The Cano Cristales, touted as the most beautiful river in the world (also called as the “River of five colors”), is definitely a treat to human eyes. It is so indistinguishable from other rivers of the world, that just a look at it or a beautiful visit to it can leave an everlasting impression on a person. A river flowing in Colombia runs for about 100 km before joining into the main water body. It is located in the northern part of Colombia, in “Sierra de la Macarena”. The real pictures of the river look more of a graphical representation, but which is not the case. It appears like that because of the rainbow colors which the river reflects, at a particular season every year.
The river can be seen with multi-color mosses and algae all around, at a specified time of a year, otherwise which appear to be dull green and brown all over. The multi-color effect is mainly due to the variation in the water level which is affected during some parts of the year, and thus making the mosses bright up and blooms for the spectators. The water level adjusts the required sunlight for the plants, but if observed in the dry and rainy seasons, the picture is different.
There is a kind of shallowness in the dry season and a kind of swampy in the rainy season which do not give out that illuminating rainbow effect all over. The point lies in between the two, and perhaps, this is where the water level is appropriate for the display of all the spectacular combinations of red, green, yellow, and blue algae.
The waterfalls too, from the river adding more radiance to the already existing spectacle. The river is more of a biological heritage for the people of La Macarena, attracting many adventurers and tourists from all around the globe.
Erta Ale is a continuously active basaltic shield volcano in the Afar Region of northeastern Ethiopia. It is the most active volcano in Ethiopia. Erta Ale is 613 metres (2,011 ft) high, with one or sometimes two active lava lakes, one of only five in the world, at the summit. These lava lakes occasionally overflow on the south side of Erta Ale.[1] It is notable for being the longest existing lava lake, present since the early years of the twentieth century (1906). It is located in the Afar Depression, a badlandish desert area spanning the border with Eritrea, and the volcano itself is surrounded completely by an area below sea level, making it one of the lowest volcanoes in the world.
Erta Ale’s last major eruption was on September 25, 2005, which killed 250 head of livestock and forced thousands of nearby residents to flee. Additional lava flow activity took place in August 2007, forcing the evacuation of hundreds and leaving two missing. Not much is known about Erta Ale, as the surrounding terrain is some of the worst on earth and the native Danakils are not friendly.
The name of the volcano means “smoking mountain” in the local Afar language and its southerly pit is known locally as “the gateway to hell”. It has recently been mapped by a team from the BBC using three dimensional laser techniques. These types of volcanoes are very rare and have searingly hot temperatures. For that reason the laser was used, as it has the capability to map any surface. Read more at wikipedia and sverop .
