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Experts stumped by mysterious 'Eye of the Sahara' structure that's visible from space

Home> News

Updated 20:11 23 Jan 2024 GMTPublished 20:12 23 Jan 2024 GMT

Experts stumped by mysterious 'Eye of the Sahara' structure that's visible from space

A massive crater shape that is visible from space has left geologists divided on how the Eye of the Sahara was formed

Gerrard Kaonga

Gerrard Kaonga

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.

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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.

The Eye of the Sahara, also known as the Richat Structure, resides in Mauritania.
NASA/GSFC/MITI/ERSDAC/JAROS / NASA Earth Observatory

Experts have debated for years on what caused the structure and resulted in multiple studies of the area.

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“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.

Experts have debated for years what caused the structure.
NASA Earth Observatory.

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.

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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.

Featured Image Credit: NASA/GSFC/MITI/ERSDAC/JAROS / NASA Earth Observatory

Topics: Science, NASA, World News

Gerrard Kaonga
Gerrard Kaonga

Gerrard is a Journalist at UNILAD and has dived headfirst into covering everything from breaking global stories to trending entertainment news. He has a bachelors in English Literature from Brunel University and has written across a number of different national and international publications. Most notably the Financial Times, Daily Express, Evening Standard and Newsweek.

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