#limestone — Public Fediverse posts

💁🏻‍♀️ ICYMI: 🏛️📐 Egyptologist Laurel Bestock breaks down five major archaeological findings behind the #construction of the #GreatPyramid of #Giza.

Her breakdown covers ancient stone quarrying, mud-brick ramps, worker housing, transport logbooks, and earlier pyramid designs that led to Giza.

👉 Learn more: https://seethis.tv/post/an-egyptologist-explains-5-key-discoveries-about-gizas-great-pyramid

#africa #ancienthistory #archaeology #architecture #boats #buildings #culture #egypt #engineering #geology #geometry #history #jobs #limestone #math #monuments #papyrus #pyramids #stone #technology #tech #womeninstem #work #writing #tksst #video

💁🏻‍♀️ ICYMI: 🏛️📐 Egyptologist Laurel Bestock breaks down five major archaeological findings behind the #construction of the #GreatPyramid of #Giza.

Her breakdown covers ancient stone quarrying, mud-brick ramps, worker housing, transport logbooks, and earlier pyramid designs that led to Giza.

👉 Learn more: https://seethis.tv/post/an-egyptologist-explains-5-key-discoveries-about-gizas-great-pyramid

#africa #ancienthistory #archaeology #architecture #boats #buildings #culture #egypt #engineering #geology #geometry #history #jobs #limestone #math #monuments #papyrus #pyramids #stone #technology #tech #womeninstem #work #writing #tksst #video

💁🏻‍♀️ ICYMI: 🏛️📐 Egyptologist Laurel Bestock breaks down five major archaeological findings behind the #construction of the #GreatPyramid of #Giza.

Her breakdown covers ancient stone quarrying, mud-brick ramps, worker housing, transport logbooks, and earlier pyramid designs that led to Giza.

👉 Learn more: https://seethis.tv/post/an-egyptologist-explains-5-key-discoveries-about-gizas-great-pyramid

#africa #ancienthistory #archaeology #architecture #boats #buildings #culture #egypt #engineering #geology #geometry #history #jobs #limestone #math #monuments #papyrus #pyramids #stone #technology #tech #womeninstem #work #writing #tksst #video

💁🏻‍♀️ ICYMI: 🏛️📐 Egyptologist Laurel Bestock breaks down five major archaeological findings behind the #construction of the #GreatPyramid of #Giza.

Her breakdown covers ancient stone quarrying, mud-brick ramps, worker housing, transport logbooks, and earlier pyramid designs that led to Giza.

👉 Learn more: https://seethis.tv/post/an-egyptologist-explains-5-key-discoveries-about-gizas-great-pyramid

#africa #ancienthistory #archaeology #architecture #boats #buildings #culture #egypt #engineering #geology #geometry #history #jobs #limestone #math #monuments #papyrus #pyramids #stone #technology #tech #womeninstem #work #writing #tksst #video

💁🏻‍♀️ ICYMI: 🏛️📐 Egyptologist Laurel Bestock breaks down five major archaeological findings behind the #construction of the #GreatPyramid of #Giza.

Her breakdown covers ancient stone quarrying, mud-brick ramps, worker housing, transport logbooks, and earlier pyramid designs that led to Giza.

👉 Learn more: https://seethis.tv/post/an-egyptologist-explains-5-key-discoveries-about-gizas-great-pyramid

#africa #ancienthistory #archaeology #architecture #boats #buildings #culture #egypt #engineering #geology #geometry #history #jobs #limestone #math #monuments #papyrus #pyramids #stone #technology #tech #womeninstem #work #writing #tksst #video

💁🏻‍♀️ ICYMI: 🏛️📐 Egyptologist Laurel Bestock breaks down five major archaeological findings behind the #construction of the #GreatPyramid of #Giza.

Her breakdown covers ancient stone quarrying, mud-brick ramps, worker housing, transport logbooks, and earlier pyramid designs that led to Giza.

👉 Learn more: https://seethis.tv/post/an-egyptologist-explains-5-key-discoveries-about-gizas-great-pyramid

#africa #ancienthistory #archaeology #architecture #boats #buildings #culture #egypt #engineering #geology #geometry #history #jobs #limestone #math #monuments #papyrus #pyramids #stone #technology #tech #womeninstem #work #writing #tksst #video

💁🏻‍♀️ NEW: 🏛️📐 Egyptologist Laurel Bestock breaks down five major archaeological findings behind the #construction of the #GreatPyramid of #Giza.

Her breakdown covers ancient stone quarrying, mud-brick ramps, worker housing, transport logbooks, and earlier pyramid designs that led to Giza.

👉 Learn more: https://seethis.tv/post/an-egyptologist-explains-5-key-discoveries-about-gizas-great-pyramid

#africa #ancienthistory #archaeology #architecture #boats #buildings #culture #egypt #engineering #geology #geometry #history #jobs #limestone #math #monuments #papyrus #pyramids #stone #technology #tech #womeninstem #work #writing #tksst #video

💁🏻‍♀️ NEW: 🏛️📐 Egyptologist Laurel Bestock breaks down five major archaeological findings behind the #construction of the #GreatPyramid of #Giza.

Her breakdown covers ancient stone quarrying, mud-brick ramps, worker housing, transport logbooks, and earlier pyramid designs that led to Giza.

👉 Learn more: https://seethis.tv/post/an-egyptologist-explains-5-key-discoveries-about-gizas-great-pyramid

#africa #ancienthistory #archaeology #architecture #boats #buildings #culture #egypt #engineering #geology #geometry #history #jobs #limestone #math #monuments #papyrus #pyramids #stone #technology #tech #womeninstem #work #writing #tksst #video

chandelier

dreaming… a random bit

** in the ending of The Daily Post’s Weekly Photo Challenges from WordPress, here’s your Sunday Weekly Photo Prompt: travel **

medicine buddha mantra: Tayata Om Bekandze Bekandze Maha Bekandze Radza Samudgate Soha

health, wealth, and prosperity: Om Vasudhare Svaha

Rate this:

chandelier

dreaming… a random bit

** in the ending of The Daily Post’s Weekly Photo Challenges from WordPress, here’s your Sunday Weekly Photo Prompt: travel **

medicine buddha mantra: Tayata Om Bekandze Bekandze Maha Bekandze Radza Samudgate Soha

health, wealth, and prosperity: Om Vasudhare Svaha

Rate this:

le tour is passing through Bellegarde-sur-Valserine later today. A few years ago, when taking the train from Rome back to Edinburgh, I spent the night there (on a picnic bench in a layby because I was too indecisive in the days beforehand and couldn't find any accommodation, and my train the next morning was pretty early anyway).

The "Pertes de la Valserine" provided the motivation to visit: a totally bonkers stretch of river. Over the course of ~200 m, it transforms into a violent washing machine, then it gets even more chaotic and frothy as it's squeezed into a narrow gorge before disappearing to emerge a bit further down, calm as anything.

more photos here: https://www.visinand.ch/Gorges/Pertes_de_la_Valserine/2011_07/Pertes_de_la_Valserine.htm (FR)

#tdf #letour #BellegardeSurValserine #PertesDeLaValserine #river #limestone #geology #geomorphology #fluvial #geologyrocks #erosion

#IKHSAN #ZIKRAK
allgraph.ro/advanced-sea...
#BEMBRIDGE #LIMESTONE #FORMATION
allgraph.ro?q=BEMBRIDGE%...
#MACIEJ #KOT
allgraph.ro?q=MACIEJ%20KOT
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#BEMBRIDGE #LIMESTONE #FORMATION
aepiot.ro?q=BEMBRIDGE%...
#SHINGLE #CREEK #TRANSIT #AND #UTILITY #COMMUNITY #DEVELOPMENT #DISTRICT
aepiot.ro/search.html?...
#YAN #MERBOK #STATE #CONSTITUENCY
chatgpt.com?prompt=Tell+...
#JOHN #GORE
www.perplexity.ai/search/new?q...
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windows

dreaming… a random bit

** in the ending of The Daily Post’s Weekly Photo Challenges from WordPress, here’s your Sunday Weekly Photo Prompt: travel **

medicine buddha mantra: Tayata Om Bekandze Bekandze Maha Bekandze Radza Samudgate Soha

health, wealth, and prosperity: Om Vasudhare Svaha

Rate this:

windows

dreaming… a random bit

** in the ending of The Daily Post’s Weekly Photo Challenges from WordPress, here’s your Sunday Weekly Photo Prompt: travel **

medicine buddha mantra: Tayata Om Bekandze Bekandze Maha Bekandze Radza Samudgate Soha

health, wealth, and prosperity: Om Vasudhare Svaha

Rate this:

What is GLASS?

GLASS is tough and often stands guard within a frame,

Like as a window, or fronting a picture,

Or focussing our gaze, when our eyes are not the same.

And I often see through you, unless disguised by your coating,

Put on to dull your amorphous transparent mixture,

Of soda, silica, limestone and ‘fancier’ bits, you often say when gloating.

And it is obsidian to say that you can’t be naturally found,

A universal secret without human intervention.

And your boast about rapid cooling makes my heart pound,

For when you were made, you were just too hot to handle,

Making parched lungs wait, for when you were of malleable intention,

Else creating such strange objects, as if made by a mischievous vandal.

Yet, I am overwhelmed by the stresses that you quietly hide

Within your new shape or moulded design,

Made whilst gooey like molten plastic, where no animal can abide.

Which makes for great fun when a glass animal is ‘born’

And you see its wonders in detail and colours and lines

Made by us humans, as we’ve been doing since time’s early dawn.

As an art, you are an object of delight in many ways,

Mimicking nature, abstract designs and useful objects to name a few.

Modern buildings tease out new conceptual uses for your display,

Fish swim within your bounds, whilst plants bathe in wind-less sunshine.

You also protect and make for easy cleaning – for us to enjoy a safer view

From the sky, or on the water, where we can watch the world as we dine.

Broken items can be accidental, and there is none more dangerous than glass,

With your warped sharp edges and shards that can stick you like a pin.

But no blame to you, as QA have given you a solid ‘pass’.

Your character can even be changed, by material science at its best,

To make you stronger, withstand heat and shock, and be made ultra-thin.

But I wish that people knew you better,

As you hide your magical form . . . when you are squeaky clean.

(c) Stefan Nicholson

What is GLASS?

GLASS is tough and often stands guard within a frame,

Like as a window, or fronting a picture,

Or focussing our gaze, when our eyes are not the same.

And I often see through you, unless disguised by your coating,

Put on to dull your amorphous transparent mixture,

Of soda, silica, limestone and ‘fancier’ bits, you often say when gloating.

And it is obsidian to say that you can’t be naturally found,

A universal secret without human intervention.

And your boast about rapid cooling makes my heart pound,

For when you were made, you were just too hot to handle,

Making parched lungs wait, for when you were of malleable intention,

Else creating such strange objects, as if made by a mischievous vandal.

Yet, I am overwhelmed by the stresses that you quietly hide

Within your new shape or moulded design,

Made whilst gooey like molten plastic, where no animal can abide.

Which makes for great fun when a glass animal is ‘born’

And you see its wonders in detail and colours and lines

Made by us humans, as we’ve been doing since time’s early dawn.

As an art, you are an object of delight in many ways,

Mimicking nature, abstract designs and useful objects to name a few.

Modern buildings tease out new conceptual uses for your display,

Fish swim within your bounds, whilst plants bathe in wind-less sunshine.

You also protect and make for easy cleaning – for us to enjoy a safer view

From the sky, or on the water, where we can watch the world as we dine.

Broken items can be accidental, and there is none more dangerous than glass,

With your warped sharp edges and shards that can stick you like a pin.

But no blame to you, as QA have given you a solid ‘pass’.

Your character can even be changed, by material science at its best,

To make you stronger, withstand heat and shock, and be made ultra-thin.

But I wish that people knew you better,

As you hide your magical form . . . when you are squeaky clean.

(c) Stefan Nicholson

The real reason why every railroad in America has the same rocks lining the tracks

https://web.brid.gy/r/https://www.upworthy.com/trains-rocks-rail-tracks-explained-ex1/

The real reason why every railroad in America has the same rocks lining the tracks

https://web.brid.gy/r/https://www.upworthy.com/trains-rocks-rail-tracks-explained-ex1/

💁🏻‍♀️ TIL: 🏛️🔥 As record breaking #heatwaves hit southern #Italy, residents are turning to 14th century '#trulli' homes for natural cooling.

The #limestone structures use hydrothermal material properties and conical roofs to stay 7 to 14º C cooler than outside. Builders like Francesco Fragnelli in the Alberobello region say demand for both #restoration and new 'trulli' #construction is rising.

👉 https://www.popsci.com/environment/medieval-trullo-cooling-homes-italy/

#medieval #architecture #climate #engineering #sustainability #history #science #14thcentury

💁🏻‍♀️ TIL: 🏛️🔥 As record breaking #heatwaves hit southern #Italy, residents are turning to 14th century '#trulli' homes for natural cooling.

The #limestone structures use hydrothermal material properties and conical roofs to stay 7 to 14º C cooler than outside. Builders like Francesco Fragnelli in the Alberobello region say demand for both #restoration and new 'trulli' #construction is rising.

👉 https://www.popsci.com/environment/medieval-trullo-cooling-homes-italy/

#medieval #architecture #climate #engineering #sustainability #history #science #14thcentury

💁🏻‍♀️ TIL: 🏛️🔥 As record breaking #heatwaves hit southern #Italy, residents are turning to 14th century '#trulli' homes for natural cooling.

The #limestone structures use hydrothermal material properties and conical roofs to stay 7 to 14º C cooler than outside. Builders like Francesco Fragnelli in the Alberobello region say demand for both #restoration and new 'trulli' #construction is rising.

👉 https://www.popsci.com/environment/medieval-trullo-cooling-homes-italy/

#medieval #architecture #climate #engineering #sustainability #history #science #14thcentury

💁🏻‍♀️ TIL: 🏛️🔥 As record breaking #heatwaves hit southern #Italy, residents are turning to 14th century '#trulli' homes for natural cooling.

The #limestone structures use hydrothermal material properties and conical roofs to stay 7 to 14º C cooler than outside. Builders like Francesco Fragnelli in the Alberobello region say demand for both #restoration and new 'trulli' #construction is rising.

👉 https://www.popsci.com/environment/medieval-trullo-cooling-homes-italy/

#medieval #architecture #climate #engineering #sustainability #history #science #14thcentury

We are now in County #Claire & have been walking in #TheBurren, an area of extensive #limestone pavement & karstification. I don't have enough superlatives! The scenery, the flora & geology are unique. I have been to many places but few tick even half as many boxes.

#Ireland #Geology #Karst

We are now in County #Claire & have been walking in #TheBurren, an area of extensive #limestone pavement & karstification. I don't have enough superlatives! The scenery, the flora & geology are unique. I have been to many places but few tick even half as many boxes.

#Ireland #Geology #Karst

Again, don't do this with bare skin (use safety equipment and appropriate precautions)

#WoodAshCement

July 17, 2018, PrimitiveTechnology

"I developed an experimental cement from made only from re-fired #WoodAsh as its #cementitious material. It was mixed with crushed #terracotta as an aggregate and formed into a cube. The cement set hard after 3 days and did not dissolve in water after this period.

"Process: First I burnt bark and leaves in a kiln at high temperatures to produce well burnt, mostly white wood ash. The ash was then mixed into water and stirred well. The excess water was poured off and the resulting paste was made into pellets and allowed to dry. A pellet was then re-heated in the #forge until it glowed about orange hot. This was then taken out, cooled and dropped in a pot of water. The pellet dissolved and boiled due to a chemical reaction with the water. The paste was stirred and crushed terracotta (old tiles from previous projects) was added and mixed to form a mouldable #mortar. This was formed into a cube and allowed to set for three days (in the video, a cube made exactly the same way 3 days previously was used due to time constraints). The resultant cube was strong and made a slight ringing sound when tapped with a finger nail. It was placed in water for 24 hours to simulate a very heavy rain event and did not dissolve or release residues into the water.

"My current theory: The main component of wood ash consists of #calcium in some form (e.g. #CalciumCarbonate, #CalciumOxide). This can be up to 45% from my research. Calcium is in higher concentration in the #bark and #leaves of a tree. When the ash is mixed with water, the soluble component of wood ash (10% pot ash) dissolves into the water. But seeing that it does nothing for the cementing process, it is drained off leaving the insoluble calcium (and other components) in the paste. Doing this probably raises the relative percentage of calcium in the paste to about 50% or more. Most of the other 50 % consists of silica and alumina which are #pozzolans, materials that chemically react with calcium hydroxide to increase the durability of the cement product. The paste was then made into a pellet and fired again to high temperature to convert all the calcium compounds to calcium oxide. It also reduces any charcoal in the pellet to ash if it hadn’t already been burnt the first time. This step seemed important as un-fired ash pellets only partially hardened and would fall apart in water, though retaining a weak undissolved 5mm thick crust. I can only surmise that re-firing the ash just gave a greater conversion of the calcium components to calcium oxide. The pellet is slaked in water converting the calcium oxide to calcium hydroxide. This cement was mixed with crushed terracotta which may also help in some way that I’m not aware of as I only did this one experiment and did not test other aggregates yet (e.g. sand, gravel etc.). Terracotta is porous and might hold together better than other materials. The mixture is allowed to set in air where carbon dioxide reacts with calcium hydroxide to form calcium carbonate cementing the aggregate together. After this, the cement will not dissolve in water.

"Use: I think this material might have a potential use as a mortar holding rocks or bricks together in wet environments where #limestone or #SnailShells are unavailable for making cement. Wood ash is a pretty ubiquitous material to most natural environments inhabited by people using biomass fuels. Wood ash cement turns a waste product into a valuable building material. From my research, wood ash is already being used as a partial replacement for cement in the building industry without decreases in strength of the final product. But I’ve only just started experimenting with it and don’t know its full capabilities and limitations. Calcium content of wood ash differs depending on the species of tree, the part of the tree burnt and the soil it’s grown on. Cautious experimentation is still required before committing to a hut built from this material."

Learn more:
https://primitivetechnology.wordpress.com/2018/07/17/wood-ash-cement/

#SolarPunkSunday #DIY #Cement #Woodashes #BuildingMaterials

Again, don't do this with bare skin (use safety equipment and appropriate precautions)

#WoodAshCement

July 17, 2018, PrimitiveTechnology

"I developed an experimental cement from made only from re-fired #WoodAsh as its #cementitious material. It was mixed with crushed #terracotta as an aggregate and formed into a cube. The cement set hard after 3 days and did not dissolve in water after this period.

"Process: First I burnt bark and leaves in a kiln at high temperatures to produce well burnt, mostly white wood ash. The ash was then mixed into water and stirred well. The excess water was poured off and the resulting paste was made into pellets and allowed to dry. A pellet was then re-heated in the #forge until it glowed about orange hot. This was then taken out, cooled and dropped in a pot of water. The pellet dissolved and boiled due to a chemical reaction with the water. The paste was stirred and crushed terracotta (old tiles from previous projects) was added and mixed to form a mouldable #mortar. This was formed into a cube and allowed to set for three days (in the video, a cube made exactly the same way 3 days previously was used due to time constraints). The resultant cube was strong and made a slight ringing sound when tapped with a finger nail. It was placed in water for 24 hours to simulate a very heavy rain event and did not dissolve or release residues into the water.

"My current theory: The main component of wood ash consists of #calcium in some form (e.g. #CalciumCarbonate, #CalciumOxide). This can be up to 45% from my research. Calcium is in higher concentration in the #bark and #leaves of a tree. When the ash is mixed with water, the soluble component of wood ash (10% pot ash) dissolves into the water. But seeing that it does nothing for the cementing process, it is drained off leaving the insoluble calcium (and other components) in the paste. Doing this probably raises the relative percentage of calcium in the paste to about 50% or more. Most of the other 50 % consists of silica and alumina which are #pozzolans, materials that chemically react with calcium hydroxide to increase the durability of the cement product. The paste was then made into a pellet and fired again to high temperature to convert all the calcium compounds to calcium oxide. It also reduces any charcoal in the pellet to ash if it hadn’t already been burnt the first time. This step seemed important as un-fired ash pellets only partially hardened and would fall apart in water, though retaining a weak undissolved 5mm thick crust. I can only surmise that re-firing the ash just gave a greater conversion of the calcium components to calcium oxide. The pellet is slaked in water converting the calcium oxide to calcium hydroxide. This cement was mixed with crushed terracotta which may also help in some way that I’m not aware of as I only did this one experiment and did not test other aggregates yet (e.g. sand, gravel etc.). Terracotta is porous and might hold together better than other materials. The mixture is allowed to set in air where carbon dioxide reacts with calcium hydroxide to form calcium carbonate cementing the aggregate together. After this, the cement will not dissolve in water.

"Use: I think this material might have a potential use as a mortar holding rocks or bricks together in wet environments where #limestone or #SnailShells are unavailable for making cement. Wood ash is a pretty ubiquitous material to most natural environments inhabited by people using biomass fuels. Wood ash cement turns a waste product into a valuable building material. From my research, wood ash is already being used as a partial replacement for cement in the building industry without decreases in strength of the final product. But I’ve only just started experimenting with it and don’t know its full capabilities and limitations. Calcium content of wood ash differs depending on the species of tree, the part of the tree burnt and the soil it’s grown on. Cautious experimentation is still required before committing to a hut built from this material."

Learn more:
https://primitivetechnology.wordpress.com/2018/07/17/wood-ash-cement/

#SolarPunkSunday #DIY #Cement #Woodashes #BuildingMaterials

Making And Using #Lime #Mortars

An article originally written for "Rural Wales" the magasine of CPRW

"The operation of modern #cement and lime mortar is quite different. Cements set by a non-reversible chemical action to form a solid, non yielding mass. #LimeMortars set by the absorption of #CarbonDioxide over a much longer period of time. An understanding of the chemical action of lime is therefore helpful.

"Lime is derived from #limestone or Calcium Carbonate (#CaCO3), which has been burnt in a lime kiln at over 800 degrees centigrade to produce #quicklime or #CalciumOxide (#CaO). In this process carbon dioxide and any water is driven off. Quicklime is potentially dangerous having an avid thirst for water. This process creates a lot of heat and produces #SlakedLime or #CalciumHydroxide (Ca(OH)2). Builders merchants stock this material having been reground to a fine powder and called #HydratedLime.

"The slaking process releases enough heat to cause the water to boil or spit. For this reason water must NEVER be added to quicklime. The lime must ALWAYS be added slowly into the water in a metal container. For the inexperienced builder or home craftsman, slaking is therefore not recommended.

"#HydratedLime can be used as the basis of all lime plasters and mortars. It will slowly absorb free carbon dioxide in the atmosphere and revert to #CalciumCarbonate. A triangle has therefore been completed converting the #calcium back to its original chemical form of limestone. For this reason lime mortars have the potential for #ContinuousRecycling."

Learn more:
http://www.users.callnetuk.com/~gwynedd21/home/JN/LIME.HTM

#SolarPunkSunday #SustainableBuilding #Recyclable #Reusable #LimePlaster #LimeMortar #AncientTechnology #TraditionalTechnology #SustainableBuildingMaterials #ZeroWaste

Making And Using #Lime #Mortars

An article originally written for "Rural Wales" the magasine of CPRW

"The operation of modern #cement and lime mortar is quite different. Cements set by a non-reversible chemical action to form a solid, non yielding mass. #LimeMortars set by the absorption of #CarbonDioxide over a much longer period of time. An understanding of the chemical action of lime is therefore helpful.

"Lime is derived from #limestone or Calcium Carbonate (#CaCO3), which has been burnt in a lime kiln at over 800 degrees centigrade to produce #quicklime or #CalciumOxide (#CaO). In this process carbon dioxide and any water is driven off. Quicklime is potentially dangerous having an avid thirst for water. This process creates a lot of heat and produces #SlakedLime or #CalciumHydroxide (Ca(OH)2). Builders merchants stock this material having been reground to a fine powder and called #HydratedLime.

"The slaking process releases enough heat to cause the water to boil or spit. For this reason water must NEVER be added to quicklime. The lime must ALWAYS be added slowly into the water in a metal container. For the inexperienced builder or home craftsman, slaking is therefore not recommended.

"#HydratedLime can be used as the basis of all lime plasters and mortars. It will slowly absorb free carbon dioxide in the atmosphere and revert to #CalciumCarbonate. A triangle has therefore been completed converting the #calcium back to its original chemical form of limestone. For this reason lime mortars have the potential for #ContinuousRecycling."

Learn more:
http://www.users.callnetuk.com/~gwynedd21/home/JN/LIME.HTM

#SolarPunkSunday #SustainableBuilding #Recyclable #Reusable #LimePlaster #LimeMortar #AncientTechnology #TraditionalTechnology #SustainableBuildingMaterials #ZeroWaste

Burning #SeaShells to make #quicklime

Posted on November 10, 2018 by Per Storemyr

"Burning seashells to make quicklime once was a great tradition in the #NorthAtlantic region. In Millstone Park, Hyllestad (W-Norway), we have built two #limekilns, reviving old lime burning traditions, involving #craftspeople, volunteers and the public. Recently we burnt sea shells to make #LimePaint and #mortar! Read about the experiment in a new poster and web article."

https://per-storemyr.net/2018/11/10/burning-sea-shells-to-make-quicklime/

#SolarPunkSunday #TraditionalTechnology #AncientTechnology #Romans #Vikings #CalciumCarbonate #TraditionalMortar #Plaster #Paint #Limestone #Marble #History #HistoricalMethods #LowTech #OldTech

Burning #SeaShells to make #quicklime

Posted on November 10, 2018 by Per Storemyr

"Burning seashells to make quicklime once was a great tradition in the #NorthAtlantic region. In Millstone Park, Hyllestad (W-Norway), we have built two #limekilns, reviving old lime burning traditions, involving #craftspeople, volunteers and the public. Recently we burnt sea shells to make #LimePaint and #mortar! Read about the experiment in a new poster and web article."

https://per-storemyr.net/2018/11/10/burning-sea-shells-to-make-quicklime/

#SolarPunkSunday #TraditionalTechnology #AncientTechnology #Romans #Vikings #CalciumCarbonate #TraditionalMortar #Plaster #Paint #Limestone #Marble #History #HistoricalMethods #LowTech #OldTech

Montréal souterrain. Détails dans la description (ALT)

Pixel 8, photo traitée sur l'appareil.

#montreal #photo #limestone #geology

Hype for the Future 171K: City of Athens, Alabama

https://novatopflex.wordpress.com/2026/04/20/hype-for-the-future-171k-city-of-athens-alabama/

Hype for the Future 171K: City of Athens, Alabama

https://novatopflex.wordpress.com/2026/04/20/hype-for-the-future-171k-city-of-athens-alabama/

Hype for the Future 164B: City of Groesbeck, Texas

https://novatopflex.wordpress.com/2026/04/13/hype-for-the-future-164b-city-of-groesbeck-texas/

Hype for the Future 164B: City of Groesbeck, Texas

https://novatopflex.wordpress.com/2026/04/13/hype-for-the-future-164b-city-of-groesbeck-texas/

Lá Fhéile Pádraig sona duit! ☘️

The Yorkshire Dales and Ireland's Burren share 340-million-year-old Carboniferous limestone.

But the Dales have 2,500+ caves and 400+ km of passage. The Burren, ~56 caves, but 25,000 hectares of exposed limestone pavement vs. our 1,052.

Same rock. Very different worlds.

#geologyrocks #stpatricksday #yorkshiredales #theburren #ireland #limestone #karst

It’s a common claim by paranormalists that there are special places on earth where “energy” whirls are responsible for strange phenomena reported at those locations. They are called paranormal or energy “vortex” areas. The crystallization of the “vortex” idea in this context began with a popular proponent of mysterious subjects who identified twelve equidistant areas around the globe with peculiar characteristics. Since then, the idea of a paranormal vortex has evolved. The term became flexible enough to be employed as the cause of localized anomalies, to “explain” areas of unusual natural or historical features, and to label places heavily laden with reports of “high strangeness”.

If you look up the word “vortex” in the metaphysical context (that is, not the actual scientific definition based on fluid dynamics), you will find it used in association with places like Sedona, Arizona, and areas where there is a concentration of reports of paranormal phenomena. These vortices (or vortexes) can be considered good or bad but the premise is that the vortex area is unusual in some way – it is a location of exceptional “energy” drawn from the earth. Some writers will go so far as to say these are areas where “known laws of physics don’t apply” or where the connection to the spirit world or other dimensions can be accessed. 

In a scientific framework, such areas of unusual energy could be measured and documented. But it is not so at these energy vortex locations. The effect is measured only in subjective human feelings or interpretation of observations, making the case for paranormal vortex areas entirely unscientific. The upwards or downwards swirling “energy” can be felt or used as a convenient ploy to explain areas of transcendence or high strangeness.

Ivan T. Sanderson’s Vile Vortices

The origin of paranormal vortex areas was not exactly scientific, but it was made to appear so. It was fortuitous and coincidental and then fitted to look precise. In 1968, Ivan T. Sanderson, a popular and influential writer about mysterious phenomena proposed the idea that there were 12 tilted oval areas located equidistantly around the globe  – ten of which were along defined latitudes north and south of the equator and an additional two at the poles. The locations corresponded to points of the earth’s surface on a grid. The vortex areas were located on the vertices of an icosahedron (a 20-faced polyhedron). Therefore, we find a tie-in with the concept of sacred geometry of the earth – a mathematical means of showing design in the earth’s features. (That’s a tangent to be examined at another time.)  

Originally labeled as areas of collected anomalies, Sanderson called these twelve spots “Vile Vortices”. The impetus for the mapping of these areas, according to Sanderson, was his research into what he believed were unexplained plane and ship disappearances in the Bermuda Triangle in the Atlantic and the “Devil’s Sea” area in the Pacific. Both areas fell along the 36 deg north latitude.

Sanderson seemed to have some help in further examination of these latitudes that resulted in identifying other sites where “funny things happen”. The oval shapes or “lozenges” trended southwest-northeast at exactly 72 degrees apart latitudinally (5 steps of 72 degrees = 360). That seemed like a pretty spooky fit! With the help of other researchers who did things like stick skewers through a model globe, Sanderson, et al. identified a band in the southern hemisphere at 36 degrees south latitude where notable locations also appeared 72 degrees apart, but on a 23.5-degree latitude shift. These other areas in the Southern Hemisphere included Easter Islands and the South Atlantic Anomaly.

Sanderson played up his evidence in a television appearance and in articles and books, continuing to update the idea for several years. The vile vortices concept was connected to dangerous, perplexing powers of the earth that manifested in precise locations.

Critical problems surfaced immediately with Sanderson’s idea. Firstly, the locations on the mathematically tidy map didn’t line up with the perceived anomalies that supposedly defined them. The locations of these vile vortices eventually meandered and became less exact. Later, some paranormalists asserted that the perimeters of the spooky areas would wax and wane, and maybe even wander, under the influence of ambiguous forces. Secondly, with only moderate effort, one can discover that there is nothing particularly unusual about these places and that the mysteries were enhanced or outright manufactured. 

Sanderson even admitted that the effect in the Bermuda Triangle, his key vortex feature, was “weak” because many planes and ships pass through daily without incident. Fishing boats in both the Bermuda and Dragon’s Triangle – the dramatic name for the Devil’s Sea area off the coast of Japan – certainly experienced occasional and unsurprising trouble due to mechanical failure, waves, and storms, just like sea-going vessels everywhere, but those mundane causes were downplayed or ignored.

Any weirdness that was rumored to be caused by vile vortex energy in the mid to late 20th century dissolved when more rational investigation and statistics were applied. Notably, the mysterious hazards supposedly apparent around the devil’s triangles of the Atlantic and Pacific were never acknowledged by the officials from either the US or Japan.

Ley lines

Related, but somewhat separate from an earth grid is the idea of lines of energy lines called “leys”. (See Leylines: From the Old Straight Track to the Ghostbuster Vortex for a background on leys.) If one accepts that leys exist and that mysterious earth energy flows through them, it seems reasonable to subsequently conclude that where ley lines intersected (a “node”), some “funny things” might happen. The energy could, supposedly, amplify and swirl into a vortex. Following the maxims of pop cultural exchange, it’s unsurprising that paranormalists would find the mysterious energy vortices interesting. Leys became associated with providing energy for paranormal manifestation of all kinds – ghosts, sacred areas, healing places, UFO highways, etc. Because leys weren’t limited to certain nexus points on a grid, they could be “discovered” everywhere. And wherever these lines crossed, that area might be deemed a vortex. 

Sounds Sciencey

Describing the cause of strange phenomena as an energy vortex sounded very “sciencey”. Terms like magnetism and electromagnetic energy were used to define the forces. The term “energy” is widely misused by paranormalists because it sounds impressive. Vortex areas are said to “hold more energy” or have an “upward flow of energy”. With the exception of areas of natural geomagnetic or gravity anomalies that could be readily explained, vortex proponents downplayed the fact that there were no documented anomalous measurements in vortex areas. The lack of evidence and measurements undermined the acceptance of vile vortices from the start. This supposedly dangerous force affecting planes, boats, and the atmosphere has only been quantified by speculative and subjective means. 

When it became obvious that physical energy (in the form of measurable flowing electrons) wasn’t noticeably different in these areas, vortex claimants pivoted to calling the effect “spiritual” or psychic “energy” – a term for something that is not scientifically defined or measurable. That makes definitively documenting vortices conveniently impossible.

According to a website called “Vortex Hunters”, a vortex will cause normal devices to not register correctly:

“Traditional test equipment devices can be ineffective in sensing the unknown energies claimed to be present at some vortexes. Often, the best evidence of a vortex is how people feel when they are in one.”

VortexHunters.com

A critical component of scientific investigation is to minimize personal bias and subjectivity. How one “feels” is the least reliable method of measurement. The admission that vortices cannot be objectively detected is a giveaway that they are more imaginary than real. 

Continuing on this theme of detectably-undetectable energy, you can discover magical vortex areas by using magical tools like pendulums or dowsing rods. Or, as some vortex hunters claim, a person will sense tingling or an electrical feeling when in a vortex area. The vortex energy, some dauntless paranormalists state, may open a portal to another dimension. The portal conveniently allows spirits, aliens, or unusual creatures to appear and disappear without a trace. 

A few self-proclaimed “vortex scientists” describe some huge energy vortexes hundreds of miles across and part of a larger Fibonacci spiral thousands of miles across connecting important features. This is similar to ley lines but in circular and “quantum” terms. Appealing to quantum physics is a common and practical way of sounding sciencey to a non-scientist audience because the jargon sounds impressive but is nonsense. Quantum energy has nothing to do with the way people feel at vortex locations. The construction of complex, speculative concepts to explain mystery areas is effective in making the public believe that something extraordinary and real is occurring at that place. A critical evaluation of vortex areas reveals that they are designated based on pattern-seeking. If a location was famous for its strangeness, it can be labeled by someone as a vortex just by declaring it to be so. Eventually, many areas worldwide were called vortices as the use of term “vortex” expanded.

It’s in the rock

Many places around the world that are noted to be “energy vortexes” are also striking geological features (Sedona, Ibiza, Mt. Shasta, Haleakala, Uluru) or man-made stone structures (Stonehenge, Machu Picchu, Glastonbury Tor, Pyramid of Giza). So, vortex promoters say there is something about the rock.

Citing the bedrock composition as a key to vortex energy sounds legitimate and scientific. It’s not difficult to find many ghost hunters or UFO seekers citing the presence of limestone or quartz (and sometimes iron or gold) in the underlying rock as the catalyst that amplifies the earth’s energy to power paranormal activity. Their vague reasoning asserts that limestone or quartz more effectively channels or concentrates the energy. This may sound technical, but it’s science fiction to geologists. Limestone and quartz-containing bedrock (commonly, sandstone or granite) are ubiquitous in the crust and have been widely evaluated for their physical properties for all sorts of uses. There is nothing inherent in these rock types linked to the generation or focusing of physical or mystical energy. (Concepts of piezoelectricity, telluric currents, or conductivity are regularly abused for this purpose.) Tellingly, most paranormalists who proclaim this bedrock connection never check their local geological map. Sometimes neither limestone nor quartz is present. (To wit: shale and basalt are also ubiquitous.)

Another geological claim is that magnetic or gravitational anomalies in the crust fuel the energy vortex. There are maps of such anomalies around the globe. Magnetic anomalies are local variations in the earth’s magnetic field on the surface caused by differences in chemistry and magnetism of materials under the surface. Gravity anomalies are differences between the locally observed and the theoretically calculated value of gravity that reflects local variations in the density of the underlying rocks. These features are dictated by geological structure. For example, anomalies will appear in areas where the bedrock deviates from average density or composition because of ore bodies, or tectonic features. It’s just not mysterious. Such anomalies do not cause a human physiological response, regardless of the claims. This is well-established; to claim otherwise is delusory.

Popular paranormal vortices

Let’s take a look at a few common locations said to be paranormal vortices. These include so-called “mystery spots”, a few other designated triangular areas, and zones of “high strangeness” where all kinds of weird observations are reported.

Oregon Vortex: The location of the House of Mystery in Gold Hill, Oregon. Opened to the public as a tourist attraction in 1930, the location is advertised as an area of unique phenomena where “everyday physical facts are reversed” because of a spherical force field. It was the nation’s first “mystery spot” roadside attraction typically consisting of crooked buildings that create optical illusions against the landscape. Though there are self-published research findings for the Oregon Vortex, none of it is solid and the work is considered to be pseudoscience.

Santa Cruz Mystery spot: A tourist attraction near Santa Cruz, California since 1939 featuring a tilted house enhanced by sloped land. The original owner was inspired by the Oregon Vortex attraction. The site has accumulated legends and exaggerated stories about the disconcerting effects. Many other similar tourist spots like this have been built around the country after the initial mystery spots gained attention from traveling families. While it is true that the site can be disorienting, the cause is not paranormal energy.

Sedona, AZ: Likely the most famous area of “energy vortexes” in the world. Several “positive” vortex areas are said to exist around Sedona that supposedly promote a sense of well-being, healing, high emotion, spiritual awareness, feeling of connection to the universe, and sometimes even visions. The energy is also said to manifest in signs such as twisted trees and light anomalies. The town is blessed with amazing climate and incredible erosional features carved into the red rock formations. The Oak Creek Canyon leading to Sedona is one of the few stream valleys in Arizona that flows all year. The location always served as a draw for artists, retirees and people seeking quiet and natural scenic beauty. The focus on spirituality began in the 1940s. By the 1960s, new age religious leaders were capitalizing on the location, seeking special cosmic energy there. The first use of the term “vortex” in reference to Sedona may have been around 1980. Sedona as a “vortex energy center” culminated in 1987 when thousands came for the harmonic convergence of the planets. Since then, the town jumped onboard the “vortex” theme. Several commercial ventures, from stores, resorts, and guided tours capitalize on exposing tourists to the vortex locations. There is no doubt that there is something “special” about this place – it’s jaw-droppingly gorgeous. It feels sacred and magical for very non-paranormal reasons. As with other vortex areas, there is no unique “energy” measurement that can be demonstrated here. Any unusual observation, however, is gleefully claimed to be the result of a vortex.

Gallery: Infamous Bell Rock in Sedona (top left). Next (middle left) is a camera light anomaly captured by the author but what some would call a “light vortex”. The Sedona Crystal Vortex (lower left) is one of the many New Age shops in Downtown Sedona that capitalized on its mystical reputation. A twisted desert juniper tree near the base of Bell Rock (right). All photos by S. Hill.

Glastonbury, UK: A town in Somerset, England that has evidence of occupation for thousands of years and has accumulated extensive colorful legends. Glastonbury is recognized as a key location for the development of “New Age” beliefs. The place is said to be sacred and magical. Some reasoned that its specialness comes from the vortex energy derived from the intersection of ley lines that occurs here.

Bermuda Triangle: The first recognized “vortex”. The mysterious phenomenon of the location is still hyped by paranormal writers who erroneously claim that disappearances of ships and planes must have a more dramatic cause other than mechanical troubles, human error, or rough seas and storms. 

Dragon’s Triangle: Said to be a “twin” area of the Bermuda Triangle off the coast of Japan where vessels disappear. In 1953, the research ship No. 5 Kaiyo Maru was sunk in the “Devil’s Sea” area after encountering an erupting undersea volcano. While this was undoubtedly an unusual incident, it was not mysterious. The remains of the ship were positively identified in the area where the submarine volcano exploded. The claims about missing boats or aircraft were real, but exaggerated by mystery mongers like author Charles Berlitz who wrote about both triangle areas and other paranormal subjects. Not everyone looked at the statistics and facts, certainly not Berliz who cherry-picked and inflated certain events to bolster the mystery.

For a time, the Great Lakes (Lake Michigan) Triangle was also considered an especially dangerous area for ships. But, as with other deep water areas, the disappearance of vessels might be immediately undetermined but usually not so mysterious.

Paranormal Triangles: Drawing triangles is easy; you simply need three points of reference. Paranormalists who conclude that certain areas have more than the usual number of weird experiences and phenomena sometimes refer to locations as areas of “high strangeness”. If a triangle can be drawn, a catchy name can be given and the weird stories multiply. “Weird” areas with a concentration of reports of UFOs, monsters, ghosts, demonic activity, anomalous atmospheric events, strange behavior of living things, disorientation, illness, compass anomalies, deaths, and disappearances are frequently referred to as “paranormal vortex” areas. These areas may be large or localized.  Famous land triangle areas include the Bridgewater Triangle in Massachusetts and the Bennington Triangle in Vermont. These are associated with disappearances, suicides, murders, earth lights, mystery aircraft sightings, the appearance of strange creatures, time slips, hauntings, and almost any other kind of creepy tale you can think of. 

The trend to label areas of high strangeness and popularize them in the media is growing. Calling an area a “paranormal vortex” suggest that some mysterious and unidentified “energy” is behind the myriad of strange goings on. It enhances their reputation and makes people far more curious about them. Examples include Skinwalker Ranch and the greater Uinta basin in Utah, San Luis Valley, California, Mt Shasta, California, and Dulce, New Mexico. 

Places that seem even a bit unusual or have a mysterious history – such as Ringing Rocks in Pennsylvania, the Hudson River Valley of New York, and the Superstition Mountains of Arizona – are also called vortex areas by some paranormal enthusiasts. The application of the term “vortex” to describe areas of paranormal activity is vague and inconsistent because there is no concrete phenomenon to pin down. Ghost hunters will invoke the term to describe any localized incident where they felt strange, had equipment malfunction or recorded environmental anomalies. For a few years, paranormal investigators who took flash photographs with cameras would catch illuminated swirls and call them “vortexes” of paranormal energy.

Conclusion on the paranormal vortex

The concept of vortex areas as zones of paranormal or spiritual energy forces remains popular today even though the evidence points strongly to the vortices being imaginary constructs developed and propagated by creative people. Vile vortices ended up being a debased device to explain everything paranormal but nothing verifiable in a particular location. Mathematic and geometric attempts to quantify a paranormal area failed because the earth is not based on a design – its near-surface is complex and heterogeneous, and the subjective data didn’t stand up to scrutiny.

Humans are fantastic at identifying patterns in occurrences and making spurious correlations that aren’t connected to the real cause, especially if those means result in media attention or attract tourist dollars. Paranormalists rely on vague, subjective feelings, weak data, speculation, and dramatic scary stories to convince an audience of their claims, all of which have been used to promote vortex areas. The energy or paranormal vortex is a handy way to combine odd experiences into a location and attempt to explain them. Inventive writers and businesspeople played up spiritual and sciencey themes to enhance mystery and magic in the world. 

As great as it would be to discover an energy vortex and pin down the cause of so-called paranormal activity, the evidence supporting vortices as a particular, genuine feature of earth fizzled out.

Bibliography

In addition to the inline reference links above, the following sources were used.

Dunning, Brian Skeptoid Podcast “The Bermuda Triangle and the Devil’s Sea.” 20 Nov 2012. https://skeptoid.com/episodes/4337 

Dunning, Brian Skeptoid Podcast “The Sedona Energy Vortex.” 11 Jun 2013. https://skeptoid.com/episodes/4366. 

Kusche, Larry. The Bermuda Triangle Mystery Solved. 1995.

Litster, John. The Oregon Vortex. 1960. 

Sanderson, Ivan T. “The 12 Devil’s Graveyards Around The World” Reprint from SAGA UFO report Special 1973.

“Sedona History” https://www.sedonaaz.gov/home/showdocument?id=34040

“Vile Vortices” from The Paranormal Encyclopedia https://www.paranormal-encyclopedia.com/v/vile-vortices/