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The most stunning satellite photos of 2022 show a world gripped by volcanic eruptions, war, and protests

The most stunning satellite photos of 2022 show a world gripped by volcanic eruptions, war, and protests

Azmi Haroun

In 2022, the world dealt with political upheaval, brutal climate change, and war.
Satellite imagery provided a bird's eye view of some of the most important moments of the year.

The past year was one marked by tectonic shifts — both literally and figuratively.

On February 24, 2022, Russia launched a vicious war in Ukraine — a war Ukraine has mightily countered. The staggeringly deadly conflict has raged on for close to a year, decimating cities and causing an exodus of Ukrainian migrants. Among the dead are 10,000 Russian and 13,000 Ukrainian troops, according to The New York Times. More than 6,800 Ukrainian civilians have been killed so far, according to the United Nations.

The world saw mass protests against COVID-19 policies, as the virus continued to rock countries in its third year. Natural disasters such as wildfires and volcanic eruptions, and floods of historic proportions also defined the year.

But throughout, moments of humanity emerged — even visible from above the earth's surface. Here are the most captivating satellite images of major world events in 2022.

By January 1, 2022, the Marshall wildfire had swept through Louisville, Colorado, near Boulder, in the dead of the winter, destroying 1,000 homes, and forcing 35,000 to evacuate.

The yellow outlined areas in the images show entire neighborhoods of homes burned to the ground.

On November 27, 2022, the Mauna Loa volcano — the largest active volcano in the world — erupted for the first time in 38 years.

It turned the skies red and caused flights to be grounded because of ash particles in the air.

A blended nighttime and daytime satellite photo shows lava flowing from the Mauna Loa Volcano in Hawaii.

A bottleneck of trucks became stuck at Iran's southern border after the Iranian government closed the border.

This satellite image shows Iranian trucks and vehicles attempting to enter Pakistan on October 10, 2022.

The Iranian government closed the border amid unrest in Zahedan, Iran.

Early in Russia's war in Ukraine, the Kremlin set its sights on Mariupol.

After a months-long battle with Ukrainian troops which left thousands of civilians dead, Russia took siege of the city in April 2022, and has expanded its military footprint in the city since then, according to the BBC.

The satellite photo shows the early aftermath of Russian airstrikes on the city's infrastructure, including on the Mariupol theater, where an Associated Press investigation said that at least 600 people, including children, were killed in the March 19 airstrike. Outlined behind the building is lettering that says "CHILDREN," indicating that kids were inside at the time of the strike.

On October 8, 2022, the Kerch bridge in Crimea, Ukraine was damaged by a barrage of rockets.

The bridge was built by the Kremlin and was a key supply route for Russia. Ukraine did not take formal responsibility for the attack.

Unusually heavy rains led to historic flooding in Nigeria during the month of October.

More than 1 million people were displaced and over 600 people died during the flooding, according to the BBC. The flooding peaked in October.

Muslim worshippers circling the holy Kaaba and visiting Mecca's Grand Mosque during the annual Hajj pilgrimage.

In January and February, Canadian truckers protested Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's COVID-19 policies.

The truckers protested in Ottawa, Canada, shutting down the flow of traffic in the city for at least 10 days. Bridges in Detroit, Michigan, were also temporarily shut down during the protests.

A satellite image shows the words "Vax me Trudaddy," referring to Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.