FX.co ★ 8 fantastic landscapes on Earth

Colored Earth and Chamarel Falls (Mauritius)

Mauritius is situated in proximity to the Southeastern coast of Africa. The sunny island is a part of the archipelago which was created by a dormant underwater volcano. The island is a prominent tourist attraction because of the two stunning places: the Chamarel Falls and the seven colored dunes. The sand in the dunes evolved through conversion of basaltic lava to clay minerals which generate seven distinct colors: brown, red, lilac, violet, blue, green, and yellow. Remarkably, if you take a handful of each of the seven different colors and mix them together, they eventually separate into colorful layers.

Rio Tinto (Spain)

Rio Tinto or the Red River in Spanish owes its unique red and orange colors to exorbitant levels of iron and heavy metals dissolved in the water. The river flows in the Sierra Morena Mountains in Andalusia reaching the Gulf of Cádiz. For a few thousand years, the Rio Tinto area has been the source of mining, including copper, silver, gold, and other minerals. As a result of the mining, the chemical composition of the water turned extremely acidic. Due to frequent surveying, the terrain on both sides of the river looks like circular pits.

Fly Geyser Reno (Nevada, US)

The Fly Geyser has an artificial origin. It appeared in 1916 on private land when a well was drilled seeking irrigation water. Afterwards, an array of similar geothermal springs was discovered on that spot. In the course of time, hot water penetrated the earth’s surface releasing strong pressure. Such an explosion looked like a volcano eruption. As a result, a 1.5-meter high geyser was born. Ranges of calcium carbonate deposits surround the geyser. Their color depends on the concentration of minerals and thermophilic algae. Later, two more geysers with geothermal water appeared in the middle of the Nevada desert.

Vale Da Lua (Brazil)

Vale Da Lua translated as the Moon Valley is another natural wonder. It is the rocky valley of the Rio São Miguel in Brazil. The fascinating landscape looks like the surface of the Moon. Some of the rocks are 1.8 billion years old. The turbulent waters of the river carved caves, craters, waterfalls, curvy mountain chains, and labyrinths of pits and hollows. The rocky formation mainly consists of quartz and grey stone. The landscape can vary as a result of erosion and roaring streams.

Spotted Lake of Osoyoos (British Columbia, Canada)

Spotted Lake used to be a sacred place for the Indians inhabited the Okanagan valley. The salty lake is barred from other springs from all its sides. The water contains dense deposits of 8 minerals. Magnesium sulfate, calcium, and sodium sulfates are the most concentrated. The water of this unique composition almost evaporates in the summer revealing colorful mineral deposits. The color of large spots on the surface depends on the mineral composition. Moreover, spots are covered by crystallized minerals which are strong enough to carry a few people on them.

The Plain of Jars (Laos)

The Plain of Jars, one of the oldest archeological landscapes on the planet, is located in Southeast Asia, in the mountains of Indochina. It consists of 90 jars scattered around the Xiangkhoang Plateau. The jars of various shapes were made of sandstone about 3,000 years ago. The tallest jar is measured at 275 cm. Scholars found out that the stone jars were not placed at random but they followed the pattern of celestial bodies. Experts have not figured out which purpose these jars served. Unfortunately, research work in this area is too complicated.

Mount Sanqing (China)

Mount Sanqing is the modern National Park. This remote spot in China used to be a sacred place where Dao apologists conducted their spiritual practices. The mountain looks like it belongs to the world of a different dimension because of thick fog and plenty of brooks which spray water mist. Fogs in the Sānqīng Shān area are recorded 200 days per year. Thousands of brooks have carved pits. Over centuries, running water made the shapes of people and animals in granite boulders. Excessive humidity and lush vegetation create a unique microclimate which attracts exotic birds and animals.

Pamukkale (Turkey)

Pamukkale, meaning "cotton castle" or “white castle” in Turkish, is a valley in southwestern Turkey. The local name refers to the surface of the shimmering, snow-white limestone shaped over thousands of years by calcium-rich springs. The mineral-rich waters created fantastic scenery which is basically cascades of stalactites. The underground volcano heats up 17 thermal pools. Their healing properties attract crowds of people to Pamukkale. The benign effect of the springs was discovered millennia ago. Unfortunately, a number of hotels and artificial spa baths were built there in the mid-20th century, causing considerable damage.