Beautiful natural phenomena have accompanied us since childhood; for some it was a beautiful sunset with a red sun, and for others it was the long night rains of autumn. Some admired the frost or dew, while others swam in the soft snow. However, sometimes nature indulges in such unusual phenomena that some of them literally fascinate, and some can even scare someone. Most often we just admire and admire them. Below we will tell you about ten of the most amazing natural phenomena.

Polar lights. In some places this phenomenon is also called the northern phenomenon. This phenomenon is of an optical nature, and is one of the most beautiful in the world. The aurora can only be observed at high latitudes, not far from the poles. Typically, northern lights are bluish-white in color; multi-colored auroras are observed extremely rarely. The reason for this natural effect is the bombardment of the upper atmospheric layers by charged particles, which from the near-Earth outer space move towards the earth along the geomagnetic field lines. The duration of the aurora ranges from several hours to several days, causing people to admire the beautiful pattern in the sky.

Ball lightning and lightning in general. Any lightning is a discharge of electric current, which, depending on the conditions, takes on various forms. Lightning is always accompanied by a bright flash and thunder; usually these phenomena accompany a thunderstorm. Regular or linear lightning happens quite often; probably everyone could observe it. The most amazing of lightning is ball lightning; it was previously called a fireball. This phenomenon is quite rare; in nature, there are 2-3 ball lightnings per thousand ordinary lightnings. The exact cause of ball lightning is still unknown. Cases have been recorded of them appearing inside houses and even airplanes. And the behavior of these natural phenomena is also not fully understood. Ball lightning ranges in color from fiery red and orange to yellow, and usually floats in the air for a few seconds before disappearing.

Blue moon. Many people don’t even realize that the moon can have such an unusual color. Meanwhile, sometimes when high humidity or dustiness of the atmosphere, as well as other reasons, one can observe such an unusual effect. At the same time, the Moon can be painted in other colors. The most unusual of them are red and blue. This shade of the satellite is so rare that the British even came up with the proverb “once in a blue moon,” which corresponds to our “after the rain on Thursday.” Ashes and fumes contribute to the appearance of a blue Moon. Once, during forest fires in Canada, residents saw the Moon of exactly this color in the sky for a whole week.

Star rain. Some call this phenomenon rain of fire. In reality, neither stars nor fire fall from the sky. Meteorites simply enter the planet's atmosphere, heat up and burn, creating a flash of light visible from great distances on Earth. Typically, a meteor shower or rain is a stream of high-intensity meteors; there can be up to a thousand of them in an hour. In fact, a meteor shower consists of meteors burning in the atmosphere that do not reach the Earth, but a meteor shower is meteorites falling on the Earth. Previously, these concepts were not distinguished, uniting them into one thing - “rain of fire.” It is interesting that every year the mass of our planet increases due to fragments of space “guests” and dust by an average of 5 million tons.

Mirages. Although these phenomena are widespread, they usually evoke a sense of wonder akin to the mystical. Many people know and understand the reason for the occurrence of mirages - a change in its optical properties by heated air, which causes the very same light inhomogeneities that are observed by humans. The origin of mirages has long been explained by science, but they still excite people’s imagination. The optical effect is based on a special vertical distribution of air density. Under certain conditions, virtual images appear on the horizon. But usually people forget about scientific explanations, watching a miracle being born right before our eyes.

Lenticular clouds. The scientific name for this rare meteorological phenomenon is Lenticular mammatus. The photo you see was taken in Joplin, Missouri in May 2005. Then such unusual clouds were observed by city residents. This effect is quite rare; the last time a similar phenomenon was observed in this area was 30 years ago.

St. Elmo's Fire. This phenomenon is as unusual as it is beautiful. Its first witnesses were sailors who could observe these lights on the masts and other vertical pointed objects of their ships. This phenomenon looks like beautiful luminous balls that appear due to the high electric field strength. St. Elmo's Lights typically appear during a thunderstorm, severe storm, or blizzard. There have been cases where these lights even damaged radio and electrical devices.

Gloria. To see this effect, you need to light a fire in the mountains at night, choosing weather with low clouds. Then a halo will appear around your head, and your shadow will appear on the clouds. This phenomenon is called gloria. Essentially this optical phenomenon, observed on clouds that are located below the observer or directly in front of him at a point directly opposite the source of illumination. In the East, it is even customary to call gloria “the light of Buddha.” The observer's shadow is always surrounded by a colored halo; it is no coincidence that this was interpreted as the degree of his enlightenment or closeness to deities, in particular Buddha.

Fire rainbow. It is called a round-horizontal arc for its resemblance to a flame, but the rainbow was not created by it, but by ice. For this effect to appear, the sun must rise above the horizon by 58 degrees, and cirrus clouds must be present in the sky. But this is not enough, the clouds contain numerous flat hexagonal ice crystals, they must be located horizontally, thereby refracting light like one large prism. It is not surprising that a fire rainbow is an extremely rare phenomenon; it looks very mesmerizing in the sky.

Belt of Venus. Shortly before sunrise, when it was still twilight, and also immediately after sunset, the sky above the horizon was partly colorless and partly pink. This effect is called the belt of Venus. The colorless strip between the blue sky and the already darkened sky is a common phenomenon; it can be seen even to the side opposite the Sun. The blueness of the sky can be explained very simply - it is reflected in the atmosphere sunlight. But the appearance of the belt of Venus is explained differently - this is how the light of the Sun, which rises or sets, is reflected in the atmosphere. At this moment the light seemed to turn red. The Belt of Venus can be seen anywhere with a clear horizon.

Natural phenomena are ordinary and sometimes supernatural weather and climate events that occur naturally in all parts of the world. They can be as simple as rain or snow for many, or they can be destructive and incredible, like an earthquake or a volcanic eruption. However, even they may not be very important for people if they passed by and caused almost no damage. Otherwise, the natural phenomenon is awarded the “title” of a natural disaster.

Natural phenomena began to be explored many centuries ago. Although, perhaps, their research began in ancient times. For example, in the 17th century, the naturalist Gilbert was able to prove that the Earth is a large magnet with its own poles, and in the 18th century, B. Franklin discovered atmospheric electricity.
However, to this day little is known about natural phenomena. Scientists in many countries are studying them to predict their occurrence and prevent their possible occurrence.

The polar (northern) lights are one of the most beautiful optical phenomena in the world, which can be observed exclusively at high latitudes, near the poles. Typically, auroras are bluish-white, and only in exceptional cases can multicolored auroras be observed. Aurorae appear as a result of bombardment upper layers atmosphere by charged particles moving towards the Earth along geomagnetic field lines from the region of near-Earth space. The northern lights can last from several hours to several days and amaze with their extraordinary beauty.

Lightning and ball lightning. Any lightning - electric current, which, depending on conditions, can take various shapes. Especially amazing are ball lightning, which used to be called fireballs. The nature of the occurrence of ball lightning is still not precisely known. Sometimes they were even observed inside houses and airplanes. The behavior of ball lightning has also not been studied. Ball lightning can be fiery red, orange or yellow and float in the air for several seconds until it disappears. Lightning is always accompanied by thunder and a bright flash of light and is most often observed during a thunderstorm. Each of us has repeatedly seen ordinary, so-called linear lightning. But ball lightning- a rather rare phenomenon. In nature, for about a thousand ordinary, linear lightning, there are only 2-3 ball lightning.

Blue moon. We are all accustomed to seeing the ordinary moon, but sometimes when the atmosphere is dusty, high humidity or for other reasons, the Moon looks different colors. The blue and red Moon are especially unusual. A blue moon is such a rare natural phenomenon that the British even have a saying “once in a blue moon,” which means about the same as our “after the rain on Thursday.” The blue moon appears from ashes and burning. For example, when forests burned in Canada, the moon was blue for a whole week.

"Fire" rain (star rain). In fact, it is not stars that fall from the sky, but meteorites that enter earth's atmosphere, heat up and burn. In this case, a flash of light appears, which can be seen quite long distance from the surface of the Earth. Most often, a meteor shower of high intensity (up to a thousand meteors per hour) is called a star or meteor shower. A meteor shower consists of meteors that burn up in the atmosphere and does not reach the ground, while a meteor shower consists of meteorites that fall to the ground. Previously, the former were not distinguished from the latter, and both of these phenomena were called “rain of fire.” Interesting fact: every year from meteorite fragments and cosmic dust The Earth's mass increases by an average of 5 million tons.

Mirages. Despite their prevalence, mirages always evoke an almost mystical sense of wonder. We all know the reason for the appearance of most mirages - overheated air changes its optical properties, causing light inhomogeneities called mirages. A mirage is a phenomenon that has long been explained by science, but continues to amaze people. The optical effect is based on a special vertical distribution of air density. Under certain conditions, this leads to the appearance of virtual images near the horizon. However, you instantly forget all these boring explanations when you yourself become a witness to a miracle being born before your eyes.

Sel (Arabic - " torrent") is a flow of mass with a high concentration of mineral particles, rock fragments, stones. This mass is something between a liquid and a solid mass. These flows arise suddenly, usually in the area of ​​dry meadows and basins of small mountain rivers, although most often in mountains during heavy and heavy rain.

Mudflows can be caused by:
1) Heavy rainfall.
2) Melting of glaciers or snow cover.
3) Deforestation in mountainous areas (tree roots hold back the soil of mountainous areas, thereby preventing the occurrence of mudflows), which is closely related to the two previous reasons.

A potential mudflow source is mudflow basins or mudflow channels with a large amount of debris material and the conditions for its accumulation, which turn into active mudflows as a result of the occurrence of certain water conditions (rainfalls, glaciers, etc.). That is, to put it simply, dangerous mudflow areas are those whose flows, when a large amount of water suddenly appears, begin to carry with them various fragments of trees, stones, garbage and/or other things.

Tsunamis are long waves generated by powerful impact throughout the entire thickness of water in an ocean or other body of water. Most tsunamis are caused by underwater earthquakes, during which a sharp displacement (raising or lowering) of a section of the seabed occurs. Tsunamis are formed during an earthquake of any strength, but those that arise due to strong earthquakes(with a magnitude greater than 7). As a result of an earthquake, several waves propagate. The first scientific description of the phenomenon was given by José de Acosta in 1586 in Lima, Peru, after a powerful earthquake, then a tsunami 25 meters high burst onto land at a distance of 10 km.

One of the most unusual celestial anomalies, which has become the subject of conversation and debate among many scientists, are the Asperatus clouds. Sometimes they take on a shape that resembles a crumpled piece of paper, whipped cream, or swirling “horns.” For being so terrifying and unusual look they were given the nickname "devil's clouds."

These dark and mysterious clouds were first noticed in 1953. Previously, there was no information about their existence, so people did not know what to prepare for. Some considered them an omen of the apocalypse, others expected the invasion of terrible hurricanes and tornadoes. But nothing like that happened - the clouds dissipated on their own, without rain, noise or dust.

Soon, devilish clouds began to appear in different parts of the planet, so scientists started talking about them seriously. The phenomenon existed, but there was no explanation for it. In addition, there was not even any scientific name, but only what eyewitnesses came up with. Due to their uneven shape, it was decided to give the name “Undulatus asperatus”, which means “wavy-rough”.
Now scientists face a new task - to determine the cause of the appearance of devilish clouds. So far we have only been able to establish that they contain a lot of moisture.

St. Elmo's Lights is a mysterious, very beautiful and at the same time frightening natural phenomenon, which is nothing more than an electric glow. It may occur on sharp ends masts or yards of ships, towers, cliff tops or tall trees during times when there is a high electric field strength in the atmosphere.

Scientists have found their explanation for the fires of St. Elmo. In science they are known as a point or corona discharge. It appears in electric field with sharp heterogeneity. In this case, the role of electrodes is played by pointed objects. Elmo lights can look different: like fireworks, like dancing flames, or like a calm flickering glow. In most cases, eyewitnesses describe them as blue-white lights, but there were also bright scarlet “instances”. They do not cause fire, do not burn and disappear, generally, a minute after their appearance. Often the glow is accompanied by a hissing or crackling sound, reminiscent of the sound of burning brushwood or grass.



The natural world around us is simply teeming with various secrets and mysteries. Scientists have been looking for answers for centuries and sometimes trying to explain, but even the best minds of mankind still defy some amazing natural phenomena.

Sometimes you get the impression that strange flashes in the sky and spontaneously moving stones do not mean anything special. But, delving into the mysterious manifestations observed on our planet, you understand that it is impossible to answer many questions. Nature carefully hides its secrets, and people put forward new hypotheses, trying to unravel them.

Today we will look at physical phenomena in living nature that will make you look at the world around you in a new way.

Physical phenomena

Every body is made up of certain substances, but note that different activities have different effects on the same bodies. For example, if you tear paper in half, the paper will still be paper. But if you set it on fire, all that will remain is ashes.

When the size, shape, state changes, but the substance remains the same and does not transform into another, such phenomena are called physical. They may be different.

Natural phenomena, examples of which we can observe in ordinary life, there are:

• Mechanical. The movement of clouds across the sky, the flight of an airplane, the fall of an apple.
• Thermal. Caused by temperature changes. During this process, the characteristics of the body change. If you heat ice, it becomes water, which transforms into steam.
• Electrical. Surely, when quickly taking off your woolen clothes, you have at least once heard a specific crackling sound, similar to an electric discharge. And if you do all this in a dark room, you can still observe the sparks. Objects that, after friction, begin to attract lighter bodies are called electrified. Northern lights, lightning during a thunderstorm - vivid examples
• Light. Bodies that emit light are called. This includes the Sun, lamps and even representatives of the animal world: some types of deep-sea fish and fireflies.

Physical natural phenomena, examples of which we discussed above, are successfully used by people in everyday life. But there are also those that to this day excite the minds of scientists and evoke universal admiration.

Northern lights

Perhaps this rightfully bears the status of the most romantic. High in the sky, colorful rivers form, covering an endless number of bright stars.

If you want to enjoy this beauty, the best place to do it is in the northern part of Finland (Lapland). There was a belief that the cause of its occurrence was the anger of the supreme gods. But the most popular legend of the Sami people was about a fabulous fox who hit the snow-covered plains with his tail, causing colored sparks to soar into the heights and illuminate the night sky.

Clouds in the form of pipes

Such a natural phenomenon can drag anyone into a state of relaxation, inspiration, and illusion for a long time. Such sensations are created due to the shape of large pipes that change their color.

You can see it in those places where a thunderstorm front begins to form. This natural phenomenon is most often observed in countries with a tropical climate.

Stones that move in Death Valley

There are various natural phenomena, examples of which are quite understandable with scientific point vision. But there are those that defy human logic. One of the mysteries of nature is considered to be. This phenomenon can be observed in the American national park, called Death Valley. Many scientists try to explain the movement by strong winds, which are often found in desert areas, and the presence of ice, since it was in winter that the movement of stones became more intense.

During the research, scientists made observations of 30 stones, the weight of which was no more than 25 kg. Over seven years, 28 out of 30 stone blocks moved 200 meters from the starting point.

Whatever the scientists’ guesses, they do not have a clear answer regarding this phenomenon.

Ball lightning

Appearing after or during a thunderstorm is called ball lightning. There is an assumption that Nikola Tesla managed to create ball lightning in his laboratory. He wrote that he had never seen anything like this in nature (we were talking about fireballs), but he figured out how they are formed and even managed to recreate this phenomenon.

Modern scientists have not been able to achieve similar results. And some even question the existence of this phenomenon as such.

We have considered only some natural phenomena, examples of which show how amazing and mysterious our surrounding world is. How many unknown and interesting things we still have to learn in the process of developing and improving science. How many discoveries await us ahead?

Natural phenomena are ordinary, sometimes even supernatural, climatic and meteorological events that occur naturally in all corners of the planet. It could be snow or rain, familiar from childhood, or it could be incredibly destructive or earthquakes. If such events take place away from a person and do not cause him material damage, they are considered unimportant. Nobody will pay attention to this. Otherwise, dangerous natural phenomena are considered by humanity as natural disasters.

Research and observations

People began to study characteristic natural phenomena in ancient times. However, it was possible to systematize these observations only in the 17th century; even a separate branch of science (natural science) was formed that studied these events. However, despite many scientific discoveries, and to this day some natural phenomena and processes remain poorly understood. Most often, we see the consequence of this or that event, but we can only guess about the root causes and build various theories. Researchers in many countries are working to predict the occurrence, and most importantly, prevent them. possible appearance or at least reducing the damage caused by natural phenomena. And yet, despite all the destructive power of such processes, a person always remains a person and strives to find something beautiful and sublime in this. What natural phenomenon is most fascinating? They could be listed for a long time, but perhaps it should be noted such as a volcanic eruption, a tornado, a tsunami - they are all beautiful, despite the destruction and chaos that remain after them.

Weather phenomena of nature

Natural phenomena characterize the weather with its seasonal changes. Each season has its own set of events. For example, in the spring the following are observed: snowmelt, floods, thunderstorms, clouds, wind, and rain. In the summer, the sun gives the planet an abundance of heat; natural processes at this time are most favorable: clouds, warm winds, rains and, of course, rainbows; but they can also be severe: thunderstorms, hail. In autumn the temperature changes, the days become cloudy and rainy. During this period, the following phenomena prevail: fog, leaf fall, frost, first snow. in winter flora falls asleep, some animals hibernate. The most common natural phenomena are: freeze-up, blizzard, blizzard, snow, which appear on the windows

All these events are commonplace for us; we have not paid attention to them for a long time. Now let's look at the processes that remind humanity that it is not the crown of everything, and planet Earth just sheltered it for a while.

Natural hazards

These are extreme and severe climate and meteorological events that occur in all parts of the world, but some regions are considered more vulnerable to certain types of events compared to others. Natural hazards become disasters when infrastructure is destroyed and people die. These losses represent major obstacles to human development. It is almost impossible to prevent such cataclysms; all that remains is timely forecasting of events in order to prevent casualties and material damage.

However, the difficulty lies in the fact that dangerous natural phenomena can occur on different scales and in different times. In fact, each of them is unique in its own way, and therefore it is very difficult to predict it. For example, flash floods and tornadoes are destructive but short-lived events that affect relatively small areas. Other dangerous disasters, such as droughts, can develop very slowly but affect entire continents and entire populations. Such disasters last for several months and sometimes years. In order to monitor and predict these events, some national hydrological and meteorological services and special specialized centers are tasked with studying hazardous geophysical phenomena. This includes volcanic eruptions, airborne ash, tsunamis, radioactive, biological, chemical pollution, etc.

Now let's take a closer look at some natural phenomena.

Drought

The main reason for this cataclysm is the lack of precipitation. Drought is very different from other natural disasters in its slow development, often its onset is hidden by various factors. There are even recorded cases in world history when this disaster lasted for many years. Drought often has devastating consequences: first, water sources (streams, rivers, lakes, springs) dry up, many crops stop growing, then animals die, and poor health and malnutrition become widespread realities.

Tropical cyclones

These natural phenomena are areas of very low atmospheric pressure over subtropical and tropical waters, forming a colossal rotating system of thunderstorms and winds hundreds (sometimes thousands) of kilometers across. The speed of surface winds in the zone of a tropical cyclone can reach two hundred kilometers per hour or even more. The interaction of low pressure and wind-driven waves often results in a coastal storm surge - a huge volume of water washed ashore with tremendous force and high speed, which wash away everything in their path.

Air pollution

These natural phenomena arise as a result of the accumulation in the air of harmful gases or particles of substances formed as a result of disasters (volcanic eruptions, fires) and human activities (the work of industrial enterprises, vehicles, etc.). Haze and smoke result from fires in undeveloped lands and forested areas, as well as the burning of crop residues and logging; in addition, due to the formation of volcanic ash. These air pollutants have very serious consequences for the human body. As a result of such disasters, visibility is reduced and interruptions in the operation of road and air transport occur.

Desert Locust

Such natural phenomena cause serious damage in Asia, the Middle East, Africa and the southern part of the European continent. When environmental and weather conditions are favorable for the reproduction of these insects, they tend to concentrate in small areas. However, as their numbers increase, the locust ceases to be an individual creature and turns into a single living organism. Small groups form huge flocks that move in search of food. The length of such a school can reach tens of kilometers. In a day, it can cover distances of up to two hundred kilometers, sweeping away all vegetation in its path. So, one ton of locusts (this is a small part of the swarm) can eat as much food in a day as ten elephants or 2,500 people eat. These insects pose a threat to millions of pastoralists and farmers living in vulnerable environmental conditions.

Flash floods and flash floods

Data can occur anywhere after heavy rainfall. All floodplains are vulnerable to flooding, and strong storms cause flash floods. In addition, short-term floods sometimes even occur after periods of drought, when very heavy rain falls on a hard and dry surface through which water flow cannot seep into the ground. These natural events are characterized by a wide variety of types: from violent small floods to a powerful layer of water that covers vast areas. They can be caused by tornadoes, severe thunderstorms, monsoons, extratropical and tropical cyclones (their strength may be increased by exposure to warm current El Niño), melting snow and ice jams. In coastal areas as a result of a tsunami, cyclone or rise in water levels in rivers, due to unusual high tides Storm surges often lead to flooding. The cause of flooding of vast areas located below barrier dams is often flooding on rivers, which is caused by melting snow.

Other natural hazards

1. Mud flow or landslide.

5. Lightning.

6. Extreme temperatures.

7. Tornado.

10. Fires on undeveloped lands or forests.

11. Heavy snow and rain.

12. Strong winds.

Hazardous natural phenomena mean extreme climatic or meteorological phenomena that occur naturally at one point or another on the planet. In some regions, such hazardous events may occur with greater frequency and destructive force than in others. Dangerous natural phenomena develop into natural disasters when the infrastructure created by civilization is destroyed and people themselves die.

1. Earthquakes

Among all natural hazards, earthquakes should take first place. In places of ruptures earth's crust tremors occur that cause vibrations of the earth's surface with the release of gigantic energy. The resulting seismic waves are transmitted over very long distances, although the greatest destructive force These waves have earthquakes at their epicenter. Due to strong vibrations of the earth's surface, massive destruction of buildings occurs.
Since quite a lot of earthquakes occur, and the surface of the earth is quite densely built up, then total quantity people throughout history who died as a result of earthquakes exceed the number of all other victims natural disasters and numbers in many millions. For example, over the past decade, about 700 thousand people have died from earthquakes around the world. Entire settlements instantly collapsed from the most destructive shocks. Japan is the country most affected by earthquakes, and one of the most catastrophic earthquakes occurred there in 2011. The epicenter of this earthquake was in the ocean near the island of Honshu; on the Richter scale, the force of the tremors reached 9.1. Powerful tremors and the subsequent destructive tsunami disabled the Fukushima nuclear power plant, destroying three out of four power units. Radiation covered a significant area around the station, making densely populated areas, so valuable in Japanese conditions, uninhabitable. The colossal tsunami wave turned into mush what the earthquake could not destroy. Only officially over 16 thousand people died, to which we can safely include another 2.5 thousand who are considered missing. Only in this century have destructive earthquakes occurred in Indian Ocean, Iran, Chile, Haiti, Italy, Nepal.

2. Tsunami waves

A specific water disaster in the form of tsunami waves often results in numerous casualties and catastrophic destruction. As a result of underwater earthquakes or shifts of tectonic plates in the ocean, very fast but subtle waves arise, which grow into huge ones as they approach the shores and reach shallow waters. Most often, tsunamis occur in areas with increased seismic activity. A huge mass of water, quickly approaching the shore, destroys everything in its path, picks it up and carries it deep into the coast, and then carries it into the ocean with a reverse current. People, unable to sense danger like animals, often do not notice the approach of a deadly wave, and when they do, it is too late.
Usually killed by a tsunami more people than from the earthquake that caused it (the latest case in Japan). In 1971, the most powerful tsunami ever observed occurred there, the wave of which rose 85 meters at a speed of about 700 km/h. But the most catastrophic was the tsunami observed in the Indian Ocean (source - an earthquake off the coast of Indonesia), which claimed the lives of about 300 thousand people along a large part of the Indian Ocean coast.

A tornado (in America this phenomenon is called a tornado) is a fairly stable atmospheric vortex, most often occurring in thunderclouds. He's visual...

3. Volcanic eruption

Throughout its history, humanity has remembered many catastrophic volcanic eruptions. When the pressure of magma exceeds the strength of the earth's crust at the weakest points, which are volcanoes, it ends in an explosion and outpouring of lava. But the lava itself, from which you can simply walk away, is not so dangerous as the hot pyroclastic gases rushing from the mountain, penetrated here and there by lightning, as well as the noticeable influence of the strongest eruptions on the climate.
Volcanologists count about half a thousand dangerous active volcanoes, several dormant supervolcanoes, not counting the thousands that are extinct. Thus, during the eruption of Mount Tambora in Indonesia, the surrounding lands were plunged into darkness for two days, 92 thousand inhabitants died, and cold temperatures were felt even in Europe and America.
List of some major volcanic eruptions:

• Volcano Laki (Iceland, 1783). As a result of that eruption, a third of the island's population died - 20 thousand inhabitants. The eruption lasted for 8 months, during which streams of lava and liquid mud erupted from volcanic fissures. Geysers have become more active than ever. Living on the island at this time was almost impossible. The crops were destroyed and even the fish disappeared, so the survivors starved and suffered from unbearable living conditions. This may be the longest eruption in human history.
• Volcano Tambora (Indonesia, Sumbawa Island, 1815). When the volcano exploded, the sound of the explosion spread over 2 thousand kilometers. Even the remote islands of the archipelago were covered with ash, and 70 thousand people died from the eruption. But even today, Tambora is one of the highest mountains in Indonesia that remains volcanically active.
• Volcano Krakatoa (Indonesia, 1883). 100 years after Tambora, another catastrophic eruption occurred in Indonesia, this time “blowing the roof off” (literally) the Krakatoa volcano. After the catastrophic explosion that destroyed the volcano itself, frightening rumbles were heard for another two months. A gigantic amount of rock, ash and hot gases were thrown into the atmosphere. The eruption was followed by a powerful tsunami with wave heights of up to 40 meters. These two natural disasters together destroyed 34 thousand islanders along with the island itself.
• Volcano Santa Maria (Guatemala, 1902). After a 500-year hibernation, this volcano woke up again in 1902, starting the 20th century with the most catastrophic eruption, which resulted in the formation of a one and a half kilometer crater. In 1922, Santa Maria reminded itself again - this time the eruption itself was not too strong, but the cloud of hot gases and ash brought the death of 5 thousand people.

4. Tornadoes

Throughout the history of mankind, powerful earthquakes have repeatedly caused colossal damage to people and caused a huge number of casualties among the population...

A tornado is a very impressive natural phenomenon, especially in the United States, where it is called a tornado. This is an air flow twisted in a spiral into a funnel. Small tornadoes resemble slender, narrow pillars, and giant tornadoes can resemble a mighty carousel reaching towards the sky. The closer you are to the funnel, the stronger the wind speed is; it begins to drag along increasingly larger objects, up to cars, carriages and light buildings. In the “tornado alley” of the United States, entire city blocks are often destroyed and people die. The most powerful vortices of the F5 category reach a speed of about 500 km/h at the center. The state that suffers the most from tornadoes every year is Alabama.

There is a type of fire tornado that sometimes occurs in areas of massive fires. There, from the heat of the flame, powerful upward currents are formed, which begin to twist into a spiral, like an ordinary tornado, only this one is filled with flame. As a result, a powerful draft is formed near the surface of the earth, from which the flame grows even stronger and incinerates everything around. When a catastrophic earthquake occurred in Tokyo in 1923, it caused massive fires that led to the formation of a fire tornado that rose 60 meters. The column of fire moved towards the square with frightened people and burned 38 thousand people in a few minutes.

5. Sandstorms

This phenomenon occurs in sandy deserts when strong winds rise. Sand, dust and soil particles rise to a fairly high altitude, forming a cloud that sharply reduces visibility. If an unprepared traveler gets caught in such a storm, he may die from grains of sand falling into his lungs. Herodotus described the story as 525 BC. e. In the Sahara, a 50,000-strong army was buried alive by a sandstorm. In Mongolia in 2008, 46 people died as a result of this natural phenomenon, and a year earlier two hundred people suffered the same fate.

Occasionally, tsunami waves occur in the ocean. They are very insidious - in the open ocean they are completely invisible, but as soon as they approach the coastal shelf, they...

6. Avalanches

Avalanches periodically fall from snow-capped mountain peaks. Climbers especially often suffer from them. During the First World War, up to 80 thousand people died from avalanches in the Tyrolean Alps. In 1679, half a thousand people died from snow melting in Norway. In 1886, a major disaster occurred, as a result of which the “white death” claimed 161 lives. The records of Bulgarian monasteries also mention human casualties from avalanches.

7. Hurricanes

In the Atlantic they are called hurricanes, and in Pacific Ocean typhoons. These are huge atmospheric vortices, in the center of which the strongest winds and sharply reduced pressure are observed. Several years ago, the devastating Hurricane Katrina swept over the United States, which particularly affected the state of Louisiana and the densely populated city of New Orleans, located at the mouth of the Mississippi. 80% of the city was flooded, and 1,836 people died. Other famous destructive hurricanes include:

• Hurricane Ike (2008). The diameter of the vortex was over 900 km, and in its center the wind blew at a speed of 135 km/h. In the 14 hours that the cyclone moved across the United States, it managed to cause $30 billion worth of destruction.
• Hurricane Wilma (2005). This is the largest Atlantic cyclone in the entire history of weather observations. The cyclone, which originated in the Atlantic, made landfall several times. The damage it caused amounted to $20 billion, killing 62 people.
• Typhoon Nina (1975). This typhoon was able to breach China's Bangqiao Dam, causing the destruction of the dams below and causing catastrophic flooding. The typhoon killed up to 230 thousand Chinese.

8. Tropical cyclones

These are the same hurricanes, but in tropical and subtropical waters, representing huge low-pressure atmospheric systems with winds and thunderstorms, often exceeding a thousand kilometers in diameter. Near the surface of the earth, winds at the center of the cyclone can reach speeds of more than 200 km/h. Low pressure and wind cause the formation of a coastal storm surge - when colossal masses of water are thrown ashore at high speed, washing away everything in its path.

Environmental disasters have their own specifics - during them not a single person may die, but at the same time a very significant...

9. Landslide

Prolonged rains can cause landslides. The soil swells, loses stability and slides down, taking with it everything that is on the surface of the earth. Most often, landslides occur in the mountains. In 1920, the most devastating landslide occurred in China, under which 180 thousand people were buried. Other examples:

• Bududa (Uganda, 2010). Due to mudflows, 400 people died, and 200 thousand had to be evacuated.
• Sichuan (China, 2008). Avalanches, landslides and mudflows caused by an 8-magnitude earthquake claimed 20 thousand lives.
• Leyte (Philippines, 2006). The downpour caused a mudslide and landslide that killed 1,100 people.
• Vargas (Venezuela, 1999). Mudflows and landslides after heavy rains (almost 1000 mm of precipitation fell in 3 days) on the northern coast led to the death of almost 30 thousand people.

10. Ball lightning

We are accustomed to ordinary linear lightning accompanied by thunder, but ball lightning is much rarer and more mysterious. The nature of this phenomenon is electrical, but scientists cannot yet give a more accurate description of ball lightning. It is known that she can have different sizes and shape, most often yellowish or reddish luminous spheres. By unknown reasons ball lightning often ignores the laws of mechanics. Most often they occur before a thunderstorm, although they can also appear in absolutely clear weather, as well as indoors or in an airplane cabin. Glowing ball It hangs in the air with a slight hiss, then can begin to move in any direction. Over time, it seems to shrink until it disappears completely or explodes with a roar. But the damage ball lightning can cause is very limited.