Eye of the Sahara and Flood Geology

Mauritania is a country on the western side of Africa, with one border on the North Atlantic ocean. However, it has sand. Lots of sand. In the midst of all that is a geological feature known as the Richat structure, also called the Eye of the Sahara.

Landsat image credit: NASA / JPL / NIMA

This thing is rather large, so the most impressive views are from satellites and such. At one time, it was thought to be an impact crater. Later research revealed that it once was a volcano. Specifically, a volcanic intrusion pushing up from above. Geologists in 2014 formulated a scenario that involved some speculation (they would have to), but it is interesting how their model fits with a Genesis Flood model of biblical creation science. Of course, adjustments had to be made for the secular deep time assumptions.

In the western Sahara Desert in Mauritania sits a stunning circular structure called Eye of the Sahara. . . and the Richat structure, it exposes layers of sedimentary rock in concentric rings. It is about 40 km (25 miles) across. . . . Several different types of igneous rock (i.e. formed from the solidification of molten rock) are also exposed inside the circular structure. This feature speaks of continental scale catastrophe and tremendous erosion.

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Now, rather than an impact from above, the structure is regarded as a huge volcanic intrusion coming from below. Magma (molten rock) pushed up into the overlying thick layers of sedimentary rock that covered the African continent at that time. This lifted and fractured the sedimentary layers and formed a volcanic dome, called a caldera. These volcanic craters form when the eruption empties the magma chamber under the volcano and the volcano collapses into itself. Something remarkable was happening to trigger this enormous volcano.

To read all of this interesting, geology-intense article, visit "The Eye of the Sahara — Mystery circles visible from space reveal catastrophe of biblical proportions".