Maui’s Iconic Waves Break With the Crushing Speed of a Freight Train
When large waves break in Māʻalaea Bay, they do so with the crushing speed of a freight train. “Freight Trains” and “Jaws” may sound like…
Earth Observatory News
Massive New Mexico Wildfire Spawns 7.5 Mile Fire Cloud
A massive, early season wildfire that continues to burn in northern New Mexico generated a pyrocumulonimbus cloud. The Calf Canyon-Hermits Peak fire continued to rage…
Kīlauea’s Lava Lake Persists on Hawaiī After Volcano’s Biggest Eruption in at Least 200 Years
Since May 2018, when Kīlauea’s lava lake last drained, the summit crater has filled with water, erupted again, boiled off the water, and refilled with…
Wild Fluctuations in Sierra Nevada Snow – Alternating Extremes on California Mountain Range
The California mountain range alternated between extreme precipitation and none at all this winter. When it comes to mountain snow, the Sierra Nevada is notorious…
Ice Lost, Island Found? Eastern Coast of Antarctica Appears To Have Gained an Island
An unnamed mound of white off East Antarctica seems to be an island. The eastern coast of Antarctica has lost the majority of the Glenzer…
Losing a Long-Watched Glacier – 70% of Mass Depleted From Peyto Glacier in Alberta
Scientists have been observing Peyto Glacier in Alberta since the 1960s. Peyto Glacier in Banff National Park, Alberta, Canada is among the most closely monitored…
Oppressive Heat Waves Strike India, Leaving More Than a Billion People Sweltering
The hottest March in India on record was followed by more waves of oppressive heat in April, leaving more than a billion people sweltering and…
Laguna Ojo de Liebre: A Salty Sanctuary in Baja California Sur
Laguna Ojo de Liebre, a lagoon on the Baja California Peninsula, is a whale sanctuary and the site of one of the largest saltworks in…
SeaHawk Satellite: Little CubeSat Is a Throwback to a Previous Era and a Glimpse of the Future
SeaHawk: The Little Satellite That Could The SeaHawk satellite is both a throwback to a previous era and a glimpse of the future. In the…
A Grand New Dam on the Nile: The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam
The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam will increase energy generation and development in Ethiopia, but it may have unwanted consequences for other Nile River users. About…
A Renewable Future for Fukushima: Solar and Wind Farms Cover Fields That Were Abandoned After Nuclear Accident
Solar and wind farms now cover fields that were abandoned after the nuclear accident in 2011. In 2011, an earthquake and tsunami damaged nuclear reactors…
Deluge in South Africa: Deadly Flooding and Landslides
In the KwaZulu-Natal coastal province, heavy rainfall spurred deadly flooding and landslides. In April 2022, several days of unsettled weather brought copious amounts of rain…
Breakup at Land Glacier: Old Sea Ice Crumbled Away off the Coast of Antarctica’s Marie Byrd Land
In March 2022, old sea ice crumbled away as new ice formed off the coast of Antarctica’s Marie Byrd Land. Sea ice around Antarctica started…
World’s Longest Wave? A “Dreamland for Surfers”
The coastal and oceanic conditions off of northern Peru create a “dreamland for surfers.” The waters off the Pacific coast of northern Peru routinely build…
Unusual Dust-Infused Baroclinic Storms Form Over Europe
Long-lasting, icy cirrus clouds filled with Saharan dust covered many parts of the continent in March. In March 2022, several large storms carried clouds of…
Ice Shelf Completely Disintegrates in East Antarctica
The shelf’s disintegration in March 2022 has reshaped a landscape where coastal glacial ice was once thought to be stable. It is relatively common for…
Antarctic Sea Ice Sinks to Record Low
The long-term trend for sea ice in the south is flat, while the global trend points downward. In February 2022, sea ice around Antarctica reached…
Cloud Party in the Pacific: Flower-Shaped Actinoform and Spiraling Von Kármán Vortices
Two eye-catching cloud types—flower-shaped actinoform and spiraling von Kármán vortices—popped up off the coast of Chile in March. Some of the first features that scientists…
