Throughout the planet’s 4.5-billion-year history, the Earth has undergone amazing and dramatic changes. Even today, the planet is in a constant state of flux, and while some of the changes it has undergone are caused by mankind, many others are not.
These changes have resulted from the moving of continents, the formation of mountain ranges, powerful volcanic eruptions, glaciers advancing and retreating, catastrophic megafloods and extreme climate changes across the globe. Even the Earth’s highest peaks have been eroded by the forces of water and wind over the inevitable duration of time.
“Alaska has been warming at nearly two times the rate as the rest of the U.S. over the past 50 years,” AccuWeather.com Meteorologist Brett Anderson said, referring to the decline in Alaska’s glaciers over the past century.
“More specifically, the state as a whole has warmed a little more than 3 degrees Fahrenheit over the last six decades,” he said, adding that since 1977 the rate of warming has been much lower and may be due to changing wind and ocean current patterns in the Pacific.
Check out these recent NASA images to reveal the dramatic changes the Earth has undergone throughout this photographic history.
Alaska’s Columbia Glacier, 2007
Move to the next image to see the change of Alaska’s Columbia Glacier retreating between July 28, 1986, and July 2, 2014.
Alaska’s Columbia Glacier, 2014
Alaska’s Columbia Glacier retreating between July 28, 1986, and July 2, 2014.
Qori Kalis glacier, Peru, 1978
The melting of the Qori Kalis glacier in Peru from July 1978 and July 2011.
Qori Kalis glacier, Peru, 2011
The melting of the Qori Kalis glacier in Peru from July 1978 and July 2011.
Lyell Glacier, California, 2009
The Lyell Glacier in Yosemite National Park has thinned between Sept. 10, 2009, and Sept. 16, 2014.
Lyell Glacier, California, 2014
The Lyell Glacier in Yosemite National Park has thinned between Sept. 10, 2009, and Sept. 16, 2014.
Aral Sea, Central Asia, 2000
Formerly the largest lake in the world, the Aral Sea has lost water due to water being diverted for agriculture and dry conditions between Aug. 25, 2000, and Aug. 19, 2014.
Aral Sea, Central Asia, 2014
Formerly the largest lake in the world, the Aral Sea has lost water due to water being diverted for agriculture and dry conditions between Aug. 25, 2000, and Aug. 19, 2014.
Lake Powell, Utah, 1999
Prolonged drought and water withdrawals have caused a dramatic drop in Lake Powell’s water level between March 25, 1999, and May 13, 2014.
Lake Powell, Utah, 2014
Prolonged drought and water withdrawals have caused a dramatic drop in Lake Powell’s water level between March 25, 1999, and May 13, 2014.
Oso, Washington, January 2014
On January, 2014, rainfall triggered a landslide near Oso, Washington.
Oso, Washington, March 2014
According to the United States Geological Survey, the rainfall resulted in 43 fatalities in the community of Steelhead Haven.
Mekong & Tonlé Sap Rivers, Cambodia, May 2013
In October 2013, Typhoon Nari and heavy seasonal rainfall created substantial flooding along the Mekong and Tonlé Sap Rivers in Cambodia. Photos taken May 17, 2013, and Oct. 24, 2013.
Mekong & Tonlé Sap Rivers, Cambodia, October 2013
In October 2013, Typhoon Nari and heavy seasonal rainfall created substantial flooding along the Mekong and Tonlé Sap Rivers in Cambodia. Photos were taken May 17, 2013, and Oct. 24, 2013.
Liaoning, China, March 2002
On March 23, 2002, the Liaoning region of China had relatively clear skies. But by April 8, 2002, the area endured a day of extremely dusty skies.
Liaoning, China, April 2002
On March 23, 2002, the Liaoning region of China had relatively clear skies. But by April 8, 2002, the area endured a day of extremely dusty skies.
Pine Island Glacier, Antarctica, October 2013
An iceberg estimated to be 22-by-12-miles separated from Antarctica’s Pine Island Glacier between Nov. 9 and Nov. 11, 2013. The photos were taken on Oct. 28, 2013, and Nov. 9, 2013.
Pine Island Glacier, Antarctica, November 2013
An iceberg estimated to be 22-by-12-miles separated from Antarctica’s Pine Island Glacier between Nov. 9 and Nov. 11, 2013. The photos were taken on Oct. 28, 2013, and Nov. 9, 2013.
Elephant Butte Reservoir, New Mexico, 1994
Elephant Butte Reservoir in New Mexico dwindled to its lowest level in 41 years during the summer of 2013. Photos taken on June 2, 1994, and July 8, 2013.
Elephant Butte Reservoir, New Mexico, 2013
Elephant Butte Reservoir in New Mexico dwindled to its lowest level in 41 years during the summer of 2013. Photos taken on June 2, 1994, and July 8, 2013.
Lake Razazah, Iraq, 1995
Bahr al Milh, also called Lake Razazah, is a salt sea in Iraq, fed by the Euphrates River. Water levels of this shallow lake vary with the seasons, but the lake has reached drastically low levels over the past decade. Photos taken on July 16, 1995, and June 15, 2013.
Lake Razazah, Iraq, 2013
Bahr al Milh, also called Lake Razazah, is a salt sea in Iraq, fed by the Euphrates River. Water levels of this shallow lake vary with the seasons, but the lake has reached drastically low levels over the past decade. Photos taken on July 16, 1995, and June 15, 2013.
Cotopaxi Volcano, Ecuador, 1986
Atop the Cotopaxi Volcano in Ecuador at 5,897 m (19,347 feet) sits the Cotopaxi Glacier. The glacier has endured dramatic ice melt between March 23, 1986, and Feb. 5, 2007.
Cotopaxi Volcano, Ecuador, 2007
Atop the Cotopaxi Volcano in Ecuador at 5,897 m (19,347 feet) sits the Cotopaxi Glacier. The glacier has endured dramatic ice melt between March 23, 1986, and Feb. 5, 2007.
Salta, Argentina, 1972
Deforestation in the Province of Salta, Argentina, between June 28, 1972, and Jan. 22, 2009.
Salta, Argentina, 2009
Deforestation in the Province of Salta, Argentina, between June 28, 1972, and Jan. 22, 2009.
Rondônia, Brazil, 1975
Deforestation between June 28, 1975, and Aug. 16, 2009, near Rondônia, part of the Brazilian Amazon.
Rondônia, Brazil, 2009
Deforestaiton between June 28, 1975, and Aug. 16, 2009, near Rondônia, part of the Brazilian Amazon.
Cheyenne Bottoms Wildlife Wetlands, Kansas, 2010
The Cheyenne Bottoms Wildlife Wetlands area in central Kansas has drastically been altered due to drought between June 18, 2010, and July 17, 2012.
Cheyenne Bottoms Wildlife Wetlands, Kansas, 2012
The Cheyenne Bottoms Wildlife Wetlands area in central Kansas has drastically been altered due to drought between June 18, 2010, and July 17, 2012.