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Baffin Island Sun
Photograph by John Dunn
The midnight Arctic sun never strays from the horizon in this time-exposed shot of Nunavut's Baffin Island. Some parts of Nunavut endure 24 hours of light from late April until late August and 24 hours of darkness from late October until mid-February.
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Hurricane Gordon
Photograph courtesy NASA
Crew members on the space shuttle Atlantis captured this view of Hurricane Gordon in September 2006. Though the storm appears benign from above, its sustained winds howled at some 80 miles an hour (130 kilometers an hour).
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South Dakota Tornado
Photograph by Carsten Peter
An F3 Category tornado swirls across a South Dakota prairie. Tornadoes are classified according to their wind speeds, from weak F0 tornadoes with 40 to 72 mph (64 to 116 kph) winds, to ferocious F6s, with 319 to 379 mph (513 to 610 kph) winds. At F3, this tornado’s winds clocked in between 158 and 206 mph (254 to 332 kph).
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Monsoon in Trivandrum, India
Photograph by Priit Vesilind
India's monsoon rains, seen here lashing palm trees in Trivandrum, Kerala, bring needed water and welcome relief from the long, hot dry season. Unfortunately they may also bring flooding and devastating outbreaks of disease.
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Sierra Madre Rainbow
Photograph by Maria Stenzel
A rainbow brightens the sky above the Sierra Madre Occidental Mountains in Mexico. The arc, which is created when sunlight is refracted and reflected by water in the air, displays all the colors of visible light.
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Gozo Island, Malta
Photograph by Michael Melford
Twilight falls on Gozo island off the Maltese coast. Malta enjoys a pleasant Mediterranean climate characterized by damp and cool winters and warm, dry summers.
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Mongolian Steppe
Photograph by David Edwards
As a storm approaches, a horse grazes on the vast expanse of the Mongolian steppe. The region's open grasslands are characterized by a dry climate and large temperature shifts between extreme heat and cold.
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Snorkeling in Grenada
Photograph by Barry Tessman
Grenada's clear waters and warm temperatures draw visitors to the Caribbean island year-round. In the tropics, the area between 23.5 degrees N and 23.5 degrees S, the sun's overhead angle produces little temperature variation between summer and winter.
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Great Salt Lake, Utah
Photograph by Jim Richardson
Great Salt Lake's water level fluctuates dramatically due to seasonal shifts in inflow water volume and the rate of evaporation. The Utah lake is a closed basin with no outlet for water, so floods like those of the mid-1980s can be severe and destructive.
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Egyptian Dust Plume From Space
Photograph courtesy NASA
Strong winds blow the fine sands of Egypt's deserts into the Mediterranean Sea. The powerful storms of late winter and early spring often scour the nation's lowest point—the Qattara Depression.
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Death Valley, California
Photograph courtesy NASA
Death Valley, seen here in a satellite image, is scorching—summer temperatures may top 100 degrees Fahrenheit (38 degrees Celsius). The region also receives less than two inches (five centimeters) of annual rain. Despite these challenges, some plants and animals are able to adapt to Death Valley's inhospitable climate.
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Namib Desert Dunes
Photograph courtesy NASA
The Namib Desert is one of Earth's oldest deserts, and its dunes—which stretch to Africa's Atlantic coast—can tower nearly 1,000 feet (300 meters) high. The region is so dry that it receives more moisture from ocean fog than from its meager allotment of annual rainfall.
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Paraglider Above Atacama Desert
Photograph by Joel Sartore
A paraglider rides the winds above the Cerro Dragon sand dune in Chile's Atacama Desert. The coastal desert occupies a long strip between the Pacific Ocean and the Andes Mountains. Parts of it have never had a recorded rainfall.
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Rugen Island, Germany
Photograph by Sisse Brimberg
Spring flowers signal the change of seasons on Germany's Rugen Island. Temperate climates, like that of the Baltic Sea, experience four very distinct seasons each year.
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Autumn Sugar Maples
Photograph by John Eastcott and Yva Momatiuk
Vermont's outstanding array of fall foliage is highlighted by the colorful sugar maple. Broadleaf plants shed their leaves each year in preparation for winter, but variable temperatures and moisture determine how spectacular each annual show will be.
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