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.'
Amanda Bohm, 22, and her mum, Janet, 58, were the best of friends .
A BEAUTIFUL sight for the eyes and the imagination, these liquid sculptures take shape in many different colours and formations .
DIVING boffins fired harpoons into 30-foot-long whale sharks in a bid to put the sea-beasts on Google Maps .
Most people have an angel at the top of their Christmas tree, but one bear at Chester Zoo decided he wanted to be the star of the show .
A little boy whose brain grew inside his nose has been described as the 'real-life Pinocchio' by his proud mum .
WIDE EYED and staring straight down the lens of the camera, this intrigued seal is ready for his close up .
CCTV shows a dark figure dumping the dog- A pet dog suffering with cancer has been put down after being dumped at an animal rescue in what officials said is the worst abandonment of any animal they have witnessed .
A BUMPER season of births has left zoo with three of the cutest exotic kittens you're likely to see .
Forget One Direction and Cheryl Cole, a new calendar is celebrating Britain's real heroes - the nation's most inspiring mums .
A makeup artist from the West Midlands magically transforms herself into famous cartoon characters using body paint .
STARING eagerly into the camera, this little toad is full of curiosity .
IN a galaxy not so far away lies a magical display of lights that could be the latest image from NASA .