The Eternal Flame Falls, Chestnut Ridge Park in Western, New York

The Eternal Flame Falls is a small waterfall located in the Shale Creek Preserve, a section of Chestnut Ridge Park in Western New York. A small grotto at the waterfall's base emits natural gas, which can be lit to produce a small flame. This flame is visible nearly year round, although it can be extinguished and must occasionally be re-lit. The Eternal Flame Falls were featured in the book Secret Places by Bruce Kershner and in the book What's Weird on Earth.

Eternal Flame Falls is highly dependent on rainfall and melt water. It is usually only flowing in early spring, or after long bouts of heavy rain. It reaches 30 ft high, cascading over sloping shale in two segments. A small grotto, 5 ft up from the creek bed, to the right houses the natural gas spring that can be ignited to create a flame of 4-8 inches in height and believed to be lit thousands of years ago by Native Americans. For a long time, scientists have believed that the fire burns because of gas pockets that rise from the old, extremely hot bedrock made of shale. The rock's high temperatures break down the carbon molecules in the shale, which in turn creates natural gas. When flow is high, the water pours over the grotto, covering the flame and diffusing the light like a lampshade. Eternal Flame Falls is truly one of the most unique waterfalls in the country and one of the few remaining natural areas that we find on our planet. It is said that the falls may be the only one of its kind on the planet.

Once considered an "obscure" attraction in the region, media attention and improvements to the access trail have led to an increased number of visitors. The increased popularity of the falls has led to some negative impacts, such as an increase in litter, vandalism, pollution, and impacts on the surrounding terrain by tourists,but also fueled a successful public protest against a plan to clear a nearby forested area to install a disc golf course in 2012. However, the disc golf course was installed just through the forest area.

Geologists from Indiana University Bloomington and Italy's National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology studied Eternal Flame Falls in 2013 in an effort to better understand how natural gas emitted from naturally occurring hydrocarbon seeps contribute to greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. They found that the 'macro seep' at Eternal Flame Falls had higher concentrations of ethane and propane (about 35%) than other known natural gas seeps, which typically contain a greater proportion of methane. They estimated that the seep at the falls emits approximately one kilogram (2.2 lb) of methane per day.

The researchers also noted the presence of numerous other 'micro seeps' in the area of the falls. By comparing the gas emitted by these seeps with gas from wells in the area, they determined that the gasses originate from Rhinestreet Shale approximately 400 meters (1,300 ft) below the surface. Tectonic activity likely opened faults in the shale, allowing the gas to reach the surface.

According to one geologist involved in the 2013 study, the seep's apparent source could provide evidence for a previously unknown geologic mechanism by which natural gas is produced within shale. Typically, shale must be hot (around 100 °C for its carbon structures to break down and form smaller natural gas molecules. However, the shale from which Eternal Flame Falls draws its gas is much cooler, in addition to being younger and shallower than typical gas-bearing shale. This may indicate that additional, as yet undemostrated, processes can contribute to the creation of natural gas in shale; one possibility is that a catalyst capable of breaking down shale in cooler conditions is present.

Anechoic Chamber - The World's Quietest Place

Anechoic Chamber is in Building 87 at Microsoft's headquarters in Redmond, Washington, is currently recognized in Guinness World Records as the quietest room in the world, with a measured background noise of -20.35 dBA, 20 decibels below the threshold of human hearing.

If you stand in it for long enough, you start to hear your heartbeat. A ringing in your ears becomes deafening. When you move, your bones make a grinding noise. Eventually you lose your balance, because the absolute lack of reverberation sabotages your spatial awareness. In this room at Microsoft's headquarters in Redmond, Washington, all sound from the outside world is locked out and any sound produced inside is stopped cold. It's called an "anechoic" chamber, because it creates no echo at all. 

The background noise in the room is so low that it approaches the lowest threshold theorized by mathematicians, the absolute zero of sound the next step down is a vacuum, or the absence of sound.

An anechoic chamber (an-echoic meaning "non-reflective, non-echoing, echo-free") is a room designed to completely absorb reflections of either sound or electromagnetic waves. They are also often isolated from waves entering from their surroundings. This combination means that a person or detector exclusively hears direct sounds, in effect simulating being inside an infinitely large room.

Anechoic chambers, a term coined by American acoustics expert Leo Beranek, were initially exclusively used to refer to acoustic anechoic chambers. Recently, the term has been extended to RF anechoic chambers, which eliminate reflection and external noise caused by electromagnetic waves.

Anechoic chambers range from small compartments the size of household microwave ovens to ones as large as aircraft hangars. The size of the chamber depends on the size of the objects and frequency ranges being tested.

The room offers a very rare sensorial experience. "As soon as one enters the room, one immediately feels a strange and unique sensation which is hard to describe," wrote Hundraj Gopal, a speech and hearing scientist and the principal designer of the anechoic chamber at Microsoft.

"Most people find the absence of sound deafening, feel a sense of fullness in the ears, or some ringing. Very faint sounds become clearly audible because the ambient noise is exceptionally low. When you turn your head, you can hear that motion. You can hear yourself breathing and it sounds somewhat loud," he said. In the real world, Gopal explained, our ears are constantly subject to some level of sound, so there is always some air pressure on the ear drums. But upon entering the anechoic room this constant air pressure is gone, since there are no sound reflections from the surrounding walls.

To achieve extreme silence, the room is designed with an onion-like structure that isolates it from the rest of the building and the outside world. It's made of six layers of concrete and steel and it is somewhat disconnected from the surrounding building, because it sits atop an array of vibration damping springs. Inside, fiberglass wedges are mounted on the floor, ceiling and walls to break up sound waves before they have a chance to bounce back into the room. The floor itself is simply a grid of sound-absorbing suspended cables.

"The design, planning and construction took a little over one and a half years," confirmed Gopal.

"I needed a good location on campus where the measured noise levels inside the building were adequately low. I needed to plan the inside of the building so that I could nest the chamber six levels deep. We had to build a special 12" concrete wall encasing the chamber to block out further ambient sound. Careful attention was paid to every detail that could conduct sound from outside to inside the chamber, such as isolating the sprinkler supply pipes and the fire-alarm sensor, or lining the air-supply and return ducts with additional sound absorbing material."

The final result? "The noise level measured inside is -20.3dBA. This means that the ambient noise in the chamber is 20.3dB below the threshold of human hearing." By comparison, one of the quietest sounds that can be heard in a quiet room, calm breathing, clocks in at 10dB.

Microsoft uses the room as an acoustic research lab for several of its products and components, including speakers and microphones. Currently, the company is using the acoustic lab to test Cortana, the company’s voice assistant adding background noise in the room while simultaneously asking questions, to measure and ultimately improve upon performance of Cortana.  

According to Microsoft, the same company who built the previous record-breaking room for Orfield Lab, Eckel Noise Control Technologies, helped create the new room for the company. Microsoft’s Audio Lab itself actually consists of multiple anechoic chambers, with the largest sitting on top of springs in order to keep the amount of outside noise to an absolute minimum. Highly specialized instrumentation from Brüel & Kjær was used to analyze and measure the room. A two-microphone coherent power measurement technique was used to achieve the extremely low ambient noise level measurement.

For more information -Anechoic Chamber

Al-Qarah Mountain (Saudi Arabia)

Al-Qarah Mountain " Jabal Al-Qarah" also known as " Al-shaba'an mountain " located between At-Tuwaitheer village and Al-Qarah village in Al-ahsa at the Eastern Province, Saudi Arabia. This mountain count as one of the most important natural sights in Al-Ahsa and registered in the UNESCO world heritage centre's list at 2018, after the inclusion of Al-Ahsa oasis, it's 15 km away of Al-hofuf east. The mountain has caves , and some of them , such as " Al-Nashab cave " has moderate steady temperature throughout the year.

Al-Qarah mountain named after Al-Qarah village which is belong to. also it's called " Al-Shaba'an " because it's among the palm trees and the rivers , and it has wild high caves which is cold at summer. It's likely that the first inhabitants of Al-Qarah village which has the mountain in it, is pre-Islamic tribe , they were skilled at archery so it's called " Al-Qarah " due to that , but the site landforms tells that the name is referred to "black, small, single, round and high mountain " . moreover , some of history books inform that Al-Qarah mountain is what intended by the name " Al-Mushaqqar " which was mentioned by historians and travelers . therefore , " Hamad Al-jaser " write in his book " Geographical Dictionary of Saudi Arabia - Eastern Province - Section Four " the historian had different opinions about the location of Al-Mushaqqar , so some said it's in Al-Hejaz , or in a valley Eja'a " one of Tae'a mountains " , or in a fort in Al-Bahrain , and the last one is the famous one " While abdul-Khaleq Al-Janbi confirms that Al-Qarah named by that because its south is connected to a huge strange shape and formation hill with vary sizes caves , also , there is a big rock above it and it's carved in wondrous way , in total it has three heads , the first one is to south and look like a woman head , the second one it to the north and look like a man head , the third one between them and look like a lion .this mountain still called " Ra'as Al-Qarah " which is meant by Arabic geographers . " it a divine formation , and human didn't do anything about that " Al-Janbi said in his book . Al-Mushaqqar also was mentioned in the fourth section of " Mou'jam Ma Esta'ajam " - it's a dictionary - for Abu Ubaid Al-Bakry . Ibn Al-E'erabi said " Al-Mushaqqar : a great ancient city , has a fortress in the middle , on a Qarah called Attalah and on the top of it there is a well that makw a hole of Al-Qarah until it get to the ground , so it's absorbed by the ground . All hajer water Exude in that well in its increasing "

The mountain located in Al-Ahsa oasis between four villages which is : Al-Qarah , At-Tuwaitheer , Ad-Dalwah and At-tihemeah

The base area of Al-Qarah mountain is about 14 square kilo meters and consists of reddish colored sedimentary rocks . Also the caves' temperature is semi-steady and moderate along the year and it's about 20 C ° , accompanying with gentle and cool airflow from inside the cave to outside. As well , it's consist of limestone , sandstone , marlstone and siltstones , while the uncovered base of the mountain composed of a thin layer of marlstone topped with layer of Breccias rocks up to 17 m , followed by limestone and sandstone with thickness of 18 m , after that there is a 75 m thickness of sequential layers of grey crumbling sandstone with intermittent layers red marl and marl-alluvial , ends up with a cover of 2 m of limestone. several types of the mountain's caves extend in a form of ribbed grids of cracked ground , while the others are cavities due to chemical weathering , abrasion process and collapses

There is 3 types of caves in Al-Qarah mountain: 1- First type formed due to dissolving and abrasion process of water-soluble rocks , and it is the most common type of limestone caves detected in Saudi Arabia. 2- Second type is a result of collapses of the upper layers because of chemical weathering and abrasion, therefore, lower layers removal, which lead to the formation of wide caves sometimes . the most famous cave of this type is located at the west of the mountain and called Al-Eid cave " Maqarat Al-Eid ", in which the events accompanying with collective wedding take a place there, and it is held annually.

3- Third type formed because of earthquake Fissures and it is a cavernous system that takes a regular form of straight fissures , corridors like . The number of this straight corridors reaches 28 with length of 1.5 km . the most famous cave of this type is Al-Nashab cave which has been invested by Ahsa Tourism company under the name " Land of Civilizations project in Al-Qarah mountain" Each one of the caves has natural characteristics which made the locals take advantages of it based on their usage . so there is cave for the annual collective wedding , and the other for tourists . among the most famous caves in the mountain is : • Bu Saleh ( Al mahdi ) • Al Eid • An Naqa • Al Mua'adhamah • Al Maheub • Al Gairan • Al Nashab • Um Aljamajem

There is a popular belief that the caves in the mountain formed as a result of tides , based on a study was done at 1978 , however , at 2006 other study denied this allegation.

Until 2016 , Al-Qarah was one of the responsibilities of Al ahsa municipality, despite useless repeated attempt to register it at the list of UNESCO world heritage centre , after that , Ahsa Tourism company " Ahsana" invested the mountain to develop it as a modern tourist facility. The tourism projects' cost which was done by the company was about 100 million Saudi Riyal . The project named " Land of Civilizations " , and the project includes preparing the main cave , lighting and leveling its ground. It also includes museum of history of Hajer " Al Ahsa name formerly " , stepped theater , new cafes and shops . This contributed to hold weekly activates ,between cultural evenings , music , arts and visual shows

Some of the caves are characterized by moderate temperatures, which is relatively constant (21-23 °C ) along the year , comparing to the temperature outside the cave or at its outer surface , which gives the feeling that inside the cave is warmer during the winter ,even though it is the same temperature during the summer. The reason of the regular temperature is the thermal insulation of the rocks and the caves are not exposed to direct sun . Also cause of cool airflow is the temperature difference between inside the cave and outside

The mountain was for Bani Muhareb from abdul-Qais till The third century in Hijri Popular beliefs: Habits and traditions Because of the different terrain of each cave , the caves used by the residents in the past and until now like Al-Eid cave for weddings , Al-Nashab cave for tourism and Um Aljamajem cave which recently used for hiking trips since the end of 2019

The caves were used as a place for education before the Formal education , so the teachers were gathering the children at the courtyards of the mountain or at the entrances of the caves, to teach them reading Al-Qur’an One of the habits that were popular in the past , that the people of close villages were burring their special documents in the mountain , so the mountain has a lot of valuable documents and the histories of some families of Al-Ahsa.

The people of the Filipino community in Saudi Arabia call Al-Nashab cave by the name " Judah cave " Because they believe it is the cave that Judas Iscariot committed suicide at it but the source of this belief is unknown and how this community came with it.

Al Naslaa (4,000-year-old Rock Formation), Tayma Oasis, Saudi Arabia.

Al Naslaa is 4,000-year-old Rock Formation has a Mystery Laser-like Cut through its Center. The Al Naslaa rock formation is a rock formation located 50 km south of the Tayma oasis in Saudi Arabia. It has been split down the middle into two parts, both of which are balanced on their own tiny pedestal. The cause of the split is unknown, but is posited to be due to natural causes including windblown sand and periodic rain.

The rock is approximately 6 metres high and 9 metres wide, and is covered on its south-east face with numerous petroglyphs

Al Naslaa is remarkable not only for its shape, position, and age but also for the exact split that divides one side of the formation from the other. While it appears to be a normal fracture in the sandstone’s foundation, the break is so precise and straight that it appears as if the rock was split apart with a laser. Furthermore, the two incredibly hefty sides of the structure appear to balance on little more than thin bits of rock, almost as if they are floating in mid-air.

The boulder split most likely because the earth beneath one of the two supports moved slightly. It’s possible that it was formed by a volcanic dike of a weaker material that crystallized before everything was unearthed. It might also be a pressure crack from the past. It dates back over 4,000 years, and no one truly knows how it came to be.

The Tayma oasis in Saudi Arabia is famous for its rock art and its historic legacy. It was a major trade route in antiquity and was once the dwelling place of a Babylonian king, Nabonidus. It is referenced in both Assyrian and Biblical sources as a trading post and is also known for abundant rock art made as much as 4000 years ago. One particularly interesting feature of the Tayma region is the Al Naslaa rock formation - a sandstone block connected to what looks like an eroded natural pedestal. The rock is split through the middle by a clean and straight crack which looks almost as if the rock was sliced with a laser. Surprisingly though, this feature is natural, formed by faulting or jointing activity.

Most of the Arabian Peninsula is made up of limestone, sandstone, and shale, which overlie the west Arabian crystalline shield and a southern crystalline complex. These overlying sedimentary deposits formed in shallow sea environments. In the present-day Arabian desert, windblown sand as well as periodic rains have carved the sandstone and limestone bedrock, creating many unusual rock shapes - some of which look quite extraordinary.

The block is also archaeologically significant because of an exquisite example of rock art that resembles a horse or camel that is engraved onto it. The block is in situ and the lower section of the block resembles what is called a ventifact. Ventifacts are geologic formations created by abrasion from windblown sand beating against a rock surface. This can create rocks with unusual shapes and very smooth surfaces.

The White Desert of Egypt is famous for ventifacts that resemble giant stone mushrooms emerging out of the landscape. It is not clear if the Al Naslaa rock formation is a ventifact, though the bottom part connecting it to the ground does resemble one. The upper part of the block has a very smooth surface on one side, but the shape of the complete rock looks too angular and blocky to be a true ventifact. It could, however, be a ventifact that is still in the process of forming.

Geologists who have examined the fracture say that it was probably formed when the ground beneath it was offset, causing the rock to split apart. It has also been suggested that it could be an old fault line. The rock material near faults tends to become weakened and erodes more easily. As sand blew into the cracks of the rock over the ages, this material may have been more rapidly eroded than the surrounding sandstone, resulting in the fracture.

The fracture may have also formed from jointing of the rock. In geology, joints are fractures formed by rock being pulled apart along zones of pre-existing weakness through some sort of pressure. Joints can be very straight and look almost artificial. In certain climates, ice can form in the cracks created by the joints and cause the fractures to widen until rocks are pulled apart. There are a couple of other cracks parallel to the one that split the rock that may be joints. The major crack could be related to them and just be in a more advanced stage.

The Algar do Carvão (Cavern of Coal), Terceira Island (Azores), Portugal

The Algar do Carvão (Cavern of Coal) is an ancient lava tube or volcanic vent located in the central part of the island of Terceira in the Portuguese archipelago of the Azores. It lies within the civil parish of Porto Judeu in the municipality of Angra do Heroísmo. 

Their are few very few places in the world allow you to explore and go inside a volcano. One of these places is the Algar do Carvão, located in the Azorean island of Terceira. The name Algar do Carvão means “coal pit” because the cave walls are formed from dark black lava.  To enter the cave you need to go down the volcano chimney that is lava free today, uncommon in most volcanoes, and a tunnel and staircases offer access to the caves below. At the bottom there is a crystal clear lake formed by rainwater, with unique stalactites and stalagmites.

The Algar do Carvão is, in fact, one of the few volcanoes in the world you can visit and the only one in which visitors can explore a volcanic chimney and secondary magma chambers. The volcanic eruption that took place at Algar do Carvão 3,200 years ago originated into volcanic rock highly rich in silica. Then, a second eruption, 2,000 years ago happened in the same place but with basaltic lava that formed several magmatic chambers.

Thanks to this fluid lava the chimney and the magma chambers were left empty when it all settled down. Algar do Carvão is now the only place on earth where you can see these two structures, the chimney and chambers without being cooked alive. What stands out as unique in the world is the stalactites and stalagmites formed by amorphous silica – Alvar do Carvão actually has the biggest concentration in one place.

Tours and the general maintenance of the volcano cave is in charge of local association “Os Montanheiros.” The first group of Montanheiros went to the volcano interior Montanheiros in 1963 and in 1968 they led the first visitors. Visits take place all summer and have to be scheduled in advance in the winter. They also organize visits to the Gruta do Natal, on Terceira.

A crystal-clear freshwater lake covers the base of Algar do Carvao, formed by the constant rain. Nuno estimates it’s about 39ft (12m) deep, although it can rise to 82ft (25m). During periods of drought, the water completely dries up. Down here, the dripping has an eerie echo. The only lifeforms this far down are bacteria, and a fleet of endemic spiders, centipedes and beetles found in the Azores that lurk in the cracks and crevices.

Before climbing back up the 338 steps, I take a moment to let it all sink in. This is where molten magma exploded out from the depths of the Earth 2,000 years ago. The same magma that created this tiny island in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean.

The existence of the cavern had been known for a long time, but the depth and lack of ambient light, made any descent difficult, owing to the vertical descent, and delayed any real exploration.

On 26 January 1893, the first descent, "...with the use of a simple rope, was accomplished by Cândido Corvelo and Luis Sequeira."

The second descent was made in 1934, by Didier Couto, who produced the first rough map of the interior. This drawing, based on visual observations alone (rather than measurements), turned out to be quite accurate.

On 18 August 1963, a group of enthusiasts organized a descent using a "chair" platform suspended on a nylon line and, later, a harness.

With the advent of portable lighting systems, it was possible to re-examine the observations first-hand, including the most remote and narrow sections of the cavern. The site was open to the public in the late 20th century, through weekly organized tours (except weekends and holidays) through the summer (from May to September). Access to the site is also possible through the Montanheiros (Mountaineers) organization, the group responsible for matters associated with the Algar.

The word, algar, is a Portuguese word that denotes a natural cavity in the earth that, unlike most caves or caverns, is more vertical in its orientation, like a well. The Portuguese word derives from the Arabic word, al-Gar, which means "the crease", while Carvão means "coal" in Portuguese. The Algar do Carvão is not a source of coal, and the term carvão has also been used in the Portuguese vernacular akin to "blackened", "sooty" or "burnt", referring to the dark composition of the rocks.

Terceira is the site of four large volcanoes (Pico Alto, Santa Bárbara, Guilherme Moniz, and Cinco Picos) grouped along a basaltic fissure zone that transects the island from northwest to southeast. The Algar do Carvão is directly associated with the caldera of the Guilherme Moniz volcano, but it is part of the same complex as Santa Barbara to the west, Pico Alto to the north, and Guilherme Moniz, which is a short distance to the south of the Algar do Carvão site. Algar do Carvão is situated at 583 metres (1,913 ft) above sea level.

The 40.5 hectares (4,360,000 sq ft) extent was classified as a Regional National Monument (Portuguese: Monumento Natural Regional) due to its peculiar volcanological characteristics, in addition to its environmental ecosystem. The mouth of the Algar consists of a 45 metres (148 ft) vertical passage to the interior, that reaches a ramp of debris and gravel. From here there is another decline to the clear waters of the interior pool, approximately 90 metres (300 ft) from the level surface. The pool is supported by rainwater, and can reach as deep as 15 metres (49 ft) depth or become dry in summer months, owing to little or no precipitation.

The cave itself is remarkable for the unique mineralogical characteristics of its silicate stalactites. The Algar is populated by a rich plant tapestry, that covers the mouth of the cone structure, including various endemic species. Further, there are several invertebrate species that make the cavern their homes, such as the cavernous spider Turinyphia cavernicola and other species of Troglofauna, like the centipede Lithobius obscurus azorae, the springtail Pseudosinella ashmoleorum and ground beetle Trechus terceiranus. Finally, there is a distinct presence of various moss, including those on the Red Data Book of European Bryophytes (ECCB), like the Alophosia azorica and Calypogeia azorica, among others