Keeping tabs on the weather is as much an exercise in staring at our planet itself as it is watching the skies above.
You're bound to find some strange things while gazing down at Earth. Why is there a giant, flat valley in the middle of California? What's that strange 'eye' looking back at us in northern Quebec?
Take a dive into some of the strange geologic formations you can spot from space while you're searching for storms on the horizon.
DON'T MISS: Gulfs, lakes and cities: How places get their names
The third-largest state in the U.S., California covers some of the most diverse terrain in North America. Majestic peaks, picturesque coasts, lush farmland, and iconic deserts paint the Golden State's vast terrain.
For all its varied landscapes, California's Central Valley is the state's most striking feature from space. How did such a low and flat stretch of land end up nestled between the state's rugged mountains?
The answer lies far beneath the surface.
An ancient tectonic plate known as the Farallon Plate shoved east and subducted -- slid beneath -- the North American Plate. Over millions of years, this movement scraped off sediments to create the Coast Ranges. Meanwhile, the Farallon Plate melted deep beneath the surface and that fresh magma rose to create the volcanic peaks of the Sierra Nevada.
The Central Valley formed between these two budding mountain ranges, filling up with nutrient-rich sediment that contribute to the region's flatness and fertile farmlands.
Stare at Canada from space and it might appear as if Quebec were staring back at you. The 'eye of Quebec' is a famous geographic landmark with an extraterrestrial origin story.
Around 200 million years ago, an asteroid hurtling through space crashed through our atmosphere and crashed into the land known today as Quebec. This rock likely measured 5 km across, making for one of the largest known impacts on record.
Manicouagan Reservoir is located about 180 km northwest of Sept-Îles. Created by a dam constructed in the 1970s, the feature is known as an 'annular lake' because the large island in the middle -- René-Levasseur Island -- is larger than the lake itself.
Just about everyone's heard the nostalgic whistling theme song of the Andy Griffith Show. Most episodes took place in the fictional town of Mayberry, North Carolina, which is based on the real town of Mount Airy.
Just outside of Mount Airy resides a geological wonder called Pilot Mountain. The mountain and its iconic Big Knob jut above the gentle hills of northwestern North Carolina, a stunning feature that looks like a stone monument reaching into the sky.
Pilot Mountain is a rare formation known as a monadnock. These isolated mountains are made from hard rocks such as granite, which resist weathering. Millions of years of erosion chip away at the surrounding environment, leaving behind a striking mountain that almost seems out of place.
Click here to view the video
Speaking of erosion, countless years of rough Prairie weather created an otherworldly scene across portions of southeastern Alberta known as the Canadian Badlands.
Badlands form when soft rock and clay-rich soils erode to develop a Martian landscape. This process played out in spades across the Red Deer River valley in southeastern Alberta.
It's possible to see back in time as the hillsides reveal layer upon layer of soils and rocks deposited through the years. A bonus? There are tons of dinosaur fossils in the region, to boot.
If you're afraid of heights or steep drops, avoid Mount Thor if you're ever exploring Baffin Island.
The epic cliff at the peak of Mount Thor hangs more than 1,200 metres above the ground below. This represents the greatest natural vertical drop anywhere on Earth. Retreating glaciers carved out the mountain's distinct shape and stomach-twisting cliff hanging over the valley below.
Folks in southern Ontario often hear about 'the escarpment' when we're talking about weather in the region. The Niagara Escarpment is a sudden change in elevation that slices through a swath of southern Ontario west of the Greater Toronto Area.
RELATED: Are your maps accurate? How these tools can struggle to capture our world
The escarpment formed as the bedrock of the Great Lakes basin eroded at different rates. The harder and more resilient rock remained in place as the nearby environment slowly eroded away, giving us a sharp change in elevation that stretches from Lake Huron to the Niagara Region. It's the escarpment that helped kickstart the development of Niagara Falls.
Communities atop the escarpment can see cooler temperatures than those at lower elevations, potentially leading to wintry precipitation while nearby towns see plain old rain. The escarpment can also enhance strong winds during storms like Colorado lows, and it can serve as a focus for the development of severe thunderstorms during the summer months.