2022 has seen various natural calamities, from floods that plagued Pakistan to wildfires that spread across Europe. We have seen the Russia-Ukraine war effect that had its impact around the world and extreme climate change to advances in space science, thus leaving us with very tangible impressions around the world.
Here are some critical events that were captured through Satellite Images.
January
Hunga Tonga-Hunga Haโapai Eruption
The Hunga Tonga-Hunga Haโapai volcano erupted over a series of days in the month of January, causing tsunami waves to radiate on either side of Tonga, reaching Japan on the west and Peru on the east. The whole island had submerged by January 18.
Snowfall in Athens Greece
Athens, Greece, experienced unusually snowy weather for the second time in a row.
February
Beijing Winter Olympics
In February, Beijing hosted its first Winter Olympics. Athletes from around the world competed in the Bird Cage stadium. Olympians this time around took to the mountainous slopes in Zhangjiakou, China for skiing, snowboarding, and lounging.
Russia Invades Ukraine
Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24 where Russia bombed Ukrainian airbases, including the Chuhuiv Airbase in Kharkiv throughout the day.
March
Queensland, Australia Flooding
In March, Australia received record-breaking rain and floods which lashed croplands and turned residential areas into rivers in Queensland. The extreme weather event caused heavy destruction along with life loss which raised national conversations around the concerns of climate change.
Artemis 1 Rocket
In March, the NASA moon rocket was brought to the Kennedy Space Centre launch pad in 50 years where Artemis 1 was launched successfully on November 16, 2022, and returned back to the atmosphere on December 11, 2022.
April-May
ย Attack on Russian-held Kherson Airbase
Ukraine continued with its counterattack when Russian forces captured Kherson Airbase by damaging and destroying Russian Helicopters.
Extremely Large Telescope
The Extremely Large Telescope began reconstruction after a Covid-19 pause in April and May of 2022. The construction took place on Cerro Armazones, a mountaintop in the Chilean Atacama Desert. The site was specifically chosen due to its high altitude and dry air which is ideal for astronomical observations. When completed, this will be the largest telescope ever created.
June
Ukrainian Grain
In June, Imagery revealed Russian attacks on Ukraineโs grain ports, including bombed grain silos in Nika Tera port in Mykolaiv, Ukraine. Throughout the year, global supply chains for grain have averted their usual routes with stolen shipments being allegedly sold illegally by Russia.
July
Summer Wildfires in Europe
As Europe was enveloped in sweltering summer heat, wildfires erupted across the continent. Popular beach vacation spot, La Test de Buch, France caught fire next to its charming coastal dunes, while the Salamanca Caฬceres Provinces in Spain were left with significant burn scars following scorching flames.
Drought in Germany
The July heat left Europe in severe drought especially affecting Germanyโs river Rhine which was depleted to low as 40 cm in certain regions which greatly impacted the crop yields of many farmers across the country.
Windmill Assembly
In July windmills were laid for assembly in open prairies in the state of Oklahoma in the USA making it the largest source of electric energy in the state.
September
Floods in Pakistan
In September, devastating floods submerged regions of Pakistan, causing the deaths of over 1,500 people and displacing over half a million individuals. The floods were caused by record monsoon rains and glacier melt caused by climate change.
NASA Harvest Captures Food Security Data in Ukraine
In September, NASA Harvest conducted in-depth research on the state of crop yields in both Russian and Ukrainian Occupied areas.
Nord Stream Pipeline Explosion
In September, the Nord Stream Pipeline which was used to transfer Natural Gas exploded underwater in the Baltic Sea.
October
Landslide in Venezuela
In October, heavy rains saturated mountains in Venezuela, causing rivers to burst their banks. Following these outpours, a landslide in Las Tejerias, Venezuela levelled hundreds of homes.
Hurricane Ian
In October, Florida faced the deadliest hurricane since 1935 with the casualties amounting to 89 deaths in total.
November
FIFA World Cup 2022
In November, the FIFA World Cup grabbed the centre stage of viewers from around the world, both as fans began rooting for their teams and as the media covered the controversies surrounding this yearโs Qatar-based games.
December
Hawaiiโs Mauna Loa Volcanic Eruption
Coming full circle in December in the Pacific, we ended the year with volcanic activity. Hawaiiโs Mauna Loa volcano, the largest active volcano in the world erupted for the first time since 1984.
Here is the video:
