Catastrophes
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Largest Quake of the Year Crossed Fault Lines, Echoed for a Week
The largest earthquake of the year left quite an impression on the earth, but not via mass destruction or tsunamis. In fact, you probably didn’t even hear about it. The 8.7 magnitude earthquake struck on April 11 in the Indian Ocean. Two people are known to have died as a result of the quake, while [...]
September 26, 2012 |
By Mary Beth Griggs
Tsunami Debris Is Just Now Arriving at Hawaii’s Coast
A dock 30-by-50 feet long, with Japanese writing on it, was found floating off the coast of Hawaii, around the same time that a plastic blue bin (a seafood storage container in its past life) became the first confirmed piece of tsunami debris to reach Hawaii. Authorities have not confirmed whether or not the dock was [...]
September 24, 2012 |
By Mary Beth Griggs
Diamond Mines Are a Paleo-Climate Scientist’s Best Friend
A column of magma worked its way up from the mantle and drilled its way to the surface, bedazzling itself with diamonds that it picked up along the way
September 21, 2012 |
By Mary Beth Griggs
The Real World Versions of Revolution’s Dystopian Cities
A new TV show looks very dystopian, but there are places that resemble Revolution's landscape in the world today
September 18, 2012 |
By Mary Beth Griggs
Flooding in Pakistan Threatens Remains of 4500-Year-Old Civilization
Strong flooding fueled by the annual monsoon threatens the ancient town of Mohenjo-Daro
September 14, 2012 |
By Colin Schultz
When Bad Things Become Funny
Humor experts set out to discover when tragedies are fine to joke about, and when they're not
September 14, 2012 |
By Rachel Nuwer
How Scientists Know the Tar Balls Hurricane Isaac Dredged Up Came From the BP Oil Spill
Scientists confirm that oil strewn by hurricane Isaac derived from BP's blown-out Macondo well
September 07, 2012 |
By Colin Schultz
Fires Are Escaping Our Ability to Predict Their Behavior
Today's fires are bigger, weirder, and way harder to model
September 03, 2012 |
By Rose Eveleth
“After the Storm” Workbook Helps Kids Deal with Hurricane Stress
The "After the Storm" workbook that helps parents sort out their kids' feelings following a potentially traumatic hurricane
August 29, 2012 |
By Rachel Nuwer
Watch Hurricane Isaac Grow and Slam Into Louisiana
A range of satellites are set to watch Isaac, giving a step-by-step look into the storm's evolution
August 29, 2012 |
By Colin Schultz
Yet to Fully Recover from 2010 Earthquake, Haiti Braces for Tropical Storm Isaac
Destabilized by an earthquake and ravaged by cholera, Haitians prepare for tropical storm Isaac
August 24, 2012 |
By Colin Schultz
What Caused the Deadly Iranian Earthquakes?
Straddling the seam between the Eurasian and Arabian tectonic plates, Iran has a history plagued with earthquakes
August 15, 2012 |
By Colin Schultz
Italian Supervolcano Could End Eurozone Crisis the Easy Way
Deep underground in southern Italy, just outside the city of Naples, the Campi Flegrei supervolcano has been resting for the past 500 years.
August 06, 2012 |
By Colin Schultz
New Study Suggests Humans, Not Climate, Killed Off Neanderthals
Roughly 40,000 years ago, the Neanderthals that lived in the Mediterranean disappeared. Whether they simply up and left, or died off, is anybody’s guess. They were still a common sight in western Europe for another 10,000 years, so outright extinction is off the table. In trying to understand what lead to the Neanderthal’s decline, archaeologists [...]
July 24, 2012 |
By Colin Schultz
U.S. Faces Worst Drought Since 1956
Drought grips 55% of the US mainland causing a shortfall in crop production, with very low chances of it ending any time soon.
July 17, 2012 |
By Colin Schultz
3 Ways Emergency Preparedness Is Like Wedding Planning
Last week, the CDC released its Wedding Day Survival Plan, a document which reads like a natural disaster preparedness checklist.
July 16, 2012 |
By Rachel Nuwer
Here’s What $110 Million in Fire Damage Looks Like
The Waldo Canyon fire in Colorado was the most destructive in the state's history.
July 06, 2012 |
By Sarah Laskow
100 Years of Earthquakes On One Gorgeous Map
Data visualizer John Nelson compiled historical earthquake records to produce this gorgeous, and informative, map. In all, 203,186 earthquakes are marked on the map, which is current through 2003. And it reveals the story of plate tectonics itself.
July 02, 2012 |
By Colin Schultz
The New York Fire Department Is Burning 20 Houses Down — On Purpose
Today, the New York Fire Department, along with a team of scientists, are going to burn down 20 vacant houses, furnished with goodies from hotel liquidation sales, with the aim of figuring out better ways of fighting plastic-fueled fires.
July 02, 2012 |
By Sarah Laskow
Devastating Colorado Wildfires Most Recent in Decades-Long Surge
Residents have so far been able to stay safe from the fires, but strong winds compounding on record high temperatures, a dry winter, and possibly a recent pine beetle infestation, have rocketed this year's fire season to be one of the most destructive in at least four decades.
June 27, 2012 |
By Colin Schultz
