The world is a masterpiece of God which
is packed with astonishing and inspiring wonders. Once you come across
with these natural marvels, their natural beauty will take your breath
away. Although, it is impossible to gather all geographical wonders in
one list, somehow, I managed to compile a list of geographical wonders
which I found most incredible.
10. Florida Red Tides
The red color of Florida tides are produced when marine phytoplankton
algae accumulate in the water column. Certain species of this kind of
algae, more correctly termed phytoplankton, contain photosynthetic
pigments that vary in color from green to brown to red, and when the
algae are present in high concentrations, the water appears to be
colored red.
The term “Florida Red tide” is most often used to describe a
phytoplankton algae increase and change the color of the sea to reddish
brown hue When the density of these algae increase organisms more then
tens of millions of cells per liter of seawater, then the color of the
sea water changes to reddish-brown hue.
9. Columnar Basalt
Columnar Basalts are rock formations resulting from the sudden
cooling of lava flow. These are formed in a random cellular network
though the equally distributed sides is six, giving the hexagonal
structures as it is man made Hexagonal shape. It is a dark black or grey
colored rock, having silica and comparatively rich in iron and
magnesium. Some basalts are crystal clear and many are very fine-grained
and compact. Basaltic lavas may be soft or pumice-like. Olivine and
augite are the most common minerals. In basalt 45 to 50 % silica and in
remaining, Iron, alumunium, and other mineral are found.
8. Cerrado Protected Areas
Cerrado, located in Brazil, is the largest, oldest and biologically
richest savanna in the world, of which less than 10% remains in a
natural state. About 600 km apart in the centre of the South America
continent, has permitted the survival of rare species during periods of
past climatic change, and the area will be crucial in maintaining this
biodiversity during upcoming climatic change. The site contains over 50
to 60% of all Cerrado plants and almost 70 to 80 % of its vertebrate
species, also many rare small animals that are not found in rest of the
world.
7. Puerto Prince
The Puerto Princesa is the most significant and important protected
areas of the Philippines. It has a spectacular limestone t landscape
with one of the most complex cave systems. It contains an 8.2 km long
underground river that flow directly to the sea. The lower half of the
river is brackish and due to ocean tide, water of the underground river
directly flows into the sea. The crystal and egg shape rock formations,
and a 20 million year old Miocene age serenia fossil in the cave
increases and further adds to its scientific value. The Puerto Princesa
Underground River is declared as one of the Wonders of Nature.
6. Jeju Island
The largest island in Korea, this island is the smallest province of
South Korea. The island has a surface area of 1,900 sq km and has oval
shape. Jeju is a volcanic island and 130 km from the southern coast of
Korea. Hallasan is the tallest mountain in South Korea on Jeju island
and is a dormant volcano, which rises 1,950 m above sea level. 360
satellite volcanoes are around the main volcano.
5. Komodo National Park
Komodo National Park is located in the Island of Sumbawaand Flores.
Komodo National Park was established in 1980; initially the main purpose
of the Park was to conserve the unique Komodo dragon (Varanus komodoensis)
and its habitat. However, Park was declared a World Heritage Site and a
Man and Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO, both indications of the Park’s
biological importance.
Now, PKA Balai Taman Nasional Komodo and PT. Putri Naga Komodo both
are working together to protect the Park’s vast resources. Their goals
is to protect the Park’s biodiversity and the breeding stocks of
commercial fishes for replacement of surrounding fishing grounds.
4. Amazon Rainforest
Amazon Rainforest is the largest rainforest on Earth and the forest
covers almost 40% area of the South American continent. The rain makes
large basin in the form of Amazon River. This river Cover Brazil,
Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, Columbia, Venezuela, Guyana as well as French
Guiana.
Amazon Rainforests once covered 14% of the earth’s land surface but
now they cover merely 5 to 6% and experts assume that the remaining
rainforests could be consumed in less than 40 year if we will keep
consuming its wood with same speed.
The Amazon rainforest produces about 20% oxygen of the world and
recycles carbon dioxide into oxygen.The Amazon Rainforest also known as
the “Lungs of our Planet” because it recycles carbon dioxide into
oxygen.
Chapada dos Veadeiros National Park is one of the few remaining large
part of the Land of relatively intact cerrado. It includes six major
vegetation types: campo cerrado – open wooded savanna, campo sujo –
scrubland, cerradão – dense wooded savanna, campo limpo forest,
semideciduous forest.
Cerrado Protected Areas has a high faunal diversity with more than 70
species of mammals, 307 birds, 53 amphibians and reptiles and 49
fishes, many yet unidentified. Several are threatened, many are near
extinction.
3. Table Mountain
Table Mountain is a flat top mountain. You can view the whole city of
Cape Town in South Africa, so, this mountain has become very attractive
for the people who want to see the Cape Town without having problem for
going there, as a cable car service is available. There are also good
restaurant in the city, some of them are revolving which make it more
attractive to visitor to view the city even at 3600. This
Table Mountain is 1086 meter high above the sea level. Many people also
like to hike up to there. It takes about 3 hour to hike up the front of
Table Mountain.
2. Ha Long Bay
Ha Long Bay is in the Gulf of Tonkin and includes some 1,600 islands
and islets, making spectacular seascape of limestone pillars. Because of
their abrupt nature, most of the islands are uninhabited and unaffected
by human presence. The great biological interest is situated in the
Gulf of Tonkin.
The smaller islands are fenglin towers of 50m to 100m high. Many have
vertical walls on all or most sides and these continue to evolve by
rock falls and large slab failures. A distinctive feature of Ha Long Bay
is the abundance of lakes within the larger limestone islands.
1. Iguazu Fall
Iguazú Falls is the Spanish name for this enormous waterfall. Iguazú
river is born in Paraná state in Brazil, After traveling 1,200 km. on a
plateau it reaches a fault forming a crack in the interleaved layers of
sandstone and basalt where the river runs smooth until it reaches a
series of faults, and suddenly an 80 m canyon when river water goes into
the faults where the water produces a thundering sound and then drains
into the Parana river.
This location where the river goes down into the fault and produces a thundering sound is called Iguazu Fall.
source : http://www.smashinglists.com/ten-geographical-wonders-of-the-world/
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