Tuesday 1 February 2022

Corona And Oronesia

Poul Anderson imagined many geophysical details of the planet Avalon. Avalonian mountains are lower and erode faster than Terrestrial because the planetary diameter and molten core are smaller and rapid rotation causes violent weather. The highest Andromeda is only 4500 meters high. 

Land masses are smaller. Corona, extending from the north pole to past the Tropic of Swords, is about the size of Australia. In the southern hemisphere, Equatoria, New Africa and New Gaiila are large islands and there are many smaller.

2000 kilometers west of the Coronan city of Gray, the Oronesian archipelago begins. Crossing the Tropic of Spears and almost reaching the Antarctic Circle, it divides the Hesperian Sea and the South Ocean to the east from the Middle Ocean to the west, supports a distinct rich ecology and, in early days, provided refuge for many human or Ythrian eccentrics. Although there are many small Oronesian choths, Highsky occupies a large stretch of the archipelago and controls fisheries around 30 degrees North.

Western Corona and northern Oronesia must cooperate to defend the Hesperian Sea when Terra threatens attack.

3 comments:

Sean M. Brooks said...

Kaor, Paul!

That island named Equatoria reminded me of the real world nation of Equador, which straddles the equator on Earth.

Ad astra! Sean

S.M. Stirling said...

Earth has had more ocean and less land several times. For one thing, during most of the last 500 million years there were no polar caps or glaciers, and hence sea levels were much higer.

Most of North America between the Rockies and Appalachia was an inland sea in the Cretaceous, for instance, looking about like this:

https://www.earth.com/news/western-interior-seaway/

Sean M. Brooks said...

Kaor, Mr. Stirling!

I have heard of the inland sea North America used to have, during the Cretaceous era. Fascinating!

Ad astra! Sean