A chance discovery of a hidden pit in Xian, China, led to an incredible find – nearly 8,000 life-size soldiers sculpted 2,200 years ago. Called the Terracotta army, these clay figures were crafted to protect the tomb of China’s First Emperor, Qin Shi Huang. The statues were modeled in clay and originally painted in bright …
Aircraft pilots flying over Peru’s Nazca desert in the 1930s were amazed to see huge drawings scratched into the landscape. These geoglyphs are called Nazca lines, after the ancient Nazcas who made them, and they are a fascinating tribute to a lost people. The geoglyphs cover a vast area of about 450 sq km (174 …
Hailed as the eighth wonder of the world, the Giant’s Causeway on the north coast of Northern Ireland consists of a pathway of about 40,000 interlocking basalt columns. A famous legend explains its creation, but it really resulted from a volcanic eruption. Legend goes that giant Finn McCool created a causeway from Ireland to Scotland …
Tanzania’s Lake Natron has a killer reputation. Said to turn local wildlife to stone, its bright red waters certainly seem to signal danger. But in fact, the concentration of harmful chemicals in this alkaline lake supports a rich ecosystem. The water of Lake Natron reaches scalding temperatures of more than 40°C (104°F). Fed by hot …
Like an enchanted forest that’s been turned to stone, Grand Tsingy in Madagascar is a sombre scene of spiky, tree-like rocks. The world’s largest stone forest was carved by tropical rain in a process that lasted millions of years. Tsingy de Bemaraha covers a vast 600 sq km (230 sq miles). Meaning “where one cannot …
Hidden away deep inside Earth’s crust is a magical subterranean world of caverns, such as these stunning examples Psychedelic salt mine A former salt mine in Yekaterinburg, Russia, is now one of the world’s most colourful caves. More than 200 m (650 ft) underground, its patterned rainbow walls are caused by the mineral carnallite swirling …
This lone lamb has broken away from the flock to make a gutsy stand on the Kjeragbolten boulder in Norway. The confident climber seems oblivious to the 984-m (3,228-ft) drop below. Kjeragbolten is the high point of a hiker’s paradise on Kjerag mountain, southern Norway. This rock hasn’t rolled since 50,000 BCE when it was …
One of the world’s largest hot springs, Grand Prismatic Spring is located in the USA’s Yellowstone National Park. Explorers gave the spring its name in 1871 after witnessing its incredible prism of colours. Measuring 113 m (370 ft) wide and 37 m (121 ft) deep, it releases 2,120 litres (560 gallons) of water a minute. …
Few people can stand the heat of the Danakil Depression in Ethiopia. Active volcanoes sizzle inside this desert basin, and sulphur springs emit choking gases. No wonder some have called it the cruelest place on Earth. The Afar triangle is a vast low area created where Earth’s tectonic plates are pullling apart. The huge forces …
Eye-popping from the air, the Elephant Foot Glacier in Greenland is the exact shape of a giant jumbo’s foot. Made from compacted snow over hundreds of years, this icy mass has perfect proportions and stunning symmetry. Glaciers are masses of land-based ice, which develop at the poles or in areas of high altitude. There are …
Fly Ranch in Nevada’s Black Rock Desert is no ordinary geyser. A faulty well drilled in the early 1900s caused geothermally heated water to burst through surface cracks. Repeated eruptions have left behind mineral deposits, forming a multicoloured mound. Each time Fly Ranch Geyser erupts, it releases minerals that have dissolved in the scalding water. …
Wind and water constantly batter the planet’s rocky regions, sculpting unusual formations that must be seen to be believed. Sandstone spirals Antelope Canyon (above), in Arizona, USA, is named after the herds of antelope that once inhabited the area. These breathtaking rocks were carved by rainwater flooding through the canyon and eroding the sandstone into …
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