Capturing the patterns of the natural world has taken the artist and conservationist Jon McCormack from his local coastline in northern California during lockdown to hippo trails in Botswana and back millions of years in time. The photographs have been collected in a book due to be published to coincide with Earth Day on April 22, which also includes essays by explorers and scientists celebrating the interconnectedness of life on the planet.

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Patterns: Art of the Natural World is published by Damiani Books. Jon McCormack is on Instagram. His photographs are on show at CENTER in Santa Fe, New Mexico, from April 17.

Close-up of an African elephant's face, showing its wrinkled skin and tiny eyes.A close encounter with an African elephantJon McCormack

Close-up of a fossilized ammonite with amber-colored, intricate patterns.Millions of years on, the striking design of an ammonite fossil enduresJon McCormack

Flamingos flying above the vivid algae patterns of Kenya's Lake Magadi.Flamingos soar above the vivid algae patterns of Lake Magadi in KenyaJon McCormack

Microscopic image showing various diatoms, which are tiny algae with intricate glass-like shells.Teeming in every drop of seawater, diatoms are algae with glass-like silica shells that resemble tiny, intricate jewels under a microscopeJon McCormack

A Steller's sea lion hovering weightlessly above a field of sea urchins.A giant Steller’s sea lion floats above a field of sea urchinsJon McCormack

Arctic mountain ranges with snow patterns.Arctic mountain ranges fold into one another, cradling snow in sweeping patternsJon McCormack

A rainbow created by mist from Upper Yosemite Falls.Sunlight creates a rainbow in the mists below the 2,425ft Upper Yosemite Falls in CaliforniaJon McCormack

A Giant Pacific Octopus resting on bright yellow sponges.A giant Pacific octopusJon McCormack

An aerial view of a winding orange river flowing through dark land with patches of green moss.The sea leaves its mark on a beach Jon McCormack

A humpback whale's pleated mouth expands, filtering water through its baleen to trap tiny fish.A humpback whale’s pleated mouth expands as it lunges to feed, taking in more than 50,000 litres of water, then filtering it through baleen to trap tiny fishJon McCormack

Patterns of grey, white, black, and orange rock shaped over millennia along the Northern California coastline.Patterns shaped over millennia along northern California’s rugged coastlineJon McCormack

An aerial view of a fan-shaped formation of dried mud and sediment fanning out into dark water, with green vegetation along the bottom edge.The sediment of a river delta spreads like a giant fanJon McCormack

A sea nettle with a vibrant orange bell and flowing white and brown tentacles floats in clear blue water.Drifting sea nettle jellyfish may look delicate but their stings can be anything butJon McCormack

Antarctic iceberg with white and deep blue vertical stripes reflecting on the water.An Antarctic iceberg melts, revealing darker, older iceJon McCormack

Aerial view of long, winding trails through marshland in Botswana, formed by hippos.Guided by scent rather than sight, hippos leave visible trails through marshland in Botswana from walking the same trails night after nightJon McCormack

Patterns etched in sand by water in southeast Iceland.Water etches patterns in sand in southeast IcelandJon McCormack

A baby Maasai giraffe stands next to its mother, both showing their distinctive coat patterns.Even at a young age the Masai giraffe is identifiable by its signature pattern of irregular patches bordered by deep furrowsJon McCormack

Braided rivers in Iceland with glacial water winding through volcanic sand.Iceland’s braided rivers unfurl like woven fabric as the threads of glacial water, which are visible only from above, wind through volcanic sandJon McCormack

Aerial view of intricate patterns of ash and mineral color where lava once flowed from the volcanoes of the Great Rift Valley.Intricate patterns of ash and mineral colour remain where rivers of molten lava once flowed from the volcanoes of the Great Rift ValleyJon McCormack

A pod of dolphins swimming in dark blue water.The pod of dolphins swim in formationJon McCormack

An aerial view of the southern coast of Iceland shows layered bands of basalt, black sand beach with patterns, and the ocean with white waves and green water.The southern coast of Iceland unfolds in layers — basalt and beach — shaped by wind and seaJon McCormack

A young grizzly bear with light brown fur on its head and dark brown fur on its body, standing among tree branches, looking out from the cover of pine needles.A young grizzly bear surveys the Chilko River in CanadaJon McCormack

A frozen waterfall inside an Icelandic ice cave.A frozen waterfall inside an Icelandic ice cave shaped by glacial run-off infused with volcanic ashJon McCormack

Aerial view of a large, circular ice floe fractured into many pieces, floating on a turquoise lake in Iceland.Ice fractures as it drifts on a lake in IcelandJon McCormack

A lone traveler's flashlight beam pierces the darkness at the edge of the glass-still Lake Sabrina in California’s Eastern Sierra, with the Milky Way visible above.A lone traveller’s torch beam shines bright on the edge of Lake Sabrina in California’s Eastern SierraJon McCormack