The eye of the Sahara Desert is a circle nearly 50km in diameter that can be seen from space and is also one of the strangest places on Earth.
The Eye of the Sahara, also known as the "Richat Structure", is a large, circular geological formation in the Sahara Desert. It has a line of nearly 50 km and is thought to have been formed by erosion and uplift of the Earth's crust.
Although it looks like an impact crater, it is actually an example of a geological structure known as a symmetric ridge - a fold in rock layers exposed by geologic processes. material and erosion.
In addition to being a spectacular place to see with satellite imagery or even to visit locally, it is studied by geologists to understand the geology of the area and in general it is one of the most spectacular geological formations on the planet.
The "Richat Structure", also known as the "Eye of the Sahara" or "The Blue Eye of Africa", is an elliptical geological structure that emerges in the middle of the Sahara Desert in central-western Mauritania, near the area. Ouadane region. What is unique is that the structure is shaped like a human eye or an animal eye. When viewed from above, the giant "eye" in the middle of the Sahara desert is a huge geological structure with many concentric ellipses.
The Eye of the Sahara Desert is located in a rather remote part of the Sahara, however, it did not receive much attention until some astronauts reported on this peculiar place. This strange structure was discovered when scientists carried out a mission to fly into space and take pictures of the Earth's surface in 1965.
The structure is an eroded geological dome of sedimentary and igneous rock exposed to the surface appearing as concentric rings. The igneous rock is exposed within, featuring a spectacular array of rhyolite and gabbro rocks that have undergone hydrothermal transformation, as well as a central megabreccia - a rock containing large fragments, sometimes up to several feet in length. hundred meters.
As mentioned, the eye of the Sahara is a geological fold in which layers of rock are curved upwards, like a dome structure.
This is in contrast to the synchronicity line - a fold in which layers of rock are bent downwards. Convex folds can be formed by tectonic processes, which produce compressive forces that push rock upward, or by erosion that removes layers of softer rock, leaving coarser, domed rocks.
This natural structure is the result of soil erosion from the late Protozoic to the mid-Ordovician Sandstone period. The "Eye of the Sahara" is a circle nearly 50km in diameter and visible from space.
The eye of the Sahara is the striking feature, but for a long time people mistook it for a crater. It is located in the Adrar Plateau of the Sahara, near the city of Ouadane, in west-central Mauritania, Northwest Africa.
It is also known as the Richat Structure, in the vernacular, where Richat means 'feather'; in Arabic it is also known as 'tagense' - a term used to refer to the circular opening of the leather pouch used to draw water from local wells.
However, finding its origin is not really easy; Richat structure has been studied by many geologists, but until now, it still contains many unsolved secrets.
According to scientists, the eye of the Sahara desert has a diameter of more than 40 km. This special structure that resembles the human eye can be seen clearly from space. You can also view it on Google Maps with coordinates 21.124217, -11.395569.
Sedimentary rock formations form an outer crust. Internally, erosion is more pronounced in the quartzite layers, creating fragile circular slopes. In the central position, the "Eye of the Sahara" is covered by a layer of rubble with a total radius of up to 3km.
When viewed from above, the eye of the Sahara desert is a giant geological structure with many concentric ellipses, formed about 300 million years ago.
This is the result of soil erosion from the late primeval to mid-Ordovician sandstone period. In the central position, the giant eye is covered with rubble, with a total radius of up to 3 km.
The Eye of the Sahara is one of the most impressive geological features in the entire world and it is not hard to see why it was chosen as one of the first 100 geological heritage sites by the International Union of Geosciences. (IUGS) identified as having the highest scientific value.
Many theories have been put forward for the formation of this beautiful structure. Some scientists speculate that Richat is caused by volcanic deposits or a meteorite impact millions of years ago. Others believe that this is the remnants of the mysterious Atlantics continent that has disappeared for many years. However, so far, there is no exact answer about the appearance of this strange structure.
