Satellites 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, seemingly etched into the Earth’s surface. The phenomenon has been described as a result of the pareidolia effect, where the human brain perceives familiar patterns in random shapes. Experts note that this tendency to recognize faces is deeply ingrained in human cognition.
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 during ancient eruptions. The Tibesti Mountains, where the volcano resides, are among the Sahara’s highest and least-explored regions, with systematic geological studies beginning only in the 1960s. Scientists suggest that around 14,000 years ago, the caldera held a glacial lake that eventually evaporated, leaving behind a natron crust.
The site now presents a somber visage, evoking the eerie allure of natural formations shaped by time and geology.
