Earth Science

Every hurricane season, no matter what lessons history has taught us, some people fail to take the necessary precautions against these powerful storms. While we can’t stop them from coming, they are predicted, well in advance, giving everyone a chance…
Read more

On April 20, 2010, the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig exploded, killing 11 workers and injuring 17 others.  This set off a massive underwater oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.  Oil spilled out at a rate of perhaps 2 million…
Read more

On average, about 6 Atlantic storms a year develop into hurricanes, with 2 making landfall in the United States.  Some of the worst hurricanes—such as Katrina in 2005, Andrew in 1992, or the Galveston Hurricane of 1900—can cause hundreds or…
Read more

There is little theory left regarding lightning and thunder. There are still things we don’t know about lightning, however we do know what causes both lightning and thunder. It is still worthwhile to gain a greater understanding and appreciation for…
Read more

Hurricane season begins on June 1 and end on November 30. During the months in between, there are several tropical storms and hurricanes that wreck havoc on the Caribbean Islands, Mexico, the Gulf Coast and parts of the East Coast….
Read more

Google Earth is a very popular, useful, and informative software that provides the user with a virtual globe and maps formed by superimposition of satellite and aerial photos. But Google Earth contains far more content than simple maps.  For example,…
Read more

Every time a hurricane strikes somewhere, there are those who are completely amazed and caught off guard. They underestimate the power of the storm, the extent of damage, and the potential danger. Usually, this is  because they are new to…
Read more

On January 12, 2010, a catastrophic earthquake measuring 7.0 on the Richter scale struck the impoverished Caribbean nation of Haiti on the island of Hispaniola.  It was the strongest quake in the region in 200 years.  Its epicenter was in…
Read more

Today, those of us that live in hurricane-prone areas hear of oncoming storms weeks before they make landfall.  People have time to prepare for the storm by gathering essential items or evacuating the area.  Those that need help before, during,…
Read more

Before, during, and after, Hurricane Katrina, the public was pretty much aware that this was going to be a major event. Meteorologists were predicting that this could very well be “the big one.” Unfortunately, they were right, and in the…
Read more