Eclectic Perambulations in the Noosphere
via all-that-is-interesting.com
Photographer : Hector Fabian Garrido
"The photo above showing a sensational display of lenticular clouds was snapped near La Rioja, Argentina, at the base of the Andes Mountains, on September 9, 2011. I was doing seismic testing just after sunrise and was taken aback by the gold and tawny wave clouds that appeared across much of the sky. These lenticulars took shape to the lee (east) of the Andes, just west of my location -- the Sun was behind the camera. Lenticular clouds are generally orographic in origin, forming in lee waves when air is forced to rise over elevated terrain. On this early spring morning, the smooth structure of the waves, the illumination by the low Sun, and the absence of other types of clouds, gave the sky a surreal look."
by Patrick Cullis
"A view of Indian Peaks with the eclipsing moon setting overhead. Taken during the lunar eclipse on the morning of December 10, 2011. The Indian Peaks are a series of peaks on the continental divide behind Boulder, CO. The moon set behind the continental divide right before totality, but it was still an awesome sight."
"Besides being one of the most remote locations in all of Venezuela, Sarisarinama is one of the most bizarre landscapes in the world. High in the clouds on a tepui, or tabletop mountain, are four giant sinkholes, each a near-perfect circle, cutting through the foliage-covered mountain.
The largest of the sinkholes is 1150 feet wide and 1000 feet deep. Although the other three well-known holes are not quite as large, they are equally impressive, and drop off in the midst of the primeval forest on top of the tepui. Adding to the mystery of the place is the the local legend that gave the tepui its name. According to natives to the area, a flesh-eating evil spirit lived on the mountain, who made the sound Sari Sari when he was consuming human meat."
"The Valle de las Animas, or Valley of the Souls is a densely packed forest of rock formations, each stabbing toward the sky in great clusters. Formed out of mudrock and erosion over hundreds of years, the visually-stunning valley has drawn in visitors for thousands of years.
When the first people visited the valley, they believed the spires resembled petrified souls, and gave the area its name. Since that time, a steady stream of hikers have visited the valley to marvel at the thousands of rugged peaks, which form deep gorges and many side passages and sub-valleys. Adding to the mystique and beauty of the site is the 15,000-foot Illimani, Bolivia's highest mountain that towers above the valley in the background."
