My birthday special blog

                 KEEP ON READING 

NATURAL WONDERS

IGUAZU FALLS

Iguazú Falls or Iguaçu Falls (Guarani: Chororõ Yguasu [ɕoɾo'ɾõ ɨɣʷa'su], Spanish: Cataratas del Iguazú [kataˈɾatas del iɣwaˈsu]; Portuguese: Cataratas do Iguaçu [kataˈɾatɐs du iɡwaˈsu]) are waterfalls of the Iguazu River on the border of the Argentine province of Misiones and the Brazilian state of Paraná. Together, they make up the largest waterfall in the world.[2] The falls divide the river into the upper and lower Iguazu. The Iguazu River rises near the heart of the city of Curitiba. For most of its course, the river flows through Brazil; however, most of the falls are on the Argentine side. Below its confluence with the San Antonio River, the Iguazu River forms the border between Argentina and Brazil.

The name Iguazú comes from the Guarani or Tupi words "y" [ɨ], meaning "water", and "ûasú "[waˈsu], meaning "big".[3] Legend has it that a deity planned to marry a beautiful woman named Naipí, who fled with her mortal lover Tarobá in a canoe. In a rage, the deity sliced the river, creating the waterfalls and condemning the lovers to an eternal fall.[3] The first European to record the existence of the falls was the Spanish Conquistador Álvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca in 1541.

The staircase character of the falls consists of a two-step waterfall formed by three layers of basalt. The steps are 35 and 40 metres (115 and 131 ft) in height. The columnar basalt rock sequences are part of the 1,000-metre-thick (3,300 ft) Serra Geral Formation within the Paleozoic-Mesozoic Paraná Basin. The tops of these sequences are characterized by 8–10 m (26–33 ft) of highly resistant vesicular basalt and the contact between these layers controls the shape of the falls. Headwater erosion rates are estimated at 1.4–2.1 cm/year (0.55–0.83 in/year).[4] Numerous islands along the 2.7-kilometre-long (1.7 mi) edge divide the falls into many separate waterfalls and cataracts, varying between 60 and 82 m (197 and 269 ft) high. The number of these smaller waterfalls fluctuates from 150 to 300, depending on the water level. About half of the river's flow falls into a long and narrow chasm called the Devil's Throat (Garganta del Diablo in Spanish or Garganta do Diabo in Portuguese).[1]

The Devil's Throat canyon is 80–90 m (260–300 ft) wide and 70–80 m (230–260 ft) deep. Left of this canyon, another part of the river forms 160–200 individual falls, which merge into a single front during flood stage. The largest falls are named San Martín, Adam and Eva, Penoni, and Bergano.[4]

About 900 m (2,950 ft) of the 2.7 km (1.7 mi) length does not have water flowing over it. The water of the lower Iguazu collects in a canyon that drains into the Paraná River, a short distance downstream from the Itaipu Dam. The junction of the water flows marks the border between Brazil, Argentina, and Paraguay. Some points in the cities of Foz do Iguaçu, Brazil, Puerto Iguazú, Argentina, and Ciudad del Este, Paraguay, have access to the Iguazu River, where the borders of all three nations may be seen, a popular tourist attraction for visitors to the three cities.

PARICUTIN VOLCANE

Parícutin (or Volcán de Parícutin, also accented Paricutín) is a cinder cone volcano located in the Mexican state of Michoacán, near the city of Uruapan and about 322 kilometers (200 mi) west of Mexico City. The volcano surged suddenly from the cornfield of local farmer Dionisio Pulido in 1943, attracting both popular and scientific attention.

Paricutín presented the first occasion for modern science to document the full life cycle of an eruption of this type. During the volcano's nine years of activity, scientists sketched and mapped it and took thousands of samples and photographs. By 1952, the eruption had left a 424-meter-high (1,391 ft) cone and significantly damaged an area of more than 233 square kilometers (90 sq mi) with the ejection of stone, volcanic ash and lava. Three people were killed, two towns were completely evacuated and buried by lava, and three others were heavily affected. Hundreds of people had to permanently relocate, and two new towns were created to accommodate their migration. Although the larger region still remains highly active volcanically, Parícutin is now dormant and has become a tourist attraction, with people climbing the volcano and visiting the hardened lava-covered ruins of the San Juan Parangaricutiro Church.

In 1997, CNN named Parícutin one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World.[3] The same year, the disaster film Volcano mentioned it as a precedent for the film's fictional events.

Parícutin is located in the Mexican municipality of Nuevo Parangaricutiro, Michoacán, 29 kilometers (18 mi) west of the city of Uruapan and about 322 km west of Mexico City.[4][5][6] It lies on the northern flank of Pico de Tancítaro, which itself lies on top of an old shield volcano and extends 3,170 meters (10,400 ft) above sea level and 424 meters (1,391 ft) above the Valley of Quitzocho-Cuiyusuru.[6][7] These structures are wedged against old volcanic mountain chains and surrounded by small volcanic cones, with the intervening valleys occupied by small fields and orchards or small settlements, from groups of a few houses to those the size of towns.

PUERTO PRINCESA UNDERGROUND RIVER

The Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park (PPSRNP) is one of the most important protected areas of the Philippines. It features a spectacular limestone or karst landscape withone of the most complex cave systems. It contains an 8.2 km long underground river that flow directly to the sea. The lower half of the river is brackish and is affected by the ocean’s tide. An underground river directly flowing into the sea, and the associated tidal influence, makes it a significant natural phenomenon. The discovery of at least 11 minerals, crystal and egg shape rock formations, and a 20 million year old Miocene age serenia fossil in the cave further add to its scientific value. The Puerto Princesa Underground River is declared as one of the New 7 Wonders of Nature.

The PPSRNP contains a full mountain to the sea ecosystem and protect forests, which are among the most significant in Asia. It represents significant habitat that are important for biodiversity conservation.

In recognition of the PPSRNP’s globally significant natural value, it was inscribed to the List of World Heritage Sites on December 4, 1999. Inscription on the list confirms the outstanding universal value of the Park and it’s well integrated state of conservation.

The PPSRNP is managed by the City Government of Puerto Princesa based on a program centered on environmental conservation and sustainable development. It has the distinction of being the first national park devolved and successfully managed by a Local Government Unit.

It is managed by the City thru a Protected Area Management Board (PAMB), multi-sector body that provides policy direction and other oversight functions. It is a model for effective protected area management and sustainable tourism in the Philippines.

The Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park is a source of pride, and a key element in the identity of the people of Puerto Princesa in particular, and of the Philippines as a whole. The conservation of the Park is a symbol of commitment by the Filipino people in the global efforts to conserve our natural heritage.

JEDJU ISLAND

Jeju Island (Korean: 제주도; Hanja: 濟州島; IPA: [tɕedzudo]) is the largest island in South Korea, located in Jeju Province (Jeju Special Self-Governing Province). The island covers an area of 1,833.2 km2 (707.8 sq mi), which is 1.83 percent of the total area of South Korea. In 2020, the resident registration population is about 670,000, the largest among the islands in South Korea.[2][3]

The island lies in the Korea Strait, below the Korean Peninsula, south of the South Jeolla Province. Jeju is the only self-governing province in South Korea, meaning that the province is run by local inhabitants instead of politicians from the mainland.

Jeju Island has an oval shape of 73 km (45 mi) east–west and 31 km (19 mi) north–south, with a gentle slope around Mt. Halla in the center. The length of the main road is 181 km (112 mi) and the coastline is 258 km (160 mi). The northern end of Jeju Island is Kimnyeong Beach, the southern end is Songak Mountain, the western end is Suwolbong, and the eastern end is Seongsan Ilchulbong. It is in the Yellow Sea and East China Sea, Sea of Japan border South Korea's economic and political as well as in military also an important position.

The island was "formed by the eruption of an underwater volcano approximately 2 million years ago."[4] It contains a natural world heritage site, the Jeju Volcanic Island and Lava Tubes.[5] Jeju Island belongs to the temperate climate, and it has a moderate climate; even in winter, the temperature rarely falls below 0 °C (32 °F). Jeju is a popular holiday destination and a sizable portion of the economy relies on tourism and economic activity from its civil/naval base.

PADHTE CHALO 

NEXT TOPIC

 

                              SPACE

SUPERMOON

A supermoon occurs when the Moon’s orbit is closest (perigee) to Earth at the same time the Moon is full. So what's so special about a supermoon? For the interested observer, there's plenty to see and learn.

The Moon orbits Earth in an ellipse, an oval that brings it closer to and farther from Earth as it goes around.

The farthest point in this ellipse is called the apogee and is about 253,000 miles (405,500 kilometers) from Earth on average.

Its closest point is the perigee, which is an average distance of about 226,000 miles (363,300 kilometers) from Earth.

When a full moon appears at perigee it is slightly brighter and larger than a regular full moon – and that's where we get a "supermoon.

In Depth

The term “supermoon” was coined in 1979 and is often used to describe what astronomers would call a perigean (pear-ih-jee-un) full moon: a full moon occurring near or at the time when the Moon is at the closest point in its orbit around Earth.

The term gives preference to the geometric alignment of Sun-Earth-Moon and allows the occurrence of perigee into a wider time period than the actual instant of perigee (up to about two weeks, which is almost half of the Moon’s orbit).

For those looking carefully, there are several things worth noting. Take a look at the lunar images from November 2016 below:

SuperMoon Comparison

Which of these views of the Moon is a supermoon? Both! This is a size comparison of the Moon on the supermoon night of November 13-14, 2016. On the left, the Moon was nearer the horizon, and on the right, the Moon was very high in the sky. Note the lower blue line cutting across the Moon’s south pole on the right image. The full-frame of each picture is reproduced.

The figure’s left image was taken after moonrise, at about 6 p.m. local time when it had cleared the local, mountainous horizon. The right image was taken with the Moon near its maximum altitude that night, at about 12:30 a.m. The lines across the pair of images show the apparent difference in size: The rising moon is smaller because it was further away when it was rising. At that time, the Moon’s center was about the same distance from Earth’s center and from the observer. At the time of the second picture, Earth had rotated about a quarter-turn and the Moon was highest in the sky. At that time it was almost 4,000 miles closer to the observer because Earth’s rotation has carried the observer more directly under the Moon; Earth’s center was now farther from the Moon than the observer was. Except for the small change in distance between their centers due to the Moon’s orbital motion in those 6.5 hours, the observer’s decrease in distance from the Moon is demonstrated by the pair of photographs.

So, what makes a supermoon different?

Some lunar perigees are closer than others. The shape of the Moon’s orbit changes over time (thanks to the gravitational influence of the Sun and the other planets). Extreme perigees and apogees, or the most distant point in the orbit, happen on a predictable basis. Something that’s out of the ordinary: Having a full moon at the same time as an extreme perigee.

An extreme perigean full moon’s angular radius and diameter will appear slightly larger than it does at other full moons. Let's go back to November 13-14, 2016, when the extreme perigean full moon’s radius and diameter were:

Less than 2% larger than an average perigean full moon.

Less than 8% larger than the full moon’s appearance at its average distance from Earth.

Less than 14% larger than the average apogean full moon. For comparison, the width of the fingernail on your smallest finger (your “pinkie”), when held at arm’s length, is about the same diameter as the full moon in the sky.

Could you measure any of these differences by eye?

Seen from Earth, the area of sky covered by the extreme perigean November 2016 full moon is greater in area by:

Less than 4% compared to the average perigean full moon.

About 14% compared to its appearance at its average distance from Earth.

Less than 23% larger than the average apogean full moon.

Setting the Sun’s illumination of the lunar surface during the extreme perigean full moon in November 2016 to a value of 1.00000, the illumination of the Moon at:

An average perigean full moon is 0.99996.

An average distance of the full moon is 0.99981.

An average apogean full moon is 0.99967.

These differences are thanks to the small differences in the Moon’s distance from the Sun. To our own eyes, the differences are indistinguishable.

Illumination of Earth’s surface by the November 2016 extreme perigean full moon was just slightly higher because the Moon was slightly closer to the Sun than usual, and because it appeared slightly larger in the sky than usual compared to other full moons. If the extreme perigean full moon provides an illumination value of 1.00000 on Earth’s surface, the illumination by…

The average perigean full moon is 0.99991.

The average distance full moon is 0.99963.

The average apogean full moon is 0.99934.

Looking around you when the full moon is high in the sky and there are no other lights around, the differences in ground illumination are indistinguishable to our eyes.

High tides and low tides will be more extreme with a perigean full moon and more so for an extreme perigean full moon. The extremes are greater due to the difference in the gravitational pull of the Moon across Earth’s diameter. When the Moon is close, Earth’s diameter is a slightly larger fraction of the Earth-Moon separation. This means that the Moon’s gravitational pull on the oceans (and Earth’s crust) has a greater difference between the point on Earth closest to the Moon’s center and the point on Earth diametrically opposite it (the antipode, an-tih-pode). This increases the effects of tides. If the extreme perigean full moon in November 2016 caused tides with a force value of 1.000000, the tidal force value by caused by…

The average perigean full moon is 0.946493.

The average distance full moon is 0.797740.

The average apogean full moon is 0.678594.

Perigean high tides during a full moon and new moon can cause major problems on some coasts, especially if weather adds high waves or a storm surge (due to low atmospheric pressure over the involved area).

AURORA LIGHTS

An aurora[a] (plural: auroras or aurorae[b]), also known as the polar lights or aurora polaris[c], is a natural light display in Earth's sky, predominantly seen in high-latitude regions (around the Arctic and Antarctic). Auroras display dynamic patterns of brilliant lights that appear as curtains, rays, spirals or dynamic flickers covering the entire sky.[2]

Auroras are the result of disturbances in the magnetosphere caused by solar wind. These disturbances alter the trajectories of charged particles in the magnetospheric plasma. These particles, mainly electrons and protons, precipitate into the upper atmosphere (thermosphere/exosphere). The resulting ionization and excitation of atmospheric constituents emit light of varying colour and complexity. The form of the aurora, occurring within bands around both polar regions, is also dependent on the amount of acceleration imparted to the precipitating particles.

Most of the planets in the Solar System, some natural satellites, brown dwarfs, and even comets also host auroras.

I found it very beautiful so thought of sharing an image of it with you .

https://www.bing.com/th?id=OIP.EFaOzWXuio1Gv4NcGdgKKgHaEK&w=208&h=110&c=8&rs=1&qlt=90&o=6&pid=3.1&rm=2

WHAT IS THE NEXT TOPIC 

                              SEA 

THE MOST MYSTERIOUS , WONDERFUL AND BEAUTIFUL PART OF THE EARTH . THERE ARE MANY MYSTERIES HIDING IN IT BUT I WILL ONLY SHOW 2 TO YOU . LETS SEE -

MILKY SEA PHENOMENON

Some researchers would use satellites to study the elusive milky sea phenomenon.

What is the Milky Sea?

• Milky seas, also called mareel, is a luminous phenomenon in the ocean in which large areas of seawater appear to glow translucently (in varying shades of blue).
• Such occurrences glow brightly enough at night to be visible from satellites orbiting Earth.
• They are a rare nocturnal phenomenon in which the ocean’s surface emits a steady bright glow.

Why do they glow?

• Luminous bacteria cause the particles they colonize to glow.
• The purpose of this glow could be to attract fish that eat them.
• These bacteria thrive in the guts of fishes, so when their populations get too big for their main food supply, a fish’s stomach makes a great second option.

How do they occur?

• It is typically caused by Noctiluca scintillans (popularly known as “sea sparkle”), a dinoflagellate that glows when disturbed and is found in oceans throughout much of the world.
• Once their population gets large enough – about 100 million individual cells per millilitre of water – a sort of internal biological switch is flipped and they all start glowing steadily.

FLYING SPAGETHI MONSTER

It's white. It's weird. It looks like a bowl of noodles turned upside down underwater. What is it? It's a "flying spaghetti monster."

Actually, "it" (the bizarre-looking creature) is Bathyphysa conifer, a deep-sea critter that was recently seen swimming off the coast of Angola. Workers at the oil and gas company BP videotaped this strange-looking animal while collecting video footage some 4,000 feet (1,220 meters) under the sea with a remotely operated underwater vehicle (ROV). Not knowing what the noodle-armed creature was, the BP crewmembers named it after what they thought it most resembled: the deity of the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster.

Similar to corals, the spaghettilike B. conifer is made up of many different multicellular organisms known as zooids. These organisms are a lot like regular, solitary animals, except that they're attached to other zooids, forming a more complex organism. One zooid, developed from a fertilized egg, starts the process, and then other zooids bud from the original zooid until a whole animal is formed, according to the siphonophore website.

And each zooid has a job to do. In the case of B. conifer, some of the constituent zooids specialize in catching food and eating it, while others specialize in reproducing, for example. The zooids that can't feed, don't feed. The ones that can't reproduce, don't reproduce. But together, all the zooids survive just fine.

The deep-sea "spaghetti monster" is a particular kind of siphonophore, belonging to the suborder Cystonectae, according to the World Register of Marine Species. This species of cystonect is relatively rare, according to Catriona Munro, a doctoral student in ecology and evolutionary biology at Brown University. While several B. conifer specimens have been described, researchers don't often see these creatures in their native habitats, Munro told Live Science.

Cystonects are made up of two main parts, anchored to a long stem. Up top, there is a pneumatophore, a gas-filled "float" that looks kind of like a big bubble. (That's the bulbous-looking thing sticking out from the top part of the spaghetti monster.) Farther down the stem is a siphosome, where a bunch of zooids are hard at work catching and eating food, reproducing, and doing all the other things the animal needs to do to survive. Unlike some other siphonophores, B. conifer and other cystonects lack a nectosome, another body part containing zooids that would propel the animal through the water.

Those armlike appendages poking through B. conifer's mass of "spaghetti" are gastrozooids, or feeding polyps, that the creature uses to catch food, Munro said.

But it's the animal's long tentacles (the stringy things that look more like angel hair pasta than linguini) that helped researchers identify the creature as B. conifer, according to the SERPENT Project (short for Scientific and Environmental ROV Partnership Using Existing Industrial Technology). This project is part of the National Oceanography Centre and is also the group responsible for identifying the siphonophore in BP's footage.

The tentacles are missing what the SERPENT researchers called "side branches," which means that the spaghetti monster is most likely the side branchless B. conifer. In addition to its many other strange parts, the critter also has ptera, or wings, which are located on the top part of the animal near the bulbous pneumatophore. The ptera are also used by the gastrozooids, but not to catch food, said Munro, who noted that the wings might be used to help the animal move through the water.

As the siphonophore website explains, scientists who study these animals rely heavily on ROVs and other special equipment to dive down deep and examine these spectacular and wonderfully weird-looking creatures.

But not everyone thinks that the pastalike animal has a strange appearance. Munro (who happens to be a big fan of siphonophores) said she thinks the so-called spaghetti monster is "really good looking."

MORE IN MY NEXT BLOG .

IF YOU LIKE MY BIRTHDAY SPECIAL BLOG , LEAVE A COMMENT AND FOLLOW ME .

THANKYOU