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Uluru after Sunrise


Uluru after Sunrise
Photo Information
Copyright: James Parker (Jamesp) Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 1369 W: 9 N: 6334] (18906)
Genre: Landscapes
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2002-07
Categories: Desert
Camera: Canon EOS 1vHS, Canon 24-70 mm f 2,8 L-USM, Fuji Provia 100
Photo Version: Original Version
Date Submitted: 2008-09-10 9:26
Viewed: 5729
Points: 48
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
Hello everyone - this scene is describes how I am feeling today - hot and sweaty. I took alll day going into London on public transport, to sit through a meeting and deliver a ten minute research summary at the end, before returning on the hot, sweaty, overcrowded tubes and train.

This is a shot looking up at Uluru from the north side. I have spoken a lot about desert varnish, but here the black markings are coused by lichen and algae - they indicate where water pours off the rock in a series of spectacular water falls when it rains.

Uluru (also Ayers Rock or The Rock) is a large rock formation in central Australia, in the Northern Territory. It is located in Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park, 350 km southwest of Alice Springs at 25 degrees 20' 41" S 131 degrees 01' 57" E. It is the second-largest monolith in the world (after Mount Augustus, also in Australia), more than 318 m (986 ft) high and 8 km (5 miles) around. It also extends 2.5 km (1.5 miles) into the ground. It was described by explorer Ernest Giles in 1872 as "the remarkable pebble".

Uluru is an inselberg, literally "island mountain", an isolated remnant left after the slow erosion of an original mountain range. Uluru is also often referred to as a monolith, although this is a somewhat ambiguous term because of its multiple meanings, and thus a word generally avoided by geologists. The remarkable feature of Uluru is its homogeneity and lack of jointing and parting at bedding surfaces, leading to the lack of development of scree slopes and soil. These characteristics led to its survival, while the surrounding rocks were eroded. For the purpose of mapping and describing the geological history of the area, geologists refer to the rock strata making up Uluru as the Mutitjulu Arkose, and it is one of many sedimentary formations filling the Amadeus Basin.


Age and Origin
The Mutitjulu Arkose is believed to be of about the same age as the conglomerate at Kata Tjuta, and to have a similar origin despite the rock type being different, but it is younger than the rocks exposed to the east at Mount Conner, and unrelated to them. The strata at Uluru are nearly vertical, dipping to the south west at 85°, and have an exposed thickness of at least 2,400 m (7,900 ft).

The strata dip below the surrounding plain and no doubt extend well beyond Uluru in the subsurface, but the extent is not known. The rock was originally sand, deposited as part of an extensive alluvial fan that extended out from the ancestors of the Musgrave, Mann and Petermann Ranges to the south and west, but separate from a nearby fan that deposited the sand, pebbles and cobbles that now make up Kata Tjuta.

The similar mineral composition of the Mutitjulu Arkose and the granite ranges to the south is now explained. The ancestors of the ranges to the south were once much larger than the eroded remnants we see today. They were thrust up during a mountain building episode referred to as the Petermann Orogeny that took place in late Neoproterozoic to early Cambrian times (550-530 Ma), and thus the Mutitjulu Arkose is believed to have been deposited at about the same time.

The arkose sandstone which makes up the formation is composed of grains that show little sorting based on grain size, exhibit very little rounding and the feldspars in the rock are relatively fresh in appearance. This lack of sorting and grain rounding is typical of arkosic sandstones and is indicative of relatively rapid erosion from the granites of the growing mountains to the south. The layers of sand were nearly horizontal when deposited, but were later tilted to their near vertical position during a later episode of mountain building, possibly the Alice Springs Orogeny of Palaeozoic age (400-300 Ma).

Despite current estimates of the age of the geological formations that comprise Uluru, however, the arkose sandstone which makes up the formation is composed of grains that are many different sizes and are jagged, and the feldspars in the rock are fresh and shiny. Flood geologists argue that this indicates a comparatively fast deposit, on the order of only a few years or less. They state that if the arkose grains had been transported more slowly they would be more rounded and evenly sorted, and the feldspars would have turned to clay in the intervening years.

This is a scanned slide.
nglen, cataclysta, Argus, Dis. Ac., zulfu, vanderschelden, Royaldevon, boreocypriensis, cicindela, jaycee, rousettus, Kathleen, Luis52, blackfox, ramthakur, eqshannon, mohaiminawang has marked this note useful
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Critiques [Translate]

  • Great 
  • nglen Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2883 W: 30 N: 9683] (36145)
  • [2008-09-10 9:31]

Hi James. It sounds like you enjoy London as much as i do. I am always glad to leave the place. The colours in this picture jump out of the screan at you. amazing red/ oranges yet green trees as well. TFS. I will now read your notes
Nick..

Hi James
Red, green and blue, great saturated color. Beautiful place. Perfectly composed landscape
Best wishes
Kryzsytof

  • Great 
  • Argus Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 5038 W: 260 N: 15594] (50626)
  • [2008-09-10 9:55]

Hello James,
A fine one from your archives showing an aspect of Uluru that most of us don't see.
The contrast between it and the deep blue sky is striking and the trees at the base give some scale to the image.
Thanks for sharing both this fine image and the informative note,
Ivan

Hi James,


Colourful picture with beautiful natural colours.
Good notes.
I like the pov a lot.

Gert

  • Great 
  • zulfu Gold Star Critiquer [C: 685 W: 0 N: 2] (43)
  • [2008-09-10 11:27]

hello james, great colurs and nice landscape shot. TFS.
Kind regards, Mehmet

Hello James,

Interesting notes!
This is a most original shot of Uluru.
I like the crop.
The 'skirt' in the f/g takes the eyes around leisurely before the assault on the steep part!

Kind regards,
Bev :-)

Hello James,
Impressive large rock formation.
One again a very educational contribution.
Thanks for sharing
Annick

Hi my friend, anoter great natural formation and wondeerful educative notes. Colours very impressive too.
Many thanks for sharing this James,
Cheers,

Bayram

Hi James!
As I see your last photos include a lot of sand of "sandy" colour :>
Another very nice prsentation with interestig landscape. I like it :)
Greetings from Lodz,
Radomir

  • Great 
  • jaycee Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2454 W: 10 N: 8044] (25460)
  • [2008-09-10 13:11]

Hi James,

I'm so glad you posted this! We are planning a trip to Australia/NZ and won't be getting to Ayer's Rock. I'd love to see more so I know what I'm missing. The oranges and blue are striking. Wonderful composition inviting us to follow the winding path.

Jane

Hi James,
Very beautiful landscape with good composition, bright clear colours, interesting impressive details.
TFS
Pekka

Hi James.
Wow, so full of colour. Composition is great leading the eye around and into the far side.
Beautiful exposure, colour and detail.
Amazing to see the trees so green, but then as you have explained the markings where the water comes down, they are growing at the bottom of there.
Wonderful image and notes to go with it.

Kathleen

  • Great 
  • Luis52 Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 1175 W: 8 N: 4240] (15809)
  • [2008-09-10 17:18]

Hola James.
Lovely colors on this image. Perfect landscape, for sure is is hot there as it was in the train.
Saludos
Luis52.

Spectacular colours. Glad you made the notes on this, because it is new to me, and interesting.Very good clarity for a scan too.
TFS
D

Nice colors and good composition.

  • Great 
  • EOSF1 Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1393 W: 119 N: 5267] (23955)
  • [2008-09-10 19:53]

Incredible textures and colors James, a beautiful composition and a great result, thanks!

Mario

  • Great 
  • Mana Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1772 W: 36 N: 5597] (18598)
  • [2008-09-10 23:52]

Hi James,
Wonderful shot of this magnificent place glowing with the early sunlight. Looks very attractive. Very neat and sharp image with lovely colours. Excellent DOF, POV and composition. Thanks for sharing this fine image.
Sumon

Awe-inspiring capture of this mammoth red rock in Australia, James.
The exposed rock in the foreground looks like the foot of some giant animal. The cluster of tree in the mid distance breaks the colour monotony and also provides the scale for the size of the rock.
As usual, your note accomanying the picture is very informative.
Thanks and regards.

  • Great 
  • PaulH Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1137 W: 26 N: 3879] (13882)
  • [2008-09-11 4:22]

Great shot James, the colours are both punchy and well contrasting. Very nice composition with the grass well placed in the bottom left hand corner too.
Paul

Hello James,
very nice result from scanned slide. This is great presentation from famous Uluru-rock. Superb colors and composition. Thanks for sharing it with good notes.
best wishes
Ahmet

Jimminy James....did you have that button for saturation turned all the way up or what...OK...now I studied back a bit and see the date and the film...Wow...of course...now we remember why film is so good...I am working on a series now with a Kodak K1000 getting ready for fall with its rich tones...and BTW..it does look sweltering just looking at it...some of your quasi minimalist work. Geology of Earth would disagree I'm sure if it had a disposition:-)
Bob

  • Great 
  • PeterZ Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 5137 W: 166 N: 13121] (49139)
  • [2008-09-11 8:08]

Hello James,
Amazing photo in wonderful colours and a perfect composition. Very, very beautiful!
Kind regards,
Peter

  • Great 
  • gannu Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 988 W: 4 N: 3277] (14761)
  • [2008-09-11 21:43]

Hello James, Lovely landscape and superb view. brilliant use of light and a good presentation. Ganesh

Hi James,

You frame this scene with artistic touch of colour and compo.Good POV to explain subject and athmosphere.Very useful note.TFS.

regards
mohaimin

Hi James,
Its nice to have a photo for each mood. its even nicer to have a photo with a very original POV from the famous rock. The clear blue sky enhanced the red color of Uluru even more. I like how the foot of the rock is leading the eye.
TFS,
Niek

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