Wither(ed is) the world?

 Indeed wither the world? In which direction? Is the world as we know it withering away? Mind you, this is not a rhetorical question with an implicit metaphor.  The cartography of the world as we have known it, may be, since the days of Megalon and Columbus, is sure, and fast, changing!

No, it is not the Trump effect. The only superpower involved here is nature, the geological processes and the not much understood thermodynamics of the way the land mass and seas are formed.

Let me give you a few examples to substantiate my statements. Iraq is literally getting sucked in to the earth. Near the African shores, there is every likelihood that the landmass would be divided, and new continents, different shores, new ports would emerge, while a few would be submerged.

Look at what is happening in Greece. There are thousands of earthquakes, some literally high on the richter scale. The tectonic plates are shifting in a big way. A similar situation is afoot in Japan as well as in the Latin American countries.

Luckily,  in India, no such natural phenomena are bursting open literally the land beneath our feet. However, the Himalayas are the most earthquake prone as the tectonic plate underneath is very young, and, as befitting the young, extremely mobile. So like Heraclitus' great quote on the river, the Mount Everest you climb the second time is not the same either.

Is this the end of the world? May be, the soothsayers of the Baba Venga types, and not to forget ardent devotees quoting all sorts of chapters from the holy texts may thus fearmonger that the Apocalypse is here.

Well, in every difficulty lies an opportunity. That sleek aphorism may apply here as well. Possibly thus could we understand what really is the crux of the earth which, too, is mobile apparently. Great times for geologists, archaeologists and oceanographers. Fingers firmly crossed, right?

Pratima@ With technology such as the high flying drones can one get to see the eruption of a volcano or two, a sight which is both terrific annd terrifying. Incidentally, these days, volcanoes, too, are quite active across the Indonesian ridge, yet again geologically most active.  Forget ye not the usual cosmic suspects such as comets and asteroids missing the earth by a fraction of a milimeter! Wither(ed is) the world indeed!?!