Tropical Cyclone Pam strengthened to hurricane-force near Vanuatu, with sustained winds reaching up to 56 mph and heavy rainfall expected. NASA's satellite data showed the storm's powerful thunderstorms, which are driving its circulation and intensification.
Hyongki Lee, a University of Houston researcher, is training South Asian government officials to independently manage their water resources. With the help of a novel software toolbox, these officials can better predict and prepare for floods and monsoons, saving lives and reducing devastation.
A new Duke University study estimates that a gallon of gasoline costs around $3.80 more than the pump price when health and environment are factored in. The social cost of diesel is about $4.80 more, while natural gas becomes cheaper than its initial price. Solar and wind power also become cheaper.
Urbanization leads to more thunderstorm initiation events, posing dangers like lightning and flash floods with little warning. The risk is higher on weekdays due to increased aerosol levels from commuters.
Researchers have developed a new fluorescent protein called CaMPARI, which permanently marks neurons that are active at a particular time. This allows scientists to visualize neural activity beyond the limited field of view of a microscope and capture snapshots of neural activity during complex behaviors.
Scientists studied the Jökulsárgljúfur canyon and found that it was formed by a series of distinct floods triggered by volcanic activity under glaciers. The floods, which occurred thousands of years apart, created the 100-metre walls and pushed three waterfalls, including Dettifoss, back upstream.
Researchers from the University of Iowa analyzed daily stream gauge records from 1962-2011 and found that 34% of stations experienced an increase in flood frequency, while 9% saw a decrease. The study suggests that warmer temperatures and increased rainfall are contributing to the rising number of big floods in the region.
A $3 million grant will restore 14.4 miles of streams in Pennsylvania, reducing flooding and improving water quality. The project will also create a riparian forest buffer to support a breeding population of native brook trout and other coldwater fish species.
A new network of underground sensors in the Texas Hill Country is connected to NASA's SMAP satellite, providing vital information for determining drought and dangerous floods. The Texas Soil Observation Network will help answer questions about how much rainfall gets soaked up by the soil and how much fills reservoirs.
Research shows global warming could double the frequency of extreme La Niúna events, leading to increased droughts and floods globally. This could also lead to weather patterns switching between extremes of wet and dry, with profound socio-economic consequences.
GOES-West satellite captured the birth of Tropical Cyclone Niko, with maximum sustained winds near 45 knots. The storm is expected to strengthen into a hurricane after passing Tahiti and entering the open waters of the South Pacific Ocean.
Scientists will gather data on atmospheric rivers, which produce up to 50% of California's precipitation, and explore how to predict when and where they will hit land. The study aims to improve climate models and inform water management decisions during droughts and floods.
University of Washington experts are using the physics behind rain-on-snow flooding to better predict risks. They found that warm, humid air surrounding raindrops is most to blame for melting snow, and that tree cover can reduce flood risk by slowing storm winds.
Scientists found that El Niño fuels intense hurricanes in the region by altering atmospheric conditions, providing additional energy to tropical cyclones. The study reveals an oceanic pathway bringing heat into the basin two or three seasons after winter peak.
A new online tool, Cities Impact Assessment Tool (CIAT), helps cities in the Great Lakes region anticipate and prepare for climate-related challenges. The tool provides climate histories, projections, and adaptation strategies to support informed policy and infrastructure decisions.
Research on ozone depletion reveals devastating effects on Southern Hemisphere weather, including increased incidence of floods, droughts, wildfires, and changes to tree growth rates and biodiversity in Antarctic lakes. Ozone hole impacts are also felt through changes in summer rainfall and wind patterns, posing risks to natural ecosys...
A new study by IIASA researchers highlights the importance of education in reducing disaster fatalities and enhancing adaptive capacity. Education plays a crucial role in improving knowledge, risk perception, socioeconomic status, and social capital, making it a vital investment for climate change adaptation efforts.
A new study by Michigan State University scholar Aaron M. McCright found that only 35% of US citizens attribute extreme winter temperatures to global warming, contrary to expectations that such events would change minds.
Researchers examine how westerly wind pulses impact El Niño's strength, suggesting a link between these events and the phenomenon's duration. Scientists also explore drilling into small volcanoes to better understand future hazards.
A team of researchers at Florida State University has made a groundbreaking discovery in the field of plant genetics, shedding light on how plants regulate their genetic material. The study found that certain regions of DNA are hypersensitive to enzymes, allowing scientists to identify new biochemical signatures and gain a better under...
A new international research review argues that government-sponsored firefighting and land-use policies encourage development on hazardous landscapes, amplifying human losses. The authors recommend adopting location-specific approaches to improve development and safety in fire-prone areas through effective land-use planning, regulation...
A new study suggests that aggressively fighting wildfires may actually increase societal vulnerability, highlighting the importance of learning to coexist and adapt with natural hazards. The research recommends integrating fire management strategies into land-use planning, zoning regulations, and building codes to mitigate human losses.
A recent study published in Geology reveals that harmonic tremor occurs within mountain glaciers and that individual icequakes can exhibit harmonic properties. This discovery suggests a complex network of fluid-induced fracture processes at the glacier base, which can lead to damaging floods in valleys below the glacier.
Tropical Depression 9 reformed into Tropical Storm Hanna, becoming a 'zombie' storm that brought strong thunderstorms and heavy rainfall to Nicaragua and Honduras. The National Hurricane Center issued a tropical storm warning for the area, predicting life-threatening flash floods and mudslides.
Tropical Depression 9 has formed over the western Bay of Campeche and is expected to produce life-threatening flash floods in the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico. The depression is predicted to intensify into a tropical storm before landfall.
Researchers found that sediment concentrations in plumes from dredging or floods can delay clownfish larvae development by up to two weeks. This delay has a significant impact on adult populations as it increases the risk of mortality for young fish during their most vulnerable stage.
Tropical Storm Ana is nearing hurricane strength and expected to become a hurricane before reaching the Big Island of Hawaii. The storm's outer clouds are already affecting the island, causing heavy rainfall and potentially life-threatening flash floods and mudslides.
Tropical Storm Ana is expected to intensify and impact the Hawaiian Islands, causing life-threatening flash floods and mudslides. The storm may produce large swells and damaging surf along exposed shorelines.
A new forecasting method uses complex networks analysis to predict extreme rainfall events in the South American Andes. The approach, developed by an international team of scientists, can accurately forecast 90% of extreme rainfall events under El Niño conditions and 60% under other conditions.
Iceberg scour marks on sea floor indicate meltwater and iceberg movement as far south as Miami and southern Florida. Researchers used high-resolution numerical models to simulate glacial meltwater floods, showing that massive icebergs could have drifted along the east coast of the United States.
A review published in ESA Frontiers explores designing rivers with environmental flows to sustain ecosystem services, considering controlled releases and hands-off policies. The approach aims to create functional ecosystems under current conditions, rather than recreating historical ones.
In September 2013, Colorado experienced massive flooding triggering over 1,100 debris flows across a 3,400 square kilometer area. The floods were initiated on steep slopes with high areal concentrations of colluvial soils on sedimentary rocks.
Researchers use tree rings to date arroyo sedimentary beds and combine data with aerial imagery and LiDAR to reconstruct the history of these arroyos. The study reveals that arroyos are unstable features that shift between broad floodplains and incised channels, and that upstream progression is limited to specific locations.
NASA's Aqua satellite detected powerful thunderstorms around Tropical Storm Polo's center, indicating strengthening conditions. Rainfall totals of 5-10 inches expected over coastal areas in Michoacan, Colima, and Jalisco states, with life-threatening flash-floods and mudslides possible.
Hurricane Odile made landfall near Cabo San Lucas with winds of up to 110 knots, dropping rain at a rate of over 188.4 mm per hour. The storm's weakening system will continue to bring torrential rainfall and flash floods to the Baja California Peninsula.
Engineers used tweets from the 2013 Colorado floods to study infrastructure damage, providing insights into damage distribution, geographic scope, and time progression. This study demonstrates the potential of social media for reconnaissance by non-emergency professionals after disasters.
A comprehensive review examines potential influences on recent UK winter floods, including the role of global oceans and wind patterns. The study suggests that natural fluctuations may be responsible for extreme weather events, but also notes the importance of understanding the impact of climate change.
A consortium of Missouri universities and research institutions will examine how climate change affects agriculture in the state. Researchers will focus on plant stress, soil changes, and regional weather patterns.
Researchers propose a new method of flood risk assessment that starts with the null hypothesis of 'no trend' but explicitly assesses statistical uncertainties. This approach could help water managers better estimate future flood risks and avoid wasting money on unneeded infrastructure.
Scientists have developed a new method to monitor rainfall in West Africa using weakened cell phone signals, which could help cities prepare for floods and combat weather-related diseases. Meanwhile, researchers discovered that residual currents persist between lightning strokes, challenging current cutoff models.
A team led by University of Oregon geologist Gregory Retallack analyzed Curiosity rover images and data to discover Earth-like soil profiles with cracked surfaces lined with sulfate. This finding suggests that Mars may have had a more habitable climate in the past, increasing the possibility of microbial life.
Researchers found that global climate models fail to accurately represent the characteristics of airborne African dust, which influences Atlantic Ocean hurricanes. Surface waves in the central Beaufort Sea also play a role in energy and nutrient transport, contributing to ice retreat and potentially exacerbating coastal erosion.
Researchers at UCI used NASA satellite data to predict river basin overflow, increasing flood warning lead times from two months to five months. This could help save lives and property by providing earlier evacuation strategies.
The University of Texas at Arlington has received a three-year, $250,000 National Science Foundation grant to collaborate with AIDICO on disaster mitigation research. The project aims to develop quick solutions to infrastructure and technology problems that arise from natural disasters, improving the resilience of civil infrastructure.
A QUT study found that flood fear had a minimal on-going effect on property prices, with low-value suburbs being the exception. Middle and high-value homes in Brisbane experienced price rebounds within 12 months after the 2011 floods.
A Princeton University study of 7,000 Indonesian families found that increasing temperatures, rather than natural disasters, lead to permanent migration. The researchers discovered that a one-degree increase in temperature can result in a significant decline in household assets and economic wellbeing.
A new report by the European Commission's Joint Research Centre analyzes the impacts of climate change in 9 sectors, predicting significant economic losses, heat-related deaths, and coastal damage. The study finds that the northern Europe region would experience the lowest welfare losses, while southern Europe would bear the most burden.
Soft coral tissue has been found to protect reef skeletons from declining pH levels, potentially providing a new approach to preserving coral reefs. The study, published in PLOS One, highlights the resilience of soft corals and their potential role in maintaining the health of coral reefs.
Researchers link massive flooding in China to human-caused environmental degradation and flood-mitigation efforts dating back 3,000 years. The Yellow River's levee system was built over 2,900-700 years ago to control erosion, but it ultimately made periodic floods worse.
A tropical low pressure area in the Bay of Campeche is showing signs of development, with cloud-top temperatures near -63F (-52C). The system has a 50% chance for formation, threatening southeastern Mexico with heavy rains and life-threatening flash floods.
A new tropical low pressure area is brewing in the Eastern Pacific, with heavy rainfall expected to cause life-threatening flash floods and mudslides in western Central America. The National Hurricane Center gives System 93E a 90% chance of becoming a tropical depression in the next 48 hours.
Research documents a poleward migration of storm intensity in the Northern and Southern Hemispheres over 30 years of global historical tropical cyclone data, highlighting changes in risk for densely populated coastal cities and potential water shortages in equatorial regions.
A first-year Environmental Science student at the University of Nottingham Malaysia Campus published a literature review on the Southeast Asian monsoon in Geoscience Frontiers. The study found that future climate warming could lead to a 15-day delay in the monsoon onset by the start of the next century.
System 90E is a tropical low-pressure area located southwest of Zihuatenejo, Mexico, heading towards landfall in the region. The National Hurricane Center has given it a 20% chance of becoming a tropical cyclone over the next 48 hours.
The US National Climate Assessment reports that nearly all natural and managed ecosystems are experiencing climate change impacts, threatening biodiversity and ecosystem services. The assessment provides guidelines for responding and adapting to these changes, highlighting the urgent need for policy development.
The Integrated Precipitation and Hydrology Experiment field campaign aims to better understand mountain weather patterns and improve precipitation measurement. Researchers will combine ground-based measurements with airborne sensors and satellite data to gain insights into the complex processes of mountain rainfall.
Scientists at Michigan State University have made a groundbreaking discovery that challenges long-standing theories on the origin of massive lava flows in Africa. The study found that some of these lavas came from within the African tectonic plate itself, rather than deep within the mantle.
Researchers found that the river's supply of sand, a key ingredient for rebuilding marshlands, will remain constant for at least 300 years. The study suggests that despite reduced sediment loads, the abundance of sand in the lower Mississippi River channel will continue to replenish wetlands.
A new study questions the Environmental Protection Agency's emergency water treatment guidelines, suggesting they may be too harsh and impractical to carry out. The researchers found that using more chlorine bleach than necessary can kill disease-causing pathogens, but is often not feasible due to lack of proper equipment and supplies.
Cornell scientists developed the first vaccines that can prevent metritis in dairy cows, reducing incidence by up to 83% and alleviating symptoms. The research could help curb antibiotic resistance and save the US billions annually.