Social media accounts shared video of “earthquake lights” that appeared near Delhi, India after the Hindu Kush quake on 21-March. But the lights were instead reflection on clouds.
Author: idoubtit
Strange Claims Adjuster | Weird Naturalist | Sharer of Interesting News | EdM - Science & the Public
Anomalous claims from Turkey-Syria earthquake 2023
With a flood of images and videos coming out of the affected area in southern and central Turkey and western Syria from the February 6, 2023 series of quakes, there are MANY inaccuracies, misattributed content, conspiracies, and pseudoscientific claims being shared and promoted by nonexperts.
Viral videos of electric rocks
January 22, 2023 was the height of a wave of social media posts about what people claimed were “electric rocks” found in the DR of Congo. A video showed a close up of someone touching two rocks together and producing a strong electric spark. The clip was widely shared and accumulated millions of views. But it was not as it appeared.
Yummy Rocks – Part 3
Part 3 of a series displaying pics of rock and mineral specimens that look remarkably like edibles. Have fun with this parade of yummy-looking rocks that resemble meat, sweets, fruits and vegetables, and other fixings.
Yummy Rocks – Part 2
Part 2 of a photo collection of rock and mineral specimens that look sweet, juicy, and good enough to eat. Yummy!
Yummy Rocks – Part 1
Part 1 of a series of photos showing rock and mineral specimens that resemble yummy food good enough to eat. Check out this forbidden food smorgasbord!
Paranormal Vortex Areas
It’s a common claim by paranormalists that there are special places on earth where “energy” whirls are responsible for strange phenomena reported at those locations. They are called paranormal or energy “vortex” areas. The crystallization of the “vortex” idea in this context began with a popular proponent of mysterious subjects who identified twelve equidistant areas around the globe with peculiar characteristics. Since then, the idea of a paranormal vortex has evolved.
Devils Hole
Many sites have been given the creepy name of “Devils Hole”. The most famous Hole is in Death Valley, Nevada where a notch in the rock reveals an oasis of ancient groundwater in the otherwise brutally dry desert landscape. The cave opening is unusual, the water level responds to seismic events around the world, the underground passageways are complex and its depth is unknown. The opening in the desert sparked strange thoughts from one of the most disturbed criminal minds of our time, claimed lives, and hosts a rare species.
Spooky events from the New Madrid earthquakes
A series of giant earthquakes within the continental interior is strange in itself, but other notable phenomena associated with the New Madrid, Missouri quakes of 1811-2 made the events preternaturally awful. In this piece, I explore the scary and weird features that were said to accompany the New Madrid earthquakes.
Sodom and Gomorrah – A geomythological parable
The Bible contains several stories that people have attempted to connect to geological events such as earthquakes or floods. The Biblical context treats these events as supernatural works of God, which puts them in the realm of “spooky geology”. In this post, I’m exploring two geologically-related aspects of the parable of Sodom & Gomorrah.
Sinkhole drains pool in Israel resulting in death
A man enjoying a private pool at a company party in central Israel was sucked into the subsurface when a sinkhole opened up under the pool. The ground collapsed into a void and rapidly drained all the pool water. After a four-hour rescue attempt in the town of Karmei Yosef, the body was later found 15 meters into the hole. Another man sustained minor injuries.
The Curse of the Souvenir Rock
Popular lore warns that if you take a rock or object from a sacred land, a curse will fall upon you until you return the object. What is the origin of the curse legends and are they real? Here’s a new SpookyGeo video feature.
Japan’s “killing stone” splits
The infamous Sessho-seki, a protected boulder in the volcanic area of Mount Nesu in Japan, has split. The break occurred around March 5, 2022. A legend says the stone was the prison of the evil nine-tailed fox demoness Tamamo-no-Mae and that anyone who touched it died. Some people fear that evil has been released into the world. In reality, the stone had been cracked for a while and held by a rope. The rock likely split from natural weathering processes. The area is known for sulfur hot springs and potentially poisonous gases which may have contributed to the “killing stone” myth.
Booming sounds attributed to karst
Some residents of Silver Spring Township in southcentral PA began to experience booming noises days after heavy rain deluged the area in September 2021. Township officials consulted geological experts who concluded that the sounds originated underground but were not related to earthquakes. Instead, the karst system was actively moving the water and debris in the subsurface.
Mystery booms and skyquakes
The world is a noisy place. But some sounds shake you to your foundation. Mystery booms that come out of nowhere and have indiscernible sources scare people and leave them wondering, “What just happened?” Every week, we find a few reports of “mystery booms” in the news. People report a surprising, loud noise that shakes their house and rattles their windows. This is not a new phenomenon. Reports of such sounds can be traced back through news accounts from over a century ago.
Peabody’s booming earthquake swarm
Residents of Peabody have been experiencing booming sounds that rattle their houses and nerves. A public meeting was held to explain to residents that 3 earthquakes were recorded (below magnitude 2) in the area and this swarm of small quakes is causing the disturbance.
Going to Hell: Geology of the “underworld”
In the past and even today, some believe that you can get to Hell via a portal or entrance from earth. There are countless tales of trips to the underworld made by mythical persons. There continue to be legends about gates to hell around the world that we might access today. Join me for a tour of Hell mouths.
Fireball “mud volcano” in Caspian Sea
On July 4, news started circulating about a huge explosion in the Caspian Sea in Azerbaijan captured on video. The first information was relayed by the state oil company, SOCAR, to the Russian news agency saying the explosion was real and probably caused by a “mud volcano”.
Oracle of Delphi: Snake Death Gas or God’s Breath
The colorful and dramatic accounts of the Oracle of Delphi in Greece spanning many centuries […]
Nyiragongo eruption misinformation
Nyiragongo volcano in the DR Congo (Democratic Republic of Congo) is a highly dangerous stratovolcano […]
Demon or dino print of the Appalachian Trail
On April 18, 2021, the Northeast Archeological Resources Program posted a picture on their Facebook […]
Healing waters of Waukesha turned sour
The healing waters of Waukesha eventually led to woes as the fabled springs dried up […]
Pine Barrens Blue Hole
The Pine Barrens area of New Jersey has plenty of small lakes or ponds that […]
Gold mine pit collapse in Sulawesi, Indonesia
The unstable slopes of an unauthorized gold mine pit on Indonesia’s Sulawesi island gave way […]
Cookie monster agate
A geode infilled with milky blue quartz/agate bears an uncanny resemblance to Sesame Street’s infamous […]
Fillmore underground fire
The Fillmore underground fire is a patch of ground on private property just outside the […]
Hexenplatten – the witches’ stone
In Ardez, Switzerland, there is a flat slab of calcareous shist, sometimes referred to as […]
Dog rescued after disappearing down a sinkhole
February, 2016State College, Pennsylvania Megan Holmes was walking her golden retriever off the leash, during […]
Legends and science of bottomless holes
There are countless holes in the ground. Some have water. Some are just open void […]
Ringing rocks and sonorous stones
We expect a certain dull, earthy, *chink* sound when rocks are hit with a hammer. […]