Nature study recommends new approach to wildfire management

A new study in the journal Nature suggests that wildfires be treated like other natural disasters, such as earthquakes or floods, where officials focus on adaptation and loss mitigation as opposed to prevention and response.

EARTH Magazine: How Much Natural Hazard Mitigation Is Enough?

Hurricane Sandy struck the U.S. East Coast in October 2012, leaving about $65 billion of damage in its wake and raising the question of how to mitigate the damage from future storms. It’s a question that arises in the wake of most natural disasters: What steps can society take to protect itself from storms, floods, landslides, earthquakes, tsunamis or volcanic eruptions? But the question itself illustrates the complexity of preparing for natural disasters.

White House introduces new plan to protect federal lands from climate change

On October 8, the White House unveiled a new agenda to protect federal lands against the impacts of changing climate by conserving and restoring natural resources and carbon sinks.

U.S. Forest Service study will examine wildfire effects on watersheds

U.S. Forest Service (USFS) scientists are beginning a three-year study to examine how wildfires affect water supplies.

Scientists and policymakers continue efforts to study and prepare for earthquakes

In the 25 years since the devastating Loma Prieta earthquake, scientists and policymakers have worked to better understand seismic hazards and implement strategies to reduce vulnerability.

NASA to test unmanned aerial systems for wildfire detection

NASA’s Langley Research Center and the Department of the Interior’s Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) have entered into a one-year agreement to test small unmanned aerial systems (UAS) for detecting brush and forest fires in the Great Dismal Swamp National Wildlife Refuge in Suffolk, VA.

EARTH Magazine: Kilauea eruptions could shift from mild to wild

Hawaii’s Kilauea volcano is famously effusive: Low-viscosity lava has been oozing out of the main caldera and two active rift zones along the southern shore of the Big Island since 1983. But scientists suspect that Kilauea’s eruptions haven’t always been so mild. In the past 2,500 years, at least two cycles of explosive eruptions lasting several centuries each have rocked the island. The switch from effusive to explosive is likely to occur again, scientists say, but probably not anytime soon.

The Geoscience Community Honors the Man Who shook Up Earthquake Science

he American Geosciences Institute is honoring one of the scientists who advanced earthquake hazards preparedness and mitigation in the U.S. by his superlative service to the earth sciences. This year’s recipient of the Ian Campbell Medal, Dr. James “Jim” Davis, is one of the key scientists behind U.S. earthquake hazards and loss reduction policy as it is known today.

NOAA launches new modeling tool to track severe weather

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) launched a new modeling tool for meteorologists to study severe weather and track how it develops at the local level.

Governor of Oklahoma appoints committee to study induced seismicity

Oklahoma Governor Mary Fallin has formed a committee to study the recent uptick in earthquakes within her state that researchers have linked to oil and gas development.

American Geosciences Institute

natural hazards