Articles tagged as Natural Disasters

People walk past the damaged Durbar High School a few days after the major earthquake that struck Nepal in April.

What Happened When a Disaster Preparedness Expert Was Caught in an Earthquake

In this Generation Anthropocene podcast, geologist Anne Sanquini gives her first-hand account of April’s disaster in Nepal

August 11, 2015

Dried fruit powder will keep for up to two years.

Swedish Designers Are Turning Fruits and Veggies Into a Nonperishable Powder

The dried and powdered produce, called FoPo, could become a staple in disaster relief

August 4, 2015

Immersive storytelling brings a bit of sobering reality to would-be donors

July 7, 2015

An astronaut snapped this picture of Typhoon Haiyan, one of the strongest tropical cyclones ever recorded, in November 2013.

Anthropocene

Warmer Waters Are Making Pacific Typhoons Stronger

Decades of storm data show that tropical cyclones in the Pacific are getting more intense as ocean temperatures rise

May 29, 2015

Sentinel-1 image showing the effects of the April 25 earthquake in Nepal

Satellite data gives the first results for the way the land moved during the quake

May 1, 2015

The development of more affordable, 3D printed equipment could save lives

April 2, 2015

We just have so much to look forward to

December 31, 2014

A surfer rides large waves at Baker Beach in San Francisco during one of the largest storms to hit Northern California in the last five years.

New Research

Get Set For Frequent Flooding In Coastal U.S. Cities

Sea level rise is increasing the odds of nuisance flooding

December 23, 2014

Just add water. The Zephyr has an electrolyzer on board that uses nine liters of water to produce hydrogen to inflate.

A Photovoltaic Balloon Could Bring Electricity to Disaster Zones

Moored to a base with batteries, the Zephyr collects enough solar energy to power 15 relief tents and a telecommunications network

December 19, 2014

The town of Portelo, in the shadow of the Pico do Fogo volcano, is now all but gone.

An eruption at the Pico do Fogo volcano has forced 1,200 people to evacuate

December 10, 2014

New Research

California’s Ongoing Drought Is Its Worst in 1,200 Years

Tree ring records unveil the severity of California’s drought

December 8, 2014

The dense metropolis of Tokyo sparkles like an urban playground at night.

Anthropocene

Are Megacities Friend or Foe in the Fight Against Climate Change?

Like the people who call them home, cities have the potential for good and bad when it comes to adapting to a warming world

November 21, 2014

About 25 million years ago, a massive landslide engulfed the area between Beaver and Cedar City, Utah.

New Research

City-Sized Landslides Happened in the Past And Can Happen Again

Utah has a new claim to fame: it was the site of the world’s largest known landslide

November 20, 2014

A levee meant to keep out the sea was no match for the 2011 tsunami that struck Japan.

Small Islands May Make Tsunami Danger Worse

While offshore islands usually protect coasts, simulations suggest they may amplify monster waves reaching the mainland

November 4, 2014

President Obama discussing Ebola at a meeting with the UN.

Researchers from the frontline of the fight against Ebola must cancel their plans to attend an upcoming conference in New Orleans

October 30, 2014

Lava is creeping across the Big Island’s Puna district at a rate of about 10 to 15 yards per hour

October 28, 2014

2014 Ingenuity Awards

Coming to Terms With One of America’s Greatest Natural Disasters

Documentary filmmaker Bill Morrison plunges us into the Great Flood of 1927

November 2014

This F3 twister in Kansas was part of a mini-outbreak of tornadoes in 2004.

Tornadoes Are Now Ganging Up in the United States

Twisters are not increasing in numbers but they are clustering more often, a bizarre pattern that has meteorologists stumped

October 16, 2014

Universal Studios in Hollywood has a stunt show and set inspired by the 1995 film Waterworld.

Anthropocene

10 Architectural Schemes That Could Help Us Adapt To Rising Seas

From a floating house to a mobile city shaped like a giant lilypad, designers offer up some wild solutions for a wetter future

October 14, 2014

Anthropocene

To Live in the Anthropocene, People Need Grounded Hope

A Smithsonian symposium about human impacts on Earth looked past warnings of global doom to discuss the necessary balance of achievable solutions

October 10, 2014