Finally there is a second thing about the Richat Structure. The carbonatite rocks have been dated as having cooled between 94 and 104 million years ago. New evidence seems to indicate that the Richat structure is the most likely location of the fabled … These sites are associated with rubbly, outcrops of quartzite that provided the raw material needed for the manufacture of these artifacts. You would think that the area surrounding the Richat Structure is so barren and hostile that no one ever goes there. The Richat structure (Atlantis?) The breccia consists of fragments of white to dark gray cherty material, quartz-rich sandstone, diagenetic cherty nodules, and stromatolitic limestone and is intensively silicified. The image was taken by a member of the Expedition 30 crew. The Richat Structure from above (NASA image) The dimensions of the Eye: It has been suggested that the concentric rings of the Richat Structure match the dimensions given by Plato for Atlantis.The YouTube video by Bright Insight says that Plato gave the diameter of Atlantis as 127 stadia, or 23.5 km (38 miles). [17], Coordinates: .mw-parser-output .geo-default,.mw-parser-output .geo-dms,.mw-parser-output .geo-dec{display:inline}.mw-parser-output .geo-nondefault,.mw-parser-output .geo-multi-punct{display:none}.mw-parser-output .longitude,.mw-parser-output .latitude{white-space:nowrap}21°07′26″N 11°24′07″W / 21.124°N 11.402°W / 21.124; -11.402, Circular geological feature in the Sahara desert, "The breccia core is genetically related to plutonic activity, since doming and the production of hydrothermal fluids were instrumental in creating a favorable setting for dissolution. Many beautiful and large mountains in the area immediately surrounding the Richat. (, "Scientists still have questions about the mysterious Eye of the Sahara", "The Cretaceous Richat Complex (Mauritania); a peri-Atlantic alkaline", "Resolving the Richat enigma: Doming and hydrothermal karstification above an alkaline complex", "The "eye of Africa" (Richat dome, Mauritania): An isolated Cretaceous alkaline–hydrothermal complex", 10.1130/0016-7606(1969)80[1367:RASDMN]2.0.CO;2, "Multianalytical characterization of silica-rich megabreccias from the proposed natural area of Richat (Sahara desert, Mauritania)", Earth’s Bulls-Eye, the Eye of Africa, Landmark for Astronauts, Earth's Richat Structure, Astronomy Picture of the Day, October 28, 2002, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Richat_Structure&oldid=1021239357, Short description is different from Wikidata, Articles lacking reliable references from October 2018, Wikipedia articles with WorldCat-VIAF identifiers, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 3 May 2021, at 17:09. NWS artifacts and data base for portable rock art. [12] Renewed study of the formation of the structure by Matton et al. The Richat Structure is an eroded rock formation spread in a circular format, found in the country of Mauritania in the Western Sahara, in Africa. Around 130,000 to 100,000 years ago the Sahara desert was not the sea of sands it is today. is a prominent circular feature in the Sahara's Adrar Plateau, near Ouadane, west–central Mauritania, Northwest Africa. [16][17], Artifacts are found, typically redeposited, deflated, or both, in Late Pleistocene to early Holocene gravelly mud, muddy gravel, clayey sand, and silty sand. Apr 9, 2021 - NorthWest Superior Artifacts in Canada with artifacts made from copper, mica, bronze and Rare waterlogged leather REM / Rare Earth Elements. Atlas was said to be standing at the ends of the earth in extreme west. 3. These Acheulean archaeological sites are located along wadis that occupy outermost annular depression of this structure. Phi structures are closely associated with valuable nearby mineral deposits. They include the extensive hydrothermal alteration of rhyolites and gabbros and a central megabreccia created by hydrothermal dissolution and collapse. Pre-Acheulean stone tools also have been found in the same areas. The hypothesis that Richat is a crater from a meteorite fall was put forward immediately after it was … The Richat Structure has a diameter of approximately 48 kilometres (30 miles), and is best viewed from the sky or space. The most important Acheulean sites and their associated outcrops are found along the north-west of the outer ring, from which Wadi Akerdil heads east and Wadi Bamouere to the west. The structure is accessible from Oudane by land rover or sports utility vehicle. [10] While coesite, an indicator of shock metamorphism, had initially been reported as being present in rock samples collected from the Richat Structure, further analysis of rock samples concluded that barite had been misidentified as coesite. Mystery of the Giant Eye - Richat Structure | AFRICA. [8] A geological expedition to Mauritania led by Théodore Monod in 1952 recorded four "crateriform or circular irregularities" (accidents cratériformes ou circulaires) in the area, Er Richât, Aouelloul (south of Chinguetti), Temimichat-Ghallaman and Tenoumer. Richat Structure. They documented their journey in full. The Pleistocene to Middle Holocene sediments occur along wadis as thin, meter- to less than meter-thick accumulations in the interior annular depressions to 3–4 meters (9.8–13.1 ft) thick accumulations along the wadis in the outermost annular depression of the Richat Structure. (2005) and Matton (2008) confirmed the conclusion that it is not an impact structure. Land, Image of the Day The most important Acheulean sites and their associated outcrops are found along the north-… Numerous concordant radiocarbon dates indicate that the bulk of these sediments accumulated between 15,000 and 8,000 BP during the African humid period. It is also significant that there is absolutely no evidence of a city in the Richat structure 12,000 years ago. Where are the remains of a city’s worth of artifacts, of the technology, even a … 3. The Richat Structure, or blue eye of Africa, is a prominent geological circular feature in the Sahara desert in Mauritania near Ouadane. Acheulean artifacts refers to a certain type of manufactured stone tools said to be related to Homo erectus. [3][4][7], The Richat Structure is regarded by geologists as a highly symmetrical and deeply eroded geologic dome. The sedimentary rocks composing this structure dip outward at 10–20°. Later, he became commonly identified with the Atlas Mountains in northwest Africa and was said to be the first King of Mauretania, which funny enough is the country the Richat structure is located in. 5. This structure measures 45 kilometers (28 miles) across and is made up of igneous and sedimentary rocks. Described by some as looking like an outsized fossil in the desert, the structure has a diameter of almost 30 miles. [11], Work on dating the structure was done in the 1990s. This prominent circular feature in the Sahara desert of Mauritania has attracted attention since the earliest space missions because it forms a conspicuous bull's-eye in the otherwise rather featureless expanse of the desert. Initially interpreted as an asteroid impact structure because of its high degree of circularity, and then as a structure formed by a … Smooth, even plane for hundreds of kilometers to the south of the Richat Structure. Local name حفرة الريشات,Guelb er Richât. Richard-Molard (1948) considered it to be the result of a laccolithic thrust. There is no positive evidence to directly tie the two together or of an ancient civilisation in the Richat, but it is in the right place, matches the geography of Plato’s Atlantis, and … Credit: NASA. There are several faults visible (lower left) where strata that were once continuous have been shifted apart. It is also a treasure chest for the archaeologists ! 9. [3][4][5], Exposed within the interior of the Richat Structure are a variety of intrusive and extrusive igneous rocks. The Richat Structure from above (NASA image) The dimensions of the Eye: It has been suggested that the concentric rings of the Richat Structure match the dimensions given by Plato for Atlantis.The YouTube video by Bright Insight says that Plato gave the diameter of Atlantis as 127 stadia, or 23.5 km (38 miles). Neolithic artifacts found in abundance. This is interpreted as indicating that area of the Richat Structure was used for only short-term hunting and stone tool manufacturing. The International Space Station Program supports the laboratory as part of the ISS National Lab to help astronauts take pictures of Earth that will be of the greatest value to scientists and the public, and to make those images freely available on the Internet. The gravelly deposits consist of mixture of slope scree, debris flow, and fluviatile or even torrential flow deposits. The Richat structure in Mauritania is the closest known match to Plato’s description of Atlantis. However, since these sites were first discovered by Theodore Monod in 1974,[15] mapping of artifacts within the area of the Richat Structure have found them to be generally absent in its innermost depressions. The Richat structure presents a rich deposit of igneous rocks like rhyolite, kimberlite, gabbros, and carbonatite. After extensive field and laboratory studies in the 1960s, no credible evidence has been found for shock metamorphism or any type of deformation indicative of a hypervelocity extraterrestrial impact. The Richat Structure is a fascinating, circular area located in the Sahara’s Adrar Plateau in Mauritania. The outer ring dike is about 50 m in width and lies about 7 to 8 km from the center of this structure. Although it resembles an impact crater, the Richat Structure formed when a volcanic dome hardened and gradually eroded, exposing the onion-like layers … Flight Center. People visit this ancient artifact, despite it residing in the middle of featureless Maur Adrar desert, in Africa's Western Sahara. In this type of geologic structure, rocks exposed in the center of the “bullseye” are older than rocks forming the outer rings. It is an eroded dome, 40 kilometres (25 mi) in diameter, exposing sedimentary rock in layers which appear as concentric rings. Also known as the mythical-sounding Eye of the Sahara, the Richat Structure is a 30-mile-wide circular feature that from space looks like a bull’s-eye in the middle of the desert. The finer grained, sandy deposits consist of eolian and playa lake deposits. Smooth, even plane for hundreds of kilometers to the south of the Richat Structure. Location Adrar Region, Mauritania. The Richat Structure, also called Guelb er Richât, the Eye of Africa, or Eye of the Sahara. In the northern part of the Giant Eye, scientists have found kimberlitic plug that is believed to be 99 million years old. According to field mapping and aeromagnetic data, the gabbroic rocks form two concentric ring dikes. These Acheulean archaeological sites are located along wadis that occupy outermost annular depression of this structure. The Richat structure, also known as the Guelb er-Richât in the Mauritanian Adrar is the location of exceptional accumulations of Acheulean artifact. 2. George S. Alexander and Natalis Rosen visited the Richat in 2008 and made the documentary VISITING ATLANTIS in 2011 In addition to being a geological wonder, a wealth of archaeological data has been obtained from the Richat Structure over the years too. 3. The Richat Structure is the location of exceptional accumulations of Acheulean artifacts. Pre-Acheulean stone tools also have been found in the same areas. The resulting fluids were also responsible for subsequent silicification and hydrothermal infilling. The kimberlite plug has been dated to around 99 million years old. A lot of Acheulean artifacts where found around and in the dome. The local, apparent wealth of surface artifacts is the result of the concentration and mixing by deflation over multiple glacial-interglacial cycles. It is also littered with interesting artifacts that suggests some highly technological and sophisticated civilization may have lived there.Of the strange artifacts at the Richat structure, there are arrowheads that seem to have been fluted (a sophistication … This geologic feature has captured the attention of astronauts for about as long as NASA has sent humans into orbit around Earth. There is no positive evidence to directly tie the two together or of an ancient civilisation in the Richat, but it is in the right place, matches the geography of Plato’s Atlantis, and … [14], The Richat Structure is the location of exceptional accumulations of Acheulean artifacts. The Richat structure in Mauritania also called the Eye of the Sahara or the Eye of Africa is ATLANTIS - as described by Plato. The circular distribution of ridges and valleys is explained as the formation of cuestas by the differential erosion of alternating hard and soft rock layers uplifted as a dome by an underlying alkaline igneous complex of Cretaceous age. Lost Cities | 0 |. It was first described in the 1930s to 1940s, as Richât Crater or Richât buttonhole (boutonnière du Richât). Land. — There have been thousands of artifacts found in and around the Richat Structure. These items include arrowheads, spears, stone spheres, surfboards, oars, ship hulls, and more. Many Ancient anomolies at the Richat Structure. 1. Not quite. Image of the Day Although it resembles an impact crater, the Richat Structure formed when a volcanic dome hardened and gradually eroded, exposing the onion-like layers … These Acheulean archaeological sites are located along wadis that occupy outermost annular depression of this structure. Igneous rock is exposed inside and there are spectacular rhyolites and gabbros which have undergone hydrothermal alteration, and a central megabreccia. Why the structure is nearly circular, however, remains a mystery. Described by some as looking like an outsized fossil in the desert, the structure has a diameter of almost 30 miles. This circular geologic feature is thought to be caused by an uplifted dome—geologists would classify it as a domed anticline—that has been eroded to expose the originally flat rock layers. Observable mud flats. To the best of our knowledge, karst collapse phenomena at the summit of an alkaline complex are unique, but may be more frequent than previously believed." The Richat Structure is a geologic formation (a "phi structure") that is generally accepted to be formed naturally. A kimberlitic plug and several sills have been found within the northern part of the Richat Structure. When I say in full, I mean, the documentary is almost 3 … 4. Astronaut photograph of the Richat Structure with an enhanced contrast that reveals the geological features of the formation. The ‘Richat Structure’ is also known as the ‘Eye of the Sahara’, ‘Eye of Africa’, ‘blue eye of Africa’, ‘Earth’s bulls-eye’ and the ‘Guelb er Richat’. The Richat Structure of Mauritania has captured the attention of astronauts for about as long as NASA has sent humans into orbit around Earth. It is also a treasure chest for the archaeologists ! Instead, three large rivers created green corridors that linked sub-Saharan Africa to the Mediterranean and could have provided a safe means of passage for migrating ancient humans, according to a new study A team of amateur journalists from Canada, went to the Richat Strcture (RS), earlier this year. The Richat structure in Mauritania is the closest known match to Plato’s description of Atlantis. The Richat Structure depicted in false color (NASA/Public Domain). The Shoemaker impact site in Australia may have been formed as long as 1.63 billion years ago. [9] Origin of Er Richât as an impact structure (as is clearly the case with the other three) was briefly considered, but closer study in the 1950s to 1960s suggested that it was formed by terrestrial processes. The entire Richat Structure is 40-50 km wide, yet the outermost raised … This circular geologic feature is thought to be caused by an uplifted dome—geologists would classify it as a domed anticline —that has been eroded to expose the originally flat rock layers. The structure is also the location of exceptional accumulations of Acheulean archaeological artifacts. The Richat Structure. Geological Uniqueness . is a prominent circular feature in the Sahara's Adrar Plateau, near Ouadane, west–central Mauritania, Northwest Africa. Where is the archaeological evidence of the civilization that built Atlantis? [13], A 2011 multianalytical study on the Richat megabreccias concluded that carbonates within the silica-rich megabreccias were created by low-temperature hydrothermal waters, and that the structure requires special protection and further investigation of its origin. The entire Richat Structure is 40-50 km wide, yet the outermost raised … These deposits lie directly upon deeply eroded and weathered bedrock. The seven ceramic heads, all of them adorned with intricate carvings, were initially discovered by a child playing on farmland in 1957. The Richat Structure, also called Guelb er Richât (Arabic قلب الريشات Qalb ar-Rīšāt), the Eye of Africa,[1] Eye of Mauritania or Eye of the Sahara[2][circular reference] The hydrothermal alteration, which created this breccia, has been dated to have occurred about 98.2 ± 2.6 million years ago using the 40Ar/39Ar method. The structure is also the location of exceptional accumulations of Acheulean archeological artifacts. 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