TWILIGHT ERUPION

Executive summary by darmansjah

Wonders never cease, nor does our fascination with them. Marvels of extraordinary size, beauty, or strangeness transport us from our routine lives, commanding awe, admiration, or even reverence.

These are the emotions that stirred Herodotus in them id-fifth century B.C. An indefatigable traveler, as well as the ‘Father of History,’ he wrote home enthusiastically to tell his fellow Greeks how exciting other lands could be. Today, these are the emotions that the National Geographic Society shares through its magazines, books, films, and television programs.

Since its founding in 1888, the Society has been providing ‘a window on the world’ to armchair explorers. Much like Herodotus, the writers, photographers, and filmmakers of Nat Geo are driven to explore the wonders of Sky, Earth, and Sea. That sends them to the bizarre vistas of the Great Rift Valley in East Africa; to the depths of the virtually unexplored blue holes in the Bahamas; and to the highest point of Earth, the fearsome Mount Everest.

On the following pages 25 of the world’s most awe-inspiring places and phenomena are presented under the heading Sky, Land, and Water. These places are products of geologic forces and biological conditions that stretch back millions of years. They still inspire us today, much as distant lands inspired Herodotus and, with care, will inspire generations to come.

Fresh-flowing lava outlines cooler rocks in neon orange on Tanzania’s Ol Doinyo Lengai volcana. The Maasai Know the stratovolcano as ‘The Mountain of God.’