Rare Phenomenon Turns This Waterfall Into 'Lava' Every Year

Nature | Did You Know

Rare Phenomenon Turns This Waterfall Into 'Lava' Every Year

Just when we thought we knew enough about nature and it's laws, something extraordinary happens and we go right back to being amazed. One of these remarkable occurrences takes place at Yosemite National Park in California every year.

Every February, Horsetail Fall in Yosemite Park experiences a rare phenomenon that draws crowds from all over for a few days. When the setting sun's rays hits the waterfall at the right angle, it creates an optical illusion that lasts about 10 minutes and resembles molten lava.

One Photographer, Ray, captured the "supernatural" phenomenon in a series of pictures and it's almost impossible to differentiate the orange and red glow from liquid fire.  

According to yosemitefirefall.com, the firefall is not always guaranteed as it is largely dependent on weather conditions, "If there's not enough snowpack in February, there will not be enough snowmelt to feed the waterfall... If temperatures are too cold, the snow will stay frozen and Horsetail Fall won't flow."

It is believed that the Awahneechee Indians most likely knew about the phenomenon but there were no documented proof of it's existence. The first known photo of the natural firefall dates back to 1973 and was taken by Galen Rowell. Since then the breathtaking effect has attracted countless photographers, like Ray, hoping to capture the incredible sight.

Hope everyone had an awesome weekend! Here is one last shot from this year's #firefall trip. This is a slightly wider composition. This was captured near the beginning when the wind picked up a little and made some nice mist. âž–âž–âž–âž–âž–âž–âž–âž–âž–âž–âž– Camera: Nikon D610 #nikonnofilter Lens: nikkor 70-200mm II Tripod: Benro travel angel#benrousa Filters: nisi v5 #nisifilters Pack: fstopgear loka #fstopgear âž–âž–âž–âž–âž–âž–âž–âž–âž–âž–âž– - - #depthsofearth #pixeltheplanet #findyourwayinsta #purplepassport #lost_world_treasures #worldmastershotz #earth_shotz #bella_shots #Testedtough #naturegood #sunset_vision #srs_sunshine #bestcaptureglobal #focusing_on_nature #light_shots #photometre #Yosemitenps #findypurpark #nationalparkgeek #lppostcards

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Nature is truly amazing! Did you know about the Yosemite Firefall?

Blair isn't a bestselling author, but she has a knack for beautiful prose. When she isn't writing for Shared, she enjoys listening to podcasts.