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TopClicks
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Curiosities, Wonders & Interesting Facts
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Amazing Planet Earth
3D Atlas Online - What on earth are you looking for? It doesn't matter--you'll find it here. Check out research links for every country, current news, and a geographic glossary. For example, in Zimbabwe, you can see a photo of a mud hut home with a thatched roof, learn about the country's plateau and savanna, view its colorful flag, and link to other Zimbabwe sites. Also find an index to maps for each country and resources for students and teachers.
Amazing Animals of the World - Did you know there are real dragons? Komodo dragons, that is. They can grow up to ten feet long and weigh 300 pounds! Learn about the unique and fascinating features of 30 different animals. You can search on the area of the world or the name of the animal. This site was created by students for the ThinkQuest Junior competition.
Australian Weather Photography - A vast collection of weather images, featuring: severe and non-severe thunderstorms; lightning; sunrise and sunset; rainbows; and all cloud types.
Bioluminescence Web Page - We're going to give this page a glowing report. Bioluminescence is a chemical light that is produced by fireflies, fish, and even fungus! This site is concerned with the mechanism of how this light is produced. It offers wonderful photos and explains why most bioluminescent deep-sea organisms flash blue lights more than any other color.
Bioluminescent Bay -- Vieques Island - One of the natural wonders of the world is "Bio Bay,"home to the magical glowing waters. Actually, it's not much of a mystery: each gallon of bay water contains up to 720,000 nontoxic dinoflagellates. When they are disturbed--by a boat paddle, or a hand in the water--they emit a soft eerie blue light, like a firefly. People come from all over the world to witness this phenomenom. Unfortunately, the bay is threatened by pollution and other development. Find out how you can help!
Discovery Online Earth Alert - Attention! It's time for the weekly update on the state of the planet. Gather `round this map as I point to various icons and explain them. This one means there's a wildfire in Alaska, while this one marks a flood in India. Here's a rare breed of deer reintroduced to China, and a new turtle refuge in the United Arab Emirates. This squiggle over here is, hmm. I'm not sure. Oops, I think it's mustard from my lunch.
Earth and Moon Viewer - When it's 10 A.M. and bright and sunny in Florida, what's it like in Japan? Stop by this site and ask the server, which will show where it's light and dark anyplace in the world. You can choose the satellite location to view from, or you can tell it to look at Earth from the Sun's or Moon's perspective. You can even create a custom request and specify the desired longitude and latitude you want to see; the computer then picks the best viewpoint.
Earthquakes - The Terror from Below - The ancient Babylonians believed that the "Jupiter Effect" of planetary alignment somehow caused an increase in earthquake activity on Earth. While that theory has never been scientifically proven, no one really knows how to predict earthquakes. We think we know what causes them, though: plate tectonics. This theory says that the Earth's crust is made up of jigsaw puzzle-like plates floating on a layer of liquid magma below. The plates touch and can slide against each other. The areas where they meet are called fault zones. As plates push against each other, stresses build until suddenly they are released in an event we call an earthquake. That's the simplified version--for more detail, visit this site, created by students for the ThinkQuest competition.
Extreme Science - This one is all about scientific extremes: the highest and lowest elevation on Earth, the biggest mountain, the deepest cave, the greatest earthquake, and--well, you get the idea. Don't forget to check the Creature World section for the largest snake, deadliest creature, and more records from those that creep, swim, walk, and fly. You can also meet cool scientists, take some online adventures, and explore many fun science links.
International Year of the Reef - The Great Barrier Reef off the coast of Australia is the largest structure on Earth that was created by living things. It is the only such structure that can be seen from space. Coral reefs have been called "the rain forests of the sea" because they support almost a million kinds of sea life. Find out about the Top Ten coral reefs as well as fun facts about them.
NOAA Photo Collection - Need some great tornado photos for your report? This is the spot to find pictures of all kinds of weather and other natural images. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration offers "thousands of weather and space images, hundreds of images of our shores and coastal seas, and thousands of marine species images ranging from the great whales to the most minute plankton." Search for big hailstones, photos of the great blizzard of 1966, and some of the most spectacular lightning photos you'll ever see (search on Eiffel tower and check your spelling).
Savage Earth Online - What's great about this resource from PBS are the wonderful animations! You'll gasp as lava erupts and flows. You'll be shocked as a tsunami attacks a lighthouse. You'll quake as faults happen and roads are misaligned. Besides that, there's a lot of useful information, links, and other illustrations here as well.
Seismo-Cam - Want to know what's shaking in L.A.--literally? Live shots of a seismograph as it's tracking activity in the Southern California area can be monitored here. If nothing's happening while you're watching, you can look at some archived shots from past events, including some BIG temblors. There are also lots of great links to sites with info on earthquakes, including one at the University of Nevada that explains how seismographs work.
Stromboli On-line - Between Sicily and southern Italy lie the Aeolian Islands. Stromboli is the northernmost of this volcanic chain, and it has an active volcano called--Stromboli. On the main page you can find out everything from the current eruption conditions to the current weather. However, you'll be most interested in the virtual climb to the summit. Remember, if you don't like heights, you can always click the browser's Back button. If you do get to the summit, sign the guest book. This page is in English, Italian, and German.
Terraserver.com - Welcome to TerraServer.com, your online source for satellite and aerial imagery. Search, browse, and buy images, prints, and more...or just let TerraServer.com take you around the world!
The Cave of Lascaux - A virtual visit of the famous cave in France. Click your way through the cave to see pictures of the paintings and more!
Ultimate Field Trip - Here's a field trip that you're unlikely to forget. Astronaut Kathy Sullivan is your host and guide on this incredible journey. She tells you about her decision to switch careers from marine biologist to astronaut. As she talks about her experiences as mission specialist aboard the space shuttle, she guides you on a tour of Earth photos taken from the shuttle. Kathy describes each photo in her own personal way, which gives you a special insight into her own experience.
Volcano Expedition - Come explore the volcanos of Costa Rica. You'll find lots of information, photos, movies and information in this close up look of volcanic activity. Spectacular photos throughout the site and daily journals from the research team really make this site spectacular to see.
Volcanoes Online - Not all volcanic eruptions are created equal--this site identifies seven different kinds. Hawaiian eruptions flow gently, while Strombolian eruptions are characterized by explosive lava chunks raining down on the surrounding area. There's an encyclopedia of volcanoes around the world and a neat Save the Village game--but don't try it unless you have explored the site first. We warned you! This site was created by students for the ThinkQuest competition.
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