Travels in Afghanistan

In summer 2006 after the construction of production wells in the cities of Gardez, Ghazni and Chel Dokhtaran I left Afghanistan and returned to Germany. It was just a short stay, since I work now in Rio de Janeiro, see: http://www.blogigo.de/Rio

The links below are just an experimental thing, hope it works: Click the colored links below:
View Recent Visitors and this one is even better: Map Display!

This really works!

Last pumping test with 125 h3/hr flow rate

 

Dust devil near our compound in G. Dust devils are created when air near the surface becomes much warmer than the air above.  This creates an instability in which the warm air rises. With intense insolation, temperatures well above 100^oF up to 140^oF (40 to 60°C) are not uncommon on the desert floors during the summer months.  Dust devils typically occur in open areas where large quantities of air are heated.  An isolated area begins to rise due to its instability and soon much of the surrounding air rushes in and intensifies this upward movement.  The Coriolis effect gives the dust devil its characteristic spin (counterclockwise in the northern hemisphere).  The open, flat desert floor also minimizes frictional drag so the rush of hot air towards the rising vortex is maintained.  The abundance of dust enhances our view of the air movement.

This isolated dust devil nicely shows the cylindrical shape created by the ascending air.  Commonly a dust devil will begin as a large, slowly rotating mass of air.  There may even be multiple small dust devils within the mass, but as the rush of air towards the uplifting vortex increases, a single dust devil emerges.  The edges of this dust devil appear more heavily laden with debris due to the fact that the central region of the rising column is relatively clear of dust.

according to: http://www.gc.maricopa.edu/earthsci/imagearchive/dust_devils.htm

 

Looking for the recharge of our aquifer we made a trip upstream the mighty Ghazni river. I knew about last year's dam burst (see below), so I was curious what happened in the meantime...

Dam Burst: Band-e-Sultan Following Heavy Rains and Melting of Snow on March 28, 2005 

 
Band-e-Sultan Dam after it Burst due to Higher Level of Water
Following Heavy Winter Snowfall

Southern Ghazni: Band-e-Sultan's Burst Dam Caused Massive Flooding in the Region

Visit on May 23, 2006: Reconstruction of the dam almost completed

Low water  exposes the 1,000 year old dam inside the retention basin

 

Looks like my friends have been here before having fun...

 

Taliban signature still visible in the marble stone

 

Walking on the old dam (which after construction of the new dam normally is submerged)

 

 

 

 

 

The old dam opening with some kind of flow control

 

 

Last works on the NEW dam?