Forces of Nature
We see the destruction that the Earth can unleash in the news on a regular basis. Here you can learn about hurricanes, tornadoes, earthquakes and other forces of nature.
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Learn More / Page 7
The simple explanation is you have to be in just the right spot and the conditions have to be perfect for you to see the entire 360 degrees.
By Mark Mancini
NOAA is expecting widespread flooding throughout the United States this spring. Are you ready?
By Oisin Curran
The mercury soared to over 122 degrees Fahrenheit in Nawkwabash, Pakistan. It could be the highest April temp ever recorded on the planet.
By Mark Mancini
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The danger to the iconic statues is now greater than ever due to erosion and higher-energy wave action caused by climate change.
By Amanda Onion
You may never see it happen live, but if you do, consider yourself lucky. Because this meteorological phenomenon doesn't happen very often.
By Mark Mancini
Red snow? Yes. It totally exists. And while it might look cool, it's not exactly what you want to see from Mother Nature.
By Mark Mancini
The question about supervolcanoes, it turns out, isn't whether one could destroy all life on Earth. It's when will it do it again. Wait, what?
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Researchers from Montreal's Concordia University have figured out why the air inside a tornado vortex is cooler and less dense than the surrounding air.
Very specific atmospheric conditions and just the right perspective are necessary to see the phenomenon.
It's every evil mad scientist's dream. Could it ever be a reality?
By Julia Layton
Inject heat, ash and fire into a spinning mass of air. Watch as a funnel of flames leaps from the ground, reaches for the heavens and then races forward to consume everything in its path. Is such a phenomenon possible?
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"Nor'easter" is one of those words that makes you think of an old mariner scanning the horizon for a pending storm. What does it really mean — and why don't we say "northeaster"?
The Americas have been hit with some major hurricanes throughout the decades. But which were the worst ones in history?
By Chris Opfer & Sarah Gleim
Mother Earth seems to have a love/hate thing going on with humans. While the planet we call home has all the essentials we need for life, it also has some nasty — and deadly — surprises.
It sounds simple enough. A wildfire is burning in your immediate area, so you turn from it and run. But getting away from a fire on foot may not be as easy as you think.
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In the movies it looks so easy. A team of scientists are working near the crater of a volcano when it suddenly erupts. They jump in their vehicle and outrace the surging lava flow to safety. In reality, it just doesn't happen that way.
Who likes getting caught in a downpour without an umbrella? Not this guy and not us. Are we ever going to achieve rainmaker status so we can dial up a few gentle showers one day and a blast of sunshine the next?
The 1883 Krakatoa eruption was gigantic and deadly, but the advent of modern communications and mass media helped to make it one of the earliest and best-known modern natural catastrophes.
Hygrometers are used by many professionals to monitor levels of humidity in the air. So, do need one in your home?
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Ever hear that saying that a cow lies down when rain is coming? This superstition may not be as udderly ridiculous as you think.
Black ice is hazardous. Even worse, it's nearly invisible on the road surface. Learn more about black ice at HowStuffWorks.
Separating fact from fiction when it comes to tornado safety could mean the difference between life and death.
It's hard to resist a movie where bloodthirsty beasts fall from the sky, especially if Ian Ziering stars! How might the science behind this B movie work?
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Only a few natural events pack the power to knock global civilization on its heels. One is a planet-killing meteor. Care to guess the other?
A rainbow's ability to bring joy to just about anyone is probably why they're painted on kids' cheeks at fairs. But, what do rainbows mean? In this article, we'll look at rainbow symbolism from around the world.