Nyda, in northwest Sibera has seen the development of which curious natural happening?

a. Natural snowstorms

b. Natural snowballs

c. Natural snowflakes

d. None of the above

ANSWER: Natural snowballs

Explanation:

Thousands of natural snowballs were formed on the 18-km stretch of the beach in the Gulf of Ob in NW Siberia creating a mystery.

A part of the coast was covered by icy spheres.

Sculptural shapes range from the size of a tennis ball to 1 metre across.

This results from are environmental processes where small pieces of ice form are rolled by wind and water and end up as giant snowballs.

Locals in Nyda lying on the Yamal Peninsula above the Arctic Circle found this phenomenon to be unique.

This is a primary natural phenomenon-sludge ice, slip ice.

The combination of the effects of the wind, the lay of the coastline and the temperature and wind conditions add to this.