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The Pierre Percée in all of its glory
Pierre-Châtel, France

La Pierre Percée

According to a local legend, this peculiar mountaintop rock formation is actually a demon that was turned into stone.
The calm waters of McGreevy Harbor, in the Slate Islands, belie a violent meteorite strike 450 million years ago that led to the archipelago's formation.
meteorites

These Tranquil Canadian Islands Are Remnants of a Violent Space Rock Impact

Lake Superior's Slate Islands are home to what's likely the world's largest shatter cone, evidence of an explosive event 450 million years ago.
Demetria Dickinson September 20, 2022
The Valley of 10,000 Smokes, almost 50 square miles in area, was formed by the 20th century's most powerful volcanic eruption.
King Salmon, Alaska

Valley of 10,000 Smokes

In 1912, this idyllic Alaska landscape was blown apart in the largest volcanic eruption of the 20th century.
Slate Islands shoreline.
Terrace Bay, Ontario

Slate Islands

This small archipelago in northern Lake Superior was formed by a massive meteorite impact 450 million years ago.
The Arctic is littered with tiny "islands" that appear and then vanish—for a century, scientists have been trying to figure out why.
maps

In 1931, Scientists Hunted Ghost Islands in the Arctic With a Zeppelin

The recent discovery of the world's northernmost "island" recalls the groundbreaking work of the international Polarfahrt team more than 90 years ago.
Kevin Hamilton September 13, 2022
plaques

Podcast: Fairhaven Historic Markers

Join us for a daily celebration of the world’s most wondrous, unexpected, even strange places.
The Podcast Team September 8, 2022
Formica Léo
Sainte Rose, Réunion

Formica Léo

On one of the world's most active volcanoes, a pebble-filled crater changes color with the wind.
Looking due east across the crater; vehicle for scale.
Duckwater, Nevada

Meteorite Crater

Despite the name, it's unclear if this small depression in northern Nye County was actually caused by falling space debris.
Incandescent rocks.
Sutcliffe, Nevada

Incandescent Rocks

Colorful outcrops and cliffs just north of Reno provide a scenic backdrop for hiking and mountain biking.
The eruption in October 2021
La Palma, Spain

Volcán de Tajogaite

The longest eruption in the history of La Palma originated with this volcano in September 2021.
Fins and weirder shapes.
Bunkerville, Nevada

Little Finland

Harder layers in colorful sandstone weather out as prominent “fins" and even more intricate and bizarre shapes.
Canyon de Chelly
Chinle, Arizona

Canyon de Chelly National Monument

Red sandstone structures dominate this landscape, which has been inhabited for some 5,000 years.
Amidon Gorge
Fredericktown, Missouri

Castor River Shut-Ins

These pink granite water slides are the result of millions of years of erosion.
The scarp south of Golconda Canyon.
Winnemucca, Nevada

Tobin Range (Pearce) Scarps

The strongest earthquake in Nevada's recorded history left these spectacular breaks along the west front of a range in central Nevada.
Painted Rock
Santa Margarita, California

Painted Rock

The oldest pictographs on this decorated rock formation in California's Carrizo Plain date back as many as 4,000 years.
Rapid Wedge in Gulf Hagas
Monson, Maine

Gulf Hagas

The “Grand Canyon of Maine” is a three-mile gorge full of striking geological features.
A 40-foot column supports the entrance to New Hampshire's Ruggles Mine, a beloved rockhounding site for decades.
tunnels

Could This Be The End of a Historic New Hampshire Rockhound Paradise?

When Ruggles Mine went up for auction, mineral collectors feared it would never reopen to the public. After a last-minute reprieve, its future is still uncertain.
Sarah Durn July 1, 2022
Permanently Closed
Grafton, New Hampshire

Ruggles Mine

Generations of rockhounds got their start at this beloved, historic mine.