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Following is a set of pins which are all connected to the topic Geology. Each pin contains a brief description of what is displayed by the pin and a preview image linked to a high-resolution print on flickr.
For years the Grasberg open pit mine which forms 1.6km wide crater at the surface, has been one of the most productive mines in the world, with massive reserves of gold and copper. Situated high in the rugged Sudirman Mountains, Papua Indonesia, its mineralization extends from the surface at 4,200 m to the deepest drill penetrations at 2,700 m. The gold and copper bearing ore formed millions of years ago when hot magma intruded into sedimentary rock during the uplift of the local mountains. Since the 1990s, the Grasberg highly sophisticated mining operation has been busily extracting this ore at staggering volumes to the tune of 528 billion ounces of copper and 53 million ounces of gold. It transitioned into an underground mine in 2019. Unfortunately, the dumping of millions of tons of waste tailings directly into the nearby Ajkwa river system has not only devasted aquatic life but also caused a steadily growing floodplain of desolation, killing thousands of hectares of verdant forest and mangroves and continues to leave the locals counting the cost.
The Arizona Meteor Crater (Barringer Meteorite Crater) formed 50,000 years ago when an asteroid plunged through the Earth’s atmosphere and crashed into what would become central Arizona. The 10 second collision initially formed a crater over 1200m across and 200m deep. Subsequent erosion have shaved off parts of the rim and has partially filled the crater, which is now 1600m wide , 170m -deep gouge, yet the arid climate has done its share to preserve the crater’s original graceful look making it the best-preserved impact crater on Earth. Very little of the original mass of about 150,000 tons survived the impact, however bits and pieces of the space rock remain scattered throughout the crater, which has for years been a tourist attraction as well as a wonderful laboratory for scientists and researchers furthering the study of meteorite impacts
Northern Ethiopia’s Danakil Depression, located in Danakil Desert, is one of the hottest, driest and lowest places on earth. Parts of the region are more than 100m below sea level, forming a cauldron where temperatures average 34 0C and at times climb to 50 0C. Worse, it only receives 100 to 200mm of rainfall per year. The climate here can only be described as cruel. But against all odds, people do live here and for centuries the locals have survived mining and selling salt blocks left behind after evaporation. As if the climate was not enough, the region's energetic geology makes it look like an alien land. There are volcanoes with bubbling lava lakes, multi-coloured hydrothermal fields, and great salt pans, all of which manifest themselves in the vibrant combination of yellows, oranges, and reds that make the landscape look equal parts neon and deadly. It is thought that somewhere in the future this geological depression caused by the drifting of three tectonic plates will have drifted enough that the Red Sea will spill over, drowning this strange landscape into a new ocean.
Containing a unique geological wonder, a spectacularly eroded limestone fortress of sharp ridges, Ankarana National Park is situated on a limestone plateau about 108km south of Antsiranana and covers 18,225ha. Ankarana has since earned a reputation for its limestone karst pinnacles called tsingy which in Malagasy means "where one cannot walk barefoot”. Observing the tsingy from the air, pilots have been reminded of the deep urban canyons of Manhattan, because the formations have become like rows of high-rise apartment buildings, providing shelter to a different array of species at each level. The topography of the park is varied and in addition to the limestone ‘tsingies’ includes a dense tropical jungle, deciduous forest, canyons and an extensive cave system and network of underground rushing rivers -- some of which contain crocodiles. This variety of landscape makes it a popular choice among hikers offering incredible trails, unique and terrific landscapes and excellent wildlife viewing.
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Eye of the Sahara, also known as the Richat structure, is a geological dome made of rocks billions of years old and measures 40.2 km across. Once, there was a temperate forest here, with lakes and rivers. The formation processes of this magnificent structure are still a mistery. The most prominent thoeory believes, that it's the result of the volcanism and erosion. The theory states, that volcanism in the area lifted the layers of sediments and after it died down, the erosion ate away at the structure, making the shape of an eye we see today. As the structure is visible from space, it serves as a landmark for astronauts.