Disasters Archives - Page 11 of 43

Feb122025 by Editor DeskNo Comments

2025 record heat highlights January become the hottest month Ever in the history

Breaking News, Climate Actions, Disasters, Environment

January 2025 was the hottest on record - a whole 1.7°C above pre-industrial levels. If many climate-watchers expected the world to cool slightly this year thanks to the natural "La Niña" phenomena, the climate itself didn't seem to get the memo. In fact, January 2025's record heat highlights how human-driven ocean warming is increasingly overwhelming these natural climate patterns. La Niña is a part of the El Niño southern oscillation, a climate fluctuation that slowly sloshes vast bodies of water and heat between different ocean basins and disrupts weather patterns around the world. El Niño was first identified and christened by Peruvian fishermen who noticed a dismal drop in their catch of sardines that coincided with much warmer than usual coastal waters. El Niño is now well known...

Feb112025 by Editor DeskNo Comments

Satellite Data Reveals Warning Signs Before Anak Krakatau Tsunami Disaster

Breaking News, Climate Actions, Disasters

A new study has revealed that Indonesia’s Anak Krakatau volcano, which collapsed in a devastating 2018 eruption and triggered a deadly tsunami, had been slipping for years showing warning signs that could have been detected in advance. Researchers at Penn State analyzed satellite data and found that the mountainside had been slowly shifting before its collapse, offering valuable insight into predicting similar disasters in the future. Published in Geophysical Research Letters, the study used a technique called Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR) to track surface deformation over a 12-year period. The analysis showed that the detachment fault beneath Anak Krakatau experienced approximately 15 meters (50 feet) of movement from 2006 to 2018, with notable acceleration just befo...

Feb102025 by Editor DeskNo Comments

Rising Mega Droughts Earth Dry Spell Expands by 12 Million Acres Annually

Breaking News, Climate Actions, Disasters

A shocking new study published in Science reveals that mega droughts severe, long-lasting dry spells are increasing at an alarming rate, expanding by 50,000 square kilometers (12 million acres) each year. These extreme droughts are depleting water sources, devastating agriculture, and fueling wildfires worldwide. Scientists have compiled the first-ever global catalog of megadroughts since 1980, ranking them by severity. "We found that these multiyear droughts are growing in size, intensity, and impact," said Pascal Buri, a glaciologist at the University of Alaska Fairbanks and one of the study’s authors. The study began with droughts in Chile, which has faced a water crisis since 2010. However, researchers soon expanded their focus and discovered droughts lasting more than two years ...

Feb102025 by Editor DeskNo Comments

State of Emergency Declared in Santorini as Earthquake Swarm Intensifies

Breaking News, Climate Actions, Disasters

The Greek government has declared a state of emergency on the island of Santorini as the region experiences a relentless series of earthquakes. The "earthquake swarm," which began as minor tremors in late January, has escalated into a significant seismic event, shaking the island multiple times a day. The tremors are also affecting nearby islands in the Aegean Sea, with some quakes occurring just minutes apart. Escalating Seismic Activity Over the past two weeks, seismologists have recorded thousands of earthquakes, with as many as 30 daily exceeding magnitude 4.0. The largest so far, a magnitude 5.1 quake on February 6, was felt in Athens, Crete, and even parts of Turkey, more than 240 kilometers away. The earthquakes, occurring at depths of less than 10 kilometers, are shallow enou...

Feb82025 by Editor DeskNo Comments

Megadroughts Expanding Globally as Climate Warms, New Study Finds

Breaking News, Climate Actions, Disasters, Environment

A groundbreaking study published in Science has revealed that megadroughts severe, long-lasting dry spells have been increasing in size, duration, and intensity over the past four decades. Researchers found that the total land area affected by multiyear droughts has expanded by 50,000 square kilometers (12 million acres) annually, signaling an alarming trend driven by climate change. A Comprehensive Global Drought Catalog For the first time, scientists have compiled a global catalog of long-term drought events since 1980, assessing their effects on vegetation and ranking their severity. The research, led by Liangzhi Chen of the Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow, and Landscape Research WSL, identified 13,176 individual droughts lasting longer than two years between 1980 and 201...

Feb82025 by Editor DeskNo Comments

Study Warns World Cup 2026 Stadiums Face Extreme Heat Risk

Breaking News, Climate Actions, Disasters, Environment

A new study has raised serious concerns about the impact of extreme heat on the 2026 FIFA World Cup, warning that nearly 90 percent of the tournament’s stadiums could face dangerous temperatures. Researchers found that 14 of the 16 host venues across the United States, Canada, and Mexico are at risk of exceeding critical heat stress levels, potentially affecting players, officials, and spectators. The research, conducted by Brunel University London, Queen’s University Belfast, and other institutions, analyzed 20 years of weather data and found that heat stress levels could surpass the 28°C threshold set by governing bodies as unsafe for play. If the summer of 2026 is hotter than average, as climate trends suggest, at least nine stadiums could see these extreme conditions for half the to...

Feb72025 by Editor DeskNo Comments

January Breaks Heat Record Despite La Niña, Cooling Predictions

Breaking News, Climate Actions, Disasters, Environment

The world witnessed yet another record-breaking warm month in January 2025, defying expectations of a cooler year due to a developing La Niña and a frigid winter in the United States, according to data from the European climate service Copernicus. Unprecedented January Heat Copernicus reported that January 2025 was 0.09°C hotter than January 2024, the previous warmest January on record, and 1.75°C above pre-industrial levels. This marks the 18th month out of the last 19 that global temperatures have touched or exceeded the 1.5°C warming limit set by international climate agreements. Despite La Niña’s typical cooling influence, global temperatures have not dropped as expected, raising concerns among climate scientists. Scientists Warn of Accelerating Global Warming A new stud...

Feb72025 by Editor DeskNo Comments

Earthquake Hotspots: Why Suburban Areas Face Greater Devastation

Breaking News, Climate Actions, Disasters, Environment

A vast majority of earthquakes occur within the infamous Ring of Fire, a seismic hotspot encircling the Pacific Ocean. Yet, when these earthquakes strike, the areas that experience the most intense shaking aren’t always the ones that suffer the worst destruction. Recent research has uncovered a hidden factor contributing to earthquake devastation: migration patterns and housing vulnerabilities. The 1999 Chi-Chi Earthquake: A Case Study Taiwan’s catastrophic Chi-Chi earthquake in 1999, which claimed over 2,400 lives, presented an unexpected pattern of destruction. Contrary to expectations, the worst damage was not in the bustling city centers but in the suburbs and outer regions. Similar trends have been observed in earthquakes that hit China, Chile, and Nepal, raising questions about...

Feb62025 by Editor DeskNo Comments

Study Finds Greenland Ice 930 million cubic meters Fracturing at Alarming Rate

Breaking News, Climate Actions, Disasters, Environment

Scientists have discovered that Greenland’s ice sheet has developed 930 million cubic meters of crevasses in just five years equivalent to a Great Pyramid of Giza-sized crack forming every few days. This rapid fracturing, particularly in fast-moving glaciers, could trigger a feedback loop that accelerates ice loss and raises global sea levels. A new study by researchers from the University of Florida, Durham University, and other institutions analyzed satellite imagery from 2016 to 2021, marking the first large-scale, multi-year assessment of Greenland’s crevasse formations. Automated machine learning techniques were used to track these changes, as manual methods proved too dangerous and time-consuming. Findings show uneven crevasse activity across the ice sheet, with some regions es...

Feb62025 by Editor DeskNo Comments

Severe Water Shortages in 2024 Spark Warnings for Future Drought Preparedness

Breaking News, Climate Actions, Disasters, Environment

The U.S. Northeast, long considered safe from severe water shortages, faced an unprecedented drought in the second half of 2024, forcing major cities to impose water restrictions and raising alarms about the region’s preparedness for future crises. After a summer of record-breaking heat and minimal rainfall, states like New York, Massachusetts, and Pennsylvania saw reservoirs drop to critical levels. Residents in New York City and Boston were urged to conserve water, while Philadelphia struggled with saltwater intrusion into its drinking supply as the Delaware River’s flow weakened. Wildfires, once rare in the region, erupted across parched landscapes, further underscoring the severity of the drought. Experts warn that this crisis is not an isolated event. As global temperatures rise...