SECOND PLACE WINNER - Fine Art: Abstract (PROFESSIONAL)
Rio Tinto, the heart of the earth
Photo © Francisco Mingorance
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The history of the Rio Tinto mines dating back to the first organized civilizations. Already in the Bronze Age developing the mine, was attached to the own civilizations: Tartars, Phoenicians ... But mine development at this time came with the Romans. The introduction of these new techniques allowed the continuation of mining operations. The remains of slag found present to us a great development of mining at that time, which almohades civilizations that obtained from the mines medicinal dyes and sit, still underdeveloped mining extractiva.Las Rio Tinto mines are among the most oldest in the world and contain the bulk of known copper pyrites. With high forest of up to 200 meters deep, these sites retain many vestiges of its exploitation by the British. All this long activity has created a unique landscape, typical of another world. The river's name comes from its reddish ocher passing on the banks. These shades are due to the high content, since the dawn of history, ferruginous salts and ferric sulfate, and the scarcity of oxygen, give a very acidic pH. Rio Tinto is a unique place in the world, both for its chromatic beauty as for its exceptional environmental conditions.
Its waters are dense metal effect, just having oxygen and harbor significant biodiversity of microscopic organisms whose presence has attracted NASA scientists investigating the ecosystem, because of its similarities with the planet Marte.Son landscapes from another planet who outside the Earth, the waters of another world, colors that defy the imagination. The natural acidity and mining since ancient times in the area of Rio Tinto have made such an inhospitable as attractive for science stream. The striking colors that can be seen in the different sections of the river are caused by the precipitation of iron, and its alignment with other elements such as copper, zinc, nickel, arsenic and chromium. Its waters reach an extreme chromaticism due to the accumulation of minerals in the ground here takes on unusual proportions, to the extent that geologists have classified this basin as "metallogenic province" only comparable to those existing in some parts of Australia and Canada. In this series of aerial images show a unique vision, the captivating beauty of a unique landscape.
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The history of the Rio Tinto mines dating back to the first organized civilizations. Already in the Bronze Age developing the mine, was attached to the own civilizations: Tartars, Phoenicians ... But mine development at this time came with the Romans. The introduction of these new techniques allowed the continuation of mining operations. The remains of slag found present to us a great development of mining at that time, which almohades civilizations that obtained from the mines medicinal dyes and sit, still underdeveloped mining extractiva.Las Rio Tinto mines are among the most oldest in the world and contain the bulk of known copper pyrites. With high forest of up to 200 meters deep, these sites retain many vestiges of its exploitation by the British. All this long activity has created a unique landscape, typical of another world. The river's name comes from its reddish ocher passing on the banks. These shades are due to the high content, since the dawn of history, ferruginous salts and ferric sulfate, and the scarcity of oxygen, give a very acidic pH. Rio Tinto is a unique place in the world, both for its chromatic beauty as for its exceptional environmental conditions.
Its waters are dense metal effect, just having oxygen and harbor significant biodiversity of microscopic organisms whose presence has attracted NASA scientists investigating the ecosystem, because of its similarities with the planet Marte.Son landscapes from another planet who outside the Earth, the waters of another world, colors that defy the imagination. The natural acidity and mining since ancient times in the area of Rio Tinto have made such an inhospitable as attractive for science stream. The striking colors that can be seen in the different sections of the river are caused by the precipitation of iron, and its alignment with other elements such as copper, zinc, nickel, arsenic and chromium. Its waters reach an extreme chromaticism due to the accumulation of minerals in the ground here takes on unusual proportions, to the extent that geologists have classified this basin as "metallogenic province" only comparable to those existing in some parts of Australia and Canada. In this series of aerial images show a unique vision, the captivating beauty of a unique landscape.
About author:
El fotógrafo más premiado de España en competiciones internacionales. Francisco Mingorance se dedica a la fotografía de naturaleza de forma profesional desde hace más de tres décadas. Durante más de treinta años ha ejercido de reportero gráfico para la gran mayoría de revistas, periódicos y ediciones más importantes del mundo, así mismo a publicado más de un centenar de artículos sobre la naturaleza en medios especializados como National Geographic Magazine, International Widelife, Terre Sauvage, BBC Wildlife Magazine, Geo y un largo etcétera. Muchos de estos trabajos han sido reconocidos con diferentes galardones no solo en España sino en el resto del mundo, solo en los últimos cinco años Francisco Mingorance ha obtenido más de 200 premios internacionales incluidos cuatro en el Veolia Environnement Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2010 y cuatro en el Windland Smith Rice International Awards 2010 siendo el fotógrafo más premiado de ambas ediciones. Forma parte del exclusivo The Photo Society.org, http://thephotosociety.org/member/francisco-mingorance/, un grupo de fotógrafos de National Geographic Magazine comprometidos en contar historias del mundo a través de imágenes y Beautifulplanet la suma del esfuerzo de algunos de los mejores fotógrafos y documentalistas del mundo. Mingorance ha publicado cuatro libros de autor entre los que se encuentran “Naturaleza Asombrosa” que recopila una selección de imágenes con más de cien premios internacionales. En la actualidad su trabajo se centra en exclusividad en proyectos editoriales para la edición internacional de National Geographic Magazine. Macacos de Berbería o Canarias paraíso de biodiversidad, son algunos de los reportajes realizados por Francisco Mingorance para la National Geographic Magazine.BACK TO GALLERY
