Kondyor Massif - A Perfectly Circular Geological Formation
Kondyor Massif in Eastern Siberia, Russia, north of the city of Khabarovsk is a almost perfect circular geological formation. The circular shape is neither an impact crater nor caldera of an extinct volcano. In geological terms it is an intrusion. As per Wikipedia an intrusion is;
" .. liquid rock that forms under the surface of the earth. Magma from under the surface slowly moves its way up from deep within the earth and moves into any cracks or spaces it can find, sometimes pushing existing country rock out of the way, a process that can take millions of years or more to form. As the rock slowly cools into a solid, the different parts of the magma slowly crystallize into minerals."
Kondyor Massif has a 10 kilometers diameter with ridges reaching to an height up to 600 metres. A small river, fed by rainwater collecting within the raised rim flows out of the massif. Kondyor Massif is unique in shape and it has gold, silver, and platinum veins in it. Reportedly 4 tons of Platinum is mined each year from it.
It is so big that it can be fully visualised only from high altitude. Here are its satellite views;
Image source: Google EarthIt is so big that it can be fully visualised only from high altitude. Here are its satellite views;
Source of images: Google Earth
3-D perspective view;
Image source: asterweb.jpl.nasa.gov (Enlarged view)
Image Credits: NASA/GSFC/METI/ERSDAC/JAROS, and U.S./Japan ASTER Science Team
View location in Google Maps
Main source of info: asterweb.jpl.nasa.gov
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