The Largest Potash Evaporation Ponds in Utah

The Intrepid Potash Inc., The United States largest producer of potassium chloride, is managing potash evaporation ponds almost 30 kilometers of Moab Utah. These electric blue shapes ponds in the brown desert is measure about 1.5 square kilometers, and are lined with rubber to keep the salts in. However, not like other salt evaporation ponds that gets a naturally reddish tinge due to the presence of certain algae.  The bright blue color of these potash evaporation ponds come from an artificially added dye that supports the absorption of sunlight and evaporation. Though, once the potassium and salts are left behind, they’re collected and sent off for processing.

Well, it is very important that most of the world reserves of potassium came from ancient oceans that once covered where now land is. Hence, after the water evaporated, the potassium salts crystallized into big beds of potash deposits. But with the passage of time, upheaval in the earth's crust buried these deposits under thousands of feet of earth and they become potash ore. The Paradox Basin, where the mines at Moab are situated, is projected to comprise 2 billion tons of potash. These were formed around 300 million years ago and nowadays lies about 1,200 meters below the surface. Therefore, to extract potash from the ground, labors drill wells into the mine and pump hot water down to dissolve the potassium. 

The resulting brine is pumped out of the wells to the surface and fed to the evaporation ponds. However, the sun evaporates the water, leaving behind crystals of potassium and other salt. The evaporation process naturally takes around 300 days. Intrepid Potash, Inc. produces somewhere in-between 700 and 1,000 tons of potash per day from this mine. The mine has been open for last 50 years, and Intrepid Potash expects to get at least 125 more years of production out of it before the potash ore runs out. 

Shanghai From Zweizwei

Shanghai is a very lively, interesting, saturated and pleasant town. It is one of the best cities that I have visited. In this time lapse video I used the footage from two visits to Shanghai in 2014. The first is Chinese New Year. hi Raskalov on the Shanghai tower) It was a trip to China together with dimid vimeo.com/user1232595, During our ten-day trip to Shanghai we met with our friends from "Union of Timelapse China" vimeo.com/timelapsechina, and also visited several roofs with Vitaliy Raskalov and Vadim Makhorov. During the second visit to Shanghai in the summer I continued to explore the city, and of course the roofs, at the same day with a time lapse photographer from Nanjing warrior_lmd vimeo.com/user36346657! The city is an incredibly huge, and I’m sorry for showing you only its center because I had a little time.. There are delightful road junctions and bridges in Shanghai, you can enjoy them in this video. I do like this gorgeous city and I hope that I will be able to visit it again and again!

Canon 5D Mark3
Canon 60D
canon 16-35II
tokina 11-16mm/2.8
sigma 8-16mm
canon 24-105mm/4lis
NDx16, NDx1000, c-pl
music: Lincoln Jesser - Rolling Stones

SHANGHAI from zweizwei |timelapse&hyperlapse| on Vimeo.

Planet Patagonia 4K Time Lapse

Shot in southern Chile and Argentina. Time lapse photography and editing by Dmitry Sergeev. Shooting in Patagonia requires a very sturdy tripod and of course the head as the wind is always present especially high in the mountains. The original 10 minute "Planet Patagonia" 4K time lapse film is available in full resolution 2160p at: loungev.com/planet-patagonia-timelapse-4k-film/

Planet Patagonia 4K Time Lapse from HD Nature Video by LoungeV on Vimeo.

Chile’s World's Largest Swimming Pool is an Engineering Miracle

Chile has some unique attractions to cater the tourists all over the world; by presenting the world’s largest swimming pool attracts large crowds to pay a visit to the San Alfonso del Mar resort at Algarrobo, on Chile’s southern coast. The pool length is about is 3,323 feet long, covering an area of 20 acres containing some 250 million liters of seawater, with a maximum depth of 11.5 feet. The water is pumped from the Pacific Ocean, filtered, and treated. The world’s largest swimming pool took five years to build at a lavish cost of £ 1 billion and an annual maintenance bill for about USD 4 million.

It was opened for public in December 2006, and their water is crystal clear even you can see the bottom of its depth. The gigantic pool is controlled by computer suction device and filtration system to keep fresh seawater in permanent circulation. The pool water is drawing in from the ocean at one end and pumping it out at the other end. Moreover, the sun warms the water that has a temperature of 26 degrees Celsius, 9 degrees warmer than the ocean side. Chile biochemist “Fernando Fischmann” is the man who designed this massive pond. He says, we can build an impressive artificial paradise even in inhospitable areas. It is really true that the pool is like heaven in a dry area.

The swimming length of this pool is the world's largest outdoor pool would mean stroke after stroke for over three fifths of a mile and that's 20 Olympic-size swimming pools. If you’re water lover and distance swimmer, then this is dream come true, as the chill water not overly chlorinated. Indeed this is a engineering miracle--you can't really wrap your head around how HUGE the pool is--it is really more of a lake would give the pool itself 5 stars. If you don't like cold water and can’t swim you might not enjoy it as much as the others did. Source: Charismatic Planet

Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge, Northern Ireland

A short coastal footpath leads to a Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge is a famous rope bridge close to Ballintoy in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. The bridge connected the mainland to the small island of Carrickarede. On the way to splendid bridge, there are amazing vantage points to stop and see the majestic natural beauty. Though, the geology flora and fauna have won Carrick-a-Rede recognition as an area of distinctive scientific interest.  Fulmars, kittywakes, guillemots and razorbills breed on the islands near to the rope bridge. The magnificent rope bridge offers tourists not only delightful views of this wild Atlantic coastline, but also the exclusive and exciting experience of crossing a suspended rope bridge.

Therefore, the present bridge was established in 2008 and replaced numerous previous versions, dating back more than a few hundred years, which were used by local fishermen. In the early days, the bridge was narrower and had only a single rope as a railing. However, these days the rickety bridge is safely enclosed by a network of ropes on both sides, but not all tourists are willing to wiggle and wobble their way. Since Carrickarede Island is no longer used by fishermen, the National Trust over the years, have maintained the strengthened the rope bridge.

Along the coastal of this area, as with much of the Antrim plateau, the cliffs are of basalt with the characteristic Ulster chalk beneath. At Carrickarede, the ancient volcanic pipe has left dolerite, a harder rock than basalt, which erodes more sluggishly. Moreover, behind the dolerite, to the south, the vent is well filled with pyroclastic rocks that break down more effortlessly, mostly coarse tuff agglomerate. Though, the combination of the firm rock out front and the softer rock behind, with long term erosion by the waves, has in the end left this small island.

It is not doubt, that Carrick-a-Rede also motivated an exciting rope bridge experience. Thus, traditional fishermen erected the bridge to Carrick-a-Rede Island over a 23m-deep and 20m-wide chasm to check their salmon nets. Nowadays tourists are immensely drawn here simply to take the rope bridge challenge! Moreover, once you reach at Carrick Island, the reward is seeing the different birdlife and an continuous view across to Rathlin Island and Scotland. There’s only one way off the island back across the swinging bridge! Well, don't look down! The Carric-a-Rope Bridge is one of best love attractions with rocky Island connected to the cliffs by a rope bridge. Here you can have stunning views of special scientific interest, unique geology, flora and fauna, fantastic bird watching. Please be noted, that the bridge is open from Mid-March to early October, when it's taken down so it won't be swept away by winter storms.   Source: Charismatic Planet

The Eshima Ohashi Bridge in Matsue Japan Looks Absolutely Frightening

The Eshima Ohashi bridge is catching renewed attention due to eye-popping photos that show it resembling a vertical Slip n' Slide for cars while with an unusual kink in its middle. The bridge is a two-lane concrete road bridge that connects the city of Matsue in Shimane Prefecture to Sakaiminato in Tottori Prefecture, in Japan. The bridge total length is 1.7 kilometer, and a width of 11.3 meters, it is the largest rigid frame bridge in Japan and the third largest in the world. That's credited toward its need to let ships to pass underneath it with ease.

In the recent times, the bridge has received exceptional attention since it was used in a TV commercial for Daihatsu Motor Co.'s Tanto minivan. The commercial shows the bridge from an angle that inflates the slope of the bridge’s approach. The view compression by a telephoto lens makes the viewer accept as true that the bridge is extremely steep. Daihatsu Motor wants you to be certain of that the bridge is terrifyingly steep because it wants to show off its car's strength. Actually, the bridge has a pretty comfortable gradient of 6.1% on Shimane Prefecture side and 5.1% on Tottori Prefecture side, nothing an average car can’t handle. Several websites showing that driving over the bridge is “like a roller-coaster ride” which is all media hyperbole. Fortunately for it drivers particularly during bad weather or brake failure it looks can be deceiving.

UNREAL! Roller Coaster-like Bridge In Japan... by roletadasanedotas

The Angel Oak Tree, More Than 450 Years Old Tree in South Carolina

The Angel Oak Tree is a Southern live oak located in Angel Oak Park on Johns Island near Charleston, South Carolina. The exact date is missing, but it is believe the Angel Oak Tree is estimated more than 450 years old. It stands 66.5 feet tall, measures 28 feet in circumference, and produces massive shade that covers more than 17,200 square feet. The Angel Oak tree is the longest branch distance is 187 feet in length. Angel Oak was the 210th tree to be registered with the Live Oak Society. As you can imagine that natural disasters can damage to any tree in the world, and same was happened with Angel Oak tree, which were badly damage during Hurricane Hugo in 1989, but tree has tremendously recovered. So, therefore the City of Charleston has owned the tree and surrounding park since 1991. Angel Oak is a live oak and it is native to the low country and is not very tall but has a wide spread canopy.

The Angel Oak tree stands on land that was part of Abraham Weight’s 1717 land grant. The oak originates its name from the estate of Justis and Martha Angel, and local inhabitants tell traditional stories of ghosts of former slaves appearing as angels around the tree. Well, in spite of popular belief that the tree is the oldest one in the east of Mississippi River, but else, there are several bald cypress trees throughout the South which are many hundreds of years older. As the times passes, and modernization development taking place all over the world, and in 2012, development is started to encroach on the site of the Angel Oak, to build a 500 unit apartment complex, but Angel Oak was seriously challenged in court by a group called save the oldest tree and the coastal conversation league, their major concerns included the construction effect on available groundwater and nutrients. For visitors who haven't visited Angel Oak, you should know that it is this state's most impressive work of nature, more inspiring even than a plate of shrimp and grits. In the spring and summer season, there are various events take place, i.e.,  "Evening Under the Angel Oak" , dramatic presentations, and numerous other activities, particularly during the Spoleto Festival in May and June.