The most unusual and rare natural phenomena. The most terrible phenomena in the world

In nature, there is a huge number of interesting and beautiful natural phenomena, some of them can be dangerous to humans, but this does not prevent them from being beautiful.

Perhaps one of the most unusual and spectacular phenomena on our planet is Polar Lights... This phenomenon occurs due to the fact that the Earth has a magnetosphere. When the solar wind meets the upper atmosphere of the planet, in the northern and south poles you can see bright dancing lights of different colors.

• Auroras are found on other planets that have a magnetosphere, planets such as Saturn and Jupiter also boast this phenomenon.

Volcanic lightning

This phenomenon occurs during the strongest volcanic eruptions. Before today, the origin of volcanic lightning remains a mystery to scientists. There are only two types of volcanic lightning. In the first case, these are small lightnings that occur near the crater, in the second, huge and powerful lightning that can be observed high in the ash cloud. Scientists believe that these two types of lightning have different origins.

It is believed that the nature of small lightning is electrical processes in magma. When in question about large lightning bolts high in the sky, it is believed that their nature is similar to ordinary lightning during a thunderstorm.

• There are two terms that characterize rocks and pieces of lava flying from a volcano during an eruption.

1. Lapilli(from Latin lapillus - pebble)- the so-called small stones and pieces of lava, thrown out during the eruption and then frozen in the air.

2. Volcanic bomb- in fact, the same as lapilli, only of a much larger size.

Unusual clouds

In nature, there are clouds that are very reminiscent of sea waves, they are called "Kelvin-Helmholtz clouds".

It is impossible not to tell about the beautiful clouds of Glory.

These clouds are formed in several pieces one after another and have many kilometers in length. Until now, scientists are unable to explain the origin of clouds of this type.

In addition to wavy and roll-shaped clouds, there are Jacques Cousteau's lenticular or lenticular clouds.

Perhaps the most unusual and interesting clouds are the Asperatus clouds.

• Asperatus clouds are so rare that they were only classified in 2009.

Migrations of red crabs in Australia

This phenomenon can be observed on Christmas Island - 120 million crabs migrate to the Indian Ocean for breeding.

The whole process has its own specific cycle. At the very beginning, the males dig special burrows for mating, after mating, the males leave the females and begin their return journey. After two weeks, the females begin to spawn, after which they also begin to move in the opposite direction.

In order not to have a bad effect on the red crab population, Australia has adopted special program to block roads during the required period.

Natural geysers

By themselves, geysers are a rather rare phenomenon, in total there are about 1000 of them. hot water with hot steam is difficult to describe, as it is a very exciting natural phenomenon.

This is how a geyser erupts

Monarch butterfly migration

There is no need to argue to say that the monarch butterfly migration is one of the most beautiful phenomena on the planet.

To achieve its goal, the butterfly needs to overcome 3200 km, but none of these butterflies can do this, therefore, butterflies cover this distance in several generations.

- a gas crater in Turkmenistan. Locals and travelers call it the "Door to the Underworld" or "The Gates of Hell". It was ignited by scientists in 1971 and has never stopped burning since then.

It is located 90 km from the village of Erbent. The crater has a diameter of approximately 60 meters and a depth of approximately 20 meters.

2. Black Sun of Denmark- more than a million European starlings gather in huge flocks, creating unusual patterns in the air and practically blocking out the sun. it amazing phenomenon can be seen in Denmark in early spring- everywhere in the marshy, western part of the country. However, the largest flocks of starlings congregate in the south of Jutland. Aerial bird ballet can be seen at sunset.

3. In Morocco, you can see trees "decorated" with live goats, like Christmas decorations... Dry and hot climate, as well as the sparse vegetation of these places, make the goats, showing the wonders of acrobatics, skillfully balance on the branches and collect the fruits of the trees.

4. Lifeless landscapes of Lake Natron in northern Tanzania resemble surreal alien landscapes. A salt-crusty lake can change color throughout the year. As a result of the vital activity of microorganisms - halophilic cyanobacteria living in Natron - the water acquires juicy reddish and pinkish tints several times a year. As the temperature rises, the bacteria release a red pigment, coloring the lake.

5. Tidal waves (or "Bor") in the Amazon in Brazil and the Severn in England, it is a phenomenon in which the leading edge of the tide forms a wave that rises up the river against the current. Surfing enthusiasts often use the boron to ride the board.

6. Lenticular (lenticular) clouds- a unique natural phenomenon. These clouds usually form around hills and mountains. They look very peculiar and look like giant flying saucers or a stack of pancakes. Many famous mountains around the world have often been photographed with a cap of these clouds, including Mount Shasta and Mount Fuji.

Lenticular clouds appear completely motionless, as if frozen in time. In fact, this is not the case. The clouds seem to be motionless as the flow humid air constantly replenishing the clouds from the windward side, while the moisture evaporates and disappears from the leeward side, leaving clouds of a characteristic lenticular shape.

7. Frosty flowers Are ice crystals formed on young ice in cold waters. As a rule, they are formed when low temperatures and with almost no wind.

8. Rishat (Guell Er-Rishat, also known as the Eye of the Sahara)- a geological formation located in the Mauritanian part of the Sahara Desert. The diameter of the structure is 50 km.

There are many different opinions about the origin of this amazing natural phenomenon. According to one version, the "eye" was formed as a result of a meteorite falling. Some scholars believe that it arose as a result of underground nuclear explosions... However, it is worth noting that for the formation of such a funnel, the explosion must have a power of one gigaton. Currently, no other country in the world possesses weapons of such incredible destructive power.

9. Lightning Catatumbo- a natural phenomenon that occurs above the confluence of the Katatumbo River into Lake Maracaibo (this is the largest salt Lake Venezuela). The phenomenon is expressed in the appearance of a glow at an altitude of about five kilometers without accompanying acoustic effects. Lightning occurs at night (140-160 times a year), the discharges last about 10 hours. Lightning flashes up to 280 times per hour. This adds up to about 1.2 million discharges per year.

10. Mysterious circles under water discovered in 1995 near Japanese island Amamioshima in the East China Sea looks like something alien. The creator of these drawings is the puffer fish, which creates them for the sake of attracting a female.

11. Very rarely in the sky you can observe a striking kind of clouds, the informal name of which sounds like undulatus asperatus (from Latin - "wavy-bumpy"; also asperatus, asperatus). In 2009 it was proposed to classify them as the new kind clouds, but it was impossible to do, because even today they are still insufficiently studied. Despite their formidable appearance, they are by no means the harbingers of the storm.

12. Blooming Chilean Atacama Desert... Usually in this desert there is practically no rainfall all year round. However, this year, a historically record downpour has gone through the region. The rainfall was so intense that a catastrophic flood began. The rains awakened flower seeds that had been dormant for years. Such blooms are very rare and occur approximately once every 5-10 years.

13. Round-horizontal arc or near-horizontal arc — optical phenomenon originating from the fact that sunlight passes through ice crystals in the upper cirrus clouds. This is quite rare, but it happens most of the time on a summer day when the sun is high in the sky. This creates a rainbow effect directly in the clouds filled with ice crystals.

14. Creeping or moving stones- a geological phenomenon discovered on the dried up Lake Racetrack Playa in Death Valley in the United States. The stones move without any participation of humans or animals, however, the movement itself has never been seen or recorded on camera.

15. Eternal Flame Falls in the heart of Chestnut Ridge Park in New York... You can always see a burning fire inside the waterfall. The phenomenon of this phenomenon is explained by the fact that there is a natural gas leak under the waterfall, and a fire always burns at this point. The fire is actually not "eternal", that is, it goes out from time to time. It is often rekindled by a tourist who finds that the flames have gone out.

16. Magic circles in the Namibian desert are one of greatest secrets nature. In the north, the circles reach a diameter of 50 meters, in the south - up to three. At first they talked about UFOs, then they "blamed" the termites for everything, which supposedly eat the roots of plants under the ground. However, no evidence was presented.

Some scientists argue that the circles are due to the self-organization of the grass. This hypothesis was proved based on a similar phenomenon discovered in Western Australia.

17. Giant's Causeway (Giant's Trail) in Northern Ireland- a natural monument of about 40,000 interconnected basalt (less often andesite) columns formed as a result of an ancient volcanic eruption.

18. Great Blue Hole off the coast of Belize is a round karst sinkhole with a diameter of 305 meters, going to a depth of 120 meters.

The blue hole became famous thanks to French researcher Jacques-Yves Cousteau, who included her in the list of 10 best places in the diving world.

19. Mysterious boulders of Moeraki scattered along Koekohe Beach near the fishing village of Moeraki in the Otago region of South Island New Zealand. In total, several hundred boulders are scattered along the Koekohe beach on an area of ​​about three hundred meters. Some of them lie on land, on a sandy shore, and some in the sea.

New Zealanders have various anti-scientific theories regarding the appearance of these boulders. One of them says that these are fossilized dinosaur eggs. In another version, their appearance is attributed to aliens who landed on our planet, but then left it due to the harsh climate, leaving behind huge round eggs that have petrified over time. And according to the legends of the Polynesian Maori people, these are baskets of food and pumpkins left after the wreck of a large sailing canoe Arai Te Uru.

As determined by detailed analysis using optical instruments, X-rays and electron probe microscopes, boulders are composed of sand, silt and clay cemented with calcite.

20. Millions of red crabs migrate to Australian Christmas Island every year. from rainforest located in the central part of the land, on the coast of the Indian Ocean for breeding. Migration takes place between mid-October and January, during the mating season. There is no exact date of migration, it all depends on the beginning of the wet season.

To keep the crabs safe, special fences are built along the roads, as well as special underground ones. At the peak of migration, certain roads are blocked and signs are installed that notify about the migration.

Ancient man respected and revered nature as a deity. No wonder, because the primitive brain was often unable to explain some natural phenomena and perceived them as a miracle. Modern people try to find a rational explanation for everything they see, but the most unusual and rare natural phenomena still boggle the imagination, delight, or even frighten.

Top most unusual natural phenomena

Lights of Saint Elmo

A unique natural phenomenon that was first noticed and described by sailors. It was they who from time to time observed beautiful glowing balls or tassels on the masts and other vertical objects of their ships. Of course, earlier this spectacle was perceived as a miracle and promised success to sailors, because Saint Elm is the patron saint of seafarers. However, in our time, St. Elmo's lights have an explanation.

These light sources are due to high voltage electric field... Accordingly, most often these lights can be seen during a thunderstorm, blizzard or storm. In our time, these lights are also observed on the skin of aircraft, which fell into a cloud of volcanic ash. Sometimes this phenomenon can damage even various electrical appliances.

Biconvex clouds

Biconvex clouds are a stunningly beautiful sight. Most often they can be seen around mountains and high peaked hills. At first glance, such clouds resemble huge flying saucers, lenses or berets. Quite often, this phenomenon is observed in the area of ​​the Shasta and Fujiyama mountains. This is because there is a special way of moving air in these areas.

By the way, biconvex clouds look frozen and motionless. So they can "hover" over the mountain for several days in a row, while the wind or changed weather will not make them dissipate.

Polar Lights

Sometimes the aurora is called "northern lights". It is considered to be one of the most beautiful spectacles in the world. You can only contemplate this beauty in northern regions close to the poles. As a rule, auroras are bluish in color, less often you can see auroras that shimmer with all the colors of the rainbow.

This effect arises due to the processes that occur in upper layers atmosphere, when charged particles pass near the lines of force of the earth's geomagnetic field. Aurora is observed on average from several hours to several days.

Mirages

This phenomenon can shock even a person with a strong psyche. And this is despite the fact that the nature of mirages has long been scientifically substantiated. And nevertheless, until now, the mystical meaning is attributed to mirages. But in fact, this is only an optical illusion and a special optical effect, which is achieved due to the change in the density of the heated air along the vertical. When certain conditions are met, “visions” appear on the horizon.

One of the varieties of the mirage is Fata Morgana. This is a very complex optical phenomenon that is extremely rare. Fata Morgana includes several forms of mirages that are repeatedly distorted and quickly replace each other. This creates bizarre pictures that can drive any traveler crazy.

Gloria

Gloria is an optical effect that can be observed if you make a fire at night in the mountains. At the same time, the weather should be with low clouds. If the conditions coincide, a kind of "halo" will appear above your head, and on the clouds you will be able to make out your own shadow.

This natural effect was especially sensitive in the East. Here gloria is called "the light of the Buddha." It has long been believed that the appearance of a colored halo around the shadow of a person is evidence of his closeness to the Buddha.

Ball lightning

Each of us observed the usual linear lightning, which is accompanied by thunder. However, it is not so common to "meet" ball lightning or fireball. A very rare phenomenon, on average, only about 2-3 ball lightning falls per thousand ordinary lightning. The ball, ranging in color from yellow to scarlet, hovers in the air for a few seconds in an irregular trajectory and disappears.

It happens that such "guests" appear in homes or airplanes. Scientists have not yet been able to name the exact cause of the occurrence and characterize this phenomenon.

The most unusual natural phenomenon in the world: a fire tornado

One of the most unusual and, at the same time, deadly phenomenon is a fiery tornado. This is a process in the atmosphere when several scattered fires are combined into one powerful tornado. At the same time, the air masses above the tornado are heated and become less dense, which allows fire element climb up, burning everything in its path. The tornado can reach a height of about 5 kilometers! The pressure of hot air reaches hurricane speeds, and the temperature rises to 1000 degrees Celsius. Everything in the area is "sucked in" by the fire.

Fortunately, this phenomenon is quite rare. However, every appearance of a fiery whirlwind remained in the annals of history. These are the Great London Fire of 1666, the fire in Moscow in 1812, the Great Chicago Fire of 1871 and other terrible cases of the rampage of the fire element.

Not only natural phenomena can be beautiful, but also the creations of human hands. ...
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Hazardous natural phenomena mean extreme climatic or meteorological phenomena that occur naturally in one or another point of the planet. In some regions, such hazards may appear with greater frequency and destructive force than in others. Dangerous natural phenomena develop into natural disasters when the infrastructure created by civilization is destroyed and people themselves die.

1. Earthquakes

Among all natural hazards, the first place should be given to earthquakes. In places of ruptures of the earth's crust, tremors occur, which cause vibrations of the earth's surface with the release of gigantic energy. The arising seismic waves are transmitted over very long distances, although the greatest destructive force these waves have earthquakes at the epicenter. Due to strong vibrations earth surface there are massive destruction of buildings.
Since there are quite a few earthquakes, and the earth's surface is rather densely built up, the total number of people in history who died as a result of earthquakes exceeds the number of all victims of other natural disasters and is estimated in many millions. For example, over the past decade around the world from earthquakes killed about 700 thousand people. Entire settlements collapsed instantly from the most destructive aftershocks. Japan is the most earthquake-hit country, and one of the most catastrophic earthquakes happened there in 2011. The epicenter of this earthquake was in the ocean near the island of Honshu, according to the Richter scale, the strength of the tremors reached 9.1 points. Powerful aftershocks and the ensuing devastating tsunami disabled the nuclear power plant in Fukushima, destroying three of the four power units. The radiation covered a large area around the station, making densely populated areas so valuable in Japan's conditions uninhabitable. The tsunami wave of colossal force turned into mash what could not be destroyed by the earthquake. Only over 16 thousand people officially died, to which one can safely count another 2.5 thousand, who are considered missing. Only in this century devastating earthquakes took place in Indian Ocean, Iran, Chile, Haiti, Italy, Nepal.

2. Tsunami waves

A specific water disaster in the form of tsunami waves often results in numerous casualties and catastrophic destruction. As a result of underwater earthquakes or shifts of tectonic plates in the ocean, very fast, but subtle waves appear, which grow into huge waves as they approach the coast and go into shallow water. Most often, tsunamis occur in areas with increased seismic activity. A huge mass of water, quickly approaching the shore, blows everything in its path, picks it up with it and carries it deep into the coast, and then carries it back into the ocean with a return current. People who are unable to feel, like animals, danger, often do not notice the approach of a deadly wave, and when they do, it is too late.
Tsunami usually dies more people than from the earthquake that caused it (the most recent in Japan). In 1971, the most powerful of the observed tsunamis occurred there, the wave of which rose 85 meters at a speed of about 700 km / h. But the most catastrophic was the tsunami observed in the Indian Ocean (the source is an earthquake off the coast of Indonesia), which claimed the lives of about 300 thousand people along a large part of the Indian Ocean coast.

A tornado (in America this phenomenon is called a tornado) is a fairly stable atmospheric vortex, most often appearing in thunderclouds. He's a visa ...

3. Volcanic eruption

Throughout its history, mankind has remembered many catastrophic volcanic eruptions. When the pressure of magma exceeds the strength of the earth's crust in the most weak points, which are volcanoes, it ends with an explosion and outpouring of lava. But the lava itself is not so much dangerous, from which you can simply leave, as the incandescent pyroclastic gases rushing from the mountain, permeated here and there by lightning, as well as the noticeable influence of the strongest eruptions on the climate.
Volcanologists count about half a thousand dangerous active volcanoes, several sleeping supervolcanoes, not counting thousands of extinct ones. So, during the eruption of the Tambor volcano in Indonesia, the surrounding lands were plunged into darkness for two days, 92 thousand inhabitants died, and they felt a cold snap even in Europe and America.
A list of some of the strongest volcanic eruptions:

• Laki volcano (Iceland, 1783). As a result of that eruption, a third of the island's population died - 20 thousand inhabitants. The eruption lasted for 8 months, during which flows of lava and liquid mud erupted from volcanic cracks. Geysers have become more active than ever. It was almost impossible to live on the island at that time. The crops were destroyed and even the fish disappeared, leaving the survivors starving and suffering intolerable living conditions. This is possibly the longest eruption in human history.
• Tambora volcano (Indonesia, Sumbawa island, 1815). When the volcano exploded, the sound of this explosion spread over 2 thousand kilometers. Even the remote islands of the archipelago were covered with ashes, 70 thousand people died from the eruption. But today Tambor is one of the highest mountains in Indonesia, preserving volcanic activity.
• Volcano Krakatoa (Indonesia, 1883). 100 years after Tambora, Indonesia experienced another catastrophic eruption, this time “blowing the roof off” (literally) of the Krakatoa volcano. After the catastrophic explosion that destroyed the volcano itself, frightening rumbles were heard for another two months. A huge amount of rocks, ash and hot gases was thrown into the atmosphere. The eruption was followed by a powerful tsunami with wave heights up to 40 meters. These two natural disasters together they killed 34 thousand islanders, along with the island itself.
• Volcano Santa Maria (Guatemala, 1902). After a 500-year hibernation in 1902, this volcano woke up again, starting the 20th century with the most catastrophic eruption, as a result of which a one and a half kilometer crater was formed. In 1922, Santa Maria reminded of herself again - this time the eruption itself was not too strong, but a cloud of hot gases and ash brought deaths to 5 thousand people.

4. Tornadoes

Throughout the history of mankind, the strongest earthquakes have repeatedly inflicted colossal damage to people and were the cause of a huge number of casualties among the population ...

The tornado is a very impressive natural phenomenon, especially in the USA, where it is called a tornado. This is an air flow spiraling into a funnel. Small tornadoes resemble slender narrow pillars, and giant tornadoes can resemble a mighty carousel directed towards the sky. The closer to the funnel, the stronger the wind speed, it begins to carry with it more and more large objects, up to cars, wagons and light buildings. In the "tornado alley" of the United States, entire city blocks are often destroyed, people die. The most powerful vortices of the F5 category reach a speed of about 500 km / h in the center. Alabama is hit hardest by tornadoes every year.

There is a kind of firestorm that sometimes occurs in the area of ​​massive fires. There, from the heat of the flame, powerful ascending currents are formed, which begin to twist into a spiral, like an ordinary tornado, only this one is filled with flame. As a result, a powerful thrust is formed near the surface of the earth, from which the flame grows even more and incinerates everything around. When a catastrophic earthquake struck Tokyo in 1923, it caused massive fires, which led to the formation of a firestorm that rose 60 meters. The column of fire moved towards the square with frightened people and in a few minutes burned 38 thousand people.

5. Sandstorms

This phenomenon occurs in sandy deserts when a strong wind rises. Sand, dust and soil particles rise sufficiently great height, forming a cloud, drastically reducing visibility. If an unprepared traveler gets into such a storm, he may die from grains of sand falling into his lungs. Herodotus described history as 525 BC. NS. in the Sahara, a sandstorm buried a 50,000-strong army alive. In Mongolia in 2008, 46 people died as a result of this natural phenomenon, and a year earlier, two hundred people were subjected to the same fate.

Occasionally, tsunami waves appear in the ocean. They are very insidious - they are completely invisible in the open ocean, but as soon as they approach the coastal shelf, g ...

6. Avalanches

From the snow-capped mountain peaks periodically descend avalanches... Climbers especially often suffer from them. During the First World War, up to 80 thousand people died from avalanches in the Tyrolean Alps. In 1679, half a thousand people died from snow melting in Norway. In 1886, a major disaster struck, as a result of which the "white death" claimed 161 lives. The records of the Bulgarian monasteries also mention the human victims of snow avalanches.

7. Hurricanes

In the Atlantic they are called hurricanes, and in Pacific typhoons. These are huge atmospheric vortices, in the center of which the most strong winds and sharply low blood pressure. Several years ago, the devastating hurricane Katrina swept over the United States, from which Louisiana and the densely populated New Orleans, located at the mouth of the Mississippi, were particularly affected. 80% of the city's territory was flooded, 1,836 people died. Famous devastating hurricanes have also become:

• Hurricane Ike (2008). The diameter of the vortex was over 900 km, and in its center the wind was blowing at a speed of 135 km / h. In the 14 hours that the cyclone moved through the United States, it managed to inflict destruction of $ 30 billion.
• Hurricane Wilma (2005). It is the largest Atlantic cyclone in the history of meteorological observations. The cyclone, which originated in the Atlantic, made landfall several times. The amount of damage caused to them amounted to $ 20 billion, 62 people died.
• Typhoon Nina (1975) This typhoon was able to break through the Chinese Banqiao Dam, leading to the collapse of the dams below and catastrophic flooding. The typhoon killed up to 230 thousand Chinese.

8. Tropical cyclones

These are the same hurricanes, but in tropical and subtropical waters, which are huge atmospheric systems of low pressure with winds and thunderstorms, often exceeding a thousand kilometers in diameter. Near the surface of the earth, winds in the center of the cyclone can reach speeds of over 200 km / h. Low pressure and wind cause the formation of a coastal storm surge - when colossal masses of water are thrown onto the shore at high speed, washing away everything in its path.

Environmental disasters have their own specifics - during them not a single person may die, but a very significant one will be inflicted ...

9. Landslide

Prolonged rains can cause landslides. The soil swells, loses its stability and slides down, taking with it everything that is on the surface of the earth. Most often, landslides occur in the mountains. In 1920, China suffered the most destructive landslide, under which 180 thousand people were buried. Other examples:

• Bududa (Uganda, 2010). The mudflows killed 400 people, and 200 thousand had to be evacuated.
• Sichuan (China, 2008). Avalanches, landslides and mudflows caused by an 8-point earthquake claimed 20 thousand lives.
• Leite (Philippines, 2006). The downpour caused a mudflow and landslide that killed 1,100 people.
• Vargas (Venezuela, 1999). Mudflows and landslides after showers (almost 1000 mm of precipitation fell in 3 days) on the northern coast led to the death of almost 30 thousand people.

10. Ball lightning

We are accustomed to ordinary linear lightning, accompanied by thunder, but ball lightning is much rarer and more mysterious. The nature of this phenomenon is electrical, but scientists cannot yet give a more accurate description of ball lightning. It is known that it can have different sizes and shapes, most often these are yellowish or reddish luminous spheres. For unknown reasons, fireballs often ignore the laws of mechanics. Most often, they appear before a thunderstorm, although they can appear in absolutely clear weather, as well as indoors or in the cockpit of an aircraft. The luminous ball hovers in the air with a slight hiss, then it can start moving in any direction. Over time, it seems to shrink until it disappears at all or explodes with a crash. But the damage ball lightning can bring very limited.

Green sunsets and sunrises

it rare photo is an illustration meteorological phenomenon, which occurs for a couple of seconds during sunset and sunrise. The conditions for this must be ideal for light to refract in the atmosphere and the sun turns green.

Gate to Hell, Turkmenistan

From the crater of the volcano Darvaza, also called "the gate to hell", gas enters the surface of the Earth. A bright fire has been burning since 1971, when it was lit. A similar fire burned in Iraq for 4000 years, which was even mentioned in the Old Testament.

Volcanic thunderstorm

This phenomenon in nature is similar to an ordinary thunderstorm, accompanied by volcanic eruptions... It sounds intimidating, but it's an amazing sight.

Round stones, New Zealand

Moeraki Boulders - huge round debris rock that can be seen on the banks of the Koekohe. Such stones are found in many places in the world, including on the islands of our Arctic.

Eternal Thunderstorm, Venezuela

At the mouth of the Catatumbo River in Venezuela, you can observe a rare accumulation of thunderclouds, which form such a phenomenon as the Catatumbo Thunderstorm. Here, thunderstorms and lightning can be enjoyed about 180 nights a year, 10 hours a day.

Great Blue Hole, Belize

Huge underwater holes were formed during ice age when the sea level was much lower than it is today and the sea floor was exposed to the elements. The huge holes were created by erosion, but the holes stopped growing after filling them with water.

Steam Towers, Iceland

The area around Hvevir is extremely active. Ghostly towers of steam rise from hot gullies in swamps and on the surface of the earth. In combination with northern lights all this looks like the landscapes of an alien planet.

Ice caves

Ice caves are structures that form at the edges of a glacier when exposed to water. The cave is washed out with water. The thick layer of perennial ice contains too little air and does not transmit any light other than blue, which gives the ice such a unique hue.

Basalt columns

These columns are so perfect that one can hardly believe that they are not the work of human hands. Millions of years ago, everything here was flooded with lava, which cooled down over time and began to split off, so today we can contemplate this amazing phenomenon.

Fiery rainbow

A fiery rainbow can be observed when light is reflected in ice crystals in clouds on high altitude... This phenomenon can be so extensive that it often stretches along the entire horizon.

Endless wave

Pororoca is a wave that runs along the coast of the Amazon for 800 kilometers. Usually it is 3 to 4 meters high. The longest wave in the world comes twice a year, in February or March, when the tides of the Atlantic Ocean reach the mouth of the Amazon. The Brazilian surfer set a record by riding 13 kilometers on his board in 37 minutes.

Migration of butterflies, USA and Mexico

Monarch butterflies are usually beautiful, black and orange creatures, but when they start migrating, miracles begin to happen in the sky. As temperatures begin to drop in October, the monarchs set off on their journey to Mexico. They have to overcome about 4000 kilometers. Butterflies can cover trees with a whole layer during their journey.

Nacreous clouds, Arctic

These unique clouds are very rare, as there is usually not enough moisture in the stratosphere to form clouds. But during extremely cold winters, enough moisture accumulates, so that clouds can form at an altitude of about 20 km.

Sardine run, South Africa

Sardines take their turn every year from May to July. Billions of cold-water fish swim from Cape Point to the east coast of South Africa. The schools of fish are so gigantic that they can be seen from a satellite. Shoals 8 km long, one and a half kilometers wide and 30 meters deep are not uncommon.

Blooming Desert, Chile

Every other year, the Atacama Desert blooms. A magnificent transformation can be observed after heavy rains that awaken the grains of plants deep under the sand.

Lenticular clouds over mountains

Clouds of this shape form in humid air in the mountains. Because of their shape, they are often confused with UFOs.

Migration of crabs, Christmas Island

In October and November, crabs that live on Christmas Island begin their journey to the ocean for mating. For about 18 days, traffic on the island stops, because all the streets are covered with a red carpet of crabs.

Kliluk, Spotted Lake, Canada

When the water rises in this lake, which is located near the Canadian town of Osoyo (British Columbia), minerals form bizarre round shapes and the lake looks absolutely incredible. Each circle has its own color, which depends on the amount of minerals in the lake.

Underwater circles, Japan

These strange shapes are at the bottom of the sea, not in the fields. They are approximately 2 meters wide and cover the bottom of the Sea of ​​Japan. Each circle has its own shape. Until recently, the reason for the appearance of these circles was unknown, but, surprisingly, the puffer fish was to blame for everything. Puffer males, despite their size (no more than 13 cm), draw such fields to attract females.

Frozen methane bubbles

Methane bubbles result from decomposition different organisms at the bottom of the reservoir. Methane rises upward and freezes below the surface. However, you should not play with matches if such a bubble is opened.

Witch's circles, Namibia

Witch's circles are called spots on sandy soil that appear on the pastures of Africa. If you fly from Angola to South Africa, you can observe thousands of such spots up to 9 meters in diameter. Scientists believe that this is the fault of the termites living under the spots and eating the roots of plants.

Fluorescent Waves, Vaadu, Maldives

The shine of the waves is given by phytoplankton, which glows in the dark. The Milky Way along the beach is simply incomparable.

Udder clouds

Similar clouds form under normal clouds. This rare phenomenon occurs as a result of the mixing of air and clouds with different humidity, with heavier clouds hanging under lighter ones.

Salt lakes

Some lakes are so salty that animals caught in the water are covered with a layer of lime, freeze and turn to stone.

Undulating clouds

Undulatus asperatus (undulating clouds) are so rare that they were only classified in 2009. We know little about them, in fact, what they fascinate.

Fire Falls Horsetail Fall

Horsetail Fall - a seasonal waterfall on Mount El Capitan's quarry national park Yosemite. And the fiery waterfall is a very rare phenomenon that can be seen only for a few days in February, when the temperature and weather are suitable for this phenomenon. The sun is reflected in the water and this is a glowing orange effect.

Rainbow Eucalyptus, Hawaii

Rainbow eucalyptus trees have their own special color, as if the artist painted them in different colors: green, orange, purple, blue, brown. In fact, the reason is simple: the tree loses its bark in different time a year. The bark-free parts age in different ways, which is what causes the color.

Striped icebergs, Antarctica

Beautiful blue streaks on icebergs occur when a crack in an iceberg fills with water and it has time to freeze without bubbles. The green stripes are made up of algae that adhere to the iceberg in the water. Brown, yellow and black stripes are various kinds of deposits, "trapped" by the iceberg on its way.

Snow colors, Arctic

These unusual flower fields form on a thin layer of sea ice, when the air in the atmosphere is much colder than sea ice. When warmer and more humid air interacts with cold air, such beautiful crystals are obtained.

Snow chimneys, Arctic

Mofetts are called vents through which the vapor of the volcano comes to the surface. Once the vapor leaves the vent, it freezes and forms like massive pipes around the vent.

Glowing pillars, Russia

These pillars can be enjoyed in the extremely cold regions of Russia. They natural origin, are formed by the light of the moon or the sun. Light reflects off very flat and smooth ice crystals.

Moving stones, Death Valley, USA

These stones weighing up to 350 kg move through the dry desert without human or animal interference.

Maelstrom Maelstrom

These gigantic eddies occur when two sea currents meet. The current is so strong it can drown small boats, let alone swimmers. The largest whirlpool is called "Saltstraumen" and is located off the coast of Norway.

Icy hair

This strange ice is soft and, as the name suggests, looks like hair that grows from plants. The bacterium "Pseudomonas syringae" is the cause of this rare phenomenon. It raises the freezing point of the water inside the plants and when the water leaves the plant and meets the cold air, this ice-cold hair occurs.