Avatar: The Science of Floating Mountains

The Science behind Avatar’s Floating Hallelujah Mountains 

The Avatar Franchise is a blockbuster movie series created by James Cameron, which so far consists of 2 epic science fiction films. The first part known simply as “Avatar” is the World’s highest grossing film ever made. The sequel which came out in December last year is not too far behind on 3^rd place with a whopping 2 billion dollars  

Now, we all loved Sam Worthington and Britain Dalton in the movies…. trust me I was blushing too, but this article is for all the science geeks out there, so without further ado… SCIENCE! CAMERA! ACTION! 

The movie is set on a moon of the fictional gas giant “Polyphemus” known as Pandora which is supposedly part of the real Alpha Centauri System. This system – at 4.4 light years away – is the closest found star system to ours. In the movies the environment seems to flourish in a way almost similar to Earth’s with the abundance of thick green forests and rich blue waters. This suggests that the mother planet of Pandora is at an ideal distance from its sun, not too close, not to far… just so so. 

The Hallelujah Floating mountains are certainly one of the most enchanting landmarks seen in the films. You might think that the enchanting mountains seem to float in the air because of some sort of magic……Nope! The levitating nature of the mountains is indicated to be an act of science.  “Unobtanium” is a fictional mineral that is present on pandora in large quantities. It is supposedly the strongest superconductor known.  

Superconductors are real-life materials that exhibit remarkable properties and have revolutionized our understanding of magnetic fields.  When cooled below a critical temperature, superconductors can conduct electric current without any resistance. This means that electrical flow encounters no obstacles and flows unhindered. As a result, a current can flow indefinitely in a superconducting loop, creating a persistent current that requires no additional power input. 

One of the most intriguing features of superconductors is their ability to expel magnetic fields from their interior. The physics behind this is a little complicated but the phenomenon is known as the Meissner effect. By taking advantage of the expulsion of magnetic fields, superconductors can repel magnets and levitate in mid-air. When a superconductor is cooled and placed above a magnet, it locks itself in a stable position, defying gravity. This mesmerizing effect is popularly demonstrated by floating magnets. 

The unique properties of superconductors have numerous practical applications. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) machines utilize superconducting magnets to generate strong and stable magnetic fields for detailed medical imaging. Superconducting wires are employed in particle accelerators, enabling the creation of powerful magnetic fields to guide and control charged particles. 

So far so good. We can imagine that the unobtanium in the mountains generates magnetic fields through the Meissner effect to enable them to float. There are a bunch of things we’d have to be able to explain though. For example, remember when we said that superconducts must be cooled below a critical temperature? That temperature is very cold. In MRI machines, for example, liquid helium is used to cool the superconductor to a few degrees above absolute zero. We’d thus expect the mountains of Pandora to have some pretty extreme temperature differentials to both enable the kind of life that we see on Pandora, and to support floating mountains. 

Unobtanium is, of course, a fictional material. So perhaps a fictional property of this material could be that it is able to superconduct at temperatures well above absolute zero.  

Although it is mentioned in the movies that unobtanium is a superconductor, it can  also be possible to imagine explanations that don’t involve superconductors. Speculative concepts of exotic physics, including the possibility of repulsive gravity or anti-gravity, have been explored in certain areas of theoretical physics. These concepts often involve hypothetical particles or phenomena that are not yet supported by empirical evidence. But if we’re dealing with a fictional material perhaps it has fictional anti-gravity properties. That, too, could enable floating mountains. 

The discovery of planets outside of our solar system (exoplanets) is in its infancy. To date there have been no confirmed reports or scientific discoveries of alien planets with floating mountains. But our understanding of exoplanets is limited and it’s always possible that future observations and discoveries may reveal the existence of unique geological features, such as floating mountains, on alien worlds.   

Even though there are not any actual floating mountains on our earth, it is not hard to imagine that the Zhangjiajie Mountains in China served as an inspiration to James Cameron while creating the Hallelujah Mountains.  These ethereal mountains may not be floating but the over 1000 m tall quartz-sandstone pillars certainly give off a similar impression from the ground.  The wet and foggy climate of the rainforest causes thick clouds to form all around the peaks making them appear to be levitating.  According to one of his interviews with vanity fair a lot of the pictures he took at the Zhangjiajie national park became prototypes for various elements in the films.  
 

The highest peak formerly known as “The Southern Sky Column” was renamed in 2010 during ceremony to “Avatar Hallelujah Mountain”.