• Collapse of Panama’s seasonal upwelling cycle signals pattern disruption

    The collapse of Panama’s seasonal wind-driven upwelling cycle between January and April 2025 marked the first observed disruption in over four decades of records, breaking a long-standing physical pattern that supports marine productivity and buffers coastal ecosystems from thermal stress. Patterns like these are tracked because their consistency signals system stability and their collapse may indicate underlying shifts in climate dynamics.

  • Why the 1935 Labor Day Hurricane remains unmatched in U.S. history

    The 1935 Labor Day Hurricane made landfall on Long Key, Florida, at approximately 20:40 LT on September 2, producing sustained winds near 295 km/h (185 mph), a central pressure of 892 mb (26.35 inHg), and storm surge over 5.5 meters (18 feet). The storm killed more than 400 people, including hundreds of World War I veterans housed in federal work camps, and obliterated nearly every structure along a 64 km (40 mile) stretch of the Upper Keys between Tavernier and Marathon, where entire communities were reduced to bare slabs by wind and surge.