Patterns in Nature: Mysterious Earth
By National Geographic, 20 April 2012.
1. Salt Piles on Shoreline, Senegal
Photograph by Robert Haas.
Salt piles line the shoreline of Lake Retba, Senegal. The high salinity content of the lake
provides a livelihood for salt collectors. Get Wallpaper
2. Biplane Over Monomoy Shoals, Massachusetts, USA
Photograph by Michael Melford.
A biplane flies above Monomoy Island, Massachusetts. Get Wallpaper
3. Sand Dunes, Rub’ al-Khali
Photograph by George Steinmetz.
The borders of four nations - Saudi Arabia, Oman, Yemen, and the United Arab Emirates -
blur beneath the shifting sands of the Rub’ al-Khali, or Empty Quarter, desert.
4. Drying Fronds, Kenya
Photograph by Robert Haas.
Fronds dry in neat lines around a tree in Kenya. Get Wallpaper
5. Cave Dwellings, Turkey
Photograph by Klaus Nigge.
Cave-like dwellings built into soft rock dot the Cappadocia region of Turkey.
6. Fairy Circles, Namib Desert, Namibia
Photograph by Michael Fay.
Fairy circles, or grassless patches, spot the Namib Desert in Namibia, seen here from
an airplane. Get Wallpaper
7. Bacteria, New Zealand
Photograph by Peter Essick.
Photosynthesizing bacteria in a New Zealand thermal pool absorb carbon dioxide and
release oxygen. Get Wallpaper
8. Sunflower Florets
Photograph by Jozsef Szentpeteri.
Beads of dew cling to the florets that spiral inside a sunflower head. Get Wallpaper
9. Lichens, New York, USA
Photograph by Stephen Sharnoff.
Lichens grow on a granite gravestone in Lake Champlain, New York. Get Wallpaper
10. Banksia Flower, Australia
Photograph by Jonathan Blair.
The characteristic spikes of a banksia flower are common across Australia. This one was
photographed on a farm in Mount Barker. Get Wallpaper
11. Water Reflection, Utah, USA
Photograph by Frans Lanting.
Reflecting off water, light paints peacock-feather patterns onto a rock wall in Glen Canyon
National Recreation Area, Utah. Get Wallpaper
12. Giant Clam Mantle, Palau, Micronesia
Photograph by Tim Laman.
Iridescent spots surround the mantle of a giant clam in Palau, Micronesia. The mantle is a
fleshy outer layer that secretes the clam's shell. Get Wallpaper
13. Cactus, Manzanillo, Mexico
Photograph by Raul Touzon.
Bursts of yellow punctuate a cactus in Manzanillo, Mexico. Get Wallpaper
14. Curled Millipede
Photograph by George Grall.
Exhibiting its main defence mechanism, a millipede curls into a tight spiral. In this fashion it
protects its legs - on average between 100 and 300, not the thousand its name suggests -
inside its body. Get Wallpaper
inside its body. Get Wallpaper
15. Salmon Scales, Quebec, Canada
Photograph by Paul Nicklen
The scales of an Atlantic salmon, such as these on a fish in Quebec, Canada, can help
biologists determine the fish's age. Get Wallpaper
16. Diatoms
Photograph by Darlyne A. Murawski.
Seen here 400 times their true size, diatoms are a type of algae found in oceans, fresh water,
and soil. Get Wallpaper
17. Basket Sea Star, Cuba
Photograph by Brian J. Skerry.
The complexly branched arms of the basket sea star, or starfish, catch plankton for the
echinoderm. Get Wallpaper
18. Cenote, Mexico
Photograph by Stephen Alvarez.
Sunlight radiates through the Xpacay cenote in the Mexican Yucatán. Cenotes are freshwater
sinkholes usually found on the Yucatán peninsula. Get Wallpaper
sinkholes usually found on the Yucatán peninsula. Get Wallpaper
19. Snapping Turtle Shell, North America
Photograph by Darlyne A. Murawski.
The bony plates of a snapping turtle's carapace protect it from predators. Snappers are
freshwater turtles found in much of North America. Get Wallpaper
freshwater turtles found in much of North America. Get Wallpaper
20. Mammatus Clouds, Nebraska, USA
Photograph by Carsten Peter.
Mammatus clouds roil in the Nebraska sky, identifiable by their sagging, pouch-like shape.
The name comes from the Latin word for "breast." Get Wallpaper. [Related post]
The name comes from the Latin word for "breast." Get Wallpaper. [Related post]
Top image: Freshwater diatoms (left) and Blue giant clam mantle in Papua New Guinea (right)
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