Images Dated 11th July 2014

Mountain avens (Dryas octopetala)

Mountain avens (Dryas octopetala), and Yellow mountain heather (Phyllodoce glanduliflora) in flower on high alpne tundra in mountain habitat. Wilcox Pass, Jasper National Park, Rocky Mountains, Alberta, Canada

© CopyrightFrank Lane Picture Agency/AUSCAPE All rights reserved

Europe, European, Flora, Plant, R, Rosaceae, Rosales, Vegetation

Zircon crystal 4.1 billion years old, among the oldest fragments of Earthly material ever found

Zircon crystal 4.1 billion years old, among the oldest fragments of Earthly material ever found, The crystal is the size of dust and contains uranium. The degree of atomic decay in the uranium indicates that the crystallisation began over 4.1 billion years ago. The holes were made during the dating process at the Australian National University, Canberra. From Mount Narryer, Gascoyne region, Western Australia

© CopyrightReg Morrison/AUSCAPE All rights reserved

Precipitous mountainside with mist clinging to the conifer forest

Precipitous mountainside with mist clinging to the conifer forest, in an area flanking the Tibetan Plateau that has some of the worlds highest and steepest mountains. Middle elevations with dense conifer forests and an understorey of Arrow bamboo provides habitat for Giant pandas. Wolong Nature Reserve, Sichuan, China

© CopyrightFritz Polking/AUSCAPE All rights reserved