An <a href="http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/recenteqsww/Quakes/usc000905e.php">8.6 magnitude earthquake</a> struck on 11 April 2012 off of Banda Aceh, Sumatra, Indonesia, followed by a strong aftershock. Earthquake motion was primarily horizontal. A tsunami warning was issued for the Indian Ocean, but was cancelled at 12:36 UTC. A tsunami was observed at 1 meter or less. Find out more about <a href="/earth/geology/quake_1.html&edu=elem&dev=1/earth/Atmosphere/moons/triton_atmosphere.html">earthquake</a> and <a href="/earth/tsunami1.html&edu=elem&dev=1/earth/Atmosphere/moons/triton_atmosphere.html">tsunami</a> processes. Check out the resources <a href="/teacher_resources/2011_AGU-NESTA_GIFT_Workshop.html&edu=elem&dev=1/earth/Atmosphere/moons/triton_atmosphere.html">here</a>.<p><small><em>NOAA</em></small></p>How did life evolve on <a href="/earth/earth.html&edu=elem&dev=1/earth/Atmosphere/moons/triton_atmosphere.html">Earth</a> during the <a href="/earth/past/Archean.html&edu=elem&dev=1/earth/Atmosphere/moons/triton_atmosphere.html">Archean</a>, when the <a href="/sun/sun.html&edu=elem&dev=1/earth/Atmosphere/moons/triton_atmosphere.html">Sun</a> was about 25% weaker than today? The Earth should have been <a href="/earth/polar/cryosphere_glacier1.html&edu=elem&dev=1/earth/Atmosphere/moons/triton_atmosphere.html">glaciated</a>, if <a href="/earth/climate/earth_greenhouse.html&edu=elem&dev=1/earth/Atmosphere/moons/triton_atmosphere.html">greenhouse</a> gas concentration was the same as today. <a href="http://www.manchester.ac.uk/aboutus/news/display/?id=10798">Researchers</a> studying the <a href="/physical_science/physics/atom_particle/isotope.html&edu=elem&dev=1/earth/Atmosphere/moons/triton_atmosphere.html">isotopic</a> signatures of Earth's early atmosphere in <a href="/earth/geology/rocks_intro.html&edu=elem&dev=1/earth/Atmosphere/moons/triton_atmosphere.html">rocks</a> from Northern Australia have ruled out high levels of <a href="/physical_science/chemistry/nitrogen_molecular.html&edu=elem&dev=1/earth/Atmosphere/moons/triton_atmosphere.html">nitrogen</a> as a possible way to increase warming from <a href="/earth/Atmosphere/overview.html&edu=elem&dev=1/earth/Atmosphere/moons/triton_atmosphere.html">atmospheric</a> <a href="/physical_science/chemistry/carbon_dioxide.html&edu=elem&dev=1/earth/Atmosphere/moons/triton_atmosphere.html">carbon dioxide</a>.<p><small><em>Image courtesy of Manchester University</em></small></p>This dramatic view of Jupiter's <a href="/jupiter/atmosphere/J_clouds_GRS.html&edu=elem&dev=1/earth/Atmosphere/moons/triton_atmosphere.html">Great Red Spot</a> and its surroundings was obtained by <a href="/space_missions/voyager.html&edu=elem&dev=1/earth/Atmosphere/moons/triton_atmosphere.html">Voyager 1</a> on Feb. 25, 1979, when the spacecraft was 5.7 million miles (9.2 million kilometers) from Jupiter. Cloud details as small as 100 miles (160 kilometers) across can be seen here. The colorful, wavy cloud pattern to the left of the Red Spot is a region of extraordinarily complex end variable wave motion.<p><small><em>Image courtesy of NASA</em></small></p>The massive 9.0 magnitude <a href="/earth/geology/quake_1.html&edu=elem&dev=1/earth/Atmosphere/moons/triton_atmosphere.html">earthquake</a> off of Honshu, Japan on <a href="/headline_universe/march112011earthquaketsunami.html&edu=elem&dev=1/earth/Atmosphere/moons/triton_atmosphere.html">11 March 2011</a> generated a <a href="/earth/tsunami1.html&edu=elem&dev=1/earth/Atmosphere/moons/triton_atmosphere.html">tsunami</a> that exceeded 10 meters on the coast near the epicenter. This image shows model projections for the tsunami wave height in cm which are in good agreement with the observed waves. Our thoughts and prayers are with those who were lost, and their families, as we remember this event.<p><small><em><a href="http://blogs.agu.org/wildwildscience/files/2011/03/680_20110311-TsunamiWaveHeight.jpg">NOAA Tsunami Wave Height Projections image</a></em></small></p>There are over 900 <a href="/the_universe/uts/megalith.html&edu=elem&dev=1/earth/Atmosphere/moons/triton_atmosphere.html">rings of stone</a> located in the British Isles. The most famous of these stone rings is of course, <a href="/the_universe/uts/stonehenge.html&edu=elem&dev=1/earth/Atmosphere/moons/triton_atmosphere.html">Stonehenge</a>. The stones of Stonehenge were put in place between 3,000 B.C and 2,000 B.C. by neolithic people.Some speculate that the site was built as a temple of worship of the ancient Earth deities. Some say it was used as an <a href="/the_universe/uts/stonehenge_astro.html&edu=elem&dev=1/earth/Atmosphere/moons/triton_atmosphere.html">astronomical observatory</a> of sorts. Still others say it was a burial ground.<p><small><em> Image courtesy of Corel Photography.</em></small></p>The <a href="http://www.windows2universe.org/earth/Atmosphere/tornado/fujita.html">EF-5</a> <a href="http://www.windows2universe.org/earth/Atmosphere/tornado.html">tornado</a> that hit El Reno, Oklahoma on May 31st, 2013 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.<p><small><em>Image courtesy of National Weather Service, Norman Oklahoma</em></small></p>


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