Pantanal, Brazil

The world’s largest freshwater wetland, the Pantanal covers more than 180,000 sq km of western Brazil and parts of Bolivia and Paraguay. This image shows one of its vast plains, 80% of which are inundated during the wet season – with water levels rising by up to five metres.

Photo: Luciano Candisani/Getty Images/Minden Pictures

Yellow river, China

This is the third-longest river in Asia, and the most silt-laden river on Earth. It takes its name from coloration by the fine, wind-blown sediment, known as loess, that it carries along its lower course. The river flows through deep gorges, as seen in the image, before it descends on to the North China Plain.

Photo: Qin0377/Dreamstime.com

Horseshoe Falls, Niagara Falls, Canada-US

Niagara Falls was formed as the Niagara river plunged over an escarpment on its way to the Atlantic Ocean. In a process that continues today, the river eroded layers of soft rock that sat below a harder dolomite caprock. As the soft layers eroded, great chunks of the caprock gave way, leaving a vertical cliff face.

Photo: Jin Kim/Imagelibrary India Pvt

Tengger volcanic complex, Indonesia

This is part of a national park on the Indonesian island of Java that lies within a large caldera – the remains of a volcano that erupted more than 45,000 years ago. In this view, the volcanic cones comprising the Tengger complex are at the centre, with smoke coming from Mount Bromo. In the distance is Mount Semeru.

Photo: EC Tong/Imagelibrary India Pvt

Namib-Naukluft national park, Namibia

Captured in visible light and infrared, these sand dunes are in Africa’s Namib Desert. Winds blowing off the Atlantic Ocean produce some of the world’s highest dunes here, some reaching heights of 300m.

Photo: NASA: USGS EROS Data Center Satellite Systems Branch

Yukon river, Canada

For much of its lower course, the Yukon is a slow, winding river with many large meanders and oxbow lakes scattered throughout its floodplain. It is the third-largest river in North America, after the Mississippi and the Missouri, but despite this only four bridges have been built across it.

Photo: Kevin Smith/Design Pics/Getty Images

Angel Falls, Venezuela

Angel Falls is the world’s highest uninterrupted waterfall; in its uppermost few hundred metres, the water barely makes contact with the sheer sandstone cliff behind.

Photo: AirPano images