Geography & Travel - www.zpostcode.com

Dec 21, 2024

Best rock tumblers 2024: Beginners, hobbyists, and professionals

Best rock tumblers: Quick list (Image credit: National Geographic, DanDarci, Future)1. Best overall 2. Best for professionals 3. Best for small stones 4. Best double barrel 5. Best for beginners The best rock tumblers make your rocks look impeccable, bringing out their natural beauty. But how do you know which one is right for you?Rock collecting is a hobby that...

Dec 21, 2024

Polar vortex is 'spinning backwards' above Arctic after major reversal event

The polar vortex circling the Arctic is swirling in the wrong direction after surprise warming in the upper atmosphere triggered a major reversal event earlier this month. It is one of the most extreme atmospheric U-turns seen in recent memory. In the past, disruptions to the polar vortex a rotating mass of cold air that circles the Arctic have triggered...

Dec 21, 2024

The sea 'began to boil': Freak volcanic eruption of Santorini 1,300 years ago indicates huge blasts can occur during time of quiet

An eruption at Santorini volcano 1,300 years ago was far larger than previously thought, suggesting explosive blasts can occur even in periods of relative quiet, new research shows. Santorini is an underwater volcano located along a string of volcanoes known as the Hellenic Island Arc between Greece and Turkey. It can produce eruptions that are so extreme the crust above...

Dec 21, 2024

How much does Earth weigh?

Our planet holds everything from hard rocks and minerals to millions of species of living things, and is covered in countless natural and human-made structures. So how much does all of that weigh? There's no single answer to that question. Just like humans weigh much less on the moon than we do at home, Earth doesn't have just one weight....

Dec 21, 2024

Underwater robot in Siberia's Lake Baikal reveals hidden mud volcanoes — and an active fault

A robot deployed to the bottom of Siberia's Lake Baikal last summer captured footage of cracks and deformations caused by previously unknown mud volcanoes and you can watch the discovery in a video below. The robot discovered scars left behind by eruptions of mud at depths of 340 to 540 feet (100 to 165 meters) in two locations Malaya Kosa...

Dec 21, 2024

Largest gold nugget ever found in England unearthed with faulty metal detector

The largest gold nugget ever found in England was discovered by a man using a faulty metal detecting device. Metal detectorist Richard Brock unearthed the chunk of gold last May while exploring Shropshire, a county in western England, despite arriving late to a meetup with fellow treasure hunters and using an older detector, The Guardian reported. About 20 minutes into...

Dec 21, 2024

'It's had 1.1 billion years to accumulate': Helium reservoir in Minnesota has 'mind-bogglingly large' concentrations

A recently discovered helium reservoir in Minnesota boasts mind-bogglingly high concentrations of the gas that are even greater than initially thought, potentially paving the way for commercial extraction. Resource exploration company Pulsar Helium, Inc. announced the discovery of helium stores in late February, after a drill just outside of Babbitt, in northern Minnesota, located gas deposits at depths of 2,200...

Dec 21, 2024

Hidden chunk of Earth's crust that seeded birth of 'Scandinavia' discovered through ancient river crystals

By studying river crystals in Finland, researchers have identified traces of a hidden chunk of Earth's crust from the heart of an ancient continent, a new study has found. The crystals, from the mineral zircon, formed deep within the crust and provide clues as to how some of Europe's oldest bedrock formed 3.75 billion years ago. To make the discovery,...

Dec 21, 2024

Taiwan earthquake: 9 dead and dozens trapped after strongest quake in 25 years

At least nine people have been killed and more than 900 injured after an earthquake hit the east coast of Taiwan on Wednesday morning. The powerful quake, Taiwan's strongest in 25 years, collapsed buildings, knocked out power and triggered landslides, while also prompting tsunami warnings in southern Japan and the Philippines. Taiwanese officials reported the quake as having a magnitude...

Dec 21, 2024

Rare magnitude 4.8 and 3.8 earthquakes rock Northeast, including greater New York area

Magnitude 4.8 and 3.8 earthquakes rocked the Northeast, including the Greater New York area, on Friday (April 5), according to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). The first earthquake struck at 10:23 a.m. EDT at a depth of 2.9 miles (4.7 kilometers), USGS reported. It hit 4.3 miles (7 km) north of Whitehouse Station in New Jersey, about 40 miles (64...

Dec 21, 2024

These 8 Buildings Will Make You See Norway in a New Light

　　　　 Norway, by some estimates, is two-thirds mountainous, and about half of its population lives in the south of the country, where its capital, Oslo, is located. These eight contemporary buildings will give you another lens through which to see this Scandinavian country. 　　Earlier versions of the descriptions of these buildings first appeared in 1001 Buildings You Must...

Dec 21, 2024

The Largest Islands in the World

　　　　 Quite a few islands around the world are very large, and many of them are countries. Australia is technically an island because it is unconnected to any other body of land, but it is more commonly considered a continental landmass. Of the seven continents, Australia is the smallest, at 2,969,976 square miles, or 7,692,202 square kilometers. However,...

Dec 21, 2024

Swedish History Is Evident in These 14 Buildings

　　　　 Sweden’s history as a sovereign state stretches back a thousand years, though its boundaries were often changing until the early 19th century. These 14 buildings provide useful snapshots of how the country’s distant past has influenced its more recent history. 　　Earlier versions of the descriptions of these buildings first appeared in 1001 Buildings You Must See...

Dec 21, 2024

St. Louis: 10 Claims to Fame

　　　　Sure, you’ve seen Meet Me in St. Louis and might even know all about Chuck Berry, Cardinals baseball, and St. Louis blues music. But the Gateway to the West is known for much more than that—much more, even, than we can cover in a short list. We can try, though! Here, in no particular order, are...

Dec 21, 2024

See the Variety of Russian Architecture in These 18 Buildings

　　Russia is the world’s largest country by area, with great variety in its land and people. Its architectural heritage is equally varied, as these 18 buildings demonstrate. 　　Earlier versions of the descriptions of these buildings first appeared in 1001 Buildings You Must See Before You Die, edited by Mark Irving (2016). Writers’ names appear in parentheses. 　　All-Russia Exhibition CenterJoseph Stalin...

Dec 21, 2024

Seattle: 10 Claims to Fame

　　　　As a metropolis with a number of prominent cultural associations, Seattle has a tendency to be reduced to only its best-known attractions when referred to by the mass media. However, the Emerald City is much more than rain, Microsoft, the Space Needle, and people throwing fish at Pike Place Market (a practice that suspiciously tends to...

Dec 21, 2024

Portugal Is Home to These 17 Inspiring Buildings

　　　　 Legend holds that Lisbon, Portugal’s capital, was founded by the ancient Greek hero Odysseus. Although these 17 buildings might not be quite as fantastical as that claim, they will delight you just the same. 　　Earlier versions of the descriptions of these buildings first appeared in 1001 Buildings You Must See Before You Die, edited by Mark...

Dec 21, 2024

Pennsylvania Wants to Show You These 6 Places

　　　　Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. Independence Hall, Frank Lloyd Wright’s Fallingwater, and the Allegheny County Courthouse are just a few of the buildings that tell the story of Pennsylvania. 　　Earlier versions of the descriptions of these buildings first appeared in 1001 Buildings You Must See Before You Die, edited by Mark Irving (2016). Writers’ names appear in parentheses. 　　Fallingwater 　　　　Frank...

Dec 21, 2024

Malta: 8 Claims to Fame

　　　　The island of Malta, situated between Sicily and Africa in the central Mediterranean Sea, is one of five islands that constitute the country of Malta. Of the other four islands—Gozo, Comino, Kemmunett (Comminotto), and Filfla—only the first two are inhabited. As a result of Malta’s strategic location, Maltese society has been molded by centuries of foreign rule...

Dec 21, 2024

Ireland Has It All, Including These 12 Incredible Feats of Architecture

　　　　 The 18th-century Castletown House is Ireland’s most notable country house, not least because it reportedly influenced the design of the White House in Washington, D.C. It’s just one of these 12 examples of significant buildings that are worth a visit in Ireland. 　　Earlier versions of the descriptions of these buildings first appeared in 1001...