New Atlas

Environment Audio available

How a volcano short-circuited Earth's ionosphere to trigger "Year Without A Summer"

Michael Irving August 22, 2018

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.”

New research shows how ash from volcanic eruptions could trigger drastic climate shifts, as was the ...

Robotics

Karate-chopping Centauro robot shows that four legs are better than two

David Szondy July 25, 2018

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.

Centauro is designed for disaster relief missions

Robotics

Sprawling, crawling robot may someday save lives

Ben Coxworth July 18, 2018

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.

The RSTAR prototype, with its "off-road" spoked wheels ready to take on rough terrain

Science

Pompeii skeleton found crushed under stone block while fleeing volcanic eruption

Michael Irving May 30, 2018

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.

Archaeologists have uncovered the 2,000-year-old skeleton of a man crushed beneath a huge stone block, while ...

Good Thinking

Cheap, portable gadget could save disaster victims' lives

Ben Coxworth April 18, 2018

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.

Science

Underwater sound waves may provide earlier tsunami warnings

Ben Coxworth February 1, 2018

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.

The aftermath of a tsunami that struck Sri Lanka in 2004

Environment

Flat-packed toilet brings relief to disaster-struck areas

Nick Lavars October 26, 2017

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.

There's no word on pricing or when the minimLET might become available

Telecommunications

Project Loon's internet balloons fire up over Puerto Rico

Nick Lavars October 22, 2017

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.

Project Loon launched its balloons from its base in Nevada

Environment

Fiber optic internet cables could double as earthquake detectors

Michael Irving October 22, 2017

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.

A 3 mile (4.8 km) loop of fiber optic cable buried underneath Stanford University was able ...

Architecture

Disaster housing starchitect Shigeru Ban turns to refugee settlement in Kenya

Nick Lavars July 21, 2017

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.

To begin with, Ban's design will be tested on 20 homes