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.


Archive - Sulfur

February 02, 2020

Sulfur1

Sulfur2

Each Sunday we present a notable item from our archives. This EPOD was
originally published February 6, 2014.

Photographer: Dave Lynch
Summary Author: Dave Lynch
Sulfur is easily recognized by its bright yellow color. In its
native form, elemental sulfur is usually associated with volcanic
activity. These chunks came from Isola Vulcano, a small island
north of Sicily in the Tyrrhenian Sea. All volcanoes derive their
names from this Mediterranean island. Sulfur is one of 13 elements
known to ancient people and is the 10th most common element in
the Universe. Jupiter’s moon Io is yellowish because volcanoes
continuously erupt sulfur – bottom photo [ NASA image]
Sulfur’s chemical abbreviation is S, but its room- temperature
crystalline structure is a cluster of eight atoms or S8. Most sulfur on
Earth is in the form of sulfates and sulfides like gypsum (CaSO4)
and pyrite (iron sulfide, FeS2).
Sulfur is a necessary element for life, being essential for metabolism
and respiration. It’s found in proteins, vitamins and amino
acids. Many sulfur compounds are smelly. Odors from skunks,
grapefruit, rotten eggs and garlic derive from sulfur
compounds.
* Isola Vulcano, Italy Coordinates: 38.4042, 14.9658

Related EPODs

Archive - Sulfur Sandstone Towers Landmannalaugar, Iceland
Archive - Soft Sandstone on the Oregon Coast Archive - Navajo
National Monument Exfoliation in the Alabama Hills
More...

Geology Links

* Earthquakes
* Geologic Time
* Geomagnetism
* General Dictionary of Geology
* Mineral and Locality Database
* Mohs Scale of Mineral Hardness
* This Dynamic Earth
* USGS
* 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 1 week, 4 days, 15 hours, 4 minutes
* Origin: -=> Castle Rock BBS <=- Now Husky HPT Powered! (21:1/186)

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.


Ice Pattern on Six Mile Creek in Ithaca, New York

March 02, 2020

JimD_Ice

Photographer: Jim Deutch
Summary Author: Jim Deutch

Shown above is a complex ice pattern ice on Six Mile Creek,
near my home in Utica, New York, as observed in late January 2020.
Along the edge of a stream, when the temperature is below freezing and
the water level has been falling slowly, needles of ice form over
the surface. Soon, the entire surface freezes over, but the ice is
slightly thicker where the first needles formed. No longer able to grow
along the surface, the ice needles continue to grow downwards instead,
perhaps because they extend down into slightly colder water. So what
started out as linear needles, now extends down as a planar sheet.
These sheets grow at all angles. If the water level drops at almost the
same rate that the sheets grow, voids are left remaining between the
sheets, forming a three-dimensional lattice of crazy-angled sheets of
ice, all interlocking together.

It's even difficult to tell what you’re looking at when you can break
off a chunk and examine it in your hand. The photo above (magnified
several times) just barely reveals the ice’s actual depth and
intricacy.
* Six Mile Creek, New York Coordinates: 42.438611, -76.512222

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Ice Pattern on Six Mile Creek in Ithaca, New York Snow and Rime
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Light on a Winter's Day
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Cryosphere Links

* Guide to Frost
* What is the Cryosphere?
* Bentley Snow Crystals
* Glaciers of the World
* Ice, Snow, and Glaciers: The Water Cycle
* The National Snow and Ice Data Center Google Earth Images
* Snow and Ice Crystals

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

https://epod.usra.edu

--- up 5 weeks, 5 days, 15 hours, 5 minutes
* Origin: -=> Castle Rock BBS <=- Now Husky HPT Powered! (21:1/186)

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.


Hoarfrost Flowers and Frozen Ripples

April 02, 2020

JimD_012211iced2 (004)

Photographer: Jim Deutch
Summary Authors: Jim Deutch; Jim Foster

The photo above shows numerous feathery formations, some over an inch
(2.5 cm) in length, growing from a patch of ice and snow on the bank of
Six Mile Creek in Ithaca New York. This is a type of hoarfrost.
These frost crystals may from whenever it’s very cold and an ample
source of water vapor is close by. Supercooled water droplets had
come in contact with the ice patch and began to grow as more droplets
accumulated. The temperature on this bitterly cold mid-winter morning
had dropped to about -20 F (-29 C). Note the perfectly clear, solid ice
(top left) that looks like flowing water.
* Six-Mile Creek, New York Coordinates: 42.438611, -76.512222

Related EPODs

Hoarfrost Flowers and Frozen Ripples Methane Bubbles on Abraham
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Cryosphere Links

* Guide to Frost
* What is the Cryosphere?
* Bentley Snow Crystals
* Glaciers of the World
* Ice, Snow, and Glaciers: The Water Cycle
* The National Snow and Ice Data Center Google Earth Images
* Snow and Ice Crystals

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

https://epod.usra.edu

--- up 10 weeks, 1 day, 14 hours, 5 minutes
* Origin: -=> Castle Rock BBS <=- Now Husky HPT Powered! (21:1/186)

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.


Mount Etna and Pillow Lava of Aci Castello

June 02, 2020

Valle del bove

Picasa_ambiente (13)

Photographer: Rosario Catania
Summary Author: Rosario Catania

Shown above, at top, is a view of Mount Etna, on the island of
Sicily, Italy. Some 600,000 years ago, friction between the
Eurasian and African plates, resulted in a long period of
submarine volcanic activity that occurred beneath an extensive
clayey layer. Manifestations of this activity can be seen today
in the pillow lavas that form the cliffs of Aci Castello.

Pillow lava is formed by the escape of molten material below
the sea surface. Following a sudden cooling of the lava’s surface, a
thin, glassy crust ( hyaloclastite) is created, facilitating the
lava to divide into roundish blocks that overfold each other (bottom
photo). Photos taken on May 17, 2009.
* Aci Castello, Italy Coordinates: 37.554058, 15.1491687

Related EPODs

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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
* 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 18 weeks, 6 days, 16 hours, 6 minutes
* Origin: -=> Castle Rock BBS <=- Now Husky HPT Powered! (21:1/186)

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.


Cyclops Islands Marine Protected Area

July 02, 2020

Cyclopsisland

Photographer: Domenico Lo Bue
Summary Author: Domenico Lo Bue

This photo was captured from the Cyclops Islands Marine Protected
Area, off northeastern Sicily, Italy. The warm colors of dawn on the
lava cliffs caught my attention this late winter’s morning. Over
thousands of years, erosion of rock faces by waves from the
Ionian Sea has shaped the Cyclops’ coast. Photo taken on
February 29, 2020.
* Cyclops Islands Marine Protected Area, Italy Coordinates:
37.55471, 15.1639

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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 23 weeks, 1 day, 16 hours, 5 minutes
* Origin: -=> Castle Rock BBS <=- Now Husky HPT Powered! (21:1/186)

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.


Archive - More Mesa

August 02, 2020

More_mesa_epod

Each Sunday we present a notable item from our archives. This EPOD was
originally published August 2, 2003.

Provided by: Matt James
Summary authors & editors: Dave Hubbard; Matt James

The above picture was taken this past March [2003] at More Mesa near
Santa Barbara, California and shows an asphaltum seep slowly flowing
out of the sea bluff. The appearance of the flow can change
dramatically from month to month, and on this day made a nice haul-out
spot for a juvenile California Sea Lion (Zalophus californianus).


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Sass da Preja Buia Archive - Concretions Archive - Diamond
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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
* 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 2 weeks, 3 days, 15 hours, 25 minutes
* Origin: -=> Castle Rock BBS <=- Now Husky HPT Powered! (21:1/186)

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.


EPOD 20th - Foggy Start to the Day in Budapest, Hungary

September 02, 2020

Budafog
We’re celebrating 20 years of Earth Science Picture of the Day during
the month of September! Today’s photo features a popular EPOD from the
past. Thanks to all of our followers (on the blog, Facebook, Instagram
and Twitter) for supporting us. Thanks also to all of you who’ve
submitted your photos. We’re most appreciative. This EPOD was
originally published June 01, 2013.

Photographer: Miklos Mayer
Summary Author: Miklos Mayer
This photo shows the capital of Hungary, Budapest, under a blanket of
fog on a cold, winter morning. Only a 666 ft (203 m) high
chimney is able to peer through the thick fog. This is an example
of valley fog or radiation fog that often forms in low-lying areas
on cold clear nights, especially in fall and winter. During the
nighttime hours as the surface cools, if the dew point is reached,
fog will hug the ground, with a layer of warmer air above -- an
inversion layer. In most cases, the foggy mantle is relatively
shallow (tens of feet), but on occasion, it'll extend several hundred
feet above the surface. Because this phenomenon was forecast, I
positioned myself high above Budapest on Harmahatar Hill (1,575 ft or
480 m high) a little before daybreak in order to capture this
scene. The atmosphere above the inversion layer was quite clear, thus
the Matra Mountains, some 50 mi (80 km) distant, could be seen on
the eastern horizon. Photo taken on January 17, 2011.

Photo Details: Camera: Canon EOS 1000D; Lens: EF28-105mm f/3.5-4.5 USM;
Focal Length: 55.0mm; Aperture: f/1.8; Exposure Time: 0.033 s (1/30);
ISO equiv: 100; Software: Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 3.4.1.
* Budapest, Hungary Coordinates: 47.555869, 19.002779

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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 1 week, 1 day, 20 hours, 20 minutes
* Origin: -=> Castle Rock BBS <=- Now Husky HPT Powered! (21:1/186)

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.


EPOD 20th - Rideau River Pancake Ice

October 02, 2020

Rideau River Pancake Ice
We’re celebrating 20 years of Earth Science Picture of the Day during
the month of September...and more, there are just too many to fit into
30 days! Today’s photo features a popular EPOD from the past. Thanks to
all of our followers (on the blog, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter) for
supporting us. Thanks also to all of you who’ve submitted your photos.
We’re most appreciative. This EPOD was originally published January 31,
2013.

Photographer: Rick Stankiewicz
Summary Author: Rick Stankiewicz
Hog’s Back Falls (officially known as the Prince of Wales Falls) is
an artificially created set of rapids on the Rideau River at
the point where the river splits from the Rideau Canal in
Ottawa, Ontario. Here the water drops about 39 ft (12 m) over a run
of about 1,970 ft (600 m). Although this particular spot along the
canal is enjoyable year-round, what caught my attention on this visit
was the back eddy of pancake ice (bottom center) in juxtaposition
to the rapids. Pancake ice typically forms from accumulations of
frazil ice in fast-flowing water. The raised rims of the icy plates
result from the swirling motion in the backwater of the falls and from
the growing ice cakes randomly bumping into each other. These floating
ice formations can range from several inches (4 cm) to several feet (1
m) across. As pictured above, they're likely several inches (1-3 cm) in
thickness. Although more commonly found on larger bodies of water such
as Arctic seas and bays, you may even discover such winter oddities in
the middle of a mid-latitude city. Photo taken on January 7, 2012.
Photo Details: Camera: Canon EOS DIGITAL REBEL XTi; Focal Length: 18mm;
Aperture: f/8.0; Exposure Time: 0.0050 s (1/200); ISO equiv: 200;
Software: Adobe Photoshop 7.0.
* Hog's Back Falls, Ontario Coordinates: 45.371021, -75.697024

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Ice Balls Recurrence EPOD 20th - Hair Ice EPOD 20th - Snow
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Frost on Blade of Grass Archive - Avalanche Pass and Hanging Valley
More...

Cryosphere Links

* Guide to Frost
* What is the Cryosphere?
* Bentley Snow Crystals
* Glaciers of the World
* Ice, Snow, and Glaciers: The Water Cycle
* The National Snow and Ice Data Center Google Earth Images
* Snow and Ice Crystals

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

https://epod.usra.edu

--- up 5 weeks, 3 days, 20 hours, 26 minutes
* Origin: -=> Castle Rock BBS <=- Now Husky HPT Powered! (21:1/186)