EPOD - a service of USRA

The Earth Science Picture of the Day (EPOD) highlights the diverse processes and phenomena which shape our planet and our lives. EPOD will collect and archive photos, imagery, graphics, and artwork with short explanatory
captions and links exemplifying features within the Earth system. The
community is invited to contribute digital imagery, short captions and
relevant links.


Archive - Ridge Line Induced Crepuscular Rays

July 31, 2021

6a0105371bb32c970b0134883230c8970c Every weekend we present a
notable item from our archives. This EPOD was originally published
October 19, 2010.

Photographer: Piero Armando

Summary Author: Piero Armando; Jim Foster

With a fantastic view of the Italian Alps just to the west of where
I live, I'm fortunate enough to enjoy many splendid sunsets. The
photo above lacks the fine colors that results from many such sunsets
but displays an impressive array of crepuscular rays. Since the sky
is free of cumulus turrets that often are responsible for rays,
they must form in another way. In fact, these rays are due to natural
gaps and prominences along the ridge line as well as the presence of
dust and haze in the lower atmosphere. These aerosols are very
effective in scattering sunlight. It's easy to see just where
sunlight is blocked (spurs) and allowed to stream through (notches).
Photo taken on September 1, 2010.

Photo details: Canon EOS 30D camera; manual mode; 1/1000 second
exposure; F7.1; focal length of 180 mm; image cropped.
* Turin, Italy Coordinates: 45.066667, 7.7

Related EPODs

Archive - Ridge Line Induced Crepuscular Rays Circumhorizon Arc
over Viterbo, Italy Noctilucent Clouds Above Paris on a Summer’s
Eve Archive - Lake Misurina in the Dolomite Alps Upper Tangent
Arc Observed over San José Pinula, Guatemala Rainbows Over the
Italian Shoreline
More...

Atmospheric Effects Links

* Atmospheric Optics
* Color and Light in Nature
* The Colors of Twillight and Sunset
* Refraction Index
* Image Gallery: Atmospheric Effects
* What is a Rainbow?

-
Earth Science Picture of the Day is a service of the Universities
Space Research Association.

https://epod.usra.edu

--- up 12 weeks, 2 days, 12 hours, 15 minutes
* Origin: -=> Castle Rock BBS <=- Now Husky HPT Powered! (1:317/3)

EPOD - a service of USRA

The Earth Science Picture of the Day (EPOD) highlights the diverse processes and phenomena which shape our planet and our lives. EPOD will collect and archive photos, imagery, graphics, and artwork with short explanatory
captions and links exemplifying features within the Earth system. The
community is invited to contribute digital imagery, short captions and
relevant links.


Thunderstorm at Sunrise in Canyonlands National Park

October 01, 2021


36466F88-6A4A-4E59-A935-B64E54DDD0D0

Photographer: Enrique Noriega
Summary Authors: Enrique Noriega; Jim Foster

Shown above is a distant thunderstorm as viewed at sunrise through
Mesa Arch in Canyonlands National Park, Utah. A relatively easy
walk, Mesa Arch is just ½ mile (0.8 km) from the visitor’s
parking area. This striking arch took shape when water pooled and
eventually eroded through bedrock, composed of Navajo sandstone, at
the edge of the mesa. Photo taken on August 26, 2021
* Canyonlands Mesa Arch, Utah Coordinates: 38.2136, -109.9025

Related EPODs

Thunderstorm at Sunrise in Canyonlands National Park Archive -
Earth's Shadow in Red Light Wildfire Smoke Plume Over Eastern Idaho
The Rio Grande Estuary Spirit Lake in the Shadow of Mount St.
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Geography Links

* Atlapedia Online
* CountryReports
* GPS Visualizer
* Holt Rinehart Winston World Atlas
* Mapping Our World
* Perry-Castañeda Library Map Collection
* Types of Land
* World Mapper

-
Earth Science Picture of the Day is a service of the Universities
Space Research Association.

https://epod.usra.edu

--- up 4 weeks, 21 hours, 55 minutes
* Origin: -=> Castle Rock BBS <=- Now Husky HPT Powered! (1:317/3)

EPOD - a service of USRA

The Earth Science Picture of the Day (EPOD) highlights the diverse processes and phenomena which shape our planet and our lives. EPOD will collect and archive photos, imagery, graphics, and artwork with short explanatory
captions and links exemplifying features within the Earth system. The
community is invited to contribute digital imagery, short captions and
relevant links.


Geology of Badlands National Park

December 01, 2021

1a 2a

Photographers: Charlene Lanik Sauls, Brian Sauls

Summary Author: Brian Sauls

The geology comprising the Badlands National Park in southwestern
South Dakota is a colorful layer-cake of various sedimentary rocks
deposited between 28 to 75 million years ago by shallow seas, rivers,
and wind. The distinct rock layers consist of multi-colored
sandstone, siltstone, mudstone, claystone,
limestone, shale, and volcanic ash. Remarkably, the
volcanic ash originated from volcanoes located over 500 miles (800 km)
away in present day Nevada and Utah, which was blown eastward before
settling in the park area. Over time, this deposited ash hardened into
beige-colored volcanic tuff through the process of
lithification.

In addition to geologic deposition, the Badlands Park region was
further shaped by tectonic forces approximately 5 million years
ago. The tectonics primarily shifted the underlaying rock strata
through uplifting and folding forces. Since this period of the geologic
history, the Badlands has been continually shaped by erosion as it
has gradually formed the hills, valleys, stream channels, and other
interesting features of this park. Because the rock layers are
relatively soft, erosion occurs at a high rate of about one inch per
year. At this rapid rate of erosion, estimates suggest that the hills
of the Badlands will erode completely within the next half a million
years. Photos taken in August 2021.
* Badlands National Park, South Dakota Coordinates: 43.8554,
-102.3397

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Geology Links

* Earthquakes
* Geologic Time
* Geomagnetism
* General Dictionary of Geology
* Mineral and Locality Database
* Mohs Scale of Mineral Hardness
* This Dynamic Earth
* USGS
* USGS Ask a Geologist
* USGS/NPS Geologic Glossary
* USGS Volcano Hazards Program

-
Earth Science Picture of the Day is a service of the Universities
Space Research Association.

https://epod.usra.edu

--- up 2 weeks, 5 days, 16 hours, 25 minutes
* Origin: -=> Castle Rock BBS <=- Now Husky HPT Powered! (1:317/3)