An image of Earth...

from space showing the channeled scablands of eastern Washington (click to enlarge.) J Harlen Bretz proposed the outrageous idea of a catastrophic flood origin of many of the landforms in this region without the benefit of satellite imagery. The braided flood channels carved by the outburst of glacial Lake Missoula are clearly obvious in this image where overlying soils have been stripped to barren basalt bedrock.

This image includes the Grand Coulee with Banks Lake on the west (left), the community of Moses Lake (bottom left) and the Spokane River - Columbia River confluence (upper right.)

Image credit: Enhanced Thematic Mapper on NASA’s Landsat 7 taken on 23 July 1999 (NASA)