Natural Phenomena That Science Has Trouble Explaining

Published July 15, 2014
Updated February 27, 2024

In spite of its innovations and revelations, the scientific method is still unable to explain away these five natural phenomena.

Colony Collapse Disorder

Since honeybees started dying off in frightening amounts around 2006, there has been much discussion over just what the culprit of Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD) is, and a recent report released by the USDA sheds little new light on the subject. There exists no single smoking gun in relation to CCD, but many probable causes.

Natural Phenomena Colony Collapse

Source: Wikipedia

Researchers have looked to parasitic mites found in abandoned colonies (the Varroa mite), any number of different viruses, colder winters, bacterial disease, as well as many different pesticides used on crops to explain the phenomenon.

However, they have yet to uncover how these scenarios are working in conjunction with each other to rapidly wipe out the American honeybee population. The following chart deals with the particular neonicotinoid based pesticides and the Varroa mite, and how they relate to honeybee populations worldwide.

Natural Phenomena Colony Collapse Chart

Jellyfish Disappearance In Eil Malk Lake

Natural Phenomena Jellyfish Group

Source: Live Fast Mag

The jellyfish denizens of a 12,000 year-old marine lake in the island of Palau are quite the tourist attraction. Two times each day, the jellyfish swim from one side of the lake to another, chasing the sunlight as its rays filter through the water. The migratory pattern is not the mystery; it’s why all the jellyfish disappeared between the years of 1998 to 2000. And by all, we mean that the lake had a jelly fish population of zero.

Natural Phenomena Jellyfish Diver

Source: Dive Time

The disappearance is thought to have possibly been caused by either the poisonous layer of hydrogen sulfide 15 meters below the surface getting stirred up, or to a rise in the water temperature caused by an El-NiƱo weather event. Since the island of Eil Malk is uninhabited, information on the jellyfish population is not closely monitored. Add to that the fact that the boat ride from nearby Koror is roughly a 45 minute trip, and it’s fairly easy to see why scientists can only manage to construct a list of “likely causes”.

Natural Phenomena Jellyfish Lake

Source: Wikipedia

The Zone Of Silence

Natural Phenomena Silent Zone Horizon

Source: Taringa

If you’re just looking for some peace and quiet, forget the drug trafficking and violence and head to Mexico. There, you’ll find what’s known as the “zone of silence”. Located 400 miles from El Paso, Texas in the scorching Chihuahua desert, this area is unique in that it prohibits radio and TV signals from functioning there. Whatever natural force is at play in this stretch of desert, it clearly possesses magnetic properties of attraction.

Natural Phenomena Silent Zone

Source: Wikipedia

In 1970, a missile fired from the White Sands Missile Base went unexplainably off its course and landed in the zone of silence. Parts of the boosters used for the Apollo project also broke up and landed in the same area, and the largest carbonaceous-chondrite meteorite ever to enter Earth’s atmosphere landed here.

To add to the desert’s mysterious aura, it is geographically aligned with the Tropic of Cancer, which likens it to places with similar anomalies like the Bermuda Triangle. The Mexican government has set up a reserve dubbed “the biosphere” in the middle of the zone to further explore the area’s biological properties.

author
Erin Kelly
author
An All That's Interesting writer since 2013, Erin Kelly focuses on historic places, natural wonders, environmental issues, and the world of science. Her work has also been featured in Smithsonian and she's designed several book covers in her career as a graphic artist.
editor
Savannah Cox
editor
Savannah Cox holds a Master's in International Affairs from The New School as well as a PhD from the University of California, Berkeley, and now serves as an Assistant Professor at the University of Sheffield. Her work as a writer has also appeared on DNAinfo.