It’s impossible not to be captivated by the Rio Tinto one of Spain’s longest rivers, distinguished by its blood-red color.
Scientists believe Spain’s rust-red Rio Tinto river may provide clues to discovering life deep under Mars’ surface.
Seeing Spain’s Rio Tinto river rising from the Sierra Morena mountains or discharging into the Gulf of Cadiz might not strike you as unusual. But an hour west of Seville, near Niebla, a 50km stretch of waterway morphs into a surreal orange-rusty hue that looks like it was plucked straight from a sci-fi movie set on Mars.
The Spanish river looks like liquid rust, and it has a color that matches its name. The 3-million-year old waterway runs through the heart of southwestern Spain’s Andalusia region, threading through Salar de Uyuni-like salt flats and ancient terraced mine canyons.
The red-hued, acidic water is produced by the chemical breakdown of iron and other minerals deep underground. It first flowed from the rocks about four million years ago, and continues to cut a channel through terrace formations as it meanders its way to the Atlantic Ocean.
Now scientists think canyons like this one could also provide clues about how life might exist below the surface on Mars.
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