Drone footage provides us with a fresh perspective on the world.
Not long ago, the average individual lacked the ability to see life from above.
Drones, on the other hand, provide practically anyone with a reasonably inexpensive and easily
accessible bird's-eye view.
Here are the ten most chilling things captured on drones.
1.
Drones discover unusual radiation hotspots in a forest near Chernobyl.
Following the 1986 Chernobyl nuclear power plant accident, significant levels of radiation
devastated four to six kilometers of coniferous forest.
The tree needles turned red before the trees died, and Chernobyl's Red Forest is one of
the most radioactive areas on the planet, which has been studied by UK experts for quite
some time.
Aerial drones recently detected hazardous hot spots near Ground Zero of the 1986 Chernobyl
nuclear power plant explosion that do not appear on any official maps.
An interdisciplinary team flew special drones over Ukraine's Red Forest and one of the world's
most radioactive areas, 500 meters from the Chernobyl complex.
The scientists would produce the most detailed map of radiation within the forest to date
using data from drone scans.
They also discovered previously unknown areas with unusually high radioactivity.
The Red Forest's radiation contamination was already known to be higher than in any other
natural place on Earth, but the scientists discovered that the radioactivity was unevenly
distributed.
While radiation has lessened in some areas, contamination levels remain dangerously high
in others.
The drones would identify a few unexpected hot spots, which would aid scientists in creating
new maps to reduce visitor risks and provide a better understanding of the affected area.
2.
A drone discovers a lost tomb containing 72 ancient skeletons
Amateur archaeologists discovered a tomb holding the ancient bones of people from a forgotten
pre-Hispanic civilization on the holiday island of Gran Canaria.
Drones uncovered the mummified remains of 72 skeletons belonging to the 'Guanche' culture.
The incredible discovery contained 62 adult skeletons and 10 newborns.
They were discovered in the Guayadeque ravine on the Spanish Canary Island of Gran Canaria.
Experts validated the discovery and linked it to the Guanche civilization because the
cave dates from 800-1000AD.
The Guanche people are regarded to be the first occupants of the Canary Islands, having
arrived from North Africa.
Historians believe that when Spanish invaders occupied the islands, they ethnically and
culturally absorbed the Guanches.
Archaeologists discovered traditional burial shrouds composed of vegetable fibers and animal
skin at the burial site.
And this indicated that all prehistoric Hispanic people in the Canary Islands were prepared
for burial ceremonies in the same way.
According to sources, the cave is 23 feet above ground, and researchers had difficulty
getting up to it.
The cave was discovered using drones by members of the amateur archaeology club El Legato,
which was founded by three friends with an interest in archaeology.
"We were flying a drone and taking some pictures of the cave it is in a very difficult place
to access and you need to climb a cliff to reach the site people thought the photos were
fake because of all the bones there," one of them explained.
3.
Magnificent secret Himalayan glacier The Himalayan Mountain range is one of the
most scenic and magnificent regions on the earth, with over 2400 kilometers of landscapes
and waterscapes with a diverse flora and fauna.
The Himalayan region features the third largest snow and ice deposit on Earth, as well as
around 15 000 glaciers of varying sizes, many of which remain undiscovered.
In order to examine a specific area in the K2 Mountain, David Kaszlikowski, a Polish
photographer, would utilize a DJI Phantom drone in order to study a particular area
in the K2 Mountain, K2 is known as the second highest mountain on Earth.
He flew his equipment above the mountain near the Concordia area below K2 at the junction
site of glaciers Godwin Austin and Baltoro.
The photographer noticed a third glacier, which was surrounded by water 65 feet wide.
He thus regarded the freshly discovered glacier as unique, allowing him to create an attractive
graphic frame with the glaciers' melting and disappearing forms that changed on a regular
basis.
He realized he had a one-of-a-kind opportunity to picture it, and it was unlike any other
since no one else would be able to see it in the same way the following season.
He then trekked to the area at night, accompanied by a guide, to capture the glacier's magnificence.
The resulting images were otherworldly and one-of-a-kind works of photographic art that
are unparalleled in their beauty.
4.
Ruins of a 5,000-year-old henge In Ireland The archaeological landscape 30 miles north
of Dublin, Ireland, is a UNESCO world heritage site that has been extensively explored and
excavated.
During an exceptional 40-day drought in 2018, however, a photographer named Anthony Murphy
discovered the ruins of a 5000-year-old Monument while flying a camera drone above the area.
Murphy was certain that this was the location of a henge, an enclosure made of rocks or
wood that the ancients used as a gathering place.
He and a friend deployed a drone and discovered evidence that such a structure existed in
the past.
According to archaeologists, the drought was critical for discovering visible signs of
the structure because the ground beneath heavier structures holds more residual water.
With a 40-day drought, the disparity between undisturbed patches and those that had previously
been big objects placed atop became clear.
Michael MacDonagh, chief archaeologist for Ireland's National Monument Service, hailed
the discovery as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that could add significantly to their understanding
of this spectacular ancient site.
5.
Tsunami's aftermath Drones are employed not just to uncover previously
unknown objects, but also to observe natural calamities such as tsunamis and tornadoes.
A 7.5 magnitude earthquake would strike on the Indonesian island of Sulawesi on September
28th, 2018.
Although the earthquake was relatively minor in terms of damage, it did set off a relatively
modest tsunami.
According to Scientific American, shortly after the tsunami, experts discovered that
in Palu, the capital of central Sulawesi Province, waves would exceed 20 feet, which was more
than double the initial forecasts.
Because Central Sulawesi is located on a very long and narrow Bay that is just approximately
20 miles wide, the tsunami swept across the land and dragged loads of wreckage directly
into the ocean on the other side of the bay.
The ground became heavily saturated as well, resulting in major mudslides that only added
to the entire devastation.
The tsunami, one of the worst to hit Indonesia in more than a decade, would kill nearly 4,300
people in total.
Drone footage of the city began to emerge within days of the disaster; watching the
ruins from above, you can grasp the enormity of what occurred; bridges lay fallen, residences
are little more than debris, and some regions are still submerged.
You can see the devastation that has been done to the city, and it is very horrifying
how a perfectly joyful setting can be transformed into something like this.
6.
A police drone finds a car crash victim A vehicle crash victim who was unconscious
in a six-foot-deep ditch in the middle of the night would be saved owing to modern drone
technology and the rapid thinking of the police.
Witnesses reported seeing a man walking away from the site of an accident on the A-16 south
of Grimsby, where a car had flipped onto its side.
Lincolnshire police, trying to locate the driver of the car, deployed their drone equipped
with thermal imaging to search the scene while Humberside police searched on foot.
Within a few moments, the Drone discovered the driver unconscious in a six-foot-deep
ditch 160 meters from the scene of the collision.
The incredible footage shows the drone locating the man based on his body heat as he lies
several feet off the main road, where he had lost consciousness.
A police officer is then seen approaching the individual as directed by the drone pilot.
When he discovers him, he notifies another cop, who is seen hurrying to the scene, and
an ambulance arrives.
The victim was originally unresponsive and hypothermic, but he was saved thanks to the
quick drone deployment. 7.
A blazing lava lake in all its fiery magnificence It's nearly impossible to acquire close-up
images of the fiery interior of a volcano's blazing lava lake.
A brave adventurer was able to catch Ambrym Volcano's seething depths on camera thanks
to a special heat suit and some rather advanced technology.
This remarkable footage captures Sam Cossman and his team's perilous descent into the Maram
crater, one of the world's only seven Lava Lakes.
It is situated on the remote island of Ambrym in Vanuatu's Republic.
Sam, 33, would leave his home in San Francisco, California, in 2014 to pursue his ambition
of being a digital storyteller and tech adventurer.
Sam and his colleagues would utilize virtual reality cameras on high-tech drones and wearable
biometric sensors to learn more about the geology of such a severe environment.
The project's goal was to gain a better knowledge of how microbial life could persist and proliferate
in such a severe environment, and the data would assist scientists better comprehend
the volcano.
It also showed how highly controlled flying cameras could promote science and exploration.
While it was a perilous journey that involved toxic superheated gas, falling boulders, acid
rain, and violent expulsion of molten rocks, the group returned safely before a huge flank
eruption triggered by an earthquake that might have killed anyone even remotely near the
region.
8.
Shark Hunt People frequently film sharks, but Discovery
Channel drone footage takes the creep factor to a whole new level.
Due to murky water, a team of researchers utilizes a drone to film sharks from above
and captures one doing what sharks do best: getting ready to kill.
As seen from above, the shark then searches for seals, which usually hide along the rocks
near the coast.
To avoid this situation, the shark can negotiate the rocks more easily due to the high tide,
and the film team can tell what's going on based on the shark's behavior.
They then brace themselves for some lunchtime marine predator entertainment.
A seal, seemingly unaware of the shark's close proximity, swims right into the hungry attacker,
and within seconds, the shark darts forward to attack, and blood surrounds the two in
the water.
It then starts shaking the seal, and even if the crew's experts reassure that the seal
was probably already dead, it's still a disturbing sight to see.
9.
Massive Forest Fire Every year, dozens of forest fires threaten
people and property, and they get larger and larger.
While there is never a shortage of footage of wildfires, they are frequently shot from
the ground or from a helicopter, which cannot get too close.
Drones, on the other hand, may have similar problems to helicopters, such as turbulent
air and visibility issues, but they can approach far closer and yet be far safer than a helicopter
full of people.
This footage appears to be a regular nature video until the drone reaches a height above
the tree line and you can see smoke in the horizon.
When the drone goes in for a closer look, you can see the size of the fire.
A large expanse of trees is on fire, and smoke fills the sky.
While the size of this fire is not as large as some of the wildfires we've seen on the
west coast in recent years, it still appears gigantic and provides a sense of perspective
for other massive fires.
The footage of the fire provides a view into all of the larger wildfires that occur in
Alaska, Arizona, California, and elsewhere, as well as their impact as a reminder to be
conscious of our activities and avoid actions that can affect the ecosystem in any manner.
10.
A man scaling a 1500-foot broadcast tower You probably see cell phone towers all over
the place and on a daily basis, but have you ever thought how the topmost equipment is
placed or maintained?
As it turns out, it's usually someone who just climbs the tower straight up.
A cell phone tower is normally 200 feet tall, which is rather tall, but what about a 1500-foot
broadcast tower?
You could think there must be a specific way to perform maintenance on those, but it's
the same story: someone very cool under pressure scales the entire thing to operate on that
equipment.
While the climbers are provided with some safety equipment, much of the heavy-duty equipment
is, well, pretty heavy.
Thanks to drone technology, this video captures one of these ascents for your viewing pleasure.
Even if you're not afraid of heights, there's a good chance this will make your skin crawl.
For perspective, the free climb is nearly a quarter mile straight up, and if you don't
count the tip of the Willis Tower, which was once the Sears Tower in Chicago, it measures
1450 feet, therefore this tower is actually 50 feet taller.
Now let’s hear your thoughts in the comments down below.