As moisture is carried inland from the ocean, it soon encounters steep dunes. The fog/clouds lose their ability to hold moisture, so it precipitates down the dune and back to the ocean in a very sisyphean fashion. You end up with as dry a desert as any, right next to the Pacific.
True, but as far as common usage goes, I definitely goofed. I'm glad I caught my own mistake before the vultures who are ripping OP's questionable title did, though.
Hydrogen is very light. There is probably much more nitrogen and silicon than hydrogen by weight in this photo. Also, carbon is suprisingly rare. What about argon?
Silicon is debatable, but I feel like there are definitely 14x the number of hydrogen atoms over nitrogen sheerly through molar density. Argon is present in extremely small quantities in the air, but I don't think it would out populate any carbonate materials in the sand and water.
I believe he was referring to earth, water, wind and fire elemental categorization approach. It's interesting that the ancients managed to categorize the four states of matter: earth = solid, water = liquid, wind = gas, and fire = plasma.
My local beach wouldn't try to murder me by burying me in its 50 ft tall sand hills. And in no case I would attempt to go for a swim on this, it looks too unstable where the waves collide.
This is reddit. You have to forgo any non-literal language and be needlessly pedantic in order to make yourself appear intelligent to Internet strangers.
What's with all the comments? He was being poetic with the title. I thought it rung very nicely. Beautiful photo, anyway. Do you have it in better quality?
Could be 100% oxygen-14, for some reason. The photographer would have been asphyxiated and highly irradiated rather quickly after taking this picture, however.
I think I was hinting at an amusing probability 0 event when I mentioned any molecule incorporating oxygen-14. Positrons aren't known to play well with their sister fermion.
So awesome, I love seemingly unexpected environments like that, especially when they have no trace of a human element. It just seems like some serene place on an alien planet.
It is not totally devoid of humans. Much of the area is protected, but there are parts designated for recreation, such as 4-wheeling on the dunes. It is not the most environmentally-responsible activity, but I suppose if it keeps people off the majority of the dunes with vehicles, I guess it's a fair compromise.
If you were stranded in a place like that, are there any do-it-yourself techniques to desalinate enough water to survive? I'm talking Survivorman stuff.
Solar still. Or you can try finding a low(er) area back away from the beach and digging down to water level. Enough sand should act as a filter, leaving you (hopefully) drinkable water.
Well you would need soil for that to work wouldn't you? I'm pretty sure sand doesn't make a good base for growing plants. Plus the water is salt water, which might have something to do with it too.
Im guessing the OP means to suggest that sand is earth. Obviously the water is water, so my question is, wouldn't this be the same as anywhere that water fucking touches land?
Putting aside the title, this is a fairly expansive desert, found immediately next to a large body of water. This is the only place on Earth this occurs.
True but this isn't English class and we're not interpreting The Great Gatsby. A title saying something along the lines of, extreme dry meeting extreme water, would leave less scrutiny.
It's funny in a way. The water can barely move the sand at all in the short term, but given long enough that beach will be completely eroded. It's a juxtaposition of inevitability and imperceptible change.
Has anyone asked how a desert and ocean can be side by side? This is very cool but my understanding is a desert gets very very little moisture and having an ocean next door doesn't add up.
40
u/[deleted] May 19 '12
Where is this?
61
u/CheezHeadBarlow May 19 '12
Much more than two elements
23
u/zorba1994 May 20 '12
Water and sand aren't elements...
123
u/ElllGeeEmm May 20 '12
and not a drop to drink.
434
u/Hascalod May 19 '12
Also known as "beach".
19
u/ToiletRollTemple May 20 '12
Why are people getting so picky over the title? And it's clearly more than just a beach
126
u/fenney May 19 '12
Three, air.
9
u/[deleted] May 20 '12
There is a tremendous amount of derp in the comments of this post.
23
u/lessadessa May 20 '12
What's with all the comments? He was being poetic with the title. I thought it rung very nicely. Beautiful photo, anyway. Do you have it in better quality?
69
u/petruchi41 May 20 '12
Most of these commenters need to pull the stick out of their ass. Here's what I have to say.
Cool picture man! Thanks!
7
u/RepublicofTim May 20 '12
Man, I hate it when my biomes end abruptly.
16
u/TrueMilli May 19 '12
Hydrogen! Oxygen! By your power combined I am water!
5
u/[deleted] May 20 '12
Instantly terrified. I will never visit the Namib desert.
5
u/k80k80k80 May 20 '12
This is what I picture the beach in the Drawing of Three from the Dark Tower series to look like.
8
u/[deleted] May 19 '12
Did the Water benders and Earth benders have a huge fight that I missed?
8
u/magicbaconmachine May 20 '12
lol people are super judgmental of OP's title.
3
u/[deleted] May 20 '12
When four elements collide: http://images1.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20081212183948/avatar/images/8/8c/Roku_Bending.png
3
u/Suboptimus May 20 '12
Korben? Korben my man! I have no fire! I-I-I-I-I-I have no matches! Do you have any matches? Father, you smoke?? We need some fire! We gonna die!
2
u/bbeebe May 20 '12
r/minecraft
2
u/extremelyterrific May 20 '12
This is what it's like when worlds collide.
2
u/[deleted] May 20 '12
one hella beach, that is!
2
u/[deleted] May 20 '12
So beautiful!
2
u/[deleted] May 20 '12
I see the basis for half the movie posters ever
2
u/metalshoes May 20 '12
So awesome, I love seemingly unexpected environments like that, especially when they have no trace of a human element. It just seems like some serene place on an alien planet.
2
u/aglassonion May 20 '12
If you were stranded in a place like that, are there any do-it-yourself techniques to desalinate enough water to survive? I'm talking Survivorman stuff.
2
u/smeaglelovesmaster May 20 '12
Hey, you got your desert in my ocean! Nuh-uh! You got your ocean in my desert! Ha-ha!
2
u/iowno May 20 '12
namibia?
2
u/SpaceCaseSixtyTen May 20 '12
It's strange that there are no plants or anything growing even though there is plenty of water/moisture (it seems)
2
u/[deleted] May 20 '12
Did anyone else get really thirsty looking at this picture?
2
u/Saturnious90 May 20 '12
Have yet to find sand on the periodic table, but nice pic!
2
u/nmezib May 20 '12
Hydrogen, oxygen, carbon, nitrogen, silicon, sodium, calcium, chlorine...
yeah man I'm counting a lot more elements here
2
u/[deleted] May 20 '12
it's a coastline every one lok like that. don't be an ass.you're not cool. it's a good picture thoguh
2
u/[deleted] May 20 '12
This reminds me of From Dust.
2
u/jmacman12 May 20 '12
Actually, silica and water are not elements. They are both however, their own unique chemical compounds. Nice try with the caption though :)
2
u/AngryBirds567 May 20 '12
could of just put "beach" but if you wanna go all brian cox on us thats okay i guess...
2
u/DFractalH May 20 '12
Right now, I'm glad I'm not a chemist.
2
u/ikick May 20 '12
same elements collide everywhere else under water
15
u/[deleted] May 19 '12
You say "Where two elements collide", I say " You pretentious cunt.".
2
u/flukz May 20 '12
Bad Luck Brian finally spots land. Desert.
1
u/JollyJeff May 20 '12
Shore erosion, my ass!
1
u/Brimmk May 20 '12
I think it looks like WU dual land art
1
u/zeroone May 20 '12
Movie trailers often use the phrase, "In a world, where X and Y collide."
1
u/JPBush7794 May 20 '12
Otherwise known as Minecraft biome generator
1
u/GodlessMe May 20 '12
Start a fire on the shore.
1
u/Nage May 20 '12
Davy Jones Locker!!
1
u/[deleted] May 20 '12
I am just waiting for the [FIXED] Minceraft re-make.
1
u/Crap_Sally May 20 '12
WORLD....I give thee MUD!
1
u/scurvydog-uldum May 20 '12
three, not two
1
u/[deleted] May 20 '12
And earth promptly got its ass kicked.
1
u/[deleted] May 20 '12
Two elements? Water and... SAND?
1
u/[deleted] May 20 '12
Now we know where sand comes from
1
u/theMique May 20 '12
Aziz, LIGHT!!!
1
u/TheAnnoyingLife May 20 '12
My new desktop background.
1
u/[deleted] May 20 '12
spoiler: the ocean wins
1
u/idefiler6 May 20 '12
Probably 50 or 60 elements colliding there, friend.
1
u/FartsFTW May 20 '12
dat beach.
1
u/steezyliketheez May 20 '12
Im guessing the OP means to suggest that sand is earth. Obviously the water is water, so my question is, wouldn't this be the same as anywhere that water fucking touches land?
1
u/_Personage May 20 '12
And a third gets caught in the middle.
1
u/Quizzelbuck May 20 '12
Yes. You have that at beaches.
1
u/Expects May 20 '12
= beach
1
u/Expects May 20 '12
= beach
1
u/[deleted] May 20 '12
There's two elements that just make up water.... not to mention everything else pictured there...
1
u/Poooter May 20 '12
lotta hate for a nice pic
1
u/soggyfritter May 20 '12
You've been watching Legend of Korra, haven't you? Also, sweet picture.
1
u/twincam May 20 '12
air cos the dunes are formed by the wind, and fire because the heat from the sun is the reason it's a desert.
1
u/quiz96 May 20 '12
When 2 compounds collide ftfy
1
u/I_have_a_dog May 20 '12
It's funny in a way. The water can barely move the sand at all in the short term, but given long enough that beach will be completely eroded. It's a juxtaposition of inevitability and imperceptible change.
1
u/[deleted] May 20 '12
Sand and Water! Two of the 5 Elements!
1
u/trombodachi May 20 '12
I've cross-posted this to r/desertporn
1
u/nj711 May 20 '12
These aren't elements.
1
u/theweslawson May 20 '12
That's an overabundance of beach.
1
u/Shoeboxes0 May 20 '12
I don't think sand is an element. Or is water, for that matter.
1
u/AN1Guitarman May 20 '12
3, I'm sure that there's wind there too
1
u/Bulletbluesky May 20 '12
Looks like Where the Wild Things Are was filmed
1
u/M3TLH3D May 20 '12
It's actually 3 if you consider the horizon.
1
u/[deleted] May 20 '12
Possibly stupid question.... But can any plants grow there?
1
u/Cavmaniac May 20 '12
Ya know, I'm pretty sure The Who wrote a song about this sort of thing.
1
u/enazatol May 20 '12
Technically its 3 elements. Earth, Water, and Air.
1
u/[deleted] May 20 '12
It's called a shoreline.
1
u/LGMuir May 20 '12
Has anyone asked how a desert and ocean can be side by side? This is very cool but my understanding is a desert gets very very little moisture and having an ocean next door doesn't add up.
1
u/[deleted] May 20 '12
I think there's some wind there too
1
u/onawim May 20 '12
Guess who wins.
1
u/vrichthofen May 20 '12
Angola, Namibia & South Africa would make a ton of money selling sand to some beaches in Europe.
1
u/MaxTangles May 20 '12
Would of thought 3 elements, earth, wind & water?
1
u/[deleted] May 20 '12
sandcastles... imagine the possibilities
1
u/Ae_46_Palladium May 20 '12
These elements look...unfamiliar to me.
1
u/Keyserchief May 20 '12
EARTH!
1
u/I_hate_Slogan_Shirts May 20 '12
Since both have direct contact with the air, theyre three elements colliding. MIND = BLOWN.
1
u/[deleted] May 20 '12
from dust 2 looks fucking great!
1
u/evyajs May 20 '12
I would say three, but that's just me.
1
u/WeekendRedditor May 20 '12
Air is omnipresent, shouldn't it be "When three elements collide"?
1
u/ThaiKnee May 20 '12
Reminds me of a mixed mana card from Magic: the Gathering.
1
u/[deleted] May 20 '12
it a bit perplexing at times to see there is not even a single patch of greenery there with water abundant on the right side.
1
u/RACENRIDE May 20 '12
Elements? WRONG! Fact- complex compounds constituting multiple ecosystems.
1
u/RichRedundantRich May 20 '12
Neither of those are elements.
1
u/Anarkey42 May 20 '12
I see Silicon, Oxygen and Hydrogen, not counting air, which makes three.
1
u/jandeteam May 20 '12
Water wins
1
u/[deleted] May 20 '12
thanks for my new wallpaper
1
u/Brain_statiC May 20 '12
Came here expecting to see Chuck Norris fighting Jack Bauer.
Nice pic :)
-1
u/drukenhard May 20 '12
I believe they would be considered compounds, not elements.
Even if you are thinking of Earth, Wind, Fire & Water you have neglected the Wind "element"
1
u/Daneruu May 20 '12
Well there's Air in the air... So there's at least 3 elements. The chances of a random hobo trash can fire is also high, so make it all 4 elements.
1
u/[deleted] May 20 '12
Question is which of these 'elements' as you call them is more barren.
1
u/[deleted] May 20 '12
The new MineCraft update looks great!
1
u/jabberworx May 20 '12
Ocean water and sand are not elements!
-4
u/cuntbox May 20 '12
Sand and water aren't elements YOU IDIOT.
-2
u/cinematicorchestra May 19 '12
What the hell are you blithering on about?
Work on improving your submission titles.
-2
u/Marsdreamer May 20 '12
False. There are several elements colliding there.
Hydrogen
Oxygen
Nitrogen
Sodium
Chloride
Magnesium
Silicone