Faced with the problem of how to estimate and report weather conditions, particularly wind speeds, Admiral Francis Beaufort devised the Beaufort Wind Scale. He first used it 1806 when he was 30 years old, serving as a Lieutenant in the…
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Under certain conditions, powerful winds form over the Sahara desert in North Africa and move northward and eastward across the Mediterranean Sea. On their journey, the winds pick up moisture and blow humidity and heat into many countries on the…
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A hurricane can be extremely destructive and dangerous, leaving nothing but ruin in its path. In the most powerful of hurricanes, it is nearly impossible for homeowners to fully protect all of their property, but by taking a few simple…
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Heavy rainfall is one of the most common causes of flooding. There are, however, several other events that can cause floods. When rain falls, it is either absorbed into the ground (infiltration) or flows along the surface of the ground…
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Earthquakes are the most destructive natural force on the planet. They are unpredictable, striking with little warning and causing incredible amounts of damage in a matter of minutes, or even seconds. Not only can the initial tremor cause a massive…
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A flood is an overflow of water which temporarily covers land not normally covered by water. Floods occur whenever there is too much rainfall, meltwater, storm surge, or other release of upstream water for the rivers to handle and the…
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Coral reef diseases usually occur in response to stresses such as bacteria, viruses, increased water temperatures, Ultra-violet (UV) radiation, and pollutants; one type of stress may weaken the coral, leaving it vulnerable to another. The frequency of coral diseases has…
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Earthquakes are more likely to occur in some areas than in others. However, truth is that they can occur almost anywhere. Planning and preparing for a quake is the first and best chance of survival. What to do in an Earthquake…
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As coral reefs go through their various stages of development, they form three kinds of reefs. The first of these to develop are the fringing reefs, which are directly offshore in tropical waters. As the first stage of growth, this…
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60 meters below the surface of the Coral Sea, off the east coast of Queensland, Australia, the Great Barrier Reef expands over 133,000 square miles (over 344,000 square kilometers). Composed of over 2,900 reefs and 900 islands, the Great Barrier…
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