Wednesday 3 June 2015

15 Natural Phenomena You Didn't Know About

1. Dirty thunderstorms, aka volcanic lightning, occur when lightning is produced in a volcanic plume.

Dirty thunderstorms, aka volcanic lightning, occur when lightning is produced in a volcanic plume.
Martin Rietze / Via mrietze.com

They look like the entrance to Hell!

They look like the entrance to Hell!
Carlos Gutierrez / UPI Photo / Landov

2. Oh wait, here’s The Door to Hell, a gas fire in Turkmenistan accidentally ignited by scientists in 1971 and still burning. Oops.

Oh wait, here's The Door to Hell, a gas fire in Turkmenistan accidentally ignited by scientists in 1971 and still burning. Oops.
Flickr: flydime / Creative Commons

3. Flammable ice bubbles: frozen bubbles of methane, trapped beneath Alberta’s Lake Abraham.

Flammable ice bubbles: frozen bubbles of methane, trapped beneath Alberta's Lake Abraham.
Emmanuel Coupe / Getty Images

4. The Catumbo Lightning, which occurs during 140 to 160 nights a year, 10 hours per night and up to 280 times per hour.

The Catumbo Lightning, which occurs during 140 to 160 nights a year, 10 hours per night and up to 280 times per hour.
commons.wikimedia.org / Creative Commons

5. Christmas Island’s Red Crabs: Each year an estimated 43 million land crabs migrate to lay their eggs in the ocean.

Christmas Island's Red Crabs: Each year an estimated 43 million land crabs migrate to lay their eggs in the ocean.
Imago / Barcroft Media

Authorities close most of the island’s roads during the migration, which normally takes at least a week.

6. Monarch butterflies: The eastern North American population is notable for its southward late summer/autumn migration from the USA and Canada to Mexico, covering thousands of kilometers.

Monarch butterflies: The eastern North American population is notable for its southward late summer/autumn migration from the USA and Canada to Mexico, covering thousands of kilometers.
Flickr: lunasinestrellas / Creative Commons

No individual butterfly lives through the whole migration. Female monarchs lay eggs and their offspring continue the migrations.

No individual butterfly lives through the whole migration. Female monarchs lay eggs and their offspring continue the migrations.

7. Surreal spiderwebs: Fleeing torrential floodwaters near Wagga Wagga, Australia, thousands of spiders cover fields with cobwebs.

Reuters / Daniel Munoz
Reuters / Daniel Munoz

8. Namibia’s mysterious Fairy Circles: Studies suggest that a sand termite is responsible for their creation.

Namibia's mysterious Fairy Circles: Studies suggest that a sand termite is responsible for their creation.
Norbert Juergens / University of Hamburg

9. Underwater crop circles in the ocean off Japan: created by a male pufferfish in order to woo females.

Underwater crop circles in the ocean off Japan: created by a male pufferfish in order to woo females.
Yoji Ookata / NHK / Via ookatayouji.amaminchu.com

10. Spherical boulders in New Zealand: exhumed from the mudstone enclosing them by coastal erosion.

Spherical boulders in New Zealand: exhumed from the mudstone enclosing them by coastal erosion.
Flickr: chris_gin / Creative Commons

11. The Great Blue Hole: a large submarine sinkhole off the coast of Belize, over 300m across and 124m deep.

The Great Blue Hole: a large submarine sinkhole off the coast of Belize, over 300m across and 124m deep.

12. The Black Sun: Huge flocks of up to 50,000 starlings form in areas of the UK just before sundown during mid-winter. They are known as murmurations.

The Black Sun: Huge flocks of up to 50,000 starlings form in areas of the UK just before sundown during mid-winter. They are known as murmurations.
Flickr: 27770620@N02 / Donald Macauley / Creative Commons

13. The Sardine Run: occurs from May through July when billions of sardines move north along the east coast of South Africa. Their sheer numbers create a feeding frenzy along the coastline.

Flickr: mycoffeemug / Creative Commons
Flickr: mycoffeemug / Creative Commons

14. The Giant’s Causeway, Northern Ireland: an area of about 40,000 interlocking basalt columns, the result of an ancient volcanic eruption.

Flickr: iguanajo / Creative Commons
Flickr: ncurado / Creative Commons

15. Sailing stones in Death Valley, USA: a geological phenomenon where rocks move and inscribe long tracks along a smooth valley floor without human or animal intervention.

Flickr: mandj98 / Creative Commons
Flickr: thomashawk / Creative Commons

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