This site in Angola is a diamond mine. Diamonds form at great depths, about 150 km (95 miles) below the surface, and jet up to the surface in kimberlitic pipes. Because they are from so deep and need such a specialized way to get to the surface, they are very rare. In this image, vegetation is in green. Where the vegetation has been cleared at the mine, the land appears brown or pinkish because rock and soil are exposed. For every carat of diamond mined, a metric ton of rock must be removed. Considerable amounts of toxic wastes are also produced in a mine this size.

The bright red spot is a fire, which is likely the result of slash-and-burn agriculture. The purple areas are the scars from prior burns. In all, many of the impacts humans have on a landscape are seen.

^{Courtesy of Jesse Allen and NASA. earthobservatory.nasa.gov/IOTD/view.php?id=8928. Public Domain.}