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.'
THIS RING of fire in the sky is the annular solar eclipse that wowed our cousins down-under .
A cheeky chipmunk offers some of his spare food, before deciding against the idea and shoving the extra peanut into his already crammed mouth .
With an abandoned tricycle sitting in an empty corridor, this derelict but once grand mansion could be the setting for The Shining .
Families in an Indian slum put their lives on the line by living on top of an ACTIVE railway track .
A cheeky gorilla sticks her tongue out and plays up for the camera at Bronx Zoo .
A dog was SOW close to death after she dangerously swallowed a two-inch NEEDLE-Cute Shih Tzu Daisy could have pierced her intestines after eating the long needle and thread after finding it on the carpet .
COURAGEOUS climbers descend 400 metres as they manoeuvre their way through thick walls of ice .
A BROWN bear wades through waters in Alaska and waits for his lunch .
A family of foster carers are facing bankruptcy and homelessness after they signed up to a Government scheme to renovate their house to be used for disabled children's short breaks .
From vibrant blues to dazzling oranges, these eye catching hummingbirds proudly show off their impressive colours .
RAISING his flipper, this two day old seal pup gives a wave to the camera .