[neilep]

Spider and wasp caught In Amber



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What you are seeing here is a small piece of natural history frozen in time. During the early Cretaceous period (between 97 and 100 million years ago), a juvenile orb-weaving spider (Geratonephila burmanica) was on its way down to a parasitic wasp (Cascoscelio incassus) that had been caught in its web. The wasp belonged to a group that are now known to parasitize spider eggs, so perhaps this wasp became trapped while searching for eggs.

Just as the spider walked up to the wasp, tree resin flowed down and engulfed both the predator and its prey, trapping them in exactly the moment before the spider began its meal. This is the first time such an attack has been preserved in amber, and it gives us a rare glimpse into the ecology of dinosaur-era insects.

What makes this fossil even more amazing is the presence of the web itself trapped in the amber, as well as a second adult male spider of the same species in the same web. This makes this the oldest evidence of social behavior in spiders, who normally prefer to live alone. Today, male social orb-weaving spiders tend to live on female-constructed webs, where they help capture prey and maintain the web.

Sources:
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/10/121008134523.htm
http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2012/10/fossil-spider-attack/

[neilep]

Glittering Metallic Ink Clouds Photographed by Albert Seveso

For this new series, Il Mattino ha l’oro in bocca, Seveso uses accents of metallic inks to accentuate the rolling plumes of color as they disperse underwater. All photos courtesy the artist.

[RD]

...it must have been 3 or 4 snowflakes overlapped then !

12-Sided Snowflakes

https://www.its.caltech.edu/~atomic/snowcrystals/class/class.htm

[ still not 20-something symmetry, or cymatic ]

[neilep]

The worlds smallest periodic table - etched on to a single human hair.


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Watch the video at: www.youtube.com/watch?v=cQU2IAsQak8

Photograph courtesy of www.periodicvideos.com/

[neilep]

This is what happens when sand gets struck by lightning!


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Fulgurites are natural hollow glass tubes formed in quartzose sand, silica, or soil by lightning strikes (at 3,270 °F), which instantaneously melts silica on a conductive surface and fuses grains together over a period of around one second.


Photographed by Ken Smith.

[neilep]

STRIPED ICEBERG


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In Antarctica icebergs aren’t always monotone white, surprisingly they can appear striped too, making for a pretty view. Different colours can indicate different conditions including where the iceberg has been. Blue stripes indicate a layer of melt water was present that very quickly refroze not allowing any bubbles to form. Brown, black and yellow stripes can show that the iceberg has picked up various types of sediments during formation, which can take hundreds of thousands of years. A green stripe can form after the iceberg has broken off and come in contact with algae rich seawater.

-Matt J

Photo taken by Oyvind Tangen several 100km north of Antarctica

[neilep]

Bioluminescent Mushrooms!


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Only 71 species of mushrooms are known as bioluminescent, of an incredible million estimated species, both known and unknown. Although they make for some classically cool photography, scientists are still theorizing as to the ecological purpose behind the glowing fungi. Other bioluminescent species use their brightly lit selves as a way to attract mates, lure prey, and camouflage themselves (counterillumintation), among other reasons. Leading theories suggest that the mushrooms would benefit from attracting insects to disperse their spores, or from attracting insects to eat other bugs that munch on the mushrooms. Even though you’re not too likely to find some glowing mushrooms growing naturally in your backyard, if awesome pictures aren’t enough for you, “grow your own” bioluminescent mushroom kits are sold from many companies online.

-BN

P.S.A- Many mushrooms are poisonous, and many more cause adverse (although not deadly) reactions from eating. Be cautious in your adventuring!

Photo Credit: Cassius V. Stevani, Institute of Chemistry, University of São Paulo via NSF. http://www.nsf.gov/discoveries/disc_images.jsp?cntn_id=112030&org=NSF

Further Resources:
http://species.asu.edu/2011_species02
http://blog.mycology.cornell.edu/2010/04/12/this-bark-glows-in-the-dark-bioluminescence-in-mushrooms/

[neilep]

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This small waterfall located in the Shale Creek Preserve along a section of the Chestnut Ridge Park, near Buffalo New York has a rather interesting phenomena associated with it. The aptly named “Eternal Flame Falls” sits on a pocket of natural methane gas, which seeps out through a fracture in the rocks behind the waterfall.

Unfortunately weather conditions or lack of methane escaping can put the flame out now and then (perhaps not quite eternal) but it doesn’t take long before the locals or a visitor relights the flame once again. No one is quite sure who first discovered the fracture and set fire to it first.

-Matt J

Photo by Carl Crumley

[neilep]

STALACTITE CROSS SECTION:

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Photographer: David Lynch; Dave's Web site
Summary Author: David Lynch

Stalactites are a type of dripstone formed when water carrying dissolved calcium bicarbonate [Ca(HCO3)2] drips from the ceiling of a limestone cave. As the water evaporates, calcite [CaCO3] is deposited as slender, hollow cylinders that grow lengthwise in time. These are called “soda straws,” one of many speleothems, or geologic cave formations. Water flowing down the outside of the soda straw also deposits calcite, and the formation grows outward layer-by-layer, somewhat analogous to tree rings. The graceful beauty of stalactites gives no hint as to what's found inside them.

I discovered this stalactite already broken, lying on the floor of a cave in southern Indiana in 1969. Cutting and polishing it revealed the delicate growth rings. Each layer is a slightly different color as the mineral content of the water changed over time. This stalactite started out as two soda straws, and then merged into one stalactite. Photo taken in Topanga, California on November 22, 2012.

[Mazurka]

Loving the Fulgurite, thanks sheepy!

[neilep]

 

Loving the Fulgurite, thanks sheepy!

 

[neilep]

SADDLEBACK CATERPILLAR



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Meet the saddleback caterpillar: The fleshy horns that sit puffy-piggy-tail-like at each end of the body are covered in hairs that secrete venom. Brushing up against them causes pain as strong as that from a bee sting, swelling, nausea and a rash that will last for several days.

[neilep]

Barchan Sand Dunes


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Image; George Steinmetz

These Barchan sand dunes are located within the Afar depression (part of the East African rift system). The dunes are located on an ancient seafloor, and have been formed over many years of continual East-West wind flow. They slowly migrate across the ancient seafloor, rising around 2m into the air and can be up to 10m across.

Barchan dunes are defined as arc-shaped, and contain well-sorted, mature sand grains. In the geological record, finding these dunes can lead to all sorts of interesting information being gathered about the ancient system, as the two "horns" found either side of the dune will always face down wind.

Barchans can "join" with other Barchan dunes, growing and growing until they form ridges that can extend for hundreds of kilometres.

Aside from the Afar Depression, other spectacular examples include La Joya in Peru, and Parangkusumo Beach in Indonesia; the dunes of Parangkusumo are comprised of volcanic sands that have their origin in Mt Merapi, and have taken thousands of years to form and migrate.

Barchan sand dunes have also been found on Mars, giving clues to the systems operating on the Red Planet.

-LL

Links;
http://geography.about.com/od/physicalgeography/a/sanddunes.htm
http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap120422.html
http://www-f1.ijs.si/~rudi/sola/Sem4.pdf
Image; George Steinmetz

[neilep]

Geyser Pool, Afar Depression.



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The image above shows a geyser pool; located slightly north west of Lake Abbe in the Afar Depression, part of the East African Rift system.

The water in the pools is heated to boiling from geothermal activity; steam can be seen in the image. This geothermal activity is associated with the opening of a new ocean as part of the rift system.

The East African Rift Valley is one of only two places in the world, the other being Iceland, where mid ocean ridge process can be studied on land. This makes the Afar Depression and the rift system a paradise for geologists.
-LL

Image: George Steinmetz

[neilep]

Frost Sparkles





Photographer: Jan Koeman; Jan's Web site
Summary Authors: Jan Koeman; Jim Foster

The photo above shows frost crystals gleaming like the bulbs on a Christmas tree in the early morning sunlight. It was taken in the Lofoten Islands of Norway on October 15, 2012. I used a long 300 mm lens with full aperture to snap the picture. These were the first such crystals of the autumn. The brightly coloured spheres are referred to as sparkles. Like halos, they tend to be found roughly 22 degrees from the Sun. It's easier to notice the sparkle colours if you purposely de-focus your vision or if you stand further away. This allows only a fraction of the dispersed sunlight to enter your eyes. If you stand too close, the crystals will appear devoid of colour. Photo taken on October 15, 2012.

[neilep]

View from Inside Antelope Slot Canyon

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Photographer: Bret Webster
Summary Authors: Bret Webster; Jim Foster

The photo above shows a view from inside of Antelope Slot Canyon, Arizona, looking up and out. A shaft of sunlight illuminates its corkscrew interior. At this location in the sinuous canyon the distance from the bottom to the top is about 33 ft (10 m). Antelope Canyon snakes through Navajo sandstone, across the high desert of far northern Arizona, for roughly 5 mi ( 8 km). It’s the most visited and the most photographed slot canyon in the U.S. Photo taken in summer 2012.

[shivangigarg004]

Frost Sparkles





Photographer: Jan Koeman; Jan's Web site
Summary Authors: Jan Koeman; Jim Foster

The photo above shows frost crystals gleaming like the bulbs on a Christmas tree in the early morning sunlight. It was taken in the Lofoten Islands of Norway on October 15, 2012. I used a long 300 mm lens with full aperture to snap the picture. These were the first such crystals of the autumn. The brightly coloured spheres are referred to as sparkles. Like halos, they tend to be found roughly 22 degrees from the Sun. It's easier to notice the sparkle colours if you purposely de-focus your vision or if you stand further away. This allows only a fraction of the dispersed sunlight to enter your eyes. If you stand too close, the crystals will appear devoid of colour. Photo taken on October 15, 2012.

  nice...

[RD]

I'd like to see this with my own eyes, what time of the year is the best for this sight seeing and what do I need to get there? Just a back pack and foot?

It doesn't actually look like that: to the naked eye the milky way is faint and not a rainbow-like arc.
A long photographic exposure (tens of seconds) and a 360^o camera were required for these type of images ... http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap070508.html

[CliffordK]

Many of the better modern star photos use digitally enhanced false colors.  In part this must be done to extend the color range into the IR which would otherwise be invisible to the naked eye.  But, looking up into the sky, your view will be far more black and white rather than the pretty purples and reds.

Nonetheless, one of the best ways to be awed by the stars is to plan a camping trip to coincide with a new moon.  Best yet, plan a backpacking trip to take yourself as far from the beaten path as possible.

[RD]

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Master of Disguise - Photograph and caption by Graham McGeorge, National Geographic Your Shot - Eastern Screech Owls like to take over woodpecker nests that have been dug out over the years in pine trees, which are the main species of tree at this swamp. Fish and Wildlife also paint a white ring around the base of a tree that has active nests in order to avoid when conducting controlled burns. Screech owls can range in height anywhere from 8-10 inches, so you have to have a sharp eye to find these little birds of prey. [/quote] http://travel.nationalgeographic.com/travel/traveler-magazine/photo-contest/2013/entries/gallery/winners-winners/