Category Geography

What is the story behind the name of the Daintree rainforest?

Daintree rainforest is one of the oldest rainforests in the world. Home to many rare species, the Daintree rainforest has a significant bird population. This rainforest has more than 430 bird species, 23 reptiles and at least thirteen amphibians. The Daintree National Park is divided into two sections with an agricultural settlement in the middle.

The Daintree National Park is quite a spectacle; lush forests, the Daintree river and pristine beaches. Much of the national park is covered by tropical rainforest that has existed for more than 100 million year. The name comes from the Daintree river. The river was named by George Elphinstone Dalrymple, an early explorer of the area. He named the river after his friend Richard Daintree.

 

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How do they measure a mountain?

In 1749 the British ‘Survey of India’ identified a lofty peak in the distant ranges of the Himalayas. It was called Peak XV, but it was not until 1849 that another survey set out to measure its height. When the survey was completed in 1852 it was confirmed that Peak XV was the highest mountain in the world.

Various names were suggested for it, including Devadhunga (Throne of Gods) and Guarishankar (Gleaming White Bride of Shiva). The Tibetans call it Chomolungma (Goddess Mother of the World). But the name approved by the Royal Geographical Society in London was suggested by Andrew Waugh, then Surveyor General of India. He thought it should be named after his predecessor – Sir George Everest.

Classical surveying techniques were used to calculate Everest’s height. First of all a baseline several miles long was measured along the ground at a known elevation above sea level. The top of the mountain could be seen from both ends of the line, and bearings were taken to the peak with theodolites – instruments which accurately measure angles.

From a knowledge of two angles and the length of one side of a triangle, the lengths of the other sides can be worked out – giving the distance of the peak from the baseline. Further calculations can then give the height. The surveyors measured Everest from six different sites – producing six figures ranging between 28,990 and 29,026ft (8836 and 8847m). The average came to exactly 29,000ft (8839m) – but because it sounded like an approximation they added 2ft (0.6m), and produced their authoritative answer – 29,002ft (8840m).

Everest’s position as the world’s highest mountain went unquestioned until 1986, when George Wallerstein, from the University of Washington, using a different method, claimed that another Himalayan mountain, K-2, might be 36ft (11m) higher.

Wallerstein’s claim was so startling that an Italian expedition visiting the Himalayas in 1987 decided to check it. They placed receivers part-way up Everest and K-2, and used Navstar signals to establish their exact height of the baseline on which calculations are based.

The team, led by geologist Ardito Desio, then calculated the heights of the two mountains using theodolites set up on the receivers’ positions. Their conclusion was that Wallerstein was wrong: Everest was measured at 29,108ft (8872m), a full 840ft (256m) higher than K-2.

 

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What is it like to plunge into the Devil’s Pool at the Victoria Falls in Africa?

Victoria Falls also known as Mosi-oa-Tunya (‘smoke that thunders’), is a breathtaking waterfall located in Africa. A World Heritage Site, the waterfall is formed as the river Zambezi drops over the edge of a 100m deep chasm. One of the tourist attractions at the Victoria Falls is the Devil’s Pool.

The Devil’s Pool is a naturally formed pool located near the edge of the falls. Every year, when the dry season reduces the water level and makes the current safe, tourists take a dip in the pool and swim as close as possible to the edge of the waterfall.

The Devil’s Pool is definitely not for the faint-hearted. It takes a rocky walk and swim in the Zambezi to reach the pool before slipping into the adrenalin-pumping swimming hole. When people jump or step into the waters they face the terrifying prospect of being pulled by the water currents towards the edge before the rock wall stops them just a few feet away from the 100m fall!

The view from the edge is totally exhilarating as you feel the force of the Zambezi flowing past you and crashing down over the precipice; a hundred metre drop.

 

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WHAT ARE THE SEASONS IN TEMPERATE ZONES?

          Spring brings warmer weather. Flowers come into bloom, trees regain their leaves and blossom. Some sunshine will be accompanied by cool breezes and light showers of rain.

          In summer, the days are long and the land receives a lot of sunshine. Temperatures are high and trees and plants are green and leafy. Thunderstorms will bring rain.

          Temperatures drop during autumn, as the days begin to get shorter. Some places may experience violent storms at this time of year. Leaves go brown and fall from the trees.

          In winter, the days are short and the skies may be filled with dark, grey cloud. Many trees are bare, and the ground is often covered with frost, snow or ice.

          In geography, the temperate or tepid climates of Earth occur in the middle latitudes, which span between the tropics and the polar regions of Earth. In most climate classifications, temperate climates refer to the climate zone between 35 and 50 north and south latitudes (between the subarctic and subtropical climates).

          These zones generally have wider temperature ranges throughout the year and more distinct seasonal changes compared to tropical climates, where such variations are often small. They typically feature four distinct seasons, Summer the warmest, Autumn the transitioning season to Winter, the colder season, and Spring the transitioning season from winter back into summer. In the northern hemisphere, the year starts with winter, transitions in the first half year through spring into summer, which is in mid-year, then at the second half year through autumn into winter at year-end. In the southern hemisphere, the seasons are swapped, with summer between years and winter in mid-year.

          The temperate zones (latitudes from 23.5° to the polar circles at about 66.5°, north and south) are where the widest seasonal changes occur, with most climates found in it having some influence from both the tropics and the poles. The subtropics (latitudes from about 23.5° to 35°, north and south) have temperate climates that have the least seasonal change and the warmest in winter, while at the other end, Boreal climates located from 55 to 65 north latitude have the most seasonal changes and long and severe winters.

          In temperate climates, not only do latitudinal positions influence temperature changes, but sea currents, prevailing wind direction, continentally (how large a landmass is), and altitude also shape temperate climates.

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Do feeders invite predatory birds?

Some argue that by feeding birds, we invite predatory birds like blue jays and starlings that have the habit of taking hold of nests of other species and killing their young. Look at it this way. No one is sure if this happens near all the feeders. But thanks to feeders, parent birds are better nourished and can spend less time searching for food and more time tending to the nest. The number of chicks is seen to increase in places where birds rely on feeders. According to Cornell Lab of Ornithology, bird species that frequent feeders do well or better than those that don’t.

 

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Will birds starve if the feeders are removed?

Some people worry that birds that frequent feeders may become totally dependent on them. And if, for some reason, feeders become defunct, their food source is removed suddenly. It will take time for the birds to find new sources of food. Naturalists point out that most birds, along with seeds, pick up insects, berries and small vertebrates. They do not live on seeds alone. They constantly forage for food when they are not building nests or hatching eggs. You must have seen sparrows, chickadees, nuthatches and titmice picking up insects from the ground. So, removing a feeder will not starve them. When trees are covered with snow, the backyard food supply gives them the wholesome food they need, even though birds will be looking for insects in tree barks and bushes.

 

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