Natural Disasters

A recently unearthed fresco at a house in Pompeii shows a flatbread that could have been a precursor to pizza.

Does This Pompeii Painting Depict a 2,000-Year-Old Pizza?

The fresco features a flatbread with a variety of toppings—but no tomato and mozzarella

A photo of the Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai volcanic eruption taken on December 24, 2021, before the biggest eruption on January 15, 2022. Tsunamis caused by the eruption killed at six people in Tonga and Peru and displaced more than 1,500 people on Tongan islands.

Tonga Volcano Sparked the Most Intense Lightning Storm Ever Recorded

Last year's eruption produced a raging storm at unprecedented altitudes, with 2,600 lightning flashes per minute at its peak

Mount Etna erupts in July 2021.

Secrets Still Smolder at One of the World's Most Active Volcanoes

A century after one of Mount Etna's many notable eruptions, scientists are more eager than ever to study the peak's frequent bursts of fiery fury

Kīlauea erupts early on June 7, after months of signaling it was getting ready to burst.

Hawaii's Kīlauea Volcano Is Erupting Again—Here's How to See It

The youngest and most active volcano on the Big Island, it's expected to draw thousands of tourists

Underwater researchers have encountered many other shipwrecks while studying the Maravillas in the Bahamas.

Unraveling the Secrets of the Long-Lost Shipwrecks in the Bahamas

Using historical records, a new initiative has identified and mapped 176 wrecks in the region

The Classis museum of Ravenna in the northern Italian region of Emilia-Romagna became a shelter for those displaced by last month's severe flooding.

Italy Raises Museum Prices to Help Fund Flood Relief

Recent storms damaged museum collections and turned some cultural institutions into shelters

Bush fires rage through Canberra, Australia, on January 18, 2003.

The World’s First Wildfire Tornado Blazed a Path of Destruction Through Australia

A warming atmosphere due to climate change is increasing the chances similar natural disasters will occur again

Bone fractures suggest that structural damage killed the two Pompeii residents.

These Two Ancient Pompeii Victims Died in an Earthquake—Not a Volcanic Eruption

Archaeologists have found the bodies of two men who perished in the days before Mount Vesuvius erupted

A burnt landscape caused by wildfires near Entrance, Wild Hay area, Alberta, Canada on May 10, 2023.

Wildfires in Canada Burn Close to One Million Acres

The current fire season has been unusually devastating for this early in the year—and more hot, dry weather is on the way

The eruption of a volcano on Spain’s La Palma island took a toll on nearby fish.

The Gruesome Ways Volcanoes Kill Fish

Whether the eruption is underwater or on land, the creatures don’t have an easy time dealing with nature’s fury

The C.F. Curtis was one of three ships, all owned by Hines Lumber Company, that sank in 1914.

Two 100-Year-Old Shipwrecks Found in Lake Superior

Both vessels sank during a storm in November 1914—but a third is still missing

Saylor Flett, left, fans flames ignited by Jeff Greef. Air quality, weather and even bird migration affect when it’s safe to conduct a burn.

Fighting Fire With Fire in California

How communities in the West are boldly setting property ablaze to reduce the impact of extreme wildfires

Untold tsunamis hit coastal communities before anyone logged them in written records. Paleotsunami researchers are on a quest to uncover these forgotten disasters.

These Tsunami Detectives Search for Ancient Disasters

The gigantic waves have been decimating coastlines since time immemorial. We ignore these prehistoric warnings at our own peril.

Dig Tsho, a glacial lake in Nepal that burst in August 1985

Fifteen Million People at Risk of Severe Floods From Melting Glaciers

Rising temperatures could worsen glacial lake outbursts, unleashing massive inland waves on downstream communities, a study finds

The damaged castle following the earthquakes on February 6

Earthquakes Damage 2,000-Year-Old Castle in Turkey

The 7.8-magnitude quake also harmed other historic structures throughout Turkey and Syria

Rescue workers and volunteers conduct search and rescue operations in the rubble of a collasped building in Diyarbakir, Turkey. 

7.8-Magnitude Earthquake Felt 'Like the Apocalypse' in Turkey and Syria

The death toll has risen to at least 3,000 following one of the largest quakes recorded in the region

Two cars lie in a sinkhole in suburban Los Angeles on January 10. The four passengers were taken to the hospital with minor injuries. 

California Reeling From Extreme Storms With Three More on the Way

The severe weather has caused flooding, landslides, evacuations and at least 18 deaths

The courtyard of the House of the Vettii in Pompeii

See the Lavish Pompeii Home Owned by Two Men Freed From Slavery

After two decades, the newly restored House of the Vettii is officially open to visitors

Volunteers and archaeologists dug a trench to reveal more about the mysterious wooden structure emerging from the sand.

Hurricanes Reveal 19th-Century Shipwreck Hidden Beneath Florida Beach

After two recent storms, a mysterious structure began to emerge

The Grand Prismatic Spring inside Yellowstone National Park

A Surprising Amount of Magma Is Under Yellowstone’s Supervolcano

New research suggests more melted rock lies beneath the Yellowstone Caldera—but it’s still not likely to erupt anytime soon

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