Posts in “Weather and Geology” Category

An 8.6-magnitude earthquake, and a strong aftershock, struck off the coast of Indonesia yesterday. The earthquake was followed by a small tsunami, unlike the December 2004 earthquake, which was followed by a major tsunami. "The waves were just below 1 meter [3.3 feet]," said Emile Okal, a geophysicist at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois. "That is significant, but it's not going to do much damage."

The major earthquake that devastated Japan last year had a magnitude of 8.9 and triggered a deadly tsunami.

Read more about Wednesday's earthquake on National Geographic News.

Read about the 2011 earthquake in Japan on News Bites.


Photograph by Heri Juanda, AP

Winter is officially over. Today is the first day of spring! This day is also known as the vernal equinox. Many people believe that this is the day when daylight and nighttime hours are equally long, but is that really true? According to Geoff Chester, a public affairs specialist with Washington, D.C.'s U.S. Naval Observatory, the hours are equal before the equinox, although "exactly when it happens depends on where you are located on the surface of the Earth," he said.

Learn more about the equinox on National Geographic News.

See pictures of flowers in bloom on National Geographic Kids.


Photograph by Mario Guzmán, European Pressphoto Agency

Scientists studying rock samples have evidence that gold was delivered to Earth's surface by meteors! The evidence indicates that about 3.9 billion years ago, a huge "firestorm" of meteors brought gold and other precious metals to the planet.

Learn more about meteors and early days on Earth on National Geographic News.

Do you know your comet and meteor facts? Quiz Your Noodle and find out!


Photograph by Wally Pacholka, TWAN

This past weekend, Hurricane Irene swept up the East Coast of the U.S. The Category 1 hurricane first touched land in North Carolina. People living in Virginia to New York experienced flooding and downed trees. By the time it reached New York City and New England, Irene was downgraded to a tropical storm.

Hurricanes get weaker after they pass over land. Irene did slow down, but it remained large and destructive much longer than most hurricanes as it moved north through Vermont.

See more pictures of Hurricane Irene's destruction on National Geographic News.

Learn more about why Hurricane Irene lasted so long on National Geographic news.

What is a hurricane? Get the scoop on this type of storm in this video on National Geographic Kids.


Photograph by Hyunsoo Leo Kim, The Virginian-Pilot/AP

Things got a little shaky at National Geographic headquarters yesterday! A 5.8 magnitude earthquake struck the U.S. East Coast, shaking Washington D.C., New York City, and beyond. The earthquake's epicenter was in Mineral, Virginia, which is near Richmond. Earthquakes are rare in this part of the country, but their effects can be felt farther away than ones that strike the West Coast.

Humans weren't the only ones shaken up by the quake. Animals at the National Zoo exhibited unusual behavior before and after the earthquake.

Read more about Tuesday's East Coast earthquake on National Geographic News.

Read facts about the United States of America on National Geographic Kids.


Photograph by Justin Lane, European Pressphoto Agency

Mount Etna, the most active volcano in Europe, has been erupting off and on since early July. Although the volcano erupts often, the lava moves slowly, so there almost never any danger. The volcano has become more active during the last 50 years.

Read more about Mount Etna and see more pictures on National Geographic News.

Think you know the ins and outs of volcanoes? Quiz Your Noodle and find out!

Photograph by Marcello Paternostro, AFP/Getty Images

On May 21 Iceland's most active volcano, Grímsvötn began erupting, spewing a 12-mile-high (19-kilometer-high) cloud of ash. The eruption has also generated volcanic lightning. Grímsvötn volcano is one of seven volcanoes located under the Vatnajökull ice cap.

Icelandic airports have canceled flights because of the ash, and London's Heathrow Airport may be affected by the end of the week. In 2010, Iceland's Eyjafjallajökull volcano erupted, disrupting air traffic across Europe for several days.

See more pictures of the erupting volcano on National Geographic News.

Watch a video to learn more about volcanoes.


Photograph from AFP/Getty Images

A massive 8.9 magnitude earthquake--the strongest in Japan in 140 years--struck 81 miles (130 kilometers) off the coast of Sendai at 2:46 p.m. The number of casualties has not been confirmed.

Sendai, a city of about a million residents, was hit by tsunami waves up to 33 feet (10 meters) high. Tsunami warnings were quickly issued for many Pacific Coast regions, including Hawaii, the Philippines, and Mexico.

The earthquake and its aftershocks were felt as far away asTokyo, about 250 miles (400 kilometers) from the epicenter.

See more photos and learn more at National Geographic News.

Learn more about Japan .

Photograph by Keichi Nakane, Yomiuri Shimbun/AP

A destructive 6.3 magnitude earthquake struck the city of Christchurch, New Zealand yesterday. At least 65 people were killed, and people remain trapped in the rubble of collapsed buildings. This quake is the latest aftershock to follow a 7.1 magnitude earthquake that occurred in Christchurch in the fall of 2010.

Read more about the earthquake on National Geographic News.

Get the facts on New Zealand on National Geographic Kids.


Photograph by Mark Mitchell, New Zealand Herald/AP

A giant sinkhole appeared in downtown Guatemala City, Guatemala on May 30. It's about 60 feet (18 meters) wide, and appears to be 30 stories deep! Scientists think that tropical storm Agatha caused the sinkhole to form, although one geologist believes that it may have been because of leaky pipes.

Guatemala City is built on ground known as pumice fill that came from many past volcanic eruptions. Water soaked the loose, gravelly ground particles under the topsoil and the particles shifted causing the top layer to collapse.

See pictures and learn more about the giant sinkhole on National Geographic News.

Get facts about Guatemala on National Geographic Kids.

What's it like to live in Guatemala? Read Keli's blog and find out.


Photograph by Daniel LeClair, Reuters