Wonderful read. Going to make my first ever visit to Gibraltar next month even more interesting. Also, my grandfather always gave me a subscription to Nat Geo, which I loved. Finally, my home state of Washington got not one but two mentions! The Missoula Flood and the earthquake everyone fears.
Gibraltar's still on my list, so I'm enormously jealous. Seems a fascinating place, especially how weirdly mashup-British it remains. (I hear you can buy all the British newspapers there every morning - I'd love if you could confirm this in person for me!)
Great read. Really enjoyed it. But one observation: When you talk about the water per second at Niagara Falls, you say that 2,400 cubic metres of water has a weight of 3,100 tons... but that can't be right. Depending on the salinity etc., 2,400 cubic metres of water has a mass very close to 2,400 tons.
Bjorn, you're absolutely correct. Oops! 🤦And I can see what I got wrong here - I used two stats from two sources in the same sentence, without checking them against each other! D'oh. What I *should* have done, and will correct accordingly, is to use one source. So I'm going with 3,100 tons, which I got from the official Niagara Falls State Park website:
"3,160 tons of water flows over Niagara Falls every second. This accounts for 75,750 gallons of water per second over the American and Bridal Veil Falls and 681,750 gallons per second over the Horseshoe Falls."
2,800,000 litres/second ---> 2,800,000 kg/second -->3,086.47 US tons.
As for the figure of 2,400 tons - it's widely stated on many websites, including the pretty reputable one I made notes from. But maybe that's because they're using the figure for the Horseshoe Falls only?
681,750 gallons/second ---> 2580704 kg/second ---> 2,840 US tons.
Maybe. It's closer, anyway? Hmmmm.
Anyway. THANK YOU FOR SPOTTING THIS. Much appreciated. :)
Great! Let's keep checking in on each other's content and circle back for maybe a Zoom interview in April or so. I'm posting what I call an "integrative essay" in another week, which should help new subscribers get a handle on the what, why, and whereto of my Substack. Was so cheered to read your interview with Substack editorial, given it took I think it was 8 months for you to get to paid subs. I started this January, so hoping to go paid subs in late summer of this year. That said, hoping there's a world still around we can all get to enjoy money in. :-/ Cheers and best wishes, Mike aka "Comdar" :-)
And yep - I figured with going paid, I'd need to prove what my newsletter was about first, so those 8 months of free were trying to demonstrate that I wasn't completely out of my mind with the somewhat weird tack I was taking with all this stuff. :) But also - it was time for *me* to find out what it was about, as in, to find out what works and gets people excited. The longer you spend before going paid, the more freedom you have to experiment without worrying that it might not be what your paid subscribers signed up for!
Legitimately, this is one of the most fascinating things I've read in a long time! And that includes the papers about the mega-flood that created the English Channel ("the original Brexit," my mother-in-law called it, not happily). Absolutely loved reading this, despite, seeing my backyard rockstar the Flood of Lake Missoula upstaged ;) So much to think about.
Haha, no, I just researched it for my book because I have a bit about the Norfolk coast appx. 800,000 yesrs ago. It was the only other mega-flood I knew about!
Nick Ashton at the British Museum told me about it. He and his team found these nearly million-year-old fossilized footprints outside of Happisburgh, so he told me about the flood in the context of why those hominins were there (who knows?!) and what would have happened to them in the long run (spoiler alert: megaflood). I was really just writing about the footprints but those mega floods are always fascinating!
Thank you, Jolene. And I can guarantee that my next newsletter has a lot more uses of the word "idiot", just in case you thought I was going all serious and scholarly and stuff here. #NotOnMyWatch
Wonderful read. Going to make my first ever visit to Gibraltar next month even more interesting. Also, my grandfather always gave me a subscription to Nat Geo, which I loved. Finally, my home state of Washington got not one but two mentions! The Missoula Flood and the earthquake everyone fears.
Gibraltar's still on my list, so I'm enormously jealous. Seems a fascinating place, especially how weirdly mashup-British it remains. (I hear you can buy all the British newspapers there every morning - I'd love if you could confirm this in person for me!)
I shall find out!
Great read. Really enjoyed it. But one observation: When you talk about the water per second at Niagara Falls, you say that 2,400 cubic metres of water has a weight of 3,100 tons... but that can't be right. Depending on the salinity etc., 2,400 cubic metres of water has a mass very close to 2,400 tons.
Bjorn, you're absolutely correct. Oops! 🤦And I can see what I got wrong here - I used two stats from two sources in the same sentence, without checking them against each other! D'oh. What I *should* have done, and will correct accordingly, is to use one source. So I'm going with 3,100 tons, which I got from the official Niagara Falls State Park website:
"3,160 tons of water flows over Niagara Falls every second. This accounts for 75,750 gallons of water per second over the American and Bridal Veil Falls and 681,750 gallons per second over the Horseshoe Falls."
https://www.niagarafallsstatepark.com/niagara-falls-state-park/amazing-niagara-facts
This just about tallies with what NASA's Earth Observatory says:
https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/1437/niagara-falls
2,800,000 litres/second ---> 2,800,000 kg/second -->3,086.47 US tons.
As for the figure of 2,400 tons - it's widely stated on many websites, including the pretty reputable one I made notes from. But maybe that's because they're using the figure for the Horseshoe Falls only?
681,750 gallons/second ---> 2580704 kg/second ---> 2,840 US tons.
Maybe. It's closer, anyway? Hmmmm.
Anyway. THANK YOU FOR SPOTTING THIS. Much appreciated. :)
Glad I joined your Substack, Mike. Fascinating stuff.
Thank you, Michael. :) That's so nice of you to say.
We’re on a similar path, I’d guess. Would love to launch a podcast feature of my Substack with you in the weeks ahead! Cheers, Mike
I would be honoured!
Great! Let's keep checking in on each other's content and circle back for maybe a Zoom interview in April or so. I'm posting what I call an "integrative essay" in another week, which should help new subscribers get a handle on the what, why, and whereto of my Substack. Was so cheered to read your interview with Substack editorial, given it took I think it was 8 months for you to get to paid subs. I started this January, so hoping to go paid subs in late summer of this year. That said, hoping there's a world still around we can all get to enjoy money in. :-/ Cheers and best wishes, Mike aka "Comdar" :-)
Wonderful. Sounds like a plan.
And yep - I figured with going paid, I'd need to prove what my newsletter was about first, so those 8 months of free were trying to demonstrate that I wasn't completely out of my mind with the somewhat weird tack I was taking with all this stuff. :) But also - it was time for *me* to find out what it was about, as in, to find out what works and gets people excited. The longer you spend before going paid, the more freedom you have to experiment without worrying that it might not be what your paid subscribers signed up for!
Legitimately, this is one of the most fascinating things I've read in a long time! And that includes the papers about the mega-flood that created the English Channel ("the original Brexit," my mother-in-law called it, not happily). Absolutely loved reading this, despite, seeing my backyard rockstar the Flood of Lake Missoula upstaged ;) So much to think about.
Thank you! 😊
>>"that includes the papers about the mega-flood that created the English Channel..."
Uh. Well, it's funny you should say that. Um... *eyes list of upcoming newsletters nervously, wonders whether I have a spy in my midst*
Haha, no, I just researched it for my book because I have a bit about the Norfolk coast appx. 800,000 yesrs ago. It was the only other mega-flood I knew about!
I'm now thinking I might have to have a chat with you before I write that post. 😁
I probably read the same papers you did 😉
Nick Ashton at the British Museum told me about it. He and his team found these nearly million-year-old fossilized footprints outside of Happisburgh, so he told me about the flood in the context of why those hominins were there (who knows?!) and what would have happened to them in the long run (spoiler alert: megaflood). I was really just writing about the footprints but those mega floods are always fascinating!
Amazing read, Mike!
Thank you, Jolene. And I can guarantee that my next newsletter has a lot more uses of the word "idiot", just in case you thought I was going all serious and scholarly and stuff here. #NotOnMyWatch
I look forward to it! 😂
What a great read!
Thank you. :) I am so grateful to all the researchers that are uncovering the details of this model. It's not hard to make it sound dramatic!
Fantastic!
It truly is. I still can't get my head round the scale of it.
Great read!