on December 2, 2022
Buried alive!
Geology and GeographyAt midday on 24 August 79 AD, the summit of the volcano Vesuvius explodes. The terrible volcanic eruption claims thousands of lives. Hail of rock, lava flows and ash rain bury the inhabitants of Pompeii beneath them. The two cities on the Gulf of Naples are completely destroyed. Until 24 August, Pompeii is a flourishing
on December 2, 2022
Compass in the body
Geology and GeographyRobins can perceive a magnetic field and use it for their orientation. Wolfgang Wiltschko, an ornithologist from Frankfurt, has proven this in experiments. Exactly how the migratory birds’ magnetic sense works is still unexplored. In autumn, many robins regularly migrate to warmer latitudes – to the southwest towards Spain and northern Africa. To find their
on December 2, 2022
Climate disaster at the North Pole
Geology and GeographyThe polar bear’s floe is melting away under its paws. Global warming is causing the sea ice around the North Pole to disappear, and faster and faster. The greenhouse effect, caused by the emission of carbon dioxide and other climate-damaging gases, is to blame. In 1980, the Arctic Ocean was still frozen over on 7.8
on December 2, 2022
California’s Gold Rush
Geology and GeographyIt happened on 24 January last year in a sawmill on the American River: During construction work on a sawmill, James Wilson Marshall discovered a gold nugget. Although attempts were made to keep the find a secret, the story quickly got around: there is gold on the American River! Soon the first gold prospectors from
on December 2, 2022
Millennium flood causes Dresden to sink
Geology and GeographyHeavy flooding and huge mudslides wreak havoc throughout Saxony. After the torrential rains of the past weeks, a huge flood wave rolls down the Elbe. Tens of thousands of helpers, including Bundeswehr soldiers, try to stop the masses of water with sandbags. The water of the Elbe has risen from 2 metres to a destructive
on December 2, 2022
Hurricane Katrina devastates US coast and New Orleans
Geology and GeographyIt is one of the worst natural disasters in the United States. On Monday morning (29 August 2005), Hurricane Katrina reached the American Gulf Coast. At 280 kilometres per hour and accompanied by torrential rain, the tropical cyclone hit the coast and the city of New Orleans. People, cars and houses were simply swept away
on December 2, 2022
A hundred thousand times Hiroshima
Geology and GeographyA catastrophe of unimaginable proportions: Almost 15 million years ago, a gigantic explosion shook southern Germany. It was more powerful than a hundred thousand atomic bombs combined and killed all living creatures within a radius of at least one hundred kilometres. Humans did not exist at that time, but all animals and plants were killed
on December 2, 2022
Hillary and Norgay conquer Everest!
Geology and GeographyFor years they dreamed of it, for weeks they climbed: On 29 May 1953 at 11.30 a.m., the New Zealander Edmund Hillary and the Sherpa Tenzing Norgay reach their ambitious goal: they are the very first to stand on the summit of Mount Everest! Since the beginning of May, a British expedition has been preparing
on December 2, 2022
Altitude record!
Geology and GeographyThe Swiss physicist Auguste Piccard and his assistant Paul Kipfer set off on a risky high-altitude flight in the night of 27 May: In a gas balloon they constructed themselves, they reached a flight altitude of over 15 kilometres after a short time. 17 hours later, after a dramatic flight, the balloon and its crew
on December 2, 2022
Largest diamond ever found
Geology and GeographyA rough diamond larger than any known diamond on earth was found in a South African mine on Thursday. This record-breaking gemstone weighs in at 3106 carats. It was discovered by Frederick Wells, the mine’s inspector. It happened late in the afternoon during a routine inspection at the Premier Mine near Pretoria. On his tour