Extreme weather and Natural DisastersWednesday, April 17, 2013 at 7:49 pm
Mrs. AdamsPlease read your choice of article, track facts, questions, and responses. Make sure to write any new learning in a post it and add to the appropriate chart to help with our learning. Please feel free to add illustrations with your new learning.
Wildfires Ravage Southern California
Dry conditions and fierce Santa Ana winds (dry desert winds), have resulted in several uncontrollable fires across Southern California. The fires, which are ravaging the coastline all the way from San Diego to Malibu, have burnt through thousands of acres, destroying many homes and commercial properties.
Southern California Wildfires
The fires that have plagued Southern California for over a week are finally showing signs of abating, thanks to a little help from the weather and a lot of hard working firefighters.
5.6 Magnitude Earthquake Jolts Northern California
An earthquake, measuring 5.6 on the Richter scale jolted the Bay Area around 8 pm on Tuesday October 30th.
Floods Devastate Mexican State Of Tabasco
Ten days of non-stop rain in the State of Tabasco, has resulted in one of the worst natual disasters in Mexico's history.
Update on floods in Tabasco, Mexico
The flood waters in the Mexican state of Tabasco are finally starting to recede. However, the damage caused by the floods continues to haunt the people of Mexico.
Southern U.S. States Hit By Powerful Tornadoes
Powerful tornadoes swept through the Southern U.S. States of Tennessee, Arkansas, Kentucky, Mississippi and Alabama. The storms, which hit Tuesday afternoon and Wednesday morning, are the worst ones to strike the area over the last decade.
102 Years Later, San Francisco Still Remembers!
On April 18, 1906 at 5.12 am, the city of San Francisco, California was awakened by a huge jolt. An earthquake that measured somewhere between 7.8 - 8.3 in magnitude, shook the ground for a full minute, resulting in one of the worst natural disasters in the history of the United States.
It's Hurricane Season
If you reside anywhere in the Northern Hemisphere you are probably aware that we are currently in the midst of the hurricane season, which officially starts on June 1st and ends on November 30th, every year.
Gigantic Jets - Nature's Amazing Light Fountains
We are all familiar with spectacular bolts of lightning that come down toward us during thunderstorms - But those shooting up from the cloud ? Those are rare indeed and scientists have just released some rarely seen images of what they call 'gigantic jets'.
The Earthquake In Haiti
For those of us living in California, earthquakes are a common occurence. However, thanks to stringent building codes and the fact that we can afford to abide by them, we are prepared, at least for the minor shakes.
Chile Gets Hit By A Massive Earthquake
It was just over a month ago that we woke up to the news of a 7.0 magnitude earthquake in Haiti. Early yesterday morning, an even bigger quake hit Chile, destroying homes and leaving millions without food, water or electricity.
Days Seem Shorter? Blame It On the Chilean Earthquake!
If your days seem to be going by faster since the Chilean earthquake, it's probably because they have become a little shorter - by about 1.26 millionth of a second or a little more than a microsecond!
He Huffed And He Puffed, But Could Not Blow The Straw House In!
He huffed and he puffed but could not blow the straw house in - That would have been the ending to the story had the little pig used the technology developed by Bristol-based, Modcell. Their straw house can withstand not only a mighty wolf, but also, 120mph hurricane winds.
Harnessing Electricity From Thin Air
One of the positive side effects of global warming has been that we are all racking our brains on how to turn it around - whether it be by recycling plastic waste or figuring out green sources of energy like the sun and ocean tides. Now, scientists believe they may be able to tap an even better source - our atmosphere!
Japan's Triple Whammy - Earthquake, Tsunami And Aftershocks
Friday March 11th, 2.46 pm will be forever be etched in the minds of people worldwide - For that's the precise moment the nation of Japan was rocked by an 8.9 magnitude earthquake - the fifth largest tremor since scientists began keeping records in the late 1800's. And, it gets worse . . . .
The Fallout From Japan's Earthquake And Tsunami Continues
About ten days ago, the lives of the people in Japan changed forever, when a powerful earthquake rocked the nation, and triggered a giant tsunami that destroyed everything in its path. Unfortunately, that was not the last of their worries . . . .
New Research Reveals Big Earthquakes Are NOT Related
With major earthquakes striking three continents since 2010, there is speculation about where the next big one will be. Since they all occurred along the 40,000km horeshoe-shaped area called the 'Ring of Fire', there is some speculation that it was caused by a domino effect - that is, the one in Chile triggered the one in New Zealand, which in turn, caused the one in Japan.
Monstrous Tornadoes Rip Through Southern USA
Perfect weather conditions - warm, moist air rising and mixing with colder, dry air at higher altitudes- are being attributed to the more than 150 tornadoes that ripped through the Southern States of Mississippi, Alabama and Georgia on April 27th, 2011 - And the assault continued until Saturday morning, when the storms finally petered out to light rain.
North America's Hurricane Season Begins With A Bang
Though Northern Hemisphere's hurricane season officially started on June 1st, this year had been relatively peaceful, until this week when Irene, a category 3 hurricane stormed across the Atlantic, wreaking havoc on the Caribbean Islands before moving on to the East Coast of the United States
Japan's Solution To Future Natural Disasters - A Floating Capsule
The 9.0 Earthquake and subsequent Tsunami that rocked Japan earlier this year, was one of the worst natural disasters that the country has had to deal with. Now, an innovative Japanese firm has come up with a floatable shelter designed to reduce the number of human casualties, should something similar happen again.
Can 'Invisibility Cloaks' Protect Buildings From Earthquakes?
Scientists have been intrigued with the concept of making objects and even events disappear ever since J.K. Rowling planted the seed with Harry Potter's invisibility cloak. They have had limited success in both so far, by manipulating lightwaves - bending them to make objects invisible, and making events disappear by changing their speed. Now, some mathematicians are proposing the same principle to protect buildings from earthquake damage.
US Midwest States Get Pounded By A Flurry Of Tornadoes
Rising moist air mixed in with colder dry air at higher altitudes helped create the perfect conditions for a flurry of tornadoes that swept across the Midwest states of Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska, and Iowa, last weekend.
US Hurricane Season Begins With A Splash As Isaac Unleashes On The Gulf States
It was supposed to have pounded the coast of Florida and even delayed Republican Presidential candidate Mitt Romney's nomination by a few days. But hurricane Isaac changed course midway. After barely grazing the Florida Keys, it bypassed the rest of the Sunshine State and instead, unleashed its fury on the three Gulf states of Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama.Join Class
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