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:
-
Legacy mural in Philadelphia
-
Happy Thanksgiving!
-
Cecropia leaf and lobster claw petals in Mexico
-
In celebration of America’s national bird
-
Astronomy Day
-
Okefenokee Swamp
-
Happy Diwali!
-
World Jellyfish Day
-
Happy Birthday, J.R.R. Tolkien!
-
A bridge that rocks
-
Mid-Autumn Festival
-
Corona Arch near Moab, Utah
-
Balloons and camels are two ways to catch a ride here
-
Great on so many levels
-
Flock together for Cousins Day
-
Congratulations, 2019 Nobel Prize laureates!
-
The beach at Cala Luna, Sardinia, Italy
-
The Unfinished Obelisk near Aswan, Egypt
-
The buzz about bees
-
Patriot Day
-
High trekking season in Upper Mustang
-
A leafy seadragon in the waters off Wool Bay, Australia
-
Feature Attraction: 85 years at the drive-in
-
A march toward a dream
-
Gemsbok in Namibian sand dunes
-
Glendurgan Garden hedge maze is 186 years old
-
What are we looking at?
-
A glimpse of the Blue Forest
-
International Day for Monuments and Sites
-
Remembering Jimmy Carter
Bing Wallpaper Gallery

