Seen from the safe distance of a satellite, it can be a thrilling spectacle. But as anyone caught in the middle of a hurricane knows, the place that poets call Mother Earth is not always such a gentle parent.

Extreme weather such as hurricanes and tornadoes, and violent upheavals of the Earth in the form of earthquakes and volcanoes, often bring misery and destruction. They are all expressions of a living planet, still changing after billions of years of existence. Satellites help scientists understand the forces behind natural catastrophes and mitigate their effects on humans.