The Rio Tinto, in Andalusia, Spain, gets its strange color from dissolving iron deposits in the highly acidic water. Beginning more than 5,000 years ago, this area was mined for gold, silver, and other treasures. And archeological evidence suggests that about 3,000 years ago this may have been the site of King Solomon’s legendary mines. Scientists believe that pollution from the mines contributed to the extreme ecological conditions we see in the Rio Tinto today.
The otherworldly red river
Today in History
More Desktop Wallpapers:
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Bridge over the River Tara
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Happy St. Patrick’s Day!
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Saguaro cacti, Ironwood Forest National Monument, Arizona
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Protecting wildlife today and tomorrow
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National Mushroom Month
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Cappadocia, Türkiye
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World Chocolate Day
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Pamukkale, Turkey
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Travels to the Oregon deep
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Commemorating the life of a famous railroad conductor
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Splügen Pass, Switzerland
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Opt outside today
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A throng of ice and spires
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Is that a smile?
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Whitehaven Beach, Whitsunday Island, Australia
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Next stop, Tofino
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Diving into the underwater nirvana
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Dancers perform ‘Revelations’
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Pantaleu
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Sundance Film Festival opens in Park City
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Take me to the river
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Red lechwe, Okavango Delta, Botswana
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March of the flowers
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Constitution Day and Citizenship Day
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Speed skaters in the Gangneung Oval, Pyeongchang, South Korea
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It’s Endangered Species Day
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A dramatic view of Sicily
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Tough turf
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Waiting for winter
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Siblings Day
Bing Wallpaper Gallery

