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.
Category: Features
Long-form articles covering broad topics
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 […]
Healing waters of Waukesha turned sour
The healing waters of Waukesha eventually led to woes as the fabled springs dried up […]
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. […]
The “Hellmouth” Batagaika crater
Originally published 2017-March 3. Updated 2020-August 1. If the land around you was sinking and […]
Pic de Bugarach: The mysterious mountain
Pic de Bugarach in Aude, France, is a place that effortlessly combines natural wonder and […]
Trapped in Quicksand
Once upon a time, adventurers into unknown lands feared quicksand – a deadly hazard that […]
Eye agate: The rock that looks back at you
For thousands of years, people have imparted metaphysical powers to crystals and rocks, using them […]
Faces in Places: Mimetoliths
The word “rock face” is not usually to be taken literally. Yet, around the world, […]
Gravity Roads, Magnetic Hills, and Mystery Spots
Around the world, there are areas that have gained a reputation for being strange and mysterious […]
Pole Holes and the Hollow Earth
In the 1940s, Richard Shaver wrote about mysterious experiences he had in which he was […]
Devil’s Corkscrews
In the late 19th century, Nebraska’s settlers came across bizarre, giant “stone screws” vertically embedded […]
Moving rocks of the Racetrack Playa
We all can comprehend how rocks break apart due to heat and frost action and […]
Moodus: The Place of Bad Noises
Many places on earth regularly seem to experience mysterious booming noises. Most often, these noises […]
Devil’s Punchbowl
All around the world are remnants of a party of epic proportions – Devil’s Punchbowls. […]
Devil’s Gate
Several sinister and infamous places around the world have been named the Devil’s Gate and […]
Devil’s Kitchen
Something evil may be cooking up in places given the name of the “Devil’s Kitchen”. […]
Devil’s Den
Devil’s Den is an infamous collection of large diabase boulders within the Gettysburg National Battlefield. […]
Devil Places
There are countless places in the world named after the Devil (and variations of an […]
Earthquake Lights
Despite centuries of reports of anomalous luminous phenomena (ANP) – lights, glows, flames, sparks and […]