Geological processes on the Earth’s surface create many unique phenomena, almost impossible to see elsewhere, such as Hell’s Gate or Blood Falls.
Walking Rock, Death Valley, USA
One of the strange geological phenomena is the walking rocks in the Racetrack Playa area of Death Valley. Stone blocks weighing tens to hundreds of kilograms seem to slide, sometimes in irregular lines, across the desert floor without animal impact. A 2014 study suggested that the walking rock’s movement was related to the formation of thin ice on flat land overnight. When the ice melts, the ground becomes slippery, with just a light wind blowing, the rocks will slide across the surface.
Fairy circle in the Namib desert, South Africa
Mysterious fairy circles in Namibia are circular empty spaces with a diameter of 1.8 to 12 m, surrounded by weeds. They spread over more than 1,600 km across the Namib Desert in South Africa, one of the driest regions on Earth. Researchers also discovered them in the Pilbara, Western Australia.
Although there is no theory that fully explains the origin of the fairy circle, a 2022 study suggests that the grass around the circle absorbs water away from the center, creating a vacuum effect where the grass on the inside cannot live. leftover. The circular shape maximizes water distribution to plants on the outer edges, leaving the soil in the middle of the circle empty.
Hell’s Gate, Turkmenistan
Hell’s Gate has been burning continuously for decades. Image: iStock
Hell’s Gate (or Darvaza crater), in Turkmenistan, is a 70 m wide crater that has been burning continuously since 1971. This geological phenomenon is an example of a natural geological process combined with the intervention of human. Hell’s Gate was formed by accident when geologists drilling for natural resources caused the ground to collapse, creating a giant hole filled with methane. At that time, the scientific team thought it would stop burning after a few days. However, the crater burned for more than 50 years afterward.
Blood Falls, Antarctica
Blood Falls at Taylor Glacier, Antarctica. Image: Wikimedia
Another impressive geological phenomenon is Blood Falls in Antarctica, where iron-rich water flows down from the Taylor Glacier. This blood waterfall formed when ancient ocean water trapped beneath the glacier flowed to the surface. When iron in saltwater comes into contact with oxygen in the air, it turns red. Blood Falls is a demonstration of geochemical processes within the glacial environment.
Devil’s Tower, Wyoming, USA
Devil’s Tower was formed about 50 million years ago, about 386 m above sea level, famous for its towering hexagonal basalt pillars. According to one theory, the Devil’s Tower came into existence through a geological process called magmatic intrusion, in which molten magma from deep within the Earth cools and hardens underground without erupting on the surface as a liquid. lava. Over time, the hardened magma mass was exposed, creating the tower’s characteristic shape while surrounding rocks such as sandstone eroded.