I'm currently with my wife, daughter, brother, and parents in the Smoky Mountains. When we were driving into the Smokies, and the mountains were first coming into view, I was struck with realization. I personally consider the Smoky Mountains to be one of the most beautiful sights to see. The heavily forested slopes and the deep vales between the peaks offer a breathtaking example of God's creative power.
But, oddly enough, those mountains are not primarily a testimony to God's design and creativity. Though they do reflect that, the mountains are an even stronger testimony to God's divine judgment. The Smokies are an example of massive tectonic activity and rapid erosion (this is how Dr. Andrew Snelling refers to it in his book Earth's Catastrophic Past by ICR). This amount of tectonic activity and erosion can only be a result of Noah's Flood. Those beautiful, breathtaking mountains are a direct result of God's divine judgment upon a wicked, antediluvian world. The Flood brought about such a geologic change as to totally rework the topography of Earth.
However, a lesson can be learned from this. Oftentimes, even when God brings righteous, holy judgment, He also enacts a process to bring about great beauty. God destroyed the Earth with the Flood. But, He didn't leave it there. He allowed the scarred and damaged Earth to recover. More so, He beautified this Earth again. Of course, the current landscape doesn't even compare to the Earth's original beauty. But, God did allow us some beauty to admire. And for that, we must be thankful.
