Severe drought reveals the remains of a tree on the banks of the Madeira River near Nova Olinda do Norte, Brazil, Oct. 21, 2005. (© Daniel Beltrá, courtesy of Catherine Edelman Gallery, Chicago )

The significant global effects of climate change might be hard to notice from the ground, but from above, according to one artist, the consequences are stark.

Over the past couple of years, photographer Daniel Beltrá has captured some of the most eye-popping shots from the sky, illustrating vast changes in the environment using multiple aerial cameras from a high angle. He believes this vantage point allows for the "juxtaposition of nature with the destruction wrought by unsustainable development."

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"I find inspiration in the beauty and complexity of nature," Beltrá told weather.com in an email. "The fragility of our ecosystems is a continuous thread throughout my work."

Beltrá has gotten the opportunity to take pictures of melting icecaps in Greenland, the destruction of Brazil's rainforests and the catastrophic Deepwater Horizon oil spill.

He explained that his photographs show the vast scale of transformation our world is under from human-made stresses.

"The unique perspective of aerial photography helps emphasize that the Earth and its resources are finite," he observed. "By bringing images from remote locations where human and business interests and nature are at odds, I hope to instill a deeper appreciation for nature and an understanding of the precarious balance our lifestyle has placed on the planet."

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