Earth Science

The Midwest Is About to Freeze Its Ass Off While the Southwest Roasts

Just in time for Super Bowl Sunday, Arctic air will descend on the central U.S. as a trail of sub-zero temperatures marches down the the Canadian Rockies and parks over the Midwest. It will be short-lived and not quite as severe as the early January cold snap, but it also arrives at an inopportune time…

Earth Science Brian Kahn Jan 29

How Much Worse Could That Eruption in the Philippines Get?

There’s no end in sight to the hellish-looking eruption at Mount Mayon, the Filipino volcano that’s been spewing a mix of ash and lava for two weeks. This week, after Mayon ratcheted things up with tall ash clouds and half-mile-high lava fountains, volcanologists placed it on alert level 4 out of 5—meaning a “hazardous eruption”…

Earth Science Maddie Stone Jan 26

The 2017 Hurricane Season Officially Rewrote the Record Books

Even before they made landfall, 2017’s major hurricanes—Harvey, Maria and Irma—were already causing billions in damage. A new update from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) makes clear just how costly this trio of terrors will end up being, estimating that all three storms clock in among the top 5 most expensive hurricanes to…

Earth Science Brian Kahn Jan 26

Apparently Storms Can Push 600-Ton Boulders Around

On the rocky shores of a windswept island just west of Ireland, the 620-ton boulder looks almost at home. But careful analysis of its position over the last few years has revealed something odd: between the summers of 2013 and 2014, the boulder shifted a couple meters toward the sea. That discovery is causing scientists…

Earth Science Maddie Stone Jan 24

The Sky in Antarctica Looks Like Something Out of Science Fiction

The image above may look like the illustration for a vintage science fiction movie, an astronaut transfixed by an alien sun on a desolate planet. But no, it’s just another day on Earth. Frankly, it sometimes feels like we don’t deserve this world and its myriad wonders. Photojournalist Christopher Michel’s took the cinematic picture on…

Earth Science Brian Kahn Jan 24

Paris Is Flooding

Y’know that nursery rhyme that goes, “London Bridge is falling down?” Well, here’s a new one: “The Eiffel Tower is flooding now.” That’s right, folks. The Seine River in Paris is flooding big time. On Tuesday, the City of Paris issued an orange alert—the second-highest flood warning—as the Seine River swelled to near-unprecedented levels. The…

Earth Science Yessenia Funes Jan 24

Oh My God, Look at Mount Mayon Right Now

The most active volcano in the Philippines looks utterly terrifying after a day of eruptive activity that prompted the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) to ratchet up the warning level to 4. According to authorities, a violent eruption could be imminent. Mayon Volcano, which has been rumbling since Jan. 13th and started dribbling…

Earth Science Maddie Stone Jan 23

Why Even a Baby Tsunami Can Trigger a Warning

Early this morning, NOAA’s National Tsunami Warning Center issued tsunami warnings for the south coast of Alaska and British Columbia, after a powerful, magnitude 7.9 earthquake rocked the Gulf of Alaska. Tsunami watches were issued for California, Oregon, and Washington State. A few hours later, all watches and warnings had been canceled, leading many Twitter…

Earth Science Maddie Stone Jan 23

Greenland May Be Rife With Geothermal Activity

Greenland is shedding ice like a popsicle on defrost, and climate change is to blame. But some of Greenland’s fast-flowing glaciers may also be feeling the burn of different heat source—one that hails from Earth’s deep interior. A study out today in Nature Scientific Reports offers evidence of a significant geothermal heat source warming the…

Earth Science Maddie Stone Jan 22

Look at These Insane Waves Battering the Northwest

The West Coast has been the land of apocalypse weather this winter. First fires. Then mudslides. Now huge waves are pummeling the Oregon, Washington and British Columbia coasts along with tropical storm-force winds. Northern California is also getting pounded to the point where a big wave surf competition is on hold because the waves are…

Earth Science Brian Kahn Jan 19

Massive Storms Can Change the Shape of the Planet

Contrary to popular opinion, the Earth is not in fact a round boy nor is it solid rock. It’s a lumpy horror show that can be squished and stretched by relatively weak forces. Recent findings published in Geophysical Research Letters show that rain associated with tropical cyclones can put a dent in our doughy planet,…

Earth Science Brian Kahn Jan 18

Why the Eastern Corner of Siberia Is the Coldest Inhabited Place on Earth

Siberia is geographical shorthand for “very cold.” But even by Siberian standards, what’s happening in the eastern Siberia hamlet of Oymyakon right now is ridiculous—and it begs the question of just what the heck makes this part of the world so freaking cold. Temperatures have been topping out at minus-40 degrees Fahrenheit in Oymyakon, home…

Earth Science Brian Kahn Jan 17

The Philippines’ Most Active Volcano Is at It Again

In further proof that real life is wilder than fiction, the most active volcano in the Philippines is currently spewing its guts out, creating a scene that looks straight out of Lord of the Rings and that’s caused tens of thousands of nearby residents to flee. Mount Mayon, located in the coconut-growing province of Albay,…

Earth Science Maddie Stone Jan 16

Damn That’s a Tall Cloud

You only need a handful of ingredients to make a cloud. Water, and maybe a few tiny particles of salt, dust or soot tossed together in the atmosphere is all it takes. And yet that simple concoction results in dozens of cloud types, including some that feel not of this world. Take, for instance, the…

Earth Science Brian Kahn Jan 16

Mesmerizing Visualization Turns This Winter’s Snowfall Into Mountains

Does it feel like your neck of the woods has already received mountains of snowfall this winter? Then you’ll probably appreciate this striking new visualization by Dartmouth geographer Garrett Nelson, which turns this winter’s year-to-date snowfall totals into literal mountains. “I’m a geographer, so I’m always finding ways to make new maps in my spare…

Earth Science Maddie Stone Jan 16

Oh Great, Now We Have to Deal With Ice Jams

This has been a winter of weird wonders. First it was snow in the Sahara. Then came ice balls on Lake Michigan. Now we’ve got to deal with ice jams. Sub-zero temperatures last week didn’t just instantaneously turn boiling water to snow. They also quickly froze rivers, ponds and lakes across the Northeast and Midwest.…

Earth Science Brian Kahn Jan 12

Lake Michigan’s Latest Ice Ball Outbreak Was Incredible

Snowball fights are fun and all, but if you really want to up your game or possibly fend off a White Walker invasion, you should head on over to the Great Lakes to pick up some ice balls. On January 5th, an incredible scene was captured on the shores of Lake Michigan near Glen Arbor:…

Earth Science Maddie Stone Jan 10

This Is What Nuclear War Would Mean for Life on Earth

We haven’t been this close to nuclear war in decades. So while you’re brushing up on how to duck and cover, why not also brush up on how a few nukes could turn the planet into a wasteland of suffering for humans, and the rest of life on Earth? There are roughly 15,000 nuclear bombs…

Earth Science Brian Kahn Jan 9

It Snowed in the Sahara and the Photos Are Breathtaking

Look, I know we cover a lot of the bad types of weather here. Wildfires, droughts, extreme cold, hurricanes. But allow me to make it up to you with some Good Weather. Snow in Sahara? Yes, please. On Sunday, snow fell in one of the most unlikely places on Earth. Ain Sefra, an Algerian town…

Earth Science Brian Kahn Jan 8

Weather Disasters Cost America a Record $306 Billion in 2017

That 2017 was a bad year for disasters in the U.S. is a given. Now the federal government has classified it not just as a bad year, but the worst. Data released on Monday by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration show that 2017 saw $306 billion in weather- and climate-related costs, the highest total…

Earth Science Brian Kahn Jan 8

The Midwest Is About to Freeze Its Ass Off While the Southwest Roasts

How Much Worse Could That Eruption in the Philippines Get?

The 2017 Hurricane Season Officially Rewrote the Record Books

Apparently Storms Can Push 600-Ton Boulders Around

The Sky in Antarctica Looks Like Something Out of Science Fiction

Paris Is Flooding

Oh My God, Look at Mount Mayon Right Now

Why Even a Baby Tsunami Can Trigger a Warning

Greenland May Be Rife With Geothermal Activity

Look at These Insane Waves Battering the Northwest

Massive Storms Can Change the Shape of the Planet

Why the Eastern Corner of Siberia Is the Coldest Inhabited Place on Earth

The Philippines’ Most Active Volcano Is at It Again

Damn That’s a Tall Cloud

Mesmerizing Visualization Turns This Winter’s Snowfall Into Mountains

Oh Great, Now We Have to Deal With Ice Jams

Lake Michigan’s Latest Ice Ball Outbreak Was Incredible

This Is What Nuclear War Would Mean for Life on Earth

It Snowed in the Sahara and the Photos Are Breathtaking

Weather Disasters Cost America a Record $306 Billion in 2017

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