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Nature loves to show its powers, and more often than not it’s awe-inspiring when it does. It reminds us again and again that we are in fact very small beings, incapable of ever fully mastering the natural world around us.
Here are 15 shots of natural phenomena which are difficult to believe actually exist until you’ve seen them with your own eyes.
Grüner See (The Green Lake)
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The Grüner See (or Green Lake) in Austria, with its incredibly clear emerald water, is constantly changing in size and depth. In winter it becomes merely a large puddle, with its floor barely 1-2 metres across.
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But in summer, its depth reaches 12 metres, and part of the park around it — with its footpaths, bridges and benches — becomes something similar to the lost world of Atlantis. It’s a fantastic place for divers.
The ’Giant Bear’ Shadow
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The Shadow of the Bear appears just two times a year in the mountains of North Carolina, USA, bringing with it large numbers of tourists. It can be seen only at the end of October through to the start of November and from the middle of February to the start of March, each day for no more than half an hour.
Cacoon Trees
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These fantasitcal cacoon trees appeared in Pakistan after terrible flooding in 2010. Millions of spiders climbed up into the trees to save themselves from the rising waters, braiding every inch of the foliage with their silky webs.
The Pink Lake
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Lake Hillier, located in south-west Australia, is perhaps one of the most impressive places on the planet. It retains its pink colour all year round regardless of temperature, and the water remains the same even when bottled. It’s believed the colour is the product of micro-organisms living in the water. Swimming in the lake is completely safe.
Goats in Argan Trees
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Pastures are the most ordinary thing you can see in the countryside of Morocco. It’s also perfectly ordinary to see whole heards of goats climbing the Argan trees which can be found in these pastures in order to feast on their fruit. This sight never fails to impress the tourists.
The Rainbow River
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The Caño Cristales river in Colombia looks just like any other in the first half of the year. But then, between June and December, it takes on a wondrous multicoloured hue. Various different kinds of algae, affected by the weather, turn shades of red, dark blue, yellow, orange and green. Locals refer to it as the River of Five Colours.
The migration of millions of crabs
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Every year, around 43 million land crabs on Christmas Island move to the ocean shores in order to lay their eggs. The local athuorities close the majority of the island’s roads for a week to allow them to make their migration.
The Blue Volcano
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The Ijen Volcano in Indonesia ejects flows of blue lava. This is the result of burning sulpher dioxide, which has a temperature of 600 degrees celsius.
The Moving Rocks of Death Valley
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In an uninhabited valley in the USA it’s possible to observe a truly unique geological phenomenon: fragments of rock move across the smooth soil seemingly of their own free will, leaving long traces behind them. Scientists have been studying the mysterious rocks since the 1970s. They have one major theory which seeks to explain what’s going on: the vortices which form over a nearby lake push the rocks along tiny pieces of ice which appear overnight.
The Waitomo Glowworm Caves
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Waitomo Glowworm Caves are one of the most captivating sights in New Zealand. Just imagine: you are sailing on a boat along a quiet underwater river, and the rock formations above you are thickly studded with turquoise constellations of fireflies. The impression is such that you feel like you’re travelling through the depths of the cosmos.
The Eye of the Sahara
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The so-called Eye of the Sahara, or the Richat Structure, is a geological formation 50 kilometres wide, which looks like a giant eye complete with an iris and pupil when viewed from space. It was once used as a reference point by astronauts, due to the fact it stands out so strikingly from the otherwise uniform African desert.
Fire Rainbows
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A fire rainbow is a rare optical effect when the rays of the sun are refracted through ice crystals in the clouds high above the earth. They can most often be seen in summer when the sun is high on the horizon.
Rotating Thunderstorms
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A rotating thunderstorn or supercell is a very rare, but extremely dangerous kind of storm, which forms when cold, dry air encounters tropical warm air. They are most widespread in the Great Plains of the USA, in the so-called Tornado Valley. From a safe distance they are an incredible sight.
The Martian Landscape of Namibia
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This of course isn’t a real Martian landscape, but it’s very similar. Mummified acacia trees stand against a background of the tallest sand dunes in the world, which have a bright orange colour. The trees have been completely dried out by their environment.
Giant Ice Caves
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Here are 15 shots of natural phenomena which are difficult to believe actually exist until you’ve seen them with your own eyes.
Grüner See (The Green Lake)
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You do not have permission to view the full content of this post. Log in or register now.
The Grüner See (or Green Lake) in Austria, with its incredibly clear emerald water, is constantly changing in size and depth. In winter it becomes merely a large puddle, with its floor barely 1-2 metres across.
You do not have permission to view the full content of this post. Log in or register now.
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But in summer, its depth reaches 12 metres, and part of the park around it — with its footpaths, bridges and benches — becomes something similar to the lost world of Atlantis. It’s a fantastic place for divers.
The ’Giant Bear’ Shadow
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The Shadow of the Bear appears just two times a year in the mountains of North Carolina, USA, bringing with it large numbers of tourists. It can be seen only at the end of October through to the start of November and from the middle of February to the start of March, each day for no more than half an hour.
Cacoon Trees
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These fantasitcal cacoon trees appeared in Pakistan after terrible flooding in 2010. Millions of spiders climbed up into the trees to save themselves from the rising waters, braiding every inch of the foliage with their silky webs.
The Pink Lake
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Lake Hillier, located in south-west Australia, is perhaps one of the most impressive places on the planet. It retains its pink colour all year round regardless of temperature, and the water remains the same even when bottled. It’s believed the colour is the product of micro-organisms living in the water. Swimming in the lake is completely safe.
Goats in Argan Trees
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Pastures are the most ordinary thing you can see in the countryside of Morocco. It’s also perfectly ordinary to see whole heards of goats climbing the Argan trees which can be found in these pastures in order to feast on their fruit. This sight never fails to impress the tourists.
The Rainbow River
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The Caño Cristales river in Colombia looks just like any other in the first half of the year. But then, between June and December, it takes on a wondrous multicoloured hue. Various different kinds of algae, affected by the weather, turn shades of red, dark blue, yellow, orange and green. Locals refer to it as the River of Five Colours.
The migration of millions of crabs
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Every year, around 43 million land crabs on Christmas Island move to the ocean shores in order to lay their eggs. The local athuorities close the majority of the island’s roads for a week to allow them to make their migration.
The Blue Volcano
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The Ijen Volcano in Indonesia ejects flows of blue lava. This is the result of burning sulpher dioxide, which has a temperature of 600 degrees celsius.
The Moving Rocks of Death Valley
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In an uninhabited valley in the USA it’s possible to observe a truly unique geological phenomenon: fragments of rock move across the smooth soil seemingly of their own free will, leaving long traces behind them. Scientists have been studying the mysterious rocks since the 1970s. They have one major theory which seeks to explain what’s going on: the vortices which form over a nearby lake push the rocks along tiny pieces of ice which appear overnight.
The Waitomo Glowworm Caves
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Waitomo Glowworm Caves are one of the most captivating sights in New Zealand. Just imagine: you are sailing on a boat along a quiet underwater river, and the rock formations above you are thickly studded with turquoise constellations of fireflies. The impression is such that you feel like you’re travelling through the depths of the cosmos.
The Eye of the Sahara
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The so-called Eye of the Sahara, or the Richat Structure, is a geological formation 50 kilometres wide, which looks like a giant eye complete with an iris and pupil when viewed from space. It was once used as a reference point by astronauts, due to the fact it stands out so strikingly from the otherwise uniform African desert.
Fire Rainbows
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A fire rainbow is a rare optical effect when the rays of the sun are refracted through ice crystals in the clouds high above the earth. They can most often be seen in summer when the sun is high on the horizon.
Rotating Thunderstorms
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A rotating thunderstorn or supercell is a very rare, but extremely dangerous kind of storm, which forms when cold, dry air encounters tropical warm air. They are most widespread in the Great Plains of the USA, in the so-called Tornado Valley. From a safe distance they are an incredible sight.
The Martian Landscape of Namibia
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This of course isn’t a real Martian landscape, but it’s very similar. Mummified acacia trees stand against a background of the tallest sand dunes in the world, which have a bright orange colour. The trees have been completely dried out by their environment.
Giant Ice Caves
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