I've re-browsed and searched in order to provide match officials perplexed and hobbyists world varied modules that can be aufpeppeln a fantasy game world, authentic.
What in the world ... is a series of articles that I at irregular intervals (about 1 time per month to write) when the time comes to present unusual geological phenomena and to show that one can not wander so far into the high fantasy has to a much more colorful, more varied world here to find us.
As always, I refrain as much as possible on direct Einbdingung of images to save me copyright issues. It is still worth extraordinary to look at the pictures.
As always, I refrain as much as possible on direct Einbdingung of images to save me copyright issues. It is still worth extraordinary to look at the pictures.
The entrance fee and the explanation of the short terms for the series can be found here
http://hochistgut.blogspot.com/2009/12/was-in-aller-welt.html
Tsingy de Bemaraha - The stone forest
space: [about 1500 km ²]
Occurrence: In regions with calcareous rock mass under the influence of groundwater and heavy rain.
potential danger: [less dangerous]
time scale: [Recent]
Climate: [sub-humid or arid]
What is the Tsingy?
In Malagasy, this is an abbreviation and it means "go on the toes" like. It is a geomorphological feature in the west of Madagascar in the National Park Tsingy de Bemaraha. Much is the catchy name of stone Forest, where we then were almost back at the RPG.
Both terms are apt, it is still an approximately 1500 km ² large, flat karst landscape, which is crossed by a few meters wide clefts, which can be up to 120m deep and sharp edges and points are marked. In the background there is a lot of one hundred kilometers extending caves, narrow gorges, natural bridges and a variety of different Verkarstungensformen be relinquished to the surface.
Both terms are apt, it is still an approximately 1500 km ² large, flat karst landscape, which is crossed by a few meters wide clefts, which can be up to 120m deep and sharp edges and points are marked. In the background there is a lot of one hundred kilometers extending caves, narrow gorges, natural bridges and a variety of different Verkarstungensformen be relinquished to the surface.
(close-up of the Tsingy de Bemaraha, Source: Dan Shapley) http://image02.webshots.com/2/1/0/24/51110024OXBukY_ph.jpg
(Aerial view of Tsingy de Bemaraha, no source)
[Anmk: sometimes seems to be down link. The line works copied in the browser but strangely perfect]
Created As the stone forest?
(not Simulationisten can also skip)
(not Simulationisten can also skip)
actually requires two things: the right stone and the right weather conditions. In reality, everything is as always of course much more complicated, but once we regard only these two conditions.
The area of the stone forest is deposited in shallow reef limestone about 400 m thickness established. This community was founded in Jurassic about 150 million. Years ago, when Madagascar separated from Africa Koninent. The limestones were deposited as organic limestones, reef limestone, the term refers specifically to the thickness of the layer of rock. and at a low porosity. The climate of Madagascar is located in the tropical zone and is of moderately high rainfall, cyclones and characterized.
The area of the stone forest is deposited in shallow reef limestone about 400 m thickness established. This community was founded in Jurassic about 150 million. Years ago, when Madagascar separated from Africa Koninent. The limestones were deposited as organic limestones, reef limestone, the term refers specifically to the thickness of the layer of rock. and at a low porosity. The climate of Madagascar is located in the tropical zone and is of moderately high rainfall, cyclones and characterized.
Under these conditions created a karst landscape, as in Bemaraha National Park in the past million years. In karst meant the dissolution and weathering of carbonate rocks (including sulfates and salts) by carbon dioxide. The carbon dioxide produced by the in the Atmosphöre located CO2, which dissolves in water. It should be noted that the karst underground to a large extent done by the groundwater.
http://www.lasochres.se/Bildarkiv/Afrika/Madagaskar/Tsingy_nationalpark_2_big.jpeg
(karstification of the reef limestone Tsingy National Park, the resolution takes place vertically and horizontally. Source: www.lasochres.se )
karst landscapes in our country are also widespread, with the conditions in Madagascar but makes more are on the one hand the mentioned heavy rains and the orientation of the cracks in the rock. However, the stone forest is not unique, find similar landscapes in New Ginea, Kenya, Brazil and China, as the Shilin (Chinese for stone forest, who would have thought it?), which is also exposed to the monsoon.
http://www.wak.ch/news/img/2009/chinareise_2009/shilin/shilin2.jpg
(limestone towers in southern China in Shilin Photo: Juerg Wiesendanger 2009)
If we still lacking in detail. The Tsingy runs north of the Manambolo river, the landscape has (or had) so a high water table. If you look closely at the history of fractures, quickly notice that this mainly either from NE to SW or perpendicular to run from NW to SE (the directions have something to do with the tensions to which the rock was exposed to what we do not have to go).
http://neatorama.cachefly.net/images/2009-11/limestone-towers-madagascar.jpg
(Aerial view of Tsingy de Bemaraha. Good to see is the parallel course of the fractures in two main directions, Photo: Stephen Alvarez / National Geographic)
These fractures were not due to the karstification, but existed previously as a barely visible cracks in the rock. The water could enter from underneath as ground water, as well as up during the heavy rains and so the cracks by Solution of the rock show ever.
could also penetrate the water layer in the former borders of the limestones that were deposited once like a stack of paper over each other and corrode the rock horizontally.
could also penetrate the water layer in the former borders of the limestones that were deposited once like a stack of paper over each other and corrode the rock horizontally.
http://www.weezgo.com/blog-voyage/wp-content/uploads/2008/01/tsingy.jpg
(Lateral karstification in Tsindy de Bemaraha. At about running these vulnerabilities barely visible , Source: Laurent Evain, www.weezgo.com)
The karstification thus finds in the interior of the limestone, as at the surface, rather than simultaneously. The following are
comic chart some development steps of the Tsingy fractures easy to understand illustrated, the images are respectively read from left to right:
comic chart some development steps of the Tsingy fractures easy to understand illustrated, the images are respectively read from left to right:
http://img402.imageshack.us/img402/2070/grikeentstehung.jpg
(Scheme of different mechanisms of gap formation by karstification, Source: Márton Veress et.al. 2008)
Each of these stages can be found in the landscape again and the broader and deeper, the older are the fractures. The rain water means that on the surface of the characteristic, sharp ridges formed, as explained in the following graph:
http://img88.imageshack.us/img88/8366/tsingyspitzen.jpg
(burr by rain water in the Ankarana Tsingy, Veress et.al 2008)
properties (and dangers) of the stone forest
addition to the above-mentioned sharp ridges may be mentioned especially the invisible dangers. The corroded limestone can be unstable in many places. Not least developed many of the fractures in which the thin ceiling of a cavity inside broke. The same goes for the remaining natural bridges.
http://img153.imageshack.us/img153/4964/natrlichebrcke.jpg
(Natural Bridges in Tsingy de Bemaraha, which are caused by corrosion of the lower camp, Veress et.Al.2008)
During heavy rains, the deep fissures can also quickly fill with water, tearing and pose a deadly trap for anyone to the base of the fractures wandering.
the fractures themselves can be extremely narrow and their accessibility may change from meters to yards.
the fractures themselves can be extremely narrow and their accessibility may change from meters to yards.
http://www.wak.ch/news/img/2009/chinareise_2009/shilin/shilin4.jpg
(A cave in Shilin, South China, Photo: Juerg Wiesendanger 2009)
form together they network that where you can get lost quickly. The dimensions of the fractures range from a few centimeters to a few tens of meters wide and a few meters to 120 meters or more in depth.
http://c0170351.cdn.cloudfiles.rackspacecloud.com/16686_4067_m.jpg
(At the bottom of the Grand Tsingy, Tsindy de Bemaraha National Park, Photo: Megan Kearney)
The water balance of the area can, despite the tropical climate, very dry because the water can quickly run into the cracks and the rock is porous and barely getting back virtually no water. In fact, would not a karst landscape with large porosity form that the very rocks would soon be resolved completely. Consequently, it is
little flora and fauna. Between the clefts may thrive sogennnter a dry forest well. Dry forests are similar to savannah forests or thorn forests and are home to more robust shrubs and trees, the bizarre shapes can form.
little flora and fauna. Between the clefts may thrive sogennnter a dry forest well. Dry forests are similar to savannah forests or thorn forests and are home to more robust shrubs and trees, the bizarre shapes can form.
are used in role play
For the game master stone forests, restricted by its room of origin, which lies mainly in the tropical zone, above all interesting for the decoration of exotic countries. That being said, the emergence of relatively free conditions, so long as one of the important parameters (massive limestone + bad weather and high groundwater) holds.
When traveling, it may be a tempting short cut to go into the gap of a stone forest maze, or even on the peaks to hike, where you are exposed to local hazards.
Many of the fractures are also not up to the surface corroded, so that the resulting complex cave systems. Below the map of the cave in the Tsingy Anjohy Tsilika area that I have been driven out of a paper and is ideal as a natural vault card for the role play. Immediately striking is how the course the plan structure of the rock follow (NE-SW, NW-SE). It lacks only a few goblins.
http://img707.imageshack.us/img707/1745/tsingydungeon.jpg
(part of the gap structure of Anjohy Tsilika cave, Tsingy de Bemaraha, after Dobrilla 2006)
http://zuzutop .com/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/Madagascar_05.jpg
(a walk, narrow gap in the Tsingy, Source: http://alvarezphotography.com/) Note
is that one formation process location and must be kept separate. A stone forest can be much older than the climate that led to its creation. A stone forest can now be even in the midst of a dry zone, the development process is then not continued and the hazards eg drop off traveling through rain water flows, but the gaps may ensure protection for all communities offer, in which the inhabitants of their homes on the base of the shadow offered fractures have carved into the limestone walls. Imagination is, as always, limitless, without, that we must break the plausibility. For hobbyists
world was still noted, is important to know that once were accessible Massenkalk former (flat) sea floor, which was raised to the surface (see the Alps). This should be a world hobbyist in mind To keep depending on how exactly you draw up the history of his world.
world was still noted, is important to know that once were accessible Massenkalk former (flat) sea floor, which was raised to the surface (see the Alps). This should be a world hobbyist in mind To keep depending on how exactly you draw up the history of his world.
Sources:
- The Ankarana Tsingy of its development, Veress et.Al 2008, Department of Physical Geography, University of West Hungary
- The origin of the Bemaraha Tsingy, Veress et.Al 2008
- www.Mineralienatlas.de / Glossary / Tsingydebemaraha
Have fun with it, unfortunately I can not say when the next time I find time to write, because rolls over to me all the time.
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