Natural Disasters
Which Primate Is the Most Likely Source of the Next Pandemic?
To help anticipate the next outbreak of an emerging infectious disease, scientists scrutinize our closest relatives in the animal kingdom
April 22, 2013 |
By Rachel Nuwer
The Colorado: America’s Most Endangered River
A new report points to drought, climate change and increased demand for water as the reasons the iconic river no longer reaches the sea
April 17, 2013 |
By Claire Martin
New Web Tool Helps Avoid Flooding by Finding the Best Spots to Build Wetlands
Specifically placed small wetlands can help capture watershed runoff, helping city planners to guard against flood disasters
April 05, 2013 |
By Claire Martin
Landslide “Quakes” Give Clues to the Location and Size of Debris Flows
Scientists can now quickly assess characteristics of a landslide soon after slopes fail, based on its seismic signature
March 27, 2013 |
By Mohi Kumar
A Plague of Locusts Descends Upon the Holy Land, Just in Time for Passover
Israel battles a swarm of millions of locusts that flew from Egypt that is giving rise to a host of ecological, political and agricultural issues
March 06, 2013 |
By Rachel Nuwer
How Climate Change Affects the Smithsonian
Smithsonian Secretary Wayne Clough looks at how our scientists are studying our changing climate
February 2013 |
By G. Wayne Clough, Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution
Did the Pilgrims Really Land on Plymouth Rock and More Questisons From our Readers
Where do hurricanes start, the Big Bang, sea gulls and other answers from the Smithsonian’s experts
November 2012 |
By Smithsonian Magazine
How Do You Make a Building Invisible to an Earthquake?
Engineer William Parnell may have found a way to save at-risk cities from destruction
September 2012 |
By Zeeya Merali
‘Fracking’ for Natural Gas Is Linked With Earthquakes
A new study finds a correlation between the underground injection of waste fluids from fracking and dozens of small earthquakes
August 06, 2012 |
By Joseph Stromberg
Ocean Acidity Rivals Climate Change As Environmental Threat
Rising ocean acidity is now considered to be just as much of a formidable threat to the health of Earth’s environment as the atmospheric climate changes
July 18, 2012 |
By Kat J. McAlpine
The DC Derecho of 2012
A devastating storm swept through Washington Friday night. By Saturday morning we were all left wondering, "what in the world had happened?"
July 02, 2012 |
By Sarah Zielinski
Can Supervolcanoes Erupt More Suddenly Than We Think?
Enormous magma reserves may sit quietly for just thousands or even hundreds of years
May 31, 2012 |
By Joseph Stromberg
The Biggest Supermoon in Years is Coming Saturday Night
The moon's closest approach to earth will coincide with a perfectly full moon
May 02, 2012 |
By Joseph Stromberg
UPDATED: How Humans Cause Earthquakes
Fracking is just the latest cause to make the news for its link to quakes
April 16, 2012 |
By Sarah Zielinski
Could The Sun Set Off The Next Big Natural Disaster?
A new study finds that a strong solar storm could disable satellites for a decade
March 08, 2012 |
By Sarah Zielinski
Arabic Manuscripts: It Used To Snow in Iraq
Baghdad was the bustling capital of the vast Islamic Empire a thousand years ago, when the city's climate was much different than today
February 27, 2012 |
By Virginia Hughes
What Happens Before a Volcano Blows?
Volcanologists thought that the buildup to a major eruption would take centuries. But this report adds to a growing suspicion that it can happen much faster than expected
February 07, 2012 |
By Greg Laden
Meet Lucy Jones, "the Earthquake Lady"
As part of her plan to prepare Americans for the next "big one," the seismologist tackles the dangerous phenomenon of denial
February 2012 |
By Amy Wallace
Top Ten Science Blog Posts of 2011
Cats, zombies, earthquakes, chickens--our readers have an eclectic taste
December 28, 2011 |
By Sarah Zielinski
Visualizing a Year of Extreme Weather
The United States has seen thousands of weather records broken this year
December 09, 2011 |
By Sarah Zielinski
