Lake Hillier in Australia
From above the lake appears a solid bubble gum pink. No-one fully knows why the lake is pink. Scientists speculate that the colour comes from a dye created by bacteria that lives in the salt crusts.
Blood Falls
This strange glacial feature was discovered in Antarctica in 1911.This salt-water flowing out of a glacier is tainted with iron oxide causing the blood colour.
Red Tides
Sailing Stones
The mysterious moving stones of the packed-mud desert of Death Valley have been a center of scientific controversy for decades. Rocks weighing up to hundreds of pounds have been known to move up to hundreds of yards at a time. Some scientists have proposed that a combination of strong winds and surface ice account for these movements. However, this theory does not explain evidence of different rocks starting side by side and moving at different rates and in disparate directions. Moreover, the physics calculations do not fully support this theory as wind speeds of hundreds of miles per hour would be needed to move some of the stones.
Ice Circles
A rare phenomenon usually only seen in
extremely cold countries, scientists generally accept that Ice Circles
are formed when surface ice gathers in the center of a body of water
rather than the edges. A slow moving river current can create a slow
turning eddy, which rotates, forming an ice disc. Very slowly the edges
are ground down until a gap is formed between the eddy and the
surrounding ice. These ice circles have been seen with diameters of over
500 feet and can also at times be found in clusters and groups at
different sizes.
Lunar Rainbows
This photo was actually produced using
long-exposure. However, if the conditions are just right, you can see
Lunar Rainbows with the naked eye, if you’re paying attention to the sky
opposite the moon. For once, the explanation is simple: Lunar Rainbows
work exactly like rainbows and appear whenever bright moonlight refracts
just so off of moisture in the air.
Grand Prismatic Spring
It’s the largest hot spring in the United
States. The colours of Yellowstone’s Grand Prismatic Spring are caused
by bacteria and microbes growing around the water’s edge.
Crystal Caves
These gypsum crystals in the Naica Mine
were formed over 500,000 years in underground hot springs.
Unfortunately, the caves are closed to the public (as they are super
toxic and dangerous).
Glow Worms
Glow worms, which are infact insects, are
bioluminescent animals common to New Zealand and Australia. A number of
caves are noted for their presence.
Tianzi Mountains
Found in the Hunan province of China, the
unique views from atop the Tianzi Mountains can be accessed by cable
car. These towers are naturally formed of quartzite sandstone pillars.
Double Rainbow
This is something we all know about, but
not everyone understands why it happens so I’ll explain it simply. So
what does it mean?!!! Sunlight reflects in a raindrop not once, but
twice, creating a secondary rainbow outside of the much brighter primary
arc. The best views of this phenomenon occur when the sky is still dark
with rain-clouds, as the gray background helps the much dimmer colours
of the secondary arc appear.
