the best of mother nature!

[volcanoes-and-lightning]

Lightning remembers the old days at Blue Mesa, Arizona (USA).

[volcanoes-and-lightning]

Lightning over Schaffhausen and Kohlfirst (Switzerland).  It’s a long-exposure shot, which is why the bird appears four times.

[americasgreatoutdoors]

There’s no better place to celebrate Earth Day than America’s public lands. Scenes like this from Crater Lake National Park in Oregon remind us of the beauty and fragility of nature. Clear skies, fresh air, pure water and the serene sounds of breezes and birds inspire us to experience the natural world and protect it for future generations. Sunrise photo by Helen Kehrt (www.sharetheexperience.org).

[museum-of-artifacts]

Roman Soldier, sword still strapped by his side, killed instantly by the surge cloud of Vesuvius Eruption

[americasgreatoutdoors]

America’s national parks include some of the most cherished natural landscapes and cultural sites in the world. Today is World Heritage Day and we’re recognizing a unique park with a global profile. Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park is one of the few places on Earth where visitors can safely get an upclose look at an active volcano. Witness powerful natural forces at work as Kīlauea and Mauna Loa (two of the world’s most active volcanoes) continue to add land to the island of Hawaiʻi. Photo by Janice Wei, National Park Service.

[volcanoes-and-lightning]

Ash cloud billowing from Puyehue-Cordón Caulle (Chile, 2011)

[volcanoes-and-lightning]

Lava from an upstream lobe near the town of Pahoa, Hawai’i (2014).

[volcanoes-and-lightning]

[natgeoyourshot]

Top Shot: Volcanic Reflections

Top Shot features the photo with the most votes from the previous day’s Daily Dozen, 12 photos chosen by the Your Shot editors from thousands of recent uploads. Our community votes for their favorite photo from the selection, and the Top Shot is showcased on the @natgeoyourshot Instagramaccount.

Your Shot photographer Egor Vlasov captured this image of the Tolbachik, which is a complex of volcanoes located in the far east of Russia. It’s eruptive history stretches back thousands of years, but the most notable eruption occurred in 1975, commonly known as “The Great Tolbachik Fissure Eruption.” Photograph by Egor Vlasov

[natgeoyourshot]

Top Shot: Lucky Strike

Top Shot features the photo with the most votes from the previous day’s Daily Dozen. The Daily Dozen is 12 photos chosen by the Your Shot editors each day from thousands of recent uploads. Our community has the chance to vote for their favorite from the selection.

Your Shot photographer Greg McCown has been chasing this image for quite sometime. “After 7 years of trying I finally got my lightning and rainbow picture,” said McCown. “I spent the afternoon chasing storms with a pair of friends from Phoenix. After driving through a microburst on I-10, they decided to head back home. I decided to head back towards Tucson. I stopped in Marana to photograph this beautiful rainbow. It was difficult to find a spot without houses or telephone poles, but I did just in time. This lightning bolt came crashing down within minutes of setting up.” Photograph by Greg McCown

[aleyma]

Thomas Moran, Hot Springs of the Yellowstone, 1872 (source).

[fuckyeahvolcanoes]

“Mt. Mayon erupting - photos by George S. White, taken from a B-29 - 16 February 1947 - location 13.257N, 123.685E in the Philippines”

[kellydelay]

Surreal scene in the Gypsum Hills of Kansas. The storm we were chasing was back building at sunset, creating ever changing light and color. Amazing to watch! #stormchasing #weather #sunset #sky #instagood

[rockon-ro]

FULGURITE from Morocco. A fulgurite is a hollow, tubular piece of fused sand caused by a lighting strike to the ground. They are hollow and lined with melted sand grains and generally less than an inch or two in diameter ( a lighting bolt is normally 1 to 2 inches in diameter). Fulgurites mark the pathway the lighting followed into the ground.

[pixel8or]

[elodieunderglass]

lava is a terrible idea

[volcanoes-and-lightning]

Mount Etna (Italy, 2013).

[animals-nature-landscape-deacti]

Lightning over Tampa Bay. Photography by © (Greg Urbano). Lightning strike through clouds over Tampa Bay as seen from Vinoy Park St. Pete Florida. #clouds #photograph greg #florida #lightning #vinoy #park #storm #longexposure