Incredible video shows China’s bizarre ‘half and half’ river where red and green waters flow but then don’t mix
AWE-INSPIRING footage shows the place where two different coloured rivers in China meet but do not mix.
Videos of the meeting point posted on social media show the clash between the icy blue waters of The Quaidam River and the deep red of The Wulansusu River.
A clear line can be seen where the two converge in Xiangjia township, Dulan County creating a stunning image.
The striking and distinct split between the two bodies of water occurs due to the changes in origin and therefore the sediment in each river.
The blue Quaidam River runs through The Quaidam Basin in the Quinghai Province of China.
Here, there are snow-capped mountains and grasslands dotted with wild animals.
The basin consists of a blue salt lake, adding to the clarity and coolness of the water.
The Wulanwusu River which comes from Alake Lake on the southern border of the Quaidam Basin is deep red in colour.
Known as the “red water river” it passes through an area of red rock or red sandstone.
This is created by the presence of ferric oxides in the sedimentary rocks.
At the point where the two rivers meet in Dulan County, the distinct blue and red waters continue their journeys without bleeding into one another.
On TikTok, footage shows the Y-shaped meeting point of the two rivers.
The user who shared the video called it “a remarkable sight.”
“Two rivers flow side by side with a visible contrast, forming a ‘Y’ shape where they converge.”
On Facebook, others have called it “nature’s oil painting.”
RED SKY AT NIGHT
Just six months ago, the residents of a city in China saw the sky turn blood red, much like the Wulanwusu River.
Why do the two rivers not mix?
The two distinct rivers meet but do not mix and that is all to do with their contents.
The Quaidam River is icy blue coming from the nearby snow-capped mountains and flowing through the Quaidam Basin which is a salt lake.
Meanwhile, The Wulansusu River is deep red due to the red sandstone land formations it passes through.
Not only do the two different sediments and origins impact the colour, but they will also impact the densities.
As the Wulanwusu River has high clarity due to the salt and lack of sediment, it is less dense than bodies of water with lots of sediment.
The Wulanwusu River passes through red sandstone which is created by the presence of ferric oxides in the sedimentary rock.
This increases the density of the river and the two different properties of each body of water mean they don’t mix
In what looked like a scene straight out of a sci-fi film or horror movie, the residents of Zhoushan City in the Zhejiang Province saw the sky turn red around 8 pm on May 23.
The rare phenomena immediately sparked earthquake fears with some saying that a red sky warns of such an event.
Others feared nuclear armageddon with one witness saying it “feels like a nuclear explosion.”
But, scientists quickly explained the phenomena, reassuring residents that they had nothing to fear.
The Dinghai District Meteorological Bureau explained that it was caused by the red lights used by local fishing boats.
Space Physics Research Team expert from the China University of Geosciences explained: “Because the lights of ocean-going fishing boats are red, the red light has a longer wavelength and strong penetrating power.
“At the same time, under the scattering effect of liquid droplets in the atmosphere, the red light will be scattered to a farther range, thus presenting an abnormally strong red light phenomenon in the sky.”