These Phenomena Show Nature Goes Full Glitch

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Transcript

00:00:00Wow, a giant, roiling mountain of a thundercloud is moving towards you.

00:00:05It's completely black and goes in stark contrast with a bright blue sky right above

00:00:10and behind you.

00:00:12You see a blinding flash and, in a few seconds, a deafening whip-like crack of thunder.

00:00:18And then, the rain starts gushing down from the heavens.

00:00:22The wind rises, you see treetops bending low towards the ground some miles away and getting

00:00:27closer by the second.

00:00:29You freeze in place, realizing you can't escape anyway.

00:00:33But when the rain almost reaches you, its movement suddenly stops.

00:00:38Just a few feet before you, there's a veritable flood, but right where you stand, it's dry

00:00:44and even sunny.

00:00:45And after a short while, the angry thundercloud spills its last drops and disperses.

00:00:51Seeing the edge of rain is a rare thing, but not impossible.

00:00:55The rain has to be really powerful so that the wind couldn't diverge the drops from

00:01:00their vertical path.

00:01:02If the rain is light, you'll only be able to see its edges from far away.

00:01:06It looks like a shimmering gray haze, going all the way from the sky to the ground.

00:01:12Now the rain's passed, but the wind is still blowing and rising ever stronger.

00:01:17You see leaves flying around in a circular pattern and realize a tornado is about to

00:01:23start.

00:01:24Run as fast and far away as you can, climb some hill, and only then stop and turn around.

00:01:31No tornado yet, but the cloud that's hanging up there looks menacing.

00:01:36Another flash and a whip crack.

00:01:38The lightning has struck a lone tree near where you just stood.

00:01:42It caught on fire, and there's a column of flames rising to the sky.

00:01:47Still no rain, and the pillar becomes taller and taller.

00:01:51You've heard of such a thing but never seen it – a fire tornado.

00:01:56This phenomenon occurs when the wind is caught in a circle close to the ground because of

00:02:00the difference in air pressure.

00:02:03Such mini-tornadoes are usually easy to notice.

00:02:06Small rubble, dust, sand, and leaves rise into the air and start flying in rapid circles.

00:02:12But then, if there's a source of fire nearby, the funnel can catch it and blow it stronger

00:02:18like bellows.

00:02:20The flames go round and round, reaching even higher, and eventually creating a swirling

00:02:26blazing tower.

00:02:27Luckily, fire tornadoes are short-lived and don't normally cause much damage.

00:02:33If that wasn't enough, you feel some rumbling from below.

00:02:36No, it's not your tummy – it's low and ominous.

00:02:41You look up and see strange lights hanging above the ground.

00:02:45They look like shimmering balls of light hovering high up in the sky.

00:02:50Your throat goes dry and you gulp.

00:02:52That's what they call the earthquake lights.

00:02:55This phenomenon is poorly understood, but witnesses say they've seen it in different

00:03:00shapes and sizes.

00:03:02It could be in the form of light balls, sheet lightning, streamers, and steady glow in the

00:03:07sky.

00:03:08Soon after, a strong earthquake follows.

00:03:12Scientists can't explain why those lights appear, and they don't always do either.

00:03:16Some believe there's a reaction of underground gases released into the atmosphere.

00:03:22Sure enough, an earthquake begins.

00:03:24But lucky you, it's not as strong as you expected.

00:03:28The ground is shaking, but you even manage to keep your balance.

00:03:32It stops as abruptly as it began, and you walk home.

00:03:36Later that night, you look out the window and see something incredible – a rainbow!

00:03:42It's dark already, and the moon is shining in the clear night skies.

00:03:46Ah, wait, that's exactly what it is – a moonbow!

00:03:52Also called a lunar rainbow, this event occurs extremely rarely.

00:03:56It's similar to a regular rainbow in everything, except that it appears on a clear, moony night

00:04:02after a rain shower.

00:04:04Thankful for such a spectacle, you go to sleep.

00:04:08Next morning, you look out the window again, and suddenly, the sun is all but blocked,

00:04:13and it seems to be night again.

00:04:15You hear distant rustling, and some kind of cawing.

00:04:18Puzzled, you look up, and you can't believe your eyes.

00:04:22There are thousands upon thousands of birds in the sky, so many that they block all sunlight.

00:04:28This is called sort sol, or black sun in Danish.

00:04:32Very fitting.

00:04:34Normally, it only happens in Denmark, hence the name, where numerous migratory starlings

00:04:39take to the air at the same time to look for a place to stay for the winter.

00:04:43There are so many of them that they literally make the sky go black for a few moments.

00:04:49So what are they doing where you are?

00:04:51Well, that's a good question.

00:04:53Okay, you're now magically transported to Antarctica.

00:04:57We're in an imaginary universe, so anything can happen.

00:05:02Of course, you're properly dressed in warm and cozy clothes.

00:05:06You look around in bewilderment and realize you've been transported to the slopes of

00:05:10Mount Erebus, one of many volcanoes of the icy continent.

00:05:15Right now, it's slowly cooking, gas seeping out from its top and fissures on the sides.

00:05:21What draws your attention, though, are snowy pillars all around you.

00:05:26These are known as snow chimneys.

00:05:28They form thanks to the boiling magma underneath.

00:05:32It occasionally spews up hot gas toward the surface, but the chill outside stops the hot

00:05:37stuff.

00:05:38As a result, fumaroles are formed.

00:05:41The hot gas freezes over as soon as it hits the air, creating peculiar ice statues.

00:05:46They let out thin strands of smoke almost all the time and grow as the gas tries to

00:05:52escape from the neither.

00:05:53Well, that's enough of the freezing cold and volcanoes.

00:05:57It's time to go to milder climbs.

00:05:59Whoosh!

00:06:00And you're in Los Angeles.

00:06:02Look up!

00:06:03Almost right above you, there's a beautiful rainbow cascade of clouds.

00:06:08These are called a fire rainbow or circumhorizontal arc.

00:06:11Again, it's a rare thing, but here in LA, it's much more likely to occur than, say,

00:06:17in London.

00:06:18Fire rainbows only appear when the conditions are right.

00:06:21It's close to the equator, the weather is clear, there are feather-like clouds in the

00:06:25sky, and the sun is higher than 58 degrees above the horizon.

00:06:30Such clouds are made of ice crystals, and when the sun's rays hit them, the particles

00:06:35refract the light and create a rainbow.

00:06:38Wow!

00:06:39Oops, jumping to another place again.

00:06:42This time, you find yourself in Indonesia, overlooking another volcano.

00:06:47Its name is Kauai Jen, and it's the world's most beautiful fire mountain.

00:06:52You see, it's slowly erupting, but the lava lazily flowing out of its maw isn't

00:06:57red, it's blue!

00:07:00Inside the Kauai Jen, there's much more sulfuric gas than in any other volcano.

00:07:05When the mountain erupts, the gas goes out under extreme pressure.

00:07:09As soon as it hits the open air, it triggers a chemical reaction which turns the fire blue.

00:07:15Ever seen a gas stove burning?

00:07:17Here, the principle is basically the same.

00:07:20Whoosh!

00:07:21And you're in the bitter cold of the Arctic.

00:07:23Oh, come on!

00:07:25Still, as soon as you see the frozen ocean, you forget all about the cold.

00:07:30There are frost flowers blooming on the surface.

00:07:33Marvelous crystals of fragile ice seem to grow from the thin sheet of the frozen sea.

00:07:39Such flowers only occur near the shore or on lakes when the difference in temperatures

00:07:44above and on the waterline is drastic.

00:07:47At least 27 degrees is required.

00:07:50When the warmer ice on the surface meets the colder air above it, water vapor appears and

00:07:55freezes rapidly.

00:07:57This creates brittle but beautiful structures on the surface, which can even grow taller

00:08:02with time.

00:08:03Your next destination is not much warmer.

00:08:06Still the Arctic Circle, but Siberia now.

00:08:09Strangely, at first, you see nothing around but the endless green valley and a low hill

00:08:15nearby.

00:08:16Then, you notice that the ground is trembling.

00:08:20An earthquake again?

00:08:21No, you see the hill shaking as if it were about to burst, and then it actually bursts!

00:08:28An ear-splitting boom takes your hearing away for a few seconds, and you see huge boulders

00:08:33flying in every direction like meteorites.

00:08:37When you return your gaze to the ground, there's no hill before you.

00:08:40Instead, there's a huge, wide, and deep crater.

00:08:44You've become witness to a permafrost explosion, a new and poorly explored phenomenon.

00:08:51The main theory is that low mounds sometimes form in the frozen plains of Siberia, pushed

00:08:56upwards by expanding natural gas hidden underneath.

00:09:00At some point, this gas can explode, leading to a powerful burst, and the mound pops like

00:09:06a water bubble — a massive, extremely dangerous pop.

00:09:10Look out, there's a stray boulder flying right at you!

00:09:14You've been transported right on time, and hey, you're back home!

00:09:18The thunderstorm is over, and whoa, what are those clouds?

00:09:22They look extremely sinister.

00:09:24Don't worry, they're called mammoth clouds, and they're perfectly safe.

00:09:30They tend to appear before or after a severe storm or hurricane.

00:09:34Normally, clouds form thanks to warmer air going up, but these ones form because of cooler

00:09:39air sinking down.

00:09:41It creates pockets made of ice and water, which droop down in distinct lobes.

00:09:46They don't hold on for too long though, 15 minutes at the most, and then they're gone.

00:09:52You look at the sight, shake your head, and go home.

00:09:56That's a bit too much for one day.

00:10:00The Baltic Sea Anomaly In 2011, a diving team came down to the bottom

00:10:05of the northern part of the Baltic Sea.

00:10:08They went on a treasure hunt, but what they came upon was a pretty weird object.

00:10:13When they took photos and showed them to others, many believed it was a sunken spaceship of

00:10:18another civilization.

00:10:22Other people thought that some natural causes formed the object, but the metals inside the

00:10:26structure definitely couldn't have been formed naturally.

00:10:30Now, some scientists even believe it was something that appeared way back in the Ice Age.

00:10:36Maybe it was even a meteorite that ended up trapped under ice back then.

00:10:42A maelstrom is a whirlpool, some sort of a powerful rotational current that forms when

00:10:48two currents collide and create a circular vortex.

00:10:52Even fearless Vikings were afraid of maelstroms because those were forces so powerful that

00:10:57they could sink large ships.

00:11:00These whirlpools remain dangerous even today, but luckily, not for big modern ships that

00:11:05are large enough to withstand the power of maelstroms.

00:11:09But a cruise ship that gets into a maelstrom usually faces massive waves that can rock

00:11:15even big vessels from side to side pretty intensely.

00:11:20A maelstrom can be so strong, it can turn into some sort of an underwater black hole.

00:11:25Yep, black holes are not only present in the cold expanse of space, you can find them here

00:11:31on our home planet too, swirling in the oceans.

00:11:35They're similar to those in space, since they're compacted so tightly that nothing

00:11:39they trap can escape.

00:11:43Underwater black holes often span up to 93 miles in diameter, and if you got into one

00:11:49of those, you probably wouldn't even know it.

00:11:52These black holes act like vortices, but because of their size, even professionals can hardly

00:11:57see their boundaries.

00:12:01Here's something relaxing.

00:12:03Next time you go to the beach, pay attention, and maybe you'll see an optical phenomenon

00:12:08called the green flash.

00:12:10You can see it shortly after sunset or right before sunrise.

00:12:14It occurs when the sun is almost completely below the horizon, while its rim, the upper

00:12:19one, is still visible.

00:12:22For just a second or two, that upper edge of the sun will appear green.

00:12:27That's because you're looking at the sun through thicker parts of the atmosphere as

00:12:31it's moving down in the sky.

00:12:33As it's dipping below the horizon, light refracts, or bends, in the atmosphere and gets dispersed.

00:12:42Wait for a clear day with no clouds or haze on the horizon to see this phenomenon better.

00:12:49You've been looking forward to a nice swim, only to realize that the water in the ocean

00:12:54is red?

00:12:56To better avoid going in, Florida is known for its red tides.

00:13:01It occurs when the concentration of specific microscopic algae is higher than normal.

00:13:07Thousands of species of algae in marine and fresh waters are mostly harmless to animals

00:13:12and humans.

00:13:13They even help us, since they're an important source of oxygen.

00:13:18But some, like the algae that makes the ocean red, can be extremely dangerous for marine

00:13:23animals like sea turtles, fish, and seabirds.

00:13:28This kind can grow out of control and produce neurotoxins harmful to humans, especially

00:13:34those who have some respiratory issues.

00:13:37Such people should avoid red tide areas, especially when winds are strong enough to push the algae

00:13:42toward the shore.

00:13:45Volcanoes can spew poisonous gas, ash, and red-hot lava.

00:13:50Volcanoes are the most obvious dangers most of us already know about.

00:13:54But submarine volcanoes can be very tricky in their own way.

00:13:58Sometimes, when they're located in shallow waters, they reveal their presence by blasting

00:14:03debris of rock and steam high above the surface.

00:14:08Since submarine volcanoes are surrounded by an unlimited supply of water, they can behave

00:14:13differently from those on land.

00:14:15When they erupt, seawater gets into active submarine vents.

00:14:21Lava can be spreading across a shallow seafloor, or sometimes even flowing into the sea from

00:14:26land volcanoes.

00:14:28When in water, it may cool down so quickly that it shatters into rubble and sand.

00:14:33So, there are large amounts of volcanic debris left there.

00:14:37You know those popular black sand beaches in Hawaii?

00:14:41That's how they formed.

00:14:44Lava and powerful eruptions certainly don't sound safe, but submarine volcanoes in deeper

00:14:49waters are equally dangerous.

00:14:52Even though they're not necessarily erupting, they produce pockets of bubbles.

00:14:57These bubbles reduce the density of the surrounding waters, which can even sink ships.

00:15:04The worst thing is that when you look at the surface of the ocean, you can't understand

00:15:08something's wrong.

00:15:10But at the same time, tiny bubbles are there, causing ships to lose buoyancy, and with very

00:15:15little warning.

00:15:19Across sea is a rare phenomenon, beautiful to observe, but also very dangerous.

00:15:24It's when you see square waves, which are more common in shallow parts of the ocean.

00:15:29That's something you can often see in France, or on certain beaches of Tel Aviv.

00:15:35But it can also happen in many coastal areas across the world.

00:15:40A cross sea occurs when two wave patterns travel at oblique angles.

00:15:45They form this checkerboard-like pattern.

00:15:48It mostly happens when two swells meet, or when a swell pushes waves in one direction,

00:15:53while a strong wind pushes them in another.

00:15:57These square waves can be dangerous for swimmers and boaters.

00:16:01The waves produced by strong ocean currents can be pretty unpredictable and tall, sometimes

00:16:06up to almost 10 feet.

00:16:08This phenomenon is sometimes called white walls.

00:16:11These waves can be so powerful that they can turn over even big boats.

00:16:16If you fill a clear glass with some ocean water and take a closer look, you'll see it's

00:16:23full of very small particles.

00:16:26Ocean water contains dissolved salts, fats, algae, proteins, detergents, and other bits

00:16:31of artificial and organic matter.

00:16:35If you shake that glass, you'll see tiny bubbles forming on its surface.

00:16:40That's how sea foam forms when waves and winds agitate the ocean.

00:16:44When you see thick sea foam, algal blooms might have caused it.

00:16:48When big blooms of algae fall apart in the sea, large amounts of that matter move in

00:16:53the direction of dry land.

00:16:57Most kinds of sea foam aren't dangerous to humans.

00:17:00But when blooms of algae fall apart, it can have a negative impact on both the environment

00:17:05and people.

00:17:06For example, when sea foam bubbles pop, the toxins they contain get released into the

00:17:12air and they can irritate your eyes or cause some other health issues.

00:17:18You can see a tidal bore in the areas where a river empties into a sea or an ocean.

00:17:24It's a powerful tide that goes against the current and pushes up the river.

00:17:29A tidal bore falls into a category of something called the surge, which is a sudden change

00:17:34in depth.

00:17:35A tidal bore is a positive surge, which means it pushes up a river, making it much deeper.

00:17:42A negative surge is when the river suddenly becomes very shallow.

00:17:47You won't see tidal bores everywhere.

00:17:50The river must be fairly shallow with a narrow outlet to the sea.

00:17:54The place where the sea and the river meet must be flat and wide.

00:17:58Also, the area between low and high tide must be at least 20 feet across.

00:18:04Of course, there are some exceptions, like the Amazon River, the world's largest one.

00:18:10The mouth of the Amazon is not narrow, but the river experiences tidal bores.

00:18:16That's because its mouth is shallow and has many sandbars and low-lying islands.

00:18:21The tidal bore is so strong there that the river doesn't even have a delta.

00:18:26Its sediment goes directly into the Atlantic Ocean, where fast-moving currents take it

00:18:30away.

00:18:31A tidal bore is often unpredictable and can be extremely rough.

00:18:36In many cases, it changes the color of the river from greenish or blue to brown.

00:18:42It can damage vegetation or even tear trees out of the ground.

00:18:46So recreation sports like kayaking and river surfing can be hazardous in these areas.

00:18:54Even if you just want to take a look at a tidal bore, be careful.

00:18:58Tidal waves can sweep over lookout points and drag whatever or whoever is there into

00:19:03the churning river.

00:19:05Ah, beautiful!

00:19:07You're walking with your friend and look up at the sky.

00:19:11The sun looks a bit different today, like it has some kind of ring around it, a rainbow

00:19:15type thing.

00:19:16Huh?

00:19:17Hey, look at that!

00:19:19Your friend pulls his head up out of his phone.

00:19:21You shouldn't look directly into the…

00:19:23Stop everything!

00:19:24He says.

00:19:25It's a sun halo.

00:19:27We need to find shelter now, unless you have the world's biggest umbrella on you.

00:19:32A sun's halo is nature's sign that there's a snow or rain storm on its way.

00:19:37It's caused by clouds that are made of bazillions of small ice crystals, flying around 20,000

00:19:43feet.

00:19:44Sunlight goes through those crystals, which causes the light to split and refract, like

00:19:48when there's a rainbow.

00:19:49Now, don't look at the sun halo directly.

00:19:52It's gonna be tempting because it's not something you see every day.

00:19:55Plus, it's really beautiful.

00:19:58But ultraviolet light can burn the exposed tissue of your retina and cause serious damage.

00:20:03So not worth it.

00:20:05Grab some sunglasses, and you're good to go.

00:20:08This phenomenon lasts about 40 minutes.

00:20:10These clouds are the same ones that can cause a spooky ring around the Moon at night sometimes.

00:20:16Nature sends early signs of disasters in many ways.

00:20:20J-shaped trees means there's a landslide coming.

00:20:23Since the ground is moving slowly, the trees grow into the super-selfiable shape.

00:20:29Try to find a flat area and avoid going near any trees, unless you have superhuman strength.

00:20:35You're on a nice walk on the beach.

00:20:37Sand, sun, not a cloud in the sky.

00:20:40Then out of nowhere, you see the ocean going back away from the shore.

00:20:46Suddenly, you can even see bits of coral, small fish, and other random small sea animals.

00:20:51That's a good sign to leave.

00:20:53There might be a tsunami on the way.

00:20:55A tsunami is formed when there's an earthquake underwater, and it can hit the coast at 500

00:21:01miles per hour.

00:21:02It's mostly a Pacific Ocean thing, but why risk it?

00:21:06If there's a channel of choppy water on the beach, stay away.

00:21:10There might be a rip current under the surface that can be extremely dangerous.

00:21:15Sometimes waves hit the shore in a weird way, which forms these rip currents.

00:21:20You might see a strange gap in the waves.

00:21:23Or you might notice random bits of seaweed going in all different directions.

00:21:28If you don't ever find yourself caught in a rip current, try to stay afloat and don't

00:21:32waste your energy swimming against the current.

00:21:35Yell out for help and try to float your way along the beach.

00:21:40Once you break out of the channel, swim diagonally to the shore.

00:21:44If you find yourself in the ocean and see a group of sharks swimming, okay, this scenario

00:21:49doesn't sound good either way.

00:21:50Well, the good news is, they're not necessarily coming for you.

00:21:55The bad news?

00:21:56The sharks might be trying to escape from a huge tropical storm, or even a hurricane.

00:22:02Sharks can sense these things, so when nature gets angry, they group together and swim deep

00:22:07under the surface to get to safety.

00:22:09You probably shouldn't follow them.

00:22:11Good luck!

00:22:13The golden rule since ancient times?

00:22:15Follow the animals.

00:22:16Insects, rats, and snakes leave their homes a couple of days before really big earthquakes.

00:22:23Scientists can't track or really explain how they know what's coming.

00:22:27It seems animals really can sense earthquakes.

00:22:30Maybe because they feel those smaller initial shock waves that we don't even notice.

00:22:35What if you see animals running towards you?

00:22:38Well, that could mean you're about to get eaten for breakfast.

00:22:41Or it means there's a wildfire behind them.

00:22:44Amphibians like frogs, toads, and salamanders try to protect themselves by burrowing down

00:22:50into the ground, and others just run.

00:22:53Before you start running alongside them, check to see if you can see smoke.

00:22:57You don't want to sprint flat out for nothing.

00:23:00Well, it's not just animals.

00:23:02We can spot warning signs too.

00:23:04For example, if you notice your hair suddenly starts to stand on end and your jewelry starts

00:23:10to buzz, take shelter right away.

00:23:13Lightning might be about to strike somewhere nearby.

00:23:17If you're outside and can't run into a house, make sure not to stand near any tall

00:23:22structures.

00:23:23Lie flat on the ground, be near water, seek shelter under an isolated tree, or stand in

00:23:30an open space.

00:23:31And don't stand on top of the Empire State Building.

00:23:34That thing gets zapped hundreds of times a year.

00:23:37Do you like skiing?

00:23:39It's all fun and games until all you can see is white.

00:23:42Avalanches can move up to 80 miles an hour, so watch for some warning signs.

00:23:47Does it feel hollow when you walk in the snow?

00:23:50Are there cracks around your feet?

00:23:52Can you see a huge avalanche coming?

00:23:55Time to go!

00:23:57Sometimes a storm mixes its blue light with the red light from the sun, and you get a

00:24:01pretty impressive green.

00:24:03Enjoy it from a safe distance, preferably indoors.

00:24:07A super-tall thundercloud usually means you're about to get smashed by hail, or worse, a

00:24:14tornado.

00:24:15Find cover somewhere, like in an underground parking lot or a basement.

00:24:19It might be a bit embarrassing if you're wrong, though.

00:24:22Okay, we know volcanoes can be dangerous.

00:24:25But the lakes near them?

00:24:27Is anything not a sign of danger?

00:24:30Lakes that are near something boiling hot that never cools, so volcanoes, are like wildly

00:24:36shaken soda cans, just about to burst.

00:24:39The magma that's underground actually pushes carbon dioxide into the bottom of the lake,

00:24:44and that gas stays there, waiting.

00:24:47Then, even something boring like rain can disturb the lake a little too much and bam!

00:24:53Or boom!

00:24:55You get the picture.

00:24:56Diving, swimming, snorkeling – the sea can be amazing, but it's pretty unpredictable.

00:25:03When two wave currents run into each other, they can create a cross-sea.

00:25:07It looks pretty cool from far away, but it can be really dangerous for swimmers, surfers,

00:25:12or even ships.

00:25:13There's a strong current roaming around under the surface.

00:25:16You're walking on the beach – apparently, every good story starts like this – and

00:25:21all of a sudden, woo, a cave!

00:25:24How cool is this?

00:25:25You should probably go in there, explore a bit, and… no.

00:25:29If there's a full moon out, you might not be able to get out of that cave.

00:25:33A full moon affects the tide and makes it lower than usual.

00:25:37That cave might be more accessible, but instead of an exciting adventure, you could end up

00:25:42trapped in there until the next full moon.

00:25:46Bring a big lunch.

00:25:48A wall cloud is one of those things you're both excited and scared to see.

00:25:53Scared because you don't know what it is.

00:25:56Scared because, well, how often do you see something like that?

00:26:00Whatever you feel, tell your legs to start running!

00:26:03During a thunderstorm, these wall clouds sit lower than anything else and can be up to

00:26:085 miles long.

00:26:10And if they start spinning, well, Dorothy ended up in Oz.

00:26:14Who knows where you'll end up!

00:26:16It's 2009 in Italy.

00:26:19A man was hanging out in his kitchen.

00:26:21Then he saw some flickering lights.

00:26:23He knew just what to do.

00:26:25He moved his family to a safe place.

00:26:27A couple of seconds later, a massive earthquake hit the whole region.

00:26:32His family survived thanks to his quick reaction.

00:26:35He knew these flickering lights were actually a sign of an upcoming earthquake.

00:26:40People had been seeing these mysterious lights for ages.

00:26:43Some thought it was some kind of sign coming from space.

00:26:47Scientists never used to take them seriously.

00:26:49But after the invention of photography, more and more evidence of these strange lights

00:26:54appeared.

00:26:55Pretty soon, they realized the connection.

00:26:57The lights appear, and pretty soon, the earthquake hits.

00:27:01After a bit of digging around, they actually found some records of these earthquake lights

00:27:05from hundreds of years ago.

00:27:07There were bluish flames coming out of the ground right before an earthquake.

00:27:12Creepy!

00:27:13Oh, ocean, come on, not you again!

00:27:16Okay, but just one more.

00:27:19If you see the ocean's turned all reddish-brown, don't go in the water or anywhere near it.

00:27:24This red tide is caused by toxic algae and is something you can find all over the world.

00:27:30That toxic algae can be there even if the ocean's a normal color.

00:27:35Getting that stuff all over you can cause some health issues.

00:27:38Rinse yourself off in fresh water as fast as you can.

00:27:42You know, they even wrote a holiday song about it!

00:27:45Algae home for Christmas!

00:27:47Not really!

00:27:53Back in 2018, the biggest active underwater eruption ever happened.

00:27:58At least, the one that we could officially record.

00:28:02Scientists followed earthquakes that struck the area in the western Indian Ocean off Madagascar.

00:28:07Between 2018 and 2021, over 11,000 earthquakes struck a small island called Mayan between

00:28:15Madagascar and Mozambique.

00:28:17The strongest one had a magnitude of 5.9.

00:28:21Until then, this area had been pretty peaceful.

00:28:24There had only been two earthquakes recorded over 50 years.

00:28:28Along with regular earthquakes, there were also some unusual seismic hums, like earthquakes

00:28:34at pretty low frequencies, forming deep underground.

00:28:37People couldn't feel those hums at the surface, but researchers around the world discovered

00:28:42them and realized they were related to volcanic activity no one actually noticed coming.

00:28:48Something strange happened.

00:28:50That underwater eruption created a giant skyscraper-sized volcano.

00:28:55This new underwater volcano turned out to be around 1.5 times the height of One World

00:29:00Trade Center in New York, and almost 10 times bigger than the Statue of Liberty.

00:29:05The area where it appeared had been explored in 2014, but it was almost flat, peaceful,

00:29:12and empty back then.

00:29:13Now there is an actual volcano nearly 8,500 feet below sea level.

00:29:20The volcano gets its magma from a super-profound reservoir located nearly 34 miles underground.

00:29:26It's the deepest reservoir of volcanic magma that we know about.

00:29:31The Earth has layers, and the middle one is kinda chunky.

00:29:34It's very much like peanut-caramel filling many chocolates have.

00:29:39Research shows there are probably hunks of oceanic crust deep inside the Earth's liquid

00:29:44mantle.

00:29:45They're stuck there, creating large lumps in something that was supposed to be a smooth

00:29:50layer.

00:29:51Our planet has a rigid outer layer.

00:29:53It includes a hot upper mantle and cracked crust.

00:29:57The hot mantle moves and churns all the time, making the crust at the surface move too.

00:30:03This way, the oceanic crust dives into the depths and makes huge magma plumes go up toward

00:30:08the planet's surface.

00:30:11Scientists even found an ancient piece of the Pacific Ocean hundreds of miles underneath

00:30:15China.

00:30:17Those are the old remains of the Pacific seabed from long ago, and they were pulled downward

00:30:22below Earth's surface into the mantle transition zone.

00:30:26This rocky slab that used to be at the bottom of the ocean is made of the crust and some

00:30:31solid parts of the upper mantle.

00:30:34Most of the volcanic activity on our planet happens where we don't even see it – under

00:30:39the surface of the ocean.

00:30:41About 70% of all volcanic activity happens in the oceans, and mostly in the area of the

00:30:47South Pacific, with over 1,100 volcanoes squeezed into that area.

00:30:52Coastal cliffs, mountain changes, soils, and sediments that line valleys – these are

00:30:57only a small portion of the rocks on our planet.

00:31:01Diamonds hide so much more deep down below the Earth's surface.

00:31:05In between the Earth's surface and its core is the mantle.

00:31:08It's a warm, thick layer of rocks that moves and flows constantly.

00:31:13Some hundreds of miles below, there's a place where diamonds grow.

00:31:17As they form, they go through high temperatures and pressure, after which they eventually

00:31:22freeze.

00:31:23That way, when they arrive at the surface, scientists can explore their structure, find

00:31:27out how they formed, and understand better what's going on in the depths of our planet.

00:31:33Thanks to diamonds, they realize the mantle was very wet, and it possibly contained much

00:31:38more water than all the oceans on Earth.

00:31:42Our planet is eating up its own oceans.

00:31:44As its tectonic plates move, dive, and go beneath one another, they drag huge amounts

00:31:50of water into the Earth's interior.

00:31:53The water beneath the surface of our planet can help with developing magma and lubricate

00:31:57faults, which actually makes earthquakes more likely to happen.

00:32:02Water is actually stored in the minerals.

00:32:04It gets incorporated into the planet's crust when new oceanic plates form.

00:32:09They go through the process of bending and cracking as they grind under other plates,

00:32:14and huge amounts of water then go deep into the crust and mantle.

00:32:19Scientists research an area that's 18 miles under the surface.

00:32:23They realize these zones pull 3 billion teragrams, which is more than 2 billion pounds.

00:32:30Any ocean is like a whole new world.

00:32:32There are incredible sceneries below the surface.

00:32:36Magnificent waterfalls, lakes, and rivers.

00:32:38There are thick layers of salt beneath the seafloor, and rivers and lakes form because

00:32:43seawater goes through those layers and dissolves them, creating something that resembles pools.

00:32:49The dissolved salt makes the surrounding water denser.

00:32:53That water then settles there, which eventually forms underwater lakes or rivers.

00:32:58But there are also mountain chains, trenches, canyons.

00:33:02There's a canyon in the Bering Sea with more than 8,500 feet of vertical relief.

00:33:08This makes the Grand Canyon look way smaller than it is, since the underwater canyon is

00:33:13nearly 2,500 feet deeper.

00:33:16Deep parts of the ocean are really cold.

00:33:19The temperature of the water can be about 40 degrees, but at the bottom, water can get

00:33:24boiling hot.

00:33:25There are hydrothermal vents in the seafloor.

00:33:28Those are the hot springs located at the edges of tectonic plates.

00:33:33The water they release can reach a temperature of up to 750 degrees Fahrenheit.

00:33:38But the pressure at such depths is very intense.

00:33:42So intense, no human being can handle it.

00:33:44Still, it's the pressure that keeps the water from boiling.

00:33:49Ocean depth is on average 2.3 miles.

00:33:52Light waves can still enter at 3,280 feet, even though it's in a very small amount.

00:33:58So all the mysteries hidden below that point remain in total darkness.

00:34:03The actual illuminated part of the ocean goes until 600 feet.

00:34:07Even though the sun gives us light, most of our planet is dark all the time.

00:34:12It's all because of the oceans, covering over 70% of our planet.

00:34:17The loudest sound that came from an ocean, and of the loudest sounds ever recorded, came

00:34:22from an ice quake.

00:34:24It was so loud, researchers picked it up by sensors more than 3,000 miles away.

00:34:29There was a seismic activity that made frozen ground break down.

00:34:34The Antarctic ice sheet is bigger than the continental part of the United States and

00:34:38Mexico together.

00:34:40A big iceberg from Antarctica holds over 20 billion gallons of water, which could make

00:34:45a 5-year water supply for a million people.

00:34:49Humans can generally drink sea ice, although we can't drink sea water.

00:34:53As time goes by and the ice ages, the brine trapped between ice crystals drains out.

00:34:59That way, ice becomes fresh enough to consume it.

00:35:02If all the ice sheets and glaciers we have on the Earth melted at the same time, the

00:35:07sea level would rise another 260 feet, which is just a little shorter than the Statue of

00:35:13Liberty, the height of a 26-story building.

00:35:16Clams live long enough to tell us more about oceans' past.

00:35:20Ancient mollusks could live for more than 500 years.

00:35:23To learn more about a tree, you can use its rings to see how old it is.

00:35:28To learn how old a mollusk is, you can examine its rings within the shell and tell.

00:35:34This is also how scientists get information about the ocean, climate, and whatsoever.

00:35:39Scientists can help take a look at what happened about a thousand years ago.

00:35:43The Earth doesn't have 4 but 5 oceans now.

00:35:47The new one, called the Southern Ocean, was officially recognized only a few months ago.

00:35:52It borders the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Oceans, so scientists couldn't agree if it's

00:35:57really a new ocean or just part of the colder regions of these three.

00:36:02We don't only divide oceans on maps.

00:36:04Each has different conditions for unique marine species.

00:36:08For example, the Southern Ocean has leopard seals, orcas, minke whales, emperor penguins,

00:36:14and other animals that live in cold, icy seas.

00:36:18It's also home to krill, small creatures that look like shrimp, and are food for many

00:36:23bigger animals that live there.

00:36:25Life on our planet started about 3.5 billion years ago.

00:36:29I wasn't around then.

00:36:31It's still a mystery how and when exactly, but some theories say life could've first

00:36:36emerged in the depths of the ocean.

00:36:39A few years ago, scientists found microscopic tubes and filaments within rocks formed about

00:36:454 billion years ago.

00:36:47These rocks are fragments of ancient oceanic crust.

00:36:50Also, these tiny tubes and filaments are similar to microbes that can still be found on hydrothermal

00:36:56vents in deep parts of the ocean.

00:36:59The idea is these living cells found conditions to stay alive in tiny rocky pores inside the

00:37:05chimneys of those vents, and started the amazing adventure of the evolution of life

00:37:10on our planet.

00:37:13You're walking along a hot desert under the scorching sun.

00:37:19You run out of supplies.

00:37:20There's no more water.

00:37:22You dream about rain, but there are no clouds in the sky.

00:37:26With each step, you lose more and more strength, and fall.

00:37:31You notice a small pond nearby.

00:37:34Is it real water, or just a mirage?

00:37:37You can't get to your feet, so you crawl there.

00:37:40The water is getting closer by the minute, but not because you're moving towards it.

00:37:45It's the water approaching you.

00:37:47In a few minutes, the pond area increases.

00:37:50Here, you're already in it.

00:37:52A small lake is formed 60 feet deep at the place where the piece of desert was.

00:37:58This real event happened in 2014 in the Tunisian desert.

00:38:03No one knows exactly on what day the lake appeared, since this part of the south of

00:38:07Tunisia is sparsely populated.

00:38:10At first, shepherds passing by saw the lake and didn't believe their eyes.

00:38:15In the next few hours, hundreds of locals came running to the place.

00:38:19They began to swim, jumping into the water from the surrounding rocks.

00:38:23But a few days later, something strange happened to the lake.

00:38:27In the beginning, it was a crystal clear, turquoise blue color, but then it turned dark

00:38:33green.

00:38:34People didn't attach any importance to this and continued to swim.

00:38:38They shouldn't have done that.

00:38:40The scientists and geologists arrived and immediately announced that it wasn't safe

00:38:44to swim in the lake.

00:38:45Muddy green water means the lake is stagnating.

00:38:49It's not refreshed.

00:38:50It's not fed by underground springs.

00:38:53Now the lake is filled with algae and a lot of harmful bacteria that can cause serious

00:38:57diseases.

00:38:58They also found out that this region of Tunisia is filled with huge deposits of phosphate.

00:39:05This substance can disintegrate and leave radioactive traces.

00:39:09The lake can be carcinogenic, toxic, and hazardous for any living organism.

00:39:14But people didn't worry about this too much.

00:39:17They walk in the middle of the desert, while the sun heats the air to 104 degrees Fahrenheit.

00:39:22Most of them are unlikely to refuse to jump into cool water, despite the warnings of scientists.

00:39:28Until now, no one knows exactly the reason for the appearance of the lake.

00:39:33Some scientists believe the lake was formed because of heavy rains.

00:39:36The lake is surrounded by rocks and is located inside a canyon.

00:39:41The water could just accumulate after each storm.

00:39:44Some geologists think an earthquake was the cause of the lake.

00:39:47A small seismic activity provoked the rupture of the Earth's rock above the water table.

00:39:53And through this hole, all the water splashed out.

00:39:56And if this theory is correct, then the lake can be pulled back underground through cracks.

00:40:02This is the same as when you pull the plug out of a drain hole in a filled bathtub.

00:40:07Any small earthquake is like pulling the plug out.

00:40:10Therefore, if you find yourself in these places, don't swim in this radioactive lake.

00:40:17We're going to the Caribbean Islands region.

00:40:20Among the clear blue sea, you can find a unique lake.

00:40:23It's located on one of the paradisical islands.

00:40:26You may not even notice the lake right away.

00:40:28The entire territory may seem like a huge concrete platform, but the main thing is not

00:40:34to step on its surface.

00:40:36Pitch Lake is a lake filled not with water, but with liquid asphalt.

00:40:41This is the largest asphalt deposit in the world.

00:40:44Steam is coming from all over the lake as it's hot.

00:40:47The depth of this lake is 250 feet.

00:40:50An entire passenger Boeing could fit there in an upright position.

00:40:54The lake is not fully studied, but scientists believe there's a deep fault in the Earth's

00:40:58crust under it.

00:41:00A huge amount of oil seeps through it.

00:41:02It passes through various chemical compounds and turns it into the asphalt.

00:41:07According to rough estimates, there are about 10 million tons of hot material inside this

00:41:12place.

00:41:13Theoretically, no life can exist in such conditions, but scientists have discovered a colony of

00:41:19microbes.

00:41:20Somehow, these creatures have learned to survive here.

00:41:23This also suggests that life outside of our planet may exist.

00:41:27The largest moon of Saturn, Titan, has many hydrocarbon lakes on the surface.

00:41:32And if the simplest forms of life appeared among a million tons of molten asphalt here

00:41:36on Earth, then nothing prevents them from appearing on Titan.

00:41:42If you're going to Indonesia, to the island of Java, you need to climb a large volcano

00:41:46to see the next phenomenon.

00:41:48The volcano is overgrown with grass and trees, but it doesn't seem to be sleeping.

00:41:54Smoke is pouring out of its mouth.

00:41:55You climb to the top and see a clear lake instead of boiling magma.

00:42:00The blue sky is reflected in its bright turquoise surface.

00:42:03But don't try to jump there.

00:42:05This lake is filled with acid.

00:42:08The magma inside volcanoes comes from the deep bowels of the Earth's crust.

00:42:13The incandescent liquid consists of many molten metals and chemical compounds, and the lake

00:42:18is filled with particles of these metals.

00:42:21In addition, the volcano emits sulfur dioxide gases.

00:42:25When they combine with metals, they form a beautiful turquoise color.

00:42:29You better come back here at night.

00:42:31In some places, a lot of sulfur is concentrated.

00:42:35These accumulations come out of the lake and come into contact with the air.

00:42:39When this happens, everything around bursts into bright blue flame.

00:42:44It's safe to observe this from the side, but don't get too close.

00:42:48Nearby, on this island, there's another acid lake.

00:42:51It also releases sulfurous gases into the air, which are easily ignited when in contact

00:42:57with oxygen.

00:42:58And when this happens, the gases burst into a bright blue electric flame.

00:43:03It's difficult to see the flames during the day.

00:43:05At night, you can see these flashes from afar.

00:43:09Our next location is Australia.

00:43:11You start the drone high above the forest area.

00:43:14Among the green dense forests, you can see a bright pink spot.

00:43:18It's our lake.

00:43:19This time, the beautiful pink color may not stop you from swimming.

00:43:23You can relax here and take beautiful photos.

00:43:25The lake attracts thousands of tourists, but scientists have only recently been able to

00:43:30find out the reason for the unusual color.

00:43:34At the bottom of this salty lake in Melbourne, special algae grow and secrete a red pigment.

00:43:40In combination with sunlight, high temperatures, and a small amount of precipitation, it turns

00:43:45the lake pink.

00:43:47By the way, Australia is not the only place with such a phenomenon.

00:43:51There are lakes with a pink tinge of water all over the world.

00:43:55You can find them in Senegal, Bolivia, Kenya, and many other countries.

00:44:00The water of these places is also salty and contains the red pigment of unusual algae.

00:44:07We leave the hot beaches and fly to cold Canada.

00:44:10Here, we see a frozen Lake Abraham.

00:44:13We step on the ice and notice huge frozen bubbles inside.

00:44:17They resemble jellyfish, and there are thousands of them there.

00:44:21This is methane.

00:44:22It's a highly flammable substance.

00:44:24The grass, leaves, pieces of trees, and any organic substances that fall into the lake

00:44:29become food for a lot of bacteria that emit methane.

00:44:34Upon contact with frozen water, methane turns into tens of thousands of frozen balls.

00:44:39When the ice melts, the bubbles burst and sizzle.

00:44:43This phenomenon can also be observed on some shores of the Arctic Ocean.

00:44:47There, the size of the bubbles can reach several times more than balloons.

00:44:51It's a beautiful sight, but it's not safe, since methane ignites when it contacts with

00:44:57air.

00:44:58We're in the coldest place of our journey.

00:45:00It's Antarctica, near the driest desert on Earth.

00:45:04A dry place doesn't mean it has to be hot.

00:45:07It's an area with minimum precipitation.

00:45:09The desert isn't sand and cacti, but a place where almost no living life inhabits.

00:45:15Some areas of Antarctica meet these two criteria.

00:45:18However, in this icy desert, you can notice a tiny lake.

00:45:22Its depth is only a few inches.

00:45:24Technically, it's a pond, but the most amazing thing is that it stays in a liquid form.

00:45:30The temperature here drops to negative 58 degrees Fahrenheit.

00:45:33The pond should be frozen, but this doesn't happen.

00:45:36Don Juan Pond is one of the saltiest reservoirs on the planet.

00:45:41The amount of salt here doesn't allow the water to freeze.

00:45:45Scientists have been studying this lake for more than 60 years, but they still can't find

00:45:48out the exact reason for the appearance of water here.

00:45:55Hello distinguished guests, and welcome to Aquarium Bright.

00:45:59Here you will get to see the most dangerous sea and ocean creatures.

00:46:03But don't let what I said mislead you.

00:46:05It's very well possible for you to come across one of these underwater animals during a walk

00:46:10on the beach.

00:46:11So take a look at them carefully now, and you might just avoid a disaster.

00:46:18Is it fish or is it stone?

00:46:20What you're looking at is commonly known as the stonefish.

00:46:23But its fancier names include the doornorn and the sinansia.

00:46:28If you're into diving and observing the underwater, you might already have come across one without

00:46:33noticing.

00:46:34Its appearance makes it almost impossible to distinguish it from a real stone due to

00:46:39its gray coloration and mottled appearance, especially if you're wearing fogged snorkel

00:46:44goggles.

00:46:45So you better pay attention because otherwise the consequences can be unfortunate since

00:46:50stonefish are the most venomous fish known.

00:46:53Although some types of stonefishes are known to live in rivers, and most of them are found

00:46:57in coral reefs near the tropical Pacific and Indian oceans.

00:47:02Their needle-like dorsal fin spines stick up when they're disturbed or threatened and

00:47:06inject the poison they contain.

00:47:09The most common reason why stonefish stings occur is swimmers stepping on them without

00:47:14realizing it.

00:47:15However, you don't need to be in the water to get stung.

00:47:18Since they can survive out of the water for up to 24 hours, you'll have to watch where

00:47:22you step when you're at the beach as well.

00:47:25Those who got stung by stonefish describe their experience to be extremely distressing.

00:47:30Their venom can result in infection, and in some cases, it is known to cause shock

00:47:35and paralysis.

00:47:37It might come as a bit of a shock, but despite its bad reputation, stonefish is edible if

00:47:42it's prepared properly.

00:47:44When the fish is heated, its venom breaks down.

00:47:47And if the dorsal fins, which are the main source of its venom, are removed, raw stonefish

00:47:51is served as part of sashimi too.

00:47:55This creature might look like it came out of a science fiction movie, but it's very

00:47:59much real.

00:48:01Say hello to the blue-ringed octopuses.

00:48:04Don't be deceived by their small size, which can range between 5 to 8 inches including

00:48:08their arms, because they're packed with venom to cause great damage to as many as

00:48:1326 people within minutes!

00:48:16Just like stonefishes, blue-ringed octopuses are found in the Pacific and Indian Oceans,

00:48:22from Japan to Australia.

00:48:24They typically live on coral reefs and rocky areas of the seafloor.

00:48:28Some may also be found in tide pools, seagrass, and algal beds.

00:48:33Blue-ringed octopuses are not aggressive in nature.

00:48:36When they're not seeking food such as crabs or shrimps, or searching for a mate, they

00:48:41often hide in marine debris, shells, or crevices.

00:48:45It's only if they're provoked, cornered, or handled that they get dangerous to humans.

00:48:50When they're threatened, they turn bright yellow or blue iridescent rings appear all

00:48:55over their body as a warning display towards the potential predators.

00:48:59Their bites usually come unnoticed, so you might not be able to realize you're bitten

00:49:03until it's too late.

00:49:05The venom of a blue-ringed octopus can cause dizziness and loss of senses and motor skills,

00:49:10and ultimately paralysis.

00:49:13So better try to keep your hands to yourself and back away in a hurry if you see one.

00:49:18Nope, it's not a flower bouquet, so don't try to pick and smell one of those pink tube-like

00:49:24things.

00:49:25What's standing before your eyes is a marine animal called a flower urchin.

00:49:30It may look gorgeous, but don't let the looks deceive you.

00:49:33It was named the most dangerous sea urchin in the 2014 Guinness World Records.

00:49:38Flower urchins inhabit the tropical areas of the Indo-West Pacific, and are found among

00:49:43coral reefs, rocks, sand, and seagrass depths at depths of 0 to 295 feet.

00:49:51The most noticeable feature of them is their pedicularia, which are claw-shaped defensive

00:49:56organs that are also found in sea stars.

00:49:59What makes flower urchins differ from any other sea urchin is the fact that their pedicularia

00:50:04is, as the name suggests, flower-like, and usually pinkish-white to yellowish-white in

00:50:09color with a central purple dot.

00:50:12Hidden underneath those flowers, they possess short and blunt spines.

00:50:17Although many sea urchins deliver their venom through such spines, flower urchins deliver

00:50:22their venom through their pedicularia, or flowers.

00:50:26If they're undisturbed, the tips of these flowers are usually expanded into round, cup-like

00:50:31shapes.

00:50:32On their surface, they possess tiny sensors with which they can detect threats, and once

00:50:37they contact such threats, these flowers immediately snap shut and start injecting venom.

00:50:44What's weird is that the little claws of the flowers can sometimes break off from their

00:50:48stalks, stick to the point of contact, and continue injecting venom for hours into whoever

00:50:54touched it.

00:50:56Yeesh!

00:50:57Looks like a giant puddle of melted strawberry ice cream, right?

00:51:01You wish!

00:51:02It's a lion's mane jellyfish, which is also called giant jellyfish, arctic red jellyfish,

00:51:08or hairy jelly.

00:51:10They're known to prefer cool water, that's why they can mostly be found in the Arctic,

00:51:15Northern Atlantic, and Northern Pacific Oceans.

00:51:18But it's possible to spot them around the British Isles, or in the Scandinavian waters

00:51:23too.

00:51:25Lion's mane jellyfish are one of the largest known species of jellyfish.

00:51:29They get their name from their long, flowing, hair-like tentacles, and can reach lengths

00:51:34up to 10 feet.

00:51:36And although the average bell diameter of a lion's mane jellyfish is around 20 inches,

00:51:41they can sometimes attain a diameter of over 7 feet!

00:51:45The largest lion's mane jellyfish recorded was seen in 1865 off the coast of Massachusetts.

00:51:52It was measured to have tentacles around 125 feet long and a diameter of 7 feet.

00:51:59To help you picture it, this is longer than a blue whale!

00:52:03Lion's mane jellyfish hunt by extending their tentacles outward and creating a trap

00:52:08to catch their food.

00:52:09Since they have around 1,200 stinging tentacles, the fish would have to be extremely lucky

00:52:16to be able to escape them.

00:52:18The sting of a lion's mane jellyfish is usually not life-threatening, but you would

00:52:22still want to avoid swimming into its tentacles because it can be very painful to humans.

00:52:27And if you see one washed up on the beach, better not touch it because it can still deliver

00:52:31a sting long after they've been on the shore.

00:52:35Fun fact, the lion's mane jellyfish appears in the Sherlock Holmes story, The Adventure

00:52:39of the Lion's Mane, as a suspect.

00:52:42But don't worry, we won't give you any spoilers!

00:52:46The last marine animal you're seeing now is a sea snake, and yes, they are different

00:52:51from eels.

00:52:53There are 69 identified species of sea snakes, most of them can be found in the tropical

00:52:59and subtropical waters of the Indian and Pacific Oceans, and they have been around for millions

00:53:04of years.

00:53:06To make things easier, scientists have separated all different species of sea snakes into two

00:53:11categories, true sea snakes and sea kraits.

00:53:15Whereas true sea snakes spend almost all their time at sea, sea kraits can spend some time

00:53:20on land as well.

00:53:23If you see a snake on the beach, you can tell whether it's a land or sea snake by looking

00:53:28at its tail.

00:53:29If it's paddle-like, then that's a sea snake you got there, but make sure to keep your

00:53:33distance in both cases.

00:53:36All sea snakes need to surface regularly to breathe since they have no gills.

00:53:41That's why you can come across one while swimming.

00:53:43If that happens, you better swim away as fast as you can, because most sea snakes have more

00:53:48venom than the average cobra or rattlesnake.

00:53:51However, since they only attack if provoked, bites are quite rare.

00:53:56One more cool fact about sea snakes.

00:53:59They are the only reptiles to give birth in the oceans.

00:54:02The majority of sea snakes keep the eggs within themselves and give birth to nearly fully

00:54:07formed snakes while swimming.

00:54:09That's except for the yellow-lipped sea krait, though.

00:54:12They come onto land to lay eggs of their little ones.

00:54:14Remember the stonefish from the beginning of our tour?

00:54:17They're hunted by sea snakes.

00:54:19Blame the food chain.

00:54:21Ah, beautiful.

00:54:23You're walking with your friend and look up at the sky.

00:54:26The sun looks a bit different today, like it has some kind of ring around it, a rainbow-type

00:54:31thing.

00:54:32Huh.

00:54:33Look at that!

00:54:34Your friend pulls his head up out of his phone.

00:54:37You shouldn't look directly at the…

00:54:39Stop everything!

00:54:40He says.

00:54:41It's a sun halo!

00:54:42We need to find shelter now, unless you have the world's biggest umbrella on you!

00:54:48A sun halo is nature's sign that there's a snow or rainstorm on its way.

00:54:53It's caused by clouds that are made of bazillions of small ice crystals.

00:54:58Sunlight goes through those crystals, which causes the light to split and refract, like

00:55:03when there's a rainbow.

00:55:04Now, don't look at the sun halo directly.

00:55:07It's going to be tempting because it's not something you see every day.

00:55:11Plus, it's really beautiful.

00:55:13But ultraviolet light can burn the exposed tissue of your retina and cause serious damage,

00:55:18so it's not worth it.

00:55:20Grab some sunglasses and you're good to go.

00:55:23This phenomenon lasts around 40 minutes.

00:55:26These clouds are the same ones that can cause a spooky ring around the moon at night sometimes.

00:55:32In June 2020, what the people were looking at was an anvil cloud, a rare storm formation

00:55:38in the sky.

00:55:40Formed when strong air currents carry water vapor upwards, the air expands and spreads

00:55:45out as it hits the bottom of the stratosphere.

00:55:48It pushes the dense cloud into the cool anvil shape you see, and sometimes it even gets

00:55:54to be a mushroom.

00:55:56Anvil clouds produce some of the most dangerous lightning of all storms, one that's called

00:56:01a bolt out of the blue.

00:56:03This lightning strike seems to magically come out of the blue sky, with the storm being

00:56:07many miles away.

00:56:10This type of bolt comes from the top of the anvil and can be 10 times more powerful than

00:56:15a typical lightning strike.

00:56:17People got so frightened after witnessing a giant cloud that they thought something

00:56:21terrible must have happened.

00:56:23The locals had pictures of the large billow on social media before officials could explain

00:56:28what was going on.

00:56:30Authorities managed to calm everyone's fears by informing them it was nothing more than

00:56:34a natural phenomenon, and a beautiful one at that.

00:56:38Before dissipating, these clouds typically stay in one area, regardless of how strong

00:56:43the wind is.

00:56:45If you look off the western coast of France, you'll see the Isle of Rey.

00:56:51Thanks to its beautiful blue waters, clean sandy beaches, and stunning lighthouses, this

00:56:56place is a very popular vacation spot.

00:56:59But perhaps the coolest part about the Isle of Rey is what you see just beyond the shore.

00:57:05Square waves.

00:57:07This strange wave pattern looks like a giant chessboard over the ocean.

00:57:11Many visitors to the island become captivated by these waves and go to high up places like

00:57:16nearby lighthouses to take pictures of this natural phenomenon.

00:57:20They say that when looking down at these square patterns in the water, it's almost as if there's

00:57:25some sort of metal grid underneath it.

00:57:28And while these wave patterns are truly fascinating, the people who choose to enjoy them from afar

00:57:33are doing it right.

00:57:34They know to stay out of the water.

00:57:37To understand how these square waves come to be, it's important to know how waves occur

00:57:42in the first place.

00:57:44Generally, waves can travel many miles over the surface of the water, depending on local

00:57:49winds and weather.

00:57:52And even on days when the weather seems somewhat calm, storms located elsewhere can send in

00:57:57crashing waves that affect the surrounding calm waters.

00:58:01When waves travel onto the shores of distant lands, they're called swells.

00:58:06This is different from a wave that occurs from local wind.

00:58:09When two different swells coming from opposite directions meet, it's known as a cross sea.

00:58:15This is what generates these square waves you see near the Isle of Rey.

00:58:21While these waves are one of the reasons why people flock to this island, they can still

00:58:26expect to enjoy calm, relaxing waters most of the time.

00:58:30The cross sea only occurs during certain times of the year in specific weather.

00:58:35Plus, it's common knowledge around Rey to steer clear of the ocean when these square

00:58:40waves appear, so it's not often that you hear about anyone getting caught in them because

00:58:45most people know better.

00:58:47And since a lot of people on the island are tourists, there are plenty of signs around

00:58:52warning them to get out of the water during this time.

00:58:55However, not everyone gets the memo.

00:58:58There have been a handful of cases where people got caught in the cross sea, but thankfully

00:59:04and luckily, they managed to get out safely.

00:59:08These square waves have become somewhat famous over time given that there's really no other

00:59:13place in the world that boasts a cross sea like this one.

00:59:17In fact, no one has ever spotted square waves anywhere but the Isle of Rey.

00:59:22However, there are swells that can be found throughout the oceans in the world, and a

00:59:27cross sea can take place.

00:59:30But if the angle they approach each other at is more shallow, the wave may actually

00:59:34look like it's coming from the same direction, even when it's not.

00:59:38Not to mention, swells can slowly lose momentum as they drift further and further away, so

00:59:44their crest, or the top of the wave, appears more round and less jagged.

00:59:49The Isle of Rey's specific wind and weather patterns are literally the perfect storm and

00:59:55create a cross sea that people can clearly recognize.

00:59:59It's 2009 in Italy.

01:00:02A man was hanging out in his kitchen.

01:00:04Then he saw some flickering lights.

01:00:06He knew just what to do.

01:00:08He moved his family to a safe place.

01:00:11A couple of seconds later, a massive earthquake hit the whole region.

01:00:15His family survived thanks to his quick reaction.

01:00:18He knew these flickering lights were actually a sign of an upcoming earthquake.

01:00:24People have been seeing these mysterious lights for ages.

01:00:27Some thought it was some kind of sign coming from space.

01:00:31Scientists never used to take them seriously.

01:00:34But after the invention of photography, more and more evidence of these strange lights

01:00:38appeared.

01:00:39Soon, they realized the connection.

01:00:42The lights appear and, pretty soon, the earthquake hits.

01:00:47After a bit of digging around, they actually found some records of these earthquake lights

01:00:52from hundreds of years ago.

01:00:54There were bluish flames coming out of the ground right before an earthquake.

01:00:59Oh, creepy!

01:01:02The Christmas Island Crab is part of an amazing phenomenon once a year.

01:01:07Their migration period is determined by the phase of the moon and the first rainfall between

01:01:12October and February, although the precise date can't be predicted.

01:01:17Once the crabs have been prompted, they leave their homes amongst the forest and migrate

01:01:22in massive hordes towards the sea.

01:01:25Numbering in millions, a sea of red crabs is observed as they make their journey across

01:01:30the island, creating roadblocks and making their way to the ocean.

01:01:35There, they lay their eggs and then make their trek back, returning to the forest until the

01:01:40next year.

01:01:43There are bridges in the Indian state of Meghalaya that are created entirely of living tree roots.

01:01:49The bridges are made up of tangled thick roots that are strong enough to hold over

01:01:5450 people at a time.

01:01:57The Khasi and Jaintia tribes became masters in the art of growing these insane bridges.

01:02:03They need them to cross the streams below with ease.

01:02:06Some of these root bridges are over 180 years old.

01:02:10To make them, the members of the tribes care for the roots until they grow long enough

01:02:14to reach the opposite bank.

01:02:16It can take as long as 10 to 15 years to grow a bridge.

01:02:21In the process, the roots become tightly entwined with one another.

01:02:25This is how the bridges get so strong.

01:02:28And once a bridge is fully grown, it can last for over 500 years.

01:02:33While some roots decay, new ones are continually growing.

01:02:37That's why the unusual natural constructions last so long.

01:02:42Light pillars are colorful beams of light that either jet up from Earth towards the

01:02:46sky or shine down from the clouds.

01:02:49Usually, they only occur in cold temperatures as they form when the sunlight gets reflected

01:02:54off ice crystals floating in the air.

01:02:57The higher the crystals are in the air, the taller these bright and colorful pillars become.

01:03:02They're most common at sunrise and sunset.

01:03:06There are hidden caves all over the world that are filled with glowing light.

01:03:11This light comes from hundreds of glowworms that have made a cozy home in the caves.

01:03:16Some of the caves are more than 30 million years old, and most of them can be found in

01:03:21New Zealand and Australia.

01:03:24The worms themselves don't actually glow, but baby worms, called larvae, form silk strings

01:03:30made out of mucus.

01:03:32These strings form nets.

01:03:34It's these nets that can illuminate the entire cave.

01:03:37Their purpose is to attract flies and other tasty insects for the glowworms to munch on.

01:03:44Rainbow trees are 100% a real thing.

01:03:47Hailing from the Philippines and Indonesia, these colorful wonders are called rainbow

01:03:52eucalyptus, or rainbow gum.

01:03:55The rainbow hues are created by the contrast in colors of old and new bark.

01:04:01As the thin surface layers of bark peel away, they reveal newer ones with brighter, more

01:04:06eye-catching colors.

01:04:08The brand new bark is green, then it changes to purple, then red, and finally brown.

01:04:15This is because the trees contain a substance called chlorophyll.

01:04:18It makes the bark green.

01:04:20As each strip of bark ages, it loses chlorophyll and slowly changes its color.

01:04:27On some nights, when the sky over a powerful thunderstorm is clear, you might see elves,

01:04:33gnomes, trolls, or blue jets.

01:04:35Blue jets sound kind of random here, right?

01:04:39But we're not actually talking about fairy tales.

01:04:42These are all just different types of lightning flashes that are mostly visible very high

01:04:47above raging thunderstorm clouds.

01:04:52Let's take red sprites.

01:04:54Those are flashes of light that appear above thunderstorms that come in clusters.

01:05:00They are rare because they're only caused by a specific type of lightning called positive

01:05:04cloud-to-ground strikes.

01:05:07So a positive charge is transferred from a thundercloud to the ground during a lightning

01:05:12strike.

01:05:14These types of lightning make up only 10% of all lightning strikes.

01:05:20For more than half a century, many believed these flashes were just urban legends.

01:05:26People did see them from time to time, but the flashes were so brief that even if you

01:05:30had been lucky enough to catch them, you wouldn't have had time to call someone to witness this

01:05:35phenomenon with you.

01:05:38Even when respectable scientists or pilots would talk about them, the scientific community

01:05:43would mostly ignore them.

01:05:45In 1989, something strange happened.

01:05:49The researchers from the University of Minnesota actually managed to catch sprites on film.

01:05:54And that's how it started.

01:05:56People across the world began sharing videos and photos of red sprites.

01:06:03Red sprites can start as 328-foot balls made of ionized air.

01:06:08These balls shoot down from heights of about 50 miles at 10% of the speed of light.

01:06:16And researchers have been studying not only the lightning that plunges down from ranging

01:06:20clouds, but these colorful flashes that go towards space, too.

01:06:25So, electricity stretches up to the electrically charged ionosphere, but at the same time,

01:06:30it crushes down towards the ground.

01:06:34Red sprites come in different shapes, like these big, cool jellyfish sprites that sometimes

01:06:39have areas that measure up to 30 square miles.

01:06:43You may see carrot sprites or column sprites.

01:06:46They're similar, it's just that carrots also have long tendrils.

01:06:50The lower parts of tendrils are often blue, while the higher ones are red.

01:06:56On August 22, 2022, we were able to take some stunning photos of red-white streaks in the

01:07:02sky above the Atacama Desert in Chile.

01:07:05They were surrounded by another, bigger glow of greenish color.

01:07:09It's something we call air glow, and you can only see it this well when there's no light

01:07:14pollution.

01:07:17It's basically when we use too much artificial light, and among other things, it doesn't

01:07:22allow us to observe stars and other objects we might otherwise see in the sky.

01:07:28And this air glow happens because of atoms of nitrogen and oxygen in our atmosphere.

01:07:34Sunlight knocks away their electrons during daytime.

01:07:37Then, they slowly recombine with their electrons, which is a process that causes them to glow.

01:07:44How can you see a red sprite?

01:07:47First, you need to find a large thunderstorm.

01:07:50They're more common during summer and spring, for example in June.

01:07:55Of course, sprites can appear at any time if there are powerful enough storms with lightning

01:07:59at ground level.

01:08:02The skies need to be clear and very dark, ideally without bright moonlight.

01:08:08And the storm should be around 100 to 200 miles away.

01:08:13That way, clouds won't block the sky and you'll have better visibility.

01:08:17In the perfect scenario, the storm will be moving along a distant horizon, so you'll

01:08:22be able to see everything above the cloud tops.

01:08:26You can track a storm with weather radar.

01:08:29Your eyes need some time to adapt to the darkness around you.

01:08:33Give them some time, about 20 to 30 minutes.

01:08:37Keep your eyes above the clouds and try not to look at the clouds directly.

01:08:42Before lightning flashes, a sprite will pop maybe once for every 200 lightning strikes.

01:08:49Don't expect to really capture it on camera, it's not easy.

01:08:52But the view itself will likely be worth the wait.

01:08:56This and similar flashy events are something we call TLEs, which stands for Transient Luminous

01:09:03Events.

01:09:05Blue jets are also worth mentioning.

01:09:07These are dim blue lights that stream up like a very fast puff of smoke above powerful hailstorms.

01:09:14They're also very rare, and in most cases, you'll only be able to see them from an airplane.

01:09:21And now we get to those fairytale creatures.

01:09:24Elves, when we talk about lightning flashes, are brief disks of dim light you can see about

01:09:2960 miles high in the atmosphere.

01:09:33It's just an abbreviation.

01:09:35Their full name is Emissions of Light and Very Low Frequency Perturbations Due to Electromagnetic

01:09:40Pulse Sources.

01:09:41Yeah, I suggest we stick to elves.

01:09:46Moving to Trolls.

01:09:47Those are red spots that pop close to cloud tops after the flash of a very powerful red

01:09:53sprite.

01:09:55Gnomes are the smallest and fastest flashes.

01:09:58We're talking about tiny white spikes of light that flash from the top of a big anvil of

01:10:03thunderclouds.

01:10:05The anvil is that elongated cloud you see at the top of a raging storm.

01:10:11It spreads downwind together with upper-level winds, and gnomes last for only a microsecond.

01:10:18And check this out.

01:10:20Ball lightning is in the shape of fiery orbs that can be as big as a golf ball or can grow

01:10:25up to a very large beach ball.

01:10:28They can be yellow, red, white, orange, green, or purple, and they can stay alive for a couple

01:10:35of seconds, even minutes sometimes.

01:10:38For the centuries, many people have been talking about how they saw ball lightning sometimes

01:10:43even floating into their homes.

01:10:46But such events are really unpredictable and happen very rarely.

01:10:52Scientists have managed to recreate ball lightning in the lab, or at least something very similar

01:10:56to it.

01:10:58They have realized that ball lightning probably shows up after a lightning bolt strikes the

01:11:03ground.

01:11:04Mineral grains in the soil then vaporize.

01:11:09Here's something spectacular, volcanic lightning!

01:11:12This one is born in the plumes of a wild volcanic eruption.

01:11:17Like the rest of thunderstorms, volcanic lightning forms when static electricity builds up in

01:11:22Earth's atmosphere.

01:11:25And then it gets released in the shape of a lightning bolt.

01:11:29Scientists don't understand the whole mechanism here, but they think it's related to charging.

01:11:35For example, ice charging is what causes thunderstorms to form.

01:11:39It plays a part in producing lightning during volcanic eruptions too.

01:11:44This happens when the air heated in an eruption rises into the sky and meets cold air.

01:11:51The water from the eruption turns into ice particles, and when these particles bump into

01:11:55each other, some electrons get knocked off.

01:11:59The ice particles that now have more positive charges move higher into the sky and gather

01:12:04together.

01:12:05Or it may be frictional charging, another thing that leads to volcanic lightning.

01:12:11The same as ice charging happens when tiny particles of ice collide.

01:12:15Here we have ash and pieces of rock colliding and creating charged ions.

01:12:21There's dark lightning too.

01:12:23Over 10 years ago, researchers discovered that thunderstorms could generate brief but

01:12:27very strong bursts of gamma rays, which is the form of light with the highest energy.

01:12:33They are so bright that they can blind sensors on satellites, even when they're hundreds

01:12:37of miles away.

01:12:38They can also create antimatter.

01:12:42Antimatter is a type of matter made of particles with opposite charges compared to the particles

01:12:47in normal matter.

01:12:48Imagine having two boxes full of blocks.

01:12:52Some blocks are red and some are blue.

01:12:54When these pairs touch each other, they disappear or annihilate and turn into energy.

01:13:00That's what happens when particles of matter and antimatter meet.

01:13:04And these flashes could be the result of dark lightning because it gives off light that's

01:13:09not really visible.

01:13:12Regular lightning involves slow electrons.

01:13:15In dark lightning, electrons are high energy.

01:13:17They crash into air molecules and, by doing that, produce gamma rays.

01:13:23In 1991, somewhere in the lush jungles of central Vietnam, a local logger found a mysterious

01:13:32hole among the foliage and bushes.

01:13:35He looked in there and felt a strong wind blowing into his face.

01:13:39Then he heard a strange sound from the cave depths and realized that it was the sound

01:13:44of a river.

01:13:45The logger didn't check the cave, but decided to go back there with a flashlight and a rope.

01:13:50When he returned, he couldn't find the cave anywhere.

01:13:54He spent a few years searching for it.

01:13:56Finally, in the 2000s, the logger managed to locate it again.

01:14:00In 2009, he brought scientists to this place.

01:14:03They found out the cave, called Sun Dong, is the largest in the world.

01:14:08There's so much space here that you'll hear a long echo if you shout.

01:14:13Sun Dong's main passage reaches 660 feet in height in some places, which is more than

01:14:18half as tall as the Empire State Building.

01:14:21The area of the cave is so huge that an entire New York City block with 40-story skyscrapers

01:14:27would fit in there.

01:14:29There's a deep underground labyrinth under the jungles of Vietnam, hiding three of the

01:14:33largest caves in the world, and Sun Dong is number one on this list.

01:14:38The vast space inside is filled with various plants, unique microclimates, and different

01:14:43landscapes.

01:14:44There's a real jungle growing underground.

01:14:47It became possible thanks to the collapsed ceiling in some places.

01:14:51It lets sunlight penetrate there from above.

01:14:54There are huge stalactites 250 feet high on the ceilings and walls, which is more than

01:15:00the length of a passenger Boeing.

01:15:02They've been here between hundreds of thousands and millions of years.

01:15:06Some limestone deposits are more than 450 million years old.

01:15:11It means they've existed since the time long before the dinosaurs.

01:15:15Besides the jungle, there are also many rivers in the cave.

01:15:19They were formed because of rainwater coming down from holes in the ceiling.

01:15:23These rivers are smooth and fast, like slides in a water park.

01:15:27But riding them isn't the best idea, since they can carry you into one of those long

01:15:32labyrinths that the cave is full of, and we still don't know where they're going.

01:15:36You may find yourself in another unknown part of the cave.

01:15:40This is what happened in 2018.

01:15:43Three divers accidentally discovered new areas in Sun Dong.

01:15:47The cave turned out to be much bigger than everyone thought.

01:15:50They dove into one of the cave's lakes and reached a depth of 256 feet.

01:15:56At the bottom, they found a separate tunnel.

01:15:59Divers lowered a fishing line with a lead weight there and found out that this place

01:16:03reaches a depth of 394 feet, and the tunnel is more than half a mile long.

01:16:10We still don't know the exact size of the tunnel.

01:16:13Sun Dong also connects to another huge cave.

01:16:16There are lots of things you can see in Sun Dong besides underground labyrinths and rivers.

01:16:21You can find spacious rooms with lakes, and you can walk for hours along dark mountain

01:16:26corridors.

01:16:27This place is strikingly beautiful but dangerous at the same time.

01:16:32And the coolest thing is that you can take a walk here.

01:16:35Since 2013, Sun Dong cave has been open to tourists.

01:16:39It's not just an easy walk to take some selfies, though.

01:16:42The expedition to the cave lasts for several days.

01:16:46For the first day and a half, you'll explore the third largest cave in the world, and only

01:16:51after that, you'll reach Sun Dong.

01:16:54The path will take you through rivers, dense jungles, mountains, and rocks.

01:16:59You can meet many exotic birds, monkeys, and other animals.

01:17:04And according to many people, the way to the cave is even more impressive than the cave

01:17:08itself.

01:17:09When you reach your destination, you'll spend the next few days exploring Sun Dong.

01:17:14Together with other tourists, professional guides, and porters, you'll be sleeping

01:17:19in tents in different places in the cave every day.

01:17:23You'll see some stunning landscapes and, get ready for this, 400 million-year-old majestic

01:17:28fossils.

01:17:30There are also dark rooms with lakes that are good for swimming.

01:17:34Such adventurous expeditions become more popular every year.

01:17:38People who visited the cave call it the most amazing place they've ever seen.

01:17:44Another amazing cave is located in Indonesia, on the island of Flores.

01:17:49It's quite small, but holds amazing things inside.

01:17:53In 2003, a group of scientists discovered ancient artifacts here, including fossils

01:17:58of primitive tools, such as sharpened stones.

01:18:01Scientists realized that hundreds of thousands of years ago, this place was home to our distant

01:18:06ancestors.

01:18:07Then, they found a very unusual female skeleton.

01:18:11That woman was only three and a half feet tall.

01:18:14This is the height of the waistline of an average adult person.

01:18:18That woman had no problems with her spine or with the development of her bones, though.

01:18:23This and other skeletons found in the cave belonged to some unknown human ancestors.

01:18:29Scientists called this species Homo floresiensis, or simply, Hobbit.

01:18:34The woman's weight was about 35 to 79 pounds.

01:18:37Analysis of the skull and bones showed she was about 30 years old.

01:18:42Hobbits probably lived on Earth between 190,000 and 50,000 years ago.

01:18:48There's a chance they met the ancestors of modern humans.

01:18:51The next cave is in Turkey.

01:18:53Imagine that you live in an old house and decide to make some repairs.

01:18:58You throw all the old stuff out of the rooms.

01:19:00The last place to sort out is your basement.

01:19:03You've hardly ever visited it and have no idea what's hidden there.

01:19:06But it's pretty spacious, so you decide to turn it into a room.

01:19:10You tear down the wall and discover the entrance to the cave.

01:19:14This is a tunnel that leads underground.

01:19:16You walk through the cave and see a real underground city.

01:19:21This happened in Turkey in 1963.

01:19:24One of the locals discovered a secret passage to a lost city in his basement.

01:19:29About 20,000 people could live there.

01:19:31There was enough space for livestock and food supplies.

01:19:35It's not just a maze of tunnels.

01:19:37There's a chapel, a school, stables, kitchens, walls, and other signs of civilization.

01:19:43The city was built in the Byzantine era, in the years 780 through 1180.

01:19:48It's not the only one down there and is connected to many underground tunnels and towns that

01:19:54stretch for several miles.

01:19:57Let's finish our journey in the strangest and most frightening cave.

01:20:01We're going to the southeast of Romania, near the Black Sea.

01:20:05Here, on a desolate wide plain, you can find a hole.

01:20:09This is a tunnel leading deep underground.

01:20:12The air inside the cave has high levels of hydrogen sulfide and carbon dioxide.

01:20:17Under normal conditions, the air we breathe contains around 20% oxygen.

01:20:22But it's only 10% here.

01:20:24You won't be able to breathe freely without an oxygen tank.

01:20:27The water and air here are poisoned.

01:20:30Almost no animals are able to live in such conditions, at least the ones we know about.

01:20:36This cave is filled with 48 species of living organisms, 33 of which are new unknown species.

01:20:43Creeping things that live here can scare you, especially if you're afraid of bugs.

01:20:49Strange white snails and white spiders are crawling along the walls.

01:20:53An unknown species of leeches and transparent shrimp are swimming in the water.

01:20:57White millipedes with huge mustaches are creeping on the ground.

01:21:02Here you can also meet an unknown kind of scorpion with a transparent white body that

01:21:07doesn't look like any other kind of scorpion.

01:21:09Nothing here looks like ordinary animals at all.

01:21:12All creatures in the cave are white or transparent.

01:21:16They don't have eyes, but they have long paws and antennae whiskers that help to navigate in space.

01:21:22Plants can't live here without sunlight and clean air.

01:21:25This means that oxygen isn't produced in this place.

01:21:29So how do these creatures manage to survive?

01:21:32The answer is in the water.

01:21:34The surface of the lake and puddles here is covered with strangely moving foam.

01:21:39This substance is a living organism.

01:21:42It consists of a billion bacteria called autotrophs.

01:21:46Ordinary plants absorb carbon dioxide and use photosynthesis to produce oxygen.

01:21:51This cave is filled with carbon dioxide.

01:21:54Autotrophs absorb it and secrete tiny food particles.

01:21:58Bacteria feed on these particles.

01:22:00Larger organisms then feed on those bacteria and so on.

01:22:04In the end, there's enough food for everyone.

01:22:07This process is called chemosynthesis.

01:22:10It's like photosynthesis, but uses water instead of sunlight in its chemical reactions.

01:22:16In this cave, evolution has created a completely unique biological system

01:22:21separate from the rest of the world.

01:22:24Hey, don't we all love wintertime?

01:22:26Gingerbread cookies and sitting by the fireplace.

01:22:30And frozen methane bubbles?

01:22:33Freezing temperatures afford humanity the pleasure of some very weird winter phenomena.

01:22:39Let's go take a look at some of them.

01:22:42Beneath the surface of Canada's Lake Abraham in Alberta,

01:22:46or beneath other lakes across Antarctica,

01:22:49you'll witness a truly mesmerizing phenomenon of ice bubbles.

01:22:54From the top, they look like glittering jewels.

01:22:56But these bubbles don't meet our expectations, as they never pop.

01:23:01They just freeze midway before ever reaching the surface.

01:23:05So how did they get there in the first place?

01:23:08And what are they made of?

01:23:10Some of them come from gas released from the melting of glaciers,

01:23:14while others are a result of the decomposing of organic matter

01:23:18lying at the bottom of the lakes.

01:23:20Now, they sure look pretty, but they're also pretty harmful to human life.

01:23:25These bubbles are made of methane, and they can intoxicate you.

01:23:29So if I were you, I wouldn't get too close.

01:23:34If you're driving on a curvy hillside road when a snow squall begins,

01:23:39you'd be wise to stop driving immediately.

01:23:42A snow squall is the winter equivalent of a severe thunderstorm.

01:23:46The thing is, they're difficult to predict and very fast moving.

01:23:51There can be sunshine, but then all of a sudden, a huge snow squall might start.

01:23:56If you haven't heard this term before,

01:23:58it's because the National Weather Service in the U.S. only began using it in 2018.

01:24:04They called it a squall because it reduces a lot of our visibility

01:24:09and can be very dangerous if you don't take it seriously.

01:24:12But still, falling snow is beautiful, even if it's that crazy.

01:24:17Say this winter you decided to finally visit the famous Niagara Falls.

01:24:22Located between the U.S. and Canada,

01:24:24these falls are the fifth largest waterfall in the world,

01:24:28with over 3,000 tons of falling water per second.

01:24:32In winter, the area looks like a winter wonderland

01:24:36and is home to an interesting phenomenon, a frozen fall.

01:24:40No, this isn't the work of Hollywood or an internet prank.

01:24:44Niagara Falls can actually form a layer of ice.

01:24:47This happens when the falls have been exposed to frigid temperatures for a long time.

01:24:52So, the surface water and mist in the air turn to ice,

01:24:57giving the impression that the entire waterfall is frozen.

01:25:00But that's not exactly what happens.

01:25:03If you look closely into the ice,

01:25:05you'll notice that there's still plenty of flowing water.

01:25:10Have you ever heard of snowfall?

01:25:12Have you ever heard of something called a natural snowball?

01:25:16This is a rare yet beautiful environmental phenomenon

01:25:19that happens when smaller pieces of ice end up being rolled by strong winds and water.

01:25:25The further they roll, the more ice they gather, and the more that ice is polished.

01:25:31They end up as giant, perfectly shaped snowballs.

01:25:35They would look pretty amazing on their own,

01:25:37but hundreds of them together, that's some scenery.

01:25:43Some snowballs turn into huge rolling doughnuts.

01:25:47These rare shapes happen only in perfect temperature conditions,

01:25:50when the snow is in the perfect state between hard and fluffy.

01:25:54It happens when a snowball begins rolling down,

01:25:57gathering more and more snow, until suddenly its middle part collapses.

01:26:02This allows for the snowball to get its doughnut shape.

01:26:06Does it also taste as good as a doughnut?

01:26:09I guess not, right?

01:26:11Oh, almost forgot.

01:26:12If you want to see them in real life, you have to go to some severely cold places.

01:26:17But still, people reported having seen them in Ottawa,

01:26:21in the Midwest of the U.S., and even in Scotland.

01:26:27If you go for a walk in the woods at the beginning of winter,

01:26:30you might stumble upon a magical phenomenon known as frost flowers.

01:26:36These flower-shaped phenomena are rare

01:26:38and occur only when the temperature of the air is freezing, but the ground is still moist.

01:26:44When the perfect conditions align, vapor coming out of stems

01:26:48form these veil-thin patterns that make up delicate flower-like ice.

01:26:53Don't try to pick them, you'll break them.

01:26:56And certainly don't try to plant them anywhere else, as they aren't real flowers.

01:27:01Oh, and be sure to go before the sun is too strong,

01:27:04otherwise it'll melt these delicate things.

01:27:09Say you just checked the forecast and the weather for the day is negative 8 degrees Fahrenheit.

01:27:15Maybe you'd choose staying home underneath the blankets.

01:27:18But I'm sure you'd change your mind if you had the option of this day trip.

01:27:24Picture Yellowstone Park under a few feet of snow on a sunny day.

01:27:29Well, if that didn't do it for you, then add some snow-covered bison

01:27:33and steamy geysers to the scenery.

01:27:36Still not convinced?

01:27:37How about the chance to see the rare phenomenon of hoarfrost?

01:27:41If you haven't heard of them before, they're a geometrically enchanting type of frost

01:27:46that you can see when moisture in the air skips the droplet stage

01:27:50and appears directly as ice crystals on top of a leaf.

01:27:55They're much more photogenic than your windshield or garden variety frost.

01:28:00FYI, the term hoarfrost comes from Old English,

01:28:04meaning a frost that resembles an old man's beard.

01:28:07Well, what do you say? Does this actually look like a beard?

01:28:13You're walking in a frost-covered forest on a freezing day

01:28:17when suddenly you hear a loud banging sound.

01:28:20No, it's not an avalanche nor an earthquake.

01:28:23You're in the middle of a frost quake.

01:28:27If only that meant that you'd see beautiful snow crystals cracking on the floor.

01:28:31But that's not quite the case.

01:28:34Frost quakes, also known as ice quakes,

01:28:37happen when the moisture below the ground starts to freeze and expand.

01:28:41It's normal for things to expand in their frozen state.

01:28:45Just look at an ice cube, for example.

01:28:48These frost quakes can move rocks and the soil above

01:28:52and cause loud cracking sounds as if the world were falling apart.

01:28:57Don't worry, though. It's not.

01:28:59If you happen to see black ice, be careful.

01:29:02Although we call it that, black ice isn't really black.

01:29:06It's made up of a thin layer of ice that looks black

01:29:10due to the color of concrete or earthy ground.

01:29:13It blends in so well with the ground that it's almost impossible to spot.

01:29:18It forms during winter days when the ground is wet from rain or melted snow,

01:29:23and the temperature suddenly drops below freezing temperatures.

01:29:26So, this thin layer emerges,

01:29:29multiplying considerably your chances of slipping while walking on bridges or overpasses.

01:29:34It's also pretty common on spots on the road that are shaded by trees.

01:29:40This next phenomenon happens in a very specific wintry context, the Antarctic one.

01:29:46Amongst the unique things that occur on the continent,

01:29:49Antarctica is home to an extremely weird waterfall.

01:29:53The year was 1911, when an Australian geologist wondered about the so-called Blood Falls.

01:30:00He was extremely puzzled by this red stream of liquid

01:30:03pouring from a small hillside amongst the Antarctic ice.

01:30:07After years of studying, it was understood that what caused the redness

01:30:11was the high iron content in the water.

01:30:14The last piece of the puzzle came when scientists discovered

01:30:18that there was an underground lake with water in it.

01:30:21That there was an underground lake with water full of oxidized iron nearby,

01:30:26which was what caused the blood fall to exist in the first place.

01:30:31The North Pole is more than Santa's fictional home.

01:30:34Together with the South Pole, it's home to the so-called Polar Vortex,

01:30:39a phenomenon that helps to enhance our winter experience.

01:30:43The Polar Vortex is a large area of low pressure and cold air.

01:30:48It's called a vortex simply because over there the air rotates counterclockwise.

01:30:54It sends a jet stream that makes you want to bundle up

01:30:57and helps induce several winter phenomena such as freezing fog.

01:31:02If fog is when a cloud touches the ground, what happens when it freezes?

01:31:08You can expect that all of the moist droplets of water that are hanging around in the air

01:31:12will possibly freeze when they touch the ground.

01:31:16Meaning you really wouldn't want to be driving around in the middle of one of these things.

01:31:24Something interesting has recently happened in South Dakota.

01:31:27It was all over the internet, so perhaps you already know about it.

01:31:31In July of 2022, the sky in this state suddenly turned green.

01:31:37So what happened there?

01:31:39Was it caused by a human or by nature?

01:31:42Let's find out.

01:31:44Tuesday, July 5, 2022.

01:31:47Shortly after a heavy storm, the sky over South Dakota in the US was still overcast.

01:31:54Locals finally went outside and saw that the sky had an intense dark green hue,

01:31:59and they'd never seen anything like that before.

01:32:02People said that it looked like something straight up from science fiction,

01:32:06or even a horror movie.

01:32:07Unsurprisingly, South Dakotans immediately started spreading the news all over social media.

01:32:14People shared their beautiful, yet very eerie, pictures on Twitter.

01:32:18They showed the sky over the city of Sioux Falls and a few other towns.

01:32:24Even though it may look like something supernatural, in reality,

01:32:28this is not a terrifying phenomenon at all.

01:32:31It's a simple play of the light and the atmosphere.

01:32:34Something like this happens quite rarely,

01:32:36and usually means that really bad weather is approaching.

01:32:41And that's also true to what happened in South Dakota.

01:32:45Just before people started sharing photos,

01:32:47a thunderstorm swept through the town of Sioux Falls.

01:32:50This was confirmed by the US Weather Service.

01:32:53This hurricane was terrible.

01:32:55The wind speed was about 100 miles per hour.

01:32:58According to the Buford Scale on wind speeds,

01:33:01this is the fastest and most destructive storm.

01:33:05There are only 12 numbers on this scale,

01:33:07and the maximum wind strength starts at 73 miles per hour.

01:33:12But why isn't this all over the news then?

01:33:15Well, because it's kind of a usual thing for the residents.

01:33:21Thunderstorms occur very often in the United States,

01:33:24especially in the warmer months.

01:33:26And 1 out of 10 such thunderstorms can become something serious,

01:33:30like a tornado.

01:33:31This one wasn't an exception.

01:33:34It was the so-called

01:33:35DeRayco storm.

01:33:38DeRayco is very widespread and long-lived.

01:33:42It's actually a combination of a fast-moving group

01:33:44of severe thunderstorms and downpours.

01:33:48People often say that a DeRayco is as strong as a tornado.

01:33:52Still, there's a difference between them.

01:33:54A tornado is a vortex, a rotating column of air.

01:33:58It's usually about 500 feet in diameter,

01:34:01although sometimes its width can reach up to 2.5 miles.

01:34:05I don't envy those who would stumble upon that.

01:34:08But the main point is that they rotate.

01:34:11The wind moves very fast in a circle near some invisible center.

01:34:17A DeRayco is a strong thunderstorm,

01:34:20or a system of strong thunderstorms with straight-line winds.

01:34:24In other words, it doesn't spin.

01:34:26Instead, the DeRayco chooses a point somewhere

01:34:30and simply runs to it,

01:34:32like a very motivated marathon runner.

01:34:36If we compare a DeRayco to an ordinary tornado,

01:34:39the latter has six levels of strength,

01:34:42from 40 to 380 miles per hour.

01:34:45So, a DeRayco is kind of like a small,

01:34:48average-level 1-2 tornado.

01:34:50Usually, its speed is within the range of 73 to 113 miles per hour.

01:34:57And in both cases,

01:34:59they can be accompanied by severe thunderstorms,

01:35:01lightning, and rain.

01:35:03But still, these are different things.

01:35:07A storm becomes a DeRayco

01:35:09if the damaged trail left by it exceeds 240 miles

01:35:13and if the wind speed is at least 58 miles per hour.

01:35:19It's quite difficult to predict.

01:35:21It can form even on a clear day,

01:35:23when meteorologists don't even anticipate any storms.

01:35:27And then, the winds appear suddenly.

01:35:29It's so surprising that they may even feel explosive.

01:35:33But the National Weather Service tries to warn people

01:35:36at least half an hour or an hour before this happens

01:35:39so that residents have time to prepare and hide.

01:35:44It wasn't any different this time.

01:35:46The storm swept through almost all of South Dakota,

01:35:49as well as the states of Minnesota and Iowa.

01:35:52The consequences were quite serious.

01:35:55More than 30,000 people were left without electricity.

01:35:58Fortunately, people were fine.

01:36:02That's because the locals are pretty used to DeRaycos.

01:36:06However, the green sky is something different.

01:36:10It became a very unusual sight for the locals.

01:36:13Everyone was wondering why it happened.

01:36:16Was it a bad sign or a normal weather phenomenon?

01:36:20Well, to be honest, scientists don't have an exact explanation.

01:36:25But, although there are only assumptions,

01:36:27they sound pretty convincing.

01:36:31A green sky is a very rare phenomenon.

01:36:34Most scientists think that this happens

01:36:36when a powerful storm approaches the area

01:36:38before sunset or sunrise.

01:36:41Then, the sky will turn green in this area.

01:36:45NBC meteorologist Bill Cairns,

01:36:48who once faced a similar event himself,

01:36:50suggests that the green sky appeared

01:36:53because of the huge hail before the storm.

01:36:57First, let's talk about why the sky looks blue,

01:37:00or any other shade, depending on its mood.

01:37:03In short, the sun simultaneously carries

01:37:06all the rays of the color spectrum.

01:37:08It may seem white to us in total,

01:37:10but it actually has all the colors at the same time.

01:37:14However, these color waves all have different lengths.

01:37:18For example, blue rays are shorter than the other ones.

01:37:22They jump away from the air molecules

01:37:25better than the red waves,

01:37:26so they reach us faster.

01:37:29Because of this, on a regular clear day,

01:37:31the sky seems blue.

01:37:35At the same time, red and orange color waves

01:37:38are very long and move slower,

01:37:40so they're usually left behind.

01:37:43But when the sun goes below the horizon,

01:37:45or rises, the rays' directions change,

01:37:48and these waves reach us better.

01:37:52It all means that even if the sunrises and sunsets

01:37:55seem red and orange to us,

01:37:57in fact, there are still blue and green waves among them.

01:38:01But they have to bounce off something to reach us faster

01:38:05and become stronger than the red rays.

01:38:08Have you guessed what I'm getting at?

01:38:13This is where the water comes into play.

01:38:16Clouds are made up of water droplets.

01:38:18When they become large enough,

01:38:20but don't fall yet,

01:38:21for example, due to strong winds,

01:38:23they affect how the light behaves in the sky.

01:38:28Large heavy storms mostly consist of water and hail,

01:38:32and water reflects blue and green rays best of all.

01:38:36That's exactly the reason why the water in rivers and lakes

01:38:39seems bluish green to us.

01:38:41Although in reality, it's transparent.

01:38:44And yeah, algae matter too.

01:38:48So, there are a couple of key factors

01:38:50why the sky may turn green.

01:38:53First off, the sun should be at the horizon level.

01:38:56Another factor is that while the storm clouds are approaching,

01:39:00they shouldn't cover the sky completely.

01:39:03There still must be a little room for the sun rays.

01:39:06Then, barely noticeable blue rays jump up to storm clouds.

01:39:10They're repelled by water droplets and hail.

01:39:13Mixing with the red sunset,

01:39:15they turn into a bright green light.

01:39:18And this green light is spreading all over the sky.

01:39:23That's why in most of these cases,

01:39:25when the sky turns green,

01:39:26people can only see it in the evenings.

01:39:29Yeah, it can also happen in the middle of the day.

01:39:32But since the conditions are already quite specific,

01:39:35seeing something like that during the day is even rarer.

01:39:40Still, if you see a green sky, you don't need to panic.

01:39:44It doesn't necessarily mean that a terrible storm is approaching.

01:39:48The chances are high though.

01:39:50But still, it's not a rule.

01:39:52It can be just heavy rain or a heavy hail.

01:39:56In other words, if you see a green sky,

01:39:59then you'd better hide.

01:40:01And hide your car.

01:40:02However, if you are lucky enough to see the stunning sky

01:40:06from the comfort of your own home,

01:40:08it's indeed very exciting.

01:40:10If you get a glimpse of something like that,

01:40:12just know that you had a chance to experience

01:40:14something very rare and special.

01:40:17Some people said it was the most incredible thing

01:40:20they had ever seen.

01:40:24Going to the beach in winter seems like a good plan.

01:40:27You can have a bonfire, build a sandcastle,

01:40:30search for shells, or swim in the ocean.

01:40:33The vibe might make you overlook the dangers ahead of you.

01:40:37Do you really think through the potential risks

01:40:39of paying a visit to the beach in the winter?

01:40:43The number one risk is waves.

01:40:45You might think it's okay to admire the view on the beach

01:40:48a few steps back from the ocean.

01:40:50Now let me introduce you to sneakers.

01:40:53Not the chocolate bar, sneaker,

01:40:55or with another name, sleeper waves.

01:40:57These are oversized coastal waves.

01:41:00They catch people off guard

01:41:02because they occur without warning or trace.

01:41:05These waves are particularly seen in Oregon, United States.

01:41:09People have been injured and at least 17 people

01:41:12have been swept up into the ocean since 2000.

01:41:16It got more media attention in 2011

01:41:18when a memorial statue was built

01:41:20honoring the two teens faced with sneaker waves in Oregon.

01:41:24So, how come these waves are so dangerous?

01:41:28It's about their nature.

01:41:29They come out of the blue.

01:41:31With big waves, you see them coming or growing big.

01:41:34Plus, they form in the ocean and come towards the beach.

01:41:38These waves appear near the shore.

01:41:40It leaves less time for you to run to a safer spot.

01:41:44Okay, most of the time, they're not huge

01:41:47as would be seen in apocalyptic movies.

01:41:49Yet, you can never know what nature holds.

01:41:52Maybe you remember this example from Mavericks.

01:41:55In 2010, a crowd was watching the surfing competition.

01:41:59Suddenly, two large waves struck the people on the beach.

01:42:02It broke the seawall and injured more than 10 people.

01:42:06Sneaker waves don't look particularly larger than other waves

01:42:09until they break and quickly reach the beach.

01:42:12They form in a period of 10 to 20 minutes

01:42:15in between soft and regular-sized waves.

01:42:18They can surge more than 150 feet beyond the foam line.

01:42:23Then, they reach the land with high power.

01:42:25Plus, they carry lots of sand and gravel with them.

01:42:30Sleeper waves are more commonly seen along steep coastlines

01:42:34compared to beaches with wider and softly sloped areas.

01:42:39People named these waves, not scientists.

01:42:41They observed what waves do.

01:42:43They washed up in a sneaky way.

01:42:46I mean, scientists didn't classify this phenomenon

01:42:48as a distinct sort of wave like they did with tsunamis or rogue waves.

01:42:53There's little scientific research made about them.

01:42:56Researchers say that sneaker waves form in offshore storms.

01:43:00These storms transfer the wind energy to the water's surface.

01:43:04The waves carry this energy

01:43:06and then arrive at the beach during times of calm weather.

01:43:10The larger amount of energy they obtain

01:43:12compared to the regular waves that preceded them

01:43:15causes them to go higher up the coast.

01:43:18Imagine you go for a walk on the beach with your dog.

01:43:21The waves gently reach the beach.

01:43:23You play the throw and catch game.

01:43:26You don't know about sneaky waves

01:43:28so you turn into an unwary beachgoer.

01:43:30What's the risk?

01:43:32Being washed into the water trapped against rocks.

01:43:35Since it's winter, you tend to wear heavier clothes.

01:43:38The sand that sneaker waves carry can quickly fill clothing and shoes

01:43:42and that weighs you down.

01:43:44How can people enjoy the beach safely?

01:43:47First off, keep your distance if you're on the beach

01:43:50for storm watching, for instance.

01:43:52It might be mesmerizing to see how waves roll in over miles of ocean.

01:43:56The storms hit the shore

01:43:58and you look at those extreme turbulent swells

01:44:01transform into strong 30-foot long waves.

01:44:04Finding a higher spot that sees the ocean and waves might be best.

01:44:09Be the eagle, not the crab.

01:44:11Did Confucius say that?

01:44:14The second tip is if you're determined to storm watch,

01:44:17never turn your back to the ocean.

01:44:19Yes, eyes on the water.

01:44:21Lastly, be mindful of which part of the beach you're walking on.

01:44:25Stay away from the logs because they hold water.

01:44:29The water increases their weight.

01:44:31In the worst case scenario,

01:44:33the ocean is powerful enough to roll the logs onto you.

01:44:38Let's assume you're hiking near the ocean.

01:44:40Use the designated trails because park authorities

01:44:43determined them as the safest roads possible.

01:44:46Going off route can sound charming,

01:44:48but it can be dangerous for you

01:44:50and harmful to the ecosystem in the surrounding area.

01:44:54Now that you know where to walk,

01:44:56you can keep your eyes open about the geological stuff.

01:44:59Like the rocks can be slippery,

01:45:01erosion can rip them off.

01:45:03Yeah, it's better to avoid walking near bases of cliffs and bluffs.

01:45:08You'll never know when a natural phenomenon will occur.

01:45:11It might sound a little extreme,

01:45:13but you may want to check the tsunami evacuation routes

01:45:16of the area you're visiting.

01:45:18Tsunamis are hard to predict,

01:45:20but tides aren't.

01:45:22Tide tables are available online.

01:45:25This natural phenomenon looks harmless,

01:45:28yet it can isolate rocks from headlands and the shore.

01:45:31You probably don't want to find yourself

01:45:33with soaked wet clothes in the ocean for no reason.

01:45:37Climbing up onto the logs might not be the best idea either.

01:45:41Sure, they look heavy and sturdy when you're climbing,

01:45:44but even the smallest wave can take you

01:45:46like a leaf flying in the air.

01:45:48Not just logs, but also jetties are tricky.

01:45:52Sudden waves can make you lose your balance

01:45:55and you can collapse.

01:45:57Let's return to the scenario

01:45:58where you and your dog are walking on the beach.

01:46:01This time your pet sees shorebirds and chases them.

01:46:05Birds could be there for foraging or roosting.

01:46:07Your dog could interrupt their chill zone.

01:46:10They can lose their energy reserves.

01:46:13Can you bump into creatures hiding under the sand?

01:46:16Some sorts of creatures can be dangerous for you.

01:46:18Better not to poke someone's home.

01:46:21Take a look at this one.

01:46:22It's a horseshoe crab.

01:46:24This one looks scary, yeah,

01:46:26but it's safe as long as you don't step on its spines.

01:46:29So it depends on the type of creature you see,

01:46:32but generally it's okay to explore the sand with caution.

01:46:36Until now, we look at scenarios

01:46:38where you were on the beach when they caught up to sneaker waves.

01:46:42You could be in the water too.

01:46:44You could be surfing,

01:46:45just like the contestant in the Mavericks surf competition,

01:46:48or swimming, if swimming is the new case.

01:46:51Consider these.

01:46:53The temperature is lower,

01:46:54the waves are crazier,

01:46:56and there are probably no lifeguards there

01:46:59watching you in the winter.

01:47:01Swimming with friends is a safe option.

01:47:03Bonus, it's more fun.

01:47:06You should choose your swimming location carefully.

01:47:09Are there dangerous rocky areas?

01:47:11Can you easily go out if there's some sort of emergency?

01:47:14Know your spot.

01:47:16For that, you should check the weather too.

01:47:18Planning has a key role in winter water safety.

01:47:22A quick weather forecast and sea conditions check would do.

01:47:26You can consider buying a tow float

01:47:29if you're an adventurous open water swimmer.

01:47:31It's a flotation device

01:47:32designed to increase the swimmer's visibility in the water.

01:47:36They are lightweight and have fluorescent colors.

01:47:39Alternatively, you can wear a brightly colored swimming cap.

01:47:43We can talk more about the gear.

01:47:46Wearing a wetsuit is wise,

01:47:47as well as wetsuit gloves and boots.

01:47:50You can put your phone in a waterproof pouch or bag.

01:47:53Staying warm is essential in the winter.

01:47:56Don't just jump into the water at once.

01:47:59This can result in cold water shock.

01:48:02It's vital to enter the water slowly.

01:48:04In that way, your body can get used to the temperature.

01:48:08Once you take all the necessary precautions,

01:48:11you can enjoy the beach and explore its offers.

01:48:14What sort of gems can you find on the beach?

01:48:17A mermaid's purse? Maybe.

01:48:19No, it's not the purse of Ariel from Disney's Little Mermaid.

01:48:22That's actually an egg case belonging to sharks and rays.

01:48:26It's made out of keratin,

01:48:28kind of similar to your hair and fingernails.

01:48:31These purses are the place where the embryo grows.

01:48:34The egg hatches and the cases are carried away with the water to the beach.

01:48:39If you want to find one,

01:48:40you can look at the area near the seaweed.

01:48:43Have fun while searching for it.

01:48:45Now I'm ending this video with a quick joke

01:48:47that's suitable for the cold weather of winter.

01:48:50What did the ocean say to the beach?

01:48:53Nothing, it just waved.

01:48:56The moon, our little companion,

01:48:59our only friend in the big, dark, cold space.

01:49:02It's not surprising that any events related to it,

01:49:05like solar or lunar eclipses, excites us.

01:49:09But how about the black moon?

01:49:11The blue moon?

01:49:12A super moon?

01:49:14Have you ever heard of them?

01:49:15Well, let me tell you about it and how you can observe them.

01:49:19Let's get your calendars ready.

01:49:21The distance between the Earth and the moon is 238,900 miles, I've measured.

01:49:26Feels not so far, doesn't it?

01:49:28But trust me, most people greatly underestimate this difference.

01:49:32Did you know that every planet in the solar system,

01:49:35including Jupiter and Saturn, would fit between the moon and us?

01:49:39I couldn't believe it myself.

01:49:41The moon is tidally locked to the Earth.

01:49:43That's why it's always turned to us with only one side.

01:49:47There are a few phases in a lunar cycle.

01:49:49The new moon is the first phase.

01:49:51The Sun illuminates the unseen side of our satellite, so we can't see the moon.

01:49:56It's almost invisible in the sky.

01:49:58The rising moon is the gradual growth of the light part.

01:50:02The full moon is the phase during which the Sun completely illuminates the visible side.

01:50:07The descending moon is a gradual waning of the light part.

01:50:11And finally, another new moon.

01:50:13And the whole cycle starts again.

01:50:15There are 29 and a half days in a lunar cycle,

01:50:18so it takes around a month if we're not talking about February.

01:50:22But why am I telling you all this?

01:50:24So you can better understand Black Moon,

01:50:27a rare astronomical event that happens once every 29 months or two and a half years.

01:50:33This term doesn't exist in astronomy, as it was made up by astrologers.

01:50:37It's unofficial and has several meanings.

01:50:40Black Moon may mean the second new moon in a month.

01:50:43Usually, there's only one new moon per month, so having two is a rare phenomenon.

01:50:48It's caused by a slight discrepancy between the lunar cycle and the Earth's annual one,

01:50:53something like leap years.

01:50:55Black Moon can also mean something else.

01:50:58For example, usually, there are only three new moons per one season.

01:51:02Basically, one new moon every 30 days.

01:51:05However, if there are four, the Black Moon means the third one.

01:51:09There are also some less popular meanings.

01:51:12For example, that's what people call February without a new or full moon.

01:51:17This happens about once every 19 years.

01:51:20But what's so special about it?

01:51:22The satellite is wholly hidden in the sky during a regular new moon.

01:51:26But during a Black Moon, you'll be able to see its dark silhouette.

01:51:30You'll have to choose a good place without city lights.

01:51:33If you live in a big city, you'll hardly be able to see it without a telescope.

01:51:37Also, since the sky turns black during this phenomenon,

01:51:41you'll be able to see different constellations that were hidden before,

01:51:45as well as Jupiter and Venus.

01:51:47The last time this happened was on April 30, 2022.

01:51:51You could observe it in most parts of the United States,

01:51:54except for areas in the Pacific, Alaska, or Hawaiian time.

01:51:57Aloha!

01:51:59Yeah, unfortunately, if this is the first time you hear about the Black Moon,

01:52:03you've already missed it.

01:52:05Now, you'll have to wait another two and a half years.

01:52:07The next Black Moon will happen in September 2024, by standard definition,

01:52:12and May 19, 2023, by seasonal definition.

01:52:16But hey, don't worry!

01:52:18You can always see another astronomical event once upon a Blue Moon.

01:52:23Now, I'm not mocking you, I'm being serious.

01:52:26You can still see the Blue Moon.

01:52:28Well, not literally, of course.

01:52:30The Moon won't turn blue.

01:52:31It's just what astrologers call the second full moon in a month.

01:52:35The Black and Blue Moons are similar by definition.

01:52:38But they're actually the opposites.

01:52:40If the Black Moon is a rare second new moon in a month,

01:52:43the Blue Moon is a rare second full moon.

01:52:46They also both happen every 29 months.

01:52:49Not so rare, right?

01:52:51Kind of ironic that this event was called the Blue Moon.

01:52:54Folklorist Philip Hitchcock assumed that the calendrical meaning of the term Blue Moon

01:52:59was first invented by the Maine Farmer's Almanac in 1937.

01:53:04Now, another interesting astronomical event is called the Supermoon.

01:53:08Stock up on telescopes and look for some hills,

01:53:11because you'll see an exceptionally bright and large moon like the one we only see in movies.

01:53:16What exactly does a supermoon mean?

01:53:19You see, the Moon doesn't revolve around the Earth in a circular orbit.

01:53:23Its orbit is elliptical.

01:53:25And the place where it's closest to the Earth is called perigee.

01:53:29A supermoon is a phenomenon that occurs when the full moon coincides with the perigee.

01:53:34Because of this, it seems to us especially large and bright.

01:53:38It looks 14% larger in diameter and 30% brighter than usual.

01:53:44By the way, this phenomenon is often confused with the so-called moon illusion.

01:53:48During the moon illusion, the moon is low above the horizon and visually appears larger in size.

01:53:55Of the 12 or 13 full moons in a year, 3 or 4 are supermoons.

01:54:00But most of them are not very significant.

01:54:02You probably won't see a difference at all.

01:54:05The most interesting ones are the rare large supermoons.

01:54:08During them, the moon actually becomes big.

01:54:11The last major supermoon occurred in 2016.

01:54:14Unfortunately, large-scale supermoons are rare and occur about once every 18 years.

01:54:20The next one will happen only in 2034.

01:54:23But we can observe smaller supermoons quite often.

01:54:26In 2022, they'll take place on June 14th and July 16th.

01:54:32There is also an opposite phenomenon called the micromoon.

01:54:36You've probably already guessed what that means.

01:54:39It happens when the full moon is at its farthest point from the Earth.

01:54:42This point is called apogee.

01:54:44The next micromoon in 2022 will take place on June 29th.

01:54:49In 2023, we'll be able to observe it on January 7th, February 5th, and August 16th.

01:54:56Of course, you don't have to follow each of these events.

01:54:59Most people are more interested in lunar and solar eclipses.

01:55:02By the way, are you one of the people who confuses these two events with each other?

01:55:07Test yourself.

01:55:08Pause this video.

01:55:09Describe what these two eclipses mean.

01:55:11Let's compare your answer with the correct definition.

01:55:15Are you back?

01:55:15Okay.

01:55:16So, a solar eclipse is a phenomenon where the moon entirely or partially covers the sun.

01:55:22A solar eclipse is possible only during the new moon when the moon itself is not visible.

01:55:28Many people believe that this event is incredibly rare, but this is not quite true.

01:55:33A lunar eclipse is a phenomenon in which the moon is entirely or partially

01:55:37in the shadow cast by the Earth.

01:55:39The lunar eclipse can only happen during the full moon when the proximity of the

01:55:43moon is on the node of its orbit.

01:55:46If you guessed right, well done!

01:55:48If not, hey, don't worry.

01:55:49Many people confuse them.

01:55:51In 2022, a partial solar eclipse will occur on October 25th.

01:55:56It'll be visible in Europe, South and West Asia, North and East Africa, and the Atlantic.

01:56:01As I mentioned, a total solar eclipse is not as rare as many people think, but the

01:56:06problem is that it's not always visible from any part of the planet.

01:56:10So, if you want to see this event, be sure to look for their calendar and see from which

01:56:15parts of the Earth you'll be able to see it.

01:56:17And don't forget the special glasses!

01:56:20Lunar eclipses occur much more often, though.

01:56:22Partial lunar eclipses happen almost every month.

01:56:25But the total lunar eclipse in 2022 will take place on the night of November 7th to 8th.

01:56:31You'll be able to see it in almost all parts of the world except Africa.

01:56:35I hear that the zebras are not happy about this.

01:56:38The moon is a genuinely fascinating satellite.

01:56:41You'd think whatever, it's just a small rock ball.

01:56:44But in reality, there are so many interesting things connected to it.

01:56:49What rare lunar events have you seen or want to see in your life?

01:56:52Have you observed any rare and interesting astronomical events?

01:56:56Be sure to share in the comments!

01:56:59When lightning flashes across the sky, it releases somewhere around 300 million volts,

01:57:04or the equivalent to power 25 million car batteries.

01:57:09Some say you're more likely to be zapped by lightning in your lifetime

01:57:12than to win the lottery.

01:57:14And statistics seem to prove this urban myth,

01:57:16as each year around 28 US locals do get electrically charged from the sky.

01:57:23The world's infrastructure can be affected by lightning too.

01:57:26That's because it generally seeks out the tallest structure around.

01:57:30But in certain conditions, it can also strike an open field.

01:57:34So scientists came together and invented a laser lightning rod that might help.

01:57:40This unique invention might make lightning strikes a bit more manageable,

01:57:43since it can guard a much larger area than the traditional one.

01:57:47And it's flexible.

01:57:49Classic lightning rods work like magnets for that powerful electrical charge.

01:57:54There are these tall metal devices placed on top of buildings.

01:57:58When a storm approaches, the rod provides an easy path for lightning to follow,

01:58:02preventing it from hitting other parts of the structure.

01:58:05The rod is also connected to the ground with a conductor, like a wire,

01:58:10helping the electrical charge to safely make its way into the Earth.

01:58:14This process protects the building,

01:58:16and the humans in it, by directing the electrical energy away.

01:58:21We've been using lightning rods for the last 300 years, courtesy of Benjamin Franklin.

01:58:26But they're not damage-proof.

01:58:28When it comes to safeguarding vast spaces like airports, they can't manage.

01:58:33That's because they can only cover an area proportional to their height.

01:58:40Here's where this new, improved lightning rod can help.

01:58:43When the laser zaps the sky, it leaves behind a trail of super-heated air, called plasma.

01:58:49The same way a sculptor carves out traces in clay, the laser creates channels in the air.

01:58:56These channels then become the lightning's new favorite route, guiding it down to the ground.

01:59:01This new method was tested in the Swiss Alps back in 2021, and the results were promising.

01:59:08These lasers do have their own disadvantages.

01:59:10They aren't always available, and need a heads-up.

01:59:13That's because they have to be activated before a bolt hits.

01:59:18If you're a second too late, tough luck.

01:59:21Also, once the laser stops, the air loses its conductivity pretty quickly.

01:59:27This means the laser rod might not have enough power to guide the lightning safely.

01:59:32A potential solution might be monitoring the electric field around a certain area.

01:59:37Predicting where lightning might strike.

01:59:40Yet, these new rods still need more testing, and lots of funds.

01:59:49The European Space Agency found another way to make lasers useful.

01:59:53To turn moon dust into roads.

01:59:55It would make our future lunar exploration missions much easier if a laser beam could do the hard jobs,

02:00:02allowing astronauts to drive around the moon.

02:00:05This discovery might also help with another tricky issue,

02:00:08moon dust clinging to everything in sight.

02:00:12Roads on the moon might seem too much of a hustle for now,

02:00:15since we haven't been to our satellites since 1972.

02:00:19But when future space explorers will touch down again,

02:00:22they don't just plan to walk small distances.

02:00:26It'll be nice to have them driving around, so they can explore larger areas.

02:00:30Back during the Apollo missions, it clogged up equipment,

02:00:34eroded spacesuits, and even caused a lunar rover to overheat.

02:00:39That's why scientists want to zap simulated moon dirt with a laser.

02:00:46This laser-powered project used a 12-kilowatt laser to melt simulated moon dust.

02:00:51It's a very simple process, but it takes a lot of time and energy.

02:00:55This laser-powered project used a 12-kilowatt laser to melt simulated moon dirt

02:01:00into a solid, glassy surface, perfect for moon roads.

02:01:05The plan isn't to send a huge laser on the moon.

02:01:08This device they're testing here on Earth is like a stand-in for the sun,

02:01:13mimicking what lunar sunlight could do.

02:01:16The idea is to eventually concentrate sunlight using a big lens on the moon's surface.

02:01:22Some experiments have been done so far with different laser sizes,

02:01:26finding that a bigger beam made the whole process go smoother.

02:01:30Instead of dealing with tiny molten balls,

02:01:32they got a stable layer of molten moon dirt that's easier to work with.

02:01:37What they got was a glassy, somewhat brittle material that can handle downward forces.

02:01:43And even if it cracks, it's fixable.

02:01:46The laser beam was used to make triangle-shaped road parts

02:01:50that fit together like puzzle pieces, forming solid surfaces across lunar soil.

02:01:55If this goes as planned, we'll have moon roads made of interlocked triangles.

02:02:00This unique type of moon pavement could be the solution for landing pads, too.

02:02:08Lasers can help piece together information on long-lost civilizations, too.

02:02:13Discovering Maya cities has always been difficult

02:02:16for researchers exploring Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula.

02:02:20For years, experts believed no early civilization could have thrived in that harsh environment.

02:02:26But advancements like light-mapping technology and laser scans are showing us this might not be true.

02:02:34LiDAR technology can lend a helping hand for archaeologists,

02:02:38especially in areas that are hard to physically reach.

02:02:41That's because it's like we're equipping computers with a pair of eyes.

02:02:46The whole thing works as a flashlight,

02:02:47sending out small light beams in the form of a pulsated laser.

02:02:52These beams balance off objects like trees and buildings and come back to the flashlight.

02:02:58LiDAR measures how long it takes for the light to return, creating a map of the surroundings.

02:03:04When a self-driving car or robot wants to know where it is,

02:03:08it uses LiDAR to send out these light beams.

02:03:11By figuring out how long they take to come back and where they hit,

02:03:15the car or robot can understand what's around it, making it safer for them to move around

02:03:21through the fog or at nighttime without bumping into things.

02:03:28With this technology, a team uncovered the massive Maya city of Ocomtun.

02:03:33LiDAR technology helped researchers to map the jungle floor, revealing hidden structures.

02:03:39Yet someone still needed to verify these findings on foot.

02:03:43The journey to Ocomtun wasn't extremely challenging.

02:03:46The region, quite far from the nearest airport, is mostly unexplored,

02:03:50accessible only through old hunting and logging routes.

02:03:53The dense terrain made the trek challenging, taking the team up to two weeks to cover just 30 miles.

02:04:00But the effort paid off, revealing monumental structures like a large acropolis and

02:04:05intriguing shapes hinting at a marketplace or cultural center.

02:04:09LiDAR is also used in rovers we'll need to explore other planets.

02:04:14This will allow the robots we send up there

02:04:16to navigate their surroundings without direct human indications.

02:04:20It's also helped us better understand the best location to place solar panels,

02:04:25making it cheaper and faster for us to meet our energy needs.

02:04:29We might also be able to use lasers to predict how a volcano is going to act.

02:04:34These structures are loaded with magma,

02:04:36the molten rock sneaking upwards from the Earth's insides.

02:04:40When a volcano blows its top, a chemical reaction happens,

02:04:44transforming magma into what we call lava.

02:04:48The specialists behind this new use of lasers think of magma as the computer code of volcanoes.

02:04:54It reveals information on how a volcano will react to a volcanic eruption,

02:04:58and gives us information on how a volcano might pop up.

02:05:02That's because not all eruptions bring lava, and even if they do,

02:05:06there are different lava types, depending on how runny it is.

02:05:10Magma is like a mix of liquid, gas, and crystals that are shaken up inside the volcano.

02:05:16There are many elements at play before a volcanic eruption,

02:05:20so it's hard to study and understand that complex chemistry.

02:05:23To organize things around a bit, scientists hit the cooled magma, the rock matrix, with a laser,

02:05:29just like the ones you might have encountered if you've ever had eye surgery.

02:05:33It makes the chemical components easier to study.

02:05:37This latest laser eye method was used on samples from a 2021 eruption, which lasted 85 days.

02:05:44It covered over 4 square miles, spewing loads of lava that wrecked over a thousand homes

02:05:50and displaced over 7,000 people.

02:05:53To prevent such events from happening again, scientists need more data.

02:05:58It's true, earthquakes and ground shifts help specialists predict what a volcano might do.

02:06:03But knowing a bit more about its chemistry can help a bit more.

02:06:08That's it for today! So hey, if you pacified your curiosity, then give the video a like and

02:06:13share it with your friends! Or if you want more, just click on these videos and stay on the Bright Side!

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