The Earth has many beautiful and strange tourist attractions. Sometimes they bring with them natural phenomena that science is still struggling to find the answer to.

1. Richat structure, Mauritania

Richat Structure, Mauritania: Astronauts were the first to observe the Richat Structure, also known as the “Eye of the Sahara”. This is a 48.2 km wide vortex resembling a snail shell or an eye. Scientists think this could be a trace of a meteor impacting the Earth, or a mountain range that has been eroded over time.

Richat structure, Mauritania

2. Eternal Flame Falls, New York, USA

Eternal Flame Falls, New York, USA: This strange waterfall is one of the most attractive tourist attractions when coming to Chestnut Ridge Park, New York. In the center of the waterfall is a small (almost) immortal flame, formed from natural methane gas seeping through cracks in the rock. Sometimes the fire is extinguished by jets of water, but visitors can light it up with a lighter.

Eternal Flame Falls, New York, USA

3. Uluru, Australia

Uluru, Australia: Uluru or Ayers Rock, is located in Australia’s Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park, which has been a tourist attraction for centuries. Scientists believe that this sandstone monolith formed 550 million years ago. The red surface of the mountain is due to oxidation over a very long time, while the rock at the bottom is gray.

Uluru, Australia

4. Blood Falls, Antarctica

Bloodfall, Antarctica: In this coldest and most mysterious continent in the world, there is a blood-red waterfall seeping into the ice. Initially scientists thought this was due to algae. However, the truth is due to a saltwater lake trapped in the ice from 2 million years ago. Iron content and high salinity, lack of air has created blood red. They eventually rusted out through a crack in the ice.

Blood Falls, Antarctica

5. Nazca Lines, Peru

Nazca Lines, Peru: This is a collection of more than 300 mysterious drawings on the Nazca Plateau, Peru. Each drawing is a different character, from girl, spider, monkey, bird… with all sizes, can be up to 3.2 square kilometers. There have long been many theories surrounding these giant drawings. The most popular theory is that an ancient civilization made up when performing rituals.

Nazca Lines, Peru

6. Walking Rocks in Death Valley, California, USA

Walking rocks in Death Valley, California, USA: A strange phenomenon occurs in Death Valley in California, when giant rocks move on their own and form long trails on the cracked ground. Scientists have not found a satisfactory explanation for many years. Some even believe that this is because aliens have interfered.

Walking Rocks in Death Valley, California, USA

7. Kawah Ijen, Indonesia

Kawah Ijen, Indonesia: This strange turquoise lake was formed in the Kawah Ijen crater, Indonesia. This is considered to be the lake with the largest acid reserves in the world. Around the lake were blue electric flames that occasionally flared up in the air. Scientists explain this is due to the high content of sulfuric acid, which gives water a striking color and ignites when exposed to air.

Kawah Ijen, Indonesia

8. Lake Hillier, Australia

Lake Hillier, Australia: This strange pink lake is located right next to the sea, in stark contrast to the blue of the ocean. The surreal beauty of Lake Hillier is still something of a mystery that science has yet to explain. The most popular hypothesis concerns the high salinity of the lake.

Lake Hillier, Australia

9. Moeraki Boulders Beach, New Zealand

Moeraki Boulders Beach, New Zealand: Moeraki Boulders Beach is full of strange spherical rocks, scattered throughout the strictly preserved area. Through research, the rocks all contain sediment dating back 65 million years. Many theories have been put forward, including the suspicion that this is an alien egg.

Moeraki Boulders Beach, New Zealand

9. Gates of Hell, Turkmenistan

Hell’s Gate, Turkmenistan: This is a place like in the horror movies created, a fiery pit that is likened to the gate to hell. Darvaza crater, also known as “Hell’s Gate”, opened to visitors in 1971. A gas field here suddenly collapsed to form an underground cave. To prevent the gases from spreading, the engineers decided to burn it, leaving the flame burning for decades.

Gates of Hell, Turkmenistan