Breathtaking Natural Occurrences Globally

Jan 05, 2024 By Sean William

Look at this compilation of the world's most amazing and fascinating natural phenomena. What is the best part about these ten bizarre examples of nature's creation? Many of them are free to the public. We mean, it's not free because you have to pay for transportation, duh!

Australia's Pink Lakes

Lake Hillier in Western Australia is pink due to the extremely high percentage of salt in the water, making it look like something from a Barbie fever dream. Lake MacDonell in South Australia and Hut Lagoon in Western Australia are the country's other pink lakes.

Antarctica's Blood Falls

You can rest easy knowing that the murder scene at this waterfall isn't actually bleeding. Instead, after 1.5 million years, these unusual natural phenomena occurred due to a complex chemical process. In the presence of oxygen, the iron in the saltwater turns a brilliant shade of red.

Glowing Beach, Maldives

In the evenings, the shores of Maldivian beaches light up brightly. The process of bioluminescence is responsible for this.

When bioluminescent creatures are under duress or the water is disturbed, they flash their lights. A glowing, radioactive dusting of "fairy dust" is the end product. If you want to see bioluminescence closer to home, Jervis Bay is the place to go. The sea sparkles are best seen in complete darkness.

China's Rainbow Mountains

Zhangye National Geopark's mountain range is the color chart from your neighborhood Bunnings. Rainbow colors burst forth in squiggly patterns.

Since being designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2010, viewing platforms and trails have helped keep the Rainbow Mountains vibrant. They prevent sightseers from accidentally stepping on them. In addition, seeing the mountains from a distance allows you to take in their full splendor.

Moonbows

These gorgeous nighttime arches form when light (in this example, from the moon) bounces and refracts off water droplets in the sky, just like rainbows do. However, moonbows are significantly less often than rainbows since they only occur when the moon is exceptionally drab, the sky is overcast, and rain is falling in the direction opposite the moon.

Brinicles

Underwater stalactites or hollow icicles, known as brinicles, form when cold salt water freezes and are described by Alec Baldwin as "icy fingers of death" in Frozen Planet. Brine ice can sink to the ocean floor and collect there, causing animals like starfish that move slowly to freeze to death if the conditions are correct.

Whirlpools

Fictional whirlpools formed when two or more currents converge are frequently depicted as far more dangerous than their real-life counterparts. In narrow, shallow straits with fast-moving water or at the base of waterfalls, the most powerful whirlpools, dubbed maelstroms, are generated, but the speed of the swirl rarely reaches 20 miles per hour.

Volcanic Lightning

Volcanic lightning erupts after a volcano's explosion is far more impressive than the lightning seen during a thunderstorm. National Geographic reports that lightning can be seen forming in the plume (the cylindrical column of volcanic ash) following a volcanic eruption. The plume's component particles are crushed in the ground. When these particles are launched into the air, their density shifts. In addition, collisions between particles generate electric charges. According to National Geographic, when the clouds rise, they expand and create channels through which electricity can travel.

Cave of the Crystals, Mexico

Naica, Chihuahua is home to the Cave of the Crystals, which is located 300 meters below ground. It was only in the year 2000 that mine workers discovered this hot, humid cavern adjacent to a mine, and since then, it has become a popular destination for both scientists and curious sightseers. Now, you may enjoy a 45-minute guided tour of the cave.

Giant’s Causeway, UK

An ancient volcanic fissure eruption in County Antrim created the Giant's Causeway, one of the most visited tourist destinations in the United Kingdom. According to legend, the Irish giant Fionn mac Cumhaill built the causeway of over 40,000 interconnecting basalt columns between Ireland and Scotland. Don't write off the story just because Fingal's Cave on the Scottish island of Staffa has a smaller but identical sequence of columns.

Salt Flats

Bolivia and Utah are home to some stunning salt flats. According to the New York Times, salt flats are formed as water evaporates, leading to the concentration and precipitation of salts and other minerals dissolved in it. According to the Times, there is variation amongst them regarding their water source.

Glowworm Caves

Small and slimy as they may be, worms are also a phenomenon of nature, particularly glowworms and the caves in which they live. These caves can be found primarily in Australia and New Zealand, with one notable exception in Alabama. The most well-known cave system is New Zealand's Waitomo Caves, which have existed for almost 30 million years. There's some cool science going on in those glowworm caves. Contrary to popular belief, these creatures are not "glowing worms." The New York Times reports that the larvae produce mucus when fungus gnat eggs hatch. Silk strings laden with mucous droplets are coughed up. This is the glowing worm trap where the insects and other prey are drawn to the worms.

Rainbow Eucalyptus Trees

The Philippines and Indonesia are the birthplaces of rainbow eucalyptus, sometimes known as rainbow gum. Bark, both old and young, is what gives trees their distinctive stripes. As older, duller layers of bark are peeled away, younger, more vibrant ones are revealed. As a tree ages and its chlorophyll levels decrease, its bark changes from green to purple, red, and brown. The bark turns completely brown again before beginning the shedding process once more.

Travertine Terraces

According to research at the University of Waikato, travertine is formed when calcium carbonate precipitates out of geothermal waters. Terraces are formed over time by the accumulation of travertine. Limestone can be dissolved by running hot water saturated with carbon dioxide across it. According to Atlas Obscura, it brings the travertine's calcium carbonate to the surface. However, new evidence suggests other factors are at play in their emergence. The minerals in the water might be catalyzed into terraces by bacteria.

Permafrost Explosions

Like the bubbles in Lake Abraham, these natural phenomena are caused by frozen, trapped methane. According to Business Insider, when you heat these larger-scale bubbles, they rupture with tremendous force. As the Arctic warms, ice melts, and gas releases, leading to explosions. In light of this new scientific breakthrough, 17 long-held scientific "facts" are now widely accepted as false.

Catatumbo Lightning, Venezuela

Storms lasting up to nine hours with lightning flashes of 16 to 40 times per minute occur where the Catatumbo River drains into Lake Maracaibo on roughly half the days of the year. Catatumbo translates to "House of Thunder" in the native tongue, and the name couldn't be more fitting for this incredible sight.

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