CNW - Curiosities of the Natural World
After rain, the fresh earthy smell in the air has a name: petrichor. It comes from oils released by plants and soil bacteria.
Mushrooms are only the visible part of a much larger organism. The main body, called mycelium, lives underground and can spread for kilometers.
Some plants can actually “communicate” with each other through underground networks of fungi connected to their roots. Scientists sometimes call this network the “Wood Wide Web.”
Moss is belonging to some of the oldest species on Earth. It supports the ecosystem by retaining moisture and preventing soil erosion.
The Earth is the only planet in the solar system where the northern lights occur, thanks to the interaction between Earth’s magnetic field and the solar wind.
Lightning is incredibly powerful. A single bolt of lightning can heat the surrounding air to about 30,000°C, which is five times hotter than the surface of the Sun.
The Great Barrier Reef in Australia is the largest living structure on Earth. It is so vast that it can even be seen from space.
The Atacama Desert in Chile is one of the driest places on Earth. In some areas, rain has not been recorded for hundreds of years.
The Sahara Desert is the largest hot desert in the world. Scientists have discovered that it slowly expands over time, changing the surrounding ecosystems.
Mount Everest, the highest mountain on Earth (8,848 m), is still growing. Due to the movement of tectonic plates, it increases in height by about 4 millimeters every year.
