NATURE'S MOST STUNNING SHAPES AND PATTERNS

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.'

Other great stories
SHY SEAL HIDES BEHIND ITS FLIPPER

HIDING behind its flipper, this little seal comes over a little camera shy .

FROZEN WATERFALLS

COURAGEOUS CLIMBERS scale frozen waterfalls in Canada, as the ice threatens to collapse beneath them .

SEXY TRAFFIC GIRLS OF NORTH KOREA

WITH their robotic movements and pristine uniforms, these are the sexy traffic girls of North Korea that are becoming iconic figures in the secretive state .

WOMAN LOSES 8ST AFTER ENERGY DRINK HABIT NEARLY BLINDS HER

A diabetic who was addicted to energy drinks has lost 8st after doctors warned her habit was blinding her .

THE DEVIL'S OWN GOAL: CLUB RENAMES STADIUM IN SATAN'S NAME

football club has scored an own goal after it had to embarrassingly rename its stadium in honour of the DEVIL .

SNOWY SQUIRRELS PLAY A GAME OF BALL

Throwing their arms up in the air, these energetic squirrels play a game of ball with a walnut .

FLORESCENT PLANKTON LIGHT UP AUSTRALIAN SEA

An Australian beach is illuminated by an enticing neon blue glow as a rare phenomenon lights up the water .

AURORA BOREALIS ILLUMINATES LAPLAND

From vivid greens to glowing pinks, the colours of the aurora borealis fill the night sky above a snow covered Lapland .

THE EVOLUTION OF GLASTONBURY FESTIVAL

PEACE and love filled the 1980’s Glastonbury fields as relaxed festival goers kicked back and soaked up the atmosphere .

CROHN’S SUFFERER HAS HUMILIATING ACCIDENT AFTER CO-OP STAFF REFUSE TOILET ENTRY

A Crohn's sufferer has told of her humiliation after she soiled herself when a Co-op staff member reportedly refused to let her use the toilet .

MY SLEEPING BEAUTY NIGHTMARE

MEET the real life sleeping beauty - who snoozed for TWO months when a rare sleep disorder took over her life and turned it into a nightmare .

ANIMAL WHISPERER TAMES SILKY SHARK

A diving guide leaves a shark completely docile and balanced in the palm of his hand .