The Strangest and Most Unusual Natural Phenomena

In our everyday lives, it’s very seldom people encounter something strange and unusual. Most of these things are only heard and watched on the news when they occur. But did you know that there are some magnificent things that happen naturally in some places? If you’re curious about what they are, here are some of the strangest and most unusual natural phenomena.

Spotted Lake

The Spotted Lake is located in Canada. It is famous for its summer style heavy polka dots. These spots are seen because the lake’s water evaporates every summer. Therefore, it leaves behind large spots, colorful bonds of a dozen minerals. Scientists are also using the Spotted Lake as a model for how ancient Martian lakes may have worked.

Halos

Halos form with the right formation of ice crystals in clouds that are high above the surface of the Earth to bend light from the sun forming a perfect ring. They are like fire rainbows. This phenomenon can also happen with moonlight. Moon halos are white while sun halos are rainbow-colored.
Christmas Island’s Red Crabs

Every year, about 43 million land crabs migrate in Christmas Island to lay their eggs in the ocean. Most of the roads of the island are closed by authorities to allow their migration which takes about a week. Imagine seeing so many crabs!

Fairy Circles

Fairy Circles are found in Namibia. Based on studies, sand termites are responsible for the creation of these Fairy Circles.

Penitentes

Penitentes are ice spikes that form in high altitudes where sunlight turns ice into water vapor instead of melting it into water. They can grow as tall as 15 feet. Instead of melting the ice, the sunbeams vaporize the small dimples in the snow’s surface. The uneven surface then directs sun into the dips, away from the peaks, aggravating the development.

Desert Roses

Though it may look weird, there really is such a thing as a desert rose. It usually develops in dry and sandy places that occasionally flood. The changing wet and dry environment lets the mineral gypsum crystals form between grains of sand, trapping them, which results in the formation of desert roses.

Eye of the Sahara

This is formally known as the Richtat structure found in Mauritania. Scientists are still conducting studies and research on how the eye of the Sahara was formed but their guess is that it’s the eroded remains of a giant dome of the rock. It formed like a pimple when magma was pushing up towards the surface of the Earth. Each band of the eye is composed of different type of rocks that erodes at a different speed. Astronauts landing in Florida use it as a signal that they are almost home.

Lighting Capital of the World

Lake Maracaibo in Venezuela is known to be the lightning capital of the world. It sees more lightning strikes compared to any other place on Earth. Thunderstorms can occur here 300 days out of the year based on NASA’s study. Because the area is stormy, the cool mountain breezes and warm, moist air clash over the lake which creates electricity.

Eternal Flame Falls

There is a small waterfall in upstate New York near the Canadian border. What’s amazing is that there’s a shoot of fire about eight inches tall behind the waterfall. A natural gas seep feeds the flame and it’s sheltered by the waterfall to stay lit. It’s been blown out sometimes but some hikers re-light it if they pass by.

Burning gas seeps are common in other places but this one looks more strange.

Nacreous Clouds

Nacreous clouds are usually spotted near the poles and they from very high in the atmosphere where the air is cold and dry. You can see that they shine colorfully. Its colors come from the setting sun which is lower in the sky compared to the clouds. They reflect sunbeams back toward Earth.

Nacreous clouds are beautiful to look at, but did you know that they destroy the ozone which protects us from the sun’s most dangerous rays?

These are just some of the many strange and unusual natural phenomena. Earth truly has a lot of incredible natural phenomena and some of them are mind-boggling as well. Have you ever encountered or observed any weird and unusual happenings around you?

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