20 natural phenomena that are unique and beautiful (21 photos)

The age of humanity compared to the age of the universe is negligible small So it is not surprising that we still have not known all its secrets. Take, for example, the fact that less than 10% of the oceans have been explored so far ... And yet many unique natural phenomena have already been well studied! let's Let's take a look at the most famous ones.





1. "Gates of Hell" or "Door to Hell"



This is Darvaza, a gas crater in Turkmenistan, which was set on fire in 1971, so that escaping gases do not poison people and livestock. It was supposed that the fire will quickly go out, but it continues to blaze for more than 50 years old. Last year, the President of Turkmenistan ordered to put out the Gates of Hell, but, according to geologists, this is not an easy task.

2. Murmuration or "Black Sun"





You may have seen something similar before. flocks of starlings get together, sometimes 50,000 birds or more, and create these dynamic three-dimensional "pictures" in the sky.

3. "Enchanted River"



On the Philippine island of Mindanao there is a small river called Enchanted or Bewitched. The water in it is amazingly blue, sapphire color and crystal transparency, and the river originates in deep underground cave.

4. Lake Natron



Lake Natron is a salty alkaline lake in Tanzania with a reddish tint, rich in minerals and hot springs. This is the only regular breeding ground in East Africa for 2.5 million flamingos.

5. Unique tidal waves



In several places on Earth, local landscapes and tides become cause a phenomenon called a tidal wave. It is formed when huge masses of water fall into a narrow river bed. Yes, tidal waves occur on the rivers Amazon in Brazil and Severn in England.

6. Lenticular clouds



This is a lenticular (lenticular) cloud. It's a lens-shaped cloud which is formed in the troposphere. Because of the shape, many people mistake take them for UFOs.

7. Frost flowers



These are deposits of small ice crystals, the groups of which often resemble tree leaves or flowers. They are formed on warm soil as a result of a sharp cold snap following a prolonged warming period, usually in autumn time. Most often found on young sea ice and thin lake ice.

8. Structure Richat or "Eye of the Sahara"



An unusual geological phenomenon located in the middle of the Sahara Desert. The diameter reaches 50 kilometers. Until now, scientists do not have a single version the origin of this place. There are only assumptions at the level of hypotheses, such as an asteroid impact or natural erosion.

9. Lightning Catatumbo



Incredible beauty and power spectacle. Lightning Catatumbo - natural a phenomenon occurring over the confluence of the Catatumbo River into the lake Maracaibo (Venezuela). Multiple lightning bolts that can be seen there 140-160 nights a year, for 10 hours per night and up to 280 times per hour.

10. Circles at the bottom of the ocean



These underwater circles on the ocean floor off the coast of Japan look like something alien. The real explanation is not so cool, but it is true. These Pufferfish males "draw" circles, trying to attract a female.

11. Asperatus clouds



This phenomenon is called asperatus (Undulatus asperatus) and is known as the scariest clouds. The name translates as "rough" or "wavy-bumpy". The shape of the clouds resemble foaming sea waves.

12. "Flowering Desert" (Atacama Desert)



This place in Chile is called one of the most beautiful on Earth. It known as the Blooming Desert (desierto florido), and is usually here less than 12 mm of precipitation falls annually. However, when it rains unusually strong, the whole desert blooms overnight.

13. Fire rainbow



Circumhorizontal arcs (also called fire rainbows) occur when an ice halo is formed by lamellar crystals ice in high-level cirrus clouds.

14. Sailing stones (Moving stones)



Sailing stones are found in Death Valley in the USA. These are the stones that travel along the smooth bottom of the valley and leave long tracks without human or animal intervention.

15. "Waterfall of the Eternal Flame" in Chestnut Ridge Park



Natural fires can be seen around the world, which burning constantly due to the gas seeping through the soil. But the waterfall The eternal flame in Chestnut Ridge Park (New York State) is different from the others. There, the flame is burning inside the waterfall, and it looks amazing.

16. Wonderful circles of Namibia ("Witch circles", "Magic circles")



The mysterious circles of Namibia are one of the greatest mysteries of nature, and local legend says that these are the footprints of the gods. Interestingly, circles can disappear and reappear for no apparent reason.

17. Road of Giants



Giant's Causeway is a structure in Northern Ireland, consisting of more than than 40,000 basalt columns. It was formed after the ancient volcanic eruption.

18. Great blue hole



A large blue hole is located off the coast of Belize. It is located in center of Lighthouse Reef, an atoll in the Belize Barrier Reef. it round karst funnel with a diameter of 300 meters, going to a depth of 124 meters.

19. Moeraki Boulders



On Koekohe Beach on the southeast coast of South New Island Zealand lie several hundred spherical boulders, similar to stone balls. Their diameter is from 0.5 to 2.2 m. From the point of view of science, this concretions recovered from Paleocene mudstone as a result of water erosion. Similar boulders are found in several other places on Earth.

20 Red Crab Migration



Every year on the Australian island of Christmas, you can observe unique natural phenomenon: about 43 million land crabs migrate from the rainforest to the coast to lay their eggs in ocean. At this time, the authorities close most of the island's roads, which takes at least a week.