on November 29, 2022
Grote Mandränke
Geology and GeographyFriesland. In the night of 16 January, the waves crashed more than two metres high over the tops of the dikes. On the coast of North Friesland, 21 dikes broke. The devastating storm surge probably cost thousands of lives. Whole swathes of land and several villages in North and East Frisia were submerged in the
on November 29, 2022
Big-eared Rabbits
Geology and GeographyWhen the antelope rabbit sweats, it does so mainly through its ears, which are a good 20 cm long. These giant spoons give off excess heat to the environment. And this is vital for the rodent, because the antelope hare lives in the hot, dry deserts of Arizona and Mexico. It can grow up to
on November 29, 2022
Great discovery
Geology and GeographyOn an Arctic expedition, the polar explorer James Clark Ross discovered the magnetic South Pole. His measuring instruments had shown him the way. The magnetic pole is located on the Canadian mainland, about 2300 kilometres from the geographic North Pole. In May 1829, the British polar explorer John Ross and his nephew James Clark Ross
on November 29, 2022
Birth of an island
Geology and Geography30 kilometres south of Iceland, an island has been born from the sea. Since 14 November, a young volcano has been spewing fire and ash here. Its lava masses have already grown an island 40 metres high and a good 500 metres long. White-grey ash clouds hang in the sky and darken it. Fine volcanic
on November 29, 2022
Free fall from space
Geology and GeographyFrom a height of 39 kilometres, the Austrian Felix Baumgartner plunged from a balloon capsule into the depths. During his death-defying jump, he broke the sound barrier and reached a top speed of 1342 kilometres per hour. After four minutes and 19 seconds of free fall, he had solid ground under his feet again. “It
on November 29, 2022
Free entry to the Stone Age Party
Geology and GeographyIt is 21 June, three o’clock in the morning. The car parks at Stonehenge are hopelessly overcrowded. Food stalls and hundreds of toilet blocks are set up. Around the gigantic boulders, thousands of Stone Age enthusiasts are celebrating their party of the year – the summer solstice. There is drumming and dancing, self-appointed druids blow
on November 29, 2022
Explosion in the Eifel
Geology and GeographyLake Laach glistens quietly in the sunlight. But the idyllic tranquillity is deceptive: 13,000 years ago, hell raged here on earth – this landscape is the result of a volcanic eruption. And scientists expect the Eifel volcanoes to erupt again. The only thing that is unclear is when … The first volcanic eruptions occurred in
on November 29, 2022
Earthquake in Switzerland
Geology and GeographyA series of violent earth tremors reduced the city of Basel to rubble on 18 October 1356. From the afternoon until midnight, the earth trembled again and again. Many houses and part of Basel Cathedral collapsed. The quake and the subsequent fire razed the city to the ground. It is not yet known exactly how
on November 29, 2022
A full bath for a cup of coffee
Geology and GeographyA bathtub full of water to make one cup of coffee – that’s 140 litres! It takes almost as much water to make one breakfast egg. Sheer nonsense? British geographer Anthony Allan has found otherwise. At the Stockholm World Water Week, he and the WWF (World Wide Fund for Nature) came up with an amazing
on November 29, 2022
A small blue dot
Geology and GeographyYou have to look for a while in this picture: The sensation is a “pale blue dot”, a tiny light blue dot in the nothingness. It’s hard to imagine that this little dot should be our home! This picture shows the Earth. It was taken by the Voyager 1 probe from the edge of the