Natural Disasters | smithsonianmag.comhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/rss/tag/natural-disasters/RSS feed for Natural DisastersenThu, 25 Jun 2026 19:10:16 +0000Powerful Back-to-Back Earthquakes Killed at Least 188 People in Venezuela. Here's the Science Behind the Rare 'Doublet'https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/powerful-back-to-back-earthquakes-killed-at-least-188-people-in-venezuela-heres-the-science-behind-the-rare-doublet-180989018/On June 24, two quakes above magnitude 7 struck the northern part of the country only 39 seconds apart. While doublet sequences aren't unheard of in seismology, they are uncommon—especially in such short successionThu, 25 Jun 2026 19:10:16 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/powerful-back-to-back-earthquakes-killed-at-least-188-people-in-venezuela-heres-the-science-behind-the-rare-doublet-180989018/The 'Super' El Niño Has Arrived. Here's How It Might Affect the World's Weather and Economyhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/the-super-el-nino-has-arrived-heres-how-it-might-affect-the-worlds-weather-and-economy-180988951/The naturally occurring climate pattern, characterized by warm surface water in the Pacific Ocean, that has just started could be one of the strongest ever recorded, according to expertsMon, 15 Jun 2026 17:36:32 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/the-super-el-nino-has-arrived-heres-how-it-might-affect-the-worlds-weather-and-economy-180988951/When a Team of Meteorologists and Combat Pilots Set Out to Understand Thunderstorms, They Made Flying Safer for Everyonehttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/when-team-meteorologists-combat-pilots-set-out-understand-thunderstorms-made-flying-safer-everyone-180988841/The sky was a very dangerous place in the early days of commercial aviation. By flying into storms to learn how they worked, these experts made air travel and weather forecasting much more predictableMon, 15 Jun 2026 12:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/when-team-meteorologists-combat-pilots-set-out-understand-thunderstorms-made-flying-safer-everyone-180988841/Ancient Egyptian Engineering Choices Helped the Great Pyramid of Giza Survive Earthquakes, New Research Findshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/ancient-egyptian-engineering-choices-helped-the-great-pyramid-of-giza-survive-earthquakes-new-research-finds-180988790/Researchers measured vibrations inside and around the pyramid to learn that the structure is surprisingly resilient against seismic tremorsFri, 22 May 2026 18:25:17 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/ancient-egyptian-engineering-choices-helped-the-great-pyramid-of-giza-survive-earthquakes-new-research-finds-180988790/