Landscapes Gallery

Volcanic lightning, Iceland, April 2010

Volcanic lightning. Time-exposure image of lightning in and around a large ash column produced during the 2010 Eyjafjallajokull volcanic eruptions. Volcanic lightning is the release of electric charge that builds up as rising ash mixes with the atmosphere. The activity under the Eyjafjallajokull glacier started in March, with a major eruption taking place on 14 April, sending ash high into the atmosphere. Carried by the wind, this ash led to the closure of large parts of European airspace for several days. This is a 15-second exposure, taken on 18 April 2010

© OLIVIER VANDEGINSTE/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY

Supercell thunderstorm over fields, USA

Supercell thunderstorm over fields. A supercell thunderstorm is a severe long-lived storm within which the wind speed and direction changes with height. This produces a strong rotating updraft of warm air, known as a mesocyclone, and a separate downdraft of cold air. This was the most prolific supercell thunderstorm of 2009. The storm was over 30 miles (48 kilometres) wide and persisted for 9 hours. Photographed near Valentine, Nebraska, USA, on 13th July 2009

© ROGER HILL/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY

Beech trees

Beech trees. Misty autumnal morning in a woodland area of beech trees (Fagus sylvatica). The smooth beech trunks are festooned with lichens and the base of the trunk is covered in mosses and the round leaves of the pennywort (Umbilicus rupestris). Photographed in Codden Hill, Devon, England

© DR KEITH WHEELER/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY

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