6 Geologic Wonders Of The Natural World

From subtle changes in geochemistry to massive volcanoes, the geologic wonders of the world never cease to amaze . Here we span the earth to find the best natural wonders of the world, both in their importance to geology and in their awesome beauty. If you yearn for adventure, get ready to add a few incredible sights to your bucket list.

We carry within us the wonders we seek without us.

Tibetan Plateau, China

Often called the "Roof of the World," the Tibetan Plateau stands at 16,400 ft in western China. The Tibetan Plateau is about half the size of the lower 48 states and is bounded by the Himalayan Mountains to the south. This grand plateau's geologic story is still in debate with one theory suggesting it's uplift was part of the under thrusting of the Indian continent beneath Eurasia. Another theory suggests this massively thick continental crust was formed from folds and thrusts of rocks, causing it to shorten and increase in height. This would be analogous to your car's hood if you were to get in an accident.

The Door To Hell, Turkmenistan

The Door To Hell is located on top of the natural gas field in Turkmenistan. Soviet geologists found and drilled for natural gas here in 1971 when the ground began to collapse to leave a large crater. To prevent inhalation of poisonous gas, the crater was set on fire, believing the natural gas would quickly be burned off and the fire would go out. However, the fire pit is still burning today with no signs of letting up from the seeping natural gas. There have been many failed attempts to put the fire out.

Fumaroles Yellowstone, Wyoming, USA

The Yellowstone Fumaroles in Wyoming are an incredible display of color and geochemistry. A fumarole releases gases such as carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide, and hydrogen sulfide, among others. Fumaroles deposit an array of minerals with the combination of acidic gases and high temperatures.

Mount Roraima, Brazil/Guyana/Venezuela

Mount Roraima is an amazing geologic wonder located primarily in Venezuela . Roraima is a spectacular example of a tepui, a flat tabletop like mountain made of Precambrian quartz arenite (pure quartz) sandstone that rises 9,000 ft into the air. This juxtaposition of low-lying rainforests and the elevated tepui produces the world's tallest waterfall, Angel Falls. Underlain by the ancient Guiana Shield, Mount Roraima is one of the oldest geological formations on earth, estimated to be approximately 2 billion years old.

Giants Causeway, Ireland

The Giants Causeway columns formed 50 to 60 million years ago when lava repeatedly flowed and cooled as it came into contact with the sea. The pillars are polygonal shaped due to the cooling of the layers of lava and the atomic structure and natural fracturing of basalt. There are 40,000 basalt pillars, each with 5 to 7 irregular sides. This process is similar to the mud cracks seen when mud dries after heavy rains.

Kilauea Volcano, Hawaii, USA

Located in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, Hawaii's most active shield volcano has produced the world's largest mountain. Although Mount Everest is the highest mountain in the world at 29,035 ft, the highest peak of Hawaii, Mauna Kea, is 33,500 ft tall. This takes into account the ~20,000 ft below water that it had to grow to even reach the ocean's surface. Hawaii's hot spot has produced an incredible amount of basalt and continues to erupt daily. This is one of the few places you can walk right up to lava and wonder at its destructive power.