An erratic boulder is, simply enough, a piece of rock that doesn’t originate from the place where it is found. When these errant boulders are the size of houses however, they take a little more explaining.

The city of White Rock, British Columbia, gets its name from a large white erratic that seems completely out of place sitting on the shore of Semiahmoo Bay.

In fact, boulders like this one were carried to their current locations by glacial ice, often over hundreds of kilometres. Geologists have suggested that landslides or rockfalls initially dropped the rocks on top of glaciers, which then carried the rocks along with them on their journeys. When the ice melted, the erratics were unceremoniously deposited wherever we find them today.

The largest glacial erratic identified so far is Big Rock, near Okotoks, Alberta. Measuring 41 m by 18 m and standing 9 m high, this massive quartzite boulder weighs around 16,500 tonnes.

Geologists believe that Big Rock made its epic journey between 12,000 and 18,000 years ago – all the way from Mount Edith Cavell in Jasper National Park – a journey distance of nearly 500 km.

There’s more about Glacial erratics, White Rock, and Big Rock at Wikipedia.

Nearby our sighting of the USS Ohio a few of weeks ago, we can see what very much looks like another submarine, running at periscope depth.

Thanks: Neil Harrington

This is the USS Ohio, an Ohio class submarine cruising along the US/Canada border in the Straight of Juan de Fuca. Flanked to the north and south, it looks like it has its missile tubes open, as seen in this image.

The best thing about the appearance of this sub is that it tells us that the October 07 image update has finally made it onto Google Maps! Expect lots of exciting new posts, and get submitting your sights!

More about the Ohio class submarines at Wikipedia.

Thanks: DelPeiro & pooms

Visitors to Vancouver International Airport are greeted by this large type on a Honda warehouses. JVC aren’t so friendly with a simple roof logo to the West.

Thanks: neosinific & Mike

Here at Google Sightseeing HQ in Edinburgh, we’ve been having a mini heat-wave of late, which got us in the mood for sunbathing

Here’s some people, lots of people in fact, sunbathing on a beach in Barcelona. Not enough people? Here you go: even more people on another Barcelona beach.

Perhaps you prefer your sunbathing a little more au naturel? Try Wreck beach, a nudist sunbathing spot in Vancouver, Canada (careful you don’t strain your eyes at those pixels too much!)

Not enough sunbathing opportunities for you? How about Rimini beach in Italy? The link goes to the top of the high-resolution bit, scroll south to see the tens of thousands of parasols and sun loungers! It literally goes on for miles and miles.

Thanks to Quinn Kuiken, davide, Personne and woowoowoo.