Top 10 Most Popular Nature World News Stories of 2022

2022 is definitely a rollercoaster year concerning science and mother nature, with violent storms and unprecedented heatwaves wreaking havoc in different parts of the world, biologists discovering unknown animal species, and scientists developing new approaches to further advance technology.

1. Fishermen Catch Half-Eaten Shark

Two fishermen discovered a half-eaten shark off the coast of Queensland, Australia, in April.

An apparent usual catch turned out to be something else since the carcass suggests it was consumed by an even larger, unknown predator of the oceans.

The duo initially thought they caught a large fish but they realized that it was a massive thresher shark.

2. Great Pyramid-Sized Asteroid

An asteroid the size of the Great Pyramid of Giza known as 2009 JF1 has drawn the world's attention in May when the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) warned of an approaching space rock that could hit Earth at that time.

Initial estimates showed the Great Pyramid-sized asteroid could have catastrophic impact should it hit our planet.

3. Mutant Goat in India

A mutant goat in India went viral on social media back in August because of its appearance that also resembles a human face.

The goat was not only an online star but was also worshipped as an "avatar of god" amongst locals, wherein some believe it is an omen.

However, medical experts suggest the animal was suffering from cyclopia, a rare congenital defect on the face emanating from birth.

4. Giant Squid Mom Off California

The story of the giant squid mom on the waters off California fascinated social media in July.

Its deep-water journey became known after the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute released a video of it online, showing the squid mother was carrying a string of eggs 4,500 feet below the Eastern Pacific Ocean basin.

5. Body Changes Aged 70 and Above

Cambridge scientists developed a new theoretical approach in June focusing on the "catastrophic change" in a human body when it reaches at least 70 years of age.

In particular, the researchers discovered a biological mechanism responsible for a fatal shift in hormone levels when humans reach their 70s.

The said lifespan phase makes individuals more vulnerable to various diseases.

6. Mysterious Lake Erie Ice Formation

A bizarre ice formation in Lake Erie, Canada, in March has garnered both awe and skepticism on social media when a man named Ben Tucci, 65, posted a photo of a frozen ice with a shape of an angel or Jesus on a crucifix.

Tucci also uploaded earlier a photo of an ice figure resembling the Grim Reaper, which he believed to have formed naturally amid the cold weather.

7. Two Dinosaur-Killing Space Rocks

The Chicxulub impactor or asteroid was long thought to be the sole cause of the extinction of all non-avian dinosaurs 66 million years ago.

However, new research in August suggested that another space rock could have finished the dinosaurs off due to a discovered impact created under the North Atlantic.

8. Krakatoa Volcano Eruption

Indonesia's Krakatoa Volcano, wherein its explosion can change the current climate, erupted in February.

This prompted scientists to monitor the volcano with the possibility of a bigger explosion at that time.

While the said eruption is relatively weaker compared to the Hunga Tonga submarine volcano eruption in January, Krakatoa's eruption in 1883 killed over 36,000 people.

9. Rare Earth Elements in Maine

Scientists have found a large concentration of rare Earth elements and trace metals worth billions of US dollars in a 450 million-year-old volcanic rock on a remote mountainside part of northern Maine, United States.

Geologists confirmed its value could be similar to same deposits found in China and Australia.