Mystery Wonders
The Kerala red rain

Home | Last Added

The Kerala red rain phenomenon was a blood rain (red rain) event that occurred from 25 July to 23 September 2001, when heavy downpours of red-coloured rain fell sporadically on the southern Indian state of Kerala, staining clothes pink.1 Yellow, green, and black rain was also reported.234 Coloured rain was also reported in Kerala in 1896 and several times since,5 most recently in June 2012, and from 15 November 2012 to 27 December 2012 in eastern and north-central provinces of Sri Lanka. Following a light microscopy examination in 2001, it was initially thought that the rains were coloured by fallout from a hypothetical meteor burst, but a study commissioned by the Government of India concluded that the rains had been coloured by airborne spores from a locally prolific terrestrial green alga from the genus Trentepohlia. An international team later identified the exact species as Trentepohlia annulata.

The coloured rain of Kerala began falling on 25 July 2001, in the districts of Kottayam and Idukki in the southern part of the state. Yellow, green, and black rain was also reported.Many more occurrences of the red rain were reported over the following ten days, and then with diminishing frequency until late September. According to locals, the first coloured rain was preceded by a loud thunderclap and flash of light, and followed by groves of trees shedding shrivelled grey "burnt" leaves. Shriveled leaves and the disappearance and sudden formation of wells were also reported around the same time in the area. It typically fell over small areas, no more than a few square kilometres in size, and was sometimes so localised that normal rain could be falling just a few meters away from the red rain. Red rainfalls typically lasted less than 20 minutes.[3] Each millilitre of rain water contained about 9 million red particles. Extrapolating these figures to the total amount of red rain estimated to have fallen, it was estimated that 50,000 kilograms (110,000 lb) of red particles had fallen on Kerala.


Story continues below !











The brownish-red solid separated from the red rain consisted of about 90% round red particles and the balance consisted of debris.[5] The particles in suspension in the rain water were responsible for the colour of the rain, which at times was strongly coloured red. A small percentage of particles were white or had light yellow, bluish grey and green tints. The particles were typically 4 to 10 µm across and spherical or oval. Electron microscope images showed the particles as having a depressed centre. At still higher magnification some particles showed internal structures.

Some water samples were taken to the Centre for Earth Science Studies (CESS) in India, where they separated the suspended particles by filtration. The pH (acidity) of the water was found to be around 7 (neutral). The electrical conductivity of the rainwater showed the absence of any dissolved salts. Sediment (red particles plus debris) was collected and analysed by the CESS using a combination of ion-coupled plasma mass spectrometry, atomic absorption spectrometry and wet chemical methods. The major elements found are listed below. The CESS analysis also showed significant amounts of heavy metals, including nickel (43 ppm), manganese (59 ppm), titanium (321 ppm), chromium (67ppm) and copper (55 ppm). Louis and Kumar used energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy analysis of the red solid and showed that the particles were composed of mostly carbon and oxygen, with trace amounts of silicon and iron. A CHN analyser showed content of 43.03% carbon, 4.43% hydrogen, and 1.84% nitrogen. J. Thomas Brenna in the Division of Nutritional Sciences at Cornell University conducted carbon and nitrogen isotope analyses using a scanning electron microscope with X-ray micro-analysis, an elemental analyser, and an isotope ratio (IR) mass spectrometer. The red particles collapsed when dried, which suggested that they were filled with fluid. The amino acids in the particles were analysed and seven were identified (in order of concentration): phenylalanine, glutamic acid/glutamine, serine, aspartic acid, threonine, and arginine. The results were consistent with a marine origin or a terrestrial plant that uses a C4 photosynthetic pathway.




you might be interested


Underwater Pyramids of Cuba

Shroud of Turin

Leaning Tower of Pisa

Lighthouse of Alexandria

200 yo mummy not dead

Timbuktu

Tutankhamun Mummy

The Wonder Cave

Largest Crab Ever

Black Hole

El Chupacabra

Columnar Basalt

Spontaneous combustion

Wonder Rock

GREAT SPHINX OF GIZA

Alien Skulls ?

Nasca Lines

Katmai Crater Lake

Easter Island Secrets

Great Pyramid of Giza

Area 51

Lencois Mranhenses Brasil

Borobudur Temple

Hitler fled to Argentina ?

Pillars of weathering

Machu Picchu

Colossus of Rhodes

Two Headed Snake

The Great Wall of China

Hanging Gardens of Babylon

Rio de Janeiro

Plitvice Lakes

Valley of Love Ireland

Taj Mahal

Ayers Rock

Arizona Wave

Zhangye Danxia

Santorini

Kittiwake Shipwreck

The Matterhorn

Lost Kingdom Of Cleopatra

Stone Forest

Giant Stone Balls

Temple of Artemis at Ephesus

Stonehenge Stones

Lost Heracleion City

Pamukkale

Colosseum Rome Italy

Bagan Myanmar

Natural Zhangjiaje

Sailing Stones

Door to Hell

Yellowstone Park

Underwater Museum Cancún Mexico

Red Rain

Mount Rushmore

Valley of the Kings

Blue Belize Hole

Aurora

Statue of Zeus at Olympia

KAMPUNG KUANTAN FIREFLIES

Pompeii After Eruption

Acropolis of Athens

Everglades Park

Antarctica

Vimana Flying Machine

3,800 year old mummy Xiahoe

Blue Neon Waves

Angel Falls

Fly Geyser

Mausoleum at Halicarnassus

Waterfalls Rio Tulija

K2 Pakistan

Memnon Colossi

The Ancient City of Mes Aynak

The Sahara Desert

Twin Town

Crystal Underwater Pyramid Cuba

Leshan Giant Buddha China

Terracotta Army

Bermuda Triangle

Mount Nemrut

Ancient Atomic Bomb India

Victoria Falls

Parícutin Vulcan

Sigiriya Sri Lanka

Kukulkan Pyramid Chichen Itza

Banaue Rice Terraces

Grand Canyon

Tunguska Explosion Russia

Reed Flute Cave

Ark of the Covenant

Iron Pillar Delhi

Famous Petra

Underwater Cancun

Angkor Wat



Rio de Janeiro
Two Headed Snake
Sailing Stones
Leshan Giant Buddha China
GREAT SPHINX OF GIZA
Leaning Tower of Pisa
Ark of the Covenant
Antarctica
Valley of the Kings
Plitvice Lakes
Area 51
The Wonder Cave
Zhangye Danxia
Katmai Crater Lake
Ancient Atomic Bomb India
The Ancient City of Mes Aynak
Lost Heracleion City
Acropolis of Athens
Underwater Cancun
Columnar Basalt
Easter Island Secrets
Shroud of Turin
Nasca Lines
Santorini
Taj Mahal
Great Pyramid of Giza
Bermuda Triangle
Vimana Flying Machine
Tunguska Explosion Russia
Stone Forest
Sigiriya Sri Lanka
Giant Stone Balls
Banaue Rice Terraces
Sahara Desert
Bagan Myanmar
Memnon Colossi
Blue Belize Hole
KAMPUNG KUANTAN FIREFLIES
The Great Wall of China
Paracas Skulls
Waterfalls Rio Tulija
Lencois Mranhenses Brasil
3,800 year old mummy Xiahoe
Kittiwake Shipwreck
Door to Hell
Temple of Artemis at Ephesus
Red Rain
Spontaneous combustion
Hitler fled to Argentina
Underwater Museum Cancún Mexico
Mount Rushmore
Crystal Underwater Pyramid Cuba
Terracotta Army
Lighthouse of Alexandria
Blue Neon Waves
Lost Kingdom Of Cleopatra
Matterhorn Mountain
Parícutin
Mausoleum at Halicarnassus
Angel Falls
Fly Geyser
Iron Pillar Delhi
Stonehenge
Famous Petra
El Chupacabra
Tutankhamun Mummy
Borobudur Temple
Pamukkale
Everglades Park
Largest Crab Ever
Colosseum Rome Italy
Angkor Wat
Arizona Wave
Black Hole
Mount Nemrut
Kukulkan Pyramid Chichen Itza
Pompeii After Eruption
Underwater Pyramids of Cuba
Wonder Rock
Statue of Zeus at Olympia
Grand Canyon
200 yo mummy not dead
Pillars of weathering
Colossus of Rhodes
Machu Picchu
Valley of Love Ireland
Twin Town
Timbuktu
Victoria Falls
Hanging Gardens of Babylon
Natural Zhangjiaje
Reed Flute Cave
K2 Pakistan
Aurora
Yellowstone
Ayers Rock










back to top


About Us | Privacy Policy