Jan 20, 2022 | Science & Technology
By Sally Warner What causes a tsunami? An ocean scientist explains the physics of these destructive waves. On Jan. 15, 2022, the Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai volcano in Tonga erupted, sending a tsunami racing across the Pacific Ocean in all directions. As word of the...
Jan 17, 2022 | Science & Technology
By Shane Cronin Why the volcanic eruption in Tonga was so violent, and what to expect next. The Kingdom of Tonga doesn’t often attract global attention, but a violent eruption of an underwater volcano on January 15 has spread shock waves, quite literally, around half...
Dec 10, 2019 | Science & Technology
By Shane Cronin Why did White Island erupt and why was there no warning? Shane Cronin explains what happened. Five people have been confirmed dead, 31 remain in hospital with injuries and eight are still missing after sudden volcanic eruptions on Whakaari/White Island...
Jul 11, 2019 | Science & Technology
New research has suggested a novel way to measure and potentially predict previously unknown locations that may be prone to earthquakes. The study, led by Professor Jon Waters at the University of Otago, confirms that the region around the New Zealand city of Dunedin...
Oct 2, 2018 | Science & Technology
By Luciana Esteves Luciana Esteves warns of the dangers of living near the coast and suggests it is time we moved people away from some areas. We are all too familiar with images of flooding in low lying areas after heavy rainfall or houses destroyed by coastal...
Sep 19, 2018 | Politics & Society
By Daniel P. Aldrich Natural disasters are becoming more common due to climate change, and it could be social networks that save lives when they do. Soon after my family moved to New Orleans in the summer of 2005, we heard Mayor Ray Nagin’s first warnings about...