While we have yet to discover any conclusive or definitive evidence of extraterrestrial life, our fascination with the unknown and unexplored continues to grow. While we may or may not ever see proof in our generation, here are some of the world’s most strange-looking landscapes.
#01 Lake Baikal, in the southern Russian region of Siberia, has emerald ice (The oldest known lake in the world)
This beautiful lake, which the locals affectionately refer to as “the pearl of Asia,” is situated between the Irkutsk Oblast and the Republic of Buryatia, in the south of Siberia. It is estimated to be 25 million years old and to be 1,680 meters deep, making it the world’s deepest lake.
#02 Giants Causeway located in Northern Ireland
The Giant’s Causeway is a geological wonder and the undisputed highlight of a journey along the east coast of County Antrim, Northern Ireland’s most visited natural enclave.
This marvel is made up of 40,000 basalt columns, the majority of which are hexagonal, that descend to the sea in stages. Legend has it that it arose from a fight between two giants, the Irish Finn McCool and the Scotsman Bennandoner, who threw so many rocks at each other that they formed a stone path on the water.
The Giant’s Causeway was formed 55 to 60 million years ago during an eruption. A large lava flow must have become trapped in the terrain’s slope. The upper portion, which was exposed to the air, cooled more quickly than the lower portion. The polygonal columns were formed when the clay soil contracted, similar to how clay soil cracks when it loses water.
#03 Tianzi Moutains in China
They can be found in Hunan Province, China’s southeast. There are over 3,100 stone pillars in the park, all of varying heights, with some reaching 800 meters. This park piqued James Cameron’s interest, and he was inspired to create the Avatar world as a result.
#04 Fly Geyser in Nevada, USA (The flying geyser)
In 1916, a group of men drilled into the land in search of water for their crops and plantations. They discovered water, but it was thermal and at a temperature of 200oC. The conduit that this group of men had opened served as an escape route to the water within a few years. The stone has been painted red by carbonate sediments, creating a spectacular landscape.
#05 Mount Roraima located in eastern Venezuela
This magnificent mountain, which rises more than a thousand meters above the park’s forest and is considered one of the planet’s oldest geological areas, is the highest point of the Tepuyes plateau chain, which is mostly found in Venezuela.
#06 Dallol volcano in Ethiopia
It is both a dangerous and beautiful place on the planet. Salt, acid, toxic fumes, and oozing magma cover the area around Ethiopia’s Dallol volcano. A group of scientists is investigating the origins of life there.
This African peak is a mine from a geological standpoint. It is also one of the world’s most hostile environments: a “alien” landscape with temperatures of more than 50 degrees, pierced by the Dallol volcano’s wounds and colored in bright yellow and green, with oozing magma and boiling water pools, pierced by the wounds of the Dallol volcano and colored in bright yellow and green.
Add in an unpleasant odor caused by sulfur fumes, as well as the presence of salt, acids, minerals, and strange microorganisms, and it’s easy to see why scientists are drawn to the area.
#07 Pamukkale in Denizli province, southwestern Turkey
Cotton Castle is the Spanish translation, and it is located in the southwest of Turkey. Thick layers of limestone and travertine are formed naturally and run down the slope, giving the impression of an icy landscape, but this has nothing to do with reality: the region where they are found has a temperate climate all year.
#08 Red Beach in Panjin, China
It gets its red color from a local plant called Marine Sargadilla, which covers more than 3,000 hectares. As a result, it is not red all year; the best time to visit is in the autumn, when the color is at its peak.
#09 Abraham Lake in Alberta, Canada
This peculiar natural phenomenon distinguishes this lake as one of the most unique in the world. What we see are bubbles that have frozen before rising to the surface.
#10 Zhangye Danxia National Geological Park, China
This park covers 300 square kilometers in the northwest of the People’s Republic of China. As if they were artists, the various minerals were painting these mountains.
#11 Grand Prismatic Spring in Wyoming, United States
It is the largest source of hot springs in the United States and the third in the world, and it is found in Yellowstone National Park.
#12 Naica Mine in Chihuahua, Mexico
The formation of crystals inside this massive mine is well-known throughout the world. However, none of the chambers are open to the public because the temperatures inside are so high that even geological research is impossible.
#13 Glowworms Cave on the North Island of New Zealand
Waitomo is home to these caves. Its most notable feature is the presence of glow worm-like fireflies that adorn the caves’ interiors, leaving images as lovely as this one.
#14 Skaftafell Glacier in Reykjavik, Iceland
This otherworldly landscape can be found in Iceland, protected by Europe’s largest national park, Vatnajökull. There are also massive waterfalls in the park.
#15 Painted Dunes, Lassen Volcanic National Park in California, USA
These dunes, which are found in the Lassen Volcanic National Park, are made up of layers of oxidized volcanic ash.
#16 Dragon Blood trees, Socotra, Yemen
These trees were created 65 million years ago, and their name comes from the fact that when they are cut, the resin is a deep red color that resembles blood.
