What the Heck Is This?

News
By
published

I would love to give hints today, but this one is so scrumptious looking, and so surprisingly not what you think, that I just can't. Except that I guess I just did.

Willy Wonka would love the answer, though he might ultimately be disappointed.

See the full image and description below.

It's a photo of Chocolate Falls in northern Arizona. They are formally called Grand Falls. They contain no chocolate. The falls go from zippo to spectacular each spring when snow melts into the Little Colorado River, carrying copious sediment that makes the water look so delicious. 

My good friends Linda and Dr. Dick Buscher go on photo excursions to wonderful places like this — they had to time this one to match the brief runoff, because otherwise the falls are barely a trickle and often dry — and they recently provided a whole image gallery of Chocolate Falls to our sister site, OurAmazingPlanet.

The amazing Grand Falls of northern Arizona come to life each spring when the winter snows melt flows into the Little Colorado River. Affectionately called the Chocolate Falls by locals because of the water’s chocolate color, these falls have a vertical drop greater than the world famous Niagara Falls. Located 30 miles from Flagstaff, Arizona, the Grand Falls is the result of an ancient volcanic lava flow blocking the Little Colorado River channel. (Image credit: Linda and Dr. Dick Buscher)

Got a strange or interesting photo related to science, nature or technology? What the Heck, send it to me, and maybe I'll use it. Or follow me on Twitter, or Facebook.

Robert Roy Britt
Robert Roy Britt

Robert is an independent health and science journalist and writer based in Phoenix, Arizona. He is a former editor-in-chief of Live Science with over 20 years of experience as a reporter and editor. He has worked on websites such as Space.com and Tom's Guide, and is a contributor on Medium, covering how we age and how to optimize the mind and body through time. He has a journalism degree from Humboldt State University in California.