Ebook651 pages13 hours
The World's Greatest Geological Wonders: 36 Spectacular Sites
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
5/5
()
About this ebook
Yellowstone, the Grand Canyon, Mount Fuji, the Galapagos Islands. These natural wonders are on everyone’s list of must-see attractions that are both spectacular and geologically fascinating. But what of Ha Long Bay, the Columbia Glacier, Erta Ale lava lake, and the Great Blue Hole? They also belong on the list, along with more than 200 other sites,
both famous and obscure, that are well worth a visit to see breathtaking vistas combined with the grandeur of geological forces in action.
Shaped by erosion, plate tectonics, volcanic eruptions, and other processes over the course of billions of years, Earth is a planet of immense variety. Impressive geological scenes are everywhere. But only a select few—whether astonishing valleys, mountains, waterfalls, or other formations—qualify as geological wonders that are not only memorable and worth a special trip, but that also tell us something profound about the way the world works.
For example, consider these lesser-known but awe-inspiring places:
Ha Long Bay: Thousands of limestone towers soar upward out of this bay of mystery and beauty in Vietnam. The formation is what geologists call a karst landscape, sculpted from the slow dissolution of soluble rock by rain and groundwater.
Columbia Glacier: One of the most intensively studied glaciers in the world, this magnificent river of ice twists its way for 50 kilometers from Alaska’s coastal range into the sea. Such glaciers advance and retreat for unknown reasons.
Erta Ale: In rare cases, lava from a volcano will continuously feed into the volcanic crater and bubble away like a seething caldron. Of the five active lava lakes in the world, the longest running is in a volcano called Erta Ale in Ethiopia.
Great Blue Hole: What could cause a nearly perfect circle of intensely deep blue water in the middle of a shallow reef? The Caribbean’s Great Blue Hole tells a surprising story of repeated glaciations and rising and falling seas.
Whether you are planning your next vacation or exploring the world from home, you owe it to your planet to know the places that make it exceptional throughout the solar system. The World’s Greatest Geological Wonders: 36 Spectacular Sites is your gateway to an unrivaled adventure. In 36 lavishly illustrated half-hour lectures that are suitable for nonscientists and geology enthusiasts alike, Professor Michael E. Wysession of Washington University in St. Louis introduces you to Earth’s most outstanding geological destinations.
During more than three decades as an award-winning teacher and geophysicist, Professor Wysession has traveled the globe, getting to know Earth’s most intriguing geological formations. In The World’s Greatest Geological Wonders, he focuses on the leading contenders in 36 categories, from deserts to river deltas to fossil quarries to fjords. After touring his top choice in detail, he presents at least four runners-up that are every bit as spectacular. By the time you complete this course, you will have experienced more than 200 different geological wonders in nearly 120 countries.
Prepare to Be Surprised
Geological wonders impress us for many reasons. They are exceptionally beautiful or mysterious. They relate to us on a practical level, cutting a natural route through a mountain range or providing a source of valuable minerals. They may have played a role in human history, such as the picturesque Greek island of Santorini, which is the remnant of a volcano that erupted in ancient times, possibly ending the Minoan civilization. Natural wonders also teach us about Earth’s interconnected systems, and they put time into perspective. A million years is nothing in the life story of a canyon, a cave, or a continental rift.
Moreover, great landscapes, like great works of art, surprise us:
Grand Canyon: No one is prepared for that first glimpse of the Grand Canyon, which suddenly appears as a breathtaking series of chasms in a seemingly featureless plateau. Which raises the question: Why is t
both famous and obscure, that are well worth a visit to see breathtaking vistas combined with the grandeur of geological forces in action.
Shaped by erosion, plate tectonics, volcanic eruptions, and other processes over the course of billions of years, Earth is a planet of immense variety. Impressive geological scenes are everywhere. But only a select few—whether astonishing valleys, mountains, waterfalls, or other formations—qualify as geological wonders that are not only memorable and worth a special trip, but that also tell us something profound about the way the world works.
For example, consider these lesser-known but awe-inspiring places:
Ha Long Bay: Thousands of limestone towers soar upward out of this bay of mystery and beauty in Vietnam. The formation is what geologists call a karst landscape, sculpted from the slow dissolution of soluble rock by rain and groundwater.
Columbia Glacier: One of the most intensively studied glaciers in the world, this magnificent river of ice twists its way for 50 kilometers from Alaska’s coastal range into the sea. Such glaciers advance and retreat for unknown reasons.
Erta Ale: In rare cases, lava from a volcano will continuously feed into the volcanic crater and bubble away like a seething caldron. Of the five active lava lakes in the world, the longest running is in a volcano called Erta Ale in Ethiopia.
Great Blue Hole: What could cause a nearly perfect circle of intensely deep blue water in the middle of a shallow reef? The Caribbean’s Great Blue Hole tells a surprising story of repeated glaciations and rising and falling seas.
Whether you are planning your next vacation or exploring the world from home, you owe it to your planet to know the places that make it exceptional throughout the solar system. The World’s Greatest Geological Wonders: 36 Spectacular Sites is your gateway to an unrivaled adventure. In 36 lavishly illustrated half-hour lectures that are suitable for nonscientists and geology enthusiasts alike, Professor Michael E. Wysession of Washington University in St. Louis introduces you to Earth’s most outstanding geological destinations.
During more than three decades as an award-winning teacher and geophysicist, Professor Wysession has traveled the globe, getting to know Earth’s most intriguing geological formations. In The World’s Greatest Geological Wonders, he focuses on the leading contenders in 36 categories, from deserts to river deltas to fossil quarries to fjords. After touring his top choice in detail, he presents at least four runners-up that are every bit as spectacular. By the time you complete this course, you will have experienced more than 200 different geological wonders in nearly 120 countries.
Prepare to Be Surprised
Geological wonders impress us for many reasons. They are exceptionally beautiful or mysterious. They relate to us on a practical level, cutting a natural route through a mountain range or providing a source of valuable minerals. They may have played a role in human history, such as the picturesque Greek island of Santorini, which is the remnant of a volcano that erupted in ancient times, possibly ending the Minoan civilization. Natural wonders also teach us about Earth’s interconnected systems, and they put time into perspective. A million years is nothing in the life story of a canyon, a cave, or a continental rift.
Moreover, great landscapes, like great works of art, surprise us:
Grand Canyon: No one is prepared for that first glimpse of the Grand Canyon, which suddenly appears as a breathtaking series of chasms in a seemingly featureless plateau. Which raises the question: Why is t
Related to The World's Greatest Geological Wonders
Related ebooks
Why Geology Matters: Decoding the Past, Anticipating the Future Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5A Short History of Planet Earth: Mountains, Mammals, Fire, and Ice Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Origin and Evolution of Earth: From the Big Bang to the Future of Human Existence (Transcript) Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsA New History of Life (Transcript) Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Volcanoes: A Beginner's Guide Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Geology: A Fully Illustrated, Authoritative and Easy-to-Use Guide Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Earth as an Evolving Planetary System Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsA Visual Guide to the Universe (Transcript) Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Rocks and Minerals: Get the Dirt on Geology Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsLife in Our Universe (Transcript) Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsSeismology and Structure of the Earth: Treatise on Geophysics Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsWonders of the Solar System Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Geology of the Great Plains and Mountain West: Investigate How the Earth Was Formed with 15 Projects Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Nature of Earth: An Introduction to Geology (Transcript) Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Structural Geology: The Mechanics of Deforming Metamorphic Rocks Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Atlas of Structural Geology Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Understanding the Universe: Introduction to Astronomy (Transcript) Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Principles of Geology, Volume 2 Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Sediments, Diagenesis, and Sedimentary Rocks: Treatise on Geochemistry, Second Edition, Volume 7 Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Introduction to Mineralogy and Petrology Rating: 1 out of 5 stars1/5Introducing Tectonics, Rock Structures and Mountain Belts for tablet devices Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsGeological Structures and Maps: A Practical Guide Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsUnderstanding Cultural and Human Geography (Transcript) Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Geological Belts, Plate Boundaries, and Mineral Deposits in Myanmar Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsProblems and Solutions in Structural Geology and Tectonics Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Geology: The Made Simple Series Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Understanding Geology Through Maps Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsOur Night Sky (Transcript) Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Weather and Climate on Planets Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsIntroducing Volcanology for tablet devices: A Guide to Hot Rocks Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5
Earth Sciences For You
SAS Survival Handbook, Third Edition: The Ultimate Guide to Surviving Anywhere Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5438 Days: An Extraordinary True Story of Survival at Sea Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Being Human: Life Lessons from the Frontiers of Science (Transcript) Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Norwegian Wood: Chopping, Stacking, and Drying Wood the Scandinavian Way Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Civilized to Death: The Price of Progress Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Foraging for Survival: Edible Wild Plants of North America Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Witch's Yearbook: Spells, Stones, Tools and Rituals for a Year of Modern Magic Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5A Fire Story: A Graphic Memoir Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Rockhounding for Beginners: Your Comprehensive Guide to Finding and Collecting Precious Minerals, Gems, Geodes, & More Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Pocket Guide to Prepping Supplies: More Than 200 Items You Can?t Be Without Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Northeaster: A Story of Courage and Survival in the Blizzard of 1952 Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Phantom Atlas: The Greatest Myths, Lies and Blunders on Maps Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Disaster Preparedness Handbook: A Guide for Families Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Summary of Bruce H. Lipton's The Biology of Belief 10th Anniversary Edition Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Herbalism and Alchemy Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsHow to Make Hand-Drawn Maps: A Creative Guide with Tips, Tricks, and Projects Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/51 Dead in Attic: After Katrina Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Patterns in Nature: Why the Natural World Looks the Way It Does Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Energy: A Beginner's Guide Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Rockhounding & Prospecting: Upper Midwest: How to Find Gold, Copper, Agates, Thomsonite, and Other Favorites Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5A Voyage For Madmen Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Nuclear War Survival Skills: Lifesaving Nuclear Facts and Self-Help Instructions Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Zondervan Essential Atlas of the Bible Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5
Reviews for The World's Greatest Geological Wonders
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
5/5
1 rating0 reviews
Book preview
The World's Greatest Geological Wonders - Michael E. Wysession
|Z book_preview_excerpt.html
Enjoying the preview?
Page 1 of 1