Extraterrestrial landscape. How to film alien landscapes on earth
One of the most beautiful and unusual places The Middle Urals, which will delight any photographer. Unusual landscapes, reminiscent of Martian or lunar ones, arose on the site of clay quarries.
Officially, this place is called the Poldnevsky site of the Troitsko-Bainovsky refractory clay deposit. The deposit extends in a strip 20 kilometers south of Bogdanovich station and covers an area of about 75 sq. km. In terms of reserves, it is the largest in the Middle Urals.
It began to be developed in small quantities even before the revolution. The Troitsko-Bainovskoye field consists of several areas. The most interesting is the Poldnevskaya deposit. This development is the largest in area.
The deposit became the main base for the Bogdanovichsky refractory plant, the construction of which began in 1930. Refractory bricks from here were used, among other things, for the construction of the domain of the Ural industrial giant - the Magnitogorsk Metallurgical Plant.
Clays range in color from white and light gray to black-carbonaceous with spots and admixtures of iron oxides and humic matter. Fire resistance ranges from 1610 to 1760º C. Clays consist mainly of kaolinite and contain to a greater or lesser extent quartz sand, pyrite, spherosiderite, mica and plant remains. The following minerals are found: tourmaline, rutile, zircon, disthene, feldspars.
The clays of the deposit are very diverse. This explains the significant differences appearance local quarries.
The clay mounds appear as ridges of varying sizes. Water erodes clay, creating canyons and crevices. There are also internal dumps on the territory.
Walking here is like finding yourself on another planet. Residents of the Urals have the opportunity to just go to Mars on a day off.
In some places the landscape resembles that of Mars, in others it resembles that of the Moon. Perfect for filming science fiction films about other planets or about the post-apocalypse. The photographs will be impressive too.
In some places the dried clay has cracked and resembles an intricate mosaic.
There are several lakes with water of an eerie brown-red color. This color is explained by the presence of pyrite. Swimming in such lakes is dangerous to health.
One of the lakes was chosen by seagulls. There are dozens of them here. The chicks are hatched here. The most amazing thing is that they get their food from somewhere. Apparently there are fish here. This is evidenced by the impressively sized fish bones found along the shores. It is possible that they catch fish in neighboring flooded quarries located to the northeast. The water there is cleaner and bluish in color.
It is better to admire alien landscapes in dry weather, wearing closed shoes that protect against clay and sand getting inside. Be careful: wet clay is dangerous and unpredictable. A seemingly hard surface can suddenly engulf your feet and make it difficult to get out.
On October 11, 1951, near the Poldnevsky section of the field, a Li-2 aircraft of the Ural Civil Air Fleet Department crashed.
Near Bogdanovich it is also worth visiting the picturesque Seven-colored lakes, Baynovsky waterfall, Kashinsky settlement. You can drive to the caves near Sukhoi Log or turn off on the way to the Asbestovsky quarry.
How to get to the “Martian” landscapes near Bogdanovich
This place is located south of the town of Bogdanovich ( Sverdlovsk region), near the village of Poldnevoy.
By car you need to go along the Tyumen highway to Bogdanovich, in the city (near the bus station) turn to the village of Troitskoye, drive along the main road and go to the neighboring village of Bayny. At the crossroads about railway you need to turn right and go to the village of Poldnevoy. After passing Poldnevoy, after about a couple of kilometers look towards the dirt road to the left. It is better to leave the car on the side of the road and walk.
GPS coordinates: N 56º37.421´; E 62º05.002´ (for smartphones: 56.623683º N 62.083367º E). The distance from Yekaterinburg is 115 kilometers.
The modern viewer is quite sophisticated when it comes to the scenery for science fiction films - but even about 30 years ago people looked with rapture at the spray-painted blue jungles of other worlds or sand pits inhabited by stuffed monsters, filmed through colored filters. Today, directors give preference to natural filming with subsequent digital processing - fortunately, both the diversity of the planet’s landscapes and the level of graphic editors allow this. And we will take a trip to those wonders of nature that are immortalized in several famous science fiction films.Avatar - part 1
After watching James Cameron's Avatar, many people, shocked by the beauty of the planet Pandora, began to dream of visiting " fabulous places" Of course, you can only meet unearthly jungles on the screen, but it is quite possible to get closer to their prototypes in real life. Forests inhabited by the Navi people were filmed in nature reserves and national parks in different parts of the world - on Borneo island, Costa Rica, in the rainforests of the Brazilian Amazon. Of course, there are no stunning phosphorescent flowers there, but still the nature is truly magnificent and will give tourists an unforgettable experience.
The most popular place among fans of the film is Pandora’s “Floating Mountains,” where the pilot Trudy flew in the clouds through the UPC (“watch where you’re going”). They were filmed on the Wulingyuan quartz rocks in Zhangjiajie National Park (China, Hunan Province). These incredible geological formations are about 800 meters high, and the most high peaks Wulingyuan reaches 3000 meters above sea level. And they really “float” when the fog rises above the tropical forests at their feet. However, in Avatar, computer graphics were added to show that the rocks were simply suspended in the air.
The largest stone pillars, covered with centuries-old pine trees, received names in the traditional Chinese spirit: “Rabbit Looking at the Moon”, “Abode of the Gods”, etc. This geological reserve is also botanical garden and a natural zoo, and there is also an extensive network of caves, powerful deep rivers and waterfalls. Stunning landscapes open up from the peaks, so not a single person has yet regretted their trip to Wulingyuan.
Avatar – part 2
As you know, work on the next part of the already legendary film is in full swing (and we expect the fruits of this work by 2014). James Cameron decided that the action would take place in the depths of the waters of Pandora, and for realistic filming he chose not just anything but Mariana Trench. The director’s passion for deep-sea diving has been pursuing him for a very long time: he has already filmed the psychedelic science fiction film “The Abyss” (1989) underwater, and in addition, one cannot help but recall the sunken “Titanic”. Australian engineers, on his instructions, installed a deep-sea vehicle with special 3D cameras designed personally by the famous director, so the quality of the video material promises to be impeccable.
By the way, to Cameron in the very deep depression The world's oceans were descended only once - the passenger-scientists of the Trieste apparatus descended to a depth of 11,000 meters in May 1960, and stayed there for only about a third of an hour. Cameron said that he would populate the Pandorian Ocean with incredible creatures, as realistic as anything we saw in the first part of the blockbuster. And what’s even nicer is that, on the director’s initiative, the profits from the film go to defense environment, tropical forest restoration and other large-scale eco-actions.
Star Wars
“Episode One: The Phantom Menace” is remembered by many: it was the best science fiction of the turn of the millennium (1999), captivating the public with high-speed races on flying cars, from which young Skywalker emerged victorious. According to the plot, the action takes place on Anaken’s home planet – hot and deserted Tatooine.
The filming of this fragment of the film, as it turned out, took place in the Snake Canyon (Tunisia), which is included in the mandatory program local excursions. Also in the film, during the competition, the Atlas Mountains flash in the background, albeit also in computer processing.
The one-story clay town on Tatooine, where the Skywalkers and their slave owner lived, is also not a studio filming: the scenery there was specially preserved for fans of the film who come to see with their own eyes living legend. Some scenes were also filmed on the island of Djerba, and two local cities gave their names to the Star Wars story planets - Tatooine and Naboo (Nabeul). The older, previously released parts of the film were also partially filmed in Tunisia - in the 1500-year-old Berber cave city of Matmata, on the El Djerid salt flat, on the oasis in the city of Nefta. The rebel base from Episode 4 was filmed in the 2,500-year-old Mayan ruins of Tikal (northern Guatemala).
Travel to Mars
Generally speaking, there are many science fiction films about Mars, and they can all be divided into two groups: those that were filmed through red filters, making the actors look like boiled crayfish, and those that were filmed naturally. Where on Earth does the Martian landscape come from?
It turns out that we have something like that! We are talking about the rare red sand dunes of the Namib Desert in Namibia. The name from the local dialect translates as “There is nothing” - and indeed, this area has not seen rain since the time of dinosaurs.
But here you can meet Bushmen with children - they look like aliens, and are accompanied by tamed wild cats - cheetahs, lions and caracals.
Superman
... And also all his numerous remakes (which can be watched without tears of emotion and sarcasm) contain one key point: an ice fortress, a copy of the palaces of the planet Krypton.
It turns out that in Mexico there is a cave of crystals called Cueva de los Cristales, consisting of the world's largest 11-meter ice “rods”, converging to form domes and walls. The unique microclimatic conditions of the cave formed these giant crystals over many millennia. Of course, filming never took place here - however, it was this cave that served as the prototype for the pavilion layouts, so this attraction is often visited by fans of the red-and-blue superhero.
Mysterious and beautiful planet The earth holds many secrets. Our planet is believed to have formed about 4.54 billion years ago from a large cloud of interstellar dust and gas.
Planet Earth is the only known to man on this moment an object in the Universe inhabited by living organisms. The earth is home to millions of different species of living beings, including humans. Science currently cannot give an unambiguous answer about the existence of life on other planets.
It is possible that we will never reveal all the secrets of our and other planets. But there are places on Earth that would definitely appeal to the inhabitants of other worlds.
See unearthly landscapes of our amazing planet.
9 PHOTOS
1. Shark Bay in Western Australia.
85% of the entire history of existence of planet Earth was inhabited only by microbes. The only evidence of this is the products of the activity of cyanobacteria - stromatolites. Stromatolites are most often found in extremely saline waters. And living specimens that have survived to this day can be found in Shark Bay.
2. Shark Bay, due to its unique ecosystem, is included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. 
3. Yellowstone national park. What makes the color of the water in this hot spring so beautiful? Life, that's what!
Water takes on this unusual color under the influence of extremophiles. These are living beings that need to live extreme conditions environment or that are well adapted to it.
4. Lassen Volcanic National Park in California. Hell on Earth or Bumpass Hell is a hydrothermal site The groundwater which are heated by hot magma to very high temperatures. Despite this, some microorganisms live in water. The Spirit rover has discovered minerals on Mars that indicate the red planet had the same hydrothermal environment as Bumpass Hell.
5. River Tinto in southwest Spain. The increased acidity of the waters and the high content of iron oxides in it gave the river such an unearthly, Martian appearance. For most organisms, such an environment is lethal, but the river is inhabited by living microorganisms - extremophiles, including algae and fungi.
6. Lake Simba is located at an altitude of 5872 m in the Chilean Andes. Volcanic lakes still remain the most mysterious objects on Earth. The red color of the lake is given by algae floating close to the surface of the water. They contain special pigments to protect against high ultraviolet radiation. Scientists believe that similar lakes existed on Mars 3.5 billion years ago.
7. Mono Lake in California. The water in it is 2-3 times saltier than in the ocean, and the high content of calcium carbonate gives the lake a mystical, otherworldly appearance.
8. Glacier on Ellesmere Island in Canada. The water that flows from the top of the glacier is like a chemical mixture with a high sulfur content. However, living microorganisms were also found in it. Astrobiologists use studies of these glaciers to study potential life on the moons of Jupiter.
9. Underwater cave or " blue hole" on Bahamas. It is believed that for more than a billion years, the Earth's oceans did not contain oxygen. IN sea cliffs, which go back billions of years, preserved fossil remains of purple bacteria, which during the process of photosynthesis produce not oxygen, like modern plants, but sulfur. Currently, astrobiologists are studying these bacteria.
To see alien landscapes, you don’t have to go into deep space. In the middle of the desert in Ethiopia is the lowest terrestrial volcano on our planet - Dallol, the peak of which is located at an altitude of 48 meters below sea level.
This place also holds the record for the highest average annual temperature on our planet - about 34°C.
The Dallol volcano was formed as a result of a deep intrusion of magma into the overlying Miocene salt deposits and subsequent hydrothermal activity.
In 1926, during a ground eruption (an eruption without lava), the Dallol volcano was formed, as well as many other craters, which formed salt flats with their emissions.
Carefully! Numerous hot springs shoot acids upward!
As a result of the activity of geysers, salt cones and sulfur bubbles appear.
In addition to the salt flats, there are lakes colored with iron oxide, hot springs and a huge number of the most bizarre, alien formations.
A real mineral hell!
The Dallol volcano has two lava lakes, one of which is located in the crater of the volcano.
The Dallol volcano is known for its alien landscapes, strongly reminiscent of the satellite of the planet Jupiter - Io. Io is home to about 4,000 active volcanoes, and it is the most geologically active satellite in the entire solar system. At some volcanoes, sulfur emissions rise 500 kilometers above the surface!
Thanks to excessive volcanic activity, lava flows and sulfur compounds, Io's surface is colored in various shades of yellow, white, red and green:
And on Earth we have a branch of the satellite Io - the Dallol volcano.
The area around the volcano is considered deserted due to heavy natural conditions, however, in fact, people live not far from the volcano.
Near the crater of the volcano there is the African village of the same name, Dallol. Alien Local on a sulfur surface:
Dallol Volcano - alien landscapes on Earth.
At the beginning of the era of space exploration, it seemed that very soon it would be possible to pack up and move to Pluto or fly to the Moon for a couple of weeks on vacation. Science fiction writers predicted villages on Venus, trees on Mars and contacts with extraterrestrial civilizations. Half a century later, it became clear that the forecasts were wrong: instead of the star world, humanity began to master the virtual one. It already seems that you don’t even have to leave the house - everything is at your fingertips. But no, no, and there will be a desire to find out what it is like to be in a completely alien environment, in another world. Forbes chose ten unique places, once in which, it is impossible to believe that all this is on the familiar planet Earth.
Socotra Archipelago, Yemen
About 6 million years ago, a small piece of land broke off from Africa and moved towards the Arabian Peninsula. The piece that fell apart on the way to four islands managed to escape only a couple of hundred kilometers from its parent. But the 6 million years that took place were enough for a unique ecosystem to emerge here: more than a third of plant species, 90% of reptile species and almost all species of mollusks are not found anywhere else in the world. Here, of course, there are no eight-armed, five-eyed people communicating in the language of clicks. But there is a dragon tree, similar to a nuclear mushroom, from which “blood” flows every year, a cucumber tree - a shapeless smooth white trunk, on the top of which “cucumbers” are cheerfully green, or the Socotrans desert rose is also a tree, and in appearance both funny and disgusting.
Despite its isolation, the archipelago was recently discovered to have been inhabited as far back as 1.5 million years ago. In 2008, Russian archaeologist Valery Zhukov discovered stone tools of the Olduvai culture (2.7-1 million years ago) here. The sensational nature of the find lies in the fact that it is not entirely clear how the representative of this era - homo habilis, "skillful man" - got here. But for a modern person it will not be difficult to visit Socotra - either by plane or by sea. It is better to go in February and March: the rest of the time, especially from May to September, the weather in Socotra is quite harsh and unpleasant with endless rains and knocking down winds.
Mount Roraima, Venezuela
In 1839, the expedition of the German traveler and explorer Robert Schomburgk in British Guiana literally hit a wall that went beyond the clouds. It was a mountain, but an unusual mountain - as if someone had cut off its top with a huge knife, leaving a giant, flat platform. Schomburgk's report on the journey caught the eye of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, whose imagination immediately placed the “Lost World”, miraculously preserved from prehistoric times, on the plateau.
Actually happening on the top of Mount Roraima - one of the tepuis, the South American mesas, the remnant of a huge sandstone plateau that existed when South America and Africa were one continent - more like the ideas of 1950s science fiction writers about Venus: eternal rain, watering a completely unearthly landscape. "Tepui" in the language of the local Indians means "house of the gods." But this house is rather uncomfortable: rains wash away nutrients from the soil, leaving no chance for normal life. And those representatives of flora and fauna that have taken root here are completely unique. It is no coincidence that the creators of the cartoon “Up” (also about a journey to lost World) went to Roraima in search of inspiration. And director Pete Docter later admitted that they used what they saw only in general terms: “It’s so far from reality that the viewer simply wouldn’t believe it.”
Salt Flat of Uyuni, Bolivia
Some call this place “the border of heaven and earth,” but this expression is not entirely true. Rather, it is a place where the sky is both above and below, and you can walk on it: this is the largest mirror on Earth, so large that it goes beyond the horizon.
The Salar de Uyuni is the largest in the world. In the depths of the dried up salt lake a supply of natural substances and minerals is stored for many thousands of years to come. Such a specific composition and natural conditions turned this place into a unique point on the planet. Firstly, the difference in elevation over an area of more than ten thousand square kilometers does not exceed one meter. Secondly, during the dry season it is a brilliant white plain, and when it rains it is an impeccably detailed reflection of the sky. At the same time, the depth of the lake in most places does not exceed a few centimeters, so you can walk freely around it, observing the clouds under your feet. In addition, hordes of flamingos fly here every November rare species and coloring books. But those wishing to visit the Uyuni salt marsh should take into account that it is located at an altitude of 3500 m above sea level, so it will take some time to acclimatize.
Wave Gallery, USA
A striking sand and rock formation called "The Wave" lies on the border American states Utah and Arizona. For 200 million years, powerful winds have carved these wave-like formations into an unexpected and pleasing geometry. Once these were sand dunes, which under the pressure of time and natural conditions turned into ribbed multi-colored hills; now it is one of the main attractions for landscape photographers from all over the world. Interest in the Arizona sandstone gallery is so high that local authorities are forced to limit the flow of those wishing to get a glimpse of this natural wonder. Therefore, only twenty vouchers are issued per day. Moreover, ten of them are played in a lottery four months before the expected visit, and the other ten - the day before the trip. And if in the low season there are high chances of winning a permit in two or three days, then in the high season - from March to November - the probability drops below 50%. But if you can’t get a permit in Arizona, you can look at similar formations in Utah as a consolation: they are not as popular as the “Wave”, and less impressive, but more accessible.
Dry Valleys, Antarctica
The most dry place on Earth is by no means the Sahara or Gobi, as one might assume, but a place in Antarctica with a telling name Dry valleys: in some places there has been no water in them for 2 million years! This piece of land is surrounded by mountains, from which, under the influence of gravity, cold dense air descends at great speed (about 300 km/h), taking with it everything that comes along the way, including water, snow and ice. If we compare these conditions with what is happening on the planets solar system, then they will be closest to the Martian ones. Imagine the joy of scientists when, even in such harsh conditions, life was discovered - a bacterium, which, in order to exist, only needs those droplets of moisture that manage to hide from the winds in the uneven surfaces of the rocks.
Even more interesting is another bacterium, a neighbor living under the Taylor Glacier, which also belongs to the Dry Valleys. This anaerobic bacterium processes sulfur and iron, and the result of such vital activity flows to the surface along with water - this is how the Bloody Waterfall is formed. The water, colored with iron oxide, against the white background of the glacier looks eerie, as if blood is gushing from a huge, unhealing wound.
River Tinto, Spain
Even the ancient peoples of the Iberians and Tartessians began developing mineral resources in the Sierra Morena mountains - where the Tinto River originates. Iron, copper, silver, gold, manganese - what has not been mined here for 5000 years! All this inevitably ended up in the slowly flowing waters of the local river and spread throughout the surrounding area. It would seem that there could be nothing living here except people in overalls and helmets. But nature had its own way and settled here relatives of extremophile bacteria from Bloody Falls in Antarctica. They happily began to process substances that are toxic to any normal organism. As a result, Tinto and its surroundings turned all shades of red and yellow, and scientists received yet another hope for the existence of life beyond Earth.
Local conditions are similar to those on Mars and to what happens under the icy shell of Europa, a satellite of Jupiter. The best thing is that you can safely see it with your own eyes: although industrial development continues here to this day, most sections of the river are free to visit.
Kliluk Lake, Canada
Spotted Lake Kliluk is one of the strangest places on Earth - unlike any planet we know. Due to the high concentration of salts (the highest among terrestrial lakes) and the special climate, Kliluk in the hot season is a collection of small lakes, between which you can safely walk. It sounds pretty boring, but it looks unforgettable.
Thanks to the salts, the local waters have healing properties, and this feature at one time became the cause of a fierce confrontation between the local Indians and European colonists. For the aborigines, Kliluk is a sacred place; many legends and tales are associated with it; it is an integral part of the local culture. And when in 1979 Ernest Smith, the de jure owner of these lands, decided to build a medical resort, this caused a storm of indignation among the indigenous population. The Indians fought for the right to keep the protected land intact for more than twenty years, and only in 2001 they bought it for $720,000. Since then, access to the lake has been limited and you can visit it only by obtaining permission from the elders. Although this is not easy, it is possible, and in extreme cases you can admire the view of Kliluk from the highway nearby.
Valley of the Moon, Brazil
Moon Valley is located in the territory national park Chapada dos Veadeiros in Brazil. The plateau on which the park stands was formed about 1.8 billion years ago. The local rocks are the oldest on Earth: they are only a little over two times younger than the Moon. Over many millennia, the waters of the San Miguel River have ground the natural quartz that makes up the local rocks into the most bizarre and unnatural shapes. The surroundings of the valley will also be remembered for a long time: in addition to the fossilized remains of ancient plants and animals, their thriving descendants are abundantly represented here: orchids, palm trees, pepper trees, anteaters, tapirs, capybaras, rheas, etc. In 2001, the Chapada dos Veadeiros National Park was included to the list of objects World Heritage UNESCO. And the only thing that may be confusing about this decision is why it was made only forty years after the discovery of the valley.
Tsingy du Bemarha, Madagascar
The difficult-to-pronounce name of this reserve comes from the even more difficult word mitsingitsignia, which means “to walk on tiptoe” in Malagasy. Indeed, when looking at the local landscape, the thought of any other type of transportation does not even come to mind.
Famous Stone forest was formed as a result of the erosion of calcareous rocks: instead of ordinary mountains, a palisade of sharp stone peaks soars up here. Rare (in both senses of the word) trees make their way among them, equally rare animals - lemurs - rush about, and no less rare birds flash by. Below, at the foot, you won’t get bored either: there are forest canyons, mysterious caves and the dark waters of the Manambolo River.
The reserve here was organized in 1927 with the aim of preserving natural conditions, and some parts of it are still closed to the public. But even those that are available still seem to have been brought here from somewhere outside the Earth.
Dallol Volcano, Ethiopia
The crater of this volcano quite plausibly demonstrates what happens on Io, the moon of Jupiter: many gurgling geysers, fantastic colors and a persistent smell of sulfur. Located below all other volcanoes in the world - minus 48 m from sea level - Dallol is still active, causing the surrounding area to constantly seethe and boil. But the last major eruption occurred in 1926 - it was then that an “extraterrestrial” lake was formed, representing bizarre salt formations framed by puddles of green and purple liquid.
Dallol Crater is the hottest place on Earth: the average annual temperature here is 34 degrees Celsius. In such heat and such an aggressive environment, no life form except bacteria can exist. It is they who provide vivid color memories to every visitor to this inhospitable place.
Getting to Dallol is not so easy - despite the obvious abundance natural resources, there are no roads there. This place is regularly visited only by caravans of camels, on whose humps they carry out the salt mined here.
