What's the most mysterious place on Earth? ? Is there a place where ice never melts? There's a spot in China that remains frozen even through blazing summers. It's a strange patch of "Cold Earth" that remains under ice even if it's hot outside. What's going on there and why doesn't that ice melt under the sun rays? ? Let's discover these 18 biggest natural mysteries and unusual places on Earth.
00:00In the high altitudes of northern China, there is one mountain that remains frozen all year round.
00:06It's a naturally occurring spot of cold earth.
00:09A thick layer of permafrost lies underneath the mountain's top layer of soil, freezing everything above it.
00:15The climate-defying pocket of frozen land covers over 26 feet of a mountain slope in Pingchuyen County,
00:22a place famous for its scorching hot summers, reaching highs of 90 degrees Fahrenheit.
00:26This frozen spot of land manages to survive the blazing temperatures due to the coarse, blocky layer of soil covering the permafrost.
00:35This coarse soil prevents the hot climate from reaching and melting the permafrost, allowing the ground to stay frozen all year round.
00:42Argentina may be famous for its beautiful beaches and hot sun, but in southern Argentina, you can find Perito Moreno Glacier.
00:51This stunning blue glacier covers over 100 square miles and is constantly growing.
00:56When visiting this natural wonder, you might notice an archway of ice forming off the side of the glacier, reaching out to the nearby land.
01:03Suddenly, the archway ruptures and the ice collapses into the water below.
01:08This is completely natural.
01:10The glacier goes through a process of forming these arches until they collapse.
01:14It'll form another one in no time.
01:16On California's glass beach, there is no sand and only colorful gemstone-like pebbles called sea glass.
01:24Surprisingly, these beautiful pebbles are the result of garbage.
01:27For decades, the beach was used as a massive dumping ground for locals to abandon their glass, appliances, and even cars on the beachfront.
01:34The state eventually prohibited anyone from disposing of their garbage on the beach.
01:39Over the years, the waves broke down all the remaining junk and turned it into brightly colored pebbles that attract tourists from all over.
01:47The highest waterfall in the world, Angel Falls, can be found in southern Venezuela.
01:51The water there travels along one of the biggest tabletop mountains in Venezuela and plummets 2,500 feet down into the jungle below.
01:59That's three times taller than the Eiffel Tower.
02:02The water falls from so high that most of it evaporates into mist before even reaching the ground.
02:08Visitors can feel the mist settling on their skin from over half a mile away.
02:12In Scotland, hidden away from the main roads and tucked deep within the woodlands, is Fiddick Glen.
02:18This area looks like something out of an ancient fairy tale, with looming glass-moss-covered rock formations and crimson red waters.
02:26The water's red color is due to the red sandstone lying beneath the shallow river.
02:31To get to this stunning natural beauty, you have to embark on a dangerous hike down steep, muddy hills, clambering onto trees to stop you from falling.
02:39But when you reach the bottom, it'll all have been worth it to watch the sunlight shine off the ruby waters and see the towering rocks of this enchanting world.
02:47With bubblegum pink water and a surrounding circle of emerald green forests, it's hard to believe that Lake Hillier is a real place.
02:56Located in Western Australia, no one can truly explain why the lake has pink color.
03:01However, scientists have theorized that the high quantities of salt in the lake have attracted a salt-loving pink bacteria called halobacteria, responsible for the lake's trademark shade.
03:12In a small peninsula in South America, there is one of the most beautiful natural wonders in the world, the marble caves.
03:19These look like any other caves from the outside.
03:22Inside these caves, the walls consist of smooth, swirling blue marble formations.
03:27Over thousands of years, water has eroded the marble deposits within these caves, forming this unique cave system.
03:34So while deep blue color seems like it's part of the marble, it's the reflection of the water that causes these blue shades along the cave walls.
03:43Azerbaijan's mud volcanoes are exactly what they sound like.
03:47Over 300 of these natural phenomena are located in Azerbaijan, more than anywhere else in the world.
03:54There have been over 200 eruptions since records began.
03:57Mud volcanoes are landforms caused by the eruption of mud, water, and gases.
04:02Pockets of gas form underground and force their way to the surface, eventually erupting and splattering mud everywhere.
04:10These volcanoes can be pretty dangerous.
04:12In 2006, a mud volcano erupted in Indonesia and coated an entire nearby village in thick mud.
04:20Pamukkale is a marvelous hillside of tiered thermal pools.
04:24The name of the Turkish city translates to cotton castle.
04:27The pools are made of travertine, a type of limestone that gives the hillside its stunning white color.
04:33In addition, the stone has geothermal properties making the pool's hot springs.
04:38There are 17 pools in total, and all are open to the public 7 days a week.
04:43The temperatures range from 95 degrees Fahrenheit all the way to 212 degrees Fahrenheit.
04:49They are essentially nature's version of a hot tub.
04:51Legend has it that the giant's causeway in Northern Ireland was formed when a great Irish giant was challenged to battle a Scottish giant.
05:00The causeway was built across the sea so the two giants could meet.
05:03When the Irish giant defeated his foe, the Scottish giant ran home and destroyed the causeway behind him.
05:09All that remains are the beginnings of the causeway at the water's edge.
05:13The stunning rock formation of interlocking columns was the result of an ancient volcanic eruption.
05:17The columns are a hexagonal shape and form a natural staircase from the Irish Sea to a foot of a cliff.
05:24The tallest columns are 39 feet high.
05:26The giant's causeway is the most popular tourist destination in Northern Ireland, receiving almost 1 million visitors in 2019.
05:34Deep within the Nica Mines in Mexico, you can find the Cave of Crystals.
05:39The cave is full of massive shards of bright selenite crystals.
05:43The largest is 37 feet tall.
05:45These are some of the largest natural crystals in the world.
05:48It's thought that the water that previously filled the cave was incredibly rich in minerals, allowing the crystals to grow to their full potential.
05:56Unfortunately, tourists cannot visit the Cave of Crystals due to its scorching temperature and humid conditions.
06:03Even scientists are required to have a special permit to enter the cave.
06:06The river of five colors is located in the Colombian province of Meadow.
06:11Known locally as the Rainbow River, the waters are famous for their striking colors.
06:16The river is variously colored yellow, green, blue, black, and most prominently red from summer till winter.
06:23Due to a lack of nutrients, the river's water is naturally clear, so it's easy to see diverse and colorful plant life on the riverbed.
06:30In New Zealand, you can take a boat ride through the beautiful Waitomo Caves.
06:39The walls of the caves glow luminescent, like bright stars against the night sky.
06:44But these glowing lights aren't stars.
06:46They're worms.
06:47Luminescent glow worms live in the walls of the cave, giving the cave its trademark glow.
06:52The particular species of glow worms cannot be found anywhere else in the world.
06:56For thousands of years, the fairy chimneys have stood tall in Cappadocia, Turkey.
07:02These unusual rock formations are tall, thin spires of rock that were initially formed by lava.
07:08The tallest chimney is 130 feet high.
07:11Humans have hollowed out the insides of these rocks for hundreds of years to create homes for themselves.
07:17Today, you can visit one of the many hotels that currently exist inside the fairy chimneys.
07:22Wave Rock is a popular spot for a photo shoot in Western Australia.
07:27The giant rock is 46 feet tall and shaped like a breaking ocean wave.
07:32Millions of years of strong winds and hard rainfall eroded the rock into the wave-like shape it has today.
07:38The rock has a stunning mix of red and gray colors caused by minerals washed down the rock.
07:43The site of the Wave Rock has become a famous camping ground due to its proximity to beautiful lakes and a variety of wildlife.
07:49The Zanyi National Geopark in China has previously been voted one of the most beautiful landscapes in the world.
07:58The park is famous for its colorful rock formations, popularly known as the Rainbow Mountains.
08:03Layers of minerals and different colored sandstone were slowly pushed together across 24 million years to create the stunning landscape.
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