IN THE HEAT OF THE MOMENT Photograph of KAWIKA SINGSON | Taken by Chris Hirata In this crazy capture, we see photographer Kawika Singson getting up close and personal with lava as his shoes and tripod begin to catch fire. The photo went viral after being posted to the highly popular Facebook…
A volcano is an opening, or rupture, in a planet’s surface or crust, which allows hot magma, volcanic ash and gases to escape from the magma chamber below the surface. They are generally found where tectonic plates are diverging or converging. A mid-oceanic ridge, for example the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, has examples of volcanoes caused…
KUKENAN-TEPUI AT SUNSET Photograph by Paolo Costa Baldi | GFDL/CC-BY-SA 3.0 In this photograph we see Kukenán, a tepui in Guayana Region, Venezuela. It is 2,680 metres (8,790 ft) high and about 3 km (1.9 mi) long. Kukenan Falls, which is 674 m (2,211 ft) high, is located at the south end…
From June 22 to September 29, 2013, the Mosaïcultures Internationales Montréal 2013 – Land of Hope (MIM2013) will be on display at the Montreal Botanical Garden. The 2013 edition presents more than 50 creations from some 20 countries. The theme of the exposition, Land of Hope, aims to amaze visitors while raising their awareness…
SPIRE COVE, ALASKA Photograph by Ontonyx on Reddit In this photograph by Redditor Ontonyx, we see Spire Cove which is located within Kenai Fjords National Park in Alaska. The cove is about thirty minutes by boat from Seward, just past Big Bear Glacier. The cove is notable for its abundant bird life…
Flooding in Thailand – Before & After Photograph by NASA Earth Observatory In this true-colour satellite image, we see flooding in Ayutthaya and Pathum Thani Provinces in Central Thailand (right), compared to before the flooding (left). The Chao Phraya River forms at the confluence of smaller rivers in central Thailand, and flows…
ABOVE THE CLOUDS Photograph by Jonathan Kos-Read In this breathtaking black and white photograph by Jonathan Kos-Read, we see a lone man looking out upon a sea of clouds. To really appreciate this photo, check out the full-size (4217 x 1797) version here. In the photo’s description, Kos-Read remarks that the shot…
At the end of every quarter the Sifter will highlight the top 25 ‘Pictures of the Day‘, culminating in an epic Top 100 at the end of the year (check out the ‘Top 100 POTDs for 2012‘). It’s hard to believe we’re already half way through 2013. Below you will find the second installment…
PLANET MERCURY Photograph by NASA/Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory/Carnegie Institution of Washington This colorful view of Mercury was produced by using images from the color base map imaging campaign during MESSENGER’s primary mission. These colors are not what Mercury would look like to the human eye, but rather the colors enhance…
SHIPWRECK BEACH Photograph by Robert Wallace Located on the coast of Zakynthos, Greece is Navagio (Shipwreck) Beach, an exposed cove often referred to as Smugglers Cove. The story goes that in 1980 Greek authorities discovered a boat suspected of smuggling contraband. The chase was on. During the pursuit and inclement weather, the…