Current Events

  • Irish Chronicles Document Links Between Volcanoes and Weather
    A study of over 40,000 written entries in Irish Annals and ice core measurements shows a strong corr...Read more

    x

    Irish Chronicles Document Links Between Volcanoes and Weather

    A study of over 40,000 written entries in Irish Annals and ice core measurements shows a strong correlation between the occurrence of volcanic eruptions and extreme cold weather in Ireland over a 1200 year period. Data analyzed in this study cover the period from 431 to 1649, during which time up to 48 volcanic eruptions are identified in Greenland ice core records through deposition of volcanic sulfate in annual layers of ice. You can find the study (open access), published on 6 June 2013 in IOP Publishing's journal Environmental Research Letters, at http://iopscience.iop.org/1748-9326/8/2/024035/article. Find out more about how volcanoes can influence climate.
  • EF-5 Tornado in El Reno, Oklahoma Widest Ever Recorded in US
    The EF-5 tornado that hit El Reno, Oklahoma on May 31st was the widest ever recorded in the US, acco...Read more

    x

    EF-5 Tornado in El Reno, Oklahoma Widest Ever Recorded in US

    The EF-5 tornado that hit El Reno, Oklahoma on May 31st was the widest ever recorded in the US, according to the National Weather Service in Norman Oklahoma. The tornado, which remained on the ground for 40 minutes and reached 2.6 miles across (4.2 km), took the lives of 18 people including storm chasers Tim Samaras, Paul Samaras and Carl Young. For more information on the tornado, visit http://ow.ly/i/2hfDG.
  • Atmospheric CO2 Level Tops 400 ppm
    During the week of May 13th, the CO2 level at the Mauna Loa Observatory in Hawaii topped 400 ppm rep...Read more

    x

    Atmospheric CO2 Level Tops 400 ppm

    During the week of May 13th, the CO2 level at the Mauna Loa Observatory in Hawaii topped 400 ppm repeatedly. Daily levels of CO2 can vary due to weather, and there are seasonal trends as well. The level of atmospheric greenhouse gases continues to increase, now over 120 ppm since the Industrial Revolution began. For more on the Keeling Curve, see http://keelingcurve.ucsd.edu/. Find out more about greenhouse gases and warming.

Click on image for full size
Arkansas Democrat-Gazette/Chris Johnson

Several tornadoes hit Arkansas, 24 killed
News story originally written on March 2, 1997

Several severe thunderstorms hit the U.S. over the weekend. This caused lots of trouble in the Midwestern and Southern states. Fourteen tornadoes hit Arkansas on Saturday, March 1, 1997. 24 people were killed and 200 were injured. Over 100 houses were destroyed. All of the tornadoes struck within a five-hour period.

Storms also hit the Midwest, killing at least 19 in Kentucky, Mississippi, Ohio, Tennessee, and Texas.


Shop Windows to the Universe Science Store!

Our online store includes books on science education, classroom activities in The Earth Scientist, mineral and fossil specimens, and educational games!

Windows to the Universe Community

News

Opportunities

Upcoming W2U Events
Join Today - Benefits,
No Ads!
Special Offers for Teachers
Member Benefits
Teacher Newsletter
Partnership Opportunities

You might also be interested in:

Traveling Nitrogen Classroom Activity Kit

Check out our online store - minerals, fossils, books, activities, jewelry, and household items!...more

Several tornadoes hit Arkansas, 24 killed

Several severe thunderstorms hit the U.S. over the weekend. This caused lots of trouble in the Midwestern and Southern states. Fourteen tornadoes hit Arkansas on Saturday, March 1, 1997. 24 people were...more

Severe thunderstorms cause flooding, deaths

Several severe thunderstorms hit the U.S. over the weekend. This has caused a lot of trouble for the Midwestern and Southern states. Storms on Saturday, March 1, have killed at least 21 in Kentucky, Mississippi,...more

Tornadoes strike in Tennessee and Kentucky

Twelve tornadoes hit Tennessee early Saturday morning. At least 44 people were hurt. Two people were killed when six more tornadoes touched down in Kentucky. Both states had bad electrical, auto, and...more

Most recent global image of ozone concentration

The image at left shows the newest picture of ozone levels on our Earth. Ozone is a chemical that forms a protecting layer between ourselves and dangerous solar radiation. The image was taken from one...more

1996 Antarctic ozone hole below record average size

One of NASA's measuring instruments aboard a satellite has detected large decreases of ozone over Antarctica. Ozone is a chemical that forms in a layer in the Earth's atmosphere. Ozone protects our Earth...more

Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change 4th Assessment Report

The 4th Assessment Report Summary for Policymakers of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) is scheduled to be released on February 2, 2007 in Paris, France. The IPCC has been established...more

Huge Oil Spill in Gulf of Mexico

A large oil drilling rig in the Gulf of Mexico caught fire and sank in April 2010. Eleven workers were killed in the accident. After the oil rig sank, a huge oil slick formed in the Gulf of Mexico. The...more

Shop Windows to the Universe

Dig into Montana Before History: 11K Years of Hunter-Gatherers in the Rockies and Plains by D. H. MacDonald, Ph.D. See our online store book collection.

Windows to the Universe, a project of the National Earth Science Teachers Association, is sponsored in part by the National Science Foundation and NASA, our Founding Partners (the American Geophysical Union and American Geosciences Institute) as well as through Institutional, Contributing, and Affiliate Partners, individual memberships and generous donors. Thank you for your support! NASA AGU AGI NSF