Following the 23 July 2013 blowout of a gas production in the Gulf of Mexico owned by Hercules Offshore, scientists established a rapid response study to investigate the environmental effects.
Hazards & Disasters
Posted inResearch Spotlights
A Model to Predict When a Cholera Outbreak Might Hit the Congo
Researchers determined the environmental conditions most likely to trigger a cholera epidemic in a region in eastern Congo.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
Large Volcanic Eruptions Cause Drought in Eastern China
In a study with implications for geoengineering, large Northern Hemispheric volcanic eruptions are found to cause strong droughts in much of eastern China.
Posted inScience Updates
Detecting Near-Field Tsunamis off the Coast of British Columbia
A Near-Field Tsunami Initiative for the Coast of British Columbia;
Port Alberni, British Columbia, 27–28 March 2014
Posted inFeatures
Crop Residue Burning: A Threat to South Asian Air Quality
Smoke from the residues, burned during October and November to ready fields for next year’s planting, emanate from Punjab, a region spanning northwestern India and eastern Pakistan.
Posted inScience Updates
Next-Generation Severe Weather Forecasting and Communication
A new concept called Forecasting a Continuum of Environmental Threats (FACETs) aims to enhance weather forecasting with high-resolution probabilistic hazard information.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
How Should Flood Risk Assessments Be Done in a Changing Climate?
The common assumption that flood behavior is not changing over time causes water managers to undervalue flood protection benefits. A better method of risk assessment is proposed.
Posted inNews
Decades-Old Sediment Cores Complicate Cascadia Earthquake History
Scientists have long known that the Pacific Northwest is vulnerable to massive earthquakes, but newly unearthed data raises questions about the strength and frequency of these quakes.
Posted inScience Updates
Reducing Rockfall Risk in Yosemite National Park
Rockfalls from steep cliffs pose great hazards to the millions who visit Yosemite Valley each year. Armed with new studies, the National Park Service recently took steps to enhance visitors’ safety.
Posted inFeatures
How Does Climate Impact Floods? Closing the Knowledge Gap
To better prepare people for future floods, scientists need to dig deep into the past to capture a wide spectrum of both flood and natural climate variability.