14 mind-blowing sights caught by Google Earth
Perusing the world from above is one of the most entertaining things to do on a rainy afternoon. And we're not just talking about finding your house or having a nose at your neighbor's yard! Google Earth has mapped almost every centimeter of our planet and has captured not only famous landmarks, but structures and natural phenomena that we never even knew existed!
Here are 14 weird and wonderful Google Earth images that prove our world has a lot of 'no longer hidden' secrets!
1. The Nazca Lines in Peru
Everyone's heard of these gigantic geoglyphs. Situated close to the Peruvian coast, the Nazca lines stretch across almost 300 km sq. and can only been seen in their entirety from above. Most of them depict indigenous animals, although their purpose still remains a mystery.
2. Big red lips in Sudan
These big red lips can only be seen from the sky and are formed by two rocky outcrops that are almost half a mile long. They're found in the Gharb region of Darfur, Sudan.
3. The Boneyard, USA
The Davis-Monthan Airbase in Tucson, Arizona is the final resting place for out-of-service military aircraft, including around 4,400 fighter jets. Only parts of this base can be visited, but with the help of Google Earth we can all admire if from above. If you zoom in, you'll spot some former Second World War planes including the B-52 Stratofortress and F-14 Tomcat. A must for any aviation fans!
4. Fort Bourtange in The Netherlands
Built in 1593, this magnificent Dutch fort looks like a star. It was commissioned by William the Silent and was designed to control the only road that ran between Germany and Groningue in Holland - the latter being under Spanish rule during the Eighty Years' War.
5. The Desert Breath in Egypt
This land sculpture is in a desert near Hurghada on the Red Sea coast and is an elegant double spiral comprising of 89 protruding and 89 incised cones that gradually decrease in size. It was created by 3 artists in 1997, although it will erode over time and the area will revert to being a desert plain.
6. The Badlands Guardian in Canada
This geomorphological feature is in Canada and when viewed from above looks like a human head wearing a traditional Canadian headdress. This 'figure' is facing westwards and recent man-made structures also give the impression that it's wearing headphones!
7. The Grand Prismatic Spring, USA
This giant eye is the largest hot spring in the USA.
It gets its name from its appearance - the striking rainbow of colors that forms when light shines through an optical prism.
8. Meteor Crater, USA
This Arizona crater was formed during the Pleistocene era, around 50,000 years' ago. The climate at that time was cooler and wetter than today. This crater was also used as a training ground for NASA astronauts preparing for the Apollo trips to the Moon.
9. Potassium evaporation pools, USA
Oceans once almost covered the Earth and these potassium deposits are found in areas that were submerged. As these ancient oceans evaporated, potassium salt crystals formed, leaving behind huge potash 'lakes'. Subsequent tectonic plate movements buried them under the Earth's crust, resulting in the potash mines we find today.
10. Shipwreck in Iraq
Google Earth has photographed numerous shipwrecks in Basra, Iraq. Some still float on the surface, whilst others are rusting away.
11. New Zealand's own 'Loch Ness Monster'
A huge serpent-like shape was photographed off New Zealand's northeast coast. It seemed to move too quickly to be a whale and is way too long to be a shark. Maybe Nessie needed a break from Scotland's cold loch and headed to warmer waters?
12. Kangtega in Nepal
Kantega or The Snow Saddle is a major Himalayan peak that reaches a lofty 22,251 feet in altitude. That said, Google Earth's never 'captured' it from the air - the peaks in this area appear as a black hole that no one's been able to explain.
13. A bloody lake in Iraq
This blood red lake is on the outskirts of Sadr City in Iraq. It was first recorded in 2007, although no one knows why it has such an unusual color.
14. A strange cloud formation in Italy
This weird cloud was seen and photographed as it hovered above a road in Italy. Some people believe it's a fake, whilst others are convinced it's some kind of UFO. What's your verdict? Alien invasion, Photoshop wizardry or Mother Nature having fun?
Photo credits: google
By Straker Julia
Writer
Passionate about writing, I write articles on the subjects that I love. Creativity and Animals themes are my favorites!
