Comments on: A Very Short Walk http://cheldodge.net/blog/2007/09/15/a-very-short-walk/ The Blog of Zbella / Lava Jewelry Wed, 07 Jan 2009 11:40:53 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.3 By: Kevin http://cheldodge.net/blog/2007/09/15/a-very-short-walk/#comment-9550 Kevin Tue, 18 Sep 2007 03:20:00 +0000 http://www.cheldodge.net/blog/?p=113#comment-9550 I wonder if that dried algae is part of a reproductive cycle. I wouldn't mind taking a look at that personally sometime. Since you are saying that it's found geologic records, it's probably naturally environmental instead of caused by mankind's influence. As a guess, I'd say a large concentration of oxygen in the water may trigger that matting. To bad I'm not a researcher... Perhaps it's part of symbiotic relationship with underwater bacteria. Those mats may create a sunlight safe area for bacteria to grow so that they may put CO2 back into the water. That's all guess work. I'm amazed at myself. That one picture makes me think a lot of ideas. I could be absolutely wrong, but it's still interesting to me. I wonder if that dried algae is part of a reproductive cycle.

I wouldn’t mind taking a look at that personally sometime.

Since you are saying that it’s found geologic records, it’s probably naturally environmental instead of caused by mankind’s influence.

As a guess, I’d say a large concentration of oxygen in the water may trigger that matting. To bad I’m not a researcher…

Perhaps it’s part of symbiotic relationship with underwater bacteria. Those mats may create a sunlight safe area for bacteria to grow so that they may put CO2 back into the water.

That’s all guess work. I’m amazed at myself. That one picture makes me think a lot of ideas. I could be absolutely wrong, but it’s still interesting to me.

]]> By: Chel http://cheldodge.net/blog/2007/09/15/a-very-short-walk/#comment-9535 Chel Tue, 18 Sep 2007 01:53:07 +0000 http://www.cheldodge.net/blog/?p=113#comment-9535 To me, it just looks like dried up algae. We don't get rain in the summer here, so the water level goes way down before winter. I don't know if dried up algae is normally white. We see these features in the geologic record; geologists call them algal mats. I could send you a bigger copy of the photo, if you'd like, Kevin. One of the geology students a few years ago found algal mats so often that his nickname became Algal Matt. I love that name. To me, it just looks like dried up algae. We don’t get rain in the summer here, so the water level goes way down before winter. I don’t know if dried up algae is normally white. We see these features in the geologic record; geologists call them algal mats.

I could send you a bigger copy of the photo, if you’d like, Kevin.

One of the geology students a few years ago found algal mats so often that his nickname became Algal Matt. I love that name.

]]> By: Kevin http://cheldodge.net/blog/2007/09/15/a-very-short-walk/#comment-9510 Kevin Tue, 18 Sep 2007 00:26:38 +0000 http://www.cheldodge.net/blog/?p=113#comment-9510 It looks more organic than geologic. Too much phosphorus in the water? Is it near a farm that uses too much fertilizer? I don't think it's part of the plant's natural life cycle, but it could be. The background looks like it has been dry for a while. It also has a barrier to prevent more run off from going in. If the water level has gone down, the concentration of soluble matter would have gone up. I'd say the water has a high concentration of something causing the algae to foam up like that. With that much algae, I'd say it was fertilizer. But, that's just a guess from a picture... this monitor is kind of blurry too. Perhaps it's some form of egg grouping... It looks more organic than geologic.

Too much phosphorus in the water? Is it near a farm that uses too much fertilizer?

I don’t think it’s part of the plant’s natural life cycle, but it could be.

The background looks like it has been dry for a while. It also has a barrier to prevent more run off from going in. If the water level has gone down, the concentration of soluble matter would have gone up. I’d say the water has a high concentration of something causing the algae to foam up like that. With that much algae, I’d say it was fertilizer.

But, that’s just a guess from a picture… this monitor is kind of blurry too.

Perhaps it’s some form of egg grouping…

]]> By: Chel http://cheldodge.net/blog/2007/09/15/a-very-short-walk/#comment-9353 Chel Sun, 16 Sep 2007 20:04:55 +0000 http://www.cheldodge.net/blog/?p=113#comment-9353 The "dried up" part is right, but this isn't a river. Really good guess, though. What's the white stuff? The “dried up” part is right, but this isn’t a river. Really good guess, though. What’s the white stuff?

]]> By: Morrgan http://cheldodge.net/blog/2007/09/15/a-very-short-walk/#comment-9261 Morrgan Sat, 15 Sep 2007 23:02:24 +0000 http://www.cheldodge.net/blog/?p=113#comment-9261 I don't know what it is (my guess would be the same as Kellybot's), but it sure looks cool. I don’t know what it is (my guess would be the same as Kellybot’s), but it sure looks cool.

]]> By: Kellybot http://cheldodge.net/blog/2007/09/15/a-very-short-walk/#comment-9240 Kellybot Sat, 15 Sep 2007 19:29:57 +0000 http://www.cheldodge.net/blog/?p=113#comment-9240 Is it a dried up riverbed? Is it a dried up riverbed?

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