The Eye of the Sahara, or the Richat Structure, is a geological structure located in The Sahara Desert. It is about 25 miles wide and located in Mauritania, the 11th largest country in Africa. In 1960, Astronauts of Project Gemini were the first to use it as a landmark to monitor its growth. Later, a satellite from The Landsat Missions took images of it and gave information about its size and height.
At first, it was believed to be caused by something from space hitting Earth, creating a crater in return. When geologists further studied the rocks inside of it though, they were entirely from Earth. The Richat Structure is a dome that polarizes light and the rock inside of it dates back to the Late Proterozoic period, which occurred around 2.5 billion years ago. The structure is made up of igneous rocks, or volcanic rocks, that seem to be left over from two craters. There are also smaller impact points in between the largest two craters.
It formed from volcanic activity underneath the surface of the earth, causing the raised formations. Today, the structure is in a desert, but the place where it is located used to be filled with water. When the volcanic activity stopped underneath, the structure caved in the middle, creating the “eye” effect. Its formation can be dated back to when Pangea began to pull apart, which is what caused the water to flow in. The igneous rocks are lava that came up when Pangea pulled apart. The Eye is now sunken below the surrounding areas.
While visiting the structure can be difficult, it is not impossible. Tourists have to have a sponsor in the area, either by knowing someone or going through travel agencies that can get them in contact with a local and a visa to visit. Some locals have planes and hot air balloons to give tourists an overhead view of the Eye, but if one wants to get up close, there is a hotel in the center of the structure called the Desert Mauritanie that one can book with the help of locals. It attracts many people because of its unique geological features. While humans visiting the eye will have very little negative effects on the structure, the surrounding climate might. The winds that push dust around could cause the eye to become completely covered and become invisible to future tourists.
The uniqueness of the structure is what makes it so important. It predates the appearance of life on Earth. A very widespread belief is that the Richat Structure is the site of The Lost City of Atlantis. This is because the site of Atlantis was believed to be a water-surrounded area with stories alluding to a circular city made of land and water. There are also mountains north of the structure that were closely described in the ancient tales. Whether this was the site of Atlantis or if the Richat Structure is just the effects of an ever-changing earth, the formation and age make it an incredible landmark.
