Planet Earth, features and articles | Educational Science

Oct 19, 2020

Ice melt in Alaska threatens to unleash unprecedented 'mega-tsunami,' scientists warn

A giant, catastrophic tsunami in Alaska triggered by a landslide of rock left unstable after glacier melting is likely to occur in the next two decades, scientists fear - and it could happen within the next 12 months. A group of scientists warned of the prospects of this impending disaster...

Dec 3, 2020

Lost islands beneath the North Sea survived a mega-tsunami 8,000 years ago

Some ancient islands now submerged beneath the North Sea survived a devastating tsunami about 8,000 years ago and may have played a key part in Britain's human prehistory, according to a new study. The research suggests some parts of the ancient plain known as Doggerland — which connected Great Britain...

Jan 15, 2022

4-foot tsunami hits Tonga after explosive eruption of underwater volcano

A tsunami triggered by the explosive eruption of the underwater Tonga volcano in the Pacific Ocean slammed the shoreline of the Pacific nation Saturday (Jan. 15), sending residents rushing for higher ground, according to news reports. A 4-foot-tall (1.2 meters) tsunami reportedly hit Tonga’s capital of Nuku’alofa, which is about...

Feb 10, 2022

'Invisible' earthquake caused mysterious 2021 tsunami, scientists find

The mysterious source of a globe-spanning tsunami that spread as far as 6,000 miles (10,000 kilometers) from its epicenter was an invisible earthquake, a new study has found. In August 2021, an enormous tsunami rippled out into the North Atlantic, Pacific and Indian oceans. It was the first time a...

Feb 25, 2022

Japan earthquake & tsunami of 2011: Facts and information

The Japan earthquake and tsunami of 2011, also known as the 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami or the Great Tohoku earthquake, was a natural disaster that shook northeastern Japan on March 11, 2011. The disaster began when a magnitude-9 earthquake shook the region in the early afternoon, unleashing a savage...

Mar 16, 2022

Magnitude-7.3 earthquake strikes Fukushima, tsunami warning issued

A tsunami warning has been issued for Fukushima after a powerful 7.3-magnitude earthquake struck the east coast of Japan, according to Japanese government officials. In a translated announcement, the Japan Meteorological Agency said the quake hit 36 miles (60 kilometers) below the sea at roughly 11.30 p.m. local time on...

Oct 18, 2022

Powerful 8.1-magnitude earthquake off New Zealand triggers tsunami warnings

A tsunami warning has been issued for parts of New Zealand, with some residents being told to evacuate, after a strong earthquake struck off the country's coast on Friday (March 5), according to news reports. The powerful 8.1-magnitude earthquake occurred at 8:28 a.m. local time near New Zealand's Kermadec Islands,...

Apr 28, 2023

1st mega-tsunami on record since antiquity was triggered by Tonga volcanic eruption

The Tonga underwater volcanic eruption rivaled the strength of the largest U.S. nuclear bomb and produced a mega-tsunami nearly the height of a 30-story skyscraper, a recent study finds. On Jan. 15, 2022, the Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha'apai submarine volcano — a large, cone-shaped mountain located near the islands of the...

Dec 11, 2023

Tsunamis up to 90 feet high smash into New Zealand every 580 years, study finds

Tsunami waves 92 feet (28 meters) high could hit parts of New Zealand in a worst-case earthquake scenario, research finds. In the study, researchers used a new method of examining simulated earthquakes to understand possible tsunami risks to New Zealand's North and South Islands. They found that the largest waves...

Oct 29, 2020

Arctic sea ice goes through 'historic' loss in 2020

Arctic sea ice has been in decline for a while now, but 2020 is turning out to be — by far — one of the worst years ever. Every year, like clockwork, the northern ice cap, or sea ice, shrinks in the spring and summer — reaching its minimum extent...

Nov 17, 2020

Mysterious 'dark river' may flow hundreds of miles beneath Greenland

A giant underground river fed by melting ice could be running in a state of perpetual darkness far below the surface of Greenland, according to new research. Nicknamed the 'Dark River', this hypothetical waterway – if it truly exists, that is – may stretch for 1,000 kilometers (620 miles), flowing...

Nov 18, 2020

Ancient fragment of the Pacific Ocean found buried 400 miles below China

Scientists have identified an old piece of the Pacific Ocean – the ancient remains of its long-ago seabed – extending hundreds of miles underneath China, as it is pulled downward into Earth's mantle transition zone. This rocky slab that used to line the bottom of the Pacific is a relic...

Dec 16, 2020

Red Sea oil tanker 4 times as big as Exxon Valdez could spill any day now

A mammoth oil tanker is decaying into the Red Sea, threatening the water supply of millions of people and the world's most resilient coral reef. Known as the Safer, the vessel is 1,188 feet (362 meters) long and holds 1 million barrels (42 million gallons or 159 million liters) of...

Dec 30, 2020

US rivers are changing from blue to yellow and green, satellite images show

A third of U.S. rivers have significantly changed color over the last 36 years, turning from blue to yellow and green, striking new images reveal. Researchers analyzed 235,000 satellite images — taken over a 34-year period between 1984 and 2018 — from NASA and the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Landsat...

Jan 28, 2021

The Atlantic Ocean is widening. Here’s why.

The Atlantic Ocean is getting wider, shoving the Americas to one side and Europe and Africa to the other. But it’s not known exactly how. A new study suggests that deep beneath the Earth’s crust, in a layer called the mantle, sizzling-hot rocks are rising up and pushing on tectonic...