Researchers use computer simulations to uncover the significant contributions that dry soil and atmospheric wind patterns make to major heat waves.
Hazards & Disasters
Finding Faults in Our Past: Uncovering the Messina Earthquake
The source of the deadly 1908 Italian earthquake may finally be identified, thanks to a fresh look at the geomorphology of the Strait of Messina.
Reconstructing 150 Million Years of Arctic Ocean Climate
A new summary of past Arctic climate conditions gives insight into anthropogenic influences on today’s climate and on the need for future drilling studies to further improve our understanding of the past.
Rating Fire Danger from the Ground Up
Soil moisture information could improve assessments of wildfire probabilities and fuel conditions, resulting in better fire danger ratings.
Podcast: The Johnstown Flood—A Most Avoidable Tragedy
How a dam failure near a small town in Pennsylvania continues to cast a shadow over the region more than 100 years later.
Will Melting Sea Ice Expose Marine Animals to New Diseases?
Marine mammals previously separated by Arctic ice may have more opportunities to interact as water routes redefine habitats and species ranges.
Working Together to Close Climate Change Information Gaps
Scientists and managers on the ground gathered to identify information gaps that pose barriers to evaluating climate change risks and responses.
Are Beavers Nature’s “Little Firefighters”?
It’s about dam time: Beavers are acknowledged for their firefighting skills in five recent blazes.
Hurricanes Hit Puerto Rico’s Mangroves Harder Than Florida’s
The scale and pattern of damage to the Puerto Rican forests suggest a complex interplay between wind, land, and sea.
Scientists Scramble to Collect Data After Ridgecrest Earthquakes
Ground shaking in Southern California, including a magnitude 7.1 temblor, triggered a massive mobilization effort to collect seismological, geological, and geodetic data.