Humans have done a pretty good job leaving their marks on Earth. However, it's not always in a good way.
In 2009, NASA set out to document the impact of human activities on our precious planet.
By capturing a series of photos over time, NASA has been able to reveal the magnitude of our human footprint, and you might want to brace yourself; these before and after images are seriously shocking.
Take one look at the damage we have already done over such a short period of time, and it's not hard to see we are changing the climate and destroying the world we live in at a faster rate than ever.
By creating this thought-provoking visual series, NASA hopes to raise awareness about the challenges of environmental conservation so we can preserve the planet for future generations.
Take a look at the pictures below to see these drastic before and after photos of Earth.
The decreasing snowfall accumulation on Matterhorn Mountain between 1960 and 2005:
The reduction of Alaska's McCarty Glacier between 1909 and 2001:
The rapid melting of Yosemite Park's Lyell Glacier between 2009 and 2014:
The shrinking size of the Aral Sea in Asia between 2000 and 2014:
The impact of deforestation in Kenya between 1973 and 2000:
The rapid rate of deforestation in Argentina between 1972 and 2009:
The urban growth in the Bahamas between 1973 and 2006:
The replacement of open water by drying marshlands in Africa's Lake Chad between 1972, 1987, and 2002:
Decreasing air pollution in the US as a result of stricter legislation and green technology in 2005 and 2011:
This proves there is still hope in repairing some of the damages we have already done to the planet.
Citations: NASAu2019s Before And After Photos Of Climate Change Are Terrifying (Pixable)
