Over the last decade, award-winning aerial photographer Bernhard Edmaier has photographed some of the world's most dramatic and beautiful volcanic landscapes, amassing a unique archive of images depicting volcanoes both active and dormant, and a fascinating range of geothermal phenomena and formations. The result of meticulous planning and research, his travels take him from the endless deserts of Africa to the ice plains of Iceland and the coral of the Great Barrier Reef.

Mount Etna, Sicily, Italy

Every time a volcanic eruption hits the headlines, we are reminded of the fact that we live on a ball of fire, with only a thin layer of rock separating us from the furnace deep inside the earth.

Mount Merapi, Java, Indonesia

Lava-spewing mountains aren't the only evidence of the heat and activity below the surface either: there are also geothermal areas with hot springs, bubbling mud pools and encrustations of bright yellow sulfur crystals, as well as steaming acid lakes in often perfectly circular craters. In clear, accessible texts, geologist Angelika Jung-Hüttl explains the phenomena and formations seen in Bernhard Edmaier's photographs which show volcanic formations around the globe - from well-known sites such as Mount St Helens in the USA, to remote volcanic landscapes in Ethiopia, Siberia and the Maldives.

Lava Dome, Poás Volcano, "Laguna caliente", Costa Rica

All of the images from Edmaier’s recently published book Earth on Fire - which were taken over a period of ten years - were photographed with Hasselblad analog and digital cameras. Edmaier personally digitized the analog shots using a Hasselblad Imacon Flextight 949 scanner.

Bernhard Edmaier with his Hasselblad camera

In his current project, the geologist and photographer once again presents breathtaking bird's-eye views. This time, his journey takes him and his H3DII-50 across the Alps from Nice, France to Vienna, Austria, where he captures striking images of the unique fold and overthrust formations that date back to the origins of the mighty mountain range.