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wadi-rum
Geologists routinely find themselves in some of the most remote, beautiful and strange spots on Earth. Photographing geological features is an important aspect of the science, and every now and then every geologist captures an image that is scientifically interesting and stands out aesthetically as well.
We asked the geologists among our Wired Science and Clastic Detritus readers, and anyone else who had a great photo of some nice rocks, to send them in. There were far too many awesome shots among the almost 350 submissions, but we've included the 11 that we thought were the best (in no particular order) in this gallery.
Above:
Wadi Rum
Photographer: Andrew White Location: Southwestern Jordan Date: January 4, 2011 Wadi Rum is a strange landscape with mountains ranging up to 5,600 feet high separated by flat, red-sand-filled valleys. It's so alien that it stood in for the surface of Mars in the movie Red Planet and is nicknamed "Valley of the Moon" Photographer Andrew White took this shot on a recent trip to Jordan. "I'd heard lots of good things about Wadi Rum, but wasn't quite sure if it was going to spin my cogs," White wrote on his blog. "But it was on the way back to Aqaba, so I decided to have a look." "And very glad I am that I did, as it proved to be the hands-down highlight of the trip. It's hard to explain its draw, but the combination of mountains, valleys, canyons and the vibrant colours just come together to make it an unforgettable place."See Also:
- I See Rock People: Mimetoliths of the World
- Reader Photo Gallery: Awesome DIY Astronomy
- Reader Photo Gallery: More Stunning DIY Astrophotos
- Reader Photo Gallery: Crazy Dust Storm Turns Sydney Red
- Earth as Art: Stunning New Images From Space
- Erupting Volcanoes on Earth as Seen From Space
- Stunning Views of Glaciers Seen From Space
- Asteroid Impact Craters on Earth as Seen From Space
- Sublime Sand: Desert Dunes Seen From Space
