Beautiful Earth

Virtual Backgrounds

A rocky outcrop rises over the Alaskan tundra.
A rocky outcrop rises over the Alaskan tundra.

Credit: Daniel Ackerman
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Image of huge storm cloud in distance.
The shape of a severe storm such as the one pictured here is a major factor in whether the storm will produce hail and how large the hailstones are.

Credit: ©UCAR; image by Carlye Calvin
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Image of huge storm cloud in distance.
The shape of a severe storm such as the one pictured here is a major factor in whether the storm will produce hail and how large the hailstones are.

Credit: ©UCAR; image by Carlye Calvin
Download a high-resolution version of this image (JPEG, 1.2MB)
Aurora Borealis over Davis Station
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Dramatic image of arctic ice in the middle of arctic ocean with beautiful sky in the background.
Sunlight reflecting on the ice-free water of Canada Basin is an indicator of warming in the western Arctic Ocean.

Credit: Zhangxian Ouyang, University of Delaware
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Dramatic image of arctic ice in the middle of arctic ocean with beautiful sky in the background.
Sunlight reflecting on the ice-free water of Canada Basin is an indicator of warming in the western Arctic Ocean.

Credit: Zhangxian Ouyang, University of Delaware
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lava flows
Lava flows from Russia’s Tolbachik volcanoes during an eruption in 2012.

Credit: Benjamin R. Edwards
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lava flows
Lava flows from Russia’s Tolbachik volcanoes during an eruption in 2012.

Credit: Benjamin R. Edwards
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Corona Arch in Utah
Corona Arch in Utah, like many rock arches, “sings” imperceptibly as vibrations pass through it. The vibrations were revealed by NSF-funded scientists recording the tiny motions using seismometers.

Credit: Alison Starr, University of Utah
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Corona Arch in Utah
Corona Arch in Utah, like many rock arches, “sings” imperceptibly as vibrations pass through it. The vibrations were revealed by NSF-funded scientists recording the tiny motions using seismometers.

Credit: Alison Starr, University of Utah
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Close up image of purple flowers with beautiful sky in the background.
Chamaenerion latifolium, commonly called dwarf fireweed, near Savoonga, St. Lawrence Island, Alaska.

Credit: Photo by Wendi Pillars
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Close up image of purple flowers with beautiful sky in the background.
Chamaenerion latifolium, commonly called dwarf fireweed, near Savoonga, St. Lawrence Island, Alaska.

Credit: Photo by Wendi Pillars
Download a high-resolution version of this image (JPEG, 1.2MB)
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