The Seven Coloured Earths
On a hillside in Mauritius, small dunes of earth show bands of red, brown, purple, blue and yellow. Mix them in a jar, and they separate again.
What was reported
At Chamarel, in south-west Mauritius, a small area of bare, rolling dunes shows sand in several distinct colours, said to be seven: red, brown, violet, green, blue, purple and yellow. Nothing much grows there, and the colours stay clear even after heavy rain.
It's said that if you mix the different coloured sands together, they will slowly settle back into separate layers.
Explanations offered
The colours come from volcanic rock that has weathered in a hot, wet climate, leaving clay rich in iron and aluminium. Different minerals give different colours and weights, which helps explain why mixed sands separate. It's a popular tourist attraction.
- When
- Formed over thousands of years
- Where
- Chamarel, Rivière Noire, Mauritius
- Witnesses
- Visitors
- Status
- Explained
Famous cases are real, widely reported events. Each file sets out what witnesses said and the explanations that have been offered, without taking a side.