Las Médulas, Spain

August 20, 2015

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August 2015 Viewer's Choice

Photographer: Daniel Santos
Summary Author: Daniel Santos
 
Las Médulas is a former gold mine and now a historical site in northwestern Spain. The bizarre shape of the rock formations found here is a result of mining practices carried out by the early Romans (1st century A.D.) to extract gold. The power of moving water was employed to, in essence, undermine an entire mountain by moving water through excavated tunnels, such as the one shown above. After some two centuries of mining, the Romans withdrew, leaving behind a grotesque landscape. Las Médulas is listed by the UNESCO as one of the World Heritage Sites. Photo taken on August 23, 2014.
 
Photo Details: Panorama (4 shots); Camera Model: Canon EOS 5D Mark II; Lens: EF17-40mm f/4L USM; Focal Length: 17mm; Aperture: ƒ/11.0; Exposure Time: 0.0025 s (1/400); ISO equiv: 100; Software: Adobe Photoshop CC 2015 (Windows).