Eye of the Sahara, Mauritania. Eye of the Sahara - the mystery of the desert Eye of the Sahara

The Eye of the Sahara (Ghalb Er-Rishat) is the most mysterious object on earth, which is located in the Sahara Desert in Mauritania near the settlement of Ouadan.

The Sahara Desert is the world's largest desert, which is located in northern Africa and covers the territory of almost 10 countries. Large areas of the desert are uninhabited and it seemed that what could be interesting and exciting in these areas? But nature decided otherwise and gave this place an extraordinary natural attraction.

The unique object gained its main fame thanks to photographs from a spacecraft in 1965. And the name was given because from space these huge rings resembled the shape of the pupil of the human eye.

Structure of the Eye of the Sahara

The structure of Ghalb Er-Rishat is a geological formation with a circular relief. An intrusion of dolerite was discovered in the structure of the Eye of the Sahara. From the satellite, a green color can be seen at the site, which is a result of the stunted vegetation in the desert. For a long period of time, the structure of Galb Er-Rishat was a landmark for astronauts in orbit, since it represented the most visible object in the African desert.

Due to the erosion of the layers, the object became quite prominent, and circles appeared on it. In the center of the site, siliceous breccias, which are a type of sedimentary rock, were discovered.

Radius of the Eye of the Sahara crater

The African landmark Eye of the Sahara is reaching colossal proportions. The diameter of the crater is as much as 50 km. The diameter of the central circle is approximately three kilometers.

Origin

According to research, the Eye of the Sahara was formed during the period between the late Proterozoic and Ordovician. The concentric circles are millions of years old. Scientists estimate that the oldest ring is about 600 million years old.

Initially, it was believed that this amazing natural object arose as a result of a meteorite that fell on the surface of the Earth several hundred years ago. But after numerous studies, scientists came to the conclusion that this theory has not been confirmed. Then, a new version was revealed that Galb Er-Rishat has a geological origin.

Plus, no ring-shaped depressions were found near the Richat structure, which should have been at the site of the fall of a meteorite of this size. At the same time, the Eye of the Sahara is distinguished by the fact that the sedimentary rocks in it are located in their natural form, and not as after a fall.

According to recent studies, the breccia structure of Glaza, which consists of cemented rock fragments, carbonate in rocks rich in silicon dioxide, was formed under the influence of hydrothermal waters. As for the structure, it requires more detailed study.

The structure of Ghalb Er-Rishat is capable of changing color depending on the time of day, this is explained by the effect of thermal emission.

Another hypothesis, which also cannot be called correct, is the opinion about the volcanic origin of the eye of the Sahara, since there is no dome of igneous or volcanic rocks.

The latest version, to which modern scientists are closest, is considered to be the result of erosion, which formed after the uplift of a section of the earth’s crust.

Tourist routes

Being an unusual and amazing natural site, a huge number of tourists are eager to see the Eye with their own eyes, even despite the scorching sun, incredible heat and long flight. Thus, many tour operators have decided to create special tours, thanks to which groups of tourists will be able to see the object live. Tourists are offered jeep rides to the attraction itself or on small planes, from which you can view the Eye of the Sahara from above. Flights by plane are usually much more interesting, since they allow you to see the African landmark in all its colossal dimensions. However, if you go by car, you can see part of the attraction in front of you and even walk around it.

You can go to Mauritania at any time of the year. But guides recommend going in December, when the sweltering heat subsides a little.

How to get there

GPS coordinates: 21°07′29″ N. w. 11°24′13″ W d.

The journey to the Eye of the Sahara takes quite a long period of time, but the end result of this adventure promises to be worthwhile and memorable. To get to Galb Er Richat, you first need to get to the capital of Mauritania, Nouakchott, and from there get to the city of Ouadane. You can get from the city to the Eye of the Sahara by car, by hot air balloon or by plane, depending on your capabilities and desires.

Panorama of the Eye of the Sahara on Google map:

Video: Eye of the Sahara

"Eye of the Sahara" from space.
Today we will visit another amazing place on our planet. The geological formation on the territory of Mauritania, which is located in Africa, still remains one of the greatest mysteries of our time. “Eye of the Sahara”, or in other words, the Richat structure is a perfectly round shape, a flat bottom surface and impressive dimensions (50 km in diameter)…
Before the start of the Space Age, the Richat Structure was unknown, because it was the astronauts who first discovered this huge eye that was looking right at them.

The Eye of the Sahara is an ancient geological artifact that lies in the middle of the Maur Adrar Desert in the southwestern Sahara. At first, astronauts used this place as a landmark, and extreme sports enthusiasts in off-road vehicles held their competitions here. Scientists are still arguing about the origin of the Richat structure.

The hotel is located in the center of Richat. The hotel is not luxurious, but the conditions for tourists are quite good. Many travel agencies offer safaris in this area.

Initially, the version was put forward that the Richat structure was the crater of a giant meteorite. However, if a meteorite actually fell in this place, then the crater floor could not have had a flat structure, so the best explanation today is that there was erosion of the volcano's dome, which, over time, expanded its rocks, creating today's form.

This photo of the Richat structure was taken from a satellite using the ASTER 7 radiometer, the unusual colors arise as a result of thermal emission. Whatever it is, the spectacle is amazing and attracts the attention of artists, environmentalists and natural scientists. This is a sign that our planet never ceases to surprise and shock us.

The news was posted by: Igor Selivanov

Original taken from masterok in the Eye of the Sahara or Richat Structure

In the western part of the Sahara Desert - the one that belongs to Mauritania - slightly east of the village of Ouadan there is one of the most amazing and mysterious places on the planet, known as the “Richat structure” or “eye of the Earth”. Mysterious circles, drawn by an unknown force among the monotonous desert landscape, attract an inexhaustible stream of inquisitive travelers.

The age of the geological formation is more than respectable: researchers of the unique object claim that the oldest ring from a series of circles of the Guell-Er-Richat structure is not “younger” than 600,000,000 years. And the size of the “eye” is substantial: the diameter of its outer contour is about 50 km. It is clear that with such an impressive scale, the contours of the rings can only be detected at a significant height from the object.

That is why the unique structure was discovered only with the advent of the space age in 1965. Since then, the eye of the planet has served as a clear guide to astronauts in orbit, and scientists have been puzzling over the nature of this marvelous formation day and night.

Versions.

Version one - the place where the meteorite fell. I did not find confirmation, since there is no depression on the surface of the earth in the center of the structure, as in other places where cosmic bodies fall. And there are no traces of impact on the rocks.

Version two - the mouth of an extinct volcano. The Richat structure is made up of dolomite sedimentary rocks, and the complete absence of volcanic rocks and a volcanic dome nullified this assumption.
What is the Richat structure? Version three is fantastic. “This is the landing site of aliens,” some say. “Atlantis was here,” others say. But no one can prove either the first or the second.

Version four is the result of erosion. According to scientists, the platform in this place rose and fell, constantly weathering, which led to such a layered formation. To date, this version is the most plausible.

Thanks to images taken from space, there has been a significant breakthrough in geological research. In a relatively short period of time, scientists have been able to identify many places of interest to researchers from various fields. Among all these discoveries, numerous geological formations in the form of rings are of considerable interest, differing not only in size, varying from several hundred meters to 3 thousand kilometers and in age, sometimes reaching the Archean era, estimated in billions of years, but also in their genesis, which put before researchers have discussed a number of controversial issues.

One of these mysteries for scientists was the amazing Moorish soil formation, clearly visible from space. Because of its large size and clear outlines, which give it the vast and lifeless landscapes of the Saharan desert, it has been serving as a kind of beacon for people navigating the endless ocean of space for half a century.

Cosmonaut Valentin Lebedev, examining this geological object, amazing in its almost round shape and unusual structure, from the window of the Salyut-7 station in October 1982, associated it with a children's pyramid assembled from rings of various colors. You can verify the accuracy of this comparison by looking at the picture below.

True, this miracle of nature is in fact not a children's toy at all. The diameter of its outer ring is fifty kilometers, and upon closer examination it does not at all resemble a pyramid. Being directly at this place and contemplating the rocky desert with a series of different lowlands and hills, you can’t even say that it can look so impressive from space.

Apparently, this circumstance was previously the main factor for researchers that prevented them from focusing their attention on this point of our planet that, as it turned out, was so interesting for its mystery. But, as they say, “everything has its time.” Humanity's exploration of outer space has undoubtedly benefited the knowledge of our home - the Earth.

After all, just think, during his existence, man, due to his curiosity, was able to explore almost every corner of our native planet. He discovered many previously unknown islands, conquered the inaccessible peaks of the highest mountains, found a way to conduct research in the ocean depths, and overcame the cold of the earth's poles. It seemed that people had explored everything and there was nothing on Earth that was unknown to humanity. But this, as time shows, was just a short flight of stairs leading to the heights of knowledge.

A photograph of the Moorish “pyramid” taken from space half a century ago seriously puzzled scientists. Even after conducting a series of studies, to this day they have not been able to come to a consensus about the reason for the emergence of this geological formation. It, based on the conclusions of the researchers, has a rather unusual structure, which at first glance resembles the site of mining operations that were once carried out here, or a huge crater formed after the fall of a meteorite, and possibly the consequences of an ancient volcanic eruption. According to the conclusions of experts, the age of this geological formation, which received the names “eye of the desert” and “navel of the earth” thanks to the media, is 500-600 million years, that is, theoretically reaches the Proterozoic period.

As you know, at the end of this period there was a global change in the climate of our planet. This coincidence naturally became a significant factor that prompted researchers to put forward the version that the ring-shaped structure of Richat was formed as a result of the fall of a huge meteorite.
However, the attempt of geologists to collect evidence for this hypothesis in subsequent studies was unsuccessful. They were never able to find traces indicating the impact itself and its consequences. In the center of this formation there was also no depression corresponding to the force of the impact, similar to depressions at the sites of the fall of cosmic bodies. In addition, they were unable to explain the presence of not one, but several rings, ideally nested within each other. In order for such a formation to occur, several meteorites had to fall into this place with perfect accuracy, which, of course, is unlikely.

Of all the put forward versions, the most plausible is the volcanic version of the structural formation of Richat.

Scientists, analyzing photographs of this geological artifact with seemingly similar objects on Mars, Mercury and the Moon, have put forward a seemingly irrefutable version of its volcanic origin. They even managed to explain the new type of volcanic formations they discovered thanks to these photographs, called “Ring Structures.” This topic first appeared as a special section in the 1985 textbook “General Geotectonics,” written by A. E. Mikhailov and V. E. Khain.

According to this version, the origin of the Moorish ring structures is explained by centuries-old erosion of the volcano, under the influence of which the current geological artifact was formed.

But subsequent studies forced many scientists to reconsider the evidence of this hypothesis. According to the conclusion of many experts in the field of geology, the Richat structure cannot be the result of a volcanic eruption, because its formation is dominated by sedimentary dolomite rocks and there are absolutely no volcanics, characterized by microscopic sizes of mineral crystals, and effusives. In addition, in its central part, geologists were unable to detect any signs of a volcanic dome.

By the way, why the eye? Yes, because from a certain distance the complex of giant rings amazingly accurately recreates the shape of the pupil of the human eye, framed by the contours of the eyelids. The initial hypothesis was that the planet's waking eye was nothing more than a crater formed as a result of the fall of a giant meteorite. This version still defends its right to exist among the possible reasons for the appearance of the oldest geological structure.

But the explanations of the supporters of the “crater” theory regarding the flat shape of the bottom of the ring formation do not sound very convincing, to put it mildly. The Richat formation cannot boast of a characteristic depression or traces of impact.

The essence of another version is that the appearance of a geological artifact is the result of a long-standing volcanic eruption. Upon closer examination, this hypothesis does not stand up to criticism: the product of the eruption should have left a dome-shaped imprint of volcanic rocks in memory of itself, but, alas, this is not the case. It’s a pity: the almost perfectly round shape of the mysterious rings would harmoniously fit into the hypothesis of an extinct volcano. In attempts to explain the reason for the appearance of mystical circles, completely fantastic versions were put forward, including the landing of aliens - it is clear that such ideas were shattered to pieces by elementary common sense.

Supporters of the supernatural, who tried to explain the presence of circles by the presence of otherworldly forces, also faced a fiasco: there are no traces of any anomalies in the area of ​​the structure - shepherds have long lived in the mysterious territory and camels graze peacefully, without showing the slightest signs of concern.

The most plausible and tenacious hypothesis was that the eye of the planet was formed as a result of natural geological processes. First, the earth's crust rose, and then wind and water flows came into play - it was centuries-old erosion that led to the appearance of an all-seeing eye on the face of the planet. But even this theory does not provide a comprehensive explanation of Richat’s strict geometry, so the question of where the regular circles in the middle of the desert came from still remains open. This means that the great discovery of the true origin of the rings of Guell Er Richat awaits us ahead.

is a unique geological formation located in Mauritania in Western Sahara near the small town of Ouadan or Wadan. The second, local name of this interesting formation is Richat.

Sahara's eye really looks like an eye. It consists of several huge concentric circles of different colors, which may not be visible while on Earth, but they are clearly visible from space, at a distance of several kilometers.

This round-shaped formation has a diameter of about 50 kilometers. It is clearly visible from space orbit, which is why astronauts have long used the Eye of the Sahara among the almost colorless sands as a landmark.

Observing Richat from the orbit of a spaceship, cosmonaut V. Lebedev compared him to a children's pyramid with several multi-colored rings. Indeed, it is very similar, the Eye of the Sahara has a beautiful ring structure.

Origin

1 version

Studying Richard, scientists came to the conclusion that its oldest ring is at least 500-600 million years old. Previously, it was believed that the ring structure was formed as a result of strong impacts and the formation of a giant crater.

However, this theory was later rejected as untenable, because a crater requires a cone-shaped depression, but the Eye of the Sahara is completely flat. It also showed no signs of being impacted by a powerful blow.

2 version

Another version: the structure could have arisen during a volcanic eruption. However, this hypothesis also has no evidence, because in this case, the Eye of the Sahara must be dome-shaped and composed at least partially of volcanic rocks.

Version 3

Today, the prevailing version is that Richat is a structure formed as a result of the erosion of part of the uplifted earth's crust. Some scientists suggest that the Eye of the Sahara in the past could have been an enclosed salt lake that appeared and dried up.

As you can see, there are enough hypotheses about the origin of this formation, but there is no single one that most scientists would adhere to and that has convincing evidence. The Eye of the Sahara remains a beautiful and mysterious phenomenon on earth.

View from space

Watch Seen

The African continent is rich in natural wonders. In Mauritania, near the small town of Quadane, there is an amazing place that reminds people that the earth is intelligent and watches over us. Don't believe me? Go to the hot desert, where you will be greeted by the huge Eye of the Sahara. Güel er Richat is the name of the extraordinary Eye in Arabic.

Ancient Eye of the Desert

A formation of incredible size (about 50 km) is located among the sands of the Sahara. The strange eye has an elliptical shape. Stepped, relief walls play with different colors. Rocks of various periods are visible here: from the Proterozoic to the Ordovician period. Education is very ancient. One of the oldest rings of the Richat Structure, according to scientists, arose almost 0.6 billion years ago.

The secret of the appearance of the Eye of the Sahara

No one knows exactly the history of the strange Eye. Previously, it was assumed that the center of formation was a crater from a meteorite fall. But the flat bottom and absence of rocks indicate the opposite. Activities are also in doubt. There is no dome or remains of a volcanic mass.

The main version accepted today is the appearance of the Richat Structure as a result of wind erosion after the earth's crust rose in this area.

Bright colors Richat Structures

The elliptical formation exposes the entire depth, length and width of the formation. The shades of different colors make the spectacle simply fantastic. The eye is visible from space. It serves as a good reference point for astronauts.

It is interesting that similar formations, but much smaller in size, can be found in, which is located in Egypt. On the sandy rocks of incredible shades, here and there you can see eyes that are very similar to real ones. I can’t help but feel that the Earth is watching us. The shape and appearance of these formations are very similar. The only difference is in size and depth. On the walls of the Colored Canyon, the eyes are almost flat, and in the Sahara, tourists see a recess of great depth.

Tourist routes of Mauritania

Every year, numerous tourists want to see the Richat Structure. They are not afraid of the sweltering heat and the turbulent political situation in some of the neighboring countries. Guests are offered jeep trips to explore the incredible sights of Africa. Particularly popular are excursions on small planes, which provide a unique opportunity to view the formation from a bird's eye view. The feeling is simply fantastic!

You can visit Mauritania and see the Eye of the Sahara at any time. The most favorable month is December, when the heat subsides a little. The safest route is through Atar, Mauritania. The cost will be slightly higher than traveling through Niger and Mali, but the safety will be much higher.

Eye of the Sahara in Mauritania photo