Experts stumped by mysterious 'Eye of the Sahara' structure that's visible from space
Topics: Science, NASA, World News
Gerrard Kaonga
Featured Image Credit: NASA/GSFC/MITI/ERSDAC/JAROS / NASA Earth Observatory
Topics: Science, NASA, World News
The world is full of mysteries and experts aren’t exactly sure what to make of the Eye of the Sahara in Mauritania.
There are many marvels of the world and many things we don’t completely grasp yet, but from a geological standpoint, it certainly gets interesting in north-west Africa.
The Eye of the Sahara, also known as the Richat Structure, resides in Mauritania and looks - at first glance - like an enormous impact crater.
It stretches 30 miles in diameter and is comprised of a series of uniform ripples, but its origin continues to puzzle geologists and experts.
Advert
The size is so massive that the structure can be seen from space, and NASA has taken impressive photos of the area over the years.
“The origin of the Richat Structure was initially thought to be the result of an impact event because large meteors typically produce circular features on Earth’s surface,” according to a NASA Earth Observatory report.
Experts have debated for years on what caused the structure and resulted in multiple studies of the area.
“Geologic studies of the Eye of Sahara reveal it is actually an uplifted geologic dome, also known as a domed anticline. Over time, differing erosion rates between various rock types in the exposed upper dome led to the formation of circular ridges known as cuestas,” the NASA report continued.
However, in 2014, a paper was published in the Journal of African Earth Sciences which proposed a different theory.
Due to the presence of volcanic rock, these researchers surmised that molten rock had been pushed to the surface, causing the dome shape. Centuries of erosion then created the rings we see today.
They added that the supercontinent Pangaea may have played a significant role in this formation, highlighting just how old the structure is.
There are those who even believe it is the remnants of the ancient city of Atlantis, as its circular shape is said to resemble the land described by Plato - but that is a story for another day.