Natural Disasters
When a Glacial Dam Burst, an Alaskan Town Was Hit With a Sudden Flood
From Alaska to Peru and the Himalayas, glacial lakes are suddenly breaking free and causing deaths and millions of dollars in damages
A 'Tornadic Waterspout' Likely Sank a Billionaire's Yacht Near Sicily. Here's What That Means
Scientists say the extreme weather phenomenon could grow more common as climate change brings warmer water temperatures and more intense storms to the Mediterranean
Archaeologists Unearth Two More Vesuvius Victims at Pompeii
Recent excavations provide a glimpse into the choices a man and woman made in their final moments
One Year After a Devastating Fire, Lahaina's 151-Year-Old Banyan Tree Is Healing
Arborists didn't know if the historic tree would survive, but they've been working to give it the best possible odds
'We Have a Rattlesnake Problem': Wildland Firefighters in the West Must Also Face a Slithering, Venomous Foe
Nearly 100 large fires are burning in the United States right now, including some in rattlesnake territory
Thousands of Moonquakes Rocked the Apollo Landing Sites in Less Than a Decade
A new study found 22,000 previously unidentified lunar seismic events recorded between 1969 and 1977
No, Dinosaurs Did Not Trudge Through Thick Rainforests
The first jungles dense with flowering plants only formed after an asteroid impact wiped out the giant creatures
Watch a Yellowstone Hot Spring Explode Into a Boiling Column of Mud, Water and Rock
Hydrothermal explosions typically occur every year in the popular national park, but rarely in areas so heavily trafficked by visitors
Amid Its Volcanic Eruption, Pompeii Was Also Rocked by an Earthquake, Study Suggests
Researchers uncovered skeletal remains of two people in the ancient city that seem to have been killed by a building collapse caused by seismic activity
Has Life on Earth Survived More Than Five Mass Extinctions?
Scientists aren’t just arguing whether humans are causing a sixth mass extinction event now, but whether many more occurred in the past
Melting Ice Reveals Body of American Mountaineer Missing for 22 Years in the Peruvian Andes
Bill Stampfl, Matthew Richardson and Steve Erskine went missing in an avalanche on Huascarán on June 24, 2002. Climbers found Stampfl's body just weeks ago
Galveston’s Texas-Size Plan to Stop the Next Big Storm
In the wake of Hurricane Ike, engineers have been crafting a $34 billion plan to protect the city. Will it work when the next disaster arrives?
Extreme Wildfires Became Twice as Frequent and Intense in 20 Years, Study Finds
As measured by satellites, wildfires have markedly increased in boreal and temperate conifer forests, and rising nighttime temperatures allow flames to keep burning intensely after dark
An Ancient Beach Buried by Mount Vesuvius' Eruption Is Now Open to the Public
In the seaside resort town of Herculaneum, the beach is the final resting place of more than 330 residents who tried to flee
Extreme Heat and Wildfire Smoke Should Be Considered 'Major Disasters' by FEMA Amid Climate Crisis, Advocates Say
Despite killing more people in the U.S. each year than hurricanes, floods or tornadoes, heat waves aren’t currently eligible for emergency funding from the disaster relief agency
Don't Call Wombats Heroes, but Their Burrows Do Provide Food, Water and Shelter for Other Animals
During Australia’s devastating bushfires in 2019 and 2020, misinformation spread about wombats welcoming animals into their underground homes—but a new study finds a kernel of truth in the viral story
Pineapple-Sized Hail Stone Falls in Texas—and It Might Set a New State Record
Veteran storm chaser Val Castor spotted the behemoth ice chunk in a ditch near Vigo Park in the Texas panhandle
See the Stunning Shrine With Rare Blue-Painted Walls Unearthed at Pompeii
The 86-square-foot space is adorned with artworks depicting female figures and agricultural imagery
Hawaii's Kilauea, One of the World's Most Active Volcanoes, Erupts Again
The short-lived eruption occurred in an area of the volcano that had not erupted since December 1974
Another Volcanic Eruption Hits Iceland, Launching Lava More Than 160 Feet Into the Air
It's the fifth eruption near the town of Grindavik since December, signaling a new era of volcanic activity for the region
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