我们用分钟、小时、日、月、年来衡量自己的生活,但分析地球的历史也许得用“亿年”才行。地球已经45亿岁,在这漫长的岁月里,一些自然景观因种种原因消失不见,但也有一些自然景观形成并被保存至今。这些自然景观见证了地球的变迁,它们自己就是历史的“代言”。
叙尔特塞岛
地球上大多数岛都很古老,但叙尔特塞岛是个例外。它年仅50岁,1963年11月一次猛烈喷发后露出在大西洋上。叙尔特塞岛由火山灰和熔岩组成,因风和波浪的侵蚀,它总有一天会消失不见。但总体而言,它存在的时间还是比那些因火山喷发而形成的临时性岛屿要长。
科学家们一直在小心看顾叙尔特塞岛,想知道那里何时才会有植物、动物登陆。结果证实不到十年,叙尔特塞岛上出现第一个鸟巢。为了保护叙尔特塞岛不受到人为破坏,1965年起该岛便禁止游客靠近。
五指湖
五指湖在纽约州中西部,俯瞰上去形似手指。五指湖属于冰川湖,由一组狭长、长短不一的冰川湖组成。
约1万年前,纽约州的大部分地区都被冰雪覆盖,据说最后的冰层达到2英里。但这冰层不是固定不动的,而是会随着气温的上升和下降来回移动。
冰川移动就像雕刻一样,在岩石上留下深深的伤口。当地球温度上升到一定程度,冰原移动到北极,其中11条狭长伤口中注满了水,成为11个湖泊,也就是五指湖。
青藏高原
青藏高原是世界海拔最高的高原,又被称为世界屋脊。
大约5000万年前,现在的印度最先进入亚洲版块,但一块大陆无法阻止次大陆移动。印度板块以较快速度向北移动、挤压,其背部发生了强烈的褶皱断裂和抬升,促使昆仑山和可可西里地区隆生为陆地。
迄今为止,地质学家仍在研究青藏高原的形成过程。
K-T边界
意大利老城古比奥城墙外的岩层,是地球上最大的石灰岩序列,这些岩石里的铱元素含量异常高,比平时高出约30倍。这石灰岩序列的历史追溯到约6550万年前,直到路易斯·阿尔瓦雷斯和沃尔特·阿尔瓦雷斯带队的科研小组无意中发现了它。
沃尔特·阿尔瓦雷斯通过搜索石灰岩,发现石灰岩中黏土层上下岩层中孔虫存在较大区别。而通过分析这些孔虫,沃尔特·阿尔瓦雷斯发现了生命历史上最重要的时期,也就是K-T边界。
沃尔特·阿尔瓦雷斯父子俩认为,K-T边界产生的原因是小行星撞击地球,也就是那场令恐龙灭绝的超级灾难。
恐龙足迹
知道这世界上曾有过恐龙是一回事,但在1亿年后亲眼看到它们的足迹又是另外一回事。在科罗拉多州的恐龙几年公园,大家可以体验这种最古老的庞大生物带来的感动。
恐龙国家纪念公园面积达到20万英亩,它是世界上最奇特的恐龙遗骨贮藏所。这里有恐龙、鳄鱼、龟等爬虫各类动物的遗骨和植物化石,包括约有1.5亿年历史的侏罗纪时期圆顶龙骨化石。
撒哈拉之眼
撒哈拉之眼看上去就像个靶心,但实际上它是地质运动的产物。撒哈拉之眼又名理查特结构,直径达到48公里。因为规模庞大,所以很难被地面上的人发现,直到宇航员进入太空猴才窥得其全貌。
地质学家仍在努力勘破撒哈拉之眼的奥秘,目前业界普遍认为,它是由地质结构上升或侵蚀造成的。
木化石
树木长寿,但也无法存活2亿年,除非是木化石。木化石又被称作硅化木,即地质时期的树木经历地质变迁后深埋于地层中,在地下水的化学交换、填充下,化学物质结晶沉积于树木之中,最终形成木化石。
美国亚利桑那州的化石林国家公园,是世界上木化石密度最高的地区之一。这里有数以千计的树干化石,它们不仅年轮清晰、纹理明显,而且如同彩绘一般,呈现出不同的颜色,非常漂亮。
科罗拉多大峡谷
科罗拉多大峡谷是自然界七大奇景之一,它是科罗拉多河的杰作。这里最古老的岩石甚至有20亿年历史,最年轻的一块石头都比恐龙还要“老”。
地质学家至今未能参透科罗拉多大峡谷的秘密。有些人认为科罗拉多大峡谷由多个独立峡谷合并而成,有些人则执着于研究峡谷的岩石层,想弄清楚它究竟是如何形成。
科罗拉多大峡谷全长446千米,形状极不规则。大峡谷的山石多是红色的,岩层形成于从寒武纪到新生代的各个时期,因此又被称为“活的地质史教科书”。
We are used minute, hour, day, month, year the life that will measure oneself, but the history that analyses the earth perhaps must be used " 100000000 " just go. The earth already 4.5 billion years old, in this long years, a few natural landscape disappear because of a variety of reasons disappear, but landscape is formed and also a few nature are saved up to now. These natural landscape witnessed earthly changes, themselves is the history " Dai Yan " .
Appraise Er fills in especially island
Most island is very old on the earth, dan Xuer fills in especially the island is an exception. It year only 50 years old, november 1963 violent after erupting, show go up in Atlantic. Appraise Er fills in especially the island is comprised by eruption and lava, because of wind and wave erode, it can disappear sooner or later disappear. But overall and character, it puts the time that be in or want to grow than the provisionality islands that those erupt because of volcano and forms.
Scientists see Gu Xuer fill in especially in caution all the time island, want to know over there when plant, animal just can be landed. The result does not confirm, appraise Er appears on island of a place of strategic importance especially the first bird's nest. To protect appraise Er to fill in especially the island is not destroyed artificially, this island prohibits since 1965 the tourist is stood by.
Lake of the five fingers
Lake of the five fingers is in new York ministry of city Chinese and Western, look down at go up finger of be similar in shape. Lake of the five fingers belongs to glacier lake, by a group of long and narrow, accident differ glacier lake is comprised.
About 10 thousand years ago, the major area of new York city is enclothed by ice and snow, allegedly last glacial layer achieves 2 miles. But this ice layer is not fixed immobile, can mix as the rise of air temperature however drop to move back and forth.
Glacier shift resembles carving same, deep cut keeps on rock. Local ball temperature rises to certain level, firn moves arctic, among them the flood in 11 long and narrow cut water, become 11 laky, namely lake of the five fingers.
Qinghai-Tibet Platean
Qinghai-Tibet Platean is the highland with world top height above sea level, be called again world ridge of a house.
About 50 million years ago, present India is the most advanced enter Asian edition piece, but a mainland cannot prevent subcontinent shift. Indian board piece with rapidder rate northerly shift, extruding, its back happened to intense drape ruptures and carry litre, make Kunlun hill and cocoa Ou Longsheng is Xilide terrestrial.
Up to now, rocksy still fashions a process in what study Qinghai-Tibet Platean.
K-T border
Italian old city is ancient the terrane outside comparing abstruse city wall, it is the oldest lime cliff series on the earth, the iridium element content in these rock is unusually high, than at ordinary times tower above makes an appointment with 30 times. Before the historical restrospect to of alignment of this lime cliff makes an appointment with 65.5 million years, the scientific research group that covers with tiles till Louis · A Er Rhys and Woerte Aerwaleisi head a group discovered it inadvertently.
Woerte Aerwaleisitong searchs lime cliff too, bug of the aperture in next terrane on layer of the clay in discovering lime cliff is put in bigger distinction. And through analysing these aperture bug, woerte Aerwaleisi discovered the most important period on life history, namely K-T is attrib border.
Father and son of made of baked clay Rhys of Er of A of · of Wo Er spy two think, the account that K-T border produces is minor planet bumps the earth, namely the super disaster that that your dinosaur eradicates.
Dinosaurian footmark
Knowing to there ever had been dinosaur on this world is one and the same, but the footmark that sees them in the saw with one's own eyes after 100 million years is additional one and the same. The dinosaur that helps much city in division collect a few years of parks, everybody can experience this kind of sensation that the oldest giant live thing brings.
Dinosaurian country commemorates park acreage achieves 200 thousand acre, it is the most peculiar dinosaurian remains depository on the world. There is the reptile such as dinosaurian, crocodilian, chelonian here the remains of of all kinds animal and plant fossil, include to make an appointment with the Jurassic period dome that has 150 million years of histories keel fossil.
Drop the key point that with a ha helps
Sahala's eye looks to resemble a bull's eye, but the child that actually it is geological motion. Sahala's eye renown Lichate structure, the diameter achieves 48 kilometers. Because dimensions is giant, be discovered very hard by ground person so, enter aerospace monkey to just be peeped till astronaut its panorama.
Rocksy still is in hard the mystery of the key point that collate breaks Sahala, at present industry thinks generally, it is rise by geological structure or erode cause.
Petrified wood
Tree is macrobian, but also cannot survive 200 million years, unless be petrified wood. Petrified wood is called silicon to change wood again, namely changes hind buries the arboreous experience geology of geological period greatly in layer, below the chemical exchange of groundwater, fill, in Yu Shumu of deposit of chemical material crystallization, form petrified wood finally.
Of American Arizona city transform park of stone forest state, it is one of areas with highest density of world load fossil. Here has the truncal fossil of thousands of, they not only annual ring clarity, grain is apparent, and as coloured drawing or pattern general, present a different color, very beautiful.
Keluoladuo is big gorge
Keluoladuo is big gorge is nature one of 7 old wonderful view, it is the classic that division collect pulls much river. The oldest rock has 2 billion years of histories even here, a the youngest stone compares dinosaur even " old " .
Rocksy fails to join up to now appear Keluoladuo the secret of big gorge. Some people think Keluoladuo is big gorge is incorporated by many independent gorge and become, some people are persistent the rock layer at studying gorge, wanting to clear up it is how to be formed after all.
Keluoladuo is big gorge is full-length 446 kilometre, appearance is extremely irregular. The hill stone of big gorge is gules more, terrane forms discipline of Yu Conghan fierce to arrive each Neozoic period, because this is called again " vivid geology history schoolbook " .