Situated in Mauritius, the beautiful natural phenomenon of the coloured earths (scroll to the bottom of the post for a bit of the science behind this force of nature) took me by surprise.
Also known as the seven colours of Chamarel, it’s a must spot to visit. After gazing and photographing the coloured earths for a long while, I took a walk up to the Chamarel Falls. The sight was beautiful.
Entered in WordPress Weekly photo challenge. This week’s theme is Forces of Nature. Click on the link to see more entries.
A bit of science (taken from a board at the Chamarel coloured earths):
This natural phenomenon is due to decomposed basalt gullies. The hot and humid climate helps in the decomposition of the basalt into clay. As a result of total hydrolysis (chemical breakdown of minerals by water), the soluble elements such as salicic acid and cations are washed, leaving a large composition of iron and aluminium which consist of ferralitic soil. The iron sesquioxydes have a red and anthracite colour, whereas the aluminium sesquioxydes have a blue or purplish colour.
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Wow! That looks so unreal! But so pretty as well. Thanks for sharing this.
Monica Goh recently posted…For The First Time: The SIA Brat’s Aurora Borealis Encounter
It’s amazing! Thanks for stopping by and leaving a comment 🙂
Loved those coloured chamarels. Such an unusual and spectacular sight. Thanks also for giving the scientific info behind them. Very interesting.
Thank you Irene!