Thursday, April 30, 2009

Anything For The Perfect Volcano Shot!

Dr Tom Pfeiffer treads carefully across the Kilauea lava flow. It is hard to tell which direction to go in, and in the harsh volcanic landscape, even harder to judge distances. The terrain is tough as hell, undulating underfoot and too hot to proceed in places. Then there is the lava to think about. In a flash, the base of the fresh cone above the lava skylight collapses, giving way to a huge surge of molten rock that rapidly begins flooding the entire area where he and the others are stood.

As it happened: The hazardous hornito collapse and lava flood
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It was day three of an expedition to observe Hawaii’s ever active volcanic vents. That morning, Tom and the others in the group had established camp, following a stunning hike to fetch water – water now invaluable for wetting parched throats and splashing over boots half melted by the scalding terrain. Thank heavens for good soles; the footwear will still need fixing, but hopefully that’s all. With the encroaching lava, the more pressing challenge is to climb their way out of there – and fast.

Scenes through the eyes of Dr Tom Pfeiffer: An erupting skylight after sunset
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The life of volcanologist sounds either supremely exciting or downright foolish, depending on how far your definition of adventurous extends beyond the latest Wii game. But for those geologists and volcano aficionados whose very blood runs like pyroclastic flows, it has to be the perfect job – and leading expeditions to many of the planet’s most active volcanoes, like treading a heaven on earth. But isn’t it dangerous?

Lava dance: A 2m-high, pulsating dome fountain of fluid, boiling lava erupts
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Upon hearing the word danger, Tom Pfeiffer is cool; not dismissive, but he thinks the word is overused when people talk about volcanoes. The media especially likes to focus on their destructive power, but that’s not how he sees them. “It’s the beauty and deep emotions felt in the presence of lava and eruptions,” he tells Environmental Graffiti. Rather than of danger, the guide of over 50 volcano tours across three continents prefers another word: “Excitement.”

Hornito’s nest: One of the small, rootless spatter cones erupts, throwing out lava
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A few days earlier, the group had spent two nights close to some lava cones. On the second night, a surge of lava went shooting up into the air. Five smouldering hornitos – small, rootless lava cones – suddenly ignited, spitting out fountains of lava 10 metres high. “It was magical. Lava had accumulated in the pond of lava lying beneath the tall volcanic cones, and suddenly there was this – while all around stretched a vast lava field, a vast lava landscape.” Magical.

Eyes to the ground: observing an active vent in the center of the crater
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“Adventure,” says Tom. “The people on the exhibition had an extraordinary feeling that day. Of course you need luck. For conditions to be ideal you need extraordinary luck. But then the emotion! It’s less a sense of danger than the excitement of entering the unknown – the unknown of volcanic activity, of the weather – and the feeling of being alone with one of nature’s great forces. For while there are thousands of visitors, nobody sees the same things.”

Safe distance: A spatter cone spits lava inside the gap of Kilauea’s active vent
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Are there risks? “Of course there are risks. It’s risky if you don’t know what you’re doing. But if you know what you’re doing it’s as safe as riding a mountain bike.” And it has never been dangerous, except on the one occasion. “I don’t make it dangerous,” explains Tom. “I don’t do it unless I think it’s safe. It can be safe even when we’re up close. Risk is apparent because it’s an alien environment. You’ve got to know how to prevent danger, then you’ll be OK.”

What doesn’t kill you: The incoming wave of lava flood once more
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So did he prevent danger in Hawaii when the overflow of lava occurred? “We were forced to leave our observation positions quickly and retreat to higher ground. When we got to around 30 metres away from the source, we saw that the arriving wave of lava was at least one metre high.” Naturally, it’s all part of the appeal: “What’s exciting – good conditions, good weather, hiking, camping out in the testing volcanic terrain, the risk – but it’s all worth it for the beauty.”

Rivers of lava: Kilauea’s sea entry point, where hot lava rushes into the ocean
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It should be clear by now that feeling and passion are what interest Tom Pfeiffer about volcanoes. It is not even always possible to take photographs, what with technical limitations and not having film handy; yet photos cannot capture what it’s like to be face to face with these stirring ruptures in the earth’s crust. “The passion comes first. And people might then be inspired to study and explore the world of volcanoes further.”

Lava toes: A pahoehoe lava field class with its smooth, billowy or ropy surface
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In his time, Tom has spent months on end working as a volunteer at the volcano observatory at Hawaii as well as elsewhere, setting out on many expeditions with friends and colleagues. After studying in Europe, he founded Volcano Discovery, an international team of volcanologists who take tours in places as far flung as Iceland, Indonesia and Alaska. As with any work, it’s not all excitement; there is book keeping and databases – but they’re another story.

Hot shots: Another sea entry point, and a hornito throwing out spatter (below)
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With special thanks to Dr Tom Pfeiffer for agreeing to be interviewed for this article. To find out more about Volcano Discovery and the destinations they can take you too, visit www.volcanodiscovery.com.

Literally wow: Littoral explosions caused by sea water trapped in the lava tube
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15 Incredible Cliff Faces


Mount Thor, Canada
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Probably nothing inspires quite like the view from the top a cliff because the often long and steep hike is forgotten as soon as we glimpse the world from atop where we rest, birdlike, drinking in the scenery and ready to spread our wings. Join us on a tour of some of the most incredible cliffs around the world.

According to Merriam-Webster’s Online Dictionary, a cliff is “a very steep, vertical, or overhanging face of rock, earth, or ice.” The term comes from the Middle English word “clif”, which is derived from the Old High German “klep” and the Old Norse “klif”. The latter is interesting because to this day, some of the most spectacular cliffs have names inspired by Norse mythology.

The Cliffs of Moher, on the Atlantic coast of County Clare in Ireland, looking north from Hag’s Head towards O’Brien’s tower:Cliffs of Moher, Ireland
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Though there are many more breathtaking cliffs worldwide, we have tried to zero in on either the ones with the most beautiful views or that have some other highest, tallest or steepest attribute.

Cliffs in Europe

Along the coast of England can be found a range of stunning white cliffs that owe their striking white colour to a composition of chalk, interrupted only by streaks of black flint. The chalk consists of the remains of shells from millions of microscopic creatures which lived on the seabed over 70 million years ago. So the next time you walk or cycle one of the cliffs’ paths, you are truly treading on fossils!

1. The White Cliffs of Dover stretch east and west from the town of Dover in the British county of Kent. The up to 106-m-high cliff face can be clearly seen across the English Channel from France.
White Cliffs of Dover

Close-up of the cliffs from the walk along the ridge:
White Cliffs of Dover
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2. Beachy Head is the name of chalk cliffs on the south coast of England, close to the town of Eastbourne in the county of East Sussex, immediately east of the Seven Sisters, a series of chalk cliffs close to the English Channel.

Beachy Head is the highest chalk sea cliff in Britain, rising to 162 m (530 ft) above sea level.
Beachy Head and the Seven Sisters
Image: Sue Wallace

3. The Cliffs of Moher near Doolin in County Clare, Ireland, rise 120 metres (394 ft) above the Atlantic Ocean at Hag’s Head, their lowest point, and 214 metres (702 ft) north of O’Brien’s Tower, their highest point. The scenic beauty makes the cliffs a popular tourist destination in Ireland that draws about one million visitors each year.

Looking north from the Cliffs of Moher:
Cliffs of Moher
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4. The mountain with the highest cliffs in Ireland is Croaghaun in County Mayo. At 664 m (2,178 ft), they are also the third-highest cliffs in Europe. The Croaghaun Cliffs loop around the uninhibited northwest of Achill Island and are accessible only by climbing to the top of the mountain. Hikers are then rewarded with breathtaking views of a vast array of sheer rock faces.

Croaghaun is Europe’s third-highest cliff:
Croaghaun Cliff, Ireland
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5. The southern part of the Madeira Islands, belonging to Portugal, are home of Cabo Girão, a 589-m-high and 1 km long sea cliff that is a popular lookout point:
Cabo Girao, Madeira, Portugal
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The mild climate even allows for vineyards at the foot of the cliff:Vineyards at Cabo Girao
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6. Prekestolen or Preikestolen is a massive cliff 604 metres (1982 feet) above Lysefjorden, opposite the Kjerag plateau in Forsand, Norway, about one hour away from the town of Stavanger. The closest hike to the top of the cliff is 3.8 km (2.4 miles) long and rewards climbers with a 25 x 25 metres (82 x 82 ft) square and almost flat plateau perfect for resting one’s tired limbs and enjoying the spectacular view. This famous tourist attraction is also called Pulpit Rock or Preacher’s Pulpit and attracts almost 100,000 visitors in the summer!

Preikestolen offers breathtaking views:
Preikestolen, Norway
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Preikestolen’s plateau is perfect for resting tired limbs:
Preikestolen
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7. Directly opposite Preikestolen is another breathtaking cliff, Kjerag or Kiragg. Its highest point is 1,110 m above sea level and its northern drop is 984 m (3,228 ft). It is popular with many hikers who prefer Kjerag to the more crowded Preikestolen and with BASE jumpers who dive off the cliffs.

Lysefjorden as seen from Kjerag:
Kjerag overlooking Lysefjorden
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Another popular pastime is jumping on the Kjeragbolten, a 5 cubic metre big boulder wedged into a crevasse of the Kjerag mountain. Though the ones who dare can climb onto the boulder without any equipment, there is a direct 1,000 m drop below down into the Lyjse Fjord.

Would you dare to go there?
Kjeragbolten
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8. As we have seen, Norway is a whole treasure trove of cliffs and Ramnjefellet in Styn, Nesdalen, is no exception. This mountain even has the famous Ramnjefellsfossen waterfall at its summit. Its total drop is 818 m (2,685 feet) over five free-leaping cascades.

Ramnjefellsfossen is the 11th-highest waterfall in the world:
Ramnjefellet with the Ramnjefellsfossen
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9. Troll Wall or Trollveggen in the Romsdal Valley on the Norwegian west coast is, at 1,100 metres from base to summit, the tallest vertical rock face in Europe. The wall can be climbed via one of 14 official routes but is recommended for advanced climbers only. Troll Wall used to be popular with BASE jumpers, especially in the eighties, but the sport was banned in 1986 after a series of casualties with difficult rescue operations. This suits the trolls, who are said to inhabit the mountain massif, just fine…

Troll Wall is Europe’s tallest vertical rock face:
Troll Wall, Norway
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Cliffs of North America

10. Norwegian mythology has also influenced Mount Asgard in Auyuittuq National Park, many thousand miles away on the Cumberland Peninsula of Baffin Island, Nunavut, Canada. Asgard is said to be the realm of the gods in Norse mythology and looking at this twin peaked mountain with its two flat-topped cylindrical rock towers separated by a saddle, one could call it a fitting abode for the gods.

Mount Asgard’s 1,200 m (3,900 ft) tall twin peaks featured in the James Bond film The Spy Who Loved Me when a stuntman performed a BASE jump off the top:
Mount Asgard, Canada
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11. Auyuittuq National Park is also home of Mount Thor or Thor Peak. It is popular with climbers because at 1,250 m (4,101 ft), it is the world’s greatest purely vertical drop, with an average angle of 105 degrees. Just like Mount Asgard, Mount Thor gets its name from Norse mythology and Thor, the god of thunder, specifically. Did you know that Thor even influenced our Thursday, which used to be called Thor’s Day?

Mount Thor is the greatest vertical drop on earth:
Mount Thor, Canada
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12. Half Dome is a granite dome at the eastern end of Yosemite Valley in Yosemite National Park in California. Its granite crest stands more than 1,444 m (4,737 ft) tall above the valley. Called “perfectly inaccessible” at the end of the 19th century, the cliff today is ascended by thousands of climbers each year, via a 13.7 km (8.5 mi) trail, aided by steel cables over the final metres.

The aptly named Half Dome in Yosemite National Park:
Half Dome
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View from the edge of Half Dome:
View from Half Dome
Image: Direct Cutter

13. The Kalaupapa Cliffs in Hawaii are the highest sea cliffs in the world, dropping about 1,010 m (3,315 ft) into the Pacific Ocean. The Kalaupapa peninsula was created during the eruption of the underwater Kauhako Volcano, and the small village of Kalaupapa is nestled right at the base of the cliffs.

The lush green cliffs of Kalaupapa as seen from a plane in 2006, with the village on the left:
Kalaupapa Cliffs, Hawaii
Image: Sanba38

Cliffs of South America

14. Next up is Auyantepui or Devil’s Mountain in the Canaima National Park in Bolivar State, Venezuela, where Angel Falls (Santo Angel in Spanish) drops from a cleft near the summit. Angel Falls is the world’s highest waterfall at 979 m (3,212 ft), with the height of the longest drop 807 m (2,647 ft). As a comparison, the Angel Falls are more than 19 times higher than the Niagara Falls.

Angel Falls as seen from Isla Raton:Angel Falls, Venezuela
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Cliffs of Asia

15. The Trango Towers, a group of granite spires of the Karakoram range in northern Pakistan, are known for their large cliffs and therefore challenging climbs. Their highest point is the summit of Great Trango Tower, which stands at 6,286 m (20,608 ft).

The Great Trango Tower’s east face is the world’s tallest near-vertical drop:
Trango Towers
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So the next time you watch a movie that shows a spectacular jump from a cliff, chances are it might look familiar because it was depicted here!

10 Incredible Underground Lakes and Rivers [pics]

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Reed Flute Cave
Reed Flute Cave in Guilin, China was discovered during the Tang Dynasty almost 1,300 years ago. Image by Ian Sewell

Far below the Earth’s surface, where the sun rarely penetrates, is a world of twinkling glow worms, precious gems and limestone caves and mountains, a land inhabited by nature alone. Within this world are visions to rival many landscapes decorating our horizon; lakes lie still and calm, great networks of caves know no borders and rivers and rivulets carve an ever-evolving terrain.

We invite you to explore this remarkable subterranean domain through these incredible images we’ve complied for your viewing pleasure.

1. Cheddar Gorge is Britain’s biggest canyon and is found within the Cheddar Caves, where the UK’s oldest complete human skeleton was found in 1903. Known as the Cheddar Man, the remains were estimated to be 9,000 years old.
Cheddar Gorge
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2. Hamilton Pool Preserve, in Austin, Texas, was created quite naturally when the dome of an underground cave collapsed revealing this stunning natural pool. It is now frequented by day-trippers and naturalists. That’s naturalists not naturists, although no doubt someone has tried to go skinny dipping at one point!
Hamilton Pool
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3. Hamilton Pool from another perspective. When there’s been heavy rainfall, 45ft waterfalls cascade from the rim of the cavern. It must be pretty spectacular when you’re bathing.
Hamilton Pool
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4. Stalagtites adorn the roof of Luray Caverns, Virginia, the still waters throwing a perfect reflection.
Luray Caverns
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5. Legend has it that early cavemen inhabited Wookey Caves in Somerset, England.
Wookey Hole
Wookey Caves

6. This underground lake in Mellisani Caves, near Kefalonia, was found when the roof of the cave collapsed after an earthquake in 1953.
Mellisani Caves
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7. Lechuguilla Cave, in Carlsbad Caverns National Park, New Mexico is the fifth longest cave discovered yet at 120 miles (193 km) long and measures 489 metres (1,604 ft) deep, making it the deepest in continental United States.
Lechuguilla Cave
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8. This underground lake near Macan Ché on the Yucatán Peninsula is one of many that are considered to be gifts from the gods by the Mayans, and therefore sacred.
Macan Che
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9. The limestone flow feeding into this underground lake in Mexico resembles a waterfall turned to stone. Maybe the Ice Queen is privy to this particular cavern?
Cavern Lake Mexico
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10. How long must it have taken for this little waterfall in Banff, Canada, to make this underwater lake?
Underwater Cave Banff
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