Nature is bizarre; it sometimes behaves in the most unsuspecting manner and gives birth to the most magnificent, most horrid, most captivating geological wonders that are unmatched with human capacity. Humans have dived in to find and explain most natural phenomenon that have captivated us for years, but some go unexplained and remain a mystery till date.

Here’s a teeny tiny list of some beautiful creations that are a result of some natural phenomenon that either occurred in the past or still continue to change the face of earth with time. This enthralled us and we intend to share these eye-popping geological formations and related facts that will blow your mind!

1. Cano Cristales

La Macarena, Colombia


Imagine a liquid rainbow flowing in the form of a river. Well, this is not fantasy, it is for real! Rightly tagged as the most beautiful river in the world, Cano Cristales breaks into a vibrant explosion of colors for a brief period of time every year. Thanks to the mosses on the bed that impart their color to the river. What a beauty!

2. Zhangye Danxia Landform

China


True to their name, on these rainbow mountains you will find all shades of green, yellow, red and blue that create a fantastic landscape which is worth a visit. The red sandstone of Mt Danxia has undergone much erosion to reveal the underlying layers that have been through metamorphic process for millions of years.

3. Fly Geyser

Nevada, USA

Sometimes nature uses man as its medium to show the magic, precisely that happened in this case. On a private ranch, a well drilling expedition resulted in this marvel. Minerals started depositing and created mounds that beautifully spurt water 5ft in the air.

4. Great Blue Hole

Belize


A World Heritage Site of UNESCO, Blue Hole is rated as one of the top scuba diving sites in the world. It is believed that this cave was formed 153,000; 66,000; 60,000; and 15,000 years ago! Phew! And post its formation, with the rise in sea level, the cave was filled with water.

5. Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument

New Mexico


This is what happens when a volcano erupts and scatters rocks and ashes which get deposited over time. Then again nature worked its magic to erode them to form tent and cone-shaped hills of tuff and pumice.

6. Lake Hillier

Australia

 

This lake lies hidden to the world on an island in Australia under a thick cover of forest. The aerial view shows a lake filled with bubble gum pink hued water, but the source of the color is still unknown. You can carry home some pink water in a container and it’s to retain its color!

7. Blood Falls

Antarctica

 


Imagine what the Iron Oxide rich saltwater does when it flows out of small fissures on super-white sheet of snow - the spectacle is definitely scary and that is where it derives its name from - the blood falls!

8. Underwater Forest

Lake Kaindy, Kazakhstan


The surreal sunken forest surfaces through water with its half submerged trunks, the roots of which are 30 mts deep in the waterbed. This forest is a result of a huge limestone landslide set off by an earthquake.

9. Grand Prismatic Spring

Yellowstone National Park, USA


The spring keeps changing its colors from green to red and all other colors of a rainbow, depending on the tempreture and season. The color is rendered by the pigemented bacteria that thrive in the microbial mats around the edges.

10. Golden rock Pagoda

Mayanmar


This rock defies gravity and seems to sit on the edge of the cliff. Devotees drew inspiration and covered the rock with gold leaves, which give it a golden appearance. What makes it speacial is that the rock is independent of the plate below and the area of contact is also very less, yet it manages to rest at such a precarious place.

11. Pamukkale

Turkey


Rightly called the ‘cotton castles’ of Turkey, these white and snow-like terraces are actually made up of hardened calcium carbonate deposits from the hot springs that flow past the landforms. The pooled water is known to have therapeutic effects.

12. Grand Tsingy

Madagascar


This, the world’s largest stone forest, has 300ft razor sharp stone hills that are a result of years of lashing rains and other forms of erosion. The spikes are so sharp that this is also known as the forest of knives.

13. The Wave

Arizona


The wave-like formations first appeared when the Navajo sandstone of Jurassic age was eroded by infrequent rainwater, and now being eroded by wind. The uneven troughs that reaveal layers of stone, provide beautiful hues to the rugged walls.

Deepti Ahuja Balani

People professionally know me as a copy editor, correspondent and a writer, but writing is something I do even when I am not professionally engaged. I like to visit new places, explore, experience different cultures and share my perspective through words. Writing for food, travel and books is something that comes naturally, and is close to my heart.

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