Most people only use the new technologies for their everyday use, not realizing the potential these new tools give us. Let’s think out of the box this time and explore the top 25 most weirdly amazing finds on Google Earth.
1- Weird Wheels, Jordan
Google Earth has discovered some ancient artwork etched into the planet’s surface, including wheel-shaped geometric formations that could be 8,500 years old, making them older than Peru’s Nazca Lines. Some of the spoked designs found throughout Jordan’s Azraq Oasis appear to be aligned with sunrise on the winter solstice. With satellite images available through Google Earth, a team of scientists from the Aerial Photographic Archive for Archaeology in the Middle East (APAAME) investigated wheel structures (also known as “works of the old men”).
The wheels’ designs vary, with some having spokes radiating from the centre, others having only one or two bars instead of spokes, and still others not being circular at all and instead shaped like squares, rectangles, or triangles, according to the researchers. The wheels in this image are in the Azraq Oasis, and their spokes are oriented southeast-northwest, probably to coincide with the winter solstice sunrise.
To view it, click on the coordinates 32°11’12″N 37°55’00″E
2- Coca Cola Logo, Chile
Given the number of people who spend their leisure time scouring Google Earth, it’s no surprise that massive advertisements have begun to appear in remote locations for their viewing pleasure—a notion known as “mapvertising.” The world’s largest Coca-Cola logo, for example, is reported to be formed of 70,000 empty Coca-Cola bottles and can be seen on a hillside in Chile.
To view it, click on the coordinates -18.529211, -70.249941
3- Mysterious pyramid, Egypt
This Google Earth image depicts an oddity that some believe is an unexcavated pyramid. Throughout the last five years, Google Earth has spotted dozens of abnormalities in Egypt; however, whether these are natural features or man-made constructions is a point of contention. There is a need for more excavations, but Egypt’s security and economic situation have limited the quantity and magnitude of excavations.
To view it, click on the coordinates 30°01′56″N 31°04′29″E
4- Phantom Island, New Caledonia
In the South Pacific, a group of Australian researchers “undiscovered” an island the size of Manhattan in 2012. Sandy Island, northwest of New Caledonia, had appeared on maps as a strange spot. On Google Earth, it appeared as a black polygon. When scientists arrived in November 2012, however, they discovered open sea rather than solid ground. The researchers explained why the phantom landmass had been included on some maps for more than a century in an obituary for the island published in April 2013, pointing to certain human errors and a probable pumice raft.
To view it, click on the coordinates 19° 13′ 12″ S, 159° 55′ 48″ E
5- Puzzling Pentagram, Kazakhstan
A gigantic pentagram, measuring around 1,200 feet (366 metres) in diameter, has been etched into the Earth’s surface on the wind-blown steppes of Central Asia, in an isolated corner of Kazakhstan. On Google Maps, the online counterpart of the more detailed Google Earth, the five-pointed star enclosed by a circle, located on the southern bank of the Upper Tobol Reservoir, stands out strongly. Many internet comments associated the website with devil worship, malevolent religious cults, and underworld dwellers. Instead, the pentagram is shown to be the boundary of a park in the shape of a star, with streets now lined with trees, making the star shape even more visible in aerial pictures.
To view it, click on the coordinates 52°28’47.1″N 62°11’08.4″E
6- Mysterious Desert Pattern, Egypt
Is this a memorial to a supernatural being? Desert Breath, a massive spiral design in the arid Egyptian desert not far from the Red Sea’s coasts, is an art installation. The 1 million square foot (100,000 square metres) artwork was created in March 2007 by Danae Stratou, Alexandra Stratou, and Stella Constantinides to honour “the desert as a state of mind, a landscape of the mind,” according to the artists’ website.
To view it, click on the coordinates 27°22’50.10″N, 33°37’54.62″E
7- Lake of blood, Iraq
A blood-red lake can be found outside Sadr City, Iraq. The colour of this odd body of water has yet to be officially explained.
To view it, click on the coordinates 33.396157° N, 44.486926° E
8- Airplane Boneyard, United States
U.S. military planes are sent to the Davis Monthan Air Force Base in Tucson, Ariz., to die. This 2,600-acre steel cemetery is closed to the public, but Google Earth provides a high-resolution view of what’s inside: virtually every plane the military has flown since World War II, from the B-52 Stratofortress to the F-14 Tomcat, in various stages of decay. The Boneyard at Davis Monthan served as the backdrop for rock legend Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers music video “Learning to Fly.” Various aeroplane hulks were used to portray the band performing.
To view it, click on the coordinates 32 08’59.96″ N, 110 50’09.03″W
9- Elephants Herd, Chad
In case you thought you would never be able to see animals in their natural habitat, Google Earth is here to save the day. Satellites captured a few high-resolution images of a herd on the move in Chad.
To view it, click on the coordinates 10.903497 N, 19.93229 E
10- Hippo Pool, Tanzania
Again, if you thought you would never get the chance to visit wildlife just because safari trips in Africa are so expensive, Google Earth is here to save the day. If you click on the coordinates below, you’ll see a high-quality picture of Hippos chilling and bathing in a mud pool in Katavi National Park, Tanzania. Seeing natural animals’ habitat is for sure one of the most amazing finds on Google Earth.
To view it, click on the coordinates 6°53’53.00″ S 31°11’15.40″ E
11- Mysterious Desert Pattern, China
Google Earth pictures have shown a plethora of intriguing buildings and patterns etched into the Gobi Desert in China. This is a covert military station, according to analysts, and the structures are utilized for a number of purposes, including weapons testing, spy satellite calibration, and radar instruments testing. A Yagi antenna array, a device used for weather tracking and other atmospheric studies, is most likely the most elaborate feature, an intricate grid of precisely straight lines that weave back and forth every few hundred feet for 20 miles (33 kilometres).
To view it, click on the coordinates 40.452107, 93.742118
12- Landlocked lips, Sudan
These luscious lips are a hill formation located in Gharb, Darfur, in Sudan.
To view it, click on the coordinates 12°22’13.3″N 23°19’20.2″E
13- Man Lake, Brazil
At first glance, this lake can be a bit alarming. From an aerial view, it’s the perfect shape of a man and something that’s obviously man-made. This lake was indeed created by humans and can be found near Lacanga in Sao Pablo, Brazil.
To view it, click on the coordinates -21° 48′ 18.53″, -49° 5′ 23.92″
14- Gulliver Park, Spain
Artwork always looks way cooler from up above and this one is Parc Gulliver in Valencia, Spain. While its shape might not be clear to those down at eye level, the aerial view allows us to take in all this dancing man has to offer. It’s pretty neat, even if it can only be appreciated from the sky. This park is definitely one of the most amazing finds on Google Earth
To view it, click on the coordinates 39.4625° N, 0.3596° W
15- Trementina Base, United States
Two enormous diamonds surrounded by a pair of overlapping circles were discovered etched into the desert floor at Mesa Huerfanita, New Mexico. According to author John Sweeney, the location symbolizes a hidden Church of Scientology bunker.
Scientology refers to itself as a religion, that “offers a precise path leading to a complete and certain understanding of one’s true spiritual nature and one’s relationship to self, family, groups, Mankind, all life forms, the material universe, the spiritual universe, and the Supreme Being.” According to the Daily Mail, such marks on the desert floor are supposed to aid scientologists returning to Earth after fleeing a planetary “Armageddon.” The symbols, on the other hand, are likely to remain a mystery.
To view it, click on the coordinates 35°31’28.56″N 104°34’20.20″W
16- Guitar-Shaped Forest, Argentina
This well-known guitar-shaped forest was planted by Pedro Martin Ureta in Argentina, in memory of his wife, by whom the art is inspired. It started as an inside joke and grew, quite literally, into so much more. Watching this unique guitar, knowing its story is one of the amazing finds on Google Earth.
To view it, click on the coordinates -33.867886, -63.987
17- Buffalo Herd, Tanzania
What are the chances of seeing a Buffalo Herd in real life? Not much but Google Earth made it possible with this high-resolution picture in Kigosi Game Reserve, Tanzania. Please enjoy a glimpse of the real wildlife!
To view it, click on the coordinates 4°17’21.49″ S 31°23’46.46″ E
18- The Badlands Guardian, Canada
The Badlands Guardian is a geomorphological feature located near Medicine Hat in the southeast corner of Alberta, Canada.
To view it, click on the coordinates 50° 0’38.20″N 110° 6’48.32″W
19- Heart-Shaped Lake, United States
In the United States, a massive heart-shaped lake can be found. It is completely symmetrical, with a road and trees on either side, as well as a garden at the bottom. It doesn’t appear to have a name, which raises issues about its origins. Despite this, the lake appears to be closed to the public. Even though it is not available to see in person, this man-made lake is still one of the most amazing finds on Google Earth.
To view it, click on the coordinates 41.303921, -81.901693
20- Giant Target, United States
If you look closely, you can see a giant target marker in this patch of arid scrubland in Nevada, USA.
To view it, click on the coordinates 37.563936, -116.85123
21- Wadi Rum Desert Farmlands, Saudi Arabia
Agriculture consumes more than 80% of the water utilized in Saudi Arabia. At the same time, food demand continues to rise. Satellite data, on the other hand, can assist farmers in better managing water for irrigation, which is a rapidly depleting resource in the desert. The farm’s agricultural lands are shown by the green circles. During the year-round growing season, crops such as alfalfa, Rhodes grass, barley, wheat, and maize are rotated around the fields. A center-pivot sprinkler system irrigates each field. Rainfall in the dry area is insufficient to meet the system’s water needs, so farmers dip into deep aquifers and pump water from depths of up to 1,000 metres (3,300 feet).
To view it, click on the coordinates 30°03’38″N 38°19’01″E
22- Northern Cyprus Flag, Cyprus
Making a political point? This giant Turkish flag is painted so that it can be viewed from the air in Kyrenia, Cyprus.
To view it, click on the coordinates 35.282902°N 33.375263°E
23- Potash Ponds, United States
Intrepid Potash, Inc. uses a series of evaporation ponds whose dazzlingly blue waters contrast sharply with the red desert surrounding them to collect potassium chloride, also known as potash, from Utah’s desert landscapes. In the United States, Intrepid Potash, Inc. runs three potash mines, one in New Mexico and two in Utah. The electric blue potash evaporation ponds in Moab, Utah, are the most famous and photographed of these places, providing a kaleidoscopic spectacle in the generally reddish desert.
To view it, click on the coordinates 38°29’0.16″N 109°40’52.80″W
24- Spiderweb Oilfields, Argentina
This incredible oilfield in Argentina is made up of dots connected to each other. It is unclear why out of all the oilfields in the world, this one has this unique shape.
To view it, click on the coordinates 37°39’16.06″S 68°10’16.42″W
25- UTA Flight 772 Desert Memorial, Niger
UTA Flight 772 was a scheduled international passenger flight operated by the French airline Union de Transports Aériens that crashed into the Ténéré desert near Bilma, Niger, in September 1989, with 170 passengers on board, after an in-flight explosion caused by a suitcase bomb. It’s the deadliest aviation accident in Niger’s history. Guillaume Denoix de Saint Marc, whose father, Jean-Henri, died on the flight, was the organizer of the memorial (in 2007). Knowing the tragic story of this structure, looking at it is one of the most amazing finds on Google Earth.
To view it, click on the coordinates 16° 51′ 53.75″ N, 11° 57′ 13.36″ E
Very interesting post, thanks for sharing!
Thank you for your comment! 🙂
It’s amazing what can be picked up by satellite! Happy New Year btw!
I know, right? It is one of my main COVID hobbies to surf the world by Google Earth and thought it would be nice to write a post about it.
Thank you for your comment.