Sonmarg:Meadow of Gold
Posted: March 31, 2010 Filed under: Kashmir Trip 1 Comment »
Snow Peaked Mountains:Click to Enlarge
Came back from Kashmir.Clicked thousands of photographs like crazy.Will share with you best of them.Two of them are here of Sonmarg. Enjoy.
Way to Sonmarg:Click to Enlarge
Situated at an altitude of 2743 m above sea level, Sonmarg is absolutely true to its name, which means ‘Meadow of Gold’. The moment you enter Sonmarg, the first thing that you will notice will be the snow-covered mountain . In winters , the town is covered with snow giving it an altogether different charm of white. The town has become famous for the many excursion option that it offers, mainly short walks and trek routes to nearby stunning areas. The most famous trek is definitely the one that takes you to Amarnath caves. In fact Baltal which is just besides Sonmarg, is used as a base camp for starting the holy Amarnath yatra.
Welcome to Kashmir
Posted: March 26, 2010 Filed under: Uncategorized Leave a comment »
Desspite all the disturbances peace and tranquility is there and flowers are blooming like Gold.We have clicked like crazy .We are on the move. Will share more more photographs with you in the coming posts.
Going to Paradise:Kashmir Trip
Posted: March 22, 2010 Filed under: Kashmir Trip 2 Comments »
Dear Readers
We are going to Kashmir – on Vacation and sightseeing for ten days.I will write about our experiences and will share photographs with you if possible. For these updates you can also check Here and Here.
Bye
Rashid
600 million metric tons of Water on Moon’ North Pole!!!
Posted: March 21, 2010 Filed under: Moon, Space, water Leave a comment »
We thought, until recently, that the Moon was just about the driest place in the solar system. Then reports of moonwater started “pouring” in – starting with estimates of scant amounts on the lunar surface, then gallons in a single crater, and now 600 million metric tons distributed among 40 craters near the lunar north pole.A radar probe on India’s Chandrayaan-1, found 40 craters each containing water ice at least 2 meters deep.NASA released details about how much water ice has been detected in the north lunar pole.
In the image ,A Mini-SAR radar map of the lunar north pole Craters circled in green are believed to contain significant deposits of frozen water
read more here
First Extraterrestrial Hurricane Discovered It takes place at Neptune’s south pole
Posted: March 19, 2010 Filed under: Space Leave a comment »
Scientists peering over old and recent images of the gas giant Neptune, the eight planet from the Sun, were recently amazed to discover an eerily familiar pattern in the way clouds at the planet’s south pole were behaving. Their analysis revealed that the region was at the moment battered by what could best be described as a hurricane, as clouds at the location appeared to be trapped in a massive vortex. The process is very likely to be going on for a few years, as even the images delivered by the Voyager spacecraft showed indications of them, Technology Review reports.
Gigantic crater probably made by space impact in Congo discovered
Posted: March 19, 2010 Filed under: Landforms, Space Leave a comment »
An Italian scientist team announced the discovery of Wembo-Nyama crater, a gigantic impact crater in Congo. The new crater, which measures between 36 and 46 kilometres in diameter, is claimed by some scientists to be one of the largest craters discovered in the past ten years or so.
Italian researchers who have had a chance to look at the feature proposed a number of causes for its creation, but eventually they themselves came to the conclusions that nothing but a space impact – most likely an asteroid or a comet – could have formed this hole.
The Unia River flows around the ring structure, underlining its round shape.
Some of the largest craters are:
- Vredefort: S Africa, 300km-wide, 2 billion years old
- Sudbury: Canada, 250km-wide, 1.8 billion years old
-Chicxulub: Mexico, 170km-wide, 65 million years old (buried under Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula)
- Popigai: Russia, 100km-wide, 35.7 million years old
- Manicouagan: Canada, 100km-wide, 214 million years old
Sources:
10 Most Devastating Earthquakes of All Time
Posted: March 17, 2010 Filed under: Guest Post, seismic activities Leave a comment »Dear Readers
Ashley Merusi sent me this very good post by email and wished to pass it on.I am reproducing it here.Enjoy
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The Great Chilean Earthquake on May 22, 1960. It is the most powerful earthquake ever recorded, rated at 9.5 magnitude. It caused tsunamis in Chile, Hawaii, Japan, the Philippines, eastern New Zealand, southeast Australia, and Alaska. Estimates of the death toll range from 2,231 to 6,000. The monetary cost ranges between 400 to 800 million US dollars, or 2.9 to 5.8 billion in 2010 dollars.
The 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake had an epicenter off the west coast of Sumatra, Indonesia, and
caused devastating tsunamis along the Indian Ocean, including Indonesia, Sri Lanka, India, and Thailand. Its magnitude was between 9.1 and 9.3. It is one of the deadliest natural disasters in recorded history, killing nearly 230,000 people.
The 1964 Alaska earthquake is known as the Great Alaska Earthquake. It hit south-central Alaska at a magnitude of 9.2. The earthquake lasted nearly 5 minutes, and is the most powerful recorded earthquake in US and North American history. There were 131 deaths directly caused by the earthquake and its resulting tsunamis.
Kamchatka earthquakes: In 1737 and 1952, two Kamchatka earthquakes occurred around the same location off the Russian Kamchatka Peninsula. The 1737 earthquake is estimated at a magnitude of 8.3, and 1952’s at 9.0. The 1952 earthquake caused a series of tsunamis around the Kamchatka Peninsula, Kuril Islands, and Hawaii. Damages are estimated around $1 million. No human casualties were reported.
The 1868 Arica Earthquake occurred near Arica, which was part of Peru at the time. The earthquake caused tsunamis in the Pacific Ocean, causing damage to Peru, Hawaii, and New Zealand’s Charham Islands. Arica, Tacna, Ilo, Torata, Mollendo, Iquique, and Arequipa were almost completely destructed, with an estimated 25,000 casualties. The earthquake has an estimGgated magnitude range from 8.5 to 9.0, with about 400 aftershocks recorded.
1700 Cascadia Earthquake:
This earthquake occurred in the Cascadia subduction zone in 1700 with a magnitude between 8.7 and 9.2. It caused a tsunami on the.jpg)
coast of Japan, and is possibly linked to the Bonneville slide. Evidence of this earthquake includes records of the Japanese tsunami not tied to any other Pacific Rim earthquake, and studies of tree rings that show red cedar trees with outermost growth rings formed in 1699. The Cascadia earthquake is believed to have a magnitude of 9.
The 1833 Sumatra earthquake had an estimated magnitude between 8.8 and 9.2, estimated using uplift from coral microatolls. This earthquake caused a large tsunami on the island of Sumatra between Pariaman to Bengkulu, and possibly damage in the Seychelles. Although there are no records of loss of life, they are described as “numerous.”
The 2010 Chilean earthquake came in at a magnitude of 8.8 for three minutes. Shaking and tremors were
felt in much of Chile and South America, including the cities of Talcahuano, Lota, San Antonio, Arauco, Chiguayente, Cañete, and Buenos Aires. Tsunami warnings were issued in 53 countries, and a tsunami was recorded in the sea at Valparaiso, Chile. As of February 28, 2010, 723 deaths were confirmed, with many more reported missing. This earthquake was so powerful, it is estimated that it shortened day lengths by 1.26 microseconds, and altered Earth’s axis rotation by 3 inches.
1906 Ecuador–Colombia Earthquake:
Ecuador’s 1906 earthquake had a magnitude of 8.8 off the coast of Ecuador and 
Colombia. It generated a strong tsunami that killed between 500 and 1500 people in Hawaii, arriving in Hilo and Honolulu, and Kahului.
1965 Rat Islands, Alaska Earthquake:
This earthquake occurred in one of the Earth’s most active seismic zones. The 1965 earthquake
measured 8.7 magnitude. It caused cracks in wood buildings and runways. There was a tsunami 10.7 meters high on Shemya Island. There was a loss of an estimated $10,000 on Amchitka Island, and at least one recorded aftershock.
First ‘Modern’ Human Beings Appear in the Iberian Peninsula?
Posted: March 16, 2010 Filed under: BIODIVERSITY Leave a comment »
Research carried out by a group of archaeologists from the Centre for Prehistoric Archaeological Heritage Studies of the Universitat Autònoma de 
Barcelona (CEPAP_UAB) at the Cova Gran site (Lleida) has contributed to stirring up scientific debate about the appearance of the first “modern” human beings on the Iberian Peninsula and their possible bearing on the extinction of the Neanderthals.The samples obtained at Cova Gran using Carbon 14 dating refer to a period of between 34,000 and 32,000 years in which this biological replacement in the Western Mediterranean can be located in time, although the study regards as relative the use of Carbon 14 for dating materials from the period of transition of the Middle to Upper Palaeolithic period( 40,000 and 30,000).
The results also support the hypothesis that there was neither interaction nor coexistence between the two species.
Russia, India Plan to Make GPS navigation devices jointly
Posted: March 15, 2010 Filed under: GPS, Satellites Leave a comment »Russia and India might establish a joint venture to produce navigation equipment for GPS and GLONASS (Global Navigation Satellite System), according to GPS Daily report. GLONASS is the Russian equivalent of the US GPS and is designed for both military and civilian use. Both systems allow users to determine their positions to within a few meters.Russia currently has a total of 22 GLONASS satellites in orbit, but only 16 of them are operational. The system requires 18 operational satellites for continuous navigation services covering the entire territory of Russia and at least 24 satellites to provide navigation services worldwide. The GLONASS navigation satellite system is expected to start operating worldwide by the end of 2010. As soon as global operations are launched, India will be able to use the civilian signal, allowing users to determine their position to within five to 15 meters.
Sources : http://www.gpsdaily.com/
Layers of Atmosphere:Ionosphere
Posted: March 14, 2010 Filed under: earth, Environment 1 Comment »
The ionosphere is a name for the layer of the earth’s atmosphere that is ionized by solar wind. Even though many believe the space around earth is a vacuum, it is not completely empty. The sun’s upper atmosphere (the 
corona) is very hot and some of its hydrogen and helium are able to escape the sun’s gravity. Because the gas is hot and is in a constant stream of solar energy it becomes a fully ionized plasma. This streaming plasma is the solar wind, and it flows out past the earth affecting the earth’s magnetic field, the magnetosphere and ionosphere. The Earth receives a lot of energy from the sun in the form of radiation- about 1370 Watts per square meter.The ionosphere is the uppermost part of the atmosphere, distinguished because it is ionized by solar radiation. It plays an important part in atmospheric electricity and forms the inner edge of the magnetosphere. It has practical importance because, among other functions, it influences radio propagation to distant places on the Earth.
The ionosphere is a shell of electrons and electrically charged atoms and molecules that surrounds the Earth, stretching from a height of about 50 km to more than 1000 km. It owes its existence primarily to ultraviolet radiation from the sun.
The lowest part of the Earth’s atmosphere, the troposphere extends from the surface to about 10 km (6 miles). Above 10 km is the stratosphere, followed by the mesosphere. In the stratosphere incoming solar radiation creates the ozone layer. At heights of above 80 km (50 miles), in the thermosphere, the atmosphere is so thin that free electrons can exist for short periods of time before they are captured by a nearby positive ion. The number of these free electrons is sufficient to affect radio propagation. This portion of the atmosphere is ionized and contains a plasma which is referred to as the ionosphere. In a plasma, the negative free electrons and the positive ions are attracted to each other by the electromagnetic force, but they are too energetic to stay fixed together in an electrically neutral molecule.
Ionization depends primarily on the Sun and its activity. The amount of ionization in the ionosphere varies greatly with the amount of radiation received from the sun. Thus there is a diurnal (time of day) effect and a seasonal effect. The local winter hemisphere is tipped away from the Sun, thus there is less received solar radiation. The activity of the sun is associated with the sunspot cycle, with more radiation occurring with more sunspots. Radiation received also varies with geographical location (polar, auroral zones, mid-latitudes, and equatorial regions). There are also mechanisms that disturb the ionosphere and decrease the ionization. There are disturbances such as solar flares and the associated release of charged particles into the solar wind which reaches the Earth and interacts with its geomagnetic field.
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