For the first time, scientists have redirected lightning using a laser beam. And that’s just the start of what’s possible.
safety
Posted inNews
Geohazard Education Trainings Foster Resilience in Rural Alaska
National Science Foundation-funded teacher and community workshops boost disaster preparedness optimism among coastal Alaskan educators, whose communities face an array of natural hazards.
Posted inFeatures
Seismic Sources in the Aleutian Cradle of Tsunamis
Research over the past decade in Alaska’s Aleutian Islands has offered surprising insights into the pulses of great earthquakes that generate dangerous, often long-distance tsunamis.
Posted inOpinions
Playing It Safe in Field Science
Researchers face many risks when working in the field. Documenting past and future accidents and safety incidents can help identify patterns and practices to keep scientists out of harm’s way.
Posted inEditors' Highlights
Life on Mars? Estimating Radiation Risks for Martian Astronauts
New research suggests that to minimize radiation risk for human exploration of Mars, astronauts will need to dig deep for safety.
Posted inNews
How the Armero Tragedy Changed Volcanology in Colombia
The deadly eruption of Nevado del Ruiz in 1985 made Colombian volcanologists realize that studying natural phenomena was irrelevant if they could not share their knowledge to avoid predictable tragedies.
Posted inScience Updates
Wildfires Are Threatening Municipal Water Supplies
Climate change is driving an increase in catastrophic wildfires; consumers see, smell, and taste the effects in their water. Water utilities must prepare for worse times ahead.
Posted inEditors' Highlights
Modeling Urban-Weather Effects Can Inform Aerial Vehicle Flights
Microscale modeling can be used to understand and predict urban weather with sufficient detail to inform and support flight safety for crewed and uncrewed aerial vehicles.
Posted inEditors' Highlights
Better Thermospheric Monitoring is Vital to Space Safety
Better real-time estimates of thermospheric density are vital to the safe management of satellite traffic in Low Earth orbit, ensuring those satellites continue to deliver critical services.
Posted inOpinions
Charting Satellite Courses in a Crowded Thermosphere
As the number of satellites in low Earth orbit grows by leaps and bounds, accurate calculations of the effects of atmospheric drag on their trajectories are becoming critically important.