Madrid to Rio de Janeiro:
Over half of the flight path from Madrid to Rio is covered by water: yet across the second largest ocean on the planet are cultures, underwater volcanoes and islands that provide a fascinating journey which you might not expect.
The flight covers over 5,500km of Atlantic Ocean between the 2,000-year-old Spanish port of Seville and the northeast tip of Brazil. Off the coast of Africa, the flight crosses the volcanic Canary Islands and Cape Verde Islands: both groups contain striking landscapes and unique cultures. Beneath the waves of the central Atlantic is the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, a huge seam in the Earth’s surface. Further south the route crosses the Equator, separating the northern and southern hemisphere.
Bookending the maritime section of the flight path are Spain and Brazil: two countries which played key roles in colonial expansion across the Atlantic Ocean. Yet each country now has its own modern identity and culture, re-enforced by its own distinct landscapes.
Pico, Cape Verde courtesy of NASA/EO-1 - The largest and most active volcano in Cape Verde is Pico, named by Portuguese settlers after its fiery eruptions.
Minas Gerais courtesy of NASA - The fertile soils in Minas Gerais are utilised for growing coffee and other crops, resulting in a landscape patterned by geometric fields.
Cape Verde village © Richard Leeming - The inaccessible landscape means that paths, fields and even housing needs to be terraced.
Rio de Janeiro in 1931 © RGS-IBG/Luftschiffbau Zeppelin - An aerial view of Rio, showing the vast green spaces of the Tijuca forest enveloping the city's edges.
Madrid courtesy of NASA/ASTER - This false-colour image shows vegetated areas in bright red, revealing the parks at the heart Madrid.
Olive groves south of Madrid © Lars Plougmann - The semi-arid ground of the Meseta Central supports olive groves which grow in the red soil surrounding Madrid.
Santa Cruz, Tenerife from the air © Tony Hisgett - The busy town of Santa Cruz pushes up against the volcanic landscape of Tenerife.
Mount Tiede, Tenerife courtesy of NASA/JSC - Mount Tiede is one of the largest active volcanoes in the world, measuring 7,500m from its base on the sea floor.
Open pit mine in Minas Gerais, Brazil © Gustavo Oliveira - A number of large mines across Minas Gerais operate today, mining metallic ores and precious gemstones.
Hidden Journeys have updated there website and they have included slideshows. I will be have having a look at them and the whole site in general and I will write further after.
It's more of an eye opener every time! Brilliant work.
Latest flight path -
Vancouver to Los Angeles:
The west coast of the United States is littered with active volcanoes, sheer mountains and dramatic pine filled valleys. As well providing spectacular scenery, these features are also key pieces of evidence that help us understand the geological history of this region.
Some of the USA’s most famous and iconic scenery sits beneath the flight path: Yosemite National Park in the Sierra Nevada, for example, is a classic example of the romanticised American West. Further north the active volcanoes of the Cascade Mountains, such as Mount St. Helens, remind us that even the most powerful nations can be humbled by Earth’s natural processes.
However, humans have also played an increasingly complicated role in this landscape: from the Native Americans who first inhabited the region, to the immigrant pioneers who settled in the mid-18th century, to the extreme sports enthusiasts who now use it as their playground.
Hidden Journeys has already revealed the breath-taking natural and human landscapes beneath flight paths including Bangkok to Sydney and Miami to Buenos Aires. It is a not-for-profit resource free for public use, and one part of the Society’s public engagement programmes which aim to foster an informed knowledge of our world.
Downtown Vancouver © Martin Naroznik - Slivers of sunlight poking through the Vancouver skyline above some early morning mist.
Horsetail Falls, Yosemite © Richard Cawthra - For a few weeks each year in February, the setting sun is refracted by the waterfall causing it to glow a fiery orange.
Mount Rainier & Mount Adams © Aaron Schmidt - Many of the prominent Cascade peaks are formed by volcanoes, such as these.
Vancouver from the air © Greg McMullen - The densely packed city of Vancouver set against the prominent Coast Mountains.
Vernal and Nevada Falls, Yosemite © Miles Sabin - Vernal Falls (top) flows into Nevada Falls (below), and then into the main Yosemite Valley.
Downtown Los Angeles © Michael Astor - In the last 200 years, the population of Los Angeles has grown from 650 to 3.7 million making it the second largest city in the USA.
Rock climbing on the southern shore of Lake Tahoe © Alan Wong, UNR Department of Art Photography RSCVA.
Sparks Lake near Bend, Oregon © MP VisitBend CCOP -Thousands of visitors each year visit Bend to soak up the sheer beauty of the surrounding landscape.
Hidden Journeys are flying! It's great to be supporting them as every aspect of what they are producing I enjoy. He is another flight path.
Bangkok to Sydney:
The 7,500 kilometre journey from Bangkok to Sydney crosses some of the most isolated, most bio-diverse and most beautiful landscapes on Earth. However this amazing variety is split into two distinct regions, each with their own evolutionary and geological history.
The western half of the flight path from Bangkok to Borneo has developed over millions of years as part of the Asian continent, whereas the eastern half of the flight path from Sulawesi to Sydney has developed with an Australian heritage. This divide is reflected in each region’s animals, plants and landscapes: from the active Indonesian volcanoes, to the barren sand seas of Australia and vibrant underwater ecosystems of the Gulf of Thailand.
There is also a fascinating human history beneath the flight path: between the regional metropoles of Sydney and Bangkok exist modern cultures and tribes and the curious history of homo floresiensis.
Bornean horned frog © Misbahul Munir, Heart of Borneo Project - This frog is endemic to Borneo and is camouflaged to be invisible among leaves on the forest floor.
Duong Dong Boats © Colin Roohan - A bright cacophony of fishing boats strive for space in Duong Dong harbour in Phu Quoc, Vietnam.
Fungus & ant © Tim van Berkel, Heart of Borneo Project - This ant has been invaded by a parasitic fungus, which you can see sprouting up out of the ant's head.
Kelimutu, Flores © Rosino - One of the lakes in Kelimutu volcano, Flores Island. The bright colours are caused by changes in the chemical composition of the volcanic pools.
Rare Refill of Lake Eyre, Australia © NASA USGS Landsat - Lake Eyre is one of the largest salt pans in the world and when full, it is the largest lake in Australia.
Sydney harbour from the air © Joseph Younis - Port Jackson is still at the heart of Sydney as it was when the city was first established in 1788.
Temple on the Chao Phraya River, 1908 © RGS-IBG image by A.S. Waley - The city’s transportation system was built around water travel along the Chao Phraya River.
Wyndham Lookout © John Crux - The spectacular view from the top of Mount Bastion at 'Five Rivers Lookout' is a draw for tourists to Wyndham, Western Australia.
Another new flight path from the Hidden Journeys Team! Cairo to Doha.
Cairo to Doha:
From ancient Arab settlements to the oil fuelled glass and steel skyscrapers of modern Doha, this flight path explores the elaborate relationship of water, oil and trade in the human and physical geography of this region.
Explore the dry river beds of Wadi Rum and the vibrant wildlife of the Persian Gulf to discover how water has helped to shape the landscape and provide habitats for many species, including homo sapiens. Yet the sea also provides a pivotal method of transport to and from the coastal cities of Cairo, Suez and Doha, connecting them to the rest of the world via international shipping routes.
In the 20th century these shipping routes facilitated the distribution of one of the Middle East’s most famous exports: crude oil. The revenues generated through the export of crude oil are clearly proven in the striking architecture and rich economies of Doha and Saudi Arabia.
The Nile at Night © NASA Johnson Space Center Gateway to Astronaut Photography of Earth - A night-time satellite view of Cairo and the Nile Delta.
Wadi Rum © Rafael Medina - A sandstone bridge carved out of the Wadi Rum cliffs by aeolian (wind) erosion.
Downtown Doha © Elmar Bajora - The built-up Doha Corniche area has been built on reclaimed land around the harbour.
The Hidden Journeys Team have a new flight path and here it is! Hong Kong to Taipei is due soon.
Miami – Buenos Aires:
A fascinating story exists between the bustling ports of Miami and Buenos Aires which explores the changing geography of Central and South America since the arrival of the first conquistadors in the 16th century. Many of the beautiful natural landscapes along the flight path have seen considerable change: from the chain of coral islands that dangle from the southern tip of the USA known as the Florida Keys, to the enormous meanders of the Amazon River and vast agricultural plains of Argentina. However, new tribes and societies are even being discovered today: half way through the flight path is a glimpse of the un-contacted tribe.
Jim Crocker. "Boating in the Florida Keys."
Natural tidal channels allow boats to weave between islands and inlets on the Florida Keys.
Jean Christophe de Boissezon. "Mogotes in the Viales Valley of Cuba".
The fertile floor of the valley, covered in tobacco plants, is punctuated by these distinctive, rounded hills called mogotes.
Thank you to The Royal Geographical Society (with IBG). My Kilimajaro image is now on there Hidden Journeys web site.
If you enjoy the natural world this web site is worth a look and you can see the great work they are doing. Type in the address and explore! Personally I think it's amazing and for a photographer the imagery is inspiring. For a detailed description please read below.
The Royal Geographical Society (with IBG) has recently added more than 9,000 kilometres to its catalogue of flight paths on the Hidden Journeys website. Using stunning visual photography from the Society's collections, interactive maps and other online sources, the website takes visitors on an interactive journey to parts of the world beneath selected international flight paths.
The most recent addition to the website explores the fascinating cultures, physical landscapes and current political developments beneath the flight path from London Heathrow to Dar Es Salaam. From Heathrow, the flight path then explores the beautiful nation of Luxembourg, the striking landscapes of the Ligurian Coast, before crossing the Mediterranean and traversing most of Africa, eventually flying past Kilimanjaro and landing in the pulsing city of Dar es Salaam.
"From the cradle of humanity in Africa's Rift Valley to one of the world's financial centres in London, this new route offers people the chance to see how the human race has competed for, shaped and , on occasion, been overcome by the changing natural world" said Hidden Journeys project coordinator Ben Jarman.
'Millions of passengers fly every year, unaware of the fascinating parts of the Earth that they cross between departure and arrival,'
Jarman added. 'The Hidden Journeys website allows people to explore the patchwork of people and places under a particular flight paths, transforming their commute from A to B into a fascinating
journey through the scale and diversity found along the route.'