Catastrophic

While cyber insurance has evolved significantly in recent years, insurers say they might still be unprepared for the fallout from a catastrophic cyberattack. While cyber insurance has evolved significantly in recent years, insurers say they might still be unprepared for the fallout from a catastrophic cyberattack.…

It is estimated that melting ice in the Antarctic could sea levels to rise by up to 50 meters.A new study charts 45,000,000 years of Antarctic temperature change.Scientists have created the first charts of Antarctic ocean temperatures over the last 45 million years using molecular fossils and machine learning, providing vital insights into future sea level changes.The researchers, led by experts from Victoria University of Wellington (NZ) and Birmingham (UK), believe their results indicate that we are near a “tipping…

An international team of astronomers on Monday announced the discovery of a large asteroid whose orbit crosses that of Earth, creating a small chance far in the future of a catastrophic collision.The 1.5 kilometer- (0.9 mile-) wide asteroid, named 2022 AP7, was discovered in area notoriously difficult to spot objects due to the glare from the Sun. It was found along with two other near-Earth asteroids using a high-tech instrument on the Victor M. Blanco telescope in Chile that was originally developed to study dark…

The thriving coral reefs off the coast of Isla San Pedrito, west of the Costa Rica mainland, in October 2006. Credit: Maria Marta ChavarriaCold water shock is linked to catastrophic coral collapse in the Eastern Pacific, according to a new study.Climate change-related marine heat waves are recognized to be the cause of mass mortality in some of the world’s most famous coral reef systems.Scientists have discovered, however, that the underlying cause of a catastrophic coral die-off event was an extreme weather event that…

An aerial picture taken on September 30, 2022 shows the only access to the Matlacha neighborhood destroyed in the aftermath of Hurricane Ian in Fort Myers, Florida.Ricardo Arduengo | AFP | Getty ImagesSearch and rescue efforts are underway in Florida after a devastating Category 4 hurricane made landfall Wednesday.At least 77 people have been confirmed dead and more than 860,000 people are still without power, according to NBC News. There is "significant damage" along Florida's west coast and many homes in central parts…

Hurricane Ian, September 28, 2022.<span class="glossaryLink" aria-describedby="tt" data-cmtooltip="<div class=glossaryItemTitle>NASA</div><div class=glossaryItemBody>Established in 1958, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is an independent agency of the United States Federal Government that succeeded the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA). It is responsible for the civilian space program, as well as aeronautics and aerospace research. Its…

An aerial picture taken on September 29, 2022 shows a flooded neighborhood in the aftermath of Hurricane Ian in Fort Myers, Florida.Ricardo Arduengo | AFP | Getty ImagesHurricane Ian slammed into southwest Florida on Wednesday afternoon. The Category 4 hurricane, one of the biggest storms to ever hit the U.S., tore through the state from coast to coast.More than 2 million people — about a quarter of the state's utility customers — were left without power. Severe flooding damaged homes and blocked crucial roadways, leaving…

China’s Zhurong rover has peered deep under the surface of Mars, finding evidence of two major floods that probably shaped the region the robot has been exploring since it landed in May 2021. An analysis published in Nature today is the first result from Zhurong’s radar imager, which can probe up to 100 metres below the surface. “It is a very interesting paper, and I was particularly impressed by how deep they can see with this radar,” says Svein-Erik Hamran, a planetary scientist at the University of Oslo, who analysed…

Puerto Rico is currently experiencing “life-threatening and catastrophic flooding” after Hurricane Fiona made landfall on the island this weekend as a Category 1 storm. It’s a dangerous situation for a territory that’s still recovering from Hurricane Maria, which tore through the island in 2017. No one on the island had electricity Sunday night. And the storm — now barreling past the Dominican Republic — has dumped more than two feet of rain in some regions, where swollen rivers have wiped out at least one bridge. One…

Almost exactly five years after Hurricane Maria left Puerto Rico in the dark, the US territory is once again facing a power crisis. On Sunday, LUMA Energy, the company that operates the island’s electrical grid, announced that all of Puerto Rico had suffered a blackout due to Hurricane Fiona, reports Reuters. With the storm nearing the island’s southwest coast, the National Hurricane Center warned of “catastrophic” flooding as Fiona began producing winds with recorded speeds of 85 miles per hour. Even before making…