AlehJassonDoe
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'Door to Hell,' Turkmenistan
The Door to Hell is a natural gas field in Derweze, Turkmenistan and is known for its natural gas fire which has been burning continuously since it was lit by Soviet petrochemical scientists in 1971.
Crescent Lake, China
Yueyaquan is a crescent-shaped lake in an oasis, south of the city of Dunhuang in Gansu Province, China. The depth of the lake, a popular tourist spot, had decreased over the years as sand encroached on the site but in 2006, the government started to fill the lake and restore its depth.
Dragon's Blood Trees, Socotra
Located in the northwest Indian Ocean, Socotra features a vast, craggy and alien-like landscape and is home to unique flora and fauna found nowhere else. The archipelago is especially known as the home to dragon's blood trees (Dracaena cinnabari), trees looks like an upturned umbrella.
Lencois Maranhenses National Park, Brazil
Is it a desert? Comprised of large, white, sweeping dunes, Lençóis Maranhenses in Brazil looks like a desert--but it's not. Located just outside the Amazon Basin, the park is subject to rainfall at the beginning of the year, resulting in blue, green and black 'lagoons' surrounded by the desert-like sand.
Crooked Forest, Poland
A fairy tale forest? Approximately 400 pine trees with mysteriously bent trunks populate this surreal grove outside Nowe Czarnowo, West Pomerania, Poland.
Great Blue Hole, Belize
A large submarine vertical cave measuring 984 feet in diameter and 407 feet deep, the Great Blue Hole (also known as Lighthouse Reef) is believed to be the largest of its kind. Made famous by Jacques Cousteau, who declared it one of the top ten scuba diving sites in the world, the site draws divers from all over.
Split Apple Rock, New Zealand
A popular tourist destination in the Tasman Bay off the northern coast of the South Island of New Zealand, Split Apple Rock is a geological rock formation, made of granite and in the shape of an apple which has been cut in half. The cleft to produce two sides of the 'apple' was a natural occurrence, but it is not known when this happened.
'7 Giants,' Russia
Hidden in a remote area of Russia's Komi Republic, in the northern Ural mountains, the mysterious Manpupuner rock formations tower over 200 feet over the northern Siberian landscape. The seven gigantic stone pillars were sculpted by the weathering effects of ice and wind. In 2013, Red Bull athlete Stefan Glowacz became the first man to climb the Seven Giants.
Eye of the Sahara, Mauritania
The Richat Structure, also known as the Eye of the Sahara, is a prominent geological circular feature in the Sahara desert in Mauritaniae. Visible from space, it has a diameter of almost 30 miles, and has become a landmark for shuttle crews. Initially interpreted as a meteorite impact structure, it is now argued to be a highly symmetrical and deeply eroded geologic dome that collapsed.
Zhangjiajie National Park, China
A general view of the Tianzi Mountain at Zhangjiajie national park in Zhangjiajie, China. Zhangjiajie is home to striking sandstone and quartz cliffs and its mountain formations are famously known for as the inspiration for the fictional world 'Pandora' in the film, 'Avatar'.
Red Beach, China
At Red Beach in Panjin (about 300 miles northeast of Beijing), China, a unique variety of alkali-tolerant seaweed will turn from green to a vibrant crimson red in the fall, to the delight of tourists who flock to the wetland.
Moreaki Boulders, New Zealand
The Moreaki boulders are huge spherical boulders scattered along Koekohe Beach in New Zealand. According to Maori legend, the boulders are eel baskets washed up from an enormous, sunken canoe. Scientists explain the boulders as calcite concretions formed about 65 million years ago.
Thor's Well, Oregon
Gateway to the underworld? Located in Florence, Oregon near Cape Perpetua, Thor's Well is a gaping sinkhole in Cook's Chasm with waves that can reach a height of 20 feet. While beautiful, the natural wonder can be dangerous. Sharp rocks are everywhere and a strong surge of water could suck you down into the abyss.
Avenue of the Baobabs, Madagascar
Near the city of Morondava in western Madagascar lies a surreal forest of majestic baobab trees, jewels of the island country’s landscape. Tourists flock to this famed road, a protected zone, where the baobab, often called the 'upside down tree,' reaches a height of up to 80 feet tall and are up to 800 years old.
Fingal's Cave, Scotland
Located on the uninhabited island of Staffa, Fingal's Cave has a unique, cathedral-like structure and hexagonal columns, according to the National Trust for Scotland. The cave was immortalized by Mendelssohn in his Hebrides Overture, after he visited the island in 1829.
Cave of Crystals, Mexico
Massive beams of selenite dwarf explorers in the Cave of Crystals in Naica, Chihuahua, Mexico, March 18, 2008. Some single gypsum crystals in this cave are 36 feet long and weigh 121,200 pounds, some of the largest natural crystals ever found.
Spotted Lake, Canada
Located northwest of Osoyoos in British Columbia in Canada, Spotted Lake contains extremely high concentrations of minerals. Most of the water in the lake evaporates over the summer, leaving behind all the minerals in 'spots.'
Marble Caves, Chile
The Marble Caves (Cuevas de Mármol) are located on a peninsula of solid marble bordering Lake General Carrera, a remote glacial lake that spans the Chile-Argentina border, according to Atlas Obscura. The patterns that give the marbleized effect were caused by 6000 years of wave erosion.
Devils Postpile, California
The Devils Postpile formation, located in extreme northeastern Madera County in eastern California, is a rare sight in the geologic world and ranks as one of the world's finest examples of columnar basalt. Its columns tower 60 feet high and display an unusual symmetry.
Waitomo Glowworm Caves, New Zealand
Naturally illuminated by thousands of glowworms, the Waitomo Glowworm Caves are accessible to visitors via a boat ride.
Chocolate Hills, Philippines
The Chocolate Hills are an unusual geological formation in Tagbilaran, Bohol, Philippines. According to a survey, there are 1,776 hills spread over an area of more than 20 sq. mi. covered by green grass that turns brown (resembling chocolates) during the dry season.
Champagne Pool, New Zealand
Located in the Waiotapu geothermal area in the North Island of New Zealand, Champagne Pool s a 900-year-old hot spring that bubbles with carbon dioxide like a glass of sparkling wine. The bubbles are carbon dioxide. The distinctive orange color around the edge is caused by the minerals orpiment and realgar, both sulfides of arsenic.
Zrin
+1 for New Zealand! Kia Ora Imgur!
WoodFrog
Moreaki Boulders, New Zealand/ Real name: the balls of Sauron.
tjthunder
I upvoted and it went from 1760 points to 4366. I CAN GIVE THOUSANDS OF UPVOTES FEAR ME IMGUR.
WhenInDoubtC4
This world has so much to offer...and I'm sitting here preparing for my finals :-/
winterandfire
I'm from Turkmenistan! Thanks for making my country look bad ass, OP <3 +1
whyWontKeiraKnightleyReturnMyPhoneCalls
Boom deyada, boom deyada, boom deyada, boom deyada....
LiterallyYourMom
The "Door to Hell" is famously ringed by thousands of large desert spiders, who breed there due to the warmth. Major nope.
billiejeanslover
fuck dis
matrix86
Neat
ayegill
"Well, fuck" -soviet engineers, probably
GudAtReadingPeople
"What? There is no way this thing is gonna burn for more than like 30 seconds, tops."
doufancyapickle
If you're from Pomerania are you Pomeranian?
piosaj
in Poland you`d be called "pomorzanin", dog is called "szpic miniaturowy", or... "pomeranian"
noonespellsmynameright
Spotted Lake!!! Never thought I'd see that on here. +1 for my neck of the woods
whyexactly
Awesome list, although I know at least a couple of these you can't really get to, like Spotted Lake isn't accessible to the public.
ineedtousethesleep
While not accessible to the general public as it's a scared site, it is highly visible from a major highway.
BrownTargaryen
About the Marble Caves: The caves reflect the water, so based off of temperature and time of year the whole cavern will seem to change color
BrownTargaryen
As the water goes from from clear to blue to green to redish
codegrayjay
Probably full of nargles though
Badger421
That's okay, I'm sure Luna would be happy to help out.
Amythyst
Wait, there was mistletoe up there?
barrackobarner
The chocolate hills reminds me of the chocolate island in mario world. http://www.mariowiki.com/images/3/33/ChocoIslandMap.PNG
Krisduck
Ctrl+F 'mario'. Dammit. Bravo.
ferrants
It's amazing how similarly some minds work
ineedtousethesleep
Spotted Lake is a sacred site to my people, the Syilx! It's nice to see it here amongst all the other wonders of the world!
noonespellsmynameright
Hey Neighbour! I love spotted lake and I stop by whenever I have guests. Any idea when the project will be done?
ineedtousethesleep
Hallooooooooo! ::: Waves Furiously! ::: No, I am not sure!
noonespellsmynameright
If you hear anything, be sure to let me know!
ineedtousethesleep
I pinky swear. I now have to go ask someone. Be back soon.
Shamorza
TheLastBillyBumbler
I would like to suggest maybe they aren'tt natural. The Middle East and parts of Asia are covered in hills that are actually pyramids 1/?
TheLastBillyBumbler
long since overgrown with grasses, plants and trees due to being unsed for thousands of years.
Jarlan
Kinda look like burial mounds to me. I wonder if anyones ever dug into one.
illegalacorn
too many too close too steep
ByTheBeardOfSeuss
"Glaciation is a hell of a drug" - Earth
KaiserFredVIII
That is a very satisfactory answer, thank you.
fletcherface
All I could see is:
nooneyouwouldknow
The Hills Have Eyes....
chemistsdoitintesttubes
WilhelmvonSchlapphand
Make a hypothesis and get famous for guessing the closest theory then. Best geologist career ever.
raggingmuppet
My first thought... http://imgur.com/mvK6E7G
comeflywithme
The mounds are limestone and they are created by erosion
mooglemuffins
Those people in the Crystal Cave in Mexico better watch out for Seath.
PussyVelour
They pump the water out of the cave so it can be studied. It's very hot in there and the crystal formations are poisonous to bare skin. TMYK
mooglemuffins
wait wait wait, the crystals are poisonous?! How even..
dontaskmeimjustagirl
NeoDarkElf
http://i3.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/original/000/582/621/da3.jpg
broduski1
I like you too
unimaginativeuser2
http://files-cdn.formspring.me/photos/20111016/n4e9b2a830969a.jpg
broduski1
I like you
AlehJassonDoe
Yes. <3
mandyjean
So basically I need to go to New Zealand
AuBoss
Yea it is pretty awesome and IMO that best part isn't even listed here. Got to Central otago and rock around the lakes, mountains and parks.
Immobulous
I go every other summer (their winter) and I absolutely say go, go now!
IW42
As one who went there a few years ago, yes. A thousand times, yes.
Whetu
Come! I live near split apple rick and the best part is just up the coast in the Abel Tasman national park. Google image it.
Amythyst
You didn't get that from Peter Jackson's ads for New Zealand tourism?
MaxwellIllustration
Also not mentioned were the thermal spring baths and steaming beaches in the north
CameronChase420
There's more crooked trees in Jasper Alberta Canada http://imgur.com/WB0lC2c. Here's one I found shape like a duck http://imgur.com/lngWhMW.
poisonpiggy
someone call karl
lowkeybrotherofthor
It's the mark of karl
ownowbrowncow
'BERTA!!!
ThatRussian
Well "duck" is not a word I read correctly the first time.
jessephillips
Aflack
l987654321
+1 for Alberta!
KarlKing0fDucks
I like it.
AlbanB
thewhyteman
10/10 would throw down 64 torches.
Amythyst
Dammit, don't make me go build that >.>
peridotstar
Yep--with this one too
killerswan
I've been there (not inside, the sea was pretty wild) and the top of it, this island is full of birds. Does minecraft have birds? :D
Silmarilcrown
Couldn't they just build a dime over the door to hell and cut off the oxygen supply?
illegalacorn
they've tried.
dredmorbius
Underground fires are notoriously difficult to put out. Look up "coal seam fire" when you've got some spare time. Some burn for decades.
l987654321
Pretty sure it's burning deep deep in the earth's crust, and that there are other oxygen sources via smaller vents.
thefatmanization
You would think. Seems like a worthwhile investment considering the amount of gas present
Silmarilcrown
Damn it! Dome*
eravyn
It's burning natural gas. They set it on fire to keep the gas from escaping and poisoning the area, but it's been burning for 44 years.
jimicos
That'd be a pretty big fucking dime.
dinosaursmakemehorny
+1 for plenty of kiwi stuff #suckmyassaussie
limemilkshakes
Beating aussies at sport and imgur relevance #rekt
LackingIngenuity
At first I was disappointed, of all New Zealand's crazy natural features you post a split rock!? But then I kept scrolling...
omeletteyoufinish
Really, there are so many good things, I thought the apple rock and boulders were kind of lame picks compared to everything NZ offers
Rowee
The Moeraki boulders are actually really awesome, visit them if you ever have a chance
muffinsandmayhem
Every time i saw a kiwi attraction i let out an inner 'YES GO NZ'
dinosaursmakemehorny
Aussies RW:
SeanVsInternet
Had a friend from New Zealand who when he got super drunk with friends in a bar and caused trouble would leave chanting "Ozzi Ozzi Ozzi"
IgnatiusJReilly2601
#nationalinferioritycomplex
kreyll
Canada knows those feels.
SmashLampjaw
as a New Zealander... Yeah pretty much.
dogmatix
As an Aussie, what is this "New Zealand" place?
[deleted]
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dinosaursmakemehorny
I'm surprised how many people use imgur in NZ! I thought I was all alone ;-;
efemral
As an Australian, I like New Zealand. Can't we just be friends?
obarium
No, we kiwis love your country, jobs, sports, proximity, entertainment, and people (mostly), but we can't be friends, cause... reasons.
ConvoluteNZ
As a Kiwi - We are more like siblings. We love your country, but rivalry is strong. At least that's my take on it :)
TrumpyAl
Yeah, 'cos that little rock split in half is SOOOOOoooo much more impressive than Uluru, Bunda Cliffs, Kakadu & the Great Barrier Reef lol!
dinosaursmakemehorny
At least we don't have Abbot.
TrumpyAl
Touché!
StrokeTheFurryWall
Yet no mention of any australian places. Ayers Rock, Devil's Marbles, The Sugarloaf, wave rock to name a few
bioshockisagoodgame
Shipwrecked Coast!!
AuBoss
Ayers rock mate, big huge rock.
Caltropp
FUCK YEAH NEW ZEALAND GOT MENTIONED.
Avarara
Surely everyone knows by now that NZ is frigging amazingly beautiful.
napsterisntdead
More than once even! Yuss
overcastdaze
# 1 the Scientists be like.. " let's set it on fire"
nuclearpotatoDK
Cant they just smother the fire? With like a giant blanket or something? What do i know i'm not a scientist like tathrok.
FuckingRafael
Eh, it burn for 2, 3 days. Tops 4. -Soviet "Scientist"/cab driver
tathrok
Why don't they just put a giant Yankee Candle cap on it? I know a thing or two about science...
krauraurgg
Because then they'd destroy a now-famous landmark and lose out on tourism.
vauhtihirmu
They thought it would burn out in a few days. Click to find out what happened next!
vauhtihirmu
Yeah so the gas pocket actually led to a HUGE cavern filled with the stuff, and the fire is still burning.
krauraurgg
They could extinguish it, but I guess the income from tourism is worth more than the natural gas.
grabyerpitchforks
Fucking click bait
umpbumpfizz
Those bent trees may be man-made from the era of wooden ships. They bent the trees to create structural components with high strength.
CharlesFuckingBronson
I thought I'd read that those were from the earth shifting under them or something.
thefeev
or just teenagers trolling us in the future... wondering what it means?
evilterran
I was thinking mutants - one random mutated gene could cause that shape, then the tree carrying it seeded & all its offspring were the same.
CptKoolaid
Looks like they were bent over and staked as saplings and forgot about. Then just kept growing that way.
SkyWidows
I read that it could be something as simple as heavy snow falling on young, growing trees.
BrainsAreForLooks
Trees usually bend towards the sunlight if it's being blocked by other trees. There are several of these in Siskiyou forest in California
Kirshna
I thought OP's mom farted.
FormerNortherner
One doesn't seem like the go to wood for ship building, it's a soft wood
MagpieChristine
White pine was actually very much in demand for ships back in the day. It was Canada's wealth for a while.
FormerNortherner
old growth I guess?
MagpieChristine
Technically yes, but they only need to be 100-200 years old or so to be good for what they wanted.
Gormannn
I read that those trees are bent because, when they were saplings, nuclear bomb tests were going on nearby. 1/2
Gormannn
2/2 Which bent the saplings over, without killing them. Then they just continued growing upwards.
HellomynameisSatan
No.
Kemeicolor
Solifluction maybe?
BeeeardedMan
I actually did my thesis at Georgetown on these trees. That was the accepted theory until about 2011. In what can only be described as (1/3)
BeeeardedMan
truth being much stranger than fiction. That year dendrologists from Poland dug down below the soil, reaching depths of 75 feet. They (2/3)
BeeeardedMan
quickly discovered that I made all of this shit up. Every bit of it. *soak it in*
SkyWidows
Yum.
Xyzair
I was wondering if they followed the angle back would they find a meteor?
superippednobody
I believe it has something to do with soil-creep, the soil moves slowly causing the tree to grow in a bent shape
JustSomeHoneybadger
They do not seem to be all that old, they are more likely made by a strong wind blowing constantly in one direction, bending the saplings
itsprobablysarcastic
Correct reply is correct
ItsAlwaysTimeToDiddle
One Direction you say? You don't know you're beautiful
TheGist
I think I recall reading that snow also weighs them down in winter.
tinycrocodile
Also OP's mom
JaimeLannistersRightHand
Or some lazy cunts just lean/sit on them all day long
TK421isAFK
Highlight "Nowe Czarnowo, West Pomerania, Poland", right-click the selection, click "Search Google for..." and read the Wikipedia article.
orangeisthenewbasic
or, it was trolls
IncognitoFWUH
I concur
MayonnaiseAndMalaise
I had a professor show that picture as an example of soil creep, a slow moving mass movement process due to gravity or thermal expansion.
TrapperStew
Low stress tanning
TrapperStew
*training
strangledbyaturtleneck
Might also be a parasite or disease that caused them to bend. Some trees will try to "dodge" the problem and grow crooked.
BrainsAreForLooks
A lot of trees will wrap bark around an infected area and attack the problem much like our white blood cells.
strangledbyaturtleneck
Yup! Form little tree wart things.
BrainsAreForLooks
Ya they are actually pretty cool looking the way they swirl
strangledbyaturtleneck
I haven't actually cut one open, trees are awesome!
vanella
For those wondering Socotra is a part of Yemen...
alittlesomethingsomething
Well I guess I'm going to Yemen! http://imgur.com/52YFdzQ
Kaianacoel
I know exactly where this is thanks to CK2.
viperfolk
Reminds me I still haven't tried to play as Socotra.
MWVaughn
I too played Black Ops
Locolarue
It's in BLOPs Dos...
vanella
I only play Tomb Raider...sorry
TheWayADrillWorks
I mostly play Nintendo games, so... where is Yemen with respect to Hyrule Castle?
Falcrist
237 screens to the left.
CryingSnake
Pamukkale "Cotton Castle" hot springs, Turkey
(picture not OC for cause of pure laziness)
JuneOokami
This looks like that place south of Windhelm, only it's prettier and there are no mammoths around.
peaceloveandgraffiti
That blue is beautiful!!
blamethedogforthefart
Did anybody else read 'bukakke'?... I need help...
Darclee
Pamukkale is amazing!!!! You walk bearfoot up the mountain while through little creeks of warm water and natural pools on the way.Beautiful
xisor
The whole site is utterly awesome, the sheer unreal whiteness and vivid blue is immense.
Darclee
and on top of it, "Cleopatra's pool" with Greek-type columns inside.
CryingSnake
Yes, it is really relaxing. The best thing is the sunset, when the light is reflecting in the pools, giving it an orange/ violet colour.
Darclee
Awww yisssss! The colours : white, blue, orange. mmmm the warm water, the hoooottt stones.
CryingSnake
Also, being able to swim between ancient ruins is just surreal.
Darclee
it is a very very interesting experience. especially if you climb it on a hot day, getting to that pool with vegetation and columns. mmm
kilovh
That great blue hole is a NOPE
ThatIsHowIFoundIt
It's full of sharks too!
spinningelbow
Category 5 KAIJU
DarthFutuza
Makes me wonder what kind of weird shiz we're going to find out in space once we get interplanetary travel down.
MrFastZombie
Thor's well is worse.
Nighthawk44
Imagine that you're about to get into the water to dive it and the guide tells you there's a school of hammerhead sharks at 300ft....
ineedadamnusername
just keep your distance and watch, if you don't bother them they probably won't bother you
Nighthawk44
Recreational diving is only to 140ft so there wasn't a huge chance of seeing one, but knowing that they're down there is kinda sketchy.
dinosarahsaurus
the blue whole makes hard for me to breath. Brings up all kinds of anxieties of what could possibly touch my foot if I just floated in 1/2
aguacatedeldiablo
Whatever phobia this is, I have it too. Glad its something I only face in pictures and words. Jupiter freaks me the hell out.
dinosarahsaurus
I am also glad I am not the only one. I legit have a physical reaction to the unendingness of it all.
dinosarahsaurus
the centre. Plus I have an issue with not knowing where something ends. Trying to conceptualize outer space makes me want to stop living 2/2
krauraurgg
If it's any comfort, it's not THAT deep. The depth is less than half of the width across, so it's really more of a shallow bowl than a hole.
dinosarahsaurus
That actually is a comfort. Thank you. I like facts to ease anxieties.
Precum
I am actually from Belize and I have sadly never been there. And Belize is a pretty small country.
LadsActionNews
it freaks me out imagining the kind of great creatures that could create a hole like that.
ActualCannibalShia
Like sarlaacs?
soloruler
I dove in it years ago. One of the most amazing things I've ever seen.
SmurMur
When I went there was like nothing down there. I found it kinda uneventful tbh :P
OldSpice
It actually holds like 70% of the world's most exotic fish. I'd love to go there
divingin
I've dove the Blue Hole. It's pretty sterile (though they've been chumming for sharks recently.)
krauraurgg
That sounds like a really arbitrary metric. What qualifies as "most exotic"?
OldSpice
It's like an entire separate ecosystem in there, vs the water five miles away giving birth to an array of diversity
merp538
Exotic or not it's actually quite amazing and there is a lot of beautiful sea life. Went there a few years ago and would definitely go back
Nighthawk44
Where did you read this? Belize has a lot of exotic fish, but the blue hole itself Doesn't have that many.
OldSpice
Don't quite recall, but I did a paper on Belize in highschool
ukalliq
Went diving there, can confirm. The stalactite formations were cool, but very few fish, at least when I was there.
Nighthawk44
They definitely were cool!! Yeah very few fish, and the only ones were at 20ish ft