Horizontal Vs. Vertical Strata. And LOTR? (almost as nerdish as it sounds)

[TheBadger]

Hi,

So I was playing with strata in a current image I'm working on. Im trying to do several different things across several versions of the T2 file.
Anyway, it got me thinking about where I have seen certain kinds of strata appear in nature and in visual representations of nature like from TG2 or (for example) like in the filmography and 3d terrains in the lord of the rings films.

(OK, so this is going to be exactly as nerdish as it sounded)

Now I was thinking that it feels like, the only place you see horizontal strata is in places where the ecology is very dry, for example Arizona in the U.S.. And when the Strata is vertical the terrain will also be very green, as in Middle Earth (sometimes, but rarely, referred to as New Zealand, (whatever that is)).

So Im curious if this is mostly true. Because I can't think of an example where its not. And Im left inclined (puns are funny) to believe that the amount of green plants in an ecosystem increases the further away from 0% and closer to 90% the lines of strata get (allowing for exception of course)

Can anyone think of more than one example where this observation proves untrue? At the moment I cant even remember one example.

What about the Lord of the rings? Well I'm glad you asked because I was just about to ask a question about it.

In the LOTR The Two Towers (I believe it was) the two lesser hobbits are taken by orks, at this time in the film it is before the introduction of the talking trees. There is a part where the hobbits drop a item as a bread crumb for their friends to follow.
I was hoping someone could tell me where in New Zealand this scene was filmed. A national park perhaps?
I would also like to ask if anyone knows where the land of Rohan was filmed?

The terrains from the films Im asking about, I would like to use them as sources images for the project Im working on.

Thanks for reading.

[Oshyan]

Cape Town in South Africa has some pretty level strata covered by and surrounded in green. http://img.justthetravel.com/table-mountain-4.jpg
And Waimea Canyon in Hawaii: http://gohawaii.about.com/od/kauaiactivities/ss/romantic-places-on-kauai_9.htm
I'm sure there are many more examples...

- Oshyan

[TheBadger]

Those both look like deserts to me, of course Arizona has lots of green plants, but is also very dry (relieve to a rain forest.)
When I saw Hawaii in your post I thought you got me, but hawaii also has desert terrains and parts that don't get much rain. THough I see from that image link that the upper areas of that terrain look tropical, like a lush grand canyon.

Hmmm, ok let me complicate a little more to narrow down. So where I live we have tons of moisture, and rain and snow. Enough to make someone hate living here.

We have large green forests and hundreds if not thousands of bodies of water. We also have naturally occurring cacti. These Cactus only grow here where there is desert conditions regarding the terrain and soil. And as it turns out the strata of the sand stone is horizontal in those areas.

So lets exclude the idea of the entire ecology of a place, and I will restate.

The amount of green plants in an ecosystem *ground surface* increases the further away from 0% and closer to 90% the *visible* lines of strata get (allowing for exception of course)


Hmmmm you know I think you killed this theory. I thought if it was true "enough" it might help me decide if Im making a desert or not. Or what kind of desert.


OSHYAN!

Ok, I forgive you for being smart.

[Oshyan]

Hehe. Well, if you think about it, it doesn't really make that much sense for there to be a correlation between how arid a place is and how tilted its strata. Strata tilt/deformation is a sub-surface geological effect, and it can happen pretty much anywhere on Earth. Whether such strata is exposed in a given area, likely *most* places on Earth have tilted, even vertical strata (remember though that all strata is *formed* horizontally, generally speaking; it's only later that it gets tilted through geological action).

- Oshyan

[Mahnmut]

Just an Idea for a possible reason for a possible correlation:
the chances for strata to remaain in the horizontal are bigger in regions with little tectonic activity, that is far away from plate boundaries, thus often far from the sea. On the other hand, strata that are still horizontal could be geologically young, and some of the known desert regions with horizontal strata have been inland seas or lakes not so terribly long ago. So, after all, I have no idea.
Cheers,
Jan

[Tangled-Universe]

I think you can't correlate these because climate/weather patterns change far more frequently and quickly than geological patterns.

[PabloMack]

Coming from a paleontology background, I think that strata (mostly sedimentary) are more visible in dry places just because of the lack of vegetation. I think that they are still there in rainforest, they are just covered up by vegetation.

[TheBadger]

Its interesting that this is interesting to you guys.

I wish I could have found some proof of strata always being one way or another, in a given geological situation relating to sea level or having some relationship with ecology, or anything above ground (excluding erosion). But I was only going on what I could observe in person. The world is too big for that.

Would have been great to have found something. It would make Terragening much simpler... Oh, so you want to use this kind of tree? Well then if you have strata it must be this kind of strata. Or, You want vertical strata? Well then you need to populate it with desert plants... And so on.

Would save some time making choices 

[Tangled-Universe]

Terragening is simple, just make something which looks good

[geologist]

Hi,

So I was playing with strata in a current image I'm working on. Im trying to do several different things across several versions of the T2 file.
Anyway, it got me thinking about where I have seen certain kinds of strata appear in nature and in visual representations of nature like from TG2 or (for example) like in the filmography and 3d terrains in the lord of the rings films.

(OK, so this is going to be exactly as nerdish as it sounded)

Now I was thinking that it feels like, the only place you see horizontal strata is in places where the ecology is very dry, for example Arizona in the U.S.. And when the Strata is vertical the terrain will also be very green, as in Middle Earth (sometimes, but rarely, referred to as New Zealand, (whatever that is)).

So Im curious if this is mostly true. Because I can't think of an example where its not. And Im left inclined (puns are funny) to believe that the amount of green plants in an ecosystem increases the further away from 0% and closer to 90% the lines of strata get (allowing for exception of course)

Can anyone think of more than one example where this observation proves untrue? At the moment I cant even remember one example.

What about the Lord of the rings? Well I'm glad you asked because I was just about to ask a question about it.

In the LOTR The Two Towers (I believe it was) the two lesser hobbits are taken by orks, at this time in the film it is before the introduction of the talking trees. There is a part where the hobbits drop a item as a bread crumb for their friends to follow.
I was hoping someone could tell me where in New Zealand this scene was filmed. A national park perhaps?
I would also like to ask if anyone knows where the land of Rohan was filmed?

The terrains from the films Im asking about, I would like to use them as sources images for the project Im working on.

Thanks for reading.

As a geologist... no.
This might be a coincidence that you have made these observations. One example of almost vertical strata occur in central Australian deserts where I was recently.. This is a broad example. Micro-examples could be found everywhere, strata dips can be found to vary within a space of meters.  There is also no possible logical reason to connect strata dips to ecology of a region.. Ecosystems are constantly changing through history while dips may stay constant (continental drift) or vise versa..