![](http://www.alamy.com/thumbs/6/D13E82A0-75F5-4FCD-A1A5-F7600B7553B9/2MG3X1X.jpg)
The distinctively turquoise colored Rio Celeste (sky blue river) at Tenorio Volcano National Park.
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.
Size: 5517px × 3678px
Location: Parque Nacional Volcán Tenorio, Guanacaste Province, Guatuso, Costa Rica.
Photo credit: © Carver Mostardi / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: celeste, colorful, costa, green, guanacaste, horizontal, landscape, mie, nacional, national, natural, nature, outdoors, park, parque, phenomenon, province, rica, rio, river, scattering, tenorio, turism, turquoise, volcano, volcá, water