Our colorful world

Here's a short compilation of some of the most natural and beautiful colored landscapes around the world. For each of the seven examples below, I tried, as far as I can, to determine if these colors are naturals or if there's any Photoshop involved.

I guess that the answer is "no"; I could be wrong though!

1- Antelope Canyon - Arizona, USA

Antelope Canyon is the most-visited and most-photographed slot canyon in the American Southwest. This sandstone rock formation on Navajo land near Page, Arizona..

What find most amazing about this rock formations is the amazing palette of natural colors seen during the day. Fulfilled with warm colors, it actually reaches shades of purple, which is unbelievable.
The sun beans reaching the ground through the ceiling are definitely a great detail that years of (water) erosion have carved in stoned through out millions of years.


Source: Violet Kashi


Source: Alierturk


Source: shankar_10817


Source: Karen Reilly


2- The Great Blue Hole - Belize

The Great Blue Hole, at Lighthouse Reef Atoll, Belize, is a divers dream and showcases gorgeous shades of blue.
It's a circular 305 m across and 123 m deep hole in the carbonate reef and a Belize National Monument that became a World Heritage Site in 1997.
Jacques Cousteau took the Calypso and his submarine into the hole in 1972 to examine the stalactites suspended from overhanging walls.


Source: Visions of Earth






Source: Tranquility Bay Resort

Divers love the Great Blue Hole because of the wild blue colors, the great sea life and the amazing coral. Much of this coral and sea life cannot be found in any other place in the world.

The Blue Hole formed during past ice ages, when sea level was 100-200 meters lower than at present. Dissolution of the carbonate rock created a subsurface void that subsequently collapsed.
On land, these features are called "cenotes". The first image was acquired March 14, 2006, covers an area of 18.3 x 42.3 km, and is located at 17.5 degrees north latitude, 88.2 degrees west longitude.


3- Crater lakes - Iceland

“Ice and fire” – these are two words, which despite their seeming mutual exclusiveness, perfectly grasp the nature of Iceland.
Although called “the land of ice”, ironically, Iceland has boiling hot springs and turquoise geothermal lakes. The four photos below are of two Iceland volcanoes: the Viti and the Askja volcanoes


Source: Archangem Flickr's gallery]


Source: Cortomaltese Flickr's gallery


Source: Gianlibero Melandri Flickr's gallery


Source: Fotopedia

The landscape in Iceland is very desolate and harsh. There are almost no trees. In winter, the central part of the island resembles the moon’s surface. This is why NASA astronauts conducted their lunar landing training here.

One of the most famous landmarks of Iceland is the Blue Lagoon. This unique geothermal pool is located in the southwest region of the country. It is about 200 meters wide and several kilometers long. Water temperature averages +37°.
The pool attracts tons of tourists every year, total number of which is almost equals the country’s population – over 300,000 people.


4- The Tunnel of Love - Ukraine

The Tunnel of Love is a local tourist destination near Klevan, Ukraine. It is a meandering covered path thru the woods that has a train path running through it. It can either be walked, or ridden through (on the train).









Source: Bored Panda

Beautiful places, like this one, seem to bring us more closer to nature; the thousand shades of green of an enchanted forest, and the canopy that stretches forever let our imagination run wild as if we were in a dream…


5- Dallol Volcano - Ethiopia

One of the most adventurous trips in Ethiopia is the hottest place on earth called Denakil Depression. Life –time experience despite rough conditions; although the condition of the environment is not comfortable, the discomfort will be insignificant when compared to this unique experience of a life time, that only Ethiopia can offer you.
In this depression, the upwelling springs of Dallol Volcano creates salt and yellow sulfur formations. Dallol is unique in the world because is the only volcano situated below the sea level in Danakil depression, also known as Afar, one of the hottest places in the world with temperatures sometimes over 60 degrees Celsius in the sun


Source


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Source: Photovolcanica Flickr's gallery

Sulphur-coloured salt crystals on Dallol Volcano in the Ethiopian Danakil depression. The colorful surface deposits are a result of geothermal activity in the area which is largely manifested by brine springs.

6- Blood falls - Antartica

McMurdo Dry Valleys in Antarctica is one of the most isolated and harshest places in the world. Nothing can survive in this place of subzero temperatures and icy winds, or so we thought. Then we noticed the blood red liquid draining from Taylor Glacier into Lake Bonney.
It is almost as if some giant wounded the glacier with a spear and it is bleeding from the wound. Upon closer examination, scientific explorers made one of the most startling discoveries of our time. In a lifeless and alien-like place that is so harsh, nothing can survive we found primordial life. That “blood” that seeps from the wounded glacier is the stuff that life is made of.
Somewhere else on our planet, millions of years ago, the very first life form crawled out of this same kind of primordial pool.
The salt water contains iron oxide, which gives the falls it's red and Orange coloring


Source: Science blogs


Source: Piganl




Source: Kawelch in Antartica

When I think of Antarctica in color, I think about white, blue, cerulean, azure, grey, brown, and occasionally black (orcas, penguins). There is a feature on the terminus of the Taylor Glacier called Blood Falls. It is a surprising rusty red color. Blood Falls is not very well understood, but there are some theories about why it is there. Today my friend Jill and I went to collect some samples and talk about her research a little more. Jill is a microbiologist and I am a geochemist. Even though we have different interests, we both think that Blood Falls is fascinating.
People have been curious about Blood Falls since it was first observed by Scott's party in 1903. They noted in their journal that the terminus of the glacier had a red color that they thought might be from algae. Scientists who have seen the site since then have been surprised by it and several have studied it.

Read the whole article about Blood Falls here


7- Red sand dunes- Australia

I'm spechless when I look at these stunning red colors...


Source: Dj.tigersprout's photoblog


Source: Mark A.Chappell

This intensely red sand dune was in Hattah Lakes National Park, in northern Victoria, Australia.

Source: Youcanseethroughtheirears

Soon after leaving Coober Pedy we crossed the border in the Northern Territory and without warning the land turned Red. The closer you get to the mysterious red center the more magical the outback seems to become. This is the home of the Aboriginal people, the home of giant red kangaroos and the home of our destination, Uluru or Ayers Rock.

Source: Herinckx

Awesome pics, we have a beautiful planet !

reply to post by elevenaugust


absolutely beautiful pics you have posted. Very refreshing.



reminded me of this thread in BTS... check this one out, it is breathtaking !!

Post a Beautiful Nature Pic!!!!, by Open2Truth

Amazing pictures, Now us humans just need ot get our S**T together and everybody in the world can visit these Beautiful places together in peace, for free, forever. I love everybody in this community, you guys rock and I hope 2013 Brings change and higher awareness!

Now you just need a rainbow to finish off your beautiful thread.

Here, allow me….

This is a unique geological phenomenon known as Danxia landform. These phenomena can be observed in several places in China. This example is located in Zhangye, Province of Gansu. The color is the result of an accumulation for millions of years of red sandstone and other rocks.

digitalphotopix.com...

No need to leave the US


Oregon Painted Hills

Oregon Painted Hills

This planet really is beautiful.

The very idea that there are people on this world that care nothing for places such as these is disheartening.

I'd really like to see a world were we can all share places like this, in peace, to our mutual benefit, forever. Here's hoping!

In fact, I'm going to make it my goal in life from this day forward to encourage everyone I meet to share places like this, to keep them for all of us to enjoy.

Damn, I love life!

reply to post by dampnickers


The world needs more people like you

You seem to have been at ATS for quite a while but in case you missed it here's a beautiful thread along a similar vein you might find interesting.

Post a beautiful nature pic

Possibly a little off topic but you have to have the coolest user name that I have ever come across.

thank you so much for sharing!

it's the beauty that will outlive any civilization...

reply to post by elevenaugust


Amazing shots! Thank you for sharing them!

Merry Crismas!
Colorfull