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  • Arches National Park preserves over 2,000 natural sandstone arches, like the world-famous Delicate Arch, as well as many other unusual rock formations. In some areas, the forces of nature have exposed millions of years of geologic history. The extraordinary features of the park create a landscape of contrasting colors, landforms and textures that is unlike any other in the world. The forces of nature have acted in concert to create the landscape of Arches, which contains the greatest density of natural arches in the world. Throughout the park, rock layers reveal millions of years of deposition, erosion and other geologic events.
    101098B-11.jpg
  • Shi Shi Beach is located in Olympic National Park on the Olympic Penninsula in Washington. Well known for the spectacular sea stacks that define this landscape, this beautiful beach epitomizes the wild rugged Pacific Northwest coast.
    082005-152.jpg
  • Grand Canyon National Park is the United States' 15th oldest national park. Named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1979, the park is located in Arizona. The park's central feature is the Grand Canyon, a gorge of the Colorado River, which is often considered one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World. The park covers 1,217,262 acres (1,901.972 sq mi; 492,608 ha; 4,926.08 km2) of unincorporated area in Coconino and Mohave counties.<br />
<br />
The Grand Canyon, including its extensive system of tributary canyons, is valued for its combination of size, depth, and exposed layers of colorful rocks dating back to Precambrian times. The canyon itself was created by the incision of the Colorado River and its tributaries after the Colorado Plateau was uplifted, causing the Colorado River system to develop along its present path.  This image was taken on the south rim of the canyon.
    091315-168.jpg
  • The Navajo name for Upper Antelope Canyon is Tsé bighánílíní, which means "the place where water runs through rocks." <br />
<br />
Antelope Canyon was formed by erosion of Navajo Sandstone, primarily due to flash flooding and secondarily due to other sub-aerial processes. Rainwater, especially during monsoon season, runs into the extensive basin above the slot canyon sections, picking up speed and sand as it rushes into the narrow passageways. Over time the passageways eroded away, making the corridors deeper and smoothing hard edges in such a way as to form characteristic 'flowing' shapes in the rock.
    062315-066b.jpg
  • Sossussvlei is located in the Namib Desert in southern Namibia and forms part of the Namib-Naukluft National Park. The desert is Africa's second largest and contains some of the largest dunes in the world (over 300 meters). The area is considered to be one of the oldest deserts in the world, has less than 10 mm (0.4 inches) of rain annually and is almost completely barren.
    091101A-35.jpg
  • Monument Valley (Navajo: Tsé Biiʼ Ndzisgaii, meaning valley of the rocks) is a region of the Colorado Plateau characterized by a cluster of vast sandstone buttes, the largest reaching 1,000 ft (300 m) above the valley floor. It is located on the Arizona-Utah state line near the Four Corners area. The valley lies within the range of the Navajo Nation Reservation.  The area is part of the Colorado Plateau. The elevation of the valley floor ranges from 5,000 to 6,000 feet (1,500 to 1,800 m) above sea level. The floor is largely siltstone of the Cutler Group, or sand derived from it, deposited by the meandering rivers that carved the valley. The valley's vivid red color comes from iron oxide exposed in the weathered siltstone. The darker, blue-gray rocks in the valley get their color from manganese oxide.  The buttes are clearly stratified, with three principal layers. The lowest layer is the Organ Rock Shale, the middle is de Chelly Sandstone, and the top layer is the Moenkopi Formation capped by Shinarump Conglomerate. The valley includes large stone structures including the famed "Eye of the Sun".
    091615-052.jpg
  • Bryce Canyon National Park is located in southwestern Utah in the United States. The major feature of the park is Bryce Canyon, which despite its name, is not a canyon, but a collection of giant natural amphitheaters along the eastern side of the Paunsaugunt Plateau. Bryce is distinctive due to geological structures called hoodoos, formed by frost weathering and stream erosion of the river and lake bed sedimentary rocks. The red, orange, and white colors of the rocks provide spectacular views. Bryce sits at a higher elevation varying from 8,000 to 9,000 feet (2,400 to 2,700 m).<br />
The Bryce Canyon area was settled by Mormon pioneers in the 1850s and was named after Ebenezer Bryce, who homesteaded in the area in 1874. The area around Bryce Canyon became a National Monument in 1923 and was designated as a National Park in 1928. The park covers 35,835 acres (55.992 sq mi; 14,502 ha; 145.02 km2) and receives relatively few visitors compared to Zion National Park and the Grand Canyon, largely due to its remote location.
    062415-07.jpg
  • The Navajo name for Upper Antelope Canyon is Tsé bighánílíní, which means "the place where water runs through rocks." <br />
<br />
Antelope Canyon was formed by erosion of Navajo Sandstone, primarily due to flash flooding and secondarily due to other sub-aerial processes. Rainwater, especially during monsoon season, runs into the extensive basin above the slot canyon sections, picking up speed and sand as it rushes into the narrow passageways. Over time the passageways eroded away, making the corridors deeper and smoothing hard edges in such a way as to form characteristic 'flowing' shapes in the rock.
    062315-017.jpg
  • Grand Canyon National Park is the United States' 15th oldest national park. Named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1979, the park is located in Arizona. The park's central feature is the Grand Canyon, a gorge of the Colorado River, which is often considered one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World. The park covers 1,217,262 acres (1,901.972 sq mi; 492,608 ha; 4,926.08 km2) of unincorporated area in Coconino and Mohave counties.<br />
<br />
The Grand Canyon, including its extensive system of tributary canyons, is valued for its combination of size, depth, and exposed layers of colorful rocks dating back to Precambrian times. The canyon itself was created by the incision of the Colorado River and its tributaries after the Colorado Plateau was uplifted, causing the Colorado River system to develop along its present path.  This image was taken on the south rim of the canyon.
    062215-062.jpg
  • Grand Canyon National Park is the United States' 15th oldest national park. Named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1979, the park is located in Arizona. The park's central feature is the Grand Canyon, a gorge of the Colorado River, which is often considered one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World. The park covers 1,217,262 acres (1,901.972 sq mi; 492,608 ha; 4,926.08 km2) of unincorporated area in Coconino and Mohave counties.<br />
<br />
The Grand Canyon, including its extensive system of tributary canyons, is valued for its combination of size, depth, and exposed layers of colorful rocks dating back to Precambrian times. The canyon itself was created by the incision of the Colorado River and its tributaries after the Colorado Plateau was uplifted, causing the Colorado River system to develop along its present path.  This image was taken on the south rim of the canyon.
    062215-011.jpg
  • Crater Lake - Crater Lake National Park - Oregon - United States<br />
<br />
About 6,800 years ago, at the climax of a series of dramatic eruptions, the top of Mt. Mazama collapsed.  Left behind was the huge crater, or caldera, you see today.  But before the caldera filed with water, there were more eruptions.<br />
<br />
The most striking evidence of post-collapse volcanic activity is Wizard Island, the small volcano in the middle of Crater Lake.  It's symmetrical cone was formed by a fountain of cinders which erupted from the caldera floor.  On the left side of the caldera, a similar cone appeared, but today it lies hidden 496 feet (151m) beow the lake surface. <br />
<br />
Geologists believe that lava flows which erupted after the collapse helped to seal the fractured caldera floor, allowing melting snow and rain to accumulate. <br />
<br />
When Mt. Mazama collapsed about 6,800 years ago, it left behind evidences of its former self.  Like X-ray photos, the steep caldera walls reveal the interior of Mt. Mazama before its fall.  <br />
<br />
The massive gray monolith on the rim is Llao Rock.  It formed when a large outpouring of lava filled an explosion crater on the north slope of Mt. Mazama.  When Mt. Mazama collapsed, part of the hardened lava flow broke off and fell into the caldera, leaving the downslope portion perched on the rim.<br />
<br />
The jagged, colorful spires of Hillman Peak are the remains of a secondary volcano which erupted on the side of Mt. Mazama.  This satellite cone attained a height of 1,000 feet (300m). Erosion has exposed a maze of clogged and solified lava conduits that fed the Hillman volcano.
    070310-209.jpg
  • The Navajo name for Upper Antelope Canyon is Tsé bighánílíní, which means "the place where water runs through rocks." <br />
<br />
Antelope Canyon was formed by erosion of Navajo Sandstone, primarily due to flash flooding and secondarily due to other sub-aerial processes. Rainwater, especially during monsoon season, runs into the extensive basin above the slot canyon sections, picking up speed and sand as it rushes into the narrow passageways. Over time the passageways eroded away, making the corridors deeper and smoothing hard edges in such a way as to form characteristic 'flowing' shapes in the rock.
    062315-070.jpg
  • Grand Canyon National Park is the United States' 15th oldest national park. Named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1979, the park is located in Arizona. The park's central feature is the Grand Canyon, a gorge of the Colorado River, which is often considered one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World. The park covers 1,217,262 acres (1,901.972 sq mi; 492,608 ha; 4,926.08 km2) of unincorporated area in Coconino and Mohave counties.<br />
<br />
The Grand Canyon, including its extensive system of tributary canyons, is valued for its combination of size, depth, and exposed layers of colorful rocks dating back to Precambrian times. The canyon itself was created by the incision of the Colorado River and its tributaries after the Colorado Plateau was uplifted, causing the Colorado River system to develop along its present path.  This image was taken on the south rim of the canyon.
    062215-065.jpg
  • Sossussvlei is located in the Namib Desert in southern Namibia and forms part of the Namib-Naukluft National Park. The desert is Africa's second largest and contains some of the largest dunes in the world (over 300 meters). The area is considered to be one of the oldest deserts in the world, has less than 10 mm (0.4 inches) of rain annually and is almost completely barren.
    091201F-07.jpg
  • Sossussvlei is located in the Namib Desert in southern Namibia and forms part of the Namib-Naukluft National Park. The desert is Africa's second largest and contains some of the largest dunes in the world (over 300 meters). The area is considered to be one of the oldest deserts in the world, has less than 10 mm (0.4 inches) of rain annually and is almost completely barren.
    091201E-35.jpg
  • The Navajo name for Upper Antelope Canyon is Tsé bighánílíní, which means "the place where water runs through rocks." Antelope Canyon was formed by erosion of Navajo Sandstone, primarily due to flash flooding and secondarily due to other sub-aerial processes. Rainwater, especially during monsoon season, runs into the extensive basin above the slot canyon sections, picking up speed and sand as it rushes into the narrow passageways. Over time the passageways eroded away, making the corridors deeper and smoothing hard edges in such a way as to form characteristic 'flowing' shapes in the rock.
    091415-189.jpg
  • Sossussvlei is located in the Namib Desert in southern Namibia and forms part of the Namib-Naukluft National Park. The desert is Africa's second largest and contains some of the largest dunes in the world (over 300 meters). The area is considered to be one of the oldest deserts in the world, has less than 10 mm (0.4 inches) of rain annually and is almost completely barren.
    091201D-07.jpg
  • The Navajo name for Upper Antelope Canyon is Tsé bighánílíní, which means "the place where water runs through rocks." Antelope Canyon was formed by erosion of Navajo Sandstone, primarily due to flash flooding and secondarily due to other sub-aerial processes. Rainwater, especially during monsoon season, runs into the extensive basin above the slot canyon sections, picking up speed and sand as it rushes into the narrow passageways. Over time the passageways eroded away, making the corridors deeper and smoothing hard edges in such a way as to form characteristic 'flowing' shapes in the rock.
    091415-132.jpg
  • Sossussvlei is located in the Namib Desert in southern Namibia and forms part of the Namib-Naukluft National Park. The desert is Africa's second largest and contains some of the largest dunes in the world (over 300 meters). The area is considered to be one of the oldest deserts in the world, has less than 10 mm (0.4 inches) of rain annually and is almost completely barren.
    091101A-04.jpg
  • An African sunset in the Okavango Delta - Mombo - Okavango Delta - Botswana
    121199M-14.jpg
  • Monument Valley (Navajo: Tsé Biiʼ Ndzisgaii, meaning valley of the rocks) is a region of the Colorado Plateau characterized by a cluster of vast sandstone buttes, the largest reaching 1,000 ft (300 m) above the valley floor. It is located on the Arizona-Utah state line near the Four Corners area. The valley lies within the range of the Navajo Nation Reservation.  The area is part of the Colorado Plateau. The elevation of the valley floor ranges from 5,000 to 6,000 feet (1,500 to 1,800 m) above sea level. The floor is largely siltstone of the Cutler Group, or sand derived from it, deposited by the meandering rivers that carved the valley. The valley's vivid red color comes from iron oxide exposed in the weathered siltstone. The darker, blue-gray rocks in the valley get their color from manganese oxide.  The buttes are clearly stratified, with three principal layers. The lowest layer is the Organ Rock Shale, the middle is de Chelly Sandstone, and the top layer is the Moenkopi Formation capped by Shinarump Conglomerate. The valley includes large stone structures including the famed "Eye of the Sun".
    091615-062.jpg
  • Bryce Canyon National Park is located in southwestern Utah in the United States. The major feature of the park is Bryce Canyon, which despite its name, is not a canyon, but a collection of giant natural amphitheaters along the eastern side of the Paunsaugunt Plateau. Bryce is distinctive due to geological structures called hoodoos, formed by frost weathering and stream erosion of the river and lake bed sedimentary rocks. The red, orange, and white colors of the rocks provide spectacular views. Bryce sits at a higher elevation varying from 8,000 to 9,000 feet (2,400 to 2,700 m).<br />
The Bryce Canyon area was settled by Mormon pioneers in the 1850s and was named after Ebenezer Bryce, who homesteaded in the area in 1874. The area around Bryce Canyon became a National Monument in 1923 and was designated as a National Park in 1928. The park covers 35,835 acres (55.992 sq mi; 14,502 ha; 145.02 km2) and receives relatively few visitors compared to Zion National Park and the Grand Canyon, largely due to its remote location.
    062415-63.jpg
  • The Navajo name for Upper Antelope Canyon is Tsé bighánílíní, which means "the place where water runs through rocks." <br />
<br />
Antelope Canyon was formed by erosion of Navajo Sandstone, primarily due to flash flooding and secondarily due to other sub-aerial processes. Rainwater, especially during monsoon season, runs into the extensive basin above the slot canyon sections, picking up speed and sand as it rushes into the narrow passageways. Over time the passageways eroded away, making the corridors deeper and smoothing hard edges in such a way as to form characteristic 'flowing' shapes in the rock.
    062315-010.jpg
  • Sossussvlei is located in the Namib Desert in southern Namibia and forms part of the Namib-Naukluft National Park. The desert is Africa's second largest and contains some of the largest dunes in the world (over 300 meters). The area is considered to be one of the oldest deserts in the world, has less than 10 mm (0.4 inches) of rain annually and is almost completely barren.
    091201F-17.jpg
  • Monument Valley (Navajo: Tsé Biiʼ Ndzisgaii, meaning valley of the rocks) is a region of the Colorado Plateau characterized by a cluster of vast sandstone buttes, the largest reaching 1,000 ft (300 m) above the valley floor. It is located on the Arizona-Utah state line near the Four Corners area. The valley lies within the range of the Navajo Nation Reservation.  The area is part of the Colorado Plateau. The elevation of the valley floor ranges from 5,000 to 6,000 feet (1,500 to 1,800 m) above sea level. The floor is largely siltstone of the Cutler Group, or sand derived from it, deposited by the meandering rivers that carved the valley. The valley's vivid red color comes from iron oxide exposed in the weathered siltstone. The darker, blue-gray rocks in the valley get their color from manganese oxide.  The buttes are clearly stratified, with three principal layers. The lowest layer is the Organ Rock Shale, the middle is de Chelly Sandstone, and the top layer is the Moenkopi Formation capped by Shinarump Conglomerate. The valley includes large stone structures including the famed "Eye of the Sun".
    091515-128.jpg
  • Grand Canyon National Park is the United States' 15th oldest national park. Named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1979, the park is located in Arizona. The park's central feature is the Grand Canyon, a gorge of the Colorado River, which is often considered one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World. The park covers 1,217,262 acres (1,901.972 sq mi; 492,608 ha; 4,926.08 km2) of unincorporated area in Coconino and Mohave counties.<br />
<br />
The Grand Canyon, including its extensive system of tributary canyons, is valued for its combination of size, depth, and exposed layers of colorful rocks dating back to Precambrian times. The canyon itself was created by the incision of the Colorado River and its tributaries after the Colorado Plateau was uplifted, causing the Colorado River system to develop along its present path.  This image was taken on the south rim of the canyon.
    091315-257.jpg
  • Grand Canyon National Park is the United States' 15th oldest national park. Named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1979, the park is located in Arizona. The park's central feature is the Grand Canyon, a gorge of the Colorado River, which is often considered one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World. The park covers 1,217,262 acres (1,901.972 sq mi; 492,608 ha; 4,926.08 km2) of unincorporated area in Coconino and Mohave counties.<br />
<br />
The Grand Canyon, including its extensive system of tributary canyons, is valued for its combination of size, depth, and exposed layers of colorful rocks dating back to Precambrian times. The canyon itself was created by the incision of the Colorado River and its tributaries after the Colorado Plateau was uplifted, causing the Colorado River system to develop along its present path.  This image was taken on the south rim of the canyon.
    091315-038.jpg
  • The Navajo name for Upper Antelope Canyon is Tsé bighánílíní, which means "the place where water runs through rocks." <br />
<br />
Antelope Canyon was formed by erosion of Navajo Sandstone, primarily due to flash flooding and secondarily due to other sub-aerial processes. Rainwater, especially during monsoon season, runs into the extensive basin above the slot canyon sections, picking up speed and sand as it rushes into the narrow passageways. Over time the passageways eroded away, making the corridors deeper and smoothing hard edges in such a way as to form characteristic 'flowing' shapes in the rock.
    062315-503.jpg
  • Geikie Gorge near Fitzroy Crossing <br />
<br />
Kimberley Plateau - Western Australia <br />
<br />
Geikie Gorge (known locally as Darngku) is located within the grounds of Geikie Gorge National Park, 20km from Fitzroy Crossing, 1831 km northeast of Perth and 420 km east of Broome in the Kimberley Region of Western Australia. Believed to be one of the best-known and most easily accessed, the gorge is named in honour of Sir Archibald Geikie, the Director General of Geological Survey for Great Britain and Ireland when it was given its European name in 1883. Along with Tunnel Creek and Windjana Gorge, Geikie Gorge is part of an ancient barrier reef that developed during the Devonian Period. The walls of the gorge are 30 metres high. The eight kilometer gorge was created by the flowing waters of the Fitzroy River, which still flows through the region and the wildlife present in the Gorge includes: the freshwater crocodile, Leichhardt's sawfish and Coach-whip stingrays.
    101801C-16.jpg
  • Machu Picchu is a pre-Columbian Inca site located 2,400 meters (7,875 ft) above sea level. It is situated on a mountain ridge above the Urubamba Valley in Peru, which is 80 km (50 mi) northwest of Cuzco and through which the Urubamba River flows. The river is a partially navigable headwater of the Amazon River. Often referred to as "The Lost City of the Incas", Machu Picchu is one of the most familiar symbols of the Inca Empire. It was built around the year 1460, but was abandoned as an official site for the Inca rulers a hundred years later, at the time of the Spanish conquest of the Inca Empire. Although known locally, it was said to have been forgotten for centuries when the site was brought to worldwide attention in 1911 by Hiram Bingham, an American historian. Machu Picchu was declared a Peruvian Historical Sanctuary in 1981 and a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1983. It is especially important as a cultural site and considered a sacred place.
    053100K-7.jpg
  • Machu Picchu is a pre-Columbian Inca site located 2,400 meters (7,875 ft) above sea level. It is situated on a mountain ridge above the Urubamba Valley in Peru, which is 80 km (50 mi) northwest of Cuzco and through which the Urubamba River flows. The river is a partially navigable headwater of the Amazon River. Often referred to as "The Lost City of the Incas", Machu Picchu is one of the most familiar symbols of the Inca Empire. It was built around the year 1460, but was abandoned as an official site for the Inca rulers a hundred years later, at the time of the Spanish conquest of the Inca Empire. Although known locally, it was said to have been forgotten for centuries when the site was brought to worldwide attention in 1911 by Hiram Bingham, an American historian. Machu Picchu was declared a Peruvian Historical Sanctuary in 1981 and a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1983. It is especially important as a cultural site and considered a sacred place.
    053100E-15.jpg
  • An African sunrise in the Okavango Delta - Mombo - Okavango Delta - Botswana
    121499A-15.jpg
  • Sossussvlei is located in the Namib Desert in southern Namibia and forms part of the Namib-Naukluft National Park. The desert is Africa's second largest and contains some of the largest dunes in the world (over 300 meters). The area is considered to be one of the oldest deserts in the world, has less than 10 mm (0.4 inches) of rain annually and is almost completely barren.
    091201E-10.jpg
  • Sossussvlei is located in the Namib Desert in southern Namibia and forms part of the Namib-Naukluft National Park. The desert is Africa's second largest and contains some of the largest dunes in the world (over 300 meters). The area is considered to be one of the oldest deserts in the world, has less than 10 mm (0.4 inches) of rain annually and is almost completely barren.
    091201D-27.jpg
  • Sossussvlei is located in the Namib Desert in southern Namibia and forms part of the Namib-Naukluft National Park. The desert is Africa's second largest and contains some of the largest dunes in the world (over 300 meters). The area is considered to be one of the oldest deserts in the world, has less than 10 mm (0.4 inches) of rain annually and is almost completely barren.
    091201D-11.jpg
  • Sossussvlei is located in the Namib Desert in southern Namibia and forms part of the Namib-Naukluft National Park. The desert is Africa's second largest and contains some of the largest dunes in the world (over 300 meters). The area is considered to be one of the oldest deserts in the world, has less than 10 mm (0.4 inches) of rain annually and is almost completely barren.
    091101A-01.jpg
  • Monument Valley (Navajo: Tsé Biiʼ Ndzisgaii, meaning valley of the rocks) is a region of the Colorado Plateau characterized by a cluster of vast sandstone buttes, the largest reaching 1,000 ft (300 m) above the valley floor. It is located on the Arizona-Utah state line near the Four Corners area. The valley lies within the range of the Navajo Nation Reservation.  The area is part of the Colorado Plateau. The elevation of the valley floor ranges from 5,000 to 6,000 feet (1,500 to 1,800 m) above sea level. The floor is largely siltstone of the Cutler Group, or sand derived from it, deposited by the meandering rivers that carved the valley. The valley's vivid red color comes from iron oxide exposed in the weathered siltstone. The darker, blue-gray rocks in the valley get their color from manganese oxide.  The buttes are clearly stratified, with three principal layers. The lowest layer is the Organ Rock Shale, the middle is de Chelly Sandstone, and the top layer is the Moenkopi Formation capped by Shinarump Conglomerate. The valley includes large stone structures including the famed "Eye of the Sun".
    091615-044.jpg
  • The Navajo name for Upper Antelope Canyon is Tsé bighánílíní, which means "the place where water runs through rocks." <br />
<br />
Antelope Canyon was formed by erosion of Navajo Sandstone, primarily due to flash flooding and secondarily due to other sub-aerial processes. Rainwater, especially during monsoon season, runs into the extensive basin above the slot canyon sections, picking up speed and sand as it rushes into the narrow passageways. Over time the passageways eroded away, making the corridors deeper and smoothing hard edges in such a way as to form characteristic 'flowing' shapes in the rock.
    062315-275.jpg
  • The Navajo name for Upper Antelope Canyon is Tsé bighánílíní, which means "the place where water runs through rocks." <br />
<br />
Antelope Canyon was formed by erosion of Navajo Sandstone, primarily due to flash flooding and secondarily due to other sub-aerial processes. Rainwater, especially during monsoon season, runs into the extensive basin above the slot canyon sections, picking up speed and sand as it rushes into the narrow passageways. Over time the passageways eroded away, making the corridors deeper and smoothing hard edges in such a way as to form characteristic 'flowing' shapes in the rock.
    062315-057.jpg
  • Sossussvlei is located in the Namib Desert in southern Namibia and forms part of the Namib-Naukluft National Park. The desert is Africa's second largest and contains some of the largest dunes in the world (over 300 meters). The area is considered to be one of the oldest deserts in the world, has less than 10 mm (0.4 inches) of rain annually and is almost completely barren.
    091201E-04.jpg
  • Badaling - near Beijing - China <br />
<br />
The Great Wall of China is a series of stone and earthen fortifications in China, built, rebuilt, and maintained between the 6th century BC and the 16th century to protect the northern borders of the Chinese Empire from Xiongnu attacks during the rule of successive dynasties. The Great Wall stretches over approximately 6,400 km (4,000 miles) from Shanhaiguan in the east to Lop Nur in the west, along an arc that roughly delineates the southern edge of Inner Mongolia, but stretches to over 6,700 km (4,160 miles) in total. It has been estimated that somewhere in the range of 2 to 3 million Chinese died as part of the centuries-long project of building the wall.
    082698A-25.jpg
  • Crater Lake - Crater Lake National Park - Oregon - United States<br />
<br />
About 6,800 years ago, at the climax of a series of dramatic eruptions, the top of Mt. Mazama collapsed.  Left behind was the huge crater, or caldera, you see today.  But before the caldera filed with water, there were more eruptions.<br />
<br />
The most striking evidence of post-collapse volcanic activity is Wizard Island, the small volcano in the middle of Crater Lake.  It's symmetrical cone was formed by a fountain of cinders which erupted from the caldera floor.  On the left side of the caldera, a similar cone appeared, but today it lies hidden 496 feet (151m) beow the lake surface. <br />
<br />
Geologists believe that lava flows which erupted after the collapse helped to seal the fractured caldera floor, allowing melting snow and rain to accumulate. <br />
<br />
When Mt. Mazama collapsed about 6,800 years ago, it left behind evidences of its former self.  Like X-ray photos, the steep caldera walls reveal the interior of Mt. Mazama before its fall.  <br />
<br />
The massive gray monolith on the rim is Llao Rock.  It formed when a large outpouring of lava filled an explosion crater on the north slope of Mt. Mazama.  When Mt. Mazama collapsed, part of the hardened lava flow broke off and fell into the caldera, leaving the downslope portion perched on the rim.<br />
<br />
The jagged, colorful spires of Hillman Peak are the remains of a secondary volcano which erupted on the side of Mt. Mazama.  This satellite cone attained a height of 1,000 feet (300m). Erosion has exposed a maze of clogged and solified lava conduits that fed the Hillman volcano.
    070310-089.jpg
  • Machu Picchu is a pre-Columbian Inca site located 2,400 meters (7,875 ft) above sea level. It is situated on a mountain ridge above the Urubamba Valley in Peru, which is 80 km (50 mi) northwest of Cuzco and through which the Urubamba River flows. The river is a partially navigable headwater of the Amazon River. Often referred to as "The Lost City of the Incas", Machu Picchu is one of the most familiar symbols of the Inca Empire. It was built around the year 1460, but was abandoned as an official site for the Inca rulers a hundred years later, at the time of the Spanish conquest of the Inca Empire. Although known locally, it was said to have been forgotten for centuries when the site was brought to worldwide attention in 1911 by Hiram Bingham, an American historian. Machu Picchu was declared a Peruvian Historical Sanctuary in 1981 and a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1983. It is especially important as a cultural site and considered a sacred place.
    053100E-4.jpg
  • Sossussvlei is located in the Namib Desert in southern Namibia and forms part of the Namib-Naukluft National Park. The desert is Africa's second largest and contains some of the largest dunes in the world (over 300 meters). The area is considered to be one of the oldest deserts in the world, has less than 10 mm (0.4 inches) of rain annually and is almost completely barren.
    091601D-12.jpg
  • Sossussvlei is located in the Namib Desert in southern Namibia and forms part of the Namib-Naukluft National Park. The desert is Africa's second largest and contains some of the largest dunes in the world (over 300 meters). The area is considered to be one of the oldest deserts in the world, has less than 10 mm (0.4 inches) of rain annually and is almost completely barren.
    091301B-01.jpg
  • Sossussvlei is located in the Namib Desert in southern Namibia and forms part of the Namib-Naukluft National Park. The desert is Africa's second largest and contains some of the largest dunes in the world (over 300 meters). The area is considered to be one of the oldest deserts in the world, has less than 10 mm (0.4 inches) of rain annually and is almost completely barren.
    091201E-07.jpg
  • Horseshoe Bend is a horseshoe-shaped meander of the Colorado River located near the town of Page, Arizona, in the United States.  The overlook is 4,200 feet (1,300 m) above sea level, and the Colorado River is at 3,200 feet (980 m) above sea level, making it a 1,000-foot (300 m) drop.  The rock walls of Horseshoe Bend contain a variety of minerals, among which are hematite, platinum and garnet.
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  • Crater Lake - Crater Lake National Park - Oregon - United States<br />
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About 6,800 years ago, at the climax of a series of dramatic eruptions, the top of Mt. Mazama collapsed.  Left behind was the huge crater, or caldera, you see today.  But before the caldera filed with water, there were more eruptions.<br />
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The most striking evidence of post-collapse volcanic activity is Wizard Island, the small volcano in the middle of Crater Lake.  It's symmetrical cone was formed by a fountain of cinders which erupted from the caldera floor.  On the left side of the caldera, a similar cone appeared, but today it lies hidden 496 feet (151m) beow the lake surface. <br />
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Geologists believe that lava flows which erupted after the collapse helped to seal the fractured caldera floor, allowing melting snow and rain to accumulate. <br />
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When Mt. Mazama collapsed about 6,800 years ago, it left behind evidences of its former self.  Like X-ray photos, the steep caldera walls reveal the interior of Mt. Mazama before its fall.  <br />
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The massive gray monolith on the rim is Llao Rock.  It formed when a large outpouring of lava filled an explosion crater on the north slope of Mt. Mazama.  When Mt. Mazama collapsed, part of the hardened lava flow broke off and fell into the caldera, leaving the downslope portion perched on the rim.<br />
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The jagged, colorful spires of Hillman Peak are the remains of a secondary volcano which erupted on the side of Mt. Mazama.  This satellite cone attained a height of 1,000 feet (300m). Erosion has exposed a maze of clogged and solified lava conduits that fed the Hillman volcano.
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  • Monument Valley (Navajo: Tsé Biiʼ Ndzisgaii, meaning valley of the rocks) is a region of the Colorado Plateau characterized by a cluster of vast sandstone buttes, the largest reaching 1,000 ft (300 m) above the valley floor. It is located on the Arizona-Utah state line near the Four Corners area. The valley lies within the range of the Navajo Nation Reservation.  The area is part of the Colorado Plateau. The elevation of the valley floor ranges from 5,000 to 6,000 feet (1,500 to 1,800 m) above sea level. The floor is largely siltstone of the Cutler Group, or sand derived from it, deposited by the meandering rivers that carved the valley. The valley's vivid red color comes from iron oxide exposed in the weathered siltstone. The darker, blue-gray rocks in the valley get their color from manganese oxide.  The buttes are clearly stratified, with three principal layers. The lowest layer is the Organ Rock Shale, the middle is de Chelly Sandstone, and the top layer is the Moenkopi Formation capped by Shinarump Conglomerate. The valley includes large stone structures including the famed "Eye of the Sun".
    091615-287.jpg
  • The Navajo name for Upper Antelope Canyon is Tsé bighánílíní, which means "the place where water runs through rocks." Antelope Canyon was formed by erosion of Navajo Sandstone, primarily due to flash flooding and secondarily due to other sub-aerial processes. Rainwater, especially during monsoon season, runs into the extensive basin above the slot canyon sections, picking up speed and sand as it rushes into the narrow passageways. Over time the passageways eroded away, making the corridors deeper and smoothing hard edges in such a way as to form characteristic 'flowing' shapes in the rock.
    091415-084.jpg
  • The Navajo name for Upper Antelope Canyon is Tsé bighánílíní, which means "the place where water runs through rocks." Antelope Canyon was formed by erosion of Navajo Sandstone, primarily due to flash flooding and secondarily due to other sub-aerial processes. Rainwater, especially during monsoon season, runs into the extensive basin above the slot canyon sections, picking up speed and sand as it rushes into the narrow passageways. Over time the passageways eroded away, making the corridors deeper and smoothing hard edges in such a way as to form characteristic 'flowing' shapes in the rock.
    091415-087.jpg
  • The Navajo name for Upper Antelope Canyon is Tsé bighánílíní, which means "the place where water runs through rocks." <br />
<br />
Antelope Canyon was formed by erosion of Navajo Sandstone, primarily due to flash flooding and secondarily due to other sub-aerial processes. Rainwater, especially during monsoon season, runs into the extensive basin above the slot canyon sections, picking up speed and sand as it rushes into the narrow passageways. Over time the passageways eroded away, making the corridors deeper and smoothing hard edges in such a way as to form characteristic 'flowing' shapes in the rock.
    062315-305.jpg
  • The Navajo name for Upper Antelope Canyon is Tsé bighánílíní, which means "the place where water runs through rocks." <br />
<br />
Antelope Canyon was formed by erosion of Navajo Sandstone, primarily due to flash flooding and secondarily due to other sub-aerial processes. Rainwater, especially during monsoon season, runs into the extensive basin above the slot canyon sections, picking up speed and sand as it rushes into the narrow passageways. Over time the passageways eroded away, making the corridors deeper and smoothing hard edges in such a way as to form characteristic 'flowing' shapes in the rock.
    062315-127.jpg
  • Grand Canyon National Park is the United States' 15th oldest national park. Named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1979, the park is located in Arizona. The park's central feature is the Grand Canyon, a gorge of the Colorado River, which is often considered one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World. The park covers 1,217,262 acres (1,901.972 sq mi; 492,608 ha; 4,926.08 km2) of unincorporated area in Coconino and Mohave counties.<br />
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The Grand Canyon, including its extensive system of tributary canyons, is valued for its combination of size, depth, and exposed layers of colorful rocks dating back to Precambrian times. The canyon itself was created by the incision of the Colorado River and its tributaries after the Colorado Plateau was uplifted, causing the Colorado River system to develop along its present path.  This image was taken on the south rim of the canyon.
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  • Hoodoos - grotesque, eerie and often whimsical... are on display here, along with ancient trees and scenic views from the rim. Famous for its unique geology of red rock spires and horseshoe-shaped amphitheaters, Bryce offers the visitor a "Far View" from the eastern edge of the Paunsaugunt Plateau in southern Utah. Bryce Canyon National Park is a scientist's laboratory and a child's playground. Because Bryce transcends 2000 feet (650 m) of elevation, the park exists in three distinct climatic zones: spruce/fir forest, Ponderosa Pine forest, and Pinyon Pine/juniper forest.
    062998D-22.jpg
  • Machu Picchu is a pre-Columbian Inca site located 2,400 meters (7,875 ft) above sea level. It is situated on a mountain ridge above the Urubamba Valley in Peru, which is 80 km (50 mi) northwest of Cuzco and through which the Urubamba River flows. The river is a partially navigable headwater of the Amazon River. Often referred to as "The Lost City of the Incas", Machu Picchu is one of the most familiar symbols of the Inca Empire. It was built around the year 1460, but was abandoned as an official site for the Inca rulers a hundred years later, at the time of the Spanish conquest of the Inca Empire. Although known locally, it was said to have been forgotten for centuries when the site was brought to worldwide attention in 1911 by Hiram Bingham, an American historian. Machu Picchu was declared a Peruvian Historical Sanctuary in 1981 and a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1983. It is especially important as a cultural site and considered a sacred place.
    053100P-01.jpg
  • Sossussvlei is located in the Namib Desert in southern Namibia and forms part of the Namib-Naukluft National Park. The desert is Africa's second largest and contains some of the largest dunes in the world (over 300 meters). The area is considered to be one of the oldest deserts in the world, has less than 10 mm (0.4 inches) of rain annually and is almost completely barren.
    091201D-27.jpg
  • Sossussvlei is located in the Namib Desert in southern Namibia and forms part of the Namib-Naukluft National Park. The desert is Africa's second largest and contains some of the largest dunes in the world (over 300 meters). The area is considered to be one of the oldest deserts in the world, has less than 10 mm (0.4 inches) of rain annually and is almost completely barren.
    091301B-28.jpg
  • Monument Valley (Navajo: Tsé Biiʼ Ndzisgaii, meaning valley of the rocks) is a region of the Colorado Plateau characterized by a cluster of vast sandstone buttes, the largest reaching 1,000 ft (300 m) above the valley floor. It is located on the Arizona-Utah state line near the Four Corners area. The valley lies within the range of the Navajo Nation Reservation.  The area is part of the Colorado Plateau. The elevation of the valley floor ranges from 5,000 to 6,000 feet (1,500 to 1,800 m) above sea level. The floor is largely siltstone of the Cutler Group, or sand derived from it, deposited by the meandering rivers that carved the valley. The valley's vivid red color comes from iron oxide exposed in the weathered siltstone. The darker, blue-gray rocks in the valley get their color from manganese oxide.  The buttes are clearly stratified, with three principal layers. The lowest layer is the Organ Rock Shale, the middle is de Chelly Sandstone, and the top layer is the Moenkopi Formation capped by Shinarump Conglomerate. The valley includes large stone structures including the famed "Eye of the Sun".
    091515-002.jpg
  • Ridell Beach near Broom - Kimberley Plateau, Western Australia <br />
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The sun sets into the ocean in this beautiful scene on Ridell Beach near Broom in Western Australia.
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  • Columbia River Gorge, Oregon - United States <br />
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This section of the Columbia River Gorge, just east of Portland, Oregon has the highest concentration of waterfalls in the United States.
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  • An African sunrise in the Okavango Delta - Mombo - Okavango Delta - Botswana
    121399A-19.jpg
  • The Navajo name for Upper Antelope Canyon is Tsé bighánílíní, which means "the place where water runs through rocks." <br />
<br />
Antelope Canyon was formed by erosion of Navajo Sandstone, primarily due to flash flooding and secondarily due to other sub-aerial processes. Rainwater, especially during monsoon season, runs into the extensive basin above the slot canyon sections, picking up speed and sand as it rushes into the narrow passageways. Over time the passageways eroded away, making the corridors deeper and smoothing hard edges in such a way as to form characteristic 'flowing' shapes in the rock.
    062315-171.jpg
  • The Holy City of Fez, a jewel of Spanish-Arabic civilization, is an outstanding and well-preserved example of an ancient capital of the Almoravids and the Almohads in the North African context, despite the destruction of the city and the transfer of the capital to Rabat. The Medina of Fez in its old, densely packed monuments - madrasas, fondouks, palaces, residences, mosques and fountains - is the memory of the capital founded in year 192 of the Hegira (808) by Idriss II.<br />
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The ancient city, home to the oldest university in the world, is composed of two distinct centres. One is the quarter of the Andalous, a population that fled from the Umayyad masters of Cordoba and who came to settle definitively on the right bank of the Fez. The other is the quarter of the Quarawiyyia, a people emigrated from Kairouan in the 11th century who chose the left bank of the river to develop their activities.<br />
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Despite the destruction of a considerable part of the city by the Almoravids, the dynasty that took power in the 11th century, the two quarters grouped around two major monuments, the Jama el Andalous (the Mosque of the Andalusians) and the mosque of El Karaouiyne, have preserved their identities intact in the old city of Fez el Bali.<br />
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In the 13th century, after the Merinid conquest, when the city found itself constrained within its walls, a new city, Fez el Jedid, was founded directly to the west, in ah 674 by the sultan Abou Youssouf. It replaced Marrakesh as the capital of the kingdom. In the 14th century a Jewish quarter, the Mellah, was joined to the newly founded city. The urban fabric and the principal monuments in the Medina date from this period.<br />
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Since then, the twin cities have led a symbiotic existence without losing their own character. Fez is at once an astonishing city-museum and one of the largest Islamic metropolises in which the various demographic strata have determined the greatest variety of architectural forms and urban landscapes.<br />
<br />
Having been deserted since
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