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Another week has buzzed by and now it's time to dive deep and bring your attention to the most popular (and bizarre) stories that made headlines this week.

ICYMI: Five must-read stories of the week (Sea monster and #Santabomb)


Dalia Ibrahim
Digital Reporter

Friday, December 19, 2014, 10:57 AM - Another week has buzzed by and now it's time to dive deep and bring your attention to the most popular (and bizarre) stories that made headlines this week.

5. Pollution takes its toll: India's Taj Mahal is turning brown due to pollutants in the air

Scientist Mike Bergin of the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta noticed something peculiar during his travels to India. As the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) reports, Bergin saw workers applying 'facial masks' to the UNESCO World Heritage site, constructed in 1653 by emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his wife. The masks were an attempt to remove the discolouration from the temple's exterior. Bergin concludes that air pollution is at fault for the change of colour to the temple's exterior. He noticed that periodically, workers would clean the surface using clay, peeling it off to remove the dirt.

Taj Mahal in March 2004.jpg
"Taj Mahal in March 2004" by Dhirad, picture edited by J. A. Knudsen - see permission. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons.

4. Engineer claims Google Earth found a sea monster in New Zealand

Some people say it's a glitch, some say it's a tree trunk and others say it's a ... sea monster.

Still, a strange line spotted by Google Earth in the waters off the coast of New Zealand's North Island has certainly gotten the internet talking. 

The large space was first spotted by engineer Pita Witehira. 

The large mass is surrounded by a huge wake, captured by satellites at about 11:30 a.m. on January 30. He doesn't think the disruption was caused by a boat because they tend to leave a frothy wake behind.




SEE ALSO: Seven animals who can't deal with Christmas being less than one week away (PHOTOS)


3. Rare endangered rhino dies at San Diego Zoo Safari Park, only five remain in the world 

Another species is one step closer to its extinction. 

A northern white rhinoceros died at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park Sunday, leaving behind only five more of its kind, worldwide. 

Angalifu, the 44-year-old rhino, died of old age.

2. Counting down the 12 storms of Christmas: Weather and natural disasters that hit during the holiday season 

Christmastime is supposed to be full of good cheer, especially if you live in a part of the world where you might wake up on December 25 to find snow on the ground outside. 

But sometimes, your White Christmas can get out of hand, and make the season a nightmare. 

We looked back through history for times when the holiday season was marred with intense weather or other natural disaster. Click here to see which one topped the list!

1. #SANTABOMB 

#SantaBomb. You may have seen it circulating social media, or heard it on the radio or on television. But what is it? Why are people saying it to refer to this potential Christmas storm

It's a meteorological term used to explain the rapid intensification of a low pressure system. 

What does that mean? 

Our weather (or lack of weather) happens due to high and low pressure systems that move through our atmosphere. 

Low pressure systems are what tend to bring us our precipitation, clouds and strong winds (or weather associated with those low pressure systems). Meteorologists gauge how strong a storm system is by how low the pressure is at its centre -- the lower the pressure, the stronger or "deeper" the storm. With weather bombs, it's all about the wind. Some weather bombs can be associated with heavy rain or snow -- which will be the case on Christmas Eve for areas stretching from Ontario to Newfoundland.

CLICK BELOW TO WATCH: A Santa smack-down!

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