By: Alex
According to the BBC, Brent Rossen and his girlfriend recently encountered a rare natural phenomenon while walking in Virginia's First Landing State Park: a rainbow swamp. When Rossen posted photos of the rainbow swamp on the Reddit forum, it received over 120,000 likes within 24 hours.
▲ Brent Rossen and his girlfriend came across the rare natural phenomenon of a rainbow swamp while visiting First Landing State Park.
Jeff Ripple, a former swamp trail guide in Florida, told the BBC that the rainbow colors in the swamp are due to a thin layer of oil on the water’s surface. This oil is released from the decomposition of vegetation and the metabolic process of anaerobic bacteria that break down iron in the soil—it's entirely a natural occurrence. For the oil to accumulate, the water needs to remain still for an extended period. Even slight water movement or a gentle breeze can disrupt the oily film. He added that this phenomenon is more likely to appear in smaller bodies of water.
▲ A rainbow swamp photographed by Michael Hussey in Florida.
Retired engineer Michael Hussey also shared photos of a rainbow swamp he captured in Tallahassee, Florida. He observes this small swamp daily from his home because the water color changes every day. He said, “If there hasn’t been rain for a few weeks, the rainbow hues become deeper. I’ve lived here for 40 years, and the rainbow swamp appears roughly every three to four years, usually in mid-February. I’ve seen this wonder about 10 times.”
▲ Instagram user whitneygoose also shared a photo of a rainbow swamp taken at First Landing State Park in early 2017.
Source: BBC