Imagine staring into the sky and seeing a tiny yellow dot, gradually getting closer. That dot doubles in size every second, until it slowly darkens the sky. You realize that this dot is actually the size of New York City and is screeching through the atmosphere faster than the speed of sound, coming right for you. This massive object will cause tsunamis, earthquakes and obliterate natural daylight for years…oh… and it will kill you. Similar asteroid impacts have and will happen on numerous occasions in our earth’s history. Today we’ll show you the biggest impact craters by diameter.

10. Barringer Crater, Arizona, US

Images: 1, 2, 3, 4

Some 49,000 years ago a large nickel-iron meteorite “just” 150 ft across, weighing several hundred thousand tons (~300,000) and traveling at a speed of 40,000 miles per hour, hit Earth. The result of this meteor lies 55 km east of Flagstaff, Arizona and is called the Barringer Crater: the best preserved impact crater ever. The force generated by the impact was equal to the explosion of 20 million tons of TNT. Picture that.

It measures 0.75 miles (1.2 km) across, is 575 ft (175 m) deep and has a rim 148 ft (45 m) higher than the surrounding plain. Discovered in 1902, the Barringer Crater was named after Daniel Barringer, a successful mining engineer. Today it is still owned by his family and is also known as Meteor Crater, Coon Butte, and Canyon Diablo.

9. Bosumtwi, Ghana

Images: 1, 2, 3

About 30 km south-east of Kumasi, Ghana, in the crystalline bedrock of the West African Shield, lies Lake Bosumtwi: the country’s only natural lake. The impact of a meteorite some 1.3 million years ago, opened up hole in the ground with a 6 mile (10.5 km) diameter. The crater gradually got filled with water to form the lake we see today. Surrounded by dense rainforest, the Ashanti people consider it to be sacred. They think it’s the place where souls of the dead come to bid farewell to the god Twi.

8. Deep Bay, Canada

Image by Ersi

Situated near the south-western tip of Reindeer Lake in Saskatchewan, Canada, Deep Bay is a strikingly circular, very deep and unusually irregular and shallow lake. The 8 mile (13km) wide crater is a complex impact structure with a low, totally submerged central uplift, formed about 100 million years ago (some say 140 million) when a large meteorite crashed in the area.

7. Aorounga impact crater, Chad

Aorounga is an eroded meteorite impact crater that formed 2-300 million years ago in an area of the Sahara Desert, northern Chad, in Africa, when a comet or asteroid with a 1 mile diameter (1.6 km across) hit the crust of Earth. Such impacts only happen roughly, once every million years.

The crater is about 11 miles (17 km) across and is accompanied by two nearby circular features that have been revealed by the Space Shuttle’s SIR-C radar after picturing an area of about 22 miles (36 km). If the assumptions and the hypothesis that the dark band in the upper right corner could be a second impact crater, then Aorounga may be part of a chain of multiple impact craters.

6. Gosses Bluff, Australia

Images 1, 2, 3

Approximately 142 million years ago, a large asteroid or comet (22 km in diameter) crashed at 40 km/sec in the southern Northern Territory, near the center of Australia, and released massive energy equivalent to 22 000 megatonnes of TNT. This is how one of the most significant impact structures in the world, the Gosses Bluff crater formed. Dimensions are also impressive: it has a 15 mile (24km) diameter and goes down to 16,400 ft (5,000m). What we get to see today is a highly eroded structure that still stands as a stark reminder of the event.

5. Mistastin Lake, Canada

Image 1

Located in Labrador, Canada, the Mistastin crater is the result of a meteorite crash, that caused a 17.4 miles (28km) wide giant hole into the ground, 38 million years ago. Since then the eastward moving glaciers have drastically reduced its size and a lake appeared within the rims, Mistastin Lake. It occupies an elliptical, east–north-east trending depression, approximately 11 by 7 miles in size. In the middle of the lake, there’s an arcuate central island which could be the central uplift of the complex crater structure.

4. Clearwater lakes, Canada

Images: 1, 2

Two circular lakes/impact craters on the Canadian Shield in Quebec formed simultaneously by the impact of an asteroid pair which crashed on Earth approximately 290 million years ago, near the eastern shore of Hudson Bay. The larger of the two craters is West Clearwater Lake with a 20 mile (32km) diameter while the smaller one, East Clearwater Lake has a 13.7 mile (22km) diameter. The lakes are a great tourist location mostly because of the number of sprinkling islands that form a sort of a “dotted line”. The lakes are also, obviously, famous for their clear waters.

3. Kara-Kul, Tajikistan

Images: 1, 2

At an altitude of 13,000 feet (3,900 m) above sea level, lies Kara-Kul, also known as Qarokul: a 16 mile (25km) wide lake in the Pamir Mountains in Tajikistan, close to the Chinese border. The lake is actually located within a 28 mile (45km) wide circular depression, which was hit by a meteorite approximately 5 million years ago, Kara-kul was only discovered recently, through satellite imagery.

2. Manicouagan, Canada

Image 1, 2

Manicouagan Reservoir (Lake Manicouagan) also known as the “eye of Quebec”, is an annular lake in central Quebec, Canada, that lies within the remains of an ancient, eroded impact crater. Some 212 million years ago, a 3 mile (5km) wide asteroid hit the earth, to causing a 62 mile (100km) wide giant hole. It has been worn away by the passing of glaciers and other erosive processes, ever since.

1. Chicxulub, Mexico

Images: 1, 2, 3

Buried underneath the Yucatán Peninsula in Mexico, near the Chicxulub village (which means “the tail of the devil” in Mayan), this ancient impact crater is simply huge at 105 miles (170km) in diameter. The impact happened roughly 65 million years ago when a comet or asteroid the size of a small city crashed (equivalent to 100 teratons of TNT) on Earth and caused destructive mega-tsunamis, earthquakes and volcanic eruptions around the globe.

The Chicxulub impact is widely believed to have led to the extinction of dinosaurs, because of a global firestorm or because of a dramatic and widespread greenhouse effect that caused long-term environmental changes.

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If you are a horror movie buff, you’ve certainly noticed the liberal use of trees to set the mood. Halloween is hardly complete without the image of a moon-lit and fog-laden tree. However, some trees have been molded by Mother Nature into specters of their own. Scary, frightening, or downright weird, the trees we’ve amassed in this collection will leave you wondering if Mother Nature herself digested some magic mushrooms.

1. Click for Amazing Tree Monsters [13 pics] >

2. Click for The Most Tormented Trees [11 pics] >

3. Click for Trees Doing Funny Things [6 pics] >

An astonishing new set of images depicts what life might be like in the capital after the flood comes, but could this apocalyptic event bring a touch of natural beauty to the urban canvas?

The Thames barrier bursts and great tides wash over London, submerging much of the city as we know it beneath the murky depths. A layer of thick vegetation covers everything above water level; boats navigate their way above the once bustling streets; people dive into the vast pool of St. Paul’s cathedral and Canary Wharf becomes a popular fishing spot.

The threat of global warming is a very real problem and one that can only become larger in the future: scientists predict that within a hundred years rising sea levels will flood much of the south-east, including London, leaving a vast flood plain across one of the most densely populated regions of the UK.

These images by media studio Squint/Opera imagine what the capital may look like after the apocalyptic event, but far from being scenes of tragic ruin and devastation they depict a tranquil utopia - a city reclaimed by the nature on which it was built. And despite our familiarity with the dark prophecies forecast by scientists for the future, the beauty a flood might bring to London is a shaft of optimism that is often overlooked.

The studio used combination of photography, 3D modelling and digital manipulation to create the stunning images, but what proves fascinating is their desire to imitate the techniques of Victorian landscape painters. The substantial changes to both the landscape of the city and the population’s way of life are realistically portrayed, yet it is the tranquility of the scenes that stands out: a man prepares to dive off a ledge in St Paul’s cathedral and a couple construct pre-flood artifacts into a makeshift generator, but no where is the tragedy we might imagine evident - an image of a couple fishing in the ruins of Canary Wharf even appears almost pastoral.

And it is in this sense of wonder that we find the images’ real power: they encourage us to find beauty within the ruins of disaster, to celebrate the human capacity for adaptation - an optimism that is slightly unnerving but ultimately uplifting and provides a valuable lesson on how we might deal with an event that seems destined to occur sooner rather than later.

Five images will be on show at Medcalf Gallery in Clerkenwell, London from the 20th of June for one month during the London Festival of Architecture. Exhibition details are on the festival website.

Sources: 1, 2

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+ ENLARGE (because size matters)

For obvious reasons you can’t recycle a condom, but have you ever wondered which countries “tax” sex the most?

Well… Environmental Graffiti has decided to create a detailed graphical diagram, complete with wallpaper download for your viewing pleasure. The data, which gives the average condom price around the world has been compiled from UK price comparison site pricerunner and a blogger from an interesting little site called condomunity. We thought we’d go one step further however, and create a graphic representation of the findings - I think you’ll agree the graph makes for ‘interesting’ viewing.

When looking at it, please don’t deduce that bar heights are correlated to penis size (that’s just offensive).

Shanghai came out the cheapest with an average price of just $4.50 (£2.25), whilst Ireland was the country where sex costs the most (!) at almost $18 (£9) on average for a pack – (perhaps due to the hostility of the Catholic Church towards contraception?). Prices within the US showed a high amount of variation, from $9.50 (£4.75) in Houston to nearly $15 (£7.50) in New York - feel free to extrapolate from that what you wish…

Condoms can’t be recycled and as such may be considered damaging to the environment. And the solution offered for most things that either cannot be recycled or damage the environment? Tax. Petrol, plastic bags (soon), driving in central London, all cost at a premium. But putting a price on sex? Well that’s just cheap…

This amazing set of wine decanters resembling human capillaries was first discovered by our friends over at Neatorama. They’re very cool, but isn’t the point of a decanter to open the wine up to the air?

Well traditionally yes, but who cares when you’ve just paid between €2000 and €5000 for a beautiful piece of sculpted borosilicate. French sculptor Etienne Meneau’s new line is titled ‘Strange Carafes’ but the delicate pieces are equally as fascinating as they are curious and behind their spindly exteriors lies an interesting play on the ancient maxim ‘aqua vitae’.

Wine may have been known for centuries as the water of life but here it literally fills the decanter like blood flowing through our veins - or perhaps more accurately the blood alcohol content of our veins.

And if confronting the human circulatory system every time you want a nice glass of red is simply too much for the faint of heart, you can always think of it as the roots of a plant - the perfect addition to every eco wine-lover’s kitchen - but mind the metaphor goes no further: feeding the geraniums your Châteauneuf du Pape might seem like a good idea at 2am but is in reality a terrible waste of good wine…

So not just a pretty face, but a talking point too.

See Meneau’s website for details and other examples of the Frenchman’s ‘interesting’ work.

Sources: 1,2

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In the last month major volcanic activity has affected people in locations all over the globe: we take a look at two of the most serious recent eruptions.

Melipeuco, Chile

Thousands live in daily terror of the snow-capped Llaima volcano in Melipeuco, Chile. The ski industry thrives on the surrounding slopes, one of the most famous summer skiing destinations, yet the volcano is one of the most volatile in South America.

Just before dawn last Thursday a jet of hot pyroclastic rock was spewed 1,300 feet into the air, only a week after lava had flowed down one of its sides. Dozens were evacuated, many losing their livelihoods as property and public amenities were destroyed. The government may have imposed a red alert on the area but those who feed their families by working there have no choice but to return to the heart of the danger.

This is not the first time residents and tourists have been affected: on New Year’s Day a spectacular eruption forced the evacuation of much of the surrounding Conguillo National Park - a park that is today mainly off-limits.

Yet the molten rocks and gas are not the only hazards. There are fears that a large eruption could melt the snow that envelops the area, causing nearby rivers to burst their banks and flood neighbouring communities. There is no way of knowing if and when it might erupt again, “activity is going up and down very fast,” said Hugo Moreno, a geologist and volcano expert with state mining and geology service Sernageomin.

The 2000 volcanoes in Chile are some of the world’s most active, with around 50 having already erupted and a further 500 deemed potentially active.

Aleutian Islands, Alaska

Ten people were evacuated by the U.S. Coast Guard last Saturday after the Okmok volcano erupted on Umnak Island, sending a cloud of ash 35,000 feet into the air. Residents in Unalaska and Dutch Port reported light ashfall during the eruption, which lasted from noon through Saturday night.

Shortly after the eruption, the residents of the island’s cattle ranch, located close to the volcano, placed a call seeking evacuation before a fishing vessel whisked them to the safety of Unalaska, away from the 3250 feet volcano.

Jennifer Adleman, a geologist with the Alaska Volcano Observatory, said: “There have been reports of eye irritation and people being able to taste it, if you will.” Two airline flights were cancelled as a result of the eruption.

Since 1805 Okmok has been highly active, with eruptions occurring roughly every 5 years. The last was in 1997 and produced large clouds of ash and lava that flowed five miles from the peak and there is likely to be more in the near future.

All images by Flickr user volcanodiscovery

Sources: 1,2

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Inspired by the swirling currents of the ocean, a new state-of-the-art aquarium due to open in Copenhagen is modelled on a giant whirlpool, giving one the opportunity to view marine life in its element. But are we witnessing a new breed of environmental entertainment?

The building is based around a central ‘round room’ around which different sequences of rooms ‘whirl’, each with its own unique journey into the murky depths. What is most striking is the care taken over the design’s integration into its surroundings and context: a giant glass ceiling refracts shimmering patches of light onto the walls, giving the impression of being underwater. The feeling is heightened by the fact that to look up is to acknowledge that one is effectively at the bottom of a deep whirlpool.

Movement through the building is, like water, not static but instead directed by a strong current - the lack of boundaries between different sections even reflects the perceived unity the oceans of the earth share. Approaching on the ground, one will experience the building as floating in a circular reflection pool and a walk through its interior is a travel through several organic worlds. The vast beauty of the marine world is here displayed with a respect for its natural state.

Due to open in 2013 the design - by Danish architects 3XN - captures a perfect synthesis between organic environment, educational facility and interactive entertainment: “We wanted to stage a totality of the experience one has visiting an aquarium. The starting point was this magnificent experience of actually watching fish in their element. We wanted to create that adventurous feeling, and we took inspiration in the natural phenomenon of the whirlpool or maelstrom drawing you into the deep. A sculpture at the coast it unites the natural elements of water, air and earth.” (Kim Herforth Nielsen of 3NX).

A design that bears as its central tenet the environment that constitutes its purpose is certainly another small step towards a more eco-conscious world: hopefully this wonderful design will inspire many more ‘naturally’ inspired projects, paving the way for a view of the world that is both educational and respectful.

Sources: 1,2

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A stunning new film shot at the NASA laboratory at UC Berkeley reveals the secret lives of magnetic fields as they morph and twist in space - but are we observing a scientific experiment, the universe in flux or a documentary of a fictional world?

They surround us, yet they can’t be seen. They shift vast currents through space, yet we rarely feel their presence. Interplanetary magnetic currents are undoubtedly one of the most mysterious aspects of the universe, but a new film by British filmmakers Ruth Jarman and Joe Gerhadt unlocks the beauty of these magnificent forces for all to see.

The pair took recordings of magnetic currents from all over the universe and used them to create animated visualisations of geophysical phenomenon. The very same forces that whip up giant electrical storms at the fringes of the earth’s atmosphere, create beautiful electromagnetic light displays over the North Pole and direct cosmic rays on their spiralling courses through the universe, here are visualised in miniature - a breathtaking display of the meeting point between science and art.

Combining their scientific experience with artistic instinct in sound, animation and programming they have created a ‘magnetic magnum opus’ - a ‘tour de force’ of immense invisible force brought down to human scale. And it is precisely the meeting of scale that makes the work so fascinating - to think that these tiny pulsating currents surround our planet on a scale inconceivable to man is not only a humbling thought, but an uplifting one. The inherent beauty of nature is again, in Wordswoth’s words, too much with us.

The animations are set to audio recordings of the earth’s molten core and subtly shifting weather systems - great washes of static caught in the flare of meteorological turbulence, expertly coloured by Jarman and Gerhadt to create an infinite variety of delicate electric geometrics. One is put in mind of Mahler’s remarks on his own symphonies: ‘All nature finds in them a voice and tells a deep secret, like the tinglings of a dream.’

These miniature models of universal forces seem to have a purity, a beauty of form and energy that goes beyond a simple scientific project and for a brief moment becomes a vehicle for the transmission of universal vibrations. And so much the better for it.

Sources: 1,2

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