A team of researchers put an array of space- and ground-based weather instruments to the test and found that the common weather balloon is irreplaceable for forecasting rainfall.
Hazards & Disasters
Posted inResearch Spotlights
When Predicting Drought Risk, Do Not Overlook Temperature
Through analysis of 2014's record dryness in California, a study suggests that a risk of similar droughts depends not just on precipitation but also on temperature.
Posted inScience Updates
Fire in the Hole: Recreating Volcanic Eruptions with Cannon Blasts
Artificial volcanic plumes, fired from cannons loaded with ash plucked from the slopes of Iceland, may help researchers better monitor disruptive eruptions.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
California's 2012–2014 Drought Unusual for Last Millennium
Soil moisture estimates, inferred from thousands of tree rings spanning the past 12 centuries, highlight the severity of the recent record-breaking drought.
Posted inScience Updates
Exploring Natural Hazard Policies with Bike Helmets and Bus Fares
A close look at everyday decisions—whether or not to wear a bike helmet or cheat on bus fare—helps students learn about assessing natural hazards, mitigating risks, and setting political priorities.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
Found: The Submarine Source of an 1891 Eruption Near Sicily
Analysis of a volcano may help explain why some eruptions produce volcanic balloons–hollow chunks of lava that encase a gas-filled cavity.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
Seismic Stress Modeling Puts Istanbul in the Crosshairs
Twenty years of ground motion observations show that seismic strain is accumulating south of Istanbul.
Posted inNews
Internet Users Act as Earthquake Trackers
Armed with Internet connections, smartphones, and Twitter handles, citizens around the world are helping seismologists track earthquakes.
Posted inScience Updates
Keeping Watch Over Colombia's Slumbering Volcanoes
Technology used in your car's navigation system can help save the lives of those living in the shadows of volcanoes.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
Radio Blackout! Ham Radio as an Operational and Scientific Instrument
Monitoring solar activity that disrupts communications can be helped by crowdsourced and automated reports from amateur radio operators.