Disasters

Among the proposed uses for drones, one of the most compelling is the search for survivors at disaster sites. That process could soon be more efficient, thanks to a system that allows drone cameras to differentiate between living and dead bodies.

A field study of the deadly 2014 landslide in Washington State is providing new insights into how such large-scale slides operate. A team from the US Geological Survey did detailed measurements and sampling of the post-disaster site, allowing them to build a detailed timescale of the event.

The unusually cold year of 1816 has been linked to one of the most powerful volcanic eruptions in recorded history, and now we may know how. A new paper explains how electrified ash from the eruption could have “short-circuited” the Earth’s ionosphere and triggered the “Year Without A Summer.”

A new robot centaur is capable of aiding in disaster situations and has a mean karate chop. Called Centauro, the 1.5-m-tall (5 ft), 93-kg (205-lb) robot combines two arms with four legs in a robust construction to give it both dexterity and stability while dealing with harsh environments.

​Agile robots could certainly come in handy for tasks such as locating victims at disaster sites, which is why we've seen ones that hop, sidewind and "swim" across uneven terrain. One of the latest, developed at Israel's Ben-Gurion University, crawls and sprawls.

Aarchaeologists excavating a new site in Pompeii have uncovered a new victim of the disaster, who has quite a story to tell. The skeleton was found with its head crushed beneath a huge stone block that was thrown by the force of the volcanic cloud.

​In the aftermath of a disaster such as an earthquake, it's of the utmost importance to quickly find live victims buried under the rubble. A new device, created by a team led by ETH Zurich's Prof. Sotiris E. Pratsinis, could make doing so cheaper and easier than ever.

​When tsunami-triggering events such as underwater earthquakes occur, sound waves known as acoustic gravity waves (AGWs) are sent out through the water. Now, scientists from Cardiff University have developed a method of analyzing those waves, to predict how destructive the tsunami will be.

​​One of the more unsavory consequences of natural disasters can be the lack of access to toilets. Design firm Nendo has taken aim at this dilemma, developing a flat-packed toilet that can be carried in a bag and built on-site with the help of commonly found waste materials. ​

​When Hurricanes Maria and Irma tore through Puerto Rico last month, Alphabet's X lab was quick to answer the call. Following a successful launch, its internet-beaming balloons have now been switched on and are already providing hard hit parts of the population with connectivity.

While current seismometers can pick up tremors with precision, they’re short-ranged and expensive. Now a Stanford study has demonstrated that an extensive earthquake-detection network could already exist right under our feet: the optical fiber cables piping high-speed internet throughout cities.

​Japanese architect Shigeru Ban has made his name by using cardboard and wood to craft low-cost disaster housing, and he will need to be at his enterprising and creative best as he tackles his next big project – to design thousands of new shelters in a major refugee settlement in Kenya.