The Richat Structure or “The Eye of the Sahara” is a mysterious geological formation in Mauritania. Scientists used to think it was the site of a meteor impact or volcanic eruption. Now, the leading theory is that a symmetrical dome of sedimentary rock was eroded away, revealing nested layers.
Top Image: A false color image of the structure from the Landsat 7 sensor, using the infrared and green channels. Credit: NASA/USGS.
GIF: The Richat Structure can be seen from space – a tiny bullseye in the middle of the desert.
Middle image: An exaggerated topographical map of the structure. Brown=bedrock, pale yellow = sand, green = vegetation, blue = salty sediments=blue. Credit: NASA/JPL/NIMA
Bottom image: A true color photo of the eye. Credit: NASA/GSFC/METI/Japan Space Systems,and U.S./Japan ASTER Science Team
