Scientists Found Massive, Mysterious Creatures Hiding Underwater!

Bright Side

Deep beneath the ocean’s surface, scientists have discovered a hidden underwater zone unlike anything ever seen before. Inside? Massive, mysterious creatures that defy explanation—and may pose serious danger.  From glowing beasts to ancient predators, this secret underwater hideout raises questions scientists are only beginning to understand. Is this a newly evolved species… or something far older?  Subscribe for more deep sea discoveries, strange creatures, and shocking science that pushes the boundaries of what we know.  Animation is created by Bright Side.  ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  Music from TheSoul Sound: https://thesoul-sound.com/   Check our Bright Side podcast on Spotify and leave a positive review! https://open.spotify.com/show/0hUkPxD34jRLrMrJux4VxV  Subscribe to Bright Side: https://goo.gl/rQTJZz  ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  Our Social Media:  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/brightplanet/  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brightside.official  TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@brightside.official?lang=en   Stock materials (photos, footages and other):  https://www.depositphotos.com  https://www.shutterstock.com  https://www.eastnews.ru  ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  For more videos and articles visit: http://www.brightside.me  ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  This video is made for entertainment purposes. We do not make any warranties about the completeness, safety and reliability. Any action you take upon the information in this video is strictly at your own risk, and we will not be liable for any damages or losses. It is the viewer's responsibility to use judgement, care and precaution if you plan to replicate.

Transcript

00:00:00Hey now, get ready to dive into the Sea of Mysteries, also known as the Black Sea.

00:00:07It is the largest inland body of water in the world, bigger than the entire state of California.

00:00:13It has dozens of lost ships and some secret underwater tunnels.

00:00:18And some people believe it's an ancient quarry that was mined out in six stages.

00:00:24The Black Sea has distinct vertical layers that don't mix, with higher and lower salinity.

00:00:30The salty water comes from the Mediterranean, and fresh water comes from rivers.

00:00:36Ten of the largest rivers in Europe flow into the Black Sea.

00:00:39It receives more fresh water from the rivers and rainfall than it loses from evaporation.

00:00:45The extra water flows through the Bosporus into the Marmara Sea.

00:00:50There are two flows going through the Straits.

00:00:52The upper flow leaves the Black Sea and takes surface water out of it.

00:00:56The bottom flow carries salt water from the Mediterranean to the Black Sea.

00:01:00That's why the upper layers of the Black Sea are less dense than its saltier lower layers.

00:01:06The oxygen that comes from the atmosphere and photosynthesis stays in the surface layers.

00:01:11Everything deeper than about 300 feet in the middle and up to 500 feet near the edge is not fit for life.

00:01:18Only certain bacteria can survive in these conditions.

00:01:22Although there's no air deep down in the Black Sea, the upper layer is home to around 750 species of photoplankton.

00:01:32Eggs and larvae, fish, and invertebrates chill in coastal regions.

00:01:35There are also 180 fish species in the Black Sea.

00:01:40And some of them are valuable, such as horse mackerel, spiny dogfish, and sprat.

00:01:46The water level in the Black Sea is always the same because there are no high or low tides.

00:01:51So the sea is always calm, quiet, and serene on the surface.

00:01:55But it has one surprise feature, an underwater river.

00:02:00It's a current of salty water flowing through the Bosphorus Strait and along the seabed.

00:02:05This amazing discovery was made by scientists from the University of Leeds and was announced in 2010.

00:02:11It's the first undersea river of its kind ever found.

00:02:14The river forms because salty water from the Mediterranean Sea spills through the Bosphorus Strait into the Black Sea,

00:02:22where the water is much less salty.

00:02:25The no-air zone of the sea is an ideal conservation chamber for what's hiding on its bottom.

00:02:32The Black Sea is like a treasure trove for shipwrecks, and we discovered it by accident.

00:02:37Some maritime archaeologists were studying sea levels to see how quickly the water levels rose after the last ice age.

00:02:45And they ran across over 40 previously unknown shipwrecks as a complete bonus.

00:02:51Researchers used two remotely operated vehicles to explore the seafloor and the wrecks.

00:02:57Thanks to it, we have a video and detailed 3D images of the ships

00:03:01that were stitched together from thousands of high-resolution photos.

00:03:04According to the New York Times, some of the standout discoveries among the 44 ships found

00:03:10include a medieval training vessel from the 13th or 14th century.

00:03:15Expedition members nicknamed another ship from the Ottoman Empire

00:03:19the Flower of the Black Sea for its beautiful petal carvings.

00:03:23The team also noticed unusual details on other ships,

00:03:27like coiled ropes, chisel marks, rudders, and other carvings.

00:03:30So far, they haven't announced any plans to excavate the shipwrecks.

00:03:35But the ships might be filled with historical treasures,

00:03:38like books, parchments, and documents.

00:03:40It's worth a try to rescue them.

00:03:43The most extraordinary discovery in the Black Sea

00:03:46is what archaeologists believe to be the world's oldest intact shipwreck.

00:03:51It has been lying undisturbed for over 2,400 years.

00:03:54This ancient Greek vessel, 75 feet long,

00:03:58was found with its mast, rudders, and rowing benches all still in place,

00:04:03over a mile beneath the surface.

00:04:06Researchers believe the ship was a trading vessel,

00:04:08like those depicted on ancient Greek pottery,

00:04:11such as the siren vase in the British Museum.

00:04:14This vase, or vase, dating from the same period,

00:04:18shows a vessel carrying Odysseus past the sirens.

00:04:20The team took a small piece for carbon dating,

00:04:23and the results confirmed it as the oldest intact shipwreck known to humankind.

00:04:29The fact that it's so elaborate and well-preserved

00:04:31deserves a standing ovation for shipbuilders of the ancient world.

00:04:35Without microbes, worms, or other creatures to eat away the wrecks,

00:04:39it's no wonder the ships are in almost perfect condition.

00:04:43If the Titanic had sunk in these waters,

00:04:46we would have found it in a much better state now,

00:04:48not being eaten by nasty underwater microorganisms.

00:04:54Now, there's an interesting theory called the Black Sea Deluge Hypothesis,

00:04:58which suggests a huge flood happened around 7,500 years ago.

00:05:03Two geologists in the 1990s suggested that at the end of the last ice age,

00:05:08when the Earth's climate was heating up,

00:05:11ice sheets were melting and sea levels were rising.

00:05:13The Black Sea was a much smaller freshwater lake.

00:05:17It was separated from the Mediterranean Sea by a natural dam at the Bosphorus Strait.

00:05:23As global sea levels rose, the Mediterranean overflowed into the Black Sea Basin.

00:05:28They suggest the sea level rose by 6 inches every day,

00:05:33flooded coastal settlements, and changed the environment for good.

00:05:37Samples from the Black Sea floor show a sudden shift from freshwater to marine species around that time,

00:05:42which means there was a rapid influx of saltwater.

00:05:47Underwater surveys have also found what looked like the old shorelines and human-made structures.

00:05:52So, people were living in areas now submerged by the Black Sea.

00:05:57Plus, the timing of this flood matches up with known patterns of human migration into Europe, Asia, and Africa.

00:06:04They also say this flood could be the terrible flood from the story of Noah's Ark.

00:06:10Critics of the Deluge theory say the evidence isn't as straightforward as it seems.

00:06:15Some think the transition from freshwater to saltwater in the Black Sea was more gradual than one sudden flood.

00:06:22They're also debating if people left the settlements before they went underwater or as a result.

00:06:29An old chronicle that's been around for about a century says there were two underground tunnels

00:06:34starting in what is now Romania and Bulgaria and stretching all the way under the Black Sea to Turkey.

00:06:41Back in the day, peasants used these tunnels to move their flocks of sheep to the Ottoman Empire

00:06:46and countries on the Asia Minor Peninsula.

00:06:48Who built these tunnels and why they run under the sea is a complete mystery.

00:06:54At some point, the entrances to these tunnels were sealed off for national security and were under tight guard.

00:07:01The security forces knew all about these massive tunnels and kept them off-limits.

00:07:06In the 1980s, a group of people working on the Danube-Black Sea Canal

00:07:10accidentally found another entrance to these mysterious tunnels.

00:07:14This one was in a cemetery in a town of Romania.

00:07:18Canal workers used it to regularly cross over into Bulgaria.

00:07:22One more cool thing about these two tunnels is that some people think they were built thousands of years ago.

00:07:28If you ever try to dig a tunnel under the sea, you'll know how tricky it is even now with all the tech we have.

00:07:34So if the tunnels are really that old, whoever built them was super advanced for their time.

00:07:41Now, there's an urban legend that says that the Black Sea has its own version of the Bermuda Triangle.

00:07:47Fishers describe some wild whirlpool that appears out of nowhere and drags entire flocks of bird ships and even small islands under the sea.

00:07:56And once, things got even wilder with a ship that vanished under weird conditions in 1944.

00:08:03It was during daylight, and some black fog with green flashing sparkles suddenly surrounded the vessel.

00:08:09No one has ever seen it since, and no one knows for sure if the story is true.

00:08:14But it sure adds a spooky touch to the mysteries of the Black Sea.

00:08:18You're in the Atacama Desert in northern Chile, one of the driest places on Earth.

00:08:26But this desert has a beautiful secret.

00:08:29Every three to five years, flowers pop up out of nowhere.

00:08:33It's so famous, it's also called the Flowering Desert.

00:08:37Seeds lie around in the ground just waiting for some rain.

00:08:40When the desert gets enough water, about 200 types of flowers sprout up.

00:08:45The yellow sands of the Atacama turn purple, white, green, and even pink.

00:08:51Another mystical phenomenon that can be seen in the desert is called a sand waterfall.

00:08:56When the wind brings a lot of sand to the edge of the canyon, it begins to fall down.

00:09:02Now amplify this effect 100 times, and you get a sand waterfall in Saudi Arabia.

00:09:08It really is like Niagara Falls, only there's not a drop of water.

00:09:11The locals say this phenomenon warns of an impending sandstorm.

00:09:17Fairy rings, also known as elf rings or pixie rings, are mysterious circles of mushrooms that appear in grasslands and forested areas.

00:09:25There's a lot of debate about why these fairy rings form a nearly perfect circle.

00:09:31Some superstitions claim that fairy dances would burn the ground, causing mushrooms to rapidly grow.

00:09:36In southern India, between July and September 2001, people witnessed one of the strangest weather phenomena in recorded history.

00:09:46The rain was red.

00:09:48What many would have thought to be a typical rainstorm left them shot.

00:09:53The color was bright enough to stain clothes.

00:09:56There were other colors too, such as green, yellow, brown, and even black.

00:10:00In the middle of a monsoon, red rain started to fall, and so did periodically for several weeks.

00:10:07Researchers have found this unusual rain is stained either by dust or algae, so don't try to catch any on your tongue.

00:10:15Scientists aren't entirely sure how the algae got all the way up there.

00:10:19This does make events like this a little unsettling.

00:10:22Now, people who live in rural central Norway, over the Hestalen Valley, can often witness floating lights of white, yellow, and red across the sky.

00:10:33The lights appear both at day and night, and once back in the 80s, the 1980s, they were spotted 15 to 20 times in a single week.

00:10:42The Hestalen lights can last just a few seconds, but sometimes they can last more than an hour.

00:10:48The lights move, seeming to float or even sway around.

00:10:52Some scientists believe that the reason for these lights is due to ionized iron dust.

00:10:57Others say it's a combination that includes sodium, oxygen, and hydrogen.

00:11:02Many people claim they're just misidentified aircrafts.

00:11:06Norway!

00:11:07Snow donuts are one of the rarest meteorological sites to see, with perfect weather conditions needed just to create them.

00:11:14Found in any snow-covered mountain area, like the Rocky Mountains, the wind, temperature, snow, ice, and moisture all have to work together for us to see these phenomenal rings.

00:11:26A thin layer of wet snow on the ground.

00:11:29Under that layer, ice or powdered snow.

00:11:31Then, a strong enough breeze to roll the donut down a hill, just like a snowball.

00:11:37Once it stops rolling, it can be the size of a baseball or as large as a car tire.

00:11:42It all depends on how strong the wind is.

00:11:45A newly formed snow donut won't stay around for very long, so hurry up with that camera and watch your head.

00:11:51Can you believe there's another place on Earth with its own ecosystem and atmosphere, similar to another planet?

00:11:59Well, start believing.

00:12:01Movil Cave, located in southeastern Romania, remained closed in complete darkness for a whopping 5.5 million years.

00:12:09It wasn't until workers discovered the cave, when they were looking for a place to build, that anyone learned about it.

00:12:15Scientists carved out an opening to the cave and found that a completely sustained ecosystem was thriving inside.

00:12:22As a pathway was carved through the rock past numerous tunnels, scientists found a lake of sulfuric water that stank like rotten eggs.

00:12:31The air was filled with hydrogen sulfide and had 100 times more carbon dioxide than Earth's atmosphere contains.

00:12:38Needless to say, this air is completely toxic.

00:12:41What's even crazier is that a whole ecosystem has been existing in this cave, with 33 species that can't be found anywhere else on Earth.

00:12:50This cave gives us a glimpse of what could possibly exist on other planets with completely different atmospheres.

00:12:58How it managed to exist on Earth all this time without anyone knowing is rather unbelievable, isn't it?

00:13:05Now, check these trees out.

00:13:06They're called Indian rubber trees.

00:13:08Their strong roots grow not underground, but on the surface.

00:13:13With the help of special frames and fasteners, people have learned to control how these roots grow.

00:13:18Let's say a tree is next to a small pit.

00:13:21You need to make a bridge from one end of this pit to the other.

00:13:25You direct the growing tree roots in the needed direction.

00:13:28Over time, the roots penetrate the ground and strengthen under endless downpours.

00:13:33It takes about 15 years to create one bridge.

00:13:36Here's another amazing tree called the Tree of Life.

00:13:40It grows in Bahrain's desert.

00:13:42The tree has been standing on top of this sandy hill for more than 400 years, surrounded by miles of sand.

00:13:49It's extremely hot here, and there's no moisture.

00:13:52But despite this, the tree has green leaves, and it continues to grow.

00:13:56So far, scientists haven't figured out yet how the tree gets moisture and nutrients.

00:14:02There are only places with oil deposits around.

00:14:05Locals think the tree is sacred.

00:14:07After all, it demonstrates the magic of life and the power of nature.

00:14:11Some experts are sure it's all about the roots.

00:14:14They go so deep that they can reach underground sources of water.

00:14:18So, there you are.

00:14:21You've been driving for hours through the night.

00:14:23You didn't have any chance to sleep, so your mind is hanging by a thread.

00:14:28You stop the car and go out to stretch your limbs.

00:14:31And then you look up into the sky and see a beautiful sunrise.

00:14:36Whoa, wait.

00:14:37There are three suns in the sky.

00:14:39You rub your eyes, but nope.

00:14:41There are still three bright stars in the sky.

00:14:44No, our home star hasn't been torn into three pieces, nor has it been visited by two other stars.

00:14:51This is called a sun dog.

00:14:53It occurs mostly during severe frosts.

00:14:56Small ice crystals in the sky bend the light.

00:14:59As a result, you may see three bright spots in the sky instead of just one.

00:15:04This phenomenon is officially called a halo.

00:15:07Usually, it's just a circle around the sun.

00:15:09You can even see a halo at night, too.

00:15:11Just look at a street lamp, and you'll see a bright circle around it.

00:15:16Sometimes, a halo can take on a fancier shape.

00:15:19If there's a lot of ice in the air, the light is warped even more.

00:15:23Just like in a room with a dozen mirrors.

00:15:25Then, the halo can take on the shape of a human eye.

00:15:30Because of this phenomenon, a false dawn can also occur.

00:15:33While you're looking at the horizon, the dawn begins, and the edge of the sun appears.

00:15:38A little bit more, and wait, the sun starts to just dissolve in the sky.

00:15:44After a few moments, it's dark again.

00:15:47And only a minute later, the real sun shows its face.

00:15:51It was the same light curvature effect you saw before with the three suns.

00:15:55Only now, the light is curved vertically, not horizontally.

00:15:59And instead of the real sun, its reflection in ice crystals in the sky appeared.

00:16:04But the sunrise with three stars on the horizon is actually real.

00:16:09Not on Earth, though, but 340 light-years away.

00:16:13There's a star system at the center of which lurks a star almost twice the size of the sun.

00:16:19And there are two smaller stars orbiting around this giant.

00:16:22The strange world has a planet, too.

00:16:26Sunsets and dawns there really happen with three stars.

00:16:29If you brought your significant other to a park bench to watch a sunset here,

00:16:34your date would go just fine.

00:16:36Whatever that means.

00:16:38And since we're talking about the most baffling natural phenomena,

00:16:42it would be a crime not to mention snow in a desert.

00:16:45Yep, in the winter of 2018, the inhabitants of the Sahara Desert,

00:16:50one of the driest and hottest places on this planet,

00:16:53woke up to discover a thick blanket of snow covering the sand.

00:16:58In some places, the layer of snow enveloping the dunes reached a staggering 15 inches.

00:17:04Meteorologists, however, had an explanation for this exciting phenomenon.

00:17:08They stated that cold pools of air, combined with the precipitation from the most recent storm,

00:17:14resulted in a snowfall instead of rain.

00:17:17So, what do you do in that case?

00:17:19Build snow camels?

00:17:20Hmm, one hump or two.

00:17:24Kwaajan Volcano in Indonesia is not your ordinary lava-belching mountain.

00:17:30Instead of producing black smoke and red lava, as most volcanoes do,

00:17:34this eccentric guy lets out a blue flame and electric blue lava.

00:17:39This phenomenon occurs because the volcano contains some of the highest levels of sulfur in the world.

00:17:44And when the sulfuric gases interact with scorching air and get lit by the molten lava,

00:17:50they start to turn blue.

00:17:51Unfortunately, you can see this mesmerizing sight only at night.

00:17:55But you can smell it all day long.

00:17:58By the way, the world's largest acid lake is also located inside this crater.

00:18:04The Dead Sea has a high concentration of salt and minerals compared to other seas,

00:18:08even though it's technically a lake.

00:18:11Swimming is almost impossible, but people go there for the natural chemicals for the body.

00:18:16Floating on the surface is a great way to relax.

00:18:19This ancient body of water got its name because no macroscopic organisms can live there

00:18:24since it's 9.6 times saltier than oceans.

00:18:27Only a few bacteria and fungi can be found enjoying the salt.

00:18:31It's also Earth's lowest elevation on land at 1,400 feet below sea level.

00:18:38An underground crystal cave exists in Mexico, and it looks like some interstellar world.

00:18:45It's roughly 1,000 feet beneath the surface,

00:18:48with each spike measuring up to 35 feet in length and weighing up to 55 tons.

00:18:53These are some of the largest crystals in the world.

00:18:55Luskintyre Beach is an endless strand of white sand dunes and azure water.

00:19:02But don't let the tropical vibes fool you.

00:19:04It's located in Scotland.

00:19:06That's why it mostly looks like this during May and June only.

00:19:09In December, the place gets only an average of one hour of sunshine per day,

00:19:14making it way more dramatic and monochrome.

00:19:16The Georgia Guidestones is a collection of giant stones in a star pattern.

00:19:22It has inscriptions in eight languages, including Hindi, Chinese, and Swahili.

00:19:28It also has an astronomical calendar finished in 1980 and was built to last centuries.

00:19:33No one knows who built it or why.

00:19:36All the way over in sunny California is Sequoia National Park, home to the giant forest.

00:19:44It's been around for thousands of years.

00:19:46More than 8,000 of these colossal trees rule the land,

00:19:49including 10 of the largest living plants in the world.

00:19:53The General Sherman Sequoia is estimated to be up to 2,700 years old

00:19:58and is recognized as the world's largest known living tree by volume.

00:20:02The famous stone heads of Easter Island have been around for hundreds of years.

00:20:08No one knows exactly why they were built.

00:20:11Some scientists think that local people believe the statues would make the soil more fertile.

00:20:16Soil analysis proved the heads did their job well.

00:20:19It's the best agricultural spot on the island.

00:20:22The chemical composition of the ancient hot springs in Pamukkale, Turkey,

00:20:27makes the water pouring over the edge look magical.

00:20:30They're not only good for cleansing your body, but the mind too.

00:20:34All the way in Saudi Arabia is a rock sliced perfectly in the middle with two pieces sitting parallel.

00:20:41What makes Al-Nasla so unique is that it wasn't artificially done,

00:20:45but is a result of nature's work over the years.

00:20:49Now this glacier may look like someone dropped tons of red paint in the middle of Antarctica,

00:20:53but it's actually the natural color.

00:20:55Blood falls is a result of extreme salted water mixed with iron oxide,

00:21:01giving out this eerie vibe in the middle of nowhere.

00:21:05In early May 2018, New England observed one of the scariest and most dangerous phenomena ever,

00:21:11a super-long-track tornado.

00:21:14The frightening natural phenomenon started not far from Charleston, New Hampshire,

00:21:18and traveled toward the town of Webster in Merrimack County.

00:21:21It took the tornado 33 minutes to cover 36 miles

00:21:25and become the third on the list of the longest track tornadoes in New England.

00:21:30In the Philippines, you can swim in some of the most crystal-clear waters

00:21:34and discover an underwater world below you in the province of Palawan.

00:21:39The municipality of Koran has white, sandy beaches

00:21:43with many small boats riding through the many amazing sceneries.

00:21:46Tristan de Cunha is a small volcanic archipelago in the Atlantic

00:21:51with the only neighboring cities of Buenos Aires, Argentina, and Cape Town, South Africa.

00:21:57It takes seven days by ship to get to this unique place.

00:22:01If you want to escape from the rest of the world,

00:22:03staying with the 280 locals will make you feel like you're away from everything.

00:22:08During the first week of January 2018,

00:22:13unusually cold weather in the northeast United States

00:22:15froze the Atlantic Ocean in North Thalmouth, Massachusetts.

00:22:19What's more, the ocean was frozen so thoroughly

00:22:22that people were walking on the waves.

00:22:24Now, that's obviously something you don't see every day.

00:22:28Red sand is what makes this beach unique

00:22:31and why tourists flock to Tianjin, China.

00:22:33A red-colored plant called a suede salsa dwells in the saltwater.

00:22:38The whole beach is covered in red

00:22:40with only the top layer of the sea visible.

00:22:44If there ever was a thing that said,

00:22:46I defy gravity out loud,

00:22:48it's the Stone of De Vasco in Argentina.

00:22:51The huge 300-ton boulder stands precariously on the edge of a cliff

00:22:56and rocks a little bit from side to side in the wind.

00:22:59People even checked it by putting glass bottles under one of its edges.

00:23:02They exploded with another movement of the rock.

00:23:06Unfortunately today,

00:23:07you can't see this wonder of nature as it was a century ago.

00:23:11In 1912, the boulder suddenly dropped from its perch,

00:23:14which it had occupied for literally hundreds of years.

00:23:18The people of the nearby town of Tandil

00:23:20were so sad about this event

00:23:22that 95 years later, in 2007,

00:23:25they decided to restore the stone.

00:23:27They made a plastic replica of the rock

00:23:29and put it on the same spot and even in the same position.

00:23:33So, even today, coming by Tandil,

00:23:36you can see its famous balancing boulder.

00:23:38More of a symbol now, of course,

00:23:40because it's no longer rocking

00:23:42and only weighs 9 tons,

00:23:44but instantly recognizable nonetheless.

00:23:48Sokatra is an alien-like island off the coast of Yemen

00:23:51in the Indian Ocean

00:23:52with one of the most unique trees ever seen.

00:23:55It's called the dragon tree

00:23:57and it can only be found on this amazing island.

00:24:00In 2008, it was labeled as a world heritage site.

00:24:05If you ever see a tight burning column of air,

00:24:08don't panic, it's not the end of the world.

00:24:11The creepy combination of whirlwind sounds

00:24:13and scorching inferno

00:24:14means that you have crossed paths with a fire tornado,

00:24:18also known as fire twister or fire whirl.

00:24:21This dangerous phenomenon occurs mostly during wildfires.

00:24:25These fires create a big area of super hot air

00:24:28just above the ground.

00:24:30When this scorching air gets mixed with the cooler air higher up,

00:24:33it results in a whirlwind

00:24:35that churns up burning debris and flames.

00:24:38The most powerful firenadoes

00:24:40can stretch hundreds of feet into the air.

00:24:42The House of Mystery in Gold Hill, Oregon,

00:24:46amazes its visitors with gravity-defying effects.

00:24:49You can't stand straight there,

00:24:51always leaning to the side

00:24:52and having to hold on to something for balance.

00:24:55Balls roll upwards.

00:24:57There's also a broom that stands perfectly still

00:24:59wherever you put it,

00:25:01unlike virtually everything else in the shack.

00:25:03The local Native American tribes

00:25:05called this place the Forbidden Ground,

00:25:08even before the house was built there,

00:25:10and they avoid approaching it.

00:25:12The owners of the shack, though,

00:25:14decided to turn it into an attraction,

00:25:16and they succeeded.

00:25:17They created an atmosphere of mystery around the place

00:25:20and spread the news about it in newspapers

00:25:22and later on the internet.

00:25:24And voila!

00:25:25A perfect anomaly is made.

00:25:28In fact, it's no more than a curiosity.

00:25:30A human-made optical illusion

00:25:32that tricks your eyes and other senses.

00:25:35Now, if you travel to the Philippines,

00:25:37Indonesia, or Papua New Guinea,

00:25:39you'll have a chance to see

00:25:40some of the most unusual and cheerful trees in the world.

00:25:43The trunk of the rainbow eucalyptus

00:25:46looks as if it had been painted orange, green, red,

00:25:49purple, yellow, brown, blue,

00:25:51hey, you name it!

00:25:53Some trees are so bright that they seem artificial.

00:25:56The rainbow eucalyptus regularly sheds strips of bark,

00:26:00which reveals a bright green layer underneath.

00:26:03A bit later, this green layer gradually changes its color.

00:26:06And since the shedding happens at a different time

00:26:09in different places on the trunk,

00:26:11the tree starts to look multicolored

00:26:13and very attractive.

00:26:15Yemen is home to the oldest skyscrapers in the world

00:26:18and the oldest metropolis.

00:26:20The ancient city of Shabam

00:26:22is considered to be the Manhattan of the desert

00:26:24due to the collection of mud buildings

00:26:27popping out of the desert floor.

00:26:29It used to be a caravan stop during ancient times.

00:26:32Now, picture this.

00:26:37You're watching a volcano erupt,

00:26:39which is a scary view by itself.

00:26:41But suddenly, you notice ominous bright flashes

00:26:44lighting up the sky over the volcano.

00:26:47It takes the nightmarishness of the experience

00:26:49to a whole new level.

00:26:52One causes static electricity,

00:26:54which occurs when dense ash particles

00:26:56rub together not very high above the ground.

00:26:59The other source of volcanic lightning

00:27:01is high above the surface,

00:27:03near the stratosphere,

00:27:04where chaotically moving ice crystals

00:27:06set free, powerful jolts.

00:27:10Salar del Uni feels like you're standing on top

00:27:12of a large mirror,

00:27:13but it's actually a salt flat

00:27:15of more than 4,000 square miles.

00:27:18It's located in Bolivia,

00:27:19South America's highest elevated country.

00:27:22This natural mirror is a remnant

00:27:25of prehistoric lakes

00:27:26that had evaporated a long time ago.

00:27:29Even though it may look flat,

00:27:31GPS technology proved

00:27:33that some of the landscape

00:27:34has some little defaults

00:27:35that are all less than an inch small.

00:27:38The place is so bogged

00:27:39that it has around 10 billion tons of salt.

00:27:42If you get there at the right time,

00:27:44some of the nearby lakes overflow

00:27:46with a small layer of water,

00:27:48which acts as the mirror of the sky.

00:27:51Many locals extract salt and lithium from there.

00:27:54Don't forget to pass by

00:27:55the world's first salt hotel when you visit.

00:27:57You can find a real rainbow mountain in Peru.

00:28:01Scientists still can't explain it.

00:28:02The colorful peak is hard to reach,

00:28:04but seeing the blue, red, green, yellow,

00:28:07and pink colors in nature

00:28:08is something to remember.

00:28:10Now, what looks like frozen flying saucers

00:28:14is, in fact,

00:28:16pockets of highly flammable

00:28:17and combustible methane gas.

00:28:19Trapped underwater,

00:28:20it forms psychedelic landscapes

00:28:22and stunning patterns.

00:28:24Typical for northern lakes,

00:28:25such as Lake Abraham in Alberta, Canada,

00:28:28these bubbles appear

00:28:29when dead animals,

00:28:31leaves, and plants

00:28:31fall into the water

00:28:33and get consumed by bacteria.

00:28:34These bacteria later excrete methane gas.

00:28:38Wow, I can smell it from here.

00:28:41In late March 2018,

00:28:43Eastern Europe witnessed an event

00:28:45as beautiful as it was spooky.

00:28:48Skiers glided down tangerine slopes

00:28:50under the red-tinted sky.

00:28:53Puzzled and excited,

00:28:54people described this experience

00:28:55as walking on Mars

00:28:57or skiing down sand dunes.

00:28:59But however mysterious this phenomenon seems,

00:29:02it has a disappointingly simple explanation.

00:29:06The sponsor of the extraterrestrial landscape

00:29:08was a powerful sandstorm

00:29:10that had arrived from the Sahara Desert.

00:29:12This storm had brought along dust,

00:29:14sand, and pollen particles

00:29:16that colored the snow orange.

00:29:18It's not a one-time natural phenomenon.

00:29:20Meteorologists say that orange snow

00:29:22covers the lands of Eastern Europe

00:29:24at least once every five years.

00:29:26Meanwhile, don't eat the orange snow.

00:29:28On February 20th and 21st of 2018,

00:29:34people in the northeastern part of the U.S.

00:29:36experienced one of the most extraordinary

00:29:38weather events of recent times.

00:29:40And it was a heat wave.

00:29:42Yep, in February.

00:29:44In fact, it was the most impressive

00:29:45winter heat wave

00:29:46since official weather records

00:29:48started in the 1800s.

00:29:50For example, in Freiburg, Maine,

00:29:52people were taking off their coats

00:29:54after the temperature had risen

00:29:55to a baffling 70 degrees Fahrenheit.

00:29:58In Fitchburg, Massachusetts,

00:30:00confused people put on sandals

00:30:02when they saw the temperature outside

00:30:0480 degrees.

00:30:05The same was happening

00:30:06in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania,

00:30:08where the temperature reached 83,

00:30:09and in Wells, Maine,

00:30:11where the thermometer showed 77 degrees.

00:30:15Now, around 11,000 years ago,

00:30:17in present-day Turkey,

00:30:18with no cities or metal tools whatsoever,

00:30:22some incredibly skilled craftsmen

00:30:24completed Gobekli Tepe,

00:30:25how they managed to chip and lift

00:30:27limestone blocks three times as heavy

00:30:30as a T-Rex,

00:30:31and what they symbolize

00:30:32is still unknown.

00:30:34Ooh.

00:30:35One mind-blowing fact

00:30:37about Devil's Tower

00:30:38in Wyoming, USA

00:30:39is that scientists can't explain

00:30:42how it came to existence

00:30:43in the first place.

00:30:44You see,

00:30:45it's an 867-foot rock formation

00:30:48with walls so steep

00:30:49they're basically vertical.

00:30:50This piece of stone

00:30:52just arose

00:30:53amid the rolling plains

00:30:55of Wyoming

00:30:55with nothing like it

00:30:56for miles and miles around.

00:30:58So, how is it

00:30:59that such a flat landscape

00:31:01could have suddenly given birth

00:31:03to something so tall?

00:31:04Theories abound,

00:31:05but nobody has the answer yet.

00:31:10Croatia's Plitvice Lakes National Park

00:31:13is a major tourist attraction

00:31:14and a World Heritage Site

00:31:16with many unique animals

00:31:17and plants teeming around.

00:31:19It looks like an epic movie set

00:31:21with infinite waterfalls

00:31:23flowing from every direction

00:31:24and the clear lakes all around.

00:31:27In the mid-1980s,

00:31:29a scuba diver discovered

00:31:31the Yanaguni Monument

00:31:32off the coast of Japan.

00:31:34Scientists are positive

00:31:35this collection of structures

00:31:36is thousands of years old,

00:31:38but they still can't decide

00:31:40if it's natural or man-made.

00:31:42In case it proves

00:31:43to be an ancient city,

00:31:44the new mystery is

00:31:45what lost civilization built it

00:31:47and how did it make it

00:31:49to the bottom of the sea?

00:31:52The shape and formations

00:31:53of these rocks

00:31:54aren't a result

00:31:54of some human's work.

00:31:56They were created

00:31:57by intense volcanic eruptions.

00:31:59Scientists are still confused

00:32:01why the Giant's Causeway

00:32:02in Ireland

00:32:03is shaped in such a weird way.

00:32:07Back in 1812,

00:32:08for an unknown reason,

00:32:10an English farmer

00:32:11paid a local painter

00:32:12to remove tons of soil

00:32:14on a hillside

00:32:14and fill the contours

00:32:16with chalk.

00:32:17The painter ran away

00:32:18with the money,

00:32:19so the farmer

00:32:20had to pay a second time

00:32:21to get the Alton Barns

00:32:23white horse finished.

00:32:25Black Falls in Iceland

00:32:27get their name

00:32:28from the dark lava columns

00:32:29surrounding it.

00:32:30The base of the waterfall

00:32:31has sharp rocks.

00:32:33The entire structure

00:32:34was the inspiration

00:32:35for Icelandic architecture

00:32:36seen in some of

00:32:38their famous buildings.

00:32:40You can see hair ice

00:32:42in the forest

00:32:43on a humid winter night.

00:32:45Resembling cotton candy

00:32:46or a white hair wig,

00:32:47unusual ice crystals

00:32:49grow on rotting wood.

00:32:51Unfortunately,

00:32:52this beauty melts

00:32:53as soon as the sun comes up.

00:32:55Only recently

00:32:55have scientists discover

00:32:56what creates hair ice.

00:32:58All this time it was,

00:33:00are you ready?

00:33:01Fungus.

00:33:02Yep.

00:33:03It allows the ice

00:33:03to form super-thin hairs

00:33:05and helps them

00:33:06to support this form

00:33:07throughout the night.

00:33:08When this particular

00:33:09type of fungus

00:33:10isn't present,

00:33:11instead of fragile hair,

00:33:13ice forms

00:33:14a crust-like structure.

00:33:16Now,

00:33:17one of the most

00:33:18common causes

00:33:18of wildfires

00:33:19is lightning

00:33:20from thunderstorms.

00:33:22But,

00:33:22have you ever heard

00:33:23of a wildfire

00:33:24that triggered

00:33:25a thunderstorm?

00:33:26Well,

00:33:26now you know.

00:33:27It happened

00:33:28on May 11,

00:33:292018,

00:33:30not far from

00:33:31Amarillo, Texas.

00:33:32Then,

00:33:33the super-powerful

00:33:34Mallard Fire

00:33:35not only created

00:33:36a massive dense cloud

00:33:37high in the air,

00:33:38its heat also caused

00:33:40a violent thunderstorm

00:33:41that later dumped

00:33:42tons of quarter-sized

00:33:44hailstones

00:33:4560 miles away

00:33:46in Wheeler County,

00:33:47Texas.

00:33:50Carhenge

00:33:50is the weirdest

00:33:51landmark of Nebraska.

00:33:53Its author studied

00:33:53the real Stonehenge

00:33:55and created

00:33:55his own version

00:33:56out of old cars

00:33:58as a tribute

00:33:58to his father.

00:33:59Some cars stand

00:34:01like monoliths.

00:34:03Others are connected

00:34:04into arches.

00:34:07When asked why

00:34:08he did all this,

00:34:09the creator

00:34:10of the construction

00:34:11said,

00:34:12why not?

00:34:14Another Stonehenge

00:34:15look-alike was found

00:34:16on the bottom

00:34:17of Lake Michigan

00:34:18in 2007.

00:34:19There's a group

00:34:20of rocks in a circle

00:34:21and carvings

00:34:22of a mastodon.

00:34:23This beast ceased

00:34:24existing over

00:34:2510,000 years ago,

00:34:26so the carving

00:34:27has to be older

00:34:28than that.

00:34:29Its location

00:34:30is kept secret

00:34:31from the public.

00:34:32Good luck finding it!

00:34:35Canada's Hudson Bay

00:34:36is probably

00:34:36the only place

00:34:37in the world

00:34:38where gravity

00:34:39is indeed lower

00:34:40than anywhere else

00:34:41on the planet.

00:34:42Even skeptics

00:34:43can't smirk at it

00:34:44because the difference

00:34:45has been measured

00:34:46with precision equipment.

00:34:48So,

00:34:48does it mean

00:34:48that the gravity here

00:34:50is as low as,

00:34:51say,

00:34:51on the moon?

00:34:52Unfortunately,

00:34:53or is it luckily?

00:34:54I'm not sure yet.

00:34:56The difference

00:34:56is minuscule.

00:34:57The exact value

00:34:59is 0.005

00:35:01or 1 200th

00:35:02of a percent.

00:35:04You won't be able

00:35:04to feel it

00:35:05even if you try

00:35:06your hardest,

00:35:06but it's still there.

00:35:08Scientists say

00:35:09this anomaly exists

00:35:10because of the ice sheet

00:35:11that covered the area

00:35:12about 10,000 years ago.

00:35:14It compressed the rocks

00:35:16so much

00:35:16that they still

00:35:17can't fully recover,

00:35:18shifting the gravitational field

00:35:20in Hudson Bay.

00:35:21Sometime in the future,

00:35:23though,

00:35:23the gravity

00:35:23will return to normal

00:35:25in this area as well.

00:35:26In 2010,

00:35:29fossilized fish

00:35:30were uncovered

00:35:31250 miles west

00:35:33of the Nile River,

00:35:34where the Sahara Desert

00:35:35was as arid as ever.

00:35:36This chance finding

00:35:38led scientists

00:35:39to believe

00:35:39there could have been

00:35:40a sea

00:35:40where the Sierra

00:35:41is now.

00:35:42So,

00:35:43they conducted

00:35:43a geological survey

00:35:45of the area,

00:35:46and it yielded

00:35:47unexpected results.

00:35:48They found evidence

00:35:49of something huge

00:35:50under the sands,

00:35:51and it wasn't

00:35:52part of any sea

00:35:53at all.

00:35:55For several months,

00:35:57the research continued

00:35:58with GPS equipment

00:35:59on land,

00:35:59and later,

00:36:00when all the ground

00:36:01data was collected,

00:36:02scientists took a look

00:36:03at the area

00:36:04from a satellite.

00:36:05The view

00:36:06was astounding.

00:36:07It turned out

00:36:08there was an enormous basin

00:36:10underneath the desert,

00:36:11with another,

00:36:12smaller one nearby.

00:36:14Along the shores

00:36:14of these basins,

00:36:16ancient human settlements

00:36:17had been found previously,

00:36:18and now,

00:36:19the researchers

00:36:20finally had the answer

00:36:21as to why exactly

00:36:23they had chosen

00:36:23those spots to live.

00:36:25There had been

00:36:26a lake

00:36:26of impressive proportions,

00:36:28over 42,000 square miles

00:36:30of freshwater in total,

00:36:32about half the size

00:36:33of Lake Michigan.

00:36:36You're hiking

00:36:37in the wilderness,

00:36:38looking for a safe spot

00:36:39to set up camp.

00:36:41All you can hear

00:36:41are leaves and branches

00:36:43crackling under your footsteps.

00:36:45Some squirrels

00:36:46are running up a tree

00:36:47over there,

00:36:47but suddenly,

00:36:49something unexpected happens.

00:36:51You notice something weird

00:36:52in the distance

00:36:53in between the trees.

00:36:54It kind of looks like

00:36:55a concrete structure

00:36:56of some kind.

00:36:58Weird.

00:36:58At this point,

00:36:59you're at least

00:37:0020 miles deep

00:37:01into the woods,

00:37:02and there are no

00:37:03nearby towns or villages,

00:37:04as far as you know.

00:37:07So, you decide

00:37:08to go off the trail

00:37:09with your friends

00:37:10to get a closer look.

00:37:11But as you get nearer,

00:37:12you realize

00:37:13that it's leading to

00:37:15nowhere.

00:37:16Hmm.

00:37:16What's doing here

00:37:18in the middle

00:37:18of literally nowhere?

00:37:20And it doesn't even

00:37:21lead to anything.

00:37:22You put on your

00:37:23Sherlock Holmes cap

00:37:25and investigate.

00:37:26So,

00:37:27maybe there used to be

00:37:28an old house

00:37:29or mansion here

00:37:30that collapsed

00:37:31over the years,

00:37:32and the only thing left

00:37:33is a staircase?

00:37:35But,

00:37:35weirdly enough,

00:37:36after circling

00:37:37the bizarre structure,

00:37:38you realize

00:37:40there's no trace

00:37:41of any ruins

00:37:41or even foundations.

00:37:43It's like someone

00:37:44just sliced

00:37:45a staircase

00:37:46off their house,

00:37:47cake-style,

00:37:48and plopped it here

00:37:49for no reason.

00:37:50Okay?

00:37:52You and your friends

00:37:53aren't really

00:37:54into getting

00:37:54a whole lot closer.

00:37:56Something feels wrong.

00:37:58The longer you look

00:37:59at this weird structure,

00:38:00the more you feel

00:38:01a super creepy presence.

00:38:04Something tells you

00:38:04you should probably

00:38:05leave the area

00:38:06as fast as possible.

00:38:08As weird as this sounds,

00:38:10discoveries of

00:38:11random staircases

00:38:12illogically found

00:38:13in the woods

00:38:14are surprisingly common.

00:38:17Some are made of wood,

00:38:18others of brick or stone.

00:38:20Some look ancient,

00:38:21while others look like

00:38:22they were finished yesterday.

00:38:24The one thing

00:38:24they all have in common,

00:38:26they all lead

00:38:27to absolutely nowhere,

00:38:28and they're all found

00:38:29in super mysterious locations.

00:38:32One of the most famous ones

00:38:34is in Chesterfield, New Hampshire.

00:38:35A long, medieval-looking staircase

00:38:38made of stones

00:38:40with Roman arches

00:38:41in the middle of the woods.

00:38:42It's believed

00:38:43to have been part

00:38:44of Madame Antoinette Sherry's castle.

00:38:47She was a big singer

00:38:48back in Paris.

00:38:49The castle dates back

00:38:50about a hundred years,

00:38:51and it was later discovered again

00:38:53in 1962.

00:38:55This time,

00:38:55there was nothing

00:38:56but a staircase.

00:38:59Another mysterious

00:39:00ancient staircase

00:39:01dates back to

00:39:029,000 years ago.

00:39:04It's in a forest in Italy.

00:39:06It looks like

00:39:07a series of stairs

00:39:08that lead to

00:39:09a tiny platform

00:39:09at the top.

00:39:11Now,

00:39:11why go through

00:39:12all the trouble

00:39:12of building the thing

00:39:13if it leads to

00:39:14nowhere?

00:39:16Well,

00:39:16some scientists think

00:39:17it could have been

00:39:18some sort of ritual tower,

00:39:20but your guess

00:39:21is as good as theirs.

00:39:23There's an anomaly

00:39:25in the Indian Ocean

00:39:26known as

00:39:26the Indian Ocean

00:39:27Geoid Low,

00:39:29or IOGL.

00:39:31It produces

00:39:31the largest distorting

00:39:33natural gravitational force

00:39:34in the world.

00:39:36Heavy mineral deposits,

00:39:38many deep-sea trenches,

00:39:39and magma reservoirs

00:39:41disturb the magnetic field

00:39:42in this area.

00:39:43Earth's gravity changes

00:39:44in different places

00:39:45around the planet.

00:39:47It allows researchers

00:39:48to look for patterns

00:39:49and figure out

00:39:50what's happening

00:39:51beneath the surface.

00:39:53Higher gravity fields

00:39:54usually mean

00:39:55denser materials below,

00:39:57and vice versa.

00:39:58Some scientists believe

00:39:59that the anomaly

00:40:00might be a dent

00:40:01in the planet's mantle

00:40:02that is working

00:40:03its way up

00:40:04to the crust.

00:40:06The Niihau Island

00:40:07actually rejects

00:40:09the fruits

00:40:09of today's advancements.

00:40:11There are no cars

00:40:12in sight

00:40:13since the locals

00:40:14get around on foot

00:40:15or by bicycles.

00:40:17No wonder their legs

00:40:18have great definition.

00:40:20They thrive

00:40:20without running water,

00:40:22internet,

00:40:22or shops.

00:40:24The only school

00:40:25on the entire island

00:40:26is powered by solar energy

00:40:27with a backup generator.

00:40:29And what's awesome is

00:40:31that it's the only school

00:40:32in the state

00:40:33that's powered by the sun.

00:40:35Being a resident

00:40:35of the island,

00:40:36the local explains

00:40:37some ground rules

00:40:38the permanent residents

00:40:40must abide by.

00:40:41If they do break

00:40:42these rules,

00:40:43they can be evicted.

00:40:45Now, not far from Bangkok,

00:40:47in northeastern Thailand,

00:40:49there's a 75-million-year-old

00:40:51rock formation.

00:40:53These rocks look like

00:40:54three whales

00:40:55swimming together.

00:40:56The beautiful design

00:40:57created by nature

00:40:58became known as

00:41:00Three Whales Rock.

00:41:02Millions of years ago,

00:41:03this area was just a desert.

00:41:05But the land was changing.

00:41:07Gradually,

00:41:08sandstone got pulled apart

00:41:09by the movements

00:41:10of tectonic plates

00:41:11and erosion.

00:41:12That's how these

00:41:13spectacular formations

00:41:14were created.

00:41:16If you decide

00:41:17to explore the system

00:41:18of trails

00:41:19around Three Whales Rock,

00:41:20you'll find waterfalls

00:41:22and an abundance

00:41:22of fauna and flora there.

00:41:24Located on Gamal

00:41:27and Gaiden peninsulas,

00:41:28these expansive pit holes

00:41:30were discovered in 2014.

00:41:32They seem to be still

00:41:33changing and evolving.

00:41:35The pits grow wider

00:41:36and people find them

00:41:37more often.

00:41:38Of course,

00:41:39there's no shortage

00:41:40of theories

00:41:40about how they appeared.

00:41:43Suggestions range

00:41:44from meteorite impacts

00:41:45to the activity

00:41:46of other civilizations.

00:41:47But the most common

00:41:49explanation is that

00:41:50methane gas reacted

00:41:52to water molecules

00:41:53after the planet's

00:41:54permafrost started

00:41:55to melt.

00:41:56This resulted in

00:41:57bubbles of methane

00:41:58bursting through the ice.

00:42:00The craters could be

00:42:00thousands of years old,

00:42:02but nobody knows

00:42:03for sure.

00:42:05You're driving

00:42:06to the state of

00:42:07New Mexico,

00:42:08to the small town

00:42:09of Taos.

00:42:102% of the locals

00:42:12hear a strange buzzing

00:42:13in the air every day.

00:42:15Some residents believe

00:42:16the sound is somehow

00:42:17connected with technologies

00:42:19used by guests

00:42:20from other galaxies.

00:42:23Also, there is a theory

00:42:25that something sinister

00:42:26lives in the town.

00:42:27They say Taos is cursed.

00:42:29An evil spirit

00:42:31or a phantom

00:42:31punishes people

00:42:32for something

00:42:33their ancestors did

00:42:34in the past.

00:42:35Scientists still can't

00:42:37explain the nature

00:42:37of this sound.

00:42:39Another theory says

00:42:40it's caused by

00:42:41unusual acoustics

00:42:42of the location,

00:42:43while others think

00:42:44the buzzing is

00:42:45a hallucination.

00:42:46Some can hear it

00:42:47because everybody

00:42:48talks about something

00:42:49and our minds

00:42:50create an illusion

00:42:51of the sound

00:42:52that doesn't really exist.

00:42:54The sound isn't

00:42:55the same for everyone

00:42:56either.

00:42:57For some,

00:42:57it's a low hum.

00:42:59For others,

00:43:00it's more of a buzzing sound.

00:43:01But this is not

00:43:02the only place

00:43:03where you can hear

00:43:04the strange noises.

00:43:06It's called the hum

00:43:07and people worldwide

00:43:09claim to have heard it.

00:43:10Some dwellers

00:43:11of a small village

00:43:12in Scotland

00:43:13describe it

00:43:14as a low,

00:43:15thick hum.

00:43:16While some residents

00:43:17of Florida

00:43:17heard a similar sound too.

00:43:20It's not exactly known

00:43:21where this phenomenon

00:43:22appeared,

00:43:23but the first time

00:43:24the media started

00:43:25talking about it

00:43:26was in the 1970s

00:43:27in England.

00:43:29Also,

00:43:29there are written records

00:43:30of a mysterious buzzing

00:43:32dating back

00:43:33almost 200 years.

00:43:35According to some estimates,

00:43:36only about 2%

00:43:38of people on the planet

00:43:39can hear the hum.

00:43:40Perhaps their ears

00:43:41pick up some

00:43:42low-frequency waves,

00:43:44or the reason

00:43:44is something else

00:43:45entirely.

00:43:46Maybe,

00:43:47just maybe,

00:43:48they hear humming

00:43:49because the person

00:43:50doing it

00:43:51doesn't know

00:43:52the words to the song.

00:43:53Yeah,

00:43:54that joke

00:43:54is also 200 years old.

00:43:57A volcano

00:43:58in Indonesia

00:43:59spews bright blue lava

00:44:02and produces

00:44:02electric blue

00:44:03and purple flames.

00:44:05This phenomenon

00:44:06occurs

00:44:06because the volcano

00:44:07has some of the highest levels

00:44:09of sulfur

00:44:10in the world.

00:44:11You can also know

00:44:12you're near it

00:44:12by its foul stench.

00:44:14But I digress.

00:44:17And when sulfuric gases

00:44:18interact with scorching hot air

00:44:20and get lit

00:44:21by the molten lava,

00:44:22they turn blue.

00:44:24You can also find

00:44:25the world's largest acid lake

00:44:26inside this crater.

00:44:28Yup,

00:44:29it's a real stinker.

00:44:31Underwater rivers

00:44:32and lakes

00:44:33are called brine pools

00:44:34for a reason.

00:44:36High salinity

00:44:37makes the water in them

00:44:38denser than the seawater around.

00:44:40That's why it sinks

00:44:41to the bottom,

00:44:42forming rivers and lakes.

00:44:44Those have waves

00:44:45of their own,

00:44:46and these waves

00:44:47can sometimes

00:44:47lap up against

00:44:48the shorelines.

00:44:50If you went down there

00:44:51in the submarine,

00:44:52it would easily float

00:44:53on the surface

00:44:53of a brine pool.

00:44:55But without a submarine,

00:44:56swimming in such a lake

00:44:57would be too risky.

00:44:59They contain

00:45:00too much toxic methane

00:45:01and hydrogen sulfide.

00:45:03Yeah,

00:45:03I'd pass on that too.

00:45:05But hey,

00:45:05be my guest.

00:45:07Cave of Crystals

00:45:08in Mexico

00:45:08is home to the world's

00:45:10most unique crystal formations.

00:45:13Thanks to super rare conditions

00:45:14in the cave,

00:45:15crystals there

00:45:16grow to unbelievable sizes.

00:45:18The air inside

00:45:19is incredibly humid.

00:45:21The water contains

00:45:22tons of minerals

00:45:23that boosts the growth

00:45:24of the milky white giants.

00:45:26Some of them

00:45:26are longer

00:45:27than telephone poles.

00:45:30Cylindrical snow donuts

00:45:31occur when a wind gust

00:45:33starts to roll some snow

00:45:35across a snowy area,

00:45:36as if making a snowball.

00:45:38If it was a real thing,

00:45:39it would eventually

00:45:40become too heavy

00:45:41for the wind to move.

00:45:43But a snow donut's center

00:45:45is hollowed out.

00:45:46This happens

00:45:47because its inner layer

00:45:48is too thin

00:45:48and is blown away

00:45:50when the donut is formed.

00:45:51This makes the thing

00:45:52lighter than a snowball.

00:45:54That's also why

00:45:55it rolls further.

00:45:56Unfortunately,

00:45:57snow donuts are rare

00:45:59because they need

00:46:00very precise conditions

00:46:01to appear.

00:46:03The Danakil Depression

00:46:04in Ethiopia

00:46:05is probably

00:46:06one of the most

00:46:07bizarre-looking places

00:46:08you'll ever see.

00:46:10It's dotted with

00:46:11neon-colored hot springs,

00:46:12lava pools,

00:46:13and vast salt flats.

00:46:15You've got to be

00:46:16especially careful there.

00:46:18Toxic gases are swirling

00:46:19over hydrothermal fields,

00:46:21and many pools

00:46:22are super acidic.

00:46:23So,

00:46:24don't go swimming.

00:46:25Until at least

00:46:2630 minutes after lunch.

00:46:28Just kidding.

00:46:28And finally,

00:46:31there's nothing mysterious

00:46:32about 28,000 rubber ducks

00:46:34found in the sea

00:46:35in 1992.

00:46:37That's when a ship

00:46:38transporting bath toys

00:46:39got lost in the ocean

00:46:41while traveling

00:46:42from Hong Kong

00:46:43to the U.S.

00:46:44Some of these ducks

00:46:45are still floating

00:46:46in the ocean

00:46:46several decades later.

00:46:48They've been spotted

00:46:49in South America,

00:46:50Alaska,

00:46:51Hawaii,

00:46:51and even Australia.

00:46:53And they make

00:46:54bath time

00:46:55lots of fun.

00:46:57Ooh, rubber ducky.

00:46:58Ah, a purple sunset.

00:47:01You must have seen

00:47:02one of those

00:47:02at least once

00:47:03in your life.

00:47:04Normally,

00:47:05it's nothing ominous

00:47:06and has to do

00:47:07with the way light travels.

00:47:09The light that the sun

00:47:10produces is white.

00:47:11When it goes through

00:47:12a prism,

00:47:13you see light waves

00:47:14of different colors,

00:47:15from red and orange

00:47:16to blue, green,

00:47:17and indigo.

00:47:19Light normally travels

00:47:20in a straight line

00:47:21if there's no obstacle

00:47:22in its way.

00:47:23The shorter light waves,

00:47:25including blues and purples,

00:47:26are scattered easier

00:47:28when they meet

00:47:28with those obstacles,

00:47:29like molecules

00:47:30and aerosols

00:47:31in the atmosphere.

00:47:33Because the sun

00:47:33is low on the horizon

00:47:35at sunset and sunrise,

00:47:36its light has to pass

00:47:38through more molecules

00:47:39that scatter

00:47:39the violet and blue light.

00:47:41The colors

00:47:42that your eyes pick up,

00:47:43then,

00:47:43are yellow,

00:47:44orange, and red.

00:47:46But with the right conditions,

00:47:47you can see

00:47:48the gorgeous purple sky.

00:47:50Sometimes,

00:47:51purple sky appears

00:47:52for much scarier reasons.

00:47:54It can be caused

00:47:55by hurricanes,

00:47:56wildfires,

00:47:57or dust storms.

00:47:58The concentration

00:47:58of vapor in the air

00:48:00increases,

00:48:01and the light scatters

00:48:02more than usual.

00:48:03Dust,

00:48:04a setting sun,

00:48:05and low cloud cover

00:48:06all contribute

00:48:07to this natural show, too.

00:48:09The sky turns orange

00:48:11and red at dusk

00:48:12if there's still

00:48:12enough light.

00:48:13Then,

00:48:14it gives off pink hues,

00:48:15which mix up

00:48:16with a dark blue sky above.

00:48:18Now,

00:48:19do you remember

00:48:19what happens

00:48:20when you mix

00:48:21pink and blue?

00:48:22You get

00:48:22the color purple.

00:48:25Not every hurricane

00:48:26makes the sky

00:48:27turn purple,

00:48:28and trying to predict

00:48:28if it's going to happen

00:48:30is like trying

00:48:31to forecast a rainbow.

00:48:32Still,

00:48:33people reported

00:48:34several major hurricanes

00:48:35made the skies

00:48:36turn purple.

00:48:38Now,

00:48:38green skies

00:48:39might look

00:48:39just as spectacular

00:48:40as purple ones,

00:48:42but they actually

00:48:42also scream danger.

00:48:45They're usually there

00:48:46to tell you

00:48:46a thunderstorm,

00:48:48hailstorm,

00:48:48or a tornado

00:48:49is somewhere nearby.

00:48:50The unique color

00:48:52is a result

00:48:53of yellow sun rays

00:48:54getting mixed

00:48:55with the blue light

00:48:56coming from storm clouds.

00:48:58So,

00:48:59you're enjoying

00:48:59a nice day

00:49:00by the ocean

00:49:01with a fresh breeze

00:49:02in your hair,

00:49:03when suddenly,

00:49:04you notice the water

00:49:05starts retreating

00:49:07from the beach

00:49:07at a huge speed.

00:49:09This is a sign

00:49:09for you to start running

00:49:11as fast and far away

00:49:12from the beach

00:49:13as you can.

00:49:14This most likely means

00:49:15that a tsunami

00:49:16is on the way.

00:49:17A quick reaction

00:49:18maximizes

00:49:19your chances

00:49:20of survival.

00:49:22Now,

00:49:22if you notice

00:49:23the sea level

00:49:23is rising,

00:49:24but it doesn't

00:49:25seem too extreme,

00:49:26it could be

00:49:27another sign

00:49:28of an approaching tsunami.

00:49:30It happens

00:49:30in 40% of cases,

00:49:32and the incoming water

00:49:34is the first tsunami wave.

00:49:36The next one,

00:49:37way larger

00:49:38and more dangerous,

00:49:39usually follows

00:49:40in about 10 minutes.

00:49:42Another thing

00:49:42about tsunamis

00:49:43is that they like

00:49:44to arrive

00:49:44with some loud sounds.

00:49:46People describe them

00:49:47as thunder,

00:49:48the sound of a locomotive,

00:49:50a helicopter,

00:49:51or just a loud boom.

00:49:53Do you see a channel

00:49:54of choppy water

00:49:55on the beach?

00:49:56It's in your best interest

00:49:57to stay away

00:49:58from the water.

00:49:59There might be

00:49:59a rip current

00:50:00under the surface

00:50:01that can be

00:50:02extremely dangerous.

00:50:04Sometimes,

00:50:04waves hit the shore

00:50:05in a weird way,

00:50:06which forms

00:50:07these rip currents.

00:50:09You might see

00:50:09a strange break

00:50:10in the waves,

00:50:11or an area

00:50:12with a different color

00:50:13than the rest

00:50:13of the water.

00:50:14Random bits

00:50:15of seaweed

00:50:16going in all directions

00:50:17is another

00:50:18rip current warning sign.

00:50:20If you happen

00:50:21to find yourself

00:50:22caught in a rip current,

00:50:23try to stay afloat,

00:50:25but don't try

00:50:25to go against the current.

00:50:27You'll only waste

00:50:28precious energy.

00:50:29Scream for help

00:50:30and try to float

00:50:31your way along the beach.

00:50:33Once you break out

00:50:34of the current,

00:50:35swim diagonally

00:50:36to the shore.

00:50:38The next time

00:50:39you spot

00:50:39conically shaped clouds

00:50:40in the sky,

00:50:41remember,

00:50:42it's a good time

00:50:43to start looking

00:50:44for some shelter.

00:50:45If it just stays

00:50:46like that,

00:50:47a severe storm

00:50:47is on the way.

00:50:49But if a cloud

00:50:50of that shape

00:50:50starts spinning around,

00:50:52it means it's about

00:50:53to transform

00:50:54into a tornado.

00:50:56If you have bees

00:50:58nearby,

00:50:59they can save you

00:50:59from big trouble

00:51:00one day.

00:51:01These hard-working

00:51:02little guys

00:51:03get more active

00:51:04than usual

00:51:04when they feel

00:51:05like a storm

00:51:06is on the way.

00:51:07They speed up

00:51:08to collect more nectar

00:51:09before it hits them,

00:51:10and once they're done

00:51:11with it,

00:51:11they'll always come

00:51:12back to the hive

00:51:1310 to 15 minutes

00:51:14before heavy rain,

00:51:16even when there are

00:51:17no obvious signs

00:51:18of it coming.

00:51:19Their secret

00:51:20is super-sensitive

00:51:21hairs on the back

00:51:22that can pick up

00:51:23electrostatic buildups

00:51:24from storm clouds.

00:51:26For centuries,

00:51:28people have noticed

00:51:28that animals act

00:51:29weirdly a couple

00:51:30of days before

00:51:31big seismic events.

00:51:33Dogs can't start barking,

00:51:35cows halt their milk,

00:51:36and toads,

00:51:37rats,

00:51:38and snakes

00:51:38leave their homes.

00:51:39It looks like animals

00:51:41can feel smaller

00:51:42initial shockwaves

00:51:43that humans

00:51:44don't even notice.

00:51:45Scientists have tried

00:51:46to find some

00:51:47legit explanation

00:51:48for it

00:51:48and run endless

00:51:50tests and experiments.

00:51:51But so far,

00:51:52they're still on their way

00:51:53to explaining

00:51:54this mystery.

00:51:56Can you smell

00:51:56ozone in the air?

00:51:58When a thunderstorm

00:51:59is on the way,

00:52:00it's the most distinct

00:52:01and pungent smell

00:52:02you can pick up.

00:52:03An electrical charge

00:52:05of lightning

00:52:05sets it free

00:52:06from higher altitudes.

00:52:08The other,

00:52:08more pleasant smell

00:52:09of rain

00:52:10is petrichor.

00:52:11Rainwater wakes up

00:52:12molecules on plants,

00:52:14trees,

00:52:14concrete,

00:52:15and asphalt.

00:52:16Their aroma

00:52:17spreads all over the place.

00:52:19You can even feel

00:52:20that smell

00:52:20in your own mouth.

00:52:22All those positive ions

00:52:23in the air

00:52:24that a lightning bolt

00:52:25sets free

00:52:26gets mixed with ozone

00:52:27and your saliva.

00:52:29And that's how

00:52:30you get that bitter,

00:52:31metallic taste.

00:52:32When lightning

00:52:33is about to strike,

00:52:35you might hear

00:52:35bizarre crackling,

00:52:37buzzing,

00:52:37or vibrating sounds

00:52:39coming from metal

00:52:39objects nearby.

00:52:41Your palms

00:52:42may begin to sweat,

00:52:43and then you can feel

00:52:44your hair stand on end.

00:52:46That's a clear call

00:52:47for action,

00:52:48and that action

00:52:49is to run for your life.

00:52:51Positive charges

00:52:52are going through

00:52:52your body,

00:52:53trying to reach toward

00:52:54the negatively charged

00:52:55part of the storm.

00:52:57Trust me,

00:52:58you don't want

00:52:59these charges to meet.

00:53:00If you see no shelter

00:53:02that you can reach fast,

00:53:03try to make yourself

00:53:04smaller than the objects

00:53:05around you.

00:53:06Drop down your umbrella

00:53:07and stay away

00:53:08from wire fences,

00:53:10metal pipes,

00:53:10rails,

00:53:11and other metallic objects.

00:53:13And don't lie flat

00:53:14on the ground.

00:53:15It's likely wet,

00:53:16which means

00:53:17it's a great conductor

00:53:18of electricity.

00:53:20If you suddenly notice

00:53:21crevices in the asphalt

00:53:23next to your house,

00:53:24it could be

00:53:25a sinkhole warning sign.

00:53:27Inspect your house

00:53:28on the inside.

00:53:29Does that door

00:53:30begin to jam?

00:53:31Or maybe there's a gap

00:53:32where the walls

00:53:33meet the ceiling.

00:53:34Uneven kitchen cabinets

00:53:36and drawers,

00:53:37slanted floors,

00:53:38stairs that begin

00:53:39to slope,

00:53:40water leaking

00:53:41after every rain,

00:53:42and displaced moldings

00:53:43are all signs

00:53:45that a sinkhole

00:53:45is about to open.

00:53:47To find out

00:53:48if it's definitely

00:53:49a sinkhole

00:53:49and how dangerous it is,

00:53:51you gotta consult

00:53:52with an engineering company.

00:53:54If you find a sinkhole

00:53:55that's already there,

00:53:56you gotta stay away

00:53:57from the sinkhole area.

00:53:59Fence or rope it off

00:54:00to make it less dangerous

00:54:01for others.

00:54:02You'll need professional

00:54:04help to fix it.

00:54:06Some volcanoes scream

00:54:07when they're about to erupt.

00:54:09Small earthquakes,

00:54:10which often happened before,

00:54:12produce a hum.

00:54:14It's mostly non-audible

00:54:15to human ears,

00:54:16but sometimes

00:54:17it reaches a frequency

00:54:18that lets you hear it

00:54:19as a strange rumbling

00:54:21or hissing sound

00:54:22coming from the ground.

00:54:23This noise is known

00:54:25as a harmonic tremor.

00:54:27With some volcanoes,

00:54:28it's the sound

00:54:29of magma bubbles vibrating

00:54:30when they're going

00:54:31through crevices

00:54:32in the crust of the Earth.

00:54:34But it's not always like this.

00:54:36If scientists manage

00:54:37to understand

00:54:38what exactly causes

00:54:39these volcanic streams,

00:54:41they could create

00:54:42a limited early warning system

00:54:43for volcanic eruptions.

00:54:45If you're out in the wild,

00:54:47pay attention to the water

00:54:49in creeks, streams, and rivers.

00:54:51If its level

00:54:52is quickly falling,

00:54:53even if it's raining,

00:54:54this might be a sign

00:54:56of a nearing landslide.

00:54:58And if you hear

00:54:59a faint rumbling noise

00:55:00or unusual sounds

00:55:01like boulders

00:55:02knocking together,

00:55:04it could mean

00:55:04debris is on its way to you.

00:55:06It's a sign

00:55:07to head to safety immediately,

00:55:09like right now.

00:55:11Hey, ever heard

00:55:13of a fire rainbow?

00:55:14Yeah, me neither.

00:55:16How about

00:55:16a circumhorizontal arc?

00:55:19Didn't think so,

00:55:20but just so you know,

00:55:21they're one

00:55:22and the same thing.

00:55:23At first glance,

00:55:24it looks like a painting,

00:55:25or like a rainbow-colored

00:55:27splash in the sky.

00:55:29Despite the name,

00:55:30they have nothing in common

00:55:31with either fire or rain.

00:55:33This phenomenon

00:55:34happens on rare occasions

00:55:36when the sun shines

00:55:37through a particular type

00:55:38of ice cloud formation.

00:55:41The rainbow halos

00:55:42are just as unique.

00:55:43Again,

00:55:44a specific type

00:55:45of ice crystals

00:55:46and clouds

00:55:47needs to be present

00:55:48for the surface

00:55:49of the Earth

00:55:49to bend light

00:55:50from the sun

00:55:51into a perfect ring.

00:55:53The same thing

00:55:53can happen

00:55:54with moonlight.

00:55:54The only difference

00:55:56will be that moon halos

00:55:57are usually white

00:55:58and sun halos

00:56:00can be rainbow-colored.

00:56:02When visiting regions

00:56:03with high altitudes,

00:56:05you may be one

00:56:06of the lucky people

00:56:07to stumble upon

00:56:08penitentes.

00:56:09They're basically

00:56:10naturally formed

00:56:11ice spikes.

00:56:12For them to be formed,

00:56:13they need a really cold

00:56:14and elevated environment

00:56:16where the air is dry.

00:56:17The sunlight

00:56:18turns ice

00:56:19directly into vapor

00:56:20rather than melting

00:56:21it into water.

00:56:22And that's why

00:56:23these blades

00:56:24of snow and ice

00:56:25start to pop up

00:56:26on the surface

00:56:27of the Earth.

00:56:28As cute as they may be,

00:56:29they can end up

00:56:30as tall as 15 feet.

00:56:33Now,

00:56:34what happens

00:56:34when small,

00:56:35individual droplets

00:56:36of lava

00:56:37meet the wind?

00:56:38Pele's hair,

00:56:39basically.

00:56:40Let me explain.

00:56:41The word Pele

00:56:42comes from

00:56:43an ancient Hawaiian

00:56:44symbol for volcanoes.

00:56:46Whenever the wind

00:56:47picks up little drops

00:56:48of lava,

00:56:49it stretches them

00:56:50into hair-like strands,

00:56:52similar to the process

00:56:53of glass wire creation.

00:56:55These delicate strands

00:56:56can stretch as far

00:56:57as 6 feet.

00:56:59On rare occasions,

00:57:00it can rain

00:57:01without any clouds.

00:57:03But does it really?

00:57:04Let's look at the science

00:57:06behind this rare phenomenon.

00:57:08It's sometimes called

00:57:09a sun shower

00:57:10just because it looks

00:57:11like the rain

00:57:12is falling straight

00:57:13from the sun.

00:57:14Let's be clear, though.

00:57:15There is no way

00:57:17rain can ever come down

00:57:18directly from a star.

00:57:20Rain clouds

00:57:21are at a bit

00:57:22of a distance

00:57:22from that specific location.

00:57:24With sun rays

00:57:25being angled,

00:57:26the clouds

00:57:26become out of sight.

00:57:28Add a little wind

00:57:29to blow the rain

00:57:30in your direction

00:57:31and ta-da!

00:57:32You get sun showers.

00:57:35Located in Bolivia

00:57:36is a place called

00:57:37Salar de Juni.

00:57:39It's the largest

00:57:40salt flat in the world.

00:57:42It's also the home

00:57:43of half of the world's lithium,

00:57:44which is a crucial component

00:57:46for making batteries.

00:57:47But what else

00:57:48is so special

00:57:49about this place?

00:57:50Well, whenever

00:57:51the rain season comes,

00:57:53it turns this piece

00:57:54of flat land

00:57:55into a perfectly

00:57:56reflective mirror lake.

00:57:58What comes to your mind

00:57:59when you hear about

00:58:00the Blood Falls?

00:58:01A horror movie?

00:58:02Mwah!

00:58:03Well, they are merely

00:58:04a series of waterfalls

00:58:06located in one of the

00:58:07driest regions

00:58:08of Antarctica.

00:58:09They emerge

00:58:10from an underground lake

00:58:11filled with a special

00:58:12kind of bacteria.

00:58:14These little organisms

00:58:15use sulfates

00:58:16as fuel

00:58:17instead of sugars,

00:58:18which makes them

00:58:19very intriguing

00:58:19for scientists.

00:58:21The water contained

00:58:22in this lake

00:58:22is so full of iron

00:58:24that it basically

00:58:25just rusts

00:58:26when it meets the air.

00:58:27Hence,

00:58:28the reddish color

00:58:28of the waterfall,

00:58:30which also gives it

00:58:30its trademark name.

00:58:33Okay,

00:58:33we all know the song,

00:58:35but it's not really

00:58:36made up.

00:58:37There is actually

00:58:37such a thing

00:58:38called a desert rose.

00:58:40It's not a plant,

00:58:41though,

00:58:41but a unique form

00:58:42of the mineral gypsum.

00:58:44It develops

00:58:45in dry,

00:58:45sandy places

00:58:46that can occasionally flood.

00:58:48This constant switching

00:58:49between a wet

00:58:50and dry environment

00:58:51lets the gypsum crystals

00:58:53emerge between grains

00:58:54of sand,

00:58:55trapping them

00:58:56and forming

00:58:56a rose-like shape.

00:58:59Ever heard of

00:58:59the Eye of Sahara?

00:59:01Scientists are still

00:59:02trying to figure out

00:59:03how it was formed.

00:59:05You can only see it

00:59:06if you fly above it,

00:59:07but it's basically

00:59:08a naturally formed dome

00:59:10that dates back

00:59:11to approximately

00:59:11100 million years ago.

00:59:14And no,

00:59:14I wasn't around then.

00:59:16It has a rough diameter

00:59:17of 25 miles

00:59:19and consists of a bunch

00:59:20of concentric rings.

00:59:22The biggest one,

00:59:23or the central area,

00:59:24measures about 19 miles

00:59:26in diameter.

00:59:27Astronauts were some

00:59:28of the first people

00:59:29to notice it,

00:59:30and it's been studied

00:59:31ever since.

00:59:32In fact,

00:59:33even to this day,

00:59:34when landing in Florida,

00:59:36they know they're almost home

00:59:37when they see

00:59:38the Eye of Sahara.

00:59:41One of the most

00:59:41beautifully colored trees

00:59:43in the world

00:59:43is located in the Philippines

00:59:45and Indonesia.

00:59:46It's called

00:59:47the Rainbow Eucalyptus.

00:59:49It got its name

00:59:50because of its bark

00:59:51that switches colors

00:59:52and peels away

00:59:53as the tree ages.

00:59:55The bright green bark

00:59:56is the youngest,

00:59:57as it contains

00:59:58a substance called chlorophyll,

01:00:00usually found in leaves.

01:00:01It then switches to purple

01:00:03and then to the color red.

01:00:05And finally,

01:00:06it turns brown

01:00:07as it grows

01:00:07and loses the chlorophyll.

01:00:09Now,

01:00:11don't be tricked

01:00:11into thinking

01:00:12that's a whole forest.

01:00:13It's one single tree.

01:00:15And no,

01:00:16it's not some sort

01:00:17of optical illusion either.

01:00:19Let me explain.

01:00:20Underneath that soil,

01:00:22there is a complex

01:00:23network of roots

01:00:24that connects

01:00:25around 47,000

01:00:26tree-like shapes

01:00:27you see above the ground.

01:00:30It's called

01:00:30the Quaking Aspen.

01:00:32Some of these trees

01:00:33are among the oldest

01:00:34and largest organisms

01:00:35in the world.

01:00:36Now,

01:00:38here's a good destination

01:00:39for all travelers.

01:00:40Or maybe not so good,

01:00:41after all.

01:00:42The most lightning-stricken

01:00:44area in the world,

01:00:45according to recent data

01:00:46released by NASA,

01:00:48is Lake Maracaibo

01:00:49in Venezuela.

01:00:51Out of all the days

01:00:52in a year,

01:00:53300 of them feature

01:00:54thunderstorms

01:00:55in this location.

01:00:56What makes this area

01:00:57so unique, though,

01:00:58that storms happen

01:01:00so often?

01:01:00Well,

01:01:01it's because

01:01:02where cool mountain air

01:01:03meets the warm,

01:01:04moist breeze

01:01:05and generates

01:01:06electricity over the lake.

01:01:08The Eternal Flame Falls

01:01:11are located in upstate New York,

01:01:13near the Canadian border.

01:01:14In this region,

01:01:15there is a tiny waterfall

01:01:17with a big secret,

01:01:19a spark about 8 inches tall.

01:01:21Turns out,

01:01:22there's a natural gas seat

01:01:23that provides fuel

01:01:24to the flame

01:01:25behind the waterfall.

01:01:26The waterfall provides

01:01:28enough coverage

01:01:28so that it stays lit

01:01:30pretty much every time.

01:01:32Hikers do enjoy

01:01:33to relight it

01:01:34if they see

01:01:34that it's been blown out.

01:01:36This phenomenon

01:01:37is actually quite common,

01:01:38but this one

01:01:39gained more popularity

01:01:40because it is younger

01:01:42than most.

01:01:43And it looks very good

01:01:44in pictures,

01:01:45let's be honest.

01:01:46I've heard of yellow sand,

01:01:48white sand,

01:01:49and even black sand

01:01:50here or there.

01:01:51But I've never heard

01:01:52of green beaches

01:01:53until now.

01:01:54Papakolia,

01:01:55also known as

01:01:56Green Sand Beach,

01:01:57is located in Hawaii

01:01:59and is one of the few

01:02:00beaches in the world

01:02:01that features green sand.

01:02:04The unique coloring

01:02:04comes from olivine rock

01:02:06that was formed

01:02:07when a nearby volcano erupted.

01:02:09Actually,

01:02:10in Hawaii,

01:02:11all the volcanoes

01:02:12are nearby.

01:02:14Move over green sands

01:02:15because some of the

01:02:16other beaches

01:02:17around the world

01:02:18can even glow at night.

01:02:19And it's completely natural.

01:02:21The culprit?

01:02:22A little thing

01:02:23called photoplankton,

01:02:25or microalgae,

01:02:26as they're sometimes called.

01:02:27They're basically

01:02:29little plants

01:02:30that contain chlorophyll

01:02:31and need sunlight

01:02:32in order to live and grow.

01:02:34Most photoplankton kinds

01:02:36are able to float

01:02:37in the upper part

01:02:38of the ocean,

01:02:39where the sunlight

01:02:39can still reach them

01:02:40beneath the water.

01:02:42When the photoplankton

01:02:43gets agitated

01:02:44by the movement

01:02:44of waves and currents,

01:02:46they emit light,

01:02:47which looks like

01:02:48some glow

01:02:48during the night.

01:02:50These special microorganisms

01:02:52are found on beaches

01:02:53in a lot of places

01:02:54around the world,

01:02:55such as the Maldives,

01:02:57Puerto Rico,

01:02:57and the Everglades.

01:03:00At the base of a mountain

01:03:01located just outside

01:03:02of Afton, Wyoming,

01:03:04is a little river

01:03:05called the Intermittent Spring.

01:03:07There are only three

01:03:08of this kind

01:03:09in the whole world,

01:03:10but what makes

01:03:11this little string

01:03:12of water so mysterious?

01:03:14Well, the fact that

01:03:15it starts and stops

01:03:16every few minutes.

01:03:17Scientists have yet

01:03:18to pinpoint precisely

01:03:19why this happens.

01:03:21They speculate

01:03:22that it's basically

01:03:23just a siphon effect

01:03:24that happens deep

01:03:25within the ground

01:03:26that causes the river

01:03:27to just start

01:03:28and stop so often.

01:03:29Should you ever

01:03:30be interested

01:03:31in checking it out,

01:03:32be sure to do so

01:03:33in the late summer,

01:03:34as that's when

01:03:35the Intermittent Spring

01:03:36is most active.

01:03:38Do you see the irony here?

01:03:40You can only see

01:03:41the spring in the summer.

01:03:43Okay, I'm done.

01:03:44Rocks rolling down

01:03:46the slopes

01:03:46of a rumbling volcano,

01:03:48pushing other bigger rocks

01:03:50on their way

01:03:50and eventually

01:03:51tumbling down

01:03:52into the ocean

01:03:53in a humongous cascade,

01:03:55causing a wave

01:03:56the height of which

01:03:57the world's never seen before.

01:03:59This is what might happen

01:04:00if the Helena slump

01:04:02of the Hawaiian Big Island

01:04:03falls off into the water.

01:04:06The Kilauea volcano

01:04:07is far from dormant.

01:04:08The latest eruption

01:04:09occurred in 2018.

01:04:11Its eruptions

01:04:12are usually accompanied

01:04:13by earthquakes

01:04:14of different magnitudes,

01:04:15and with each quake,

01:04:17the magma rocks

01:04:18on the slopes

01:04:18of the volcano

01:04:19shift down.

01:04:21These rock formations

01:04:22are called slumps,

01:04:23and the Helena slump

01:04:24is the most notorious

01:04:25of them all.

01:04:27In 1868,

01:04:28the shift of this slump

01:04:29caused a tidal wave

01:04:30rising as tall as 60 feet.

01:04:33But what's most troubling

01:04:34is that some 110,000 years ago,

01:04:37a landslide here

01:04:38led to one of the most

01:04:40powerful earthquakes ever,

01:04:41which, in turn,

01:04:43led to a mega tsunami

01:04:44of over 1,000 feet in height.

01:04:47Scientists are worried

01:04:47that such an event

01:04:48may repeat in the future.

01:04:50If that happens,

01:04:51the wave might engulf

01:04:52the whole of Hawaii

01:04:54and easily reach

01:04:55both North

01:04:56and South American coasts.

01:04:58Geologists are quick

01:04:59to reassure, though,

01:05:00that a landslide like this

01:05:01is unlikely to occur

01:05:03anytime soon.

01:05:04It's just too early for that.

01:05:06But when it finally does,

01:05:08the consequences

01:05:08will be catastrophic.

01:05:10Have a nice day!

01:05:12Yellowstone National Park

01:05:13in the western USA

01:05:14is world-famous

01:05:16for its dazzling views

01:05:18and especially

01:05:19the colorful

01:05:19Grand Prismatic Spring

01:05:21at its very heart.

01:05:22But we should all

01:05:24stay aware

01:05:24that Yellowstone is,

01:05:26first and foremost,

01:05:27an enormous caldura,

01:05:29basically a slumbering

01:05:30supervolcano.

01:05:31The difference

01:05:32between a regular volcano,

01:05:34like Kilauea from earlier,

01:05:35and a supervolcano

01:05:36is that the latter

01:05:38is thousands of times

01:05:39more powerful.

01:05:41Imagine an eruption

01:05:42spewing tons of huge rock

01:05:43and rivers of hot lava,

01:05:45pumping out clouds of ash

01:05:47that make countries

01:05:48stop air travel for weeks.

01:05:50And now,

01:05:50multiply all of this

01:05:52by a thousand.

01:05:53This is what

01:05:54a Yellowstone eruption

01:05:55would look like.

01:05:56At first,

01:05:57a huge area

01:05:58in the middle

01:05:58of the National Park

01:05:59would shake,

01:06:00crumble,

01:06:01and then blast upwards

01:06:02in a megaton explosion.

01:06:04Lava flows

01:06:05and magma rocks

01:06:06would cover the area

01:06:07of about 40 square miles,

01:06:09roughly half

01:06:10of Washington, D.C.

01:06:11But the greatest danger

01:06:13is the volcanic ash.

01:06:15The ash and plume

01:06:15would rise miles above

01:06:17and get carried

01:06:18by the wind

01:06:18in every direction.

01:06:20Since the eruption

01:06:21would be far from ordinary,

01:06:23the spread and damage

01:06:24would also be

01:06:25much greater than usual.

01:06:27The ash is thick

01:06:28and heavy,

01:06:28so it would cover

01:06:29a vast area

01:06:30in a blanket,

01:06:31destroying crops

01:06:32and even buildings.

01:06:34Worse still,

01:06:35it would spread in the air

01:06:36and block out the sun,

01:06:38leading to a drastic

01:06:39drop in temperature

01:06:40and an artificial winter.

01:06:42Even regular volcanoes

01:06:43can lower temperatures

01:06:44worldwide

01:06:45by a few degrees.

01:06:47A supervolcano

01:06:48may potentially

01:06:48cause a new ice age.

01:06:51Luckily,

01:06:52the chances of

01:06:52Yellowstone supervolcano

01:06:54erupting in the near future

01:06:55or at all

01:06:56are extremely low.

01:06:58There have been

01:06:58only three of those

01:06:59in the history of Earth,

01:07:00and there's no evidence

01:07:02such a disaster

01:07:03should repeat.

01:07:04Scientists estimate

01:07:05the probability

01:07:06at 0.00014%,

01:07:09which is lower

01:07:10than the chances

01:07:10of an asteroid

01:07:11wiping us all out.

01:07:13Speaking of which,

01:07:15if dinosaurs could talk,

01:07:17and were at least

01:07:17still alive for that matter,

01:07:19they'd tell you

01:07:20that asteroid threat

01:07:21is as real as it gets.

01:07:23Scientists at NASA

01:07:24say they've tracked

01:07:2590% of all

01:07:26near-Earth asteroids

01:07:27of significant size,

01:07:29and none of them

01:07:30are a matter of any concern.

01:07:31But there are still

01:07:33the other 10%

01:07:34in the great unknown.

01:07:36What's more,

01:07:37asteroids can change

01:07:38their line of flight

01:07:39because of the pull

01:07:40of other celestial bodies,

01:07:41and eventually

01:07:42turn our way.

01:07:44Lucky us!

01:07:45Now,

01:07:46if an asteroid big enough,

01:07:47like a mile across,

01:07:49hits the Earth,

01:07:50it will first cause

01:07:51an explosion

01:07:51powerful enough

01:07:52to erase a dozen

01:07:53big cities

01:07:54in a matter of seconds.

01:07:56Then,

01:07:56the impact will raise

01:07:57a cloud of dust and debris

01:07:59that will block out the sun,

01:08:00just like the ash cloud

01:08:01from a volcano,

01:08:03and cause a centuries-long winter

01:08:04on the whole planet.

01:08:06But even if it falls

01:08:07into the ocean,

01:08:08which is more likely,

01:08:09a resulting wave

01:08:10will rise several miles high,

01:08:12washing coastal cities

01:08:14off the face of the planet.

01:08:15But at least,

01:08:16there won't be a new ice age.

01:08:18Although scientists

01:08:18are pretty sure

01:08:20there's no such threat

01:08:21in the near future,

01:08:22it can't be ruled out completely,

01:08:24and humanity needs

01:08:25at least five years

01:08:26to prepare for this event.

01:08:28If a big near-Earth asteroid

01:08:30suddenly changes its course

01:08:31and turns right toward our planet,

01:08:33we won't stand a chance against it.

01:08:36Disaster movie, anyone?

01:08:37A much more probable calamity, though,

01:08:40rests right beneath our feet.

01:08:42It's the San Andreas Fault

01:08:43in California.

01:08:45The fault has been ready

01:08:46for rupture for years now,

01:08:48and scientists estimate

01:08:49that an earthquake

01:08:49along this line

01:08:51is likely to occur

01:08:52in the next three decades.

01:08:54And when it happens,

01:08:55it won't be nice.

01:08:57They expect a magnitude

01:08:58of 8.0,

01:08:59which is comparable

01:09:00to some of the most

01:09:01devastating quakes in history.

01:09:03It's all the more dangerous

01:09:04since California

01:09:06is home to some of the

01:09:07most populated cities

01:09:08in the western U.S.,

01:09:10including Los Angeles

01:09:11and San Francisco.

01:09:12High-rise buildings

01:09:13are common there,

01:09:14and they're particularly vulnerable

01:09:16against underground shakes.

01:09:18The San Andreas earthquake

01:09:20might cause a whole lot of damage

01:09:22both to cities

01:09:23and countryside.

01:09:24In the worst-case scenario,

01:09:26the ground might break apart,

01:09:27destroying buildings,

01:09:29farms,

01:09:29and changing the landscape

01:09:30altogether.

01:09:32Still,

01:09:32scientists believe

01:09:33that the probability

01:09:34of such a quake

01:09:35is only 7%

01:09:37for the next 30 years.

01:09:38So,

01:09:39there's a rather big chance,

01:09:40um,

01:09:4193%,

01:09:41that we'll never see that

01:09:43in our lifetime.

01:09:44Yet,

01:09:46there's another earthquake hazard

01:09:47not so far away

01:09:49from the previous one.

01:09:50The megathrust in Chile.

01:09:52The country sits

01:09:53right above

01:09:54the subduction zone,

01:09:55an area where

01:09:56two tectonic plates meet

01:09:58and go one beneath the other.

01:10:00At the place of their meeting,

01:10:02stress has accumulated

01:10:03because of their

01:10:04continuous movement,

01:10:05and once that strain

01:10:06is too much,

01:10:07a major earthquake occurs.

01:10:09Chile has experienced

01:10:11a lot of quakes

01:10:12in the recent years,

01:10:12and scientists are worried

01:10:14those might be preparing

01:10:15the area

01:10:16for a really big one.

01:10:18They believe

01:10:18a great earthquake

01:10:19is due to happen

01:10:20before the end of the century,

01:10:22and it might be devastating

01:10:23to the coastal area.

01:10:25Even smaller quakes

01:10:26cause tsunamis

01:10:27that flooded the west coast,

01:10:29and a huge one like that

01:10:30is likely to raise

01:10:31a wave

01:10:32of incredible height.

01:10:34On the bright side,

01:10:35Chile now knows

01:10:36to prepare in advance

01:10:37for the coming

01:10:38natural disasters,

01:10:39and geologists

01:10:40are pretty sure

01:10:41people will be able

01:10:42to evacuate

01:10:43before the earthquake strikes.

01:10:45In September of 1859,

01:10:48astronomer Richard Carrington

01:10:50was looking at the sun

01:10:51and suddenly saw

01:10:52a bright flare

01:10:53on its surface.

01:10:54He made a note of it

01:10:55in his records,

01:10:56but only realized

01:10:57how important it was

01:10:59a couple of days later.

01:11:00The energy from that flare

01:11:02reached Earth

01:11:03and struck it directly,

01:11:04causing northern lights

01:11:05to appear above Cuba

01:11:07and burning telegraph lines

01:11:09all around the world.

01:11:10This was dubbed

01:11:11the Carrington event,

01:11:12and it was a solar storm.

01:11:15Such storms hit the Earth

01:11:16fairly often,

01:11:17but none of them

01:11:18were so powerful

01:11:19as the Carrington event,

01:11:21neither before nor after.

01:11:23But in 2012,

01:11:25astronomers registered

01:11:26a similar solar flare

01:11:27whose energy nearly hit

01:11:29our planet once again.

01:11:31If it had been

01:11:31just a week earlier,

01:11:33we'd have been

01:11:33in big trouble.

01:11:35Today, humanity relies

01:11:36on electricity

01:11:37in almost every aspect of life,

01:11:39and a powerful solar storm

01:11:41would mess with

01:11:42the electromagnetic field

01:11:43of Earth a lot.

01:11:45All electric appliances

01:11:46would either shut down

01:11:47or short-circuit,

01:11:49and huge transformers

01:11:50powering basically everything

01:11:52would go out of order

01:11:53for good.

01:11:54It would take years

01:11:55to repair them,

01:11:56and the cost of such

01:11:57a massive blackout

01:11:58would count in

01:11:59trillions of dollars.

01:12:01The worst of it

01:12:01is that science

01:12:02is almost unable

01:12:03to predict solar storms.

01:12:05And even if we could

01:12:06know about them in advance,

01:12:08we'd be powerless

01:12:09to stop them.

01:12:10The flare happens

01:12:11in a matter of seconds,

01:12:12and it takes about

01:12:13eight minutes

01:12:13for the particles

01:12:14to reach the Earth's atmosphere,

01:12:16causing the disturbance.

01:12:18The power outage

01:12:19would come a bit later,

01:12:20in a day or so,

01:12:21when a massive cloud

01:12:22of plasma

01:12:23gets to our planet.

01:12:24At the moment,

01:12:25there's no protection

01:12:26against solar flares,

01:12:28and the chances

01:12:29of one powerful enough

01:12:30to cut all of our electricity

01:12:31in the next few years

01:12:32are quite high,

01:12:33about 12%.

01:12:35The only good thing

01:12:36about all this

01:12:37is that we now know

01:12:38of such a possibility

01:12:40and can at least

01:12:41prepare in advance.

01:12:43Hey, don't forget

01:12:44to pack some underwear

01:12:45and socks.

01:12:46You'll always need those.

01:12:47You feel some rumbling

01:12:50from below.

01:12:51No, it's not your tummy.

01:12:53It's low and ominous.

01:12:54You look up

01:12:55and see strange lights

01:12:57hanging above the ground.

01:12:58They look like shimmering

01:12:59balls of light

01:13:00hovering high up in the sky.

01:13:02Your throat goes dry,

01:13:04and you gulp.

01:13:05That's what they call

01:13:06the earthquake lights.

01:13:08This phenomenon

01:13:09is poorly understood,

01:13:10but witnesses say

01:13:11they've seen it

01:13:12in different shapes

01:13:13and sizes.

01:13:14It could be

01:13:15in the form of light balls,

01:13:16sheet lightning,

01:13:17streamers,

01:13:18and a steady glow

01:13:19in the sky.

01:13:20Soon after,

01:13:21a strong earthquake

01:13:22follows.

01:13:23Scientists can't explain

01:13:25why those lights appear,

01:13:26and they don't always

01:13:27do either.

01:13:28Some believe

01:13:29that's a reaction

01:13:29of underground gases

01:13:31released into the atmosphere.

01:13:33Sure enough,

01:13:34an earthquake begins,

01:13:36but lucky you,

01:13:37it's not as strong

01:13:38as you expected.

01:13:40The ground is shaking,

01:13:41but you even manage

01:13:42to keep your balance.

01:13:43It stops as abruptly

01:13:44as it began,

01:13:46and you walk home.

01:13:47On the way home,

01:13:48you see a flash

01:13:49and hear a whip crack.

01:13:51Lightning has struck

01:13:52a lone tree

01:13:53near where you just stood.

01:13:55It's caught on fire,

01:13:56and there's a column

01:13:57of flames

01:13:58rising to the sky.

01:14:00Still no rain,

01:14:01and the pillar

01:14:02becomes taller and taller.

01:14:04Have you heard

01:14:05of such a thing

01:14:05as a fire tornado?

01:14:07These phenomena occur

01:14:08when the wind

01:14:09is caught in a circle

01:14:10close to the ground

01:14:11because of the difference

01:14:12in air pressure.

01:14:14Such mini-tornadoes

01:14:15are usually easy to notice.

01:14:17Small rubble,

01:14:18dust,

01:14:18sand,

01:14:19and leaves

01:14:20rise into the air

01:14:21and start flying

01:14:22in rapid circles.

01:14:23But then,

01:14:24if there's a source

01:14:25of fire nearby,

01:14:26the funnel can catch it

01:14:28and blow it stronger

01:14:29like bellows.

01:14:30The flames go round

01:14:31and round,

01:14:32reaching ever higher

01:14:34and eventually creating

01:14:35a swirling,

01:14:36blazing tower.

01:14:37Luckily,

01:14:38fire tornadoes

01:14:39are short-lived

01:14:40and don't normally

01:14:41cause much damage.

01:14:43But don't try to hide

01:14:44from the storm

01:14:44under that tree.

01:14:46You can find

01:14:46this unusual plant

01:14:47in Florida

01:14:48and in some parts

01:14:49of the Caribbean coast.

01:14:51Externally,

01:14:51it doesn't look special

01:14:52at all.

01:14:53A gray trunk,

01:14:54green leaves,

01:14:55and fruit similar

01:14:56to small apples.

01:14:57What you must remember

01:14:58is never to pluck

01:15:00these apples

01:15:01and never stand

01:15:02next to the tree,

01:15:03especially if it's raining.

01:15:05This is the

01:15:06Mancha Neal tree,

01:15:07which is considered

01:15:08the most dangerous

01:15:09in the world.

01:15:10Its trunk,

01:15:11bark,

01:15:11branches,

01:15:12and fruit

01:15:13contain poisonous juice.

01:15:15One drop of this

01:15:16corrosive acidic liquid

01:15:17can harm your skin.

01:15:19A lot.

01:15:20The tree can secrete

01:15:21this juice,

01:15:22and if you accidentally

01:15:23touch it,

01:15:24you risk burning

01:15:25your hand.

01:15:26When it rains,

01:15:28water droplets

01:15:28fall on the tree

01:15:29and mix with the poison.

01:15:31Water can also

01:15:32bounce off the bark

01:15:33and get on your skin.

01:15:35That's why you shouldn't

01:15:36stand nearby, either.

01:15:37There are almost

01:15:38no other shrubs

01:15:39or mushrooms

01:15:40growing around.

01:15:41Animals avoid

01:15:42these trees,

01:15:43and people don't

01:15:43chop them

01:15:44and don't pluck

01:15:45the fruit.

01:15:46You can't make

01:15:47a bonfire

01:15:48from their branches.

01:15:49Burning wood

01:15:50emits poisonous smoke

01:15:51that can damage

01:15:52your eyes.

01:15:53Locals know

01:15:54this tree well,

01:15:55but tourists

01:15:55and travelers

01:15:56might accidentally

01:15:57get harmed.

01:15:58That's why

01:15:59most Mancha Neal

01:16:00trees are marked

01:16:01with paint

01:16:01or have a warning sign.

01:16:03In western Venezuela,

01:16:06locals living close

01:16:07to the Catatumbo River

01:16:08aren't afraid of lightning

01:16:10because they see it

01:16:11almost every single night.

01:16:13It starts at around

01:16:147 o'clock

01:16:15and doesn't stop

01:16:16until dawn.

01:16:17The everlasting

01:16:18Catatumbo lightning

01:16:20did one stop

01:16:21for a few months

01:16:21from January

01:16:22to March 2010.

01:16:24It was probably

01:16:25due to drought

01:16:26or maybe the charge

01:16:27ran out.

01:16:28In 1991,

01:16:30a scientist suggested

01:16:31that the phenomenon

01:16:32happens because of

01:16:33cold and warm air currents

01:16:34meeting in the area.

01:16:36Another theory

01:16:37is that the lightning

01:16:38could be due

01:16:38to the presence

01:16:39of uranium

01:16:40in the bedrock.

01:16:42Not all lightning

01:16:43happens inside clouds.

01:16:45There's a rare phenomenon

01:16:46called a dirty thunderstorm.

01:16:48The lightning happens

01:16:49above a volcano.

01:16:51The most famous

01:16:52is in Japan.

01:16:53It erupts

01:16:53almost every day

01:16:54and spits black clouds

01:16:56high into the air.

01:16:57So it's super scary

01:16:59volcano clouds

01:17:00plus lightning.

01:17:02Whoa!

01:17:03Regular lightning

01:17:04happens during a storm

01:17:05when ice crystals

01:17:06bump into each other.

01:17:07In a dirty thunderstorm,

01:17:09bits of volcanic ash

01:17:10collide,

01:17:11create friction,

01:17:12and spark up the sky.

01:17:14In the hottest

01:17:15and one of the driest

01:17:16places on Earth,

01:17:18Africa's

01:17:18Donakil Desert,

01:17:20temperatures often rise

01:17:21above 120 degrees Fahrenheit.

01:17:24The out-of-this-world landscape

01:17:25has many active volcanoes

01:17:27and geysers

01:17:28that spit out toxic gases

01:17:29like chlorine and sulfur.

01:17:32The vibrantly green,

01:17:33electric blue,

01:17:34and yellow waters

01:17:35are all rain and seawater

01:17:37warmed up by magma.

01:17:38One wrong step here

01:17:40and you'd be gone for good.

01:17:42This happened in June 2009.

01:17:45People in certain areas in Japan

01:17:47left their homes

01:17:48after a heavy downpour,

01:17:50only to find fish,

01:17:51frogs,

01:17:52and tadpoles everywhere.

01:17:54Fields,

01:17:55roads,

01:17:55lawns,

01:17:56and rooftops

01:17:57were littered

01:17:58with these aquatic creatures.

01:18:00One man was shocked

01:18:00to see 13 carp

01:18:02on and around his truck.

01:18:04Apparently,

01:18:05he stopped to count them.

01:18:06No one knows for sure

01:18:07where the bizarre rain

01:18:08came from,

01:18:09but the most popular theory

01:18:10claims that a powerful

01:18:12water spout

01:18:13picked up all these creatures.

01:18:14Then,

01:18:15it carried them

01:18:16through the upper atmosphere

01:18:17and dropped the animals

01:18:18on the unsuspecting

01:18:19people below.

01:18:21And now,

01:18:21welcome to Abraham Lake

01:18:23in Canada.

01:18:24It's completely frozen.

01:18:26You step onto the transparent ice

01:18:28and look down

01:18:29at what lies beneath.

01:18:30No fish,

01:18:31just some mysterious

01:18:32frozen bubbles.

01:18:34They look like

01:18:34small clouds

01:18:35frozen in ice

01:18:36or jellyfish

01:18:37who forgot to pack

01:18:38a winter jacket.

01:18:39There are thousands

01:18:40of these little bubbles

01:18:41made up of methane.

01:18:43But don't try to dig

01:18:44a hole in the ice

01:18:45to touch it.

01:18:46Methane is highly flammable.

01:18:48It's created by

01:18:49methane-producing bacteria

01:18:50that eats leaves,

01:18:52grass,

01:18:52insects,

01:18:53or any other organic stuff

01:18:55that gets into the lake.

01:18:56When the methane

01:18:57touches the frozen water,

01:18:58it turns into tens

01:19:00of thousands

01:19:00of frozen little balls.

01:19:02When the ice melts,

01:19:03they burst open

01:19:04and sizzle.

01:19:06Similar lakes

01:19:06can be found

01:19:07near some shores

01:19:08of the Arctic Ocean.

01:19:09There,

01:19:10the size of the bubbles

01:19:11can reach several times

01:19:12the size of hot air balloons.

01:19:14Beautiful for sure,

01:19:15but not exactly safe.

01:19:17The next shocking lake

01:19:19is in Indonesia,

01:19:21the island of Java.

01:19:22You come to a majestic volcano,

01:19:25overgrown with grass and trees.

01:19:27The volcano seems to be asleep,

01:19:29but smoke is pouring out of it.

01:19:32You climb to the summit.

01:19:33Exhausted,

01:19:34tired,

01:19:35sweaty,

01:19:36you're ready to cool off.

01:19:37Nice work,

01:19:38you made it to the top.

01:19:40You look into the mouth

01:19:41of the volcano.

01:19:42Hmm,

01:19:42no boiling lava,

01:19:44just a beautiful,

01:19:45bright,

01:19:45turquoise lake down there.

01:19:47It looks like an oasis.

01:19:48Perfect time

01:19:49for a refreshing dip.

01:19:51You run down

01:19:51and get ready to jump in.

01:19:53But that's not water,

01:19:54that's acid!

01:19:56Sulfurous gases

01:19:57get into the lake

01:19:57from under the volcano.

01:19:59The lake itself

01:20:00is full of metals.

01:20:02When the gases touch them,

01:20:03they form that

01:20:04beautiful turquoise water.

01:20:06I mean,

01:20:07acid.

01:20:08Better head back

01:20:08to the nearest village,

01:20:10rest,

01:20:10and come back at night

01:20:11when it's cooler.

01:20:13In the dark,

01:20:13the lake seems to glow.

01:20:15Right above it,

01:20:16you see light-filled,

01:20:17exploding little clouds.

01:20:19The sulfurous gases

01:20:20rise out of the lake,

01:20:22combine with the air,

01:20:23and flash bright blue.

01:20:25Still,

01:20:26don't get too close.

01:20:28The sea

01:20:29turns sinister red,

01:20:30and no living being

01:20:31can survive in it.

01:20:33Must be some dark magic.

01:20:35In fact,

01:20:36it's tiny algae

01:20:37that spread uncontrollably,

01:20:39giving the water

01:20:40this specific tint

01:20:41called the red tide.

01:20:42They have toxins

01:20:43that destroy sea mammals,

01:20:45birds,

01:20:46and turtles,

01:20:47as well as creatures

01:20:47that feed on them.

01:20:49For humans,

01:20:50contact with it

01:20:51ends in breathing problems

01:20:52or seafood poisoning.

01:20:55Sometimes even huge ships

01:20:57sink in the open seas

01:20:58for no visible reason.

01:21:00That reason

01:21:00is often

01:21:01the pockets of bubbles

01:21:02that underwater volcanoes

01:21:03produce

01:21:04even while they're sleeping.

01:21:06Those productive

01:21:06magma factories

01:21:07are hidden

01:21:08under 8,500 feet

01:21:10of water.

01:21:10When they wake up,

01:21:12they act

01:21:12just like land volcanoes,

01:21:14and they can cause

01:21:15destructive tsunamis.

01:21:17This tree

01:21:18looks like a bottle.

01:21:19No wonder

01:21:20it's called

01:21:20the bottle tree.

01:21:21It grows in Namibia

01:21:23and attracts

01:21:24many tourists.

01:21:25But

01:21:25don't get too close

01:21:26to the tree

01:21:27because it's one

01:21:28of the most dangerous

01:21:29on Earth.

01:21:30Milky juice

01:21:31flows inside the trunk.

01:21:32It's highly toxic

01:21:33to the human body.

01:21:35On the bright side,

01:21:36though,

01:21:36the trees have

01:21:37beautiful pink-white leaves

01:21:38with a red core.

01:21:40There's a tree

01:21:41growing in Western Australia

01:21:42that was once used

01:21:43as a prison.

01:21:45A cell for criminals

01:21:46existed inside

01:21:47the Boab prison tree

01:21:48for a long time.

01:21:50People were usually

01:21:50kept there temporarily

01:21:51just for one night.

01:21:53After that,

01:21:54they were taken

01:21:55to their final destination.

01:21:56The prison

01:21:57was built

01:21:58more than 1,500 years ago

01:22:00and has been

01:22:00perfectly preserved

01:22:01to this day.

01:22:03Tourists visiting

01:22:03this place

01:22:04can sneak a peek inside.

01:22:05That's it for today.

01:22:08So hey,

01:22:08if you pacified

01:22:09your curiosity,

01:22:10then give the video

01:22:11a like

01:22:12and share it

01:22:12with your friends.

01:22:13Or if you want more,

01:22:14just click on these videos

01:22:15and stay on the bright side.

Category

Transcript

Recommended