Seattle Floating Bridge

An unusual concept of bridge of concrete and steel that floats may seem highly uncommon, if not impossible, but there’re 20 such bridges around the world, 5 in the U.S. state of Washington alone, of which 4 are the longest floating bridges in the world. Floating bridges, also recognized as pontoon bridges, are generally temporary structures built out of wood during times of emergencies such as war. Wooden floats and sometimes boats are lashed together and flat planks are laid over creating a roadway, letting men and materials to cross bodies of water. Although Pontoon bridges have been used to great benefit in numerous battles throughout history, including the 2nd World War and during the Iran–Iraq War. Therefore, the longest enduring floating bridge, Evergreen Point, usually called the SR 520 Bridge, lies across Lake Washington, in Seattle. In fact it carries the traffic of State Route 520 and is 4,750 meters long. The Lacey V. Murrow Memorial Bridge, the 2nd longest bridge in the world, lies across the same lake just a few miles to the south, and is 2,020 meters long.

Thus, the question comes in mind why floating bridges? The answer lies in Lake Washington’s complex geographical location. Because, the lake bed is too soft for piers of a conventional bridge! However, the other alternative, is a suspension bridge, may fulfill bridge towers the height of Seattle’s Space Needle, which would have been too costly. The concept of a floating bridge across Lake Washington was first suggested by engineer Homer Hadley in the 1930s. Hadley had worked for a firm designing concrete barges during World War I and he recommended the idea of linking hollow concrete barges end-to-end to Lacey V. Murrow, the state's then director of highways. Thus, Hadley’s floating bridge was such a big accomplishment that Washington State adopted the concept for future bridges. However, the 2nd bridge, Evergreen Point, the longest in the world, was opened in 1963. In the honor of a man who first led the concept, the third bridge was named after Homer Hadley. Nowadays, Lake Washington is home to three and all rank among the five longest floating bridges in the world.

The Mysterious Stone Structure of Amazon Rainforest

Researchers has found hundreds of mysterious structures built into the Earth more than two thousand years ago have been discovered in the Amazon rainforest. The truly incredible earthworks have long remained hidden by trees however; deforestation in recent years has discovered over 450 massive geoglyphs. Though, the purpose of stone structure is not known, but believed ditched enclosures were perhaps used sporadically as ritual gathering places. These ditches resemble to Stonehenge approximately 13,000 square kilometers in the western Brazilian Amazon, thought untouched as previously believed.

The real phenomena lay hidden for many centuries underneath mature rainforest actually challenges the idea that Amazonian forests are pristine ecosystem. The region actually forested when the geoglyphs were built, or people impacted the landscape to build these earthworks. Therefore, the researchers reconstructed 6,000 years of vegetation and fire history around two of the geoglyph sites, enlightening heavy alterations by ancient humans. The history tells that humans altered the bamboo forests for millennia, creating small, temporary clearings to build these mysterious structures. The analyzed “phytoliths” a type of microscopic plant fossil made of silica.

So, this allowed them to rebuild the ancient vegetation and charcoal quantities, assess the amount of forest burning and carbon stable isotopes, and determine how ‘open’ the vegetation used to be. Moreover, the search exposed that the indigenous people didn’t burn large tracts of forest, whether for geoglyph construction or agricultural practices. In its place, they concentrated on economically valuable tree species, such as palms, transforming their environment in the process to make a “prehistoric supermarket.” Thus, the biodiversity of few Acre’s remaining forests may have roots in these ancient ‘agroforestry’ practices, the researchers say.

So, hence the findings will be published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Regardless of the massive number and bulk of geoglyph sites in the region, it can certain that Acre’s forests were never cleared as broadly, or for as long, as they have been in recent years. The current evidence that Amazonian forests have been managed by indigenous peoples long before European contact should not be cited as justification for the destructive, unmaintainable land-use practiced today. Moreover it should in its place serve to highlight the ingenuity of past subsistence regimes that did not lead to forest degradation, and the importance of indigenous knowledge for finding more sustainable land-use alternatives.

Incredible Dragon’s Eye View of Stunning Pictures Game of Thrones locations

The most spectacular drone footage has captured the unbelievable natural beauty of Game of Thrones locations from above. The majestic dragon’s eye views show a geyser shooting water high into the air in Iceland as well as the intricate patterns the land makes when looked at from a bird eye view. It's no small wonder in this spectacular landscape as implausible pictures show the contrast of the ash grey volcanic land against the lush green countryside. The Russian photographer took the pictures and videos in Norway and Iceland. The 26 year old photographer Dmitry Bubonets, took the stunning images in both countries, where locations are extremely beautiful, stunning fjords, mountains, and waterfalls captivate the heart of nature beauty.

The jaw-dropping experience is amazing when you are watching black sand beaches, nature without trees and stunning waterfalls. However, the mind-blowing landscape is not totally from this Earth. There are seemingly more volcanoes in Iceland than people! And that moss is so green compared to the gloomy cloudy weather outside that you may think that everything is Photoshopped.' The photographer used a DJI Phantom 4 drone to shoot the footage, ran into some problems due to the bad weather in Scandinavia, very windy indeed. Hence, as for piloting, you should be careful because of the wind once again. It won't turn your drone upside down, but once the wind was so strong that full throttle on my drone was only 0.2 meters/second when it should be around 24. Although the wind was much stronger close to the ground and I positively returned to the starting point. The talented Bubonets expectation is that his footage can motivate people to travel to parts of the world they wouldn't otherwise consider.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Spectacular Glass Beach of Ussuri Bay

Well, there’ a 30 mins drive away from the city of Vladivostok, Russia, lies a spectacular bay surrounded by remarkable cliffs. Though, it has not been very long ago, the Russian beach here was used as dumping ground of old glass bottles by a local porcelain factory, or so the story goes. Therefore, according to another version, the waste glass products were washed away by the river and then swept into the sea. But many thanks to the tremendous power of Mother Nature, the bay, near Vladivostok, now boasts one of the most beautiful beaches you’ll ever see. As the years passes the seaside on Ussuri Bay has taken on a rare appearance.

The countless broken bits of glass, rounded smooth by the persistent pounding of the ocean waves cover every bit of the beach. While Ussuri Bay was once considered very unsafe, authorities have now deemed it a particularly protected area called Glass Beach that is popular with both tourists and locals. When on a sunny day, they sparkle like lighted candles, the Glass Beach of Ussuri Bay is not the only perfect example of nature correcting man’s mistake. However, the waves of the North Pacific have washed the broken beer, wine and vodka bottles into millions of smooth and colorful “pebbles” that have turned the area from a no-go zone to a tourist attraction that visitors pay to see. And looking at these stunning pictures, we’re really not surprised.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Marvelous Engineering Feat “Tehachapi Loop”

The 1.17 km long Tehachapi Loop is an iconic spiral loop, that passes over itself as it expansions height on the railroad main line from side to side Tehachapi Pass, in south central California. The Tehachapi loop was actually built in the 2nd half of the 19th century as part of Southern Pacific's main line through southern California, which had to cross the Tehachapi Mountain range. It was finished in less than 2 years’ time under the leadership of civil engineer J. B. Harris, Chief of Construction, a significant feat.

Therefore, over 3,000 Chinese immigrant laborers toiled for two years cutting through the solid and hard granite with blasting powder, and then clearing the wreckage using picks, shovels, and horse drawn carts, to lay the Tehachapi Pass Railroad Line. The line, which climbs out of the San Joaquin Valley and through the Tehachapi Mountains to Mojave in the Antelope Valley, was part of the last and final link of the first railroad line linking San Francisco to Los Angeles. Though, maybe no other time was more interesting on Tehachapi than during the steam and passenger era. However, before the 1971 one could witness trains such as Southern Pacific's overnight Owl.

The main purpose of constructing the Tehachapi Loop was to gain elevation at an adaptable gradient, and this has worked so well for closely 140 years that it continues to be used even nowadays. In fact, it one of the hectic single-track mainlines in the world with an average of almost 40 trains passing through the Loop every day. The repeated trains and the remarkable scenery makes the Loop a prime draw for trains potters in the country. The marvelous engineering achievement has earned the Loop the dual status of being a National Historic Civil Engineering Landmark as well as a California Historical Landmark. During the course of the years there have been a number of inspiring photos taken capturing this marvel and the panoramic scenes are quite magnificent.

Rujm el-Hiri: The Ancient Israel’s Stonehenge

Well, the ancient megalith monument, comprising of concentric stone circles and a tumulus at the center. However, it looks extremely impressive from the air, and barely visible from the ground. The megalith monument walls are just 6 feet high; though the central mound is higher. The ancient place is located in the middle of a bare expanse of field in the Israeli-occupied portion of the Golan Heights. This is large stone monument went ignored for many centuries. The stone monument was captured from Syria in 1967, and then it was discovered by Israeli archeologists after territory was captured.

This is also called Rujm el-Hiri (means "stone heap of the wild cat) is dated to about 3000 BC, which makes it contemporary to famous England's Stonehenge. The Syrian people also called it Rujm el-Hiri, in Arabic while Hebrew it is named “Gilgal Refaim” that means the “wheel of Refaim”, where “Refaim” is an ancient race of giants. It is also mentioned in the Bible that supposedly lived in Iron Age Israel. The word “Refaim” in Modern Hebrew also means "ghosts" or "spirits". This reference to “giants” and “ghosts” alludes to its huge size, however the stone circle is 160 meters across as well as to the secret of who built the multifaceted and the purpose behind it. This stone monument is often referred to as the "Stonehenge of the Levant."

The megalith structure consists of a large circle of basalt rocks, comprising four smaller concentric circles, each getting gradually thinner. Therefore, same as most megalith sites, there is no record of who built Rujm el-Hiri or for what purpose. The circles walls are connected by unevenly placed smaller stone walls perpendicular to the circles. Thus, at the center is a heap of rocks, recognized as a cairn. This cairn is just 5 meters tall, and their tallest part of the whole structure. Another theory believes that “Rujm el-Hiri” was an astronomical calendar. Although, it is projected that “Rujm el-Hiri” contains more than 40,000 tons of basalt rocks.

Moreover it seems that in the year 3000 BCE, the longest day, the first rays of the sun shone through the opening in the north-east gate. However, the shown alignment is not impeccable, that is assumed to be a sign of the lack of exact knowledge or the absence of precise architectural tools. Moreover, another theory is that the “Rujm el-Hiri” is built for a tomb purpose even though no human remains have been found. The incomprehensible site lies close to Israeli military camps and is so accessible only on holidays and weekends.