分类必应美图下的文章

漏出“天窗”的熔岩管，夏威夷火山国家公园 Skylight into an active lava tube, Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, Hawaii (© Tom Schwabel/Tandem Stills + Motion)

世界上最活跃的火山 The most active volcano in the world

Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park at 106

The orange glow of a lava tube like the one pictured here is a frequent site on Hawaii's Kilauea, the youngest volcano on one of the youngest islands on Earth. In near constant eruption for the last 40 years, Kilauea is widely considered the most active volcano in the world and is the main attraction at Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, which was created on this day in 1916. The park, which was designated an International Biosphere Reserve and a World Heritage Site, also includes another active volcano, Mauna Loa, the world's most massive shield volcano—Mauna Loa last erupted in 1984. Together, they are among the most studied volcanoes in the world.

The volcanoes of the Big Island of Hawaii offer a real-time glimpse into the ongoing creation of the entire Hawaiian island chain, a process that has been underway for tens of millions of years. Hawaii as we know it owes its existence to a volcanic hotspot on the seafloor. Magma seeps from this hotspot and turns into solid rock. Once enough magma is extruded, the rock breaks the surface of the sea and becomes an island. The island continues to grow until the Pacific tectonic plate moves the island off the hotspot. The hotspot remains stationary, constantly creating new islands. In fact, the next Hawaiian island, named Loihi, is about 20 miles from Hawaii and 3,000 feet below the surface of the ocean. In less than 100,000 years, it is expected to replace the Big Island as the youngest island in the chain, and it too will have its turn at hosting visitors who buy timeshare condos.

Hawaiian religion credits the creation of Hawaii to Pele, the goddess of fire and volcanoes. Possessing a fiery temper and a passionate nature, she is said to make her home in the Halema'uma'u caldera here on Kilauea. From her volcano home she controls the flow of lava and frequency of eruptions. According to modern legend, she sometimes wanders near the park as an old woman wearing a red muumuu, with a white dog, as a warning that a new eruption is soon to come.

106号夏威夷火山国家公园

图中所示的橙色熔岩管辉光是夏威夷基拉韦厄岛上的一个常见地点，基拉韦耶岛是地球上最年轻岛屿之一上最年轻的火山。在过去40年中，基拉韦厄火山几乎持续喷发，被广泛认为是世界上最活跃的火山，是1916年创建的夏威夷火山国家公园的主要景点。该公园被指定为国际生物圈保护区和世界遗产，还包括另一座活火山，莫纳罗亚，世界上最大的盾状火山莫纳洛上次喷发是在1984年。加在一起，它们是世界上研究最多的火山之一。

夏威夷大岛上的火山可以实时观察整个夏威夷岛链的形成过程，这一过程已经持续了数千万年。众所周知，夏威夷的存在得益于海底的火山热点。岩浆从这个热点渗出，变成固体岩石。一旦足够的岩浆被挤出，岩石就会冲破海面，变成一个岛屿。该岛继续增长，直到太平洋构造板块将该岛移出热点。热点保持静止，不断形成新的岛屿。事实上，下一个夏威夷岛，名为Loihi，距离夏威夷约20英里，海拔3000英尺。预计在不到10万年的时间里，它将取代大岛，成为这一链条中最年轻的岛屿，轮到它接待购买分时度假公寓的游客。

夏威夷宗教将夏威夷的诞生归功于火与火山女神贝利。她脾气暴躁，生性热情，据说住在基拉韦厄岛的Halema'uma'u火山口。她在火山口的家中控制着熔岩的流动和喷发的频率。根据现代传说，她有时会在公园附近漫步，就像一个穿着红色muumuu的老妇人，带着一只白色的狗，作为新火山爆发即将到来的警告。

立陶宛的夜光云 Noctilucent clouds in Lithuania (© ljphoto7/Getty Images)

“夜光”云 ‘Night shining' clouds

Noctilucent clouds

It's around this time of year when some lucky people get to witness these rare, wonderous clouds. Known as noctilucent, or ‘night shining,' clouds, they're the highest clouds in our sky and are only visible during summer. They're made up of icy dust glowing at the edge of space, roughly 50 miles above the planet's surface. The trick to seeing them is to gaze up into the sky at twilight, when the sun has already set on the Earth's surface, but the high-altitude noctilucent cloud is still in sunlight. These clouds occur almost exclusively at high latitudes, roughly between about 50° and 70° North or South.

Generally colorless or light blue, noctilucent clouds are distinct in their patterns of streaks, waves, and whirls. It's not fully known why they happen, though some recent studies suggest methane levels could contribute to atmospheric water vapor that rises high into the mesosphere where they form. What is known is that they were first observed in 1885, making them the newest cloud type.

夜光云

大约在每年的这个时候，一些幸运的人看到了这些罕见的、奇妙的云。夜光云是我们天空中最高的云，只有在夏天才能看到。它们是由在太空边缘发光的冰尘组成的，距离地球表面大约50英里。看到它们的诀窍是在黄昏时抬头仰望天空，这时太阳已经落在地球表面，但高海拔的夜光云仍在阳光下。这些云几乎只出现在高纬度地区，大约在南北50°到70°之间。

通常无色或淡蓝色，夜光云的条纹、波浪和漩涡图案不同。虽然最近的一些研究表明，甲烷含量可能会导致大气中的水蒸气上升到它们形成的中间层，但目前还不完全清楚它们为什么会发生。已知的是，1885年首次观察到甲烷含量，使其成为最新的云类型。

米尔福德峡湾附近的徒步雨林，新西兰 Rainforest hike near Milford Sound/Piopiotahi in New Zealand (© Jim Patterson/Tandem Stills + Motion)

“第八大奇迹”? The ‘eighth wonder'?

Milford Sound/Piopiotahi rainforest in New Zealand

Today we're taking a tramping trip to New Zealand's South Island to visit the place Rudyard Kipling once called the eighth wonder of the world, Milford Sound and its surrounding rainforest. Tramping, New Zealand-speak for hiking, is incredibly popular at Milford Sound. Nearly a million tourists visit the area every year, despite its somewhat remote location. Originally overlooked by European explorers, the area is now known for its beauty and abundance of wildlife. It's not uncommon for visitors to spot dolphins, humpback whales, and native Fiordland penguins.

Since 1998, Milford Sound is one of about 90 places in New Zealand to now officially have a dual name, joining its former European name with the Indigenous Māori name. Now known as Milford Sound / Piopiotahi, the Māori named the area after the extinct piopio bird. According to myth, the Māori hero, Māui, died during his quest to win immortality for mankind. A single piopio flew into the fjord to mourn him. This bird was memorialized in the name, as the Māori word ‘tahi' means ‘one.' The Māori people first traveled to the area centuries ago to hunt and fish. They also collected the precious pounamu (aka greenstone) used for trade, carving, and weaponry.

新西兰米尔福德湾/皮奥皮塔伊雨林

今天，我们将徒步前往新西兰南岛，参观曾经被称为世界第八大奇迹的鲁迪亚德·吉卜林（Rudyard Kipling），米尔福德湾（Milford Sound）及其周围的雨林。“徒步旅行”是新西兰人对徒步旅行的称呼，在米尔福德湾非常受欢迎。尽管该地区有些偏远，但每年仍有近100万游客前来观光。该地区最初被欧洲探险家所忽视，现在以其美丽和丰富的野生动物而闻名。游客看到海豚、座头鲸和本地的峡湾企鹅并不罕见。

自1998年以来，米尔福德湾是新西兰约90个正式拥有双重名称的地方之一，将其前欧洲名称与土著毛利人名称合并。现在被称为米尔福德湾/皮奥皮亚提，毛利人以已灭绝的皮奥皮奥鸟命名该地区。据传说，毛利人英雄毛利在为人类争取永生的过程中去世。一个皮奥飞进峡湾哀悼他。这只鸟以它的名字被纪念，因为毛利人单词“tahi”的意思是“一”几个世纪前，毛利人第一次来到该地区狩猎和捕鱼。他们还收集了珍贵的pounamu（又名绿石），用于贸易、雕刻和武器。

落基山国家公园的朗斯峰，科罗拉多州 Longs Peak in Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado (© Andrew R. Slaton/Tandem Stills + Motion)

雄伟的紫色山峰 Purple mountain majesties

Longs Peak, Rocky Mountain National Park

One of the 53 'fourteeners' in Colorado—mountains that exceed 14,000 feet—Longs Peak still manages to reach higher into the heavens than any other mountain in Rocky Mountain National Park at 14,259 feet. Thousands of climbers set off every year to attempt the summit. Some climbers will try to reach the peak of every fourteener in the US during their lifetimes—that's 96 different mountains.

Once the home of the Ute and Arapaho peoples, then silver miners and mountain men, today Rocky Mountain National Park teems with outdoor enthusiasts of every stripe. Birdwatchers, bikers, and hikers give way to snowshoers, skiers, and snowboarders as the seasons change. The park if full of wildlife, including nearly seventy kinds of mammals and almost three hundred bird species

落矶山国家公园朗斯峰

科罗拉多山脉有53座“十四座”山峰，其山峰超过14000英尺长，其中一座山峰的海拔仍然比落基山脉国家公园的任何其他山峰都要高，达到14259英尺。每年都有数千名登山者出发尝试登顶。有些登山者会在一生中努力攀登美国每十四座山峰的顶峰，那是96座不同的山峰。

洛基山国家公园曾经是乌特人和阿拉帕霍人的家园，后来是银矿工人和山人的家园，今天这里挤满了各行各业的户外爱好者。随着季节的变化，观鸟者、骑自行车者和徒步旅行者会被雪鞋者、滑雪者和滑雪板者所取代。公园里到处都是野生动物，包括近70种哺乳动物和近300种鸟类

玛甸沙勒（也被称为黑格拉）的纳巴泰墓，沙特阿拉伯 Nabatean tomb in Mada'in Saleh (aka Hegra), Saudi Arabia (© Tuul & Bruno Morandi/Getty Images)

孤独的城堡 The lonely castle

Mada'in Saleh, Saudi Arabia

About 2,000 years ago, Mada'in Saleh, or Hegra as the Romans called it, was a thriving city of the Nabataean Kingdom, and a center for the trade of spices, incense, and myrrh, a valuable tree resin used to make perfume and medicine. The Nabataeans were Arab people whose precise origins are unknown. They lived in northern Arabia and the Southern Levant. Mada'in Saleh was their second-largest and southernmost city after Petra, their capital city to the north. About halfway between Petra and Mecca, Mada'in Saleh served primarily as a trading crossroads and was instrumental in establishing the Nabataeans as prosperous middlemen to the rest of the ancient world.

Today it is one of Saudi Arabia's most celebrated historic treasures, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, distinguished by more than 100 tombs with ornate facades, carved from sandstone outcroppings on the outskirts of the city. The smallest is less than 10 feet tall, the largest more than 60. Most of the tombs were carved in groups, but this especially embellished monument is relatively isolated, which is why today it's known as the Qasr al-Farid (the Lonely Castle). Here in this windswept desert the bustle of merchants and the caravans full of spices are long gone, but these hand-carved boulders rising abruptly out of the landscape remain as evidence of a time when all roads led to Hegra.

沙特阿拉伯Mada'in Saleh

大约2000年前，马丹·萨利赫（Mada'in Saleh）或罗马人所称的赫格拉（Hegra），是纳巴坦王国的一个繁荣城市，也是香料、香料和没药（一种用于制造香水和药物的贵重树脂）的贸易中心。纳巴塔人是阿拉伯人，其确切起源尚不清楚。他们住在阿拉伯北部和黎凡特南部。马丹·萨利赫是他们的第二大也是最南端的城市，仅次于北部的首都佩特拉。大约在佩特拉和麦加之间的半路上，马丹·萨利赫主要充当贸易十字路口，并帮助纳巴塔人成为通往古代世界其他地区的繁荣中间人。

今天，它是沙特阿拉伯最著名的历史珍宝之一，也是联合国教科文组织世界遗产地，以100多座陵墓为特色，这些陵墓的正面装饰华丽，由城市郊区露出地面的砂岩雕刻而成。最小的不到10英尺高，最大的不到60英尺高。大多数坟墓都是成组雕刻的，但这座特别装饰的纪念碑相对孤立，这就是为什么今天它被称为卡斯尔·法里德（Qasr al-Farid，孤独城堡）。在这片狂风肆虐的沙漠中，商人的喧嚣和装满香料的商队早已消失，但这些手工雕刻的巨石从景观中突然升起，仍然是所有道路通往赫格拉的证据。

萨卢姆三角洲国家公园的红树林，塞内加尔共和国 Mangrove forest in the Saloum Delta National Park, Senegal (© mariusz_prusaczyk/Getty Images)

被人类遗忘的森林 Our forgotten forests

Mangrove Conservation Day

Although we think of forests as trees on land, some of the most important trees grow in water, or more precisely marshland. Mangrove forests, like this one in Saloum Delta National Park in Senegal, are vital components of the world's coastal ecosystems. Mangroves survive where no other trees can, in salty, low-oxygen coastal waters exposed to tides and storms. They grow up to 30 feet high primarily in tropical and subtropical regions and are able to store vast amounts of carbon, making them crucial to moderating our climate. Mangroves also act as nurseries for fish and aquatic life. And with their complex interwoven root system, they protect coastlines from erosion. Today we join the UN in shining a light on the necessity and fragility of mangroves: July 26 is the International Day for the Conservation of the Mangrove Ecosystem.

The Saloum Delta is part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and a sterling example of the biodiversity of marshlands. These shallow, brackish channels contain about 200 islands and islets and support all kinds of marine life and birds. Dolphins and caimans swim in its creeks. Monkeys, warthogs, buffaloes, rhinos, and giraffes roam the savanna farther inland. The park biosphere includes salt flats, estuaries, and of course mangrove forests. Humans have also long inhabited this delta, fishing its waters and cultivating shellfish from giant mounds. For as long as 2,500 years, people have flourished off the bounty of this delta, a bounty made possible by the sturdy mangrove, the bedrock for these marshes, and the keepers of our coastlines.

红树林保护日

虽然我们认为森林是陆地上的树木，但一些最重要的树木生长在水中，或者更准确地说是沼泽地。红树林，比如塞内加尔萨卢姆三角洲国家公园的红树林，是世界沿海生态系统的重要组成部分。在暴露于潮汐和风暴的咸水、低氧海岸水域，红树林在其他树木无法生存的地方生存。它们主要在热带和亚热带地区生长到30英尺高，能够储存大量的碳，这对调节我们的气候至关重要。红树林也是鱼类和水生生物的苗圃。它们复杂的根系交织在一起，保护海岸线免受侵蚀。今天，我们加入联合国，共同关注红树林的必要性和脆弱性：7月26日是国际红树林生态系统保护日。

萨鲁姆三角洲是联合国教科文组织世界遗产地的一部分，也是沼泽地生物多样性的典型代表。这些浅微咸水水道包含约200个岛屿和小岛，支持各种海洋生物和鸟类。海豚和凯门鳄在小溪里游泳。猴子、疣猪、水牛、犀牛和长颈鹿在更远的内陆草原上漫游。公园生物圈包括盐滩、河口，当然还有红树林。人类也长期居住在这个三角洲，在其水域捕鱼，并在巨大的土堆中养殖贝类。长达2500年的时间里，人们靠着这片三角洲的富饶而繁衍生息，这片富饶的土地是由坚固的红树林、这些沼泽的基岩和我们海岸线的守护者所促成的。

守住关口

落基山脉中出镜率最高的地方

科托尔湾的圣乔治海峡和圣母湾，黑山 Saint George Island and Our Lady of the Rocks in the Bay of Kotor, Perast, Montenegro (© Dmitrii Sakharov/Shutterstock)

用誓言打造的岛屿 An island made from a vow

Our Lady of the Rocks

Local legend here in Perast, Montenegro, has it that two brothers were returning from a dangerous sea voyage in 1452 when they spotted an icon of the Virgin Mary and Child in the waters near Saint George, a natural island in the Bay of Kotor. One of the brothers had injured his leg on the journey, but in the morning it had healed. Taking this as an omen, they vowed to honor the Virgin Mary by building her a church on the spot where they'd spotted the icon. They began dropping stones there, and even scuttling old ships. A tradition was born, and over decades, the fishermen of Perast would drop a stone in the water at that spot before heading to sea.

Over time an island rose out of the bay and a church was erected on it. The centuries since have seen tumult, war, pirate attacks, and at least one devastating earthquake, but Our Lady of the Rocks still stands. The tiny isle continues to grow, as each summer on the evening of July 22, the town celebrates Fašinada, a ritual procession of barges and boats that take more stones to Our Lady of the Rocks. The church is decorated with 68 frescos by local artist Tripo Kokolja (1661-1713) and boasts more than 2,500 silver votives donated by locals.

我们的岩石女神

黑山佩拉斯特当地的传说是，1452年，兄弟俩在一次危险的海上航行后回来，在科托湾的一个天然岛屿圣乔治附近的水域发现了圣母玛利亚和圣婴的肖像。兄弟俩中的一个在旅途中伤了腿，但到了早上，腿就好了。他们以此为预兆，发誓要在发现圣母玛利亚的地方修建一座教堂，以此来纪念圣母玛利亚。他们开始在那里扔石头，甚至撞毁旧船。一个传统诞生了，几十年来，佩拉斯特的渔民在出海之前会在那里的水里扔一块石头。

随着时间的推移，一座岛屿从海湾中升起，并在其上建造了一座教堂。几个世纪以来，动乱、战争、海盗袭击，以及至少一次毁灭性的地震，但我们的岩石之母仍然屹立不倒。这个小岛还在继续发展，因为每年夏天的7月22日晚上，该镇都会庆祝法西纳达，这是驳船和船只的仪式游行，他们会把更多的石头运到我们的岩石之母那里。教堂装饰有68幅由当地艺术家特里波·科科亚（1661-1713）创作的壁画，并拥有2500多幅由当地人捐赠的银质作品。

绝妙的对称性 Stunning symmetry

Abbey Gardens in Bury St Edmunds, England

Abbey Gardens in Bury St Edmunds comprise a living, vibrant park, and just not because of their 14 acres of colorful displays and ornate flowerbeds—they have changed with the times, all while still jealously guarding their history. The site here in the county of Suffolk, in eastern England, was originally home to a powerful Benedictine Abbey in medieval times—in fact, 2022 marks the 1000th anniversary of the storied abbey. You can still visit the abbey ruins and marvel at the 14th-century Great Gate and Norman Tower, which have survived through the ages. Nathaniel Hodson took the original Abbey Gardens and designed them as a botanic garden in 1831, using the Royal Botanic Gardens in Brussels, with its concentric circles, as his inspiration.

A century later, the people of Bury St Edmunds saw the popular park's circular beds replaced by 64 island beds in honor of George VI's coronation, which they celebrated in 1937, all set off by specially designed illuminations. A water garden and rose garden added more dimensions to the park, followed by an herb garden (the monks of yesteryear would be happy) and a sensory garden for the visually impaired. Today, gardeners plant about 20,000 plants in the spring to dazzle summer visitors, and then they do the same with 12,000 plants and 20,000 bulbs each fall in anticipation of a colorful display the next spring.

英国伯里圣埃德蒙修道院花园

伯里圣埃德蒙的修道院花园是一个充满活力的公园，但这并不是因为它们14英亩的彩色展示和华丽的花坛，它们随着时代的变化而变化，同时仍在嫉妒地守护着它们的历史。该遗址位于英格兰东部萨福克郡，中世纪时曾是一座强大的本笃会修道院的所在地。事实上，2022年是这座历史悠久的修道院的1000周年纪念日。你仍然可以参观修道院遗址，并惊叹于14世纪的大门和诺曼塔，它们历久弥新。1831年，纳撒尼尔·霍德森（Nathaniel Hodson）以布鲁塞尔皇家植物园（Royal botanic Gardens）及其同心圆为灵感，将修道院最初的花园设计为植物园。

一个世纪后，伯里圣埃德蒙兹的人们看到了受欢迎的公园的圆形床被64张岛屿床所取代，以纪念乔治六世的加冕典礼，他们在1937年庆祝了加冕典礼，所有这些都由专门设计的照明装置所衬托。一个水上花园和玫瑰园为公园增加了更多的空间，接着是一个草本花园（去年的僧侣们会很高兴）和一个视觉障碍者的感官花园。如今，园丁们在春季种植了约20000株植物，以吸引夏季游客的眼球，然后他们每年秋天都会种植12000株植物和20000株鳞茎植物，以期待来年春天的多彩展示。

星空迷