Bermuda's golf courses sit on land that's (partly) an African import

Bermuda's red soil a mixture of local material and African dust.

Read the whole story

 

[laudunum]

Very interesting news. The migration of geological materials preceded that of peoples and perhaps even made their migration possible: the rich soils made the plantation economy possible.

Off topic, but is there something in the contract one signs when crossing over into the sphere of journalism that requires some glib reference somewhere? I don't think I would have noticed it if the article had followed the usual convention of putting the glib bit upfront, aka a kind of teaser, but when it didn't and when it stayed wonderfully serious, I was all set not to be confronted with it. Then, whammo! (Or perhaps that was your intended effect. Sly. Very sly.)

 

[helel ben shachar]

Very interesting news. The migration of geological materials preceded that of peoples and perhaps even made their migration possible: the rich soils made the plantation economy possible.

Off topic, but is there something in the contract one signs when crossing over into the sphere of journalism that requires some glib reference somewhere? I don't think I would have noticed it if the article had followed the usual convention of putting the glib bit upfront, aka a kind of teaser, but when it didn't and when it stayed wonderfully serious, I was all set not to be confronted with it. Then, whammo! (Or perhaps that was your intended effect. Sly. Very sly.)

Like sands through the hourglass, so are the ........ oh, never mind.

 

[stagolee]

Fascinating!

Thanks for this great, unexpected, article.

I am really learning a lot through Ars' science coverage.

 

[ClownRazer]

I actually just learned of this concept last week while reading Randall Munroe's "What If" postings over at XKCD. This one was fun (hint: they all are)

http://what-if.xkcd.com/10/

 

[ZeRAWDOG]

It's funny, I'm actually from Bermuda and had literally no idea about this. Fascinating read!

 

[Wheels Of Confusion]

It's funny, I'm actually from Bermuda and had literally no idea about this. Fascinating read!

Most people don't know about the ground under their feet. At least, from a geological perspective.

 

[ZeRAWDOG]

I agree, there is so much more to everything in our lives yet we'll never know t'ill we look into things deeper.

 

[Putrid Polecat]

It's funny, I'm actually from Bermuda and had literally no idea about this. Fascinating read!

Most people don't know about the ground under their feet. At least, from a geological perspective.

How many of the NYC-based Ars editors know they are stepping on Schist.

 

[Rhurazz2012]

Huh, interesting how wind patterns can affect what even the soil looks like in a tiny island like Bermuda. Let's hope that nobody in Africa starts claiming this island as theirs, even if it does belong to the Dutch...

 

[milliamp]

People disappearing in the Bermuda triangle may be a myth but Bermuda itself is pretty difficult to navigate in an out of in a large ship because it shaped like the opening of a volcano and only part of the rim makes up the island. The rest of the rim makes for very shallow water and rocks that are very near or just slightly sticking up to the ocean surface.

It is very unforgiving for anyone who just wants to sail in there and dock without knowing how to follow the difficult channel.

 

[coolblue2000]

Huh, interesting how wind patterns can affect what even the soil looks like in a tiny island like Bermuda. Let's hope that nobody in Africa starts claiming this island as theirs, even if it does belong to the Dutch...

Dutch?