Ice Circles
An ice circle is a rare phenomenon that occurs in slow moving water in cold climates. It consists of large discs of ice that rotate slowly in the
water. It is believed that they form in eddy currents. Ice circles have most frequently been observed in Scandinavia and North America, but one was
recorded in Britain in January 2009. Ice circles occur at bends in the river where the accelerating water creates a force called ‘rotational
shear’, which breaks off a chunk of ice and twists it around. As the disc rotates, it grinds against surrounding ice — smoothing into a perfect
circle.
Red Tides
Red tide is a common name for a phenomenon more correctly known as an algal bloom (large concentrations of microorganisms), an event in which
estuarine, marine, or fresh water algae accumulate rapidly in the water column and results in discoloration of the surface water. It is usually found
in coastal areas. When the algae are present in high concentrations, the water appears to be discoloured or murky, varying in colour from purple to
almost pink, normally being red or green. Not all algal blooms are dense enough to cause water discolouration, and not all discoloured waters
associated with algal blooms are red.
Columnar Basalt
Columnar Basalts are rock formations resulting from the quick cooling of lava flow. Fractures form in a random cellular network (similar to soap
bubbles, organic cells, etc.), though the average distribution of sides is six, giving the hexagonal structures an eerie man-made appearance. Perhaps
the most famous basalt flow in the world is the Giant’s Causeway in Northern Ireland, in which the vertical joints form polygonal columns and give
the impression of having been artificially constructed.
Sun Dogs
A sun dog is a particular type of ice halo. It is a colored patch of light to the left or right of the sun, 22 (or more) degrees distant and at
the same distance above the horizon as the sun. It is the most commonly or second most commonly seen of the ice halos. Sundogs can be seen anywhere in
the world during any season. In Europe or USA they might be seen 1-2 times a week but not always obviously bright. They are best seen and at their
most conspicuous when the sun is low. They are not rainbows.
Moeraki Boulders
The Moeraki Boulders are unusually large and spherical boulders lying along a stretch of Koekohe Beach on the wave cut Otago coast of New Zealand
between Moeraki and Hampden. They occur scattered either as isolated or clusters of boulders within a stretch of beach where they have been protected
in a scientific reserve. The erosion by wave action of mudstone, comprising local bedrock and landslides, frequently exposes embedded isolated
boulders. The most striking aspect of the boulders is their unusually large size and highly spherical shape, with a distinct bimodal size
distribution. About one-third of the boulders range in size from about 0.5 to 1.0 metres (1.5 to 3 ft) in diameter, the other two-thirds from 1.5 to
2.2 metres (4.6 to 6.7 ft), the majority being nearly to almost perfectly spherical.
Penitentes
Penitentes are a snow formation found at high altitudes. They take the form of tall thin blades of hardened snow or ice closely spaced with the
blades oriented towards the general direction of the sun. Penitentes can be as tall as a person. Penitentes were first described in the literature by
Darwin in 1839. On March 22, 1835, he had to squeeze his way through snowfields covered in penitentes near the Piuquenes Pass, on the way from
Santiago de Chile to the Argentinian city of Mendoza, and reported the local belief (continuing to the present day) that they were formed by the
strong winds of the Andes.
Light Pillars
A light pillar is a visual phenomenon created by the reflection of light from ice crystals with near horizontal parallel planar surfaces. They are
most commonly seen as sun pillars; however, moonlight and strong artificial light such as street lamps can also form light pillars. The pillar appears
as a feather of light that extends vertically above and/or below the light source. Most sun pillars are seen when the sun is low on the horizon
(generally no more than 6 degrees above) or just below it.
Catatumbo lightning
The Catatumbo Lightning in Venezuela is the world’s largest single generator of ozone. It is a cloud storm that forms a voltaic arc at more than
5 km of height, during 140 to 160 nights a year, 10 hours per day and up to 280 times per hour, over the bog area that forms where the Catatumbo River
flows into the Lake Maracaibo. The phenomenon is easy to see from hundreds of miles away, i.e. from the lake (where no clouds usually occur at night)
which is also known as the Lighthouse of Maracaibo, as the boats that sail the area can navigate at night without any problems at the time of
sailing.
Cave of the Crystals
Cave of the Crystals) is a cave of the Naica Mine in Chihuahua, Mexico. The chamber contains giant selenite crystals, some of the largest natural
crystals ever found. The cave’s largest crystal is 36 ft in length, 13 ft in diameter and 55 tons in weight. The cave is about 98 ft in length and
33 ft in width. The cave is extremely hot with air temperatures reaching up to 109F with 90 to 100 percent humidity. The cave is relatively unexplored
because humans can only survive for approximately ten minutes without proper protection. As you can see from the image above, this is one of the most
stunning wonders of the natural world.
Pink and White Terraces
This is our second New Zealand item on the list and, sadly, the only item which is now lost to man. The pink and white terraces were considered a
natural wonder until they were destroyed by the violent volcanic eruption of Mount Tarawera in 1886. Geothermally heated water containing large
amounts of siliceous sinter regularly spouted from two geysers located beside Lake Rotomahana and cascaded down a hill slope, leaving thick pink and
white silica deposits that formed terraces enclosing pools of water. The White Terraces were the larger and more beautiful formation, covering 3
hectares and descending 30 metres, while the Pink Terraces were where people went to bathe. The Pink and White terraces have been dubbed by a number
of people as “The Eighth Wonder of the World”. Pictured above are people bathing in the warm pools of the terraces.
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