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Stereoscopic view of a lush mountain valley with a river running through it and coniferous trees in the foreground; rugged mountain peaks rise in the background.

These Animated Stereograms Bring 19th Century Photos to Life

Stereo images have been part of photography since its invention in the first half of the 19th century. Cameras enabled artists to produce two identical images from very slightly different perspectives -- all that is needed to create convincing "three-dimensional" images. While technically possible with paintings and drawings, cameras made stereograms significantly easier.

Timelapse Reveals How Quickly Mount St. Helens Grows

Mount St. Helens's famous eruption in 1980 was the deadliest and costliest volcanic event in the history of the United States. In 2004, a new dome-building eruption began that lasted 4 years, and a camera was pointed at the volcano to capture the growth as a timelapse.

These Before and After Photos Show How Glaciers in the US Are Melting

Over the past several years, the U.S. Geological Survey has been shooting a "Repeat Photography" project in various locations to show how glacier ice has been retreating over the past century. Using photos from the late 1800s and early 1900s as references, photographers are rephotographing those same scenes to show how things have changed (and are changing).

Stunning Macro Photos of Bees Courtesy of the US Geological Survey

Once in a while we stumble across a great archive of public domain or creative commons imagery that just blows us away. Sometimes it's historical photos, other times beautiful photos from space, but this time around it's neither.

Thanks to the US Geological Survey's Bee Inventory and Monitoring Lab Flickr, we now have access to over 1,200 gorgeous macro photos of bees and other insects.

Satellite Photographs Showing the Rapid Spread of Humans Across the Earth

2008 marked the first time in history that more of Earth's population lived in cities rather than in the countryside, and by 2050 nearly 70% of the world's population will reside in large cities. A new series of satellite photographs captured decades apart by NASA's Landsat department and the U.S. Geological Survey offers a striking look at how human cities have spread across the face of the Earth in just a few short years. The image above shows Las Vegas in 1984 and in 2011.