NASA finds “black spot” in the Sahara. It has the size of half Portugal

An innovative image technique developed by NASA allowed the US space agency to identify a “Mancha” no saara com 44.000 km²being comparable to the score surface in Spain, and determine that it originates at an event that occurred 5 million years ago.

One gigantic solidified lava extensionhammated the attention of scientists from the United States geological service after being recorded by satellite observation.

According to the, it is one of the more surprising fossil volcanic structures from North Africa.

This inhospitable place, called volcanic field of Harujis in the center of Libya and covers about 44.000 km² – Something like half of the continental Portugal area.

Its appearance, a dark spot salpted with golden reflexes, was revealed thanks to one developed by NASA.

Experts from the United States Geological Service and the Global Vulcanism Program confirmed that the zone houses about 150 extinct volcanoes.

Some of them emerged six million years agoalthough there are also evidence of recent eruptions that occurred only a few thousand years ago.

Although it seems like a uniform plain seen from the space, the land isEpleto of chimneys, cones and overlaps of volcanic rock.

Some of these cones reach more than 100 meters highwhile the highest peak of the set is the About 1200 meters above sea level.

The stained look that the images show is due to the accumulated sand between the lava cracks, which reflects sunlight. This feature was captured in special detail through a digital composition system known as best pixel mosaic.

This method selects the clearest fragments of several photographs taken over three yearseliminating interference such as clouds or dust storms.

Thanks to this, scientists were able to study more accurately the geological details of this remote zone.