Ķemeri National Park, Latvia
© Sven Zacek/Minden Pictures
Ķemeri National Park, Latvia
There’s a lot going on below the surface of this beautiful bog in the Baltic country of Latvia. In a bog—a wetland also called a quagmire or a muskeg—the landscape is so saturated that it restricts the flow of oxygen from the atmosphere, which causes plant matter to slowly decay, eventually forming peat. It may not sound pleasant, but this mucky terrain is certainly useful. As peat accumulates in the spongey, wet environment, it serves as a carbon sink, absorbing harmful carbon dioxide. Once harvested, peat proves its worth as a fuel source and lends that smoky taste to scotch whisky. In recent years, peat bogs have become the, er, grounds for the sport of bog snorkeling. Let’s hope the brave competitors have good goggles.
Related Images
An old farm in the Shetland Islands, Scotland
Mua Caves in the Ninh Bình province of Vietnam
The Cove of Spires in Kenai Fjords National Park near Seward, Alaska
A rider hunts with an eagle in the Altai Mountains of Mongolia
Path to San Juan de Gaztelugatxe, Basque Country, Spain, for the 'Game of Thrones' premiere
Rajgad Fort near Pune, India
Shoreline near Tofino on Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada
The village of Aguerd Oudad and the larger town of Tafraout in Morocco
Bing Today Images
