Final Post

Hey there! Welcome back to the exploration of the world-renown "must visit before you die" vacation spot in the world.  The island or Bora Bora!

Now as I've stated before, yes the island is a place for a beautiful escape from reality but it is far more than that geographically.  This island is extremely unique from its vividly transparent waters, to its original landscape and ecosystems, and we can't forget its unmatched climate and weather!  All of these factors have shaped Bora Bora into what it is today!  

Bora Bora was created due to the eruption of a volcano from the sea floor and as the volcano sank back into the Pacific Ocean, a ring of coral reefs, formed to mark the coastline for the modern island that we have today!

Beautiful aerial shot of Bora Bora and the two erupted volcanoes of Mount Pahia and Mount Otemanu!

Bora Bora 10,000 Years from Now:

Trying to predict the future is an interesting thing, its also a terrifying reality check.  Right now in the year 2014 the island is a perfect tropical vacation luxury,  but in 10,000 years it might be a long lost memory.  As stated early in this blog series,  Bora Bora is located right along the equator line (water locked in the Pacific Ocean) which is what makes it such a perfect vacation spot, but this could possibly be the reason for its extinction in the future.  With the greenhouse gas effect melting the polar ice caps this island in the ocean will eventually be under the sea.  According to Richard B. Alley, a climate scientist at Pennsylvania State University who has studied the polar ice sheets for decades, "while a large rise of the sea may now be inevitable from West Antarctica, continued release of greenhouse gases will almost certainly make the situation worse. The heat-trapping gases could destabilize other parts of Antarctica as well as the Greenland ice sheet, potentially causing enough sea-level rise that many of the world’s coastal cities would eventually have to be abandoned."

This image shows how drastically the Polar Ice cap is melting.

 

Bora Bora 1,000,000 Years from Now:
With the information provided early its pretty clear what Bora Bora would look like in a million years.... yup that's right you, you guessed it! Its underwater!  By this time, if the greenhouse effect continues, the Polar Ice cap will have melted thus increases the sea level enough to swallow the island.  In a million years plate tectonics will provide different types of landmasses from the modern day world.  This means that the tiny little island will most likely be destroyed or move along the sea bed with the Australian Plate.

What the world is predicted to look like 150 million years from today.

Bora Bora 100,000,000 Years from Now:
Thinking this far into the future, nothing is going to happen for certain or on a set pattern but scientist have made their best predictions and assumptions based on the past and the present of the earth's geographical patterns.  By this time the tiny volcanic island in the Pacific Ocean will be long gone.  With all of the plate shifts and increase in water in the world Bora Bora will no longer be anything but a part of the sea floor, most likely still a corral reef or a large sand bar.  Such a sad end to a beautiful place!  I would suggest making a trip there before its gone (you still have plenty of time).

I hop you all have enjoyed the journey of exploring the island of Bora Bora and I hope if you do ever visit this magnificent place make sure to think about all the things we've talked about and discovered!

There won't be a next time due to this is my final blog, but once again and always;
Peace and Love!

Blog Post 3

Welcome Back!

Every time I come back to continue our exploration of this wonderful island I get goosebumps because there is so much to learn and discover.

This blog we will be exploring several different aspects of the island an how they make it the unique and extraordinary region it is.

Now if you didn't know, Bora Bora is known for its exotic beach resorts and has major vacation appeal because of its wonderful weather during the winter months throughout the world.  As you can see from the chart below, the island has its highest temperatures from December through April! 

Bora Bora's average annual temperatures

The equator is located at 0 degrees Latitude and Bora Bora's coordinates are 16.4944° S, 151.7364° W.  I  bring this to your attention because there are things called climate zones which are created because of global isolation.  Bora Bora resides in the Equatorial and tropical climate zone which has relativity has a wet and a dry season.  If you live in the Northern hemisphere the island's season would be opposite to those that we are used to.

Something that makes Bora Bora an great location for a vacation is the fact that there is rarely any cyclones or hurricanes.  French Polynesia is on the eastern edge of the South Pacific cyclone/hurricane belt. So it's rare to have cyclones in Bora Bora. Historically, storms caused by tropical depressions and other El Nino effects have usually occurred in February and March. The last one to pass through Bora Bora was in early 2010.

Calm waters and rare cyclone and hurricane weather allows these bungalows to be built on the island with little worry.

Although humans have made this island a main vacation spot, they have done rather well not destroying or damaging its natural habitat and climate.  Global climate change is happening but this island's climate hasn't been affected majorly yet.  It maintains its 80 degree weather nearly all year long and even though the island is becoming more popular its environment seems to be safe.

 Thanks for joining me on the geographical exploration and study of the island of Bora Bora!

Until next time y'all,

Peace and Love! 

2nd Blog Post:

Hey there, welcome back to the exploration of the beautiful island of Bora Bora! Last time we looked at the location of Bora Bora and its volcanic origins.

This week, we will be discussing the many different types of geographical features that the island has to offer.
        The definition of an island according to Webster's dictionary is," A tract of land surrounded by water and smaller than a continent".  I wanted to clarify this with my readers because the subject of this blog is the hydrology of Bora Bora. 

You may not know this but the earth's surface is about 71 percent water, and of that 97.2 percent of that is our oceans.  This is all very important because Bora Bora is located in the middle of the Pacific Ocean which gives it a unique climate and habitat.  

This is an aerial view of the island of Bora Bora, showing that the entire island is surrounded by the ocean.

 Rainfall is also a major part of Bora Bora's very tropical climate and a main reason the island has plenty of rainforest and vegetation.  Bora Bora receives on average 9 inches of rain per month.  With the combination of rainfall and the ocean, and the type of bodies of water it has are called lagoons.  Lagoons are described as an area of sea water that is separated from the ocean by a reef or sandbar.  Sandbars and reefs are types of landforms that are abundant around the island itself.

Lagoon off the coast of Bora Bora, shows the difference between the water in the ocean and the lagoon.  Large sandbar helps separate the ocean water from coastal lagoons.

 

The main attraction of the island is the gigantic Mt. Otemanu!  This beautiful landmark reaches over 7,822 feet at its peak!  If you take a close look at the mountain, you can see several types of weathering and rock decay!  For example, if you look at the picture below you can see many joints that are separating the rock.  Its also very obvious that there is salt decay with all the white spots all over the mountain.  The salt I would assume would be coming from the ocean since the island is surrounded by it.  

Mt. Otemanu is not only eye-candy but it is also a great example of joints and salt decay.

 Thanks for joining me on the geographical exploration and study of the island of Bora Bora!

Until next time y'all,

Peace and Love! 

First Blog Post:

Hey there welcome back to my exploration of the beautiful island or Bora Bora! Now most of us may now this place as an exotic vacation spot with gorgeous beaches and indescribable landscapes but there is a lot more than that I promise.

The remains of the volcano that erupted to create most of the island of Bora Bora. 

The island of Bora Bora is mainly or volcanic origin, and by this I mean that the island has several layers of Igneous rocks which are formed from the cooling and crystallization of magma that was produced from the eruption of the volcano.  The center of the island are the remaining peaks of the extinct volcano; Mount Pahia and Mount Otemanu.    As long as we are on the topic of volcanoes, let's discuss the region in which Bora Bora lies within... THE RING OF FIRE!

The Ring of Fire is the term used for the massive amounts of volcanoes around the Pacific Ocean along major tectonic plates.

The Ring of Fire effects about 9 different tectonic plates throughout the entire world.

  

Centered in the island are the remains of an extinct volcano, split into two distinct black stone peaks, Mount Pahia and Mount Otemanu. Pahia is the shorter of the pair, at 2,165 feet, while Otemanu tops out at 2,379 feet. - See more at: http://www.beautifulworld.com/oceania/french-polynesia/bora-bora#sthash.K6p6NR1T.dpuf

Centered in the island are the remains of an extinct volcano, split into two distinct black stone peaks, Mount Pahia and Mount Otemanu. Pahia is the shorter of the pair, at 2,165 feet, while Otemanu tops out at 2,379 feet. - See more at: http://www.beautifulworld.com/oceania/french-polynesia/bora-bora#sthash.K6p6NR1T.dpuf

Centered in the island are the remains of an extinct volcano, split into two distinct black stone peaks, Mount Pahia and Mount Otemanu. Pahia is the shorter of the pair, at 2,165 feet, while Otemanu tops out at 2,379 feet. - See more at: http://www.beautifulworld.com/oceania/french-polynesia/bora-bora#sthash.K6p6NR1T.dpuf

Centered in the island are the remains of an extinct volcano, split into two distinct black stone peaks, Mount Pahia and Mount Otemanu. Pahia is the shorter of the pair, at 2,165 feet, while Otemanu tops out at 2,379 feet. - See more at: http://www.beautifulworld.com/oceania/french-polynesia/bora-bora#sthash.K6p6NR1T.dpuf

Centered in the island are the remains of an extinct volcano, split into two distinct black stone peaks, Mount Pahia and Mount Otemanu. Pahia is the shorter of the pair, at 2,165 feet, while Otemanu tops out at 2,379 feet. - See more at: http://www.beautifulworld.com/oceania/french-polynesia/bora-bora#sthash.K6p6NR1T.dpuf

Centered in the island are the remains of an extinct volcano, split into two distinct black stone peaks, Mount Pahia and Mount Otemanu. Pahia is the shorter of the pair, at 2,165 feet, while Otemanu tops out at 2,379 feet. - See more at: http://www.beautifulworld.com/oceania/french-polynesia/bora-bora#sthash.K6p6NR1T.dpuf

Centered in the island are the remains of an extinct volcano, split into two distinct black stone peaks, Mount Pahia and Mount Otemanu. Pahia is the shorter of the pair, at 2,165 feet, while Otemanu tops out at 2,379 feet. - See more at: http://www.beautifulworld.com/oceania/french-polynesia/bora-bora#sthash.K6p6NR1T.dpuf

Centered in the island are the remains of an extinct volcano, split into two distinct black stone peaks, Mount Pahia and Mount Otemanu. Pahia is the shorter of the pair, at 2,165 feet, while Otemanu tops out at 2,379 feet. - See more at: http://www.beautifulworld.com/oceania/french-polynesia/bora-bora#sthash.K6p6NR1T.dpuf

Centered in the island are the remains of an extinct volcano, split into two distinct black stone peaks, Mount Pahia and Mount Otemanu. Pahia is the shorter of the pair, at 2,165 feet, while Otemanu tops out at 2,379 feet. - See more at: http://www.beautifulworld.com/oceania/french-polynesia/bora-bora#sthash.K6p6NR1T.dpuf

Centered in the island are the remains of an extinct volcano, split into two distinct black stone peaks, Mount Pahia and Mount Otemanu. Pahia is the shorter of the pair, at 2,165 feet, while Otemanu tops out at 2,379 feet. - See more at: http://www.beautifulworld.com/oceania/french-polynesia/bora-bora#sthash.K6p6NR1T.dpuf

Centered in the island are the remains of an extinct volcano, split into two distinct black stone peaks, Mount Pahia and Mount Otemanu. Pahia is the shorter of the pair, at 2,165 feet, while Otemanu tops out at 2,379 feet. - See more at: http://www.beautifulworld.com/oceania/french-polynesia/bora-bora#sthash.K6p6NR1T.dpuf

Centered in the island are the remains of an extinct volcano, split into two distinct black stone peaks, Mount Pahia and Mount Otemanu. Pahia is the shorter of the pair, at 2,165 feet, while Otemanu tops out at 2,379 feet. - See more at: http://www.beautifulworld.com/oceania/french-polynesia/bora-bora#sthash.K6p6NR1T.dpuf

Centered in the island are the remains of an extinct volcano, split into two distinct black stone peaks, Mount Pahia and Mount Otemanu. Pahia is the shorter of the pair, at 2,165 feet, while Otemanu tops out at 2,379 feet. - See more at: http://www.beautifulworld.com/oceania/french-polynesia/bora-bora#sthash.K6p6NR1T.dpuf

Centered in the island are the remains of an extinct volcano, split into two distinct black stone peaks, Mount Pahia and Mount Otemanu. Pahia is the shorter of the pair, at 2,165 feet, while Otemanu tops out at 2,379 feet. - See more at: http://www.beautifulworld.com/oceania/french-polynesia/bora-bora#sthash.K6p6NR1T.dpuf

Centered in the island are the remains of an extinct volcano, split into two distinct black stone peaks, Mount Pahia and Mount Otemanu. Pahia is the shorter of the pair, at 2,165 feet, while Otemanu tops out at 2,379 feet. - See more at: http://www.beautifulworld.com/oceania/french-polynesia/bora-bora#sthash.K6p6NR1T.dpuf

Centered in the island are the remains of an extinct volcano, split into two distinct black stone peaks, Mount Pahia and Mount Otemanu. Pahia is the shorter of the pair, at 2,165 feet, while Otemanu tops out at 2,379 feet. - See more at: http://www.beautifulworld.com/oceania/french-polynesia/bora-bora#sthash.K6p6NR1T.dpuf

Now the term "Ring of Fire" is just a simplified way to describe the process of constant convergence of tectonic plates, which is plates collide into each other and one will go under as the other goes over creating shifts in land mass and oceanic topography.  Bora Bora is right along the Indo-Austalian Plate which means that the island could eventually be moved far from its origin today.  With all of the convergence going on along these plates, this is why there is an extreme amount of volcanic creation.

Well that's it for now everyone, I'll be back in the next few weeks to explore the beautify island of Bora Bora.

Until next time y'all,
Peace and Love! 

Centered in the island are the remains of an extinct volcano, split into two distinct black stone peaks, Mount Pahia and Mount Otemanu. Pahia is the shorter of the pair, at 2,165 feet, while Otemanu tops out at 2,379 feet. - See more at: http://www.beautifulworld.com/oceania/french-polynesia/bora-bora#sthash.K6p6NR1T.dp

Centered in the island are the remains of an extinct volcano, split into two distinct black stone peaks, Mount Pahia and Mount Otemanu. Pahia is the shorter of the pair, at 2,165 feet, while Otemanu tops out at 2,379 feet. - See more at: http://www.beautifulworld.com/oceania/french-polynesia/bora-bora#sthash.K6p

Intro Blog:

Hey there, my name is Aaron Franklin Freyta and I am currently a sophomore at the University of Colorado at Denver.  As of right now, I'm pursuing a degree in History with a Secondary Schooling Licensure.  I aspire to become a high school teacher while also coaching ,my one true love, high school football.  Currently I am employed as a freshman football coach at my Alma modern Columbine High School, and I love every minute of it.

Freshman Football Defensive Back Core Plus Aaron Freyta at the end of win number two.

 Okay, enough about me.  The location that I have decided to select is the beautiful island of Bora Bora!  I chose this place because of its incredible geographical features and its beauty is second to none, and to be honest I have wanted to visit here for my entire life.  Can't wait to discover what this island has to offer.  

A gorgeous aerial shot of the island of Bora Bora. 

 
Until next time y'all, peace and love!

Aaron Freyta