese water colour painting.
This image is included in a gallery "Sea" curated by stephen cole.
This is a view from Pinnacle Track, Mt Wellington. The weather was bad: cold and drizzly. Beyond the estuary of River Derwent, thick rain clouds and uncanny colours on the horizon made the scene interestingly gloomy.
The Red Stone Forest (Hongshilin National Geopark) is located in Xiangxi Tujia and Miao Autonomous Prefecture, Hunan Province, China. These red carbonate rocks are believed to be formed during Ordovician, the second period of the Paleozoic era, between the Cambrian and Silurian periods. The stone formations originated underwater, later rising above sea level following tectonic shifts. The natural elements and 450 million years of erosion gave them their striking wavy texture. The rocks are known to change hues with the weather and seasons, with a deep rusty red being their most distinctive, hence the park’s name, the “Red Stone Forest.”
This was taken in an overcast, autumn afternoon.
紅石林國家地質公園是中國湖南省湘西土家族苗族自治州古丈縣紅石林鎮的國家地質公園。園內有罕見的紅色碳酸鹽岩石林，形成於奧陶紀，石林顏色會隨季節和天氣改變。這些石柱不但顏色各異，而且大小不等。有的高達七、八米，而有些則像半埋於地下的巨獸骨架。
This image was taken using my Samsung mobile phone. The EV was set to -2. A Baader AstroSolar Safety Foil was used before the lens. This foil is CE-tested and reduces the intensity of sunlight by 99.999% (optical density 5.0).
This is a full frame, uncropped image. In processing, noise reduction and slight adjustment in lowering the brightness was used.
Melbourne was under very thick clouds. This shot was taken at 2:04pm, during lucky breaks through a gap, about 5 minutes before the maximum eclipse (2:09pm). The eclipse was partial (about 11% of the sun covered) in Melbourne but total in Exmouth, Western Australia.
This image is included in a gallery "Coast to coast" curated by Radoslav Besenyi.
The prevailing winds have molded the trees on top of the cliff in a slanting shape.
Australian's European history has numerous stories of shipwrecks, and one of the worst tragedies was that of the Loch Ard, wrecked on Mutton Bird Island reefs in 1878, just off the Shipwreck Coast in Victoria, Australia.
The Loch Ard was an iron-hulled three masted clipper ship, whose name came from a lake just west of the village of Aberfoyle in Scotland. It was on a non-stop voyage from London to Melbourne with passengers that included members of the Carmichael family. Three months out from London, after days of fog and haze, Captain Gibb had trouble calculating his position for the critical pass into Bass Strait's western entrance (a 90 km passage between the coast and King Island). On the 1st June, 1878, the captain tried to take evasive action when he saw how close they were to the cliffs. This was to no avail when the ship struck the reefs of Mutton Bird Island, just off the coast.The mast and rigging smashed, some of it onto the deck and trapping some people, others were washed overboard, then the ship began to roll. It took only fifteen minutes for the Loch Ard to sink. Of the 54 passengers and crew, there were only two survivors, Tom Pearce, a member of the crew and 18 year old Eva Carmichael, who was travelling with her family. Tom, clinging to a overturned lifeboat, was washed into a deep gorge, that now bears the name the Loch Ard Gorge. Eva, who could not swim, managed to cling to some wreckage from the ship, which drifted through huge twin cliffs into a small bay of the gorge. She was very exhausted, and Tom saw her in the waves and despite being exhausted himself, swam out to rescue her, and after an hour long struggle managed to bring her safely back to land. Tom took Eva to a cave at the end of the gorge, then climbed the cliffs to get help, not seeing the steps that were already cut into the cliff face. He ran into a party from nearby Glenample Station who returned with him to rescue Eva. After their recovery they never saw each other again, as Eva returned to Ireland and later married. Tom eventually became a ship's captain.
(Sourced for Internet)
Kunany/Mount Wellington, colloquially called The Mountain, stands at 1271 metres (4170 feet). The summit is frequently covered by snow, even in summer. Like much of the mountainous island of Tasmania, this flat-topped peak was born in fire and heat around 174 million years ago. Jurassic dolerite, a relatively rare sub-volcanic rock, forms the predominant geology of the mountain. The dolerite boulders and tors can appear as orange-brown, rusty, gun metal grey, ocean blue and sometimes, after rain, gleaming bronze and gold. The 100 to 150 metres high dolerite flutes of the Organ Pipes is in the eastern side, just above the Pinnacle Track.
The radio and television transmitter towers on top of the mountain can be seen from practically most parts of Hobart. Just below the towers is the famous Organ Pipes highlighted warm dawn light.
This image is included in a gallery "Chapeau" curated by Karin W.
These are immature gulls about 3 years old. This was taken near the Lorne Jetty, Great Ocean Road, Victoria, Australia.
This image in included in 2 galleries :1) "Moon" curated by by cristian salvadori. and 2) "13/ CIRCLES" by PACO WEAVING.
The super blood moon on May 26 was the closest super moon of 2021, measuring at a distance of only 257,462km from Earth.
This was taken a little bit over 2 hours before the anticipated Super Blood Moon. The atmosphere was absolutely clear and conditions were perfect for viewing. The effective focal lenght was 756 mm using my EOS-1D Mark IV.
This image is included in a gallery "Insects, reptiles and butterflies 4" curated by Jason Prince.
Captured this red dragonfly resting on a magma boulder, near a lotus pond in Namiseom Island, South Korea. It is most likely a common red skimmer.
This image is included in 2 galleries:- 1) "Krummschnäbel" curated by BOCHUM SÜD and 3) "Vögel" by BAKAWI.
This image in included in a gallery "Moon" curated by by cristian salvadori.
This was the most disappointing Blood Moon I have observed, despite the atmosphere was perfectly clear, and I set my camera up in in comfort of my backyard patio. It was only faintly red. I only adjusted the contrast and brightness. The colour here is what I saw.
The term Blood Moon was originally coined by some sects of Christian prophecy to describe a total lunar eclipse – which happens to make the moon look like it’s filled with blood.
The moon appears red during totality because of the way that light passes through the Earth’s atmosphere.
A super blood moon occurs when we experience a total lunar eclipse when the moon is in perigee (aka – when it’s closest to Earth). To be more specific, the moon has to be within 361,766km of Earth to be considered a super moon.
The super blood moon on May 26 was also the closest super moon of 2021, measuring at a distance of only 257,462km from Earth.
It turns out every full moon has a traditional name applied that relates to the lunar month in which it occurs. The names stem from different ancient cultures, who named them after plants, animals or weather patterns around the same time. The names are as follows:
January: Wolf Moon
February: Snow Moon
March: Worm Moon
April: Pink Moon
May: Flower Moon
June: Strawberry Moon
July: Buck Moon
September: Harvest Moon
October: Hunter’s Moon
November: Beaver Moon
December: Cold Moon
This image is included in a gallery "自然の思惑" curated by 陽子写真 KEIKYO.
Hubbard Glacier is a glacier located in eastern Alaska and part of Yukon, Canada, and named after Gardiner Hubbard. It is a valley glacier with a face about 9.6 km across and 90 m high.
This was taken on board a cruise ship Celebrity Century-X.
(explored Mar 5, 2020 #42)
Hanging Rock (also known as Mount Diogenes, Dryden's Rock, and to some of its traditional owners as Ngannelong) is a distinctive geological formation in central Victoria, Australia. A former volcano, it lies 718m above sea level (105m above plain level) on the plain between the two small townships of Newham and Hesket, approximately 70 km north-west of Melbourne and a few kilometres north of Mount Macedon.
Hanging Rock is a mamelon, created 6.25 million years ago by stiff magma pouring from a vent and congealing in place. Often thought to be a volcanic plug, it is not. Two other mamelons exist nearby, created in the same period: Camels Hump, to the south on Mount Macedon and, to the east, Crozier's Rocks. All three mamelons are composed of soda trachyte. As Hanging Rock's magma cooled and contracted it split into rough columns. These weathered over time into the many pinnacles that can be seen today.
Hanging Rock contains numerous distinctive rock formations, including the "Hanging Rock" itself (a boulder suspended between other boulders, under which is the main entrance path), the Colonnade, the Eagle and the UFO.
This image is included in a gallery "Memories of Travels" curated by RD Glamour Photography.
As the Yellowstone river flows north from Yellowstone Lake, it leaves the Hayden Valley and plunges first over Upper Yellowstone Falls and then a quarter mile (400 m) downstream over Lower Yellowstone Falls, at which point it then enters the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone.
Cascading from the 590,000 year old Canyon Rhyolite lava flow, Lower Yellowstone Falls is the largest volume waterfall in the Rocky Mountains of the United States. These falls (44°43′05′′N 110°29′46′′W) are 308 feet ( 94 m) high, or nearly twice as high as Niagara Falls. The volume of water flowing over Lower Yellowstone Falls can vary from 680 cu ft/s (19 m3/s) in the autumn, to 8,400 cu ft/s (240 m3 /s) at peak runoff in late springtime. The flow rate of Lower Yellowstone Falls is much less than that of Niagara Falls, as the Yellowstone River is only 70 feet (21 m) at the point at which it goes over the lower falls, Where the Niagara River is 2,600 feet (790 m) in width as it approaches the crest line of Horseshoe Falls. (Wikipedia)
This was viewed from Artist Point. The perspective was similar to those of Thomas Moron's (1871) and Ansel Adams' (1941) famous paintings and photographs on the same subject. Early morning light accentuated the yellow-orange colours of the steep canyon slopes on either side.
This image is included in a gallery "INTERPHOTO: NATURE / LANDSCAPES / WILDLIFE" curated by Gianfranco Marzetti.
The Scarborough Bluffs, also known as The Bluffs, are an escarpment in the Scarborough district of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Forming much of the eastern portion of Toronto's waterfront, it is located along the shoreline of Lake Ontario. At its highest point, the escarpment rises 90 metres (300 ft) above the coastline and spans a length of 15 kilometres (9.3 miles). It was first named in 1793.
The Bluffs have been described as a "geological wonder" and a unique feature in North America. It is believed to have resulted from the accumulation of sedimentary deposits over 12,000 years ago. (Sourced from Wikipedia)
This was taken on a windy autumn dawn. These cliff faces are a few minutes walk from the actual bluffs. The first rays of dawn has just enough intensity to illumate the cliff faces but not the sky beyond. The warm colours render some comfort to combat the chill from onshore breezes.
This image is included in a gallery "PANORAMI E LUOGHI. LANDSCAPES AND SITE" curated by maurosnaier.
Garden of Eden is a permanent waterhole which brings abundant life to the area; the lush greenery of which casts a stark contrast against the brick red sandstone rock formations. There are approximately 500 “steps” to be surmounted to get to the top of Kings Canyon, where the Rim Walk starts :- a 6 km circuit through ancient arid ‘bee-hive’ rock formations around the top of the Canyon – and then down into the contrasting hidden Garden of Eden - aptly named because of its lush vegetation.
Kings Canyon is a canyon in the Northern Territory of Australia located at the western end of the George Gill Range about 323 km southwest of Alice Springs and about 1,316 km south of Darwin within the Watarrka National Park.
At the time of visit, there was not a lot of water there. The red brown colour of the water was actually a reflection off the cliff wall. It was not advisable to swim there because the bacterial count of E. coli was reported to be high.
The Organ Pipes National Park, abbreviated as OPNP, is a national park located in the Central region of Victoria, Australia. It is about 20 km northwest from Melbourne CBD. The 121-hectare (300-acre) protected area was established with the focus on conservation of the native flora and fauna, and preservation of the geological features in the Jacksons Creek, a part of the Maribyrnong valley, north-west of Melbourne. It is situated in a deep gorge in the grassy, basalt Keilor plains.
The hexagonal basalt columns known as the "Organ Pipes" which sit in the bed of the Jacksons Creek is of the order of 70 metres (230 ft) high.
This image is included in a gallery "Favourite Landscapes" curated by MK Hardy.
This was taken somewhere along the Newcastle Memorial Walk. The late afternoon light was simply enchanting. Looking beyond is South Pacific Ocean. The Walk is located above Memorial Drive The Hill, on Strzelecki Headland (between Bar Beach and King Edward Park).
Niagara Falls is the collective name for three waterfalls that straddle the international border between Canada and the United States; more specifically, between the province of Ontario and the state of New York.
Accordding to information from the Niagara Parks :-
• More than 168,000 cubic metres (6 million cubic ft.) of water go over the crestline of the Falls every minute during peak daytime tourist hours.
• The average fall from Lake Erie to the beginning of the upper Niagara Rapids is only 2.7 metres (9 ft.)
• The Canadian Horseshoe Falls drops an average of 57 metres (188 ft.) into the Lower Niagara River.
• The crest line of the Canadian Horseshoe Falls is approximately 670 metres (2,200 ft.) wide. The plunge pool beneath the Falls is 35 metres (100 ft.) deep.
This is seen on board a cruise boat "Hornblower" originated from the Canadian side. The left arm of the Horseshoe Falls is briefly highlighted by sunlight peeping through cracks of thick misty clouds.
This image is included in 2 galleries :- 1) "Acro-iris - Rainbow" curated by Gilmar Hermes and 2"A Bibical Covenant Of Grace" by ènfin (verna R). This image is included in a gallery "Photo Gallery" curated by Ryan Walker.
Niagara Falls is the collective name for three waterfalls that straddle the international border between Canada and the United States; more specifically, between the province of Ontario and the state of New York.
Accordding to information from the Niagara Parks :-
• More than 168,000 cubic metres (6 million cubic ft.) of water go over the crestline of the Falls every minute during peak daytime tourist hours.
• The average fall from Lake Erie to the beginning of the upper Niagara Rapids is only 2.7 metres (9 ft.)
• The Canadian Horseshoe Falls drops an average of 57 metres (188 ft.) into the Lower Niagara River.
• The crest line of the Canadian Horseshoe Falls is approximately 670 metres (2,200 ft.) wide. The plunge pool beneath the Falls is 35 metres (100 ft.) deep.
This is seen from "Journey Behind the Falls" observation deck on the Canadian side. It is almost a double rainbow.
This image is included in 2 galleries :- 1) "Landscapes, dreams and heaven on earth" curated by frankie veldhoen and 2) "CHINA" by Floren Arocena.
This mountain previously known as the 'Southern Sky Column' in China, has now been named the 'Avatar Hallelujah Mountain'. The peak became the inspiration for magical ‘floating peaks’ in James Cameron’s film after a Hollywood photographer spent time shooting there in 2008. This column is about 150 m high. This was taken from the top of a horse-shoe cliff, through thin mist.
袁家界是張家界的一個景區。“南天一柱”是張家界“三千奇峰”中的一座，位於袁家界景區南端，海拔高度1074米，垂直高度約150米，頂部植物鬱鬱蔥蔥，峰體造型奇特，垂直節理切割明顯，彷若刀劈斧削般巍巍屹立，有頂天立地之勢，故又名“乾坤柱”。
2008年12月份，好萊塢攝影師漢森在張家界進行了為期四天的外景拍攝，大量風景圖片後來成為美國科幻大片《阿凡達》中“潘多拉星球”各種元素的原型，其中“南天一柱”圖片就成為“哈利路亞山”即懸浮山的原型。
2010年1月25日，張家界“南天一柱”正式被更名為(Avatar-Hallelujah Mountain)《阿凡達》"哈利路亞山", 當天數百名土著居民及海內外遊客見證了更名儀式。
This image is included in 2 galleries:- 1) "TOP FLICKR * INTERPHOTO-TOP PHOTOSHARING" curated by Gianfranco Marzetti and 2) "PARAISO TERRENAL-3" by BYKTOR-f.d.
Mirror Lakes are a set of lakes lying north of Lake Te Anau and immediately to the west of the road from Te Anau to Milford Sound in New Zealand. At 56 kilometres (35 mi) north of Te Anau, the lakes are about halfway to Milford Sound and the car park right next to State Highway 94 is a popular stop for tour buses on route to Milford Sound.
Here a mountain range is reflected in the still, clear water, hence the "mirror" effect.
This was taken just after dawn near Wave Rock Motel, Hyden, Western Australia. The early morning sun makes everything look warm.
This image was taken at a fishing pier in Lakes Entrance. Lakes Entrance is a seaside resort and fishing port in eastern Victoria, Australia. It is situated approximately 320 kilometres east of Melbourne, near a managed, artificial channel connecting the Gippsland Lakes to the Bass Strait.
Catopsilia pomona, the common emigrant or lemon emigrant, is a medium-sized pieridae butterfly found in Asia, Cambodia and parts of Australia. The species gets its name from its habit of migration.
遷粉蝶在香港 一年四季都會出現，但以初夏時數量最多。牠具有多型性，翅膀以黃色為主，飛行速度高。牠的幼蟲食用植物包括長有美麗花朵的翅莢決明(Senna alata)。
Captured this little bird at Christchurch Botanical Gardens. It is an introduced species from Europe in the 1860s. Other names are English sparrow, spadger.
The Christchurch Botanic Gardens, located in the central city of Christchurch, New Zealand, were founded in 1863 when an English oak was planted to commemorate the solemnisation of the marriage of Prince Albert and Princess Alexandra of Denmark.
This image is included in 2 galleries :- 1) "Images du monde. From different countries of the world." curated by Eveline Lyrette and 2) "LANDSCAPE VOL 18" by Jean-paul Vancoppenolle.
The Bay of Fires (indigenous name: larapuna) is a bay on the north eastern coast of Tasmania, extending from Binalong Bay to Eddystone Point. It is a 29 km long sweep of powder-white sand and crystal-clear seas, with a string of superb beaches, punctuated by lagoons and rocky headlands, backed by coastal heath and bush.
The bay was given its name in 1773 by Captain Tobias Furneaux in Adventure, who saw the fires of Aboriginal people on the beaches along the coast line. The Bay of Fires is characterized by white beaches, blue water and huge granite blocks that are coloured bright orange by lichens. Perhaps, Captain Tobias Furneaux named the bay after these fiery red rocks. The lichens responsible for the orange hue in the rocks of Bay of Fires belong to the family Hymeneliaceae.
The conservation area is divided into three sections, with Anson's Bay dividing the southern and northern ends. A scenic view of the bay can be glimpsed by driving along the coast to The Gardens.
This was taken near Binalong Bay and Skeleton Bay.
This bird is taking-off from the shallow of the fresh water lake at Westgate Park.
This image is included in 2 galleries :- 1) "MIX_04" curated by Willie Sturges and 2) "Birds" by Mark Neuman-Scott.
This image is included in a publication :-
INTERPHOTO MAGAZINE * SUMMER EDITION 2017
VIEW ONLINE FULL SCREEN FLIPPING on:
issuu.com/interphotoit/docs/interphoto_summer_2017
This image is included in 2 galleries :- 1) "China" curated by Dirk Rosseel and 1) "LANDSCAPE VOL 18" by Jean-paul Vancoppenolle.
Listed as UNESCO in 2010, the Zhangye Danxia Landform area is known as “the eye candy of Zhangye”. Many artists admire this masterpiece as it is unbelievably colorful, like a n imaginative oil painting . Zhangye's Danxia landscape has lots of precipitous red cliffs, most of which are several hundred meters high, and multicolored ridges of weathered strata, sometimes stretching to the horizon. These formations, sometimes smooth sometimes sharp, stand out against the greens or grays of the plains , looking grand and magnificent, vigorous and virile.
Across the Danxia landscape zone, a kaleidoscope of numerous red rocky outcrops resemble weird and wonderful shapes like castles, cones, towers ; as well as humans, creatures, birds and beasts. Their peaks peeping through the mist and clouds, produce mirage-like scenery of fantastic mountains and pavilions.
Zhangye 's Danxia was formed by the erosion of red sandstone, forming isolated peaks and steep stratified outcrops. Its special geological structure, combined with long-term desert conditions , freeze-thaw peeling, and wind and water erosion gave rise to its present appearance.
Geologists believe that Danxia topography is formed by folding of layered oceanic crust. Exposed slanting rock layers have different colors, textures, shapes, sizes, and patterns. The combination of differences in density and erosion create towering peaks, cave holes, and stone halls. (Sourced from Internet)
甘肅張掖國家地質公園
位於中國甘肅省張掖市, 規劃面積322平方公里。 2012年4月, “甘肅張掖丹霞地質公園” 國家地質公園（建設）資格被國土資源部批准。 2016年6月, 經實地驗收, 國土資源部同意命名該處為 “甘肅張掖國家地質公園”。這裡曾因其色彩斑斕的岩石地貌而被中國多家媒體選為中國最美地貌之一, 於2008年1月被甘肅省人民政府批准為省級“肅南－臨澤丹霞地貌風景名勝區”。
該公園位於祁連山北麓, 臨澤縣和肅南縣境內。兩縣均在甘肅省地級市張掖統轄範圍內。丹霞地貌主要分佈在康樂鄉和白銀鄉地段。臨澤丹霞景區是公園的核心區域, 距張掖市區以西30公里, 臨澤縣城以南20公里。這是整個公園發展最為完善, 遊客人數最多的一個景區。 第二大景區冰溝位於梨園河北岸, 於2014年8月3日正式揭牌。 冰溝佔地總面積為300平方公里, 海拔1500-2500米。 第三大景區肅南丹霞景區位於甘肅省臨澤縣。
張掖丹霞因其與眾不同的岩石色彩而舉世聞名。這些岩石光滑而險峻, 高數百米, 是紅礫石, 砂岩和其他礦物經過2400萬年的沉澱堆積而成。這種夾層蛋糕 般的效果與構成喜馬拉雅山脈的地殼板塊運動有關。經年累月的風吹雨淋，最終被雕琢成了如今這番奇特景象, 或形似塔, 或貌似柱, 或溝壑縱橫, 色彩斑斕, 形態各異。
Located in Black Rock, about 19 km from Melbourne, Red Bluff is a high (over 25 m), active cliff cut in poorly consolidated clayey sands, with harder sandstone beds forming a series of irregular ledges and benches at the base. The greater part of the cliff is an exposure of the Red Bluff Sand, this site being the type locality for that geological formation. At the cliff base, the Red Bluff Sand rests disconformably on the hard, dark brown to red ferruginous sediments of the Black Rock Sandstone, about 3 m of Black Rock Sandstone being exposed here above low water mark. These two formations comprise the Brighton Group, the most widespread outcropping Tertiary sedimentary sequence in the Melbourne area. The lowest bed of the Red Bluff Sand is a dark carbonaceous band overlain by a thin, hard, gritty iron cemented bed. Above this, the lower beds of the Red Bluff Sand are yellow clayey sands passing into cross-bedded gravelly horizons which become sandy and brown to red in the upper sections of the cliff. Although not abundant, the fossil pollen and leaf content of clay in the Red Bluff Sand indicates the formation is of non-marine origin and of Middle to Late Pliocene age.
The headland at Red Bluff coincides with a rise in the level of the Black Rock Sandstone, (either a minor anticline or a depositional undulation in the formation). This rise brings the more resistant ferruginous rock up to sea level and forms the promontory underpinning the cliff. To the south, the cliff declines to be a scrubby bluff behind Half Moon Bay where the Black Rock Sandstone declines below sea level. The face of Red Bluff is incised by narrow, tubular gullies, with remnant pinnacles and buttresses forming a miniature but spectacular ‘badlands terrain’. (Sourced from Victorian Resources Online)
This image is included in a gallery "feather finery (7)" curated by Jenny Pansing.
This was taken at the New Zealand Gardens, which is part of Botanic Gardens in Christchurch. The one with a white head and in focus is female. It is partly protected. Other names are Putangitangi, Pari and Paradise Duck. It was my first encounter with this species.
The Christchurch Botanic Gardens, located in the central city of Christchurch, New Zealand, were founded in 1863 when an English oak was planted to commemorate the solemnisation of the marriage of Prince Albert and Princess Alexandra of Denmark.
In the evenings these birds would gather in gum trees before roosting. Mostly they just rest, yawn and do nothing. Sometimes they may crack a few laughters which can be heard a few kilometres away.
This landscape belongs to the sandstone peak forest landform in Zhangjiajie, Hunan, China. Crustal uplift changed the sedimentary rock stratum into a hilly and mountainous area, then the sandstone was carved by exogenic processes like weathering and erosion into rugged rock pillars.
攝於仙女獻花觀景台附近。
The Grand Canyon (Hopi: Ongtupqa; Yavapai: Wi:kaʼi:la, Navajo: Tsékooh Hatsoh, Spanish: Gran Cañón) is a steep-sided canyon carved by the Colorado River in Arizona, United States. The Grand Canyon is 277 miles (446 km) long, up to 18 miles (29 km) wide and attains a depth of over a mile (6,093 feet or 1,857 meters). The canyon and adjacent rim are contained within Grand Canyon National Park, the Kaibab National Forest, Grand Canyon-Parashant National Monument, the Hualapai Indian Reservation, the Havasupai Indian Reservation and the Navajo Nation. President Theodore Roosevelt was a major proponent of preservation of the Grand Canyon area, and visited it on numerous occasions to hunt and enjoy the scenery.
Nearly two billion years of Earth's geological history have been exposed as the Colorado River and its tributaries cut their channels through layer after layer of rock while the Colorado Plateau was uplifted. While some aspects about the history of incision of the canyon are debated by geologists, several recent studies support the hypothesis that the Colorado River established its course through the area about 5 to 6 million years ago. Since that time, the Colorado River has driven the down-cutting of the tributaries and retreat of the cliffs, simultaneously deepening and widening the canyon. (Wikipedia)
Desert View Point is the most eastern-point at the South Rim. It is a great vintage point to see where the Colorado River takes its big bend to the west. From the Historic Watchtower, to the east are the majestically beautiful Vermillion Cliffs and Marble Canyon which mark the beginning of the Grand Canyon. To the northwest are the temples of Jupiter, Venus and Apollo. This was taken on a fine Summer morning with a clear blue sky and small volumes of clouds in the distance.
The Standley Chasm is a geological formation located 50 km west of Alice Springs. It lies within the West MacDonnell National Park. The Western Arrernte Aboriginal people are its original owners. It is traditionally known as Angkerle Atwatye, meaning the Gap of Water. Standley Chasm is located in a reserve privately owned by the Iwupataka Land Trust.
Called Angkerle by the Aborigines, the Chasm’s European name honours Mrs Ida Standley who in 1914, became the first school teacher in Alice Springs.
Standley Chasm has been gouged from tough sandstone by the floods that, over millions of years, have surged down a narrow tributary of the Finke River system. The result is a deep red cleft, with slopes on either side rising 80 metres above the floor. Regardless of the weather or time of day, the Chasm is at its most dramatic an hour either side of noon on a sunny day. It is at noon that the desert sun is perfectly aligned, drenching Standley Chasm in a shower of brilliant red light, the sheer walls glowing from the reflected sunlight to create a breath-taking display. (sourced from internet)