Erta Ale

Erta Ale is a desert shield volcano. The name refers to a volcano as well as a mountain range. The base of the volcano is 75 m below sea level in the desert. Erta Ale volcano has an active lava lake which may have been present for as long as 80 years.Records of the volcano date to the 1600's, but a lava lake was only identified in 1960's. The Afar language calls it "smoking mountain" which indicates it has been active for a long time. The Afar region is the only place on earth where a tectonic triple junction is located above sea level (Red Sea, Gulf of Aden, and African Rift Valley).
Erta Ale volcano can be considered equivalent to submarine spreading ridges. The Erta
Ale Range is 95 km long and 50 km wide. Erta Ale volcano has feature similar to the Hawaiian volcanoes of Kilauea and Mauna Loa. The caldera is 1.6 km x 0.7 km in diameter
and two pit craters are often filled by lava lakes.
The summit of Erta Ale is occupied by an ellipse-shaped sink elongated NNW-SSE (1600 X 700 m). Tts northern end contains two pit-craters. The sink probably resulted from three collapse-structures. The northern one corresponds to the main pit crater. The southern and central pits could either corresponds to an ancient pit, or to a simple collapse structure. The main pit-crater, 200 m deep and 350 m across, is subcircular and three storied. The smaller southern pit is 65 m wide and about 100 m deep.

credited to volcanolive and flickr:filippo_jean, geo_decouverte,nutzAgnes

Tassili n'Ajjer

Tassili n'Ajjer (Tamazight, "Plateau of the Rivers") is a mountain range in the Sahara desert in southeast Algeria, North Africa. Much of the range, including the cypresses and archaeological sites, isprotected in a National park, Biosphere Reserve and World Heritage Site,named the Tassili n'Ajjer National Park.
The range is composed largely of sandstone. Erosion in the area has resulted in nearly
300 natural rock arches being formed, along with many other spectacular landforms.
Because of the altitude and the water-holding properties of the sandstone, the vegetation is somewhat richer than the surrounding desert; it includes a very scattered woodland of the endangered endemic species Saharan Cypress and Saharan Myrtle in the higher eastern half of the range.
The ecology of the Tassili n'Ajjer is more fully described in the article West Saharan montane xeric woodlands, the ecoregion to which this area belongs. The literal English
translation of Tassili n'Ajjer is 'Plateau of the rivers' referring to a time when the climate was repeatedly far more wet than today.
The range is also noted for its prehistoric rock paintings and other ancient archaeological sites, dating from neolithic times when the local climate was much moister, with savannah rather than desert. The art depicts herds of cattle, large wild animals including crocodiles, and human activities such as hunting and dancing. The art has strong stylistic links to the pre-Nguni Art of South Africa and the region, executed in caves by the San Peoples before the year 1200 CE.



credited to wikipedia and flickr:david_rombaut,scailleux,shoukibou,Zeriss,Gruban

Tugela Falls

Tugela Falls is the world's second highest waterfall. The total drop in five free-leaping falls is 3,110 feet(947 meters). They are located in the Drakensberg (Dragon's Mountains) in the Royal Natal National Park in KwaZulu-Natal Province, Republic of South Africa. They are easily viewed after a heavy rain from the main travel road into the park, glistening from the reflection of the late afternoon sun. The source of the Tugela River is at Mont-Aux-Sources several kilometers from the escarpment from which the falls drop. The water is pure and safe to drink above the falls.

There are 2 stunning trails to the Tugela Falls. The most spectacular trail is to the top of Mount-Aux-Sources, which starts at the Sentinel car park at Witsieshoek via Phuthadjhaba from where it is a relatively short climb to the top of the Amphiteare. (About 5 hours return). Via two chain ladders you can gain easy access to the summit. This is the only day hiking trail which will take you to the top of the Drakensberg escarpment and to the head of the Tugela Falls. Another trail to the foot of the Tugela Falls starts at Royal Natal National Park. The easy seven kilometre gradient up the Tugela Gorge winds though indigenous forests. The last part of the hike to the Tugela Falls is a boulder hop. A little chain ladder takes you over the final stretch from where you have a stunning view of the falls rushing down the Amphitheater in a series of five spectacular cascades.

Credited to wicipedia and flickr:Thomas Abbott,nasrulMN,Hein Pieterse

Pamukkale

Pamukkale an unusual natural and historical site with the sparkling white castle -like cascades, Pamukkale is one of the most important highlights of Turkey, unique in the world. The site is named in Turkish as "Pamukkale", that means "cotton castle", parallel to the glorious and spectacular view of the site. The dazzling white calcareous castles are formed by limestone-laden thermal springs, creating the unbelievable formation of stalactites, potholes and cataracts.

Waters in the terraces are the sediments of the springs with calcium bicarbonate in 33C. Waters, containing mainly calcium salts and carbon-dioxide, run off the plateau's by depositing calcium while carbon-dioxide disappearing. The marvelous landscape of Pamukkale has been created by this gradual formation, leaving a cotton-like image. Located above the theatre of Hierapolis, the mineral water sources from the thermal springs of Cal Mountain. It is collected in a pool, known as the "Sacred Pool" of ancient times, where you can swim amidst the historical remains of Hierapolis. The Sacred Pool is now located inside Pamukkale Hotel.

The water of Pamukkale is famous for its benefits to the eyes and skin; and its curing properties to the ills of asthma, rheumatism, as well. The remains of the ancient Hierapolis are situated on back of the thrilling white terraces, standing wondrously in the area. The fairyland Pamukkale is a must-see traveling through this region, during a holiday in Turkey...



credited to kusadasi and flickr;deepgoswami

Yellowstone

Yellowstone National Park is a U.S. National Park located in the western states of Wyoming, Montana, and Idaho. It is the first and oldest national park in the world and covers 3,468 square miles (8,983 square kilometers), mostly in the northwest corner of Wyoming. The park is famous for its various geysers, hot springs, supervolcano and other geothermal features and is home to grizzly bears, wolves, and free-ranging herds of bison and elk. It is the core of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, one of the largest intact temperate zone ecosystems remaining on the planet. The world's most famous geyser, the Old Faithful, is also located in Yellowstone National Park.

Long before any recorded human history in Yellowstone, a massive volcanic eruption spewed an immense volume of ash that covered all of what is now the Western United States, much of the Midwestern area and northern Mexico and some areas of the Pacific Coast. The eruption left a huge caldera 43 miles by 18 miles (70 by 30 kilometers) sitting over a huge magma chamber. Yellowstone has registered three major volcanic eruption events in the last 2.2 million years with the last event occurring 640,000 years ago. Its eruptions are the largest known to have occurred on Earth within that timeframe, producing drastic climate change in the aftermath.

The result of these eruptions and ensuing natural development along with the effects of climate, is one of the most breathtaking and awe-inspiring locations in North America. Yellowstone can be called a textbook through which we can study development of the planet Earth through its various stages. We can also come to understand the nature of the Creator more fully, as a creator's character is revealed in the created being. Surely Yellowstone is a textbook worth studying and a park worth visiting simply to experience its vast sensory pleasures.

The human history of Yellowstone National Park begins at least 11,000 years ago when Native Americans first began to hunt and fish in the Yellowstone region. These Paleo-indians were of the Clovis culture who used significant amounts of obsidian found in the park to craft cutting tools and weapons. Arrowheads made of Yellowstone obsidian have been found as far away as the Mississippi Valley, indicating that a regular obsidian trade existed between the tribes of the Yellowstone region and tribes farther east. By the time white explorers first entered the region during the Lewis and Clark Expedition in 1805, they encountered the Nez Perce, Crow and Shoshone tribes. While passing through present day Montana, the expedition members were informed of the Yellowstone region to the south, but did not investigate it.

Early Exploration

In 1806 John Colter of the Lewis and Clark Expedition left the expedition to join a group of fur trappers. Splitting with them in 1807, he passed through a portion of what later became the park during the winter of 1807-1808, and observed at least one geothermal area in the northeastern section of the park, near Tower Falls. After surviving wounds he suffered in a battle with members of the Crow and Blackfoot tribes in 1809, he gave a description of a place of "fire and brimstone" that was dismissed by most people as delirium. The supposedly imaginary place was nicknamed "Colter's Hell." Over the next forty years, numerous reports from mountain men and trappers told of boiling mud, steaming rivers and petrified trees and animals, yet most of these reports were believed at the time to be myth.

After an 1856 exploration, mountain man James Bridger reported observing boiling springs, spouting water, and a mountain of glass and yellow rock. Because Bridger was known for being a "spinner of yarns" these reports were largely ignored. Nonetheless, his stories did arouse the interest of explorer and geologist F. V. Hayden, who, in 1859, began a two-year survey of the upper Missouri River region with United States Army surveyor W. F. Raynolds and Bridger as a guide. After exploring the Black Hills region of in what is now the state of South Dakota, the party neared the Yellowstone region, but heavy snows forced them to turn away. The American Civil War prevented any further attempts to explore the region until the late 1860s.

The first detailed expedition to the Yellowstone area was the Folsom Expedition of 1869, which consisted of three privately funded explorers. The members of the Folsom party followed the Yellowstone River to Yellowstone Lake, keeping a journal of their findings.

Based on the information reported by the Folsom Expedition, in 1870 a party of Montana residents organized the Washburn-Langford-Doane Expedition, headed by the surveyor-general of Montana, Henry Washburn. Among the group was Nathaniel P. Langford, who would later become known as "National Park" Langford, and a U.S. Army detachment commanded by Lieutenant Gustavus Doane. The expedition spent a month exploring the region, collecting specimens, and naming sites of interest. Cornelius Hedges, a member of the Washburn expedition, proposed the region be set aside and protected as a national park, and wrote a number of detailed articles about his observations for the Helena Herald newspaper between 1870-1871. Hedges essentially reinstated comments made in October 1865 by acting territorial governor Thomas Francis Meagher, who had previously commented that the region should be protected.

In 1871, 11 years after his failed first effort, F. V. Hayden successfully returned to Yellowstone with a second, larger expedition supported by government funding. He compiled a comprehensive report on Yellowstone which included large-format photographs by William Henry Jackson and paintings by Thomas Moran. This report helped to convince the U.S. Congress to withdraw this region from public auction and on March 1, 1872, President Ulysses S. Grant signed a bill into law that created Yellowstone National Park.

Geography

he Continental Divide of North America runs roughly diagonally through the southwestern part of the park. The divide is a topographic ridgeline that bisects the continent between Pacific Ocean and Atlantic Ocean water drainages (the drainage from one-third of the park is on the Pacific side of this divide).

Both the Yellowstone River and the Snake River have their origins close to each other in the park. However, the headwaters of the Snake River are on the west side of the continental divide, and the headwaters of the Yellowstone River are on the east side of that divide. The result is that the waters of the Snake River head toward the Pacific Ocean, and the waters of the Yellowstone head for the Atlantic Ocean via the Gulf of Mexico.

The park sits on a high plateau which is, on average, 8,000 feet (2,400 meters) above sea level and is bounded on nearly all sides by mountain ranges of the Middle Rocky Mountains, which range from 10,000 to 14,000 feet (3,000 to 4,300 meters) in elevation. These ranges are: the Gallatin Range (to the northwest), Beartooth Mountains (to the north), Absaroka Mountains (to the east), Wind River Range (southeast corner), Teton Mountains (to the south), and the Madison Range (to the west). The most prominent summit in the plateau is Mount Washburn at 10,243 feet (3,122 meters).

Just outside of the southwestern park border is the Island Park Caldera, which is a plateau ringed by low hills. Beyond that are the Snake River Plains of southern Idaho, which are covered by flood basalts and slope gently to the southwest.

The major feature of the Yellowstone Plateau is the Yellowstone Caldera; a very large caldera which has been nearly filled-in with volcanic debris and measures 30 by 40 miles (50 by 60 kilometers). Within this caldera lies most of Yellowstone Lake, which is the largest high-elevation lake in North America, and two resurgent domes, which are areas that are uplifting at a slightly faster rate than the rest of the plateau.

The park received its name from its location at the headwaters of the Yellowstone River. French animal trappers gave this river the name "Roche Jaune," probably a translation of the Native Hidatsa name "Mi tsi a-da-zi," and the later American trappers rendered the French name into English as "Yellow Stone." Although it is commonly believed that the river was named for the yellow rocks seen in the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone, the Native American source name more likely derived from the yellowish bluffs located near present-day Billings, Montana.

Credited to new world encyclopedia and flickr: champy1013,photosecosse, serendipitypeace2007, moonjazz,v1ctory_1s_m1ne,Dracs

Bora Bora

Bora Bora is an island in the Leeward group of the Society Islands of French Polynesia, an overseas collectivity of France in the Pacific Ocean. The island, located about 230 kilometres (140 mi) northwest of Papeete, is surrounded by a lagoon and a barrier reef. In the center of the island are the remnants of an extinct volcano rising to two peaks, Mount Pahia and Mount Otemanu, the highest point at 727 metres (2,385 ft). The original name of the island in the Tahitian language might be better rendered as Pora Pora, meaning "First Born"; an early transcription found in 18th- and 19th century accounts, is Bolabolla (or "Bollabolla").

The major settlement, Vaitape is on the western side of the island, opposite the main channel into the lagoon. The products of the island are mostly limited to what can be obtained from the sea and coconut trees, which were historically of economic importance for copra.

During the August 2007 census, the population on the island was about 8,880 people.

Administration

The island is administratively part of the commune (municipality) of Bora-Bora, itself in the administrative subdivision of the Leeward Islands.

The commune of Bora-Bora is made up of the island of Bora Bora proper with its surrounding islets emerging from the coral reef (29.3 km²/11.3 sq. miles in total) and of the atoll of Tupai (11 km2/4.2 sq mi), located 20 kilometres (12 mi) north of Bora Bora. The atoll of Tupai has no permanent population apart from about 50 workers in the coconut plantations.

Former President of French Polynesia Gaston Tong Sang is the current mayor of Bora Bora.

History

The Island was first inhabited by Polynesian settlers around the 4th century. Its previous Polynesian name was Vava'u.

The first European sighting was made by Jakob Roggeveen in 1722. James Cook sighted the island in 1769 and landed in 1777. A London Missionary Society arrived in 1820 and founded a Protestant church in 1822.

In 1842 Bora Bora was made a protectorate of France following the actions of Admiral Abel Aubert Dupetit Thouars.

World War II

Following the December 7, 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor by Japan, the United States entered World War II. The US chose Bora Bora as a South Pacific military supply base, and an oil depot, airstrip, seaplane base, and defensive fortifications were constructed. Known as "Operation Bobcat", it maintained a supply force of nine ships, 20,000 tons of equipment and nearly 5,000 men. Seven massive naval cannons were set up at strategic points around the island to protect it against potential military attack.

However, the island saw no combat as the American presence on Bora Bora went uncontested over the course of the war. Although the base was officially closed on June 2, 1946, many American personnel loved the island and the people that they refused to leave.

This World War II airstrip, which was never able to accommodate large aircraft, was French Polynesia's only international airport until Faa'a International Airport was opened in Papeete, Tahiti in 1962.

Today

Today the island is mainly dependent on tourism. Over the last few years several resorts have been built on motu (small islands) surrounding the lagoon.

Thirty years ago, Hotel Bora Bora built the first over-the-water bungalows on stilts over the lagoon and today, overwater bungalows are a standard feature of most Bora Bora resorts. The quality of those bungalows ranges from comparably cheap, basic accommodations to very luxurious - and pricey - places to stay. Most of the tourist destinations are aquacentric; however it is possible to visit attractions on land such as WWII cannons.

Air Tahiti has five or six flights daily to the Bora Bora Airport on Moto Mute from Tahiti.

Although French and Tahitian are the main languages spoken by the inhabitants, people in contact with tourists generally have some command of English. Most visitors to Bora Bora are American, Japanese, or European.

Public transport on the island is limited, consisting of a single bus that goes halfway around the island and back approximately every hour. Bicycles are the recommended method of transport. There are also small fun-cars for hire in Vaitape.

Bora Bora is predestined for snorkeling and scuba diving in and around its lagoon. Many species of sharks and rays inhabit the surrounding body of water. There are a few dive operators on the island offering manta ray dives and also shark-feeding dives.

credited to wikipedia and flickr: YellowPonny, Pierre Lesage

Blyde

The Blyde River Canyon is a significant natural feature of South Africa, located in Mpumalanga, and forming the northern part of the Drakensberg escarpment. It is 16 miles (26 kilometers) in length and is, on average, around 2500 feet (800m) deep. It consists mostly of red sandstone. The highest point of the canyon is over 6300 feet above sea level (over 1900m) whilst its lowest point is well under 2000 feet (under 600m) above sea level. By some measures it is the third largest canyon in the world, after the Grand Canyon in the United States and the Fish River Canyon in Namibia but this depends heavily on one's definition of a canyon .By any definition it is one of the largest canyons on earth, unquestionably being the largest 'green canyon' due to its lush subtropical foliage, and it has some of the deepest precipitious cliffs of any canyon on the planet. It is the second largest canyon in Africa, after the Fish River Canyon, and is known as one of the great wonders of nature on the continent.

Possibly the best view in the whole of the Blyde River Canyon is of the "Three Rondavels", huge, round rocks, thought to be reminiscent of the houses or huts of the indigenous people, known as rondavels. This canyon is part of the famous Panorama route. This route starts at the town Graskop and includes God's Window, the Pinnacle and Bourke's Luck Potholes.

Fauna and Flora

The Blyde River canyon supports large diversity of life, including numerous fish and antelope species as well as Hippos and Crocodiles, and every primate species that may be seen in South Africa (including both Greater and Lesser Bush Babies, Vervet Monkeys and Samango Monkeys). The diversity of birdlife is similarly high, including the beautiful and much sought Narina Trogon as well as species such as the Cape Vulture, Black Eagle, Crowned Eagle, African Fish Eagle, Gymnogene, Jackal Buzzard, Whitebacked Vulture, Bald Ibis, African Finfoot, Knysna Lourie, Purplecrested Lourie, Gurney's Sugarbird, Malachite Sunbird, Cinnamon Dove, Emerald Cuckoo, Redbacked Mannikin, Goldentailed Woodpecker, Olive Bush Shrike, Green Twinspot, Taita Falcons (very rarely sighted, a breeding pair lives in the nearby Abel Erasmus pass), Cape Eagle Owl, Whitefaced Owl, Wood Owl, Peregrine Falcon, Blackbreasted Snake Eagle, Wahlberg's Eagle, Longcrested Eagle, Jackal Buzzard, Lanner Falcon, Redbreasted Sparrowhawk, Rock Kestrel etc.

credited to wikipedia and flickr:Mozambique - Moments,delayed gratification,ohrwurm67,LeoKoolhoven

Benbulben

Ben Bulben (alternatively spelt Benbulben or Benbulbin) is a large rock formation in Ireland. It is a Ben (the Irish name for a large, glacier-carved rock). It is located in the Irish county of Sligo, known unofficially as Yeats Country.

Etymology

"Ben Bulben", "Benbulben", and "Benbulbin" are all anglicizations of the Irish name "Binn Ghulbain". "Binn" is the word most often used for "peak" or "mountain", while "Ghulbain" means either "Gulban(’s)" or "jaw-shaped". The two most common translations are "Gulban’s peak" and "jaw-shaped peak."

Formation

Ben Bulben was formed during the Ice age, when large parts of the Earth were under glaciers. It was originally merely a large ridge, however the moving glaciers cut into the earth, leaving a distinct formation, now called Ben Bulben.

Rock composition

The steeper sides of Ben Bulben are composed of large amounts of Dartry limestone on top of smaller amounts of Glencar limestone. The smoother sides are composed of Ben Bulben shale. These rocks formed in the area approximately 320 million years ago.

Climbing

If climbed by the north face, it is a dangerous climb. That side bears the brunt of the high winds and storms that come in from the Atlantic Ocean. However, if climbed by the south side, it is an easy climb, due to the fact that side slopes very gently. Upon reaching the summit, the climber is rewarded with a magnificent view of Yeats Country.

Flora and fauna

Ben Bulben hosts a unique variety of plants, possessing some organisms found nowhere else in Ireland. Many are arctic-alpine plants, due to the mountain's height, which allows for cooler temperatures than is normal. These plants were deposited when the glaciers that created Ben Bulben melted. Insects, wild hares, and foxes inhabit Ben Bulben.

credited to wikipedia and flickr: irish Dave ;Fabio Miola; Mairead McQ; doru-darocz; Dave Dove

Baikal

Lake Baikal is in Southern Siberia in Russia, located between Irkutsk Oblast to the northwest and the Buryat Republic to the southeast, near the city of Irkutsk. It is also known as the "Blue Eye of Siberia". It contains more water than all the North American Great Lakes combined.At 1,637 meters (5,371 ft), Lake Baikal is the deepest lake in the world, and the largest freshwater lake in the world by volume.However, Lake Baikal contains less than one third the amount of water as the Caspian Sea which is the largest lake in the world. Like Lake Tanganyika, Lake Baikal was formed in an ancient rift valley and therefore is long and crescent-shaped with a surface area (31,494 km²), less than that of Lake Superior or Lake Victoria. Baikal is home to more than 1,700 species of plants and animals, two thirds of which can be found nowhere else in the world.At more than 25 million years old, it is the oldest lake in the world. A Russian mini-submarine attempting to set a record for the deepest freshwater dive on July 29, 2008 was originally reported as being successful, but a correction later emerged that reported the MIR I failed to do so, reaching a depth of only 1,580 meters. Lake Baikal was known as the "North Sea" in historical Chinese texts. It was situated in the then Xiongnu territory and very little was known about the lake until the Trans-Siberian railway was built between 1896 and 1902. The scenic railway loop encircling Lake Baikal required 200 bridges and 33 tunnels. As it was being built, a large hydrogeographical expedition headed by F.K. Drizhenko produced the first detailed atlas of the contours of Baikal's depths. The atlas demonstrated that Lake Baikal has more water than all of North America's Great Lakes combined — 23,600 cubic kilometers (5,662.4 cu mi), about one fifth of the total surface fresh water on the earth. However, in surface area, it is exceeded by the much shallower Great Lakes Superior, Huron and Michigan in North America, as well as by the relatively shallow Lake Victoria in East Africa. Known as the "Galápagos of Russia", its age and isolation have produced some of the world's richest and most unusual freshwater fauna, which is of exceptional value to evolutionary science. Lake Baikal is in a rift valley created by the Baikal Rift Zone, where the crust of the earth is pulling apart. At 636 kilometers (395 mi) long and 79 kilometers (49 mi) wide, Lake Baikal has the largest surface area of any freshwater lake in Asia (31,494 km²) and is the deepest lake in the world (1,637 m). The bottom of the lake is 1,371 metres below sea level, but below this lies some 7 kilometers (4.3 mi) of sediment, placing the rift floor some 8–9 kilometers (more than 5 miles) below the surface: the deepest continental rift on Earth. In geological terms, the rift is young and active—it widens about two centimeters per year.

credited to wikipedia and flickr: parole.sprekate,bobrojulia,Melinda van den Brink

Band e Amir

Band-e Amir refers to five lakes high in the Hindu Kush Mountains of Central Afghanistan near the famous Buddhas of Bamyan. They were created by the carbon dioxide rich water oozing out of the faults and fractures to deposit calcium carbonate precipitate in the form of travertine walls that today store the water of these lakes. Band-e Amir was to become Afghanistan's first national park in the 1960s, but due to the instability of the Kabul government at the time, this did not happen. In 2004, Band-e Amir was submitted for recognition as a World Heritage site. In 2008, Band-e Amir was finally declared Afghanistan's first national park. Band-e Amir is situated at approximately 75 kilometers to the north-west of the ancient city of Bamyan, close to the town of Yakawlang. Together with Bamyan, they are the heart of Afghanistan's tourism, attracting thousands of tourists every year and from every corner of the world.
The six constituent lakes of Band-e Amir are:
* Band-e Gholaman (slaves)
* Band-e Qambar (Caliph Ali's slave)
* Band-e Haibat (grandiose)
* Band-e Panir (cheese)
* Band-e Pudina (wild mint)
* Band-e Zulfiqar (the sword of Ali)

Band-e Haibat is the biggest and the deepest of the six, with an average depth of approximately 150 meters, as estimated by the PRT diving team from New Zealand. The white travertine dams created by fault lines, which are prevalent in the Band-e Amir Valley, form the barriers between the lakes. Another comparable lake is Band-e Azhdar (The Dragon), located a few kilometre southeast of the town of Bamyan, which has also been created as a result of carbon dioxide rich water oozing out of the faults underground and depositing calcium carbonate precipitate to form the travertine walls of Band-e Amir.

credited to wikipedia and flickr:wesolson,Hashmat1,Carl Montgomery

Badlands

A badlands (also badland) is a type of arid terrain where softer sedimentary rocks and clay-rich soils have been extensively eroded by wind and water. It can resemble malpaís, a terrain of volcanic rocks. Canyons, ravines, gullies, hoodoos and other such geological forms are common in badlands. They are often difficult to navigate by foot. Badlands often have a spectacular colour display that alternates from dark black/blue coal stria to bright clays to red scoria.

Features

The term "badlands" represents a consensus in North America: the Lakota called the topography "Makhóšiča", literally bad land, while French trappers called it "les mauvaises terres à traverser" – "the bad lands to cross". The Spanish called it tierra baldía ("waste land") and cárcava. The term badlands is also apt: badlands contain steep slopes, loose dry soil, slick clay, and deep sand, all of which impede travel and other uses. Badlands form in arid regions with infrequent but intense rain-showers, sparse vegetation, and soft sediments: a recipe for massive erosion.

Some of the most famous fossil beds are found in badlands, where erosion rapidly exposes the sedimentary layers and the scant cover of vegetation makes surveying and fossil hunting relatively easy.

Coal seams are also exposed in some badlands, so historically, coal mining districts have developed in badlands areas. An example of this is the Drumheller district of the Red Deer River in Alberta, where the Atlas Coal Mine is the last of 149 mines that operated in those badlands.

Locations

Some of the best-known badland formations can be found in the United States and Canada. In the U.S., Makoshika State Park in Montana, Theodore Roosevelt National Park in North Dakota and Badlands National Park in South Dakota together form a series of extensive badlands formations. Another popular area of badland formations is Toadstool Geologic Park in the Oglala National Grassland of northwestern Nebraska. The Big Muddy Badlands in Saskatchewan, Canada gained notoriety as a hideout for outlaws. There is a sizable badland area in Alberta, Canada, particularly in the valley of the Red Deer River where Dinosaur Provincial Park is located. The Royal Tyrrell Museum of Palaeontology in Drumheller, Alberta and Dinosaur National Monument in Utah are also badlands settings, and exhibit fossils found in the area. A small badlands called Hell's Half-Acre is present in Natrona County, Wyoming. It is famous as one of the locations for the filming of Starship Troopers (1997).

Arguably the most well known badlands formation in New Zealand, the Putangirua Pinnacles – formed by the erosion of the conglomerate of an old alluvial fan – are located at the head of a small valley near the southern tip of the North island. A famous European badland is the Bardenas Reales near Tudela, Spain.

Although most badland scenery is natural, there are some spectacular examples produced by mining, such as the Roman gold mine of Las Médulas in northern Spain.

credited to wikipedia