Crazy colours in a cluster of sinkholes at Ghor Al-Haditha
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Crazy colours in a cluster of sinkholes at Ghor Al-Haditha

by Rob Watson, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland

Sinkholes that form on the Dead Sea shore at Ghor Al-Haditha, Jordan, often occur in clusters, with many holes packed into a small area. However the visual appearance of neighbouring sinkholes can vary significantly. Mineral precipitation in the foremost sinkhole in this picture, which has no fresh water supply, gives it a garish pink-orange colouration. The larger hole behind has a groundwater-derived supply of fresher (blue) water which allows it to harbour life: ground-nesting birds and frog spawn are both prevalent in the marshy area surrounding the holes. It is slightly paradoxical that such a destructive force can also be an oasis for life in an otherwise barren wilderness.

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