Located in the village of Chamarel, in Southern Mauritius, the Seven Colors World Geopark is home to a one-of-a-kind geological wonder that is nearly 7 million years old. The sand dunes of the Seven Colored Earth are so named because of the stunning display of seven different colors.
The intense color displays in the mounds, thought to have formed as a result of volcanic activity, range from the more typical earth tones of red, brown and yellow to the vibrant and unexpected hues of purple, green, blue and purple.
It is believed that the dunes were formed as a result of clay-forming basalt weathering, although scientists are not entirely sure about the process that takes place in the geopark and why the appearance of the soil is so vivid. The mineral waters cause the clay to chemically break down, creating ferralitic soil rich in iron and aluminum resulting in red and blue hues, respectively.
How did the different color tones come about?
The different hues are thought to be a result of the molten rock cooling at different temperatures, causing different gradients between red and blue hues. Further erosion of the hills creates unique mounds and valleys carved by heavy rainfall, giving this feature a distinctive appearance.
From Rainbow Mountain in China to the Great Prismatic Spring in Yellowstone National Park, there are several other rainbow-colored geological wonders around the world. Also, this is not the only place where you can find colored sand. Namibia has strange blue sands, while Alaska is famous for its jewel-like sands. However, this is the only place known to have seven different types and colors of sand juxtaposed.
One of the many fascinating features of the colored sands found in the dunes is that if you take each different color and mix them together, they eventually separate again and settle into their own group. At this point, though, it’s worth noting that tourists are strictly forbidden to touch the sand, and there is a special viewing platform that allows visitors to admire this feature from a respectable distance.
Interestingly, these dunes don’t appear to be eroding at any appreciable rate, despite Mauritius’ continuous heavy rainfall. A popular tourist destination since the 1960s, the 8.5-hectare geopark isn’t likely to lose its appeal anytime soon.
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