The sound of old garden birds is far away There’s a person who doesn’t come back I sat on the side of the road. *** How many green trees lộc Turn your back to me Only time left Give a sunrise every day. *** I pour the morning into a cup Pink finger spread time That’s it, an old appointment Has turned into mossy sediment… *** Thanks for the stay The hand that opens and closes the Sun The cup is full of sunshine I put a new day on my lips. Comments Ngo Thi Y Nhi’s poem has a unique feature in the four poems because of its different feelings about time. Normally, linear time, always passing, never comes back. Everything changes in the footsteps of time. Yet here, time stops with me, when everything passes. That sense of time is clearly contrary to the natural laws of the universe. Why so? As it turned out, the girl’s mood had determined the existence of time, changing the laws of nature. The hair is no longer green, the garden is old, the old people are far away, the oath has become mossy sediment… Who said time stops in those movements? Time still goes by! It’s just, I stay with my own great-grandchildren and comfort. The sun is still fragrant with the new day, the morning light still shines on each pink finger, why do you have to wither because of the old day? The poem ends with a beautiful picture: I put a new day on my lips . Life still gives us miracles, in every moment of time.

When the Earth’s temperature rose and the amount of oxygen in the oceans decreased about 252 million years ago, most life on our planet suffered the same tragic fate. It is estimated that this extinction event, also known as the “Great Dying”, killed 70% of species on land and about 96% of species in the oceans. Illustration: Getty However, there are no sharks among them. “They’re the last surviving species,” said Elizabeth Sibert, a paleontologist and identifier of fossils and an oceanographer at Yale University. The next extinction event at the end of the Triassic period or even the meteorite event that wiped out the dinosaurs 66 million years ago could not have caused the shark to become extinct. The shark’s survival or longevity is extraordinary, but the animal was also close to the brink of extinction, a study in the journal Science revealed June 3. The study, led by scientist Sibert, shows that a previously unknown extinction event pushed sharks to the brink of extinction 19 million years ago, leaving just one in ten of the sharks. Sharks in the oceans survive. “Something happened and wiped out 90% of the shark population overnight,” said scientist Sibert. The so-called something is still uncertain but it has caused immense destruction. The meteorite that wiped out the dinosaurs on Earth only caused 30-35% of the shark species to be wiped out while the above event was 2-3 times worse. To find this discovery, oceanographer Sibert and his collaborator Leah Rubin went through a remarkable process. Discover the mystery When a marine species dies, its body will fall to the bottom of the sea and decompose into discrete parts. Small parts, such as their teeth, will gradually accumulate in the sediments under the sea. “The seabed is essentially a grave for all aquatic species,” Sibert said. The sediment samples used in this study were collected from two locations in the Pacific Ocean, one in the north and one in the south, covering a period of 40 million years. However, it was not easy to analyze the small teeth inside each of these specimens. These parts are so small, even smaller than the width of a human hair. Oceanographer Sibert filtered dried sediment samples under a microscope and isolated the tiny bits of shark teeth. After separating them, scientist Rubin will identify and describe the features, as well as classify them. These little bits of teeth can reveal a lot to us. There were about 1,300 small tooth pieces identified in the above study with 85 samples with different shapes. Most of them are from the period before 19 million years and only a few samples belong to the later period. So, the question arises, what happened to the sharks? The tip of the iceberg The small tooth fragments suggest a decline in shark numbers and diversity about 19 million years ago, but the cause behind this event is unknown. “This is really a mystery. Right now we don’t know what happened,” Ms. Sibert said. The key to solving this mystery is to learn about the time when the sharks almost disappeared. This period is called the “Miocene” and is described by the scientist Sibert as the “transition phase” of the Earth. 15 million years before the mysterious shark event occurred, the Earth gradually became an “ice house” as permafrost increased in Antarctica. The oceans at that time were no different from the oceans of today, although we cannot find such species as tuna, swordfish and seabirds. Dolphins and whales had not yet evolved. However, there is not much evidence to find out the cause of the shark eradication. Even the discovery, which took place during a rather unusual time in Earth’s history, is just the tip of the iceberg. “There are many questions that need to be answered,” said researcher Rubin. Did some change in the environment lead to the decline in shark populations? This is difficult to confirm because the oxygen and carbon levels show no anomalies, but scientists can use more data around this time stamp. Did the event happen across the oceans and affect other marine species as well? Ms. Sibert said this is a global event but we still need more data. Also, what about other bodies of water? Can sedimentation in lakes and coastal areas occur other phenomena? How were terrestrial species affected during this time? Are there any chemicals that can tell us about the environment then? Ms. Sibert even thought that an epidemic, such as a virus, could be responsible for the decline in shark populations. Still, for this oceanographer, the extinction event was a remarkable phenomenon. The fact that sharks have existed for more than 400 million years, surviving multiple extinction events leads her to believe that something truly intense happened and that the sharks may be the gateway to understanding major changes. collided with Earth during the early Miocene. “There is a lot of data waiting to be discovered,” said researcher Rubin. The discovery not only shows the unpredictable change of the marine environment, but also shows how difficult it is for species to recover when they are pushed to the brink of extinction. “Biology is trying to tell us something and I think we need to listen,” Sibert said.

The image of dozens of people climbing the To Vo gate took pictures, causing public outrage. Facebook photo “To Vo Gate is a rare and very special landscape in Ly Son. This rock arch was formed from volcanic sediment millions of years ago… This place has many cracks, which is a vital location prone to vulnerability. The waves destroy… But I don’t understand why there are dozens of people climbing up to dozens of pictures at the same time” – Mr. Tran Van Nguyen, a resident of Ly Son, pressing. To Vo Gate. Photo: T.Truong Mr. Truong Dinh Thuan, Deputy Head of the Culture and Information Office of Ly Son district, said that To Vo gate is about 20m long, the top of the gate is 4m higher than the sea surface, the narrowest point is about 2m wide. In recent years, the structure of To Vo gate is being eroded by sea waves, especially in the rainy and stormy season. “Every year, tens of thousands of tourists come to visit. Since 2017, Ly Son District People’s Committee has posted warning signs that no more than 7 people go up To Vo gate at the same time. However, many large groups of tourists still deliberately climb up. Go up to To Vo gate to take pictures, causing bad influence on this stone arch “- Mr. Thuan said. The local government advises tourists not to take pictures when traveling in Ly Son. Photo: T.Truong According to Mr. Thuan, in addition to To Vo gate, in Ly Son, there are many landscapes formed from volcanic sediments for millions of years; Therefore, when traveling to Ly Son, tourists need to be very careful and pay attention to the recommendations of local authorities to avoid unnecessary events.

America’s famous Death Valley holds many unanswered mysteries. In 1849, California’s gold migrants strayed into a 200-kilometer basin, enduring a two-month trial of starvation. One of the last survivors who left here looked down from the nearby mountain and said, “Goodbye, Death Valley.” The name “Valley of Death” also came into being. Driving on a paved road into the valley is like riding a roller coaster, as there are many narrow and steep bends as the route cuts through the foothills. A standout place in Death Valley is Artist’s Palette, an unbelievable natural masterpiece chosen as the setting for the Star Wars movie. Incredibly surreal, multi-layered and colorful sediments created by the mixture of metal in the oxidized mountains. The Artist’s Palette is home to astonishing vistas with vibrant colors. Artist’s Palette also provides evidence for the most intense volcanic eruption in Death Valley. Volcanic ash and minerals are deposited over millions of years. Over time, rain and temperature changed the minerals into different tones, giving this area a unique appearance. The commonly seen shades are green, blue, pink, red, and purple … This is a wonderful blend that looks like adornment from an artist, so this place is named Artist’s Palette. doctor). The surreal landscape of the desert, the sharpness of the mountains, the geology, the multi-storey sediments … make Artist’s Palette the most spectacular and impressive landscape in the southwestern United States. Zabriskie Point is another fascinating area in Death Valley, with undulating ripples of yellow, orange and brown, best seen at sunset. This place offers panoramic views of sediments left over from the bottom of Lake Creek more than 5 million years ago. Layers of fine mud, clay, volcanic ash, and ancient lava flows deposited in prehistoric lakes create a majestic landscape. Zabriskie Point is a sunset viewing spot that many tourists are interested in for its surreal beauty. Under the golden color of the sunset sun’s rays, the brown ripples seem to be sculpted by nature and appear to be glowing. This is an area where phone reception is completely lost, so you must have a map with you. All are sitting quietly admiring the wonderful view. Death Valley has a million-year-old mystery that has puzzled scientists. Hundreds of rocks move on their own at the dry lake Racetrack Playa, leaving long trails under the sediment layer. Some rocks weigh nearly 400 kg, have moved a distance of nearly 1 km on their own. This phenomenon of self-moving rock is still ongoing and cannot be adequately explained. Even NASA experts have stayed here for half a month to research, but still cannot find the cause. There is still no adequate explanation for the self-moving rock phenomenon in Death Valley. So many experiences you can get in the so-called “alien land” full of mystery and attraction. Just like tourists from all over the world who come here every year, this surreal beautiful landscape will blow your mind away.

With the People’s Committee of Da Nang City in principle agreeing to the Vietnam Maritime Administration (Ministry of Transport) to research, survey and implement procedures for submerging 200,000 m3 of material in the sea of ​​Da Nang, experts say. There is a need for a careful assessment of the environmental impact (EIA).

Danang’s marine ecosystem is in decline

Associate Professor-Dr. Vo Van Minh, Chairman of the Council of Da Nang Pedagogical University, said that if there is no other dumping site, there is only way to sink into the sea. However, where to sink, in EIA techniques, it is necessary to determine which sea is the safest, least damaging to the environment.

“Currently, the waters of Danang are not included in the group of protected areas, so it can be submerged. However, from an environmental perspective, falling there will certainly affect immediately, especially coral reefs and seagrass areas. These areas are very important for their habitat and breeding grounds for marine life. Surely it will disturb the environment, affect species of marine fauna and flora “- Mr. Minh said.

Mr. Minh emphasized that in the EIA technique, it is only said to minimize to the lowest level, in the permitted level, not say that it is not impacting. Da Nang’s marine ecosystem is in decline, especially the coral system due to poor conservation, tourism and wastewater impacts.

“I want the EIAs to consult with scientists, but if they do not do well, it is dangerous for the environment” – Mr. Minh worried.

According to Dr. Nguyen Tac An, former Director of Nha Trang Institute of Oceanography, in order to carefully analyze the EIA capacity of submerging, it is necessary to understand the dredging method and the submerged technique. It can be said that all the material in the sea when lying still is okay, but when touched and bounced, many problems occurred. Therefore, it is okay to say just taking this place and leaving that place.

Mr. An said that the submergence principle must stay away from sensitive areas such as residential areas, fishing grounds, protected areas and special values ​​of the sea. In addition, when submerged, it is necessary to avoid seas with strong motivations.

“Actually we dumped it, but it will run away. Submerging techniques must be very attentive. Must see if the quality of sediment and chemicals in the area we scraped up is toxic or not. This EIA agency is aware of both. The dynamic maps in Vietnam nowadays all have them. Therefore, when pouring, it must be considered and calculated. The EIA agency will have to take physical samples for testing, calculate the propagation pattern, size, dredging and dredging time “- Mr. An noted.

Mr. An emphasized: Dredging the sea channel is very important for economic development. Dredging cannot be helped. However, how to minimize the impact of the dredger to increase the overall economic value.

Experts believe that when evaluating the EIA, it is necessary to determine which sea area is safe, with the least damage to the environment. Photo: LE PHI

Dredging the sea channel into Tien Sa port will create 200,000 m3 of material and be calculated to submerge in the waters of Da Nang. Photo: TAN VIET

Worry about coral reefs

Talking about the material submerged in Da Nang sea, Dr. Nguyen Thi Minh Phuong, Dean of the Faculty of Environment – Chemical Technology (Duy Tan University), assessed that 200,000 m3 of material is much and will definitely affect the system. marine ecology.

“The affirmation is always going to impact the ecosystem. When we poured like that, we thought it would lie there, but in fact it was not there at all, it had extremely large currents, so it would be swept away. Must see under that sea there are corals or not, because the most fear is the influence of the coral. When pouring like that, the coral cannot withstand the mud, when the water is too turbid, the symbiotic algae of the coral dies and makes the entire coral carpet die “- Ms. Phuong said.

Ms. Phuong further analyzed the great possibility that the sea area is expected to be submerged deep enough that there are no live corals. Most worrying, however, is that the currents will sweep matter around. Especially sediments, if heavy sediments will be deposited, and fine-grained sediments will be swept away.

“Saying a 100-hectare sea area, it will actually wash away very far. The sediment in the dredging site is likely to be fine-grained, not coarse-grained sediment. Fine means it is light, can be washed away, coarse grain is deposited in place and moves slowly. In a period of a few years it will be swept away everywhere and swept seasonally, because the flow changes with the seasons. Wherever the flow is, the coral will die there. The symbiotic algae of the coral needs light, the coral ecosystem is extremely important. And the bottom ecosystem will be temporarily destroyed for a while, then recover “- Ms. Phuong said.

Ms. Phuong added that from a management perspective, any project will have an impact on the environment. If you consider the environmental impact less than the likelihood of economic development, that’s okay, it’s worth the tradeoff.

“Also saying no effect is not right. The impact at sea is difficult to control. If other ecosystems can recover over time, the corals will not, die will die ”- Ms. Phuong affirmed.

177 species of corals around Son Tra peninsula From 2016 to 2018, the Southern Institute of Ecology had the topic “Research on conservation and biodiversity restoration of terrestrial and underwater ecosystems in Son Tra Nature Reserve”. After nearly three years of restoration, the live coral cover increased by more than 10% compared to baseline. There is an increase in organisms living in the reef. The coverage of seagrass beds increases about 20% -30%. According to research by the Southern Institute of Ecology in 2019, the sea surrounding Son Tra peninsula has 177 species of coral belonging to 17 families and 52 varieties. There are also 130 species of fish living in coral reefs, belonging to 32 families and 65 varieties. This sea also has three species of seagrass distributed over a total area of ​​1 ha and 108 species of extremely diverse seaweed. However, the marine ecosystem here is seriously degraded.