Rainbow Bridge, USA

(images via: Guy Rolland, Utah.com, NASA and Doctor Tsai)

Rainbow Bridge in southern Utah state is the world’s largest natural bridge. Although well known to local native tribes, the spectacular sandstone structure was not investigated by American researchers until the early years of the 20th century. This was partly due to the isolation of the structure, a fact remedied by the creation of Lake Powell and its tributary waterways.

(image via: TWAN)

Incorporated into Rainbow Bridge National Monument in 1910, Rainbow Bridge stands 88 m (290 ft) tall, has an 84 meter (275 ft) span and is 13 meters (42 ft) thick at its top point.

Aloba Arch, Chad

(image via: NaturalArches)

At 77 meters (250 feet) Aloba Arch is the longest known natural arch outside the United States. Where it surpasses most other natural arches is in height: a stunning 120 meters or 394 feet. Like the arches of the American southwest, Aloba Arch is made from hard sandstone hundreds of millions of years old. It’s located in the Ennedi Range which rises out of the Sahara Desert in the northeast part of Chad near the border with Libya and Sudan.

(image via: NaturalArches)

The Sahara Desert abounds with natural arches and stone bridges. Aloba Arch may be one of the best known but the above bipod arch in Algeria is worth special mention due to its unusual beauty and exquisite fragility. Though 1.9 meters (6.23 ft) high, the arch’s thinner leg is a mere 15 cm (6 inches) thick. How much longer can it last?

Durdle Door, United Kingdom

(images via: Ian West, SOTON, Pike Pictures and TrekEarth)

If the name “Durdle Door” sounds English, well, that’s because it’s found in southern England along Dorset’s delightfully named Jurassic Coast. Durdle Door is not so much a door as a window, though, through which the chill waters of the English Channel pour through.

(image via: Southern Antiques)

The headland that includes Durdle Door is made of Portland Limestone, a material harder than the clays and silts it protects but itself not impervious to the pounding of the waves. Durdle Door is destined to yawn ever wider until one day, its roof will fall in and one side becomes an island in the channel.

Immortal Bridge, China

(image via: China Daily)

On the steep slopes of Mt Tai in China’s Shandong province, you’ll find the Immortal Bridge. Hopefully you won’t be forced to cross it on the way to complete your journey. Looking like a scene from an Indiana Jones flick, the Immortal Bridge is formed from massive stone blocks precariously balanced against one another.

(image via: Wikipedia)

Should a strong earthquake jostle the region, the bridge – and anyone crossing it – would be thrown into the deep gorge at the base of Mt Tai. Immortality, it would seem, is a relative thing.

Pont d’Arc, France

(images via: Igougo, Ardeche Holidays and Klaesi)

In the south of France, the river Ardèche has worn through an escarpment of ancient limestone forming the Pont d’Arc. This scenic natural bridge measures 60 meters (197 ft) wide and is 45 meters (147.5 ft) in height.

(image via: Insolite)

The Pont d’Arc is a popular tourist attraction as the limestone rock in the region houses a number of prehistoric sites and caves, such as the famed Chauvet Cave. The town of Vallon-Pont-d’Arc normally is home to about 2,000 people but that figure increases by a factor of 10 in the summer months.

Delicate Arch, USA

(images via: Wild Nature Images, Virtual Tourist, Passionati and Arches Utah)

Utah’s Arches National Park contains over 2,000 natural stone arches and bridges but 16 meter (52 ft) tall Delicate Arch is the most famous by far. Curiously, the arch wasn’t included in the original 1929 scope of the park, only being added when the park’s boundaries were enlarged in 1938.

(image via: Ben de Rienzo)

Since 1970, 43 natural stone arches in Utah’s Arches National Park have crashed to the ground. The problem is nothing new and, sadly, every extant arch will someday fall to pieces. It’s worthy to note that in the 1950s, the U. S. National Park Service considered coating Delicate Arch in clear plastic to halt further erosion. Although planned with the best of intentions, it’s just as well it wasn’t put into practice.

Moon Hill, Yangshuo, China

(images via: China Highlights, GuilinChina.net and China Hotels Reservation)

Moon Hill is just one of many arches and natural bridges found throughout Yangshuo County in Guilin, southern China. Millions of years of erosion has carved the Karst Limestone bedrock of the area into phantasmagorical shapes that seem to defy the laws of gravity. Moon Hill is perhaps the most famous arch in the region. This huge window takes on the appearance of a crescent moon whose phases vary depending on one’s viewing location.

(image via: Yangshuo Mountain Retreat)

Sheer vertical drops and copious handholds in the rough limestone have made Yangshuo into a rock climber’s paradise. In the past decade or so, dozens of professional outfits have been formed to ensure climbers enjoy the best possible recreational experience along with more than acceptable service and safety infrastructure.

London Arch, Australia

(images via: Travel & Photography and TrekEarth)

Located in Port Campbell National Park, Victoria state, Australia, London Arch lies just offshore where it is continually pounded by ocean waves and tidal swells.

(image via: Armchair Travelogue)

London Arch was formerly part of London Bridge, a spectacular double-arched formation connected to the shoreline. On January 15th, 1990, the arch nearer the shore suddenly collapsed stranding two visitors on the suddenly isolated remaining arch.

The Azure Window, Malta

(images via: Frederic Barbier, Malta Dreamflat and Virtual Tourist)

The Azure Window, or Tieqa Żerqa, is a natural arch formed millions of years ago when a limestone cave collapsed. The arch can be found on the island of Gozo in Malta. One of the larger sea arches and one of Malta’s most popular tourist attractions as well, The Azure Window offers viewers a 50 meter (164 ft) high window on the deep blue Mediterranean Sea.

(image via: Malta-Info)

Nothing lasts forever and The Azure Window is no different. Maltese authorities have warned visitors not to get too close to the arch as a number of rock falls from its roof have raised safety issues. It’s estimated that The Azure Window’s remaining lifespan can be measured in years, if that.

Shipton’s Arch, China

(images via: Unizar and Travelpod)

Shipton’s Arch, or Tushuk Tash in the local Uyghur language, can be found in the rugged badlands of Kashgar, in western China’s Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region. Finding it wasn’t easy: the formation was unknown to western observers until British mountaineer George Shipton discovered it in 1947. Recognized today as the tallest natural stone arch on Earth, Shipton’s Arch stands 365 meters (1,200 ft) tall – roughly the height of the Empire State Building.

(image via: Slides/Pro)

This huge natural arch was “lost” for some time after Shipton publicized it; it had been listed in the Guinness World Book of Records for a time but was dropped after the editors could not ascertain its exact location. It wasn’t until the year 2000 that a team of researchers from National Geographic made a successful expedition to Shipton’s Arch and documented its soaring magnificence.

(image via: Wild Nature Images)

Like sunsets, stone arches and bridges are ephemeral in nature – a quality that only enhances their stark beauty. By viewing and studying their rise and fall, one can truly appreciate the incredible length of time required for earth’s geological processes to run their course.

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Hammerhead Sharks

(images via: ABC.net, Discovery and Just Seeds)

Hammerhead Sharks are relative newcomers to the world of sharks, having first evolved their bizarre hammer-like heads a mere 50 million years ago (give or take a few million). Scientists aren’t exactly sure what benefit their unique heads provide – perhaps greater spacing of their olfactory (scent) sensors helps them locate food with more accuracy and at a greater distance.

(image via: Eric Cheng)

What’s freakier than a Hammerhead Shark? How about hundreds of hammerhead sharks – and you just know they’re hungry. Props to the underwater photographer who was able to snap the above shot without shaking the camera. That took guts – and probably a quick change to a clean wetsuit.

Goblin Sharks

(images via: Facts For Projects, Australian Museum and GaiaOnline/Lulumay)

Goblin Sharks – an accurate name if there ever was – are rarely seen and that’s not a bad thing for them or us. Living thousands of feet below the surface of the seas, Goblin Sharks have semi-transparent skin that gives them a pinkish hue. The bizarre projection at the top of their heads is believed to house an advanced electroreceptor system to help them home in on prey in the absence of light.

(image via: Giant-ITP)

Like many other deep-sea fish, Goblin Sharks employ a “vacuum-cleaner” feeding style that literally sucks prey into their mouths once it gets close enough. It sounds odd and looks even odder. Watch the following video clip of a Goblin Shark in action, looking a lot like the creature from the movie Alien:

Attack of the Goblin Shark, via Bofunk.com, thanks to 12moo13

Thresher Sharks

(images via: TTrejo and Fishnet)

Sharks are versatile killers from tooth to tail – especially tail, in the case of the Thresher Shark. A 20 ft long Thresher Shark might have half its total length locked up in its tail. Researchers observing Thresher Sharks catch prey found that their typical technique is to swim through schools of fish while whipping their tails, then retracing their paths to snap up any stunned or killed fish.

(image via: Photosight)

Thresher Sharks, like most sharks who dwell in the upper reaches of the world’s oceans, have suffered significant drops in population due to overfishing. Sharks are caught not only for their meat, but for their fins – and a Thresher Shark tail would make plenty of bowls of Shark’s Fin Soup.

Frilled Sharks

(images via: Shark Attacks, Science News Blog and Underwater Hangover)

Frilled Sharks are deepwater fish that are rarely seen at the surface, though they are often caught by bottom trawlers. Long and eel-like, Frilled Sharks are sometimes considered to be “throwbacks” to the early period of shark evolution though their existence today is testament to the success they have found in their particular ecological niche.

(image via: Unexplained Mysteries)

Frilled sharks are notorious for their odd dentition. Approximately 300, three-pointed teeth set into 27 rows fill the mouths of Frilled Sharks. Do the math and you’ll find that every Frilled Shark has about 1000 pointy hooks to grab onto its fishy prey. Primitive maybe, deadly definitely.

Spined Pygmy Sharks

(images via: Forum KG, How Stuff Works and Wikipedia)

Spined Pygmy Sharks are among the smallest members of the shark family, reaching maximum lengths of just 11 inches. Deepwater fish like its close relatives, the Lantern Sharks, the Spined Pygmy Shark exhibits a network of bioluminescent photophores that run along its midsection. It’s thought that the photophores help it blend in with ambient light conditions, thus disguising it from both predators and prey.

(image via: Your Discovery)

Spined Pygmy Sharks were unknown to ichthyologists until 1907, when specimens were caught by members of the U.S. Fish Commission Steamer Albatross during the 1907–1910 Philippine Expedition. Though first found in waters off The Philippines, Spined Pygmy Sharks exist in all the world’s oceans.

White Whale Sharks

(images via: Daily Mail UK)

Albinos can be found in nearly all animal species and sharks are no different, though at 33 feet long, this albino Whale Shark tends to stand out. Discovered by divers swimming of the coast of the Galapagos Islands in August of 2008, the White Whale Shark was determined to be a young female. Whale Sharks can grow to lengths of 50 to 60 feet and weigh up to 10 tons.

Saw Sharks

(images via: Creepy Animals and Jarbu Lodge)

Saw Sharks look like Sawfish but they’re not – they’re sharks. Saw Sharks have their gills on each side of the neck like most other sharks while Sawfish gills are positioned beneath their bodies. The lifestyles of Saw Sharks and sawfish are similar, though: swish tooth-studded beak when sea creatures come close, snap up the shredded remnants. In Latin that would be veni, vidi, vici: I came, I saw, I had lunch.

(image via: Creepy Animals)

Saw Sharks are not particularly rare, in fact there are seven different species within the two described genera: Sixgill Sawsharks, Longnose Sawsharks, Tropical Sawsharks, Japanese Sawsharks, Shortnose Sawsharks, Eastern Australian Sawsharks, Bahamas Sawsharks, Philippine Sawsharks and (last AND least), Dwarf Sawsharks.

Greenland Sharks

(images via: Fish Index, LAPR and Greenland Guide)

Greenland Sharks may be known as Sleeper Sharks but don’t be fooled – they’re as deadly as their Great White cousins. Indeed, examinations of the stomach contents of dead Greenland Sharks have revealed the remains of Polar Bears and, in one case, and entire caribou, sans antlers. Greenland Sharks have been seen grabbing hold of unwary reindeer who have come too close to the water’s edge. Truly, they’re crocodiles of the sea!

(image via: Askville)

Greenland Sharks can grow up to 21 feet long at achieve weights of 2,200 pounds – over a ton! They can also live for as much as 200 years. You might think that Eskimos and Inuit of the far north would enjoy landing a Greenland Shark and partaking of its meat – not so. Their flesh carries a potent neurotoxin called trimethylamine oxide. The toxin can be rendered harmless, however, by burying the meat and allowing it to rot for a few months, or through several freeze/thaw cycles. Yummy!

Megamouth Sharks

(images via: FMNH)

Megamouth Sharks are filter-feeders like Whale Sharks (below) and Basking Sharks. Growing up to 18 feet long and weighing as much as 2.5 tons, Megamouth Sharks are a deepwater species that boasts a ring of light-emitting photophores around its mouth – sort of a deep sea “Eat At Joe’s” sign, though diners quickly become dined upon.

(image via: Virgin Media)

Megamouth Sharks are extremely rare, which may be surprising considering their massive size. The first specimen was described in 1976 and since then, just 51 have been either caught or seen and it has only been filmed three times.

Whorl-tooth Sharks (Helicoprion)

(images via: Wikipedia, TrollArt, Mandible and History.com)

You’ve heard of the Sawshark, now meet Helicoprion, a sort-of “circular saw shark”. Helicoprion is included in this listing of living sharks even though it is extinct, due to its overwhelming bizarreness. It’s thought that Helicoprion’s strange lower jaw slowly revolved over its lifetime, bring new, sharp teeth into position. Alternate theories posit the whorl could be unrolled like a living party favor, snaring and grasping fish as it was reeled in.

(image via: Forgetomori)

One might think that Helicoprion was a mere mutation but the fossil record shows that it was eminently successful, thriving between 280 and 225 million years ago. Like all sharks, Helicoprion’s skeleton was composed mainly of cartilage which does not fossilize easily. It’s bizarre “tooth whorl” is another matter – many have been found in rocks from Idaho, Wyoming and Utah.

(image via: The Future Buzz)

Though they may appear bizarre, sharks have a method to their body-mod madness. Hundreds of millions of years of evolution have gone into making them fit perfectly into a huge variety of environmental niches. Sharks are many things but above all, they’re survivors – time will tell if they can survive US.

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Meteor Crater, Arizona, USA

(images via: Travel and Tweet, Absolute Astronomy and The Living Moon)

Located about 40 miles east of Flagstaff, the 4,000 ft wide and almost 600 ft deep Meteor Crater owes its startlingly lunar aspect to both a relatively young age (about 40,000 years) and the arid climate of the northern Arizona desert in which it is situated. It’s estimated that the mainly nickel-iron Canyon Diablo Meteorite was about about 55 yards (50 meters) in diameter and weighed approximately 150,000 tons.

(image via: Advanced Physics Forum)

Meteor Crater is, perhaps surprisingly, privately owned and has remained the property of the Barringer family since 1903. Tourists are charged a $15 entrance fee by Meteor Crater Enterprises and a visitor’s center on the crater rim offers multimedia presentations and a chance to handle meteoric iron fragments found in the area.

Here’s a video of a trip via air to Meteor Crater. Flying INTO the crater is not recommended – in 1964 a small Cessna airplane flew into the crater and found itself unable to exit due to persistent downdrafts – it eventually crashed on the crater floor.

Wolfe Creek Crater, Australia

(images via: Chris Images and Fossicking)

Like Meteor Crater in Arizona, Wolfe Creek crater owes its well-preserved state to both age (around 300,000 years) and the environment of the Australian Outback. Approaching the crater on land, visitors must first climb over the 80 ft (25 meter) high rim before descending to the sand-covered crater floor 165 ft (50 meters) below the rim.

(image via: Prism Reptile Robot)

Both oxidized iron meteorite fragments and pieces of impact glass (formed when sand is melted) have been found in the area of the half-mile wide Wolf Creek crater, attesting to its astronomical origins. As well, the center of the crater is dotted with outcroppings of gypsum, a white mineral that holds water and allows for the growth of trees and shrubs in the otherwise inhospitable desert.

Manicouagan Crater, Quebec, Canada

(images via: CBC, Syrtis and Flatrock)

Manicouagan crater is one of the oldest visible impacr crater, due likely to its location on the tough Canadian Shield about 190 miles north of the city of Baie Comeau. The lake that surrounds the central raised plateau of the crater is about 40 miles in diameter.

(image via: Roche-Noire)

An interesting theory put forth by David Rowley, John Spray and Simon Kelley posits that the Manicouagan crater, the Rochechouart crater (France, above), the Saint Martin crater (Manitoba, Canada), Obolon’ crater (Ukraine) and Red Wing crater (North Dakota, USA) were created in a single “crater chain” caused by a large asteroid that broke up high in the Earth’s atmosphere. Though continental drift has shifted the craters around the globe, 214 million years ago they were closer together and roughly aligned – so much so that they may have been the cause of an extinction event in the late Triassic Period of the Mesozoic Era.

(image via: The Blog Of Record)

The amazing image above, taken from the International Space Station orbiting high above the Earth, shows a unique view of the Northern Lights with Manicouagan crater in the foreground.

Wetumpka Crater, Alabama, USA

(images via: UNB and Auburn Astro)

Approximately 82 million years ago, an 1,100 ft wide meteorite impacted the shallow sea north of what is now the city of Montgomery, Alabama. What remains today is one of the best preserved marine craters on Earth. Measuring approximately 5 miles wide, the Wetumpka crater features rocky outcrops on the exposed crater rim and central uplift that clearly show the effects of a sudden impact on marine bedrock.

(image via: Falling Rocks)

The above artist’s conception by Jerry Armstrong shows what the Wetumpka crater may have looked like a short (in geological terms) time after the impact.

Lonar Crater Lake, India

(images via: KarthikCK and UNB)

One of India’s most famous meteorite impact craters is the Lonar crater lake, located near the town of Sultanpur in India’s Maharashtra state. Measuring just over a mile wide from rim to rim, the crater is partially filled by a salty, alkaline lake 3,900 feet (1,200 meters) in diameter. The Lonar crater was created by the impact of a comet or meteor in the Pleistocene epoch roughly 52,000 years ago.

(image via: UNB)

Lonar crater retains much of its original shape and appearance, due in part to the lack of glaciation in that area of India and also the hardness of the volcanic basalts which make up much of the region’s bedrock.

Pingualuit Crater, Quebec, Canada

(images via: UNB, Artnet/Stan Gaz, YJT-Korea and Nunavik Parks)

Discovered in the mid-1940’s but known to indigenous native people as the “Crystal Eye of Nunavik”, Pingualuit crater is the site of a meteor impact that occurred approximately 1.4 million years ago. The lake that today fills the crater is fed only by rain and snow, resulting in exceptional water purity with a salt content of just 3 ppm (the Great Lakes average 500 ppm).

(image via: U Laval)

Formerly known as the New Quebec Crater, Pingualuit crater is located in Quebec’s far northern Ungava peninsula and measures 2.14 miles (3.44 km) in diameter.

Kaali Crater, Estonia

(images via: Muinas-Kaali, CJSveningsson and Carlosj)

Around 660 BCE, a meteor entered the earth’s atmosphere, broke up into at least 9 pieces, and impacted the Baltic island of Saaremaa with the force of a Hiroshima-type atomic bomb. Some of the craters later filled with groundwater but retain their characteristic circular shape as they were formed long after Ice Age glaciers retreated. The largest Kaali crater is about 300 ft (100 meters) in diameter and is filled with groundwater, the level of which varies with the seasons.

The Kaali event may have impacted more than just the land; hints of what must have been a terrible human tragedy can be found in ancient Viking and Finnic epic poems as well as in Norse mythology. The main Kaali crater has been called “Holy Lake” and it may have been used in pagan rituals.

Gosses Bluff Crater, Australia

(images via: UNB, TIME, TrekNature and Gabriel)

Gosses Bluff crater looks pretty good for its age: about 142 million years! Located in Australia’s Northern Territory, the ruggedly beautiful crater features a central ring of peaks that soar 500 ft (150 m) into the crystal clear Outback skies. A popular tourist destination (but perhaps not for the cruise & cabana set), Gosses Bluff crater can be found about 110 miles west of the town of Alice Springs.

(image via: All-Experts)

The arrival of the Gosses Bluff bolide was the ultimate “Jurassic park”, causing widespread devastation and leaving an impact crater 13.5 miles (22 km) in diameter. Time has left its mark, local climate conditions notwithstanding, and currently the Gosses Bluff crater is “only” 3 miles (5 km) wide.

Clearwater Lakes, Quebec, Canada

(images via: UNB and Wikimedia)

The Clearwater Lakes are a pair of water-filled impact craters located in Quebec, Canada, near the shore of Hudson Bay. Like other craters of extreme age – in this case roughly 290 million years – the twin craters have retained their basic structure due to the rigid bedrock of the Canadian Shield.

(image via: UNB)

The circular lakes are 26 km and 36 km in diameter, and one lake features an inner circle of islands that attest to its original multi-ringed form. The phenomenon of double craters, while rare on the Earth, is often seen on other rocky planets and moons elsewhere in the solar system. he cause may be that the original impactor broke in two during its plunge through the atmosphere or, as some have postulated, that the asteroid was accompanied on its final journey by a moon.

Wilkes Land Crater, Antarctica

(images via: Physorg and Shackleton Centenary)

With the advent of accurate satellite mapping and powerful cameras that record beyond the limits of human vision, new craters and/or remnants thereof are continually being discovered. Being a global phenomenon, even icebound Antarctica is not immune: what may be the largest crater ever recorded may have been found, locked beneath the massive ice sheet for many millions of years. If current theories on the anomaly are proven, they indicate a 300 mile (483 km) wide crater smashed into the Antarctic coastline about 250 million years ago. Antarctica was warmer back then; especially so on the grim day a 30-mile wide asteroid arrived with a very big bang.

(images via: LANL and LPI-USRA)

The Wilkes Land crater, possibly formed in conjunction with the 125 mile (200 km) wide Bedout crater in nearby Australia, may have been caused by bolides whose after-effects led to the worst mass extinction in Earth’s history: the Great Dying which closed the Permian period. Could it happen again? We can only hope not… so wish upon a star!

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Classic Rainbows

(image via: Rock The Seesaw)

Most everyone has seen a classic, garden-variety rainbow – sometimes in their gardens while watering their plants with a misting spray.

(images via: A Womens Circle and Hawaii Pictures)

Natural rainbows are made up of 6 colors: red, orange, yellow, green, blue and violet. The intensity of each color may vary due to atmospheric conditions and the time of day (more on that later).

Circular Rainbows

(images via: Dot Photo and Getty Images)

The rainbows most of see are actually arcs of perfect circles (with radii of exactly 42 degrees, according to Descartes), though viewing a complete rainbow is difficult as the ground has a habit of getting in the way.

(image via: Neatorama)

The advent of powered flight and aerial photography has enabled the magnificence of circular rainbows to be revealed to an awestruck public. Of course, if an airplane isn’t available a really high mountain will do.

Secondary Rainbows

(images via: Little Dreamers Daycare, Grzegorz Blachuta/TrekEarth and Royer Oaks Observatory)

Primary rainbows are often accompanied by secondary rainbows that are usually thinner and dimmer than the main rainbow. Here’s a bit of trivia that may come in handy at parties or around the water cooler: the area between primary and secondary rainbows that appears darker than the surrounding sky is called “Alexander’s Band”.

(image via: CuriousLee)

Secondary rainbows are remarkable for one particular characteristic: they display the spectrum in reverse order from that of a primary rainbow. It’s not something most people are familiar with, as is seen in the photoshop rendering above. Though sketched from the artist’s memory of an actual event, the repeated structure of both rainbows shows that it’s not an accurate portrayal.

Red Rainbows

(images via: Mark Kilner, Unexplained Mysteries and Earth Science)

Red rainbows are usually seen at sunrise or sunset when the thickness of the earth’s atmosphere filters out blue light leaving more red or orange light for water droplets to reflect and refract. The result is a rainbow with the more reddish end of the spectrum greatly enhanced.

Sundogs

(images via: The Weather Doctor, Kan Ahaw and W7ftt)

Sundogs are not rainbows per se, but share many of their visible attributes. Most commonly seen low in the sky on a bright winter’s day, sundogs are created when sunlight shines through ice crystals high in the atmosphere. Sundogs are red on the inside and violet on the outside with the rest of the spectrum crammed in between. The thicker the concentration of ice crystals in the air, the more defined the structure of a sundog and its associated arcs becomes.

(image via: G.Dargaud)

Moonlight can be acted on by ice crystals to form – you guessed it – “moondogs”. The image above was taken in Antarctica where, due to frigid air temperatures and blowing snow, sundogs and moondogs are extremely common.

Fogbows

(image via: WWU Planetarium)

Fogbows are much rarer than rainbows because certain narrow parameters must align to create them. For one, the light source must be behind the observer and low to the ground. Also, any fog to the rear of the observer must be very thin so that sunlight can shine through to the thicker fog in front.

(images via: Extreme Instability, Space Weather and STOLspeed)

Many fogbows display paler colors compared to rainbows and some are mainly white. This is due to the fog being composed of exceedingly fine water droplets.

Waterfall Rainbows

(images via: Environmental Graffiti and Canada Photos)

Waterfalls kick a constant stream of mist into the air and the atmospheric saturation goes on constantly, regardless of the weather. This makes waterfalls excellent photographic companions to rainbows! The above selection of images pairs some of the world’s most famous waterfalls with some equally stunning rainbows.

(image via: Schools Wikipedia)

A variation of waterfall rainbows are “spray bows”, formed on sunny days when wind kicks up ocean or lake waves and the air becomes saturated with mist and moisture.

Fire Rainbows

(images via: ABC3340weather, Sujathafan and Crystalinks)

Fire rainbows are not actually rainbows and have no connection with fires. The true name for this exquisitely beautiful optical effect is “circumhorizontal arc”.

(image via: Opacity)

The phenomenon can only be viewed under certain precise conditions: the cirrus clouds that act as prisms must be at least 20,000 feet high and the sun must strike them when it is at an elevation of 58 to 68 degrees. Fire rainbows are never seen at locations situated more than 55 degrees north or south.

Moonbows

(images via: COLOURlovers)

Moonbows, like moondogs, are the lunar counterpart to rainbows. They’re also much more difficult to witness due to the requirement of a passing rainstorm and, ideally, a bright full moon unblocked by clouds.

(image via: Night Sky Hunter)

In the spectacular image above, the photographer used a 30-second exposure at 4:34am in the morning, the moon being nearly full. The bright star under the moonbow is the orange supergiant Arcturus.

Unearthly Rainbows

(image via: Utah Skies)

Are rainbows strictly a terrestrial phenomenon? No reason why they should be – the laws of physics (and optics) are universal after all. So far, however, the only off-earth rainbows we’ve glimpsed have come as the result of wishful thinking or through the visionary illustrations of science fiction artists. Pity… wouldn’t it be cool if the Bay of Rainbows on the Moon (above, top of image) actually had rainbows?

(image via: NASA)

A rainbow on Saturn? Not quite – what appears to be a rainbow on the brightest part of Saturn’s magnificent rings is merely an “artifact” of the Cassini spacecraft’s imaging system.

(image via: Celestial Matters)

There is one place in the vicinity of Saturn where rainbows of the classic variety may be found, however, and that is on it’s largest moon, Titan. Observations have confirmed the existence of liquid in the form of methane rain and lakes on the cloudy, chilly moon though a methane rainbow might look a little different than the ones we know here on Earth. Someday, someone will be the first to see one!

(image via: Kansasphoto)

Truly rainbows have earned their reputation for being the crowning touch for any scene of natural beauty. Like snowflakes, every rainbow is unique and one-of-a-kind… and somewhat sadly, all too temporary. Perhaps the true pot of gold is to be found not at the end of the rainbow, but by having the privilege to view one from the beginning.

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Red Beach, Kaihalulu, Hawaii

(images via: Patrick Smith and Xigre)

The Red Sand Beach of Kaihalulu can be found on the Hawaiian island of Maui, south of Hana Bay on the far side of Ka’uiki Hill. The beach is relatively narrow, a factor which combined with its isolation makes it popular with nude sunbathers.

(image via: About.com/Hawaii)

From high overhead, the Kaihalulu Red Sand Beach takes on a rusty hue reflecting the high iron oxide (rust) content in the sand eroding from an inland cinder cone. Add water, as the Pacific Ocean does with each crashing wave, and the rust-red sands take on a darker, more rufous hue.

Shell Beach, St. Barts

(images via: TrekEarth, Completely Coastal and Amoeba Sailing Tours)

Every beachcomber enjoys searching for exquisite, exotic seashells while walking along the shore, and one won’t have to walk far if they happen to be at Shell Beach, near Gustavia on the Caribbean island of St. Barts. A fortuitous combination of abundant marine life, strong currents and the odd hurricane has, over the centuries and millennia, driven countless seashells onto the sands of this eponymously named beach.

(image via: Byron Jorjorian)

St. Barts boasts a surprising number of beautiful beaches for its size. Though none approach Shell Beach’s ratio of shells to sand, most offer a more pleasing surface for those who choose to go shoeless.

Hyams Beach, New South Wales, Australia

(images via: Rates to Go and Koti/mbnet)

Though many beaches sell themselves by advertising their pristine white sand, Hyams Beach in southern Australia takes the cake – with vanilla icing on top. Located 3 hours drive south of Sydney, the beach’s fine, soft, powdery white sands are recognized by none other than The Guinness Book of Records as having the whitest sand in the world. Those planning a trip should put both sunglasses and sunscreen atop their “to bring” list.

(image via: Grevillia Cottage)

The outstanding photograph above was taken by Bill Kaloudis on the north side of Hyams Beach on the shore of Jervis Bay. Even with limited light, the beach’s brilliant white sands manage to reflect enough sunlight to stand out from the darker rocks at the water’s edge.

Papakolea Beach, Hawaii

(images via: PBase, About.com/Chemistry, PBase and Big Island Divers)

“Sea of blue, and beach of green…” Apologies to The Beatles’ Yellow Submarine, but Hawaii’s Papakolea Beach would make even the bluest Meanie grin. This exquisite emerald beach can be found at South Point in the Ka’u district on Hawaii’s Big Island. Green sand beaches are exceedingly rare – the only other ones in the world can be found on the United States territory of Guam and in the Galapagos Islands.

(image via: Xigre)

The sands of Papakolea Beach are tinted green by crystals of olivine, a mineral common in igneous rocks but heavier and denser than black pyridoxine that is more easily washed out to sea.

Lyme Regis, Dorset, UK

(images via: Micbinks and Charmouth Fossils)

(image via: BrettB.com)

From time immemorial, fossils of extinct sea creatures dating back tens or even hundreds of millions of years have been eroding out onto the beaches of Dorset, England. One of the most famous sites is Lyme Regis where fossil ammonites – tentacled cephalopods that grew to astonishing sizes – literally litter the beach. The pyritized ammonite shell above lurks among grains of beach sand from the so-called “fossil beach” at Stonebarrow, Charmouth, Dorset in the United Kingdom.

(image via: The Dorset Coast)

Fossils aside, the beaches in south-west England are some of the prettiest in all Europe, especially those near the village of Charmouth beneath towering Golden Cap, the highest cliff in southern England.

Punalu’u Beach, Hawaii

(images via: Hawaii Resort Rentals, Igougo and This Is True)

The deep black sands of Punalu’u Beach in Hawaii were created when hot erupting lava met cold ocean water, exploding into tiny bits. The name “Puna’lu” means “diving beach” in the native Hawaiian tongue; referring to the practice by ancestral Hawaiians of diving down to where freshwater springs poured into the ocean and filling up water jugs in times of drought on land.

(image via: This Is True)

The black sands of Punalu’u Beach attract more than just us humans. At Punalu’u Beach Park, green sea turtles and occasionally hawksbill turtles heave themselves onto the beach to lay their eggs in the sun-warmed black sands. It’s against the law to interact with the turtles in any way, so visitors to the beach are advised to please look but don’t touch.

Pink Sand Beaches, Bermuda and the Bahamas

(images via: Seabird and Concierge)

The Pink Sands Beach in Harbour Island, The Bahamas is one of the most beautiful pink sand beaches in the world. Part of the allure is due to the pleasing combination of pastel pink sand and the shallow Caribbean water that provides a contrasting turquoise shade. The pink tint is derived from several sources, including finely ground coral and microscopic red plankton blending with white quartz and limestone sand.

(images via: Wandalust and Cruise Line Fans)

The island of Bermuda is also famed for its pink beaches, in fact they are one of the British-held island’s most enduring attractions.

Ramla il-Hamra Bay and San Blas Beach, Malta

(images via: Carmelo Aquilina, Gozo Farmhouse and My Malta Info)

Volcanic ash and golden limestone in the surrounding rocks combine to create the rich orange sands that distinguish the beaches at Ramla il-Hamra Bay and San Blas on the Maltese island of Gozo. San Blas beach is smaller and more isolated – all the better to enjoy this Mediterranean nation’s soothing sunlight and unique scenic vistas.

(image via: Tranquility)

Unlike some beautifully tinted beaches, the source of Ramla il-Hamra’s orange sand is unlimited, derived from the rock that makes up the island of Gozo itself. Future generations can enjoy these beaches, well, from here to eternity!

Pfeiffer Beach Big Sur, California, USA

(images via: Uptake Beach and Travelling Board)

Pfeiffer Beach is situated beneath crumbling hills that have released, over time, billions of tiny garnet crystals. The blood-red garnets shimmer in the sand, bringing it alive with reflected sunlight. The action of the waves shapes and twists the tiny crystals into ever-changing iridescent rainbow patterns glowing pink, red, magenta and purple.

(image via: Brendio)

Though the world isn’t necessarily as colorful as the above image would indicate, it doesn’t have to be – Mother Nature has plenty of special effects of her own!

Glass Beach, Fort Bragg, California

(images via: Fort Bragg Attractions and Oddity Central)

Looking out over Glass Beach today, it’s hard to believe the scenic location was used as the local dump for almost 20 years. Area residents used the beach, originally owned by a lumber company, as a de facto rubbish heap from 1950 through 1967 when municipal authorities finally moved to designate an official dump site inland. Most of the heavier garbage was removed but the mighty Pacific finished the clean-up by gradually grinding down tons of broken glass into pretty, rounded pebbles.

(image via: Xigre)

Ashes to ashes, dust to dust, glass to sand? Both beach sand and glass are made of the same substance, silicon dioxide (SiO2) though sand contains bits of other rocks as well. The forces that have transformed man-made glass into natural looking pebbles and sand reflect the age-old weathering process that has occurred at the world’s beaches since long before human beings even existed.

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Albino Sea Turtle

(images via: Wallace044, Thai Photo Blogs and Nature’s Crusaders)

Sea turtles can live to surprisingly long ages but they suffer from high mortality when they’re young. Albinos are especially vulnerable due to their bright white color. The inquisitive-looking example above top was photographed at the Sea Turtle Sanctuary at Isla Mujeres near Cancun, Mexico.
(images via: Thailand Voice and Homo Symbolicus)

Every year around 15,000 Green and Hawksbill turtles are hatched and housed at the Thai Military Sea Turtle Conservation Center on Khram Island near Pattaya, and every so often an albino turtle turns up. The hatchlings are kept at the Center until they’re about 6 months old, at which point their shells have hardened enough for them to have a better chance of survival in the sea.

Albino Koala

(images via: Repubblica and BBC)

Onya-Birri, the only albino koala in captivity, was born September 1, 1997 at the San Diego Zoo. He spent the first six months of his life the way all baby koalas do – inside his mother Banjeeri’s pouch. When he emerged for the first time, zoo staff were likely as surprised as Banjeeri though she has raised Onya-Birri just as she would a non-albinistic cub.

(image via: Life In The Fast Lane)

Onya-Birri, whose name means “ghost boy” in the language of Australia’s aboriginal peoples, had orange-tinged fur in common with normal gray koalas when he was very young.

Albino Cobra

(images via: Strangezoo, Guidespot and Fotosearch)

Snakes on a plain? Albinism occurs in all snakes but it adds an extraordinary quality to cobras. Though they may lack pigment in their skin and eyes, potential owners should be aware that they’re just as poisonous as their more colorful cobra cousins.

(image via: Sharenator)

Since one albino cobra isn’t creepy enough for some, how about three? This toxic trio (shown at just 2 weeks of age) hatched at the National Zoological Gardens in Colombo, Sri Lanka, in June of 2005. Their albino mother laid a total of 20 eggs but only three hatched.

Albino Hedgehog

(images via: Underwhelmer, GregF69 and Meantux)

(image via: Life In The Fast Lane)

Hedgehogs are native to Europe, Asia, Africa and New Zealand (though not Australia), and they are extremely popular in the United Kingdom. The smaller African Pygmy Hedgehog subspecies make docile pets and albinism gives this already odd-looking creature an extra touch of weirdness.

(image via: Poisonfrogs)

Breeders who specialize in hedgehogs often offer a range of coloration that includes albinos, possibly because some potential owners may be averse to the glowing red eye effect that makes them look like miniature hogzillas. The cute critter above appears to be a “snowflake”.

Albino Lobster

(images via: Fisherman’s Catch and Deep Sea News)

Genetic mutations can result in lobsters being blue, yellow, orange, even two different colors (and sexes!) split right down the middle. But like the great white whale of the 19th century, the elusive white lobster is something extra special, mysterious and beyond just a novelty. Indeed, the odds of an all-white lobster occurring are estimated to be about 1 in 30 million! Odds or not, white lobsters have been caught before and will be caught again. The above specimen, “Lincoln the Lobster”, was trapped by Casco Bay lobsterman Bill Coppersmith in 1997.

(image via: Telegraph UK)

You know you’re thinking about it so let’s get it out: Will a white lobster still turn “lobster red” when plunked into the cookpot? According to Robert Bayer, director of the University of Maine’s Lobster Institute, Lincoln would end up a “sort of cooked white gray — not red.”

Albino Bat

(images via: Cellar, Grandpa Cliff and Conde Nast Traveler)

Bats exhibit albinism on occasion but anecdotal evidence seems to indicate the condition is more rare than in other mammals. The little guy above was rescued from a cat attack in early 2004 and it still looks freaked out, holding onto Pam Tully’s thumb for dear life! Tully, a carer at the Batreach Bat Rescue and Rehabilitation Centre located near Cairns in northern Australia, nicknamed the Little Northern Freetail bat Starshine.

(image via: i-Pets)

There’s only one known albino Leaf-nosed Spectacled Bat, and it lives at the Moscow Zoo’s Ekzotarium pavilion – as it should, being totally ekzotik. The bat was born in January of 2007 and has been named… wait for it… Angela!

Albino Axolotl

(images via: John Clare and Caudata)

Axolotls are neotenic – meaning they remain in their larval, gill-breathing form and usually do not metamorphose into lunged, land-living adult salamanders. Axolotls can assume various forms including Golden, Leucistic and Albino. The leucistic (white) form displays the dark eyes that many pet owners find more appealing than the blood red blinkers of the albino variety. Here’s a short video of a “dancing” axolotl complete with cute/annoying background music:

\”Axolotl Dance\”, via Punki80

(image via: EPOCA)

Popular as pets due in large part to their “smiley” faces, axolotls can grow up to a foot (30cm) long and are endangered in their primary habitat: Lake Xochimilco in and around Mexico City.

Understanding the scientific explanation for albinism will do much to eliminate harmful and discriminatory attitudes that unfairly target albinos of any species. Live and learn – and appreciate nature for its variety and wonder!

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Kebira Crater Field, Egypt and Libya

(images via: RST, Meta-Religion and Robert Kenneth Johnson)

Archaeologists over the centuries have wondered where the ancient Egyptians came by the beautiful yellow-green glass found in their most exquisite royal jewelry. The answer, it seems, is outer space… by way of a huge meteorite that blasted the Sahara sands into glass many thousands of years before the pyramids were a glimmer in Pharaoh’s eye. Out in the trackless wastes where the borders of Egypt and Libya meet lies an eroded crater and around it; pebbles, nuggets and boulders of translucent glass created when the interplanetary visitor slammed into the sands, instantly vitrifying them.

(images via: JAXA)

It’s estimated the Kebira Crater Field – more than one crater has been discovered – is about 28.5 million years old, with the largest intruder measuring about 3/4 mile (1.2 km) across. The energy released must have been in the order of 100,000 megatons.

Fraser Island, Australia

(images via: Travelblog and Rieckborn)

“If you were marooned on a desert island…” now what’s up with that? All those Crusoe types didn’t have much of a “desert” to contend with (beyond the beach, anyway), just the opposite in fact: lush tropical vegetation, forests of palm trees and so on. Where are the real desert islands? One candidate is Fraser Island, just off the eastern coast of Australia near the city of Brisbane. At 76.5 miles (123 km) long, Fraser Island is the world’s largest “sand island”. It does boast rainforests but they grow in sand, not soil. The surrounding seas are said to be rife with hungry sharks and deadly jellyfish, so you’d might as well stay on shore… listening to your selection of Desert Island Discs.

(image via: Elvis Payne)

What an actual Desert Island might look like – taken in or around Dubai by Elvis Payne, this timeless scene of a lone palm on a blindingly white sand beach gives one pause… and gives one minimal shelter from the searing Persian Gulf sun.

Monument Valley, Utah, USA

(images via: Wikipedia, Vegas-Dreaming, Norman Koren and Azgenweb)

Any Hollywood Western worth its oats was filmed at least partially in Monument Valley. Situated on Utah’s southern border with Arizona near the Four Corners, the area is resplendent in contrasting shades rust red and blue-gray derived from different layers of rocks eroded over millions of years. Even in black & white, the valley is magnificent – some of the more spectacular buttes have been named, The Mittens, the Totem Pole, the Eye of the Sun and the Ear of the Wind arch.

(image via: Flickr: Nature’s Best)

Monument Valley is located on the Navajo Nation Reservation and the Navajo name for the valley is Tsé Bii’ Ndzisgaii (Valley of the Rocks). Though extensively eroded by wind and water, the iconic buttes and mesas in the valley look much the same today as they did when the ancestors of the Navajo first set eyes on them many millennia ago.

Atacama Desert, Chile

(images via: Go Chile, Travel By GPS and Grassroots Adventures)

Sheltered from the rains by the Andes and influenced by coastal inversions created through interaction with the chill Humboldt Current, Chile’s Atacama Desert is widely recognized as being the driest desert in the world – 50 times drier than California’s Death Valley! The regions extreme aridity has allowed mummies left by the ancient Incas (including “Miss Chile” above) to exhibit a remarkable degree of preservation.

(image via: A Byte of News)

The Atacama may be both isolated and hostile to humanity, but that doesn’t mean it remains untouched by the hand of Man… literally. This monumental sculpture of a human hand rising out of the desert sands was created by Chilean sculptor Mario Irarrazabal and stands 11 feet tall. “Mano de Desierto”, or Desert’s Hand, is located about 46.5 miles (75 km) south of the city of Antofagasta, Chile.

Namib Desert, Angola and Namibia

(images via: Wikipedia and Trees Never Meet)

Hundreds of miles south of the Sahara lies one of Africa’s oldest and most beautiful deserts, the Namib. Like the Atacama, the Namib Desert’s exceptional dryness results from an offshore cold current that induces the constant descent of dry air. Currently the Namib receives a mere 1/2 inch of rain annually and it’s been this way for the better part of the last 55 million years. The Namib is in many ways a “living desert”, constantly changing its appearance due to huge roving dune fields driven by howling desert winds.

(images via: Namibia Safari and Grandpoohbah)

Where it meets the South Atlantic ocean, the Namib is often obscured by thick, impenetrable fogs that bring some moisture to the hardy plants and animals that live there. The fogs have also been the bane of seafarers for centuries, leading to innumerable shipwrecks and the forbidding name, Skeleton Coast.

Tabernas Desert, Spain

(images via: Rezoom and Getty Images)

A desert, in Europe? It’s not only more likely than you think, it’s actually there, in Spain. The Tabernas Desert in the Spanish province of Almeria is cut off from humid winds off the Mediterranean Sea by several long mountain ranges and receives a searing 3000 hours of sunlight annually. The area receives about an inch of rain every year, most of which arrives in the form of sudden downpours that have caused picturesque erosion and rugged badlands.

(image via: Cuellar)

The Tabernas Desert has often been used for location shooting of so-called Spaghetti Westerns including The Magnificent Seven and Sergio Leone’s 1966 masterpiece, The Good, The Bad and The Ugly.

(image via: Trekearth)

Far north of Almeria in the province of Navarre, Las Bardenas Reales is another Spanish desert so distinctive that it’s been selected to be a UNESCO World heritage site.

Empty Quarter, Saudi Arabia

(images via: Virtual Tourist, Duneguide and Stylefrizz)

The Rub’ al Khali, or Empty Quarter, is one of the most forbidding deserts on earth. Daytime temperatures approaching 131°F (55°C ) and sand dunes towering 1,100 feet (330 meters) high make the Empty Quarter no fit place for man or beast.

(image via: Platform Zero)

The Rub’ al Khali was not always such an extreme environment and in ancient times a series of desert oasis’ allowed trading caravans to traverse its wide open plains. Rumors of “lost cities” have echoed through time and several have been found using high-tech imaging equipment aboardthe Space Shuttle and NASA’s Landsat satellites. One such city is Ubar, the “City of a Thousand Pillars”, estimated to have thrived from 3,000 BC until the first century AD.

Khongoryn Els (“Singing Sands”), Mongolia

(images via: Duneguide and Boston.com)

The Singing Sands of Khongoryn Els are located in Gobi Gurvansaikhan National Park in southern Mongolia. The dunes really do “sing” – the movement of trillions of tiny sand grains against one another under pressure of the wind results in sounds variously described as roaring, booming, barking and even squeaking. The sound is only audible under certain conditions with the size & roundness of the grains, the humidity of the sand, and the sand’s silica content being the most relevant.

(image via: 123People)

Khongoryn Els isn’t easy to get to – which is part of their attraction – and the area is home to rare wildlife such as the Gobi Camel and the snow leopard.

Death Valley, California, USA

(images via: UND, Destination360 and Marc Adamus)

No post on amazing deserts would be compete without mentioning Death Valley. Aptly named for its lack of water and sweltering heat – the temperature at Furnace creek reached 134°F (56.7°C) in 1913 – Death Valley is the lowest point in North America and the second-lowest in the world.

(image via: George Bell)

The depth of the valley produces a convection oven effect on hot days with superheated air becoming trapped within the valley and circulating into any shaded areas.

(images via: Mystic Bren and Gconnect)

By all accounts the most mysterious part of Death Valley is The Racetrack, a flat dry lakebed that features dozens of “sailing stones” of various sizes at the ends of tracks sometimes hundreds of feet long. The tracks are sometimes straight, occasionally sinuous and in some cases reverse themselves. These aren’t mere pebbles either: one sailing stone, dubbed “Karen” by researchers, weighs over 700 pounds!

Antarctica’s Dry Valleys

(images via: Ross Sea and GDargaud)

Deserts, technically, don’t have to be hot; just dry. A series of valleys near Antarctica’s Ross Sea have been virtually ice-free for 2, 3, perhaps 12 million years! On “warm” summer days, glacial rivers flow into ice-covered lakes, freeze solid at night, then flow again the next day. Mostly though, ice and snow sublimates directly into the exceedingly dry air blowing out of central Antarctica; to the point where glaciers dry out before reaching the sea. These so-called “katabatic” winds have sculpted rocks in the Dry Valleys into bizarre shapes somewhat resembling the arches and hoodoos of much hotter deserts. The Dry Valleys are so unlike more typical earthly environments that researchers consider them suitable analogs for studies of Mars.

(image via: Virginia Butler)

The extreme dryness of the air and the lack of rain or snowfall in the Dry Valleys acts to preserve any organic matter for startlingly long periods of time. Freeze-dried by the katabatic winds and then slowly sandblasted away, the corpse of the seal above will someday be worn completely away though that could take thousands of years!

Our planet is blessed (or cursed, depending on one’s point of view) with an abundance of deserts, each offering unique environments and scenic vistas that are in many cases, out of this world. The 10 amazing deserts described above are, to mix metaphors, just the tip of the iceberg and you can expect a future showcase to disclose more of the hot, the dry and the sandy!

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Jellyfish Lake, Palau

(images via: Ah Boon)

Most people first learned about Jellyfish Lake while watching Survivor: Palau or Survivor: Micronesia, in which a trip to swim in a secluded lake full of stingless jellyfish was the prize for winning a reward challenge. Rewarding it was – and is, if you’re ever in Palau! The lake is on Eil Malk, one of Palau’s Rock Islands and formed around 12,000 years ago, when geologic uplift raised the island sufficiently above sea level that water was trapped in its central depression. Here’s a short video taken at – and in – Palau’s Jellyfish Lake:

Diving Jelly Fish Lake in Palau, via Talk.pa

(image via: ECheng)

Millions of jellyfish live in the lake, subsisting via a symbiotic relationship with algae they host within their bodies. El Nino events which occur roughly once every decade tend to raise the lake’s temperature and this can cause severe die-offs of the jellyfish population – but the tough li’l guys always bounce back.

Mono Lake, California, USA

(images via: Art.com, Earth From Space and E.J.Peiker)

Mono Lake, located near the California-Nevada border east of Yosemite Nat’l Park, is superlative in a great many ways. Considered to be “hypersaline”, the lake has no outlet and evaporation over tens of thousands of years has concentrated salts and minerals to extremely high levels. Even so, life thrives at Mono Lake – as many as 6 trillion brine shrimp (yes, “Sea Monkeys”) provide migrating birds with a crucial food source and anchor an ecological niche found nowhere else. Mono Lake, with its trademark tufa towers and the look of what Mark twain called “the loneliest place on earth” has inspired generations of artists, photographers and filmmakers.

(image via: The Living Moon)

The above photo perfectly captures the near-surreal atmosphere surrounding Mono Lake; a combination of the otherworldly tufa formations, the ethereal high-altitude skies and the soothingly familiar rippling surface of the lake itself.

Diego de la Haya, Costa Rica

(images via: Costa Rica Tourism & Travel, Travelblog, Selling CR and TravelExperta)

Diego de la Haya is a crater lake that fills one of the 5 main craters of 11,260 ft high Mount Irazú. The lake has been known to change its color from its usual brilliant green to gray, pink, or red depending on the type of gas released by underlying volcanic activity inside the mountain.

(image via: Sanchiri)

Mount Irazú last erupted from 1963 through 1965, with the initial blast coinciding with President John F. Kennedy’s arrival in Costa Rica for a state visit. The volcano is very active, having erupted 23 times since historians first noted a major eruption in the year 1723.

Lake Nyos, Cameroon

(images via: Water Encyclopedia, Environmental Graffiti and Dibussi)

Usually “before & after” photos show an improvement in the subject but that’s not the case with Cameroon’s Lake Nyos. The lake’s sickly, greenish-yellow hue is visible evidence of a deadly 1986 eruption of carbon dioxide that killed upwards of 1,700 people by suffocation. Scientists believe that an underwater rockslide tipped the delicate pressure balance that had kept CO2 dissolved in the lake. Once gas bubbles formed and rose, the pressure was reduced, much like popping the cap on a shaken bottle of soda.

(image via: Pagesperso-Orange)

Could the August 21, 1986 disaster at Lake Nyos happen again? Perhaps not – thanks to several outgassing “autosiphon” pipes sunk vertically into the lake like, well, soda straws. The international Nyos Organ project has succeeded in reducing the Lake Nyos’ CO2 levels and has also done the same at nearby Lake Monoun, scene of a similar event in 1984 that killed over 30 people.

Lake Baikal, Russia

(images via: Baikal Adventure and Chargelife)

Lake Baikal is the Queen of lakes, holding more fresh water than all of North America’s Great lakes combined! It’s also the world’s oldest lake, 25 million years or so, and around 2,500 unique species (such as the Nerpa, or Baikal Seal) are found in and around Lake Baikal – and nowhere else. This presents a problem… global warming is threatening to change the environment at Lake Baikal, and change is not a good thing to the uniquely adapted plants and animals who call it home.

(image via: Daily Galaxy)

A rocky outcrop standing out from Olkhon Island in Lake Baikal symbolizes the rugged beauty and echoing isolation of this magnificent lake that holds 20 percent of the world’s fresh water.

Loch Ness, Scotland, UK

(images via: Solar Navigator, Naturephoto and Pibburns)

As Scotland’s second-deepest loch (lake), Loch Ness is estimated to hold more fresh water than all the lakes in England and Wales combined. Both the loch’s depth (754 feet) and constant murkiness (due to peat in the surrounding soil) have contributed to the legend of the Loch Ness Monster. Some say that what has occasionally appeared to be a prehistoric plesiosaur is merely the occasional sunken log floating to the loch’s surface but we know better, don’t we?

(image via: Modern Mechanix)

Though the first “reported” mention of the Loch Ness Monster dates from St. Columba’s encounter with it in the 6th century AD, modern reports date from the early 1930s and didn’t always depict the creature actually in the lake, er, loch. The above illustration was composed to complement a 1934 article about a motorcyclist who claimed Nessie crossed his path during a midnight ride. Was alcohol involved? Neither the rider nor Nessie are telling.

Dead Sea, Israel/Jordan

(images via: Standing With Israel and GSI)

The Dead Sea, regardless of its name rooted in ancient origins, is a lake with some very odd characteristics. Like Mono Lake and other hypersaline lakes, the Dead Sea has only one main inlet – the Jordan River – experiences minimal rainfall and has no outlet save for evaporation. It is also exceptionally low: at 1,385 ft below sea level, the shores of the Dead Sea are the lowest dry areas on earth. How low can it go? Step into the Dead Sea itself and you’ll find its deepest point 1,240 feet below the surface.

(image via: Travelblog)

The waters of the Dead Sea are over 8 times as salty as ocean water, though the “salt” in the seas are 97 percent sodium chloride… only 30.4 percent of the Dead Sea’s salts are NaCl with the rest being potassium chloride, calcium chloride, magnesium chloride and various bromides. With an average salt concentration of 33.7 percent, the Dead Sea is unusually dense and thus allows people to float much easier due to the property of natural buoyancy.

Lake Toba, Indonesia

(images via: Wayfaring and SkyscraperCity)

Located in northern Sumatra in Indonesia, Lake Toba is one of the most serene and silent places one could visit… 73,000 years ago, not so much. Lake Toba, you see, is a water-filled caldera formed after the largest volcanic eruption to occur in the last 25 million years. In the aftermath of the eruption, the Indian subcontinent was buried beneath an average 7 inches of ash and the entire planet entered into a “volcanic winter” for approximately 6 years.

(image via: The Travelrag)

The eruption of the Toba super-volcano had severe human consequences as well. It’s estimated that the population of Homo Sapiens was reduced to just a few tens of thousands, and that tribes living east of Sumatra migrated to Australia in an effort to escape the disaster.

Aral Sea, Russia

(image via: Think Twice)

Once one of the world’s largest lakes, the Aral Sea has become the poster child for environmental mismanagement. We can blame Soviet central planning for this one; though the present governments of successor states Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan have to share the blame for their reluctance to repair the damage. In a nutshell, a grand scheme to convert the wider region into a cotton-growing center saw the rivers which formerly fed the Aral Sea dammed and/or diverted to provide irrigation. Without incoming water, the sea began to evaporate, becoming progressively saltier and ever more polluted with agricultural runoff. The disappearance of the Aral Sea – over the course of a single human generation – is a shockingly sad story chronicled by orbiting satellites and spacecraft.

(images via: Global Vacations and TAMU)

Today the situation has somewhat stabilized though only the northern part of the lake (the North Aral Sea) stands a reasonable hope of survival over the long term. Effects on the region’s climate are mainly negative – reduced rainfall stunts non-irrigated crops while fierce westerly winds blow powdered pollutants and acrid, salty dust over urban and rural areas, contributing to a massive health crisis among the people living there.

Lake Vostok, Antarctica

(images via: LDEO-Columbia and Discover)

Deep beneath nearly 12,500 feet of Antarctic ice lies, improbably, a lake – Lake Vostok. Approximately the size and shape of Lake Ontario, this most isolated lake somehow manages to stay liquid while being totally deprived of sunlight for tens of millions of years.

(images via: Daily Cognition, Fabristol and Atomic Rockets)

A Russian expedition has been trying to drill down into Lake Vostok to sample the water and any possible bacteria it may contain. Perhaps more than just bacteria have managed to survive – lakes in caves often host specialized plants and animals who have evolved and adapted to survive extremes of heat, cold, darkness and pressure. Since it’s likely Lake Vostok had a varied and viable ecosystem when Antarctica began to freeze over 40 million years ago, one wonders what, if anything, has survived in its depths… and if so, will those lifeforms take kindly to being disturbed?

Our planet’s lakes have always been a source of fascination mixed with an undercurrent of fear – who can say what lurks unseen beneath their placid surfaces? Perhaps this combination of appreciation and anxiety is what draws us to lakes. According to Dr. Seuss, Luke Luck likes lakes… do you?

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Mammoth Cave, Kentucky, USA

(images via: Amazing Nature and Encyclopedia Britannica)

Mammoth Cave is one of the oldest and most well-known cave complexes in the USA. It’s also the longest cave system in the world with 365 miles of subterranean passageways. Having been made a national park in the summer of 1941, Mammoth Cave was discovered by American settlers in the late 18th century but was known to local native tribes for thousands of years. Highlights of Mammoth Cave include a giant sinkhole called Cedar Sink, and rather self-descriptive features dubbed Grand Avenue, Frozen Niagara and Fat Man’s Misery.

(image via: CardCow)

The above postcard showing the Hindu temple and Onyx Temple formations in Mammoth Cave must be very old, as the reverse indicates the sender should affix a 1-cent stamp.

Lascaux Caves, France

(images via: Darci Adam and HubPages)

The cave complex at Lascaux, in the Dordogne département of southwestern France, host some of the most magnificent prehistoric cave paintings yet discovered. Rendered in natural pigments and estimated to be 16,000 years old, the many hundreds of images in the caves depict some of the Ice Age creatures that were sources of fascination – and food – for the early modern humans who inhabited the area.

(image via: NationMaster)

The largest images located in the spectacular Great Hall of the Bulls measure up to 17 feet in length! Though we all can enjoy these incredibly lifelike depictions of paleolithic life by way of the Internet, it’s unfortunate that the caves themselves are now virtually off limits to tourists and even researchers due to a destructive fungus that has attacked the paintings. Even when removed, the damage is obvious and, at the present time, irreparable.

Galos Salt Caves, Chicago

(images via: TIME, DayLife and Nelswadycki)

Deep beneath Jolly Inn Banquets in Portage Park, Chicago, colored lights illuminate a scene few would expect to set their sights upon. Once an East European secret, the benefits of salt cave siestas have arrived in suburban Chicago. At Galos Caves visitors relax on incongruous lawn chairs, surrounded by salt stalactites and breathing in salt-saturated air while recorded seaside sounds soothe the psyche.

(image via: The Thief)

So-called “salt therapy” has legions of adherents who abide by the healing properties of natural salt. Whether it’s the salt itself, the iodine compounds within it or just the relaxing atmosphere inside a salt-lined cave, who can say? Well, owner Ewa Chwala can say – watch her do just that in the following video:

A visit to Galos Spa, via johnandmaddie39

Carlsbad Caverns, New Mexico, USA

(images via: Encyclopedia Britannica and Life In The Fast Lane)

Carlsbad Caverns is perhaps the most spectacular “classic” natural cave complex in the USA. Discovered accidentally by Jim White in the late 1890s, the cavern complex includes the Big Room, the second-largest cave chamber in the world. This huge, echoing natural limestone chamber is nearly 4,000 feet (1,219 meters) long, 625 feet (190.5 meters) wide and 350 feet (107 meters) high. Unlike many limestone caves, Carlsbad Caverns was carved out not by underground streams or mild carbolic acid but by strong sulfuric acid formed due to the close proximity of oil and gas deposits.

(image via: National Park Service)

Young local cowboy Jim White discovered Carlsbad Caverns from a distance when he espied from horseback what appeared to be a “volcano” of bats spiraling out from the cave entrance. At its peak, the population of bats residing in Carlsbad Caverns was estimated to be in the millions.

Ice Caves, Antarctica

(images via: WebEcoist and Wikimedia)

Antarctica’s Mount Erebus is, literally, the hottest thing in Antarctica and when piping hot meets icy cold, strange things happen. One result of Erebus’s steam heating are towering ice fumaroles and spacious ice caves.

(image via: World Oceans)

Then there is the oddly named Erebus Ice Tongue, a glacier that flows down the mountain’s flanks and into the frigid Ross Sea where interaction with waves and sea ice creates temporary ice caves of stunning beauty.

Kartchner Caverns, Arizona, USA

(images via: Terrain and University of Arizona)

Kartchner Caverns, which runs for over 2 miles beneath the desert sands around Benson AZ, was sealed off from the surface for about 200,000 years until one day in 1974, Randy Tufts and Gary Tenen became the first human beings to set foot inside. The cave system, which was designated Kartchner Caverns State Park in 1999, is exceedingly fragile and its existence was kept secret from all but a few until proper guardianship could be put in place to protect the exquisite formations inside.

(image via: California Literary Review)

The spindly formation above, called Soda Straws, is composed of hollow tubes that incessantly drip from the cavern ceiling. Each drop deposits a minuscule amount of minerals onto the end before falling to the cave floor. Considering that each “straw” grows by just 1/10 of an inch per CENTURY and the longest straw in the cavern is just over 21 feet long, well, you could do the math but I’ll make it easy by saying the Kartchner Caverns straws have been growing undisturbed for a good couple hundred thousand years!

Thylacoleo Caves, Australia

(images via: MuseumVictoria, Western Australian Museum, TV and Film Guy and Paleochick)

In 2002, an expedition from the Western Australian Museum set out to investigate reports of large skeletons in several caves out in the country’s forbidding desert wasteland, the Nullarbor Plain. Among the remains of dozens of extinct Australian megafauna dating back over 500,000 years were the first complete skeletons of Thylacoleo Carnifex – the Marsupial Lion – ever discovered.

(image via: BeingFrank)

Thylacoleo must have been a terrifying predator to behold, and having one drop in on you while exploring an Australian desert cave would rate rather high among any caver’s list of “what’s the worst that could happen”.

Cave Of The Swallows, Mexico

(images via: Rockhoppers Daily Grind and Kayak Huasteca)

At 1,200 feet deep, the Cave Of The Swallows (Sotano de las Golondrinas, in Spanish) in central Mexico is deep enough to, er, swallow the Empire State Building. It’s also conical in cross section with the base wider than the top. The cave was only explored recently, in the 1960s.

(image via: CHW)

Here’s a MUST SEE video narrated by David Attenborough showing what have to be the world’s most insane BASE jumpers leaping into the Cave Of The Swallows. Once you’ve done this (and lived), what else is there?

Sotano De Las Golondrinas, via garydelarosa

Cave Bacon

(images via: 1Sock, Trip Advisor, UT Grotto and California Literary Review)

No, not Bacon Cave, Cave Bacon… because face it, what self-respecting internet posting these days doesn’t pay homage to that most versatile (and delicious) member of the Pork food group? In any case, “cave bacon” is another, tastier word for layered flowstone formed by the incremental deposition of water-borne minerals along a repeated route. Variations in surface rainfall, mineral balance and other hydrological cum speliological phenomena can affect both the speed and the content of the water moving over the flowstone, leading to layering effects that remind some (heck, ALL) of bacon.

(image via: Diamond Caverns)

Imagine falling into a cave and, after several fruitless, foodless days have passed, finding THIS hanging over your head? Found in Kentucky’s Diamond Caverns, the calcite drapery formation above stimulates both imaginations and appetites along the New Discovery Passage.

Cave Of Crystals, Mexico

(images via: Environmental Graffiti, Life In The Fast Lane and CubeMe)

One of the world’s most magnificent caves is also one of the newest to be discovered. In April of 2000, miners at the Naica Mine in Chihuahua, Mexico, stumbled onto a vast, water-filled cave while exploring for lead and zinc. Upon pumping out the mineral-rich, extremely hot water from the underground space, the miners were amazed to find a fantastic lattice of gigantic Selenite crystals measuring up to 40 feet long and weighing as much as 55 tons!

(image via: Mystic’s Thought Garden)

Here’s a short video on the Cave Of Crystals:

Cueva de Los Cristales, via johnnygbc

Since the hot supersaturated solution flooding the Cave Of Crystals (or Cueva de los Cristales in Spanish) has been drained, the crystals will not grow any larger. On the bright side, the cave’s 43°C (109°F) plus temperature and 90 to 100 percent humidity ensures that unprotected intruders won’t stay long.

Through the modern technological marvels of video and photography, Earth’s deepest, darkest secrets are at last being revealed. In the case of these truly amazing caves, however, exposure only magnifies their mystery and wonder!

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Albino Alligator

(images via: Ripley BION, Animals / Pets and Mirror UK)

There are only about a dozen white alligators in the world and not all of them are strictly albinos. Bouya Blan (White Fog), above bottom, is a 22-year old leucistic alligator who lives at Gatorland in Florida. Leucistic animals have some, though very little pigmentation as can be seen in Bouya Blan’s icy blue eyes.

(image via: All Hat No Cattle)

From the bayou to the big time! “White Diamond” was born in Louisiana but wows crowds at Germany’s Serengeti Safari Park these days. The 15-year-old albinistic variant of Alligator mississppiensis is the only albino alligator in Europe. Judging by his toothy grin, you won’t want to tickle those ivories!

Albino Snake

(images via: Design Swan, Kizandjenn and Photographers Direct)

Snakes can display varying degrees of albinism and their skin will range from snow white to what looks like an image printed from a copier that’s running low on color ink. As stealth hunters, albino snakes are at a huge disadvantage in the wild and rarely live for very long.

(image via: Bluecavs)

The double-headed albino snake above was born double-unlucky and it’s a wonder it managed to grow at all. Likely the snake hatched in captivity and has been carefully monitored by its owner. One problem (out of many) two-headed snakes have is that the heads will often attack one another. At least the above specimen’s heads split off the body at a narrow angle, mitigating the problem.

Albino Peacock

(images via: Bod’s Blog, Super Stock, Tokyo Bling and Richmond Zoo)

Looking a lot like a scraggly chicken with its fan-like tail feathers folded, the albino peacock (and its all-white, non-albinistic variant above) becomes the price of poulty when it puts on a classic mating display to impress the lady peahens – and any other living thing in range.

(image via: Frakin Cool)

Who could imagine the male peacock, the poster-child for brilliant color and former mascot for the NBC television network, would look just as magnificent (if not more) as an albino decked out in lacy white plumage?

Albino Zebra

(images via: 1UP, Mongabay and Biomes Blog)

Better to burn out than fade away? Fine for Neil Young maybe but not for the albino zebra. It appears that in zebras, albinism displays as a range of severity that preserves much of the animal’s natural black & white striped pattern.

(image via: Asquared185)

Though they tend to stand out in the presence of normal zebras, most albino variants show a softer, tawnier coat that could possibly be MORE effective as camouflage on the dry, dusty savannah.

(image via: Uncommonpics)

A completely white zebra would be virtually indistinguishable from a white horse. The above image depicts the result of a mating between a white horse and a non-albinistic zebra – truly a “zorse” of a different color!

Albino Gorilla

(images via: Fed By Birds, Miko Lah and Gather)

As the only albino gorilla to be raised in captivity, Snowflake delighted visitors for nearly 40 years before dying of skin cancer in late 2003. Most gorillas only live about 25 years in the wild so Snowflake definitely beat the odds. Over the course of his adult life, Snowflake fathered 22 offspring though none of them shared his albinism.

Here’s a short video of Snowflake taken at his home in the Barcelona Zoo:

Snowflake late in life at the Barcelona Zoo, via Errha

(images via: Totally Looks Like)

In many ways, Snowflake looks more human than gorilla – perhaps because most of us have nothing else to compare him to. Contributors to the website TotallyLooksLike.com have picked up on this and have featured Snowflake not once, but twice.

Albino Dolphin

(images via: Snopes, One Man’s Blog and Marvillous)

(image via: Scholastic)

Albino dolphins were first sighted in 1962 and since 1994 three have been seen frolicking in or around the Gulf of Mexico. The latest is “Pinky”, a bottlenose dolphin of the Flipper variety that lives in Louisiana’s Lake Calcasieu. What’s up with Louisiana anyway? First albino alligators, now… in any case, Pinky is as pink as, well, the pink dolphin contestants on MXC must leap over while navigating the Rotating Surfboard of Death. Pinky owes her (his?) very unusual hue to blood vessels showing through blubber and unpigmented skin. If you think the pink dolphin has become a local tourist attraction, I’d say “Right you are, Kenny”.

(images via: Stormfront and Now Public)

Other types of dolphins have been known to display albinism, most notably the not-so-cute; not-so-pink albino dolphins living in Brazil’s Amazon River. That’s Amazon Pinky above left, American Pinky to the right… let the “USA!” chants begin!

Albino Whale

(images via: Life In The Fastlane and Cairns.com)

I see your Great White Shark and I raise you a Great White Whale! Albino whales are rare but not exceedingly so – then again, something that big and that white is going to attract a lot of attention. Take Migaloo, for instance. Frequenting the chill waters of the southern ocean around Australia, Migaloo is an albino Humpback Whale. Other whale species such as the Beluga are normally white and an albino would only be detected by very close examination of its eyes.

(image via: Sharkdivers)

By the way, there really is a Great White Whale Shark – a 30-foot, one-of-a-kind (as far as we know) female was photographed by diver/naturalist Antonio Moreano in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of the Galapagos Islands.

(images via: Environmental Graffiti, Isla-Mocha and Ox Bow Art)

Any discussion of white whales (or albinos in general) would be lacking without mention of the legendary Moby Dick, the cetacean scourge of maniacal Captain Ahab in the nineteenth century novel by Herman Melville and the 1956 epic film starring Gregory Peck. While Moby Dick was fictional, Melville likely based his character on a very real albino whale called Mocha Dick, who destroyed numerous whaling ships and whaleboats in the area of the Mocha Islands off Chile in the early decades of the 1800s. Mocha Dick was estimated to have been 70 feet long when he was finally killed and yes, his snow-white back was festooned with harpoons – though no furious, peg-legged sea captains were found among them.

The lack of skin pigmentation that is the distinctive characteristic of albinism and that gives these animals special appeal to humans is actually a drawback in the wild, since without visual camouflage they’re much more visible to predators and potential prey. Some may bemoan their perceived lack of freedom but in actuality, the safest place for these wonders of nature is in the “protective custody” of zoos.

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