- Reflective Salt Flats in Bolivia
Salar de Uyuni is the world’s largest salt flat coming in at 10,582 square kilometers (4,086 sq mi).
Located in southwest Bolivia, These breathtaking salt flats are definitely on the list of things you need to see before you die. Resulting from the transformation of several prehistoric lakes, which over eons have left a water salted crust over this vast flat, Salar de Uyuni is a mesmerizing sight to witness as you watch it reflect the sky ever so beautifully. Walking through this mirrored wonderland, one might forget which way is up and which way is down.
- Giant Crystal Cave in Naica, Mexico
Mexico’s Cueva de los Cristales (Cave of Crystals) is home to the largest natural crystal formations found anywhere in the world. Thriving under unbelievably rare conditions, this cave in mexico provided the perfect environment for these crystals to grow to incredible sizes.
Geologist Juan Manuel Garcia-Ruiz explains in an issue of Geology, that for millennia these crystals grew in a consistent 136 degrees Fahrenheit (58 degrees Celsius), filled with mineral-rich water that hyper boosted the growth of these amazing beauties. Garica-Ruiz upon thinking about these amazing wonders said “There is no other place on the planet where the mineral world reveals itself in such beauty.”
3.Volcanic Lightning in Iceland
This epic display of lightning in Iceland is what scientist call a “dirty thunderstorm.”
The electrifying phenomena happens when rock fragments, such as ash collide with ice particles in a volcanic cloud. as it is carried up into higher than normal parts of the atmosphere, it starts creating static with the surface of the planet thus providing the electrical charge needed for lightning.
Shimmering Shores of Vaadhoo Maldives
This midnight light show on the shores of Vaadhoo, Maldives however unbelievable is not the result of an elaborate Photoshop. It is however the result of tiny marine microbes called phytoplankton washing up on the sand.
There are many types of phytoplankton that are known to have an ability called bio-luminescence which allows them to glow as a defensive mechanism to scare predators and lure bigger predators to eat the ones looking to eat them (Oh, the circle of life). When these plankton are agitated they let off their glow creating stars in the ocean as the waves ripple them to shore.
Frozen Air Bubbles in Abraham Lake-:
Abraham Lake in Alberta Canada is home to a rare phenomenon that needs to be seen to believe. Trapped under it’s frozen surface, methane gas creeps its way up creating beautiful air bubbles as it freezes and melts and freezes and melts as the flammable element searches for its way out.
The methane is created when plants, and animals in the lake sink to the bottom and react with the bacteria in the water. the bacteria begins to break down the organic matter, decomposing them, slowly releasing the gas. Usually the gas floats its way to the top of the lake where it is released in the air, but when the lake freezes over, methane struggles a little more to find it’s freedom. It’s hardship shapes moving images, leaving admirers breathless.