WOGE 339

I had to go way, way south to find WOGE 338 at Cape Royds in Antarctica. This was a bit confusing at first because the shadows would normally suggest a northern hemisphere location, but the snow has clearly been sculpted by strong, persistent south winds.  After I checked a few areas near Greenland I realized that if you went far enough south and took a picture in the summer the sunlight might also be coming from the south. I went around Antarctica checking the scattered ice-free areas and finally found Cape Royds.

Since I was able to locate a cleverly selected location from the famous Ron Schott himself, it would be ungrateful to put any limits on this edition.  To win, just post a comment giving the coordinates of the Google Earth image and an explanation of what we are looking at (geologically speaking).  A mention of the specific rocks/minerals found here might be nice this time.  Also, extra credit if you can figure out how this location is a first for WOGE.

WOGE 331

When I saw Felix Bossert's WOGE 330 I noticed immediately that this was an arid region in the Southern Hemisphere.  I then made a very unscientific judgment that the landscape was not "red" enough to fit most parts of Australia or Southern Africa.  I began searching in South America by tracing the rivers in areas that seemed promising.  Eventually I was able to discover the Pozo de las Animas, a dramatic pair of sinkholes in Argentina.

For the next edition of WOGE I will try to keep things simple (but interesting) so that the game will move along quickly.  The Schott rule will be in effect.  The posting time below is in UTC.  As always, find the coordinates of the Google Earth image and tell us something about the geology of the location.  The winner gets to host the next challenge. Have fun!

Here is a larger "historical view" that shows more of the key feature.

This is not another location to search for, just a hint about the geology seen above.

 

Here is another historical view that might reveal something about the climate at this location.

Also, if the detail were greater you would be able to find more than two dozen small boats in the second image above.  Must be a popular place for day trips.  Maybe a larger view will help.

WOGE 326

I recognized the landscape in Felix Bossert's WOGE 325 as a tundra right away, but it took me a few days to find the time to search green patches in Canada, Alaska, and finally Siberia.  Then it took a little more time to brush up on tundra geology.

For the next edition I have selected an image that could be very tricky to find, so I would like to try something a little different.  For about the first 34 hours this edition will be unrestricted.  If it has not been solved by then, I will post a second image.  The second image will make a very good opportunity for someone new to win the game, so the Schott rule will apply from that point on.  As always, the first person to identify the location and tell something about the geology gets to choose the next WOGE.  If you have not played before, be sure to check out the rules and tips for new players that Felix graciously provides on his blog.  Here is the picture.  Ready. Set. Go!

As promised, here is the second picture.  This means that the Schott rule is in effect, starting at 3:07 UTC January 3.  Remember that you must include the geology of this location to be declared the winner.  Nothing very technical is needed, just a general description.

WOGE 323

When I saw the rugged mountains in WOGE 322 I immediately thought that they seemed "Himalayan."  (This probably indicates that I have spent too much time on Google Earth lately.)  I focused on that part of the world, and specifically on areas where reddish images met grayish ones.  I discovered that we were looking at a spectacularly beautiful portion of the Zanskar Shear Zone in Kashmir.  I envy Simon Wellings, who has visited the area in person rather than by computer.

For WOGE 323 I will offer an area that would be considerably easier to visit, if you cared to.  The oddly colored lake in the picture has both a ancient and a modern geologic story to tell.  Neither one is complicated or difficult to find (once you know the name of the lake so you can Google it :-)  However, be sure to read far enough to get the right facts.  One source contains incorrect information that is corrected a little further down the page.

For anyone new to Where on Google Earth, the winner is the first person to post a comment with the coordinates of the location shown and some information about the geology of interest.  More complete rules and hints can be found here.  No restrictions on this edition.  Have fun searching!

It has been a few days so I will provide another view.  The mystery lake is not visible in this image, but it should provide a few clues about where to look for it.

 

 

WOGE 320

Thanks to Felix Bossert for providing an easy and unrestricted WOGE 319.  I happened to log on at the right moment, and I was able to find Hiti Atoll in the South Pacific easily just by flying aimlessly over some of the areas where coral atolls are common.  Thanks to Péter Luffi also, for graciously waiting just long enough for me to post my comment first :-)

Now, what to post for WOGE 320...  Thanks to Felix again, for your suggestion!  I have seen this joked about, but I don't know if anyone has actually done it.  So here it is -- A single sand dune in the middle of a desert.

I will upload larger views if it is necessary, but I suspect this may be an easy challenge for some players.  As always, the first person to find this location with Google Earth and provide a brief description of the geology wins the privilege of providing the next challenge. I will invoke the Schott Rule this time, just because no one has used it in the last month.  If you don't know what the Schott Rule is, then check out the New Players section at Felix's blog.  Posting time is 3:05 UTC

It has been a few days, so I am providing a more standard view.  This is technically a "historical image", but the part with the sand dune is exactly the same.  When you find the location on Google Earth you might notice that something interesting happened in the ten days after this image was made.

I did not expect that this would be a difficult challenge, but now I suspect that everyone may be looking in the wrong deserts.  I would rather not give an even larger view, since it would make things too easy.  Instead, I give you a close-up view of part of the dune at top center in the second image.  I hope that a careful look at this will give someone the hint they need to find the proper desert.  If you have already spent more than fifteen or twenty minutes searching in a particular country, you are probably on the wrong track.

The second picture above is just for comparison.  It is at the same scale and was taken on the same day of the year but, obviously, in a different part of the world.  I hope it makes the hint more clear.

WOGE 311

Mathias has asked me to post his image for WOGE 311 here.  I have no idea what the location is or what the geology of interest is, but Mathias states that the location should not be too hard to find, and that nothing fancy is required for geological information.  He is not invoking the Schott rule.  I will sit out this round, so I look forward to seeing who finds this.

WOGE #310

When I saw Péter Luffi's WOGE 309 I immediately thought of some of the areas I looked at while searching for WOGE 306, which I eventually found in Greece.  I focused my search on that part of the world and after about forty minutes I found the right location just across the border in Albania.  However, finding information about the geology took much longer.  I was glad that the puzzle had not yet been solved when I finally got back to it.

In keeping with the spirit of Felix Bossert's recent encouragement for new players, I will offer a simple challenge for WOGE 310.  If you follow the suggestions he gives, you should be able to find this interesting valley rather quickly.  In addition to the location, be sure to tell us something basic about the geologic history.  Nothing fancy is required, just a simple explanation of how it was formed.  Since this is meant to be an easy WOGE, the Schott Rule is in effect.  (Go here for an explanation of WOGE rules.)