Gallery: Fascinating Satellite Images of Earth's Ever-Changing Landscape

  • California's Snowpack After several consecutive years of belownormal precipitation California is preparing for its...
    Photo: USGS/NASA
    01

    ca-snowpack-comp-1200

    California's Snowpack After several consecutive years of below-normal precipitation, California is preparing for its most severe drought emergency in decades. The current drought is due in part to decreased rainfall along with reduced winter snowpack in the Sierra Nevada mountain range, shown here in February 2011 (left) and February 2014 (right).
  • Image may contain Nature Outdoors Land Scenery Animal and Bird
    Photo: USGS/NASA
    02

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    Flooding in Cambodia. In October 2013, heavy seasonal rains were followed by Typhoon Nari to create substantial flooding along the Mekong and Tonlé Sap Rivers in Cambodia in Southeast Asia.
  • Image may contain Mountain Outdoors Nature Ice Snow and Glacier
    Photo: USGS/NASA
    03

    pine-island-comp-1200

    Pine Island Glacier A large iceberg has recently separated from the calving front of Antarctica’s Pine Island Glacier, one of the largest and fastest-moving glaciers in Antarctica. Satellite measurements have shown that the Pine Island Glacier Basin has a greater net contribution of ice to the sea than any other ice drainage basin in the world.
  • Image may contain Nature Landscape Outdoors Scenery Land Vegetation Plant Aerial View Tree Forest and Woodland
    Photo: USGS/NASA
    04

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    Landslide in Washington A major landslide occurred near Oso, Washington on March 22, when a portion of a hillside collapsed, sending mud and debris across the North Fork of the Stillaguamish River.
  • Image may contain Nature Outdoors Land Water Shoreline Vegetation Plant Ocean and Sea
    Photo: USGS/NASA
    05

    bear-glacier-comp

    Bear Glacier Recession Bear Glacier is located on the Kenai Peninsula near Seward, Alaska. This glacier represents one of over 30 glacial outflows for the nearby Harding Icefield, which covers over 700 square miles (1,800 square km). The glacier has been receding dramatically over recent decades.
  • Image may contain Nature Vegetation Plant Outdoors Land Scenery Animal Bird Landscape Tree Rainforest and Water
    Photo: USGS/NASA
    06

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    Mount St. Helens Recovery The volcanic blast from Mount St. Helens on May 18, 1980, devastated nearly 400 km2 (150 square miles) of forest within a few minutes. The 2013 image shows that much of the forest in the area has recovered. A small section on the northern slope of the volcano is still dominated by ash.
  • Image may contain Outdoors Nature Land Shoreline Water Sea Ocean Coast Peninsula and Landscape
    Photo: USGS/NASA
    07

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    Funny River Fire Infrared sensors allow us to see through the smoke emitted by wildfires. The image on the left displays natural color similar to a photograph. The same image on the right is processed using two infrared wavelengths that can be detected by Landsat 8.
  • Image may contain Nature Scenery Outdoors Landscape Land and Aerial View
    Photo: USGS/NASA
    08

    cairo-comp-1200

    Growth of Cairo Cairo has expanded dramatically in the past 27 years. In the Landsat images above, the contrast between the lush vegetation of irrigated fields (bright green) and the desert (tan) is very clear.
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