Images Dated 29th August 2003

Ammonite fossil, SEM

Ammonite fossil, coloured scanning electron micrograph (SEM). Ammonites were invertebrates and lived in the sea. They were molluscs that formed a spiral shell to protect their soft body. The lines on the shell mark chambers added as the ammonite grew. It lived in the newest and largest chamber. Shells ranged in width from under 1 centimetre to over 1 metre. Ammonites most closely resemble the present-day nautilus. They first appear in the fossil record around 400 million years ago and became extinct at the end of the Cretaceous period 65 million years ago. Magnification: x30 when printed 10cm wide

© STEVE GSCHMEISSNER/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY

BIO11224

Tourist and geothermal mudpots which occur in high temperature geothermal areas with little water; what water is available mixes with volcanic ash to form mud, Namafjall, Iceland

© BIOSPHOTO/AUSCAPE All rights reserved

Tourist And Geothermal Mudpots Which Occur In High Temperature G, What Water Is Available Mixes With Volcanic Ash To Form Mud Namafjall

BIO11218

Grjotagja fissure, a result of volcanic eruptions caused by tectonic activity, Reykjahli©£, Hverfell, Iceland

© BIOSPHOTO/AUSCAPE All rights reserved

A Result Of Volcanic Eruptions Caused By Tec, A Result Of Volcanic Eruptions Caused By Tectonic Activity Reykjahl, Grjotagja Fissure, Hverfell