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Comprimento total da travessia
17.185 m
Comprimento total das estruturas em ponte e viadutos12.345 m
Comprimento do acesso até Sacavém945 m
Comprimento do Viaduto Norte488m (11 vãos)
Comprimento do Viaduto da Expo (Parque das Nações)672m (12 vãos)
Comprimento da Ponte Principal826 m
Comprimento do vão principal420 m
Altura dos pilares do vão principal148 m
Altura livre para a navegação47 m
Comprimento do Viaduto Central6.531m (80 vãos)
Comprimento do Viaduto Sul3.825m (84 vãos)
Comprimento do acesso até ao Montijo3.895 m
Número de caixotões81
Volume total de betão730.000 m3
Peso do aço em armaduras100.000 toneladas
Total de vigas - tabuleiro pré-fabricadas150
Volume total de movimentação de terras1.400.000 m3
Área total de tapete betuminoso400.000 m2
Número máximo de trabalhadores3.300
Prazo da construçãoFevereiro de 1995 a Março de 1998
PONTE VASCO DA GAMA
Total length of crossing
17,185 m
Total length of bridge structures and viaducts 12,345 m
Length of access to Sacavém 945 m
Length of the North Viaduct 488m (11 spans)
Length of the Expo Viaduct (Parque das Nações) 672m (12 spans)
Length of the Main Bridge 826 m
Length of main span 420 m
Height of the pillars of the main span 148 m
Clearance height for navigation 47 m
Length of the Central Viaduct 6,531m (80 spans)
Length of the South Viaduct 3,825m (84 spans)
Length of access to Montijo 3,895 m
Number of coffins 81
Total volume of concrete 730,000 m3
Weight of steel in armor 100,000 tons
Total beams - prefabricated board 150
Total volume of earthworks 1,400,000 m3
Total area of bituminous carpet 400,000 m2
Maximum number of workers 3,300
Construction deadline February 1995 to March 1998
BRIDGE VASCO DA GAMA
The Utah Railway lifts a train load of high grade Bituminous Coal up the steep Price River Canyon near Castle Gate, Utah . DRGW Solider Summit.
View is from inside the last standing wooden 'tipple': Atlas No. 3 Mine sub-bituminous coal sorting and loading facility, built in 1936 of wood and 210-foot high
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atlas_Coal_Mine
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Truss bridge is abandoned road/rail span across Red Deer River, built in 1936 to access coal deposits across river
www.bigdoer.com/22344/exploring-history/east-coulees-hist...
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Nikon Nikkor 18-200mm 1:3.5-5.6 G ED-IF AF-S VR DX
_DSC1144 Anx2 1200h Q90 0.5k-1.5k
CSX GP40-2 6848 leads CSX SD40-2 8380 and CNW SD40-2 6805 on Wisconsin Wlectric WEPX coal loads from Consol's Bailey Mine at Time, PA at MP M11.5 on the Monongahela Railway's Manor Branch on March 24, 1990.
At the time of this photo the Consol Bailey Mine was the only mine served by the Manor Branch and was loading about 4 trains every 24 hours. Later the additional underground Enlow Fork and Harvey Mines were developed adjacent to Bailey to also mine high-Btu bituminous coal reserves in the Pittsburgh No. 8 seam in different directions and the entire set of loadouts and preparation plants is now called the Consol Energy Pennsylvania Mining Complex. Today 8-10 trains are loaded in 24 hours at the sprawling site located at 39.973312 -80.412575 which is larger than the island of Manhattan. It is the largest underground coal mining operation in North America.
Nikon FM2, Nikkor 50mm f/1.8, Kodak 5073 KM Kodachrome 25 slide film, scanned on a Hasselblad X1.
A shot of the helpers is HERE
A shot of the empties going to the mine is HERE
Over mile of coal curves down to Converse Junction in a scene that summed up the Powder River Basin for me. The constant march of loads and empties rolling north and south, amongst red dirt grasslands, power lines and mine equipment. In the foreground are two empty train sets heading into Antelope Mine, ready to load low-sulfer bituminous coal from the Anderson and Canyon Seams. In the distance is a rope shovel and a Union Pacific train at the School Creek Mine.
Home of William Page during the time he was manager of Gauley Mountain Coal Company, a once-thriving coal business. The house was built in 1890. Ansted is a town in Fayette County West Virginia. It is situated on high bluffs along U.S. Route 60 on a portion of the Midland Trail a National Scenic Byway near Hawk's Nest overlooking the New River. The town with seams of high grade bituminous coal nearby prospered from coal mining in the mid to late 1800's.
Print Size 13x19 inches. Happy Window Wednesday
Coal hoppers loaded with sub-bituminous coal from the Absaloka Mine stretch through the Little Missouri Bad Lands as BNSF train C-ABMBEN0-91A drifts towards Rider, ND on its way east. Once part of Northern Pacific’s mainline and operated as their Yellowstone Division, the now Dickinson Subdivision one of BNSF’s coal corridors out of the Powder River Basin.
Continuing with another frame from the same night as the one posted earlier, here we see loaded (foreground) and empty (background) Bow coal trains staring each other down on either side of Johnson Road. Before the aging power plant was downgraded to standby status, it was not that uncommon to have loads and empties coming and going at the same time.
The empty train brought imported coal from the Port of Providence, hence the P&W power. The loaded train was delivering Pennsylvania bituminous, hence the NS power tucked behind the Pan Am leader.
I found some photos on a couple flash drives I had used for slideshow events - so i have some older stuff that i can share while the HD is still not working properly.
The quiet silence of nature and sounds of roaring waters from the Left Fork of the Buckhannon River at Palace Valley, West Virginia are slowly intertwined and eventually overtaken to a crescendo sound of burbling, clanging and screeching wheels. Slowly but steadily around the corner approaches Beech Mountain Railroad's ALCO S4 #115 - a few quick taps of the horn greets its arrival at this remote railroad's only public crossing that does not see traffic often, much like the railroad line crossing here.
The train takes all but a few minutes to pass through the giant valley opening here before the sound quickly fades off into the distance. You can hear the alco throttling up and down as it makes it way to Alexander. The last car fades around the corner to my right as the brakes continue to squeal back deeper and deeper into the expansive West Virginia backwoods. Soon the silence and roar of the river has taken over again. It'll be a few hours before empties return to an equally impressive fanfare.
Once the days work is done, nothing could possibly pass through this valley for days, weeks or months at a time until the high quality West Virginia bituminous coal is sought after by overseas customers once more. The few people that do live here or occasionally come to their getaway cabin in this rural backwoods "hollow" as they would affectionately call it, dont even blink an eye to the trains passing despite it's infrequent and inconsistent passing's. The reality: this is just another day in the life of the Beech Mountain Railroad, truly making it one of West Virginia's most obscure and unique railroads. Even in a post ALCOS era, it will still be hard for me to take away my fascination of this railroad. Changes are inevitable - and sad to say it seems the Beech Mountain is not immune to that either as much as I wish it was. While this amazing story of a railroad continues to cling onto it's rich high quality coal reserves to survive - it's unmistakable identity, ALCOS - are rumored to be slated for replacement in the near future. A replacement is on the way, an SW7, that will eventually kill the alco.
The water tower in Noordwijk was designed in Art Déco style in 1917 by the Amsterdam architect F.A. Warners. In his design drawing, the tower is depicted richer and more expressively than was ultimately realized. The technical installation was provided by engineer R.P. van Royen. The tower was put into use in 1920. This is indicated by a copper facade plate on which this is stated. The tower is 23 meters high and contains a concrete flat-bottomed reservoir with a diameter of 6.85 meters and a volume of 225 cubic meters. The open gallery above the reservoir serves as a viewpoint. The original copper cladding of the domed roof was replaced some years ago by bituminous roofing.
From the Van Hardenbroekweg a simple brick staircase leads to the tower on a dune top in the built-up area of Noordwijk aan Zee.
This water tower in Noordwijk has great architectural and cultural-historical value and is considered a fairly rare example of the Art Déco architectural style. Also because of the typological and industrial archaeological value due to the combination of water and viewing tower. The tower is still very neat in its main shape, detailing and use of materials. The tower is a national monument.
The water tower is a special feature in the architectural oeuvre of the Amsterdam architect F.A. Warners.
The water tower also has a high urban development value because of its iconic location on a dune top and as a landmark in the village of Noordwijk aan Zee.
Explore 13/09/18
Quartz with bituminous and petroleum inclusions
25 x 20 mm
Treppio, Sambuca Pistoiese, Pistoia, Toscana, Italy
Marco Bertolani Collection
I'm not used to post mineral photos on my flickr account, for this sort of photos I prefere to use my mindat profile
( www.mindat.org/gallery-48279.html ) but I really love this one. I think it is one of my best mineral shot I've taken until now so I'd like to share it with all of you.
Taking photos to complicated objects as minerals in a studio is a true challenge for a photographer, especially when they're very transparent and gemmy as this one.
You have to play with the artificial lights to get the reflections you want on the crystal faces but being careful to dull the lights so you don't get too strong reflections.
You also have to master the focus stacking technique sometimes taking more than 50 photos in a row to the same crystal!
In the end, at least for my experience, you have to play with Photoshop to make a nice background and a realistic reflection which is a huge part of the job, sometimes taking hours and hours of work.
Who knew? After it's Hollywood acting role, D&RGW Consolidation engine #268, C-16 class 2-4-0s, would have to go right back to work. Here it is again hauling a freight drag in the Rockies. At least, it got a free Hollywood paint job. Maybe D& RGW (Dangerous and Rapidly Growing Worse) thought that they could expand on the Hollywood notariety and it's paint scheme - livery per rail fans. Some rail fans like Neal, called the engine's exhaust a "bituminous cloud." This is another of Neal Miller's photos he passed to me. I hope he donated his massive book collection (even the Colorado Midland book - worth hundreds itself) to the Colorado Railroad Museum before passing some time ago.
The D&RGW ordered a raft of consolidation (C-16) engines to haul freight throughout the Colorado Rockies. Were they all from BLW - Baldwin Locomotive Works out east? Only later did they order larger engines and start converting standard gauge engines to narrow gauge, the 480s and 490s, which also worked several movies in their day. I thought that I ought to get this copy posted while Neal's previous #268 shot is still on this page. This is a significant version.
My cousin confuses the word steamers with doggy leftovers in his back yard.
Out today (4/17) looked at some blacktop and found (more typical looking, infertile) P. caesia, so obviously its common on that substrate around here - another example of seeing something once its "on the radar". Initial remarks below example of my mental process.
on pavement (blacktop)
Seattle
photos of more typical - www.lichens.lastdragon.org/Physcia_caesia.html
more photos (seems rarely fertile) - www.waysofenlichenment.net/lichens/Physcia%20caesia
substrates include "asphalt pavements" - Smith, C.W., Aptroot, A., Coppins, B.J., Fletcher, A., Gilbert, O.L., James, P.W. and Wolseley, P.A. (2009) The Lichens of Great Britain and Ireland
"Many records of Physcia phaea have turned out to be either the saxicolous P. alnophila or fertile P. caesia..." -
Soili Stenroos et al. (editors) 2016 Lichens of Finland
initial remarks:
looks like Physcia phaea - seems like an odd place to find it
or maculate P. tenella without cilia possibly?
or P. caesia - laminal soralia? - will post another photo
pro - on rock (although bituminous), upper cortex strongly maculate, lack of cilia, lack of soralia (although see note on image) numerous apothecia some crenulate
con - unusual in city, unusually ? pale, usually tighter and more symmetric
my lichen photos by genus - www.flickr.com/photos/29750062@N06/collections/7215762439...
my photos arranged by subject, e.g. mountains - www.flickr.com/photos/29750062@N06/collections
For a better interface try www.fluidr.com/photos/phlb
The tower on top of the hill is the Water Tower of Noordwijk.
It was designed in 1917 in Art Deco style by the Amsterdam architect F.A. Warners. On Warners' design drawing, the tower is richer and more expressively decorated than was ultimately executed.
The water tower was also intended as a watchtower, which is why a staircase has been added. To save on construction costs, the tower was built on a dune. The walls consisted of brick, but were provided with a layer of sprayed concrete during a restoration in 1968.
The water tower is 23 meters high, the pedestal is 18 meters above sea level. The tower has a water reservoir of 225 m³. The supporting structure is masonry.
The original copper cladding of the dome roof has been replaced by bituminous roofing over the years. The tower has had the status of a national monument since 1999.
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De Watertoren van Noordwijk is in 1917 ontworpen in art-decostijl door de Amsterdamse architect F.A. Warners. Op de ontwerptekening van Warners is de toren rijker en expressiever gedecoreerd dan uiteindelijk is uitgevoerd. Volgens een koperen gevelplaat met inscriptie in de toren werd deze in 1920 in gebruik genomen. De watertoren was tevens bedoeld als uitkijktoren, reden waarom er een trappenhuis is aangebouwd. Om op de bouwkosten te besparen is de toren op een duin gebouwd.
De muren bestonden uit baksteen, maar werden bij een restauratie in 1968 voorzien van een laag spuitbeton. De watertoren is 23 meter hoog, het voetstuk staat 17,65 meter boven NAP. De toren heeft een waterreservoir van 225 m³. De draagconstructie is metselwerk.
De oorspronkelijke koperen bekleding van het koepeldak is in de loop der jaren vervangen door bitumineuze dakbedekking. De toren heeft sinds 1999 de status rijksmonument.
Indiana Railroad coal train EMEBR hustles timetable north at Cass, IN and towards the connection with the Midland Subdivision at Glenn. Headed for the next round of Illinois Basin Bituminous Coal from Peabody Energy's Bear Run Mine.
Loads of Bailey Mine bituminous are easing down the middle of Main Street in West Brownsville, Pennsylvania past the childhood home of James Gillespie Blaine.
Blaine has a pretty American story; and not just because there's an interstate running through his front yard. He left his pioneer family in Western PA after college, moving to Maine and representing the state in the U.S. House of Representatives during the Civil War and Reconstruction. He later served in the Senate, and as Secretary of State. His part in building the American empire domestically and into Latin America and the Pacific, all helped set him up for a run at the presidency in 1884. Accusations of corruption in the awarding of railroad charters as they raced to build across the West led to his narrow defeat by Grover Cleveland. I found it interesting that the industry that played a part in him losing the presidency now runs through his old front yard.
Coke is a solid carbonaceous material derived from destructive distillation of low-ash, low sulfur bituminous coal (black coal). Coke from coal is grey, hard and porous. Coke can be used as a fuel or as a reducing agent in blast furnaces used for smelting of iron ore.
21 N Lake Avenue was originally built as a telephone building. It is currently designed as a store, retail outlet. Built in 1955, this property features approx. 7,200.' office space including a large show room & approx. 9080' warehouse. The walls of the building are C.B. Stucco and a new bituminous roof has added recently. The interior of the building was painted in 2010. The property is located 1/2 block from the center of town.
Credit for the data above is given to the following websites:
www.hcpao.org/Search/Parcel/28332201005800090A
www.realtytrac.com/property/fl/avon-park/33825/21-n-lake-...
www.zillow.com/homedetails/21-N-Lake-Ave-Avon-Park-FL-338...
© All Rights Reserved - you may not use this image in any form without my prior permission.
Karnafuli Bridge a 919.48m long road bridge over the karnafuli River at Chandgaon upazila, Chittagong district. Basically it is a steel truss bridge on steel pile foundation. The people of Chittagong and its adjoining area were anxiously looking for a bridge over the river Karnafuli to extend the city beyond the Karnafuli river to the southern side and to link cox's bazar and other areas by road.
Karnafuli Bridge
The Government of Bangladesh negotiated with the Royal Dutch Government of the Netherlands for constructing the Karnafuli Bridge with their assistance. The Dutch Government found the project economic, feasible and agreed to construct a bridge over the Karnafuli in Chittagong by reusing a 922m portion of their Eastern Scheldt Bridge under the Dutch Grant BD/86/030. A contract was signed in Dhaka in January 1988 with a Dutch joint venture Interbeton/HCG b.v. for the construction of the bridge. The bridge was scheduled to be completed in December 1989. As per terms of the mutual understanding between the two governments the approach roads were to be constructed by the Bangladesh Government. However, the main bridge was completed in June 1989. Recently the bridge has been named as Shah Amanat Bridge.
The location of the main bridge is about 700m upstream of Iqbal Ghat, about 1.5 km upstream of Sadarghat and about 7 km downstream of Kalurghat Railway Bridge, Chittagong. The carriageway is 7m wide and is two laned. The sidewalk is 1.5m on either side. The floor or decking of the bridge is made up of Azobe timber with protective bituminous stone drips coating. Navigational clearance (ie difference between river water level and base of the bridge) is 12.2 m. The Bridge can resist the wind force upto 200 km per hour. On account of earthquake allowable horizontal force on the bridge is 0.10 G. Maximum allowable velocity of current is 2.5m/sec. Maximum allowable temperature variation is 45'C. Allowable utility line loading is 3 KN/m. Total cost of the project including main bridge and approach roads was Tk 1415.3 million, while total cost of the main bridge was Tk 775.4 million.
The length of the roads from Chittagong side is 5 km and from patiya side is 10.5 km. Total length of the roads including bridge is 16.5 km. The width of the pavement from Bahaddarhat to Fakirer Tek is 7.3m and between Patiya and Anwara road portion is 5.48 m. The crest width of road from Bahaddarhat to Fakirer Tek is 12.2m and between Patiya and Anwara is 9.75m. On detection of crack on the surface planks of the bridge the plying of heavy vehicles was made restricted from 2000. The bridge is now in operation.
The construction of the third Karnafuli Bridge began in August 2006 under the joint financial support of the government of Bangladesh and of Kuwait. The length of the bridge is 950 m and the breadth is 24.4 m. The main bridge with its four-track footpath and dividers measures 830 m of which the viaduct is 120 m. The cost of construction of the bridge including the connecting roads on both sides was estimated at 590 crore taka, out of which the Kuwait government has paid taka 372 crores as loan. The balance is borne by the Bangladesh government. The total expenditure incurred for the construction of the bridge stands as taka 380 crores. The bridge has been constructed by the China Major Bridge Engineering Company Limited. Out of a total of ten pillars of the bridge, four pillars are at the central point of the river and six pillars are on its north and southern sides. It is the only bridge of the country built under Extra Dose Cable Straid technology. The three years termed project though scheduled to be completed in 2009 could not be finished in time due to late in constructing the connecting roads. The bridge was made open for vehicles in September 2010. The bridge will make the communication easier for the people of the region including south Chittagong and Cox's Bazar, and will have positive influence on the economy of the country.
L&N 1593 (aka SOU/TVRM 4501) gives a bituminous salute as it crosses Chickamauga creek on its approach to Grand Junction in Chattanooga.
With 14,000 tonnes of Bituminous Coal from Skyline, Utah pushing up against it Union Pacific 5913 and company drop into Garnet running elephant style, an additional two motors are on the rear to help push the train and control slack downhill. As the train bound for CalPortland in Rillito, Arizona continues it's long 86 mile decent from the top of Beaumont Hill to the very bottom of the Colorado Desert at Ferrum, which at -205 feet below sea level is also the lowest point for any railroad in the United States.
23 Queen Edith's Way, Cambridge.
Grade 2 listed -
"House. 1938-39 by Mullett and Denton Smith for William Cairns. Modern Movement style. Painted brick laid in stretcher bond; bituminous felt roofs. Plan consists of single-storey wing running west-east butting into a 2-storey cross wing at east end terminating to south in a full-width bow fitted with 3 3-light Crittall windows to each floor. Flat roof with wide painted fascia boards. Single-storey wing with quadrant corner at south-west corner, emphasised by a curved Crittall window. Projecting sun lounge butts against south flank: 3 plate-glass windows and a double-leaf glazed door. Flat roof with swept parapet. Curved roof patio projects from 2-storey block supported on 2 timber posts of square section. Partition walls and Crittall windows inserted c.1950 to form kitchen. Rear (north) elevation pierced by 1-, 2- and 3-light Crittall windows and a door. INTERIOR. All features described date from 1938-39. Pine internal doors decorated with single large veneered letters. Lounge (ground floor of2-storey wing) with fitted furniture; radiogram with speaker outlets to principal rooms; uplighting wall lights. Central heating radiators. Circular arch leads to dining room, the base of the arch cut tangentially to allow passage. Kitchen with fitted cupboards and shelving. Staircase of timber except for lower flight: laminated glass treads and string, circular newels and handrail clad with mirror tesserae. First floor principal bedroom with Belling electric fire. Tiled bathroom with shower attachment controlled by recessed regulators. House notable for survival of original fittings."
A potent morning fog has risen from the Kentucky River, shrouding the small river town of Ford in an ominous blue specter. Twin SA searchlights punch into the near-unnavigable cloud, but the once prominent artery of the L&N empire has fallen silent, lending little hope to the possibility of a train. In the modern era, a couple daily scheduled freights, a run-through RJC, and the odd coal, ethanol, or phosphate train are all that glide on the iron rails of the CC Subdivision.
The L&N network through 21st-century Kentucky has become the brandished white flag of the Bituminous Coal industry in the United States. The idled coal tipples dot the Western Appalachian Mountains, feed into dormant branch lines, which in turn flow into mothballed corridors and quiet main lines. The CV, EK, and others...reduced to a trickle from a ravaging river
Yet, the CC survives, for now; a dependable back door to the South for CSX traffic out of the Great Lakes...but time is ticking, and each new day lacks the promise this once bustling region once held
Ford, KY
March 21st, 2021
Nicknamed "The Richest Little Railroad in the World" at one time, the Virginian Railroad hauled West Virginia bituminous coal to Hampton Roads near Norfolk, Virginia for export. The Virginian was merged into the Norfolk & Western in 1959.
NS 1069, the Virginian Heritage Unit rests comfortably in the spur in downtown Corunna, Indiana on NS' ex-LS&MS/NYC/PC/CR Chicago Line. The 1069's rear truck had set off the defect detector in Brimfield while serving as the lead unit of train 26W, and it was eventually decided by all involved its trip was over.
NS 1069 is an SD70ACe and was built by EMD for NS in May of 2012 as one of their original heritage units.
Read about the Virginian here: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virginian_Railway
Over a mile of sub-bituminous Wyoming coal flys down the Union Pacific Kearney Subdivision, stretching out to the horizon through Cozad, NE.
Kimmeridge Bay is a bay on the Isle of Purbeck, a peninsula on the English Channel coast in Dorset, England, close to and southeast of the village of Kimmeridge, on the Smedmore Estate. The area is renowned for its fossils,Kimmeridge Bay forms part of the Jurassic Coast, a World Heritage Site. The coast is also part of a Site of Special Scientific Interest, and the whole area is part of the Dorset Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Kimmeridge is the type locality for Kimmeridge clay, the geological formation that covers most of the area. Within the clay are bands of bituminous shale. An oil well has operated on the shore of Kimmeridge Bay since 1959. The bay is roughly semi-circular, facing southwest. It is backed by low cliffs of Kimmeridge clay, and beneath the cliffs is a large wave-cut platform and a rocky shore with rock pools and attendant ecology. Kimmeridge Bay is a surfer and diver area.
On an exceptionally humid morning along the upper Mississippi, loaded DAPX coal train C BTMALM diverges from BNSF’s St. Croix Subdivision and enters the Dairyland Power Cooperative loop track in Alma, WI. High atop Buena Vista park, a birds-eye view offers an interesting perspective of the John P. Madgett Generating Station and surrounding facility. Coming online in November 1979, this 369-MW plant handles roughly one shipment of sub-bituminous coal per week, with traffic “peaking” during the Summer months. On average, it takes about four hours to unload these 120-car long trains, as each hopper is clamped and rotated by special machinery in the coal pit.
The Alma site is an outlier among many coal-fired plants today as Dairyland has yet to announce an official decommissioning date. For now, Powder River coal will continue to replenish the mounds of black diamonds here—but for how long?
sometimes you need good hearing for photography too.
One from the archives, in keeping with the weather today on this not very 'Good Friday'.
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©2014 Jason Swain, All Rights Reserved
This image is not available for use on websites, blogs or other media without the explicit written permission of the photographer.
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Links to facebook and twitter can be found on my flickr profile
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The Tuzla Basin is amongst the largest supplier of lignite and sub-bituminous coal in Eastern Europe, won from four large open pits, which supply the Tuzla thermal electric plant - Bosnia's largest power station (715 MW). Coal is transported by both conventional and narrow gauge railways in Tuzla largely by diesel engines but steam locomotives are still used for shunting and as a backup for the diesels. In this scene, a 2-10-0 German Kriegslok WW2 locomotive, 33-236, is seen hauling loaded coal wagons which will be taken to the power station by a 661 series Kennedy diesel locomotive. Sikulje, Tuzla, Bosnia Herzegovina.
State Street, to the left of this building, is the Kentucky / Tennessee state line.
Jellico lies in the heart of Tennessee’s coal mining region. The Jellico Coalfield was famous for its high quality bituminous coal. Mining firms owned eighty percent of the land in Campbell and Claiborne counties, providing most of the jobs in this impoverished area of northern Tennessee between 1880 and 1930.
In 1906, a railroad car packed with dynamite exploded in Jellico, killing eight and destroying part of the town. The town quickly recovered, however, and many of the buildings in the Main Street area dated from this period.
DSCF4701
This fountain is located in Station Square, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Behind the fountain you will see the Clinton Furnace, a bituminous-coke furnace erected in 1859. More info about the furnace here:
On our trip down south, February 24, 2018. We stopped at Shag Point/Matakaea as I had never been there before. Matakaea is the name of the pa (fortified village). We have left Dunedin and going to stay in Timaru for a night before heading back to Christchurch.
Shag Point/Matakaea has a rich history, from early Ngai Tahu settlement to historic coalmining. The area has diverse marine life. It has interesting flora, is great for wildlife viewing, and is geologically fascinating.
Flat rock platforms provide an easy haul-out site for New Zealand fur seals, and cliff-top viewing areas allow you to observe seal behaviour without disturbing their rest.
Whalers discovered the first bituminous coal in New Zealand here in the 1830s. By 1862 the exposed coal seams were found to be commercially viable and were successfully mined until 1972, when flooding eventually closed shafts that extended under the coast. Evidence of coal mining is still obvious throughout the reserve.
Matakaea is jointly managed by DOC and Te Runanga o Ngai Tahu. Matakaea has Topuni status. The mana (authority) and rangatiratanga (chieftainship) of Ngai Tahu over the area is recognised publicly by this status. Ngai Tahu takes an active role in managing the natural and cultural values of the area.
For More Info: www.doc.govt.nz/parks-and-recreation/places-to-go/otago/p...
Viewed from the cab of an eastbound Norfolk Southern coal train, this westbound Seaboard System empty train is headed back to Kentucky for another load of bituminous. The SBD train is running on trackage rights here, because this is Norfolk Southern's railroad.
The Pocahontas Division mainline of the Norfolk and Western was built west from the original mainline to Bristol, Tennessee to access the high quality bituminous coal discovered in southern West Virginia and Eastern Kentucky. Once reaching a summit of the Flattop Mountain west of Bluefield, the route west chosen to access coal reserves follows the descending path of Elkhorn Creek and the Tug Fork of the Big Sandy River and eventually reaches the Ohio River. What was first justified by coal later became utilized as a route over the Alleghenies to the Midwest. N&W would eventually build to western terminals at Columbus and Cincinnati. Movement of coal dominated this route for the first 80 years of its operation. With the expansion of the N&W and later Norfolk Southern, the Pocahontas Division has also become one part of longer routes between distant endpoints for merchandise and intermodal traffic.
NS train 171 uses the Pocahontas Division mainline as part of its route from the former Pennsylvania Railroad classification yard at Conway, west of Pittsburgh, to the former Southern Railway classification yard at Chattanooga, Tennessee. Train M71 (an extra section of daily merchandise train 171) received a manned rear-end helper at Farm and climbs the ruling grade at Elkhorn, West Virginia on an early November afternoon.
Don't want to get all Top Gear about it, but if Jeremy Clarkson could see it, he'd have to agree that this is the best road IN THE WORLD.
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©2012 Jason Swain, All Rights Reserved
This image is not available for use on websites, blogs or other media without the explicit written permission of the photographer.
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Links to facebook and twitter can be found on my flickr profile
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The Coal House is a distinctive building built of coal masonry. The bituminous coal was quarried as blocks and dressed as stone using 65 tons of coal from the nearby Winifrede Seam. At the time of its construction it was the only coal building in West Virginia. The house was designed by architect Hassel T. Hicks, who was supervised by David M. Goode. The coal masonry was varnished for weather-resistance. Located adjacent to the Mingo County Courthouse, it houses the Tug Valley Chamber of Commerce.
The building's construction in 1933 was organized as a publicity stunt by O.W. Evans of the Norfolk and Western Railway, who wished to create a symbol of the "Billion Dollar Coalfield" centered on Williamson. While it is known as the "Coal House", it has never been a residence.
It was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980.
Information from: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coal_House_(Williamson,_West_Virginia)
Williamson, West Virginia is a small town located on the Tug Fork (directly across from Kentucky) in the southwest of the state. It serves as the seat of Mingo County.
Load is bituminous coking coal from Werris Creek to the (now closed) Mountain Industries coking plant Kooragang Island.
Skyline Drive Historic District
by Reed Engle, Cultural Resource Specialist
Whose Idea Was The Drive?
The first recorded mention of the construction of a Skyline Drive (not the phrase then mentioned) was by William C. Gregg, a member of the Southern Appalachian National Park Committee who suggested the idea of a ridge road to L. Ferdinand Zerkel, a member of the Board of Shenandoah Valley, Inc., during his five-day visit to Skyland. The idea ended up incorporated into the recommendations of the Committee.
Length: 105.5 miles from Front Royal to Rockfish Gap
Dates/Costs of Construction:
Official ground breaking was July 18, 1931, although the actual field survey began in January of that year.
First section of construction initially was to be from Rapidan Camp to the Skyland Resort, some twenty miles, but evolved into the 34 miles from Swift Run Gap (U.S. 33) to Thornton Gap (U.S. 211). Original funds were allocated by the Federal Drought Relief Administration to employ Virginia farmers and apple pickers suffering from the severe drought impacts on the apple and produce harvests in 1930.
Congress appropriated $1,000,000 the fall of 1932 to continue construction of the Drive and the Department of the Interior announced that the Drive would extend from Swift Run Gap to Front Royal.
Roosevelt forms Civilian Conservation Corps and first two companies in the National Park Service are formed at Skyland (NP-1) and Big Meadows (NP-2). Shenandoah National Park would eventually benefit from ten CCC camps. May, 1933.
Skyline Drive from Thornton Gap to Swift Run Gap was completed in the summer of 1934 and opened to the public on September 15, 1934. This section cost $1,570,479 or approximately $39,000/mile.
Skyline Drive from Thornton Gap to Front Royal (32 miles) was opened to the public on October 1, 1936 and cost $ 1,235,177 or, approximately $42,000/mile.
Skyline Drive from Swift Run Gap to Jarman Gap (32.4 miles) was opened to the public on August 29,1939 and cost $1,666,528 or, approximately $51,500/mile.
Skyline Drive (then Blue Ridge Parkway) from Jarman Gap to Rockfish Gap (8.5 miles) was completed on August 11, 1939 and cost $358,636 or, approximately, $40,000/mile. [The southernmost section of the Drive from Jarman Gap to Rockfish Gap was originally constructed in 1938-1939 as a part of the Blue Ridge Parkway and was deeded to Shenandoah National Park in 1961.
Contractors for the Drive:
Thornton Gap to Big Meadows: Ralph E. Mills Construction Company, Frankfort, Kentucky
Big Meadows to Swift Run Gap: Keeley Construction Company, Clarksburg, West Virginia
Front Royal to Compton Gap (9.76 miles): Waugh Brothers, Fayetteville, West Virginia
Compton Gap to Hogback Mountain (10.4 miles): Sammons-Robertson Company, Huntington, West Virginia
Hogback Mountain to Thornton Gap (10.3 miles): Albert Brothers, Salem, Virginia
Swift Run Gap to Simmons Gap (8.04 miles): M.E. Gilioz Company, Monett, Missouri
Simmons Gap to Browns Gap (IO. 18 miles): M.E. Gillioz Company, Monett, Missouri
Browns Gap to Black Rock Gap (4.80 miles): Chandler Brothers, Inc., Virgilina, Virginia
Black Rock Gap to Jarmans Gap (9.39 miles): Albert Brothers Construction, Inc., Salem, Virginia
Jarmans Gap to Rockfish Gap (8.5 miles): Ralph E. Mills Company, Frankfort, Kentucky
Bituminous surfacing of the roadway was separately contracted and was awarded to either Corson and Gruman Company, Washington, D.C., Southern Asphalt Company, Richmond, Virginia, or Barrett Paving Company, Harrisonburg, Virginia.
Marys Rock Tunnel
The tunnel, 670 feet long, was bored through the solid granite of Marys Rock in 1932. Although justified as avoiding the necessity of creating an expensive cut on the existing slope and filling the down slope areas, thus creating a massive man-made, visual feature, it has been suggested that the tunnel was built as a challenge to Bureau of Public Roads and National Park Service landscape architects. The tunnel was partially lined with concrete in 1958 to alleviate the formation of icicles in winter and water seepage in summer-a partially successful effort.
Guard Walls and Guard Rails
The CCC built many of the stone walls along the Drive, particularly those in the South District and those at overlooks. Beginning in 1983 many of the original walls have been rebuilt by the Federal Highways Administration with cores of concrete, reusing the original stone as a veneer. When built the Skyline Drive had miles of chestnut log guardrails, particularly in areas of open fields and meadows. The guardrails rotted and all were removed in the 1950s, not to be replaced.
Civilian Conservation Corps
The CCC "boys" did not construct the roadbed of the Drive as has at times been suggested. But there would be no Skyline Drive without the efforts of the CCC. They graded the slopes on either side of the roadway, built the guardrails and guard walls, constructed overlooks, planted hundreds of thousands of trees and shrubs and acres of grass to landscape both sides of the roadbed, built the picnic areas and campgrounds, comfort stations, visitor contact and maintenance buildings, and made the signs that guided visitors on their way. Many served as the first park interpreters.
Source: www.nps.gov/shen/learn/historyculture/skylinedrive.htm
Original Caption: Young couple dancing at VFW dance on occasion of Fourth of July celebration. Price, Carbon County, Utah.
U.S. National Archives’ Local Identifier: 245-MS-532L
From:: Photographs of the Medical Survey of the Bituminous Coal Industry, compiled 1946 - 1947
Created By:: Department of the Interior. Solid Fuels Administration For War. (04/19/1943 - 06/30/1947)
Production Date: 07/03/1946
Persistent URL: arcweb.archives.gov/arc/action/ExternalIdSearch?id=540473
Repository: Still Picture Records Section, National Archives at College Park (College Park, MD)
For information about ordering reproductions of photographs held by the Still Picture Unit, visit: www.archives.gov/research/order/still-pictures.html
Reproductions may be ordered via an independent vendor. NARA maintains a list of vendors at www.archives.gov/research/order/vendors-photos-maps-dc.html
Access Restrictions: Unrestricted
Use Restrictions: Unrestricted
Original Caption: Queen of the Fourth of July celebration here sponsored by VFW; from left to right: Fosca Polni, Bessie Sampino, Maryln Pappas, daughter of miner. Price, Carbon County, Utah.
U.S. National Archives’ Local Identifier: 245-MS-549L
From:: Photographs of the Medical Survey of the Bituminous Coal Industry, compiled 1946 - 1947
Created By:: Department of the Interior. Solid Fuels Administration For War. (04/19/1943 - 06/30/1947)
Production Date: 07/04/1946
Persistent URL: arcweb.archives.gov/arc/action/ExternalIdSearch?id=540481
Repository: Still Picture Records Section, National Archives at College Park (College Park, MD)
For information about ordering reproductions of photographs held by the Still Picture Unit, visit: www.archives.gov/research/order/still-pictures.html
Reproductions may be ordered via an independent vendor. NARA maintains a list of vendors at www.archives.gov/research/order/vendors-photos-maps-dc.html
Access Restrictions: Unrestricted
Use Restrictions: Unrestricted
Piste d'ALG avec revêtement grillage Steel Square Mesh Tracks (SMT)"cloué" sur un revêtement Prefabricated Bituminous Surfacing (PBS).
Selon :
www.footnote.com/image/42265154/#42265169
le 834Th Engineer Aviation Battalion sur l'ALG A-37 à Lombron. Exemple de la combinaison des 2 revêtements sur une extension de piste.
Cet ALG reçoit le 25 août un échelon avancé du 405th FG en provenace de A-8 Picauville.
Lombron est un des 5 ALG de la Sarthe :
www.flickr.com/photos/mlq/4128416344/
d'autres photos de Lambron
www.footnote.com/search.php?query=Lombron
et
Pour aller plus loin :
21 N Lake Avenue was originally built as a telephone building. It is currently designed as a store, retail outlet. Built in 1955, this property features approx. 7,200.' office space including a large show room & approx. 9080' warehouse. The walls of the building are C.B. Stucco and a new bituminous roof has added recently. The interior of the building was painted in 2010. The property is located 1/2 block from the center of town.
Credit for the data above is given to the following websites:
www.hcpao.org/Search/Parcel/28332201005800090A
www.realtytrac.com/property/fl/avon-park/33825/21-n-lake-...
www.zillow.com/homedetails/21-N-Lake-Ave-Avon-Park-FL-338...
© All Rights Reserved - you may not use this image in any form without my prior permission.
Jellico lies in the heart of Tennessee’s coal mining region. The Jellico Coalfield was famous for its high quality bituminous coal. Mining firms owned eighty percent of the land in Campbell and Claiborne counties, providing most of the jobs in this impoverished area of northern Tennessee between 1880 and 1930.
In 1906, a railroad car packed with dynamite exploded in Jellico, killing eight and destroying part of the town. The town quickly recovered, however, and many of the buildings in the Main Street area dated from this period.
DSCF4703-Edit
Another entry in my "It's in the details project". This one shows details in the side of the Pittsburgh, Youngstown & Ashtabula Railroad hopper car, built around 1895, on display at the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania in Strasburg, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.
No. 1818 was one of 725 class GG hoppers delivered to the Pittsburgh, Youngstown & Ashtabula in 1895. It was part of a much larger, 2,050 car order placed by the Pennsylvania Railroad that year. The order was so large that is was farmed out to several railcar manufacturers. Barney and Smith built this car at a cost of $512.35. Although No. 1818 had an overall capacity of 40 tons, some cars were later altered to a 50 ton capacity with the addition of higher car sides. Its primary commodity hauled was bituminous coal.
Nikon D850 with Nikkor 24 PC-E F3.5 Tilt-Shift lens using vertical shift (fall) F16, ISO 400.
Tech: Shot with a Canon 5D Mk III and a 70-200mm f/4L.
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In this 1835 house, the only source of heat are two anthracite coal stoves which heat the ~2200 sq ft.
The stoves can be kept lit all winter and only require "feeding" and "shaking the ash" once every 12 hours.
American anthracite coal is solely mined in Pennsylvania and extends just into northern West Virginia. About 160,000 homes, with half being in Pennsylvania, use anthracite as their fuel source. Unlike bituminous coal, anthracite burns clean and is about 97% pure. It emits no smoke and no smell, and produces a short blue flame when burning.
Atlas No. 3 Mine sub-bituminous coal sorting and loading facility, built in 1936 and 210-foot high, is the last wooden 'tipple' still standing.
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en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atlas_Coal_Mine
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Nikon Nikkor 18-200mm 1:3.5-5.6 G ED-IF AF-S VR DX
_DSC1135 Anx2 1400h Q90 0.5k-2k
T Tornado, West Virginia
“This isn’t Kansas!” We could hear Dorothy say that about this location. Tornado, West Virginia is located about 12 miles due west (as the crow flies) from the State Capital of Charleston. It is an unincorporated residential community of 1,081 residents in the valley of the lower Coal River in western West Virginia. It is reputedly named for a tornadic storm that swept across the broad river bottom there sometime after the Civil War. Despite the name Coal River, coal has never been mined in the valley near Tornado, which is chiefly residential and agricultural.
But this town is also known by other names. It was also called “Upper Falls” being located near the upper falls of the river. It was also called “Big Bend” as it adjoins a significant bend in the river below the falls. It was also called “Andrews Heights” for the land developer R. Carl Andrews, who served as mayor of Charleston from 1947-1950.
The first person of European ancestry believed to have seen the upper falls of the Coal River might have been John Peter Salling, who in 1742 led an expedition through the region during a journey to the Mississippi River. He reported finding coal along the river, which thereafter bore the name “Cole” or “Coal” river.
Much of Salling's route followed Native American trails, including the Paint Creek Trail, which shadowed the Coal from its mouth to a pass at the head of its Clear Fork on Paint Creek Mountain. Used by many native groups over the centuries, the trail was among the most important trans-Allegheny routes between the Atlantic seaboard and the valley of the Ohio and was traversed by Virginian heroine Mary Ingles, who in 1755 was captured by hostile Shawnee and conveyed by way of the trail into the Ohio Country.
Most native residents, who had lived in villages in the wide valley along the river, left the area in 1650 when the Iroquois of New York claimed the area as a hunting ground. The rest of the history involves interaction with the various Indian tribes that inhabited the area. These include the Battle of Point Pleasant on the Ohio River in 1774 at Point Pleasant. After the Treaty of Creenville in 1795, the Shawnee Indians would give up their claim on the lands in that region east of the Ohio River.
Beginning in about 1830, timber harvesting commenced in the valley, and logs were to be floated down the river to Saint Albans during floods. Cannel coal, or “candle coal,” a kind of bituminous coal or oil shale used to produce kerosene, was also discovered on the river in marketable quantities.
The availability of both coal and timber in the watershed necessitated the construction of locks and dams that could support commercial navigability. Wooden-crib locks and dams were constructed in the 1850s, permitting steamboat traffic. However, flooding continuously wreaked havoc on the structures until in 1881 when railroads supplanted the need for river traffic. Locks and dams from the period remain historical highlights on the river.
The Coal River and Western Railway, under the direction of General Cornelius Clarkson Watts, began in 1902 and was completed in 1904. While timber extraction ended in the 1920s, rail line through Tornado, which is now owned by CSX Transportation, still transports bituminous coal to global markets.
Following World War II, many new residents arrived in Tornado, finding employment in the Kanawha Valley’s burgeoning defense and chemical-manufacturing industries. As wealth in the region increased, the river became an attractive destination for leisure and recreation, and many affluent residents of the valley and the greater Charleston area established camps and second homes along the river.
Schweiz / Tessin - Monte San Giorgio
Monte San Giorgio is a Swiss mountain and UNESCO World Heritage Site near the border between Switzerland and Italy. It is part of the Lugano Prealps, overlooking Lake Lugano in the Swiss Canton of Ticino.
Monte San Giorgio is a wooded mountain, rising to 1,097 m (3,600 feet) above sea level. It has a roughly pyramidal shape, with a steep north edge sloping towards Lake Lugano and a more shallow South Slope extending towards the Po Plain. The eastern (Swiss) side of the mountain, between the municipalities of Brusino Arsizio, Riva San Vitale, and Meride, was listed as a World Heritage Site in 2003. This was in recognition of its cultural, biological, and especially paleontological significance. The site is renowned for its fossil content, one of the best known records of marine life in the Middle Triassic period. The Italian region west of Poncione d'Arzo (Porto Ceresio) was added as an extension to the World Heritage Site in 2010.
History and cultural heritage
Humans have inhabited Monte San Giorgio at least since the area's equivalent of the Neolithic Period, around 6,000 years ago. The south side of the mountain is home to Tremona-Castello Archaeological Park, a fortress and settlement which was continuously inhabited by artisans from the Neolithic up until the 14th century. Artifacts, architecture, and other evidence of Roman and medieval activity are abundant on and around the mountain. Productive limestone quarries were active during this period and beyond in Italy (Viggiù and Saltrio) and Switzerland (Arzo).
Fossil and oil exploitation
The mountain's fossil fuel deposits were exploited more recently. Motivated by a search for furnace and lamp oil for Milan, mining projects attempted to establish themselves in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, focusing on the bituminous shale of the Grenzbitumenzone (Besano Formation). Though these early efforts did not last very long, exploitation of the Grenzbitumenzone ramped up in the early 20th century once its pharmaceutical properties were discovered. In 1908, the Spinirolo plant was built for the purpose of processing the shale into saurol, an ichthyol-like skin ointment. Saurol production and mining continued until the 1950s, and operations went bankrupt in 1960. Minerals such as barite, fluorite, and galena were also prospected on the mountain during the 20th century.
Italian paleontologist Giulio Curioni first mentioned that fossils were present on the mountain in 1847. The first paper focusing on Monte San Giorgio fossils in particular was published by Emilio Cornalia in 1854. Small excavations by Milanese paleontological societies in 1863 and 1878 provided more specific context on the paleontology of Monte San Giorgio. Shale extraction brought the fossil deposits to the attention of University of Zurich paleontologist Bernhard Peyer in 1919. Peyer and his associates began a series of large and systematic excavations in 1924, greatly expanding both the number of known fossil sites and the number of geological layers known to preserve fossils. Peyer's excavations continued until 1938, discovering many new species of fossil animals in the process. World War II paused both Saurol production and fossil collection. The Museo Civico di Storia Naturale di Milano (Milan Civic Museum of Natural History, MSNM) was bombed in 1943, destroying its collection of Monte San Giorgio specimens. Fossil excavations resumed in 1950 under the helm of Emil Kuhn-Schnyder, Peyer's successor and former student. Kuhn-Schnyder established the Palaeontological Institute and Museum of the University of Zurich (PIMUZ) in 1956, which now hosts over 15,000 specimens of Monte San Giorgio fossils. Collection campaigns have continued intermittently up until the present day, managed by the MSNM, University of Milan (UNIMI), and the Museo Cantonale di Storia Naturale di Lugano (Cantonal Museum of Natural History, MCSN). Over 21,000 fossil specimens have been collected in total by 2010.
UNESCO listing
In 2003, the Monte San Giorgio was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, with 849 ha (hectares) of protected land from the Swiss communes of Meride, Brusino Arsizio, and Riva San Vitale. This protected area was surrounded by a 1389 ha buffer zone overlapping six additional communes. The nomination of Monte San Giorgio was inspired by its exceptional paleontological value, with multiple fossiliferous levels preserving among the best records of Middle Triassic life in the world. Monte San Giorgio also presents a link between local geology and culture, as well as unique ecological heritage relative to the rest of Switzerland.
In 2010, the World Heritage Site was expanded further, adding 240.34 ha of land from the Italian communes of Besano, Porto Ceresio, and Viggiù. These communes, alongside Clivio and Saltrio, were also included within an 1818.45 ha Italian buffer zone. This additional land brings the total area of UNESCO protected property to 1089.34 ha and the total buffer zone area to 3207.45 ha. Inclusion of the Italian territory was motivated for its paleontological heritage.
Each side of the site is managed by separate Swiss and Italian organizations, as well as a transnational board which moderates between the management organizations. The site is not in any particular danger from overutilization or degradation, so management is mainly related to closely-regulated fossil excavations, promotion, and maintenance of low-impact tourism facilities. Monte San Giorgio fossils are collected, curated, and displayed by a small number of museums, primarily the PIMUZ, MSNM, and MCSN. Local museums in Besano, Meride, and Induno Olona also play a role in promotion of the site and its fossils. The Museo dei fossili del Monte San Giorgio (Museum of fossils from Monte San Giorgio) in Meride was first opened 1973, receiving a 2012 redesign and expansion courtesy of Ticinese architect Mario Botta.
Geology
The geological layers of Monte San Giorgio span more than 100 million years, from the Permian to Jurassic periods. The rocks forming the mountain dip southwards, with older rocks exposed as one travels north and younger rocks exposed as one travels south. The oldest rocks are Permian volcanic basement material on the mountain's steep north slope. These are followed by Triassic sediments and carbonates at higher elevations on the mountain. Middle Triassic layers are the most fossiliferous and extraordinary from a global perspective, and are encompassed by the protected area north of Meride. South of Meride, they are replaced by Late Triassic coastal sediments which give way to Early Jurassic limestone overlooking the Po Plain.
Permian volcanics and Triassic transgression
The stratigraphically lowest rocks exposed on Monte San Giorgio are Lower Permian in age, around 290-280 Ma (million years old). They are remnants of early rifting and volcanic activity in the aftermath of the Variscan orogeny. These volcanic rocks are mainly reddish rhyolite and andesite with a porphyritic texture, produce large crystals of quartz, barite, and fluorite. The Permian basement rocks are terminated by an unconformity, an erosional surface succeeded by Triassic sediments.
These following Triassic sediments are siliciclastic and terrestrial in origin, mainly sandstone and conglomerate eroded from the underlying volcanic material. "Servino" is the name given to older sediments from the Early Triassic (about 252-247 Ma). Slightly younger sediments from the late Anisian (the first stage of the Middle Triassic, 247-242 Ma) are called the Bellano Formation. The Servino and Bellano Formation can be difficult to differentiate, but together they reconstruct a period of transgression (rising sea levels) encroaching onto a sandy coastline dotted with deltas and floodplains.
As the Anisian stage continued, the coastal sandstone of the Bellano Formation was replaced with calcareous marine deposits. These were the first of many massive carbonate platforms building up on a branch of the Tethys Sea which was expanding westwards. The shallow carbonate platform of Monte San Giorgio and surrounding areas is known as the Salvatore platform, which is now preserved as the San Salvatore Dolomite. It reconstructs a warm, tropical environment, with the most common fossils belonging to algae and shelled invertebrates. Only the lower portion of the San Salvatore Dolomite is preserved on Monte San Giorgio, corresponding to a particularly shallow and saline period in the history of the platform. Stromatolites and other algal laminations are generally the only fossils found in the Lower Salvatore Dolomite.
Grenzbitumenzone / Besano Formation
Near the end of the Anisian, the southern edge of the Salvatore platform deepens abruptly, giving way to a more sterile basin developed between carbonate platforms. The basin is now preserved as a relatively narrow band of dark dolomite and shale, running east to west along the edge of Monte San Giorgio. This formation has been called the Besano Formation (in Italy) or the Grenzbitumenzone (in Switzerland). It represents the first of several sections on the mountain enriched with well-preserved fossils. The Grenzbitumenzone, especially its shale layers, is enriched with organic material derived from cyanobacteria. This accumulation of organic material presumably made the bottom of the basin anoxic or dysoxic, with low oxygen levels in the seawater. The only fossils of seabed-living organisms belong to Daonella, a thin-shelled bivalve adapted to low oxygen. Fossils of free-swimming animals are more diverse, with marine reptiles, fish, and shelled cephalopods being the most prominent. Terrestrial and shallow-water organisms such as shrimps, conifer branches (Voltzia), and land reptiles (Ticinosuchus) were occasionally washed into the basin as well.
Meride Limestone
The basin responsible for the Grenzbitumenzone continued to persist through the Ladinian, though the Grenzbitumenzone itself transitioned into a less fossiliferous formation known as the San Giorgio Dolomite. This formation has lower organic content, no shale, and only a few fragmentary fossils. Higher organic content and finer laminations return a short while later, forming the lower part of the fossil-rich Meride Limestone. The Meride Limestone probably represents a period of increased instability on the growing carbonate platforms, sending surges of carbonate grains into the basin. Skeletons tend to be even better preserved than in the Grenzbitumenzone, suggesting that the basin deepened further or acquired extensive microbial mats. A section of dolomite, the "Dolomitband", forms the top of the Lower Meride Limestone. It also marks the start of the Upper Meride Limestone, which is similar to the lower part of the formation but has only a few fossiliferous sections. The Upper Meride Limestone eventually becomes dominated by very finely-laminated marls and shales with increased clay content. This clay-rich interval, indicative of increased terrestrial runoff within the shrinking basin, is known as the "Kalkschieferzone".
Late Triassic
By the beginning of the Late Triassic, a major marine regression (sea level fall) threatened the fossil-rich basin and carbonate system of the Middle Triassic. During the Carnian (around 237 to 227 Ma), the first stage of the Late Triassic, carbonate platforms were replaced by shallow-water and coastal sediments. This formation, the Pizzella Marls, is diagnosed by a higher amount of siliciclastics (sediments eroded down from terrestrial rocks) and evaporites (mineral deposits from dried water), such as gypsum. In the succeeding Norian stage (around 227 to ~208 Ma), carbonate platforms and rising sea levels were renewed with vigor, depositing a massive expanse of carbonate known as the Dolomia Principale or Hauptdolomit. The Dolomia Principale is a brittle, crystalline rock mass which was fractured by normal faults not long after it was first formed. This is an early pulse of an overall extensional tectonic regime, a period of rifting which would eventually break up Pangea. By the time of the Rhaetian stage (~208 to 201 Ma), the Dolomia Principale was buried by a shorter but more stable sequence of shallow-water marl and carbonate, the Tremona Series.
Early Jurassic
Rifting continued into the Early Jurassic, alongside marine sedimentation. From the Hettangian to Pliensbachian stages (201 to 183 Ma), the area reacquired a deeper basinal environment. These basin sediments are preserved as the Moltrasio Limestone, a thick sheet of micrite (fine-grained limestone) with abundant cherty and marly beds created by turbidites (mudslides). Jurassic sediments are preserved to the east, south, and west of Monte San Giorgio; the position of the modern mountain would have been an island or shallow environment during the Jurassic. Its Jurassic sediments are now eroded away to reveal older Triassic and Permian rocks. Conversely, Monte Generoso, immediately to the east of Monte San Giorgio, is composed mostly of Jurassic basinal sediments. Outcrops of Jurassic sediments are also seen close to the Po Plain, at the south edge of Monte San Giorgio (in a broad sense). The productive "marble" quarries found south of Monte San Giorgio actually mined non-metamorphosed limestone, rather than true marble. These limestone units were formed at the same general time as the Moltrasio Limestone.
Ecological heritage
The fauna and flora of Monte San Giorgio are diverse, with some species found nowhere else in Switzerland. The prevailing ecosystems are mixed broadleaf forests and meadows influenced by the mountain's sub-Mediterranean climate. Monte San Giorgio is one of the southernmost areas of Switzerland, with mild winters, high humidity, and many hours of sunshine. Due to the variation in underlying geology, both acidic and alkaline soils are developed, supporting different vegetation communities. The rhyolite-based northern slope is mostly covered by Castanea sativa (sweet chestnut), Quercus petraea (sessile oak), and Fraxinus excelsior (European ash). The dolomite-based southern slope is more diverse in its plant life and soil quality, with common plants including Carpinus betulus (common hornbeam), Ostrya carpinifolia (European hop-hornbeam), Tilia (linden), Asperula taurina, Quercus pubescens (pubescent oak), and Fraxinus ornus (manna ash).
The driest and most alkaline soils of Monte San Giorgio are home to the Ticino dry meadows, a unique biome with over 100 plant and species, 38 of which are rare or endangered within Switzerland. Carex humilis (dwarf sedge) and Molinia caerulea arundinacea (tall moor grass) are the most common grasses, while Monte San Giorgio supports the few Swiss populations of wildflowers such as Adenophora liliifolia, Gladiolus imbricatus, Iris graminea, Lotus herbaceus, and Danthonia alpina.
102 species of vertebrates are found on Monte San Giorgio, 37 of which are endangered in Switzerland. The mountain is the only Swiss stronghold for Microtus savii (Savi's pine vole), and hosts breeding sites for amphibians such as Bufo bufo (common toad), Rana temporaria (common frog), Rana dalmatina (agile frog), Hyla intermedia (Italian tree frog), and other species. Invertebrates are even more diverse, including some species which are very rare in Switzerland, such as Pyrgus armoricanus (Oberthur's grizzled skipper), Euchorthippus declivus (Jersey grasshopper), and Pholidoptera littoralis insubrica (littoral dark bush-cricket). The dry meadows are especially diverse, hosting several species of previously undiscovered or undocumented spiders. Isolated populations of crustaceans and millipedes inhabit the deep karst and cave systems found on the mountain. Monte San Giorgio is considered a "mycological wonder", with over 500 species of fungi, several of which are endemic.
(Wikipedia)
Der Monte San Giorgio ist ein Berg im Tessin in der Schweiz. Er ist 1097 m ü. M. hoch und liegt zwischen den beiden südlichen Armen des Luganersees. Der Monte San Giorgio ist eine der weltweit bedeutendsten Fundstellen für marine Fossilien aus der Mitteltrias (245 bis 230 Mio. Jahren). Im Jahr 2003 wurde das Gebiet rund um den Monte San Giorgio von der UNESCO zum Welterbe erklärt. 2010 wurde die Welterbestätte um den südlichen, zu Italien zählenden Teil erweitert.
Der pyramidenförmige Berg ist stark bewaldet. Die Naturlandschaft bietet vielen seltenen Pflanzen eine Heimat. Ausserdem liegen im Berg diverse Höhlen verborgen.
Geologie
Der Berg ruht auf einer Basis kristallinen Grundgebirges aus Gneis. Darauf liegen Schichten aus Andesit (Rhyolith) und Tuff. Es folgen Sedimentschichten aus der Trias, darunter wiederholt Dolomit und Kalk sowie Schichten mit bitumenhaltigem Ölschiefer. Die Schichten fallen nach Süden ab, so dass das älteste Gestein im Norden am Seeufer zutage tritt.
Eine Besonderheit ist die enorme Menge von gut konservierten Fossilien, die insbesondere in der 16 Meter dicken Grenzbitumenschicht gefunden wurden. Vor 200 Millionen Jahren bildeten die Gesteine des Monte San Giorgio ein rund 100 Meter tiefes Meeresbecken in einer subtropischen Region. Das Wasser muss am Boden sehr sauerstoffarm gewesen sein, so dass viele Wirbeltier-Leichen darin weder von Aasfressern noch von Strömungen zerstört wurden.[3] Die Fossilien, die am Monte San Giorgio gefunden wurden, sind deshalb oft vollständig erhaltene Skelette, die für die Forschung durch ihre weltweite Einzigartigkeit und Qualität von grosser Bedeutung sind.
So können heute auf dem Berg Versteinerungen von Fischen, Reptilien und wirbellosen Tieren wie Insekten – darunter einige mit einer Länge von bis zu sechs Metern und mehrere hundert Exemplare des Ichthyosauriers Mixosaurus – gefunden werden. Der Berg, der über weltweit einmalige fünf Fundschichten verfügt, zählt zu den wichtigsten Fundorten für die mittlere Trias.
Geschichte
Im 12. Jahrhundert lebte der Einsiedler Manfred von Riva auf dem Monte San Giorgio.
In der ersten Hälfte des 20. Jahrhunderts wurden die Bitumenschichten (Ölschiefer) industriell abgebaut und zu Öl oder Salbe („Saurolo“), mit pharmazeutischer Anwendung, verarbeitet. Marmor war ein weiterer bedeutender Rohstoff, welcher abgebaut wurde. Der letzte Marmorsteinbruch in der Gemeinde Arzo stellte 2011 seinen Betrieb ein.
Ab 1924 führte die Universität Zürich unter der Leitung des Paläontologen Bernhard Peyer und ab 1956 durch Emil Kuhn-Schnyder eine Reihe von wissenschaftlichen Ausgrabungen durch. Diese förderten über 10'000 Funde zutage, und viele neue Gattungen wurden entdeckt. Einige davon tragen Namen mit lokalem Bezug; wie zum Beispiel Helveticosaurus (benannt nach Helvetier), Ticinosuchus (benannt nach dem Kanton Tessin) oder Ceresiosaurus (benannt nach dem Ceresio, der italienischen Bezeichnung des Luganersees).
1977 kam der Monte San Giorgio in das Bundesinventar der Landschaften und Naturdenkmäler von nationaler Bedeutung.
Tourismus
Der Monte San Giorgio ist heute ein beliebtes Ausflugsziel für Radfahrer und Wanderer. Ein Naturlehrpfad führt Besucher in die Besonderheiten des Welterbes ein. Der Hauptteil der Funde befindet sich im Paläontologischen Museum in Zürich. Eine Auswahl bedeutender Funde sowie Replikate sind im neuen Fossilienmuseum des Monte San Giorgio in Meride ausgestellt.
Fossilienmuseum des Monte San Giorgio in Meride
Das vom Tessiner Architekten Mario Botta umgebaute und erweiterte Fossilienmuseum des Monte San Giorgio in Meride (Kanton Tessin) wurde am 13. Oktober 2012 eingeweiht. Die Struktur zeigt eine Auswahl von versteinerten Tieren und Pflanzen aus dem weltweit einmaligen UNESCO-Weltnaturerbe des Monte San Giorgio. Eine 2,5 Meter lange Rekonstruktion des Landsauriers Ticinosuchus begrüsst die Besucher im neuen Fossilienmuseum im Dorfzentrum von Meride. Er lebte vor rund 240 Millionen Jahren am Rand eines reich belebten subtropischen Meeres, gleichzeitig mit vielen anderen, ans Wasserleben angepassten Meeressauriern und Fischen. Die ausgezeichnet erhaltenen Skelette aus der Mitteltrias des Monte San Giorgio haben den „Berg der Saurier“ als UNESCO-Weltnaturerbe weltberühmt gemacht. Auf vier Stockwerke verteilt wird die grosse Vielfalt an Lebewesen vorgestellt, die zwischen 245 und 180 Millionen Jahren vor heute das damalige Meer und seine Küste im Südtessin bevölkerten. Illustrationen und Modelle machen dem Publikum diese längst ausgestorbene Welt verständlich, deren Fossilien seit 1850 von schweizerischen und italienischen Fachleuten ausgegraben, präpariert und wissenschaftlich beschrieben wurden.
Erschliessung
Von Süden über Mendrisio kann das Gebiet des Monte San Giorgio auf der Strasse erreicht werden. Eine weitere Strasse führt von Riva San Vitale dem See entlang bis nach Brusino Arsizio und weiter nach Porto Ceresio in Italien. Von Brusino gibt es eine Luftseilbahn zur Aussichtsterrasse von Serpiano (650 m ü. M.), wo auch die Strasse von Mendrisio endet. Von hier aus hat man eine sehr schöne Aussicht über den verzweigten Luganersee.
(Wikipedia)