The power of nature. The Most Mysterious Geological Formations on the Planet
Our planet is full of mysteries. Mankind has spent hundreds of years to study some of these places. Incredibly beautiful caves and incomparable rock formations, fantastic stone forests and unexplored depths of the sea are unique by nature. It's simply impossible to find their copy on the planet. To explain their origin, modern scholars suggest numerous theories, many of which produce even more questions. People travel far to witness those unique creations of nature. This review tells about unique natural attractions visited annually by thousands of tourists.
Richat Structure, Mauritania
Many travelers go to the Sahara Desert in search of amazing sights, as its western part features the most mysterious formation on the planet, Richat structure. Its scale is so large that photographers usually take companions to shoot this thing in full. Richat is a collection of many fossilized circles. The diameter of the outer circle is about 50 kilometers.
The structure is perfectly visible from space, so astronauts continue to use it as a benchmark like it was many years ago. The amazing structure has a lot of informal names - it is also called 'the Eye of the Earth' and 'the Eye of the Sahara', as it really resembles an eye. After extensive research it was found out that the structure has begun to form 600 million years ago. The exact cause of its formation remains a mystery.
Originally Richat was considered a huge sump formed after the fall of the meteorite, but this version has been refuted by scientists almost immediately. There’s no hint of recess in the center of the structure, which has inevitably to be formed in a collision with a meteorite. Many scholars suspect that once there was a huge volcano, but this theory raises a lot of doubts, because there were found no trace of volcanic rocks near Richat. However, enthusiasts continue to believe in the most incredible version of its formation. They believe that once a huge alien ship has landed in this place.
Next - Reed Flute Cave
Reed Flute Cave, China
Travelers who will have an opportunity to visit Guilin are recommended to see one of the most mysterious attractions of these places, the Reed Flute Cave. It's situated on the southern slope of Guanminshan. It has been discovered quite a long time ago, in the 8th century. Unique formations of stalactites, stalagmites and limestone forming together an amazing landscape make this site special.
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Moeraki Boulders, New Zealand
Mysterious Moeraki Boulders occupy the leading position among the unique natural attractions of New Zealand. They’re situated near the village of the same name, at the picturesque sandy Koekohe Beach. When you see the huge rock formations of ideal spherical shape for the first time, it's difficult to assume that they are creations of entirely natural forces.
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Giants Causeway, Northern Ireland
An amazing natural attraction can be found in Northern Ireland. We are talking about Giant's Causeway - that's how locals call 40,000 basalt columns formed millions of years ago after a volcanic eruption. The structure looks very impressive. Columns located close to each other originate at the foot of the cliff and go into the sea forming some sort of springboard. The springboard is quite impressive; it’s 300 meters long and 150 meters wide.
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Great Blue Hole, Belize
You can look for unique geological formations not only on the ground, but also underwater. One of the mysteries of the planet - Great Blue Hole - is located in the Atlantic Ocean, in the heart of the Belize Barrier Reef. You could fully appreciate the beauty of huge underwater caves only from bird's-eye view. Due to a sharp difference in the depth, water abruptly changes its color from sky blue to dark blue. Thus, this natural phenomenon looks very impressive.
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Devils Tower, USA
Wyoming, U.S., can boast a unique rock with scary name Devils Tower. It’s an outstanding landmark of world importance. The main distinguishing feature of the rock is its amazing correct form that seems even more incredible because of its impressive proportions. The cliff is 390 meters high. A long time it was considered a mystical and mysterious place.
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Cueva de los Cristales, Mexico
Located in the Mexican town of Naica, Cueva de los cristales is a single complex with old mines. This unique cave features huge selenite crystals; the biggest among them weights 55 tons. The cave has unique climatic conditions, as the temperature in it is about +58C, while the humidity rarely drops below 90%.
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Derweze, Turkmenistan
Gas crater of Derweze, which is better known to travelers under the dramatic name ‘Gates of hell’, is in Turkmenistan. Its diameter is about 60 meters and the depth is more than 20 meters. This natural phenomenon was discovered in 1971. Soviet geologists have discovered a large accumulation of gas and decided to drill an exploratory well. Contrary to the expectations of scientists, there was a void under the ground, which collapsed engulfing all equipment and machinery.
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Shilin, China
Fans of natural harmony and beauty appreciate Shilin or Stone Forest situated in China. It’s an incredibly picturesque and charming area of more than 350 kilometers covered with amazing rock formations of bizarre shapes. Interspersed with wild vegetation, the stone forest looks fantastic. Numerous scientific studies show that once these places were absorbed by the ocean.
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Peri Bacasi, Turkey
Peri Bacasi are amazing geological formations in Cappadocia and they can’t be compared to any other on the planet. In appearance these rock formations with high conical peaks resemble chimneys, which gave such a fairy-tale title to these unusual sights. Since ancient times, locals believed that fairies lived inside pipes and, thus, where afraid to approach them.
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Eisriesenwelt, Austria
The largest ice cave in the world is Eisriesenwelt also known as ‘Residence of ice giants’. It’s situated in Austria, its entrance is located on Hohkogel hillside. The depth of this amazing cave is more than 40 kilometers. About 200,000 travelers from all over the world come to admire this amazing site every year. Despite the enormous size of the cave and its promising title, only 1/40 part is completely covered with ice.
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The Wave, USA
On the border of Arizona, U.S., there is one of the most amazing and spectacular rock formations on the planet called the Wave. The Wave consisting of limestone is picturesque series of colorful hills and valleys shimmering in all possible shades of ocher. Scientists found out that the formation of these beautiful dunes has begun 190 million years ago. Amazing multi-layered rocks have formed millions of years ago due to strong wind erosion.
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