Mysterious Phenomenon by Nature, Part II

Nature gave us everything. Nature is always beautiful though we don’t know how big this nature, only God know the secret of nature. In variety of uses, "Nature" word is related with geological. Sometimes we often saw the using of "nature" word in the animal or plant. From this hub I’ll take you tour in the special place related by nature. Most of these places are beautiful. If you had read my previous hub with the title “Mysterious Phenomenon By Nature (Geological Side)”. This hub is part two. Everything is naturally formed. With influences such as weather and geology on Earth, and all these things made up and form a natural place. We often interpret this as a "natural environment", which consists of wild animals, plants, rocks, forests, beaches, mountains, valleys, and in general things have not changed substantially by human intervention. Geology itself is the study of science and learning about solid and liquid materials that make up the Earth. Geology includes the study of the structure, composition, dynamics, physical properties, and the history of Earth-forming materials. We learn about how the processes these materials are formed, moved, and changed.

As my big appreciation to the places I’ve never seen before and I am glad to share this information to my reader. I hope we can learn together how this earth so beautiful and we more care with them. Small action is better in keeping the earth stay clean and tidy as well. Like throw the garbage in the right place. I can imagine if the air stay clean and fresh. Curious……? Please continue to read! I’ll explain everything below.

Grand Prismatic Spring is really beautiful from distance far. As the largest hot spring in USA, “Grand Prismatic Spring” is also to be the third largest in the world. The dimension of Grand Prismatic is about 250x380 feet. Grand Prismatic attracts many tourists from all over the world. Just for information that the third largest hot spring in the world is located in New Zealand. The Grand Prismatic Spring itself is located in Yellowstone National Park, USA (in the Midway Geyser Basin right next to Excelsior Geyser). "Grand Prismatic" name was taken of its striking coloration and beautiful coloration, like: yellow, blue, green, orange, brown and red. From the picture below, we can see that the colors begin with a deep blue at the center followed by pale blue. Outside the scalloped is yellow fades into orange. The shallow edge was created by green algae and the outer border is red.

The Hayden Expedition in 1871 named this spring. Again…I thought my fellow hubbers from all USA familiar with this natural wonder. I heard that artist Thomas Moran made water-color sketches, depicting “Grand Prismatic Spring” like a rainbow. The vivid colors are created by thermophilic bacteria (pigmented bacteria in the microbial mats). The ratio of chlorophyll to carotenoids and the water temperature as well as one of the main factor why the color of the water so beautiful. The color of the mats usually changed in the summer and the winter. “Orange and red” color in the summer and "dark green” color in the winter. The steam often come out and produced about 560 gallons per minute. The center of the pool is really “hot”, with temperature about 147-188°F.

It’s another beautiful phenomenon happened in the same area with Grand Prismatic. Morning Glory phenomenon is located in Yellowstone National Park, USA (in the Upper Geyser Basin). It’s like a natural hole filled by water or we can call this a pool created by nature. Morning Glory name was given by the wife of the Assistant Park Superintendant, Charles McGowan, in 1883. She called this pool "Convolutus" . This is the Latin name for the morning glory flower. Please, take a look the picture which was taken from 1960. We can see the wonderful deep blue color that Morning Glory used to be. I also enclose the picture of the flower, that’s Mrs McGowan chose to call the pool that name. But now, the colors of the “Morning Glory” pool have changed completely from blue color into green color. The water has amazing color like this because of thermophilic bacteria (kind of algae which photosynthesizes at high temperatures). It’s completely natural. So, no wonder that "Morning Glory" has been a popular tourist destination for tourists for many decades.

I just want to say that this place is phenomenal. From outer appearance, "fly geyser" looks like a statue in the beautiful garden. I thought most of American's hubbers know this geyser very well. Fly geyser also known as Fly Ranch Geyser. This place is located about 20 miles north of Gerlach (Washoe County), Nevada, USA. Fly geyser itself is actually a small geothermal geyser with 1.5 metres (5 feet) high. But if we count the mound on which it sits the height of this geyser is 3.7 metres or 12 feet. Fly Geyser is a private property, owned by Todd Jaksick and only accessible by a small road. There is a high fence and locked gate to keep from the intruders. Some of them still choose to jump the fence to see this geyser closer. Some organizations have tried to buy the land of "Fly Geyser" for conservation. They have a plan to make it open to the public, but it has been denied. There’s something beautiful come out from this geyser as the point of view this natural wonder. The water is constantly squirting out up to 1.5 metres or 5 feet (eruption height). This geyser contains several terraces with 30 and 40 pools of warm water inside an area of 30 hectares. It’s like miniature of volcano. Fly geyser can be seen from State Road 34, unless we have permission the view from a distance. Since the 60s the fly geyser has substantially developed and now, it’s like a huge multi-colored sculpture. Wow….amazing and beautiful.

This was beautiful rock formation. From outer appearance, it’s like the towering castle (where a sleeping princess live). She slept for many years waiting the princes who want to kiss her. Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks is located about 40 miles southwest of Santa Fe and and 55 miles northeast of Albuquerque, USA. It ranges from 5,570 feet to 6,760 feet above sea level. The national monument spread in 4,645 acres of public lands. It’s a remarkable outdoor laboratory. It’s a great place for us to learn and observe about the geologic processes that shape natural landscapes. From this place we can see many cone-shaped tent rock formations. All the rocks formations are the products of volcanic eruptions in 6 to 7 million years ago. restrooms, camping and RV hookups at Cochiti Lake Recreation Area.

Tremendous explosions from the volcanic eruptions spewed rock fragments. If we go there, we can find rounded, small, and translucent obsidian fragment created by rapid cooling. Even rock which are like towering castle has height from a few feet to 90 feet. Wind and water cut has main role in creating canyons and arroyos, even scooping holes in the rock. We can also discovered various plants and animals over there. Various plants, like: the vibrant green leaves, manzanita shrub, Apache plume, Indian paintbrush, desert marigold, and hardy evergreen produces a pinkish-white flower in the spring. Various animals, like: mule deer, elk, coyotes, chipmunks, ground squirrels, rabbits and various birds (like: violet-green swallows, Red-tailed hawks, golden eagle, and American kestrels). This area completed with fun activities, like: birdwatching, hiking, plant identification and geologic observation. We can easily find

It’s another beautiful rock formation. The Valley of the moon is one of the most interesting landmarks in Argentina. It’s located about 300 kilometers from the capital of San Juan or about a five hour drive from the provincial capital of San Juan City. The Valley of the Moon is known as the Ischigualasto National Park or the Valle de la Luna. Ischigualasto means a place where the moon rests, in the Quechua tongue. We can see the combination of water and wind erosion carved different silhouettes. The wind has pounded the local bedrock for an age.

It’s a place where we might imagine our self on a distant, forsaken planet. It's like at the moon, where we can find stone in everywhere. This beautiful landscape offers shapes, hues, and layers of minerals and sediments. The Valley of the Moon is the example of the Earth’s evolution of the Triassic Period (it goes from 250 to 200 million years). The visitors will enjoy the natural architecture in many formations, like: Painted Valley, The Worm, The Sphinx, The Bowling Field, The Submarine, Alladin's lamp, Red Ravines, The Mushroom. All the names have been given to the weird and irregular rock formations. For example “The Bowling Field”, it's a place where different perfectly polished spheres made of the same material as the soil. All the rounded shape placed on a flat surface. It's like a molecular attraction from different particles (sediment) were grouped together which created these balls.

The landscape is wonderful for tourists from all over the world that come to “The Valley of the Moon” to enjoy this pre-historic treasure. This valley was declared as one of the most important paleontological sites in the world or “Natural World Heritage” by UNESCO. Even the formation of the rocks came from Dinosaurs era. We can see this from a great variety of reptiles and petrified trees. The all discovered intact through the natural preservation in Ischigualasto.

I love art and I can say from this natural wonder is like a "watercolor" painted on sandstone. We can see the unique geological phenomenon in several places in China. Like: several provinces in southeast and southwest China, including Fujian, Guizhou, Guangdong, Jiangxi, Yunnan, Hunan, Sichuan and Guizhou. Danxia itself is a word to describe a unique type of landform which develops through erosion, having the appearance of “coloring clouds”. In Chinese literally, Danxia means “vermilion sunglow”. A famous example of such Danxia Landform is Mount Danxia in Guangdong Province. Actually Danxia Landform was formed from red-colored sandstones and conglomerates about 120 million to 65 million years ago (the Cretaceous Period). The steep cliffs created by exogenous (erosion and weathering). Danxia landform divided by into two types, “young” Danxia and “old” Danxia. We can see the “Young” Danxia has deep and narrow valleys. But when they get "older" isolated peaks, towers, ridges and valleys widen are formed.

Danxia Landform often developed from red-colored conglomerate, so they produced “red color”. But if “Karst Topography” was developed from limestone, so they produced “cream color”. If you had read my previous hub, “Stone Forest” in Yunnan Province is kind of Karst Topography. Even six Danxia landform areas in South China were proclaimed as UNESCO World Heritage. They are Mount Lang in Hunan Province, Chishui in Guizhou Province, Mount Longhu in Jiangxi Province, Mount Danxia in Guangdong Province, Taining in Fujian Province, Mount Jianglang in Zhejiang Province.

Enchanted Well or also known as Poço Encantado is located in the Chapada Diamantina National Park, Bahia state (Brazil). If we want to drive, it’s about 400 kilometres inland from Salvador, the capital city of Bahia. This is 61 metres deep lake of dark blue water. The water is so transparent. So, we can see the rocks and ancient tree trunks on the bottom. The blue water created from light comes through a crevice. It happened when the sun is just right. The best time to visit the Enchanted Well is between April and September. At that time, the cave receives direct sunlight about 10:30- 12:30 each day. We brought to the amazing experience where the sun's rays illuminate the perfectly clear water right down to the bottom. The strictly rule is bathing isn't allowed. The ecosystem really guarded and the access to this pond is highly controlled. The reason is for environmental protection.

Salar the Uyuni or also known Salar de Tunupa is the world's largest salt flats. Most of people in the world called this place as the largest mirror in the world at 10,582 square kilometers. Salar de Uyuni is located in the Department of Potosi and Oruro, near the top of the Andes (Bolivia Southeast). Salar de Uyuni is located at an altitude of 3650 metres. About 40.000 years ago, Salar de Uyuni is part of Michin Lake, the biggest lake in prehistoric era. When it dries, formed two largest salt deserts, Salar de Coipasa and Salar de Uyuni. Just for information, Salar de Uyuni contains 10 billion tons of salt or 25.000 tons of salt produced from this lake each year. Salar de Uyuni also the best place three species of flamingos in South America, like: Chile flamingos, James, and Andes. Now, Salar de Uyuni become a famous tourist destination. The Salar tour usually use 4x4 vehicles (like Toyota Landcruisers) consists 6 or 7 people. Don’t forget to bring sunglasses, I heard that the salt flats are blinding. Warm clothes and hot water bottle, because the nights are freezing. Don't waste the beautiful landscape among the largest mirror in the world.

I give many thanks to my fellow hubber, hazelwood4 who give me an inspiration to write about this place. This place called “Markawasi”. He ask me about “Have you ever seen the mysterious stone mountains in Peru? So, I don’t waste my time to write a little about this place. Personally, I am “shock” and wondering about Markawasi to myself. Why I don't know about this place from yesterday, while I wrote about stone forest. But, better late than never, right! Markawasi is located in small plateau (towering above the town of San Pedro de Casta) or about 50 miles northeast of Lima, Peru. Markawasi stand at the altitude of over 12,000 feet above sea level. Wow…this is an ancient stone sculptures. We can see small stone until huge stone in everywhere. It’s like found the lost culture that dates back thousands of years, even ten thousands of years or more. Just like my friend said that this place so mysterious. There’s an anomalous phenomena, like flying saucer (UFO) appeared above this plateau. We can say this phenomenon like the gigantic megalithic sculptures with various figures of man face and animals. Like: camels, a hippopotamus, sphinxes, frogs, lions, seals, a crocodile, and many other forms. I hope all the pictures and the video below can answer how this place so amazing. Again….thank hazelwood4 to remind me about “Markawasi”.

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• The Beauty of Hidden Place in the World

• Setenil de las Bodegas, a Village Under the Rock Hill

• Pamukkale, a Beautiful and Natural Swimming Pool

• Stone Forest, Where Life Begins

• The Beauty of Oasis in the Middle of Desert

• The Beauty of Jiuzhaigou Valley

• The Largest Cave in the World (Completed With Video)

• Blood falls, Another Weird Natural Phenomenon