Natural Disasters

Latest about natural disasters

Image showing Earth's layers with space background.

Off the Coast of Portugal, the Earth's Crust Might Be Peeling in Two

By Yasemin Saplakoglu published

It might explain the massive earthquake of 1755 which destroyed the city of Lisbon

Planet Earth
Insight's seismometer on the surface of Mars.

NASA Just Detected the First Marsquake on the Red Planet

By Yasemin Saplakoglu published

The InSight Lander has been listening for marsquakes since December.

Earthquakes
san Andreas fault Carrizo plain

California's Eerie 'Earthquake Pause' Is Unprecedented

By Stephanie Pappas published

California hasn't seen a ground-rupturing earthquake in 100 years. That's unprecedented.

Earthquakes
Homes are inundated by floodwater from the Pecatonica River on March 18, 2019, in Freeport, Illinois.

What's Behind the Massive Midwestern Floods: 2 Giant Waves of Water

By Rafi Letzter published

Here's why vast swaths of Nebraska, Missouri, and other Midwestern states are drowning.

Flooding
Illustration of the layers of the Earth, like a slice of cake.

Mountain Range More Rugged Than the Rockies Found Buried Deep Within Earth

By Yasemin Saplakoglu published

Ain't no mountain rough enough like those 660 kilometers deep in the ground.

Geology
Asteroid hitting Earth

Dinosaur-Killing Asteroid Triggered Mile-High Tsunami That Spread Through Earth's Oceans

By Laura Geggel published

Tsunami
A tornado cuts its way through a field in Minneola, Kansas, on May 24, 2016, in this image captured by expert storm chaser and photographer Jason Weingart.

Tornadoes Don't Form Like Meteorologists Thought They Did

By Stephanie Pappas published

Tornado rotation seems to start right at ground level.

Weather
A U.S. Geological Survey map shows the location of the earthquake and aftershocks. The biggest dot is the 7.0 quake.

A 7.0-Magnitude Earthquake Just Shook Alaska

By Rafi Letzter published

The earthquake struck 8 miles (13 kilometers) north of Anchorage, prompting a tsunami warning.

Earthquakes
new zealand

New Zealand's Islands Are Creeping Closer Together

By Stephanie Pappas published

New Zealand is still moving after an earthquake two years ago.

Geology
Mount Etna

Mount Etna's Slide into the Sea Could Trigger a Catastrophic Collapse

By Stephanie Pappas published

New research raises questions about Mount Etna's dangers.

Rivers & Oceans
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