Chamarel & 7 Colored Earth

These are 2 features in a national geopark. The 1st is the Chamarel Waterfalls. This is the highest in Mauritius and one of the most photographed places in the country. The falls drop almost 100 meters down a vertical cliff. I'm told this is an old crater. The part of the island is a volcanic landscape.
The 2nd feature is called 7 colored earth. This, too, is a result of volcanic activity and weathering. They say there are as many as 40 hues here. The colors are formed by oxidation of mostly iron and aluminum compounds present in the lava. The stripes form by iron and alumina repelling each other so that the materials derived from one move away from the other. The similar chemistry ends up together. The reds, yellows and browns are from iron compounds. The greens, blues, and purples are from alumina compounds.Read more