Lake/Island Combinations
June 11, 2007 9:06 PM Subscribe
Largest island in a lake on an island:
Pulau Samosir in Danau Toba on Sumatera (INA)
A lake which is also known as the caldera of the Toba supereruption of 73,000 years ago: 800 times as powerful as Krakatoa, ejected 3,000 cubic kilometres of ash, and almost wiped out Homo sapiens worldwide.
posted by Rumple at 9:19 PM on June 11, 2007 [1 favorite]
I saw this on reddit earlier and was trying to convey my excitement at the content to my roommate, I don't think she quite understands my love of geography trivia.
posted by Space Coyote at 9:23 PM on June 11, 2007
posted by Space Coyote at 9:23 PM on June 11, 2007
Bookmarked for the next time I am high.
posted by Bonzai at 9:25 PM on June 11, 2007 [4 favorites]
posted by Bonzai at 9:25 PM on June 11, 2007 [4 favorites]
This is the best post so far this year.
posted by Mr. President Dr. Steve Elvis America at 9:27 PM on June 11, 2007
posted by Mr. President Dr. Steve Elvis America at 9:27 PM on June 11, 2007
"Bookmarked for the next time I am high."
Indeed.
posted by The Light Fantastic at 9:31 PM on June 11, 2007
Indeed.
posted by The Light Fantastic at 9:31 PM on June 11, 2007
Truly awesome.
posted by equalpants at 9:31 PM on June 11, 2007
posted by equalpants at 9:31 PM on June 11, 2007
Hide for the next time I am booked.
posted by YoBananaBoy at 9:31 PM on June 11, 2007 [1 favorite]
posted by YoBananaBoy at 9:31 PM on June 11, 2007 [1 favorite]
neat!
One one of the pictures, i was having a hard time seeing the water as water and the ground as ground (the lake manitou one)
posted by empath at 9:32 PM on June 11, 2007
One one of the pictures, i was having a hard time seeing the water as water and the ground as ground (the lake manitou one)
posted by empath at 9:32 PM on June 11, 2007
Dang, The Light Fantastic, I think I just sent you this link. Looks like you saw it yourself.
*is useless*
posted by brundlefly at 9:39 PM on June 11, 2007
*is useless*
posted by brundlefly at 9:39 PM on June 11, 2007
Australia wants to be both an island and a continent please. Australia wants to be the biggest something.
posted by tellurian at 9:53 PM on June 11, 2007 [2 favorites]
posted by tellurian at 9:53 PM on June 11, 2007 [2 favorites]
Forgive my ignorance, but is there a dividing line? It seems to me like a continent is nothing more than the largest island on a continental plate, and we just call them "continents" by convention.
posted by brundlefly at 9:54 PM on June 11, 2007
posted by brundlefly at 9:54 PM on June 11, 2007
Australia wants to be both an island and a continent please. Australia wants to be the biggest something.
That's like the Governor of Rhode Island insisting he should be the mayor of Providence as well. Understandable, but sad.
posted by cortex at 10:03 PM on June 11, 2007 [1 favorite]
That's like the Governor of Rhode Island insisting he should be the mayor of Providence as well. Understandable, but sad.
posted by cortex at 10:03 PM on June 11, 2007 [1 favorite]
Ha! got one. Australia is the world's largest left-hand drive country.
posted by tellurian at 10:10 PM on June 11, 2007 [1 favorite]
posted by tellurian at 10:10 PM on June 11, 2007 [1 favorite]
Pulau Samosir in Danau Toba on Sumatera (INA)
A lake which is also known as the caldera of the Toba supereruption of 73,000 years ago: 800 times as powerful as Krakatoa, ejected 3,000 cubic kilometres of ash, and almost wiped out Homo sapiens worldwide.
Now they make great "Magic Mushroom Omlettes" there. Or so I hear.
posted by homunculus at 10:23 PM on June 11, 2007
A lake which is also known as the caldera of the Toba supereruption of 73,000 years ago: 800 times as powerful as Krakatoa, ejected 3,000 cubic kilometres of ash, and almost wiped out Homo sapiens worldwide.
Now they make great "Magic Mushroom Omlettes" there. Or so I hear.
posted by homunculus at 10:23 PM on June 11, 2007
This is like "he said that she said that she said that he said that she was going out with him" - my mind stops working partway through.
posted by ORthey at 10:27 PM on June 11, 2007
posted by ORthey at 10:27 PM on June 11, 2007
Truly the best of the web. Brings a tear to the eye. So much glee.
Islands and lakes and lakes and islands and everyone intermingling and...*fans self*
posted by batmonkey at 10:45 PM on June 11, 2007
Islands and lakes and lakes and islands and everyone intermingling and...*fans self*
posted by batmonkey at 10:45 PM on June 11, 2007
Cool!
posted by CitrusFreak12 at 10:59 PM on June 11, 2007
posted by CitrusFreak12 at 10:59 PM on June 11, 2007
*deep breath*
And... the... germ on the feather and the feather on the bird and the bird in the nest and the nest on the branch and the branch on the tree and the tree on the root and the root in the hole and the hole in the ground and the island in a lake on an island in a lake on an island in a lake and the green grass grows all around all around, and the green grass grows all around!
*passes out*
posted by Verdandi at 11:01 PM on June 11, 2007 [1 favorite]
And... the... germ on the feather and the feather on the bird and the bird in the nest and the nest on the branch and the branch on the tree and the tree on the root and the root in the hole and the hole in the ground and the island in a lake on an island in a lake on an island in a lake and the green grass grows all around all around, and the green grass grows all around!
*passes out*
posted by Verdandi at 11:01 PM on June 11, 2007 [1 favorite]
Here's where Crater Lake is in Google Maps. You can see Vulcan Point!
posted by nicwolff at 11:08 PM on June 11, 2007
posted by nicwolff at 11:08 PM on June 11, 2007
Australia wants to be the biggest something How about Biggest arsehole lying little shit prime minister?
posted by mattoxic at 11:16 PM on June 11, 2007 [1 favorite]
posted by mattoxic at 11:16 PM on June 11, 2007 [1 favorite]
Forgive my ignorance, but is there a dividing line?
They are actually made of different types of rock, and the formation processes are different. Continents are made of bits of continental rock (which is much thicker and, um, some other stuff, basaltsomething?) whereas islands are built from seabed generally by volcanic or other seismic activity. For example, New Zealand is technically an island built around a small core of continental rock that split from Gondwanaland really early on. Australia is pretty much all continental and split later.
It's more technical than that and I don't remember all the details (heh, I used to fall asleep a lot in my earth science lectures), but there are rules and classifications and physical stuff that make the dividing line fairly clear.
posted by shelleycat at 11:26 PM on June 11, 2007 [2 favorites]
They are actually made of different types of rock, and the formation processes are different. Continents are made of bits of continental rock (which is much thicker and, um, some other stuff, basaltsomething?) whereas islands are built from seabed generally by volcanic or other seismic activity. For example, New Zealand is technically an island built around a small core of continental rock that split from Gondwanaland really early on. Australia is pretty much all continental and split later.
It's more technical than that and I don't remember all the details (heh, I used to fall asleep a lot in my earth science lectures), but there are rules and classifications and physical stuff that make the dividing line fairly clear.
posted by shelleycat at 11:26 PM on June 11, 2007 [2 favorites]
This is the happiest on a continent with lakes and islands that is not home to the largest island in a lake on an island in a lake on an island I have ever been on an island in a lake!
posted by DyRE at 11:31 PM on June 11, 2007
posted by DyRE at 11:31 PM on June 11, 2007
Thanks, shelleycat!
posted by brundlefly at 11:33 PM on June 11, 2007
posted by brundlefly at 11:33 PM on June 11, 2007
Wikipedia image of the largest island in a lake on an island in a lake on an island.
posted by mulligan at 12:12 AM on June 12, 2007 [2 favorites]
posted by mulligan at 12:12 AM on June 12, 2007 [2 favorites]
I really should start looking things up. So many of my recent comments/answers have been this kind of vague half-remembered stuff and I can probably do better. But I was too busy thinking about lake islands I have known and generally enjoying the post.
posted by shelleycat at 12:12 AM on June 12, 2007
posted by shelleycat at 12:12 AM on June 12, 2007
Manitoulin Island rocks. Haw-eaters rock. If you seek a pleasant penninsula, fine, go to Michigan. But if it's an island you crave, Manitoulin is where it's at.
posted by Goofyy at 12:29 AM on June 12, 2007
posted by Goofyy at 12:29 AM on June 12, 2007
"Australia wants to be the biggest something How about Biggest arsehole lying little shit prime minister?"
Sorry. We got that one taped.
posted by Mr Bismarck at 12:34 AM on June 12, 2007
Sorry. We got that one taped.
posted by Mr Bismarck at 12:34 AM on June 12, 2007
re: mulligan's link above . . . now is that a bad-ass lair to own or what?
posted by Heywood Mogroot at 12:37 AM on June 12, 2007
posted by Heywood Mogroot at 12:37 AM on June 12, 2007
I'm guessin' the largest island proportional to the lake in which it finds itself.
posted by Rumple at 12:47 AM on June 12, 2007 [1 favorite]
posted by Rumple at 12:47 AM on June 12, 2007 [1 favorite]
I like Lake Toba. Some lovely woodcarvings done there, and beautiful scenery. But Kelimutu on Flores gets my vote for the coolest lakes. Not fun to get to, though.
posted by dreamsign at 1:06 AM on June 12, 2007
posted by dreamsign at 1:06 AM on June 12, 2007
I Like
posted by criticalbill at 1:14 AM on June 12, 2007
posted by criticalbill at 1:14 AM on June 12, 2007
I've been to Lake Toba too. Highly recommended. Although I nearly went mental because every time someone saw a tourist they'd pick up a guitar and sing "No Woman No Cry" to you.
posted by dydecker at 1:19 AM on June 12, 2007
posted by dydecker at 1:19 AM on June 12, 2007
Ha. That was great.
posted by BlackLeotardFront at 1:23 AM on June 12, 2007
posted by BlackLeotardFront at 1:23 AM on June 12, 2007
This made my day and made my head hurt--all at the same time.
posted by Life at Boulton Wynfevers at 1:27 AM on June 12, 2007
posted by Life at Boulton Wynfevers at 1:27 AM on June 12, 2007
I was thinking very nearly the same thing as Phire:
TEEEEE.
posted by endermunkee at 1:43 AM on June 12, 2007
TEEEEE.
posted by endermunkee at 1:43 AM on June 12, 2007
Sorta kinda related, only political geography rather than physical geography:
Cooch Behar is an area in the northwest border of India and Bangladesh. Along this border there are almost 200 'enclaves', in which pieces of land that are politically part of India or Bangladesh are physically entirely enclosed by the other country. I.e., they are 'islands' of one country floating in the 'sea' of another country. Over a score are 'counter' enclaves: 'islands' within other 'islands'. One is a counter-counter enclave: a tiny island of India inside an island of Bangladesh inside an island of India inside Bangladesh proper.
The situation causes problems for the enclaves' inhabitants. For example, they need a visa just to get to another part of their own country.
So far, efforts to resolve this mess have failed.
The wonderful Strange Maps blog has been on Metafilter before.
posted by Slithy_Tove at 2:49 AM on June 12, 2007 [3 favorites]
Cooch Behar is an area in the northwest border of India and Bangladesh. Along this border there are almost 200 'enclaves', in which pieces of land that are politically part of India or Bangladesh are physically entirely enclosed by the other country. I.e., they are 'islands' of one country floating in the 'sea' of another country. Over a score are 'counter' enclaves: 'islands' within other 'islands'. One is a counter-counter enclave: a tiny island of India inside an island of Bangladesh inside an island of India inside Bangladesh proper.
The situation causes problems for the enclaves' inhabitants. For example, they need a visa just to get to another part of their own country.
So far, efforts to resolve this mess have failed.
The wonderful Strange Maps blog has been on Metafilter before.
posted by Slithy_Tove at 2:49 AM on June 12, 2007 [3 favorites]
If Australia were to count, the largest island would be mainland Eurasia anyhow.
posted by mendel at 6:23 AM on June 12, 2007
posted by mendel at 6:23 AM on June 12, 2007
Great, I've been to Taal Lake! However, much as I would enjoy Star Trek references for any Philippine tourist spot, it's actually called Volcano Island (bulkan in the native tongue). And that crater right there is actually a volcano. Taal Volcano.
posted by Lush at 6:27 AM on June 12, 2007
posted by Lush at 6:27 AM on June 12, 2007
Great post; it reminds me of the little known bit of trivia that the biggest city in the biggest county in the biggest state east of the Mississippi is this town.
posted by TedW at 7:23 AM on June 12, 2007
posted by TedW at 7:23 AM on June 12, 2007
Great post. Not quite the same thing, but this article from the NYTimes a few years ago made me laugh.
A FLOATING island in Springfield, Mass has given a few homeowners on a lake a headache. Cool map of island movement included!
posted by JBennett at 7:42 AM on June 12, 2007
A FLOATING island in Springfield, Mass has given a few homeowners on a lake a headache. Cool map of island movement included!
posted by JBennett at 7:42 AM on June 12, 2007
::Applauds. Sings "There's a Hole in the Bottom of the Sea"::
This is why I'm hooked on the 'Filter. Best of the blue.
posted by kosem at 7:54 AM on June 12, 2007
This is why I'm hooked on the 'Filter. Best of the blue.
posted by kosem at 7:54 AM on June 12, 2007
the largest island proportional to the lake in which it finds itself.
"He's heading towards that small lake".
"That's no lake..."
I prefer to think of it as a river crafted by Escher.
posted by CynicalKnight at 7:59 AM on June 12, 2007
"He's heading towards that small lake".
"That's no lake..."
I prefer to think of it as a river crafted by Escher.
posted by CynicalKnight at 7:59 AM on June 12, 2007
...it reminds me of the little known bit of trivia that the biggest city in the biggest county in the biggest state east of the Mississippi is this town.
Or not.
posted by srt19170 at 8:07 AM on June 12, 2007
Or not.
posted by srt19170 at 8:07 AM on June 12, 2007
This makes me silly-happy. Similar to the effect of kittens.
posted by Arturus at 8:15 AM on June 12, 2007
posted by Arturus at 8:15 AM on June 12, 2007
I stand corrected; it appears Ware County is larger than Burke County by 71 square miles. Makes me wonder what other things I might be wrong about.
posted by TedW at 8:16 AM on June 12, 2007
posted by TedW at 8:16 AM on June 12, 2007
The geeky centers of my brain are all lit up with happy.
posted by chimaera at 8:39 AM on June 12, 2007
posted by chimaera at 8:39 AM on June 12, 2007
Excellent.
posted by jacquilynne at 9:14 AM on June 12, 2007
posted by jacquilynne at 9:14 AM on June 12, 2007
Man, this would make such the awesome Jeopardy category: "I'll take Island, Lake, Recursive for 1000 Alex".
posted by Ogre Lawless at 10:26 AM on June 12, 2007
posted by Ogre Lawless at 10:26 AM on June 12, 2007
This makes my brain feel the same as that "Buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo" thing.
posted by bDiddy at 10:30 AM on June 12, 2007
posted by bDiddy at 10:30 AM on June 12, 2007
Sometimes I wish I weren't such a skeptic. This is the kind of thing that would be incredibly awesome to me, if I didn't keep asking myself, "How the hell do they know these are the largest x's! Prove it!"
posted by gubo at 10:34 AM on June 12, 2007
posted by gubo at 10:34 AM on June 12, 2007
Take any puddle of water anywhere in the world. Travel along a great circle route and you will end up on the other side of the puddle. Topologically, the puddle surrounds the entire planet with all land masses and bodies of water falling into the lake/island/lake pattern.
For almost all puddles, this would add only a couple more layers onto the Vulcan Point/Crater Lake combination. I've been trying to work out something for a puddle on Vulcan Point that would make it unique, but it seems it would be like every other puddle in terms of the lake/island combination, wouldn't it?
posted by forrest at 10:34 AM on June 12, 2007
For almost all puddles, this would add only a couple more layers onto the Vulcan Point/Crater Lake combination. I've been trying to work out something for a puddle on Vulcan Point that would make it unique, but it seems it would be like every other puddle in terms of the lake/island combination, wouldn't it?
posted by forrest at 10:34 AM on June 12, 2007
Possibly the best post I've seen on metafilter ever.
Well done!
posted by thatwhichfalls at 6:36 PM on June 12, 2007
Well done!
posted by thatwhichfalls at 6:36 PM on June 12, 2007
Whoa ... dude, but like, isn't this whole concept really a Yes cover?
posted by Relay at 7:01 PM on June 12, 2007 [1 favorite]
posted by Relay at 7:01 PM on June 12, 2007 [1 favorite]
Wish I had known that fact when I went to Taal Lake. I could have impressed those in my group.
posted by vagabond at 4:50 AM on June 13, 2007
posted by vagabond at 4:50 AM on June 13, 2007
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posted by cortex at 9:10 PM on June 11, 2007