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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Blue walls of Chefchaouen, Morocco
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National Panda Day
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Ponta da Piedade rock formations in Portugal
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Fall color sweeps across the West
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Carnival comes to Olinda
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International Tea Day
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Ring-tailed lemur
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Marseille welcomes the Olympic torch
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An oceanic valentine
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Winter solstice
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World Environment Day
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That s quite a schnoz, baby tapir
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Iguazu Falls at the border of Argentina and Brazil
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Château de Sully-sur-Loire, Center-Val de Loire, France
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Groundhog Day
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National Cherry Blossom Festival
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Summer solstice
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National Trails Day
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Cue up the tango music
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Life goes on at the Beatles Ashram
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Martin Luther King Jr. Day
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Chaco Culture National Historical Park, New Mexico
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Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park, East Java, Indonesia
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Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve
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Pride Month
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Rising up from the black sand like rock gods
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Poinsettia Day
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Welcome to California
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Indigenous Peoples Day
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Wahclella Falls, Oregon
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