Olympic Mountain Glory

An astronaut photograph from the International Space Station reveals the Olympic Mountains in Washington state, where geology and environmental change tell an intertwined story, according to NASA's Earth Observatory. The mountains rose over tens of millions of years as ocean-floor rock was thrust upward by tectonic forces, reaching elevations over eight thousand feet—but glaciers are now retreating rapidly, with thirty-five glaciers and sixteen perennial snowfields lost in just the thirty-five years before two thousand fifteen. The region has also seen restoration progress: removal of two dams on the Elwha River, completed in two thousand fourteen, reopened salmon migration routes and is allowing native ecosystems to recover.

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