EpicDash: 32 Surreal Places On Earth That Belong In A Dream, Part 2.Â
1: Turquoise Ice, Lake Baikal, Russia. Lake Baikal is the largest and oldest freshwater lake in the world. In the winter, the lake freezes, but the water is so clear that you can see 130 feet below the ice. In March, frost and sun cause cracks in the ice crust, which results in the turquoise ice shards we see at the surface.
2: Pamukkale Hot Springs, Turkey. Over millions of years, the hotsprings in Pamukkale have transformed the landscape. Although it may look like these terraces are made of ice and snow, Turkey has bikini weather all year round. The ground is just coated in white limestone.
3: Sentinels of the Arctic, Finland. These sentinels are actually giant trees covered in snow and ice. This strange sight occurs in winter, when temperatures range from -40 to -15 degrees centigrade.
4: Yuanyang County, China. The farming techniques in Yuanyang County have created a landscape which is truly amazing from the air. These rice fields are located on the slopes of Ailao Mountain, where the terraced levels help create flat surfaces along an uneven landscape.
5: Fly Geyser, Nevada, USA. Fly Geyser was accidentally created when a well was drilled and left uncapped. Minerals and algae started to rise from the geyser and accumulated to form an alien-like mound.
6: Grand Prismatic Hot Spring, Wyoming, USA. Grand Prismatic Hot Spring is the largest hot spring in the United States. The vivid colors in the spring are the result of pigmented bacteria, which grow around the edges of the mineral-rich water.
7: Underwater Waterfall, Mauritius Island. Strong ocean currents continually drive sand from the shores of Mauritius into the abyss below, creating this one-of-a-kind underwater waterfall.
8 & 9: Sea of Stars, Vaadhoo Island, Maldives. It may look normal during daylight, but at night, this beach comes to life. The sparkle in the water comes from marine microbes called phytoplankton. The galaxy they paint across the shore is nothing short of breathtaking.
10: Glowworm Caves, Waitomo, New Zealand. Thousands of tiny glowworms hang to the ceiling of this grotto and radiate a luminescent light, creating a scene straight out of a sci-fi movie.
