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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Merry Christmas!
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Avatars of the Wolf Moon
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Winterpret on ice
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The frog prince?
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Black grouses lekking
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A little blue
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Gray seal pup, Norfolk, England
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Cross this bridge if you dare
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1934 Labor Day parade, Gastonia, North Carolina
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Steyr River, Austria
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National Dolphin Day
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Hoh Rain Forest, Olympic National Park, Washington
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Oh, happy day!
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The mountain of 30,000 sakura
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Relationship status: It s complicated
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Red-leaf hunting in Japan
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Rosa Parks Day
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Spring equinox
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International Day of Friendship
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National Find a Rainbow Day
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Mid-Autumn Festival
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Yungang Grottoes, Shanxi, China
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Replica of a Viking home in Dublin National Botanic Gardens, Ireland
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World Chocolate Day
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Andean cocks-of-the-rock, Ecuador
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National Hammock Day
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Palmyra Atoll National Wildlife Refuge
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Women s suffrage at 100
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Hey, you two in the front!
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Summer solstice
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