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  • ES Picture of the Day 07 2023

    From Dan Richter@1:317/3 to All on Sat Jan 7 11:00:32 2023
    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.


    Opalized Fossil of a Cycad Cone

    January 06, 2023


    Mila_cycad (003)

    Photographer: Mila Zinkova

    Summary Author: Mila Zinkova

    Shown above is an opalized cycad cone fossil (31 x 11 x 9 mm) that
    was found in Lighting Ridge, Australia. Fossil cycads, dating from the
    Mesozoic, have been uncovered on every continent. These very
    ancient group of seed plants are thought to be a sister group to all
    other living seed plants.

    Most fossil cycads are called cycadeoids and are classified
    scientifically in the order Bennettitales. During the Jurassic,
    cycads and their kin, along with conifers and ginkgos, dominated
    the plant kingdom. They remain extant and are commonly referred to
    as living fossils.

    On occasion, cycad fossils are opalized. If a cavity in a rocky
    surface resulted when a living organism, such as a shell or pinecone,
    was buried in sand or clay and then rotted away, an opalized cast or
    fossil replica may form of the object that was buried. Click here
    to see a video of this fossil, which also includes clips of a modern
    cycad.


    Lighting Ridge, Australia Coordinates: -29.4278, 147.9790


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    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

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  • From Dan Richter@1:317/3 to All on Tue Feb 7 11:01:08 2023
    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.


    La Scala dei Turchi

    February 07, 2023

    Scala dei turchi

    Photographer: Giovanni Caruso
    Summary Author: Giovanni Caruso

    Featured above is la Scala dei Turchi along the southwest of
    Sicily, Italy. This cliff is composed of nearly pure white marble
    (marl), which is particularly dazzling on sunny days. Marble is a
    sedimentary rock made up largely of clay and calcium carbonate
    and of lesser amounts of magnesium. The marble here is of pelagic
    origin, dating from the Pliocene.

    It's called Scala dei Turchi because over the centuries the wind and
    rain created these natural steps. Some 2000 years ago, this area was
    stormed by the Saracens who moored their ships and then used the
    cliffs' "steps" to raid and pillage nearby seaside villages. Over time,
    it’s become a tourist attraction, noted for its clean, crystalline sea
    and for the eye-catching, white cliffs. Photos taken on September 7,
    2021.

    Realmonte, Sicily, Italy Coordinates: 37.1723 -13.2822


    Related EPODs

    La Scala dei Turchi Atacama Lagoon and Sagittarius Arm of the
    Milky Way The Snake River’s Formidable Hells Canyon Joggins
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    Victoria, British Columbia
    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

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