Current Events
- 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 morexAtmospheric 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. - Massive Tornado Outbreak on Tornado Alley
The week of May 19 brings dozens of tornadoes to Tornado Alley in the states of Oklahoma, Kansas, Io...Read morexMassive Tornado Outbreak on Tornado Alley
The week of May 19 brings dozens of tornadoes to Tornado Alley in the states of Oklahoma, Kansas, Iowa, Illinois and Missouri. On May 20th, a massive tornado struck Moore, Oklahoma, devastating communities - destroying over 100 homes and hitting two elementary schools and a hospital - with many casualties and deaths. Our thoughts are with our friends and colleagues suffering from these storms. For more on the May 20th storms, see the NOAA Storm Prediction Center Storm Report. - Kansas Legislator Proposes Bill to Outlaw Sustainability Education
A bill has been introduced in the Kansas legislature this week that would prohibit the promotion of ...Read morexKansas Legislator Proposes Bill to Outlaw Sustainability Education
A bill has been introduced in the Kansas legislature this week that would prohibit the promotion of sustainability. Here is a link to the one-page bill: http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2013_14/measures/documents/hb2366_00_0000.pdf. See report on Bloomberg News.
Myths about Mars
Mars was the son of Jupiter and Juno, and was the Roman god of war. Mars was the lover of Venus and the father of the famous Roman heroes Romulus and Remus, who were said to have founded the city of Rome. For that reason, Mars was believed to come to the aid of Romans in times of crisis. He was widely worshiped by Roman legions. The month of March is named after him.
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Explore Myths about Mars
Roman: Mars
Ares was the Greek god of war, always acting and thinking like a warrior. Mars was identified ...Read more
Hindu: Mangala
In Hinduism, the major Indian religion, the planet Mars, called Mangala, is identified with ...Read more
Maya: Mars
Mayans were sophisticated observers of the sky. Mayans used their astronomical knowledge to ...Read moreExplore Myths about other nearby planets
Roman: Venus
Venus was the goddess of love and beauty. To the perfection of her figure and the purity of ...Read more
Aztec: Tlahuizcalpantecuhtli
Tlahuizcalpantecuhtli was an Aztec god. The planets Venus and the feathered snake, Quetzalcoatl ...Read more
Roman: Jupiter
In Roman mythology Jupiter was the king of heaven and Earth and of all the Olympian gods. He ...Read more
Roman: Ganymede
Ganymede was a son of Tros, who was the ruler of the city of Troy. One day, Jupiter saw Ganymede ...Read more
Roman: Io
Io was a beautiful priestess of the Greek goddess, Hera. Hera was the jealous wife of Zeus, ...Read more
Roman: Europa
Europa was a beautiful princess. According to Greek mythology, Europa was seduced by Zeus, ...Read moreHistorical Events
5/24 Nicholas Copernicus, a Polish astronomer, died on this date in 1543 Details
5/30 7.5 magnitude quake hits Quetta, Pakistan in 1935
5/31 7.9 magnitude earthquake hits Peru in 1970
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Did you know?
What are dip-slip and transform faults? Find out more on our geologic fault page!Did you know that a moon has been found to orbit the asteroid Eugenia?
Earth and Space Science Concept of the Day
Do you know what this word or phrase means?Graben
xGraben : A graben is a down-dropped block of the earth's crust resulting from extension, or pulling, of the crust.
Click on the word to find out!
Research Highlights
“Missing” Heat May Affect Future Climate Change
Scientists know that more of the Sun’s energy gets to our planet than leaves. It hasn’t always been this way. More energy is sticking around as heat because there are more heat-trapping greenhouse gases...Read more
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