Unknown wonders and unusual places on earth. Are there still unexplored places on Earth?
Intellectual power helps humanity to uncover many of the Earth's secrets. People reached the surface of the Moon and explored other planets in the solar system. But still, there are a number of mysterious and unknown places in the world. Inhospitable conditions and the destructive forces of nature deter people from exploring some areas of our planet. At the same time, these same natural forces help preserve the original appearance and beauty of such places untouched by civilization.
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7Ice caps of Greenland
Greenland is the largest island in the world. In fact, most of the island is covered by ice caps - sheet glaciers that are smaller in area than ice sheets. Therefore, this place is considered the least populated on the planet and is practically unexplored. Ice layers in Greenland are 3,200 meters thick and are about 100 thousand years old.
Greenland also features glaciers, glacial rivers, hot springs, white nights and the northern lights. But erratic weather conditions make Greenland one of the least explored places on Earth.
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6Mariana Trench, Western Pacific Ocean
The Mariana Trench is the deepest place on Earth and is located in the western Pacific Ocean. It was formed millions of years ago. The deepest point of the Mariana Trench is known as the Challenger Deep, the maximum known depth of which is just over 11 kilometers. Such great depth and high pressure made the Mariana Trench a very difficult place to study, so it remains completely unexplored to this day.
The Mariana Trench is home to deep-sea ocean creatures and is also home to rare minerals. The floor of the Mariana Trench contains fossils dating back millions of years and many other minerals that would help unlock the mysteries of the Earth. But unstable conditions make it difficult for people to explore the place.
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5Kankar Punsum, Bhutan
Kankar Punsum is the highest unclimbed mountain peak in the world. It is located in Bhutan. This mountain has a height of 7570 meters and is the 40th highest mountain in the world. There are only four known expeditions to Kankar Punsum - in 1983, 1985, 1986 and 1994 respectively. But all of them were unsuccessful due to heavy snowfall and unstable weather conditions.
Out of respect for local beliefs, the Bhutanese government banned mountaineering on Kankar Poonsum in 2004. So this mountain peak remained unconquered and unexplored.
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4Deserts
Deserts are notoriously difficult to explore due to unsuitable weather conditions. Antarctica is the largest desert in the world and has unsuitable conditions for growing plants. The hottest desert in the world, the Sahara, is located in Africa. The amount of annual precipitation in deserts is very low. These areas are also characterized by extreme temperature changes - very hot during the day and very cold at night. This creates very harsh living conditions for plants, animals and people.
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3Deep caves
There are a large number of caves in the world. They have become too difficult for scientists to study due to unbearable weather conditions, sharp rocks, heat and slipperiness. Some of the underwater caves are not inhabited by living creatures due to the deadly conditions for survival. The flooded caves of Yucatan in Mexico - the sacred Mayan caves - are the best example of this. Crystal Caves and Snow Caves are also too dangerous for expeditions due to the potential for unprecedented sudden changes in conditions within the caves and their topography.
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2Amazon jungle, South America
The Amazon rainforest is half the rainforest on Earth, covering an area of 6.47 million square kilometers. The rich biodiversity of this area and the presence of rare species of animals make the Amazon jungle a priority area for study. But the mystery of this place makes it still a completely unexplored place on Earth.
There is no dry season in the Amazon rainforest; it rains all year round. Heavy rains between February and May cause water levels in the Amazon River to rise sharply. This leads to severe flooding in its basin. In this condition, transportation across the river becomes too dangerous due to the extreme river currents. It is also home to many dangerous animals, such as jaguars, rattlesnakes, Brazilian wandering spiders, mosquitoes, dart frogs, piranhas, black caiman and anacondas, which can cause harm to humans. Lack of access to healthy food and clean water can cause many diseases.
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1Antarctica
It is the coldest place on the Earth's surface, with temperatures fluctuating sharply between -10C and -30C most of the time. The coldest temperature ever recorded in Antarctica was -89 degrees Celsius. It is the driest, coldest and windiest continent on Earth. Such a harsh climate makes Antarctica the most mysterious and unexplored place on our planet. Antarctica holds many secrets and is therefore of great interest to the scientific community. The average thickness of the ice crust on the continent is about 2.5 km, which means that the surface beneath the ice contains many archaeological artifacts from the period when the continent was free of ice.
The maximum wind speed recorded in Antarctica in 1972 is 321 km per hour. Antarctica's ice sheets, which are more than 3.2 km thick, reflect the unbearable climate conditions on the continent. Heavy snowfall, glaciers, and ice cracks are other potential hazards in Antarctica.
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Conclusion
These were the most mysterious and unexplored places on Earth. Thank you for your attention.
Many people think that since modern technologies have allowed us to begin exploring the Moon and Mars, launching spacecraft to Jupiter, Saturn and other planets, then there are no longer any secret and unexplored corners on Earth. In fact, this is completely true.
But today there are quite a lot of areas on the globe that remain, for one reason or another, little studied, where a person’s foot has stepped at most a couple of times. We have collected 10 of the most unexplored corners and places of our planet.
1. Northern Columbia Mountains
Multi-tiered mountain ranges with a system of caves, picturesque areas and dense vegetation are unlikely to be suitable for your solitude, since they serve for the solitude of other people - namely Colombian drug dealers. Having captured this completely unexplored territory, they keep it in complete submission, thanks to the fact that the mountains are very difficult to storm, and the lush year-round green vegetation provides excellent cover.
However, dedicated scientists, who conduct scientific expeditions there at their own risk, talk about new unique discoveries in the animal and plant world, especially in isolated intermountain valleys.
2. Angel Falls
Also known as Kerepakupai vena, which means "Waterfall of the Deepest Place". This is the tallest continuous waterfall in the world. It is located in the tropical forests of Venezuela, in the Canaima National Park. Water cascades from the top of Auyantepui, the largest of the Venezuelan tepuis - its name means “mountain of the devil” in Russian.
The water falls from a staggering height of 979 m. The waterfall was named after Jimmy Angel, the US pilot who was the first to fly over this waterfall. This place remains one of the most inaccessible on Earth due to dense jungle and lack of means of transportation.
3. Papua New Guinea
An open but unexplored land, which amazes with its landscapes, diversity of fauna and other natural beauties, also delights researchers with discoveries in the human world. The whole point is that more and more new tribes and cultures are found there, most often cannibalistic, which, by the way, interfere with the exploration of this territory.
If you still decide to admire the pristine beauty of nature without smoking chimneys, admire the rivers without waste flowing into it, and still go to Papua New Guinea, then remember that you will have to be extremely careful in this little-explored area - the population is unfriendly, and If help comes, it will be extremely untimely.
4. Greenland Ice Sheet
Greenland has the second largest ice sheet in the world (after Antarctica), and the island is used as a testing ground for fundamental research on glaciers: glaciologists here study glacier dynamics, microbiologists study ancient life trapped in ice. However, the most significant aspect remains the study of the paleoclimatic aspects of the research, since the ice has air inclusions that can provide information about the atmosphere of the past. A total of six deep wells have been drilled in Greenland, and the least explored place is the Northern edge of Greenland, the Lincoln Sea and other surrounding ice-covered waters. Throughout their history, only a few ships have visited here, among them were our nuclear icebreakers. But this entire icy desert is gradually melting, and at current rates the shield will disappear in 2,000 years.
5. Tristan da Cunha
Moderate warm climate, rich fauna and flora, the south of the Atlantic Ocean - what could be better than solitude and quiet old age? In addition, it is extremely difficult to get here, there is no way by air - only by sea, and only on certain days when the sea is calm and there is no danger of running into a rocky ridge.
However, there is Internet on the island, there is radio communication, so everything a modern person needs to be happy can be found there. Disadvantages - about 300 more people have chosen such a heavenly place; you will have to put up with this company, as well as the fact that you will have to produce food yourself - catch fish with homemade nets or plow on plantations like those same 300 people.
6. Amazon Rainforests
7. Tibetan plateau
To travel 20 days on foot, travel 81 days and not see a single person, do you think this is only possible on the surface of the Moon? No, this Tibetan plateau is one of the most mysterious places on Earth. With the exception of a handful of monks in certain areas, you risk running into no one here at all, even if you move permanently to a small village.
Cartographers still do not have a general map of the area, and if we talk about blank spots anywhere, then only about Tibet. The championship is held by the border mountains of Gankar Punsum; having chosen these heights, you will have to get to the nearest populated area for about a month and a half without the possibility of using any transport.
8. Mariana Trench
Almost the entire bottom of the World Ocean can be called the least explored space on our planet. However, the most mysterious known point is the oceanic deep-sea trench in the western Pacific Ocean. The depression is named after the nearby Mariana Islands, and its deepest point, “Challenger Deep,” is located in the southwestern part. According to measurements in 2011, its depth is 10,994 ± 40 m below sea level. Only 3 people have visited this place: Jacques Picard and Donald Walsh on the bathyscaphe Trieste in 1960, and James Cameron on the bathyscaphe Deepsea Challenger in 2012. The pressure at this depth is 1,106 times the pressure at sea level, but 20 thousand microorganisms were discovered at the bottom of the Challenger Deep. Fauna collected included isopods and six species of shrimp-like amphipods. Further study of the depression, according to scientists, can tell us more about the adaptation of organisms to high pressure and, perhaps, even reveal the secret of the origin of life.
9. Cape York Peninsula
The natural reserve on the northern peninsula of Australia is also famous for the fact that it is extremely difficult to reach, only by air. Large flat areas, where absolutely no one lives, are interspersed with small settlements of aborigines, who are extremely unfriendly to tourists trying to penetrate their protected area.
It is not called a reserve for nothing - only there you can find up to 150 different species of animals and plants, which on Earth are found only in Cape York and nowhere else. Beautiful hilly landscapes and ocean bays still attract extreme tourists, who say that traveling to Cape York is very expensive due to the absolutely undeveloped infrastructure of this part of the mainland.
10. Naica Crystal Cave
This is a giant cave of natural crystals, including some of the largest ever found. It is located adjacent to the city of Naica, Chihuahua, Mexico. The cave was discovered by miners during excavations of a new tunnel in 2000. It has the shape of a horseshoe. Temperatures reach up to 58 °C (136 °F) and humidity ranges from 90 to 99 percent. Without proper protective equipment, people can only stay inside for about ten minutes due to the high temperature. It is noteworthy that access to the cave is provided through the pumping activities of the mining company. If it stops, the cave will again plunge under water.
Let's look at the most unusual corners of our planet. We will talk about unusual landscapes that evoke admiration just by their appearance - these are real wonders of nature.
Let's start with the most unearthly part of our planet - the Dry Valleys in Antarctica. This desert is unique in that it is the driest place on earth. There has been no precipitation here for several million years. This place is closest in climate to Mars, and therefore is of particular interest to NASA. Mars rovers are tested here and large-scale research is conducted in all directions. This is the only part of Antarctica that is not covered with ice. In the valleys there is a frozen lake with extremely salty water, mysterious bacteria and organisms were discovered under the ice - this discovery served as confirmation of the theory that life exists on Mars
In second place is the island of Socotra - the landscapes of this island are unique and look more like alien ones. The island has been geographically isolated from Africa for 6 million years and is home to many extremely rare species of flora and fauna - a third of which are endemic and can only be found here. Despite the hot and dry climate, many amazing and beautiful plants grow here, many of which are about 20 million years old.
Next on the list of “The most unusual places on Earth” is the Rio Tinto quarry in Andalusia, Spain. The huge quarries of Rio Tinto create a surreal, lunar-like landscape. The quarries are named after the river of the same name, which flows here and washes minerals out of huge craters. Mining has been carried out here for many centuries, so the river is painted a bright red-orange color, its acidity and saturation with metals is simply off scale. Currently, mining in this region has ceased, and Rio Tinto attracts crowds of tourists and photographers to Andalusia.
Let's move on, I still have something to surprise you with :) I bet that you have never heard of Spotted Lake, much less seen such stunning landscapes. The lake is located in British Columbia, Canada. Depending on weather conditions and the time of year, the lake crystallizes and turns a certain color. Many “spots” – circles of minerals – form on the lake. This is the world's largest concentration of magnesium sulfate (Epsom salt), calcium and sodium, as well as silver and titanium. This place is sacred to the indigenous Indians of Canada, and is famous for its healing properties - for this it was given the name Kliluk.
Another unusual landscape is the world's largest salt lake, the Salar de Uyuni. This is a beautiful area with a huge salt desert, active volcanoes, large cactus islands and geysers. You can ride on the surface of the lake in a jeep and admire the unusual, sometimes unearthly beauty of this place. The Uyuni salt marsh is clearly visible from space and is one of the points for satellite calibration.
There is another unusual place in Brazil - Vale da Lua, which means Valley of the Moon. It is a water-washed rock formation with natural swimming pools. Vale da Lua is located in the Brazilian Chapada forest and is one of the oldest rock formations on the planet consisting of quartz and crystals.
There are also unusual places in Japan. This is the Bloody Pond, one of Beppu's famous springs. There are nine unusual geyser springs in this city, but the most famous among them is the Bloody Pond with hot water of bright red color. This color is due to the high iron content in the water. This pond is also the most photogenic among all the sources.
Coming eighth on our list is the Shilin Stone Forest in China, a stunning example of karst topography. The rocks are made of limestone and were formed by water, which destroyed everything except these tree-like pillars. Since the Ming Dynasty, Shilin Stone Forest has been known as the “First Wonder of the World.”
Another miracle of nature is the Richat Structure in Mauritania. It is also called the Eye of the Sahara. Richat is about 30 miles in diameter and is visible from space. The formation was originally thought to be the result of a meteorite impact, but modern geologists believe that the Richat structure is the result of erosion. The reason for its round shape is still a mystery that scientists around the world are struggling with.
The famous gate to Hell - Darvaz in Turkmenistan, was also included in the list. This place frightens with its power, thousands of tons of lava and heat emanating from the bowels of the Earth. There is a burning crater in the middle of the Karakum desert, its diameter is 60 meters and its depth is 20 meters. At its core, Darvaz is a gas well, and the history of its discovery is quite interesting. Researchers drilled a well here to extract gas, but as a result this huge abyss opened, the gas had to be set on fire so that no one would be poisoned.
The Eisreisenwelt ice caves close the list of the most unusual places on earth. These caves are different from any other caves because of their icy strangeness. Once here you feel like you are in some other fairy tale world. There are many ice caves in the world, but the Eisreisenwelt Caves are the largest among them. Their total length is 40 kilometers, and only a small part is open to the public. But even this is enough for thousands of tourists every day to admire the grandeur and unusualness of this place.
Getting to any of the places on this list will be extremely difficult; even with modern technology development, you will have to go through a rather difficult path. Are you really ready to conquer Mother Nature? We present to your attention a selection of the 10 least explored places on Earth, where nature has been preserved in its original form, and all processes proceed as usual, without human intervention.
Greenland ice sheet
First discovered by Eric the Red, this land is covered with 80% ice. The ice sheet, which is 600 square miles in size, is thought to melt in about 2,000 years at current rates, so you still have a few millennia left to visit it. You can admire the beauty of these places in the article about the ice canyons of Greenland, or in other articles on LifeGlobe.
Northern Mountains of Colombia
The Northern Mountains of Colombia were largely explored only by guerrilla fighters and outlaws. Because of this, it is difficult to say exactly how many mountains have actually been discovered and explored. Most of the local tribes here are peaceful, and scientists discover new representatives of flora and fauna with each new expedition.
Amazon rainforest
Namibia
With a population of 2.1 million spread over 300,000 square miles, it is no surprise that Namibia is known as the least populated country in Africa. For animals such as Cheetah and Rhinoceros, Namibia is an ideal haven from poachers. This is due to the program for protecting the natural world, spelled out in the Namibian government constitution. This is the only country in the world that has done this.
Tristan da Cunha
Located just off the South African mainland, Tristan da Cunha is one of the most isolated islands in the world at just 7 miles long. This island has a temperate climate, which makes it ideal for becoming a sanctuary for giant elephant seals, shorebirds and waterfowl. The Tristan hotspot is an area of volcanic activity that forms the islands of the archipelago in the South Atlantic Ocean.
Northeastern Siberia
Siberia is one of the most parts of Russia, which covers approximately 70% of the Country's territory. However, only 30% of its population lives here. In fact, most of the population in Siberia is somehow connected with oil production.
Gankar Punsum
The Gangkar Punsum Mountains are at the top of the list of the tallest mountains in the world. On the borders of Tibet, China and Bhutan, these high altitudes are little explored due to both the distance and the political, social, and spiritual issues between the three countries.
Antarctica
Antarctica is often noted as the world's largest body of ice, difficult for scientists to access. Recently, research in Antarctica has become more intense, as global warming has made it possible to stay here for longer periods.
Mariana Trench
This area is the most unexplored in the world. A deep sea trench, the Mariana Trench is located near Guam and the Mariana Islands. It wasn't until 2011 that the US Navy imaged the topography of the Mariana Trench from a survey ship using a multibeam echo sounder.
On our planet, along with modern, technologically and industrially developed megacities, there are many places created by ancient masters or nature itself.
Each such attraction has its own legend and, naturally, is silent about a lot of things. Mysterious places raise a huge number of questions among scientists, confusing them with anomalous phenomena and the unknown.
1. Devils Tower, USA
The so-called Devil's Tower is actually a natural rock of amazingly regular shape and consists of columns with sharp corners. This truly mysterious place, which, according to research, is more than 200 million years old, is located in the USA, in the territory of the modern state of Wyoming. 
In size, the Devil's Tower is several times larger than the Cheops Pyramid and from the outside resembles a man-made structure. Thanks to its unrealistic size and unnaturally correct configuration, the rock has become the object of attention of many scientists, and local residents claim that Satan himself built it.
2. Cahokia Mounds, USA
Cahokia or Cahokia is an abandoned Indian city, the ruins of which are located near Illinois, USA. This place is reminiscent of how ancient civilizations lived, and its complex structure proves that this area was inhabited by a highly developed people 1500 years ago. The ancient city is striking in its scale; a network of terraces and 30-meter earthen mounds, as well as a huge solar calendar, have been preserved on its territory. 
It is still unknown why a society of almost 40 thousand people left their settlement, and which Indian tribes are direct descendants of the Cahokians. Despite this, the Cahokia mounds are a favorite place for many tourists who come here in the hope of unraveling the mystery of the ancient city.
3. Chawinda, Mexico
This mystical place, according to Aboriginal beliefs, is the center of intersection of the real and other worlds. That is why incredible things happen here that are difficult for modern people to understand. 
Chawinda is of interest to many treasure hunters, because according to legend, this area hides unprecedented wealth. Unfortunately, no one has yet managed to find the treasure. Would-be treasure hunters often attribute their failures to otherworldly forces.
4. Newgrange, Ireland
Newgrange is the oldest building on the territory of modern Ireland, it is already about 5 thousand years old. It is believed that this long corridor with a transverse room is a grave, but scientists have not yet been able to determine for whom. 
It is still unknown how ancient people were able to build such a perfect structure, which for five thousand years was not only lucky enough to survive, maintaining its primitive appearance, but also to remain completely waterproof.
5. Pyramids of Yonaguni, Japan
Mysterious underwater pyramids near the western Japanese island of Yonaguni are causing a lot of controversy among modern archaeologists and surveyors. The main question is whether the structures are a natural phenomenon, or whether they were created by the hand of an ancient man. 
In the course of numerous studies, it was possible to establish that the age of the Yonaguni pyramids is more than 10 thousand years. Therefore, if the Yonagun monuments created mysterious civilizations unknown to us, then the history of mankind should be rewritten.
Mysterious civilization. Underwater cities of Yonaguni
6. Geoglyphs of Nazca, Peru
The Nazca geoglyphs in Peru are one of the most mysterious places on the planet. They were discovered in the middle of the last century and are still actively discussed by scientists who cannot say unambiguously what the ancient people wanted to express with these giant drawings of animals and for what purpose were they used? 
Unfortunately, it is no longer possible to ask the creators, but scientists offer 2 main versions: some, leaning towards the cosmic theory of the origin of geoglyphs, believe that they are landmarks for alien ships, others claim that they are giant lunar calendars. In any case, the Nazca rock paintings are proof of the existence on the territory of modern Peru of an ancient and mysterious civilization that lived here long before the famous Incas and was distinguished by a high level of development.
7. Black Bamboo Hollow, China
Black Bamboo Hollow or Heizhu is perhaps the most terrible place on Earth. Local residents have nicknamed it the Valley of Death, and they do not even want to get close to it at any cost. Just the memory of the ravine fills them with great horror. 
They say that children and pets disappear here without a trace, and there is a lot of documentary evidence of this. Scientists have been interested in the hollow of black bamboo for decades; they have been able to prove that the valley in the Chinese province of Sichuan is an anomalous area with a harsh climate and sharply changing weather conditions, which together provoke soil subsidence, which, according to scientists, is the cause of missing people .
8. Giant's Causeway, Ireland
The Giant's Causeway, or Giant's Causeway in Northern Ireland is an amazing coastal area formed many centuries ago as a result of a volcanic eruption. It consists of approximately 40 thousand basalt columns that look like giant steps. 
The natural attraction is one of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites. This place deserves admiration, which is why more than one thousand tourists from all over the world visit it every year.
9. Goseck Circle, Germany
The Goseck Circle is an ancient Neolithic structure in the German district of Burgenlandkreis. The circle was accidentally discovered in the early 90s of the last century while surveying the area from an airplane. 
The original appearance of the building was restored only after complete reconstruction. Scientists have little doubt that the Goseck Circle was used for astronomical observations and calendaring. This proves that our ancestors also studied cosmic bodies, their movements and kept track of time.
10. Moai monuments on Easter Island
Easter Island is famous throughout the world for the giant Moai statues located throughout its territory. Each such megalithic figure is a large monument created by the masters of an ancient civilization in the crater of the local volcano Rano Raraku. 
In total, about 1,000 remains of such man-made monuments were discovered on the island. Most have already gone under water.
Today, the vast majority of the statues are once again placed on platforms facing the ocean, from where they continue to greet visitors to the island and remind of the former power of the ancient people who inhabited these spaces.
Easter Island - Moai Message
11. Georgia Tablets, USA
The Georgia Tablets are 20-ton polished granite slabs with inscriptions in eight of the world's most famous languages. The inscriptions represent commandments for future generations on how to rebuild civilization after a global cataclysm. The monument was erected in 1979, the customer is listed in the documents under the name Robert C. Christian. 
The height of the monumental structure is just over six meters, and the slabs are oriented towards the four sides of the world and have holes. In one of them you can see the North Star at any time of the year, in the second - the Sun during the solstice and equinox. Several years ago, the monument was vandalized and was damaged by paint, which has not yet been removed.
12. Rishat (Eye of the Sahara). Mauritania
On the territory of modern Mauritania, the largest desert in the world hides an amazing natural phenomenon of the Proterozoic period, whose name is Richat or the Eye of the Sahara. 
This object is incredibly huge (up to 50 kilometers in diameter), so it can be seen even from space. The structure consists of several ellipsoidal rings formed by sedimentary rocks and sandstones about 500 million years ago.
13. “Gateway to Hell” – Darvaza crater in Turkmenistan
In the Turkmen Karakum desert there is the Darvaza gas crater, which in appearance resembles a gate to hell. This fire pit, about 60 meters in diameter and up to 20 meters deep, is the result of excavations carried out here during the Soviet Union. 
During such geological research, a group of scientists discovered an underground cavern with natural gas, which almost led to the death of a huge number of people. Therefore, the management decided to set fire to the gas so that it would not threaten local residents. But the fire, which was supposed to burn for no more than 5 days, is still burning, bringing fear to everyone who approaches it.
Brave people are ready to take selfies at the Gates of Hell
14. Arkaim, Russia
Arkaim is an ancient settlement, reminiscent of ancient civilizations, which was discovered several decades ago in the vicinity of Chelyabinsk. It is believed that this landmark of Russia is the birthplace of the ancient Aryans, who gave rise to European, Persian and Indian civilizations. 
Arkaim is not only a unique architectural monument with a thousand-year history, but also a place of concentration of healing energy flows that can save a person from any disease.
