10 MAGNIFICENT CIRCLES IN THE EARTH TO VISIT NOW

Since we’ve been focused on Beautiful Circles all week, we got inspired to experience places where we could explore them in real life, on grand scale. From craters to fairy circles, check out the magical places we found below.

1. KAMCHATKA CRATERS -- RUSSIA

Deep in the wilds of Siberia, Russia, way north, on the 56th parallel, you will find the magnificent circles created by the Kamchatka Craters.

The area is remote and has remained pristine, as it is difficult to access, with no roads or railways connecting it to the rest of the world. Here, you will see prehistoric landscapes, as well as flora and fauna not found anywhere else.

The circle-marked landscape is best viewed from above via helicopter, where you can ride over the steamy Geysers Valley and catch spectacular unparalleled views of the Kamchatka peninsula.

Tours are offered by 56th Parallel. Stay at the opulent 5-star Russo-Balt North Adventures, a boutique spa resort surrounded by nature and the healing thermal waters of Kamchatka’s hot springs. And climb the Avachinsky volcano – Kamchatka’s largest active volcano.

2. YAMAL CRATERS -- RUSSIA

Beauty can be dangerous. Scientists are hypothesizing that striking circular craters, recently discovered in Yamal, in Siberia, Russia, are the result of natural gas leaks caused by a thawing permafrost in the area.

This natural gas rich land has been experiencing temperatures 9 degrees warmer than average, its hottest in 120,000 years.

3. KONDYOR MASSIF -- RUSSIA

A six-kilometer-wide circle of rock in Siberia, the Kondyor Massif, was first detected in 2006 by the Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) on NASA’s Terra satellite.

The crater is a rich source of precious minerals, including gold, silver, and platinum. Its most impressive feature is the unusual river that flows through the wall. It is an example of "superimposed topography," in which the river and its bed seem to be inserted into the terrain, rather than developing with it.

The source of the crater is still unknown.

4. MANICOUAGAN CRATER -- CANADA

Manicouagan Crater, in Quebec, Canada, is one of the oldest in the world, created about 214 million years ago. It is remarkably well preserved. It is also one of the largest craters in the world -- a whopping 62 miles (100 km) wide.

5. OKAMA CRATER LAKE -- JAPAN

Okama Crater Lake, a 200-foot deep circle gouged out Mount Zao, in Honshū, Japan is also known as the Five Color Pond, because, in addition to the gorgeous turquoise color you see above, it takes on other colors, depending on the time of day and season.

The lake is fairly new geologically, formed in an 18th century volcanic eruption.

6. PATOMSKIY CRATER -- RUSSIA

The Patom crater in the Irkutsk region of southeastern Siberia is an excellent example. Discovered in 1949, the crater is a large piece of limestone and its name translates to “the nest of a fiery eagle.”

The base circle has a diameter of about 160 meters. The cone has a height of about 40 meters.

Scientists now believe that the crater formed around the beginning of the 15th or 16th centuries as a result of geological processes and intensive introduction of deep gas flows of matter, which led to the transformation of silicate rocks within the crater.

7. CRATER LAKE -- PHILIPPINES

Formed between 100 and 500 thousand years ago, the Crater Lake circle, scooped out of the Taal volcano in the Philippines, has a diameter of about 25-30 kilometers.

8. GREAT BLUE HOLE - BELIZE

The Great Blue Hole, off the coast of Belize, began as a limestone cave roughly 150,000 years ago. Formed when the sea level around it rose, as Ice Age glaciers melted, the cave was flooded, and its roof collapsed.

The circle is 300 meters wide. The hole’s deepest point measures down 124 meters. Its clear waters support a variety of flora and fauna.

The deep blue circle stands out in contrast to the gorgeous aquamarine sea that surrounds it.

Considered one of the top ten dive sites in the world, the Great Blue Hole is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

9. SPOTTED LAKE

These intriguing circles aren’t permanent. The coloured circular pools of Spotted Lake in Osoyoos, British Columbia, are formed each summer when the lake evaporates, leaving circles of mineral-rich deposits of calcium, magnesium sulphate, and silver.

10. FAIRY CIRCLES -- NAMIBIA

Were they created by fairies? Dragons? Gods? Who knows? But regardless, these mysterious circles that appear on the surface of the Namibian Desert are beautiful to behold.

Millions of circular craters dot a swath of earth, 1,800 km long, from Angola to the Northwestern Cape province of South Africa. They are ringed with knee-high grass -- another mysterious element.

The circles measure between two and twenty metres in diameter.

Read more about Beautiful Circles, as they relate to Arts/Design, Nature/Science, Food/Drink, Place/Time, Mind/Body, and Soul/Impact including Awesome Circles of Light Now, Beautiful Circles Happening in our World Right Now, 10 Beautiful Pies for Pi Day & Any Day, and Totally Cool Artworks Spin Beautiful Circles Now.