Göreme Historical National Park is a national park in central Turkey. Located in Nevşehir Province, the National Park is located in the volcanic region of Mount Hasan and Mount Erciyes in Central Anatolia, in the vicinity of Ürgüp, Çavuşin and Göreme. The park area consists of plateaus and high hills, dissected by streams and river valleys carved out by the water, the valleys having steeply sloping sides. Part of this rugged area consists of basalt and thick beds of tuff. This solidified soft rock, and has since been overlain by solidified lava which forms a protective capping, eroded over the millennia to form the multi-coloured cliffs, rock towers, pillars, tent rocks and fairy chimney rock formations present in the park.

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Hasselblad XPan II

Hasselblad XPan 30mm Lens

Fujifilm Velvia RVP 50

Developed using Fujihunt E6

Scanned with Heidelberg Nexscan

Kuala Lumpur City Centre (KLCC) is a multipurpose development area in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The area is located around Jalan Ampang, Jalan P. Ramlee, Jalan Binjai, Jalan Kia Peng and Jalan Pinang. There are a number of shopping complexes such as Suria KLCC and Avenue K. There are also hotels within walking distance such as G Tower, Mandarin Oriental, Grand Hyatt Kuala Lumpur and InterContinental Kuala Lumpur hotel. Designed to be a city within a city, the 100-acre site hosts the tallest twin buildings in the world, a shopping mall, office buildings and several hotels. A public park and a mosque have also been built in the area and open to everyone. The whole project is cooled via district cooling located on the property. Constructed between 1993 and 1998, the Petronas Twin Towers were the tallest buildings in the world from 1 January 1998 to 31 December 2004. Currently, it still holds the record for the tallest twin buildings in the world. It is the headquarters of Petronas, a Fortune 100 state-owned oil company and also the largest company in Southeast Asia. The towers and the mall below were designed by Argentinian born architect César Pelli. Construction started in 1991 and was completed 7 years later, in the midst of Asian Financial Crisis and Reformasi movement. Due to the soil conditions of the site, the buildings were built on one of the deepest foundations in the world. The Building Services engineer contractor was Flack + Kurtz which is currently part of the WSP | Parsons Brinkerhoff Company. The 88-storey towers were built using mostly reinforced concrete, with steel-and-glass facades to resemble Islamic motifs which were intended to reflect the official and majority religion of Malaysia. The cross section of the tower resembles Rub el Hizb, which further solidifies the Islamic motif in the tower design. 19877

This photograph is of the opening into a lava tube, surrounded by lava rock bombs, as found while hiking the Lava Trail in Utah's Snow Canyon State Park.

When lava magma is deep underground, it is under very high pressure. As it moves toward the surface, it carries pieces of molten rock with it, and these are ejected out of vents. These molten blobs cool and solidify in the air and then fall back to earth. Hiking Snow Canyon’s Lava Trail, one will find many of these “lava bombs” on or nearby the hiking paths. And as the magma arrives at the earth’s surface, it breaks apart the cooled crust above it, creating jumbled masses of rock. Many of these rocks are brightly colored, reflecting the high iron oxice content on their surfaces.

Hiking Snow Canyon’s Lava Trail, one may also encounter deep, dark holes. Leading to caves. These are “lava tubes.” When lava flows, surface lava cools and hardens to a solid crust. When the volcanic eruption ends, the lava beneath these crusts drains out, leaving behind a hollow tube. These may remain hidden, but at times the thin surface crust breaks down and one finds a deep hole, surrounded by “lava bombs” of various sizes and colours.

(Notes from “Geology Underfoot in Southern Utah,” by Richard Orndorff, Robert Wider and David Futey.)

Heated and solidified plastic...

Solidified volcanic ash column formations along the South shore of Crowley Lake in Owens Valley near Mammoth Lakes. California, Sierra Nevada Mountains, Owens Valley, Crowley Lake. Off the John Muir Trail near Mile 077.

(All images copyrighted. Copying or otherwise using my photos in any way is not OK w/out my explicitly granted permission. See my Profile for queries regarding any other usage.)

Many thanks for your visits, faves and comments. Cheers.

The craggy peaks of the Glass House Mountains tower above the surrounding Sunshine Coast landscape.

The park has significant landscape and conservation values.

Glass House Mountains National Park contains a wide variety of terrain such as rocky peaks and pavements, steep hill slopes, gullies and swampy coastal plains which provide habitat for many different vegetation communities.

The peaks themselves protect montane heath—an uncommon community on the Queensland coast—while heathlands, forest and woodlands are found across the surrounding hills and plains.

These diverse areas, and particularly the rocky pavements of the peaks, are important for biodiversity, providing habitat for twenty plant species of conservation significance.

Discover more about the park’s plants by purchasing a copy of the 'Ranger field guide: Native plants of Glass House Mountains National Park'.

This area is home to koalas, goannas, echidnas and grey kangaroos.

Many birds such as kookaburras, cockatoos, lorikeets, rosellas and peregrine falcons can also be seen. The glossy black-cockatoo, which is considered vulnerable to extinction, is found in the Glass House Mountains area.

The Glass House Mountains are intrusive plugs—remnants of volcanic activity that occurred approximately 25–27 million years ago.

Molten rock filled small vents or intruded as bodies beneath the surface and solidified into hard rocks—trachyte and rhyolite.

Millions of years of erosion have removed the surrounding exteriors of the volcanic cones and softer sandstone rocks, leaving the magnificent landscape features you see today.

Interesting vertical columns that formed as the volcanic mountains cooled can be seen at Mount Beerwah and Mount Ngungun.

(Source: parks.des.qld.gov.au/parks/glass-house-mountains/about/cu...)

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© Chris Burns 2021

All rights reserved.

This image may not be copied, reproduced, distributed, republished, downloaded, displayed, posted or transmitted in any form or by any means, including electronic, mechanical, photocopying and recording without my written consent.

And here's a wider context view of much of the headland. Lower right provides a view of the generally hexagonal form of the columns; a pattern repeated the world over (eg Ireland's Giant's Causeway) where similar lavas have had the right conditions in which to cool and solidify.

Near the center of this image is a feature known as Kloochman Rock (which looks somewhat like a green pyramid in this photo). It was created millions of years ago when molten volcanic material was pushed up into a crack… which then cooled and solidified. Over millions of years, this hard volcanic material withstood the effects of erosion while the softer material surrounding it eventually eroded away. So, to make a million-year story short… this volcanic material withstood the test of time and today is known as… Kloochman Rock! It is situated in the Wenatchee National Forest (just southeast of Mt. Rainier).

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“Climb the mountains and get their good tidings. Nature's peace will flow into you as sunshine flows into trees. The winds will blow their own freshness into you, and the storms their energy, while cares will drop off like autumn leaves. ~John Muir

Guess what?

THIS WAS TAKEN WITH MY 5D MARK II!! Oh gosh I love it.

I kept standing so far back because I was used to my old camera. Oh Crop sensor how I don’t miss you.

Gosh it felt so good to shoot this. Some of you may have known but I have been in such a rut. It’s been tough – the lowest I’ve been in my photo journey. But getting this camera and then taking this shot really solidified happiness and inspiration. I am so ready to take more pictures! I feel free and weightless.

So I used one white fabric in this shot. It was pretty short – obviously photoshopped the flow. But I actually just ran into the sheet to make the dress! It was quite difficult to do in 2 seconds. Some of the outtakes are ridiculous and will never see the public eye. ;)

But also, this will most likely be the last image with my long hair! (I took another last night but I may or may not release it) I am getting it chopped off for Lock of Love tomorrow! It’s going to be crazy and sad but I am so happy to do it. Plus it is time for a change!

Herculaneum is quite different from what one sees in other world centres, brought to light so far, including Pompeii. Largely, this is due its interment by the Mount Vesuvius eruption in AD79. The city was not struck by ashes and lapilli, but by a torrent of mud flooding down from the slopes of the volcano. Having solidified and becoming tough, it constituted for centuries the best possible defence against atmospheric agents and against illegal excavations. This mosaic is among the best examples of what has been preserved.

Dimmuborgir rocks (Kálfastrandavogar)

According to www.edgeofthearctic.is/places-to-see/dimmuborgir/,

"it is believed that during an eruption ~2300 years ago, something blocked the flow of lava causing the formation of a lake of lava. As the lava in the lake had started to solidify the blockage gave way and the molten lava flowed out leaving behind the parts which had solidified. These unique conditions created geological formations which have not been found above water anywhere else in the world."

See my other Iceland images at flic.kr/s/aHsjGvArkL .

This image was shown in Explore for 10/8/16.

Barranco La Guancha is one of the highly eroded ravines that radiate out from the highest point of La Gomera. The island is an extinct volcano: volcanic activity began to lessen 4 million years ago and ceased 2 million years ago. The rocks that stand proud are probably volcanic plugs - conduits through which lava made its way to the surface. The solidified magma is more resistant than the surrounding rocks and has suffered less erosion. As you can see, terraces for agriculture were constructed where practicable on these precipitous slopes. They lie unused today; the farmers abandoned their Gomeran land and most likely emigrated to Tenerife or South America.

Large On White is yummier :-)

OK. Let's start this tuesday (and finish it across the globe) with sweets. Today happens to be the FIRST wedding anniversary for a friend of mine and I would love if you all can join me in wishing her many more happy returns!

I dont know what to call this dessert that I made but it tastes yummy. It is sugar caramelized in ghee (could be substituted with clarified butter) and sweetened coconut flakes/grated coconut added to it as the sugar is caramelizing. Add powdered cardamoms. Take it off the stove and cool in a pan until it solidifies.

While it is hot, garnish with sweetened condensed milk, saffron, and roasted cashews and serve.

Tastes like toffee (the base). I liked it, what say?

:-)

Surf breaks over a formation of ancient coquina rocks.

Washington Oaks Gardens State Park

Palm Coast, Florida, USA.

31 August 2025.

▶ More photos: here.

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❖ About coquina rock

☞ “Coquina rock is a type of sedimentary rock (specifically limestone), formed by the deposition and subsequent cementation of mineral and organic particles on the floor of bodies of water at the Earth's surface. The coquina rocks at Washington Oaks are part of the Anastasia formation —stretching from the city of St. Augustine to Palm Beach County — that was created during the Pleistocene era (12,000 - 2.5 million years ago). Lower sea levels allowed slightly acidic rainwater to dissolve calcium carbonate in millions of exposed shells. This process effectively bonded the shells to the sand, resulting in the creation of rocks that solidified over time."

☞ “One characteristic of coquina rocks is the regular, perfectly cylindrical holes in many sections of a formation, formed by erosion of rock by rainwater. These weathered formations create shallow tidal pools that support crabs, sea snails, anemones, and other small marine life."

☞ “The word 'coquina' is Spanish for 'cockle' and is the name given to Donax variabilis, a small, burrowing clam that lives in the sand just at the ocean’s edge, and is the main shell component of the rock.”

— Florida State Parks.

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🌏 About Washington Oaks Gardens State Park

“The park's ¾-mile-long formation of coquina rocks along its Atlantic Ocean shoreline is the second-largest on the east coast of North America." (The larger is further south, in Jupiter, Florida, at the Blowing Rock Preserve.) More photos: here.

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▶ Photo by: YFGF.

▶ For a larger image, press 'L' (without the quotation marks).

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▶ Camera: Olympus OM-D E-M10 II.

— Lens: Olympus M.14-42mm F3.5-5.6 II R.

— Time blend: 2 images.

— Edit: Photoshop Elements 15, Nik Collection (2016).

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This image represents one small section of my favorite place to get away for a quick afternoon shoot. I've spent more time here than any other creek in the Pacific Northwest and the area never lets me down. In all of those visits I've never encountered another person aside from the friends I may have been with, or the local dog who likes to wander this forest as much as I do. It's become a personal oasis over the years, a place I can steal away to whenever I feel the need to get outside, find solitude, and recharge my batteries. Whenever I cross this particular spot long the creek I always slow down and pause. I've shot it several times but never successfully. Recently I once again found myself standing shin deep in the creek believing there has to be an image to be made. This time a wider framing helped give some context to the double spillover, which I felt worked better than my prior efforts. The natural light fall off helped solidify the idea and for once I knew I had an image I felt worked.

(English follows)

Les chutes, d'une hauteur de 83 m (272 pi), sont situées à la limite entre les arrondissements de Beauport et Boischatel, à environ 12 km (7,5 mi) du cœur du vieux Québec. La chute est située à l'intérieur du Parc de la Chute-Montmorency. Des escaliers de 487 marches permettent de l'observer sous différents angles. Un pont suspendu relie les deux côtés du parc. Il y a également un téléphérique qui transporte les visiteurs entre la base et le sommet de la chute. L'hiver, les vapeurs d'eau se solidifient en périphérie de la chute qui devient alors un site populaire d'escalade glaciaire en plus de créer une importante masse de glace (le pain de sucre) devant la chute.

Boischatel, Québec, Canada

With a height of 83 m (272 ft), the falls are located on the boundary between the borough of Beauport, and Boischatel, about 12 km (7.5 mi) from the heart of old Quebec City. The waterfall is located inside the Parc de la Chute-Montmorency. Staircases of 487 steps allow you to observe it from different angles. A suspension bridge connects the two sides of the park. There is also a cable car that transports visitors between the base and the top of the falls. In winter, water vapor solidifies around the edge of the falls, which then becomes a popular ice climbing site in addition to creating a large mass of ice (sugar loaf) in front of the falls.

Boischatel, Quebec, Canada

The Ling-Temco-Vought A-7 Corsair II, adapted for the United States Air Force (USAF), was a versatile and potent light attack aircraft. With a top speed of 693 mph and an impressive range of 2,933 miles, its 38-foot wingspan housed a single-seat configuration. Armed with diverse munitions, it excelled in precision strikes and ground-attack missions, solidifying its role as a key asset for the USAF.

Lanzarote a Spanish island,

is the easternmost of the autonomous Canary Islands, in the Atlantic Ocean, approximately 125 km (78 mi)

off the coast of Africa. Covering 845.9 square kilometers (327 sq mi), it is the fourth largest of the islands.

Lanzarote has a volcanic origin.

It was born through fiery eruptions and has solidified lava streams as well as extravagant rock formations.

The greatest recorded eruptions occurred between 1730 and 1736 in the area now designated

Timanfaya National Park.

The photo captures the iconic Ferris wheel at Santa Monica Pier, illuminated against the evening sky. As waves crash onto the shore, the vibrant lights of the Pacific Wheel reflect on the water, creating a mesmerizing display. This solar-powered Ferris wheel, part of Pacific Park, is the only one of its kind overlooking the Pacific Ocean.

The Santa Monica Pier itself dates back to 1909, originally built as a municipal pier before the adjacent amusement pier was added in 1916. The Pacific Wheel, first installed in 1996, was later replaced in 2008 with a more energy-efficient version, solidifying its place as a beloved landmark. The wheel has since appeared in numerous films, TV shows, and photographs, symbolizing the vibrant culture of Southern California.

I snapped this shot right before going to sleep in my car at the South Sister trailhead Thursday night. Nothing too spectacular by most standards, but it solidifies the memory in my brain, no doubt.

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ESTACIÒN SAN PATRICIO

Esta estaciòn fue inaugurada el 5 de Agosto de 1865 por parte del Ferrocarril Buenos Aires al Pacífico, en el ramal Retiro-Junín. El paraje no llego a solidificarse como pueblo, hoy es parte de un hermoso paisaje rural. Su nombre se debe a un establecimiento cercano que pertenecio a Patricio y Lucia Adelina Rocha

This station was inaugurated on August 5, 1865 by the Buenos Aires Railroad to the Pacific, in the branch Retiro-Junín. The place did not come to solidify as a town, today it is part of a beautiful rural landscape. His name is due to a nearby establishment that belonged to Patricio and Lucia Adelina Rocha

The eroded volcanic lava cliffs of the Eshaness peninsula are a spectacular place to watch the stormy seas off the west coast of the Shetlands. The cliffs cut right through the flank of an ancient volcano with its layers of lava flows stacked one on another. The islands of Muckle Ossa, seen offshore in the upper right, are the solidified lava feed channel to the main vent of the volcano, now exposed by erosion.

28/12/2024 www.allenfotowild.com

The Spaniards left quite a huge cultural impression when they arrived, both by bringing their religion and by solidifying it into the cultural arts of the area.

See my 2021 Peru and Ecuador album

www.flickr.com/photos/25171569@N02/albums/72157720135887081

for all uploads to date

Jenny Pansing Photos

Keeping watch on the Lace Curtain of Pahvant Butte.

Pahvant Butte is a butte formed by a dormant volcano in the west-central portion of Utah. It is located in the Sevier Desert in the Pahvant Valley. This part of Utah was once covered by a huge inland freshwater sea known as Lake Bonneville. Pahvant Butte volcano erupted under the icy waters of the lake causing the hot lava to solidify in the interesting "drip" formations forming the Lace Curtain. Millard County, Utah.

To see more of this weird and interesting bit of Utah geology check out my album here: www.flickr.com/photos/19779889@N00/albums/721576836971395...

At Sullivan Bay on Santiago Island, one of the main islands of the Galápagos, expansive lava fields flow down to the sea, created by a volcanic eruption from the late 1800s. The surface is composed of pahoehoe lava, a Hawaiian term meaning “smooth” or “ropy,” which describes the rippled patterns that develop as molten basalt cools slowly and solidifies in flowing formations.

Photographed in the morning light, the delicate ridges and folds cast prominent shadows, showcasing both the surface's strength and delicacy. Up close, the rock almost feels alive—shaped by movement, yet frozen in time. I was captivated by these details because they illustrate geology as a dynamic and expressive process, where natural forces carve out forms that are both precise and unexpectedly beautiful.

There are decisions we all must eventually make in our lives. Nobody has the right to judge these life-defining decisions. Once made, we must live with the consequences. Sometimes we make the decisions based on fear and our past losses. Other times we face the choices head on with a courage and conviction that we never knew we had.

A week ago, Marynell almost lost Miss Sara, her precious mother. As a nurse, I work with this specific condition, and I perhaps knew better than Marynell how close her mother truly came to death. Nevertheless Marynell, being a Family Nurse Practioner, instantly grasped the severity and the gravity of the situation.

A decision had to be made and quickly. Intervene and accept the associated risks of intervention, which are also grave in the elderly and frail, or place the situation in the hands of God and accept His will. There are those who will say that God gives us nurses and physicians to intervene on His behalf, and there is merit to that. I believe it myself. However, I have also lost people while struggling desperately to save them. Marynell and I spoke at length about the condition, and the risks. Ultimately though, no nurse, no physician, nor any fortuneteller can make the decision for the family. The family must bear the burden of the decision, and health care providers become the instruments of those decisions.

Miss Sara herself made the decision, and Marynell reinforced and solidified it. There would be no intervention. I was frightened at first and talked to Marynell again with trepidation. However, Marynell's resolve was absolute. And this was the decision that was best for them. Marynell began making funeral arrangements. And she asked for prayers.

Over the next few days, Miss Sara had an inexplicable turn around. Not only did she perk up, but she became more lucid than prior to the event. Again, I was frightened. We often see this right before death. But it stuck. A week later Miss Sara continued to improve and stabilize.

These images were taken approximately a week after the original event that jolted us all into a new and intense awareness of the fragility of life around us. Sometimes the right decisions are not the ones everyone agrees on. The right decisions may not be the ones health care professionals advise. Health care professionals have an obligation to lay out the options. It is up to the family to decide which option to take. The right decisions are always the ones you can live with, and the ones that that support life, dignity, faith and your own personal philosophy of the same.

Miss Sara and Marynell were given a second chance to affirm their love and devotion to each other. We usually don't get second chances like this. Go tell those you love how much they mean to you and do it now. Tomorrow may be too late. And talk about these issues so when your time comes you can make the right decision that you can live with.

Ain't the Way to Die ~ ZDoggMD

The Giant's Causeway (Irish: Clochán an Aifir) is an area of about 40,000 interlocking basalt columns, the result of an ancient volcanic fissure eruption. It is located in County Antrim on the north coast of Northern Ireland, about three miles (4.8 km) northeast of the town of Bushmills.

It was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1986 and a national nature reserve by the Department of the Environment for Northern Ireland in 1987. In a 2005 poll of Radio Times readers, the Giant's Causeway was named the fourth-greatest natural wonder in the United Kingdom.

The tops of the columns form stepping stones that lead from the cliff foot and disappear under the sea. Most of the columns are hexagonal, although some have four, five, seven, or eight sides. The tallest are about 12 metres (39 ft) high, and the solidified lava in the cliffs is 28 metres (92 ft) thick in places.

Much of the Giant's Causeway and Causeway Coast World Heritage Site is owned and managed by the National Trust. It is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Northern Ireland, receiving over 998,000 visitors in 2019. Access to the Giant's Causeway is free of charge: it is not necessary to go via the visitor centre, which charges a fee. The remainder of the site is owned by the Crown Estate and several private landowners. Wikipedia

Punikaiki, New Zealand. The Pancake Rocks were formed 30 million years ago from minute fragments of dead marine creatures and plants landed on the seabed about 2 km below the surface. Immense water pressure caused the fragments to solidify in hard and soft layers. Gradually seismic action lifted the limestone above the seabed. Mildly acidic rain, wind and seawater sculpted the bizarre shapes

I had been thinking of this photo of mine and the relationship between human and nature, and I've been thinking of this genius picture that Miss Aniela did for a while now. Both of these thoughts went into the inspiration for this image. I was really craving a dark fairytale, and this for me solidified what I had in my mind. I love being able to create these types of images as self-portraits so that I can really live in a beautiful nightmare (though sometimes happy I can go back to safe life :P).

The dress was made by Anastasia Every, and my friend KD assisted by providing her lovely hands for this shot.

I've also announced new workshop dates for Los Angeles, Wilmington NC, Boston, Toronto, and Chicago. Dates will be announced in the coming weeks for my international trip to the UK as well as Portland (July/August).

Also, today is the last day to submit to the January contest, theme is rebirth/new beginnings :)

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Punikaiki, New Zealand. The Pancake Rocks were formed 30 million years ago from minute fragments of dead marine creatures and plants landed on the seabed about 2 km below the surface. Immense water pressure caused the fragments to solidify in hard and soft layers. Gradually seismic action lifted the limestone above the seabed. Mildly acidic rain, wind and seawater sculpted the bizarre shapes.

© all rights reserved by B℮n

It will be k-k-cold this weekend. The temperature can drop to -8 degrees and that means of course only one thing: skating! After a few nights of good frost we could skate on February 13, 2021 at the Loosdrechtse Plassen. Every effort was made to ensure that we could skate. Plassenschap Loosdrecht has issued a sailing ban for the Loosdrechtse Plassen. After an extra night of frost, the ice is perfect. Beautiful black smooth ice without weak spots. Finally perfect ice to tie up the irons for skating enthusiasts. There can be wonderful kilometers of skating between the peat area and vast frozen lakes. You experience nature in places where you normally can not come. The northwestern part of the Loenderveense Plas is also referred to as Terra Nova. In this part of the Loenderveense Plas, experiments have been carried out in recent years to improve water quality by removing the bream fish. This fish accumulates the sludge layer that is formed at the bottom of the ponds by over-fertilization. Only a few plants and animals can live in this muddy water. Although already impressive results can be seen from the bream removal - the whole lake has turned from muddy to clear water, which also means that the water is freezing faster than other puddles. The peatland is a paradise for skaters from the west of the Netherlands, because it is usually the first large-scale area where you can skate on natural ice. Dutch also love Kite ice skating. This is the sport of sailing is popular in the Netherlands.

Today 13th of February 2021 we got the opportunity to go ice skating on real ice instead of going to an ice rink. A good freeze only comes from a win in the climatic lottery. Thus the chance for our Dutch to be wild adventurers on their own land comes only every few years. We glide across solidified, frosted lakes with fish frozen into the ice. Besides skating on the Loosdrechtse Plassen there is also Ice surfing, ice sailing and kite skating. The Loosdrechtseplassen in the winter are a real skater’s paradise. Kite ice skating is very popular in the Netherlands. Photo of father pulling son on sled and an ice sailor on the Loenderveensche plassen.

Het wordt k-k-koud dit weekend. De temperatuur kan dalen tot wel -8 graden en dat betekent natuurlijk maar één ding: schaatsennn! Na een paar nachten goede vorst konden we op 13 februari 2021 schaatsen op de Loosdrechtseplassen. Er werd alles aan gedaan om te zorgen dat we konden schaatsen. Plassenschap Loosdrecht heeft een vaarverbod afgegeven voor de Loosdrechtse Plassen. Na een extra nacht van vorst ligt het ijs er perfect bij. Prachtig zwart glad ijs en nergens wakken. Eindelijk weer heerlijk ijs om voor schaatsliefhebbers de ijzers onder te binden. Er kan heerlijk kilometers geschaats worden tussen het veengebied. Je beleeft de natuur op plekken waar je normaal niet kan komen.

De Loosdrechtseplassen zijn afgegraven veengebieden, gelegen in het Gooi. Het noordwestelijke deel van de Loenderveense Plas wordt ook wel aangeduid als Terra Nova. Terra Nova is een aan de Vecht gelegen landgoed en natuurgebied met veenplassen. In dit deel van de Loenderveense Plas is de afgelopen jaren geëxperimenteerd met het verbeteren van de waterkwaliteit door het wegvangen van brasem. Deze vis woelt de sliblaag op die op de bodem van de plassen is ontstaan door overbemesting. In dit troebele water kunnen slechts weinig planten en dieren leven waardoor de soortenrijkdom van de plassen sterk is teruggelopen. Hoewel nu al aansprekende resultaten te zien zijn van het wegvangen van de brasem – het hele meer is omgeklapt van troebel naar helder water wat ook weer betekend dat het water eerder bevriest dan andere plassen. Het veengebied is een paradijs voor schaatsers uit het westen van Nederland, omdat het meestal het eerste grootschalige gebied is waar men goed kan schaatsen op natuurijs. Naast het schaatsen op de Loosdrechtse Plassen is er ook Kite schaatsen, ijssurfen, ijszeilen en kite schaatsen. Ook zijn er weer ijszeilers te zien.

ESA organises regular rocket launches together with the Swedish Space Corporation from northern Sweden in Esrange, Kiruna. The 13th Maser campaign saw experiments being carried 270 km up for six minutes of weightlessness.

Experiments in the November flight included looking at how gravity-sensing genes behave in plants, growing metallic crystals and X-raying them as they solidify, and observing chemical reactions with lasers – all in microgravity.

The launch site 145 km north of the Arctic Circle offers amazing views of the Northern lights. Auroras occur when particle radiation from the Sun is channelled by Earth’s magnetic field into the polar regions and hits Earth’s upper atmosphere, making it glow in a greenish-blue light.

ESA payload system engineer Neil Melville took this picture between preparing the experiments and the launch.

Neil explains: “Sounding rockets offer a unique way for researchers around Europe to experiment in weightlessness, complementing ESA’s range of microgravity facilities, from drop towers and aircraft flights to the International Space Station.

“The Esrange facility and surroundings offer many wonderful views. I was taking photos for a timelapse video of the aurora and by complete chance a very bright meteor from the Taurid shower was caught in this frame. It left a very rare ‘persistent train’, meaning that the trail of ionised air was visible for several minutes.”

The tower with red lights on the horizon is part of Esrange’s meteorology station that monitors the weather for launches.

Credit: N. Melville CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

Hraunreipi við Skógarkot í Þingvallahrauni og Hrafnabjörg ber við himin.

Hike in Þingvellir national park. The lava in foreground is helluhraun (pahoehoe) with hraunreipi. They typically form during effusive eruptions of fluid lava with little or no fountaining activity. As the lava flows, its surface cools and solidifies into a relatively thin, viscous crust that continues to move over the still-molten material beneath. During this motion, the crust becomes wrinkled and folded due to cooling from the atmosphere and the movement of the lava below. These wrinkles and folds give the surface a rope-like appearance and are collectively known as lava ropes (pahoehoe ropes).

Along with The Window and Santa Elena Canyon, Balanced Rock is one of the iconic scenes in Big Bend National Park. I have posted images of it before in my photo stream.

My brother had never seen it, however, so I saved this delightful little hike for one of the dusks during our visit.

A viewer also asked about the leading lines that form nice compositional elements in a previous photograph that I posted and I wanted to take a closer look at these features on this trip.

I backed up a little so they would be more visible in this photograph. These lines are an example of "onion skin weathering" or exfoliation weathering. This weathering is common in laccoliths that cool and solidify deeper in the earth under pressure. When erosion removes the overlying rock and the pressure is released, these rocks tend to spall off in layers that resemble the thin layers of an onion.

Many geologists have wondered if the Grapevine HIlls (Balanced Rock is located in The Grapevine Hills) are a sill or a laccolith. Based on the exfoliation phenomena and the other near-by laccoliths, I would favor the laccolith explanation.

Whatever the explanation, they make an interesting compositional element.

The Chisos Mountains bask in the winter sunset visible through the Balanced Rock Gap.

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The sun is about to dip behind the mountain peaks for our last few minutes on the beach for the day. A brown bear and her cub are making their way to the inlet in hopes of capturing the low tide and a few wayward salmon. She stops momentarily to look at us but then resumes her trek northward, uninterrupted. I love the little glimpses into the daily lives of the animals that live along these northern shores. Photography helps me solidify these experiences and bring them home as lasting memories.

In Explore

A volcanic plug on the Canary island of La Gomera. This was part of the volcano's internal plumbing which brought lava to the surface. When the volcano died down and erosion started, the tougher solidified lava in this massive tube resisted and so now stands proud of the surrounding rocks.

This vintage postcard features an illustration of red poinsettias and a quote attributed to Jeremy Bentham. The main message is a festive greeting for the holiday season.

The quote on the postcard is "Look out for the bright, for the brightest side of things, and keep thy face constantly turned to it", attributed to Jeremy Bentham. It is a popular motivational quote often featured on vintage Christmas and New Year postcards.

Postcard Details

Attribution: Jeremy Bentham, an English philosopher and the founder of modern utilitarianism.

Sentiment: The quote encourages optimism and finding joy in life, aligning with the "Merry Christmas" greeting.

Publisher: This specific design is part of the "The Poinsettia" series (Number 506) by Raphael Tuck & Sons, a well-known publisher of postcards. These cards were often printed in Saxony (Germany).

Era: Similar postcards from this series were postmarked and circulated in the early 1900s, around 1909 to 1912.

Variations: The same postcard design was used with different accompanying text or quotes, and in some cases, the quote about turning one's face to the light is attributed to other individuals like M.B. Whitman or T. Fuller.

Greeting: "A Merry Christmas".

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The poinsettia was first related to Christmas in 17th-century Mexico, due to its natural blooming season and the symbolism attributed to it by Franciscan monks. Its modern-day popularity in the United States, however, is a result of a 20th-century marketing campaign.

Origin and Symbolism - When: The association began in the 17th century when Spanish Franciscan friars in the Taxco area of Mexico started using the plant to decorate Nativity scenes during their Christmas Eve (Nochebuena) processions.

Why (Mexican Legend): The custom is rooted in a local legend about a poor young girl named Pepita (or Maria). Having no gift to offer the baby Jesus at Christmas Eve service, an angel inspired her to gather humble roadside weeds. When she placed the weeds at the altar, they miraculously burst into brilliant red and green blooms, which became known as "Flores de Noche Buena" (Flowers of the Holy Night).

Why (Christian Symbolism): The plant's star-shaped leaf pattern is said to symbolize the Star of Bethlehem, which led the Wise Men to Jesus. The vibrant red color represents the blood of Christ, and the white leaves (in other varieties) represent purity.

Introduction to the United States - The plant was introduced to the United States in the 1820s by Joel Roberts Poinsett, the first U.S. Ambassador to Mexico and an amateur botanist. He sent cuttings to his home in South Carolina, where he began cultivating the plant and sharing it with friends. By the mid-1830s, the plant was widely known as the "poinsettia" in his honor.

Commercial Popularity - The poinsettia's rise to an American holiday staple was largely due to the entrepreneurial efforts of the Ecke family, particularly Paul Ecke Sr. and Jr., in the 1900s. The family developed techniques to create bushier, longer-lasting potted plants and launched extensive marketing campaigns, including sending free plants to television stations for use on holiday specials, solidifying its place in modern Christmas traditions.

LINK to video - The History of the Poinsettia and Christmas - Christmas Flower - www.youtube.com/watch?v=9LQQqfO2e0c

Alter Ego: Black Gold

Name: Desmond Moon

Allegiance: Villain

Powers:

* Can blast jets of a gold liquid substance from his palms which solidifies upon impact with any other material.

* Once his gold substance melts it becomes a black poisonous gas.

Weapons:

* A Kevlar suit fused with a thin lining of real gold which repels his powers.

Key Weakness: His powers are repelled by real gold, the reason is unknown.

Origin:

Desmond grew up with unique abilities which he uses for self gain. His signature move is swindling someone for equipment or weaponry with bars of what appears to be gold (he created) only for the bars to melt and evaporate into a black poisonous gas killing the buyer after the exchange within an hour. Desmond is very manipulative and cold with his powers which developed very early on before his teenagers years. He goes by the name Black Gold and is currently one of the most wanted criminals in Avalon City for his crimes.

Smith Rock State Park is an American state park located in central Oregon's High Desert near the communities of Redmond and Terrebonne. Its sheer cliffs of tuff and basalt are ideal for rock climbing of all difficulty levels. Smith Rock is generally considered the birthplace of modern American sport climbing, and is host to cutting-edge climbing routes. It is popular for sport climbing. The geology of Smith Rocks is volcanic. It is made up of layers of recent basalt flows overlaying older Clarno ash and tuff formations. Approximately 30 million years ago, a large caldera was formed when overlying rock collapsed into an underground lava chamber. This created a huge amount of rock and ash debris that filled the caldera. That material solidified into rock, becoming Smith Rock tuff. A half million years ago, basalt lava flows from nearby volcanoes covered the older tuff. More recently, the Crooked River cut its way through the layers of rock to create today's geographic features. Smith Rock itself is a 3,200-foot (980 m)-high ridge (above sea level) with a sheer cliff-face overlooking a bend in the Crooked River (elev. 2600 ft), making the cliffs about 600 feet high.

Tipping slag from the furnaces of the Ferro-manganese plant at Nikopol. In charge of the shunting operation are TGM6A-1265 and TGM6A-701. Once tipped the crane behind will swing a large ball at the bottom of the tipped ladle to dislodge any solidified contents stuck at the bottom. September the 19th 2018.

Started off with a pic of a pretty woman in a red dress at a charity event I shot long ago.

But what really caught my eye and brought about the shot was her red-framed glasses. I loved her glasses.

Then, I thought to myself, "I gotta go with selective coloring." Cool.

But then I thought a little more, "I gotta play a bit." First, I solidified the colors. Then I went with a white background. Cool. Then I tried a black background. Yeah.

End of thinking.

Excerpt from www.mississauga.ca/city-of-mississauga-news/news/whats-al...:

Today (May 16, 2019) at General Committee, Council approved a staff recommendation that the City of Mississauga become a Bee City to help improve pollinator health and bee habitats within the community.

“By joining Bee City Canada, we can set an example to our neighbouring municipalities to support pollinators and their habitats,” said Jodi Robillos Director, Parks, Forestry & Environment. “Through this program, the City will have the opportunity to help solidify its commitment to being responsible stewards of the environment and promote activities that will improve the health of residents and the environment city-wide.”

For the City to be become a Bee City, Mississauga must commit to the following Bee City Canada requirements:

1) Creating Healthy Pollinator Habitats

The City will expand pollinator initiatives by planting pollinator-friendly plants in pollinator gardens and existing flower beds, planting native trees and shrubs through the One Million Trees program and work with residents to install solitary bee houses to support native pollinators.

2) Educate about Pollinators

Through the educational component of the One Million Trees program, pollinator-centred material will be enhanced to educate residents about the importance of pollinators and what they can do to enhance pollinator habitats in their own backyards.

3) Celebrate Pollinators

The City will use International Pollinator Week, third week of June, as a platform to celebrate pollinators and share the work that is being done to protect them in Mississauga.

“We have a lot of pollinator projects, and projects that support pollinator habitats, happening within the community. These include our One Million Trees program, our 13 pollinator and community gardens as well as the honeybee hive on the roof of City Hall. All of these help support pollinator health and habitat restoration,” said Jessica Wiley, Manager, Forestry. “It’s important that we continue to create healthy pollinator habitats in Mississauga. Pollinators provide an essential service to plants as they must be pollinated to provide seeds and fruit. We encourage residents to create their own pollinator-friendly gardens at their homes.”

Bee City Canada is a program created to engage Canadian municipalities, First Nations, schools, businesses and other organizations to take action to protect pollinators. There are currently 23 official Bee-City municipalities across Canada including Toronto, Guelph and Newmarket.

One Kashmiri morning in the early spring of 1915, my grandfather Aadam Aziz hit his nose against a frost-hardened tussock of earth while attempting to pray. Three drops of blood plopped out of his left nostril, hardened instantly in the brittle air and lay before his eyes on the prayer-mat; transformed into rubies. Lurching back until he knelt with his head once more upright, he found that the tears which had sprung to his eyes had solidified, too; and at that moment, as he brushed diamonds contemptuously from his lashes...

... Midnight's Children - Salman Rushdie

‘…the solidification of ignorance…’

Charcoal - 290mm x 136.5mm

See a different presentation layout on Flickrock :-

flickrock.com/59464034@N08/date#/59464034@N08/sets/721577...

Der Tod ist kein plötzliches Ereignis

sondern ein Prozess.

Der Tod tritt ein,

wenn das Herz aufhört zu schlagen.

Dadurch wird die Sauerstoff- und Nährstoffzufuhr

zu den Körperregionen unterbrochen.

Die Körperzellen sterben nach und nach ab,

und die Organfunktionen kommen zum Erliegen.

Zuerst ist das Gehirn betroffen.

Die verringerte Hirnaktivität schränkt zunächst

das Bewusstsein und die Wahrnehmung ein,

die Atmung wird flacher,

Hör- und Sehvermögen nehmen ab,

und schließlich fällt die Steuerung

der elementaren Lebensfunktionen für immer aus.

Das Ende der elektrischen Aktivität des Gehirns,

der Hirntod, gilt juristisch als Todeszeitpunkt.

Zehn bis zwanzig Minuten nach dem Hirntod

sterben viele Zellen des Herzgewebes ab.

Dann folgt der Tod der Leber- und der Lungenzellen.

Erst ein bis zwei Stunden später stellen die

Zellen der Nieren ihre Funktion endgültig ein.

Etwa eine halbe Stunde nach Eintritt des Todes

beginnt Blut aus den Kapillaren auszutreten.

Dadurch erscheint die Haut des Leichnams blass,

und in den Partien, in die das Blut absackt,

entstehen Blutergüsse, sogenannte Totenflecke.

Im weiteren Verlauf erstarren die Muskeln

aufgrund des fehlenden Sauerstoffs.

Schließlich zersetzen körpereigene Enzyme

wie auch eindringende Keime den Körper zunehmend

und die Muskelstarre löst sich wieder.

_____________________

Death is not a sudden event

but a process.

Death occurs

when the heart stops beating.

This will increase the oxygen and nutrient supply

interrupted to the body regions.

The body cells gradually die off,

and the organ functions come to a standstill.

The brain is affected first.

The reduced brain activity initially restricts

the consciousness and the perception,

breathing becomes shallower

Hearing and eyesight decrease,

and finally control falls

of the elementary functions of life forever.

The end of the electrical activity of the brain,

brain death, is legally considered to be the time of death.

Ten to twenty minutes after brain death

many cells of the heart tissue die.

Then comes the death of the liver and lung cells.

Only one or two hours later do the

Cells of the kidneys finally cease to function.

About half an hour after death occurred

blood begins to leak out of the capillaries.

This makes the corpse's skin appear pale,

and in the areas where the blood sags,

bruises develop, so-called death spots.

As the process progresses, the muscles solidify

due to the lack of oxygen.

Eventually, the body's own enzymes break down

as well as invading germs the body increasingly

and the muscular rigidity dissolves again.

🇫🇷 Utiliser le zoom pour voir les mineurs de soufre.

🇬🇧 Using the zoom to see the sulphur miners

🇪🇸 Usando el zoom para ver los mineros de azufre

🇩🇪 Verwenden Sie den Zoom, um die Schwefelminenarbeiter zu sehen

🇮🇹 Usare lo zoom per vedere i minatori di zolfo

🇬🇧 The lush vegetation has given way to a lunar landscape, striking in its absence of animal and plant life. Thick white smoke rises from the crater, dissipating in the wind. These are solfataras, fumaroles laden with sulphur dioxide and hydrochloric acid, which are highly irritatingWear a gas mask or, failing that, a wet scarf to protect yourself from the sulphur fumes.

Descending into the soufrière is no longer strictly forbidden (as it was when we were there).

Men, like real slave labourers, have to extract blocks of sulphur weighing several kilos, in the middle of unbreathable fumaroles. Metal pipes trap and cool some of the sulphur vapour, which gradually crystallises before finally solidifying at the end of the long pipes and being extracted. Wearing mostly simple rubber boots and with a cloth or rag in their mouths as a mask, these extreme miners fill baskets with these blocks, bring them to the surface of the crater and then descend into the valley to finally have them weighed and earn a wage.

If you get there before sunrise, you can see strange blue lava flows that seem to trickle down the sides of the crater. The lava is actually sulphur in a gaseous state, which ignites on contact with the air, creating a totally surreal spectacle, guaranteed without any trickery!

🇫🇷 La végétation luxuriante a laisse place à un paysage lunaire, qui frappe par l’absence de vie animale et végétale. Une épaisse fumée blanche sort du cratère et se dissipe au gré du vent. Ce sont les solfatares, ces fumerolles chargées de dioxyde de soufre et d’acide chlorhydrique fortement irritantes Se munir du masque à gaz ou, à défaut, un foulard humide pour se prémunir des émanations de soufre

La descente dans la soufrière n’est plus formellement interdite(comme lors de notre passage ,)

Des hommes, tels de véritables forçats, s’astreignent à extraire des blocs de soufre de plusieurs kilos, au milieu des fumerolles irrespirables. Des canalisations en métal emprisonnent et refroidissent une partie de ces vapeurs de soufre qui se cristallisent progressivement pour se solidifier définitivement à la sortie de ces longs tuyaux et ainsi être extraites. Chaussés pour la plupart de simples bottes en caoutchouc et avec une étoffe ou un chiffon dans la bouche en guise de masque, ces mineurs de l’extrême remplissent des paniers avec ces blocs, les remontent à la surface du cratère puis redescendent dans la vallée pour finalement les faire peser et en tirer un salaire

.Si on y arrive avant le lever du soleil, on peut observer d’étranges coulées de lave bleue qui semblent ruisseler sur les flancs du cratère. Il s’agit en fait de soufre à l’état gazeux, qui s’enflamme au contact de l’air, offrant ainsi un spectacle totalement surréaliste, Garanti sans trucage !

🇪🇸 en el sureste de Java (Indonesia), tiene un volumen de unos 50 millones de metros cúbicos de una solución con un pH muy cercano a 0. En estas condiciones de acidez muy alta, composición química particular y temperatura elevada, la vida está prácticamente ausente de estos entornos.

Todas estas condiciones provocan un cambio en el color del agua, que suele ir del verde claro al turquesa. Así, mientras que el ácido sulfúrico es responsable del color verde, las cianobacterias son responsables del color turquesa. Sus colores, a veces distintos, cambian regular y rápidamente,

Los lagos ácidos más famosos son el Poás (el más ácido del mundo) y el Irazú en Costa Rica, el Kawah Ijen (el más grande, el más cargado de azufre y el segundo más ácido), el Inielika y el Kelimutu en Indonesia, el Ambae en Vanuatu1, el Furna do Enxofre en las Azores

🇩🇪 Die üppige Vegetation hat einer Mondlandschaft Platz gemacht, die durch das Fehlen von tierischem und pflanzlichem Leben auffällt. Aus dem Krater steigt dichter weißer Rauch auf, der sich mit dem Wind verflüchtigt. Das sind die Solfataren, Fumarolen, die mit stark reizendem Schwefeldioxid und Salzsäure beladen sindSie sollten eine Gasmaske oder alternativ ein feuchtes Tuch tragen, um sich vor den Schwefelausdünstungen zu schützen.

Der Abstieg in die Soufrière ist nicht mehr streng verboten (wie bei unserem Besuch ,).

Die Männer müssen wie Sträflinge kiloschwere Schwefelblöcke inmitten von Fumarolen abbauen, die den Atem rauben. Metallrohre fangen einen Teil der Schwefeldämpfe ein und kühlen sie ab, sodass sie nach und nach kristallisieren und sich am Ausgang der langen Rohre endgültig verfestigen und so herausgezogen werden können. Die meisten tragen einfache Gummistiefel und haben ein Tuch oder einen Lappen als Maske im Mund. Diese Extrembergleute füllen Körbe mit diesen Blöcken, heben sie an die Oberfläche des Kraters und steigen dann wieder ins Tal hinab, wo sie schließlich gewogen werden, um einen Lohn zu erhalten.

Wenn man vor Sonnenaufgang dort ankommt, kann man seltsame blaue Lavaströme sehen, die an den Kraterflanken herunterzulaufen scheinen. Es handelt sich dabei um gasförmigen Schwefel, der sich an der Luft entzündet und so ein surreales Schauspiel bietet.

🇮🇹

La vegetazione lussureggiante ha lasciato il posto a un paesaggio lunare, che colpisce per l'assenza di vita animale e vegetale. Dal cratere si leva un denso fumo bianco che si disperde nel vento. Si tratta di solfatare, fumarole cariche di anidride solforosa e acido cloridrico, altamente irritantiIndossate una maschera antigas o, in mancanza, una sciarpa umida per proteggervi dalle esalazioni di zolfo.

Scendere nella soufrière non è più severamente vietato (come lo era quando ci siamo stati noi).

Gli uomini, come veri e propri schiavi, devono estrarre blocchi di zolfo del peso di diversi chili, in mezzo a fumarole irrespirabili. Tubi metallici intrappolano e raffreddano parte del vapore di zolfo, che gradualmente si cristallizza prima di solidificarsi alla fine dei lunghi tubi ed essere estratto. Indossando per lo più semplici stivali di gomma e con un panno o uno straccio in bocca come maschera, questi minatori estremi riempiono ceste con questi blocchi, li portano alla superficie del cratere e poi scendono a valle per farli finalmente pesare e guadagnare un salario.

Se si arriva prima dell'alba, si possono vedere strane colate di lava blu che sembrano scendere dai lati del cratere. La lava è in realtà zolfo allo stato gassoso, che si incendia a contatto con l'aria, creando uno spettacolo del tutto surreale, garantito senza alcun trucco!

This Park is a tribute to the mighty volcanic forces that created and sculpted this archipelago in the middle of the Pacific. Featuring ancient lava tubes snaking through verdant tropical jungles as well as rough undulating black masses of freshly solidified lava with still-smouldering vents, this Park contains enough features to satiate the appetite of budding and mature vulcanologists alike. But perhaps what captivated me most was staring at the orange glow from the gaping maw of the active volcano: it was a chilling reminder of the geological forces that was responsible for these and many other volcanic islands, and of how quickly it can change the landscape around.

I returned back to the park that evening to see the scintillating night sky framing the rising smoke from the volcano, a memory I will never forget of the first volcano I had ever visited.

Hawaii Volcanoes National Park

HI USA