Silhouetted by the sun, the Hand of Fatima rock formations near Hombori village stretch toward the sky in Mali .
The tallest tower rises 2,000 feet (610 meters) from the desert floor. Lore has it that the formations' name stems
from the five towers' resemblance to a hand from the sky.

Erosion's force becomes clear in these limestone cliffs in Port Campbell National Park , Australia . About five million
years ago the area was a limestone plateau, but as sea levels rose the effects of surf and rain began to carve out
these magnificent cliffs, along with stacks and arches.

Towers of salt and a riverbed colored by crystallized salt create an otherworldly landscape in Ethiopia 's Danakil Desert .
Sitting more than 300 feet (90 meters) below sea level, with temperatures reaching 120 degrees Fahrenheit
(49 degrees Celsius), local inhabitants prize the Danakil for one thing: its salt deposits.

Travertine chimneys near Lake Abbe , Djibouti , were created by hot springs depositing calcium carbonatehe same
process that creates stalactites and stalagmites. Some of the formations reach 165 feet (50 meters) near the lake
located on the Ethiopia-Djibouti border.

A thick blanket of snow covers West Thumb Geyser Basin in Yellowstone National Park . There are more geysers in
this park than anywhere else in the world.