The Most Fascinating and Rare Natural Phenomena on Earth
Blood
Rain
Reports
of blood rain–red rain falling from the sky–has been reported since ancient
times. A unique phenomenon happened over the course of two months in the
southern Indian state of Kerala when red and other color rain fell periodically,
staining clothes and surfaces red and pink. It was later decided that the even
was due to a strange disturbance in airborne alga spores.
Fire
Whirls
Affectionately called firenados, fire whirls can
happen when certain air temperatures and currents pass over a fire, which can
then rise in the whirling form of a column, much like a tornado.
Upward
Lightning
While
very rare, upward lightning can occur immediately after a regular lightning
strike near a tall object has already shifted the electrical field in the air.
An electrical charge can then start in the tall object and move its way
skyward.
Fire
Rainbow
Technically
called a circumhorizontal arc, these aren’t rainbows at all. These happen when
light passes through clouds at a high altitude, and a bright color spectrum
forms between the many ice crystals in the cloud.
Fallstreak
Hole
Also called a hole punch cloud or a skypunch, this
awesome phenomenon gives the appearance of a giant hole missing from a cloud.
This can occur when the water temperature in the clouds is below freezing but
the water particles have not yet frozen. When the ice crystals finally form,
they water droplets evaporate suddenly and in a domino effect, resulting in a
missing hole.
Crown
Snow-Load
This
heavy accumulation of snow and hard rime (white ice) is only possible in
extremely cold climates. One region famous for its surreal winter landscapes is
the Finnish Lapland.
Lenticular
Clouds
These
stationary, lens-shaped clouds can appear by themselves or in layers, typically
at higher altitudes. They occur when moist air is forced around natural or
manmade objects under specific wind conditions. Not surprisingly, they have
been mistaken for UFOs.
Mammatus
Clouds
These fascinating clouds get their name from the Latin
word for ‘udder’ as they actually hang down from the underside of larger
clouds. They might be awesome to look at, but watch out! Mammatus clouds are
indicators of severe storms.
Morning
Glory Clouds
This
rare type of cloud formation only occurs regularly in Northern Australia.
Easily identifiable for their elongated, round, and serpentine shape, Morning
Glory clouds are bands of roll clouds than can be hundreds of miles long. They
form due to specific sea breezes and landscapes, especially when the humidity
is high.
Earthquake
Lights
The
mysterious phenomenon of earthquake lights are reported to be white/ blue or
rainbow lights or orbs that have been reported over time near areas of high
seismic activity. Though not fully understood, research suggests that ions
released from certain types of rocks can escape to form plasma that momentarily
emits light in the air.
Red
Sprites and Blue Jets
These terms refer to rare and fleeting
upper-atmospheric lightning events that coincide with storm systems. Often
orange-red in color, sprites burst upward from thunderstorm clouds and often
occur in clusters. Blue jets, on the other hand, happen much less frequently
and are not believed to be directly caused by lightning, but more with hail.
Catatumbo
Lightning
The
eponymous Catatumbo Lightning only occurs above the mouth of the Catatumbo
River in Venezuela. It consists of a massive, nonstop lightning storm that
happens between 140 and 160 nights a year with thousands of lightning strikes
an hour. The spectacular phenomenon is attributed to winds blowing across the
large, open Maracaibo Lake before becoming enclosed on three sides by mountain
ranges, thus resulting in thunderstorm activity from the trapped heat and
moisture.
Hessdalen
Lights
This
natural phenomenon remains unexplained and only occurs along the Hessdalen
valley in central Norway. Typically red, yellow, or bright white, they only
happen at night and have been reported since the 1930s. Some hypotheses
attribute the lights to the unique geological construct of the area, and that
they are most likely caused by ionised dust in the air.
Condo
Effect Fog
These “tsunami clouds” are caused when the onshore
breeze is forced over tall buildings on the coast and the water in the rising
air condensed with the dropping temperatures, causing fog.
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