One Plate to find Them How a unique surviving photograph confirmed the Hochstetter Paradigm and located the White Terrace—Eighth Wonder of the World

Abstract

A Rex Bunn

This empirical research analyses a unique vintage photographic plate that confirms the location of a lost Wonder of the World, the Pink and White Terraces. Their location has been debated since 1886 when they were buried in a volcanic eruption. The paper is a meta-analysis that develops a Parallax Effect methodology with a Skyline Gauge to consolidate and test all 1886–2024 claims to the White Terrace location. Methods include photo-interpretation, photogrammetric optics, topography and forensic cartography. The results show many claims have significant errors. The Gauge location is consistent with the coordinates provided by the 1859 Hochstetter Survey, the Hochstetter Paradigm and early private sector claimants.

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