Breathtaking photos show the power of Mother Nature

Nature at its most thrilling

While many of Mother Nature's creations can be staggeringly gorgeous (think rainbows, gushing geysers and technicolour coral), she also has the capacity to wreak havoc. From pink lakes and stunning natural light shows to giant waves and lava flows, we take a look at the beautiful and terrifying power of Mother Nature.

Click through the gallery to see nature in all its dazzling, destructive might...

Northern Lights, Norway

The aurora borealis – otherwise known as the Northern Lights – is an elusive yet beautiful natural display created by charged particles from the sun meeting with the Earth’s magnetic fields. This powerful combination can result in a technicolour light show which can even be seen from space. Key places to spot them include Iceland, Norway and Canada.

Perito Moreno Glacier, Argentina

Situated in the Los Glaciares National Park in the Santa Cruz province of Patagonia, this imposing ice formation measures around 19 miles (30km) in length and perfectly demonstrates just how majestic some of Mother Nature’s creations can be.

 

Strokkur geyser, Iceland

Iceland’s most visited active geyser is as intimidating as it is beautiful, blasting water to heights of up to 40 metres (131ft) every five to 10 minutes. It’s caused by magma close to the Earth’s surface which boils melted water from nearby glaciers – quite the natural phenomenon.

Mount Etna, Sicily, Italy

Sicily’s Mount Etna is the largest active volcano in Europe and has been erupting regularly for thousands of years. Eruptions can create lava flows which measure hundreds of metres high.

Hurricane Ophelia, Ireland

One of the worst storms to hit the Emerald Isle in the past decade, Hurricane Ophelia wreaked havoc across Ireland and beyond in 2017, causing three deaths, power failures and road closures. Gusts of up to 119 miles per hour (192km/h) were recorded; the storm also carried Saharan dust to the UK, resulting in hazy orange skies and a visibly red sun.

 

Nacreous clouds, Kent, England, UK

In December 2023, rare polar stratospheric clouds – also called nacreous or mother-of-pearl clouds – were spotted in the skies across the length of England and Scotland, boggling the minds of onlookers who were quick to post about the phenomenon on social media. These colourful clouds typically form much higher than our more common clouds, around 12 miles (20km) above ground when the air is close to or below -80°C (-112°F). Here they are pictured in the county of Kent, which lies over a thousand miles (1,691km) south of the Arctic Circle.

Vatnajokull glacier ice caves, Iceland

Mother Nature exerts her power and influence across all the elements and in all terrains. In Iceland’s Vatnajokull region, enormous ice caves are formed each winter, sculpted from meltwater running underneath the country's vast glaciers.

Lenticular clouds, Nice, France

While these spherical floating shapes could be mistaken for UFOs, they’re actually lenticular clouds which are created when winds blow across and over hills and mountains. If there's enough moisture in the air, the clouds will form as the wind rises. In this image from December 2023, they are captured floating above the Baie des Anges (Bay of Angels), which laps the shores of the French Riviera city of Nice.

Eyjafjallajokull, Iceland

The notorious 2010 volcanic eruptions at Eyjafjallajokull, Iceland, saw volcanic ash being ejected into the atmosphere. As a result, it caused significant air travel disruption across northern Europe for close to a week, as well as a number of evacuations across Iceland.

 

Great Barrier Reef, near Queensland, Australia

Australia’s Great Barrier Reef, just off the coast of Queensland, is the world’s largest reef system and one of the richest marine ecosystems on the planet. It’s so expansive it stretches more than 1,429 miles (2,300km) and can be seen from space, comprising more than 900 islands and over 2,900 individual reefs. It’s home to more than 9,000 known species, including the so-called 'Great Eight' – clownfish, giant clams, manta rays, Maori wrasse, potato cod, sharks, turtles and whales.

Snowstorm, Inner Mongolia, China

Tongliao City, in northern China's Inner Mongolia autonomous region, was laid waste to the strongest blizzard since records began in November 2021. One person was killed and more than 5,600 were affected by the brutal snowstorm, which was described by meteorological researchers at the time as an extremely random and sudden extreme weather event, putting swathes of Inner Mongolia and northeastern China on red alert.

Lightning, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

One of the most dazzling ways to observe Mother Nature’s beautiful yet terrifying power is in the eye of a storm. This photo captures a bolt of lightning through the window of a plane over Kuala Lumpur.

Tornado, Kaiyuan, China

Tornadoes can cause widespread devastation and this picture documents the destruction from a rare tornado hitting Kaiyuan in northeastern China in July 2019. As well as upturning cars, knocking out power and destroying buildings and factories, this turbulent twister killed at least six people and injured at least 190.

Darvaza gas crater, Turkmenistan

Otherwise known as the Gates of Hell, Turkmenistan’s Darvaza gas crater is a burning, terrifying natural gas field, and you can see why it has earned such a name. It’s at least 20 metres (66ft) deep and has been burning since the 1970s after scientists set it alight in a bid to get rid of what they thought was a small amount of natural gas escaping from the crater. 

 

Volcanic lightning, Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain

Active volcanoes are scary enough in themselves, but did you know they can also produce lightning? This 2021 image shows a volcanic lightning bolt and lava spewing from Cumbre Vieja, a volcano on Tenerife in the Canary Islands. Scientists think that volcanic lightning is caused by the release of ions occurring in two different ways: during the expulsion of material from the volcano and through charge formation processes within ash clouds moving through the atmosphere.

Rainbow, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

Given their majestic, multicoloured beauty, rainbows could be considered the calm after the storm. These incredible arcs are caused by a combination of reflection, refraction and light dispersion in water droplets, and they never cease to amaze and inspire. Here, a plane flies past one on its approach to Sydney's Kingsford Smith Airport.

Tsunami, Nomuka Island, Tonga

This photo captures just a fraction of the wreckage caused by a catastrophic tsunami that ravaged the Polynesian nation of Tonga in January 2022. At least four people died and some 84,000 more were directly affected when the undersea Hunga Tonga–Hunga Ha'apai volcano erupted and subsequently triggered a tsunami, wiping out ports, flattening homes and tearing down trees. The disaster resulted in an internet outage throughout Tonga, hindering communications and the remote country's access to vital aid.

Rainbow, Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe and Zambia

Classed as the largest waterfall in the world by width – just over a mile (1,700m) – Victoria Falls, located on the Zambia and Zimbabwe border, is overwhelming in size. The sight is made even more majestic in this stunning photo by a rainbow, which has formed above the cascade.

 

Fire tornado, Malibu, California, USA

In November 2018, the Woolsey Fire, a destructive wildfire, whipped through Malibu in California in the US. This photo shows a fire tornado, also commonly known as a fire whirl. They may only last a couple of minutes but these flaming whirlwinds can pick up burning embers, debris and gas.

Cyclone, Blantyre, Malawi

Tropical Cyclone Freddy struck southern Africa twice in March 2023, killing around 600 people in total and leaving a trail of devastation across Malawi, Mozambique and Madagascar. Freddy now holds the record for the highest accumulated cyclone energy (a measure based on a storm’s wind strength over its lifetime) of any Southern Hemisphere storm and was as powerful as a full North Atlantic hurricane season.

Monsoon floods, Goyainghat, Bangladesh

While making vegetation that bit greener, heavier-than-usual monsoon rains can have life-threatening and devastating consequences. In parts of Bangladesh and India in June 2022, at least 116 lives were claimed by flooding, lightning strikes and landslides caused by a particularly savage deluge. The disaster flooded an airport and collapsed bridges, power lines and phone towers, rendering millions of people unable to contact emergency services and loved ones, and forcing the evacuation of hundreds of thousands.

Milky Way and Perseids, Black Sea, Bulgaria

Want to really feel small? The Milky Way (of which the Earth is a part of) contains several hundred billion stars. It’s possible to observe the Milky Way with the naked eye, given the right conditions. Here it's captured over the Black Sea and framed by the jaw-dropping Perseids meteor shower.

Natural pools, Pamukkale, Turkey

Turkey’s mineral-rich thermal pools are a stunning natural phenomena. This natural spa in the town of Pamukkale features 17 hot water springs and was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1988.

Lava flowing into the ocean, Hawaii, USA

When fire meets water: this photo captures fresh lava from Hawaii’s Kilauea volcano flowing into the Pacific Ocean. While lava flows can help to create new land, they can destroy anything – or anyone – caught in their wake.

 

Sunset, Horseshoe Bend, Arizona, USA

Located in the Grand Canyon National Park in Arizona, USA, the Horseshoe Bend is a beautiful natural wonder. So-named after the horseshoe-shaped meander in the Colorado River, it's particularly stunning when captured at sunset.

Mount Everest, Nepal

Formed by tectonic plates pushing against each other more than 60 million years ago, Mount Everest is the world’s highest mountain above sea level, measuring a staggering 8,848 metres (29,029 ft). People are still dazzled by the formation, with more adventurers than ever risking their lives to conquer the mountain.

Lake Hillier, Middle Island, Western Australia, Australia

If you need reminding of nature’s inherent beauty, head to Australia’s algae-rich Lake Hillier, a vibrantly pink saline lake located off the south coast of Western Australia. It’s safe to swim in and is often considered to be one of Australia’s most amazing natural wonders.

Supercell thunderstorm, Kansas, USA

While supercell storms are impressive to look at, they can cause heavy hail, flooding, thunderstorms and tornadoes. Commonly known as rotating thunderstorms, they can wreak havoc in their wake. This photo of one was taken in Kansas, USA.

Waves, Porto, Portugal

As a gateway to both the River Douro and the Atlantic Ocean, Felgueiras Lighthouse in Porto gets its fair share of swell and flotsam, especially on windy days. In fact, Portugal is renowned for its wild waves – the freakishly tall "monster waves" that tower above the shores of Nazare are especially popular with daredevil surfers.

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