The unique environment of China's paddy fields offer a beautiful palette for photographers to work with. Varying light conditions lend an array of colors to the water-soaked land. This particular charm is what first drove photographer Samuel Peck to the paddy fields of Yunnan, China. But in a few years, the view might not be around for people to enjoy. The paddy fields are currently under threat due to urbanization and tourism. (MORE: ) "The traditional image of China's farmers...

((Caters/Jón Hilmarsson)) PhotographerJón Hilmarsson had braved the Icelandic cold to witness the beauty of the Northern Lights many times before, but a recent photo shoot revealed some things he had never seen. "This was the most beautiful and vivid northern light display I have ever seen," Hilmarsson told Caters."We usually see green auroras but that night I saw bright green, red and purple colour, which is very unusual." The image above shows the majestic and colorful display, but it also...

(AP Photo/Jack Plunkett) Passengers on a British Airways flight from Gatwick Airport to Glasgow said all they could do was pray. Lightning and thunder were crashing around the Airbus A319 , according to the Daily Mail. When gusty winds forced the pilot to change direction of the landing, the plane was struck by a bolt of lightning. People inside the plane described the strike as a loud bang and a flash of orange, the Daily Mail also reported. One man...

A famous American waterfall has frozen over for the winter, creating a marvelous array of giant icicles and frosty formations. And you may be surprised just how easy it is to see it for yourself. Minnehaha Falls in Minneapolis has long been a draw for tourists. The state of Minnesota tried to make it the first state park beginning in 1885, but ultimately lacked the funds. Instead, the city of Minneapolis bought the land and made it a city park...

Another day, another difficult landing for an airplane in the United Kingdom. The video above shows heavy winds forcing a plane back and forth as it tries to land, nearly turning the plane sideways. Landing an airplane in difficult U.K. winds isn't easy. So it shouldn't be surprising that so many videos show up with airplanes struggling to get on the ground at airports such as Birmingham Airport. "As with all U.K. airports, Birmingham Airport experiences challenging weather conditions occasionally,...

Another day, another difficult landing for an airplane in the United Kingdom. The video above shows heavy winds forcing a plane back and forth as it tries to land, nearly turning the plane sideways. Landing an airplane in difficult U.K. winds isn't easy. So it shouldn't be surprising that so many videos show up with airplanes struggling to get on the ground at airports such as Birmingham Airport. "As with all U.K. airports, Birmingham Airport experiences challenging weather conditions occasionally,...

Sunrise at Torres Del Paine National Park, Dec. 12, 2014. (Evgeny Tchebotarev) Weather.com has partnered with the photo community to showcase inspiring photography that truly shows that “It’s Amazing Out There.” Our first featured photographer is Evgeny Tchebotarev, one of the founders of , who recently returned from a tour of Patagonia, capturing the region’s breathtaking mountains in incredible light. In order to capture the sun hitting the mountains in Torres Del Paine National Park in Chile, Tchebotarev and his...

On June 29, 1956, President Dwight Eisenhower signed the , which created a 41,000-mile "National System of Interstate and Defense Highways" that would become America's most important transportation infrastructure—and one of the world's modern wonders. Designed to reach every city with a population of more than 100,000, thesystem significantly changed American landscapes and lives, increasing ease of travel and affecting the way business is conducted. (COMMUTER FORECAST:) Major Interstate routes are . Routes with odd numbers run north and south,...

Photographer Jakub Polomski is from Ciezyn, Poland. He long dreamed about traveling to Iceland to take landscape photos, and made that dream a reality this year. (Jakub Polomski) Photographer Jakub Polomski has been using travel as an inspiration for his landscape photography since graduating school in 2005. He has traveled across Europe taking images of landscapes and the region's natural beauty, and in 2010, Polomski won a trip to Argentina in a photo contest, propelling his photography even further. "In...

It doesn't take long for nature and the elements to overtake the cities and towns humans have built. In an interview with , Alan Weisman, the author of the bestselling nonfiction book , described what would happen if humans no longer existed. In a house without people, "suddenly no one is there in fighting off mold, keeping the insects out, keeping the mice out, keeping the woodpeckers out, keeping the water out," Weisman said. Many buildings are abandoned because of...

Surrounded by fields and picturesque mountains lies a for sale sign in front of a door, some steps and your opportunity to live ten stories under the hot New Mexico sun. But the property in question isn't an underground house or even an apartment, it's an abandoned missile silo. The silo was once home to a weapon more powerful than the atomic bomb, but now it can be home to you and your family. Unfortunately, this escape from the real...

Around the world, villages have been built in some unique places, such as on top of steep cliffs, inside caves or in the middle of a river. Many of the town founders chose these locations because they could use the shape of landscape to their advantage to create their new settlements. For example, it is believed that the Spanish cave-like houses of Setenil de las Bodegas were built under a rocky overhang because it . (MORE:) In Cappadocia, there are...

Just to the southeast of Curaçao is the tiny island of Klein Curaçao, which translates to "Little Curaçao" in Dutch. Attempts to settle this island through the centuries have all failed. The remains of a little pink lighthouse watch over it all. (PHOTOS: ) The northern side of the island is quite beautiful, but in an article on Atlas Obscura, Luke J. Spencer writes, "The southern, windward side, more exposed to the elements, is an unforgiving shoreline of pounding surf...