SUN DOGS

Also known as mock suns or phantom suns, sundogs are an atmospheric phenomenon that consists of a pair of bright spots on either side of the Sun, often co-occurring with a luminous ring. These are created by the refraction of light from plate-shaped ice crystals either in high and cold cirrus clouds or, during very cold weather

GREAT BLUE HOLE

Most people have seen pictures of the Great Blue Hole in Belize, however few know how it actually came to be. The Great Blue Hole was originally an inland cave at a time where sea levels were much lower. But as sea levels began to rise, the cave was flooded. Today, the hole is over 300 meters (almost 1000 feet) across and is 124 meters (400 feet) deep.

CHRISTMAS ISLAND RED CRAB MIGRATION

Measuring up to 12 centimeters (5 inches) wide, the Christmas Island red crab is a species of land crab endemic to Christmas Island and the Cocos Islands in the Indian Ocean. Usually, the crabs hide in burrows in local forests, however, each year they migrate to the coast to breed. For over a week, local roads turn red as millions of crabs move to the coast.

Cool, but I like the first one, it is like the sun having two bodyguard.

Spider web blankets

You might have seen pictures of some really extensive spider webs but what happened in Wagga Wagga, Australia a few years ago was truly an enormous and unique phenomenon. As a consequence of severe floods, local spiders (as well as people) were forced out of their homes but the spiders reacted in a way that surprised even experienced biologists. By joining hundreds of thousands of spider webs together, they created a gigantic “platform” that saved them from drowning.

Catatumbo lightning

Sometimes also referred to as “the everlasting storm”, the Catatumbo lightning is a unique atmospheric phenomenon found in the mouth of the Catatumbo River, Venezuela. Originating from a mass of storm clouds at a height of more than 5 km (3 miles), the storm occurs for up to 160 nights a year, 10 hours per day.

VERY COOL POST..Thanks a bunch for the info.

GRAND PRISMATIC SPRING

Found in the Yellowstone National Park, the Grand Prismatic Spring is the largest hot spring in the United States, and the third largest in the world. Notable for its vivid colors caused by pigmented bacteria living around the edges of the mineral-rich water, the spring is approximately 250 by 300 feet (80 by 90 m) in size and 160 feet (50 meters) deep. It discharges an estimated 560 gallons (2,100 liters) of 160 °F (70 °C) water per minute.

Moeraki boulders

Moeraki boulders are large, spherical boulders lying along the Koekohe Beach, New Zealand. According to a local Maori legend, the boulders are the remains of eel baskets. However, modern scientific analysis shows that they consist of mud, fine silt and clay, cemented by calcite and date back to the Paleocene period (66 – 56 million years ago).

Bioluminescence


Bioluminescence is the production and emission of light by a living organism. One of the most astonishing examples of this unusual natural phenomenon can be seen on the Vaadhoo Island, Maldives, which is famous for the bioluminescence display of the phytoplankton known as dinoflagellates

Sardine run


We have already mentioned two examples of unusually massive and impressive migrations but as for the number of “participants”, neither of them can compare to the sardine run. Almost every year, from May through July billions (that’s right, BILLIONS) of sardines migrate northward along the east coast of South Africa, causing a real feeding frenzy for numerous predators. Despite the enormous scale of the migration, scientists don’t know much about this phenomenon. What we do know is that in the last 23 years, the sardines have failed to make the run three times.

Living rock

Scientifically known as Pyura chilensis, the living rock is a tunicate, a marine invertebrate animal, found in dense aggregations on the coast of Chile and Peru. What resembles a mass of internal organs inside a rock is actually an immobile creature feeding on microorganisms that it filters out of the seawater. For no obvious reasons, the living rocks contain about 10 million times more vanadium (an extremely rare chemical element) in their bodies than is found in the water.

Lenticular clouds


Originating in the troposphere, lenticular clouds rank among the rarest and most unusual types of clouds. As moist air travels up some obstacle (for example a mountain), it collects on the top of it and forms a lens-shaped cloud. Because of their unique shape, lenticular clouds have even been mistaken for UFOs.

Rain of animals

There have been numerous bizarre cases of animals falling from the sky. In the summer of 2000 in Ethiopia, millions of fish suddenly fell from the sky. In June 2009, Japan, it rained frogs and in Argentina in 2007, people had to protect themselves from a shower of snakes. Most of these “animal rains” are attributed to tornadoes and other types of severe storms capable of lifting and carrying bodies of water.

Mummifying lake


Located in northern Tanzania, the Lake Natron is a salt and soda lake notorious for its extremely high content of salt and scorching temperatures of up to 60 C (140 F). Though some animals have managed to adapt to the harshness of the lake, most animals that venture into these waters find themselves victims of the lake’s mummification ability.

Rainbow eucalyptus


Scientifically known as Eucalyptus deglupta, the rainbow eucalyptus is a 6 foot (1.8 m) wide and over 200 foot (61 m) tall tree. The tree is characterized by its unique multi-hued bark.

FINALLY A COKE FOR "THE BOSS OF LIFE"

Nice write up.

Now I know

Nice writeup but it wouldn't be a bad idea if you add Aurora to the list

what of extraterrestials and alien life?

Blakjewelry:
Nice writeup but it wouldn't be a bad idea if you add Aurora to the list

Yeah. . . Aurora!!! Awesome phenomenon. . .

Awesome natural phenomenom. How come non of these ever happen in Nigeria

KillerBeauty:
Awesome natural phenomenom. How come non of these ever happen in Nigeria

because Nigerians will try to sell them.