Nature is amazing and multifaceted. Some of its phenomena defy any scientific theories and explanations. One can only admire what he sees. The age of humans compared to the age of the universe is negligible. So it is not surprising that we still have not known all its secrets. For example, the fact that less than 10% of the oceans have been explored so far … And yet, many unique natural phenomena have already been well studied! Let’s remember the most famous.
#01. Gate of Hell, Turkmenistan
This is Darvaza volcano, a gas crater in Turkmenistan, which was set on fire in 1971 so that the gases coming out would not poison people and livestock. The fire was supposed to die out quickly, but it has continued to blaze for more than 50 years. Last year, the President of Turkmenistan ordered to extinguish of the Gates of Hell.
#02. Murmuration or “Black Sun of Denmark”
More than a million European starlings gather in huge flocks, creating unusual patterns in the sky and practically covering the sun with themselves. This amazing phenomenon can be observed in Denmark in early spring – everywhere in the swampy, western part of the country. However, the largest flocks of starlings gather in the south of Jutland. Aerial bird ballet can be seen at sunset.
Read more about the Black Sun of Denmark
#03. Enchanted River – Philippine
On the Philippine, island of Mindanao, there is a small river, which is called “The Enchanted river”. The water in it is amazingly blue, sapphire in color, and crystal clear, and the river originates in a deep underground cave. Someone considers it the cleanest river in the world.
Read more about The Enchanted River
#04. Lake Natron in Northern Tanzania
The lifeless landscapes of Lake Natron in northern Tanzania resemble surreal alien landscapes. A lake covered with a crust of salt can change color throughout the year. As a result of the vital activity of microorganisms – halophilic cyanobacteria living in Natron – the water acquires rich reddish and pinkish shades several times a year. When the temperature rises, the bacteria release a red pigment, coloring the lake.
This is the only regular nesting site in East Africa for 2.5 million flamingos.
#05. Unique Tidal Waves
In several places on Earth, local landscapes and tides cause a phenomenon called a tidal wave. It is formed when huge masses of water fall into a narrow river bed. Thus, tidal waves occur on the Amazon River in Brazil and the Severn in England.
#06. Lenticular Clouds
Lenticular clouds are a unique natural phenomenon. These clouds usually form around hills and mountains. They look very peculiar and look like giant flying saucers or a stack of pancakes. Many famous mountains around the world are often photographed with these clouds, including Mount Shasta and Mount Fuji.
The lenticular clouds look completely still as if frozen in time. Actually, it is not. Clouds appear to be stationary as a stream of moist air constantly replenishes the clouds on the windward side, while moisture evaporates and disappears on the leeward side, leaving clouds with a characteristic lenticular shape.
#07. Frost Flowers
These are deposits of small ice crystals that often resemble tree leaves or flowers in groups. They are formed on warm soil as a result of a sharp cold snap following a long warming period, usually in autumn. They are most commonly found on young sea ice and thin lake ice. As a rule, they form at low temperatures and in the almost complete absence of wind.
#08. The Ring Structure of Guell Er-Rishat or “Eye of the Sahara”
An unusual geological phenomenon is located in the middle of the Sahara Desert. The diameter reaches 50 kilometers.
Until now, there are many different opinions about the origin of this amazing natural phenomenon. There are only assumptions at the level of hypotheses, such as an asteroid impact or natural erosion. According to one scientist, the “eye” was formed as a result of a meteorite fall. Some scientists believe that it originated from underground nuclear explosions. However, it is worth noting that for the formation of such a funnel, the explosion must be a gigaton power. Currently, no country in the world possesses weapons of such incredible destructive power.
#09. Lightning Catatumbo
Incredible beauty and power spectacle. Catatumbo lightning is a natural phenomenon that occurs over the confluence of the Catatumbo River into Lake Maracaibo (Venezuela). This is the largest salt lake in Venezuela Multiple lightning that can be seen there 140-160 nights a year, for 10 hours per night and up to 280 times per hour. In total, about 1.2 million discharges per year are obtained.
#10. Circles at the Bottom of the Ocean
These underwater circles on the ocean floor discovered in 1995 near the Japanese island of Amamioshima, look like something alien. The real explanation is not so cool, but it is true. These circles are “drawn” by male pufferfish, trying to attract a female.
Read more about Underwater circles.
#11. Asperatus Clouds
Very rarely in the sky, you can observe a striking type of cloud, the unofficial name of which sounds like “Asperitas” (formerly known as Undulatus asperatus; from Latin – “wavy-hilly”; also rough). In 2009, it was proposed to classify them as a new type of cloud, but this was not possible, because even today they are still not well understood. Despite their formidable appearance, they are by no means harbingers of a storm. The shape of the clouds resembles foaming sea waves.
#12. Chile’s Atacama desert in bloom
Usually, in this desert, there is almost no rainfall all year round. However, this year saw a historically record-breaking downpour through the region. The precipitation was so intense that catastrophic flooding began. The rains brought to life flower seeds that had been dormant for many years. Such flowering is very rare and occurs approximately once every 5-10 years.
#13. Fire Rainbow; A Circumhorizontal Arc
A circumhorizontal arc is an optical phenomenon that occurs when sunlight passes through ice crystals in the upper cirrus clouds. This is a rather rare occurrence, but it happens mostly on a summer day when the Sun is high in the sky. This creates a rainbow effect directly in the clouds filled with ice crystals.
#14. Sailstones (Moving Stones)
This amazing action that takes place in Death Valley has been disturbing the minds of scientists who are trying to write a description of natural phenomena for several decades. Huge boulders crawl by themselves along the bottom of Lake Racetrack Playa.
At the same time, no one touches them, but they still crawl. No one has ever seen exactly how they move. At the same time, they stubbornly move, as if alive, sometimes turning over on their side, while leaving behind deep traces that stretch for several meters. Periodically, the stones write out such complex and unusual lines that they turn over, making somersaults in the process of movement.
#15. “Waterfall of the Eternal Flame” in Chestnut Ridge Park
All over the world, you can see natural fires that burn constantly due to gas seeping through the soil. But the Eternal Flame Falls in Chestnut Ridge Park, New York, is different. There, the flame is burning inside the waterfall, and it looks amazing.
This phenomenon is explained by the fact that there is a natural gas leak under the waterfall, and fire is always burning at this point. The fire is not actually “eternal”, that is, it goes out periodically. It is often relit by some tourist who discovers that the flame has gone out.
#16. Wonderful Circles of Namibia (“Witch Circles”, “Magic Circles”)
The mysterious circles of Namibia are one of the greatest mysteries of nature, and local legend says that these are the footprints of the gods. Interestingly, circles can disappear and reappear for no apparent reason.
In the north, circles reach a diameter of 50 meters, and in the south – up to three. At first, they talked about UFOs, then they “blamed” the termites for everything, which supposedly eat the roots of plants underground. However, the evidence was never presented.
Some scientists claim that the circles are due to the self-organization of the grass. This hypothesis was proved based on a similar phenomenon discovered in Western Australia.
#17. The Giant’s Causeway
The Giant’s Causeway is a structure in Northern Ireland made up of over 40,000 basalt columns. It was formed after an ancient volcanic eruption.
These columns are so perfect that one can hardly believe that they are not the work of human hands. Millions of years ago, everything here was filled with lava, which eventually cooled down and began to break off, so today we can see this amazing phenomenon.
#18. Great Blue Hole
The Great Blue Hole is located off the coast of Belize. It is located in the center of Lighthouse Reef, an atoll within the Belize Barrier Reef. This is a round karst funnel with a diameter of 300 meters, going to a depth of 124 meters.
#19. Moeraki Boulders
On Koekohe Beach on the southeast coast of New Zealand’s South Island lie several hundred spherical boulders that look like stone balls. Their diameter is from 0.5 to 2.2 m. From the point of view of science, these are nodules extracted from the Paleocene mudstone as a result of water erosion. Similar boulders are found in several other places on Earth.
Mysterious boulders Moerakiscattered along the beach Koekohe (Koekohe) near the fishing village of Moeraki (Moeraki) in the Otago (Otago) on the South Island of New Zealand. In total, several hundred boulders are scattered along Koekohe Beach over an area of about three hundred meters. Some of them lie on land, on a sandy shore, and some in the sea.
New Zealanders have various anti-scientific theories regarding the appearance of these boulders. One of them says that these are fossilized dinosaur eggs. In another version, their appearance is attributed to aliens who landed on our planet but then left it because of the harsh climate, leaving behind huge round eggs that petrified over time. And according to the legends of the Polynesian Maori people, these are baskets of food and pumpkins left after the wreck of the large sailing canoe Arai Te Uru.
As determined by detailed analysis using optical instruments, X-rays, and electron probe microscopes, the boulders are composed of sand, silt, and clay cemented with calcite.
#20. Red Crab Migration
Every year on Australia’s Christmas Island, a unique natural phenomenon can be observed: about 43 million land crabs migrate from the rainforest to the coast to lay their eggs in the ocean. During this time, the authorities close most of the island’s roads, which takes at least a week.
In October and November, Christmas Island crabs begin their journey to the ocean to mate. For about 18 days, the movement of cars stops on the island, because all the streets are covered with a red carpet of crabs.