Time and natural elements constantly transform the face of the Earth, Undoubtedly, millions of years ago, the surface of the planet looked different than now, There were much more amazing, strange, creepy natural formations,
However, the relatively prosperous, "quiet" millennia that have passed since the last major cataclysm - the great glaciation - have smoothed and to a large extent ennobled the face of the planet. Nevertheless, there are places on it where we seem to see with our own eyes the distant past of the Earth, and possibly its future.
Here are some of these places.
"GATE OF HELL" IN DARVAZ
In 1971, geologists drilled an exploration well near the Turkmen village of Darvaza. Suddenly, at the height of the work, the earth subsided, forming a huge circular depression 60 meters in diameter and 20 meters deep.
The drilling rig and all the equipment fell into it. People, fortunately, managed to get out. A strong jet of gas gushed from the funnel, poisoning the air. Experts who arrived at the scene concluded that there was little gas. If you set it on fire, then within a few days it will all burn out and the population of nearby villages will be safe.
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The gas was set on fire. The column of flame shot up tens of meters and began to burn day after day, week after week, month after month. The geologists' calculations turned out to be wrong. There was a lot of gas in this place. The flames in the pit continue to this day, wasting billions of cubic meters of valuable raw materials.
Over time, the height of the flame decreased. Now it is not a mighty pillar of fire, but hundreds of torches of different sizes. Some of them are 15 meters high. Torches burn inextinguishable, emitting a hum and illuminating the surroundings at night. No one dares not only to look into the depression, but even to approach it. Locals called it the "Gates of Hell".
In 2013, the famous Canadian explorer George Coronis dared to look into them. He descended into the blazing hollow on a fire-resistant rope from the helicopter. Koronis was wearing a special heat-resistant suit equipped with a breathing apparatus.
“I had the feeling that I was on another planet,” he said. -Around the whole Colosseum of fire blazed, Wherever you look - everywhere small and large torches. And no smoke. As for the sound of burning gas, it was like the roar of a jet engine."
Koronis managed to take several samples from the bottom of the funnel. The analysis showed that bacteria live in the fiery hell and feel great. This discovery is especially important for astrobiologists, because conditions on many planets, including the young Earth, as it was billions of years ago, are similar to the infernal funnel in Turkmenistan.
CHOCOLATE HILLS ON BOHOL ISLAND
On the Philippine island of Bohol, overgrown with lush tropical vegetation, hundreds of regular conical hills are located in a chaotic disorder. They stand out sharply from the surrounding greenery with their brownish color. Nothing grows on them, except for thin grass, and even that dries up in summer, giving the hills a characteristic "chocolate" color.
The origin of the hills is unclear. Some scientists believe that this is the result of volcanic activity, others associate them with the erosion of the bottom of the ancient ocean. The version that these are the tombs of ancient kings has not yet been confirmed.
An Australian expedition in 2002 excavating one of the hills discovered what looked like a collapsed tunnel. It was not possible to trace its direction, just as it was not possible to determine whether this is a natural formation or the work of people.
THE ROAD OF THE GIANTS IN NORTHERN IRELAND
The "Road of the Giants" is a coastal strip consisting of more than 40 thousand basalt columns of regular shape. Most of the columns are hexagonal. Many of the columns are of the same height and stand so closely to each other that you can walk along their tops as if on a kind of road. Some of the columns are up to 12 meters high.
Scientists explain their appearance by the activity of an ancient volcano. During the eruption, molten basalt appeared, which cooled down so quickly that it caused a decrease in its volume and contraction into a kind of "tubular" structure.
The Celts, who in the old days inhabited the island, believed that it was the remains of a bridge connecting Ireland and Scotland. And the bridge was erected by the Scottish giant Finn McCumal, who decided to teach his Irish neighbor, the one-eyed giant Goll, a lesson. He made his way to the Irish coast, driving hexagonal rods into the seabed. Having reached Ireland, he, tired, lay down to rest.
Meanwhile, Goll's wife, realizing that her husband could not resist in an open fight, went for a trick. She swaddled her husband and, when Finn appeared, said that it was her baby son. She invited Finn to taste the cakes in which she baked cast-iron pans.
She gave her husband regular cakes. Finn broke all his teeth about the treat. Seeing that the baby was quietly chewing, he was frightened: if the baby bites such cakes, then what is his father! And he made his way back to Scotland, destroying the bridge behind him.
THE STRUCTURE OF RISHAT IN MAURITANIA
Until very recently, no one knew about this strange geological formation in Mauritania, in northwest Africa - neither scientists nor local residents. These latter were, however, very few, since the formation is lost in the sultry sands of the Sahara.
Discovered it from space. From above, it looks like a rounded structure with multi-colored rings. He was immediately dubbed the "Eye of the Sahara". The diameter of the "Eye" is 50 kilometers. Visible from space, it is used by astronauts as a landmark.
It is not possible to understand the cause of the "Eye". Perhaps this is the place where a meteorite fell. Or perhaps - the mouth of an extinct volcano or the result of soil erosion. None of the versions stand up to rigorous scientific criticism.
It is only clear that the age of the unique formation is about 600 million years, and that during this time it has been preserved almost in its original form. So, being in it, we may well feel that we have moved into the distant past of the planet.
"WAVE" FROM JURSKY SAND
A unique rock formation known as "The Wave" is located in the United States, on the border of the states of Arizona and Utah. It consists of Jurassic sandstone, that is, it is 200 million years old. These were originally sand dunes.
Over time, they were exposed to winds and rains, which formed their unusual, "undulating" shapes. Then these dunes hardened, but their forms were preserved.
The Wave's surface is very fragile, so the government has taken it under protection. Nowadays, visiting this corner of ancient nature is limited to twenty tourists a day.
CAVE OF CRYSTALS IN MEXICO
This expansive horseshoe-shaped cave lies under the Mexican city of Nike at a depth of 300 meters. It is unique primarily for the abundance of unusually large selenite crystals and severe climatic conditions.
The cave is constantly hot - up to plus 58 degrees and high humidity - up to 90-100 percent. This is explained by the fact that in the cavity under the cave there is hot magma, which heats the water saturated with minerals.
It is from them that crystals are formed. The cave is of great interest, but its study is extremely difficult. It is possible to be in it only in special suits that cool the body and in oxygen masks.
Selenite is an ornamental stone used to make jewelry, and therefore in the first years after the discovery of the cave, it was intensively worked out. Water was pumped out of the cave, which led to the degradation of crystalline formations. The entrance to the cave is now closed. Only researchers have access to it.
In 2009, while drilling a cracked wall at the far end of the cave, the farthest hall was discovered, called the "Ice Palace." The beauty of the crystals inside it far surpasses everything that is in the other halls. In 2011, the Discovery Channel released the film Nike. On the other side of the Crystal Cave ", which shows the interior" decoration "of the" Ice Palace ".
There are fewer selenite crystals there than in other halls, but they have the most bizarre shapes, more often in the form of flowers with many petals. There are also many unique whiskers there. The film says that scientists are confident in the existence of many other halls, similar to the "Ice Palace", but opening the entrances there can disrupt the atmosphere in them and lead ultimately to the destruction of the crystals.
GREAT BLUE HOLE
In the Caribbean Sea, off the coast of the state of Belize, there is a huge sinkhole called the "Great Blue Hole". Its diameter is 305 meters, depth is 120 meters. The best view of this pit is from a height. The images from the helicopter clearly show the border between the dark water of the depression and the surrounding blue transparent water of the surrounding bottom.
It is believed that this site was originally a system of limestone caves formed during the last ice age. The world ocean level was then significantly lower, and when the ocean rose, the roof of the flooded cave collapsed, forming this funnel. There is also a version that the Hole is a crater from a fallen meteorite.
During high tides, it is dangerous to be in the "Great Blue Hole" zone: strong eddies are formed here, which draw in everything floating on the surface, including small boats. But after, at low tides, from the Hole, along with whole fountains of water, almost everything drawn into it erupts back.