Cryosol | Soil Monoliths Cryosols (or Gelisols in USDA Soil Taxonomy) have permafrost either within 1 m of the surface or within 2 m if the pedon is strongly cryoturbated in the active layer. Monoliths.soilweb.ca
Among the ancient Greeks, Homer thought the world to be flat. In contrast, Pythagoras postulated that the earth was round. A century later, Aristotle sided with the theory of the roundness of the earth.
Today it is well known that the Earth is a sphere, or very close to one (its equator bulges out a bit because of the Earth's rotation). When Christopher Columbus proposed to reach India by sailing west from Spain, he too knew that the Earth was round. India was the source of precious spices and other rare goods, but reaching it by sailing east was difficult, because Africa blocked the way.