Manama, Bahrain

Near the beginning of this year, a wave of political demonstrations swept across the Middle Eastern and North African Arab nations.  Millions of people organized using social media to protest government repression and corruption.  The event became known as Arab Spring.  In Bahrain, Shia Muslims protested the government to ask for more freedoms and equality.  The protestors in Bahrain began organizing around the Pearl Roundabout on February 14th.  The Bahrain government began a violent retaliation on protestors resulting in a number of protestor deaths.  The government also decided to tear down the Pearl Roundabout statue on the 18th in order to deter protestors.  Amazingly, a satellite caught an image of the protestors around the Pearl Roundabout in the 4 days that it was still up.

June 16, 2010

This was the site the year before the protests

Sometime between February 14, 2011 and February 18, 2011

During protests

You can find it yourself on Google Earth using these coords:       26°13'49.26"N    50°33'41.00"E

More info: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2011_Bahraini_uprising

Check back next week to see an always-changing landform

ATTENTION! This weekend is the 2011 Annual Geological Society of America Meeting in Minneapolis, MN.  If you see me there, say hello! My badge will say "Brian Schrock Olivet Nazarene University"