Alex Spahn 🌋🌪️☄️
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spahn711.bsky.social
Alex Spahn 🌋🌪️☄️
@spahn711.bsky.social
60K followers 1K following 3.5K posts
Storm chaser. Volcano hunter. University Physics, Astronomy, & Earth Science Instructor. MS Physics/BS Astrophysics. Rockhounder & Mineral Collector. Raccoon whisperer. Allow me to share our planet's beauty with you. linktr.ee/spahn711
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Alex Spahn 🌋🌪️☄️ @spahn711.bsky.social · Oct 18
With all the new faces here, I figured I'd also say hi and reintroduce myself. I am a professor of physics, astronomy and earth science, among other things, but most of what you'll get from me are photos of our immensely beautiful planet. Sharing that beauty is my passion; we're so lucky to be here.
A photo of myself writing "Hi! :)" on a lightboard. A photo of a comet just after sunset with a rocky, foggy waterfall among tree-covered hills in the foreground. A supercell thunderstorm with pancake-stacked structure and lightning protruding out from the clouds in a few directions. A clear, starry sky sits to the left. A gibbous Moon sits directly above an erupting volcano, with lava fountaining in all directions and a lava pool sitting out front.
spahn711.bsky.social
Idaho's Upper Mesa Falls.

While the 10-story-tall waterfall is beautiful, it is the surrounding rock that I'm drawn to. Those cliffs are made of tuff, which is basically ash that fused together into rock. Here, it comes from the Yellowstone supervolcano eruption 1.3 million years ago! #Photography
A photo of a 200 ft (61 m) wide waterfall cascading 115 ft (35 m) over a cliff into a river surrounded by green vegetation and rocky cliffs. Mist rises from the waterfall base, with dense forest visible atop the cliff in the background.
February 9, 2026 at 10:08 PM
spahn711.bsky.social
Happy #SuperbOwl day!
A closeup of the face of a barred owl at night. The owl is looking directly into the camera; lights can be seen reflected off of its dark, glassy eyes.
February 8, 2026 at 8:47 PM
spahn711.bsky.social
Perfect form on this banana pose! 📸🍌 #Photography
A seal that appears to be missing a flipper is at the edge of a rocky surface striking a banana pose (their body is curved upward like a banana). Also on the rock is a seal sleeping belly-up in the sunlight. Surrounding the rock are vibrant blue waters with numerous white icebergs in the distance. In the background are massive brown rocky cliffs that reach up into the clouds on the left, and a bird flying in clear blue skies on the right.
February 8, 2026 at 6:00 PM
spahn711.bsky.social
The handsomest boy.
A picture of my dog laying on a green sofa and looking at the camera with his bright orange eyes. His ears are perked up, his paw is tucked under his head, and his large fluffy tail is wrapped around his body.
February 8, 2026 at 4:21 AM
spahn711.bsky.social
Every now and then, I come across a place in nature that simply doesn't feel real. Crawling down a small hole in the absolute middle of nowhere and stepping into this scene was like being transported to another world. I found myself enchanted and struggled to leave for quite some time. #Photography
A photo of the inside of a cave that has an opening at the top through which a perfect beam of light enters the room, filling it with a golden light and highlighting the dust suspended in the air. Directly below the opening in the ceiling is a pule of rocks from the collapse, with a circle of vibrant green ferns growing atop them. On the far right is a smaller hole that I climbed down through to enter the cave. [note: I will not publicly disclose this location due to the sensitive ecosystem within]
February 7, 2026 at 10:17 PM
spahn711.bsky.social
Goðafoss, Iceland. #Photography
A photo of a wide waterfall cascading into a calm river surrounded by moss-covered rocks and grassy hills under a cloudy sky. Mist rises from the waterfall.
February 7, 2026 at 12:18 AM
spahn711.bsky.social
Bonneville. #Photography
A photo of the Bonneville salt flats in which polygonal patterns of salt on the expansive, flat surface reach toward the camera. The bright golden sun sets behind distant hazy mountains in a mostly clear blue sky.
February 5, 2026 at 8:17 PM
spahn711.bsky.social
Overlooking the Canyonlands. #photography
A selfie of me standing on the edge of a tall, rugged red rock cliff overlooking a vast canyon landscape and the Green River some 1,300 ft below, all under a soft, cloudy, golden sky.
February 5, 2026 at 3:29 AM
spahn711.bsky.social
The infamous Shafer Trail in Canyonlands National Park. #photography
A wide angle photo of the Shafer trail - a dirt road that snakes its way down a bowl-shaped cliff in Utah. The cliffs are a golden brown color with various shrubs dotted around the landscape. Blue, partly-cloudy skies are overhead. In the far distance are snow-capped mountains.
February 4, 2026 at 12:32 AM
spahn711.bsky.social
A Minecraft cave and sideways-growing tree. Reality was glitching a little here. #Photography
A photo of a rocky cliffside cave with layered, blocky stone formations on the left and dense green foliage extending toward a calm body of water on the right. The primary tree in the image is growing horizontally outward toward the water before curving 90° upward, with roots gripping the soil along the cliff.
February 3, 2026 at 1:24 AM
spahn711.bsky.social
A ride on the subway. #Photography
A photo of my sitting on the edge of a cliff near Sedona, Arizona. Two tall, red, rocky cliffs bracket a narrow vertical gap with green trees down below. The glow of the Sun illuminate the bowl shape with golden light. Additional cliffs and bright sunny skies can be seen in the distance.
February 1, 2026 at 9:22 PM
spahn711.bsky.social
A Sedona sunset. #Photography
A photo of towering orange-red rock formations illuminated by golden sunlight, set against a clear blue sky with a hazy horizon. Lush green vegetation covers the base, with rolling hills and distant mountains visible in the background.
January 31, 2026 at 7:24 PM
spahn711.bsky.social
In Sept. of 2023, I witnessed what was in my eyes the perfect storm. This intricately-structured, highly-electric supercell danced under a sky full of stars, looming over the landscape like the Mind Flayer while producing multiple funnels, bursts of sprites, and a barrage of lightning. #Photography
A photo of a dramatic supercell thunderstorm with a many-layered, rotating structure that is illuminated by multiple bright lightning strikes. The foreground includes a rural landscape with a dirt road, fence, and green trees/grass. Beside the storm is a crisp, clear night sky with stars shining.
January 31, 2026 at 1:23 AM
spahn711.bsky.social
The deadly Cole, OK EF3 tornado from 04-19-2023. I couldn't believe the clear slot wrapped around this thing. This was a long day for central Oklahoma, and one in which I saw eight tornadoes! #Photography
A photo of a large, dark tornado in a rural area with green trees and grass in foreground. The tornado is partially obscured by rain. Above the tornado is a prominent clear slot that contrasts heavily with the dark clouds.
January 29, 2026 at 11:24 PM
spahn711.bsky.social
A unique drone perspective of SP Crater and its lava flow. #Photography
A drone photo of a large, dormant cinder cone volcano with a wide, crater at the summit. The volcano is surrounded by arid, sparsely-vegetated terrain. The volcanic cone displays dark, rough textures in contrast with the lighter, slightly hilly plains extending into the distance. Just behind the cone is a dark basaltic lava flow that curves off to the right along the hazy horizon. The landscape is mostly golden in color, enhanced by the glow of the nearly-setting Sun.
January 29, 2026 at 5:58 PM
spahn711.bsky.social
On the edge of the Canyonlands.
A photo of me standing on the edge of a very tall cliff overlooking an expansive reddish-brown desert landscape of canyons during sunset. The scene also features distant mesas and a partly cloudy sky with warm sunlight tones along the horizon.
January 29, 2026 at 2:16 AM
spahn711.bsky.social
Ontario's gorge-ous 330-ft-deep Ouimet Canyon, which formed when a sill, a horizontal layer of magma, was split by glacial movement and/or meltwater during the last ice age. The canyon floor hosts a sub-arctic microclimate supporting arctic plants usually only found 1k km further north! #photography
A photograph of a deep, rocky canyon flanked by steep cliffs covered with dense green trees and distant rolling hills visible beyond the canyon. The sky is completely overcast, making it a somewhat moody scene.
January 28, 2026 at 7:41 PM
spahn711.bsky.social
#TafoniTuesday!

When saltwater seeps into the crevices and pores in rock and then evaporates, salt crystals are deposited. As these crystals expand, they weaken the rock, breaking it apart and leaving behind numerous cavities called tafoni. #photography
Photograph of a tan-orange coastal rock formation featuring honeycomb weathering patterns with numerous holes and cavities, highlighting natural erosion effects. Background includes green vegetation, waves hitting rocks, and a cloudy sky.
January 27, 2026 at 7:28 PM
spahn711.bsky.social
The MAGA brain chip meme in which the chip being removed says "Don't tread on me. 2A forever" and is being replaced by one that says "guns bad."
January 27, 2026 at 5:54 PM
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Utah is magical at every turn. Even random roads can look like this... #Photography
A photo looking straight down an asphalt road. In the distance are numerous textured orange-brown cliffs of sedimentary rock. The color of the cliffs is enhanced by the glow of the setting Sun. Clear blue sky is overhead.
January 26, 2026 at 5:37 PM
spahn711.bsky.social
My assistant helping me measure the depth of sleet. We ended up with ~5.2" of pure sleet accumulation here in far southeastern Oklahoma! It is now a solid slab of ice. 😵‍💫
January 26, 2026 at 2:18 AM
spahn711.bsky.social
Walk with me along the misty shores of Lake Superior. #Photography

📍Pukaskwa National Park, Ontario, Canada.
A photo of a wooden staircase and railing that wraps around a tree, right on the water's edge. In the hazy distance is a rocky coastline with lush green vegetation.
January 25, 2026 at 8:02 PM
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I don't know when they will happen, or what it will take for us to get there, but I cannot wait for the trials that everyone in this administration will face one day. The thought of it helps to keep me going.
January 25, 2026 at 3:12 AM
spahn711.bsky.social
You really should be tuned in to the V1 cam for Kilauea's 41st eruptive episode. Its a stunner.

USGS live stream: www.youtube.com/watch?v=tk0t...
January 24, 2026 at 10:33 PM
spahn711.bsky.social
If you need some extra distraction from *gestures broadly at everything,* Kilauea is here to help. The next eruptive episode, episode 41, looks to be kicking off right now! Fountains are starting to grow in height.

USGS LIVE stream here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=gXKu...
January 24, 2026 at 9:20 PM