GeoLog

Imaggeo

Imaggeo on Mondays: What happens to mines when they become redundant?

Imaggeo on Mondays: What happens to mines when they become redundant?

When the minerals run out, or it is no longer profitable to extract the resources, mines shut down. Prior to issuing a permit for the exploitation of a resource, most regulators require assurance that once the mine closes it, or the activities carried out at the site, will not present a risk to human health or the environment. Ongoing monitoring of a mine once it is decommissioned is required to e ...[Read More]

Imaggeo on Mondays: A prehistoric forest

Imaggeo on Mondays: A prehistoric forest

This stunning vista encompasses the south-western wilderness of Tasmania as seen from the Tahune air walk 60 m above the Huon river valley. In front lies the beginning of a huge UNESCO World Heritage Site, covering almost a fourth of the area of Tasmania. The site mostly consists of a pristine, temperate rainforest of Gondwanan origin that is home to the tallest flowering trees in the world; Eucal ...[Read More]

Imaggeo on Mondays: Viñales Valley

Imaggeo on Mondays: Viñales Valley

From last week’s unusual desert landscape to this week’s lush valley in Cuba… The picture shows the Vinales Valley, a karstic depression with mogotes in western Cuba. Karst is the general term for landscapes formed when limestone is disolved by carbonic acid, in rain water. This leads, in particular, to the formation of an underground network of caves and rivers. In the tropics, ...[Read More]

Imaggeo on Mondays: Low tide at Alexandra Fjord

Imaggeo on Mondays: Low tide at Alexandra Fjord

Today’s post takes us to the far northern reaches of our planet, to a desert like nothing you’ve seen before. This picture is a view to the north across Alexandra Fjord, on the east coast of Ellesmere Island, in the Canadian High Arctic, with Sphynx island in the middle of the fjord. The south shore of Alexandra Fjord includes a polar oasis, an area of tundra vegetation and relatively mild climati ...[Read More]