‘Magic mushrooms’ made from ICE appear on Russian reservoir as a result of bizarre natural phenomenon
- The ‘magic mushrooms’ formed after the colossal Niznhe-Bureyskaya dam came into operation in 2017
- Visitors flocked to the once desolate region of the Siberian wilderness to see the amazing ice formations
- At first scientists were confused but now believe they understand why the strange shapes appeared
- The new dam caused dramatic changes in water level and as the tide fell it left behind frozen remnants
Stunning ‘magic mushrooms’ sculptured from ice have suddenly appeared on a frozen reservoir in Siberia.
At first the weird phenomenon – which has become a tourist attraction – puzzled experts.
The striking shapes are seen growing on the upper trunks of trees that were submerged after a dam serving the new giant Niznhe-Bureyskaya hydro power station came into operation in 2017.
A line of trees stand in the sunset at the reservoir located deep in the Siberian wilderness, surrounded by the Taiga forest
The tree trunks, seen here as the sun sets over the reservoir, became submerged after a dam for a new power plant came into operation in 2017
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The sun shines through miniature icicles which have formed beneath the snow-capped mushrooms of ice, giving them a fungi-like appearance
Now scientists say there is an explanation for the ‘magic’ ice mushrooms at the reservoir in Amur region.
The level of the water rises and falls over the vast area of the artificial lake, which has a 156 ft dam which is 2,455 ft long.
As it lowers, the ice cover falls, with the ‘ice fungus’ forming on the trees – but their distinctive shape is also sculpted by the Siberian winds blowing across the water.
The ‘magic mushrooms’ have appeared on the bottoms of tree trunks in the Amur region, in the Far East of Russia which has cold, dry winters
Experts explained that as the water level decreases on the lake it leaves behind the mushroom shape attached to the tree trunk
As well as the water level falling, strong winds blowing across the wilderness help to give the mushrooms their distinctive shape
Senior wildlife official Andrey Tarasov said: ‘The so-called ‘mushrooms’ are half man-made, and the rest is a natural phenomenon.’
Senior wildlife official Andrey Tarasov said: ‘The so-called “mushrooms” are half man-made, and the rest is a natural phenomenon.
‘When a hydroelectric plant discharges water, the level of the reservoir changes dramatically.
‘The water lowers.
The experts say that before the wind has had time to shape the mushrooms they may appear as simple blocks of ice on the trees before the wind whips them into their distinctive shape
The level of the water in the reservoir rises and falls over its vast area of the artificial lake which has a 156 ft dam which is 2,455 ft long
As the temperature plummets to far below freezing, the ice is contorted into other worldly shapes around the tree trunks
Observers can work out where the water level has been by looking at the difference between where the lake’s icy surface is compared to the tops of the mushrooms
The mushrooms form weird canopies over the desert landscape, which appears like it could be the surface of an alien planet
The odd formations are attracting visitors to a nature park at the reservoir, an an extremely remote location, some 125 miles from Blagoveshchensk – one of the oldest settlements in the Russian Far East
When a hydroelectric dam discharges water the water levels can change rapidly and dramatically, which helps to form strange phenomena like these ice mushrooms
Mountains can be seen in the distance as one of the mushroom juts out into the horizon during a sunset in the Siberian wilderness
‘In winter trees in the flooded areas have solid chunks of ice stuck to them, sometimes quite oddly shaped….
‘And then comes the work of the wind.’
This ‘brings the “mushrooms” to perfection, trimming them and giving the appearance of ice sculptures,’ Mr Tarasov said.
The formations can be ‘as tall as a man’.
The odd formations are attracting visitors to a nature park at the reservoir, some 125 miles from Blagoveshchensk, reported The Siberian Times.
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