Tag: hazard assessment
-
Commentary: What the New Year’s fire at a Swiss bar reveals about fire prevention
Overview: A tragedy that prompts urgent questions In the early hours of New Year’s Day, a devastating fire swept through Le Constellation bar in Crans-Montana, Switzerland. Reports confirmed that 40 people lost their lives and many others were severely injured. As investigators piece together the sequence of events, the incident has already become a stark…
-
Space-based observations reshape how scientists see tsunami wave behavior
Space satellites bring a new perspective to tsunami science For decades, scientists studied tsunamis through coastal measurements and ship-borne sensors. Recent advances in space-based observation, however, are transforming the way we understand how tsunami waves travel across oceans. By tracking sea-surface height, wave patterns, and their interactions from space, researchers are uncovering a more intricate…
-
UK Sees 300+ Earthquakes This Year: What’s Causing the Surge?
Overview: A Busy Year for UK Seismology Britain is recording a surprising number of earthquakes in 2024, with the British Geological Survey (BGS) confirming more than 300 events so far. While most quakes are small and rarely felt at the surface, the year’s higher total has drawn attention from scientists, policymakers, and the public. The…
-
Remote volcano wakes up after 700,000 years of silence
New Signs from a Distant Volcano A remote volcano in southeastern Iran has begun to show measurable movement after an almost unfathomable stretch of dormancy — about 700,000 years. In the latest 10-month window, the summit has nudged upward by roughly 9 centimeters (about 3.5 inches). While that rise may seem modest, scientists say it…