Geological wonders
 Crystal Cave of the Giants (Mexico)
Found deep inside a mine in southern Chihuahua Mexico, these crystals
were formed in a natural cave totally enclosed in bedrock. A geode full
of spectacular crystals as tall as pine trees, and in some cases greater
in circumference, they are a translucent gold and silver in colour and
come in many incredible forms and shapes. The Crystal Cave of the Giants
was discovered within the same limestone body that hosts the
silver-zinc-lead ore bodies exploited by the mine and it was probably
dissolved by the same hydrothermal fluids that deposited the metals with
the gypsum being crystallized during the waning stages of
mineralization.
 Blue Lake Cave (Brazil)
Mato Grosso do Sul region in Brazil (and especially the quiet town of
Bonito) boasts many marvellous underground lakes: Gruta do Lago Azul,
Gruta do Mimoso, Aquário Natural. The world famous “Gruta do Lago Azul”
(Blue Lake Cave) is a natural monument whose interior is formed by
stalactites, stalagmites and a huge and wonderful blue lake. The beauty
of the lake is something impressive. The Blue Lake Cave has a big
variety of geological formation but impresses mainly for the deep blue
colored water of its inside lake.
 Eye of the Sahara (Mauritania)
This spectacular landform in Mauritania in the southwestern part of
the Sahara desert is so huge with a diameter of 30 miles that it is
visible from space. Called Richat Structure --or the Eye of the Sahara –
the The formation was originally thought to be caused by a meteorite
impact but now geologists believe it is a product of uplift and erosion.
The cause of its circular shape is still a mystery.
 Hell Gate (Uzbekistan)
Called by locals The Door to Hell, this place in Uzbekistan is
situated near the small town of Darvaz. When geologists were drilling
for gas, 35 years ago, they suddenly found an underground cavern that
was so big, all the drilling site with all the equipment and camps got
deep deep under the ground. None dared to go down there because the
cavern was filled with gas, so they ignited it so that no poisonous gas
could come out of the hole, and since then, it has been burning. Nobody
knows how many tons of excellent gas has been burned for all those years
but it just seems to be infinite.
 Giants Causeway (Ireland)
An area of about 40,000 interlocking basalt columns, the Giants
Causeway is a result of an ancient volcanic eruption. Located on the
north-east coast of Northern Ireland, most of its columns are hexagonal,
although there are also some with four, five, seven and eight sides. The
tallest are about 12 metres (36 ft) high, and the solidified lava in the
cliffs is 28 metres thick in places. In a 2005 poll of Radio Times
readers, the causeway was named as the fourth greatest natural wonder in
the United Kingdom.
 Wave Rock (Australia)
The Wave Rock is a natural rock formation located in western
Australia. It derives its name from the fact that it is shaped like a
tall breaking ocean wave. The total outcrop covers several hectares; the
“wave” part of the rock is about 15 metres high and approximately 110
metres long. One aspect of Wave Rock rarely shown on photographs is the
retaining wall about halfway up the rock. This follows the contours and
allows rainwater to be collected in a dam. It was constructed in 1951 by
the Public Works Department, and such walls are common on many similar
rocks in the wheatbelt. |
