The Destructive Beauty of Volcanism: 2016

https://www.theatlantic.com/photo/2016/12/2016-the-year-in-volcanic-activity/510641/

http://volcano.oregonstate.edu/volcanic-lightning

While this article from The Atlantic was more of a slideshow, the captions for many of the photos did a good job simplifying complex processes.  The image that really captured my attention was the first image in the slideshow.  This was a picture of volcanic lightning forming above the erupting Sinabung volcano in Indonesia.  The second article I linked above provides a simplified process for how volcanic lightning forms.  These images can be absolutely breathtaking, something one may only expect to see out of a videogame.

Not only are these volcanoes beautiful, but they can be both destructive and provide resources to local communities.  Eruptions can bring useful minerals to the surface, which can then be used in manufacturing, yet they can destroy communities in the process, as seen in the case of San Juan Parangaricutiru, Mexico, and most notably, Pompeii, Italy.