Last June we reported the sad news that a landslide wiped out one of Russia’s most outstanding natural attractions: the Valley of the Geysers.
Although hardly known outside of Russia, this amazing valley, located in the heart of Kamchatka, was home to more than 90 active geysers before a mile-wide mudslide buried it forever–or so the reports at the time led us to believe.
Visitors to the scene–accessible only by helicopter–are now reporting that parts of the valley and its heralded geysers have actually survived. Thanks to a very detailed report by Spanishflyer on LiveJournal.com, we can now see for ourselves what was destroyed and what was spared by Mother Nature’s wrath. A combination of satellite and aerial photos as well as digital imagery clearly shows the path of the mudslide, the geysers destroyed, and the flooding which occurred when the nearby river was dammed by the mud.
The result is a severely damaged Valley of the Geysers that looks like it is still an amazing place to visit–albeit extraordinarily expensive to do so.
If you have the time, be sure to check out the website for a depressing feel for how fickle and temporal our natural world can be.