Top 7 Natural Wonders in the U.S.A.

The following is my list of the top seven natural wonders of the U.S.A. Although I have yet to visit any - these are the top seven I want to visit.

Number One:

Niagara Falls. Three large waterfalls falling 61 meters with large amounts of water pouring over. A must see. The power of the water, the sound, the mist, the boat ride, the romance.

Number Two:

The Grand Canyon. Whether you believe it took millions of years or whether you believe its an obvious result of a great flood, its become irrelevant when you see the scale. The facts and figures as well as the photos look impressive. I'm sure in the flesh words do it no justice.

Number Three:

Yosemite National Park. The View of El Capitan the worlds largest piece of exposed granite alone would be worth the visit. The rivers, streams and animals just add to the beauty.

Number Four:

Redwood National Park. Having seen the beautiful Redwoods in Rotorua, New Zealand which are just over 100 years old, how much better to see ones over a thousand. The size and beauty of these trees is only bettered by having them all in one place creating the perfect cool environment with lots of fresh air. Living up to 2000 years old and reaching 105 meters in height is all impressive, but it is their width that really inspires.

Number Five:

Yellowstone National Park. I love Geothermal Wonders and Yellowstone has plenty over 10,000 hot springs and geysers. Throw in trees and a swim in hot pools and I'm in heaven. Seeing Bison in their natural setting would also be a reminder of America's past. Watching a bear - from a very safe distance - would also be a treat.

Number Six:

The Black Hills country. OK, you've got me here, Mount Rushmore is hardly natural, but still worth a visit. The fact that Wind Cave, Jewel Cave, Deadwood are all nearby gives a taste of the great plains and the wild west.

Number Seven:

Hawaii - the Volcanoes, Wailua Falls, the beaches, the towering cliffs, waterfalls and forests - all good reasons to visit.

Some will complain I haven't include Alaska in this list, but to be honest Alaska would make a list all on its own.

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Mount Etna - Italy's Largest Active Volcano

On the east coastline of Sicily, Italy and near Catania and Messina, Mount Etna can be found. It is a stratovolcano and it is the largest active volcano in the whole of Europe. It is a legendary giant and its pyrotechnic displays have attracted people to Sicily for many centuries. Because of that, the Italy flag is invisibly sitting on top of Mount Etna.

Mount Etna presently stands approximately 10,991 feet or 3,350 meters high although it must be regarded that this changes with peak eruptions. This volcano is now 71 feet or 21.6 meters lower than what it was in the year 1865. It has an area of 460 square miles or 1190 square kilometres with 140 kilometres basal circumference. This size makes it definitely the largest among the three active volcanoes in Italy. It is almost three times the height of the next largest which is Mount Vesuvius. Mount Etna is one of the world's most active volcanoes and it is in a virtually continuous state of eruption. The lush volcanic soils sustain wide-ranging cultivation, with orchards and wineries reach throughout the lower slopes of the mountain as well as the wide Plain of Catania. Mount Etna has been chosen by the United Nations as one of the Decade Volcanoes. Meaning, it is one of the 16 volcanoes known by the International Association of Volcanology and Chemistry of the Earth's Interior (IAVCEI) as worthwhile of actual study because of its history of great, destructive eruptions as well as its being in close proximity to inhabited places.

Pollux Parker is an adventurer who loves discovering secret island getaways in each country he visits. Pollux also likes to collect Italian flag and buy Italian flag for sale.

The Territory, Wild Animals and Plants of Nicaragua

Located in center of the American continent, Nicaragua is the largest Central American country. Nicaragua is home to very rich biodiversity, a truly stunning array of flora and fauna. There are forests of different types, subtropical dry forest, tropical rain forest, mangrove forest, wetlands, grass savanna and tree savanna. On the Pacific side there is mostly tropical dry forest and savanna. In the north, in the mountainous regions, there are cloud forests and pine forests. The two longest rivers in Central America run along the borders of Nicaragua. The Rio Coco (the longest at 680 km or 423 miles) runs along the northern border with Honduras and the Rio San Juan runs along the border with Costa Rica in the south. The Rio San Juan area has both tropical wet forests and rain forests. There are many miles of coastline and beaches as well.

The Pacific Basin is dotted with innumerable volcanoes, lagoons and lakes. The two great lakes are Lake Nicaragua and Lake Managua and there are also 15 crater lakes. In the middle of Lake Nicaragua, the largest lake in Central America and 21st largest by area in the world, is Ometepe Island formed by two volcanoes.

The climate (always hot) and the minimal altitudinal variation have created an environment where diversity has bloomed. There are about 250 species of amphibians and reptiles, about 250 species of mammals, 700+ species of birds, 640+ species of fish, 350+ species of trees, 12,000+ of species of plants (as many as 600 orchids alone) and perhaps more than 250,000 types of insects. There are many creatures as yet undiscovered in the wilds of Nicaragua.

Some standout species are the jaguar, puma, ocelot, tapir, deer, anteater, macaw, quetzal, harpy eagle, and toucan. There are diverse types of monkeys including spider, howler and capuchin monkeys. There are also many types of lizards and snakes, including boas. Plus birds, bats, frogs, crabs, spiders and crocodiles. There are sea turtles on both coasts and a species of shark, the bull shark, which can tolerate the fresh water of Lake Nicaragua.

All these species are distributed in the different biomes from the country. There are a number of protected areas with nearly 20 percent of the territory listed as protected. The Reserve of Bosawás is the third largest reserve in the world and has the second largest rain forest in the Americas after the Amazon. There are other vast reserves such as the Guatuzos and Indio-Maize Reserves and the central part of the country is sparsely populated. This has helped preserve the biodiversity but logging and deforestation are still a problem. Agriculture abounds in more populated regions. Agricultural products include coffee, bananas, sugarcane, cotton, rice, corn, tobacco, sesame, soy and beans. Animal products include beef, veal, pork, poultry, dairy products, seafood, shrimp and lobster.

In Nicaragua, locals and tourists enjoy volcano hiking, surfing in the pacific, diving in the Caribbean on Corn Island and wildlife viewing along the Rio San Juan and in many other parts of the country.

Ready for a visit to Nicaragua? Check hotels at Hotels Nicaragua or in the capital Hotels Managua Nicaragua

Dust in the Air

There is always some dust in the atmosphere. At high levels over the ocean there is least dust. The most dust is found low over cities and is caused by the smoke from coal and oil fires used in heating and manufacturing. Volcanoes shoot tons of fine ash and dust into the air whenever they erupt or explode. This dust may float in the air at very high levels for years at a time. The wind blowing over fields where the earth has been turned over by plows will often lift fine bits of earth, sand, and tiny seeds high into the air.

Some of this dust will settle down to earth very quickly but much of it will float in the air for as long as three years. Water vapour in the air will condense or turn to liquid when it touches certain kinds of dust. Each tiny particle or bit of dust becomes the centre of a droplet of water. When there are enough droplets they form fog, clouds, rain, or snow. The brilliant colours we sometimes see at sunrise and sunset are caused by dust. The dust scatters the rays of sunlight, changing them into bright colours. The sky's blue colour is caused by vapour and dust. All the colours that we see are caused by light rays that have different wave lengths. Blue has very short waves. The dust in the atmosphere holds back the longer waves of light from the sun but the short ones, which look blue to us. are able to get through.

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Paricutin Volcano

On February 20, 1943, a crack began in Dionisio Pulido's cornfield. The trees shivered and the Earth got swollen. The exterior of the earth lifted itself to a height of approximately 150 feet. Vestiges, very fine dust particles and gray smoke started rising from the pointed creation. The earth perpetually whistled a noisy murmur as though it was crying in pain. The stink of sulfur was hanging deep in the air. That very night the lava made a bombarded attack on the cornfields, giving beginning to the stunning Paricutin Volcano.

The volcano gets its well-known name from the community of Paricutin, which presently is buried beneath its lava. The complete village was transferred to an unoccupied area close by. Shockingly, only three casualties have been recorded in the complete history of volcanic outbreak of the Paricutin. Most important volcanic movement of the Paricutin was observed till 1952. At present, the volcanic mountain rests at a elevation of nearly 424 meters. The ashes cone has been calm since that time.

In the initial eight years, the outbreaks were smooth and the lava would cover up merely about a 25 km open area of land. On the other hand, the most recent eruption, which took place in 1952, is recognized to have been the most cruel and explosive one. Even though the Mexican land is well-known for its volcanic activity, the entrance of this new volcano flabbergasted the scientists. However; it is Paricutin which has given volcanologists and scientists an opportunity to learn the birth, life and passing away of a volcano. The death of a volcano involves its extermination and thus also the conclusion of its eruptions.

The Brutal volcano killed nearly 4,000 ranch animals and about 500 horses died of inhaling volcanic ashes. Many cane-boring worms were swept out and this damaged cane plantations. Along with this, humans too underwent breathing problems. When the rains drained away the mountain full of ashes, the ash damaged the dams and silted the agricultural fields. The agricultural land close to the volcano developed into an infertile land, as it had a good content of ash. When the volcanic action stopped, the plant and animal life was reasonably reinstated.

The Mount Paricutin, to be found in Michoacan, Mexico, has developed into a visitors attraction. The spectacular countryside has enthralled many souls. The zigzag ways, glitzy black soil, quiet ambiance and inspiring views makes any nature devotee fall in love with the destination

Author is an associate editor for New 7 Wonders Of World. Get all possible information about Ancient New 7 Wonders and New7Wonders Of NaturalWorld. We also provide information about online hotel reservation, Holiday Packages India and Flights Booking in India.

Leave No Child Inside - Reconnecting Children and Nature

I am not much for AM radio. However, Red Sox baseball games are broadcast on AM radio stations, so my car radio is often tuned in during baseball season.

One afternoon this week, I started my car, with the baseball station on, and heard a talk radio host make a comment that really caught my attention. He was talking about how kids never play outside anymore. And that when he was growing up, kids spent time running around on a green thing called a "playground."

He then translated what this meant for his younger listeners. "A playground when I was a kid is a lot like what playing Nintendo DS is for you. It was a lot of fun. It was something we did every day and with our friends. But it involved a lot more moving around, and it was outside."

Wow! To think that one would need to offer a technical definition of a playground! And then to realize that kids today are not OUTSIDE playing in the yard or at the playground, but INSIDE playing their techno-video games in front of a screen.

Video games, be they the handheld portable variety or the wired versions requiring a living room and a tv, are now a universal language of play and downtime for so many kids. And playgrounds are used for recess at school, should the child attend a school that still has a playground, or for organized practices of team sports like soccer and baseball.

When my son and his best friend go outside to kick the soccer ball around or play basketball with the hoop in the driveway, I realize the airwaves are kid-silent. It is only the laughs and conversations of the two boys I hear. There must be other kids around in the neighborhood. But are they all inside?

You can imagine my amazement as I read Richard Louv's article, "Leave No Child Inside: The Growing Movement to Reconnect Children and Nature." The very thought that children of all people have gotten so disconnected from the natural world is horrifying to me. Yet, as I thought about it more, I realized what Louv was saying was true.

"Within the space of a few decades, the way children understand and experience their neighborhoods and the natural world has changed radically. Even as children and teenagers become more aware of global threats to the environment, their physical contact, their intimacy with nature is fading. As one suburban fifth grader put it to me, in what has become the signature epigram of tthe children-and-nature movement: 'I like to play indoors betters 'cause that's where all the electrical outlets are.'"

As housing developments have snatched up what once were woods and open pieces of land, fear of "stranger danger" and increasing traffic has kept kids off of the neighborhood streets, homework demands has minimized "downtime," and television and computers have become competing forces in the shrinking pie of "play" time, "urban, suburban and even rural parents" can all list the myriad reasons "why their children spend less time in nature than they did themselves."

Louv states, "In a typical week, only 6 percent of children ages nine to thirteenp lay outside on their own. Studies by the National Sporting Goods Association and by American Sports Data, a research firm, show a dramatic decline in the past decade in such outdoor activities as swimming and fishing. Even bike riding is down 31 percent since 1995."

What are we doing to our children? In his book LAST CHILD IN THE WOODS, Louv coins the term "nature-deficit disorder." Harvard professor E.O. Wilson's "biophilia hypothesis" states that we as human beings are innately attracted to nature. Louv writes, "We are still hunters and gatherers, and there is something in us, which we do not fully understand, that needs an occasional immersion in nature. We do know that when people talk about the disconnect between children and nature--if they are old enough to remember a time when outdoor play was the norm--they almost always tells stories about their own childhoods: this tree house or fort, that special woods or ditch or creek or meadow. They recall those 'places of initiation,' in the words of naturalist Bob Pyle, where they may have first sensed with awe and wonder the largeness of the world, seen and unseen."

This gets at the very essence of being human and being interconnected, not alone. "When people share these stories, their cultural, political and religious walls come tumbling down."

While there are risks in the larger world, there are also risks "in raising children under virtual protective house arrest: threats to independent judgment and value of place, to their ability to feel awe and wonder, to their sense of stewardship for the Earth."

There are also threats to their psychological and physiological health and wellbeing. I have worked with countless clients who as children, found safety and sanity in the natural world, finding refuge from an abusive or neglectful household. Where are today's children to go? For even adults suffering from depression, connecting with nature can be a salve for the spirit and soul. Connecting with nature is part of our self-care, and an essential way to move from isolation to connection with a larger whole. How can we teach our children this kind of emotional and spiritual self-care, if we don't ignite their innate sensibilities?

The media is full of articles on the increasing incidence of childhood obesity and its long-term potential impact on the health of the next generation. If kids can't go outside and run around or take a walk in the woods, sitting in front of the tv eating junk foods fills up their time and as my son says, "kills their brain cells."

In addition to our health and personal survival, Louv goes further about the importance of reconnecting children and nature for the survival as human beings. "The outdoor experiences of children are essential for the survival of conservation. And so the truth is that the human child in nature may be the most important indicator of future species sustainability."

Louv continues, "If society embraces something as simple as the health benefits of nature experiences for children, it may begin to re-evaluate the worth of 'the environment.'" Instead of associating environmental health with the absence of toxic pollution, public health officials can have a more positive spin on their work: "how the environment can improve human health."

"Seen through this doorway, nature isn't a problem: it's the solution." Who can imagine being a member of "the last generation to pass on to its children the joy of playing outside in nature?"

©2007 Linda Marks

Linda Marks, MSM,has practiced body psychotherapy with individuals, couples and groups for more than 20 years. A passion of hers is developing emotional literacy programs for children and parents and kids. She is the author of Living With Vision: Reclaiming the Power of the Heart, and Healing the War Between the Genders: The Power of the Soul-Centered Relationship, and holds degrees from Yale and MIT. You can reach her at http://www.healingheartpower.com - Linda's blog is http://www.heartspacecafe.com

Structure and Types of Volcanoes

Any place on the surface of the earth, which spews magma, is called volcano. In a more defined sense, it means any mountain spewing fire, which originates from the magma. Magma is a molten rock from the lower layers of the earth's crust that penetrates to the earth's surface in the form of lava. An eruption, which is the hurling of the magma and gases, passes through a volcanic vent or fissure.

Deep underneath the volcanic vent, in the depth of 100 to 300 kilometres, we find the magma reservoir, which is connected to the upper earth's mantle. The material rising from great depths collects there and melts. Neighbouring rock is also melting. When the pressure in the reservoir is higher than the pressure of the rock above it, an eruption will occur. A new volcano may form, or a dormant volcano becomes active.

At the top of the volcanic vent is the crater in the form of a bowl or a funnel. Released gases, magma in the form of molten lava, or loose products push upwards and are hurled into the atmosphere in an enormous cloud. Volcanic bombs (boulders of lava, which can reach the size of a building), cinders, lapilli (small, barely several centimetres large fragments of lava), sand, and ash are the loose volcanic products.

The products of the eruptions form a wall, steep inside and sloping outside, which grows upwards into a cone. Lava products are called the pyroclastic rock (from Greek: pyros = fire, klasis = to break).

In addition to eruptions through the volcanic vent, we may encounter eruptions alongside fissures. In general, these are primary eruptions, often accompanied by earthquakes. When a fissure forms, tremendous amounts of lava and loose products may be expelled. Analogously to the vent eruptions, the material is expelled to one place. This may lead to the formation of a lined-up volcanic crest.

The type of eruption depends on the aggregate state of the magma at the exit. There are three states: volcanic gases, flowing lava, and solid material. When the magma cools, it releases gases which are explosively expelled. It is not possible to obtain appropriate samples, the composition can be determined only by smell, the colour of the flames, and similar factors, or by taking samples from lava lakes or fumaroles. The composition of the gases is different depending on the type of eruption. However, they do contain almost always water, carbon dioxide, hydrogen, hydrogen chloride, hydrogen sulphide, hydrogen fluoride, nitrogen, ammoniac, and various rare gases.

The lava flow depends on its viscosity. When a mass cools down by 50 degrees Celsius, the viscosity at constant composition will increase tenfold. There is a ropey lava, which flows as a narrow fluid stream, and lava bombs, which form when the upper layer of the lava is congealing and congealed, while the lower layer Is still liquid. The layer opens and the flowing lava penetrates the fissure. Following additional thickening, the lava crust breaks into blocks in the course of its slow progress, and these blocks fall down. Very viscous lava does not flow and forms a plug in the vent of the crater. This sometimes leads to fierce explosions, which sometimes tear apart and hurl part of this plug. When gases and hot slabs of lava cannot escape vertically through the plug, they will push through the sides of the volcano and tumble down as clouds of molten mass. They reach high speeds and may cover and so destroy large areas.

Mixed eruptions and composite volcanoes (also called stratovolcanoes) are quite common. They owe their name to their structure: the alternating layers of tuff and lava form a symmetrical conic mountain. When the volcano grows over a certain height limit, its walls cannot support the pressure of the magma in the volcanic vent and the side wall is torn apart. In cases, where the top of the mountain is blown up, it is replaced by a caldera, a large funnel-shaped crater. New eruptions form a new cone, which is the case of Vesuvius, for example, or a volcano in the Bay of Naples.

During a central eruption the lava rises together with other material through the volcanic vent, which reached great depths. Deposits of coarser material around the volcanic vent form the cone, which may grow several metres in a few days. Central eruptions may occur in any of the regions that have active volcanoes.

In the case of an existing volcano, repeated opening of the volcanic vent may often result in explosive ejection of boulders filling the vent, together with ash and lava. During this type of eruptions, large part of the volcano may be blown away.

The characteristics of the various eruptions maybe determined in accordance with the location type. These types are Icelandic, Hawaiian, Stromboli, volcanic, and Pelee.

The so-called linear volcanoes are quite common in Iceland. Their main characteristic is the outflow of thin, fluid lava, which rises from deep fissures. It does not form volcanic cones. An example of the Icelandic type is the eruption of the fissure Laki in Iceland in 1783 (25 kilometres long).

The Hawaiian type corresponds to the shield volcano. These volcanoes produce few gases, with lava pouring slowly out of the volcano. There are no explosions and no pyroclastic clouds. Mauna Loa (4170) and Mauna Kea (4206) in Hawaii are good examples.

The characteristics of the Stromboli type is an almost endless, moderate activity, with low explosiveness, during which hot chunks of lava are accompanied by clouds of vapour and small amounts of ash.

Volcanic type is the type with mixed volcanic eruptions. The type was named in 1889 by Mercalli, following his studies of the island volcano Vulcano (Aeolian Islands). Today, Vesuvius provides a better example of that type. The characteristics of this type are violent explosions, accompanied by dark, pine-shaped clouds of ash.

The Pelee type is characterised mainly by high-viscosity lava, accompanied by dense, hot clouds and a considerate amount of volcanic ash. This type was named after the Mount Pelee on Martinique, where in 1902 a violent eruption, followed by a gigantic explosion, killed thousands of people.

Structure and Types of Volcanoes
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