10 most beautiful geological wonders

Our planet is the greatest and most beautiful creation, where there are such amazing places that it simply takes your breath away. Many of them were formed naturally, such as during a volcanic eruption or a meteorite fall.

Outside of Belize, a country in South America, there is an almost perfect round hole with a diameter of 0.4 km. The water depth in this hole is 145 m, which gives it a deep blue color. Tourists from all over the world dive into the Big Blue Hole of Belize to admire the amazing species of fish in its clear waters. It is believed that this amazing geological object was formed billions of years ago when water rose above the caves.

In the Sahara Desert in Mauritania, there is one of the most amazing geological wonders, the Eye of the Sahara, which is also called the Rishat structure. In the middle of this bare desert land, you can see a bull's-eye-like formation with a diameter of 50 km. Spacecraft crews even use the Eye of the Sahara as a guide. Initially, it was assumed that the Eye of the Sahara was caused by a meteorite falling to Earth. But now scientists believe that this geological creation was formed by the uplift and erosion of the earth.

Darvaza is a city in Turkmenistan, where there is an impressive geological formation called the Gates of Hell. This hole in the ground has inexhaustible reserves of combustible gas. It is believed that about 35 years ago, geologists who were drilling the earth to detect gas dug too deep and the earth failed. The geologists did not dare to climb into the hole to pick up their equipment. Fearing that the poisonous gas could come out of the ground, they set fire to the gas in the hole and since then the fire has been burning here constantly.

On the coldest continent of Antarctica is Erebus, a volcanic mountain covered with hundreds of ice towers. The towers are located at a height of 20 meters and constantly emit steam. When the steam freezes in the cold, the inner walls of the towers grow and expand. These terrestrial geological creations are similar to the towers on the planet Mars, on the moons of Saturn, Jupiter and Neptune. This constantly active volcano is another natural wonder where ice and flame meet. Erebus last erupted in 1978.

The Australian aborigines who live here call the Devil's Boulders Karlu Karlu (Karlu Karlu). These huge round boulders of red granite are located on the background of a beautiful landscape. The diameter of these boulders can range from 50 cm to 60 m in cross section. Some are arranged in a very bizarre way, balancing on top of each other. The Devil boulders formed millions of years ago when molten magma was trapped under sandstone and cooled to form granite.

Years and environmental factors have caused erosion, thanks to which we can observe these amazing natural phenomena today. For the Australian Aborigines, Devil Boulders have a special spiritual significance.

In the Guangxi Autonomous Region in China, it is a famous landmark, also called the Palace of Natural Art. Natural limestone caves are filled with amazing and bizarre formations similar to icicles and stone formations with an additional effect of colored lighting.

This geological feature was named after the reed that is found outside the cave and which is used to make musical flutes. Its length is about 240 m and it is a huge territory where a beautiful landscape opens. The object is ancient, as inscriptions from the reign of the Tang Dynasty, dating back to 792 AD, have been preserved on its walls.

It is located in the southwestern part of Bolivia. This geological miracle is the largest dried-up salt lake, located more than 3,000 m above the Andes, with an area of more than 10,000 km?.

This unique landscape was formed by numerous layers of salt and water. In the middle of the salt marsh, the thickness of the salt reaches 10 m. When it rains, the Uyuni Salt Marsh sinks and looks like a huge mirror. It is believed that it was formed at the confluence of geothermal springs and salt lakes. In this place, several species of pink flamingos gather for breeding.

The most frequently photographed canyon in the southwestern United States is Antelope Canyon. It is located on the land of the Navajo tribe in Arizona. The Navajo people call it Tse bighanilini, which means "a place where water flows through rocks." Antelope Canyon is divided into two separate canyons, Upper and Lower Antelope Canyon.

As rainwater flows through this place, it smooths the rocks, giving them a curving shape. Antelope Canyon was formed during severe floods, which caused erosion of rocks, which opened passages where deep corridors with interesting rock shapes open. In 2006, the authorities closed Antelope Canyon for 5 months due to floods.

More than 50 km? In the province of Bohol in the Philippines, there is a geological creation called the Chocolate Hills. In fact, there is no chocolate on these hills, but all the hills, which, according to some estimates, from 1268 to 1776, look chocolate brown in the dry season. The Chocolate Hills are the third National Geological Monument in the Philippines, and they are depicted on the flag of the province of Bohol. Chocolate hills have a perfect uniform shape, and their height is about 30-50 m. According to one version, they were formed during the self-destruction of an active volcano. According to legend, they were formed from the tears of a giant who lost his love.

The Qingzhi Du Bemaraha Nature Reserve in Madagascar is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a place where you can see the Stone Forest. The stone forest consists of high and extensive eroded limestone, covering an area of 666 km?, being similar to limestone towers. Locals warn that this is a place where you will not be able to walk barefoot, as the terrain here is quite steep. The Stone Forest is home to unique species of animals, such as the white lemur.