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[Paul Voebel]

Northern lights in Iceland: the Aurora Borealis grows stronger



Chronological pictures show the cycle of the Northern Lights - which are visibly building up year-on-year towards what is expected to be a spectacular climax in 2012. Icelandic photographer Orvar Thorgiersson, 35, a software engineer from Reyjavik, is on a mission to document the growing annual intensity of the phenomenon. His most recent pictures show how bright the auroras have been this year.

[Paul Voebel]

Aurora over a rusty shack, Hafnarfjrur



Scientists expect the lights in 2012 to produce a spectacular fireworks display. The event will be caused by the Solar Maximum - a period when the sun's magnetic field on the solar equator rotates at a slightly faster pace than at the solar poles. The solar cycle takes an average of around 11 years to go from one solar maximum to the next. The last Solar Maximum was in 2000 and NASA scientists have predicted that the next one in 2012 will be the greatest since 1958, where the aurora stunned the people of Mexico by making an appearance on three occasions.

[Paul Voebel]

Aurora-lit lighthouse Garskagaviti, Iceland



Scientists have predicted that the Northern lights should be visible as far south as Rome in 2012. However, if the 2012 auroras are as big as expected, they could cause disruption to mobile phones, GPS and even the national grid.

[Paul Voebel]

Snowy lava fields, Blfjll, November 2010



A church at Ingvellir, Iceland, September 2007

[Paul Voebel]

By 2008 the aurora's rays have become tinged with colours such as bright scarlet and orange.

[Paul Voebel]

Kleifarvatn, February 2008



Aurora Garskagaviti, March 2008

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