geophysics

Today's ELI is 'Flood through the window - what would you see, how would you feel? Pupils picture for themselves what a major flood through the window might look like'. In this activity, pupils are asked to visualise a flood seen through the window and imagine its likely impacts now and in the future. It uses the window as a teaching aid. Other activities relating to flooding can be found in our …

Nature Communications, Published online: 25 May 2026; doi:10.1038/s41467-026-73717-6 This study shows that garnet affects the 660-km seismic discontinuity. High-pressure experiments reveal that the post-garnet transition induces the post-spinel transition, explaining observed structural variations and supporting a pyrolitic mantle.

Group have been stuck in flooded cave in central Laos for five days after heavy rain caused landslides Divers who helped in the dramatic rescue of a young Thai football team in 2018 have joined efforts to free seven people who have been trapped for five days inside a remote, flooded cave in central Laos. The group entered the cave in Xaysomboun province on Wednesday to hunt for wildlife and searc…

Nature Communications, Published online: 25 May 2026; doi:10.1038/s41467-026-71536-3 CO2-rich magmas beneath Pagan Volcano are stored near Moho depths and ascend to the surface within weeks to months. These findings link deep, rapid magma ascent to carbonate capped seamount subduction and highlight the role of recycled carbon in arc volcanism.

The state saw 33 tornadoes last year and severe flooding as researchers say links to climate change are undeniable The tornado hit west Ann Arbor at 1.45am on 15 April, passing through Veterans Memorial park, where it knocked several mature oak trees and ripped up baseball field fences before setting its sights on a local ice rink. “It came up through the parking lot and, in that time, the pressu…

Rain overwhelms sewer system in parts of US city, while temperatures in France break May record New York City saw flash flooding on Wednesday as large parts of Brooklyn and Queens received about 2ins (50mm) of rainfall in as little as 20 minutes. Officials said the deluge caused water to flow into the sewer system at a rate of up to 6ins an hour, quickly overwhelming an aged network that was desi…

Order facilitates support for 40,000 people told to evacuate Orange county as responders try to divert explosion California’s governor Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency Saturday in response to the looming threat of chemical disaster in Orange county. The proclamation directs the governor’s office of emergency services and other state agencies to provide additional support to Orange count…

Temperatures in Kent reached 30.5C, marking the first time since 2012 that the UK has exceeded 30C in May The UK has recorded its hottest day of the year so far, with temperatures reaching 30.5C in Kent as forecasters warned more extreme heat could follow over the bank holiday weekend. The temperature in Frittenden also marked the first time since 2012 the UK has reached 30C in May, according to …

A massive movement of magma unfolded beneath this Atlantic island, but almost nobody realized it at the time.

Jammu and Kashmir is increasingly emerging as an important reference point for disaster preparedness and resilience planning within the Himalayan region as climate-related disasters and environmental vulnerabilities continue intensifying across mountainous ecosystems. Industry experts note that Himalayan regions face significant Read More ... The post Jammu & Kashmir emerges as key hub for Himala…

Mourne Mountains, County Down: At first it didn’t seem like much so we carried on, but then it got worse – we could hear the flames across the valley It all started at around half past 10. We were at Hen, Cock and Pigeon Rock which is a good route with views of the Mourne mountains and the sea. We were walking up a path when we saw smoke in the distance. It wasn’t very much so we kept going. It h…

Hurricanes are among the most dangerous weather events in the United States, bringing destructive winds, storm surge, flooding, tornadoes, and widespread power outages. Every year, coastal and inland communities face the risk of rapidly changing storm conditions that can threaten lives and property within hours. Knowing what to do before, during, and after a hurricane is essential for staying saf…

Nature Water, Published online: 22 May 2026; doi:10.1038/s44221-026-00653-6 Weather whiplash events in 2024–2025 across Europe and the Americas exposed how interacting atmospheric drivers can trigger unprecedented floods with major socio-economic and environmental consequences. These events highlight governance gaps and underscore the need for integrated hydrosocial strategies combining improved …

Scientific Reports, Published online: 23 May 2026; doi:10.1038/s41598-026-54204-w Impacts of structural and soil parameters on the seismic response of neighbouring buildings: a numerical investigation

Abstract In the Middle East, because of existence of fault lines, arid landscapes, and seismic activity, the geopathic stress (GS) could theoretically be amplified by natural formations. So, the architecture, environmental health, and bioelectromagnetics are most considered the challenges in geopathic stress in the mentioned countries. The main goal of this research is to build a framework that i…

Abstract UNESCO Global Geoparks function as outdoor learning environments that integrate science education with natural and cultural heritage. This study comparatively examines the educational strategies of selected geoparks in Türkiye (Kula–Salihli, Ida Madra) and Europe (Lesvos, Burren & Cliffs of Moher) in terms of pedagogical approaches, technology use, and learner roles. Using a qualitat…

Observing glacier mass changes is essential for understanding and projecting the impacts of climate change on sea-level rise, water resources and natural hazards, as well as providing data for developing, calibrating and validating glacier evolution models. The principal methods used to measure glacier mass changes — glaciological, geodetic (surface elevation differencing) and gravimetric — diffe…