Dr. John Hart
Hart3D Films and Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Science
University of Colorado, Boulder
Boulder, Colorado

So what exactly are you looking at in this nifty image? Hart explains: "When a multicomponent mixture crystallizes upon cooling, it's often a competition or collision between two or more different structures. Here the yellow 'peninsula' and the multitude of spheres are sulphur, while the greenish fins and leaves are acetalinide.  The sulpher structures formed first, then the leafy fins grew around and up against them."

This image was made primarily for its aesthetic value, Hart says, though the fractal patterns are related to his research on atmospheric and oceanic turbulence and chaotic dynamics. Having recently retired from teaching atmospheric science, Hart now devotes himself to 3D art, including 3D film-making and 3D microscopy.