Waterfall along the distinctively turquoise colored Rio Celeste (sky blue river) at Tenorio Volcano National Park.

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The source of the river's distinctive turquoise color is not due to a chemical species but to a physical phenomenon known as Mie scattering.[3] Celeste River is fed by two colorless rivers, the Buenavista River and Sour Creek. Buenavista River carries a large concentration of aluminosilicate particles with a small diameter. Sour Creek, as its name implies, has a high acidity due to volcanic activity. When these two streams mix to form Celeste River, the drop in pH causes the aluminosilicate particles to aggregate and enlarge to a diameter of about 566 nm. These suspended particles produce Mie scattering which gives the river a strong turquoise color.

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Size: 4369px × 6554px
Location: Parque Nacional Volcán Tenorio, Guanacaste Province, Guatuso, Costa Rica.
Photo credit: © Carver Mostardi / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

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