Rare and majestic weather phenomenon only exists for minutes
Did you know that freezing temperatures and gusty winds can create stunning pieces of art in the natural world?
Drone photographer Nathan Voytovick captured a rare, fleeting meteorological phenomenon. As if sculpted by an artist, the intricate sand structures appeared, then disappeared, on a beach in Michigan.
They are called "sand pillars" and are created when frozen or dense columns of water in sand are eroded -- or, in some cases, added to -- by the wind blowing additional sand around them. Although the pillars are constantly changing, they are very fragile.
The pillars form overnight, so there is a very small window to photograph them after dawn. As soon as the sun hits them, the frigid grip of subfreezing temperatures releases, and they crumble to the beach, leaving no signs they were ever there.
Drone photographer Nathan Voytovick captured the rare, fleeting meteorological phenomenon called "sand pillars" on March 18, 2024, at Saint Joseph, Michigan.
Voytovick took the video at the Saint Joseph North Pier Inner Lighthouse in Saint Joseph, Michigan, on March 18, 2024, and uploaded it to his Facebook page.
“Just the idea of sand freezing is cool,” Voytovick told Storyful.
Sand pillars are typically formed in the winter and can grow up to 15 inches tall. Shorter versions, only an inch or two high, can be seen when temperatures are above freezing. If winds and temperatures are steady with cloudy skies, the pillars can last more than a day as they constantly change shape and size.
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