"Ten Freaky Forces of Nature"

A major earthquake can topple huge buildings and bring down entire mountainsides.

A major earthquake can topple huge buildings and bring down entire mountainsides.

At Niagara Falls, more than 500,000 gallons (1,892,705 liters) of water crash down 18 stories into the Niagara River every second—enough to fill nearly 50 Olympic-size swimming pools in a minute!

And everyone knows about hurricanes, blizzards, avalanches, forest fires, floods, tidal waves, and even thunderstorms.

And everyone knows about hurricanes, blizzards, avalanches, forest fires, floods, tidal waves, and even thunderstorms.

And everyone knows about hurricanes, blizzards, avalanches, forest fires, floods, tidal waves, and even thunderstorms.

This beautiful effect occurs when charged particles, shot past the Earth by the sun at more than a million miles an hour (1,609,344,000 kilometers an hour), are caught in the Earth's magnetic field and funneled to the Poles.

Scientists classify tornadoes by the damage they can do.

Scientists classify tornadoes by the damage they can do.

A recent investigation concluded that they were caught in a hailstorm that dropped chunks of ice the size of baseballs on the victims' heads at more than 100 miles an hour (160 kilometers an hour).

A recent investigation concluded that they were caught in a hailstorm that dropped chunks of ice the size of baseballs on the victims' heads at more than 100 miles an hour (160 kilometers an hour).

A recent investigation concluded that they were caught in a hailstorm that dropped chunks of ice the size of baseballs on the victims' heads at more than 100 miles an hour (160 kilometers an hour).

A recent investigation concluded that they were caught in a hailstorm that dropped chunks of ice the size of baseballs on the victims' heads at more than 100 miles an hour (160 kilometers an hour).

Hail is formed in storms when raindrops are carried into extremely cold areas of the atmosphere by powerful vertical winds.

When these particles hit gases in our atmosphere, the gases give off light.

Vast glowing rings, called auroras, often appear far above the North and South Poles.

People who live near polar regions see the auroras as giant curtains of shimmering light in a variety of colors.

People who live near polar regions see the auroras as giant curtains of shimmering light in a variety of colors.

This beautiful effect occurs when charged particles, shot past the Earth by the sun at more than a million miles an hour (1,609,344,000 kilometers an hour), are caught in the Earth's magnetic field and funneled to the Poles.

Small frogs rained on a town in Serbia, sending residents running for cover.

"There were thousands of them," a villager told a local newspaper.

Scientists believe that waterspouts and tornadoes can suck up the surfaces and lakes, marshes, and other bodies of water.

Wildfires are so powerful they can create their own weather.

As these fires burn, they consume huge quantities of oxygen.

As these fires burn, they consume huge quantities of oxygen.

The intense heat causes the air to rise.

These flame-throwing tornadoes, called fire whirls, can be 50 feet (15 meters) wide and grow as tall as a 40-story building.

When a volcano erupts, a glowing sea of molten lava often flows down its sides, destroying everything in its path.

When a volcano erupts, a glowing sea of molten lava often flows down its sides, destroying everything in its path.

When a volcano erupts, a glowing sea of molten lava often flows down its sides, destroying everything in its path.

Vents on the ocean floor, more than a mile (1.6 kilometers) below the surface, gush what looks like clouds of black smoke.

These underwater hot springs, called hydrothermal vents, occur when water seeps through cracks in the ocean floor after being heated by magma inside the Earth.

The scalding water can shoot back into the cold ocean at temperatures hotter than 700 degrees Fahrenheit (371 degrees Celsius), carrying a black or white stew of dissolved rock and chemicals.

The scalding water can shoot back into the cold ocean at temperatures hotter than 700 degrees Fahrenheit (371 degrees Celsius), carrying a black or white stew of dissolved rock and chemicals.

These life-forms rely on millions of bacteria inside them to turn poisonous chemicals rising from the seafloor into food.

Amazingly, these vents support large communities of bizarre sea creatures.

These life-forms rely on millions of bacteria inside them to turn poisonous chemicals rising from the seafloor into food.

It hovers a few feet above the ground, drops down, dances across the yard, and then darts up into the air before it fades away.

This freaky phenomenon is ball lightning.

Some scientists think that when normal lightning strikes the ground, it vaporizes a mineral called silicon found in soil.

Some scientists think that when normal lightning strikes the ground, it vaporizes a mineral called silicon found in soil.

Some scientists think that when normal lightning strikes the ground, it vaporizes a mineral called silicon found in soil.