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
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Martinique
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Lucian Blaga National Theater, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
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Presidents Day
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A day for our oceans
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American Wetlands Month
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International Mountain Day
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Duomo Santa Maria del Fiore, Florence
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Fossil Day
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International Archaeology Day
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Baddest of the badlands
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Umschreibung by Olafur Eliasson in Munich
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A universe underground
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Trevi Fountain, Rome, Italy
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National Love a Tree Day
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Sweet! It’s maple syrup season
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Ancient town of Sorano, Tuscany, Italy
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A leafy seadragon in the waters off Wool Bay, Australia
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Take the stairs
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Aït Benhaddou, Morocco
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