Badlands Guardian, Geological formation in southeastern Alberta, Canada.
Badlands Guardian is a landform in southeastern Alberta created by erosion over many centuries. The clay in the hills has worn down to form a profile that resembles a human face, extending several hundred meters across the terrain.
The gullies and valleys formed over thousands of years as rainwater carved away the soft layers. The particular outline became visible to a wider audience only after satellite images emerged in the late nineties.
Visitors recognize the outline as resembling a face turned eastward, watching over the open grassland. The shape has become a talking point among travelers who notice its unexpected human-like appearance from above.
The site sits on open farmland and cannot be accessed on foot, as it lies on private property. Aerial photographs or satellite views show the outline best, since the pattern emerges only from above.
A road and a small oil installation accidentally form a shape that looks like headphones, adding to the natural pattern. This extra structure came from human activity without anyone planning the effect.
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