- [Narrator] The world's
constantly changing but as humans we don't always appreciate how it's always in a state of flux. But luckily, NASA has been
taking detailed images of Earth's geography from
outer space for decades. And these images have plenty
of surprises in store. Let's get to it, with 20 of the most dramatic changes to our
planet as recorded by NASA. - Amazing. - [Narrator] Number 20, Urban Sprawl Growth in Shanghai, China. This is one of the modern world's most dramatic examples of urban expansion. Shanghai is one of China's
most prosperous economic hubs. As China's economy has grown rapidly over the past few decades, so has the population of Shanghai. The population increased
by around 12 million people in these two images, which
were taken in 1984 and 2016. The urban sprawl of the city
has pushed inwards and upwards, creating some of the most iconic images of urban growth on earth. Number 19, Post-Hurricane Irma. Hurricane Irma proved devastating for the British Virgin Islands in 2017. The damage to the islands is thought to be valued at more
than 3.4 billion dollars. While images from the destruction on the ground are shocking, NASA's aerial images of the impact of the storm are also unbelievable. The images were taken in August and September of 2017,
just two weeks apart. As you can see, the island turned from a lush green to a dirty brown. Vegetation was uprooted and debris was scattered across the island. Another example of
hurricane damage is found in these before and after
images of Florida's Everglades. Taken in March and December of 2017. The damage to the Everglades came from Hurricanes Irma and Maria. As you can see, trees and
brush have been stripped of their foliage and
the area appears barren. Number 18, Muir Glacier Melt, Alaska. These images of the Muir Glacier Melt show drastic differences in the amount of ice at one of Alaska's
most famous glaciers. The first image is thought to
be from between 1920 and 1940. At first, the images appear to be the results of global warming, but it must be said that the first image could've
been taken at any time between winter and early summer, a time period that would
have been much colder than the second image, which was taken in the summer of 2005. Here's a more accurate
picture of the situation, which is actually quite shocking. They were both taken in August, the first in 1941 and the second in 2004. Number 17, California's
Wildflower Super Bloom. If you're a fan of flowers,
this next image will amaze you. After years of drought
through much of California, heavy rainfall during the
winters of 2016 and 2017 provided the perfect conditions for a wildflower super bloom. Captured in these images is the difference between drought-stricken California and a vegetation-filled
California of the same location. The first image was
taken in March of 2016, the second is a year
later at the same time. As you can see, the slope of
the Sierra Madre Mountain Range is covered with beautiful
green and yellow flowers. What a sight! Number 16, Oil Well Fire in Iraq. While most oil wells operate without any negative incidences, there's always the chance that something could happen if a leak
or fire can't be stopped. In this aerial image of Iraq, we see the before and after
images of an oil well fire. The first, taken in June of 2014, shows how inconspicuous
an oil well appears when there are no problems. The second image, taken
in September of 2017, shows a large oil fire covering the area in thick smoke and soot. On the left-hand side of the image, you can even see oil
spilling down the valley, the spill is around 11 kilometers long. Number 15, Shelly Island Forms. If you're like most people, you've probably dreamed of
owning a private island one day. Fortunately for you, there's now one more on
earth to choose from. A new island has appeared off the end of Cape Hatteras
in North Carolina. The two images are from November
of 2016 and July of 2017. The large shoal, also
known as Shelly Island, seems to be the result of a build-up of sediment and potentially
lower water levels. Number 14, Mount Pinatubo
in the Philippines. The environment is remarkable at recovering after natural disasters. In these images, you can see the re-growth of vegetation 26 years after
Mount Pinatubo's eruption. The first image was taken in
1992 and the second in 2017. The eruption had left the
region with a lack of greenery. A quarter of a century later, the same location is covered
in plants and other vegetation. Hopefully, the volcano stays dormant for as long as possible. Number 13, Peruvian Amazon Deforestation. While you may think these large images of deforestation are from
industrial logging operations, this deforestation in the Peruvian Amazon is mostly the result of
smaller agricultural projects. The first image is from 1986 and the second is from exactly 30 years later. Another interesting phenomenon captured in these images is a change in the
shape of the Aguaytia River. As you can see, the curves in the river shift significantly
over the 25-year period. This process is called meandering and it results from
sediment and vegetation being eroded due to the
current of the river. You might not realize it, but many river shapes are
constantly evolving like this. Number 12, Wadi As-Sirhan
Agricultural Growth. You might think farming in
the desert is impossible, but don't tell that to Saudi Arabia. The images here were
taken in 1986 and 2016, 30 years apart. The Saudi Arabian government successfully transformed their Wadi As-Sirhan Basin into an extremely
productive agricultural hub. The massive project
required engineering works that accessed water lying
under the sands of the desert. What's even more interesting about this image is the shape of the crops. You can see their circular appearance which is a result of sprinkler systems that operate in a circular motion. It's the most effective way for local farmers to water their crops. Number 11, Drastic Flooding in Sri Lanka. These two images provided by NASA of the May 2017 Sri Lankan monsoon were taken four months apart, but the rain that caused the flooding happened in just 48 hours. As you can see, heavy
rain created astronomical flooding throughout the
southern part of Sri Lanka. Over 600,000 people were
impacted by the floods and hundreds are thought to have died. Number 10, Destruction of Okomu Forest. Human destruction of
African forests has been a concern for many
residents of the continent. These images of Nigeria's Okomu Forest were taken in 1984 and
2017, 33 years apart. Significant vegetation
appears to have disappeared and it's thought to primarily be a result of the rubber tree and oil
palm plantation expansion. In the mid-80s the
Nigerian government opened a wildlife reserve that would later become
the Okomu National Park. As you can see in the
second image of the region, this national park has done well to avoid encroachment from
surrounding plantations. Number nine, Shrinking Aral Sea. The images, taken between 2000 and 2014, show the result of Russia diverting water from the Aral Sea's water
sources in order to promote agriculture in Kazakhstan
and other local regions. Without water from rivers
that traditionally supplied this large lake with hydration,
the sea began to dry up. But not all of this can be attributed to Russian interference. Conditions in 2014 became extremely dry and resulted in much
of the sea's shrinkage! While the body is called the Aral Sea, it is in truth an extremely large lake. Number eight, The Construction
of Artificial Islands. Oil wealth in the Gulf
provides plenty of capital for governments to take on
massive industrial projects. One of the most recognizable of these projects is the
construction of artificial islands off the coast of the UAE. The islands contain housing, hotels, and a range of other amenities. Construction began in
2001 and the images shown provide a picture of
pre-construction in 2001, as well as the island
construction as of 2012. But it isn't just the coastline
that is experiencing growth, Dubai has grown rapidly
over the past few decades. The two images shown here
are only 13 years apart. Dubai has managed to turn
itself into one of the world's most impressive global cities
in just a matter of years! Number seven, Greenland Ice Melting. While many images of climate
change can be misleading, it's hard not to ask questions when you see these next images of
Greenland's ice cover. The two images were taken
within just two years apart at the same time of year, in
June of 2014 and June of 2016. As you can see, the latter image exhibits
large amounts of melt-off that have formed small
bodies of water and streams. Unfortunately, melted water
attracts more heat than ice which can cause the melting
effect to increase in speed. Number six, Post Volcanic
Eruption Appears in the Red Sea. The concept of underwater
volcanoes seems odd, but there are plenty
scattered across the globe. In these two images, spaced
between 2007 and 2011, we see the emergence of a
new island in the Red Sea, near Yemen. As you can see, the smoke
billowing from the source of the new island indicates an
underwater volcanic eruption. Local reports indicated that
lava spewed almost 100 feet into the air while the volcano
was initially erupting. This lava eventually hardened and caused the island structure you
can see in the image. Number five, Growing Wax Lake Outlet. Louisiana is well-known for hurricanes. Hurricane Katrina, which
devastated New Orleans, proved to be one of modern
history's most damaging storms. In an effort to protect Morgan City from hurricane flooding in the 1940s, the engineer corps created a channel to divert water flow from the Atchafalaya River
into the Gulf of Mexico. This diversion has created a
large deposition of sediment in the Gulf of Mexico at
the mouth of the river. Here you can see the growth
between 1984 and 2014. The Wax Lake Delta has also become the focus of different areas of study. Many geologists use it to view how unhindered deltas can form
from the flow of water. Number four, Drought in Lake Powell. Droughts in America's West have been notoriously bad in recent decades. The following images show drought's impact on the water levels in Lake
Powell of Arizona and Utah. While the difference seems stark, the lake is actually still at 42% capacity in the second image. It didn't entirely dry up. The first image, which
shows the lake to be full, was taken in 1999, the second
was taken in May of 2014. Water levels are predicted
to remain low through 2018. So, if you're planning on
a boating trip in the area, you might have to delay. Number three, Lithium Mining in Chile. Now that Lithium-ion batteries
are powering the world, from laptops to iPhones, countries like Chile
that have an abundance of Lithium are cashing
in on their reserves. The Atacama desert, shown here, is the world's largest deposit of lithium that is economically practical to recover. This comparison shows the dramatic change of the desert from 1991 to 2018. It looks like that because
miners retrieve lithium by pumping lithium-rich brine from underground to evaporation
ponds on the surface, where the lithium salts dry out. The lighter the shade of blue, the greater the concentration
of lithium salts in the pond. Number two, Urban Expansion
in New Delhi, India. Between 1991 and 2016, when
these images were taken, New Delhi's population
increased by 16 million people. New Delhi is now the second
largest city on Earth. Vast economic growth has
seen populations concentrate in urban areas of the country. In recent times, New Delhi has continued to see extreme economic growth rates. For example, its GDP growth rate is up to seven percent for the
financial year of 2018/19. Number one, Lake Oroville
Drought, California. Lake Oroville is one of America's most
famous man-made lakes. Between 2011 and 2014, the lake's water level
dropped substantially as seen in these images. While this may seem shocking,
it's actually quite normal. The state of California uses Lake Oroville as a water resource and the lake is frequently
drained and refilled. Recent droughts required the
use of the water in the Lake. Yet, as of 2017, Lake Oroville returned
to normal capacity levels and is back to looking as
pretty as it did in 2011! So, which images shocked you the most? Let me know your thoughts
in the comments down below. As you can see, it doesn't take long for dramatic changes to
occur on the Earth's surface. Check back in a few years and I'll reveal some
more amazing examples. Thanks for watching.
