May 15, 2008: Nature In Her Scary Glory

I didn't know that volcanoes came with lightning. Now I do. Here's a great image of the Chaitén eruption in Chile.

And here's a whole series, smaller but still amazing. The dramatic images are the first dozen or so . . . when you hit the people standing around the airplane, you're through with the really good stuff. Though the daylight smoke plume in some of the later ones is also impressive.

I believe this qualifies as a glory of Nature best observed at a distance and from within a speedy and reliable vehicle.
-- Steve Jackson