Beautiful Earth

Virtual Backgrounds

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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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Image of glowing lava flowing.
Basaltic trachyandesite pahoehoe lava, which is 1975 degrees F (1080 degrees C), slowly stretches as it inflates.

Credit: Michael S. Helfenbein, Yale University
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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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Steaming lava glowing
Steaming lava glows during a nighttime eruption at Toludskoye lava field in Russia.

Credit: Benjamin R. Edwards
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volcano erupting
The appropriately named Caliente lava dome erupts on the western flank of Guatemala’s Santa María volcano.

Credit: Jeffrey Johnson, Department of Geosciences, Boise State University
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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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Castle Rock, a natural geologic landmark near McMurdo Station in Antarctica

Credit: Joshua Swanson; Source: U.S. Antarctic Program photo library
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The Milky Way Galaxy is seen over the Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array west of Socorro, New Mexico.

Credit: NRAO/AUI/NSF, Jeff Hellerman (Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported -- CC BY 3.0).
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A caribou skull
A caribou skull glistens white against the tundra of northern Alaska.

Credit: Daniel Ackerman
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A stand of aspen trees
A stand of aspen trees scatters sunlight on Boulder Mountain in Utah. Aspens are one of many trees under study as NSF researchers evaluate the impacts of global warming.

Credit: Martin Venturas, University of Utah
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Sun streams into the entrance of Deer Cave
Sun streams into the entrance of Deer Cave in Gunung Mulu National Park, Borneo.

Credit: Syria Lejau, Gunung Mulu National Park
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A rocky outcrop rises over the Alaskan tundra.
A rocky outcrop rises over the Alaskan tundra.

Credit: Daniel Ackerman
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Green Bank Telescope in the summer.

Credit: NSF/GBO 20; photo by Jill Malusky
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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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ALVIN water robot
The iconic submersible ALVIN has made more than 5,000 dives. With its latest upgrades, ALVIN can reach as deep as 21,000 feet below the ocean’s surface.

Credit: Luis Lamar, ©Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
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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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