Unsettling satellite imagery from a desolate stretch of New Mexico desert has captured the attention of millions online, prompting widespread speculation about apocalyptic phenomena.
Users exploring Google Earth stumbled upon coordinates 35°39′11″ N, 106°08′49″ W, pinpointing a remote location northwest of Santa Fe.
The striking visuals have led some viewers to suggest the images depict a "large pile of blood" emerging from beneath the earth's surface.
The discovery has triggered concerns among certain social media users who drew parallels to biblical plague narratives.
Some viewers suggested the images depict a 'large pile of blood' emerging from beneath the earth's surface
|While the blood-red formation has alarmed numerous observers, the unsettling appearance has a straightforward geological explanation rather than any supernatural origin.
Experts have identified the formation as a cinder cone, a type of volcanic structure composed of accumulated ash, rock fragments and cinders that built up around an eruption vent during ancient volcanic episodes.
The geological feature actually predates the nearby Valles Caldera, indicating it emerged during an even earlier period of volcanic activity in the region.
Iron-rich volcanic material within the cone has undergone oxidation over thousands of years, producing the distinctive deep crimson colouration.
The dry desert climate of northern New Mexico has played a crucial role in preserving this vivid appearance
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The dry desert climate of northern New Mexico has played a crucial role in preserving this vivid appearance.
As minimal rainfall prevents the erosion and mineral leaching that would otherwise diminish the striking red hue.
A post sharing the eerie imagery on social media has now accumulated more than two million views.
It reads: "Growing increasingly concerned about the large pile of blood in the desert."
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The viral content has generated hundreds of responses, with many users questioning whether the site might be linked to end-times prophecies about waters transforming into blood.
One user wrote: "Isn't this in the Bible?" - an apparent reference to the Book of Exodus, which describes the ten plagues visited upon Egypt, including the moment Moses struck the Nile with his staff, turning its waters crimson.
Other users took a more light-hearted approach, joking the formation could be anything from a mafia-controlled farm to the blood of a titan.
The red material visible in the satellite images is actively extracted from the site for practical purposes, including road construction, landscaping projects and water treatment applications.
It follows a similar incident in August when Israel's Sea of Galilee turned a vivid blood-red
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Any water runoff from the area occurs naturally and presents no danger to the environment, though its colour can produce the illusion of dark red liquid seeping from the ground.
The New Mexico phenomenon follows a similar incident in August when Israel's Sea of Galilee turned a vivid blood-red, alarming visitors who feared biblical omens.
Israel's environmental ministry subsequently confirmed the transformation resulted from a bloom of green algae called Botryococcus braunii, which produces red pigment under intense sunlight.
Testing by the Kinneret Research Laboratory determined the algae posed no health risks.
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