Natural Disasters | smithsonianmag.comhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/rss/tag/natural-disasters/RSS feed for Natural DisastersenThu, 30 Jul 2026 14:00:00 +0000The Dino-Killing Asteroid Strike May Have Transformed Our Planet Into a Hellish Inferno, Charbroiling Most Creatures Within Hourshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/the-dino-killing-asteroid-strike-may-have-transformed-our-planet-into-a-hellish-inferno-charbroiling-most-creatures-within-hours-180989226/Based on computer simulations and geologic evidence, scientists propose that the deadly event may have caused global wildfires and trapped heat in the atmosphere, roasting any animal that couldn't take cover fast enoughThu, 30 Jul 2026 14:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/the-dino-killing-asteroid-strike-may-have-transformed-our-planet-into-a-hellish-inferno-charbroiling-most-creatures-within-hours-180989226/We All Know the Story of the Pompeii Victims Who Died When Mount Vesuvius Erupted 2,000 Years Ago. Archaeologists Are Still Learning About Those Who Made It Out Alivehttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/we-all-know-the-story-of-the-pompeii-victims-who-died-when-mount-vesuvius-erupted-2000-years-ago-archaeologists-are-still-learning-about-those-who-made-it-out-alive-180989207/A semi-fictionalized documentary series hosted by actor Tom Hiddleston follows three people in the ancient towns of Pompeii and Herculaneum who experienced the disaster in 79 C.E.Tue, 28 Jul 2026 16:41:15 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/we-all-know-the-story-of-the-pompeii-victims-who-died-when-mount-vesuvius-erupted-2000-years-ago-archaeologists-are-still-learning-about-those-who-made-it-out-alive-180989207/A Massive Flow of Rock and Mud Tumbled Down Mount Rainier Centuries Ago. Scientists Pinpointed Its Date to Better Understand the Volcano's Complex Threatshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/a-massive-flow-of-rock-and-mud-tumbled-down-mount-rainier-centuries-ago-scientists-pinpointed-its-date-to-better-understand-the-volcanos-complex-threats-180989162/In a recent study, researchers dated a historic lahar called the Electron Mudflow to the summer of 1507, establishing a way to determine when past geologic events around the Puget Sound occurredTue, 21 Jul 2026 16:48:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/a-massive-flow-of-rock-and-mud-tumbled-down-mount-rainier-centuries-ago-scientists-pinpointed-its-date-to-better-understand-the-volcanos-complex-threats-180989162/Cyborg Cockroaches Could Help Find Survivors of Natural Disasters. New Diving Suits Allow the Insects to Expand Their Search Underwaterhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/cyborg-cockroaches-could-help-find-survivors-of-natural-disasters-new-diving-suits-allow-the-insects-to-expand-their-search-underwater-180989066/Previously, researchers created electrical implants to control cockroaches' movements for search-and-rescue missions. Now, they've made 3D-printed suits that provide oxygen, allowing the critters to survive submerged for up to three hoursTue, 07 Jul 2026 16:01:10 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/cyborg-cockroaches-could-help-find-survivors-of-natural-disasters-new-diving-suits-allow-the-insects-to-expand-their-search-underwater-180989066/Powerful 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/