Environment
A fiery volcanic eruption, a flower preserved in amber and a ‘superbloom’ of wildflowers feature in New Scientist’s selection of stunning nature images from the past year
By Chen Ly
Litli Hrútur volcano in Iceland erupting in July 2023
KRISTINN MAGNUSSON/AFP via Getty Images
Sizzling lava spurts out of Iceland’s Litli Hrútur volcano in this fiery scene captured by photographer Kristinn Magnusson. The volcano began erupting on 10 July, the day this photograph was taken, which marked the third time in just two years that lava has flowed from the Fagradalsfjall volcanic area in south-west Iceland.
A fossil flower in amber
Carola Radke, MfN (Museum für Naturkunde Berlin)
This gorgeously preserved fossil reveals the moment when a five-petalled Symplocos kowalewskii flower released its pollen more than 33.9 million years ago. At roughly 28 millimeters in diameter, the specimen is the largest amber-encased flower ever found. It was first unearthed in 1872 and was finally described in detail by a pair of scientists in January 2023 – more than 150 years after its discovery.
“A superbloom’ of wildflowers in California
What a stunning collection of images captured from different parts of the world! From a volcanic eruption in Iceland, a flower preserved in amber, to a ‘superbloom’ of wildflowers in California, these photos showcase the remarkable wonders of nature.
A stunning arrival of wildflowers greeted Californians as a result of a remarkably wet winter. This spectacular “superbloom” of wildflowers occurred in April as a result of a historic level of rainfall. A series of atmospheric river storms, helped by thin strips of concentrated moisture in the air, transformed the Carrizo Plain to a gold-blossoming field, a sight to behold with its fiddlenecks and California goldfields.
Walkers in awe among the “superbloom” of wildflowers in Carrizo Plain National Monument
Mario Tama/Getty Images
The residents of Running Springs, California, surrounded by snow after a snowstorm in March 2023
David McNew/Getty Images
Running Springs, California, after a snowstorm in March 2023
David McNew/Getty Images
Behold the breathtaking satellite view of Krakatoa volcano in Indonesia
COPERNICUS SENTINEL 2
Witness the plumes of white and brown ash streaming from Indonesia’s infamous Krakatoa volcano in a striking aerial view captured by the Sentinel-2 satellite on 12 May. Krakatoa started another eruption cycle in September,
