chicot60
06-18-2015, 03:41 PM
Bioluminescent red tide
http://i.imgur.com/YtLzwUT.jpg (http://i.imgur.com/YtLzwUT.jpg)
When conditions are just right, ocean phytoplankton reproduce like bunnies, creating a thick, visible layer near the surface. These algae blooms (a.k.a "red tide") might look disgusting during the day, but in parts of California and other places where the bioluminescent variety of Noctiluca scintillans bloom, red tide nights look out of this world. This particular variety of phytoplankton glows blue when agitated, transforming the dark ocean into a giant lava lamp. Watch the waves light up as they crash, run across the sand to see the ground glow under your feet, or dive in to be surrounded by the bizarre Timex-y glow. N. scintillans is also the culprit behind the Bioluminescent Bays in Puerto Rico.
Foxfire
http://i.imgur.com/Nejxe4Q.jpg (http://i.imgur.com/Nejxe4Q.jpg)
During the late summer, a faint, eerie glow can be seen in forests around the world, where bioluminescent mushrooms grow on moist, rotting bark. The greatest diversity of foxfire occurs in the tropics, where moist forests encourage fungal growth. The newest varieties of glow-in-the-dark mushrooms were introduced to the world just last year, after being collected from Ribeira Valley Tourist State Park near Sao Paulo, Brazil. To up your chances of seeing this one, hunt in the forest during its wettest season and move as far as possible from any artificial light sources. And f you happen to see a patch of glowing shrooms, don't even think about it -- they're not that kind of mushroom.
Fire rainbow
http://i.imgur.com/lL1a2DO.jpg (http://i.imgur.com/lL1a2DO.jpg)
Another summertime occurrence, fire rainbows appear when sunlight hits frozen ice crystals in high-altitude cirrus clouds. Because the fire rainbow actually involves no rain at all, scientists would rather we refer to this occurrence by its much less fun, but much more accurate title: the circumhorizonal arc. Since the arc requires both the presence of cirrus clouds and for the sun to be extremely high in the sky, it's much more likely to be seen at latitudes closer to the equator. Conditions might be right for a fire rainbow in Los Angeles six months out of the year, but in a more northern city like London, that window drops to a mere two months. The photo above was taken in West Virginia.
Nacreous clouds
http://i.imgur.com/qZz94cM.jpg (http://i.imgur.com/qZz94cM.jpg)
For those of you a bit farther away from the equator, there's still plenty to see in the sky. Nacreous clouds (also called mother-of-pearl clouds) are extremely rare, but unmistakeable in the dark hours before dawn or after sunset. Because of their extremely high altitudes, they reflect sunlight from below the horizon, shining it down brightly, in stark comparison to the regular ol' dark clouds in the troposphere. The lower stratosphere, where nacreous clouds live, is so dry that it often prevents cloud formation, but the extreme cold of polar winters makes this beautiful phenomenon possible. Captured best during winter at high latitudes, nacreous clouds have been spotted in Iceland, Alaska, Northern Canada, and very rarely, farther south in England.
Snow rollers
http://i.imgur.com/KkES2Mr.jpg (http://i.imgur.com/KkES2Mr.jpg)
Snow rollers are formed when a thick layer of snow falls on top of a layer of ice. If the temperature and wind speed are right, chunks of snow can break loose and start rolling. As they're blown along the ground like wintry tumbleweeds, they pick up additional snow along the way. The inner layers are often weaker and less compact, allowing them to be blown easily away by the wind, leaving a large, naturally formed snow donut. Because of the precise temperature and wind speeds required to create this effect, snow rollers are a rare sight, but have made headlines with their appearances in parts of North America and the UK.
Columnar basalt
http://i.imgur.com/cxXzwJ1.jpg (http://i.imgur.com/cxXzwJ1.jpg)
A natural volcanic formation, columnar basalt has a seemingly man-made appearance. The (mostly) hexagonal columns form naturally as thick lava rapidly cools, contracting and creating cracks in the surface of the new rock. These unusual geological formations can be seen across the globe. Two of the most notable examples include the Giant's Causeway in Ireland, and Devil's Postpile in California (pictured above).
Raining animals
http://i.imgur.com/RXXvahW.jpg (http://i.imgur.com/RXXvahW.jpg)
This phenomenon has been reported in locations worldwide for centuries, with most cases involving fish, frogs, or other small aquatic animals. Despite being extremely rare and lacking in credible eyewitness accounts, most incidents are explainable. Waterspouts (think tornadoes made of water) are the go-to culprit, as their high winds are capable of lifting small animals out of the water, carrying them far distances before dropping them unceremoniously on your head. Considering this, I'd recommend heading closer to large bodies of water during an extremely heavy storm to increase odds of bearing witness to this truly bizarre phenomenon. But, seriously, bring a poncho or something.
http://i.imgur.com/YtLzwUT.jpg (http://i.imgur.com/YtLzwUT.jpg)
When conditions are just right, ocean phytoplankton reproduce like bunnies, creating a thick, visible layer near the surface. These algae blooms (a.k.a "red tide") might look disgusting during the day, but in parts of California and other places where the bioluminescent variety of Noctiluca scintillans bloom, red tide nights look out of this world. This particular variety of phytoplankton glows blue when agitated, transforming the dark ocean into a giant lava lamp. Watch the waves light up as they crash, run across the sand to see the ground glow under your feet, or dive in to be surrounded by the bizarre Timex-y glow. N. scintillans is also the culprit behind the Bioluminescent Bays in Puerto Rico.
Foxfire
http://i.imgur.com/Nejxe4Q.jpg (http://i.imgur.com/Nejxe4Q.jpg)
During the late summer, a faint, eerie glow can be seen in forests around the world, where bioluminescent mushrooms grow on moist, rotting bark. The greatest diversity of foxfire occurs in the tropics, where moist forests encourage fungal growth. The newest varieties of glow-in-the-dark mushrooms were introduced to the world just last year, after being collected from Ribeira Valley Tourist State Park near Sao Paulo, Brazil. To up your chances of seeing this one, hunt in the forest during its wettest season and move as far as possible from any artificial light sources. And f you happen to see a patch of glowing shrooms, don't even think about it -- they're not that kind of mushroom.
Fire rainbow
http://i.imgur.com/lL1a2DO.jpg (http://i.imgur.com/lL1a2DO.jpg)
Another summertime occurrence, fire rainbows appear when sunlight hits frozen ice crystals in high-altitude cirrus clouds. Because the fire rainbow actually involves no rain at all, scientists would rather we refer to this occurrence by its much less fun, but much more accurate title: the circumhorizonal arc. Since the arc requires both the presence of cirrus clouds and for the sun to be extremely high in the sky, it's much more likely to be seen at latitudes closer to the equator. Conditions might be right for a fire rainbow in Los Angeles six months out of the year, but in a more northern city like London, that window drops to a mere two months. The photo above was taken in West Virginia.
Nacreous clouds
http://i.imgur.com/qZz94cM.jpg (http://i.imgur.com/qZz94cM.jpg)
For those of you a bit farther away from the equator, there's still plenty to see in the sky. Nacreous clouds (also called mother-of-pearl clouds) are extremely rare, but unmistakeable in the dark hours before dawn or after sunset. Because of their extremely high altitudes, they reflect sunlight from below the horizon, shining it down brightly, in stark comparison to the regular ol' dark clouds in the troposphere. The lower stratosphere, where nacreous clouds live, is so dry that it often prevents cloud formation, but the extreme cold of polar winters makes this beautiful phenomenon possible. Captured best during winter at high latitudes, nacreous clouds have been spotted in Iceland, Alaska, Northern Canada, and very rarely, farther south in England.
Snow rollers
http://i.imgur.com/KkES2Mr.jpg (http://i.imgur.com/KkES2Mr.jpg)
Snow rollers are formed when a thick layer of snow falls on top of a layer of ice. If the temperature and wind speed are right, chunks of snow can break loose and start rolling. As they're blown along the ground like wintry tumbleweeds, they pick up additional snow along the way. The inner layers are often weaker and less compact, allowing them to be blown easily away by the wind, leaving a large, naturally formed snow donut. Because of the precise temperature and wind speeds required to create this effect, snow rollers are a rare sight, but have made headlines with their appearances in parts of North America and the UK.
Columnar basalt
http://i.imgur.com/cxXzwJ1.jpg (http://i.imgur.com/cxXzwJ1.jpg)
A natural volcanic formation, columnar basalt has a seemingly man-made appearance. The (mostly) hexagonal columns form naturally as thick lava rapidly cools, contracting and creating cracks in the surface of the new rock. These unusual geological formations can be seen across the globe. Two of the most notable examples include the Giant's Causeway in Ireland, and Devil's Postpile in California (pictured above).
Raining animals
http://i.imgur.com/RXXvahW.jpg (http://i.imgur.com/RXXvahW.jpg)
This phenomenon has been reported in locations worldwide for centuries, with most cases involving fish, frogs, or other small aquatic animals. Despite being extremely rare and lacking in credible eyewitness accounts, most incidents are explainable. Waterspouts (think tornadoes made of water) are the go-to culprit, as their high winds are capable of lifting small animals out of the water, carrying them far distances before dropping them unceremoniously on your head. Considering this, I'd recommend heading closer to large bodies of water during an extremely heavy storm to increase odds of bearing witness to this truly bizarre phenomenon. But, seriously, bring a poncho or something.