Seattle's 'Emerald City' from space: How glaciers and people shaped its landscape

Seen from space, Seattle stands out as a vibrant patchwork of deep green forests, blue waterways and dense urban development. The city's famous nickname, the "Emerald City", reflects the evergreen trees that surround it, but its landscape tells a much older story than modern skylines and parks. Long before Seattle became a major Pacific Northwest metropolis, immense glaciers carved its hills, valleys and lakes during the last Ice Age. More recently, people have dramatically reshaped the terrain, flattening hills, filling tidal flats and altering waterways to support a growing city. A new image released by Nasa Earth Observatory highlights how both natural forces and human engineering combined to create the distinctive landscape visible from orbit today.Nasa's satellite view reveals Seattle's striking geographyThe image offers a striking bird's-eye view of Seattle and the surrounding Puget Sound region. From orbit, the city appears as a dense urban corridor framed by expansive forests, winding waterways and rugged terrain, illustrating why it is regarded as one of the greenest major cities in the United States.Seattle occupies a narrow isthmus between Puget Sound to the west and Lak...