Fri, 29 Jun 2007 11:23:08 GMT

Crater Lake National Park

Crater Lake has inspired people for hundreds of years. No place else on earth combines a deep, pure lake, so blue in color; sheer surrounding cliffs, almost two thousand feet high; two picturesque islands; and a violent volcanic past. It is a place of immeasurable beauty, and an outstanding outdoor laboratory and classroom.

Crater Lake is located in Southern Oregon on the crest of the Cascade Mountain range, 100 miles (160 km) east of the Pacific Ocean. It lies inside a caldera, or volcanic basin, created when the 12,000 foot (3,660 meter) high Mount Mazama collapsed 7,700 years ago following a large eruption.

Generous amounts of winter snow, averaging 533 inches (1,354 cm) per year, supply the lake with water. There are no inlets or outlets to the lake. Crater Lake, at 1,943 feet (592 meters) deep, is the seventh deepest lake in the world and the deepest in the United States. Evaporation and seepage prevent the lake from becoming any deeper.

 
Join A Ranger
Ranger led snowshoe walks are offered Saturdays and Sundays at 1:00 PM from Thanksgiving weekend through late March!
 
Crater Lake - In Depth
Learn more about Crater Lake National Park by visiting our expanded website.   
Write to
P.O. Box 7
Crater Lake, Oregon 97604
E-mail

Phone
Visitor Information
(541) 594-3000
Fax
(541) 594-3010

Climate
Weather plays a dramatic role at Crater Lake National Park. Winter, especially, shapes the landscape; snow generally begins to accumulate each year in October and doesn't melt in most places until the following June. Summer weather is more predictable, with warm, dry days, blue skies, and cool nights. Nevertheless, there may be days even in August when the lake is completely obscured by clouds and fog. Visitors to Crater Lake National Park should be prepared for any kind of weather, any time of the year.
Skip to SearchSkip to NavigationSkip to BodySkip to Footer Did You Know?
The Clarks Nutcracker is frequently seen around the rim of Crater Lake. It feeds almost exclusively on the seeds of the Whitebark Pine. It gathers the seeds and hides some of them to eat later, helping the tree to disburse its seeds. Forgotten seeds may grow into new Whitebark Pines. Posted by: Gracy      Read more     Source

Fri, 22 Jun 2007 01:57:57 GMT

Civilized Travel

This is our last day in Oregon. We have had a wonderful visit and a wonderful stay. Whenever possible, Libby and I stay in a bed and breakfast when we travel. To us, it is the only civilized way to travel. Over the years we’ve stayed in more than a dozen B&Bs, and every one has been exceptional in one way or another.

But on this trip . . .

We have really had the very best stay ever at a B&B this time. As I said, every one we’ve had the pleasure to stay in has had some feature that sets it apart — the rooms, the breakfasts, the conversations, the decor, the free wifi — but our visit this trip has had the whole package. This is our second visit to Eugene and our second sC’est la Vie Inn, but it is also the first time we’ve stayed here. And long-time readers of this humble blog will know that such a seemingly contradictory statement will have a perfectly rational explanation.

Our innkeeper, Ann-Marie, had run the C’est la Vie Inn at another location in Eugene when we were last here. It was in a gorgeous and perfectly restored arts and crafts bungalow. At the time (a year and a half ago), she told us that she was going to be moving to a new location — the Victorian gingerbread house you see in the photo above. Now she is there. And now we are there. And that explains how we can have stayed with her twice but only once.

On this trip we are stayGaugin Room, which is a bit above our upper limit for room costs, but the service and the ambience are so very worth it that we are willing to pay a bit more. (Plus, since we are now considered “old friends” and had made reservations for five nights, she gave us a reduced rate.) Apparently, since this was graduation weekend, there were literally no rooms left in town, but we had made our reservations last summer (as soon as the date for Rachel’s graduation was published), and we are enjoying our prudence.

Tonight (late) we will be sleeping in our own bed and making our own breakfasts again. We only travel like this once or twice a year, so we feel the indulgence is permitted.

Missouri calendar:

• Cattail blooms are covered with pollen.

Posted by: Roundrockjournal      Read more     Source

Thu, 24 May 2007 00:58:31 GMT

Biodiversity at Greater Risk As Climate Changes

Kenya sits on its proud heritage of big game, rolling savannahs, and splendid coral reefs. But, global warming in the form of higher temperatures could have disastrous impacts on these reefs, as well as the diverse marine life they play host to.

Ali Mohammed, deputy director of Coastal and Marine Programmes at the National Environment Management Authority, rued,

Climate change may not have sunk in with the common man or woman, but everyone realizes the transformation that is taking place in the water. Fish are disappearing. Coral reefs, which are like the rainforest of the sea, have been seriously affected. It is the industrialized world that needs to minimize its emission of greenhouse gases. Africa’s contribution to climate change is insignificant, yet it is greatly affected (by this change).

Researchers argue that green house gas emissions in the form of carbon dioxide and fossil fuels absorb and trap the sun’s energy, in turn prompt a rise in the earth’s temperature — which in turn is leading to climate change.

Under normal circumstances, carbon dioxide is the backbone for the coral reefs, but if in adequate amount. The reefs use sunlight and carbon dioxide from coral to produce substances rich in energy that feed the coral and other marine life forms.

On the contrary, higher sea temperatures disrupt this symbiosis. They cause the algae to be expelled leading to the bleaching of the coral. Once bleached the coral starves.
The year 1998 demonstrated a huge loss of coral, when a severe instance of the El Nio weather pattern caused 80 percent of Kenya’s reefs to be affected by bleaching.

The name El Nio is a climatic phenomenon that usually occurs in Southeast Pacific resulting in an increase in the temperature of Kenyan waters to some of their highest levels ever.

Reduced corals in turn have resulted in a lesser number of fish. This has in turn affected those 70 percent of who rely extensively on fishing for their livelihood. Coastal communities in East Africa continue to feel the brunt of rising sea temperatures.

The destruction of reefs has further complicated the matter and has produced devastating impact for Kenyan economy that is reliant on tourism. Marine- based tourism in the country accounts for more than two-thirds of the sector as a whole, according to government sources.

Global temperatures have risen by about 0.6 degrees Celsius since the middle of the 19th century, and it is expected that by 2100 temperatures could soar by 1.4 degrees Celsius to 5.8 degrees Celsius. If this happens, it will have a devastating impact on the biodiversity.

Predictions estimate that up to 1 million species may become extinct as a result of climate change. Therefore, some sort of urgency must creep in and the effect of climate change on biodiversity needs to be badly addressed.Image

Via:Ipsnews Posted by: Scorpio_teddy      Read more     Source

May 17, 2007, 7:12 PM CT

Ski Area And Mountain Watershed

Historically, people lived in lowlands. Except for logging and some agricultural uses, mountains were mostly left to the birds. But in recent decades, mountain regions in many parts of the world-including Vermont-have faced growing development pressures from recreation and tourism uses such as vacation homes and ski areas.

Despite these new uses, most scientific studies of soil and water in high-elevation areas have focused on the effects of traditional resource extraction, like logging. How ski resort developments impact watersheds is little understood.

In the first study to document the effects of existing ski resort development on water flows and water quality in the northeastern US, Beverley Wemple, associate professor of geography at the University of Vermont, and her colleagues, have studied two side-by-side mountain watersheds on the eastern slopes of Mount Mansfield in Vermont. The nearly pristine Ranch Brook watershed served as a control, while the adjacent West Branch watershed contains the Stowe Mountain Resort.

Their results, forthcoming in the print edition of the journal Hydrological Processes (and published online April 24, 2007," show "surprising" differences, Wemple said, between the two watersheds, including greater water volume, chloride (probably from parking lot salt runoff) and sediment (probably from land clearing) flowing out of the developed watershed......... Posted by: Betsy      Read more         Source

April 21, 2007, 7:37 AM CT

Tigers Hang Tough

If nature is resilient, then the tigers of India's Nagarahole National Park are proof. When given the chance, they breed like rabbits-or to be more precise, at a rate of three to four cubs per litter every two to three years.

Researchers with the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) and U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) conducted a nine-year study of tigers in Nagarahole, one of India's best-run national parks. The research team used remote cameras to identify individual tigers and then accurately estimate population trends in the park. They concluded that while 23 percent of the park's tigers either move away or die each year from poaching and natural causes, the cats' high reproductive rates and the abundance of prey have held the population size steady.

"This study shows that effectively protecting reserves to maintain high prey densities is a key pillar in an overall strategy for the conservation of tigers," said WCS researcher Dr. Ullas Karanth, the lead author.

Unfortunately, in other parts of the tiger's range, relentless hunting of the big cats and their prey has taken a serious toll on the population. Another recent WCS study revealed that tiger numbers in a protected area along the Laos-Vietnam border are severely depressed from commercial poaching and prey depletion, which may increase competition between large carnivores......... Posted by: Betsy      Read more         Source

Sat, 07 Apr 2007 00:46:34 GMT

Bering Land Bridge National Preserve

In the Bering Strait, only 3 miles from the Russian outpost, you see the land of your friends and family, traveling there is forbidden. You are on Little Diomede in the US, they are on Big Diomede Island, USSR. During the Cold War the people of Beringia were separated by water and political rivalry. In 1990 Beringia was reunited through a US/Russian agreement to establish an International Park
 
Iditarod Week Special Events
After running for nine to 11 days the first dog team arrives to win the Iditarod. At this time the community of Nome is a buzz with activity. Bering Land Bridge National Preserve sponsors activities for visitors and locals in the community. Events include a film series, workshops and guest speakers. Join us for the fun.
 
Visit Beringia Nature -Ethnic Park in Russia
The Bering Land Bridge use to connect Asia to North America. The connection still exists today between the people of Russia and Alaska. In 1991 a step forward was taken to  strengthen this connection when President George HW Busch and Russian President  Mikhail Gorbachev signed an accord to create an international heritage park. Take a virtual visit to Bering Land Bridge National Preserve's counterpart on the other side of the land bridge in Russia - Beringia Nature and Ethnic Park.
   
Write to
Bering Land Bridge National Preserve
PO Box 220
Nome, AK 9E-mail Us

Phone
Visitor Information
(907) 443-2522
Fax
(907) 443-6139

Climate
Summer temperatures on the coast are usually in the low 50's ° F, with mid 60's to 70's and an occasional 80's or 90's in the interior. Average January lows are -15 ° F on the coast and -50 ° F in the interior. Winds average 8 to 12 mph, but 50 to 70 mph winds commonly accompany storms and produce extremely low and dangerous chill factors. Averages are meaningless; summer can see snow, near freezing temperatures, and long periods of clouds, wind, and rain. Summer days are long, almost without darkness; winter days are short, with only a few hours of light.

Exposure and hypothermia are real threats. Did You Know?
More than 400 species of plants have been listed at the in Bering Land Bridge National Preserve. Many of them evolved in ancient Beringia and spread into Asia or North America. Posted by: Gracy      Read more     Source

March 22, 2007, 7:34 PM CT

Laos makes tourists happy

One of my favorite destinations in South East Asia is Lao.

Visitors to Lao PDR can now get a visa on arrival for 30 days, up from 15 days previously, the Laotian Foreign Ministry has announced. They can also get an extension of stay of this visa......... Posted by: Betsy      Read more         Source

Tue, 13 Mar 2007 02:29:45 GMT

Pollution in China is Spreading Aerosols on Its Hills

If the much talked about green house gas emissions is causing global warming, then, minute particles of pollution in air called Aerosols is its competitor.

A group of scientists and their leader Mr.Daniel Rosenfeld, professor of atmospheric sciences at the Jerusalems Institute of Earth Sciences, discovered this on Mount Hua, central China.

The group had wandered the high altitudes to study the effects of pollution in those areas. They compared their study of visibility with that of the visibility records of about 50 years. The studies revealed that aerosols are stopping the clouds from retaining their moisture content in high altitude areas.

The pollution, mainly caused by the burning of fossil fuels, will rob the hills from its usual rain and snow.

Aerosols absorb the moisture content in clouds, decreasing the water droplet size. This in turn will delay the formation of raindrops resulting clouds of shorter duration, which would not stay long enough to rain before drifting to lower areas.

The study revealed that it was this change, which had resulted the drop in rainfall of about 10 to 25 percent on the hills compared to low lying areas.

The findings have solved a mystery which connected aerosols and the failure of rains. Scientists have always linked air pollution for the cause of decrease in rainfall. The fact findings involving aerosols now acts as an evidence to what the scientists have been warning.

Rosenfeld says that the latest finding shows the increasing concern of the human activities and its direct effect on the global climate.

He also adds that the situation has gone beyond other facts like, the changes in global temperature and the rising of sea levels. Air pollution and polluting the clouds, might as well bring a change in the weather patterns which can also affect the water resources.

Although Governments across the world are concentrating to reduce the heavy greenhouse gas emissions, the finding by Rosenfeld also indicates how minute particles such as aerosols might affect the weather in a big way.

It is about time that we check the aerosols before it goes berserk.

Via: National Geographic News

Posted by: Rupeshuk      Read more     Source

December 31, 2006, 6:42 PM CT

Have you ever seen a Racisson Hotel?

Have you ever seen a Racisson Hotel? This weekend I was in Puerto Rico and saw one. This is the new years eve and in the dark, the Racisson hotel stands out with unique sign.

Hmmm!........

Posted by: JoAnn      Read more

December 23, 2006, 9:00 AM CT

Giraffe: Winning by a neck

Whenever I go to a zoo, I stand in front of the giraffes and watch with awe and respect at these wonderful creatures. I always consider them to be an extreme example of natural selection. I read this article and thought it would be worth mentioning in our blog.

The giraffe's elongated neck has long been used in textbooks as an illustration of evolution by natural selection, but this common example has received very little experimental attention. In the recent issue of the American Naturalist, scientists at the Mammal Research Institute in the Department of Zoology and Entomology at the University of Pretoria tested whether foraging competition with shorter herbivores could explain why giraffes feed mostly on leaves high in trees, despite being able to feed at lower levels as well.

"This [study] provides the first real experimental evidence that the long neck of the giraffe might have evolved as a consequence of competition, which provides support for a previously untested textbook example of natural selection," says Elissa Cameron (University of Pretoria), who coauthored the study with Johan du Toit (University of Pretoria and Utah State University).

Giraffes are well known for their unusual height, and they generally feed high in the tree canopy, above the height other herbivores can reach. Giraffes receive more leaves per bite by foraging high in the tree, but it's unclear whether this is caused by competition -- smaller browsers eating some of the leaves at lower heights -- or if more leaves grow at higher levels.........

Posted by: Kelly      Read more         Source