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.'
PUCKERING up and enjoying some quality time, these are the most lovable monkeys on the planet .
COURAGEOUS climbers descend 400 metres as they manoeuvre their way through thick walls of ice .
SPLASHING in the water and fighting in-between rocks, these energetic tigers enjoy their fun-filled morning .
This was the chaotic scene when the driver of a 4x4 vehicle became periously trapped under his vehicle for an HOUR when it overturned after a crash on a busy motorway .
AN ADORABLE one-eyed kitten has been dubbed the 'pirate cat' because of his pirate-like facial expressions .
AT 4,800 metres high and just three metres wide, this is the most dangerous road in the world .
Playing, splashing and generally messing around, these polar bears show they certainly have a soft spot for the water, and not just each other .
This is the amazing moment two white-tailed kites take an in-flight meal - exchanging prey at 100 foot high in mid air .
An elegant snowy owl spreads her wings and glides effortlessly above the snow covered field .
DIVING boffins fired harpoons into 30-foot-long whale sharks in a bid to put the sea-beasts on Google Maps .
An adorable orangutan named Pongo celebrates his first birthday at Zoo Atlanta, Georgia, America .
SOME OF the sea’s most terrifying creatures show their softer side as they join a group of diners for lunch .