Weird Geographical Information

[albrecht]

Cool. Now if you could teach Meister something you can take the weekend off.

😎

Thanks. But I doubt that is ever going to happen. 
I plan on taking the weekend off. Big crawfish boil tomorrow in the 'hood, got the supplies and keg and getting the bugs tomorrow. Then recover on Sunday and watch some more hockey.

But I seriously want some of those trees. Said store water for droughts and you know we have droughts here (though not sure how they would handle the flooding we also have or the rare cold snap.) So cool and weird looking.

[GravitySucks]

Thanks.
I plan on it. Big crawfish boil tomorrow in the 'hood, got the supplies and keg and getting the bugs tomorrow. But I seriously want some of those trees. Said store water for droughts and you know we have droughts here (though not sure how they would handle the flooding we also have or the rare cold snap.) So cool and weird looking.

I had a bonzai tree for several years that looked similar to a baobob as far the trunk. It was some type of Australian tree that was highly drought resistant. One too many business TDYs without someone to water it finally did it in.

[albrecht]

I had a bonzai tree for several years that looked similar to a baobob as far the trunk. It was some type of Australian tree that was highly drought resistant. One too many business TDYs without someone to water it finally did it in.

I had one of those also some years ago. Same deal. Though maybe I over-watered? Got some kind of fungus on it and died. I don't know. I think keeping bonsais is more complicated than the places tell you. I need to hire the stereotypical Japanese gardener or a Chauncey Gardiner since many of my plants die.

[Taaroa]

I had a bonzai tree for several years that looked similar to a baobob as far the trunk. It was some type of Australian tree that was highly drought resistant. One too many business TDYs without someone to water it finally did it in.

There are Australian trees that look like that, but I wouldn't have thought they'd be small enough for bonzai stuff. Some were large enough that they were used as prison cells:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adansonia_gregorii


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brachychiton_rupestris

[GravitySucks]

There are Australian trees that look like that, but I wouldn't have thought they'd be small enough for bonzai stuff. Some were large enough that they were used as prison cells:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adansonia_gregorii

That's the one...boab.

[zeebo]

The Diomedes are a pair of islands in the Bering Strait. Little Diomede hosts the American city of Diomede, with a population of 146. Big Diomede belongs to Russia and is uninhabited. The two islands are only about 2.5 miles apart.

The International Date Line passes between them and also serves as the border between the U.S. and Russia. Because of this the islands are sometimes called Yesterday Isle (Little Diomede) and Tomorrow Island (Big Diomede).

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diomede_Islands

[Taaroa]

A lake overturn (aka limnic eruption) is a very rare type of natural disaster in which dissolved gases (eg CO₂) suddenly erupts from the deep waters in a lake which then forms a deadly toxic gas cloud, and are possibly accompanied by tsunamis as a result of the water displacement. Possible triggers for it to occur are varied but include landslides, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, rain storms, or even wind. Although there is evidence of one of these natural disasters occurring in Germany in the ancient past, due to the requisite features of the lakes where it could occur there are only three known lakes where it could occur today (but there could possibly be more). These lakes are:

Lake Monoun
This is a lake in West Province, Cameroon in the Oku volcanic region. In August 1984 it is believed that a limnic eruption occurred late at night/in the early morning which killed 37 people. Victims had skin discolouration, and survivors reported a bitter smelling white cloud but the cause of the deaths was not known until two years later when the previously unseen phenomena occurred again.



Lake Nyos
This is a lake approximately 100km (62mi) northwest of Lake Monoun and 315km (196mi) northwest of Cameroon's capital Yaoundé, also in the Oku volcanic region. In August 1986 it is believed a landslide triggered a limnic eruption to occur, with the CO₂ gas which escaped displacing oxygen and suffocating 1746 people and 3500 livestock within 25km (16mi) of the lake. Scientists believed that during the event a 100m (330ft) high fountain of foam and water formed, and that the resulting turbulence triggered a 25m (82ft) tall wave which destroyed vegetation. The normally blue waters turned red, and the water level dropped by 1m.



Lake Kivu
Lake Kivu is a large lake sitting on the border between Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo with an estimated surface area covering 2700 km² (1040mi²), a maximum depth of 475m (1558ft), and a mean depth of 220m (722ft). Evidence has been found around the lake of large scale biological extinctions roughly every 1000years, with lake overturns being the main suspect. Any modern limnic eruption here would be catastrophic, as approximately 2million people live in the vicinity. Concern is particularly great as there are active volcanoes nearby the lake which could trigger such an overturn.



Following research into the 1984 and 1986 disasters, scientists have attempted to 'degas' or vent the lakes of the dangerous gasses before they can pose a risk using pumps and pipes. Due to the large size of Lake Kivu such endeavors are much harder and an equivalent project to remove the gases (ie CO₂ and methane) has not been initiated, but local governments have started extracting the methane in the lake for export and power generation.

[Jackstar]

a very rare type of natural disaster in which dissolved gases [...] suddenly erupts from the deep

[(Sandman) Logan-5]

Socotra is a Yemeni  island chain  in the Arabian Sea.  It is full of unusual plant life and over a third of which is found no where else on Earth.   ...

You betcha...           

[starrmtn001]

You betcha...           

That feller in the bottom left corner, the one with the oversized shades, is he, the park ranger?

[zeebo]

That feller in the bottom left corner, the one with the oversized shades, is he, the park ranger?

Damn Sleestaks, I knew they still roamed the far corners of the earth.

[Taaroa]

The Morning Glory cloud is a rare low level atmospheric wave and associated cloud which is only known to appear somewhat regularly over the southern part of the Gulf of Carpentaria from late September to early November. It is a roll cloud which can be 1000km (620mi) long, 1-2km (.62-1.24mi) high, 330-660ft off the ground, and travels at a speed of 10-20m/s. They are best witnessed in Burketown just after dawn.



The phenomenon was first witnessed by Royal Australian Airforce pilots during WW2, and today is a popular target of glider pilots. Due to their rarity they don't have much significance to rainfall or the climate, and as a result have not been studied to too great an extent. It has been proposed that the clouds form as a result of sea breezes which develop over Cape York and the Gulf of Carpentaria in addition to frontal and high pressure systems.



The clouds have been rarely observed on satellite images over the Joseph Bonaparte Gulf and Arabian Sea, but have also occasionally reported in the Gulf of California and Nova Scotia.

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Gulf of Carpentaria trivia:

-The Gulf of Carpentaria was the destination of the 1860 Burke and Wills expedition to cross the continent from Melbourne at a time when much of the inland was unexplored. Although they reached their destination, the return journey was disastrous and resulted in the deaths of seven men (including Burke and Wills) with only one man having survived the entire expedition.
-In 2006 an 80m long ship whose origin is a mystery was spotted by border patrol aircraft adrift in the Gulf of Carpentaria approximately 180km south west of Weipa. There was no indication of recent human activity on board the vessel, or that it had been abandoned in distress. The only item of note on board was a large quantity of rice, but otherwise the ship appeared to have been stripped of any identifying features or documentation.

[Walks_At_Night]

The Straits of Malacca are one of the great shipping lanes in the world.  It is a narrow strip of water between the Malay Peninsula and the island of Sumatra and it is the superhighway for shipping between the Pacific and the Indian Oceans.  Near Singapore the shipping lane narrows to only about a mile and a half in width and is a very congested choke point. 

Almost 100,000 ships pass through the Straits of Malacca each year  and they carry a quarter of the worlds bulk goods and oil.  There is a limit to the size of vessels that can pass through the straits as the maximum depth is 82 feet - this restriction in naval architecture is known as  Malaccamax.   Ships that exceed this must take the Lombok Strait between Bali and Lombok or other routes that can add thousands of miles to their route. 

With so much traffic flowing throw Malacca, piracy has always been an issue and there have been naval battles there in both World Wars.

[K_Dubb]

I am reminded of the Makassar Strait, between Borneo (Kalimantan) and Celebes (Sulawesi), named for a port city that lent its name to an old-fashioned hair tonic which let its name to the little doily things ladies used to put on the backs of chairs:  antimacassar.

[Walks_At_Night]

Yet another case of being born to late.   The doily thing is pretty cool.   

All I can remember from my childhood is this shit

[K_Dubb]

Yet another case of being born to late.   The doily thing is pretty cool.   

All I can remember from my childhood is this shit

Oh lord Grandma used to do that and we made such fun.  But my aunt still has plastic on the dining room chairs â€" they're old petit-point, and she or my uncle routinely fling red wine about, but still...

[Taaroa]

Malacca Strait

Another important shipping area is the Strait of Hormuz through which 20% of the world's petroleum is carried by tankers. It provides the only sea passage between the Persian Gulf, and is only 54km (33.5mi) wide at its narrowest. The strategic situation of the strait has been compared to that of the Dardenelles (between the Mediterranean and Black Sea) under the Ottoman Empire which was a chokepoint for Russian grain shipments. It is bordered by Oman, the United Arab Emirates, and Iran.



The strait has been the site of a great deal of conflict since the 1980s mainly involving Iran and the United States:

-During the Iran-Iraq War, Iran mined the Persian Gulf. In April 1988 the USS Samuel B. Roberts struck a mine while escorting Kuwaiti oil tankers, and had to be towed to Dubai. The US launched Operation Praying Mantis in retaliation, attacking Iranian oil platforms and forces in what was the the US Navy's largest surface engagement since WW2. At the end of the operation, half of Iran's fleet was either destroyed or severely damaged.
-In July 1988, 290 people were killed when an Iranian civilian airliner was shot down over the strait by the US Navy.
-In January 2007 the USS Newport News struck a Japanese crude tanker while submerged.
-in January 2008 the US accused Iranian ships of harassing their own, a charge which Iran denied. Later in the year Iran's Revolutionary Guard made an announcement that if Israel or the United States attacked Iran that the strait would be sealed and oil shipping disrupted.
-In 2015 Iran fired shots across the bridge of a container ship and directed it further into Iranian waters where it was seized. This was due to a dispute between the country and the shipping company Maersk.



Due to concerns about conflict around the strait, a number of countries have began to construct oil pipelines to bypass it. Saudi Arabia has reactivated a pipeline to the Red Sea seized from Iraq and is considering building more to Oman and Yemen, while the UAE has opened a pipeline connecting Abu Dhabi and Fujairah on the Gulf of Oman.

[(Sandman) Logan-5]

That feller in the bottom left corner, the one with the oversized shades, is he, the park ranger?

LOL - That's actually Steven Greer without his makeup. 

   

[(Sandman) Logan-5]

Darvaza: The Gate To Hell.
http://spookygeology.com/darvaza-gate-to-hell/

More than four decades ago, a crater opened up in the desert of northern Turkmenistan. The story goes that Soviet scientists set it on fire to burn off the  gases after the ground under a drilling rig gave way.

[starrmtn001]

LOL - That's actually Steven Greer without his makeup. 

   

Are you sure it's not a relative?  I can see a family resemblance.

[whoozit]

Dr. Greer is not a sleestak.  He's an Altrusian like Erik.  Please note the difference in coloration.

[zeebo]

The Gambia, officially the Republic of The Gambia, is a country in West Africa that is entirely surrounded by Senegal except for its short coastline on the Atlantic Ocean.  It is the smallest country in mainland Africa.

The river-shaped country was started when British merchants obtained the trading rights along the Gambia River.  From those rights, The Gambia eventually became a colony and then an independent country.

The Gambia is one of only two countries whose self-standing short name for official use should begin with the word "The" (the other one being The Bahamas).



https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Gambia

[(Sandman) Logan-5]

Dr. Greer is not a sleestak.  He's an Altrusian like Erik.  Please note the difference in coloration.

     

[Jackstar]

I, for one, would enjoy welcoming the arrival of any new overlords in possession of any technology that could stem the tide of the incessant use of these soulless cymbals.

     

Shall I order 1 gas mask, or send for two? Asking for a friend.

[Walks_At_Night]

Tiny Migingo Island is one of the most densely populated patches of ground on Earth.  It is less than a half acre in size and is right on the border between Kenya and Uganda in Lake Victoria.  With a population of over 130 the population density is about 169,600 /sq mile.   Uganda and Kenya have squabbled over ownership of the island due to the fishing rights.  The island was uninhabited by as late as 2004 but growth has exploded as the Nile Perch is found nearby.  Uganda actually posted policemen on Migingo at one point but have since withdrawn them. 

It is a swinging place!  It has  four pubs, multiple houses of ill repute and of course the corresponding pharmacy to help beat back the clap. 

[albrecht]

Tiny Migingo Island is one of the most densely populated patches of ground on Earth.  It is less than a half acre in size and is right on the border between Kenya and Uganda in Lake Victoria.  With a population of over 130 the population density is about 169,600 /sq mile.   Uganda and Kenya have squabbled over ownership of the island due to the fishing rights.  The island was uninhabited by as late as 2004 but growth has exploded as the Nile Perch is found nearby.  Uganda actually posted policemen on Migingo at one point but have since withdrawn them. 

It is a swinging place!  It has  four pubs, multiple houses of ill repute and of course the corresponding pharmacy to help beat back the clap. 

Crazy. Nile Perch are often used as an example to people of what an invasive species introduced into another ecosystem can do. That weren't native to Lake Victoria. There was a documentary "Darwin's Nightmare" several years back on them. I would advise anyone visiting NOT to go to the house of ill repute. Stuff there is often not curable by a simply visit to the pharmacy and even for VD that is the pharmacy is liking selling counterfeit crap made in China or India.

[Walks_At_Night]

Crazy. Nile Perch are often used as an example to people of what an invasive species introduced into another ecosystem can do. That weren't native to Lake Victoria. There was a documentary "Darwin's Nightmare" several years back on them. I would advise anyone visiting to go to the house of ill repute. Stuff there is often not curable by a simply visit to the pharmacy and even for VD that is the pharmacy is liking selling counterfeit crap made in China or India.

Seems like solid advice bud.........   

[albrecht]

Seems like solid advice bud.........   

Corrected. Advise NOT to visit. By the way, those Nile Perch are not like the "perch" here in the States. They are yuugge, to use the parlance of our time.

[Walks_At_Night]

Corrected. Advise NOT to visit. By the way, those Nile Perch are not like the "perch" here in the States. They are yuugge, to use the parlance of our time.

ha!   I totally missed that. 

Indeed.  Boys - if you are on Migingo Island, Kenya do *not* visit one of the brothels.   Tempted though you may be.

[Walks_At_Night]

Goodness gracious.

This Nile Perch business can't be real, can it?



I was thinking along the lines of the cutesy Michigan Perch I grew up catching