13 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.
Tibetan Plateau, China;Often called the “Roof of the World,” the Tibetan Plateau stands at 16,400 ft in western China.

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.


Mount Roraima, Brazil/Guyana/Venezuela;Mount Roraima is an amazing geologic wonder located primarily in Venezuela

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.

Grand Canyon, Arizona, USA;The Grand Canyon formed by the entrenchment of the Colorado River during the Laramie orogeny uplift of the region. This orogeny formed the Rocky Mountains and provided the mechanism for the Colorado River to erode down into the underlying rock. The Grand Canyon displays rock from about 200 million to 2 billion years old.

Travertine Deposits, Pamukkale, Turkey;Pamukkale in Turkey is an incredible display of natural travertine deposits. Travertine is a type of limestone that is deposited by hot springs. The fibrous travertine forms from precipitation of calcium carbonate from solution. Pamukkale was recognized as a World Heritage Site in 1988.

The Blue Hole, Belize;The Great Blue Hole is a gigantic sinkhole off the coast of Belize that measures 984 ft across and 407 ft deep. The blue hole was formed through karsting episodes of limestone where the limestone dissolves.

Antelope Canyon, Arizona, USA;Antelope Canyon is an eroded slot canyon near Page, Arizona. These incredible sandstone features are carved primarily during tremendous flash flooding events. Erosion along the slots are episodic yet powerful, with rainfall collecting within the slots and rushing down slope through narrow passages. The rainwater erodes the sandstone, creating a mixture of water and sand, the perfect tool to smooth the walls on either side of the canyon.