Incredible places: A window onto extraordinary landscapes on Earth

Earth is home to some truly mind-boggling landscapes, from salt-covered deserts to giant, underwater waterfalls. Geological and biological processes, together with climates and inevitable wear-and-tear, have shaped these natural landscapes over the eons into the awe-inspiring features we see today. Every week, we open a window onto an incredible place and highlight the fantastic history and science behind it.

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Latest about incredible places

Jellyfish Lake seen from the viewpoint of a camera that is half in the water and half outside. We see dozens of yellow jellyfish in the water.

Jellyfish Lake: Palau's saltwater pool with a toxic bottom and surface waters brimming with millions of jellyfish

By Sascha Pare published

Palau's Jellyfish Lake is home to millions of endemic golden jellies that live in the lake's top layer but never venture below 50 feet, where the water is saturated with poisonous gas.

Rivers & Oceans
Aerial view of Cerro El Cono in the Peruvian Amazon rainforest. There are mountains in the background.

El Cono: The mysterious sacred 'pyramid' hidden deep in the Amazon rainforest

By Sascha Pare published

Cerro El Cono is a solitary, pyramidal hill in the Peruvian Amazon rainforest whose origins remain mysterious and that holds spiritual significance for Indigenous people.

Geology
The Gulf of Corryvreckan between the Scottish isles of Jura and Scarba.

Corryvreckan whirlpool: Scotland's 'raging cauldron' that is named after a Norse king and said to house a witch

By Sascha Pare published

The Corryvreckan whirlpool is one of the largest whirlpools in the world, reaching speeds of 8.5 knots and producing a roaring sound that can be heard 10 miles away.

Rivers & Oceans
A satellite image of the folded rocks in northwestern Iran.

Iran's folded rocks: The crumpled mountains at the intersection of Asia and Europe

By Sascha Pare published

Iran's folded rocks are a colorful formation that is part of the Greater Caucasus mountains, which formed when the Eurasian tectonic plate collided with the Arabian plate millions of years ago.

Geology
Map of Antarctica showing virtual deformation values. The Wilkes Land anomaly is clearly visible in the bottom right corner of the map.

Wilkes Land crater: The giant hole in East Antarctica's gravitational field likely caused by a meteorite

By Sascha Pare published

Researchers have proposed many origins for a gravity anomaly in Wilkes Land, East Antarctica, but the latest evidence suggests the subglacial hole is an impact crater measuring 315 miles across.

Antarctica
View of China's Rainbow Mountains with differently colored bands of sandstone.

Rainbow Mountains: China's psychedelic landscape created when 2 tectonic plates collided

By Sascha Pare published

The colorful swirls and stripes that characterize China's Rainbow Mountains would have remained hidden without the epic tectonic collision that created the Himalayas.

Geology

Lake Salda: The only place on Earth similar to Jezero crater on Mars

By Sascha Pare published

Lake Salda, in southwestern Turkey, bears a close resemblance to Mars' Jezero crater, which is currently being sampled by NASA's Perseverance rover.

Geology
View of the Drake Passage from a ship crossing it.

Drake Passage: The 'most dreaded bit of ocean on the globe' — where waves reach up to 80 feet

By Sascha Pare published

The Drake Passage off the West Antarctic Peninsula is a notoriously dangerous channel that connects the Atlantic, Pacific and Southern oceans.

Rivers & Oceans
Snow-covered summit of Mount Washington at sunrise.

Mount Washington: Home to 'the world's worst weather' with record wind speeds of 231 mph

By Sascha Pare published

Mount Washington is a prominent mountain in New Hampshire, known for its dramatic weather and conditions that are extremely dangerous for hikers and climbers.

Weather
Aerial view of Mount Roraima surrounded by clouds.

Mount Roraima: The 'lost world' isolated for millions of years that Indigenous people call the 'house of the gods'

By Sascha Pare published

Mount Roraima is a flat-topped formation with crystal-clear pools, waterfalls and a unique ecosystem that has been isolated from the surrounding savanna for millions of years.

Geology
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