From the Statue of Liberty to the Burj Khalifa, humans have stretched the boundaries of creativity and grandeur beyond the limits. Well, full marks to us, but have you ever imagined what would happen if nature joined this race of building marvels which seem more like fiction than fact? Well, no spoilers here, and without wasting any time, let’s travel across some of the mysterious, creative, and chaotic natural wonders of the world where nature bends its own rules and displays its wild imagination!
1st Stop: The Door to Hell (Turkmenistan)
Talk about a fiery start! This door to hell was always lurking in the Karakum Desert, near the village of Derweze, in Turkmenistan. The only fact is that it was set ablaze by humans! What exactly happened is that Soviet scientists back in 1971 were drilling in the desert to find sources of natural gas. However, accidentally, they drilled quite hard, and the ground collapsed, revealing a huge crater 230 feet wide and 100 feet deep, filled with tones of methane (only they didn’t know it was in tones!). To prevent toxic gas from spreading, they set it to fire, expecting it to burn out in days. And whoa! It’s been burning for over 50 years with no signs of stopping yet! With temperatures reaching 1000°C, it has been given the nickname ‘Door to Hell!’
2nd Stop: Blood Falls
In the chilling environment of Antarctica’s glaciers lies this waterfall… or bloodfall! First discovered in 1911, this eerie waterfall frightened even the sharpest minds. However, science, as always, was able to crack the puzzle behind the blood-red colour of this waterfall. Beneath the Taylor Glacier, where the falls lie, is a subglacial lake which is rich in iron and salt. As the water from this lake seeps out, the iron, with its brother from another mother, oxygen, reacts to give the water its deep, blood-red colour. But wait! There’s a twist. This water holds microbial life that survives without sunlight or oxygen, using iron and sulphate to generate energy. Blood Falls isn’t just a visual anomaly but a scientific marvel and a reminder that life can thrive in the most unexpected places.
3rd Stop: Lake Natron (Tanzania)
This horrifying lake is famous for stonifying animals! Well, it does not technically transform animals into stones like in movies or cartoons, but its high, really high, calcium deposits make sure that the bodies of those who die in or near the lake remain preserved for eternity! The lake has a pH level of 10.5 to 12 and temperatures reaching 60°C since it receives water from hot springs and volcanic runoff. But the most shocking fact is that this lake, where most life can’t survive, is a breeding place for millions of flamingos who thrive on the lake’s cyanobacteria, thanks to their tough skin.
4th Stop: Catatumbo Lightning (Venezuela)
This is a phenomenon wherein over 28 lightning strikes occur in under a minute over Lake Maracaibo in northwestern Venezuela. The lightning sometimes even lasts for 9 hours straight! Just imagine seeing lightning bolts striking down from the otherwise peaceful skies we see daily above us. Just petrifying! The physics behind this is that the warm, moist air from the Caribbean Islands collides with the cooler mountain air from the Andes Mountains, creating huge cumulonimbus clouds loaded with static electricity. And when opportunity arrives, a lightning show begins which is visible from 400 km away. Locals call it “El Relámpago Eterno” (The Eternal Lightning) and “El Faro de Maracaibo” (The Lighthouse of Maracaibo). While entertaining from a distance, its real terror can only be felt when seen from close!
5th Stop: Sailing Stones (USA)
As the name suggests, these are magical stones that move by themselves across the dry lakebed in Death Valley National Park, USA. Or so was thought till 2014! Let’s go through a flashback first. Throughout centuries, people in the region saw rocks weighing more than 300 kg mysteriously move from one place to another, leaving behind trails as the only evidence of their sail. And not one or two or ten metres, but over 100 metres! People came up with theories like alien intervention or the presence of a strong magnetic field in the area. It was in 2014 when researchers finally captured the rocks moving using GPS trackers and time-lapse cameras. And it was no alien pushing the rocks with their might or specialized instruments, but pure science. During winter, rains fill the lake, forming a thin layer of water. Overnight, the water freezes into a really thin layer of ice, which melts as dawn arrives. However, it doesn’t melt fully but breaks into floating ice sheets, which get pushed by the winds. These, in turn, push the otherwise immovable rocks, causing them to slide slowly across the mud. Before this discovery, it wouldn’t have been wrong to compare these rocks to human dolls which move by themselves, as shown in horror movies!
Bonus Stop: The Eternal Flame (USA)
This is no ordinary flame since it glows right inside a waterfall! It’s one of the few places on Earth where fire and water coexist. Tucked inside Chestnut Ridge Park near Buffalo, New York, USA, this flame glows due to natural gas that seeps from underground sources. It does flame out occasionally, but tourists make sure this natural wonder always stays alive. Scientists believe that the underground gas pocket is enriched and stable, allowing the flame to burn even in such a damp environment. Water and fire? Talk about true brotherhood!
Conclusion
That brings us to the end of our journey in this article. But don’t be disheartened! There are tones of natural wonders out there, maybe even in your village, town, or city, which couldn’t be mentioned. These natural anomalies just remind us that Earth is far more mysterious than we often realize. And who knows? Maybe she is still creating something out there; we are yet to discover!