10 of the Largest Dams in the World

Man made dams represent some of the most incredible architectural feats in the world today. While most dams were designed to impound or retain water, others (like floodgates and levees) are often used to control water flow into certain areas.

Regardless of how they’re used no one will question the sheer power and force each dam holds. One crack or failure – one mistake in control – could easily cause a catastrophic accident with the potential to wipe out an entire city.

The following are some of the largest dams in the world as measured by sheer volume. While they’re not all necessarily in the “top 10″ in terms of size, they’re certainly sights worth visiting.

10. SRISAILAM DAM – INDIA

Located on the Krishna River, the Srisailam Dam was constructed in the Nallamala Hills in a gorge that sits approximately 300 meters above sea level. The dam was is one of the 12 largest in the country in terms of hydroelectric power production but was specifically built in order to provide irrigation for the districts of Kurnool and Cuddapah – both of which are prone to severe droughts.

9. NAGARJUNA SAGAR – INDIA

The Nagarjuna Sagar Dam can be found in the Nalgonda district of Andhra Pradesh in India. Considered one of the largest ever built in Asia, this dam was completed in 1966 and features 26 individual crest gates. As far as construction is concerned, this dam is the tallest in the world to be made strictly from masonry and its creation resulted in the third largest man-made lake on the globe.  The dam and its canals are incredibly important to the ability to irrigate nearby land.

8. VERZASCA DAM – SWITZERLAND

The Verzasca Dam, also known as the Contra dam, was built between 1960 and 1965 in Val Verzasca, Switzerland. The dam was built by Verzasca SA, a company that generates electricity on the site and will continue to do so until at least 2046. The Lago di Vogorno reservoir is artificial, created by the dam itself, and has been responsible for causing earthquakes during times when it is filled.

7. ATATURK DAM – TURKEY

Completed in 1990, the Ataturk Dam in Turkey is a rock-fill dam found on the Euphrates River. Originally named the Karababa Dam, the site was later renamed in order to honor the founder of the Turkish Republic, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk. The dam is responsible for irrigating the regions plains as well as for generating electricity.

6. MANGLA DAM – PAKISTAN

The twelfth largest dam in the world was built in 1967 and was funded in part by the World Bank. The Mangla Dam came into creation thanks to the 1960 signing of the Indus Waters Treaty in which rights to the waters contained in the Ravi, Beas, and Suglej rivers were given to Pakistan. Before the dam was built Pakistan’s irrigation system relied solely on the flow of the Indus River – most of which was completely unregulated.

5. TARBELA – PAKISTAN

Completed back in 1976, the Tarbela Dam, also known as Torabela or Pashto, is considered to be the largest dam ever constructed on Pakistan’s Indus River. While it’s not the largest dam in the world overall, it is the largest dam filled naturally by the earth. The dam stores water in order to not only control flooding but for use in irrigation and the production of hydro-electric energy as well.

4. FORT PECK – UNITED STATES

The Fort Peck Dam in northeast Montana is one of six dams found on the Missouri River. Construction of this dam began in 1933 as part of the New Deal put forth by President Franklin D. Roosevelt and enabled over 11,000 workers to have gainful employment during the course of construction. The dam, which is solely responsible for the formation of Fort Peck Lake, is used to control flooding and generate power.

3. ASWAN DAM – EGYPT

The Aswan Dam is actually a pair of dams – the Aswan High Dam and the Aswan Low Dam. In ancient times it was known that the River Nile would flood each summer as the waters flowed down from East Africa. As the population along the river grew it became necessary to find a way to control flooding in this area. Now the land is still fertile enough for farming and the people no longer have to worry about drought but the fields aren’t in danger of being wiped out due to flooding, either.

2. SYNCRUDE TAILINGS – CANADA

Located near Fort McMurray in Alberta, Canada, the Syncrude Tailings Dam is approximately 540,000,000 meters in volume. The dam is currently maintained by a company known as Syncrude Canada Ltd – a company responsible for oil extraction in the Athabasca Oil Sands. The dam serves as a barrage used to store tailings – or leftover slimes and residues – that appear as byproducts of the oil extraction operation.

1. THREE GORGES – CHINA

The Three Gorges Dam in China is projected to be the absolute largest in the world. Expected to hold over 39,300,000,000 in volume, the reservoir is complete but the actual dam itself will not be completed until later this year. The construction of this dam had a huge impact on life in Sandouping, resulting not only in the relocation of dozens of villages but in the scenery as well. Because of the height of the Three Gorges Dam the mountains now look a bit lower than they actually are.

These dams are not only amongst the largest, but are considered some of the most functional, beautiful, and aesthetically pleasing in the world. Don’t hesitate to visit one if you’re ever in the area. Seeing one of the enormous dams in person will prove to be an absolutely breathtaking experience.

The Top 10 Largest Diamonds in the World

Throughout time wealth and power has often been measured in the ownership of some of the world’s most valuable and desirable diamonds, gemstones and other precious metals.

 A lot of large and exquisite diamonds have gained fame, both as extraordinary examples of the beautiful nature of diamonds, and also because of the famous people who wore, bought or sold them. Some of these diamonds were sold on auctions for over $10 million and that says a lot about how valuable diamonds are.Below you’ll find some of the most famous diamonds of all time in this top 10 list of the largest diamonds in the world right now.

10. The Millennium Star Diamond – 203.04 carat (40.608 g)

The awesome 203.04 carat gem is the world’s second largest known Grade D Colorless diamond. The Millennium Star is an internally and externally flawless, pear-shaped diamond owned by De Beers. It was discovered in the Mbuji-Mayi district of Zaire (Democratic Republic of the Congo) in 1990 in alluvial deposits and cut from a 777 carat original stone. The finished diamond was first displayed in October 1999 as the centerpiece of the De Beers Millennium diamond collection. It’s value is unknown but the stone was insured for £100,000,000.

9. The Red Cross Diamond – 205.07 carat (41.014 g)

The beautiful canary-yellow diamond was found in the Kimberly mines, South Africa, back in 1901 and it was presented as a gift from the British Red Cross Society to the 1918 art sale held in London by Christies. The 205.07 carat diamond has a distinctly visible Maltese Cross in the top facet hence the provenance of its name. The value of this gem is estimated at a staggering £2,000,000

8. The De Beers Diamond – 234.65 carat (46.930 g)

The 234.65 carat, De Beers Diamond was found in the Kimberly mines back in 1888. Originally weighing 428,5 carats, the De Beers diamond was the largest diamond found at the four mines during the time period. It isn’t known where the diamond was cut, but it’s likely that this fine work was done in Amsterdam. Notably, the 8th largest faceted diamond in the world was set as the centerpiece of a ceremonial necklace designed by the House of Cartier in 1928. The Patiala Necklace, as it was known from then on, was made for and named after Bhupinder Singh of Patiala, the then ruling Maharaja of the state of Patiala. The value of this diamond is unknown.

7. The Jubilee Diamond – 245.35 carat (49.070 g)

The original stone, weighed 650.80 carats and was found in 1895 in the Jagersfontein Mine in South Africa. An irregular octahedron without definite faces or shapes, the rough stone turned into a 245.35 carat superb diamond of exceptional purity and size. Originally known as the Reitz Diamond, the colourless, cushion-shaped gem was renamed to honour the 60th anniversary of the coronation of Queen Victoria in 1897. Rated as an E-grade colourless diamond, its value is unknown.

6. The Centenary Diamond – 273.85 carats (54.770 g)

The 273.85 carat gem is the third-largest diamond to have been produced in the Premier Mine. Discovered on the 17th of July 1986, the original stone had 599 carats and it was cut by a team lead by Gabi Tolkowsky. Once the final design was adopted, the grade D color diamond was reduced to 273.85 carats, 39.90 × 50.50 × 24.55 mm and 247 facets – 164 on the stone and 83 around its girdle. The current owner, location and value of this diamond is unknown but the stone was insured for $100 million in 1991.

5. The Spirit of de Grisogono Diamond – 312.24 carats (62.448 g)

At 312.24 carats, The Spirit of de Grisogono is the world’s largest cut black diamond. The stone was found in west Central Africa and before cutting, it weighed 587 carats. It was later brought to Switzerland, where it was cut by Fawaz Gruosi using the traditional Mogul diamond cutting technique. The precious stone is set in a white gold ring, encrusted with 702 smaller white diamonds that total 36.69 carats. There is no information on the whereabouts of the precious stone or the identity of its current owner.

4. The Cullinan II Diamond – Lesser Star of Africa – 317.4 carats (63.480 g)

The second largest gem cut from the Cullinan stone, Cullinan II or the Lesser Star of Africa, weights in at 317.4 carats and it’s the fourth largest polished diamond in the world. The original diamond was named after Sir Thomas Cullinan, who opened the Premier mine in South Africa, from which the Golden Jubilee Diamond was also excavated. The Cullinan II Diamond is the massive flawless D-color gem in the center-front of the Imperial State Crown of Great Britain. Its value has been estimated to be around $200 million.

3. The Incomparable Diamond – 407.48 carats (81,496 g)

Weighing in at 407.48 carats, the Incomparable Diamond was found in 1984 by a little girl that was going through a pile of rubble from the nearby MIBA Diamond Mine in the Democratic Republic of Congo. With a weight of 890 carats before cutting, the stone was the largest brown diamond in the world but it was later reduced to 407.5 carats (81.5 g) for the sake of having fewer internal flaws. Fancy brownish-yellow in color, the gem measures 53.90 × 35.19 × 28.18 mm and it was designed by a team led by Marvin Samuels. The value of this rock is around $20 million.

2. The Cullinan I – Star of Africa Diamond – 530.20 carats (106.040 g)

The Cullinan Diamond is the largest rough gem-quality diamond ever found. Shaped in the form of a pear, it weights 530.20 carats, it measures 53mm x 44mm x 29mm and it has 76 facets. The Cullinan I is the largest of nine stones cut from the original 3106 carat Cullinan Diamond. Also known as the Star of Africa, the diamond has a perfect white colour or a flawless D-color and it’s value goes up to almost $400 million.

1. The Golden Jubilee Diamond – 545.67 carats (109.134 g)

At 545.67 carats (109.13 g), The Golden Jubilee Diamond is currently the largest faceted diamond in the world. The gem was discovered in 1985 in the Premier mine in South Africa and it was cut by Gabriel Tolkowsky (who also designed the flawless Centenary diamond). The value of the Golden Jubilee gem is estimated between $4 – $12 million.

Top 10 Amazing Trees

There’s something majestic about the very oldest of trees and how they witnessed the rise and fall of numerous civilizations. Who hasn’t heard about General Sherman – the largest known living single stem tree in the world – or Old Tjikko – the Earth’s oldest (9,550 years) living individual clonal tree?I find Julian Hight’s quote to be the most representative for this list: “Ancient trees are a living link to our past and they often provide a fragile constant in an ever-changing world. This is their story, but in equal measure it is also ours. Each tree has its own distinct shape and character which it carries through its lifetime.”
With this in mind, let’s learn more about some of the world’s most fascinating trees: not just the oldest ones, but the ones with a “distinct shape and character.” There are probably hundreds of spectacular trees, but the following ten really caught my attention:

 10. Angel Oak

Located in South Carolina, on Johns Island, the 1,500 year-old Angel Oak shades with its widely spreading canopy an area of 17,200 square feet.
This magnificent tree is thought to be one of the oldest living organisms east of the Mississippi River. With a circumference of 28 feet and branches over 100 feet long, Angel Oak has survived numerous natural disasters, including earthquakes (the Great Charleston Earthquake of 1886), floods and hurricanes (Hurricane Hugo in 1989).

9. Elia Bouybon, Olive Tree of Vouves

Can you trust that the world’s oldest olive tree still produces tasty olives every year? Estimated by the scientists from the University of Crete to be between 3,500 and 4,000 years old, the Olive Tree of Vouves is 15 feet thick at the base.
The ancient olive tree is visited by approximately 20.000 people every year. It is located in the village of Ano Vouves, Crete.

8. Dragon’s Blood Tree

 

The rare Dragon’s Blood Tree (Dracaena cinnabari) is also known as the Socotra Dragon Tree in Yemen. It is arguably the most famous plant of the Yemeni island of Socotra. I wrote about this amazing place in Top 10 Unusual Landscapes. Unesco.org claims that “37% of Socotra’s 825 plant species, 90% of its reptile species and 95% of its land snail species do not occur anywhere else in the world.”
The Dragon Tree resembles an umbrella. The tree’s name originates from its tendency to ooze a red sap, or resin. The local inhabitants still use the Dragon’s blood resin as a cure-all, in cosmetic products or to paint local pottery.

7. El Árbol del Tule, Tule Tree

This massive Tule Tree is a 116 feet high Montezuma cypress tree (Taxodium mucronatum) located in Oaxaca, Mexico. Each branch could itself be an independent tree.
The trunk’s circumference measures 119 feet. It is so large that scientists originally thought that multiple trunks fused together, but DNA tests proved otherwise. The Ahuehuete Tree of Santa María del Tule “is a single genetic individual” (Dorado, O., Avila, G. et al. – The Árbol del Tule, 1996).

6. Teapot Baobab

All eight species of Adansonia are spectacular. The African Baobab (Adansonia digitata L.) is native to mainland Africa, but can be found also in Asia and the Arabian Peninsula. Six of these species are native to Madagascar – Grandidier’s Baobab (Adansonia grandidieri Baill), Madagascar Baobab (Adansonia madagascariensis Baill), Perrier’s Baobab (Adansonia perrieri Capuron), Fony Baobab (Adansonia rubrostipa Jum &H.Perrier), Suarez Baobab (Adansonia suarezensis H.Perrier), Za Baobab (Adansonia za Baill) – and one is endemic to Australia, the Australian Baobab (Adansonia gregorii F.Muell). The Avenue of the Baobabs in Madagascar remains one of the few places where most of these species can be observed in one place.
Interesting is how some Baobab trees take the form of bottles, even teapots. They are located in Ifaty, Madagascar. The above Teapot Baobab is 1,200 years old.
The Baobab can store more than 31,000 US gallons of water (120,000 liters) to endure the severe drought conditions.

5. The Trees from Ta Phrom

The trees growing out of the ruins of Ta Prohm, a Cambodian temple, are fascinating. There are two main species that predominate in Ta Prohm. Some specialists claim that the larger tree (see picture) is a Silk Cotton tree (Ceiba pentandra), others think that it’s a Thitpok (Tetrameles nudiflora). The smaller one seems to be a Strangler Fig tree. The giant tree roots attract thousands of visitors each year.

4. Methuselah

 The Great Basin Bristlecone Pine (Pinus longaeva) is a long-living species that occurs in a relatively narrow latitudinal range in Utah, Nevada and California. This pine grows extremely slowly and, amazingly, the needles and leaves can remain green for over 40 years (Ewers & Schmid 1981).
Methuselah is the oldest living non-clonal organism on Earth. The pine was 4,789 years old when Tom Harlan and Edmund Schulman sampled it in 1957. The 4,843 year-old tree grows in California’s White Mountains, but its exact location has been undisclosed to prevent acts of vandalism.

3. Silk Floss Tree

The beautiful Silk Floss tree (Ceiba speciosa) is one of the many members of the mallow family. Endemic to tropical and subtropical forests of South America (Brazil, Paraguay, Argentina etc.), this tree sometimes reaches more than 81 feet in height. Its trunk and branches are studded with sharp conical prickles (giant spines), which help it to conserve water for subsequent dry periods.
The beautiful red, pink or purple flowers measure four to six inches in diameter and are “followed by pear shaped capsules filled with many seeds embedded in silky white floss,” according to Floridata.com. This silk is sometimes collected and used to stuff cushions.

2. Rainbow Eucalyptus

The Rainbow Eucalyptus (Eucalyptus deglupta) is a huge evergreen tree that can reach heights of 246 feet. The Rainbow Eucalyptus, also known as Mindanao Gum, has a geographic distribution that extends from the Indonesian archipelago to the Philippines. What make this tree so special are the striking stripes of yellow, green, pink, red, purple and orange on its branches and trunk. Believe it or not, these beautiful colors are an entirely natural feature. The Eucalyptus’ bark is smooth, “and as it grows, it exfoliates thin layers of spent tissue. This process occurs in irregular zones at different times. As the newly exposed bark slowly ages, it changes from bright green to a darker green, then bluish to purplish, and then pink-orange. Since this process is happening in different zones of the trunk and in different stages, simultaneously, the colors are varied and almost constantly changing. As a result, the tree will never have the same color pattern twice, making it like a work of living art,” said LariAnn Garner, a research botanist at Aroidia Research in Florida City.

1. Tree of Life

There are numerous examples of long-living clonal colonies of trees, but there’s something magnificent about a 400-year-old tree able to survive in the middle of the desert without any known source of water. The fact that it stands alone since centuries is mind-blowing. The ancient mesquite tree in Bahrain is considered a natural wonder. The Tree of Life is located about 2 km from Jebel Dukhan. To really appreciate the uniqueness of the mesquite, try to view it in Google Earth. You will see that it’s pretty far from any form of vegetation.

Worlds Craziest Stunts

Worlds Smallest Teenager with Worlds Biggest Biceps

Pint-sized Khagendra Thapa Magar is within reach of becoming the world's shortest man - as long as he doesn't suddenly have a growth spurt in the next two weeks.

At 22 inches, he is currently the shortest teenager on the planet.

But as soon as he turns 18 on October 14, he will be eligible to take on the title of the world's shortest adult male.

Top 10 Fascinating Facts About Snow

10. Funny Snow Terminology

Not all snow is the same and who knows this better than skiers and snowboarders? Skiers created in the early 1900s their own terminology to describe various types of snow. The crazy lingo used by them includes funny terms such as “pow pow,” “mashed potatoes,” “champagne snow (powder),” “cauliflower,” “sticky snow,” “dust on crust” and many other descriptive terms. Slang adds humor, color and personality to any vocabulary. Did you know that “pow pow” or simply pow (from powder) is the fresh powder snow, which is actually a soft, fluffy type of snow?  “Champagne snow” has such an extremely low moisture content that you can’t even make a snowball with it. While “champagne powder” is great for skiing because it’s smooth and dry, “mashed potatoes” is an old, dense and heavy snow that is hard to turn skis in.

9.  The World’s Largest Snowflake

According to specialists, “snowflakes are agglomerates of many frozen ice crystals., most snowflakes are less than one-half inch across”, NSIDC. The water content of snowflakes is more variable than we think. An average snowflake is made up of 180 billion molecules of water, but the snow-water ration depends on various factors such as temperature, crystal structure, wind speed etc.
Even if there aren’t any images of the biggest snowflake ever recorded, the Guinness Book of World Records states that a giant snowflake was found at Fort Keogh, Montana on January 28, 1887. It was 15 inches wide and 8 inches thick.

8.  The Colors of Snow

While many think that snow is either white or blue, its ‘colors’ range from yellow and orange to green and even purple, but…believe it or not, snow is actually colorless. According to the National Snow and Ice Data Center, “the complex structure of snow crystals results in countless tiny surfaces from which visible light is efficiently reflected. What little sunlight is absorbed by snow is absorbed uniformly over the wavelengths of visible light thus giving snow its white appearance.”
Cold-tolerant algae are  small, photosynthetic organisms which grow on snow and ice in the polar and alpine regions. Different strains of algae can color the snow yellow, red, orange, brown, green. Of course, the snow acquires its color after it has fallen. You may see snow that falls pink, brown, orange or red, if the air is filled with dust, pollutants or sand. Orange snow fell over Siberia in 2007 and Krasnodar (Russia) was covered by pink snow in 2010.

7. Snowfall Record

If you ever wondered where did the most snow fall in one year, here is the answer. Mount Baker, in the North Cascades of Washington State, holds this amazing world record, a reported 1,140 inches accumulated during the 1998-99 snowfall season. It is the youngest volcano of the Mount Baker volcanic region and the most heavily glaciated of the inhospitable Cascade volcanoes. Mount Baker (10,775 feet) is for sure one of the snowiest places on earth.

6. Snowfall Record Within 24th

The greatest amount of snow to fall within 24 hours in U.S. occurred in Silver Lake – Colorado in 1921: 76 inches of snow. Another impressive record of 63 inches was registered in Georgetown, Colorado on December 4, 1913. It can never be to cold to snow. Actually, it can snow even at incredibly low temperatures “as long as there is some source of moisture and some way to lift or cool the air.” (National Snow and Ice Data Center). However, major snowfalls occur in relatively warm temperature climates. If you are curious to know how much snow falls where you live, check out the Snowfall Table provided by the National Climatic Data Center.

5. The Longest Winter Road in the World

Constructed each January on ice and snow, the ‘Wapusk Trail’ road has a length of 467 miles and links Gillam, Manitoba with Peawanuk, Ontario, Canada. ‘Wapusk Trail’ is the longest seasonal winter road in the world. It even got a Guinness World Records certificate. This type of ‘temporary highways’ have a crucial role in enabling goods to be delivered to communities without permanent road access. Warm weather forces the closure of the winter road staring with March, early April. Air transportation is an alternative, but it’s quite expensive.

4. Snowstorms and Bombs

Did you know that a single snowstorm can drop more than 39 million tons of snow, carrying the energy equivalent to 120 atomic bombs? ‘The Great Blizzard of 1888’ was one of the most devastating snowstorms to hit New Jersey, New York, Massachusetts and Connecticut. The storm dumped up to 50 inches of snow. ‘The Great Snow of 1717’, ‘The Washington and Jefferson Snowstorm’, ‘The Long Storm of November 1798’ and the ‘Portland Storm’ are other major snowstorms that struck America.

3. The Fastest Ever Half-Marathon Run Barefoot on Snow

Dutch daredevil Wim Hof holds the world record for running the fastest half marathon barefoot on snow and ice. He completed the marathon in 2 hr 16 min 34 sec near Oulu, Finland, on 26 January 2007. Hof’s stunning abilities to withstand harsh winds, snow, ice and freezing temperatures won him the nickname ‘Ice Man’.
By courageously swimming 80 meters under the North Pole ice, Wim Hof earned another Guinness World Record.

2. The Largest Snow Sculpture

A team of 600 amazing sculptors unveiled at the Harbin International Ice and Snow Sculpture Festival held on December 20, 2007 – ‘Romantic Feelings’ – the world’s largest snow sculpture. The Olympic Games were the source of inspiration for the staggering 656 ft long and 115 ft tall sculpture. This magnificent ‘landscape’ was the centerpiece of the festival opened in the Heilongjiang Province, one of China’s coldest places.

1. The Snowflake Man

Throughout time, snowflakes have fascinated many eminent scientists and philosophers such as René Descartes, Johannes Kepler and Robert Hooke, but the man who literally devoted his entire life to showing us the diversity and beauty of snowflakes is American Wilson A. Bentley (February 9, 1865 – December 23, 1931).
This ‘snowtastic’ Top 10 list is a tribute to Wilson Bentley, the first man to capture snow crystals on film. Known as “The Snowflake Man”, Bentley captured more than 5000 photographs of snowflakes. He received international acclaim in the 19^th century for his pioneering work in the fields of photomicrography, because he perfected a process of photographing snowflakes before they either melted or sublimed.
Bentley’s legacy is an extraordinarily rich one: a vast library of detailed journals, books, published articles and over 5000 photographs of “tiny miracles of beauty”, as he often referred to snowflakes.