A strange crystal whirlpool on the top of the Andes

Scientists have discovered a new form of tornado formed in the South American Andes, causing crystal-like rock crystals to appear along sand dunes.

Crystal stone crystals are about 27cm in size, scattered in sand dunes many kilometers from the center, according to Science Alert. Based on this distance, scientists speculate the intensity and wind power of the tornado must reach a record number. The research results were published in January this year in the journal Geology.

The Andes range is a natural border between Chile and Argentina, including the Salar de Gorbea mountains , with climate and location characteristics that challenge every scientist in the world. The dry sandy desert Salar de Gorbea suddenly appeared dunes with thousands of crystal crystals, creating a surreal landscape that attracted the attention of researchers.

A block of ice crystals in the Andes.(Photo: Science Alert).

According to scientists, milky white crystals form in salty acid volcanic lakes. The nearest location is at least 5km from the Salar de Gorbea desert. Kathleen Benison, a geologist at West Virginia University, said that while she was looking at the crystals in the area, she spotted a big tornado moving through a valley a few kilometers away from where she stood. This phenomenon repeated throughout her Salar de Gorbea business trip.

For three consecutive days in the afternoons, the vortex moved from the valley area with saline acid lake to sand dunes and weakened and vanished. Kathleen calls this strange phenomenon the Devil, a form of extreme low-intensity tornado that takes place over a long period of time.

"I still remember holding one of these crystals and watching them fade away in my hands. I looked up and caught a whirlwind of demons slowly passing by," Kathleen said.

After a specific study, Kathleen realized what she could explain the mysterious appearance of crystal crystals. The tornado is strong enough to suck crystals from saline acid pools in the valley and pull them into sand dunes.

According to Kathleen's statistics, the biggest tornado was several kilometers high, with a diameter of 500m. These tornadoes move from the valley to the dune carrying crystal crystals. When they weaken, the rock crystal will slowly freeze from a height of 4.5m.

The cyclone in the Andes may be a phenomenon that scientists have never witnessed in history.

Normally, if a whirlwind has enough force, they are fully capable of sucking and carrying heavy objects. For example, rat rains throughout Arizona desert are caused by a tornado. However, they rarely happen.

According to Guardian, the tornadoes in the Andes only reach a maximum speed of about 70km / h. At this rate, the possibility of a tornado that is capable of drawing ice crystals into the air is almost very low. The cyclone in the Andes may be a phenomenon that scientists have never witnessed in history.

Another theory is that the low air pressure in the Salar de Gorbea desert and the crystal form of the crystal are the factors that make it easy to suck up into the air and fly at a height of several kilometers.