In Photos: A Layer of Crystal-Clear Ice and the Andes Mountain

Winner, Nerc colleagues, families and friends category: Wild but Fragile by Emma Johnston, Swindon.

“This photo is of Torres del Paine national park, part of the Andes mountain range in southern Chile. The three granite towers, the highest peak being 2,884m, are iconic remnants of a 13m-year-old laccolith (a magmatic intrusion between sedimentary layers which has cooled and solidified slowly). The site was declared a biosphere reserve by Unesco, yet despite this, the park is under increasing pressure from modern-day threats, such as rapidly increasing tourism and climate change.”
Photograph: Emma Johnston/NERC Science photo competition