A potentially record-breaking El Niño may reduce the likelihood of storms, but the agency still stressed the importance of preparedness.
News
What Winds Whip Up Otherworldly Waves?
New research goes back to the basics to explain how atmospheric conditions affect the creation of wind-driven waves on other worlds.
In Bihar, Groundwater Treatment Units Were Installed in Regions That Didn’t Need Them
Some regions that did need systems to treat carcinogens such as arsenic went without.
A Swarm of Earthquakes in South Africa’s Karoo Basin Poses Questions for Oil and Gas Development
A recent study cautions that the Karoo, a potential target for shale gas exploration, might not be as seismologically calm as it appears.
Changes in Sea Ice Microstructure Could Affect Climate Models
Granular sea ice needs to be twice as porous as columnar ice to allow water to flow through it—up to 10% brine by volume.
A New Approach Can Better Predict Debris Flow Hazards Years After Fires
USGS hazard maps don’t always reflect real landslide risk in the years after wildfires. Fine-tuning assessments of vegetation recovery could help.
The Fiery Tornadoes That Could Mop Up Oil Spills
More than 15 years after the Deepwater Horizon disaster, researchers are still searching for new ways to tackle disastrous spills. Some are looking to flaming twisters.
Scientists Find Thousands of Cubic Kilometers of Magma Hiding Beneath Tuscany
We already know what’s Under the Tuscan Sun. Now, a technique called ambient noise tomography has allowed researchers to see deep under the Tuscan crust.
Mongolian Mountains Rose When the Crust Bounced Back
A plate folded, the lithosphere sank, and up popped a mountain range.
Vegetation Moves Upslope Across the Himalayas
The vegetation line in places like Nepal and Bhutan is shifting upward by meters per year, with implications for how water moves through the planet’s “Third Pole.”
