A nice little interactive tool that illustrates sea level variability of the Australian and SE Asian coastlines over the past 100000 years. These variations were of course a result of the growth and decay of the vast northern hemisphere ice sheet. I would love to see climate and vegetation categories as well!

Water worlds

Article about a recently investigated planetary system with two potential water planets, both a little larger than Earth. Would be fascinating to find out the composition of the atmospheres and the thickness of the water layers for each body. How deep are the silicate portions of the planets and how massive are they? How has their distance from the parent star influenced the composition of these planets?

Silicate planets

An interesting article on planet formation, specifically the various permutations on the silicate planet formation process. A few favourite lines but "Differentiation is an orderly and predictable process thanks to our knowledge of chemistry and mineral properties under pressure" is particularly pertinent. Given a known set of initial conditions (protoplanetary dust cloud composition, energy output from star/s, distance from star etc) accurate simulations of all the silicate planet permutations are possible.

Habitable zone

Interesting ideas regarding earths habitable zone and implications of anthropogenic warming.

Sandstone desert

Here are a few renders of a sandstone desert. Thinly bedded sandstones deposited in a rhythmic process. Some beds horizontal, some dipping at various angles. A band of carbon rich material visible in one render. Low flat areas partly covered in a salty crust indicating onetime presence of a lake or seaway.

 

 Carbon band.

Arenites

Sandstone. Arenites. Quartz, felspathic and lithic. Some links to interesting examples...

1  2  3  4  5  Uluru Flinders Ranges Jamison Valley


Some more sandstone country renders. Tinkering...

The light in this render makes it look a little alien I'm thinking. Love how the dip correlates with the bedding planes. Thinly bedded sandstones like this may indicate a rhythmic depositional environment, perhaps lacustrine or marine in nature, the dip may indicate uplift due to compressional tectonic forces. Fun to speculate on the origins of a purely simulated landscape!
 

I like the light in this render although the bedding planes do not stand out as much. Low level clouds seem more appropriate in this render, indicating cool and humid air accumulating in valleys during the morning.

Terragening Part 2

A selection of scenes rendered on the desktop. Same view, different time of day and variations in snow/cloud cover. Reminds me of a high latitude environment much like the dry valleys of Antarctica.