A phenomenon is something very special that happens. Natural phenomena are amazing, remarkable things that happen in nature without any help from humans. Some of these are destructive like earthquakes. Some create life like the process of germination. Some of these phenomena are optical and others can only be experienced through other senses.
These phenomena can be categorized into different groups. These groups include physical, chemical and biological, geological, astronomical, and meteorological. Let's look at some examples from each group.
Can large and heavy boulders move by themselves? It seemed to be the case at Death Valley National Park. The park looks barren, but large 300 kg boulders seemed to move as much as 250 m by themselves. The trails left in the sand would reveal that the boulders sometimes took a curved path. They also took straight paths. The trails showed that the boulders would take sudden turns too.
These Sailing Stones confused many people. It took a notable scientist from NASA to crack the mystery. Ice shove is the answer. In the winter, the lake fills with water. The lakebed's stones are covered with ice. Due to the ice, even a light breeze will be able to push these boulders.
If you have been to Canada, then maybe you've seen frozen methane bubbles. They look like jellyfish that have been frozen in the water. But don't worry, this is a physical phenomenon. The jellyfish aren't actually frozen. It's just gas that has been trapped underwater. But how are those gases made? These gases are formed when plants and animals die, fall into the water, and are eaten by bacteria. The bacteria then make methane gas. The frozen methane bubbles might look beautiful, but they can be dangerous. When the ice melts in the spring, the gas is released. If anyone lights a fire nearby, there could be an explosion.
The Blood Falls might look scary, but don't worry it is not made out of real blood. The red comes from a salty sub-glacier lake. Many years ago, a saline body of water was trapped under a glacier. There wasn't light, oxygen, or heat. The saltwater trickled through a crack in the glacier. When it touches the oxygen in the air, this blood-like colour is formed. It is a chemical reaction!
Quicksand is a geological phenomenon. It's a mix of water and sand. It might look like solid ground. But if there's pressure on top of it, it quickly acts like a liquid. That means if a person or an animal stands on it, they'll start to sink. It can be hard to get out of quicksand.
Have you seen a solar eclipse? It's an atmospheric phenomenon. It happens when our moon moves between the sun and Earth. The moon will block the light coming from the sun. If the moon and the sun line up perfectly, it can seem like it's night.
You might see a rainbow after it rains. Why does that happen? A rainbow is a meteorological phenomenon. We see rainbows due to the refraction of light in water droplets. We usually only see rainbows in the shape of semi-circles. If you look at it from the plane, you will see that the rainbow is a complete circle.
There’s still a lot we don't know. Oceanographic explorations are always bringing back new information. There is still a lot to learn about our world, our oceans, and the sky above us!