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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Big Bend National Park anniversary
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World Poetry Day
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Chapada dos Veadeiros National Park shines
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World Population Day
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A tower of remembrance
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A wassailing we go
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Pollinators: not to be sneezed at
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A Flag Day tradition
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Space is for everyone
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International Day of Human Space Flight
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National Trails Day
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The Colosseum of Rome, Italy
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Indigenous Peoples Day
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Blue-footed booby, Galápagos Islands
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Everglades National Park, Florida
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Ronda, Spain
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Northern cardinal in winterberry bush
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Gray days ahead in Monterey
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Ölüdeniz, Turkey
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Medieval towers in Mestia, Upper Svaneti, Georgia
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Marseille welcomes the Olympic torch
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What does the fox dream?
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World Rivers Day
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Frog Month
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Lake Tyrrell, Victoria, Australia
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Last stop before leaving the solar system
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Poppies for Armistice Day
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Women s History Month
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Tortula moss, Netherlands
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Spring comes to the Palouse
Bing Wallpaper Gallery

