EPOD - a service of USRA

The Earth Science Picture of the Day (EPOD) highlights the diverse processes and phenomena which shape our planet and our lives. EPOD will collect and archive photos, imagery, graphics, and artwork with short explanatory
captions and links exemplifying features within the Earth system. The
community is invited to contribute digital imagery, short captions and
relevant links.


Bearpaw Formation in Montana

January 14, 2022

EPODbearpawash

Photographer: Rod Benson

Summary Author: Rod Benson

This photo was taken along an intermittent tributary of the
Missouri River in the Missouri Breaks region of central
Montana. The sediments exposed in the cut bank are part of the
Bearpaw formation (aka Bearpaw shale). The silts and clays were
deposited in the Western Interior Seaway, an inland sea that
extended from the Arctic to the Gulf of Mexico during the mid to late
Cretaceous period. The part of the sea that covered this part of
Montana is sometimes called the Bearpaw Sea, named for the Bears Paw
Mountains located 60 miles (100 km) northwest of here.
Over millions of years the sea advanced and retreated across the
region, changing the location of the shoreline and the depth of the
water. In the meantime, occasional volcanic eruptions to the west
spewed ash that winds carried over the sea. The thicker
light-colored layer in the photo is ash from one of those eruptions. A
few thinner deposits of ash are also exposed in the cut bank. Volcanic
ash deposited in seawater changes over time; weathering converts it
into a clay material called bentonite. Although it looks like ash
from a distance, it feels like a sticky clay that has little
resemblance to the ancient ash that settled here.

In addition to bentonite (altered ash) the Bearpaw formation contains a
variety of marine fossils and some dinosaurs. Geologists estimate
that sediments of the Bearpaw formation were deposited between 75 and
72 million years ago. In places the formation is 1150 feet (350 meters)
thick. Outcrops can be found in Montana as well as the Canadian
provinces of Alberta and Saskatchewan. As the Western Interior
Seaway retreated to the southwest, the Bearpaw shales were covered by
deltaic and coastal plains sediments.

Related EPODs

Bearpaw Formation in Montana Archive - Armorican Quartzite
Calcite Crystals and Earth’s Microbial History Gingham Skirt
Butte Art Imitates Nature The Cataclysmic Birth of Montana’s
Earthquake Lake
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Geology Links

* Earthquakes
* Geologic Time
* Geomagnetism
* General Dictionary of Geology
* Mineral and Locality Database
* Mohs Scale of Mineral Hardness
* This Dynamic Earth
* USGS
* MyShake - University of California, Berkeley
* USGS Ask a Geologist
* USGS/NPS Geologic Glossary
* USGS Volcano Hazards Program

-
Earth Science Picture of the Day is a service of the Universities
Space Research Association.

https://epod.usra.edu

--- up 5 weeks, 5 days, 20 hours, 43 minutes
* Origin: -=> Castle Rock BBS <=- Now Husky HPT Powered! (1:317/3)

EPOD - a service of USRA

The Earth Science Picture of the Day (EPOD) highlights the diverse processes and phenomena which shape our planet and our lives. EPOD will collect and archive photos, imagery, graphics, and artwork with short explanatory
captions and links exemplifying features within the Earth system. The
community is invited to contribute digital imagery, short captions and
relevant links.


Cava Asero Lava Flow

February 14, 2022


Rosario_PSX_20211215_110027 (003)

Photographer: Rosario Catania

Summary Author: Rosario Catania

The ancient " Cava Asero" is an old quarry of lava stone extraction,
now in disuse, found in the district Dagala dell'Ascino, north of
the town of Nicolosi, Italy. This is a wonderful place to admire the
stratification of ancient lava flows produced by the Etna
Volcano and recent ones as well, such as the flow resulting from an
eruption in 2001. The European Union financed the restoration of a
natural path that leads to the front of this recent flow.

Seen from a height of 820 ft (250 m), using a small drone, it’s
possible to see Cava Asero’s characteristic heart shape. Note this
formation is approximately 1,115 ft (340 m) in breadth. Photo taken on
December 14, 2021.
* Nicolosi, Italy Coordinates: 37.6175, 15.0241

Related EPODs

Cava Asero Lava Flow Glacial Striations and Newfie Archive
- Pancake Rocks, New Zealand Earth Pyramids In South Tyrol, Italy
Archive - Owens Valley Ash Clouds Over La Palma, Canary Islands
More...

Geology Links

* Earthquakes
* Geologic Time
* Geomagnetism
* General Dictionary of Geology
* Mineral and Locality Database
* Mohs Scale of Mineral Hardness
* This Dynamic Earth
* USGS
* MyShake - University of California, Berkeley
* USGS Ask a Geologist
* USGS/NPS Geologic Glossary
* USGS Volcano Hazards Program

-
Earth Science Picture of the Day is a service of the Universities
Space Research Association.

https://epod.usra.edu

--- up 10 weeks, 1 day, 20 hours, 43 minutes
* Origin: -=> Castle Rock BBS <=- Now Husky HPT Powered! (1:317/3)

EPOD - a service of USRA

The Earth Science Picture of the Day (EPOD) highlights the diverse processes and phenomena which shape our planet and our lives. EPOD will collect and archive photos, imagery, graphics, and artwork with short explanatory
captions and links exemplifying features within the Earth system. The
community is invited to contribute digital imagery, short captions and
relevant links.


Kodachrome Basin State Park, Utah

September 14, 2022


P1140643A

Photographer: Rick Stankiewicz
Summary Author: Rick Stankiewicz

While touring the U.S Southwest a few years ago, my wife and I found
many small but spectacular State Parks in our travels. One that stands
out is Kodachrome Basin State Park in southern Utah, just 8 miles
(13 km) from Cannonville along Hwy-12.

Its 2,250 acres (910 ha) is almost surrounded by the Grand
Staircase-Escalante National Monument and fits right into the beauty
and grandeur of the region. Originally called “Thorny Pasture,” it
supposedly got its current moniker from a National Geographic
photographer in 1948, in honor of the latest (soon to be iconic)
Kodak film. The park is aptly named, as its rich earth-toned colors
draw a photographer’s eye in every direction. I haven’t shot Kodachrome
for many years, but even “digital” can do it justice.

Sandstone spires and columns are common throughout the park and are
thought to have formed by previous geysers and hot springs filling with
sediments that solidified. When the surrounding Entrada Sandstone
( Jurassic Period mudflats, beaches and sand dunes) eroded away,
these structures were revealed. The “ sand pipes”, as they’re
called, range in size from about 6.5 ft. (2 m) to 170 ft. (52 m)

This park was designated as an “ International Dark Sky Park” by the
International Dark-Sky Association (IDA) in 2021. Photo taken on
October 10, 2013.

Photo details: Camera: Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS3 camera; ISO 100, 1/400
second exposure; f/5.9; 22.8 mm.

Cannonville (Kodachrome Basin State Park), Utah Coordinates: 37.50056,
-112.00056

Related EPODs

Kodachrome Basin State Park, Utah Idaho’s Gravity-Defying
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2022 Idaho’s Granitic City of Rocks
More...

Geography Links

* Atlapedia Online
* CountryReports
* GPS Visualizer
* Holt Rinehart Winston World Atlas
* Mapping Our World
* Perry-Castañeda Library Map Collection
* Types of Land
* World Mapper

-
Earth Science Picture of the Day is a service of the Universities
Space Research Association.

https://epod.usra.edu

--- up 28 weeks, 2 days, 21 minutes
* Origin: -=> Castle Rock BBS <=- Now Husky HPT Powered! (1:317/3)

EPOD - a service of USRA

The Earth Science Picture of the Day (EPOD) highlights the diverse processes and phenomena which shape our planet and our lives. EPOD will collect and archive photos, imagery, graphics, and artwork with short explanatory
captions and links exemplifying features within the Earth system. The
community is invited to contribute digital imagery, short captions and
relevant links.


Dew Drops

October 14, 2022


IMG_8940

IMG_8941

Photographer: Marco Meniero

Summary Author: Marco Meniero

When my mother asked me to photograph the roses in her garden with my
iPhone11 Pro, I happened to notice these beautiful dew drops. The
temperature at which the air is saturated with vapor is called the
dewpoint. When the surface temperature falls to the dewpoint, the
water vapor contained in the atmosphere condenses to form drops
(dew drops) on leaves and other surfaces. This process distinguishes
dew from precipitation that forms directly in the air – raindrops.
Photos taken on October 10, 2022.


Civitavecchia, Rome, Italy Coordinates: 42.0924, 11.7954


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Dew Drops Golden Cumulus Clouds over Mt Makiling at Sunrise
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Atmospheric Effects Links

* Atmospheric Optics
* Optic Picture of Day: Gruppo Astrofili Galileo Galilei
* Color and Light in Nature
* The Colors of Twillight and Sunset
* Refraction Index
* Image Gallery: Atmospheric Effects
* What is a Rainbow?

-
Earth Science Picture of the Day is a service of the Universities
Space Research Association.

https://epod.usra.edu

--- up 32 weeks, 4 days, 20 minutes
* Origin: -=> Castle Rock BBS <=- Now Husky HPT Powered! (1:317/3)

EPOD - a service of USRA

The Earth Science Picture of the Day (EPOD) highlights the diverse processes and phenomena which shape our planet and our lives. EPOD will collect and archive photos, imagery, graphics, and artwork with short explanatory
captions and links exemplifying features within the Earth system. The
community is invited to contribute digital imagery, short captions and
relevant links.


Evaporation Fog in Meuse Valley

December 14, 2022

Sept-meuses-brouillard-pano (1)

Photographer: Thierry Lombry
Summary Author: Thierry Lombry

The photo above shows a foggy morning in the Meuse Valley at as
seen from the Sept Meuses viewpoint, Rivière, Belgium. Such fog is
common in the Meuse Valley from October to January. This is referred to
as a radiation, evaporation, or valley fog. It’s likely that clear
skies during the overnight period here permitted the ground to cool to
the dew point temperature, resulting in a net heat loss and the
formation of fog. The densest fog formed in the valley bottom, where
the lowest temperatures were reached. Photo taken on November 13, 2022.
Photo details: Canon Powershot S120 camera; panoramic image composed of
8 separate pictures, generated with Hugin, a freeware; high quality CCD
and image processing software.

Rivière (lieu-dit les Sept Meuses), Belgium Coordinates: 50.3566,
4.8745


Related EPODs

Evaporation Fog in Meuse Valley Cumulus Clouds with Spikes
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More...

Cloud Links

* Atmospheric Optics
* The Cloud Appreciation Society
* Cloud Atlas
* Color and Light in Nature

-
Earth Science Picture of the Day is a service of the Universities
Space Research Association.

https://epod.usra.edu

--- up 41 weeks, 2 days, 21 minutes
* Origin: -=> Castle Rock BBS <=- Now Husky HPT Powered! (1:317/3)