A Compendium Of Fascinating Places On Earth

Us Earthlings have yet to explore and fully experience the abundance of amazing places found on Earth - there are no many fascinating natural geographic locations that most of us only get to visit thanks to photography and the internet. This thread is to be a compilation of amazing natural places, places that although we may never get to visit and touch in person, but can travel to with our eyes and imagination.

The "Door to Hell" in Derweze, Ahal Province, Turkmenistan

An interesting story behind this burning crater of gas - apparently in 1971 Soviet scientists identified a large underground source of natural gas and began drilling the site. At some point the ground where they were drilling collapsed to form a large crater from which large quantities of methane gas began to release. The story goes that the scientists decided to light the gas, in order to prevent nearby villages from being harmed by the gas, with the assumption that the methane would burn out relatively soon. But the site has been burning ever since. We don't know if this story is entirely true as other sources claim that this burning hole is completely a natural phenomenon. Irregardless, the Derweze Door to Hell wouldn't exist if it were not for the deep and heavy naturally occurring gas deposit. Definitely a bizarre and extraordinary place on Earth that many people have never heard about.

The blazing crater has a diameter of 70 meters (230 ft) and the flames burn to a depth of about 20 meters (66 ft).

Stone Forests

Jagged columns of tall rocks towering up to 90 meters (300 feet) high. These awesome terrains are a result of millions of years of travelling water (rain or groundwater) eroding away bedrock containing high mineral content such as limestone. There are "Stone Forest" formations in different locations across the globe:

"Tsingy de Bemaraha National Park" in the Melaky Region, Madagascar (Images1-3)
Perhaps the most spectacular stone forest formation, the Tsingy stone forest is the largest in the world spanning 152 square kilometers. It is divided into two sections named the Great Tsingy and the Little Tsingy. The word 'tingsy' itself is an indigenous word from Madagascar that translates to 'where one cannot walk barefoot', which is actually quite accurate - years ago before tourism rose in Madagascar, only experienced professionals could access the Tsingy stone forest. There are razor sharp rocks, sinkholes, cliffs and even underground labyrinths that require caving, rock climbing and abseiling skills to conquer. But just because we humans couldn't survive there doesn't mean nothing else can - the Tsingy is home to over 11 species of Lemurs!

"Lena’s Stone Forest" in Yakutsk, Russia (Images 4-6)

The "Shilin Stone Forest" in Shilin Yi Autonomous County, Yunnan Province, People's Republic of China (Images 7-8)