Environment - Atlas Obscura
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Environment

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Found: The Last Traces of Unspoiled Ocean
story
plastic

Found: The Last Traces of Unspoiled Ocean

They're few and far between.
July 30, 2018
Sign at Fort Douaumont reads: Danger, Access Forbidden.
Fleury-devant-Douaumont, France

Zone Rouge

A swath of France so devastated by war it is still forbidden to go there.
49.1949, 5.4337
Added by Tony Dunnell
Rocky Mountain Land Library
Fairplay, Colorado

Rocky Mountain Land Library

This 19th-century ranch is being transformed into a residential library with thousands of books about the natural world.
39.1064, -105.8890
Added by wroena
In Search of Rare Birds and Glory in Colombia
story
environment

In Search of Rare Birds and Glory in Colombia

How an international birdwatching competition draws attention to the country's at-risk natural bounty.
May 11, 2018
Materials at the warehouse.
Queens, New York

Materials for the Arts

A New York warehouse filled with an enormous amount of goods saved from the landfills and donated for creative use.
40.7516, -73.9314
Added by Tony Dunnell
The Green Mound
Ponce Inlet, Florida

The Green Mound

One of the largest Native American shell middens stands 30 feet tall.
29.1137, -80.9500
Added by hcw2rp
The Bullitt Center
Seattle, Washington

The Bullitt Center

This unique Seattle structure was designed to be the greenest commercial building on the planet.
47.6144, -122.3124
Added by Jake Uitti
What Ecologists Can Learn From Memes
story
internet

What Ecologists Can Learn From Memes

Some scientists are studying YouTube comments and trying to go viral.
May 01, 2018
Rendering of the Shimao Wonderland Intercontinental.
Shanghai, China

Shimao Wonderland

The world's first hotel built in an abandoned water-filled quarry.
31.0694, 121.2044
Added by mariellen
Oblique aerial view of Wink Sink 1.
Winkler County, Texas

Wink Sink

Two massive and unstable sinkholes are yearning to unite, and their consummation could be catastrophic.
31.7769, -103.1361
Added by Tony Dunnell
The four-ton Mintrop ball
Göttingen, Germany

Wiechert Earthquake Station

Home to the world’s oldest seismograph and a four-ton steel ball that makes its own earthquakes.
51.5446, 9.9635
Added by Tony Dunnell
The Chef Cooking Up Invasive Species
Gastro Obscura
story
chefs

The Chef Cooking Up Invasive Species

Asian carp are a problem, but they're also dinner.
March 13, 2018
The Hidden Problems With Puerto Rico's Water Supply
story
superfund site

The Hidden Problems With Puerto Rico's Water Supply

Hurricane Maria exacerbated long-term issues, and researchers are only just starting to understand how.
March 05, 2018
Inland Sea.
Qatar

Inland Sea

The shallow, salty inlet was a safe haven for 19th-century pirates.
24.6464, 51.2868
Added by Max Cortesi
The Mystery of the Fog Holes That Form Over Cities
story
environment

The Mystery of the Fog Holes That Form Over Cities

Satellites captured a strange phenomenon in foggy places across the world.
February 23, 2018
America's Secret Ice Base Won't Stay Frozen Forever
story
environment

America's Secret Ice Base Won't Stay Frozen Forever

Climate change is turning a Cold War project into an environmental hazard.
February 22, 2018
Lut Desert yardangs.
Kerman, Iran

Lut Desert (Dasht-e Lut)

The hottest, driest, and most scenic desert on Earth.
30.8701, 57.9563
Added by robinrocket
Chamchamal, Iraq

Chamchamal Fire Well

A boiling wellspring flowing with natural gas burns in a continual blaze.
35.5640, 44.8592
Added by Exiled Archaeologist