World’s Largest Rhythmic Spring

A rhythmic spring is a water spring from which the flow of water either varies or starts and stops entirely, over a fairly regular time-scale of minutes or hours. The “Intermittent Spring” located in Swift Creek canyon in Star Valley, near Afton, Wyoming is the largest rhythmic spring in the world. The theory is that as groundwater flows continuously into a cavern, it fills a narrow tube that leads out. As the cavern overflows it creates a siphoning effect and when that happens the hydraulic effect pulls the water out of that cavern and creates a river which runs for about 15 minutes. Eventually this siphon is broken once air reaches the pipe and it breaks off. Then the cavern fills again with water and it starts the process all over again.

Ninjatacoshell, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

The Infinite Bridge: A bridge that leads to nowhere

Circle shaped bridge located on Varna Beach on the outskirts of Aarhus in Denmark. Originally, The Infinite Bridge (Den Uendelige Bro) was displayed in relation with the Sculpture By The Sea event in 2015. The Municipality of Aarhus contributed to reconstructing the bridge as a permanent piece of art – and an infinitely beautiful pier. The Infinite Bridge has been created by architect Niels Povlsgaard and Johan Gjødes. The circle shaped, wooden construction spans from the surf and out into Aarhus Bay, and it is a popular excursion spot for locals as well as tourists.

Mikkel Houmøller, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
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Beautiful dancing mangrove trees in Sumba island, Indonesia

Mangroves at Walakiri Beach, Sumba Island, Indonesia. At sunset, the waters recede to reveal the roots of the dwarf mangrove trees. Each tree curves and “dances” in its own unique way, and the silhouettes look like dancers jiving at the horizon.

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A tree growing out of a white salt island in the heart of the Dead Sea

Dead Sea is one of the world’s saltiest bodies of water – 9.6 times as salty as the ocean. This salinity makes for a harsh environment in which plants and animals cannot flourish, hence its name. A tree growing out of a white salt island in the heart of the Dead Sea isn’t something you’d expect to see The tree on this unique island off the shores of the Dead Sea was planted there by a local artist. The artist every day puts mud around its base to ensure that it gets all the nutrients needed to survive.

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Japan’s Star Sand Beach

Located on Iriomote Island in southwestern Japan, Hoshizuna-no-hama beach is famous for its star-shaped grains of sand..These unique grains are actually the pointy husks of millions of tiny protists known as Foraminifera.

Nature’s bridge in Finland

Punkaharju is a harju and belongs to Finland’s national landscapes. The narrow ridge section is about seven kilometers long and was created during the Ice age when a glacier basically acted like a giant, uneven scraper on the landscape. Punkaharju became a popular tourist destination at the beginning of the 19th century by Sakari Topelius in his book Maamme and J.L. Runeberg in his poems.


Lukas Menzel, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
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Leshan Giant Buddha bridge – One of China’s most beautiful bridges

The Haoshang bridge is part of the Mount Emei Scenic Area, a UNESCO World Heritage Site that includes the world’s largest Buddha. The elegant bridge links the Giant Buddha of Leshan to temples on a nearby island. Sichuan, China. The pedestrian bridge is a type of moon bridge.

Min Zhou, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
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Lancashire’s secret ‘Dragon’s Eye Cave’

In West Lancashire, UK, there is a hidden cave only known to a few urban explorers and the locals. The cave is thought to be formed from an old mine shaft and at its center there is the spectacular‘dragon’s eye’. The mythical looking pattern is believed to have developed ‘as a result of a collapsed mine roof that exposed different colour sediments’, according to discvr.blog.

 

Meghalaya: The Rainiest spot on Earth

Meghalaya meaning “abode of clouds” is a state in northeastern India. The state with the wettest areas in the southern Khasi Hills recording an average of 12,000 mm (470 in) of rain a year is the wettest place on earth. Meghalaya is mountainous, with stretches of valley, highland plateaus and many rivers. About 70 percent of the state is forested. The outdoor workers often wear water-proof suits made from bamboo and banana leaf.

info wikipedia

Dawki River – Madhumita Das, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
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Window tax – One of the weirdest taxes in history

Window tax was a property tax based on the number of windows in a house. It was a significant social, cultural, and architectural force in England, France, and Ireland during the 18th and 19th centuries. To avoid the tax, some houses from the period can be seen to have bricked-up window-spaces

In 1696 in England, William III introduced the infamous Window tax, taxing houses based on the number of windows they had. Houses with more than ten windows had to pay a steep ten shillings. Many houses bricked up their windows to reduce the number which caused health problems. After 156 years, it was repealed in 1851 following campaigners branded it a “tax on health” and “tax on light and air”.

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