I made a Google Earth Tour of my different stops!
Sunday, April 10, 2011
What a Journey!
Hi everyone!
I am saddened to say that I have completed my journey. I visited so many interesting places--Socotra Island, New Zealand, Grand Cayman Island, Gharmi Village-- and I have learned so much. Right now I am sitting in the airport, waiting for my flight back to San Francisco to board. Luckily, this one is supposed to be on time!
I hope that I can visit all of these places again, not only to see the people and cultures again, but to learn more about the tectonic plate activity. The earth is so complex and creates so many cool things, though they are sometimes very destructive. Studying the different types of plate boundaries (Divergent, Subduction, Continental Collision, Transform) has made more so much more interested in earth science. Hopefully I will get another project revolving around that subject! If I do, I will keep blogging about my travels :)
Until next time,
Grace
I am saddened to say that I have completed my journey. I visited so many interesting places--Socotra Island, New Zealand, Grand Cayman Island, Gharmi Village-- and I have learned so much. Right now I am sitting in the airport, waiting for my flight back to San Francisco to board. Luckily, this one is supposed to be on time!
I hope that I can visit all of these places again, not only to see the people and cultures again, but to learn more about the tectonic plate activity. The earth is so complex and creates so many cool things, though they are sometimes very destructive. Studying the different types of plate boundaries (Divergent, Subduction, Continental Collision, Transform) has made more so much more interested in earth science. Hopefully I will get another project revolving around that subject! If I do, I will keep blogging about my travels :)
Until next time,
Grace
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| Socotra Island, Yemen http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lbetjw6PIk1qcyjaco1_500.jpg |
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| New Zealand http://cache.virtualtourist.com/1392268-Mitre_Peak_Milford_Sound-New_Zealand.jpg |
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| Grand Cayman Island |
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| Himalayas, Nepal |
P.S. To donate to Japan, which fell victim of the bad side of earth's tectonic activity, go to this link: http://american.redcross.org/site/PageServer?pagename=ntld_main&s_src=RSG000000000&s_subsrc=RCO_NewsArticle
Tigers!
Hello!
Today I took a lovely hike into the mountains surrounding Gharmi. I saw lots of deer, and many mountain goats. But then the craziest thing happened! I was walking along the trail, entranced by the beauty, and then I saw a tiger run across the path ahead of me!! My guide told me to stay still--we didn't want her to think that we were food if we ran! Sadly, I didn't get a picture. That's okay though. If I had gotten close enough to get a picture, it probably would have been really dangerous!
It makes me really sad that people hunt these beautiful creatures. Yes they are dangerous, but mostly it's only because they are provoked. There have been cases of man-eating tigers, and that is very sad. But hunting tigers for sport just seems so cruel!!
We should work to protect the tigers!
~Grace
Today I took a lovely hike into the mountains surrounding Gharmi. I saw lots of deer, and many mountain goats. But then the craziest thing happened! I was walking along the trail, entranced by the beauty, and then I saw a tiger run across the path ahead of me!! My guide told me to stay still--we didn't want her to think that we were food if we ran! Sadly, I didn't get a picture. That's okay though. If I had gotten close enough to get a picture, it probably would have been really dangerous!
It makes me really sad that people hunt these beautiful creatures. Yes they are dangerous, but mostly it's only because they are provoked. There have been cases of man-eating tigers, and that is very sad. But hunting tigers for sport just seems so cruel!!
We should work to protect the tigers!
~Grace
http://www.travelndestinations.com/images/hills_tiger01.gif
Thursday, April 7, 2011
The Himalayas in Nepal!
Hi everyone!
I finally made it here!! Luckily my flight was called earlier than expected, so I got here only an hour later than I originally planned. I'm staying with a very nice family in their house in a little village called Gharmi. It's about a 1/2 and hour steep hike up from the nearest road, but its so worth it! Everyone is making me feel very welcome, and the kids even greeted me with flowers! So sweet! Tomorrow I will take a long hike, which will be amazing!
A picture of the rice fields:
So as you probably know, the Himalayas are a giant mountain range spreading across Nepal, which is where I'm staying. This is a very good example of continental collision, which is type of convergent boundary. This collision is between the Indo-Australian Plate, and the Eurasian plate. When the two plates hit each other, they sort of "crumple". This creates the mountain range.
These shifts do create earthquakes from time to time. Just a couple days ago, Western Nepal was hit by a 5.7 earthquake. No one was killed, and luckily the casualties were very minor. I just hope they don't get hit by a really bad one!!!
I'll blog again soon!
Grace
I finally made it here!! Luckily my flight was called earlier than expected, so I got here only an hour later than I originally planned. I'm staying with a very nice family in their house in a little village called Gharmi. It's about a 1/2 and hour steep hike up from the nearest road, but its so worth it! Everyone is making me feel very welcome, and the kids even greeted me with flowers! So sweet! Tomorrow I will take a long hike, which will be amazing!
A picture of the rice fields:
http://travisreed.blogspot.com/2011/01/village-gharmi.html
So as you probably know, the Himalayas are a giant mountain range spreading across Nepal, which is where I'm staying. This is a very good example of continental collision, which is type of convergent boundary. This collision is between the Indo-Australian Plate, and the Eurasian plate. When the two plates hit each other, they sort of "crumple". This creates the mountain range.
http://www.earthscrust.org/science/transects/img/ural/fig1.png
These shifts do create earthquakes from time to time. Just a couple days ago, Western Nepal was hit by a 5.7 earthquake. No one was killed, and luckily the casualties were very minor. I just hope they don't get hit by a really bad one!!!
I'll blog again soon!
Grace
Airport Post!
Hey!
I know I said I would blog from my next stop, but I am waiting in the airport in Houston for my flight to New Delhi and I am SO BORED. My flight has been delayed two hours! From New Delhi I fly to Kathmandu in Nepal. I guess I will be getting there late! So to pass time, I have decided to tell you about the rest of my adventures in Grand Cayman!
Grand Cayman is one of the best snorkeling places in the Caribbean, so I did a lot of that. It was so much fun!!! The schools of fish were absolutely beautiful, and the coral was amazing.
http://www.caymanactivityguide.com/
Watersports/SnorkelParrotE.jpg
I even saw a stingray! I swam down next to it and got a picture taken of me and it (of course I didn't touch it!!!).
Speaking of touching stingrays, they have this place called Stingray City there. Basically, a while ago when that area was a big fishing area, the fishermen would through the excess fish stuff back into the ocean, so the stingrays would go there to eat. They have gotten used to going there over the years, so now you can go and hold them! The ones that come there are very tame. They aren't kept in captivity, they come there by free will. I went to a place just like it, but it was a sandbar. It was so cool! Then I went snorkeling again right after at a nearby reef.
I'm really excited to go to the Himalayas next! It will be such a change of scenery from this island, but I'm sure it will be gorgeous.
I will post again when I get there!
~Grace
I know I said I would blog from my next stop, but I am waiting in the airport in Houston for my flight to New Delhi and I am SO BORED. My flight has been delayed two hours! From New Delhi I fly to Kathmandu in Nepal. I guess I will be getting there late! So to pass time, I have decided to tell you about the rest of my adventures in Grand Cayman!
Grand Cayman is one of the best snorkeling places in the Caribbean, so I did a lot of that. It was so much fun!!! The schools of fish were absolutely beautiful, and the coral was amazing. http://desktopnature.com/12442/School+of+Tropical+Fish_+Tahiti.jpg
http://www.caymanactivityguide.com/
Watersports/SnorkelParrotE.jpg
I even saw a stingray! I swam down next to it and got a picture taken of me and it (of course I didn't touch it!!!).
http://grandcaymancruiseexcursions.com/StingrayC.JPG
Speaking of touching stingrays, they have this place called Stingray City there. Basically, a while ago when that area was a big fishing area, the fishermen would through the excess fish stuff back into the ocean, so the stingrays would go there to eat. They have gotten used to going there over the years, so now you can go and hold them! The ones that come there are very tame. They aren't kept in captivity, they come there by free will. I went to a place just like it, but it was a sandbar. It was so cool! Then I went snorkeling again right after at a nearby reef.
I'm really excited to go to the Himalayas next! It will be such a change of scenery from this island, but I'm sure it will be gorgeous.
I will post again when I get there!
~Grace
Grand Cayman Island, the Caribbean
Hey!
Right now I am lying on a white sand beach of a little island called Grand Cayman. It's a British territory, and its linked to Cayman Brac and Little Cayman, the two smaller islands. It's about 87º here, and the sun is shinning brilliantly. I am staying at Grand Cayman Beach Suites, which is AMAZING. The beach is gorgeous, the water is amazing, and the food is delicious. I took a walk along the beach earlier today, and I'm so glad I didn't stay at the Ritz. It is beautiful, but so overcrowded. The beach I'm at right now is pretty uncrowded, and there is plenty of room for everyone. Here is a picture that I just took.
They also have these funny things in the water, they're like floating tables! They are awesome to swim out to and just chill in the sun! I'm so happy here. :))))
So on to the science. The reason I visited Grand Cayman is because it is a peak of an underwater ridge, which formed in the MASSIVE underwater trench, the Cayman Trough. This ridge is a product of the transform AND divergent boundary. The transform part makes the the big trench. As they are moving side by side but in opposite direction, one is a little bit lower in level, making the trench. And sense they are not perfectly aligned, there is a part that is spreading apart as well. This is the divergent boundary; it makes the ridge that the Caymans are the peak of.
Here is a picture of the Cayman Trench (Trough). Its below Cuba. The rough latitude and longitude of the boundary is: 18º N, 81º W.
http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2008/08/12/article-1043761-023F9C3900000578-381_468x474.jpg
Back in January 2010, a 5.8-magnitude earthquake hit right near the Cayman Islands. Nobody was seriously injured, but it was a scare. Grand Cayman is about 600 miles away from Haiti, where the devastating earthquake hit the week before.
I am going to go snorkel on the reef about 50 yards offshore! Apparently its amazing, its going to be so much fun!
I'll blog again soon when I arrive at my next stop.... The Himalayas!
Grace
P.S. There was an iguana just hangin' out on the bush on the deck of my hotel room! Here is a picture:
Here is a picture of the Cayman Trench (Trough). Its below Cuba. The rough latitude and longitude of the boundary is: 18º N, 81º W.
Back in January 2010, a 5.8-magnitude earthquake hit right near the Cayman Islands. Nobody was seriously injured, but it was a scare. Grand Cayman is about 600 miles away from Haiti, where the devastating earthquake hit the week before.
I am going to go snorkel on the reef about 50 yards offshore! Apparently its amazing, its going to be so much fun!
I'll blog again soon when I arrive at my next stop.... The Himalayas!
Grace
P.S. There was an iguana just hangin' out on the bush on the deck of my hotel room! Here is a picture:
Sunday, April 3, 2011
New Zealand
Hello!
For my second stop of my world tour, I flew to New Zealand, which is on the borders of the Pacific plate and the Australian plate. I stayed in the capital Wellington, which is near the stretch of water between the North and South Island. I stayed in a hotel called At Home Wellington. I give it 5 stars! It was right downtown… So beautiful.
So back to science… the Pacific plate and the Australian Plate have a convergent boundary. It’s ocean-ocean subduction. This means that one of the plates slips underneath the other, and as it goes down it melts. This creates lava, which rises up to create volcanic islands. Here is a picture for visual representation :)
http://www.washington.edu/burkemuseum/geo_history_wa/The%20Restless%20Earth%20v.2.0_files/image015.gif
The spot of the boundary I was looking at had a latitude and longitude of about 44º S and 168º E. It was on the west side of the South Island (I took a boat across, then drove down), near the beach. The picture I took was from a ridge over looking the ocean. Gorgeous!
http://www.washington.edu/burkemuseum/geo_history_wa/The%20Restless%20Earth%20v.2.0_files/image015.gif
The spot of the boundary I was looking at had a latitude and longitude of about 44º S and 168º E. It was on the west side of the South Island (I took a boat across, then drove down), near the beach. The picture I took was from a ridge over looking the ocean. Gorgeous!
As you may know, there has been quite a lot of tectonic activity in New Zealand lately. There was a 6.3-magnitude earthquake back in February of this year. Scary! And they have had lots of volcanic activity over the past 2 million years. Until next time!
Grace
The picture from the ridge
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