Underwater Crop Circles in Japan
Crop circles are already a massive conspiracy, but how do we even begin to theorize about those found underwater? Seven feet deep and intricately patterned, these circles have been a source of fascination for scientists since divers first noticed them back in 1995.
In 2011, scientists actually discovered the answer, and it wasn’t underwater aliens. These underwater crop circles are created by male pufferfish who are searching for mates. The female puffer fish will lay eggs in the circles to be fertilized before the circles are swept away.
Snow Chimneys in Antarctica
A snow chimney sounds like something out of a Christmas song, but it’s a real phenomenon that occurs in Antarctica. Also called ‘fumaroles,’ snow chimneys are volcanic vents in the Earth’s surface that allow steam to escape. In extremely cold arctic climates, this steam freezes.
The result is a tall, chimney-shaped ice sheet that bends and leans as it grows. The layers of frozen steam pile up and can reach 60 feet. They’re breathtaking to behold and show us how incredible the Earth is to be able to freeze steam.
Catatumbo Lightning in Venezuela
Lightning is a terrifying enough phenomenon when it happens occasionally. Now imagine mass storm clouds gathering to unleash thunder and lightning for up to 160 nights a year! This is what happens at the mouth of the Catatumbo — which means house of thunder — River in Venezuela.
The lightning occurs for around nine hours per day around the area where the Catatumbo River joins Lake Maracaibo, with up to 40 flashes per minute. Sometimes, it even occurs without accompanying rainfall. For centuries, people have called this spectacular phenomenon the ‘Lighthouse of Maracaibo.’
Fairy Circles in Namibia
Namibia is a stunning country, but it has even more to offer than its broad landscapes and gorgeous scenery. The Namib Desert is littered with unique fairy circles that form with a ring of grass around them. This phenomenon can happen independently or en masse.
What’s even more interesting is that we don’t know how they are formed. It could be due to competing vegetation patterns, but the entire fairy circle is left bare, while the grass only grows around the outside. They can stretch as wide as 39 feet.
Fogbows in the Arctic
Rainbows are common enough, but we still react with wonder every time we see one. Most people don’t know there are white rainbows, or ‘fogbows,’ too! Fogbows regularly occur in the Arctic, but they can also appear in mountainous and other natural regions.
As the name suggests, fogbows are caused by fog droplets in the air instead of rain. Fog droplets are smaller than rain droplets, so the fogbow is much weaker and harder to see, with no bright colors. Sometimes, they even appear at night as ‘lunar fogbows.’
Light Pillars in Russia
The atmosphere can do incredible things, which includes creating phenomenal optical illusions in the sky. One of the craziest illusions is light pillars, which occur in the Russian skyline during sub-zero temperatures when ice crystals hang hexagonally in the atmosphere.
These crystals act as prisms, reflecting artificial lights into the sky, such as streetlights and those inside windows. The reflections create long streaks of horizontal colorful light that resemble glowing pillars. They’re utterly magical to behold in person as they light up the sky.
Blue Ice Glaciers in Iceland
Glaciers are beautiful, but they don’t usually make us look twice. That’s certainly not the case for Iceland’s blue ice glaciers, which get their vibrant blue coloring from compression and light absorption. The compressed snow turns to ice, which reflects shorter wavelengths of light.
Blue light has a short wavelength, so Icelandic ice often appears blue, not white. The structure of the glaciers scatters the light and makes the color even more noticeable. Blue glaciers look almost artificial against Iceland’s beautiful landscapes, but they’re real.
Green Flashes on the Horizon
Pirates of the Caribbean fans will have heard of green flash sunrises and sunsets, but they’re a real-life phenomenon, too. They’re visible flashes of bright green light that appear on unobstructed horizons just before the sun rises or after it sets.
This optical spectacle is caused by the sun’s light refracting when it enters Earth’s atmosphere, giving the illusion that it’s green. These flashes usually only last for a few seconds, but they’re distinctive and sometimes appear to shoot upwards into the sky.
Saltstraumen in Norway
Despite its serene natural beauty, the ocean can turn violent and deadly instantly. Maelstroms are a prime example of how dangerous water can be, as they pull everything around them into a powerful whirlpool current that cannot escape.
The strongest maelstrom in the world is Saltstraumen in Norway, which pulls up to 110 billion gallons of seawater into tidal whirlpools. These whirlpools have intense currents and a strong downward pull, and they’re definitely a phenomenon best observed at a distance.
Sailing Stones in Death Valley, California
There are many theories about why certain phenomena happen in nature, but the idea of stones moving by themselves sounds like one of the most ludicrous. However, trails left behind moving rocks have been observed in Death Valley National Park, seemingly sliding along without gravity.
Scientists believe sailing stones move when frozen ice on the ground thaws, producing a slippery racetrack. Strong winds encourage the rocks to slide, leaving clear trails in the ground as they move by themselves to a new location.
Asperitas Clouds in the Sky
Clouds take many shapes, but none are as breathtaking and unnerving as asperitas, an agitated cloud formation. They’ve been observed in several places worldwide but are one of the rarest natural phenomena. They resemble a rippling sea surface in the sky.
Despite their darkness, asperitas clouds don’t produce rain. They occur when clouds descend into areas where the wind direction is changing, causing them to undulate. Unstable atmospheres produce the most distinctive asperitas clouds. They carry a sense of impending doom but always dissipate before a storm.
Spider Rain in Australia
Nothing triggers arachnophobia more than the phrase ‘spider rain,’ a crazy phenomenon that can bring millions of arachnids tumbling down from the sky. However, these spiders don’t fall from clouds; they use silk strands to catch onto the wind and migrate.
This causes veils of spider webs formed from those strands to fall from the sky like rain onto the ground below. Spider rain is most commonly seen in Australia, which has a massive arachnid population. It’s one of the strangest and itchiest natural phenomena.
The Salt Desert in Bolivia
Mirages often happen in deserts, but one phenomenon isn’t an optical illusion: the reflecting salt desert Salar de Uyuni in Bolivia. It’s the largest salt flat in the world, providing the perfect base for a gigantic mirror to form during the rainy seasons.
A thin layer of water forms on the surface, reflecting the clouds, mountain peaks, and sunlight. This perfect mirroring is almost heavenly, playing with perspective as the sky seemingly merges with the salt flats. It’s a remarkable sight to behold.
The Spotted Lake in Osoyoos
Lakes are nothing out of the ordinary, but most of us have never seen a patterned lake. Osoyoos is home to a rare phenomenon, the Spotted Lake, which is small but rich in minerals. These minerals, such as calcium and magnesium sulfate, create the spots.
During hot summers, most of the lake’s water evaporates, leaving behind minerals that form spots on the surface. Depending on the minerals in each area, these spots can be green or yellow and look like ripples that haven’t disappeared. It’s a vision of remarkable tranquility.
Northern Lights in the Arctic Circle
The Northern Lights, or Aurora Borealis, are one of the most famous natural phenomena, for good reason. They’re breathtakingly beautiful and inspire millions of people to try and catch a glimpse of them whenever they occur. They can be green, pink, blue, and light purple.
The Northern Lights can be viewed in many places, but they often occur in the Arctic Circle. When the sun releases charged particles into Earth’s atmosphere, it creates streaks of swirling lights that follow various paths and patterns. This is nature’s unique light display.
Lake Natron in Tanzania
Lakes of fire have appeared in many religious and mythological stories, but Lake Natron in Tanzania looks like the real thing. It has a bright red surface because it’s extremely alkaline. This encourages the growth of algae that creates the red pigmentation.
There is also a high concentration of calcium carbonate from a nearby volcano, which makes it impossible for animals to survive. It kills, calcifies, and retains their corpses, turning the lake into a graveyard full of small animal mummies. This is a shocking but spellbinding phenomenon.
Ice Caves in Iceland
We think of caves as dark, stable environments full of mystery, but there is a phenomenon quite the opposite: ice caves. Many of these in Iceland are formed within glaciers when they melt at the edge and create crevices that slowly widen.
Ice caves are magnificent from the inside. The ice has a blue appearance, made stronger by sunlight reflecting through, and every unique curve of the glacier is clear to see. Ice caves usually disappear after a few days but are still remarkable.
Mammatus Clouds in the Sky
Mammatus clouds are another fantastic example of all the crazy things the sky can do. They are cellular pouches that look like they’re hanging down above Earth. These lobes form when warm and cool air mix, causing water vapor to condense.
They’re attached to the undersides of cumulonimbus clouds, which are incredibly dense. Mammatus clouds are rare, but they indicate a storm is brewing when they appear. Sometimes, the pouches are translucent, allowing sunlight to pour through and affect their color.
The Underwater River in Mexico
The concept of a river being underwater sounds crazy, but Cenote Angelita in Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula jungle is very real. It exists inside an 184-foot sinkhole with an entire landscape of sunken trees and other plant life. Many scuba divers travel to Mexico just to visit it.
There is also a 27-meter-deep cloud of halocline. It separates freshwater and groundwater into two distinguishable sections with a thick layer of hydrogen sulfate. Crossing the cloud to explore the underwater river is a unique experience made possible by natural elements.
The Doorway to Hell in Turkmenistan
This is one natural phenomenon that absolutely delivers on its crazy name. The Doorway to Hell is located in Turkmenistan, and it truly looks like something found in the Underworld. It’s a gas crater that was reportedly created in 1971 and lit in the 1980s.
That same fire is still burning now! Some attempts were made to order the fire extinguished, but those plans never came to fruition. As a result, the gas is still lit and burning, creating an incredible site that has to be seen and believed.
The Danxia Landform in China
China has some fantastic man-made attractions, but the Danxia Landform is all thanks to nature. The landform consists of multiple mountainous landscapes found in various locations across China. Their gorgeous rainbow coloring makes them phenomenal and includes shades of yellow, red, and orange.
Iron oxide minerals cause the colors in the rock layers, which were then eroded and weathered, forming peaks and making the colorful minerals visible. This phenomenon has been voted one of China’s most beautiful, for good reason!
The Blue Volcano in Ethiopia
We associate volcanoes with colors like red and orange, but one special volcano is actually blue. Dallol Mountain in Ethiopia contains electric-blue lava, and it’s completely natural! It’s caused by combusting sulfur, which looks similar to lava and glows fluorescently.
When sulfur emerges from a volcano at a different temperature, it instantly ignites and turns neon blue. It’s best seen at night when it truly glows. Although it isn’t actually lava, it’s still utterly unlike anything else we’ve ever seen come out of a volcano.
Frozen Methane Bubbles in Canada
Winter can be both beautiful and dangerous, and the frozen methane bubbles in Canada’s Lake Abraham are a phenomenal example of why. During freezing temperatures, bacteria at the bottom of the lake start to decay, emitting high amounts of methane gas.
This gas then bubbles up to the lake’s frozen surface and becomes trapped. The bubbles are suspended within the frozen body of water, standing out due to their bright white color. They’re fascinating to marvel at in person.
Dirty Thunderstorms in Volcanoes
Lightning and volcanoes are scary, but together, they’re absolutely petrifying. Not every volcano can produce volcanic lightning, but those that can are the true forces of nature. We call this phenomenon “dirty thunderstorms” because of the way they erupt.
The lightning results from an electrical discharge created when a volcano erupts. Particles of volcanic ash collide and generate static electricity, causing a shock of lightning to erupt alongside the volcanic ash. It sounds like an almighty clap of thunder.
Lenticular Clouds in the Sky
Confusing a cloud with a UFO sounds ridiculous, but lenticular clouds impersonate flying saucers quite accurately. They are lens-shaped clouds created when winds from mountains blow in the same direction and whip them into a peculiar shape. They usually hang immobile in the sky.
The water vapor inside the clouds condenses to shape them further. This can produce very strong, targeted winds concentrated on the area directly below and also cause great turbulence in the air. It’s a simple phenomenon but one that forces us to take a second look.
Spherical Boulders in New Zealand
Boulders are always imperfect, but there is such a thing as a flawless boulder. The Moeraki Boulders, which are perfectly spherical, can be found lying around on a stretch of Koekohe Beach in New Zealand. Some of them are small, but most are strikingly large.
The spherical shape is caused by centuries of concretion, which occurs when the mineral cement within a mass dissolves into the sedimentary rock or soil. Layers continuously form on top of this pile, giving it that spherical shape. The Moeraki Boulders are a simple wonder.
The Great Blue Hole in Belize
Perhaps the only thing more astounding than the existence of the Great Blue Hole is that there’s more than one! Belize’s Great Blue Hole is one of the most famous phenomena because it’s so massive: 1,043 feet across and 407 feet deep.
The Great Blue Hole is a popular attraction for divers; however, diving so far into the ocean can be deadly. There are hundreds of diver fatalities every year, so this phenomenon is better observed from above, not within.
Striped Icebergs in Antarctica
Antarctica is more than just plain white snow. It’s home to another wild natural phenomenon: striped icebergs! They have distinguishable patterns and colors, which include yellow, brown, green, and blue. The conditions in which the icebergs form determine how their stripes look.
Green stripes, for instance, occur when water with a large amount of algae turns to ice. Yellow stripes could be influenced by other sediments in the water when it froze. But no matter the conditions, these striped icebergs must be seen to be believed.
Columnar Jointing in Iceland
Iceland is home to yet another crazy phenomenon: columnar jointing. The country is full of basalt, an igneous rock that forms when lava cools and solidifies. Lava doesn’t solidify perfectly, so the rock columns can end up intersecting.
The columnar joints almost look like they’re collapsing into one another but are fixed in place. They create an almost textured look along the landscape and attract plenty of attention. Though they may look frail, they’re far from it.
Sardine Migration in South Africa
Many animals migrate, so while there’s nothing inherently phenomenal about the act, it’s far more impressive when millions do it at once! This is called the Sardine Run, and it happens from May to July every year in South Africa, starting at Agulhas Bank.
When the cool waters in Agulhas Bank begin to move north, millions of sardines migrate with the current. They huddle against the cold, creating a stunning visual that looks like the entire ocean is filled with sardines. In July, they reach Mozambique.
The Eye of the Sahara in Egypt
With a name as magnificent as the Eye of the Sahara, this natural phenomenon has much to live up to. And it does. The Richat Structure, as it’s otherwise known, resembles a giant eye, thanks to the simple process of millennia-long erosion.
The structure was originally a dome, but wind and water eroded the sides, creating a swirling, circular shape and exposing different rock types. The ridges and colors form parts of the massive eye, which can be seen from space!
Turquoise Ice in Siberia
Ice can be absolutely exquisite, especially when it has a color. Lake Baikal in Siberia contains turquoise ice that looks out of a story. It’s one of the clearest lakes in the world, with waters so pure they’re distinctly turquoise.
In the cold Siberian winters, this water, rich in nutrients and minerals, freezes and becomes turquoise ice. Light penetrates the ice and makes the color even more vibrant. Even the way the ice forms is unique, with large shards emerging from the lake.
Bioluminescent Waves in the Maldives
The Maldives are famous for their beauty, but they’re also one of the most magical natural phenomena in the world. The waters of Volcano Island glow a luminous blue color at night, and when the waves break on the shore, they glitter like a starry sky.
This bioluminescence is caused by microscopic plankton in the water. These plankton use a chemical called luciferin to protect themselves, emitting bright blue flashes of light to disorient predators. As the waves hit the shore, they disturb the plankton, creating a stunning glittering effect.
Pororoca in the Amazon River
The Amazon River is the second longest in the world, but it’s capable of a phenomenon that no other is: the Pororoca. This tidal bore occurs when the tide is at its highest and water flows in from the Atlantic rather than out.
The tidal bore creates never-ending waves that can grow as tall as 13 feet and travel as far as 500 miles upstream. Though they look dangerous, the Pororoca waves are popular with surfers, and an annual championship is held to celebrate the phenomenon.
Fallstreak Holes in the Sky
Also known as a sky punch, fallstreak holes are mysterious holes that suddenly appear in the sky, looking as though a giant fist has punched straight through a cloud. They form when supercooled water in the clouds suddenly evaporates, leaving a broad hole.
Some people attribute fallstreak holes to UFOs, but they’re a completely natural phenomenon often triggered by passing aircraft like planes. The aircraft deposits ice crystals into the clouds, which then prompt the fascinating evaporation of the cloud’s water droplets. The holes can be massive.
The Forest of Knives in Madagascar
We never look twice at a forest, but a Forest of Knives would certainly pique some interest. Madagascar’s Tsingy de Bemaraha National Park is a labyrinth of tall, sharp limestone pinnacles instead of trees. It’s almost unbelievable to behold, especially from above.
The name ‘Forest of Knives’ comes from the way the pinnacles are pointed at the top. They first formed around 200 million years ago when layers of calcite comprised a limestone bed and tectonic activity elevated it into exposed peaks. It’s absolutely worth a visit.
Monarch Butterfly Migration to Mexico
Monarch butterflies are some of the most distinctive, and they’re hard to miss when 500,000 of them take flight at once. The butterflies leave North America in autumn and migrate to Mexico. They arrive in November and stay until the following spring.
The monarch butterflies can be found clustering together in forests and other natural areas in Mexico. They procreate, and subsequent generations join their annual mass migration. This natural phenomenon is one of the most sublime in the world, filling the skies with colorful life.
Fire Rainbows in the Atmosphere
Despite their name, fire rainbows are not as terrifying as they sound. They don’t consist of fire but rather clouds. When sunlight passes through the hexagonal crystals inside clouds on a vertical side, it causes the light to refract, as it would through a prism.
This refraction causes a section of the cloud to light up like a colorful rainbow. It’s an optical phenomenon that demonstrates how creative clouds and sunlight can be. The fiery effect of the bright light gives the impression of a phoenix soaring through the clouds.
Hair Ice in Broadleaf Forests
Hair and ice couldn’t be more different, but there’s a crazy phenomenon that actually combines the two. Broadleaf forests, which are incredibly dense, typically grow hair ice, which is fairly rare anywhere else. This is because it grows when broadleaf trees begin to rot.
When the wood rots in simultaneous cold temperatures and high humidity, it creates moisture. Ice begins to develop in a silky texture that looks like strands of fine white hair. Hair ice can grow long enough to look like it actually belongs to a person!
The Rainbow Eucalyptus Tree in the Philippines
Indigenous cultures have plenty of gorgeous things to offer, including the breathtaking Rainbow Eucalyptus tree. The bark looks as though it has been painted with bright streaks of orange, yellow, and pink, an effect caused by natural shedding on the trunk.
There are several Rainbow Eucalyptus trees, each with its own unique shedding patterns and colors. Rainy climates cause the trees to shed more, revealing the unique beauty underneath. The Rainbow Eucalyptus is incredibly important in indigenous medicine practices, so it deserves reverence and respect.
The natural world is an incredible place, but it’s also absolutely terrifying. The Earth is simultaneously beautiful and destructive, and there are so many things that we can’t predict, explain, or influence. Many of the greatest natural phenomena can’t feasibly or safely be traveled to, but they still need to be seen! So, we’ve unpacked several photos of the craziest naturally occurring spectacles below.