FROM ICE bubbles to boiling lava, these photographs highlight the stunning shapes and patterns found in nature. The series of extraordinary images were taken by German software engineer Thorsten Scheuermann after he decided to examine his surroundings. A trip to the city of Kalapana in Hawaii, home to the Kilauea Volcano, provided Thorsten with the setting for his lava picture, while a visit to the Columbia River Gorge in Oregon offered him the opportunity to photograph ice bubbles up-close. The 37-year-old, now of Washington, USA, said: 'These are sights that can gain greater significance and have their beauty exposed when excluding everything else around them.'
With the full moon looming behind him, this polar bear nestles down for the night .
A once bustling gold rush town in Mono County, California now stands completed deserted .
ROLLING up snow in its tiny paws, this little squirrel is looking for a snowball fight .
HIDDEN in the middle of the Mojave Desert, a secret oasis awaits intrepid travellers .
AN EXERCISING turtle and an ice-skating chick are hardly everyday exploits in the animal community .
More weather chaos is heading our way, with ice and snow already hitting areas across Birmingham .
Soldiers standing guard outside the Woolwich barracks in London - Two terror suspects are under armed guard in separate hospitals in London after a serving soldier was hacked to death in the street .
FROM COLOURFUL autumn leaves to living trees at first glance you might miss these people blended with nature .
A doting seal smiles at her sweet little pup as she tickles its tummy on the beach .
A little caterpillar fearlessly scampers down a branch and confronts a praying mantis .
A cheeky owl fancies a game of hide and seek as it peeps out from behind a tree .
ROLLING across a 65-metre-high viaduct in the Alps, the red carriages of the Bernina Express add a splash of colour to the spectacular snow-covered Swiss surroundings .