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  • Bright yellow lichen grows along a stretch of the river Jökulgulskvísl, which means "glacial yellow fork," in the southern highlands of Iceland.
    Iceland_Jokulgulskvisl_2575.jpg
  • A northern long-eared owl (Asio otus tuftsi) looks out from its perch among thick vegetation in the Theler Wetlands Nature Preserve in Belfair, Washington. The long-eared owl, also sometimes called a lesser horned owl or cat owl, is found across much of the northern hemisphere, often at the edge of woodlands. It roosts in dense woods, but prefers to hunt over open ground.
    Owl-Long-Eared_Theler-Wetlands_0395.jpg
  • A barred owl (Strix varia) attempts to blend in with its surroundings as it hunts from a perch in a weathered tree in the Theler Wetlands Nature Preserve near Belfair, Washington.
    Owl-Barred_Theler-Wetlands_9724.jpg
  • The late afternoon sun dips behind a cloud in this view from Ruffner Mountain, Birmingham, Alabama. The area was once home to iron ore mines and limestone quarries, but was set aside for nature conservation in 1977.
    AL_Ruffner-Mountain_Sunburst_8791.jpg
  • Fresh snow coats the summits of the peaks at Landmannalaugar, located in the highlands of Iceland. Landmannalaugar, part of the Fjallabak Nature Reserve, sits at the edge of the Laugahraun lava field, which was formed in an eruption around the year 1477.
    Iceland_Landmannalaugar_2640.jpg
  • A common myna (Acridotheres tristis) rests on the frond of a coconut palm (Cocos nucifera) tree on the island of Maui, Hawai`i. The common myna, sometimes referred to as the Indian Myna or spelled mynah, is native to Asia, but is rapidly spreading its territory. Its native range spans southern Asia from Iran to Singapore, but the bird has since been introduced in many other parts of the world, including Australia, Hawaii, Canada, and islands in the Indian Ocean. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) declared the myna one of the world's most invasive species.
    Myna_Common_PalmFrond_Maui_9532.jpg
  • Two common mynas (Acridotheres tristis) share a perch in a tree on the island of Maui, Hawai`i. The common myna, sometimes referred to as the Indian Myna or spelled mynah, is native to Asia, but is rapidly spreading its territory. Its native range spans southern Asia from Iran to Singapore, but the bird has since been introduced in many other parts of the world, including Australia, Hawaii, Canada, and islands in the Indian Ocean. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) declared the myna one of the world's most invasive species.
    Mynas_Common_TwoInTree_Maui_7320.jpg
  • Steam rises from a volcanic cone at Landmannalaugar, located in the highlands of Iceland. Landmannalaugar, part of the Fjallabak Nature Reserve, sits at the edge of the Laugahraun lava field, which was formed in an eruption around the year 1477.
    Iceland_Landmannalaugar_SteamingCone...jpg
  • Two hikers stand near the summit of a steaming volcanic cone at Landmannalaugar, located in the highlands of Iceland. Landmannalaugar, part of the Fjallabak Nature Reserve, sits at the edge of the Laugahraun lava field, which was formed in an eruption around the year 1477.
    Iceland_Landmannalaugar_Hikers_Steam...jpg
  • Owachomo Bridge is the smallest, thinnest, and likely oldest natural bridge in Natural Bridges National Monument, Utah. Its span measures 180 feet (55 meters) and its only 9 feet (3 meters) thick at its thinnest point.
    OwachomoSunsetUT.jpg
  • The sun shines through Owachomo Bridge, one of several natural bridges contained in Natural Bridges National Monument in Utah. Owachomo means "rock mound" in the Hopi language; there is a large rock mound on a bluff overlooking the bridge.
    OwachomoBridgeUT.jpg
  • Two bald eagles (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) share a perch in an old snag in the Green River Natural Area, Kent, Washington.
    Eagles-Bald_Snag_Green-River_7585.jpg
  • Two raccons (Procyon lotor) forage at the edge of Carp Pond in the Union Bay Natural Area, Seattle, Washington.
    Raccoons_Pond_Union-Bay_6373.jpg
  • bald eagle; red fox; rabbit; San Juan Island; San Juan Island National Historical Park; prairie; Haliaeetus leucocephalus; Vulpes vulpes; Oryctolagus cunuculus; fight; fighting; tussle; tussling; fox; eagle; attack; attacking; struggle; struggling; wildlife; bird; mammal; mammals; Washington; WA; United States; United States of America; US; USA; feed; feeding; hunt; hunting; action; dramatic; drama; nature; National Park Service; kit; young
    Bald-Eagle_Fox_Rabbit_San-Juan_6854.jpg
  • A natural bridge spans two towering hoodoos in the Wall Street section of Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah. Bryce Canyon, which is actually a natural amphitheater, consists of dozens of spires separated by canyons. This span remains despite constant erosion.
    BryceCanyonArch.jpg
  • A natural window in a boulder pile in the Alabama Hills near Lone Pine, California, frames Mount Whitney at sunrise. Mount Whitney, part of the Sierra Nevada range, is the tallest mountain in the 48 contiguous United States with an elevation of 14505 feet (4421 meters).
    MountWhitney_NaturalWindow_6717.jpg
  • Crepuscular Rays, also known as god beams, form over the Atlantic Ocean and a large sea arch called Manneporte in the late afternoon in Étretat, France. Manneporte is the largest of the three natural sea arches that have formed in the white chalk cliffs, known as the Falaise d'Étretat, which are as tall as 90 meters (300 feet).
    Etretat_Manneporte_Crepuscular-Rays_...jpg
  • The sea arch Porte d'Aval and the sea stack L'Aiguille (the Needle) stand in the Atlantic Ocean next to the cliffs of Étretat in Normandy, France. Porte d'Aval is most-widely known of the three natural sea arches that have formed in the white chalk cliffs, known as the Falaise d'Étretat, which are as tall as 90 meters (300 feet). L'Aiguille, or the Needle, rises 70 meters (230 feet) above the sea.
    Etretat_Porte-d'Aval_L'Aiguille_9577.jpg
  • The North and South Windows in Arches National Park near Moab, Utah, are natural windows that eroded from the same Estrada sandstone fin.
    ArchesNP_Windows_F02_2576-03.jpg
  • The North and South Windows in Arches National Park near Moab, Utah, are natural windows that eroded from the same Estrada sandstone fin.
    ArchesNP_Windows_F02_2576-06.jpg
  • Landscape Arch, the largest natural arch in the world, is located in Arches National Park, Utah. The arch spans 290 feet, according to the Natural Arch and Bridge Society. Landscape Arch, seen here dusted by snow, was formed by repeated freezing and thawing.
    LandscapeArchSnow.jpg
  • A female Anna's hummingbird (Calypte anna) works on its nest on a branch in the forest of the Union Bay Natural Area, Seattle, Washington.
    Hummingbird-Annas_Nest_Union-Bay_178...jpg
  • A pied-billed grebe (Podilymbus podiceps) feeds a piece of fish to its chick on a pond in the Union Bay Natural Area, Seattle, Washington.
    Grebe-Pied-Billed_Mother-Chick_Feedi...jpg
  • A pied-billed grebe (Podilymbus podiceps) breaks off a piece of fish to feed its hungry chick on a pond in the Union Bay Natural Area, Seattle, Washington.
    Grebe-Pied-Billed_Mother-Chick-Feedi...jpg
  • A pied-billed grebe (Podilymbus podiceps) snuggles with one of her chicks on their nest on a pond in the Union Bay Natural Area, Seattle, Washington.
    Grebe-Pied-Billed_Mother-Chick_Nest_...jpg
  • A pied-billed grebe (Podilymbus podiceps) feeds a fish to its chick on a pond in the Union Bay Natural Area, Seattle, Washington.
    Grebe-Pied-Billed_Mother-Chick-Feedi...jpg
  • Water cascades from Fern Spring, a natural spring in the main valley of Yosemite National Park, California.
    Yosemite_FernSpring_CloseUp_8251.jpg
  • Purple camas and other summer wildflowers bloom on the mima mounds, located near Littlerock, Washington. Hundreds of regularly-spaced mounds four to six feet tall cover the preserve. No one is sure how the mounds formed, though one leading scientific theory suggests they may be the result of glacial activity.
    mima_mounds_6392.jpg
  • The late afternoon sun shines through Delicate Arch, a freestanding natural arch in Arches National Park, Utah. The arch, approximately 65 feet (20 meters) tall, was carved by the wind from an Entrada sandstone fin.
    DelicateArchSunburst.jpg
  • A pair of northern shovelers (Spatula clypeata) swim together on a pond in the Union Bay Natural Area in Seattle, Washington. Nothern shovelers are monogamous, forming bonds when they are on their wintering grounds and staying together until just before the fall migration. Northern shovelers are dabbling ducks that feed in shallow wetlands, using their distinctive spoon-shaped bills to scoop up and filter water to collect seeds, crustaceans, and aquatic invertebrates. The bird in the front is a male, or drake, in breeding plumage; behind him is a female, or hen.
    Shovelers-Northern_Pair_Union-Bay_15...jpg
  • Two northern shovelers (Spatula clypeata) raise their heads while swimming on a pond in the Union Bay Natural Area in Seattle, Washington. The two northern shovelers seen here are drakes, or males, in their breeding plumage. Northern shovelers feed in shallow wetlands, using their distinctive spoon-shaped bills to scoop up and filter water to collect seeds, crustaceans, and aquatic invertebrates.
    Shovelers-Northern_Drakes_Union-Bay_...jpg
  • A pied-billed grebe (Podilymbus podiceps) pulls a fish out of the water at a pond in the Union Bay Natural Area, Seattle, Washington.
    Grebe-Pied-Billed_Fishing_Union-Bay_...jpg
  • A northern shoveler (Spatula clypeata) swims on a pond in the Union Bay Natural Area in Seattle, Washington. The northern shoveler seen here is a drake, or male, in his breeding plumage. Northern shovelers feed in shallow wetlands, using their distinctive spoon-shaped bills to scoop up and filter water to collect seeds, crustaceans, and aquatic invertebrates.
    Shoveler-Northern_Drake_Union-Bay_17...jpg
  • A pied-billed grebe (Podilymbus podiceps) mother swims with her chick on the water of a pond in the Union Bay Natural Area, Seattle, Washington.
    Grebe-Pied-Billed_Mother-Chick-Swimm...jpg
  • Water cascades from Fern Spring, a natural spring in the main valley of Yosemite National Park, California.
    Yosemite_FernSpring_8261.jpg
  • Elephant Rock, a natural sandstone arch that resembles an elephant with a long trunk, stands at the east side of the Valley of Fire State Park in Nevada.
    vof-elephant-rock.jpg
  • A pied-billed grebe (Podilymbus podiceps) chick swims by itself on a pond in the Union Bay Natural Area, Seattle, Washington.
    Grebe-Pied-Billed_Chick-Swimming_Uni...jpg
  • A pied-billed grebe (Podilymbus podiceps) chick swims by itself on a pond in the Union Bay Natural Area, Seattle, Washington.
    Grebe-Pied-Billed_Chick-Swimming_Uni...jpg
  • A pied-billed grebe (Podilymbus podiceps) mother swims as one of her chicks rides along on her back on a pond in the Union Bay Natural Area, Seattle, Washington.
    Grebe-Pied-Billed_Mother-Chick_Swimm...jpg
  • Foxfire is visible on decaying driftwood at midnight on Ruby Beach in Olympic National Park, Washington. Foxfire is a natural phonemonon produced by bioluminescent fungi typically found on rotting bark. The purpose of the glow is unknown, but it may help the fungus attract insects, which then disperse its spores.
    OlympicNP_Ruby-Beach_Night_Foxfire_9...jpg
  • A Sika deer (Cervus nippon) poses in the grass along a marsh in the Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge on Assateague Island, Virginia. Sika deer, also known as Asian elk, are native to Japan and are found naturally in eastern Asia from Siberia to Vietnam. They were introduced to Assateague Island in the 1920s.
    Assateague-Island_Sika-Deer_7670.jpg
  • An oak leaf leaves an impression in the ice covering a small pond in Snohomish County, Washington. The leaf fell on the pond after it froze and protected the ice immediately beneath it from sublimation, a natural process where ice transitions into vapor without turning to liquid first. This is the same process that causes a snow on a field to vanish during a prolonged cold spell. Reflections of trees surrounding the pond are visible around the edges of the leaf impression.
    Leaf_Oak_Ice_Impression_9686.jpg
  • Mobius Arch, a natural granite arch in the Alabama Hills near Lone Pine, California, frames Mount Whitney at sunrise. Mount Whitney is the highest mountain in the contiguous United States with an elevation of 14505 feet (4421 m).
    MountWhitney_MobiusArch_Sunrise_6845.jpg
  • Snæfellsjökull, a 1,446 meter (4,744 foot) stratovolcano, is framed by a natural arch in a lava field in western Iceland. The volcano, which is active, last erupted approximately 1,800 years ago, creating lava fields at its base. The mountain is technically named Snæfell; Snæfellsjökull is the name of the glacier at its peak. It is commonly called Snæfellsjökull, however, to avoid confusing it with several other mountains with the same name. Snæfellsjökull means "snow glacier mountain," and it was featured in the 1864 novel "A Journey to the Center of the Earth" by Jules Verne..
    Iceland_Snaefell_Arch_9606.jpg
  • Palouse Falls plunges 180 feet (55 meters) into a giant natural amphitheater surrounded by towering columnar basalt walls near Washtucna, Washington. Palouse Falls was formed at the end of the last ice age when a mammoth ice dam in Montana regularly collapsed, releasing a torrent of water that carved this winding gorge.
    WA_PalouseFalls_Gorge_9389.jpg
  • Turret Arch, a prominent natural arch in Arches National Park, Utah, is lit by the rising sun on a foggy winter morning.
    TurretArchWinter.jpg
  • The entrance to a Mojave Desert Tortoise burrow is visible underneath a patch of brush in the Desert Tortoise Natural Area in California City, California.
    Desert-Tortoise_Burrow_7817.jpg
  • A waterfall known simply as Cascade or Waterval (respectively the French and Dutch words for waterfall) is a primary feature of Parc de Woluwé, a natural area near Brussels, Belgium.
    Brussels_Woluwe_Cascade_3459.jpg
  • An oak leaf leaves an impression in the ice covering a small pond in Snohomish County, Washington. The leaf fell on the pond after it froze and protected the ice immediately beneath it from sublimation, a natural process where ice transitions into vapor without turning to liquid first. This is the same process that causes a snow on a field to vanish during a prolonged cold spell. Reflections of trees surrounding the pond are visible around the edges of the leaf impression.
    Leaf_Oak_Ice_Impression_9673.jpg
  • Delicate Arch, reddened by the setting sun, frames the La Sal Mountains near Moab, Utah. Delicate Arch is a 65-foot-tall (20 meters) freestanding natural arch located in Arches National Park. Delicate Arch is comprised of Entrada Sandstone and formed the same way other arches formed in the national park. It began as a sandstone fin, which was gradually worn away by weathering and erosion, leaving the arch behind.
    ArchesNP_DelicateArch_F02_2576-04.jpg
  • A towering columnar basalt cliff is partially reflected in the waters of Breiðasund in the town of Stykkishólmur, Iceland. Columnar basalt is a volcanic rock formed when basalt lava rapidly cools at or very near the Earth's surface. Basalt, which is naturally grey or black, is rich in iron and can rapidly rust, taking on a reddish-brown appearance.
    Iceland_ColumnarBasalt_Stykkisholmur...jpg
  • A natural nighttime pillar of light known as the Zodiacal Light shines above and is reflected in Crater Lake, Oregon. The Zodiacal Light results from the sun shining on dust particles left behind by comets. The dust particles - the largest of which are believed to be just 0.3 mm and miles from its nearest neighboring particle - orbit the sun in a range from Mars to beyond Jupiter. Visible year-round in the tropics, the Zodiacal Light is best viewed immediately around the spring and fall solstice farther from the equator. The planet Venus, the brightest object in the sky, is visible near the peak of the Zodiacal Light and is also reflected in Crater Lake. The Milky Way, visible on the right, intersects with the Zodiacal Light at the top-center of the image. Crater Lake, which is actually a caldera, formed when Mount Mazama erupted violently about 7,700 years ago, causing its summit to collapse. Subsequent eruptions sealed the caldera, trapping rain water and snowmelt, forming the lake, which has a maximum depth of 1,949 feet (594 meters). Wizard Island, a volcanic cinder code, is visible in the foreground.
    CraterLake_ZodiacalLight_9620.jpg
  • A natural nighttime pillar of light known as the Zodiacal Light shines above and is reflected in Crater Lake, Oregon. The Zodiacal Light results from the sun shining on dust particles from old comets. The dust particles - the largest of which are believed to be just 0.3 mm and miles from its nearest neighboring particle - orbit the sun in a range from Mars to beyond Jupiter. Visible year-round in the tropics, the Zodiacal Light is best viewed immediately around the spring and fall solstice farther from the equator. The planet Venus, the brightest object in the sky, is visible near the peak of the Zodiacal Light and is also reflected in Crater Lake. The Milky Way, visible on the right, intersects with the Zodiacal Light at the top-center of the image. Crater Lake, which is actually a caldera, formed when Mount Mazama erupted violently about 7,700 years ago, causing its summit to collapse. Subsequent eruptions sealed the caldera, trapping rain water and snowmelt, forming the lake, which has a maximum depth of 1,949 feet (594 meters). Wizard Island, a volcanic cinder code, is visible in the foreground.
    CraterLake_ZodiacalLight_9909.jpg
  • Dozens of iron concretions are found on a bluff in the Grand staircase Escalante in southern Utah. These iron concretions formed naturally between 6 and 25 million years ago as water dissolved the iron pigment in the red sandstone in the area. The pigment flowed down through the now bleached sandstone and then solidified when it came in contact with oxygenated water, forming a new iron mineral called hematite between the grains of sandstone. Over time, the sandstone eroded away, leaving the more durable iron concretions behind. These largely spherical balls are composed of a hard outer layer of hematite covering a ball of pink sandstone. By volume, the sandstone makes up the majority of these iron concretions, though those found elsewhere in the Colorado Plateau may contain much more hematite. Scientists aren't sure why they form in spheres or if they need something in particular as a nucleus to start growing.
    IronConcretions_HarrisWashUtah_4183.jpg
  • An osprey (Pandion haliaetus) takes off with a scrap of food from a tufa in Mono Lake, California. Tufa are limestone columnns that form naturally due to a chemical reaction in the lake. They form underwater and were exposed when the lake level dropped.
    Osprey_MonoLake_Tufa_0867.jpg
  • A natural window in a boulder pile in the Alabama Hills near Lone Pine, California, frames several Sierra Nevada peaks, including Lone Pine and Mount Whitney. Mount Whitney, at right, is the tallest mountain in the 48 contiguous United States, with an elevation of 14505 feet (4421 m).
    SierraNevada_Window_6727.jpg
  • The full moon rises over Nooksack Ridge in Washington's North Cascades just after sunset. The mountain is lit by alpenglow, a natural lighting phenomenon that causes mountains to glow white shortly after sunset and before sunrise.
    NooksackRidgeMoon.jpg
  • Pacific Ocean waves crash through an arch and into the Devil's Punchbowl, located on the Oregon coast near Newport. The Devil's Punchbowl, near Depoe Bay, is a natural formation, formed when the roof over two sea caves collapsed. Waves crash in the bowl during stormy weather at high tide.
    DevilsPunchbowl_stormy_3807.jpg
  • Delicate Arch, dusted by winter snow, is framed by a natural arch at sunset in Arches National Park, near Moab, Utah.
    DelicateArchWinter.jpg
  • Whitehorse and Three Fingers mountains tower over a wetland on Spencer Island, Everett, Washington. The mountains, capped in winter snow, are prominent peaks in the Cascade mountain range. The peaks are lit by alpenglow, a natural lighting phenomenon that causes mountains to glow after sunset. The Earth's shadow is visible as the dark blue band just above the mountains. The bright red band is known as the Belt of Venus.
    WhitehorseThreeFingersAlpenglow.jpg
  • Mobius Arch, a natural granite arch in the Alabama Hills near Lone Pine, California, frames several high Sierra peaks, including Lone Pine and Mount Whitney. Mount Whitney is the highest mountain in the contiguous United States with an elevation of 14505 feet (4421 meters).
    AlabamaHills_MobiusArch_6740.jpg
  • A Mojave Desert Tortoise (Gopherus agassizii) rests outside its burrow in the Desert Tortoise Natural Area in California City, California.
    Desert-Tortoise_Resting_7800.jpg
  • Foxfire is visible on decaying driftwood at midnight on Ruby Beach in Olympic National Park, Washington. Foxfire is a natural phonemonon produced by bioluminescent fungi typically found on rotting bark. The purpose of the glow is unknown, but it may help the fungus attract insects, which then disperse its spores.
    OlympicNP_Ruby-Beach_Night_Foxfire_9...jpg
  • During a high tide, Paciifc Ocean waves crash into a rock wall along a natural bridge at Second Beach in Olympic National Park, Washington.
    OlympicNP_Second-Beach_Waves-Crashin...jpg
  • The late afternoon sun shines through Manneporte, a large sea arch in Étretat, France. Manneporte is the largest of the three natural sea arches that have formed in the white chalk cliffs, known as the Falaise d'Étretat, which are as tall as 90 meters (300 feet).
    Etretat_Manneporte_Afternoon-Sun_BW_...jpg
  • Several snags frame a cluster of additional snags in an estuary of the Skagit Wildlife Area on Fir Island in Washington state. The area was once actively cultivated to provide winter wildlife habitat, but is now being restored to its natural state as a tidal marsh.
    WA_Skagit-Wildlife-Area_Snags_Foggy_...jpg
  • The sea arch Porte d'Aval and the sea stack L'Aiguille (the Needle) stand in the Atlantic Ocean next to the cliffs of Étretat in Normandy, France. Porte d'Aval is most-widely known of the three natural sea arches that have formed in the white chalk cliffs, known as the Falaise d'Étretat, which are as tall as 90 meters (300 feet). L'Aiguille, or the Needle, rises 70 meters (230 feet) above the sea.
    Etretat_Porte-d'Aval_L'Aiguille_9581.jpg
  • Dozens of iron concretions are trapped in a sandstone pothole in the Grand Staircase Escalante in southern Utah. These iron concretions formed naturally between 6 and 25 million years ago as water dissolved the iron pigment in the red sandstone in the area. The pigment flowed down through the now bleached sandstone and then solidified when it came in contact with oxygenated water, forming a new iron mineral called hematite between the grains of sandstone. Over time, the sandstone eroded away, leaving the more durable iron concretions behind. These largely spherical balls are composed of a hard outer layer of hematite covering a ball of pink sandstone. By volume, the sandstone makes up the majority of these iron concretions, though those found elsewhere in the Colorado Plateau may contain much more hematite. Scientists aren't sure why they form in spheres or if they need something in particular as a nucleus to start growing.
    IronConcretions_Pothole_HarrisWashUt...jpg
  • A waterfall known simply as Cascade or Waterval (respectively the French and Dutch words for waterfall) is a primary feature of Parc de Woluwé, a natural area near Brussels, Belgium.
    Brussels_Woluwe_Cascade_3452.jpg
  • A waterfall known simply as Cascade or Waterval (respectively the French and Dutch words for waterfall) is a primary feature of Parc de Woluwé, a natural area near Brussels, Belgium.
    Brussels_Woluwe_Cascade_3449.jpg
  • A tiny waterfall flows through a talus cave located next to the Index Town Wall near the town of Index, Washington. Talus is a pile of rocks that broke off a nearby mountain face. Occasionally the rocks break off and land in such a way that it forms a natural cave. The falls is illuminated by a skylight in the cave.
    WA_TalusCaveFalls_Index_4219.jpg
  • A towering columnar basalt cliff is partially reflected in the waters of Breiðasund in the town of Stykkishólmur, Iceland. Columnar basalt is a volcanic rock formed when basalt lava rapidly cools at or very near the Earth's surface. Basalt, which is naturally grey or black, is rich in iron and can rapidly rust, taking on a reddish-brown appearance.
    Iceland_ColumnarBasalt_Stykkisholmur...jpg
  • An adult barred owl (Strix varia) cuddles with one of its owlets in its nest in Interlaken Park, Seattle, Washington. Barred owls typically nest in natural cavities that form in decaying trees.
    Owl_Barred_ParentOwletNest_Interlake...jpg
  • Crashing Pacific Ocean waves are visible through the Devils Punch Bowl Arch on the central Oregon coast. Devils Punch Bowl is a large, natural bowl in the bluff along the coast and is believed to be the remnant of two collapsed sea caves.
    OR_DevilsPunchBowl_Arch_0175.jpg
  • Pacific Goose Barnacles (Mitella polymerus) cling to the walls of a natural sea tunnel at Devil's Punchbowl on the central Oregon coast.
    OR_DevilsPunchbowl_Barnacles_Tunnel_...jpg
  • Dozens of iron concretions are trapped in a small crack in the Grand staircase Escalante in southern Utah. These iron concretions formed naturally between 6 and 25 million years ago as water dissolved the iron pigment in the red sandstone in the area. The pigment flowed down through the now bleached sandstone and then solidified when it came in contact with oxygenated water, forming a new iron mineral called hematite between the grains of sandstone. Over time, the sandstone eroded away, leaving the more durable iron concretions behind. These largely spherical balls are composed of a hard outer layer of hematite covering a ball of pink sandstone. By volume, the sandstone makes up the majority of these iron concretions, though those found elsewhere in the Colorado Plateau may contain much more hematite. Scientists aren't sure why they form in spheres or if they need something in particular as a nucleus to start growing.
    IronConcretions_HarrisWashUtah_4194.jpg
  • Iron concretions are found on a bluff in the Grand staircase Escalante in southern Utah. These iron concretions formed naturally between 6 and 25 million years ago as water dissolved the iron pigment in the red sandstone in the area. The pigment flowed down through the now bleached sandstone and then solidified when it came in contact with oxygenated water, forming a new iron mineral called hematite between the grains of sandstone. Over time, the sandstone eroded away, leaving the more durable iron concretions behind. These largely spherical balls are composed of a hard outer layer of hematite covering a ball of pink sandstone. By volume, the sandstone makes up the majority of these iron concretions, though those found elsewhere in the Colorado Plateau may contain much more hematite. Scientists aren't sure why they form in spheres or if they need something in particular as a nucleus to start growing.
    IronConcretions_HarrisWashUtah_4193.jpg
  • The milky blue water of Iceland's Blue Lagoon (Bláa lónið) somewhat mimicks the color of the summer sky. Portions of the Blue Lagoon are heated with natural, geothermal energy. The mineral-rich hot pools are a popular tourist destination.
    Iceland_BlueLagoon_Sky_9934.jpg
  • Several mallard ducks (Anas platyrhynchos) - four males and one female - fly above the Green River Natural Preserve in Kent, Washington.
    mallards_flying_7214.jpg
  • The early morning sun shines through Mesa Arch, a natural sandstone arch located in Canyonlands National Park, Utah. Washer Woman Arch is visible in the background, near the center of the image.
    Canyonlands_MesaArch.jpg
  • Algae grows on a rock at the entrance of the Devils Punch Bowl on the central Oregon coast. The Devils Punch Bowl, located near Newport, is a natural bowl in the rock along the coast and is believed to be the remains of a collapsed sea cave.
    OR_DevilsPunchbowl_Arch_0068.jpg
  • Mesa Arch, a 90-foot natural arch located in Canyonlands National Park, Utah, is dusted by fresh snow. The arch is eroded by wind and repeated freezing and thawing from winter storms.
    MesaArchWinter.jpg
  • A Mojave Desert Tortoise (Gopherus agassizii) walks near shrubs in the Desert Tortoise Natural Area in California City, California.
    Desert-Tortoise-Walking_7815.jpg
  • At dusk, English Channel waves crash through a natural sea arch known as Porte d'Aval at the Falaise d'Étretat cliffs in Normandy, France. The white chalk cliffs are as tall as 90 meters (300 feet).
    Etretat_Porte-d'Aval_Dusk_9599.jpg
  • Ripples on a pond in a natural area of the Smithsonian National Zoological Park in Washington, D.C., turn a reflection of the surrounding forest into an impressionistic scene.
    Pond_Forest_Impressionistic_Smithson...jpg
  • Delicate Arch, reddened by the setting sun, frames the La Sal Mountains near Moab, Utah. Delicate Arch is a 65-foot-tall (20 meters) freestanding natural arch located in Arches National Park. Delicate Arch is comprised of Entrada Sandstone and formed the same way other arches formed in the national park. It began as a sandstone fin, which was gradually worn away by weathering and erosion, leaving the arch behind.
    ArchesNP_DelicateArch_F02_2576-02.jpg
  • Crashing Pacific Ocean waves are visible through the Devils Punch Bowl Arch on the central Oregon coast. Devils Punch Bowl is a large, natural bowl in the bluff along the coast and is believed to be the remnant of two collapsed sea caves.
    OR_DevilsPunchBowl_Arch_0140.jpg
  • Dozens of iron concretions are trapped in cracks in the Grand staircase Escalante in southern Utah. These iron concretions formed naturally between 6 and 25 million years ago as water dissolved the iron pigment in the red sandstone in the area. The pigment flowed down through the now bleached sandstone and then solidified when it came in contact with oxygenated water, forming a new iron mineral called hematite between the grains of sandstone. Over time, the sandstone eroded away, leaving the more durable iron concretions behind. These largely spherical balls are composed of a hard outer layer of hematite covering a ball of pink sandstone. By volume, the sandstone makes up the majority of these iron concretions, though those found elsewhere in the Colorado Plateau may contain much more hematite. Scientists aren't sure why they form in spheres or if they need something in particular as a nucleus to start growing.
    IronConcretions_HarrisWashUtah_4202.jpg
  • Delicate Arch, dusted in winter snow, frames the La Sal Mountains at sunset. Delicate Arch is a freestanding natural arch located in Arches National Park near Moab, Utah.
    DelicateArchSunset.jpg
  • A purple sea star (Pisaster ochraceus), shown under ultraviolet light, is among strands of kelp at low tide at the edge of Puget Sound in Des Moines, Washington. The glow is the result of phosphors that convert ultraviolet radiation, which is invisible to human eyes, into wavelengths that are visible. This scene was captured under black light.
    BlackLight_Low-Tide_Sea-Star_Des-Moi...jpg
  • A short-eared owl (Asio flammeus) flies low through tall grass in a field in the Skagit Valley near Bow, Washington. The short-eared owl is found over much of North America. It hunts over open fields and grasslands, diving to catch small mammals and birds.
    Owl-Short-Eared_Hunting_Grass_Bow-Ed...jpg
  • An empty shell and kelp glow red when exposed to ultraviolet light at low tide at the edge of Puget Sound in Des Moines, Washington. The glow is the result of phosphors that convert ultraviolet radiation, which is invisible to human eyes, into wavelengths that are visible. This scene was captured under black light.
    BlackLight_Low-Tide_Shell_Kelp_Des-M...jpg
  • A rock exposed at low tide seems to glow when exposed to ultraviolet light at the edge of Puget Sound in Des Moines, Washington. The glow is the result of phosphors that convert ultraviolet radiation, which is invisible to human eyes, into wavelengths that are visible. This scene was captured under black light.
    BlackLight_Low-Tide_Rock_Des-Moines_...jpg
  • Mudcracks in a variety of shapes and sizes are visible in the sediment at the base of Harris Wash in Utah. Mudcracks, also known as desiccation cracks, result when the top layer of sediment dries before lower layers. When the water in the top layer evaporates, the thin layer separates from the layers below. The loss of moisture also causes the layer to shrink somewhat, causing a strain that results in the cracks.
    UT_Mudcracks_HarrisWash_4278.jpg
  • A field of flowering goldenrods color the valley below a towering basalt cliff in the Columbia National Wildlife Refuge in Adams County, Washington.
    WA_Columbia-NWR_Goldenrod_Cliffs_758...jpg
  • A bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) flies over oyster beds in Hood Canal near Seabeck, Washington. Hundreds of bald eagles spend the early summer there to feast on migrating midshipman fish that get trapped in oyster beds during low tides.
    BaldEagle_OysterBed_HoodCanal_4771.jpg
  • The golden light of the evening sun lights up a large flock of dunlin (Calidris alpina) in flight over the Skagit Valley on Fir Island near Mount Vernon, Washington.
    Dunlin_Flock_Flight_Fir-Island_0093.jpg
  • A pair of sandhill cranes (Grus canadensis) take off from a pond in the Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge in New Mexico as other cranes continue to preen.
    SandhillCranes_TakingOff_Bosque_1392.jpg
  • An American crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos) flies through a rainbow after a rainstorm passes over Bothell, Washington.
    Crow_Rainbow_North-Creek_2164.jpg
  • Several erosion patterns are visible on the steep exposed hillside of Rucker Hill in Everett, Washington, near where Pigeon Creek empties into Puget Sound. At the top of the frame, a blackberry branch swings back and forth like a pendulum, carving a semicircle into the hillside.
    WA_Rucker-Hill_Erosion_7166.jpg
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