Geographical

Official magazine of the Royal Geographical Society (with IBG)

Phenomena

Bouvet island

Phenomena: the mystery of Bouvet Island

ByGrace GourlayOct 27, 2025

The lifeboat at the world’s end – an icy, unhabitated island only few have seen Far out in the subantarctic, well…

The Maud Rise polynya in 2017, roughly the same size as Switzerland

Phenomena: Polar polynyas

ByGeographical StaffJun 26, 2025
Polynyas are more than holes in Antarctic ice – they’re vital hotspots where marine life thrives and the ocean breathes
Death valley wandering rocks

Phenomena: Death Valley’s wandering rocks

ByGeographical StaffMay 10, 2025
For over a century, the mysterious ‘sailing stones’ of Death Valley baffled scientists and visitors alike – until a blend of ice, wind and serendipity finally revealed their secret
Baarle Hertog, Belgium and Baarle Nassau, the Netherlands October 10, 2019. The most complicated International border in Europe. Baarle territory is divided into a bits of Belgian and Netherlands

Phenomena: What are enclaves and exclaves?

ByGrace GourlayFeb 20, 2025

Discover more about the complex world of enclaves and exclaves, along with the geopolitical patchwork they form Enclaves and exclaves…

Church tower of Graun, Vinschgau, Curon, sunken village

Phenomena: Sunken villages

ByGrace GourlayFeb 4, 2025
Discover more about sunken villages across Europe – from Wales to Greece – and how exactly their existence came about
Woman standing on frozen methane bubbles at Abraham Lake, Alberta, Canada

Phenomena: frozen methane bubbles

ByGrace GourlayOct 3, 2024
The fascinating methane bubbles underneath lakes across the world hide a darker secret that can harm our planet.
St elmos fire at night

Phenomena: St Elmo’s fire explained

ByGrace GourlayJul 9, 2024
Learn about the captivating phenomenon of St Elmo's fire: a crackling display of atmospheric electricity that occurs during thunderstorms.
Lenticular cloud during sunrise in Bursa, Türkiye

What are leticular clouds and how they are formed

ByGrace GourlayApr 20, 2024
High altitude clouds which have often been mistaken for UFOs
Geo Explainer: How common are tornadoes in the UK?

Geo Explainer: How common are tornadoes in the UK?

ByBryony CottamApr 16, 2024
Tornadoes are a surprisingly common occurrence in the UK, and are most likely to form in three 'tornado hotspots'
One of the paths at Ohio State University

Phenomena: What desire paths reveal about human nature

ByGrace GourlayMar 19, 2024

The shared shortcuts that defy the planners Navigating beyond the organised pavements and parks of our urban spaces, desire paths…

Eye of the sahara

Phenomena: The Eye of the Sahara

ByGrace GourlayFeb 21, 2024
A geological marvel in the middle of the Sahara desert caused by erosion you can see from space
Waterspout over mediterranean sea

What are waterspouts, and how they are formed

ByGrace GourlayJan 3, 2024
Geographical Phenomena - the remarkable explained. Waterspouts are tornadoes that form over water or move from land to water
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