Despite centuries of research, our universe and planet remain a mystery. We collect facts, form hypotheses, and conduct experiments, but some phenomena still perplex us.
Blood Falls in Antarctica: Mysterious “Blood Falls” on Taylor Glacier
This is natural wonders located in the center of eastern Antarctica, its appearance has puzzled scientists for more than a century.
This strange red river, called “Blood Falls,” flows along the Taylor Glacier and into the clear waters of Bonny Lake below.
The name is fitting because the waterfall looks like a horrific bloodstain in the middle of a white wilderness.
Theo World Atlas, “Blood waterfall” is located on the Taylor Glacier of Lake Bonney in the McMurdo Dry Valleys in Victoria Land, Antarctica. McMurdo Valley is the driest desert on Earth. According to scientists, for the past 2 million years, there has never been rain here. Photo: ZME
For many years, the reason why this waterfall has a dark red color remained a mystery. Some people have theorized that algae is the culprit but this has never been proven.
Finally, some scientists from the University of Alaska have solved the mystery. The unique color of “Blood Falls” is mainly due to iron oxide in the brine, a process similar to rust.
Despite the extreme cold, “Blood Waterfall” never freezes due to “super-saturated” salt and high pressure at the bottom of the glacier. As a result, “Blood Waterfall” passed through countless cracks for 1.5 million years, and it finally rose to the surface, forming this unique natural wonder.
In 1911, scientists suggested that the red color of the river was caused by a type of algae. But recent research shows that the amount of iron underground under the salt lake was covered by glaciers 1.5 million years ago. The average water temperature is -17 degrees Celsius, the salinity is 2-3 times higher than normal sea water so it cannot freeze. Photo: NSF
Titan moon
For a long time, countless astronomers and scientists have been deeply interested in Saturn’s largest moon, Titan. At first glance, Titan’s landscape seems a bit similar to Earth’s as it also has lakes and oceans.
However, unlike Earth, Titan’s surface does not have water. The lakes and oceans there are mainly made up of a combination of other unique compounds such as ethane, methane and hydrocarbons. These mixtures remain liquid at Titan’s surface temperature.
Although Titan is windy and has low gravity like the Moon, waves have never been observed in its lakes and oceans.
There are many theories as to why this is so. Some believe the lakes may have been frozen or covered with a thick asphalt-like substance that dampened their wave motion.
But recent research shows that there are indeed waves in the liquid on Titan’s surface, but because of the extremely harsh and cold weather there, these waves are nearly impossible to observe.
Japanese Centipede
“Train centipede swarm” is a phenomenon that attracts the attention of scientists as well as local people.
Famous for their striking colors and unique defensive abilities, these arthropods often gather in herds on train tracks in the mountains of Japan, causing local trains to stop completely. once a year.
For many years, the reason for this strange behavior remained a mystery until researcher Keiko Niijima discovered its secret:
After research, it was discovered that this swarm of centipedes did not intentionally target the train tracks. In reality, they were just looking for new feeding grounds and the tracks happened to be cut off by train tracks.
Furthermore, these centipedes all go through the same life stages at the same time and their life cycles are synchronous, i.e. 8 years. So, every eight years, they simultaneously develop into adults and need to move in search of more food.
Cube division
There are many amazing animals in nature, and some of them have unique abilities, and the bare-nosed koala poop is definitely one of them.
This marsupial is nocturnal and can be found in eucalyptus forests and grasslands in Australia. The special thing is that they can produce up to 100 “cubes” of waste per day.
What’s more surprising is that these stools are shaped like a “cube” with clear edges and corners.
How naked-nosed kangaroos produce this type of droppings has long been a mystery. However, recent research by a team of scientists has finally solved the mystery.
During forensic experiments on this animal, researchers discovered that its intestines have two grooves and its internal organs are elastic.
They also discovered that after the naked-nosed koalas ate, parts of their intestines continued to contract for several days to squeeze out feces and extract nutrients and water from it.
Once the poo is squeezed dry, after countless squeezes, it becomes a “cube”, and because the buttocks of bare-nosed koalas are very soft and elastic, these “cubes” can pass through without any problems. any obstacle, and is finally excreted in a square shape.