Not an amazing discovery, and Im sure Im not the first to find it.

http://www.elderscrolls.com/skyrim/media/

check out the concept picture of Whiterun. Look towards the center of the picure, then make your way to the right. There is a red 'lava' like substance in the backround.

Could prove for some interesting areas and gameplay. Its possible it could be a flag for the hilltop structure also shown, but its kind of hard to tell.

Hmm I agree it is hard to tell, especially as there are many flags continuing up the hill that have been 'painted / drawn' with the same colour. I'm inclined because of this to think it's flag related rather than lava

I think its a flag blowing in the wind.

It's just a flag. They wouldn't be putting that much detail into the distant background of conceptart anyway, and there are other red flages in the image.

the guy who made that concept art was so [censored] inspired by lord of the rings at this time

My thoughts exactly.

You can't conclude anything about what a game will have based off the concept art. If it were a screenshot, then obviously that would be different.

(http://download2.zenimax.com/akqacms/files/tes/concept_art/WhiterunCityTundra.jpg)

Yeah, I'm not convinced we can take anything lava-related away from that concept. However, you could theoretically see the eastern volcanic tundra from Whiterun based on the map...

The environment behind Whiterun (mostly snowy mountains) suggests a view from the South looking North.

I think I agree there. Now, since one of the terrain types in Skyrim is volcanic tundra, I wouldn't be surprised to see some lava in the game, but I doubt Bethesda would put such a small detail into the distant land in the concept art. I seems to me that if there was supposed to be lava there, that would be more tha sort of thing you'd want to draw up close, so a flage definitely seems more likely.

Yes you can. Concept art mean that they are thinking about it and very likely planning it. It does not mean it will be in the game, but it is possible. Even screenshots can be misleading.

The dragonborn used a 'Shout' that caused blindness!
What you see is where a low flying dragon hit the side of the hill

Maybe not that concept art but possibly in http://img691.imageshack.us/img691/9752/dragonconceptart.png/ (http://img683.imageshack.us/img683/3811/dragonconceptartzoomedi.png)? Seen in the Behind the Scenes of Skyrim Trailer at 1:40. I don't know that too could just be the fire from the dragon.

I thought there was a connection between Tundra and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lava_plain though? Like Iceland has lava fields does it not?

And what about Hot Springs, doesn't that have a something to do with Lava as well. Doesn't the heat come from Lava Beds emitting into these water springs? The water issuing from a hot spring is heated by geothermal heat, i.e., heat from the Earth's mantle. In active volcanic zones such as Yellowstone National Park, water may be heated by coming into contact with magma (molten rock). The high temperature gradient near magma may cause water to be heated enough that it boils or becomes superheated. If the water becomes so hot that it builds steam pressure and erupts in a jet above the surface of the Earth, it is called a geyser.

I think it would be awesome if they had dangerous terrain in parts of the tundra like partially snow covered lava fields with active geysers and fumaroles that if you weren't careful would go off on you and hurt you.

Pictures: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4d/Crepuscular_rays_and_Dead_trees_at_Mammoth_Hot_Springs.jpg - http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/7/7e/Fourpeaked-fumaroles-cyrus-read1.JPG - http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3e/Sulfur_dioxide_emissions_from_the_Halemaumau_vent_.jpg - http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/0b/Fumerole_by_Bruce_McAdam.jpg - http://digitaldaybreak.files.wordpress.com/2008/10/iceland-lava-field.jpg

One of the biomes on the Skyrim map is called "volcanic tundra"

I don't know if that means we'll see lava, but there it is.

What Picture? Please make a better link to it.... It brings me just to the Elder Scrolls Site...

:)

We won't know until they confirm something about it, kind of hesitant to say that those are flags just because the town as some but I don't think its lava either. I would like an area with lava in it....hell they had in Oblivion why not some where in Skyrim?

Concept art looks like Rohan, I think it's a flag.

1. I think it is lava, but I guess the only way to find out is to wait.

2. Has anybody else noticed the person (possible the PC) and an animal of some sort that seems to be carrying stuff? So animals seem to be used for for carrying stuff, not just for people, based on the picture. It looks a little bit like a horse with horns.

its a flag

uhm, those are its ears

Ya... i saw after i posted.....

I couldn't see them that well, but regardless, the horse seems to be used for storage.

It definitely looks like lava. Could be in the game.

if they have lava in i just hope that you can collect it in a metal bucket to start a lava flow surrounding my house.