Explore satellite images that highlight current topics in biodiversity research and conservation.
Tanzania, Africa
Thirty-five million years ago East Africa began to crack away from the continent. Violent tectonic activity created the Great Rift Valley and its deep lakes and volcanoes.
The Ngorongoro volcano, which once rivaled Kilimanjaro, exploded two million years ago. It spewed ash over the plains and then collapsed, leaving a large crater. The ash settled on the Serengeti ecosystem and helped preserve early human fossils in the Oldupai Gorge.
Ngorongoro Crater has high walls that limit animal migration. Inside, year-round water supports a lush grassland ecosystem that boasts elephants, cheetahs, endangered black rhinos, and endemic birds.
African lions in Ngorongoro Crater are increasingly threatened by disease, spurred by human encroachment and climate change.
Photo Credits:
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Charlotte L. Richardson