The editors of a new book describe the benefits of systematic collection, storage, analysis, and sharing of damage data after flood events.
Hazards & Disasters
Volcano’s Toxic Plume Returns as Stealth Hazard
During a closely watched eruption, plumes of harmful sulfur dioxide gas morphed into “plumerangs” of sulfuric-acid-rich aerosols that descended on populated parts of Iceland.
Cities Partner to Prepare for Natural Hazards and Climate Change
NASA-Rio-UCCRN Workshop on Sea Level Rise, Urban Heat Islands, and Water Quality; New York, 14–16 November 2016
Algorithm Discerns Where Tweets Came from to Track Disasters
New pilot system that analyzed more than 35 million flood-related Twitter posts to determine their geographic origin might help first responders locate and react more quickly to calamities.
Can Water Vapor Help Forecast When a Volcano Will Blow?
A widely used technique to monitor sulfur dioxide was tweaked to focus on water vapor at Peru’s Sabancaya Volcano. Results show that the volcano steamed up prior to its 2016 eruption.
Probing the Power of Pacific Supertyphoons
Despite higher than normal surface temperatures and heat contents of ocean waters where the storms developed, evidence is lacking that global warming is revving them up.
How Storm Turbulence Can Spark Lightning
The turbulent pockets of air inside storms can help to build up static electricity in the atmosphere, according to a new study.
Challenges and Opportunities for Coastal Altimetry
10th Coastal Altimetry Workshop; Florence, Italy, 21–24 February 2017
Homemade Lava Flows Fuse Science with Art on Video
An artist’s impulse to recreate natural landscapes leads to fiery scientific explorations that elucidate the behavior of erupting lava and the solid shapes it becomes.
How Shifting Winds Turn Tropical Storms into Hurricanes
Researchers present a novel method for analyzing how wind shear affects tropical cyclone strength and structure.
