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Seven Coloured Earths

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74: 58: 269: 260: 332: 81: 210:, are responsible for red/anthracite and blue/purplish colours respectively. The different shades of colour are believed to be a consequence of the molten volcanic rock cooling down at different external temperatures (hence rates), but the causes of their consistent spontaneous separation are yet to be fully clarified. 247:
The place has become one of Mauritius' main tourist attractions since the 1960s. Nowadays, the dunes are protected by a wooden fence and visitors are not allowed to climb on them, although they can look at the scenery from observation outposts placed along the fence. Curio shops in the area sell
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comprising sand of seven distinct colours (approximately red, brown, violet, green, blue, purple and yellow). The main feature of the place is that since these differently coloured sands spontaneously settle in different layers, dunes acquire a
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The name "Seven Coloured Earth(s)" is a descriptive—rather than an official—name. Sources report many variations of this name, including "Chamarel Seven Coloured Earths", "Chamarel Coloured Earth(s)", "Coloured Earth", and
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This phenomenon can also be observed, on a smaller scale, if one takes a handful of sands of different colours and mixes them together, as they'll eventually separate into a layered spectrum.
102: 373: 170:, striped colouring. Since the earth was first exposed, rains have carved beautiful patterns into the hillside, creating an effect of earthen meringue. 161:. It is owned by a private company and the people of Mauritius don't benefit from the natural made geological feature. It is a relatively small area of 402: 73: 392: 57: 366: 397: 359: 289: 154: 142: 268: 259: 146: 195: 228: 343: 17: 386: 179: 331: 199: 167: 162: 117: 104: 339: 320: 207: 158: 48: 306: 137: 150: 183: 187: 203: 191: 347: 248:
small test-tubes filled up with the coloured earths.
32: 202:; the two main elements of the resulting soil, 367: 80: 8: 221: 37: 178:The sands formed from the decomposition of 374: 360: 307:Chamarel 7 Coloured Earth Official Website 290:"Where to Go in Mauritius – Go2Africa.com" 29: 281: 255: 66: 54: 7: 328: 326: 25: 27:Geological formation in Mauritius 403:Tourist attractions in Mauritius 330: 267: 258: 79: 72: 56: 1: 346:. You can help Knowledge by 194:, further transformed into 419: 325: 393:Mauritius geography stubs 98: 67: 62:The Seven Coloured Earths 55: 46: 223:Terres des Sept Couleurs 39:Terres des Sept Couleurs 18:Chamarel coloured earth 398:Landforms of Mauritius 342:location article is a 222: 155:Rivière Noire District 38: 138:Seven Coloured Earths 118:20.44028°S 57.37333°E 87:Seven Coloured Earths 34:Seven Coloured Earths 143:geological formation 123:-20.44028; 57.37333 114: /  147:tourist attraction 355: 354: 157:in south-western 133: 132: 16:(Redirected from 410: 376: 369: 362: 334: 327: 309: 304: 298: 297: 286: 271: 262: 225: 129: 128: 126: 125: 124: 119: 115: 112: 111: 110: 107: 83: 82: 76: 60: 41: 30: 21: 418: 417: 413: 412: 411: 409: 408: 407: 383: 382: 381: 380: 317: 312: 305: 301: 288: 287: 283: 279: 272: 263: 254: 245: 237: 216: 196:ferralitic soil 176: 122: 120: 116: 113: 108: 105: 103: 101: 100: 94: 93: 92: 91: 90: 89: 88: 84: 63: 51: 42: 35: 28: 23: 22: 15: 12: 11: 5: 416: 414: 406: 405: 400: 395: 385: 384: 379: 378: 371: 364: 356: 353: 352: 335: 324: 323: 316: 313: 311: 310: 299: 280: 278: 275: 274: 273: 266: 264: 257: 253: 250: 244: 241: 236: 233: 215: 212: 175: 172: 145:and prominent 131: 130: 96: 95: 86: 85: 78: 77: 71: 70: 69: 68: 65: 64: 61: 53: 52: 47: 44: 43: 36: 33: 26: 24: 14: 13: 10: 9: 6: 4: 3: 2: 415: 404: 401: 399: 396: 394: 391: 390: 388: 377: 372: 370: 365: 363: 358: 357: 351: 349: 345: 341: 336: 333: 329: 322: 319: 318: 314: 308: 303: 300: 295: 294:go2africa.com 291: 285: 282: 276: 270: 265: 261: 256: 251: 249: 242: 240: 234: 232: 230: 226: 224: 213: 211: 209: 205: 201: 197: 193: 189: 185: 181: 180:volcanic rock 173: 171: 169: 164: 160: 156: 153:plain of the 152: 149:found in the 148: 144: 140: 139: 127: 99:Coordinates: 97: 75: 59: 50: 45: 40: 31: 19: 348:expanding it 337: 302: 293: 284: 246: 238: 220: 217: 177: 168:surrealistic 136: 134: 174:Description 121: / 387:Categories 235:Phenomenon 200:hydrolysis 163:sand dunes 109:57°22′24″E 106:20°26′25″S 49:Sand dunes 340:Mauritius 321:Vinicunca 277:Footnotes 208:aluminium 198:by total 159:Mauritius 315:See also 151:Chamarel 252:Gallery 243:Tourism 188:gullies 229:French 184:basalt 141:are a 338:This 190:into 344:stub 214:Name 206:and 204:iron 192:clay 135:The 227:in 389:: 292:. 231:. 186:) 375:e 368:t 361:v 350:. 296:. 182:( 20:)

Index

Chamarel coloured earth
Sand dunes
The Seven Coloured Earths
Seven Coloured Earths is located in Mauritius
20°26′25″S 57°22′24″E / 20.44028°S 57.37333°E / -20.44028; 57.37333
Seven Coloured Earths
geological formation
tourist attraction
Chamarel
Rivière Noire District
Mauritius
sand dunes
surrealistic
volcanic rock
basalt
gullies
clay
ferralitic soil
hydrolysis
iron
aluminium
French


"Where to Go in Mauritius – Go2Africa.com"
Chamarel 7 Coloured Earth Official Website
Vinicunca
Stub icon
Mauritius
stub

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