Landscapes - Natural Wonders Images

The wonders of the natural world can be found around the planet and this series of images will focus on mostly landscapes and the natural wonders of the planet earth. Our planet has areas so marvelous and spectacular that images can only bring a very small sense of these majestic and beautiful locations. In some cases, these creations of nature can only be found in one place on the planet.  Click on each image to open the Light Box view for a larger image. There could also be a link which is in green and it is an active link to a web site for more information about the image. Just click the link and another browser window will open.

A recent scientific report has blamed human activity for climate change. In the southern parts of both the Argentina and Chile side of Patagonia, lie some of the few remaining glacial fields which are still growing and not shrinking. Panorama shot of the Perito Moreno Glacier, Argentina.

During the warmer times of the year these glaciers will lose large sections of ice, mostly along the frontal areas. This is called "calving" and the Perito Moreno Glacier is unique in that before the event you can hear a loud cracking sound followed by a noise which sounds like thunder, then the entire section will fall into the water. The average height of the glacier wall is about 95 meters. Being able to know when and where a calving event will take place and then taking the photograph is difficult. This photo is of one calving event which happened directly in front of the viewing platform not more than 40 meters away.

There are UNESCO world heritage sites located around the world and for some travelers it is about going to as many of these as possible in their lifetime. I also will make every effort to visit as many of these locations as possible especially because mass tourism has a way of destroying these wonderful places over time. This image was taken from a different vantage point and can be reached only by climbing. Photo: Ha Long Bay, Titop Island, Vietnam

The area of Ha Long Bay is comprised of thousands of large to small islands all of which are composed of what is called Limestone Karst. This image is just one example of the beautiful islands one will see and in this area of Vietnam, the fishing boats ply the waters on a daily basis as shown here. Photo: Ha Long Bay, Vietnam

There are wonders in the world that photographs can not capture and must be experienced first hand. One such experience is located at the world famous Iguazu Falls on the Argentina and Brazilian borders and is the world's largest water falls. The boat with its human cargo is poised in front of the mighty "Devils Throat", waiting to take the craft as far as possible into and under the waterfalls itself. Photo: Argentina side of Iquazu falls

The power and thunderous roar of the water cascading over the high cliffs is something that must be experienced and this image shows but one small section of the millions of liters of water pouring over the cliff wall every second. Photo: Argentina side of Iquazu Falls, Argentina

I chose this image of the snow capped mountain range for one reason only, that being the most incredible sight of seeing a setting moon in the early morning hours. This image was taken from an overnight bus ride of many hundreds of kilometers and was very close to the mountain of Aconcagua which is the highest mountain in all of the Americas and one of the worlds 7 highest summits. Photo: Motorway south of Mendoza, Argentina

This waterfall is located in a UNESCO world heritage site surrounded by Travertine pools which cascade down the valley. These type of pools are found in very select regions of the world and the area in which these are located as is the waterfall, is a very beautiful place which has to be seen first hand. Photo: Flying Waterfall, Huanglong Valley, 55 Kilometers south of Jiuzhaigou, China

This region of the world contains what is considered the driest area of the planet and has what is believed to be the the worlds oldest desert. NASA used this region to test some of its Mars lander's due to the similarity in soil conditions of that off Mars. This photo is of an iconic location. Photo: Side View of The Amphitheater, Atacama Desert, Valley of the Moon, Chile

There are many unique places on the planet and some have similarities to others in certain aspects. However, this region of the world has what is truly a one-of-a-kind landscape, not to be found any where else. In selecting an image I decided on this as it shows distinct aspects of its creation. During its formation volcanic ash with different chemical compounds were spewed out resulting in the variations of the colors of the landscape. White, reds, greens and pink coloration are all derived from different chemical compounds contained in the ash deposit. Photo: Overview of Red & Rose Valleys, Goreme, Turkey - Cappadocia. For more on this region click here to view the post titled Cappadocia Land of Fairy Chimneys.