fredag 27. mai 2016

Where on Google Earth # 571

Elisabeth took us to one of the most inhospitable places on the planet in WoGE #570, the Dallol volcano which with a peak elevation of -48m MSL is the lowest subaerial volcanic mountain.


This one isn't quite as bad, although what I am after happend when it IS bad.:






As always, the first person to post the position and whatever is interesting about the geology/hydrology/geowhatever in this location, wins the privilege of hosting the next WoGE.

Previous WoGEs are collected by Felix on 
his blog and a KML file.

20 kommentarer:

  1. Milford Sound, South Island of New Zealand.
    44.6414° S, 167.8974° E

    Lots of geology referenced here: https://www.milfordlodge.com/milford-sound-information/geology

    It's in a location prone to earthquakes, and a landslide into the sound could easily cause a tsunami. But I cannot find reference to one happening in recent times.

    SvarSlett
  2. It's not a singular event; I was referring to the times when the wind is so strong that the waterfslls flow upwards. This happens quite often in some places, Milford Sound is one of the places where it happens regularly.

    SvarSlett
  3. Does that mean I get to choose the next contest or I didn't give the right explanation, and therefore don't?

    This was therefore a bit more of a geographical/meteorological contest than a geological one.

    SvarSlett
  4. When meteorology meets geomorphology, strange things happen. But it is not a unique place, the same thing happens quite often in Norway although less often. So it's your turn, Andrew.

    SvarSlett
  5. Gentlemen, what am I going to write in my kml-File? As this is a geological game, for/from geologists, we need to have for each WOGE a geological explanation for the location. This means some sort of summary of the geological sources that can be found. With WOGE 571 I do see a Fjord like landscape with a lot of geology: plate-tectonic-induced Island/Mountain building, Glacier-induced mountain rising..... With many WOGE's it is easy, as Summaries easily can be fount in the net. With this one, one hat to search a little bit.

    SvarSlett
  6. Maybe the game would host more contestants if you would pay a little less importance to yourselves. If you do love geology you should consider to be a little bit less snobbish to those who are not geologists but merely 'interested' as in:

    [start quote/]'Rules' of WOGE
    The 'game' is being played by geologists or interested persons throughout the world with the only purpose to discuss the geological content of displayed satellite views as a private matter.[end/quote].

    You kicked me out of the game by constantly sneering indirectly about 'my geological insignificance'. Sorry, but it seems you are just a bunch of snobs with a lot of self importance and if you carry on this way I guess you'll end up just playing with yourselves at home.

    Skip Andrew and Elisabeth for this remark as they were the ones who tried to bring this game back to life, closely looking at the initial rules of WOGE.
    I kept half an eye to this game to look if it got any better but your comment destroys that possibility Felix, changing the rules while being played. You now just decided to exclude 'persons interested in geology' from the game.

    My two cents...

    SvarSlett
    Svar
    1. Well, I disagree completely with your opinion and I'm not a geologist - I'm a high school science teacher that loves playing this game and I never felt "snobbed" even knowing that I know little about geology.

      Just my opinion ...

      Slett
    2. Well... good for you then, Luis!

      Slett
    3. Luis: thank you for your encouraging comment

      Slett
  7. Ladies and Gentlemen, I would like to comment this lively discussion.

    Since 9 years the goal of this game was: "to clearly identify the location of the picture on display (latitude/longitude for example) and to explain the geological significance."

    Since 9 years and 570 games everyone who has found the location explained the geological significance with some sentences. The geological explanation does not have to be a perfect master thesis, it's good enough if everybody tries the best he or she can do. To provide just a link does not show much enthusiasm.

    So this clearly is a geological game. If you do not want, or cannot provide the geological informations, than this is not your game. In this case you would be better of at: http://whereongoogleearth.net/ .

    To maintain the list of previous Woge's (kml-File) is quite a lot of work. If the winner of a Woge does not provide lat./long than I have to search for the location for quite some time. If no geology is provided, than I would have to come up with the geological summary or I would have to stop maintaining the list.

    If I understand Paul correctly, he would like to scrap the geological content. Sorry Paul, if you do not like it, you should so on at http://whereongoogleearth.net .

    Andrew: I am not sure what your intentions are, would you please explain how you would like to play this game?

    All the others: Please feel free to empty your heart.

    SvarSlett
  8. No Felix, you don't understand me correctly at all. I don't feel the need to further response. Meet you at whereongoogleearth.net ...

    SvarSlett
  9. I'm not a geologist but I do enjoy the challenge locating the image through GE. As you have seen, I often struggle with the geology because I am a meteorologist but I try hard to identify and explain what I can. If I cannot properly summarize what I have found, I prefer to let someone else explain it in a professional way. Too much incorrect information can be found on the internet, and I do not wish to add to that.

    I also work hard to find appropriate geological locations for my images. I err on the side of caution which usually makes my contests easy to solve.

    The real benefit of a game like this is the knowledge of our world that I gain - through looking at GE and through trying to figure out the geological feature I am looking at.

    Contest 572 is posted at http://woge-locations.blogspot.ca/2016/05/where-on-google-earth-572.html for those wishing to play on.

    SvarSlett
  10. There are quite a few WoGE's with somewhat vague geology, several where the main focus is meteorology (q.v. WoGE #483) so I felt that using the combination meteorology/geomorphology was within the scope.

    Naturally when searching for the geology of Fiordland you will get a lot of geology and very little meteorology, which I should have anticipated.

    I would take Andrew's explanation as correct, and maybe add http://www.wondermondo.com/Countries/Au/NZ/Southland/Milford_Falls.htm since that was what I was looking at.

    SvarSlett
    Svar
    1. Ole, I do not have issues with your location. Not at all. My problem was wether I get the 2+ sentences about the geology, so I do not have to figure that out on my own in order to maintain the kml-file. And it is part of the rules to come up with 2+ sentences about the geology.
      I am going to wait and see how the next Woges are going.

      Slett
  11. "Fiordland is a distinctive geographical region: it is the largest area of very strong crystalline rocks in New Zealand - plutonic rocks such as granite and diorite, and high grade metamorphic gneisses. These were uplifted as a single block and subsequently heavily glaciated. It is a huge, broadly domed mountain mass.

    Milford Sound is part of the Authur River complex of Mesozoic plutonic rocks. The Milford Road from the head of Lake Te Anau goes through the Darran I-type volcanic suite."

    Since these orthogneisses are very hard and erosion resistant, the sides of Milford sound remain very steep. The high annual rainfall gives rise to many streams and waterfalls. Due to its location in "the roaring Forties", strong winds are common and very often strong enough that said waterfalls are blown back up the mountain before reaching the sea.

    SvarSlett
    Svar
    1. Thank you Ole for your (like always) detailed explanation. I'm just updating the kml-file and I feared I would have to come up with something by myself (having found this location very, very early but did not have time to figure out the geo-xxx-logy)

      Slett
  12. For reference, I was trying to find something that Ole was referring to with his comment about "happend when it IS bad". There were quite a few references to tsunamis and Milford Sound, but I could not find information about a recent or specific one.

    In any case, I'm not s geologist and this game is for those with good geological knowledge - so to avoid causing problems with a lack of a good explanation, I'll stop playing. I was playing for the challenge of finding the location - the geology was secondary to me.

    SvarSlett
    Svar
    1. Don't stop playing - we need all the players we can get, and we all learn geology from this (and geomorphology, meteorology and so on).

      Slett