This week: These stunning ice caves might pull a vanishing act. Plus, see a spectacular ceiling of crystals, and read a photographer’s account of photographing a Florida panther.

PHOTOGRAPHS BY ROBBIE SHONE

High in the Tennen Mountains south of Salzburg, water percolates into freezing alpine caves and sculpts itself into mesmerizing structures: huge pillar-like icicles, cones rising from below, and floor-covering cascades. But these magical scenes of ice, captured by photographer and Explorer Robbie Shone, are vanishing—thanks to climate change.

More stories:
— Why this photographer made a camera lens out of glacial ice
— In pictures: overlanding in Alaska, where glaciers meet bear country

PHOTOGRAPH BY BONNIE SCHIFFMAN/GETTY IMAGES

Eating burgers and hot dogs at a picnic table this past Fourth of July might seem like an all-American experience, but did you know that a lot of your favorite July 4th foods have origins from all around the world? Where did the hamburger come from? 

A. Persia
B. Australia
B. Rome
D. None of the above

PHOTOGRAPH BY JODY MACDONALD

The wild is a playground

In a landscape built for unstructured play, National Geographic photographer Jody MacDonald embraces the freedom to explore—equipped for whatever the wild throws her way.

PHOTOGRAPHS BY ROBBIE SHONE

National Geographic Explorer Gina Moseley and her team were the first to venture into the Wulff Land caves, one of most isolated caves on Earth, in the hopes of opening a new window into Greenland’s climate history. Here, she’s pictured underneath a ceiling of hoarfrost crystals and ice in Keyhole Cave, one of the last locations explored during her expedition.

BEFORE YOU GO: After 20 years, this photographer gets a rare face-to-face encounter with the elusive Florida panther.

Thanks for reading today’s newsletter, which was edited and curated by Jennifer Baik. It was produced by Amanda Petty. Did someone forward this to you? Sign up here to catch next week’s Photo of the Week newsletter.