Nature works in mysterious ways.
It can be can be dangerous,beautiful, and sometimes really weird.
From electric blue ocean waves to spiraling columns of fire, here are some of the planet's most amazing — and terrifying — products of Earth.
Fire Devils
These menacing spirals of flame, also known as fire tornadoes, happen when intense heat brought on by drought combines with rotating air.
Though typically only lasting a few minutes, the whirls of fire can grow to be more than 150 feet tall, spewing embers and debris into the air and aiding the spread of wildfires.
Maelstroms
A maelstrom, or massive whirlpool, is a giant, rotating body of water that forms when conflicting tidal flows meet.
Although a malestrom's swirling vortex can be powerful enough to pull down a swimmer, stories of tidal whirlpools sinking container ships and fishing trawlers are completely false. A malestrom has never been reported strong enough for this to occur.
The strongest malestrom in the world is the Saltstraumen located outside Bodø, Norway near the Arctic Circle.
Bioluminescent Red Tide
The unusual phenomena that causes ocean waters in Southern California to glow neon blue at night is created by single-celled organisms called dinoflagellates.
The organism forms algae blooms, or red tides, that emit electric blue light when disrupted. All it takes is the breaking of wave or a surfer paddling for the chemical reaction to happen.
Although many forms of red tide are toxic, this particular form is harmless to humans.
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