50 Of The Most Fascinating, Stunning And Dangerous Natural Phenomena
Interview With ExpertNature is capable of the most mysterious, surreal, stunning, and powerful things. The only thing we can do as humans is to watch and admire them. However, in our short time here on Earth, it’s quite impossible to see and experience it all.
We at Bored Panda compiled a list of the most unique, dangerous, and beautiful natural phenomena so that everyone can get a glimpse into the wonders of our world. Scroll down to find them and be sure to upvote the ones that mesmerized you the most.
While you're at it, don't forget to check out a conversation with environmental scientist and sustainability consultant, Dr. Jennifer Brandon, and climate scientist and founder of New Climate Culture, Eloisa Lewis, who kindly agreed to talk with us more about the dangerous side of natural phenomena.
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Marble Caves, Chile
Stunning series of caverns carved into solid marble by water over thousands of years. Located on Lake General Carrera, the caves are renowned for their striking blue and white veined marble formations, creating a surreal, otherworldly landscape.
Eternal Flame Falls
Eternal Flame Falls is a small waterfall located in New York's Chestnut Ridge Park, known for its natural gas seepage that keeps a small flame burning at its base. The flame is fueled by methane gas escaping from beneath the waterfall, creating a unique, continuously burning fire amidst the flowing water. This phenomenon is a rare and fascinating combination of geology and nature.
Volcanic Lightning
Volcanic lightning is an electrical discharge triggered by a volcanic eruption, not a typical thunderstorm. It forms when ash particles collide and fragment, generating static electricity within the volcanic plume. Moist convection and ice formation can also contribute to the phenomenon, sometimes occurring even without ice crystals in the cloud.
Happens during forest fires too due to particulates. Hubby was a forest firefighter and has some pretty scary/amazing stories.
Before diving into more intense natural phenomena and how to stay safe from them, we asked environmental scientist and sustainability consultant, Dr. Jennifer Brandon, and climate scientist and founder of New Climate Culture, Eloisa Lewis, what, in their opinion, is the most fascinating, unbelievable, or beautiful natural phenomenon.
For Lewis, it has to be any process where nature is healing itself, regenerating, or fortifying its own biome.
Dragon Tree In Socotra, Yemen
This tree is a rare phenomenon due to its unique appearance and the red sap it produces. It can live for hundreds of years, thrives in the island’s harsh, dry climate and is part of the island's exceptional and isolated ecosystem.
Goats In An Argan Tree, Morocco
Giant's Causeway, Ireland
Geological phenomenon formed by about 40,000 interlocking basalt columns, created from volcanic activity around 60 million years ago.
Check out Mammoth Lakes, CA - https://www.nps.gov/depo/learn/nature/geology.htm
Meanwhile, for Dr. Brandon, the most beautiful natural phenomenon is the northern lights, whereas the most fascinating is the diel vertical migration.
"It's the largest migration on the planet, and it happens every single day," she told us. "It's where millions of fish and plankton are known to migrate from the bottom of the sea to the surface, or vice versa, right at dawn and dusk. The fact that so many species are that tuned in to the moon and sunlight is really amazing to me. And it affects so many things, like the circulation of carbon and nutrients throughout the entire ocean."
Nacreous Clouds
Nacreous clouds, also known as "mother-of-pearl" clouds, are high-altitude clouds that form in the stratosphere, typically at altitudes of 15 to 25 kilometers, and are most commonly observed in polar regions during winter. They appear iridescent due to the diffraction of sunlight by tiny ice crystals within the clouds, creating colorful, shimmering patterns.
Aurora Australis
Aurora Australis, or the Southern Lights, is a natural light display caused by solar wind particles colliding with Earth’s magnetic field. This creates colorful lights in the sky, typically green and red, near the South Pole. It is most visible in high-latitude regions like Antarctica and southern Australia.
Pink Beach, Padar Island, Komodo National Park
It is famous for its unique pink-hued sand, which is created by the mixture of white sand and red coral fragments. This stunning beach is part of a UNESCO World Heritage site, known for its rich biodiversity, including the famous Komodo dragons and vibrant marine life.
I wish we would just identify the natural areas that still exist now on this planet and leave them alone. Do you want to vacation? Go to the places we've already polluted and destroyed, plenty out there for you to see.
The scientific name for the aforementioned northern lights is Aurora borealis and it happens when electrically charged particles from the sun collide with Earth’s atmosphere at speeds up to 45 million mph or 72 million kph. Our planet’s magnetic field protects us from any harm from the solar particles, all while creating the multicolor spectacles known as the northern lights.
The different colors we see are caused by atoms of oxygen and nitrogen that can be found in the air we breathe. When oxygen atoms release energy after colliding with solar particles, the sky turns red and green, while nitrogen atoms paint it purple and pink.
Sandstone Waves, Arizona
These unique sandstone structures were shaped by erosion over millions of years, creating a visually striking landscape that attracts photographers and hikers.
Tunnel Of Love, Ukraine
In the small western Ukrainian town of Klevan, a stretch of industrial railway is enveloped by lush, leafy arches, creating a picturesque scene. This enchanting spot has become a favorite for couples to stroll through, earning it the name "Tunnel of Love" (or Tunel Kokhannya).
Fire Whirl Tornado
A fire whirl, or fire tornado, is a whirlwind created by intense heat and wind from a fire, often visible with smoke and flames. It forms when rising heat and turbulent winds create spinning air currents, which can intensify into a tornado-like vortex. This vortex may pull in debris and gases, adding to the intensity of the fire.
Previously, this phenomenon was rarely spotted so it was considered a once-in-a-lifetime occurrence or a bucket list trip to the Arctic Circle. However, in the last couple of years, it has become a more common sight due to the sun being active and stormy. This roughly happens every 11 years, as the sun’s magnetic poles flip, and it transitions from lethargic to lively. On Earth, this would translate to the north and south poles switching places every decade.
Salar Of Uyuni, Bolivia
Salar de Uyuni is the world's largest salt flat, formed from the remnants of an ancient lake that evaporated long ago. The vast, flat expanse creates a stunning mirror effect after rainfall, reflecting the sky and surrounding landscape, making it a popular natural wonder.
Aurora Borealis
The Aurora Borealis, or Northern Lights, is a natural light display caused by solar wind particles interacting with Earth’s magnetic field. This creates vibrant colors in the night sky, visible in polar regions like Norway, Sweden, and Canada. It is most commonly seen during winter months.
Sailing Stones
Large rocks that mysteriously move across the dry lakebeds of places like California’s Death Valley. This phenomenon occurs when a combination of ice, wind, and water creates conditions that allow the stones to slowly slide across the ground. The tracks left by the stones can remain visible for years.
The best time to see the Northern Lights with the naked eye, according to Northern Lights expert Dr. John Mason, MBE, is at twilight. “That’s because the brightness of the background sky will trigger the colour sensors in your eye so that when the Lights do appear, you can see the colour in them. When the sky gets really dark, you’ll find you can’t see the colour as well as you did earlier on, unless the display becomes brighter. It’s all about how our eyes perceive this in the darkness.”
Experts say that this solar activity isn’t slowing anytime soon so those who missed northern lights in the past have a chance of seeing them again. “We're in for a ride the rest of this year, all of next year and even into 2026 before things will start to work their way back down to solar minimum," said Shawn Dahl, a forecast coordinator, to CBS News.
Kjeragbolten Boulder, Norway
This iconic rock formation is a massive boulder wedged between two cliffs.
The Cave Of Crystals, Mexico
A network of caves is filled with enormous selenite crystals, some of the largest natural crystals ever discovered on Earth. Due to the extreme environmental conditions, the caves remain mostly unexplored and are currently closed to the public.
Light Pillars And Diamond Dust In London Ontario Canada
Light pillars occur when ice crystals in the air reflect artificial light sources, such as streetlights, creating vertical shafts of light, while diamond dust is made up of tiny ice crystals suspended in the air, producing a sparkling, glittering effect when sunlight or moonlight interacts with them.
Even though our world is full of beautiful and fascinating natural phenomena (as seen in the list and previously mentioned), some can also be dangerous. Natural disasters leave destruction in their way, and they're getting more frequent and intense due to climate change, says Dr. Brandon.
"If you take something like wildfires, as climate change changes the climate and makes the air drier and warmer, droughts worse, and the snowpack less, all of those things lead to hotter, drier conditions that will lead to hotter, drier, more intense wildfires," she explained.
"But climate change is also changing the seasonality of wildfires," she noted. "Here in Southern California, where I live, we also used to have a true wildfire season. It was not right now in January, yet there are nine active fires as of this morning. As we are having longer droughts and longer summer dry seasons, it's still dry here in January. And so the wildfire season really becomes yearlong and creates more frequent fires and more intense fires."
Coral Reef
Coral reefs are diverse underwater ecosystems formed by the calcium carbonate skeletons of coral organisms, often referred to as "the rainforests of the sea." They support a wide variety of marine life, providing shelter and food for thousands of species, and are vital to coastal protection and marine biodiversity. However, coral reefs are increasingly threatened by climate change, pollution, and overfishing, leading to coral bleaching and ecosystem degradation.
Dark Hedges
Bregagh Road in County Antrim, Northern Ireland, is famously known as the Dark Hedges, thanks to its enchanting row of beech trees planted in the 18th century by the Stuart family. Fans of HBO's Game of Thrones might also recognize it as the "Kings Road" from the series.
Doesn't look like this anymore. Some trees fallen down during storm few years back. Other were damaged by inconsiderate people.
Jigokudani Hot Spring, Nagano, Japan
Famous for its natural hot springs surrounded by a picturesque, mountainous landscape. The area is known for the wild Japanese macaques, or snow monkeys, who can be seen soaking in the warm waters, especially during the cold winter months. The name "Jigokudani," meaning "Hell Valley," refers to the steamy, volcanic landscape that creates the unique thermal environment of the hot springs.
Dr. Brandon adds that other natural disasters like hurricanes are also becoming more intense with climate change, but they aren't as predictable as fires.
"How hurricanes have become more intense are two main reasons," she told us. "One is that the sea level has risen, and so storm surge and flooding are often worse because the baseline for flooding is higher. The other is that as the ocean is warmer with global warming, the water that the eye of the storm is picking up is warmer. Warmer water evaporates quicker, bringing more transfer of heat energy from the ocean to the air. This means that the hurricane then has more energy, so has stronger winds and has more rain, as they travel over warmer waters."
Rainbow Eucalyptus
These trees color variations occur as the tree sheds its bark, exposing new layers that gradually change color due to exposure to air and sunlight. They are primarily found in tropical regions like Hawaii, the Philippines, and Indonesia.
First saw one of these trees in Hawaii. Seriously did not believe it was real. Dr Suess? It remains on of the most striking things I have ever seen.
Moonbow
A moonbow, also called a moon rainbow or lunar rainbow, is a rainbow created by moonlight instead of direct sunlight. Aside from the difference in the light source, its formation follows the same process as a solar rainbow: light is refracted through numerous water droplets, like those from a rain shower or waterfall. It always appears on the opposite side of the sky from the Moon, as seen by the observer.
The Crooked Forest, Poland
Located in a small area of western Poland, Krzywy Las the "Crooked Forest" is home to hundreds of peculiarly bent pine trees. Planted in the 1930s near the town of Gryfino, the cause of their unusual shapes remains unclear, though many believe human intervention may have played a role in their curving form.
There are some similar trees in the Forest of Dean, England. When the trees were little saplings it snowed and the snow stayed, when it melted they didn't spring back, and just grew vertically from the ends
While wildfires and hurricanes sound scary, there are ways to protect ourselves against them, and it's important to be aware of them in case of a disaster.
"Nature is inherently chaotic, of course, with some apparent patterns of predictability. The world is always prone to natural disasters, but we can educate ourselves to prepare for, prevent, mitigate, and heal from these cyclical changes," agrees Lewis.
Belize Blue Hole
This large, underwater sinkhole formation approximately 300 meters across and 125 meters deep, is famous for its clear blue waters and diverse marine life, making it a popular spot for diving and marine exploration.
One Year Ago During New Year's Eve Nature Showed A Special Light Show Of Its Own For Us - Unique Phenomena Called Polar Stratospheric Clouds, Norway
Ice And Snow Penitents In Argentina
Ice and snow penitents are unique formations found in the Andes Mountains of Argentina, created by wind and snow accumulation. These structures resemble large, snow-covered columns or pillars, shaped by the wind into sharp shapes. The phenomenon occurs at high altitudes, where intense wind and cold conditions contribute to the formation of these striking natural features.
The first step to staying safe against natural disasters is to think about where you're going to live, says Dr. Brandon.
"I know that sounds dramatic. But houses right on the beach might be the most beautiful but also are most likely to be hit by hurricanes or floods. Living a few streets back or up a slight hill can be safer," she said.
"Also, think about your vegetation. I used to live in a condo that was in a rather wooded area full of eucalyptus trees. Eucalyptus trees are invasive to Southern California and are notorious for being fire hazards because they have very flammable bark and sap."
Lenticular Clouds
Lenticular clouds, named for their lens or saucer-like shape, are stationary clouds that form in the troposphere, often aligned with the wind direction. These clouds come in three main types based on their altitude and can sometimes appear in the lower stratosphere as nacreous clouds.
Ice Caves, Iceland
Naturally formed in glaciers, where water channels carve out intricate passages in the ice. These caves, often vibrant blue in color, are temporary formations that shift and change each year due to melting and freezing cycles.
Grand Canyon
Carved by the Colorado River over thousands of years, this dramatic canyon in Arizona spans more than 400 kilometers in length and reaches depths of nearly 2,000 meters. It is unique among the seven natural wonders, as it has been continuously inhabited by Native American communities for centuries.
I'd love to visit and go rafting on the Colorado River, but my wallet disagrees with that idea
To avoid any fire hazards in areas where the likelihood of wildfires is high, Dr. Brandon suggests surrounding the home with more native plants that are naturally more fire-resistant.
"Cut your trees back so they are not touching your roof, and keep them well maintained (watch some of the videos of the LA fires where the palm trees look like tiki torches; some of that is from the dead palm fronds not being maintained and so going up like tinder). Think about keeping your yard clear of debris that could burn. All small things that can help," she recommended.
Pele’s Hair Lava
Greenish-gold strands of Pele’s hair form when bubbles in hot lava pop and throw droplets into the wind. The droplets can elongate into perfectly straight, glassy strands that are as thin as human hair.
Avenue Of The Baobabs
The route between Morondava and Belon’i Tsiribihina in Madagascar is flanked by magnificent baobab trees, known as the "Avenue of the Baobabs." Once part of a vast forest, these ancient trees create a breathtaking sight, especially at dawn or dusk, when the changing colors of the trunks and the long shadows they cast add to the scene's beauty.
Admit it, you didn't read that as "baobabs" the first time, either.
Jellyfish Lake, Palau
Jellyfish Lake in Palau is home to millions of jellyfish that migrate across the lake twice a day for feeding. Unlike many other jellyfish species, the ones in this lake are not dangerous to humans. This unique location offers a safe environment for swimming with jellyfish.
Lastly, she advises being prepared for anything. "Have some stuff always ready to go for a disaster. I have an emergency first aid kit and disaster kit in the trunk of my car, and I have an earthquake kit in my garage full of food, water, etc. This is important for my safety but also so that if I have to quickly evacuate, the last thing I have to think about are those essentials. I can think about grabbing my personal belongings. If you are like me and live in an area that really might need to evacuate soon, there's no harm in having a full tank of gas and a little cash in case the power goes out. "
Green Flash Sunset
The green flash and green ray are brief optical events seen at sunset or sunrise, where a green spot briefly appears above the Sun, or a green ray may shoot up from the horizon. These phenomena last only a few seconds when conditions are perfect.
Monochrome Rainbow
A monochrome or red rainbow is a rare optical and meteorological phenomenon, and a variation of the more common multicolored rainbow. It forms through the same process as a regular rainbow (reflection/refraction of light in water droplets), but the key difference is that a monochrome rainbow occurs when the Sun is close to the horizon, typically around sunrise or sunset.
Milky Way
Milky Way - a spiral galaxy that contains our solar system and is visible as a luminous band of light across the night sky. It consists of billions of stars, dust, and gas, and spans roughly 100,000 light-years in diameter. The Milky Way’s distinct appearance is the result of our vantage point from Earth, looking toward the dense center of the galaxy, where the stars and cosmic material are most concentrated.
I last saw the Milky Way in August 1988. Because of light pollution it is almost impossible to see now.
Lake Baikal
Located in Siberia, it is the world’s deepest freshwater lake and contains unique species of flora and fauna.
Crepuscular Rays
Crepuscular rays, often called "god rays" in casual terms, are beams of sunlight that emerge when the Sun is just above or below a layer of clouds during twilight. These rays are most visible when the contrast between light and dark is at its peak.
Mount Roraima
A flat-topped mountain located in Venezuela, known for its unique "tabletop" summit and stunning landscapes.
Mammatus Clouds
Mammatus clouds, also known as mamma or mammatocumulus, are pouches hanging from the base of clouds, usually cumulonimbus rainclouds. These clouds can also form with other types of clouds.
Danxia Landform
Danxia landforms are unique geological formations found in China, characterized by dramatic red sandstone cliffs, valleys, and peaks. These striking landscapes are shaped by millions of years of erosion, creating colorful, layered rock formations that are often referred to as "rainbow mountains."
Look up "Cerro de los siete colores" located in Purmamarca (Jujuy, Argentina).
Red Moon
A red moon, occurs during a total lunar eclipse when the Earth passes directly between the Sun and the Moon, casting a shadow on the lunar surface. The red color results from the scattering of sunlight through Earth's atmosphere, with longer wavelengths, like red, being more prominent. This rare phenomenon can be seen from anywhere on Earth during the eclipse, making it a striking and memorable event.
Circumhorizontal Arc
A circumhorizontal arc is an optical phenomenon created by the refraction of sunlight or moonlight through plate-shaped ice crystals in cirrus or cirrostratus clouds. It appears as a bright, colorful band parallel to the horizon, with red at the top. It may appear in fragments if the cloud is small or patchy.
Frost Flowers - Hair Ice, Cranny
The formation of frost flowers is dependent on a freezing weather condition occurring when the ground is not already frozen. The sap in the stem of the plants will expand (water expands when frozen), causing long, thin cracks to form along the length of the stem.
The Sardine Run
In spring billions of sardines migrate north across the Agulhas Bank along South Africa's east coast. Their vast numbers create a breathtaking spectacle, making it one of the world's most remarkable marine events.
Desert Rose Crystals
Rose-like crystal formation made of gypsum or baryte, often with sand grains included. They form in arid, sandy environments, typically through the evaporation of a shallow salt basin, and can range in size from pea-sized to 10 cm in diameter.
Hole Punch Cloud (Or Fallstreak Hole)
Circular or elliptical gap that can form in cirrocumulus or altocumulus clouds, caused by supercooled water evaporating or freezing, sometimes triggered by aircraft. These rare, striking holes have often been mistaken for UFOs.
Moon Dog
A moon dog (or moondog), also known as a mock moon or paraselene in meteorology, is an atmospheric optical phenomenon where bright spots appear on one or both sides of the Moon.
Darvaza Gas Crater, Ashkhabad, Turkmenistan
It is a fiery, continuously burning natural gas field which was ignited in 1971 after a gas drilling accident and has been burning ever since, creating a striking, glowing pit in the desert.
Sort Sol, Denmark
This is a natural phenomenon where large flocks of starlings gather in the sky at dusk, creating mesmerizing swirling formations. This spectacle, often seen in autumn, is one of Europe's most impressive bird displays, drawing tourists and birdwatchers.
Note: this post originally had 100images. It’s been shortened to the top 50 images based on user votes.
I really enjoyed this article. Not just a list of stunning pictures, but a short explanation of everything pictured
I really enjoyed this article. Not just a list of stunning pictures, but a short explanation of everything pictured