2021-03-27
Mountain hare running across snow-covered upland, Scotland (© SCOTLAND: The Big Picture/Minden Pictures)
在白雪覆盖的高地上奔跑的雪兔，苏格兰 (© SCOTLAND: The Big Picture/Minden Pictures)
The mountain hare is doubly hard to catch sight of because, along with its tremendous speed, it's terrifically well camouflaged. These two traits help this iconic species survive in the rugged mountains and uplands of northern Europe and Asia—this one is dashing across a heath in the Scottish Highlands. When they have to, these speedy leporids can dart away as fast as 50 mph, at least for short distances, allowing them to outrun predators and disappear safely into the heather. But a would-be predator may not even spy them to begin with—mountain hares change coats, or molt, several times a year, their fur going from brown and gray in summer, to white-gray in winter, helping them hide more easily in the snow.
Mountain hare running across snow-covered upland, Scotland (© SCOTLAND: The Big Picture/Minden Pictures)
在白雪覆盖的高地上奔跑的雪兔，苏格兰 (© SCOTLAND: The Big Picture/Minden Pictures)
The mountain hare is doubly hard to catch sight of because, along with its tremendous speed, it's terrifically well camouflaged. These two traits help this iconic species survive in the rugged mountains and uplands of northern Europe and Asia—this one is dashing across a heath in the Scottish Highlands. When they have to, these speedy leporids can dart away as fast as 50 mph, at least for short distances, allowing them to outrun predators and disappear safely into the heather. But a would-be predator may not even spy them to begin with—mountain hares change coats, or molt, several times a year, their fur going from brown and gray in summer, to white-gray in winter, helping them hide more easily in the snow.
2021-03-28
Mount Snowdon and the Llanberis Pass in Snowdonia National Park, North Wales, United Kingdom (© Alan Novelli/Alamy)
斯诺登山与兰贝里斯山口，英国史诺多尼亚国家公园 (© Alan Novelli/Alamy)
This dramatic view brings together two Welsh icons. In the distance sits the country’s highest mountain, Snowdon, while the towering walls of slate in the foreground nod to an industry which has reshaped the landscape here over the centuries. This is the former Dinorwic quarry in the county of Gwynedd, once the second-largest slate quarry in the world after nearby Penrhyn. Slate was first extracted here by the Romans but the process really gathered steam during the industrial revolution, when it became known as the industry that ‘roofed the world’.
Mount Snowdon and the Llanberis Pass in Snowdonia National Park, North Wales, United Kingdom (© Alan Novelli/Alamy)
斯诺登山与兰贝里斯山口，英国史诺多尼亚国家公园 (© Alan Novelli/Alamy)
This dramatic view brings together two Welsh icons. In the distance sits the country’s highest mountain, Snowdon, while the towering walls of slate in the foreground nod to an industry which has reshaped the landscape here over the centuries. This is the former Dinorwic quarry in the county of Gwynedd, once the second-largest slate quarry in the world after nearby Penrhyn. Slate was first extracted here by the Romans but the process really gathered steam during the industrial revolution, when it became known as the industry that ‘roofed the world’.
2021-03-29
The basalt rock formations of Reynisdrangar on Reynisfjara Beach, Iceland (© Cavan Images/Getty Images)
黑沙滩上Reynisdrangar的玄武岩，冰岛 (© Cavan Images/Getty Images)
Any visitor to Iceland knows that driving the Ring Road rewards one with incredible changing landscapes. Today, we're taking a quick detour to visit this chiseled stretch of Iceland's southern coast, where black sand beaches meet spiky basalt sea stacks. This is Reynisfjara Beach, widely considered the most beautiful example of Iceland's black sand beaches. The sea stacks fronting the beach are known as Reynisdrangar and were formed when a volcano erupted, spewing flowing lava that cooled into these formations. Ask the locals how they formed, however, and you may get a different story, one involving trolls and a battle with a three-masted ship.
The basalt rock formations of Reynisdrangar on Reynisfjara Beach, Iceland (© Cavan Images/Getty Images)
黑沙滩上Reynisdrangar的玄武岩，冰岛 (© Cavan Images/Getty Images)
Any visitor to Iceland knows that driving the Ring Road rewards one with incredible changing landscapes. Today, we're taking a quick detour to visit this chiseled stretch of Iceland's southern coast, where black sand beaches meet spiky basalt sea stacks. This is Reynisfjara Beach, widely considered the most beautiful example of Iceland's black sand beaches. The sea stacks fronting the beach are known as Reynisdrangar and were formed when a volcano erupted, spewing flowing lava that cooled into these formations. Ask the locals how they formed, however, and you may get a different story, one involving trolls and a battle with a three-masted ship.