Although it resembles an impact crater, the Richat Structure formed when a volcanic dome hardened and gradually eroded, exposing the onion-like layers of rock. A Ksour is a medieval settlement made up of towers, houses and surrounding walls, placed along trade centres of caravanning routes across the Sahara. The eye of the Sahara would be the most mysterious thing on earth. Once thought to be the result of a meteor impact, today researchers believe the Richat structure was caused by process of geological uplift followed by erosion from wind and water. The 40 km-diameter circular Richat structure is one of the geological features that is easier to observe from space than from down on the ground, … This prominent circular feature, known as the Richat Structure, in the Sahara desert of Mauritania is often noted by astronauts because it forms a conspicuous 50-kilometer-wide (30-mile-wide) bull's-eye on the otherwise rather featureless expanse of the desert. Dec 15, 2013 - Eye of the Sahara Desert. This prominent circular feature in the Sahara desert of Mauritania has attracted attention since the earliest space missions because it forms a conspicuous bull's-eye in the otherwise rather featureless expanse of the desert. See more ideas about earth, sahara, sahara desert. From our perch on the @Space_Station 250 miles above, the living history of the Earth jumps out at you through buckles, folds, giant fans," wrote astronaut Nick Hague about his Sept., 2019 photo of the "Eye of the Sahara" from the International Space Station. By 1948, French scientist Jacques Richard-Molard was arguably the first to propose that the mysterious feature might … NASA states that many refer to this structure as looking like an outsized fossil in the desert and has now become a landmark for space shuttle crews. "The circular Richat Structure - easy to spot from space, not so easy to understand. It is visible from space and has been used as a visual landmark by astronauts. Image Credit: Wikimedia Commons Image credit: Roscosmos Richat Structure, Mauritania from … Richat Structure, Mauritania | NASA. Post with kindness. The Richat Structure of Mauritania has captured the attention of astronauts for about as long as NASA has sent humans into orbit around Earth. Image taken 1/11/2001: The so-called Richat Structure is a geological formation in the Maur Adrar Desert in the African country of Mauritania. But it may be more than that. The Ksours found in this vicinity were inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1996. Dutch astronaut Andre Kuipers snapped this hypnotic image of the so-called Richat structure in Mauritania, as the space station flew over the … The entire structure is roughly around 45 kilometres long. Dutch astronaut Andre Kuipers snapped this hypnotic image of the so-called Richat structure in Mauritania, as the space station flew over the Sahara Desert on the Atlantic Coast of West Africa. The site was initially thought to have been created on the impact of an asteroid but no credible evidence has been discovered to prove this. According to NASA, earlier, due to its shape, this structure was believed to be formed after a meteorite impact. This made me look up some information about what this Richat Structure actually is and how it has taken up this rather breathtaking appearance. The dark area forms a plateau of sedimentary rock standing some 200 metres above the surrounding desert sands, with the peak of the outer rim of the structure some 485 metres above sea level. This magnificent 40-kilometre-wide dome is the result of deep and ancient erosion of a long-dead volcano. The caption for the image later revealed that this is the popular Richat Structure from Africa, and is often referred to as the ‘Eye of the Sahara’. However, everyone know the feature in … The Richat Structure is a fascinating, circular area located in the Sahara’s Adrar Plateau in Mauritania. The Richat Structure can be found on Landsat 7 WRS Path 203 Row 45, center: 21.68, -11.94. However, researchers are now of the belief that it's just a symmetrical uplift that’s now barren due to erosion. The onion-like formation is formed by concentric bands of resistant quartzite rocks form ridges, and between with valleys of less-resistant rock between them. Initially mistaken for a possible impact crater, it is now known to be an eroded circular anticline (structural dome) of layered … Made entirely of igneous and sedimentary rocks, the edges of the structure also showcase several ‘faults’ -- fractures between two more blocks of rock -- that reveal continuous strata of the past have shifted apart with time. the richat structure in the sahara desert of mauritania is easily visible from space because it is nearly 50 kilometers across. The rocks on the inside include rhyolitic volcanic rocks, gabbros, carbonatites and kimberlites. Evidence From The Ground That The Richat Structure Is Atlantis - YouTube. It is nearly 50 kilometres across and very visible from space. Several research institutions have also sent their team of experts to study this structure and various scientific publications describe its unique geology … Geologists refer to this as a domed anticline that has later been eroded and exposed with the flat layers of rock that existed from before. Eye Of Sahara: Africa’s Richat Structure Captured From Space Looks Breathtaking, Copyright © 2020 Times Internet Limited. Early space missions used the Richat Structure as a landmark, and nowadays, the place is still seen as a landmark on Google Earth The common name for the landmark and circular feature with a diameter of 40km is The Richat Structure. They all but obscure the remarkable Guelb Richat or Richat structure, although its heart remains clear like a bulls-eye in the middle of this Envisat image. Richat Structure: A Geologic Wonder. You have already liked this page, you can only like it once. Image taken during the Gemini IV mission of the Richat Structure as seen from space (NASA/Public Domain). Guelb er Richat (aka the Richat Structure or the Eye of the Sahara) is eyepopping when seen from space. Surrounded by thousands of square miles of nearly featureless desert, this 40-50 km in diameter series of … Many people believe it is also the site of Atlantis. The Richat Structure, a geologic wonder viewable from space, is a striking circular feature found in the Sahara Desert in Mauritania. The Richat Structure. The dunes around the Richat structure are part of the Ouarne (Erg Oudane), an immense body of sand stretching hundreds of kilometres to Mali, within which still stand some ancient Ksours. Situated in Sahara’s Adrar Plateau near Ouadane, west-central Mauritania, (often called Richat Structure of Mauritania), the shape that the structure possesses has been through natural causes. Once thought to be an impact crater, the Richat Structure’s flat middle and lack of shock-altered rock indicates otherwise. Published 7 March 2018 at 890 × 534 in Gallery: Africa from space. The structure emphasises the otherwise barren and unforgiving desert. The ever-shifting sands of the Sahara desert cover a large section of Mauritania. Scientists have since determined it must be a natural phenomenon. This looked literally like an eye of the ocean surrounded by land, but upon closer inspection, I discovered that the blue-tones in the image are actually sand. The Richat Structure near Ouadane in central Mauritania is known as the Eye of the Sahara. Although the Apollo era provided Earth with the first images of the mysterious feature, it had actually been discovered decades earlier, at least as early as the 1930s. Play Cricket Quiz & Earn Upto 50,000 Coins Daily. Lost Cities | 0 |. How is it to see it from the ground? This Envisat image shows a geological phenomena in the Sahara Desert of Mauritania in northern Africa: the remarkable circular Richat structure, which resembles an eye from space. The Eye resembles a blue bullseye and is located in Western Sahara. The 50-km-diameter circular Richat structure is one of those geological features that are more clearly observed from space than from down on the ground, with this 'eye of Africa' a familiar landmark to astronauts since the earliest manned missions. Initially, it assumed to be a hole in the surface, but the recent photographs taken by the astronauts sent from space suggested that Die Ringhügel liegen in der Provinz Adrar etwa 30 Kilometer nordöstlich der Kleinstadt Ouadane. It is nearly 50 kilometers across and very visible from space. The structure emphasises the otherwise barren and unforgiving desert. The Richat Structure, also known as the Eye of the Sahara or blue eye of Africa, is a prominent geological circular feature in the Sahara desert in Mauritania near Ouadane. Since its discovery, the structure has served as a landmark used by astronauts. The carbonatite rocks have been dated as old as between 94 and 104 million years ago. The structure emphasises the otherwise barren and unforgiving desert. Dutch astronaut Andre Kuipers snapped this hypnotic image of the so-called Richat structure in Mauritania, as the space station flew over the Sahara Desert on the Atlantic Coast of West Africa. NASA. Geologists have discovered that the rocks in the centre of this structure are actually older compared to the rocks in the outer rings. While I was browsing through memes on Twitter, I stumbled upon a rather breathtaking image. The Eye of the Sahara, more formally known as the Richat structure, is in the western Sahara Desert in Mauritania. Erosion of the various rock layers created the ring-like features that make up the sprawling structure, but the origin of the Richat structure remains somewhat mysterious, geologists have said . Initially interpreted as an asteroid impact structure because of its high degree of circularity, it is now argued to be a highly symmetrical and deeply eroded geologic dome. Image credit The Richat Structure, also known as the Eye of the Sahara and Guelb er Richat, is a prominent circular feature in the Sahara desert near Ouadane, west-central Mauritania. Once thought to be an impact crater, the Richat Structure's flat middle and lack of shock-altered rock indicates otherwise. Start a conversation, not a fire. Erosion of the various rock layers created the ring-like features that make up the sprawling structure, but the origin of the Richat structure remains somewhat mysterious, geologists have said . 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