Now in its third year, the drought in California grows worse each month. A pair of before-and-after change-detection images, captured by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer on NASA's Aqua satellite, reveals a striking view of the situation.
Last year was California's driest calendar year in 119 years of records, and 2014 hasn't brought much relief, even as scientists and residents wait hopefully for El Niño moisture. From stream gauges and reservoir levels to ground-based photos and satellite images, the landscape seems to grow browner and drier with each month.
Image courtesy of NASA.