Tuesday, March 6, 2012

The Sound that Isn't


I had never heard of Milford Sound until I received this postcard from New Zealand. I actually though the word 'Sound' was only used for bays in North America but it turns out there are 'Sounds' on every continent except Africa.

According to wikipedia:

In geography a sound or seaway is a large sea or ocean inlet larger than a bay, deeper than a bight, and wider than a fjord; or it may be defined as a narrow sea or ocean channel between two bodies of land (see also strait).

This definition seems both pedantic and contradictory at the same time. You would have to measure the length, width, depth of the bay in order to determine if it was larger, deeper or wider than other bodies of water only to discover that it is allowed to be narrow as long as land is on either side.

Anyway it turns out that the usage of the word is inconsistent and although Milford is called a Sound it is too narrow and is actually a Fjord.

Milford Sound was a finalist in the New 7 Wonders of Nature contest

Our Wonderful World Tuesday





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6 comments:

  1. I had no idea that a sound of this sort had such a definite definition. I have heard the name Milford Sound but I'm sorry to say I wouldn't have been able to point anyone in the right direction at all.

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  2. Wish it was me on that postcard!:D Such an overwhelming view.

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  3. Whatever its designation, a 'sound' always makes me think of something wild and untamed like McMurdo Sound in Antarctica. This one looks fabulous, I'm with gerda, although I see from your link I will have to pack my rain gear.

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    1. Yes, I know what you mean. I keep on thinking of a whale calling! A deep and lonely cry to the ocean.

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  4. There is always something new to learn from the postcards we receive! Another cute banner for today, by the way. Are you designing them yourself?

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