Seven Wonders: The Natural World

Parícutin Volcano

Michoacán, Mexico | 9,200 ft (2,800 m) high | 75 years ago

While this cinder cone may seem unremarkable at first, it is the product of an extraordinary transformation: On February 20, 1943, magma spontaneously began to pour forth from a cornfield.

Over the next nine years, molten rock piled to a height of 1,391 feet (424 m) above the surrounding plains, forming the Volcán de Parícutin. The event destroyed two towns, killed at least three people, and displaced hundreds. It also gave volcanologists the first chance to witness a volcano's complete cycle from birth to extinction.

The site continues to attract visitors that climb to the volcano rim and look across the 660 foot- (200 meter-) wide crater.

Grand Canyon

Arizona, USA | 6,093 ft (1,857 m) deep | 5-6 million years ago

This natural formation needs no introduction. Measuring 277 miles (446 km) long and 18 miles (29 km) wide, with maximum depths exceeding a mile, the Grand Canyon was designated a National Park in 1919, and a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1979. While geologists debate the exact age of the canyon, its massive walls reveal over two billion years of geological history.

The canyon is a priceless public good. In addition to scientific opportunities, it provides all types of enjoyment, from casual sightseeing to multiday rafting, and even a 78-mile (126-kilometer) ultra-marathon.

Victoria Falls

Zambia & Zimbabwe | 354 ft (108 m) deep | 100,000 years ago

Mosi-oa-Tunya, Lozi for "the smoke that thunders," is an apt descriptor for this force of nature.

Over the last 100,000 years, water flowing over the hard basalt plateau eroded chasms through weak deposits of sandstone, forming what is commonly known as Victoria Falls. The falls are the largest sheet of cascading water in the world, extending more than a mile in breadth and plummeting hundreds of feet into a gorge.

When the water level is just right, a submerged formation called "Devil's Pool" creates an eddy where daring swimmers can bathe—and gaze over the lip into the depths below.

Mount Everest

Nepal & Tibet | 29,029 ft (8,848 m) high | 60 million years ago

Mount Everest is perhaps the most famous mountain in the world. Its peak—the highest point on the planet—has captured the imaginations of explorers for over a century. First successfully ascended in 1953 by Nepali Sherpa Tenzing Norgay and New Zealander Edmund Hillary, the mountain has also claimed the lives of some 300 climbers.

To prepare themselves for an expedition where one misstep can be disastrous, modern-day adventurers must train for an unforgiving environment of ice, avalanches, and elevation sickness. But these hazards didn’t dissuade the 371 mountaineers who purchased permits to climb in 2017.

Great Barrier Reef

Coral Sea, Australia | 133,000 mi² (344,400 km²) area | 6,000-8,000 years ago

This submarine structure isn’t just the vastest of all the world’s reefs—it’s also the biggest formation created by life on Earth. The Great Barrier Reef comprises 2,900 individual reefs, hundreds of islands, and billions of living creatures known as coral polyps.

Sadly, this organism is in critical danger. Bleaching, invasive species, and fishing have killed off more than half of the reef system’s corals over the last 30 years.

The Auroras

Polar Regions | Above 50 mi (80 km) high | Forever

The natural light show of the Auroras—Borealis (north) and Australis (south)—has mesmerized people forever.

Particles emitted from the sun strike the the magnetic field generated from Earth's rotating core and are channeled by the north and south magnetic poles. In the upper atmosphere, the charged particles shear away photons from oxygen and nitrogen, releasing a kaleidoscope of colors. Aspiring Aurora-gazers should aim for 1) high latitudes, 2) clear skies, and 3) lots of solar activity.