Algae and minerals create artistic patterns in the river

Hypnotic detail of Rio Tinto waters where colonies of yellow and green algae mix with the dark and reddish tones of the river creating a pictorial effect of rare beauty. The organic shapes look like brushstrokes on a liquid canvas, recalling the works of great masters of abstract art. These patterns are the result of interaction between bacterial biofilms, mineral sediments and water currents. The extreme environment of Rio Tinto, with its unique combination of acidity and metal concentration, has generated an ecosystem unmatched on Earth.

Rio Tinto pictorial effect, river algae, bacterial biofilms, organic patterns, natural art