Buzz
On a world where iconic structures like the pyramids, the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, and the Mausoleum at Halicarnassus are celebrated as timeless wonders, it's hard to fathom that phenomena like rainbow-colored trees, lakes covered in spots, and “blood” waterfalls even exist.
Yet, if you explore the most stunning and surreal areas of our planet, you'll discover a range of scientific wonders that present both beautiful and eerie scenes, as though plucked from a vivid psychedelic novel.
10. Polka-Dotted Shores
While most lakes are formed and sustained by a constant flow of water, there are some that emerge from a mix of melted snow, heavy rainfall, and small amounts of groundwater. These ephemeral bodies of water, known as “endorheic” lakes, are particularly prone to rapid evaporation.
In fact, one lake in Canada completely vanishes by summer. This phenomenon creates a striking pattern of spots. Officially called “Spotted Lake,” this isolated site in British Columbia’s Okanagan Valley appears to be like any other lake in the area during the colder months of winter, spring, and fall.
However, as summer arrives, the majority of the lake's water evaporates. What remains, however, isn’t just bare land. Spotted Lake is abundant in natural minerals, including calcium, sodium, magnesium sulphates, and titanium, all of which contribute to the vibrant colors left behind.
Once the surrounding water evaporates, the minerals that remain create colorful alkaline rings, varying in shades of green, yellow, and blue, depending on the concentration of each element, painting a beautiful mosaic on the dried landscape.
9. Luminous Lakes
From a traveler’s perspective, Thailand is celebrated for its stunning beaches, mouthwatering food, and popular backpacking routes, with its renowned islands often overflowing with visitors. The nation is frequently marketed as a “paradise untouched by time.”
The swarms of tourists who flock there from November to March are likely unaware of one of the most surreal sights: the glowing, bioluminescent waters that can only be seen at night. Resembling a scene from a fantastical story, the coastal waters of Thailand are teeming with tiny plankton that possess chemical properties akin to those found in fireflies.
Using the same luciferin-luciferase chemical reaction as fireflies, these plankton illuminate when disturbed. The spectacle has been likened to “a magical light show [to rival] the brightness of the stars above.”
8. The Blood Waterfall
When we imagine waterfalls, many of us likely picture the famous Niagara Falls, where the most remarkable feature is its clear, pristine waters. But there is a place where the water cascading down is an unsettling shade of crimson.
First discovered in 1911, this phenomenon occurs at the remote Taylor Glacier in Antarctica, where the glacier appears to emit blood instead of water. The cause is complex. Unlike most waterfalls, the source of the water in Taylor Glacier isn’t melting snow or groundwater, but a saltwater lake that lies beneath.
Over time, this saltwater has absorbed minute amounts of iron from constant contact with the underlying bedrock. This leads to a chemical reaction that forms rust, giving the water its deep red color. As it spills over, the water seems to flow like blood.
7. The Trees of Many Colors
Resembling a tree covered in splashes of paint, the aptly named rainbow eucalyptus is most commonly found in the Philippines and Indonesia, but you can also spot it in Hawaii, California, and Florida in the United States.
Wherever you encounter this tree, its striking colors are due to both its unique bark structure and its environment. (The most vibrant examples are located in Indonesia and the Philippines.)
The tree’s bark is made up of dividing cambium cells, each rich in chlorophyll (the chemical responsible for the green color of leaves and grass). As these cells age, they become infused with varying levels of tannins, which produce colors ranging from red to brown.
The unique mix of these chemicals, along with the humidity and moisture level of the bark, is what creates the mesmerizing rainbow effect.
6. Stone Flowers
Neither a stone nor a rose, the phenomenon known as a “stone rose” is found in Mexico, Tunisia, and, less frequently, Arizona. These formations, made from either gypsum or barite, are the result of evaporation when these minerals combine with sand grains in arid, salt-laden environments.
With petals averaging 10 centimeters (4 inches) in length, these roselike structures vary in color depending on their formation. Shallower formations typically result in amber petals, while deeper formations in larger spaces tend to create yellow or clear petals.
The extraordinary form of these roses is just one of their peculiarities. No matter their color during the day or where they are found, they will all glow a uniform opaque white when exposed to ultraviolet light.
5. Rain of Blood
If you travel to certain parts of India, particularly Kerala, you might witness the eerie phenomenon known as blood rain. Though the name evokes images of a biblical horror tale, this strange weather occurrence isn’t caused by oxidation in the water. Instead, it’s linked to the region’s proximity to nearby deserts.
While rain typically falls clean, it can pick up various particles on its journey to the ground. (Acid rain is a well-known example of this.) But chemicals aren’t the only things that can mix into the falling precipitation.
Particles in the air that are small enough and high enough can mix with the moisture in clouds. When red sand particles blend with these clouds, they will fall and form blood-red puddles, leaving a crimson hue on the ground after the rain evaporates.
This scientific explanation of airborne particles blending with cloud moisture also applied to a similar event in Russia in July 2018. On one afternoon, the city of Norilsk was hit by a downpour of red rain.
What caused this?
A metal processing plant was conducting regular maintenance when rust shavings scraped off the floor were caught in an updraft. These shavings were carried high enough to mix with the clouds, and before long, red rain began to fall.
4. A Lake of Frozen Bubbles
Appearing to be filled with frozen jellyfish or cartoonish jewels beneath its surface, Lake Abraham is a man-made lake in Alberta, Canada, dating back to 1972. It is teeming with frozen bubbles.
What makes this lake particularly unique is the high concentration of methane gas trapped within its surface. While most lakes contain small amounts of methane due to decaying matter sinking to the bottom and being consumed by bacteria, which then releases methane, Lake Abraham stands apart.
Lake Abraham’s distinctiveness comes from the fact that its water temperature is warm enough for methane to escape but cold enough for the gas to freeze into opaque bubbles, creating a range of hues from white to deep blue depending on how close they are to the surface.
3. Ice Blade Forest
From the childhood joy of crafting snowmen to the refined art of ice sculpting, turning snow and ice into beautiful creations has been a long-standing tradition that shows no signs of disappearing. But what happens when nature itself joins in the creative process?
If you journey to certain parts of Chile, you'll come across forests made of icy blades...without any snow or ice in sight. These formations, known as 'penitentes,' were first discovered in 1835 and can grow as tall as 5 meters (16 feet).
These structures are the result of sublimation, a process where heat transforms a solid directly into gas without first melting it. The sharp angles of the smaller spikes magnify the sunlight, accelerating the sublimation process until entire forests of these ice formations blanket the landscape.
2. Mummified Lake
At first sight, Tanzania's Lake Natron may appear to be a grim oasis with its blood-red waters and the serene birds that rest along its shores. But the reason behind these eerie crimson depths is more unsettling than one might expect.
Often referred to as 'Stone Animal Lake,' this African body of water was once believed to have such a high level of alkalinity that it could instantly petrify any animal that ventured into it. Contrary to being a mere optical illusion or caused by halophilic bacteria, the lake’s striking red hue is due to the minerals formed by volcanic activity in the area.
Over time, volcanic processes raised the water's pH, causing it to become saturated with natron and sodium carbonate, the latter of which was historically used in mummification. This mineral build-up, combined with the decaying remains of animals that couldn’t survive in the harsh environment, significantly amplified the lake’s alkalinity.
As a result, the lake became a haven for haloarchaea, red microorganisms that color the water and tint the feathers of the flamingos that frequently reside by its shores.
1. Bubblegum Water
For all the strawberry enthusiasts out there, here's a treat . . . at least visually. Off the coast of Western Australia lies Hillier, a lake with vibrant pink waters. While it's not the only pink lake on Earth, Hillier stands out because its water retains its color even when collected.
This unique color is not simply an optical illusion nor the result of the underlying bedrock. Instead, it comes from a combination of factors working in tandem.
First discovered in 1802, Lake Hillier is home to a species of halophilic (“salt-loving”) algae known as Dunaliella. These algae harness energy from all visible light frequencies except the red-orange range, which they “discard.” In doing so, they produce carotene variations that contribute to the lake's striking reddish-pink hue.
