President Obama declared a state of federal emergency for Flint, Michigan over lead-contaminated water, on January 16, 2016. Lead contamination is a potentially dangerous health hazard, as it can cause brain damage and other problems when ingested. The city has been…
SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket will attempt to deliver the Jason-3 satellite to low-Earth orbit at 18:42 UTC on January 17, 2016. If all goes as planned, the Jason-3 satellite will be deployed approximately one hour after launch. This mission also marks an…
Using more than 35 years of data from the Wilcox Solar Observatory at Stanford University and from the United States Geological Survey, a model was constructed using patterns discerned in the polar magnetic fields of the sun. These patterns in solar magnetism were…
New activity/unrest was observed at 2 volcanoes from January 6 – 12, 2016. During the same period, ongoing activity was reported for 14 volcanoes. New activity/unrest: Masaya, Nicaragua | Soputan, Sulawesi (Indonesia). Ongoing activity: Chirpoi, Kuril Islands…
A fierce storm hit Sydney, Australia on January 14, 2016. Powerful winds knocked down power lines, damaged buildings and caused traffic disruptions across the affected areas. One person died and another suffered serious injuries in a weather-related incident. A…
Among the top space news stories of 2015, we have seen dramatic affirmations of the electromagnetic connection between the Earth and the Sun. With each new discovery, the Sun’s profound influence on Earth’s climate and weather becomes more self-evident….
NASA's program for detecting and tracking near-Earth objects (NEOs) has now been formally established and named the Planetary Defense Coordination Office (PDCO). Its responsibility will be supervising projects oriented towards finding and characterizing…
The scientists at Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, New York, have gathered data from hundreds of research cruises and made a significant contribution to providing easily accessible ocean floor maps to interested people across the globe. The mapping site is capable…
Tropical Cyclone "Ula", formed on December 30, 2015, intensified on January 7 after moving away from Fiji in the Southern Pacific Ocean. The system is expected to reach its second peak by January 10 while staying east of Noumea, New Caledonia and then turn…
New activity/unrest was observed at 5 volcanoes from December 30, 2015 – January 5, 2016. During the same period, ongoing activity was reported for 12 volcanoes. New activity/unrest: Etna, Sicily (Italy) | Kanlaon, Philippines | Nevados de Chillán, Chile …
