While some of Earth’s creatures -the dragonfly, for instance – don’t particularly live up to their names, the kingfisher most certainly does.

Indeed, this small but skilled riverbank predator is capable of some of the most spectacular aerial manoeuvres in the animal kingdom.

The largest bird capable of hovering mid-flight, the kingfisher can boast a number of techniques for locating and intercepting the unsuspecting fish below.

From its vantage point over a river or stream, the bird spies its victim and looks on with interest. From as high as ten metres (32 feet) above the waterway a kingfisher can home in on a single fish and then watch silently overhead by rapidly beating its wings as fast as eight times a second.

In order to remain in sync with the fish’s exact co-ordinates the kingfisher must keep its head almost entirely motionless, letting the wings and counterbalancing tail do all the work.

When ready the kingfisher strikes, performing a controlled vertical dive to ensure its dart-like bill is the first thing to enter the water. Though sharp and streamlined, it still generates shockwaves through the water that can startle a fish so speed is of the essence.

Indeed, the difference between the kingfisher catching its prize or not can come down to a matter of a mere 50th of a second! If the fish reacts within that time it’s likely to dart out of harm’s way and the hunter will go hungry.

If successful, the kingfisher then swoops off, fish in beak, back to its favourite vantage point – usually a riverbank perch. There it stuns the fish by hitting it against a hard surface before flipping it headfirst into its gullet.

Read also How does a kingfisher use its feet for hunting?

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The food that we consume contains many important components, such as proteins, fats, carbon hydrates, water and mineral substances. But all this is not enough. In order to keep us alive, we need yet vitamins.

Plants and animals produce vitamins. We need to use vitamins in certain amounts for the normal life processes to take place. When our body does not have enough vitamins, there are some diseases.

Long ago, before man knew about vitamins, it was noted that people get sick when they can not get some kind of food. For example, on long voyages of the sailors, who were deprived of fresh vegetables, they’re suffering from a disease called scurvy.

When, more than a hundred years, vitamins discovered, did not know their chemical composition. They are simply called vitamin A, B, C, D and so on. Read also Facts About Eating Healthy Food!

Facts about Vitamin A

Vitamin A is found in the fatty tissue of animals and derived from plants with which animal food. This vitamin is important for the maintenance of vision. You can find in milk, egg yolk, liver, fish oil, carrots and so on.

Vitamin A protects cell membranes and strengthens the skin and mucous membranes, which helps prevent many infections and uncontrolled proliferation of tissue, it can rightly call “patron of the whole organism.”

Vitamin A is important for reproductive function in both men and women, and it is also essential for proper immune function.

Night blindness

The first information about night blindness, a disease caused by decreased intake of vitamin A, dating back to ancient Egypt. In fact, it was known then that in its treatment helps baked or boiled liver, which was later found to be naturally rich source of vitamin A.

Unlike other vitamins that we can use in increased amounts, this vitamin is specific in that it can cause hypervitaminosis and be toxic. Therefore, this vitamin is used primarily in the recommended daily doses in a daily multivitamin, while the isolated use must be under the control of the doctor.

Read also Why We Gain Weight?

Facts about Vitamin B

Vitamin B is actually a group consisting of at least six different vitamins. The best-known is vitamin Bi, which is necessary for the normal operation of the nervous system. It is located in milk, fresh fruit and cereal grains.

If is in the body enough B vitamins, we are happy and satisfied, good sleep and have enough energy. Their lack has a direct impact on cardiovascular health.

Even 20 percent of depressive states is associated with a deficiency of one or more vitamins of the B complex group. Our mood, memory, motivation and a sense of satisfaction is determined by vitamins B12, B3 and B1.

Vitamin B1 is essential in the process of converting carbohydrates into glucose from the body and brain gain energy. It is irreplaceable in the production of energy at the cellular level, as well as the production of energy from fat.

Facts about Vitamin C

Vitamin C is the most famous of all vitamins. Because of the lack of this vitamin are sprayed small blood vessels, and creating bruises, especially around the eyes, while gums often bleeding, in addition, is reduced and the resistance of the whole organism, especially to some diseases. Vitamin C is in the fresh fruits and vegetables.

Vitamin C discovered and described Hungarian biochemist and Nobel Prize winner, Dr. Albert Szent-Gyorgyi, who for this extraordinary discovery in 1937 received the Nobel Prize for Medicine.

Powerful immunostimulant

Vitamin C is a powerful immunostimulant and a strong ally in the fight against viral and bacterial infections. As a powerful antioxidant able to neutralize harmful free radicals and thus contribute to cleanse the body of toxins and heavy metals.

It is essential for the synthesis of collagen, a naturally occurring protein that is responsible for the structure of the skin, muscle, bone, tendons and ligaments.

The most productive natural sources of vitamin C are fruits and vegetables… lemon, tangerine, orange, pomegranate, strawberry, cherry, grape, apple, grapefruit, green and red peppers, potatoes, cabbage and many others.

Facts about Vitamin D

Vitamin D is important for the proper development of teeth, bones and whole skeleton. Due to its lack, arises disease called rickets. It can be found in large quantities in fish oils, liver and egg yolk. The sun’s rays allow the creation of this vitamin in our skin.

Older people and those with dark complexion, do not get as much benefit from the sun as a light-skinned people. Experts say it is best for them to take vitamin D through diet and supplements.

People who have higher levels of vitamin D have a lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Also maintain optimal levels of vitamin D in the blood may be a strategy for the prevention of diabetes type 2.

Vitamin D plays an important role in activating the immune system to defend against diseases such as influenza. The lack of this important vitamin can result in a higher risk of contracting viral diseases.

Studies have shown that vitamin D deficiency can cause cancer, depression and heart disease.

Read also Facts About Adipose Tissue!

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CASCADIA SUBDUCTION ZONE

The Cascadia Fault extends northwards for more than 1,000km along the west coast of North America, from northern California to midway along Vancouver Island in Canada. In 1700 the fault ruptured, generating an earthquake of around magnitude 9, which triggered a massive tsunami that was destructive even as far as Japan.

A major earthquake of a comparable size has a fair chance of happening within the next 50 years or so, leading to a potentially devastating tsunami striking the Pacific coastline of the United States and southern Canada.

GREENLAND

Eight thousand year ago, an earthquake caused by melting of the Scandinavian Ice Sheet triggered the great Storegga landslide, off the coast of Norway, spawning a tsunami that inundated the Shetlands and the east coast of Scotland.

As Greenland’s 2-3km-thick ice cover melts at an increasingly rapid rate, the faults beneath, which have been locked under the weight of the ice for tens of millennia, will be able to move more easily. Resulting earthquakes could, in turn, trigger submarine landslides similar to Storegga, capable of sending tsunamis surging across the Atlantic.

SUMATRA

A segment of the Sunda Megathrust Fault off the coast of Sumatra (Indonesia), which has not ruptured since 1797, is fully primed and ready to go. When it does, it’s predicted to trigger a massive earthquake – as high as magnitude 8.8 – as well as a 5-6m-high tsunami. The devastating waves will reach the Indonesian city of Padang – population close to 1 million – within 30 minutes. While some preparations are being made to counter the threat of this sleeping giant of a disaster, the chances are that the level of death and destruction will be very high.

THE PUERTO RICO TRENCH

The Puerto Rico Trench marks the join between the Caribbean Plate to the south and the North American Plate to the north. With a maximum depth of more than 8km, it forms the deepest part of the Atlantic Basin.

Submarine imagery reveals numerous giant landslides in the trench that were triggered by ancient earthquakes.

It is now more than 200 years since a major quake struck the region, and there is some concern that a future combination of a huge quake and a resulting landslide could trigger a tsunami that could be destructive across much of the Caribbean.

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Did you know that it is estimated that almost every fifth product contains platinum or that platinum is needed for its production…

Many believe that platinum is the same as white gold and due to the lack of information about it, are not able to understand, and therefore did not explain what platinum really is.

Platinum represents a completely independent type of noble metal that can be found in nature and as such, it does not even have touch points with a white gold which is actually a gold alloy and a certain type of white metal

Since the discovery to the present value of platinum is constantly growing. In addition to being used for the manufacture of expensive jewelery and ornamental items, the use of platinum is very widespread in various industrial branches, even in medicine…

Fact: Platinum is grayish-white. It is harder than copper, and is stretchy almost like gold.

Fact: Platinum is a very heavy metal. One cube of platinum, whose side would be 30 centimeters long, would have a weight of 500 kilograms! Platinum is almost twice as heavy as lead.

Fact: Platinum is usually found in mines, often mixed with rare metals such as palladium, rhodium, iridium and osmosis, which are called “platinum metals”. It is sometimes mixed with gold, copper, silver, iron, chrome and nickel. It appears in the form of grains, scallops and bulbouss.

Fact: Platinum deposits were first discovered in South America in the 18th century. The old peoples of South America used platinum to make jewelery and body decorations, but evidence of its use was probably destroyed by the arrival of Spaniards and Portuguese in those areas.

Fact: Just a few hundred years ago platinum was neither industrial nor strategic or noble metal. During the 17th century in South America, the Spanish conquerors considered the platinum to be a problem because it was mixed with the found gold. In the Ural mountain range in Russia there was a lot of unnecessary metal “platinum”, so the Russian government decided to change currency from gold to platinum. In the following years it was made nearly half a million ounces of platinum in Russian rubles and so they changed it from a cheap metal a noble metal.

Fact: Platinum is more precious than gold. It is estimated that platinum found in entire history can be placed in a cube less than 10 cubic meters. The vast majority of platinum found today comes from two sides of the world, South Africa and Siberia in Russia. The largest platinum site, Merensky Reef in South Africa, was discovered in 1924.

Fact: More than 50% of the annual platinum production is used by the automobile industry. Platinum as a relatively precious metal has incredible investment potential. It is more expensive than gold, and therefore is considered an attractive investment instrument.

Fact: The earliest item that testifies to the use of platinum dates back to the 7th century BC and is kept in the Louvre Museum in Paris. The Egyptian jewelery box is decorated with hieroglyphs, made of gold and platinum alloys.

Fact: It is considered that the first description of platinum in Europe was recorded by the Italian humanist and poet J. C. Scaliger (1557), who writes about white, heavy, invulnerable and nonflammable metal. For chemists of the 18th century, platinum was a new and insufficiently researched metal, and was first described in professional literature in 1748.

Fact: The alloy of platinum (90%) and iridium (10%) has been chosen to create a standard meter and the standard kilogram. The prototype of the kilogram has a roller shape of 39 mm high and 39 mm in diameter, and the international prameter, which was used from 1889 to 1960, has a rod shape. Since 1983, the meter is defined by the speed of light

Fact: In July 2015, an asteroid, which allegedly contained about 90 tons of platinum and other precious metals, flew near the Earth. Scientists are examining the possibilities of using natural resources on asteroids by sending space telescopes that should gather enough information to start “asteroid mining” one day…

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From tornado-force winds to superhot flames, dare you discover nature’s most violent infernos?

Firestorms are among nature’s most violent and unpredictable phenomena. Tornado-force winds sweep superhot flames of up to 1,000 degrees Celsius (1,800 degrees Fahrenheit) through buildings and forests alike. Victims often suffocate before they can flee and entire towns can be obliterated.

Survivors of firestorms describe darkness, 100-metre (330-foot)-high fireballs and a roaring like a jumbo jet. To give you an idea of the sheer heat, firestorms can be hot enough to melt aluminium and tarmac, warp copper and even turn sand into glass.

Firestorms happen worldwide, especially in the forests of the United States and Indonesia, and in the Australian bush. They occur mostly in summer and autumn when vegetation is tinder dry. Although they are a natural phenomenon, among the most devastating were triggered deliberately.

During World War II, for instance, Allied forces used incendiaries and explosives to create devastating firestorms in Japanese and German cities. Firestorms also erupted after the cataclysmic impact 65.5 million years ago that many believe to have triggered the extinction of the dinosaurs.

Climate change may be already increasing the risk of mega-fires by making summers ever hotter and drier.

The Rocky Mountain Climate Organization, for example, has reported that from 2003 to 2007, the 11 western US states warmed by an average of one degree Celsius (1.7 degrees Fahrenheit). The fire danger season has gone up by 78 days since 1986.

The risk of an Australian firestorm striking a major city has also heightened in the last 40 years. Climate change may have exacerbated this by increasing the risk of long heat waves and extremely hot days. In January 2013 alone, a hundred bushfires raged through the states of New South Wales, Victoria and Tasmania following a record-breaking heat wave. Maximum daily temperatures rose to 40.3 degrees Celsius (104.5 degrees Fahrenheit), beating the previous record set in 1972.

Firestorms can happen during bush or forest fires, but are not simply wildfires. Indeed, a firestorm is massive enough to create its own weather. The thunderstorms, powerful winds and fire whirls – mini tornadoes of spinning flames – it can spawn are all part of its terrifying power.

The intense fire can have as much energy as a thunderstorm. Hot air rises above it, sucking in additional oxygen and dry debris, which fuel and spread the fire. Winds can reach tornado speed – tens of times the ambient wind speeds. The huge pillar of rising air – called a thermal column – swirling above the firestorm can generate thunderclouds and even lightning strikes that spark new fires.

The thermal column, in turn, can spawn a number of fiery tornadoes, which can tower to 200 metres (650 feet) and stretch 300 metres (980 feet) wide, lasting for at least 20 minutes. These fling flaming logs and other burning debris across the landscape, spreading the blaze. The turbulent air can gust at 160 kilometres (100 miles) per hour, scorching hillsides as far as 100 metres (330 feet) away from the main fire. It’s far more powerful than a typical wildfire, which moves at around 23 kilometres (14.3 miles) per hour – just under the average human sprint speed.

Like all fires, firestorms need three things to burn. First is a heat source for ignition and to dry fuel so it burns easier. Fuel, the second must, is anything that combusts, whether that be paper, grass or trees. Thirdly, all fires need at least 16 per cent oxygen to facilitate their chemical processes. When wood or other fuel burns, it reacts with oxygen in the surrounding air to release heat and generate smoke, embers and various gases. Firestorms are so intense that they often consume all available oxygen, suffocating those who try to take refuge in ditches, air-raid shelters or cellars.

How do mushroom clouds form?

The terrifying mushroom clouds produced after nuclear bombs are examples of pyrocumulus, or fire, clouds. This towering phenomenon is caused by intense ground heating during a firestorm.

Their tops can reach an incredible nine kilometres (six miles) above the ground. When the fire heats the air, it rises in a powerful updraft that lifts water vapour, ash and dust.

The vapour starts to cool high in the atmosphere and condenses as water droplets on the ash. As a result, a cloud forms that can quickly become a thunderstorm with lightning and rain, if enough water is available. The lightning can start new fires, but on the bright side, rain can extinguish them.

How firestorms change the weather

Firestorms can release as much energy as a lightning storm on a hot summer’s afternoon.

Warm air above the fire is lighter than the surrounding air so it rises; the swirling pillar of lifting air above the fire is called a thermal column. This tornado-like structure is responsible for a firestorm’s power. Under the right weather conditions, air can rise inside the column at eye-watering speeds of 270 kilometres (170 miles) per hour!

Cooler air gusts into the space left behind by the ascending air, causing violent winds that merge fires together into a single intense entity. They also blow in oxygen, wood and other flammable material that serve to fuel and intensify the blaze.

Turbulent air spiralling around the thermal column can spawn fire tornadoes and throw out sparks. These can set light to trees and houses tens of metres away, increasing the conflagration’s range.

Fighting firestorms

Fire wardens, air patrols and lookout stations all help detect fires early, before they can spread. Once a fire starts, helicopters and air tankers head to the scene. They spray thousands of gallons of water, foam of flame-retardant chemicals around the conflagration. In the meantime, firefighters descend by rope or parachute to clear nearby flammable material.

We can reduce the risk of fire breaking out in the first place by burning excess vegetation under controlled conditions. Surprisingly this can actually benefit certain plants and animals. Canadian lodgepole pines, for example, rely partly on fire to disperse their seeds. Burning also destroys diseased trees and opens up congested woodland to new grasses and shrubs, which provides food for cattle and deer.

Vegetation in fire-prone areas often recovers quickly from a blaze. Plants like Douglas fir, for instance, have fire-resistant bark – although it can only withstand so much heat. Forest owners help flora to return by spreading mulch, planting grass seed and erecting fences.

Top 6 Mega Disasters Firestorms

1. Black Saturday – In 2009, one of Australia’s worst bushfires killed 173 people, injured 5,000, destroyed 2,029 homes, killed numerous animals and burnt 4,500 square kilometres (1,700 square miles) of land. Temperatures may have reached 1,200 degrees Celsius (2,192 degrees Fahrenheit).

2. Great Peshtigo – The deadliest fire in American history claimed 1,200-2,500 lives, burned 4,860 square kilometres (1,875 square miles) of Wisconsin and upper Michigan and destroyed all but two buildings in Peshtigo in 1871.

3. Ash Wednesday – More than 100 fires swept across Victoria and South Australia on 16 February 1983, killing 75 people, destroying 3.000 homes and killing 50.000 sheep and cows. It was the worst firestorm in South Australia’s history.

4. Hamburg 1943 – This firestorm brought on by an Allied bomb strike in 1943 killed an estimated 44,600 civilians, left many more homeless and levelled a 22-square-kilometre (8.5-square-mile) area of the German city. Hurricane-force winds of 240 kilometres (150 miles) per hour were raised.

5. Great Kanto – A 7.9-magnitude earthquake on 1 September 1923 triggered a firestorm that burned 45 per cent of Tokyo and killed over 140,000. This included 44,000 who were incinerated by a 100-metre (330-foot) fire tornado.

6. Atomic bombing of Hiroshima – Firestorm covering 4.4 square miles (11 km2). From the explosion and the resulting firestorm, between 70,000 and 80,000 civilians died in a few hours. The temperature on the ground near the center of the explosion reached up to 5000 ° C. A powerful impact wave, speeds of 800 km/h (500mph), and flammable storms destroyed almost everything within 11 square kilometers.

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Deep within the Arctic Circle, on the frozen island of Spitsbergen in the Norwegian Svalbard archipelago, is a giant vault.

It’s something you’d half expect to fi nd in a Bond movie: set 120 metres (394 feet) inside a mountain, it’s the site of an old coal mine and boasts some formidable security features that include reinforced concrete walls, dual blast-proof doors, motion sensors and airlocks.

Just 1,300 kilometres (808 miles) from the North Pole, the island’s inhospitable climate and treacherous terrain make monitoring human activity in the area relatively easy.

The 1,750 banks from around the world that have made deposits to this vault can sleep easy knowing their investments are secure. But this is no safe house for cash or gold, nor is this a fi nancial institution of any kind – it is a giant repository for the world’s precious seed crops.

The project is an effort on the part of several multinational corporations and governments to protect future crop diversity. This includes the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation along with a conglomerate of corporations with agricultural interests called the Global Crop Diversity Trust, and the Ministry of Agriculture and Food on behalf of the Norwegian government.

Svalbard is an ideal choice for the vault’s location, making it a kind of fail-safe, should worldwide seed banks fail. The location may be remote, but it has good infrastructure and a ready supply of coal to power the facility.

The sandstone the vault is set into is low in radiation and stable, plus it’s very cold and dry, protecting the seeds even if the refrigeration units were to fail. So, in the event of largescale regional or global crises, our world’s diverse produce is securely backed up.

Preserving our food future

Duplicate samples of seeds from national seed banks are stored in sealed aluminium bags that exclude moisture, then shelved in itemised containers, the contents of which are recorded and held in a database maintained by the Norwegian authorities.

The bedrock that surrounds the vault is a temperature of minusthree degrees Celsius (27 degrees Fahrenheit), although the facility is kept even colder by refrigeration units that chill the seeds to minus-18 degrees Celsius (minus-0.4 degrees Fahrenheit).

The island of Spitsbergen is tectonically inactive and even if the ice caps melted, the site lies high enough to remain above sea level. Under these conditions, seeds will remain viable for hundreds or even thousands of years.

The post What Is The Purpose Of The Svalbard Global Seed Vault appeared first on Some Interesting Facts.

A rare atmospheric and optical phenomenon, light pillars are only visible under very specific conditions.

They form when light from a source low in the sky – such as the setting Sun or even streetlights – reflects off millions of fl at, hexagonal ice crystals in the air and into your eyes or camera.

The columns of light are not physically present, but if you stand in the right spot, with the ice crystals roughly halfway between you and the light source, the optical illusion occurs.

As well as being cold enough for the ice crystals to form, the weather must be very calm so that the crystals can fall gently through the air while remaining in a horizontal orientation, tilting slightly from side to side. It’s these tilted crystals that elongate the refl ection into a column, and the higher they are in the sky, the taller the column will be.

Light pillars caused by the Sun are called Solar or Sun pillars, while those caused by the Moon’s light are called Lunar or Moon pillars.

Maybe you would like to know How Does A Black Hole Effect Light!

Halo (optics of the atmosphere)

Halo is the optical phenomena in the Earth’s atmosphere (atmospheric optics) when the sun or moon visible through a thin layer of clouds with ice crystals.

The best known is a circle around the sun or moon (full or part) 22° to the diameter on the inside of a reddish, and on the outside of bluish color. Much less common is the halo of a diameter of 44°.

The false Sun

The false Sun in Earth’s atmosphere represents the optical appearance of two bright spots on 22° on both sides of the Sun at the same height above the horizon.

The phenomenon is related to halo, and occurs when the sun (rarely moon) shines through thin cloud of hexagonal ice crystals, which are oriented so that their main (hexagonal) axis is oriented vertically.

Read also What Is Firestorm Phenomenon! and  How Aurora Lights Are Formed!

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Katabatic wind

From the Greek for ‘going downhill’, a katabatic wind is also known as a drainage wind. It carries dense air down from high elevations, such as mountain tops, down a slope thanks to gravity.

This is a common occurrence in places like Antarctica’s Polar Plateau, where incredibly cold air on top of the plateau sinks and flows down through the rugged landscape, picking up speed as it goes.

The opposite of katabatic winds are called anabatic, which are winds that blow up a steep slope.

Snow in Africa

Several countries in Africa see snow – indeed, there are ski resorts in Morocco and regular snowfall in Tunisia. Algeria and South Africa also experience snowfall on occasion.

It once snowed in the Sahara, but it was gone within 30 minutes. There’s even snowfall around the equator if you count the snow-topped peaks of mountains.

Cities own microclimate

Some large metropolises have microclimates – that is, their own small climates that differ from the local environment.

Often these are due to the massive amounts of concrete, asphalt and steel; these materials retain and reflect heat and do not absorb water, which keeps a city warmer at night.

This phenomenon specifically is often known as an urban heat island. The extreme energy usage in large cities may also contribute to this.

Hurricanes

Depending on where they start, hurricanes may also be known as tropical cyclones or typhoons. They always form over oceans around the equator, fuelled by the warm, moist air.

As that air rises and forms clouds, more warm, moist air moves into the area of lower pressure below. As the cycle continues, winds begin rotating and pick up speed.

Once it hits 119 kilometres (74 miles) per hour, the storm is officially a hurricane. When hurricanes reach land, they weaken and die without the warm ocean air.

Unfortunately they can move far inland, bringing a vast amount of rain and destructive winds.

People sometimes cite ‘the butterfly effect’ in relation to hurricanes. This simply means something as small as the beat of a butterfly’s wing can cause big changes in the long term. Read here Difference Between Cyclone, Hurricane and Typhoon!

Giant hailstones

Put simply, giant hailstones come from giant storms – specifically a thunderstorm called a supercell. It has a strong updraft that forces wind upwards into the clouds, which keeps ice particles suspended for a long period.

Within the storm are areas called growth regions; raindrops spending a long time in these are able to grow into much bigger hailstones than normal.

Read also What Is Firestorm Phenomenon!

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Rubies are actually a type of rare mineral called corundum. Corundum is made up of densely packed aluminium and oxygen atoms, which are colourless on their own. However, when chromium ions replace some of the aluminium, bright red hues appear in the gemstone.

Burmese warriors believed placing rubies under their skin made them invincible in battle. Although this was not the case, rubies are beaten only by diamond among the minerals, with a hardness of 9.0 on the Mohs scale.

How rubies are formed is still debated by scientists, but there are some leading theories. It is widely accepted that plate tectonics are involved, specifically where the continents of India and Asia collide to form the Himalayas.

What has baffled scientists is why rubies are present only erratically within this area’s marble. Geologists need access to Burma’s Mogok mine to prove or disprove any theory they put forward, but owing to the country’s delicate political situation, this is not currently an option.

Ruby formation theories

Some believe the key to ruby formation is salt’s presence within the limestone. This salt would have mixed with the detritus (dead organic material) and helped form the limestone that produced rubies.

Once the limestone became heated, the salt lowered the melting point of the mixture (a flux), allowing the aluminium enough mobility to mix with the chromium. Crystals of salt have been found within the ruby-containing marble, which supports this theory.

Others believe the process requires a liquid to transport silica away before rubies can develop. Silica will actually stop corundum formation, so there would be no chance of rubies forming in areas with high levels of this compound.

For most respected rubies are considered Asterick rubies or those with cat’s eye effect. The largest deposits of rubies are found in Burma, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Cambodia, India, Pakistan, Madagascar, Tanzania, Kenya, Australia, Russia, Norway and the United States.

Legend

The Asian country of Burma (now Myanmar), there is a legend how originated the first ruby. Legend says that 2,000 years ago in Burma lived dragon that was hatched three eggs. From one egg has become a Chinese emperor, another ruler of another faith, and of the third was created ruby from Burma.

Read also Top 10 Most Expensive Materials in the World!

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Ever wondered how desert stacks emerge, how huge archways appear out of the rock and how colourful stripes stretch along rocky ledges in the desert? All of these features are the result of wind erosion – the fancy term for which is Aeolian processes.

In the wide-open expanses of deserts, the sheer force of the wind can eat into softer types of rock, such as sandstone. Rock particles are removed and lifted up by the wind (a process known as deflation) and then, as the wind blusters through the arid landscape, its path governed by the rock formations that dominate the terrain, these particles act almost like sandpaper on the rocks and gradually transform them into the streamlined shapes that follow the wind’s path – a process known as abrasion.

Over time, this gradual erosion produces the incredible landforms we associate with the desert landscape, which are known as ‘yardangs’. The type of rock in an area greatly affects how the wind shapes it. Softer rock types are easily eroded, while harder rock is far more resistant and is more likely to be polished by the ferocity of the wind, resulting in smooth, buffed formations.

Softer rock is carved out by the wind, producing much more pronounced effects, while a mixture of both hard and soft rock types can produce incredible formations such as buttes and arches. Read also Coastal Erosion Facts!

How rock archways are formed

Cracking – Geological processes can cause the rock to crack, creating fissures and exposing the softer layers of rock within.

Rock layers – Different types of rock with diff erent properties form and shape the landscape in layers.

Overlying rock – The wind gradually erodes the layers of rock above the cracks.

Cracks deepen – As the wind rushes through the cracks they are gradually eroded away and begin to widen and deepen.

Rain and ice – Rainwater dissolves some of the soft rock’s chemical makeup, while water in small cracks freezes and weakens the rock.

Rockfalls – The weakened softer rock begins to crumble and eventually falls away, leaving an arch of more resistant rock.

Archways widen – Wind erosion continues to wear away at every surface of the exposed archway, constantly widening it.

Collapse – Eventually, the arch is eroded so much that it collapses, leaving two rock pillars standing either side.

Read also Facts About Glaciers!

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