by Hailey Wong (5G)

Have you ever wondered about natural phenomena? I have. They’re really cool — that is, when you stay a safe distance away from them! So, without further ado, I’m going to share my top 10 natural phenomena. Buckle your seatbelts!

10. Blood Falls, Antarctica

Blood Falls is an amazing phenomenon in one of the driest and coldest places in the world. This phenomenon happened because the water in the falls is so rich in iron that it rusts when it meets the air, giving the lake its fiery red colour.

9. Pink Lake, Australia

This lake is called Lake Hillier, and it is in Western Australia. The bright pink colour of its water is caused by the huge amount of salt in the lake. There are other pink lakes across Australia too, such as Lake MacDonell in South Australia and Hut Lagoon in Western Australia. But none are as cool as Pink Lake, that’s for sure.

8. Rainbow Eucalyptus, Philippines and Indonesia

From the Philippines and Indonesia, the rainbow eucalyptus is probably the most colourful tree in the world. Its striped look is caused by the bark’s changing colours as it gets older and the bark peeling of the tree. I haven’t seen it firsthand but gosh, I’m dying to!

7. Waterspouts, Everywhere

Waterspouts can form during storms, but they can also develop on calm, open ocean. They take the form of swirling towers of wind, climbing to the sky and creating a magnificent visual spectacle.

6. Volcanic Lightning, Wherever Volcanoes Are

Volcanic lightning is pretty rare. Plus, it’s really hard to study, even if scientists are becoming increasingly aware of why it occurs. One such scientist suggests that during an eruption, ash picks up so much friction that the build up static causes lightning. Crazy, right?

5. Halos, Everywhere

Halos require just the right amount of ice crystal in the clouds above the Earth to bend the sunlight from the sun to create a perfect circle. Moon halos can also appear, but moon halos are usually white, and sun halos usually are rainbow coloured. I can’t choose which one I prefer. How about you?

4. Penitentes, Northern Chile

This natural phenomenon is called penitentes, and it forms in high altitudes where sunlight turns ice directly into water vapour, rather than melting it into water first. Penitentes can also grow really high, usually as high as 15 feet.

3. Bioluminescent Shore, Maldives

Hey! Is that fairy lights in the water? Of course not. This is a phenomenon that transpires when the sparkles of the full moon irritates the tidal currents to wash the chemical energy off the phytoplankton buried in the Maldives Shore. I know where my next vacation is going to be!

2. Cave of the Crystals, Mexico

You can find the Cave of the Crystals 300 metres down in Naica, Chihuahua, and it really is an amazing phenomenon. Discovered in 2000, it’s a hot humid cavern linked to a mine. It immediately became a must-see attraction for tourists. I don’t really know how it forms, but it is one interesting phenomenon.

And the grand finale…

1. Eternal Flames Falls, An Upstate New York Waterfall

A flame surrounded by water! And it never dies out! What’s up with that? It’s really simple.

Behind the waterfall is a natural gas steep that feeds the flame. And it’s sheltered enough by the waterfall to stay lit pretty good, although hikers do relight it if they see it's been blown out. So it’s not really natural, but how did it get here in the first place if it’s not natural? These gas seeps are unbelievably common, but this one is more interesting and younger than most of these so-called flames.

My Top 10 Natural Phenomena