Natural Disasters

A nearly dry horseshoe lake at Brazos Bend State Park, Texas

Scene From A Drought

A trip to Texas shows the unexpected consequences of a severe drought

A storm rolls in above Bangkok

When The Skies Turn Black

There are signs when severe weather approaches, but are we paying enough attention?

Irene created a new channel across a North Carolina barrier island

Building On A Barrier Island

These accumulations of sand aren't permanent but are home to whole communities

Flood debris on the Ohio River is halted by a dam

What Happens To A House Swept Away By A Flood?

Flood debris may circulate in ocean gyres for years

In this GOES satellite image taken on August 24, the eye Hurricane Irene, traveling over the Bahamas, can be clearly seen

The Satellite Eyes On Irene (And Other Great Resources)

There are satellites orbiting overhead, powerful computers and plenty of scientists to make sense of a wealth of data

A building in the northern reaches of Narragansett Bay, Rhode Island, that was destroyed in the 1938 hurricane

The Great New England Hurricane of 1938

Katharine Hepburn's Connecticut beach house and 8,900 other homes were swept into the sea

Earthquake hazard map for the United States

Earthquake in Washington, D.C.

Today's shaking may have been unexpected, but Washington isn't the only unlikely location for an earthquake in the United States

The key moment of the Don Quijote mission: the impact as Hidalgo smashes into the asteroid and Sancho observes from a safe distance

Don Quijote May Tilt at an Asteroid

Deflection could be our best bet if an asteroid is headed towards Earth

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How To Study A Volcano

Getting this close to a bubbling cauldron of lava is not just dangerous; it's stupid enough that even other volcanologists will yell at you

The loss of wolves in the American West set off a cascade of changes to the region's food web.

What Happens When Predators Disappear

It's Predator Week here at the blog. What's your favorite predator, either existing or extinct?

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There’s a Drought—Is It Climate Change?

Despite the heat waves across the country, no one is screaming "climate change is real" because of them. Why?

Eyjafjallajökull

What’s the Most Dangerous Country?

Iceland is pretty much the least habitable of all the places that people have inhabited. But visiting it is like hiking through a geology textbook

Tropical Storm Arlene is predicted to make landfall in Mexico early Thursday morning

Hurricane Season Starts With Arlene

The first tropical storm of 2011 is a reminder to prepare for potential disasters

The April 6, 2009 earthquake in Italy destroyed many buildings, new and old.

Should We Blame Scientists for Not Predicting Earthquakes?

A group of Italian scientists may go to trial for allegedly playing down the risk of the quake that struck the Abruzzo region of Italy in April 2009

A model of estimated fault slip for the March 2011 Japanese earthquake.

What Scientists Are Learning About the 2011 Japanese Earthquake

What scientists are learning from "the best recorded earthquake ever" could help prepare for future ones

A View From Above of Memphis Flooding

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A Satellite View of Tornado Scars

A circa 1925 woodcut by Unpo Takashima depicts Tokyo's Ueno district ablaze. "Each new gust of wind," reported Joseph Dahlmann, a Jesuit priest who witnessed the calamity from a hilltop, "gave new impulse to the fury of the conflagration."

The Great Japan Earthquake of 1923

The powerful quake and ensuing tsunami that struck Yokohama and Tokyo traumatized a nation and unleashed historic consequences

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15 Facts About Tornadoes

Decades of research have made these storms more predictable, giving people more time to find shelter, but we're sadly still vulnerable

Clepsydra Geyser at Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming.

Gigantic Plume Beneath Yellowstone Now Even More Gigantic

The geysers of Yellowstone are a reminder of the potential danger that lies below

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