Spotting a sight like this from a fishing boat when you’re over 20 miles out at sea would be incredibly unsettling.
This photograph sparked theory after theory of what it could have actually been. Some experts thought it may have been a tsunami during a red tide, which would’ve caused a wave to have a red appearance. But it seems pretty obvious it’s not, since waves don’t shoot straight out of the water and drop straight off on the sides.
If it had been a tsunami, we’re also pretty sure that fishing boat wouldn’t have survived to show anyone pictures of it.
It turns out it’s just a bizarre looking photo of a sandstorm, also called a haboob. High-levels of iron in sand gives it a deep red hue, which would cause it to look like a giant wall of red smoke if strong winds were to build up and create a sandstorm.
Strange Evidence – The Red Wall
Is this a giant red tide tsunami or smoke from wildfires off the coast of Australia? Nothing quite fits the profile. See what's behind the red wall & get ready for #StrangeEvidence at 9P.
Posted by Science Channel on Tuesday, September 4, 2018
