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Volcanic eruption explained - Steven Anderson

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A devastating earthquake that rocked the Indonesian island of Sumatra in 1861 was long thought to be a sudden rupture on a previously quiescent fault. But new research finds that the tectonic plates below the island had been slowly and quietly rumbling against each other for 32 years before the cataclysmic event.

This decades-long, silent earthquake-known as a "slow-slip event"-was the longest sequence of its kind ever detected. It was too subtle and gradual to be noticed during its course, but a new study indicates it may have precipitated the massive 1861 temblor of at least magnitude 8.5, which in turn triggered a tsunami that killed thousands of people. The new study could help today's scientists watch for dangerous quakes more effectively.

Like the better-known kind of earthquakes we feel rattling the earth's surface, slow-slip quakes happen when two segments of crust move against each other. Some faults are now monitored for slow slip with seismic instruments or GPS technology, but tracing such events on remote faults (or prior to the 1990s, when GPS became available) is very difficult. Most recent slow-slip events that scientists have studied lasted for hours, days or weeks, with just a few lasting several years. The existence of a decades-long slow slip "says subduction zones are more diverse than we necessarily appreciated," says Kevin Furlong, a geoscientist at Pennsylvania State University, who was not involved in the new research. (Subduction zones are areas where oceanic crust slides under continental crust.)

Near the Indonesian island of Simeulue off the coast of Sumatra, coral growth patterns record the up-and-down movements along the fault involved in the 1861 earthquake, providing a rare window into the past. Corals cannot grow when exposed to air. So when the local sea level changes as a result of tectonics, those changes are visible in corals' skeletal growth records, says Rishav Mallick, a doctoral student at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore and lead author of the new study, which was published this month in Nature Geoscience. The corals at Simeulue hold an almost annual history of vertical movement at the fault from 1738 to 1861.

The corals reveal that Simeulue had been subsiding, or sinking, for 90 years at a steady rate of one or two millimeters a year, which is consistent with the fault's background motion. But around 1829 it suddenly started sinking five to seven times faster-some years as much as a centimeter, Mallick says. That indicated the fault had started to move in a slow-slip quake. "It's a very sharp change," he says. This "rapid" subsidence continued until the huge 1861 quake.

The study highlights the complexity of subduction zones, Furlong says. For a long time, he notes, "the assumption was that, between the big earthquakes, the system was simple": two sections of crust get locked against each other at the fault, building up strain until- crack -they break free with an earthshaking shudder.

Slow-slip events complicate this picture. They might even act as triggers for bigger, detectable quakes by relieving stress on one portion of a fault but adding strain to neighboring sections, Mallick says. "It's like a bunch of springs," he explains. "So if one releases, the others have to take up that load."

The 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami that killed more than 220,000 people were preceded by a few years of slow slip in the Andaman Islands, Mallick says. However, slow slip cannot yet help predict larger quakes because the duration of the slipping varies so much. There are no faults that have been monitored by GPS for 32 years straight, so modern monitoring may not be catching events as long-lasting as the 19th-century Indonesia slow slip. And not all faults are well monitored. This is especially true at subduction faults under the ocean, which require special seafloor monitoring rather than GPS.

If slow-slip motion is missed, researchers may miscalculate where the strains are on a fault-and how strong a quake that fault can potentially produce. "Once we can better define the locked region," Furlong says, "we can better define the magnitude of an earthquake that can occur."

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The Longest Known Earthquake Lasted 32 Years

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A devastating earthquake that rocked the Indonesian island of Sumatra in 1861 was long thought to be a sudden rupture on a previously quiescent fault. But new research finds that the tectonic plates below the island had been slowly and quietly rumbling against each other for 32 years before the cataclysmic event.

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Fossils for Kids | Learn all about how fossils are formed, the types of fossils and more!

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Fossils - Educational Earth Science Video for Elementary Students & Kids

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Contrary to popular belief, a drought isn't just a time of the year that's unnaturally hot. Droughts are a natural phenomenon that can damage crops and threaten water supply. There are different types of droughts, with various causes and effects. Learn more about how it affects us with these drought facts.

1. Drought can last as long as a week, a month, a year, or even more.

2. Lack of precipitation in an area is one of the major causes of drought.

3. Due to the lack of water for crop irrigation, drought can also affect the food chain - resulting in famine.

4. As the climate warms, droughts become more common.

5. In Africa, the drought affected 150 million people from 1969-1980.

1. Drought refers to a period of below-normal precipitation in an area or region.

2. The longer the duration of a drought, the more harmful its effects are on people.

3. By decreasing crop yield, droughts can also lessen livestock capacity.

4. Watering crops in agriculture is the human activity that uses the most water worldwide.

5. Irrigation and thermoelectric power use the most water in the United States.

6. Weather patterns from the Atlantic and Indian Oceans cause the drought cycles in Africa.

7. Droughts damage animal, bird, and fish habitats as well.

8. The 1990 India drought caused the deaths of approximately 3.25 million people.

9. In Russia, starvation from the 1921-1922 drought killed around 5 million people.

10. Famine from drought in 1928-1930 Northwest China brought death upon 3 million people.

1. Droughts are second to hurricanes in being the world's most costly weather events.

2. Snakes opt to migrate in response to drought, causing an increase in snake bite incidents.

3. The 'Dirty Thirties' refer to the worst droughts in the U.S. back in the 1930s.

4. The droughts of 1987-1989 were recognized as the most costly natural disaster in the history of the U.S.

5. Droughts pose the most risk for Sub-Saharan countries given its terrible effects on food supplies.

Drought Facts Infographics

Drought has 4 main types.

Drought is typically classified into 4 types: Low rain or precipitation causes meteorological drought, while lack of soil moisture causes agricultural drought. Hydrological drought stems from low water levels in lakes and other water sources. Lastly, drinking and tap water shortages lead to socioeconomic drought.

Predicting droughts takes a while.

One of the more alarming drought facts: Droughts are not as predictable as other sudden weather events such as hurricanes, thunderstorms, and tornadoes. It might take weeks or months to identify the initial effects of a drought, much less predict when it ends.

Read also: 50 Hurricane Facts That Will Blow You Away

Climate change is one of the contributing factors to drought.

Climate change has already been affecting global patterns not only in terms of drought, but also in hydroclimate trends and variability. Subsequently, these patterns of abnormal weather is expected to continue as long as the world continues to warm.

Trees can determine climate and drought patterns.

NASA research uses tree rings in comprehending past models of droughts and climate. They incorporate soil moisture data into the estimation of future risks of drought in the 21st century. As a result, NASA has found how humans have been influencing global drought patterns for almost a century now.

Droughts can create dust bowls.

Dust bowls result in the complete blowing away of the topsoil layer. Hence, the soil left behind would not have ample nutrients left to sustain crop growth after the end of the drought.

China experienced the worst drought in the world for 3 years.

According to the Guinness Book of World Records, approximately 9-13 million people died when it didn't rain in Northern China from 1876 to 1879. It was around the same time when monsoon rains befell India for 2 years (1876-78), killing around 5 million people.

The Texas drought lasted 5 years.

Starting in May 2010, Texas suffered a drought period for the longest time since 2000. It ended in July 2015, with the most intense period observed the week of October 4, 2011.

A Californian drought once lasted 8 years.

California suffered its longest drought period from December 2011 to March 2019. Moreover, the most intense period was observed in the week of July 29, 2014.

Read also: 50 Facts About Taiga Biomes Largest Biome In The World

California drought has been a recurring feature state's climate.

Since the state kept records starting in 1895, California has recorded its driest season from the fall of 2011 to the fall of 2015. Record history also shows that 2014 and 2015 were the state's hottest years, following worsened effects due to high temperatures.

Droughts are a possible cause of war.

One of the drought facts that shows how it can affect us is that drought can cause wars. Such was the case in Darfur, Sudan. The conflict arose from decades of drought, overpopulation, and land degradation. In these cases, people were forced to find access to water outside of their respective regions, causing territorial disputes.

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30 Interesting Drought Facts That Are Actually Not-So-Dry

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Contrary to popular belief, a drought isn't just a time of the year that's unnaturally hot. Droughts are a natural phenomenon that can damage crops and threaten water supply. There are different types of droughts, with various causes and effects. Learn more about how it affects us with these drought facts.

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Drought is a continuous period of dry weather when an area gets less than its normal amount of rain. Droughts can last months or even years. Because crops and other plants need water to grow and land animals need water to live, droughts can be dangerous. Because of the lack of water, famine occurs and sometimes deserts are created. Many people die every year in famines that are due to drought in subsistence farming areas. Sometimes conflicts can occur because of drought.

A drought is a natural event that is caused by other weather events like El Niño, high-pressure systems, and global warming. Drought can be triggered by people as well. Deforestation (people cutting down trees in forests and not replanting more trees), diverting (redirecting) rivers, and emptying lakes are ways that man interferes with nature and can cause drought.

It is often difficult to determine a specific time when a drought started because drought is a disaster that usually takes place slowly. Its effects often build up slowly over a long time and may last from months to years, even after rain resumes.

Causes of drought

Lack of Rain (precipitation)

Water can fall in three ways from the sky:

1. Water that falls as a liquid and stays a liquid,

2. Water that falls as a liquid and freezes when it touches the ground, and

3. Water that is already frozen and falls as ice.

Droughts occur mainly in areas where the normal levels of rainfall are already low. If it rains a little less than normal over time, a drought will happen. Wind can also be one of the factors in a drought when there is already a lack of rain. If a dry wind blows (like a wind from over the land) rather than a more humid wind (like a wind from over the ocean), it can dry the land faster.

In the tropics (the areas of the earth that are closest to the equator), there are distinct wet and dry seasons. During the wet seasons, the area becomes a Monsoon trough because monsoons are pulled into the movement of air. During the dry seasons, the Intertropical Convergence Zone ( Monsoon trough) moves dry air through the tropics. The movement of dry air eventually causes watering holes and rivers to dry up. This means that many grazing animals like zebras, elephants, and wildebeest are faced with a choice: move (migrate) to where there is water or die. The fruit and vegetable-bearing plants that are left ripen faster because evaporation and transpiration from the plants are increased. Bushfires are common during the dry season as well because of the lack of water in the remaining plants.

El Niño is a natural event that takes place when seawater temperature rises in the tropical Pacific Ocean. This changes the atmospheric pressure between the Pacific and Indian Oceans. Since atmospheric pressure determines weather, during El Niño we see drought in some areas of the world and heavy rainfall in other areas.

Erosion and human activities

Erosion is a process in which natural forces like wind, air, water, and gravity cause the earth to move or wear away. In dry, or arid, climates, the main source of erosion is the wind. Because the soil is already dry, wind can lift small particles and move them to another region. Particles that are suspended in the wind may rub against solid objects and cause erosion by abrasion. Wind erosion usually happens in areas where there is not enough rainfall to grow many plants.

Loess is a type of soil that is affected by wind erosion. It looks like little cliffs of sand and is common in the middle of the United States and other areas of the world like China, Hungary, and Belgium. Windbreaks (like large trees and bushes) are planted on and near loess to help block as much wind as possible.

Climate change

Scientists expect that because of global climate change, droughts will be triggered. Overall, they state that global warming will result in more rain falling all over the world, but areas that are prone to drought will increase as well. Some of the suggestions to fight global warming, however, involve the use of a space sunshade, which may also increase the chances of drought.

Types of drought

As drought continues, the conditions surrounding it gradually worsen and those living in drought areas are more affected. People define droughts in three main ways:

1. Meteorological drought happens when there is a prolonged time that an area receives less than its average precipitation. Meteorological drought usually comes before other kinds of drought.

2. Agricultural drought affects crop production or the ecology of a distinct area. This can happen because of poorly planned farming areas. The water that is available in the area has a hard time reaching the plants or erosion occurs. Meteorological drought conditions can affect agriculture as well.

3. Hydrological drought happens when the water in reserves like aquifers, lakes, and reservoirs drops below their normal amount. We see the effects of hydrological drought more slowly because it involves stored water that is used or moved but not refilled. This can be caused by people using or moving water or by a lack of rainfall.

Consequences of drought

The consequences of droughts and water shortages can be divided into three groups:

1. Environmental: Water levels drop and there is a lower flow of water. This lack of water is dangerous for animals that live in water. We see more pollution on the surface of the water. Wetlands dry out, causing more and larger fires. Wind erosion happens more easily, and plant life has a hard time surviving because of a lack of water, pests, and diseases. Animals have to move because of the lack of water and plants.

2. Economic: Farming is less successful during a drought, which means the price of groceries is affected because there is less food to sell. Livestock is more difficult to care for during a drought. Forests have fewer healthy trees and fewer animals. Energy production decreases in hydro plants (businesses that use water to make energy). Tourism even decreases because activities that involve water have a harder time working correctly.

3. Social: People's health can be affected by heat waves and having to use less water. People can become stressed due to higher food costs and the lack of other things that are normal in their life. Drought also results in snakes moving closer to water and food in residential areas resulting in more snake bites. Less-developed countries have more difficulties with water shortages because they do not have the same helpful equipment as more-developed countries. Sometimes they have to move because of pollution or lack of water. War can even break out because people or countries could begin fighting over food and water.

History of drought

Drought is a normal part of the cycle of the climate in most parts of the world. It is written about in the Epic of Gilgamesh and the Biblical story of Joseph. Historians believe that people migrated out of Chile and Africa thousands of years ago because of drought.

Well-known historical droughts include:

1900: a drought in India that killed between 250,000 and 3.25 million.

1921-22: drought in the Soviet Union in which over 5 million died from starvation

1928-30: a drought in Northwest China resulted in over 3 million deaths by famine.

1936 and 1941: droughts Sichuan Province China resulted in 5 million and 2.5 million deaths respectively.

The 1997-2009 Millennium Drought in Australia led to a water supply crisis across much of the country. As a result, many desalination plants were built for the first time.

In 2006, Sichuan Province, China, experienced its worst drought in modern times with nearly 8 million people and over 7 million cattle facing water shortages.

A 12-year drought that was devastating southwest Western Australia, southeast South Australia, Victoria, and northern Tasmania was "very severe and without historical precedent".

In 2005, the Amazon basin experienced its worst drought in 100 years.

Recurring droughts in East Africa have caused desert areas to grow. This is called desertification.

In 2012, a severe drought struck the western Sahel. 10 million people were at risk of famine and almost $1 billion was sent to help.

Protection, mitigation, and relief

Farmers can lessen the effects of (mitigate) drought by properly watering and rotating their crops. Agencies have been formed to focus on soil preservation. This began in 1935 after President Roosevelt signed documents creating the Soil Conservation Service. The name has since been changed to the Natural Resources Conservation Service.

Here is a list of ways that we can protect against drought, lessen the effects of drought, and bring relief to those who are affected by drought:

Cloud seeding: This is a form of purposely changing the weather to bring rainfall. This remains a hotly debated topic and there is not yet scientific proof that it would work.

Dams: Many dams and their associated reservoirs supply additional water in times of drought.

Desalination: Removing salt from seawater could make more fresh water available for watering plants and drinking.

Drought Monitoring: If we can closely watch and measure rainfall levels and compare them with current water usage, it could help prevent man-made drought.

Land use: Carefully planned crop rotation can help to minimize erosion and allow farmers to plant less water-dependent crops in drier years.

Outdoor water-use restriction: Regulating the use of sprinklers, hoses, or buckets for outdoor home maintenance can help prevent drought. In drier climates, it is popular to Xeriscape yards. Planning the landscaping in a way that requires little or no watering is a good way to preserve water.

Rainwater harvesting: We can collect and store water that is already given to us naturally. Rainwater from roofs or other surfaces can be used when we would normally use a hose.

Recycled water: Former wastewater (sewage) that has been treated and purified can be reused.

Transvasement: We can build canals or redirect rivers toward drought-prone areas.

Interesting facts about drought

Drought is a time when the land is too dry.

Drought can be caused by nature or by man.

When areas do not get enough rain, drought happens.

Weather patterns can bring about drought.

Erosion of soil can cause drought.

Humans can bring about drought by deforestation or using too much water.

Drought can have serious consequences: It can be bad for the environment and living things in certain areas, it can cause changes in the economy of an area or country, and it can affect the health of people.

There are many ways that people can help prevent drought and help areas that are naturally prone to drought.

Images for kids

Global drought total economic loss risk

Pair of dead oryx in Namibia during the 2018-19 Southern Africa drought.

In Spanish: Sequía para niños

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Fossils give us information about how animals and plants lived in the past.

Once people began to recognise that some fossils looked like living animals and plants, they gradually began to understand what they were. They realised they were actually the ancestors of today's plants and animals.

Some fossils are easy to identify and look like plants and animals alive today.

While we can easily recognise and identify some fossils, many fossils represent animals that no longer exist on Earth. We only know about extinct groups like dinosaurs, ammonites and trilobites through fossils.

Some animals and plant are only known to us as fossils.

By studying the fossil record we can tell how long life has existed on Earth, and how different plants and animals are related to each other. Often we can work out how and where they lived, and use this information to find out about ancient environments.

Fossils can tell us a lot about the past. Why not find out more about fossils?

If you read these pages you should get a pretty good idea of what a fossil is. Find out more about fossils by visiting

Introducing the basics What can fossils tell us?
How do fossils form? Different types of fossils

Invertebrate I.D. or the History of life

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oxford university museum of natural history

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Fossils give us information about how animals and plants lived in the past. Once people began to recognise that some fossils looked like living animals and plants, they gradually began to understand what they were. They realised they were actually the ancestors of today's plants and animals.

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What Are Fossils?

When an animal or plant dies it is usually completely destroyed - either by another animal eating it or by decaying on the ground or in the water. But sometimes the animal is buried before it is destroyed. And when that happens and conditions are just right, the remains of the animal are preserved as fossils.

Here is a simple definition of fossils: Fossils are the naturally preserved remains or traces of ancient life that lived in the geologic past.

Most fossils are invertebrates, that is, animals without backbones. Worms, insects, and clams are all invertebrates. 95% of all living animals are invertebrates. There were even more in the past.

Here are the really important facts about fossils:

Fossils represent the remains or traces of once-living organisms.

Most fossils are the remains of extinct organisms - that is, they belong to plants or animals that are no longer living anywhere on Earth.

The kinds of fossils found in rocks of different ages differ because life on Earth has changed through time.

Here's more general information on what a fossil is. Visit the Australian Museum to find out how fossils are collected, dated and prepared. A paleontologist is a scientist who studies fossils. Meet a few paleontologists.

There Are Two Kinds of Fossils

Body Fossils include the remains of organisms that were once living. Usually only the hard parts of animals like shells and teeth and bones become fossilized. However, feathers, fur, and skin have also been found.

Trace Fossils are the signs that organisms were once present. Trace fossils can be tracks, footprints, trails, burrows, eggs, nests, leaf impressions, and feces. Take a peek at these images of trace fossils.

There are also fossil plants. The oldest fossils of land plants visible with the naked eye - that is, without a microscope - are about 425 million years oldpale. That's OLD!

Where Are Fossils Found

Fossils may be found almost anywhere sedimentary rocks are exposed.

Sedimentary rocks are rocks that formed when layers of sediment such as clay, mud, silt, or sand hardened over millions of years. These types of sediments settle down in lakes, swamps and oceans. This is one of the reasons why most fossils are the remains of animals who lived in or near the water.

Read about the Burgess Shale, a special location because so many different kinds of soft-bodied, invertebrate animals had parts preserved as fossils.

What Do Fossils Tell Us?

Rock layers can tell us Earth's history because they preserve past events. Fossils help scientists determine the age of the layered rocks.

Fossils also tell us what happened in Earth's history and when it happened. Fossils can be used to recognize rocks of the same or different ages. They are clues to former life.

Learn about how earth's time is organized at Geologic Time Scale. After that take a journey through the history of earth at the UC Museum of Paleontology.

Invertebrate Fossils

Probably the most familiar fossil is the ammonite. Ammonite were predators belonging to a group called cephalopods, which include squid, octopus and nautilus. Ammonites lived in the seas between 240-65 million years ago, then became extinct along with the dinosaurs.

Another group of invertebrate fossils are called Trilobites. Trilobites inhabited the Earth during the Paleozoic era. They were arthropods (like insects, spiders, and shellfish) who lived in the ocean.

Learn more about ammonites. View a photo of a Giant Moroccan ammonite.

What Are the Earliest Fossils?

Earth is about 4.6 billion years old. The oldest known fossils are from rocks from about 3.5 billion years ago. At Shark Bay, Australia, you can see stromatolites - literally layered rocks - which are examples of what the earliest life on earth looked like.

Fossils In and Near Idaho

Picture courtesy of National Park Service Hagerman "Horse" Equus simplicidens

The state fossil of Idaho is the Hagerman Horse, equus simplicidens, thought to be a link between prehistoric and modern horses. Visit the Hagerman Fossil Beds National Monument and learn all about it!

Learn about other fossils in Idaho.

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When an animal or plant dies it is usually completely destroyed - either by another animal eating it or by decaying on the ground or in the water. But sometimes the animal is buried before it is destroyed. And when that happens and conditions are just right, the remains of the animal are preserved as fossils.

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Visit OLogy, the Museum's science website for kids, to find free dinosaur games and activities. Learn how to draw what a dinosaur looked like, match eight dinosaur fossil photos with their descriptions, reconstruct and identify a fossil skeleton, and much more!

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A fossil is the remains or trace of an ancient living thing.

Fossils of animals, plants or protists occur in sedimentary rock.

In a typical fossil, the body form is retained, but the original molecules that made up the body have been replaced by some inorganic material, such as calcium carbonate (CaCO ₃) or silica (SiO ₂). The fossil feels like, and is, made of rock. It has been mineralised or petrified (literally, turned into rock).

A fossil may also be an imprint or impression of a living thing remaining in the fossilised mud of a long-gone age.

Some organisms fossilise well, others do not. The most common fossils are those left behind by organisms that produce hard materials. The hard, calcitic shells of molluscs (such as clams and snails) and of now-rare brachiopods (also known as lampshells) are examples. These sea-dwelling shellfish have produced many fossiliferous (that is, fossil-bearing) chalky layers of limestone in the earth.

Soft-bodied organisms can fossilise in special circumstances: the Ediacaran biota is a good example.

The best-known fossils for the general public are those of the giant, prehistoric dinosaurs. The fossilized bones and fossilized tracks of these huge, ancient reptiles can be seen in many museums of natural history and earth science.

The study of fossils by geologists and biologists is known as paleontology. If the study puts living things in their ecological context it is called paleobiology.

Places of special preservation

There are some sites where fossils have been found with remarkable details, or in large numbers. Palaeontologists call these sites by the German term Lagerstätten. The La Brea tar pits in Los Angeles is such a place. So are the Solnhofen limestone quarries in Bavaria.

Types of fossils

Microscopic or very tiny fossils are called "microfossils"; while larger, macroscopic fossils - such as those of seashells and mammals - are called "macrofossils". Natural stones which look like fossilized organisms, but are not fossils at all, are called "pseudofossils".

Although most fossils are formed from the hard parts of organisms, there are also indirect signs of prehistoric life. Examples such as a worm's trail or an animal's footprint are quite common. They are known as trace fossils. Fossilized excrement, faeces or dung is known as a coprolite. Chemical traces of prehistoric organisms is called a chemofossil. Objects made by prehistoric people are called artifacts.

Even when the remains of soft-bodied animals are gone, there may be impressions, molds or carbon traces which remain permanently. So, in special cases, we do have fossils even of small, soft invertebrate animals.

Sometimes a fossil is produced as a result of dryness ( desiccation), freezing, or pine resin. Mummified animals, ice-covered wooly mammoths, and insect-filled amber are examples of such fossils.

Living fossils, however, are not fossils at all. Instead, they are modern-day organisms which very closely resemble their prehistoric ancestors of many millions of years ago. The ginkgo tree, the coelacanth and the horseshoe crab are good examples.

Early notice taken of fossils

Many pre-scientific peoples noticed fossils, but not all thought they were the remains of living things. Perhaps the first to leave a record of his thought was the Ancient Greek philosopher Xenophanes (about 570-470 BC). His ideas were reported by later writers:

"Shells [are] found in the midst of the land, and on mountains. In the quarries of Syracuse the impressions of a fish and seaweed have been found; on Paros the impression of a bay-leaf in the depth of a stone, and on Malta the flattened shape of sea-creatures [have been found]. These, he says, were formed when everything, long ago, was covered in mud, and the impression dried out in the mud".

These ideas were rediscovered in the 17th century in Europe. Nicolas Steno in the Netherlands and Robert Hooke at the Royal Society in London both wrote and gave lectures about fossils. In the 18th century fossil-collecting began, and serious thinking on geology began to make progress. In the 19th century geology became a modern science, and fossils played a part in the theory of evolution.

Related pages

Images for kids

In Spanish: Fósil para niños

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When you hear the word fossil, you probably think of dinosaur bones, but the term fossil encompasses many types of once-living organisms. Knowing more about fossils and how they form is an important part of natural history.

What Are Fossils?

Fossils are the preserved remains, or traces, of animals or plants that were once living. There are two main types of fossils, body fossils and trace fossils. Body fossils are the remains of plants or animals that were once living. The most common examples are dinosaur bones. Trace fossils are signs of once-living organisms such as a footprint.

Related Articles

How Do Fossils Form?

Fossils form in a variety of ways.

Mold and Cast Fossils (Stone Fossils)

The majority of fossils are formed by a method called mold and cast. Mold and cast fossils are formed in the following manner:

1. An animal, such as a dinosaur, dies and falls to the bottom of a riverbed.

2. The flesh of the animal rots away or is eaten by smaller creatures, leaving only the bones (skeleton) behind.

3. Mud and sand (sediment) cover the skeleton.

4. Over many years, layers of soft mud and sand are pressed into hard rock.

5. The bones slowly wash away by little trickles of ground water, leaving open spaces (natural molds) in the exact shape of the old dinosaur bones.

6. After millions of years, tiny pieces of rock flowing in ground water fill the mold.

7. Over time, the entire skeleton mold becomes solid rock.

8. The rock surrounding the skeleton eventually rises to Earth's surface during earthquakes or the natural rising of mountains.

9. Top rock layers wear away by rain and wind, revealing the fossils.

10. Or, paleontologists (scientists who study fossils) dig deep down into Earth's surface to find these fossils.

The following video animates the process:

Whole Animal Fossils

Paleontologists have also found whole animal fossils. Animals like woolly mammoths can get trapped in ice for thousands of years. When this occurs, the whole animal is preserved and changes very little by the time paleontologists find it. Insects can get stuck in tree sap, which hardens to form a material called amber. When this happens, insects found in amber millions of years later look just like they did when they first entered the tree sap.

Petrified Wood

Petrified wood is wood that has turned to stone. The process of petrifaction isn't entirely understood, according to Northern State University. However, it likely occurs when oxygen is absent when plants typically decay after dying. These plants are then buried by sediments in water such as riverbeds. Minerals from the water get into openings in the wood, which preserves the wood's tissues (or replaces woody tissue) to form fossils over millions of years.

How Long Do Fossils Take to Form?

Many times, fossils form over periods of millions of years. This is often the case with mold and cast stone fossils, insects stuck in amber, and petrified wood. However, whole-animal fossils frozen in ice form as soon as the water around the animal is completely frozen. Frozen fossils might be found within hundreds or thousands of years, depending on when paleontologists discover them.

Where and How Fossils Are Discovered?

Fossils are found in a variety of places. Generally, they are discovered after they rise to the Earth's surface and are exposed due to wind, earthquakes, and rain. Sometimes they are found by paleontologists who are looking for them.

Near Water

Fossils generally can be found near sedimentary rocks, which are rocks formed in swamps, rivers, lakes, and oceans when clay, silt, mud, and sand harden over millions of years. So, many fossils are found near bodies of water or spaces water bodies used to occupy. For example, the first dinosaur fossil discovery in North America was in 1854 when Ferdinand Vandiveer Hayden explored the Missouri River, according to the University of California Museum of Paleontology.

In Ice

Palomar College says whole wooly mammoths from the ice age were found in Siberia's tundra, and the oldest human remains were discovered frozen in the Alps in Italy in 1991.

In Forests

Forests are places you may find insects fossilized in tree sap or petrified wood. For example, in 2007 in Mexico, a miner found a tree frog preserved in amber that may be 25 million years old. And in 2014, archaeologists discovered an ancient village in Petrified Forest National Park dating back 1,300 years; artifacts found include those made from petrified wood (spears, knives, and stone tools).

Discover the Past

Learning about fossils is fun and interesting, especially when you can find real life fossils near your home or while traveling. Fossils show what animals used to look like, where they lived, and why they may have become extinct (died off).

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Explaining Fossils for Kids | LoveToKnow

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When you hear the word fossil, you probably think of dinosaur bones, but the term fossil encompasses many types of once-living organisms. Knowing more about fossils and how they form is an important part of natural history. Fossils are the preserved remains, or traces, of animals or plants that were once living.

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DK Find Out! | Fun Facts for Kids on Animals, Earth, History and more!

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Visit DK Find Out! to learn about dinosaurs, space, animals, nature & more. Fun learning activities for kids with videos, quizzes & galleries at DKFindOut.com

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Encyclopedic Entry Vocabulary

Geologists, scientists who study the physical formations of the Earth, sometimes describe landslides as one type of mass wasting. A mass wasting is any downward movement in which the Earth's surface is worn away. Other types of mass wasting include rockfalls and the flow of shore deposits called alluvium.

Near populated areas, landslides present major hazards to people and property. Landslides cause an estimated 25 to 50 deaths and $3.5 billion in damage each year in the United States.

Geology refers to characteristics of the material itself. The earth or rock might be weak or fracture d, or different layers may have different strengths and stiffness.

Morphology refers to the structure of the land. For example, slopes that lose their vegetation to fire or drought are more vulnerable to landslides. Vegetation holds soil in place, and without the root system s of trees, bushes, and other plants, the land is more likely to slide away.

A classic morphological cause of landslides is erosion, or weakening of earth due to water. In April 1983, the town of Thistle, Utah, experienced a devastating landslide brought on by heavy rains and rapidly melting snow. A mass of earth eventually totaling 305 meters wide, 61 meters thick, and 1.6 kilometers long (1,000 feet wide, 200 feet thick, and one mile long) slid across the nearby Spanish Fork River, damming it and severing railroad and highway lines. The landslide was the costliest in U.S. history, causing over $400 million in damage and destroying Thistle, which remains an evacuated ghost town today.

There are many ways to describe a landslide. The nature of a landslide's movement and the type of material involved are two of the most common.

There are several ways of describing how a landslide moves. These include falls, topples, translational slides, lateral spreads, and flows.

In falls and topples, heavy blocks of material fall after separating from a very steep slope or cliff. Boulders tumbling down a slope would be a fall or topple.

In translational slides, surface material is separated from the more stable underlying layer of a slope. An earthquake may shake the loosen top layer of soil from the harder earth beneath in this type of landslide.

A lateral spread or flow is the movement of material sideways, or laterally. This happens when a powerful force, such as an earthquake, makes the ground move quickly, like a liquid.

A landslide can involve rock, soil, vegetation, water, or some combination of all these. A landslide caused by a volcano can also contain hot volcanic ash and lava from the eruption. A landslide high in the mountains may have snow and snowmelt.

Volcanic landslides, also called lahars, are among the most devastating type of landslides. The largest landslide in recorded history took place after the 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens in the U.S. state of Washington. The resulting flow of ash, rock, soil, vegetation and water, with a volume of about 2.9 cubic kilometers (0.7 cubic miles), covered an area of 62 square kilometers (24 square miles).

Another factor that might be important for describing landslides is the speed of the movement. Some landslides move at many meters per second, while others creep along at an centimeter or two a year. The amount of water, ice, or air in the earth should also be considered. Some landslides include toxic gases from deep in the Earth expelled by volcanoes. Some landslides, called mudslide s, contain a high amount of water and move very quickly. Complex landslides consist of a combination of different material or movement types.

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Writers

Kim Rutledge
Tara Ramroop
Diane Boudreau
Melissa McDaniel
Santani Teng
Erin Sprout
Hilary Costa
Hilary Hall
Jeff Hunt

Illustrators

Mary Crooks, National Geographic Society
Tim Gunther

Editors

Jeannie Evers, Emdash Editing
Kara West

Educator Reviewer

Nancy Wynne

Producer

Caryl-Sue, National Geographic Society

Sources

Dunn, Margery G. (Editor). (1989, 1993). "Exploring Your World: The Adventure of Geography." Washington, D.C.: National Geographic Society.

Last Updated

March 24, 2014

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This lists the logos of programs or partners of NG Education which have provided or contributed the content on this page. Powered by Encyclopedic Entry Vocabulary Geologists, scientists who study the physical formations of the Earth, sometimes describe landslides as one type of mass wasting.

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Video - What is a landslide? Learning Junction

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Video - What is a landslide? Learning Junction

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What is a landslide and what causes it?|| Landslide

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What is a landslide and how does it happen?

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What is a landslide and how does it happen?

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What is a landslide?

A landslide is defined as the movement of a mass of rock, mud or debris down a slope due to gravity. Landslides cause massive damage to human lives and property while also causing disruption in the movement of traffic and communication network. Landslides block the riverways which may further result in floods also. The productive farm fields that are affected by the landslides may lose their fertility and this causes a massive loss to the farmers.

What causes a landslide?

Landslides are induced by climatic conditions such as heavy rainfalls, snowfalls or natural phenomena such as volcanic activity or earthquakes. Human activities such as deforestation, mining, constructions, vibrations from big machines, etc. may also cause a landslide. Deforestation also is an important cause of landslides. The roots of trees hold the soil in place. Without trees, the stability of a slope is decreased greatly and with a large or even a small change, a landslide can be caused.

Types of landslides

1. Falls - Falls are sudden movements of huge amount of soil, debris, and rock that breaks away from slopes and cliffs. Such landslides occur as a result of weathering, earthquakes, and force of gravity.

2. Slides - In this type of a slide, the unstable sliding material breakaways from underlying stable material.

3. Topples - Topple landslides occur when a block of rock tilts or rotates. It leads to formation of a debris cone below the slope known as a Talus cone.

4. Spreads - This phenomenon is symbolised by the gradual horizontal displacement of large volumes of distributed material over very gentle or flat terrain.

5. Flows - This is the most destructive and dangerous form of landslide. Flows have a high water content which loosens the slope material and turns it into a slurry.

Prevention of landslides

Though we cannot prevent natural disasters, we can always make an effort to mitigate their effect. We must encourage people to protect nature, plant more trees and curb deforestation. In addition, detailed geologic investigations, advanced engineering practices and wise use of land can help in reducing landslide hazards.

Landslides in India

Every year, landslides in the Himalayan region kill hundreds of people and cause severe damage to several small villages, leaving them unsuitable for habitation. The main reasons for landslides in India are indiscriminate cutting down of trees, slash and burn cultivation practices in the hills, road construction and mining activities, increased grazing activities, and rapid urbanization. According to data of the Defence Terrain Research Laboratory, "Landslides rank third in terms of the number of deaths due to natural disasters. While Himalayan Landslides kill one person per 100km. The estimated average losses due to landslides in the Himalayas cost 200 lives and Rs 550 crore every year."

Some of the major landslides that have taken place in India in the last few years are as follows:

June 16, 2013 - Kedarnath, Uttarakhand -More than 5,700 casualties were recorded because of this dreadful natural disaster.

September 24, 2012 - Northern Sikkim - Over 27 people died in this sad incident, including members of the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP)

July 27, 2007 - Dasalgaon-Maharashtra - The official records suggest 50+ casualties.

July 26, 2005 - Raigad - More than 50 people were believed to be dead in this tragedy.

July 26, 2005 - Sakinaka, Mumbai - Over 74 people lost their precious lives in this landslide.

3 Interesting facts about landslides

1. Landslides can move slowly, just a few millimeters per year or can move swiftly with speeds up to 200 miles per hour.

2. The world's biggest landslide occurred in 1980 when Mount St. Helens, a volcano in the USA erupted.

3. The scientists have found out that planets such as Mars and Venus also experience occasional landslides.

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What is a landslide? - Geography for Kids | Mocomi

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A landslide is defined as the movement of a mass of rock, mud or debris down a slope due to gravity. More about different causes and types of landslides.

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Blizzards: Formation, Effects and Facts | Conserve Energy Future

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A blizzard is a weather event that includes low temperatures, wind speeds greater than 56 kilometers (35 miles) per hour, and a large amount of falling or blowing snow that lowers visibility to 0.4 kilometers (0.25 mile) for a minimum of three hours.

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Blizzard Facts

A blizzard is a snowstorm characterized as severe, and accompanied by winds of 35 miles per hour or more, sustained for a period of three hours or more. If snow is not falling but the snow on the ground is lifted and blown around it is referred to as a 'ground blizzard'. Blizzards are further characterized by very low or no visibility, measured at one-quarter of a mile or less visibility for an extended period of time of three hours or more. In some cases the visibility is reduced to 'white out' conditions, making travel next to impossible. In order to be classified as a severe blizzard the winds must reach 45 miles per hour or more, with temperatures at or below -12°C, accompanied by almost zero visibility.

Blizzards can cause treacherous conditions that result in accidents, deaths, and can cause entire cities to shut down.

Some blizzards can result in many feet of snow accumulating on the ground - causing major issues for traffic and snow-clearing crews.

The snowiest city in the United States is Rochester, NY. It averages 94 inches of snow each year.

When blizzards occur on the East Coast of the United States they are often referred to as 'Nor'easters'.

In 1888 a blizzard struck the Plains in the United States. Many children were stranded in their one room schoolhouses. Approximately 235 people, many school-children who had headed home in the blizzard, died. This blizzard is referred to as The Schoolhouse Blizzard because of the number of children that died.

Another blizzard in 1888 resulted in the deaths of about 400 people in New York. This blizzard is referred to as the Great Blizzard of 1888.

Central Canada and the Midwest in the United States are considered to be 'blizzard country'. To deal with the regular blizzards in these regions homes are often built with steep roofs.

Farmers in 'blizzard country' often plant wheat in the fall. The snow protects it and the moisture from the melting snow in spring gives it a head start in the growing season.

Frostbite and hypothermia are dangerous conditions that can occur if a person is caught in a blizzard with no protection. Temperatures are already cold, but the wind makes the wind chill much colder and skin can freeze much faster.

When stuck in a blizzard without protection eating snow is not a good choice because it lowers the temperature of the body. If caught outdoors it's a good idea to build a snow cave to block the wind. It is also important to keep the body moving to keep the blood flowing.

In 1993 one of the deadliest storms in U.S. history hit the eastern U.S., resulting in 318 deaths.

The Great Appalachian Storm of 1950 killed more than 350 people in the United States and Canada's southeast region.

A blizzard in 1922 killed 98 people in Washington, D.C. when a theater collapsed.

A blizzard referred to as the Armistice Day Blizzard that occurred in 1940 in the Midwest killed 145 people.

A blizzard now known as 'Snowmageddon' occurred in February, 2010.

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A blizzard is a snowstorm characterized as severe, and accompanied by winds of 35 miles per hour or more, sustained for a period of three hours or more. If snow is not falling but the snow on the ground is lifted and blown around it is referred to as a 'ground blizzard'.

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Learn more about blizzards and how snow storms and ice storms are formed. Find tips on winter preparedness and starting an emergency kit to be ready for a blizz...

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What is a Blizzard - More Science on the Learning Videos Channel

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Volcano facts | National Geographic Kids

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Check out these fascinating volcano facts with National Geographic Kids! What is a volcano? Why does it erupt? And where can you find the world's biggest?

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LANDSLIDE - The Dr. Binocs Show | Best Learning Videos For Kids | Peekaboo Kidz

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Drought - The Dr. Binocs Show | Best Learning Videos For Kids | Peekaboo Kidz

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What is a Tornado? The Dr. Binocs Show | Best Learning Videos For Kids | Peekaboo Kidz

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Forest Fire | Wild Kratts Videos | PBS KIDS

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Martin tries to stop Donita from starting a forest fire, with help from the Tortuga while Chris takes a ride on Donita's chair.

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What Is An Earthquake? | The Dr. Binocs Show | Educational Videos For Kids

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Hurricanes: Earth's Most Destructive Storms Reading A-Z

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Hurricanes: Earth's Most Destructive Storms Reading A-Z

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Wherever there is a shortage of rain over a long period of time, there is drought. Drought affects plants, animals, and people. It is a serious problem for farmers and for the people who depend on the crops they produce.

Drought may occur almost anywhere in the world. Deserts receive very little rain all year. They are sometimes said to be in a permanent drought. Places that have a rainy season and a dry season have seasonal drought during the dry season. Other places can experience drought at any time.

Drought results from changes in Earth's atmosphere. Some droughts are caused by shifts in the winds that normally bring rain to an area. Others are caused by changing ocean currents, which affect the temperature and moisture of the air.

Severe droughts can last for months or years. When this happens no crops will grow. As a result many people and animals may die of famine, or lack of food. Severe droughts often force people and animals to move to find water. Some farmers go to places where they think conditions will be better for their crops and animals. Some people give up farming altogether. They move to cities to find other types of work.

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Wherever there is a shortage of rain over a long period of time, there is drought. Drought affects plants, animals, and people. It is a serious problem for farmers and for...

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Have you ever watched a pot of soup simmering on the stove? Steam in the pot rises. Put a lid on the pot and the steam and water may actually boil over. Turn the heat down, though, and the water and steam drop too. Deep beneath the Earth, heat rises from the core through the mantle to the surface. The heat rises slowly, but it moves the mantle. The mantle rises beneath the Earth's crust before spreading sideways and cooling. Once the mantle cools, it sinks again.

This slow, but constant movement has broken the lithosphere in many places, dividing the Earth's crust into tectonic plates. This movement happens over millions of years and it's called continental drift. 250 million years ago, all the continents were joined together to make a giant continent called Pangaea.

Fun Facts about Tectonic Plates for Kids

In some places, the plates are pulling apart. New crust is pushed up from below. These are called divergent boundaries and they create rifts or valleys. Large lakes sometimes form in rifts.

In other places the plates are pushing against each other, creating mountains. These areas are known as convergent boundaries. Sometimes one crust is dragged beneath - or subducted - below another one. Ocean plates are heavier than continental plates so these plates are always dragged beneath.

A transform boundary happens when plates slide past each other but neither collide nor rip apart. The San Andreas Fault in California is a transform boundary.

The Red Sea formed where the African and Arabian plates pulled apart. This rift is getting larger and the Red Sea will eventually form an ocean.

Tectonic Plates Vocabulary

1. Simmer: when liquid bubbles during cooking

2. Lithosphere: the area where the Earth's crust and mantle bond together

3. Pangaea: a super continent that broke apart over 200 million years ago to form smaller continents

4. Divergent boundaries: when two fault lines pull apart

5. Convergent boundaries: when two fault lines push against each other

6. Subduct: when one plate is dragged beneath another one

7. Transform boundary: when plates slide past one another

All about the Tectonic Plates Video for Kids

Check out this cool video all about tectonic plates for kids:

A kid's video that discusses about tectonic plates and what it causes and creates.

Tectonic Plates Q&A

Question: Will the continents suddenly change?

Answer: The plates' movement happens very slowly. For example, the Atlantic Ocean began as a rift 160 million years ago. The rift expands at the rate of 1 inch per year. You are not likely to notice major changes in your lifetime. Stick around for a million years or so, though, and you might see a difference.

Enjoyed the Free Geography Kids online resources all about Tectonic Plates info? Take the FREE & fun Tectonic Plates quiz and download FREE all about Tectonic Plates worksheet for kids. For lengthy info click here.

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Have you ever watched a pot of soup simmering on the stove? Steam in the pot rises. Put a lid on the pot and the steam and water may actually boil over. Turn the heat down, though, and the water and steam drop too.

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FLOODS - The Dr. Binocs Show | Best Learning Videos For Kids | Peekaboo Kidz

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Have you ever watched something simmering on the stove?

Well, you'll see steam rise, and if you put on a lid it will actually boil over.

If you turn the heat down, then the water and the steam heat drop too.

This is how tectonic plates work.
Read on for more.
What are Tectonic Plates?

Deep beneath the surface of the Earth, heat rises from the core, which is the center of the Earth, through the mantle, which is the next layer, and then it reaches the crust.

It comes up slowly, but it actually moves the mantle.

The mantle rises beneath the Earth's crust before it spreads sideways and then cools again.

One it's cooled down it sinks again.

This is a very slow, but constant movement that has broken the lithosphere, which is the hard part of the Earth's surface which includes the crust and the upper mantle, in loads of places, which then divides the Earth's crust into tectonic plates.

This happens over millions of years, and it's called continental drift. In fact, the Earth only moves about 15 cm a year.

Major and Minor Tectonic Plates

Most of the Earth is covered by seven major plates and another eight or so minor plates.

The seven major plates are the African, Antarctic, Eurasian, North American, South American, India-Australian, and the Pacific plates. Some of the minor plates include the Arabian, Caribbean, Nazca, and Scotia plates.

Tectonic plates are nearly 100km thick. Wow, that's thick; we wouldn't want to get caught under one of these!

There are actually two main types of tectonic plates, which are oceanic and continental.

Oceanic - oceanic plates are made of an oceanic crust called 'sima'. Sima is made mostly of silicon and magnesium. Ah, so that's where it gets its name from.

Continental - continental plates are made up of a continental crust called 'sial'. Sial is made up of silicon and aluminum. Yep, understand the name here too!

If you wanted to see the tectonic plates moving, then the best place would be at the boundaries of the plates as this is where they move the most.

There are three types of boundaries.

Convergent Boundaries - this boundary is where two tectonic plates push together.

Sometimes they'll get a bit sneaky and one will move under the other.

This is called subduction. Now that's a word to impress your teacher with!

Even though the movement is slow, convergent boundaries can be areas where mountains and volcanoes form, and there can also be a lot of earthquake activity.

Divergent Boundaries - a divergent boundary is one where two plates actually get pushed apart. The area on land where the boundary is found is called a rift.

The new land is created by magma pushing up from the mantle and cooling as it reaches the surface.

Transform Boundaries - a transform boundary is one where two plates slide past each other.

They obviously aren't too keen on meeting up.

These places are called faults and you often find a lot of earthquakes in these areas.

Tectonic Plate Facts for Kids

There are seven major tectonic plates

There are 3 types of tectonic plate movement Divergent, Convergent, and Transform

Juan de Fuca Plate is the smallest of Earth's tectonic plates

Tectonic plates moving can cause tsunamis, earthquakes, and volcanoes

The Red Sea was formed where the African and Arabian plates pulled apart.

One of the most famous transform boundaries is the San Andreas Fault in California.

The Mariana Trench is the deepest part of the ocean. It was made by a convergent boundary between the Pacific Plate and the Mariana Plate.

The Pacific Plate is moving under the Mariana Plate.

Scientists can now track how tectonic plates move using GPS. Good old GPS!

The Himalayan Mountains, including Mount Everest, were formed by the convergent boundary of the Indian Plate and the Eurasian Plate.

250 million years ago all the continents were joined together? This made up one massive continent called Pangaea.

So, now you should know everything there is to know on Tectonic Plates.

It's pretty interesting don't you think, these massive plates moving around the Earth?

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Tectonic Plate Facts for Kids (All You Need to Know!)

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Have you ever watched something simmering on the stove? Well, you'll see steam rise, and if you put on a lid it will actually boil over. If you turn the heat down, then the water and the steam heat drop too. This is how tectonic plates work. Read on for more.

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Kiddle Encyclopedia

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An earthquake (or quakes, tremors) is shaking of the surface of earth, caused by sudden movement in the Earth's crust. They can be extremely violent.

Earthquakes are usually quite brief, but may repeat. They are the result of a sudden release of energy in the Earth's crust. This creates seismic waves, which are waves of energy that travel through the Earth. The study of earthquakes is called seismology. Seismology studies the frequency, type and size of earthquakes over a period of time.

There are large earthquakes and small earthquakes. Large earthquakes can take down buildings and cause death and injury. Earthquakes are measured using observations from seismometers. The magnitude of an earthquake, and the intensity of shaking, is usually reported on the Richter scale. On the scale, 3 or less is scarcely noticeable, and magnitude 7 (or more) causes damage over a wide area.

An earthquake under the ocean can cause a tsunami. This can cause just as much death and destruction as the earthquake itself. Landslides can happen, too. Earthquakes are part of the Earth's rock cycle.

The ancient Chinese used a device that looked like a jar with dragons on the top surrounded by frogs with their mouths open. When an earthquake occurred, a ball fitted into each dragon's mouth would drop out of the dragon's mouth into the frog's. The position of the frog which received a ball indicated the direction of the earthquake. This was one of the first tools to help figure out where an earthquake originated from.

Causes of an earthquake

Earthquakes are caused by tectonic movements in the Earth's crust. The main cause is that when tectonic plates collide, one rides over the other, causing orogeny (mountain building), earthquakes and volcanoes.

The boundaries between moving plates form the largest fault surfaces on Earth. When they stick, relative motion between the plates leads to increasing stress. This continues until the stress rises and breaks, suddenly allowing sliding over the locked portion of the fault, releasing the stored energy.

Earthquake fault types

There are three main types of geological fault that may cause an earthquake: normal, reverse (thrust) and strike-slip. Normal faults occur mainly in areas where the crust is being extended. Reverse faults occur in areas where the crust is being shortened. Strike-slip faults are steep structures where the two sides of the fault slip horizontally past each other.

Earthquake clusters

Most earthquakes form part of a sequence, related to each other in terms of location and time. Most earthquake clusters consist of small tremors which cause little to no damage, but there is a theory that earthquakes can recur in a regular pattern.

A foreshock is an earthquake that occurs before a larger earthquake, called the mainshock. A foreshock is in the same area of the main shock but always of a smaller magnitude.

An aftershock is an earthquake that occurs after a previous earthquake, the mainshock. An aftershock is in the same region of the main shock but always of a smaller magnitude. Aftershocks are formed as the crust adjusts to the effects of the main shock.

Earthquake swarms are sequences of earthquakes striking in a specific area within a short period of time. They are different from earthquakes followed by a series of aftershocks by the fact that no single earthquake in the sequence is obviously the main shock, therefore none have notably higher magnitudes than the other. An example of an earthquake swarm is the 2004 activity at Yellowstone National Park.

Sometimes a series of earthquakes occur in a sort of earthquake storm, where the earthquakes strike a fault in clusters, each triggered by the shaking or stress redistribution of the previous earthquakes. Similar to aftershocks but on adjacent segments of fault, these storms occur over the course of years, and with some of the later earthquakes as damaging as the early ones. Such a pattern occurred in the North Anatolian fault in Turkey in the 20th century.

Tsunami or a chain of fast moving waves in the ocean caused by powerful earthquakes is a very serious challenge for people's safety and for earthquake engineering. Those waves can inundate coastal areas, destroy houses and even swipe away whole towns.

Unfortunately, tsunamis can not be prevented. However, there are warning systems which may warn the population before the big waves reach the land to let them enough time to rush to safety.

Earthquake-proofing

Some places, such as Japan or California, have many earthquakes and many inhabitants. There, it is good practice to construct houses and other buildings which will resist collapse in an earthquake. This is called seismic design or " earthquake-proofing".

Earthquake-proof buildings are constructed to withstand the destructive force of an earthquake. This depends upon its type of construction, shape, mass distribution, and rigidity. Different combinations are used. Square, rectangular, and shell-shaped buildings can withstand earthquakes better than skyscrapers. To reduce stress, a building's ground floor can be supported by extremely rigid, hollow columns, while the rest of the building is supported by flexible columns inside the hollow columns. Another method is to use rollers or rubber pads to separate the base columns from the ground, allowing the columns to shake parallel to each other during an earthquake.

To help prevent a roof from collapsing, builders make the roof out of light-weight materials. Outdoor walls are made with stronger and more reinforced materials such as steel or reinforced concrete. During an earthquake flexible windows may help hold the windows together so they don't break.

Related pages

Images for kids

Earthquake epicenters occur mostly along tectonic plate boundaries, and especially on the Pacific Ring of Fire.

Comparison of the 1985 and 2017 earthquakes on Mexico City, Puebla and Michoacán/Guerrero

Ruins of the Għajn Ħadid Tower, which collapsed during the 1856 Heraklion earthquake

An image from a 1557 book depicting an earthquake in Italy in the 4th century BCE

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An earthquake (or quakes, tremors) is shaking of the surface of earth, caused by sudden movement in the Earth's crust. They can be extremely violent. Earthquakes are usually quite brief, but may repeat. They are the result of a sudden release of energy in the Earth's crust.

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What is an earthquake?
Earthquakes are the shaking, rolling or sudden shock of the earth's surface. They are the Earth's natural means of releasing stress. More than a million earthquakes rattle the world each year. The West Coast is most at risk of having an earthquake, but earthquakes can happen in the Midwest and along the East Coast. Earthquakes can be felt over large areas although they usually last less than one minute. Earthquakes cannot be predicted - although scientists are working on it!

Click Here to learn more about earthquakes from USGS.

What causes an earthquake?
There are about 20 plates along the surface of the earth that move continuously and slowly past each other. When the plates squeeze or stretch, huge rocks form at their edges and the rocks shift with great force, causing an earthquake. Think of it this way: Imagine holding a pencil horizontally. If you were to apply a force to both ends of the pencil by pushing down on them, you would see the pencil bend. After enough force was applied, the pencil would break in the middle, releasing the stress you have put on it. The Earth's crust acts in the same way. As the plates move they put forces on themselves and each other. When the force is large enough, the crust is forced to break. When the break occurs, the stress is released as energy which moves through the Earth in the form of waves, which we feel and call an earthquake. (Graphic Credit: Wheeling Jesuit University/NASA Classroom of the Future)

Click Here to see an animation of an earthquake. It's great for kids, because they get to see how it actually happens!

What is a fault?
A fault is an area of stress in the earth where broken rocks slide past each other, causing a crack in the Earth's surface. There are the major types of faults: dip-slip normal, dip-slip reverse, strike-slip, and oblique-slip.

What are plate tectonics?
The theory of plate tectonics is a interesting story of continents drifting from place to place breaking apart, colliding, and grinding against each other. The plate tectonic theory is supported by a wide range of evidence that considers the earth's crust and upper mantle to be composed of several large, thin, relatively rigid plates that move relative to one another. (See plate tectonic graphic above.) The plates are all moving in different directions and at different speeds. Sometimes the plates crash together, pull apart or sideswipe each other. When this happens, it commonly results in earthquakes.

Continental Drift: To see this animation again, just refresh this page! This animation shows you what our planet looked like millions of years ago and what it looks like now! (Graphic Credit: Geology Department at University of California, Berkeley)

What is a seismograph?
A seismograph is an instrument used for recording the intensity and duration of an earthquake.

Click Here to calculate the strength of earthquakes!

What is a tsunami? A tsunami is a large ocean wave usually caused by an underwater earthquake or a volcanic explosion. Tsunamis are NOT tidal waves. Tidal waves are caused by the forces of the moon, sun, and planets upon the tides, as well as the wind as it moves over the water. With typical waves, water flows in circles, but with a tsunami, water flows straight. This is why tsunamis cause so much damage!

Know the Lingo

EPICENTER - The point on the earth's surface directly above the source of the earthquake.

SEISMIC WAVES - The energy created by the quake travels in waves from the epicenter, where they are the strongest. The waves shake buildings, structures and the earth vertically, causing them to move horizontally!

RICHTER SCALE - A measurement of an earthquake's intensity. Each one-point increase on the scale indicates ten times the amount of shaking and 33 times the amount of energy. The energy released by a large earthquake may be equal to 10,000 times the energy of the first atomic bomb.

4

Minor Earthquake

5

Moderate Earthquake

6

Strong Earthquake

7

Major Earthquake

8

Great Earthquake

Richter Scale

Earthquake Safety Tips
BEFORE AN EARTHQUAKE: Have a disaster plan. Emergency preparedness can save lives. Choose a safe place in every room. It's best to get under a sturdy piece of furniture like a table or a desk where nothing can fall on you. Practice DROP, COVER AND HOLD ON! Drop under something sturdy, hold on, and protect your eyes by pressing your face against your arm. If you live in an earthquake prone area, bolt tall furniture to the wall and install strong latches to cupboards. Prepare a first aid kit for your home. By taking special precautions and checking for hazards before a disaster strikes, you will be much more likely to stay safe. DURING AN EARTHQUAKE: DROP, COVER AND HOLD ON! Stay indoors until the shaking stops. Stay away from windows. If you're in bed, hold on and stay there, protecting your head with a pillow. If you're outdoors, find a clear spot away from buildings, trees and power lines. Then, drop to the ground. If you're in a car, slow down and drive to a safe place. Stay in the car until the shaking stops.

AFTER THE SHAKING STOPS: Check for injuries. Inspect your home for damage. Eliminate fire hazards, so turn off the gas if you think its leaking. Expect aftershocks. Each time you feel one, DROP, COVER AND HOLD ON.
Earthquake Activities
Lesson Plan: Here is a great lesson plan on learning about how thrust faults are responsible for the uplift of many mountain ranges across the world, including the Los Angeles Basin. This is a great lesson plan for middle and high school students.

Lesson Plan: Here is a great lesson plan keeping track of earthquakes around the world. In this activity, kids keep a record of the location of earthquakes for a week and learn about plate tectonics.

Earthquake Experiment: Here is a great experiment that explains how to prepare for an earthquake.Science Fair Ideas: Here is a list of science fair project ideas that deal with earthquakes.

Science Fair Project Ideas: Here is a complete list of science fair project ideas. Discover the science behind the weather that impacts us every day.

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Weather Wiz Kids weather information for kids

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Weather Wiz Kids is a fun and safe website for kids about all the weather info they need to know. It contains tools for weather education, including weather games, activities, experiments, photos, a glossary and educational teaching materials for the classroom.

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Earthquake Facts for Kids - Interesting Information about Earthquakes

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Earthquakes involve the powerful movement of rocks in the Earth’s crust. The rapid release of energy creates seismic waves that travel through the earth.

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VideoLink lets you share videos on YouTube easily, without distracting third-party content or advertisements.

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What is a blizzard? How does a blizzard form?

According to The Weather Channel a blizzard is a storm with "winds of at least 35 mph, and visibility reduced by falling and/or blowing snow to less than 1/4 mile." These conditions must last for at least 3 hours. Snow forms when two air masses collide one with warm air and one with cold air they collide and make a front if there is more cold air it creates a snow if there is more warm air it will just rain. When this snow is combined with the wind, and decreased visibility, it forms a blizzard.

How blizzards affect people....

- A blizzard can shut down a city, sometimes for days. Transportation can be impossible. This means kids miss school and adults cannot get to work. People can be stuck in their homes for days.

- Electrical wires often go down because of the heavy wind and snow. This leaves people with no electricity. Without electricity, people can't use computers, TVs, appliances, and lights.

- If people are caught outside in a blizzard, they risk getting frost bite and hypothermia.

- A blizzard can cause lots of property damage, such as roof cave-ins and windows breaking. Trees can fall on houses, cars, etc.

- Blizzards can be the cause of lots of car accidents. Cars can be stranded on highways too.

-Blizzards are life threatening storms. People have died in blizzards.

- Blizzards can hurt the economy. People can't get to work. Jobs don't get done. Businesses and stores lose money.

How blizzards affect the land....

- Trees, plants, and crops can die in a blizzard, because of the extreme cold.

- Tree branches and limbs can break.

- Flooding can happen after a blizzard. This happens when there is a warm up after having large amount of snow. The snow starts melting faster than land can absorb it.

How blizzards affect animals....

- Blizzards can be life threatening to pets, farm animals, etc. They can die if exposed to the cold. They can also get lost and not be able to find their way home during a blizzard.

- Pets should not be left outside during a snow storm or a blizzard.

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According to The Weather Channel a blizzard is a storm with "winds of at least 35 mph, and visibility reduced by falling and/or blowing snow to less than 1/4 mile." These conditions must last for...

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During a blizzard the wind blows at speeds of more than 35 miles (56 kilometers) per hour for at least three hours. Visibility (the distance you can see) drops to 0.25 mile (0.4 kilometer) or less. When the weather conditions are this bad, main roads and railways may have to be closed, and power and telecommunications lines may stop working.

In a severe blizzard, the wind speed increases to more than 45 miles (72 kilometers) per hour. Visibility drops to near-zero, and temperatures fall to 10 °F (−12 °C) or lower. All local roads and transportation systems may have to close. When a severe blizzard becomes so bad that it is impossible to see where the ground ends and the air begins, it is called a "whiteout."

A ground blizzard occurs when snow has stopped falling and high winds are blowing around the fallen snow. Ground blizzards are most common in wide, open fields or flat spaces.

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A blizzard is a powerful snowstorm. Low temperatures, strong winds, and large amounts of snow together create this dangerous weather condition. During a blizzard, the driving...

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Facts Just for Kids, Teachers and Parents

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Blizzard Facts For Kids - Facts Just For Kids

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This web page contains blizzard facts for kids and is an excellent resource for anyone of any age researching blizzards. Our goal is to

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A blizzard is a severe snowstorm. It brings low temperatures, strong winds, and a lot of blowing snow. Blizzards start when a high pressure system touches as low pressure system. The word blizzard is sometimes used incorrectly by news media to talk about big winter storms, even if the storm is not a blizzard.

Some areas are more likely to be hit by blizzards than others, but a blizzard can occur in any place where snow falls. In North America, blizzards happen often in the northern-east states, and in the provinces of Canada. In this region, blizzards can happen more than twice each winter. They also occur often in the mountain ranges of western North America. Because these regions have low populations, blizzards sometimes are not reported.

A very dangerous type of blizzard is a whiteout. In a whiteout, downdrafts and snowfall are so thick that people cannot tell the ground and sky apart. People caught in a whiteout lose their sense of direction very fast. This is a large danger to pilots when they are flying airplanes, because they cannot tell how close they are to the ground, and may crash.

Who cleans up after blizzards?

The community cleans up after a snowstorm/blizzard occurs. Blizzards only usually go for 3 hours so everything won't be too damaged, meaning it won't be as hard as an earthquake or tsunami to clean.

How deep the snow gets

These horrible blizzards can achieve up to 25-30 feet deep. A basketball hoop is 10 ft high, so a blizzard can get snow as deep as the height of two or three hoops.

How do blizzards occur?

Firstly you need cold enough air to cause snow to fall in the clouds and ground level water and moisture is needed to form clouds and precipitation. The moisture is called water vapour to make the clouds a source of water vapour is cold air blowing across large lakes or the sea but the cold air doesn't actually make too much snow, its a combination of cold and warm air that does it. The warm air normally meets the cold air if the wind is being pulled towards the equator when they are brought together a front is formed and precipitation is formed and the warm air can go up to the clouds and the blizzard forms from there.

How strong are a blizzard's winds?

There is sustained wind or frequent gusts of 35 miles per hour or greater.

How cold can blizzards get?

Blizzards can get down to -12 degrees or lower. This makes it fairly easy to get hypothermia in a blizzard. Mostly freezing electrics and machinery making life very hard in the Hypothermic temperatures.

Famous U.S. blizzards

The Great Blizzard of 1888 was very damaging for the Northeastern United States. In that blizzard, 400 people died, 200 ships sunk, and snowdrifts were 10 or 15 feet high. In the Great Plains, states were hit by the Schoolhouse Blizzard that trapped children in schools and killed 235 people.

In 1880-1881 there was a winter that people in the Dakotas called the "Hard Winter". The author Laura Ingalls Wilder wrote her book The Long Winter about that winter's story. It talks about one blizzard after another, and how it changed Laura's family and everybody around her. The book is almost all true. Her story of two men from the town of DeSmet, South Dakota, going after some wheat stored some miles south of DeSmet in February 1881 is true, and Ingalls later married one of the men, Almanzo Wilder. If the two men had not found and brought back the wheat, the people would have starved. The snow and ice thawed in April, and the railroads could start again. The train picture above was photographed on March 29, 1881, not far from DeSmet.

34 people died during a 3-day spring blizzard on March 1920 in North Dakota. One of the people who died was Hazel Miner, a teenage girl who died of freezing to death when she got lost on her way home from her one-room-school.

The Armistice Day Blizzard in 1940 surprised many people with how fast the temperature dropped. It was 60 °F (15.6 °C) in the morning, but by noon, it was snowing. Some of the people froze to death in the snow. 154 people died in the Armistice Day Blizzard.

105 years after the Great Blizzard of 1888, a giant blizzard, named the Storm of the Century, hit the U.S in 1993. It dropped snow on 26 states and reached as far north as Canada and as far south as Mexico. In many southern U.S. areas, such as parts of Alabama, more snow fell in this storm than ever fell in an entire winter. Highways and airports closed across the U.S. The blizzard also made 15 tornadoes in Florida. When the storm was over, 270 people died and 48 were reported missing.

Other famous blizzards

Related pages

Images for kids

Drifted snow near Burrow-with-Burrow, Lancashire, England, January 1963

Illustration of the Great Blizzard of 1888

Stereoscopic view card showing "Blasting ice with dynamite from in front of steamer on the ways, by Stanley J. Morrow" ~ A view of Yankton's riverfront after the flood of March 1881.

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A blizzard is a severe snowstorm. It brings low temperatures, strong winds, and a lot of blowing snow. Blizzards start when a high pressure system touches as low pressure system. The word blizzard is sometimes used incorrectly by news media to talk about big winter storms, even if the storm is not a blizzard.

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Landslides, also known as landslips, are several forms of mass wasting that may include a wide range of ground movements, such as rockfalls, deep-seated slope failures, mudflows, and debris flows. Landslides occur in a variety of environments, characterized by either steep or gentle slope gradients, from mountain ranges to coastal cliffs or even underwater, in which case they are called submarine landslides. Gravity is the primary driving force for a landslide to occur, but there are other factors affecting slope stability that produce specific conditions that make a slope prone to failure. In many cases, the landslide is triggered by a specific event (such as a heavy rainfall, an earthquake, a slope cut to build a road, and many others), although this is not always identifiable.

Landslides occur when the slope (or a portion of it) undergoes some processes that change its condition from stable to unstable. This is essentially due to a decrease in the shear strength of the slope material, an increase in the shear stress borne by the material, or a combination of the two. A change in the stability of a slope can be caused by a number of factors, acting together or alone. Natural causes of landslides include:

saturation by rain water infiltration, snow melting, or glaciers melting;

rising of groundwater or increase of pore water pressure (e.g. due to aquifer recharge in rainy seasons, or by rain water infiltration);

increase of hydrostatic pressure in cracks and fractures;

loss or absence of vertical vegetative structure, soil nutrients, and soil structure (e.g. after a wildfire - a fire in forests lasting for 3-4 days);

erosion of the top of a slope by rivers or sea waves;

physical and chemical weathering (e.g. by repeated freezing and thawing, heating and cooling, salt leaking in the groundwater or mineral dissolution);

ground shaking caused by earthquakes, which can destabilize the slope directly (e.g., by inducing soil liquefaction) or weaken the material and cause cracks that will eventually produce a landslide;

volcanic eruptions;

Landslides are aggravated by human activities, such as:

temporal variation in land use and land cover (LULC): it includes the human abandonment of farming areas, e.g. due to the economic and social transformations which occurred in Europe after the Second World War. Land degradation and extreme rainfall can increase the frequency of erosion and landslide phenomena.

Hungr-Leroueil-Picarelli classification

In traditional usage, the term landslide has at one time or another been used to cover almost all forms of mass movement of rocks and regolith at the Earth's surface. In 1978, geologist David Varnes noted this imprecise usage and proposed a new, much tighter scheme for the classification of mass movements and subsidence processes. This scheme was later modified by Cruden and Varnes in 1996, and refined by Hutchinson (1988), Hungr et al. (2001), and finally by Hungr, Leroueil and Picarelli (2014). The classification resulting from the latest update is provided below.

Under this classification, six types of movement are recognized. Each type can be seen both in rock and in soil. A fall is a movement of isolated blocks or chunks of soil in free-fall. The term topple refers to blocks coming away by rotation from a vertical face. A slide is the movement of a body of material that generally remains intact while moving over one or several inclined surfaces or thin layers of material (also called shear zones) in which large deformations are concentrated. Slides are also sub-classified by the form of the surface(s) or shear zone(s) on which movement happens. The planes may be broadly parallel to the surface ("planar slides") or spoon-shaped ("rotational slides"). Slides can occur catastrophically, but movement on the surface can also be gradual and progressive. Spreads are a form of subsidence, in which a layer of material cracks, opens up, and expands laterally. Flows are the movement of fluidised material, which can be both dry or rich in water (such as in mud flows). Flows can move imperceptibly for years, or accelerate rapidly and cause disasters. Slope deformations are slow, distributed movements that can affect entire mountain slopes or portions of it. Some landslides are complex in the sense that they feature different movement types in different portions of the moving body, or they evolve from one movement type to another over time. For example, a landslide can initiate as a rock fall or topple and then, as the blocks disintegrate upon the impact, transform into a debris slide or flow. An avalanching effect can also be present, in which the moving mass entrains additional material along its path.

Slope material that becomes saturated with water may produce a debris flow or mud flow. However, also dry debris can exhibit flow-like movement. Flowing debris or mud may pick up trees, houses and cars, and block bridges and rivers causing flooding along its path. This phenomenon is particularly hazardous in alpine areas, where narrow gorges and steep valleys are conducive of faster flows. Debris and mud flows may initiate on the slopes or result from the fluidization of landslide material as it gains speed or incorporates further debris and water along its path. River blockages as the flow reaches a main stream can generate temporary dams. As the impoundments fail, a domino effect may be created, with a remarkable growth in the volume of the flowing mass, and in its destructive power.

An earthflow is the downslope movement of mostly fine-grained material. Earthflows can move at speeds within a very wide range, from as low as 1 mm/yr to many km/h. Though these are a lot like mudflows, overall they are more slow-moving and are covered with solid material carried along by the flow from within. Clay, fine sand and silt, and fine-grained, pyroclastic material are all susceptible to earthflows. These flows are usually controlled by the pore water pressures within the mass, which should be high enough to produce a low shearing resistance. On the slopes, some earthflow may be recognized by their elongated shape, with one or more lobes at their toes. As these lobes spread out, drainage of the mass increases and the margins dry out, lowering the overall velocity of the flow. This process also causes the flow to thicken. Earthflows occur more often during periods of high precipitation, which saturates the ground and builds up water pressures. However, earthflows that keep advancing also during dry seasons are not uncommon. Fissures may develop during the movement of clayey materials, which facilitate the intrusion of water into the moving mass and produce faster responses to precipitation.

A rock avalanche, sometimes referred to as sturzstrom, is a large and fast-moving landslide of the flow type. It is rarer than other types of landslides but it is often very destructive. It exhibits typically a long runout, flowing very far over a low-angle, flat, or even slightly uphill terrain. The mechanisms favoring the long runout can be different, but they typically result in the weakening of the sliding mass as the speed increases. The causes of this weakening are not completely understood. Especially for the largest landslides, it may involve the very quick heating of the shear zone due to friction, which may even cause the water that is present to vaporize and build up a large pressure, producing a sort of hovercraft effect. In some cases, the very high temperature may even cause some of the minerals to melt. During the movement, the rock in the shear zone may also be finely ground, producing a nanometer-size mineral powder that may act as a lubricant, reducing the resistance to motion and promoting larger speeds and longer runouts. The weakening mechanisms in large rock avalanches are similar to those occurring in seismic faults.

Slides can occur in any rock or soil material and are characterized by the movement of a mass over a planar or curvilinear surface or shear zone.

A debris slide is a type of slide characterized by the chaotic movement of material mixed with water and/or ice. It is usually triggered by the saturation of thickly vegetated slopes which results in an incoherent mixture of broken timber, smaller vegetation and other debris. Debris flows and avalanches differ from debris slides because their movement is fluid-like and generally much more rapid. This is usually a result of lower shear resistances and steeper slopes. Debris slides generally begin with the detachment of rock chunks high on the slopes, which break apart as they slide towards the bottom.

Clay and silt slides are usually slow but can experience episodic acceleration in response to heavy rainfall or rapid snowmelt. They are often seen on gentle slopes and move over planar surfaces, such as over the underlying bedrock. Failure surfaces can also form within the clay or silt layer itself, and they usually have concave shapes, resulting in rotational slides

Shallow and deep-seated landslides

A landslide in which the sliding surface is located within the soil mantle or weathered bedrock (typically to a depth from few decimeters to some meters) is called a shallow landslide. Debris slides and debris flows are usually shallow. Shallow landslides can often happen in areas that have slopes with high permeable soils on top of low permeable soils. The low permeable soil traps the water in the shallower soil generating high water pressures. As the top soil is filled with water, it can become unstable and slide downslope.

Deep-seated landslides are those in which the sliding surface is mostly deeply located, for instance well below the maximum rooting depth of trees. They usually involve deep regolith, weathered rock, and/or bedrock and include large slope failures associated with translational, rotational, or complex movements. They tend to form along a plane of weakness such as a fault or bedding plane. They can be visually identified by concave scarps at the top and steep areas at the toe.

Causing tsunamis

Landslides that occur undersea, or have impact into water e.g. significant rockfall or volcanic collapse into the sea, can generate tsunamis. Massive landslides can also generate megatsunamis, which are usually hundreds of meters high. In 1958, one such tsunami occurred in Lituya Bay in Alaska.

Related phenomena

An avalanche, similar in mechanism to a landslide, involves a large amount of ice, snow and rock falling quickly down the side of a mountain.

A pyroclastic flow is caused by a collapsing cloud of hot ash, gas and rocks from a volcanic explosion that moves rapidly down an erupting volcano.

Landslide prediction mapping

Landslide hazard analysis and mapping can provide useful information for catastrophic loss reduction, and assist in the development of guidelines for sustainable land-use planning. The analysis is used to identify the factors that are related to landslides, estimate the relative contribution of factors causing slope failures, establish a relation between the factors and landslides, and to predict the landslide hazard in the future based on such a relationship. The factors that have been used for landslide hazard analysis can usually be grouped into geomorphology, geology, land use/land cover, and hydrogeology. Since many factors are considered for landslide hazard mapping, GIS is an appropriate tool because it has functions of collection, storage, manipulation, display, and analysis of large amounts of spatially referenced data which can be handled fast and effectively. Cardenas reported evidence on the exhaustive use of GIS in conjunction of uncertainty modelling tools for landslide mapping. Remote sensing techniques are also highly employed for landslide hazard assessment and analysis. Before and after aerial photographs and satellite imagery are used to gather landslide characteristics, like distribution and classification, and factors like slope, lithology, and land use/land cover to be used to help predict future events. Before and after imagery also helps to reveal how the landscape changed after an event, what may have triggered the landslide, and shows the process of regeneration and recovery.

Using satellite imagery in combination with GIS and on-the-ground studies, it is possible to generate maps of likely occurrences of future landslides. Such maps should show the locations of previous events as well as clearly indicate the probable locations of future events. In general, to predict landslides, one must assume that their occurrence is determined by certain geologic factors, and that future landslides will occur under the same conditions as past events. Therefore, it is necessary to establish a relationship between the geomorphologic conditions in which the past events took place and the expected future conditions.

Natural disasters are a dramatic example of people living in conflict with the environment. Early predictions and warnings are essential for the reduction of property damage and loss of life. Because landslides occur frequently and can represent some of the most destructive forces on earth, it is imperative to have a good understanding as to what causes them and how people can either help prevent them from occurring or simply avoid them when they do occur. Sustainable land management and development is also an essential key to reducing the negative impacts felt by landslides.

GIS offers a superior method for landslide analysis because it allows one to capture, store, manipulate, analyze, and display large amounts of data quickly and effectively. Because so many variables are involved, it is important to be able to overlay the many layers of data to develop a full and accurate portrayal of what is taking place on the Earth's surface. Researchers need to know which variables are the most important factors that trigger landslides in any given location. Using GIS, extremely detailed maps can be generated to show past events and likely future events which have the potential to save lives, property, and money.

Since the '90s, GIS have been also successfully used in conjunction to decision support systems, to show on a map real-time risk evaluations based on monitoring data gathered in the area of the Val Pola disaster (Italy).

Trackside rock slide detector on the UPRR Sierra grade near Colfax, CA

Prehistoric landslides

Storegga Slide, some 8,000 years ago off the western coast of Norway. Caused massive tsunamis in Doggerland and other countries connected to the North Sea. A total volume of 3,500 km³ (840 cu mi) debris was involved; comparable to a 34 m (112 ft) thick area the size of Iceland. The landslide is thought to be among the largest in history.

Landslide which moved Heart Mountain to its current location, the largest continental landslide discovered so far. In the 48 million years since the slide occurred, erosion has removed most of the portion of the slide.

Flims Rockslide, ca. 12 km³ (2.9 cu mi), Switzerland, some 10000 years ago in post-glacial Pleistocene/Holocene, the largest so far described in the alps and on dry land that can be easily identified in a modestly eroded state.

The landslide around 200 BC which formed Lake Waikaremoana on the North Island of New Zealand, where a large block of the Ngamoko Range slid and dammed a gorge of Waikaretaheke River, forming a natural reservoir up to 256 metres (840 ft) deep.

Cheekye Fan, British Columbia, Canada, ca. 25 km² (9.7 sq mi), Late Pleistocene in age.

The Manang-Braga rock avalanche/debris flow may have formed Marsyangdi Valley in the Annapurna Region, Nepal, during an interstadial period belonging to the last glacial period. Over 15 km³ of material are estimated to have been moved in the single event, making it one of the largest continental landslides.

A massive slope failure 60 km north of Kathmandu Nepal, involving an estimated 10-15 km³. Prior to this landslide the mountain may have been the world's 15th mountain above 8000m.

Historical landslides

Main page: List of landslides

The 1806 Goldau landslide on September 2, 1806

The Cap Diamant Québec rockslide on September 19, 1889

Frank Slide, Turtle Mountain, Alberta, Canada, on 29 April 1903

Khait landslide, Khait, Tajikistan, Soviet Union, on July 10, 1949

A Magnitude 7.5 earthquake in Yellowstone Park (August 17, 1959) caused a landslide that blocked the Madison River, and created Quake Lake.

Monte Toc landslide (260 million cubic metres, 9.2 billion cubic feet) falling into the Vajont Dam basin in Italy, causing a megatsunami and about 2000 deaths, on October 9, 1963

Hope Slide landslide (46 million cubic metres, 1.6 billion cubic feet) near Hope, British Columbia on January 9, 1965.

The 1966 Aberfan disaster

Tuve landslide in Gothenburg, Sweden on November 30, 1977.

The 1979 Abbotsford landslip, Dunedin, New Zealand on August 8, 1979.

The eruption of Mount St. Helens (May 18, 1980) caused an enormous landslide when the top 1300 feet of the volcano suddenly gave way.

Val Pola landslide during Valtellina disaster (1987) Italy

Thredbo landslide, Australia on 30 July 1997, destroyed hostel.

Vargas mudslides, due to heavy rains in Vargas State, Venezuela, in December, 1999, causing tens of thousands of deaths.

2005 La Conchita landslide in Ventura, California causing 10 deaths.

2007 Chittagong mudslide, in Chittagong, Bangladesh, on June 11, 2007.

2008 Cairo landslide on September 6, 2008.

disaster caused 37 deaths, on October 1.

The 2010 Uganda landslide caused over 100 deaths following heavy rain in Bududa region.

Zhouqu county mudslide in Gansu, China on August 8, 2010.

Devil's Slide, an ongoing landslide in San Mateo County, California

2011 Rio de Janeiro landslide in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on January 11, 2011, causing 610 deaths.

2014 Pune landslide, in Pune, India.

2014 Oso mudslide, in Oso, Washington

2017 Mocoa landslide, in Mocoa, Colombia

Extraterrestrial landslides

Evidence of past landslides has been detected on many bodies in the solar system, but since most observations are made by probes that only observe for a limited time and most bodies in the solar system appear to be geologically inactive not many landslides are known to have happened in recent times. Both Venus and Mars have been subject to long-term mapping by orbiting satellites, and examples of landslides have been observed on both planets.

In Spanish: Corrimiento de tierra para niños

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A landslide is a large amount of earth, rock, and other material that moves down a steep slope. Landslides happen when a layer of earth or rocks separates from the layer below it. The force of gravity pulls the loose layer downward.

Landslides can be highly destructive. They can bury or sweep away everything in their path. They can block rivers or cover entire towns.

A landslide needs a steep slope to get its start. Rain, wind, waves, and other natural processes can wear away the surface of a slope. This wearing away, or erosion, can make a slope too steep to support the rocks and earth on top. Erosion can also loosen or weaken the material on a slope. This makes it easier for gravity to pull the material down the slope.

Besides erosion, other forces can lead to landslides. Rainstorms, melting snow, and earthquakes can weaken the material on a slope. Earthquakes, volcanoes, and the use of construction equipment or explosives can force material down a slope.

Rockfalls, mudflows, and avalanches are similar to landslides. A rockfall involves large rocks falling from the top of a slope or a cliff. A mudflow is a thick stream of mud and other material that moves quickly downward. An avalanche is the sudden downward movement of snow or other material.

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A landslide is a large amount of earth, rock, and other material that moves down a steep slope. Landslides happen when a layer of earth or rocks separates from the layer...

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What is a landslide?
A landslide is defined as the movement of a mass of rock, debris, or earth down a slope due to gravity. The materials may move by falling, toppling, sliding, spreading, or flowing.

What causes a landslide?
Almost every landslide has multiple causes. Slope movement occurs when forces acting down-slope (mainly due to gravity) exceed the strength of the earth materials that compose the slope. Landslides can be triggered by rainfall, snowmelt, changes in water level, stream erosion, changes in ground water, earthquakes, volcanic activity, disturbance by human activities, or any combination of these factors.

What are submarine landslides?
Earthquake shaking and other factors can also induce landslides underwater. These landslides are called submarine landslides. Submarine landslides sometimes cause tsunamis that damage coastal areas.

Where do landslides occur?
Landslides in the United States occur in all 50 States. The primary regions of landslide occurrence and potential are the coastal and mountainous areas of California, Oregon, and Washington, the States comprising the intermountain west, and the mountainous and hilly regions of the Eastern United States. Alaska and Hawaii also experience all types of landslides.

How fast do landslide travel?
Landslides can move slowly, (millimeters per year) or can move quickly and disastrously, as is the case with debris flows. Debris flows can travel down a hillside at speeds up to 200 miles per hour (more commonly, 30 - 50 miles per hour), depending on the slope angle, water content, volume of debris, and type of earth and debris in the flow. These flows are initiated by heavy periods of rainfall, but sometimes can happen as a result of short bursts of concentrated rainfall or other factors in susceptible areas. Burned areas charred by wildfires are particularly susceptible to debris flows, given certain soil characteristics and slope conditions.

Why study landslides?
Landslides are a serious geologic hazard. It is estimated that in the United States they cause in excess of $1 billion in damages and from about 25 to 50 deaths each year. Globally, landslides cause billions of dollars in damages and thousands of deaths and injuries each year.

Who is most at risk for landslides?
As people move into new areas of hilly or mountainous terrain, it is important to understand the nature of their potential exposure to landslide hazards, and how cities, towns, and counties can plan for land-use, engineering of new construction and infrastructure, and other measures which will reduce the costs of living with landslides. Although the physical causes of many landslides cannot be removed, geologic investigations, good engineering practices, and effective enforcement of land-use management regulations can reduce landslide hazards.

Do human activities cause landslides?
Yes, in some cases human activities can be a contributing factor in causing landslides. Many human-caused landslides can be avoided or mitigated. They are commonly a result of building roads and structures without adequate grading of slopes, of poorly planned alteration of drainage patterns, and of disturbing old landslides.

Where can I find landslide information for my area?
The USGS National Landslide Information Center (NLIC) is a part of the U.S. Geological Survey Landslide Hazards Program that collects and distributes all forms of information related to landslides. The NLIC is designed to serve landslide researchers, geotechnical practitioners engaged in landslide stabilization, and anyone else concerned in any way with landslide education, hazard, safety, and mitigation. Every state in the US has a geoscience agency and most have some landslide information. The Association of American State Geologists provides links to the State Geologist for every state.

What was the most expensive landslide to fix in the United States?
The Thistle, Utah, landslide cost in excess of $200 million dollars to fix. The landslide occurred during the spring of 1983, when unseasonably warm weather caused rapid snowmelt to saturate the slope. The landslide destroyed the railroad tracks of the Denver and Rio Grande Western Railway Company, and the adjacent Highway 89. It also flowed across the Spanish Fork River, forming a dam. The impounded river water inundated the small town of Thistle. The inhabitants of the town of Thistle, directly upstream from the landslide, were evacuated as the lake began to flood the town, and within a day the town was completely covered with water. Populations downstream from the dam were at risk because of the possible overtopping of the landslide by the lake. This could cause a catastrophic outburst of the dam with a massive flood downstream. Eventually, a drain system was engineered to drain the lake and avert the potential disaster.

How many deaths result from landslides?
An average of between 25 and 50 people are killed by landslides each year in the United States. The worldwide death toll per year due to landslides is in the thousands. Most landslide fatalities are from rock fall, debris-flows, or volcanic debris flows.

What should I know about wildfires and debris flows?
Wild land fires are inevitable in the western United States. Expansion of human development into forested areas has created a situation where wildfires can adversely affect lives and property, as can the flooding and landslides that occur in the aftermath of the fires. There is a need to develop tools and methods to identify and quantify the potential hazards posed by landslides produced from burned watersheds. Post-fire landslide hazards include fast-moving, highly destructive debris flows that can occur in the years immediately after wildfires in response to high intensity rainfall events, and those flows that are generated over longer time periods accompanied by root decay and loss of soil strength. Post-fire debris flows are particularly hazardous because they can occur with little warning, can exert great impulsive loads on objects in their paths, and can strip vegetation, block drainage ways, damage structures, and endanger human life. Wildfires could potentially result in the destabilization of pre-existing deep-seated landslides over long time periods.

How do landslides cause tsunamis?
Tsunamis are large, potentially deadly and destructive sea waves, most of which are formed as a result of submarine earthquakes. They may also result from the eruption or collapse of island or coastal volcanoes and the formation of giant landslides on marine margins. These landslides, in turn, are often triggered by earthquakes. Tsunamis can be generated on impact as a rapidly moving landslide mass enters the water or as water displaces behind and ahead of a rapidly moving underwater landslide.

What are some examples of landslides that have caused tsunamis?
The 1964 Alaska earthquake caused 115 deaths in Alaska alone, with 106 of those due to tsunamis generated by tectonic uplift of the sea floor, and by localized subareal and submarine landslides. The earthquake shaking caused at least 5 local slide-generated tsunamis within minutes after the shaking began. An eyewitness account of the tsunami caused by the movement and landslides of the 1964 Alaska earthquake.

Research in the Canary Islands concludes that there have been at least five massive volcano landslides that occurred in the past, and that similar large events may occur in the future. Giant landslides have the potential of generating large tsunami waves at close and also very great distances and would have the potential to devastate large areas of coastal land as far away as the eastern seaboard of North America.

Rock falls and rock avalanches in coastal inlets, such as those that have occurred in the past at Tidal Inlet, Glacier Bay National Park, Alaska, have the potential to cause regional tsunamis that pose a hazard to coastal ecosystems and human settlements. On July 9, 1958, a magnitude M 7.9 earthquake on the Fairweather Fault triggered a rock avalanche at the head of Lituya Bay, Alaska. The landslide generated a wave that ran up 524 m on the opposite shore and sent a 30-m high wave through Lituya Bay, sinking two of three fishing boats and killing two persons.

How soon does the danger of landslides end after the rain stops?
It's not possible to exactly predict the number of days or weeks that landslides remain a danger after heavy rain. Residents near mountain slopes, canyons, and landslide prone areas should stay alert even after heavy rain subsides.

Why is southern California vulnerable to landslides?
Areas that have been burned by recent wildfires are highly susceptible to debris-flow activity that can be triggered by significantly less rainfall than that which triggers debris flows from unburned hill slopes.

What was the biggest landslide in the world?
The world's biggest historic landslide occurred during the 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens, a volcano in the Cascade Mountain Range in the State of Washington, USA. The volume of material was 2.8 cubic kilometers (km).

What was the biggest prehistoric landslide?
The world's biggest prehistoric landslide, discovered so far on land, is in southwestern Iran, and is named the Saidmarreh landslide. The landslide is located on the Kabir Kuh anticline in Southwest Iran at 33 degrees north latitude, 47.65 degrees east longitude. The landslide has a volume of about 20 cubic kilometers, a depth of 300 m, a travel distance of 14 km and a width of 5 km. This means that about 50 billion tons of rock moved in this single event!

Rotational slide: This is a slide in which the surface of rupture is curved concavely upward and the slide movement is roughly rotational about an axis that is parallel to the ground surface and transverse across the slide.

Translational slide: In this type of slide, the landslide mass moves along a roughly planar surface with little rotation or backward tilting.

Block slide: is a translational slide in which the moving mass consists of a single unit or a few closely related units that move downslope as a relatively coherent mass.

Fall: Falls are abrupt movements of masses of geologic materials, such as rocks and boulders, that become detached from steep slopes or cliffs. Separation occurs along discontinuities such as fractures, joints, and bedding planes, and movement occurs by free-fall, bouncing, and rolling. Falls are strongly influenced by gravity, mechanical weathering, and the presence of interstitial water.

Topple: Toppling failures are distinguished by the forward rotation of a unit or units about some pivotal point, below or low in the unit, under the actions of gravity and forces exerted by adjacent units or by fluids in cracks.

Debris flow: A debris flow is a form of rapid mass movement in which a combination of loose soil, rock, organic matter, air, and water mobilize as a slurry that flows downslope. Debris flows include less than 50% fines. Debris flows are commonly caused by intense surface-water flow, due to heavy precipitation or rapid snowmelt, that erodes and mobilizes loose soil or rock on steep slopes. Debris flows also commonly mobilize from other types of landslides that occur on steep slopes, are nearly saturated, and consist of a large proportion of silt- and sand-sized material. Debris-flow source areas are often associated with steep gullies, and debris-flow deposits are usually indicated by the presence of debris fans at the mouths of gullies. Fires that denude slopes of vegetation intensify the susceptibility of slopes to debris flows.

Debris avalanche: This is a variety of very rapid to extremely rapid debris flow.

Earthflow: Earthflows have a characteristic "hourglass" shape. The slope material liquefies and runs out, forming a bowl or depression at the head. The flow itself is elongate and usually occurs in fine-grained materials or clay-bearing rocks on moderate slopes and under saturated conditions. However, dry flows of granular material are also possible.
Mudflow: A mudflow is an earthflow consisting of material that is wet enough to flow rapidly and that contains at least 50 percent sand-, silt-, and clay-sized particles. In some instances, for example in many newspaper reports, mudflows and debris flows are commonly referred to as "mudslides."

Creep: Creep is the imperceptibly slow, steady, downward movement of slope-forming soil or rock. Movement is caused by shear stress sufficient to produce permanent deformation, but too small to produce shear failure. There are generally three types of creep: (1) seasonal, where movement is within the depth of soil affected by seasonal changes in soil moisture and soil temperature; (2) continuous, where shear stress continuously exceeds the strength of the material; and (3) progressive, where slopes are reaching the point of failure as other types of mass movements. Creep is indicated by curved tree trunks, bent fences or retaining walls, tilted poles or fences, and small soil ripples or ridges.

Lateral Spreads: Lateral spreads are distinctive because they usually occur on very gentle slopes or flat terrain. The dominant mode of movement is lateral extension accompanied by shear or tensile fractures. The failure is caused by liquefaction, the process whereby saturated, loose, cohesionless sediments (usually sands and silts) are transformed from a solid into a liquefied state. Failure is usually triggered by rapid ground motion, such as that experienced during an earthquake, but can also be artificially induced. When coherent material, either bedrock or soil, rests on materials that liquefy, the upper units may undergo fracturing and extension and may then subside, translate, rotate, disintegrate, or liquefy and flow. Lateral spreading in fine-grained materials on shallow slopes is usually progressive. The failure starts suddenly in a small area and spreads rapidly. Often the initial failure is a slump, but in some materials movement occurs for no apparent reason. Combination of two or more of the above types is known as a complex landslide.

SLIDES: Although many types of mass movements are included in the general term "landslide," the more restrictive use of the term refers only to mass movements, where there is a distinct zone of weakness that separates the slide material from more stable underlying material. The two major types of slides are rotational slides and translational slides.

FLOWS: There are five basic categories of flows that differ from one another in fundamental ways. Although there are multiple types of causes of landslides, the three that cause most of the damaging landslides around the world are these:

Landslides and Water: Slope saturation by water is a primary cause of landslides. This effect can occur in the form of intense rainfall, snowmelt, changes in ground-water levels, and waterlevel changes along coastlines, earth dams, and the banks of lakes, reservoirs, canals, and rivers. Landsliding and flooding are closely allied because both are related to precipitation, runoff, and the saturation of ground by water. In addition, debris flows and mudflows usually occur in small, steep stream channels and often are mistaken for floods; in fact, these two events often occur simultaneously in the same area. Landslides can cause flooding by forming landslide dams that block valleys and stream channels, allowing large amounts of water to back up. This causes backwater flooding and, if the dam fails, subsequent downstream flooding. Also, solid landslide debris can "bulk" or add volume and density to otherwise normal streamflow or cause channel blockages and diversions creating flood conditions or localized erosion. Landslides can also cause overtopping of reservoirs and/or reduced capacity of reservoirs to store water.

Landslides and Seismic Activity: Many mountainous areas that are vulnerable to landslides have also experienced at least moderate rates of earthquake occurrence in recorded times. The occurrence of earthquakes in steep landslide-prone areas greatly increases the likelihood that landslides will occur, due to ground shaking alone or shaking- caused dilation of soil materials, which allows rapid infiltration of water. The 1964 Great Alaska Earthquake caused widespread landsliding and other ground failure, which caused most of the monetary loss due to the earthquake. Other areas of the United States, such as California and the Puget Sound region in Washington, have experienced slides, lateral spreading, and other types of ground failure due to moderate to large earthquakes. Widespread rockfalls also are caused by loosening of rocks as a result of ground shaking. Worldwide, landslides caused by earthquakes kill people and damage structures at higher rates than in the United States.

Landslides and Volcanic Activity: Landslides due to volcanic activity are some of the most devastating types. Volcanic lava may melt snow at a rapid rate, causing a deluge of rock, soil, ash, and water that accelerates rapidly on the steep slopes of volcanoes, devastating anything in its path. These volcanic debris flows (also known as lahars) reach great distances, once they leave the flanks of the volcano, and can damage structures in flat areas surrounding the volcanoes. The 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens, in Washington triggered a massive landslide on the north flank of the volcano, the largest landslide in recorded times.

Landslide Mitigation - How to Reduce the Effects of Landslides: Vulnerability to landslide hazards is a function of location, type of human activity, use, and frequency of landslide events. The effects of landslides on people and structures can be lessened by total avoidance of landslide hazard areas or by restricting, prohibiting, or imposing conditions on hazard-zone activity. Local governments can reduce landslide effects through land-use policies and regulations. Individuals can reduce their exposure to hazards by educating themselves on the past hazard history of a site and by making inquiries to planning and engineering departments of local governments. They can also obtain the professional services of an engineering geologist, a geotechnical engineer, or a civil engineer, who can properly evaluate the hazard potential of a site, built or unbuilt.

The hazard from landslides can be reduced by avoiding construction on steep slopes and existing landslides, or by stabilizing the slopes. Stability increases when groundwater is prevented from rising in the landslide mass by (1) covering the landslide with an impermeable membrane, (2) directing surface water away from the landslide, (3) draining groundwater away from the landslide, and (4) minimizing surface irrigation. Slope stability is also increased when a retaining structure and/ or the weight of a soil/rock berm are placed at the toe of the landslide or when mass is removed from the top of the slope.

LANDSLIDE ADVISORY - a general statement about the potential of landslide activity in a given region relative to developing rainfall predictions. An advisory may include general statements about rainfall conditions that can lead to debris-flow activity, and list precautions to be taken in the event of heavy rainfall.

LANDSLIDE WATCH - means that landslide-activity will be possible, but is not imminent. People in, or planning to travel through, a watch area should check preparedness and stay informed about developing weather patterns.

LANDSLIDE WARNING - indicates that landslide activity is presently occurring and extreme caution should be taken.

FLOOD WATCH - means that an overflow of water from a river is possible for your area.

FLASH FLOOD WATCH - means that flash flooding is possible in or close to the watch area. Flash Flood Watches can be put into effect for as long as 12 hours, while heavy rains move into and across the area.

FLOOD WARNING - means flooding conditions are actually occurring in the warning area.

FLASH FLOOD WARNING - means that flash flooding is actually occurring in the warning area. A warning can also be issued as a result of torrential rains, a dam failure or snow thaw.

URBAN and SMALL STREAM ADVISORY - means flooding of small streams, streets and low-lying areas, such as railroad underpasses and urban storm drains is occurring.

DEBRIS - The scattered remains of something broken or destroyed; rubble or wreckage.

DEBRIS FLOW - A churning, water-saturated mass of rock, soil and organic matter that rushes down mountain slopes, typically originating as a landslide.

GRAVITY - The natural force of attraction exerted by a celestial body, such as Earth, upon objects at or near its surface, tending to draw them toward the center of the body.

FRICTION - Force that resists the relative motion or tendency to such motion of two bodies in contact.

TRIGGER - An event that initiates a landslide.

Click Here to see if there are any active warnings in your area.

BEFORE A LANDSLIDE: Avoid building near steep slopes, close to mountain edges, near drainage ways, or natural erosion valleys. Get a ground assessment of your property. Landslides occur where they have before, and in identifiable hazard locations. Ask for information on landslides in your area, specific information on areas vulnerable to landslides, and request a professional referral for a very detailed site analysis of your property, and corrective measures you can take, if necessary. Watch the patterns of storm-water drainage near your home, and note the places where runoff water converges, increasing flow in channels. These are areas to avoid during a storm. Make evacuation plans. Plan at least two evacuation routes since roads may become blocked or closed. Develop your own emergency plan for your family or business.

MINIMIZE HOME HAZARDS: Have flexible pipe fittings installed to avoid gas or water leaks, as flexible fittings are more resistant to breakage. Plant ground cover on slopes and build retaining walls. In mudflow areas, build channels or deflection walls to direct the flow around buildings. Remember: If you build walls to divert debris flow and the flow lands on a neighbor's property, you may be liable for damages. Design and construction of walls and channels strong enough to resist or divert landslides is highly specialized work, best done by qualified professionals.

DURING A STORM/LANDSLIDE: Stay alert and awake. Many debris-flow fatalities occur when people are sleeping. Listen to a NOAA Weather Radio or portable, battery-powered radio or television for warnings of intense rainfall. Be aware that intense, short bursts of rain may be particularly dangerous, especially after longer periods of heavy rainfall and damp weather. If you are in areas susceptible to landslides and debris flows, consider leaving if it is safe to do so. Remember that driving during an intense storm can be hazardous. If you remain at home, move to a second story if possible. Staying out of the path of a landslide or debris flow saves lives. Listen for any unusual sounds that might indicate moving debris, such as trees cracking or boulders knocking together. A trickle of flowing or falling mud or debris may precede larger landslides. Moving debris can flow quickly and sometimes without warning. If you are near a stream or channel, be alert for any sudden increase or decrease in water flow and for a change from clear to muddy water. Such changes may indicate landslide activity upstream, so be prepared to move quickly. Don't delay! Save yourself, not your belongings. Be especially alert when driving. Bridges may be washed out, and culverts overtopped. Do not cross flooding streams...Turn Around, Don't Drown! Embankments along roadsides are particularly susceptible to landslides. Watch the road for collapsed pavement, mud, fallen rocks, and other indications of possible debris flows. Be aware that strong shaking from earthquakes can induce or intensify the effects of landslides.

AFTER A LANDSLIDE: Stay away from the slide area. There may be danger of additional slides. Check for injured and trapped persons near the slide area. Give first aid if trained. Remember to help your neighbors who may require special assistance-infants, elderly people, and people with disabilities. Listen to a battery-operated radio or television for the latest emergency information. Remember that flooding may occur after a mudflow or a landslide. Check for damaged utility lines. Report any damage to the utility company. Check the building foundation, chimney, and surrounding land for damage. Replant damaged ground as soon as possible since erosion caused by loss of ground cover can lead to flash flooding. Seek the advice of geotechnical expert for evaluating landslide hazards or designing corrective techniques to reduce landslide risk.

Lesson Plan: Here is a great lesson plan on erosion and landslides.

Lesson Plan: Here is a great lesson plan on landslides for grades 6-8.

Lesson Plan: This lesson consists of landslides, liquefaction, and structural failure caused by earthquakes.

Science Fair Project Ideas: Here is a complete list of science fair project ideas. Discover the science behind the weather that impacts us every day.

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What is a landslide? A landslide is defined as the movement of a mass of rock, debris, or earth down a slope due to gravity. The materials may move by falling, toppling, sliding, spreading, or flowing. What causes a landslide? Almost every landslide has multiple causes.

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A wildfire is a fire that burns out of control in a natural area, like a forest, grassland, or prairie. Wildfires can start from natural causes, such as lightning, but they are usually caused by humans, such as campers or hikers who did not put out their campfire properly. Wildfires spread quickly, burning brush, trees, and homes in its path. They can also affect natural resources (such as soil, animals, forests), destroy homes, and put people's lives in danger.

Words to know!

Am I at Risk?

What Can I Do?

Before

During

After

Learn More

Did you know?

The three elements needed to create and keep a fire burning are heat, fuel, and oxygen, also known as the fire triangle.

Incident Meteorologists (IMETs) are a group of around 70 specially-trained weather experts with the National Weather Service. They work closely with wildfire responders at wildfire sites to monitor, analyze, and report fire and weather conditions. Their forecasts help firefighters plan operations when dealing with the unpredictable nature of fire. This helps keep emergency responders safe.

Learn more with:

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Words to Know Am I at Risk? What Can I do? Learn More

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Wildfire is a general term which includes forest fires, grassland fires, bushfires, brush fires and any other vegetation fire in countryside areas.

Wildfires occur in every continent except Antarctica. They can occur naturally and spontaneously, but many are caused by humans, accidentally or deliberately. Fossil records and human history show that wildfires do occur at intervals. The Great Oxygenation Event and the spread of land plants made Earth a planet of fire.

Wildfires can cause extensive damage to property and human life, but they also have some beneficial effects on wilderness areas. Some plant species depend on the effects of fire for growth and reproduction, although large wildfires may also have negative ecological effects.

Strategies of wildfire prevention, detection, and suppression have varied over the years. One of the more controversial methods is controlled burn: People permit or light small fires to burn away some of the fuel for a potential wildfire. While some wildfires burn in remote forested regions, they can cause extensive destruction of homes and other property in the zone between developed areas and undeveloped wilderness.

Plant adaptation

Plants in wildfire-prone ecosystems often have adaptations to their local conditions. Such adaptations include physical protection against heat, increased growth after a fire event, and flammable materials that encourage fire and eliminate competition. For example, plants of the genus Eucalyptus contain flammable oils that encourage fire and hard sclerophyll leaves that resist heat and drought. This makes them dominant over less fire-tolerant species. Dense bark, shedding lower branches, and high water content in external structures may also protect trees from rising temperatures. Fire-resistant seeds and reserve shoots that sprout after a fire encourage species preservation, as in 'pioneer' species that specialize in restarting ecological succession after a fire.

Smoke, charred wood, and heat can stimulate the germination of seeds. Smoke from burning plants promotes contains orange butenolide, which induces germination of seeds.

Grasslands in Western Sabah, Malaysian pine forests, and Indonesian Casuarina forests are believed to have resulted from previous periods of fire. The deadwood litter of Chamise (Californian greasewood shrub) is low in water content and flammable, and the shrub quickly sprouts after a fire. relies on periodic fires to reduce competition, release seeds from their cones, and clear the soil and canopy for new growth. Some have adapted to, and rely on, low-intensity surface fires for survival and growth. The optimum fire frequency for Caribbean pine in Bahamian pineyards is every 3 to 10 years. Too frequent fires favour herbaceous plants, and infrequent fires favour other tree species.

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Images for kids

In Spanish: Incendio forestal para niños

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Forest fires are large uncontrolled fires that take place in the forest. Some of the fiercest fires occur in the forest because there is so much fuel (trees) to burn. Forest fires are a type of wildfire. Other types of wildfires include grass fires, brush fires, and hill fires.

Major Causes of Forest Fires

The major cause of forest fires in the United States is human activities. This can be carelessness such as not putting out a campfire or dropping a lit cigarette. It may also be arson, which is setting a fire on purpose and is against the law. Around 80% of forest fires in the United States are caused by humans.

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Kids learn about forest fires including major human and natural causes, how they spread, firefighters, campfire safety, fun facts, and good wildfires.

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Have you ever heard of a fire triangle? Wildfires need three things to thrive and firefighters call these three things the fire triangle. They include a fuel source, such as dry wood and plants; oxygen, which is delivered by wind and air; and a heat source, such as a cigarette, a spark from a campfire, a lightning strike or even the sun.

Every year in the U.S., wildfires burn more than 5 million acres. Wildfires can start in a second and move at about 14 miles per hour.

Facts about Wildfires for Kids

Most wildfires are caused by humans, but some fires are caused by nature.

Wildfires can destroy homes and buildings and even kill people.

In some ways, wildfires are good, though. They clear dead and diseased plants so new plants can grow.

Firefighters sometimes fight wildfires from planes or helicopters. They drop water or fire-retardant chemicals on or near the fire.

Firefighters also fight wildfires by cutting back brush and grass.

In August 2018 California suffered the largest wildfire in the history of the state.

In the event of a wildfire it is important to be prepared. Call 911 and take the advice of the authorities. If an order is made to leave the area, do so immediately. Leave all personnel belongings, you can replace them.

Fill bathtubs and sinks with water and stay indoors with windows and doors closed but unlocked.

Keep away from windows.

If you happen to be caught outside in a wildfire keep low, try find a ditch and lie face down in it, covering your body. Try find an area clear from vegetation like trees and bushes.

If you happen to be in your vehicle, close the vents and windows. Lie on the floor again covering your body. If you can find an area free from vegetation its safer, stay there, do not panic. It is very easy to become disorientated in a wildfire, so driving around unsure where you are going will only put you in more danger.

Visit this government website and be prepared https://www.ready.gov/wildfires

Wildfires Vocabulary

Learn More All About Wildfires

This is the best video we found for kids to learn about Wildfires:

This is a video animation about preventing wildfires.

Wildfires Q&A

Question : What can I do to prevent wildfires?

Answer: Most wildfires happen during the heat of summer in dry, western states, such as Utah, Idaho, California and Colorado. If you live in one of these states, follow local rules about fires and fireworks. Be extra careful with campfires.

Enjoyed the Free Geography Kids online resources all about Wildfires info? Take the FREE & fun all about Wildfires quiz and download FREE all about Wildfires worksheet for kids. For lengthy info click here.

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All About Wildfires Fun Geography Facts for Kids. Learn more all about Wildfires with our best online kids science resource. Easy Earth Science for Kids.

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What is a wildfire?
A wildfire also known as a wildland fire, forest fire, vegetation fire, grass fire, peat fire, bushfire (in Australia), or hill fire is an uncontrolled fire often occurring in wildland areas, but which can also consume houses or agricultural resources. Wildfires often begin unnoticed, but they spread quickly igniting brush, trees and homes.

What causes a wildfire?
Common causes of wildfires include lightning, human carelessness, arson, volcano eruption, and pyroclastic cloud from active volcano. Heat waves, droughts, and cyclical climate changes such as El Niño can also have a dramatic effect on the risk of wildfires. Although, more than four out of every five wildfires are caused by people.

Where can wildfires occur?
Wildfires can occur anywhere, but are common in the forested areas of the United States and Canada. They are also susceptible in many places around the world, including much of the vegetated areas of Australia as well as in the Western Cape of South Africa. The climates are sufficiently moist to allow the growth of trees, but feature extended dry, hot periods. Fires are particularly prevalent in the summer and fall, and during droughts when fallen branches, leaves, and other material can dry out and become highly flammable. Wildfires are also common in grasslands and scrublands.

What are the Santa Ana winds?
The Santa Ana winds are hot, dry winds that aggravate the fire danger in forests and bush lands. These winds characteristically appear in Southern California and Northern Baja California weather during autumn and early winter. In southern California, under the influence of Santa Ana winds, wildfires can move at tremendous speeds, up to 40 miles in a single day, consuming up to 1,000 acres per hour. Dense clouds of burning embers push ahead of the flames crossing firebreaks without a problem.

What is a fire tornado?
A fire tornado or fire whirl is just a tornado made of fire. It happens when certain conditions (depending on air temperature and currents), acquires a vertical vorticity and forms a whirl, or a tornado-like effect. Fire tornadoes may be whirlwinds separated from the flames, either within the burn area or outside it. A fire tornado can make fires more dangerous.

How do firefighters put out the wildfires?
Firefighters use a tool known as a pulaski. Its a combination of an ax and hoe used to dig a fireline. A fireline is a strip of land from which all brush and debris have been cleared to rob a wildfire of its fuel. Firefighters also use hotshots and smoke jumpers to clear a large path in a big circle around the fire so the blaze is contained in a ring of dirt. When the fire reaches this area, it runs out of fuel and starves to death. If the fire is too large, however, planes and helicopters fly overhead, dropping water and special chemicals that smother the flames. This pink, fire-retardant chemical is called sky jell-o.

Click Here to get the latest wildfire information.

Click Here for to get more wildfire information.

Click Here to see if there has been any recent wildfire activity across the U.S.

SURFACE FIRES - The most common type of wildfires, surface fires move slowly and burn along the forest floor, killing and damaging vegetation.

GROUND FIRES - These are usually started by lightning, ground fires burn on or below the forest floor through the root system.

CROWN FIRES - These fires spread by wind moving quickly along the tops of trees.

SANTA ANA WINDS - "Santa Ana" is the name given to the gusty northeast or east wind that occurs in Southern California during the fall and winter months. Santa Ana winds are often hot and very dry, greatly aggravating the fire danger in forests and bush lands.

CONFLAGRATION - A large and destructive fire, typically aggravated by strong winds that carry firebrands over natural or artificial barriers.

Click Here to learn about more wildfire facts!

BEFORE A WILDFIRE: Have a disaster plan. Know whether you're in a wildfire prone area. Plant fire resistant shrubs and trees around your home. Have a garden hose that is long enough to reach around your home. Prepare a disaster supplies kit for your home and car. Include a first aid kit, canned food and a can opener, bottled water, battery-operated radio, flashlight, protective clothing and written instructions on how to turn off electricity, gas, and water. Always listen to the radio and television for the latest information and instructions for your area.

DURING A WILDFIRE: If you're advised to evacuate then do so immediately. Wear protective clothing and lock your home. Tell someone you left and where you are going. Choose a safe route away from fire hazards. Watch for changes in the speed and direction of fire and smoke.

AFTER A WILDFIRE: Stay away from wildfire areas until it is safe.

Lesson Plan: Here is a great lesson plan on teaching students to have an escape plan if a fire threatens their home.

Science Fair Project Ideas: Here is a complete list of science fair project ideas. Discover the science behind the weather that impacts us every day.

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What is a wildfire? A wildfire also known as a wildland fire, forest fire, vegetation fire, grass fire, peat fire, bushfire (in Australia), or hill fire is an uncontrolled fire often occurring in wildland areas, but which can also consume houses or agricultural resources.

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How Do Hurricanes Form? | NASA Space Place – NASA Science for Kids

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Find amazing facts about animals, science, history and geography, along with fun competitions, games and more. Visit National Geographic Kids today!

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Information for kids K - 6 about floods, how they occur and their effects. Includes easy to read section for early readers. For school and homeschooling projects and to read for interest.

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When you think of water and rain, maybe you think about splashing around in puddles or watching it roll down your window. But water can be dangerous if it causes flooding. Learn more about the awesome power of water and floods.

What Is a Flood?

A flood is an area that has an excess of water. The water overflows and goes into areas that are typically dry. For example, too much water in a stream or river can cause it to go over roads and into people's houses. Excess water also causes the rivers to swell and spill over into areas that are typically dry, like the forest or farms. A flood is one of the most common natural disasters. Out of natural disasters that occurred from 1995 to 2015, 43 percent of them were floods.

Related Articles

Causes

Floods can be caused by a multitude of different scenarios. These include:

Heavy rain

Dam or levee breaking

Reservoir overflowing

Thunderstorm

Tsunami

Hurricane

Tornado

Rapidly thawing snow

Ice jams

Where Do Floods Occur?

Floods occur all over the world and in almost every place. However, some places are more susceptible to flooding.

Flood Plains

Flood plains are areas near a river or stream that are first impacted when the water starts to collect in the river or stream from excess rain or other factors. The water of the river or stream will start to rise and cover the area in the flood plain.

Coastal Flood Plain

Another area that is a natural flood area is land by the ocean. This is because storms like hurricanes or tsunamis can cause the ocean water to crash into the land creating flood areas.

Places

However, there are specific areas that get more floods than most.

In the U.S., floods typically happen most in the Northeast and Midwest.

India, Bangladesh and China are listed as having the most exposure to floods around the world.

When Do Floods Happen?

Floods can happen at any time. But there are times when floods are more likely to occur. There are not specific flood seasons like there are hurricane or tornado seasons. However, floods typically occur when there is more rainfall. This is typically from the spring to the fall in the United States.

Interesting Facts About Floods

Now check out some interesting facts about floods around the world.

Not all floods are considered a natural disaster; the flooding of the Nile is actually beneficial.

The worst flood in history is considered to be the 1931 Yangtze River flood caused by extreme rainfall in China.

Thailand holds the record for the most expensive flood in 2011 which cost 45 billion in damage.

Snow from the mountains can cause floods if the area heats up too fast.

A flash flood can happen at any time and place without much warning.

Floods are so powerful they can carry away cars full of people and houses. They can also wash out roads.

Flood Resources

There are several resources out there that can provide facts to kids about floods and how to prepare for them.

KidKonnect offers not only interesting facts about floods and how they form but also has worksheets available.

Ready.gov offers information on how to prepare for a flood before, during and after one happens. It breaks down how to be ready and create a preparedness kit.

Science for Kids offers information on how floods happen and a few fun facts.

If you are looking for videos, check out the Dr. Binocs Show about floods.

The Power of Water

Water is a necessity for life but too much of it can be bad. Water that creates floods can wreak havoc. Not only can it remove roads, but it can destroy crops and wipe out entire houses. While floods can happen at any time, there are some times that floods happen more often. To learn more about storms and water, check out LTK's Tsunami Facts for Kids.

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When you think of water and rain, maybe you think about splashing around in puddles or watching it roll down your window. But water can be dangerous if it causes flooding. Learn more about the awesome power of water and floods. A flood is an area that has an excess of water.

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In August, 2005, Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans, bringing with it blowing winds, heavy rains and surging sea water. New Orleans is situated in the Gulf of Mexico, right on the water. Dams and levees have been built to protect the city, but they weren't enough. The levees broke in several places and 85 percent of the city was flooded. More than 1,000 people died and 100,000 people lost their homes.

Floods Facts for Kids

Floods are when land usually dry gets covered by water.

They can be caused by heavy rain or melting snow.

Rivers can flood if they get too full.

Flash floods happen quickly, with little warning.

Floods can damage homes and roads.

They can also harm wildlife habitats.

It's important to move to high ground in a flood.

Never walk or drive through floodwater.

Floods can bring mud and debris.

Preparation can reduce damage from floods.

Natural Disasters

Natural disasters aren't always fun to talk about, but they're incredibly fascinating and it's important for us to understand them, especially something as powerful as floods!

Floods can happen anytime, anywhere, and they're often caused by heavy rain, melting snow, or even a dam breaking. They can move cars, destroy houses, and sadly, sometimes even take lives.

But did you know that floods can also help nature? They can spread nutrients to places that don't usually get them, helping plants to grow. So, while they can be very destructive, they also serve an important purpose in our ecosystem.

Remember, whenever there's a flood warning, it's crucial to listen to the experts and stay safe!

Rainfall and Precipitation

Imagine you're outside, feeling the gentle pitter-patter of rain on your skin. That's precipitation in action. Precipitation is all about water falling from the sky. It can be rain, sleet, hail, or snow. It starts when tiny drops of water in clouds join together and get too heavy to stay in the sky. Then, they fall down to the ground.

However, when it rains too much, it can lead to problems like floods. Floods happen when a lot of water quickly covers an area that's usually dry. It's like when you're taking a bath and you fill the tub too much, the water spills over the edges. That's what happens with floods, but on a much bigger scale. And just like a messy bathroom, floods can cause a lot of damage.

Weather Patterns

You've probably noticed how the weather changes from day to day and season to season, right? That's all part of the fascinating world of weather patterns. These patterns are the daily changes in things like wind, temperature, and humidity. They're caused by the Earth's rotation and the tilt of its axis.

In some places, weather patterns can lead to heavy rainfall. If a lot of rain falls in a short time, it can cause a flood. Floods happen when rivers, lakes, or streams overflow onto the land around them. They can also occur when there's too much rain for the ground to absorb.

It's important to understand these patterns so you can prepare for possible floods. Stay safe and keep an eye on the weather!

Climate Change

It's no secret that our planet's climate is undergoing significant changes, with effects felt worldwide. You've probably heard about melting glaciers, rising temperatures, and more frequent storms. But did you know that these changes can also lead to more frequent and severe floods?

Climate change increases the likelihood of heavy rainfalls. When it rains too much, too fast, the ground can't soak up all the water. This overflow can cause floods. Not to mention, warmer temperatures melt snow quicker, contributing to even larger floods in certain areas.

So, what can we do about it? Well, it's crucial to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions to slow down climate change. Remember, every little bit helps, so try to do your part!

River Systems

Ever wondered how rivers, these winding waterways, play a crucial role in shaping our planet's landscapes and ecosystems? Well, let's dive in!

Rivers start as small streams in the mountains and gather more water as they flow downhill, becoming wider and deeper. They create valleys, canyons, and floodplains, shaping the land around them.

Rivers also play a big part in floods. See, when it rains too much, rivers can't handle all the extra water. They overflow their banks, and that's when we get floods. But don't think all floods are bad! Some are actually helpful, bringing rich soil to farms and helping new plants grow.

So, remember, while rivers can lead to floods, they are also vital for life on Earth.

Emergency Preparedness

Despite the beauty and benefits of rivers, we can't ignore the importance of being prepared for the unexpected. Floods can happen anytime, and it's crucial to know what to do when they occur.

Always have an emergency kit ready, containing food, water, medications, and important documents.

Remember to listen to local news or a weather radio for updates. If a flood warning is issued, head to higher ground immediately. Don't try to walk or drive through floodwaters; it's dangerous and can sweep you away.

After a flood, be cautious when returning home. Check for damages and beware of animals that may have been displaced.

Teach these facts to your kids, so they know how to react during a flood. It's better to be safe than sorry.

Water Cycle

Speaking of emergency preparedness, understanding the water cycle can help you grasp why floods occur and how we can potentially prevent them.

Imagine this: the sun's heat causes water from oceans, lakes, and rivers to evaporate. This vapor then rises, cools, and condenses into clouds. When the clouds get too heavy, precipitation happens - it falls as rain, snow, or hail.

Normally, the ground absorbs the rainfall. But if the rain is too heavy or too quick, or if the ground is already saturated, flooding can occur.

This is a simplified view of the complex water cycle, but it helps explain why and when floods happen. By understanding this, you can better prepare for potential flood situations.

Knowledge is indeed power, especially when it comes to natural disasters.

Hydrology

Hydrology is the study of the movement, distribution, and quality of water on Earth. It examines how water interacts with the environment in every part of the water cycle we've discussed.

Hydrologists, the scientists who study hydrology, play a crucial role in predicting and managing floods. When heavy rain falls, rivers can overflow, leading to floods. Hydrologists use tools like rain gauges and stream gauges to monitor rainfall and river levels. They can predict when and where floods might occur, helping to keep people safe.

Hydrologists are also responsible for analyzing the flood's impact on the environment and helping to develop strategies for flood control. Understanding hydrology is vital in our fight against floods.

Soil Erosion

Soil erosion is a cruel reality that occurs when heavy rain washes away the rich, fertile soil that once nurtured our gardens. When floods happen, they not only carry away water, but also take the soil along with them. This natural process can become a significant problem when human activities like deforestation accelerate it.

Without trees and plants to hold the soil together, it becomes easily swept away by floodwaters. Consequently, this leads to less nutritious soil available for plants to grow in and an increase in sediment in our rivers and streams. The presence of excess sediment can harm fish and other wildlife, making it crucial for everyone who depends on the environment to understand the impact of soil erosion.

Therefore, it is essential for us all to do our part in preventing soil erosion and protecting our planet.

Dams and Levees

You've likely marveled at the sheer might and beauty of dams and levees, but have you ever considered their crucial role in our lives? These enormous structures are built to manage water flow and prevent disastrous floods.

Think of a dam as a giant wall. It's built across rivers to store water. When there's a lot of rain, a dam holds back the extra water. This prevents it from causing a flood downstream.

On the other hand, levees are like huge mounds of earth built along rivers. They act like barriers, stopping the river from overflowing its banks during heavy rain.

So, next time you see a dam or a levee, remember they're not just impressive landmarks. They're also our silent guardians, protecting us from the dangers of floods.

Floods have occurred for millions of years. Some floods are caused by ferocious storms and hurricanes. Others happen when a dam breaks or even when a beaver dam backs up water flow. Floods are the most expensive natural disaster, causing millions of dollars of damage. Most of the time, floods happen over a few days so people can prepare and evacuate. Sometimes floods happen quickly when lots of rain falls.

Fun Facts about Floods for Kids

In ancient Egypt, people liked the floods along the Nile River because the floods brought rich soil for farming.

Builders sometimes drain wetlands for homes and businesses. These wetlands are important not just because they harbor wildlife, but because they provide a place for water to go during storms.

If the weather suddenly turns hot, flooding can happen because snow in the mountains melts too quickly.

Floods Vocabulary

All about Floods Video for Kids

Check out this cool video all about floods for kids:

A documentary about floods: why it happens and its effects.

Floods Q&A

Question: How can I be safe in a flood?

Answer: Never play around lakes, streams and rivers without an adult. Go to higher ground if heavy rainfall and flooding occur. If you get caught in a flood, head to higher ground.

Enjoyed the Easy Earth Science for Kids Website all about Floods info? Take the FREE & fun Floods quiz and download FREE Floods worksheet for kids. For lengthy info click here.

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Easy Science for Kids - All About Floods. The most expensive kind of disaster is the flood. Read on for more easy science information for kids about floods.

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This web page contains flood facts for kids and is a great resource for anyone of any age researching floods. Our goal is to provide you with the latest and most accurate flood facts from scientific sources. In addition to flood facts, you'll find some shocking flood pictures and additional resources for researching floods.

The flood facts listed below will help you learn about the different types of floods, what can cause a flood, past historic floods and other useful flooding facts. Our goal is to provide you with the latest and most accurate flood facts from scientific sources.

If any of the below flood facts are inaccurate, please contact us and let us know.

1. A flood is when land that is usually dry is submerged by an overflow of water.

2. There are five different types of flooding and they are aerial, catastrophic, coastal, riverine and urban flooding.

3. Aerial flooding is caused by heavy rainfall or snowmelt.

4. Catastrophic flooding is caused by infrastructure failure, like the failure of a levee or dam.

5. Coastal flooding is caused by rising sea levels, like a storm surge caused by a hurricane.

6. Riverine (Channel) flooding is caused by water overflowing from a lake, pond, river or stream.

7. Urban flooding is caused by a drainage system or a storm sewer system that is overwhelmed.

8. A flash flood is the sudden and rapid flooding of an area that is prone to flooding.

9. Flash floods are caused by heavy rain, hurricanes, severe thunderstorms, tropical storms or melting snow.

10. A flash flood watch is a weather alert issued by the National Weather Service. The NWS issues this type of weather alert when the conditions are right for flash flooding.

11. A flash flood warning is a weather alert issued by the National Weather Service. The NWS issues this type of weather alert when a flash flood is occurring or is imminent.

12. Damage caused by flooding can reach into the billions of dollars.

13. Around 90% of all the natural disaster declartions in the United States are related to some sort of flooding.

14. Many automobile vehicles can float in as little as one foot of water during a flood.

15. As little as two feet of rushing flood water can carry away an automobile, including a pick-up truck or SUV.

16. The deadliest flood on record was the 1939 China floods, also known as the 1931 Yangtze-Huai River floods. Some estimates have the death toll as high as four million people. This flood is also considered the deadliest natural disaster in recorded history.

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This web page contains flood facts for kids and is a great resource for anyone of any age researching floods. Our goal is to provide you with the latest and most accurate flood facts from scientific sources. In addition to flood facts, you'll find some shocking flood pictures and additional resources for researching floods.

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Kiddle.com

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A flood is an overflow of water on normally dry ground. This is most commonly due to an overflowing river, a dam break, snowmelt, or heavy rainfall. Less commonly happening are tsunamis, storm surge.

The most deadly flooding was in 1931 in China and killed between 2,000,000 and 4,000,000 people. The Kerala flood in India was another flood that has destroyed people's houses.

During a flood, people try to move themselves and their most precious belongings to higher ground quickly. The process of leaving homes in search of a safe place is called flood evacuation.

Bangladesh is the most flood prone area in the world.

Pollution of drinking water

During a flood there is plenty of water logging and overflow of water, but it is mostly polluted and not safe to drink. If people drink this dirty water, they may suffer from diseases such as typhoid and cholera, hepatitis and other such diseases. People can get ready to survive a flood by filling many containers with fresh and clean drinking water and storing other emergency supplies; like: medicine and food. During flood people try to go to higher sides because the flood water wouldn't reach high areas. Also drains overflow and mix with clean water and people who drink it might fall ill.

Floods can happen on flat or low-lying areas when water is supplied by rainfall or snowmelt more rapidly than it can either infiltrate or run off. The excess accumulates in place, sometimes to hazardous depths. Surface soil can become saturated, which effectively stops infiltration, where the water table is shallow, such as a floodplain, or from intense rain from one or a series of storms. Infiltration also is slow to negligible through frozen ground, rock, concrete, paving, or roofs. Areal flooding begins in flat areas like floodplains and in local depressions not connected to a stream channel, because the velocity of overland flow depends on the surface slope. Endorheic basins may experience areal flooding during periods when precipitation exceeds evaporation.

Riverine (Channel)

Floods occur in all types of river and stream channels, from the smallest ephemeral streams in humid zones to normally-dry channels in arid climates to the world's largest rivers. When overland flow occurs on tilled fields, it can result in a muddy flood where sediments are picked up by run off and carried as suspended matter or bed load. Localized flooding may be caused or exacerbated by drainage obstructions such as landslides, ice, debris, or beaver dams.

Slow-rising floods most commonly occur in large rivers with large catchment areas. The increase in flow may be the result of sustained rainfall, rapid snow melt, monsoons, or tropical cyclones. However, large rivers may have rapid flooding events in areas with dry climate, since they may have large basins but small river channels and rainfall can be very intense in smaller areas of those basins.

Rapid flooding events, including flash floods, more often occur on smaller rivers, rivers with steep valleys, rivers that flow for much of their length over impermeable terrain, or normally-dry channels. The cause may be localized convective precipitation (intense thunderstorms) or sudden release from an upstream impoundment created behind a dam, landslide, or glacier.

Flash floods are the most common flood type in normally-dry channels in arid zones, known as arroyos in the southwest United States and many other names elsewhere. In that setting, the first flood water to arrive is depleted as it wets the sandy stream bed. The leading edge of the flood thus advances more slowly than later and higher flows. As a result, the rising limb of the hydrograph becomes ever quicker as the flood moves downstream, until the flow rate is so great that the depletion by wetting soil becomes insignificant.

Estuarine and coastal

Flooding in estuaries is commonly caused by a combination of storm surges caused by winds and low barometric pressure and large waves meeting high upstream river flows.

Coastal areas may be flooded by storm surges combining with high tides and large wave events at sea, resulting in waves over-topping flood defenses or in severe cases by tsunami or tropical cyclones. A storm surge, from either a tropical cyclone or an extratropical cyclone, falls within this category. Research from the NHC (National Hurricane Center) explains: "Storm surge is an additional rise of water generated by a storm, over and above the predicted astronomical tides. Storm surge should not be confused with storm tide, which is defined as the water level rise due to the combination of storm surge and the astronomical tide. This rise in water level can cause extreme flooding in coastal areas particularly when storm surge coincides with spring tide, resulting in storm tides reaching up to 20 feet or more in some cases."

Urban flooding

Catastrophic

Catastrophic riverine flooding is usually associated with major infrastructure failures such as the collapse of a dam, but they may also be caused by drainage channel modification from a landslide, earthquake or volcanic eruption. Examples include outburst floods and lahars. Tsunamis can cause catastrophic coastal flooding, most commonly resulting from undersea earthquakes.

Causes of floods

Flooding is usually caused when a volume of water within a water body, such as a lake, overflows outside it. Sometimes if a dam breaks, it suddenly releases a large amount of water. The result is that some of the water travels to land, and 'floods' the area. Many rivers are in a channel, between river banks. They flood when the strength of the river causes it to flow beyond the banks. This is more common at bends or meanders.

Flood damage can be prevented by moving away from places that flood. However, people have long liked to have their homes and businesses alongside water because water is good for agriculture and transport and in other ways. Floods are also caused due to improper management of drains.

Rainfall is the most common cause. Snow melt is also a cause of flooding. Tsunamis and Storm Surge are less common ways that floods happen. Coastal Flooding is another common cause of flooding, and this is caused by low pressure systems or storms.

Flood safety planning

In the United States, the National Weather Service gives out the advice "Turn Around, Don't Drown" for floods; that is, it recommends that people get out of the area of a flood, rather than trying to cross it. At the most basic level, the best defense against floods is to seek higher ground for high-value uses while balancing the foreseeable risks with the benefits of occupying flood hazard zones. Critical community-safety facilities, such as hospitals, emergency-operations centers, and police, fire, and rescue services, should be built in areas least at risk of flooding. Structures, such as bridges, that must unavoidably be in flood hazard areas should be designed to withstand flooding. Areas most at risk for flooding could be put to valuable uses that could be abandoned temporarily as people retreat to safer areas when a flood is imminent.

Planning for flood safety involves many aspects of analysis and engineering, including:

observation of previous and present flood heights and inundated areas,

statistical, hydrologic, and hydraulic model analyses,

mapping inundated areas and flood heights for future flood scenarios,

long-term land use planning and regulation,

engineering design and construction of structures to control or withstand flooding,

intermediate-term monitoring, forecasting, and emergency-response planning, and

short-term monitoring, warning, and response operations.

Each topic presents distinct yet related questions with varying scope and scale in time, space, and the people involved. Attempts to understand and manage the mechanisms at work in floodplains have been made for at least six millennia.

In the United States, the Association of State Floodplain Managers works to promote education, policies, and activities that mitigate current and future losses, costs, and human suffering caused by flooding and to protect the natural and beneficial functions of floodplains - all without causing adverse impacts. A portfolio of best practice examples for disaster mitigation in the United States is available from the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

In many countries around the world, waterways prone to floods are often carefully managed. Defenses such as detention basins, levees, bunds, reservoirs, and weirs are used to prevent waterways from overflowing their banks. When these defenses fail, emergency measures such as sandbags or portable inflatable tubes are often used to try to stem flooding. Coastal flooding has been addressed in portions of Europe and the Americas with coastal defenses, such as sea walls, beach nourishment, and barrier islands.

In the riparian zone near rivers and streams, erosion control measures can be taken to try to slow down or reverse the natural forces that cause many waterways to meander over long periods of time. Flood controls, such as dams, can be built and maintained over time to try to reduce the occurrence and severity of floods as well. In the United States, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers maintains a network of such flood control dams.

In areas prone to urban flooding, one solution is the repair and expansion of man-made sewer systems and stormwater infrastructure. Another strategy is to reduce impervious surfaces in streets, parking lots and buildings through natural drainage channels, porous paving, and wetlands (collectively known as green infrastructure or sustainable urban drainage systems (SUDS)). Areas identified as flood-prone can be converted into parks and playgrounds that can tolerate occasional flooding. Ordinances can be adopted to require developers to retain stormwater on site and require buildings to be elevated, protected by floodwalls and levees, or designed to withstand temporary inundation. Property owners can also invest in solutions themselves, such as re-landscaping their property to take the flow of water away from their building and installing rain barrels, sump pumps, and check valves.

In some areas, the presence of certain species (such as beavers) can be beneficial for flood control reasons. Beavers build and maintain beaver dams which will reduce the height of flood waves moving down the river (during periods of heavy rains), and will reduce or eliminate damage to human structures, at the cost of minor flooding near the dams (often on farmland). Besides this, they also boost wildlife populations and filter pollutants (manure, fertilisers, slurry). UK environment minister Rebecca Pow stated that in the future the beavers could be considered a "public good" and landowners would be paid to have them on their land.

Related pages

Images for kids

A dog sitting on top of 2 feet of mud deposited by flooding in the 2018 Kerala floods in India. Flooding not only creates water damage, but can also deposit large amounts of sediment.

Minor flooding in a parking lot off Juniper street Atlanta on Christmas Eve from thunderstorms caused by an El Nino event. The same El Nino caused recorded highs for January in Atlanta

Flash flooding caused by heavy rain falling in a short amount of time.

Dozens of villages were inundated when rain pushed the rivers of northwestern Bangladesh over their banks in early October 2005. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA's Terra satellite captured the top image of the flooded Ghaghat and Atrai Rivers on October 12, 2005. The deep blue of the rivers is spread across the countryside in the flood image.

In Spanish: Inundación para niños

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What is a drought?
A drought is when there is a lack of precipitation over an extended period of time, usually a season or more, resulting in a water shortage for some activity, group, or environmental sector. Its impacts result from the interplay between the natural event (less precipitation than expected) and the demand people place on water supply, and human activities can exacerbate the impacts of drought.

What causes a drought?
Drought has many causes. It can be caused by not receiving rain or snow over a period of time. If you live in a place where most of the water you use comes from a river, a drought in your area can be caused by places upstream from you not receiving enough moisture. There would be less water in the river for you and other people who live along the river to use. People can also play a big role in drought. If we use too much water during times of normal rainfall, we might not have enough water when a drought happens.

Can scientists predict if a drought is going to happen?
No! Studies conducted over the past century have shown that meteorological drought is never the result of a single cause. It is the result of many causes including, global weather patterns, high pressure, the tropical outlook and other global-scale variables.

Are there places in the United States that experience drought?
Yes! The Western United States is experiencing an exceptional and extreme drought at this time. To see the map, Click Here to see the current U.S. Drought Monitor.

What was the Dust Bowl?
Of all the droughts that have occurred in the United States, the drought events of the 1930s are widely considered to be the "drought of record" for the nation. The 1930s drought is often referred to as if it were one episode, but it was actually several distinct events occurring in such rapid succession that affected regions were not able to recover adequately before another drought began. The term Dust Bowl was coined in 1935 to describe the drought-affected south central United States in the aftermath of horrific dust storms. Although it technically refers to the western third of Kansas, southeastern Colorado, the Oklahoma Panhandle, the northern two-thirds of the Texas Panhandle, and northeastern New Mexico, the Dust Bowl has come to symbolize the hardships of the entire nation during the 1930s.

How bad was the drought in the Dust Bowl years?
In the 1930s, drought covered virtually the entire Plains for almost a decade. The drought's direct effect is most often remembered as agricultural. Many crops were damaged by deficient rainfall, high temperatures, and high winds, as well as insect infestations and dust storms that accompanied these conditions. The resulting agricultural depression contributed to the Great Depression's bank closures, business losses, increased unemployment, and other physical and emotional hardships. Although records focus on other problems, the lack of precipitation would also have affected wildlife and plant life, and would have created water shortages for domestic needs.

What was the Black Sunday Dust Storm?
The 1930s were times of tremendous hardship on the Great Plains. Settlers dealt not only with the Great Depression, but also with years of drought that plunged an already-suffering society into an onslaught of relentless dust storms for days and months on end. They were known as dirt storms, sand storms, black blizzards, and "dusters." It seemed as if it could get no worse, but on Sunday, the 14th of April 1935, it got worse. The day is known in history as "Black Sunday," when a mountain of blackness swept across the High Plains and instantly turned a warm, sunny afternoon into a horrible blackness that was darker than the darkest night. Famous songs were written about it, and on the following day, the world would hear the region referred to for the first time as "The Dust Bowl."

How does a drought affect our lives?
Drought affects our lives in many different ways because water is such an important part of so many of our activities. We need water to live, and animals and plants do too. We need water to grow the food we eat. We also use water for many different things in our lives, like washing dishes, cooking, bathing, and swimming or river rafting. Water is also used to help make the electricity we use to run the lights in our houses and the video games you may like to play. When we don't have enough water for these activities because of a drought, many people and many different things will be affected in many different ways.

How can we help if we're in a drought?
One of the easiest steps we can take to help mitigate the impacts of drought is conserving water. If we use water wisely at all times, more water will be available to us and to plants and wildlife when a drought happens. We can lose a lot of water doing simple everyday tasks. Did you know that turning off the water while you brush your teeth can save more than 100 gallons of water a month? If you have a leaky faucet, the drips can add up to 300 gallons of wasted water a month.

What are the different types of drought?
There are four basic approaches to measuring drought: meteorological, hydrological, agricultural, and socioeconomic. The first three approaches deal with ways to measure drought as a physical phenomenon. The last deals with drought in terms of supply and demand, tracking the effects of water shortfall as it ripples through socioeconomic systems.

Meteorological drought is defined usually on the basis of the degree of dryness (in comparison to some "normal" or average amount) and the duration of the dry period. Definitions of meteorological drought must be considered as region specific since the atmospheric conditions that result in deficiencies of precipitation are highly variable from region to region. For example, some definitions of meteorological drought identify periods of drought on the basis of the number of days with precipitation less than some specified threshold. This measure is only appropriate for regions characterized by a year-round precipitation regime such as a tropical rainforest, humid subtropical climate, or humid mid-latitude climate.

Agricultural drought links various characteristics of meteorological (or hydrological) drought to agricultural impacts, focusing on precipitation shortages, differences between actual and potential evapotranspiration, soil water deficits, reduced groundwater or reservoir levels, and so forth. Plant water demand depends on prevailing weather conditions, biological characteristics of the specific plant, its stage of growth, and the physical and biological properties of the soil. A good definition of agricultural drought should be able to account for the variable susceptibility of crops during different stages of crop development, from emergence to maturity.

Hydrological drought is associated with the effects of periods of precipitation (including snowfall) shortfalls on surface or subsurface water supply (i.e., streamflow, reservoir and lake levels, groundwater). The frequency and severity of hydrological drought is often defined on a watershed or river basin scale. Although all droughts originate with a deficiency of precipitation, hydrologists are more concerned with how this deficiency plays out through the hydrologic system. Hydrological droughts are usually out of phase with or lag the occurrence of meteorological and agricultural droughts. It takes longer for precipitation deficiencies to show up in components of the hydrological system such as soil moisture, streamflow, and groundwater and reservoir levels. As a result, these impacts are out of phase with impacts in other economic sectors.

Socioeconomic definitions of drought associate the supply and demand of some economic good with elements of meteorological, hydrological, and agricultural drought. It differs from the aforementioned types of drought because its occurrence depends on the time and space processes of supply and demand to identify or classify droughts. The supply of many economic goods, such as water, forage, food grains, fish, and hydroelectric power, depends on weather. Because of the natural variability of climate, water supply is ample in some years but unable to meet human and environmental needs in other years. Socioeconomic drought occurs when the demand for an economic good exceeds supply as a result of a weather-related shortfall in water supply.

Aquifer - an area that contains large amounts of water under the surface of the earth.

Climate - day-to-day weather over a longer period of time. Climatology is the study of climate.

Climograph - a graph that shows monthly average temperature and precipitation for some location.

Dam - a structure built across a river to hold back water for a variety of reasons, including protecting areas from floods, storing water, and generating power.

Desalination - the process of removing salts and other minerals from seawater so that it can be used for drinking water.

Drought - less rainfall than is expected over an extended period of time, usually several months or longer. Or, more formally, it is a deficiency of rainfall over a period of time, resulting in a water shortage for some activity, group, or environmental sector.

Drought Index - a numerical scale that scientists use to describe the severity of a drought. Scientists take many kinds of data (like streamflow, rainfall, temperature, and snowpack) and "blend" it into a single number, called a drought index value, to make it easier to understand the drought conditions of a particular area. Drought indices are one type of drought indicator.

Drought I ndicator - a way to look at one or more variables, such as precipitation, to describe available water in soil or hydrologic systems. It may be a record of a single measurement, such as rainfall at a particular rain gauge. It may also be a complex index. Drought indices (indexes) are a subset of drought indicators.

Dust Bowl - an area of the U.S. Plains that included parts of Kansas, Colorado, Oklahoma, Texas, and New Mexico. The term was coined in the 1930s, when dry weather and high winds caused many dust storms throughout the United States, but particularly in this area.

Erosion - a process that wears the earth's surface away, causing soil to move from one place to another. It's a natural process, but human activities can make it worse.

Groundwater - water that is found underground in spaces in soil, sand, or rocks.

Hydroelectricity - electricity created by channeling water through turbines in power stations located below dams.

Irrigation - an agricultural practice that involves providing water to crops through pipes, ditches, or streams.

Mitigation - actions that we can take before, or at the beginning of, drought to help reduce the impacts of drought. Mitigation includes actions as diverse as drought planning, implementing land use practices that increase the organic content and water-holding capacity of soil, and designing agricultural policy that doesn't encourage short-term economic gains at the expense of long-term productive capacity. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change uses mitigation to mean reducing emissions of greenhouse gasses.

Reservoirs - water that's collected and stored in natural or manmade lakes.

Submarginal Farmland - lands with nutrient-poor soils and/or soils that have been damaged by poor cultivation practices.

Water Banking - a water management strategy that temporarily transfers water from those who are willing to lease it to those who are willing to pay to use it.

Water Recycling - reusing treated wastewater for purposes like agricultural and landscape irrigation. It's also referred to as water reclamation or water reuse.

Xeriscaping - a type of landscaping around homes and businesses that uses a limited amount of water.

Click on the chart to make larger!

Click Here to see the current U.S. Drought Monitor!

Lesson Plan: Here is a lesson plan on water conservation.

Lesson Plan: Here is a lesson plan on how drought affect agriculture.

Science Fair Project Ideas: Here is a complete list of science fair project ideas. Discover the science behind the weather that impacts us every day.

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What is a drought? A drought is when there is a lack of precipitation over an extended period of time, usually a season or more, resulting in a water shortage for some activity, group, or environmental sector.

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Tornadoes are one of the most violent and powerful types of weather. They consist of a very fast rotating column of air that usually forms a funnel shape. They can be very dangerous as their high speed winds can break apart buildings, knock down trees, and even toss cars into the air.

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Kids learn about tornadoes including how they form, characteristics, types including supercell and waterspout, categories, and fun facts.

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HURRICANE SAFETY

Hurricane season officially starts June 1 st and lasts until November 30 th. Hurricanes can sometimes spawn tornadoes. If you live in a hurricane prone area, make sure you know where all of the evacuation routes are. Always listen to the radio and television for the latest information and instructions for your area.

A HURRICANE WATCH issued for your part of the coast indicates the possibility that you could experience hurricane conditions within 36 hours. This WATCH should trigger your family's disaster plan, and protective measures should be initiated. Especially, those actions that require extra time such as securing a boat and leaving a barrier island.

A HURRICANE WARNING issued for your part of the coast indicates that sustained winds of at least 74 mph are expected within 24 hours. Once this WARNING has been issued, your family should be in the process of completing protective actions and deciding the safest location to be during the storm.

BEFORE A HURRICANE:

Have a disaster plan.

Have a pet plan. Before a storm threatens, contact your veterinarian or local humane society for information on preparing your pets for an emergency.

Board up windows.

Bring in outdoor objects that could blow away.

Make sure you know which county or parish you live in.

Know where all the evacuation routes are.

Prepare a disaster supplies kit for your home and car. Have enough food and water for at least 3 days. Include a first aid kit, canned food and a can opener, bottled water, battery-operated radio, flashlight, protective clothing and written instructions on how to turn off electricity, gas, and water.

Have a NOAA weather radio handy with plenty of batteries, so you can listen to storm advisories.

Have some cash handy. Following a hurricane, banks and ATMs may be temporarily closed.

Make sure your car is filled with gasoline.

DURING A HURRICANE:

Stay away from low-lying and flood prone areas.

Always stay indoors during a hurricane, because strong winds will blow things around.

Leave mobile homes and to go to a shelter.

If your home isn't on higher ground, go to a shelter.

If emergency managers say to evacuate, then do so immediately.

AFTER A HURRICANE:

Stay indoors until it is safe to come out.

Check for injured or trapped people, without putting yourself in danger.

Watch out for flooding which can happen after a hurricane.

Do not attempt to drive in flooding water.

Stay away from standing water. It may be electrically charged from underground or downed power lines.

Don't drink tap water until officials say its safe to do so.

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Weather Wiz Kids weather information for kids

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Weather Wiz Kids is a fun and safe website for kids about all the weather info they need to know. It contains tools for weather education, including weather games, activities, experiments, photos, a glossary and educational teaching materials for the classroom.

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Kiddle Encyclopedia

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Hurricane Katrina was the eleventh tropical storm, fifth hurricane, and the second Category 5 hurricane of the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season. The storm formed over the Bahamas on August 23, where it moved east and hit Florida as a Category 1 hurricane two days later. Katrina then crossed over Florida and strengthened into a Category 5 hurricane in the Gulf of Mexico. The storm then hit Louisiana and Mississippi on the morning of August 29. The leftovers of Katrina then died out over the Great Lakes on August 31.

The damage Katrina brought was so bad that 80% of New Orleans was flooded when the levees to the city broke. Most of the people killed by Katrina were thought to have died from drowning. Because of Katrina's effect on the US, the hurricane was known to be one of the most deadly hurricanes in US history.

Storm history

Hurricane Katrina began as Tropical Depression Twelve over the southeastern Bahamas on August 23, 2005. The depression later strengthened into a tropical storm on the morning of August 24 where the storm was also named Katrina. Katrina continued to move into Florida, and became a Category 1 hurricane only two hours before it made landfall around Hallandale Beach on the morning of August 25. The storm weakened over land, but became a hurricane again while entering the Gulf of Mexico.

Katrina began to gain strength very quickly after entering the Gulf, partly because of the storm moving over to the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico. On August 27, Hurricane Katrina reached Category 3 strength on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale, becoming the third major hurricane of the season. An "eyewall replacement cycle" once made Katrina stop becoming stronger for a short moment, but made Katrina to become nearly twice as large in the end.

Katrina again began to quickly strengthen, reaching Category 5 strength on the morning of August 28 and reached its strongest point with maximum sustained winds of 175 mph (280 km/h) and a minimum central pressure of 902 mbar. Katrina's minimal pressure measurement made it the fourth most powerful Atlantic hurricane on record at the time, only to be beaten by Hurricanes Rita and Wilma later in the season. In addition, Katrina was also the strongest hurricane ever recorded in the Gulf of Mexico at the time (a record also later broken by Rita).

Katrina made its second landfall on August 29 as a Category 4 hurricane with sustained winds of 125 mph (205 km/h) near St. Bernard, Louisiana. At landfall, hurricane-force winds reached outward 120 miles (190 km) from the center and the storm's central pressure was 920 mbar. After moving over southeastern Louisiana, it made its third landfall over New Orleans, Louisiana and the levees were not made to withstand that much water and ended up collapsing leading to massive flooding. Katrina kept its hurricane strength well into Mississippi, but began to weaken later, finally losing hurricane strength more than 150 miles (240 km) inland near Meridian, Mississippi. Katrina weakened to a tropical depression near Clarksville, Tennessee, but its remains were last seen around the eastern Great Lakes on August 31 when it died. The leftover extratropical cyclone moved quickly to the northeast and affected Ontario and Quebec.

American movie maker Spike Lee made a HBO documentary "When The Levees Broke" that shows the extensive damage in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina. The documentary suggests that the damage caused was due to the inability of the levees to weather the storm or a probable sabotage. The documentary also suggests that the federal government did a poor job of disaster management. Resources arrived after several days. Most of the people who died did so from drowning.

Retirement

The name Katrina was retired for the record breaking damage, the deaths, and the economic impact. This means that it will not be used as a name for any new storms in the future. A new name, Katia, replaced it for 2011.

Other pages

Images for kids

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Hurricane Katrina was the eleventh tropical storm, fifth hurricane, and the second Category 5 hurricane of the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season. The storm formed over the Bahamas on August 23, where it moved east and hit Florida as a Category 1 hurricane two days later.

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Hurricane facts for kids, students, teachers and anyone else who wants to learn about hurricane, along with some cool hurricane pictures.

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Tornadoes

What is a tornado?
A tornado is a violent rotating column of air extending from a thunderstorm to the ground. The most violent tornadoes are capable of tremendous destruction with wind speeds of up to 300 mph. They can destroy large buildings, uproot trees and hurl vehicles hundreds of yards. They can also drive straw into trees. Damage paths can be in excess of one mile wide to 50 miles long. In an average year, 1000 tornadoes are reported nationwide.

How do tornadoes form?

Most tornadoes form from thunderstorms. You need warm, moist air from the Gulf of Mexico and cool, dry air from Canada. When these two air masses meet, they create instability in the atmosphere. A change in wind direction and an increase in wind speed with increasing height creates an invisible, horizontal spinning effect in the lower atmosphere. Rising air within the updraft tilts the rotating air from horizontal to vertical. An area of rotation, 2-6 miles wide, now extends through much of the storm. Most strong and violent tornadoes form within this area of strong rotation.

Click Here to learn more about tornadoes from NOAA.

What are some other factors for tornadoes to form?
Several conditions are required for the development of tornadoes and the thunderstorm clouds with which most tornadoes are associated. Abundant low level moisture is necessary to contribute to the development of a thunderstorm, and a "trigger" (perhaps a cold front or other low level zone of converging winds) is needed to lift the moist air aloft. Once the air begins to rise and becomes saturated, it will continue rising to great heights to produce a thunderstorm cloud, if the atmosphere is unstable. An unstable atmosphere is one where the temperature decreases rapidly with height. Atmospheric instability can also occur when dry air overlays moist air near the earth's surface. Finally, tornadoes usually form in areas where winds at all levels of the atmosphere are not only strong, but also turn with height in a clockwise or veering direction.

What do tornadoes look like?
Tornadoes can appear as a traditional funnel shape, or in a slender rope-like form. Some have a churning, smoky look to them, and other contain "multiple vortices", which are small, individual tornadoes rotating around a common center. Even others may be nearly invisible, with only swirling dust or debris at ground levels as the only indication of the tornado's presence.

What is a funnel cloud? A funnel cloud is a rotating cone-shaped column of air extending downward from the base of a thunderstorm, but not touching the ground. When it reaches the ground it is called a tornado.

It is not fully understood about how exactly tornadoes form, grow and die. Tornado researchers are still trying to solve the tornado puzzle, but for every piece that seems to fit they often uncover new pieces that need to be studied. How do tornadoes stop?

A supercell thunderstorm is a long-lived thunderstorm whose updrafts and downdrafts are in near balance. These storms have the greatest tendency to produce tornadoes that stay on the ground for long periods of time. Supercell thunderstorms can produce violent tornadoes with winds exceeding 200 mph.
What is a supercell thunderstorm?

A mesocyclone is a rotating vortex of air within a supercell thunderstorm. Mesocyclones do not always produce tornadoes.
What is a mesocyclone?

A wall cloud is an abrupt lowering of a rain-free cumulonimbus base into a low-hanging accessory cloud. A wall cloud is usually situated in the southwest portion of the storm. A rotating wall cloud usually develops before tornadoes or funnel clouds. What is a microburst?
A microburst is a downdraft (sinking air) in a thunderstorm that is less than 2.5 miles in scale. Although microbursts are not as widely recognized as tornadoes, they can cause comparable, and in some cases, worse damage than some tornadoes produce. In fact, wind speeds as high as 150 mph are possible in extreme microburst cases.
What is a wall cloud?

A waterspout is just a weak tornado that forms over water. They are most common along the Gulf Coast. Waterspouts can sometimes move inland, becoming tornadoes causing damage and injuries.

What is a waterspout?

What is hail?
Hail is created when small water droplets are caught in the updraft of a thunderstorm. These water droplets are lifted higher and higher into the sky until they freeze into ice. Once they become heavy, they will start to fall. If the smaller hailstones get caught in the updraft again, they will get more water on them and get lifted higher in the sky and get bigger. Once they get lifted again, they freeze and fall. This happens over and over again until the hailstone is too heavy and then falls to the ground.

What is the largest hailstone recorded in the United States?
According to the National Weather Service, the largest hailstone is 8 inches in diameter and weights approximately 2 pounds. It fell in Vivian, South Dakota on July 23, 2010.
A gustnado is a short-lived, relatively weak whirlwind that forms along a gust front. A gust front is the surge of very gusty winds at the leading edge of a thunderstorm's outflow of air. Gustnadoes are not tornadoes. They do not connect with any cloud-base rotation. But because gustnadoes often have a spinning dust cloud at ground level, they are sometimes wrongly reported as tornadoes. Gustnadoes can do minor damage.

What is a gustnado?
A landspout is a very weak tornado that is not associated with a wall cloud or a mesocyclone. It is the land equivalent of a waterspout.

What is a landspout?
A dust devil generally forms in the hot sun during the late morning or early afternoon hours. These are mostly harmless whirlwinds and are triggered by light desert breezes that create a swirling plume of dust with speeds rarely over 70 mph. These differ from tornadoes in that they are not associated with a thunderstorm (or any cloud) and are usually very weak.

What is a dust devil? Tornadoes can happen at any time of the year and at any time of the day. In the southern states, peak tornado season is from March through May. Peak times for tornadoes in the northern states are during the summer. A few southern states have a second peak time for tornado outbreaks in the fall. Tornadoes are most likely to occur between 3 p.m. and 9 p.m.

The geography of the central part of the United States, known as the Great Plains, is suited to bring all of the ingredients together to forms tornadoes. More than 500 tornadoes typically occur in this area every year and is why it is commonly known as "Tornado Alley". Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska, South Dakota, North Dakota, Iowa, Missouri, Arkansas and Louisiana all make up Tornado Alley. When are tornadoes most likely to occur?

Where are tornadoes most likely to occur?

Know the Lingo

TORNADO WATCH - Tornadoes are possible in your area. Stay tuned to the radio or television news.
TORNADO WARNING - A tornado is either on the ground or has been detected by Doppler radar. Seek shelter immediately!

Click Here to see if there are any active warnings in your area.

Know the Facts
Tornadoes can occur at any time of the year. nd winds less than 110 mph.

No terrain is safe from tornadoes.

Never open windows in severe weather situations. This allows damaging wind and debris to enter the structure.

69% of all tornadoes are labeled "weak tornadoes" meaning they have a lifetime of 1-10+ minutes a

SCALE

WIND SPEED

POSSIBLE DAMAGE

Enhanced,
Operational
Fujita Scale

29% of all tornadoes are labeled "strong tornadoes" meaning they last 20 minutes or longer and winds reach 110-205 mph.
2% of all tornadoes are labeled "violent tornadoes" and can last over an hour.

Fujita Scale of Tornado Intensity

Tornado Safety Tips
BEFORE A TORNADO: Have a disaster plan. Make sure everyone knows where to go in case a tornado threatens. Make sure you know which county or parish you live in. Prepare a kit with emergency food for your home. Have enough food and water for at least 3 days.

AFTER A TORNADO: Stay indoors until it is safe to come out. Check for injured or trapped people, without putting yourself in danger. Watch out for downed power lines. Use a flashlight to inspect your home. Tornado Activities

Lesson Plan: Here are some great lesson plans on learning about tornado safety. Note: This is a PDF file, so you need to have Adobe Acrobat Reader. DURING A TORNADO: Go to a basement. If you do not have a basement, go to an interior room without windows on the lowest floor such as a bathroom or closet. If you can, get under a sturdy piece of furniture, like a table. If you live in a mobile home get out. They offer little protection against tornadoes. Get out of automobiles. Do not try to outrun a tornado in your car, leave it immediately. If you're outside, go to a ditch or low lying area and lie flat in it. Stay away from fallen power lines and stay out of damaged areas.
Tornado Experiment: Here is a great experiment that allows the kids to make a tornado in a bottle.
IF YOU'RE AT SCHOOL DURING A TORNADO: Every school should have a disaster plan and have frequent drills. Basements offer the best protection. Schools without basements should use interior rooms and hallways on the lowest floor away from windows. Crouch down on your knees and protect your head with your arms.
Tornado Experiment: Here is a great experiment that allows the kids to make a tornado in a jar.
Pressure Experiment: Here is an experiment that shows how pressure is created in our atmosphere by sucking an egg in a bottle. This is a very cool experiment!
Science Fair Project Ideas: Here is a complete list of science fair project ideas. Discover the science behind the weather that impacts us every day.

Make A Barometer Experiment: Here is an experiment that allows the kids to make a barometer.

Evaporation Experiment: Here is an experiment that shows kids how evaporation takes place.

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Weather Wiz Kids weather information for kids

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Weather Wiz Kids is a fun and safe website for kids about all the weather info they need to know. It contains tools for weather education, including weather games, activities, experiments, photos, a glossary and educational teaching materials for the classroom.

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Hurricanes only form over really warm ocean water of 80°F or warmer. The atmosphere (the air) must cool off very quickly the higher you go. Also, the wind must be blowing in the same direction and at the same speed to force air upward from the ocean surface. Winds flow outward above the storm allowing the air below to rise. Hurricanes typically form between 5 to 15 degrees latitude north and south of the equator. The To learn more about hurricanes, Prepare a disaster supplies kit for your home and car. Include a first aid kit, canned food and a can opener, bottled water, battery-operated radio, flashlight, protective clothing and written instructions on how to turn off electricity, gas, and water. Have a NOAA weather radio handy with plenty of batteries, so you can listen to storm advisories. Have some cash handy as well, because following a hurricane, banks and ATMs may be temporarily closed. Make sure your car is filled with gasoline. Hurricanes

What is a hurricane?
A hurricane is a huge storm! It can be up to 600 miles across and have strong winds spiraling inward and upward at speeds of 75 to 200 mph. Each hurricane usually lasts for over a week, moving 10-20 miles per hour over the open ocean. Hurricanes gather heat and energy through contact with warm ocean waters. Evaporation from the seawater increases their power. Hurricanes rotate in a counter-clockwise direction around an "eye" in the Northern Hemisphere and clockwise direction in the Southern Hemisphere. The center of the storm or "eye" is the calmest part. It has only light winds and fair weather. When they come onto land, the heavy rain, strong winds and large waves can damage buildings, trees and cars.

>Click Here to get your very own Hurricane Tracking Chart.

How do hurricanes form?
Coriolis Force is needed to create the spin in the hurricane and it becomes too weak near the equator, so hurricanes can never form there.

What is storm surge?
Storm surges are frequently the most devastating element of a hurricane. As a hurricane's winds spiral around and around the storm, they push water into a mound at the storm's center. This mound of water becomes dangerous when the storm reaches land because it causes flooding along the coast. The water piles up, unable to escape anywhere but on land as the storm carries it landward. A hurricane will cause more storm surge in areas where the ocean floor slopes gradually. This causes major flooding.
As you watch the storm-surge animations, notice the effect that the physical geography of each coastline has on storm surge. Also, note the waves on top of the ocean's surface. Wind, waves, and sea-level rise all contribute to storm-surge damage.

Shallow-Water Coastline

Deep-Water Coastline

With technology the way it is, there are computer models that allow forecasters to predict the amount of storm surge that will affect a coastal area. These are called Slosh Models and take into account a storm's strength, its path, how the ocean shallows, and the shape of the land. Then it calculates how much storm surge a hurricane will probably cause.

The Atlantic hurricane season is from June 1 to November 30, but most hurricanes occur during the fall months. The Eastern Pacific hurricane season is from May 15 to November 30. (Below is a graphic that shows you when hurricanes are most active across parts of the world.)
When does hurricane season start?

Who names hurricanes?
From 1950 to 1952, tropical cyclones of the North Atlantic Ocean were identified by the phonetic alphabet (Able-Baker-Charlie-etc.), but in 1953 the US Weather Bureau switched to women's names. The rest of the world eventually caught on, and naming rights now go by the World Meteorological Organization, which uses different sets of names depending on the part of the world the storm is in. Around the U.S., only women's names were used until 1979, when it was decided that they should alternate a list that included men's names too. There's 6 different name lists that alternate each year. If a hurricane does significant damage, its name is retired and replaced with another.
Atlantic Hurricane Names
Eastern Pacific Hurricane Names
Nothing except geography. Tropical storms occur in several of the world's oceans, and except for their names, they are essentially the same type of storm. In the Atlantic Ocean, Gulf of Mexico, and the Eastern Pacific Ocean, they are called hurricanes. In the Western Pacific Ocean, they are called typhoons. In the Indian Ocean, the Bay of Bengal, and Australia, these types of storms are called cyclones.
What is the difference between a hurricane and a typhoon?
(This is a satellite animation of Hurricane Georges, which struck the Mississippi Gulf coast in 1998.)

The brave "hurricane hunters" work for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Each mission lasts about ten hours, with the crews passing four to six times through the storm. The planes carry radar, sophisticated computers, and weather instruments that determine characteristics such as temperature, air pressure, wind speed, and wind direction inside the hurricane. The crews also release instruments that measure temperature, air pressure, and wind at different levels as the devices drop through the hurricane toward the ocean. By mission's end, NOAA can warn everyone in the hurricane's path. (Below is a satellite image of Hurricane Mitch back in October 1998. The Hurricane Hunters flew into the eye of Mitch just as this Category 5 hurricane with winds of 155 mph smacked right into Central America.)

Who are the "Hurricane Hunters"?
Coastal beach erosion is the wearing away of land, the removal of beach or dune sediments by wave action, tidal currents, wave currents, or drainage. Waves are generated by storms, wind, or hurricanes and can cause coastal erosion. This may take the form of long-term losses of sediment and rocks, or merely the temporary redistribution of coastal sediments.

What is coastal beach erosion?

Hurricanes...Past and Present
Tropical Tracks: Click to see the tracks of this year's storms.

Know the Lingo Past Hurricane Info: Click to find all the data and information about a specific hurricane by just knowing the year.
HURRICANE WATCH - Hurricane conditions with sustained winds of 74 mph or greater are possible in your area within the next 36 hours. This WATCH should trigger your family's disaster plan, and protective measures should be initiated. Especially, those actions that require extra time such as securing a boat and leaving a barrier island.
TROPICAL STORM WATCH - Tropical Storm conditions with sustained winds from 39 -74 mph are possible in your area within the next 36 hours.
HURRICANE WARNING - Hurricane conditions are expected in your area within 24 hours. Once this WARNING has been issued, your family should be in the process of completing protective actions and deciding the safest location to be during the storm.

COASTAL FLOOD WATCH - The possibility exists for the inundation of land areas along the coast within the next 12 to 36 hours.

COASTAL FLOOD WARNING - Land areas along the coast are expected to become, or have become, inundated by sea water above the typical tide action.

SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY - A small craft advisory is a type of warning issued by the National Weather Service, most frequently in coastal areas. It is issued when winds have reached, or are expected to reach within 12 hours, a speed marginally less than that which is considered gale force, usually 25-38 mph.

Click Here to see if there are any active warnings in your area.
Hurricane Stages
Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale

Category

Winds (MPH)

Pressure (Millibars)

Pressure (Inches)

Storm Surge
(Feet)

Damage

3

111-130

964-945

28.47-27.91

9'-12'

Extensive

Click Here to watch a variety of videos teaching you the ins and outs of nature's fury. I would like to give a special thanks to Pinellas County Emergency management for putting these instructional videos together.
Hurricane Safety Tips

BEFORE A HURRICANE: Have a disaster plan and a pet plan ready. Before a storm threatens, contact your veterinarian or local humane society for information on preparing your pets for an emergency. Board up windows and b ring in outdoor objects that could blow away. Make sure you know which county or parish you live in and k now where all the evacuation routes are.

Stay away from low-lying and flood prone areas. Always stay indoors during a hurricane, because strong winds will blow things around. Leave mobile homes and to go to a shelter. DURING A HURRICANE: If your home isn't on higher ground, go to a shelter. If emergency managers say to evacuate, then do so immediately.
AFTER A HURRICANE: Stay indoors until it is safe to come out. Check for injured or trapped people, without putting yourself in danger. Watch out for flooding which can happen after a hurricane. Do not attempt to drive in flooding water. Stay away from standing water. It may be electrically charged from underground or downed power lines. Don't drink tap water until officials say its safe to do so.

Evacuation Tips: Here is a list of tips on what you should do, if you chose to evacuate as a hurricane approaches.
Hurricane Activities
Hurricane Supply Checklist: Here is a list of what what you will need if you chose to stay at your home during a hurricane.
Lesson Plan: Here is a great lesson plan on learning about hurricane safety. In this activity, Owlie teaches kids about hurricanes and quizzes them about what they learned. Note: This is a PDF file, so you need to have Adobe Acrobat Reader.
Lesson Plan: Here is a great lesson plan on understanding hurricanes. Students will learn how wind speed increases the height and why higher waves occur in shallower water. This activity is for grades 6-8.

Lesson Plan: Here is a great interactive lesson plan on allowing kids to create their very own hurricane. It lets you try to create ideal hurricane conditions by changing the winds, latitude, moisture, and sea temperature. It even keeps score! This is a great activity for 5-8th graders.Lesson Plan: Here is a great lesson plan on elementary reading comprehension. This lesson contains a broader vocabulary, more hurricane facts, and more thought-provoking writing prompts. It works well for grades 3-5. Note: This is a PDF file, so you need to have Adobe Acrobat Reader. Lesson Plan: Here is a great interactive lesson plan that lets kids aim a hurricane. It lets you move the hurricane symbol, high pressure symbol and low pressure symbol to track your very own hurricane. Sometimes your hurricane will make landfall, other times it misses the U.S. all together. It lets kid understand how important the setup of weather impacts where hurricanes go.

Pressure Experiment: Here is an experiment that shows how pressure is created in our atmosphere by sucking an egg in a bottle. This is a very cool experiment!
Science Fair Project Ideas: Here is a complete list of science fair project ideas. Discover the science behind the weather that impacts us every day.
Make A Barometer Experiment: Here is an experiment that allows the kids to make a barometer.

Evaporation Experiment: Here is an experiment that shows kids how evaporation takes place.

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Weather Wiz Kids weather information for kids

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Weather Wiz Kids is a fun and safe website for kids about all the weather info they need to know. It contains tools for weather education, including weather games, activities, experiments, photos, a glossary and educational teaching materials for the classroom.

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Tornado Facts For Kids

Enjoy our fun tornado facts for kids! Learn what tornadoes are, how fast they spin, how far they can travel, where most tornadoes occur, the difference between an F0 tornado and an F5 tornado, what a waterspout is and much more.

Read on to check out our wide range of information on twisters.

A tornado is a rapidly spinning tube of air that touches both the ground and a cloud above.

Tornadoes are sometimes called twisters.

Not all tornadoes are visible but their high wind speeds and rapid rotation often form a visible funnel of condensed water.

The Fujita Scale is a common way of measuring the strength of tornadoes. The scale ranges from F0 tornadoes that cause minimal damage through to F5 tornadoes which cause massive damage.

Most tornadoes have wind speeds less than 100 miles per hour (161 kilometres per hour).

Extreme tornadoes can reach wind speeds of over 300 miles per hour (483 kilometres per hour).

Most tornadoes travel a few miles before exhausting themselves.

Extreme tornadoes can travel much further, sometimes over 100 miles (161kilometres).

The Tri-State Tornado that travelled through parts of Missouri, Illinois and Indiana in 1925 left a path of destruction over 219 miles (352 kilometres) long.

The Tri-State Tornado was the deadliest tornado in US history, killing 695 people.

The USA averages around 1200 tornadoes every year, more than any other country.

The majority of these tornadoes occur in a geographically unique area nicknamed 'Tornado Alley'.

US States most often hit by tornadoes include Texas, Kansas, Oklahoma and Florida.

In 1989 the deadliest tornado ever recorded in the world killed around 1300 people in Bangladesh.

In the southern hemisphere tornadoes usually rotate in a clockwise direction.

In the northern hemisphere tornadoes usually rotate in a counterclockwise direction.

A tornado that occurs over water is often called a waterspout.

Weather radars are used to detect tornadoes and give advanced warning.

Basements and other underground areas are the safest places to seek refuge during a tornado. It is also a good idea to stay away from windows.

Make a tornado in a bottle or watch some amazing tornado video footage.

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Fun Tornado Facts for Kids - Interesting Information about Twisters

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Tornado Facts For Kids Enjoy our fun tornado facts for kids! Learn what tornadoes are, how fast they spin, how far they can travel, where most tornadoes occur, the difference between an F0 tornado and an F5 tornado, what a waterspout is and much more.

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Learn the science behind how earthquakes happen—and how you can stay safe if one hits.

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Hurricane Facts For Kids

Enjoy our fun hurricane facts for kids. Learn a range of interesting information about tropical storms, understand how they work, where they form, the difference between hurricanes, cyclones and typhoons, how much damage Hurricane Katrina caused and much more. Read on and learn about hurricanes with our wide range of facts and trivia.

A hurricane is an intense tropical storm with powerful winds and heavy rain.

Other names for a hurricane include cyclone, typhoon and tropical storm.

While they are essentially the same thing, the different names usually indicate where the storm took place. Tropical storms that form in the Atlantic or Northeast Pacific (near the United States) are called hurricanes, those that form near in the Northwest Pacific (near Japan) are called typhoons and those that form in the South Pacific or Indian oceans are called cyclones.

Hurricanes usually form in tropical areas of the world.

Hurricanes develop over warm water and use it as an energy source.

Hurricanes lose strength as they move over land.

Coastal regions are most at danger from hurricanes.

As well as violent winds and heavy rain, hurricanes can also create tornadoes, high waves and widespread flooding.

Hurricanes are regions of low atmospheric pressure (also known as a depression).

The wind flow of hurricanes in the southern hemisphere is clockwise while the wind flow of hurricanes in the northern hemisphere is counterclockwise.

Weather in the eye of a hurricane is usually calm.

The eye of a hurricane can be anywhere from 2 miles (3.2 kilometres) in diameter to over 200 miles (320 kilometres) but they are usually around 30 miles (48 kilometres).

The winds around the eye of a hurricane are usually the strongest.

Hurricanes can be tracked by weather satellites and weather radar closer to land.

Hurricanes have led to the death of around 2 million people over the last 200 years.

The 1970 Bhola Cyclone that struck Bangladesh killed over 300000 people.

In 2005 Hurricane Katrina killed over 1800 people in the United States and caused around $80 billion dollars worth of property damage. The city of New Orleans was hit particularly hard with levee breaches leading to around 80% of the city being flooded.

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Fun Hurricane Facts for Kids - Interesting Information about Cyclones & Typhoons

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Hurricane Facts For Kids Enjoy our fun hurricane facts for kids. Learn a range of interesting information about tropical storms, understand how they work, where they form, the difference between hurricanes, cyclones and typhoons, how much damage Hurricane Katrina caused and much more. Read on and learn about hurricanes with our wide range of facts and trivia.

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Kid's learn about the science of earthquakes. What causes them and where they happen.

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Natural disasters, both on land and under the ocean, may cause deadly ocean waves called tsunamis. By the time a tsunami reaches shore, it has gained tremendous size and…

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Facts Just for Kids, Teachers and Parents

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This web page contains tsunami facts for kids and is an excellent resource for anyone of any age looking to learn about this deadly natural disaster. Our goal is to provide you with accurate, up to date facts about tsunamis. In addition to facts about tsunamis, we provide additional resources to help you with your research on these massive ocean waves.

The tsunami facts below will help you learn about the power of a tsunami, how a tsunami is generated, how powerful a tsunami can be, past tsunami events and other tsunami related facts. We hope these tsunami facts are interesting and help you learn more about this powerful and deadly natural disaster.

If any of the below tsunami facts are inaccurate, please contact us and let us know.

17 Tsunami Facts for Kids

1. A tsunami is a natural disaster caused by a series of large waves that can instantly flood a coastal region and cause enormous damage and loss of life.

2. A tsunami is caused by the rapid displacement of a large amount of water in the ocean or a very large lake.

3. A massive tsunami, known as a megatsunami can affect multiple continents in a single day.

4. Tsunamis can be very destructive due to two different force mechanisms.

5. The first mechanism is the smashing force of water. A tsunami can generate a high wall of water that is traveling at high speed. Tsunami waves can travel between 20 and 500+ miles per hour, depending on how deep of water the tsunamic was generated. This means the wall of water created by a tsunamic can hit objects between 20 and 500+ miles per hour.

6. The second mechanism is the draining force of water. A tsunamic can bring massive amounts of water many miles inland. All this water will eventually recede back into the ocean. However, as it recedes large amounts of debris are carried with it. This debris can damage buildings and create additional debris.

7. Tsunamis are created by events, like earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, landslides and meteorite impacts.

8. A tsunamic created by the 1883 Krakatoa volcanic eruption had waves up to 150 feet.

9. A tsunami created by a landslide during the 1958 Lituya Bay earthquake had waves up to 1,720 feet.

10. A tsunami created by the asteroid impact that caused the extinction of the dinosaurs had waves up to 330 feet.

11. A tsunami created by the Sumatra-Andaman earthquake had waves up to 100 feet.

12. The tsunami created by the Sumatra-Andaman earthquake is responsible for one the deadliest natural disaster in recorded human history, the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami.

13. On December 26th, 2004 an undersea earthquake caused 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami.

14. The 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami killed over 227,000 people in 14 different countries.

15. The Great East Japan Earthquake of 2011 created a tsunami that was responsible for the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster. This nuclear disaster was the worst since the 1986 Chernobyl disaster.

16. A warning sign that a tsunami is coming is the drawback of water from the shoreline. A drawback is when the area of a shoreline that is normally underwater, recedes back into the ocean. In the event you witness a drawback of the shoreline, you should seek higher ground immediately.

17. Another possible, but not confirmed warning sign that a tsunami is coming is the reaction of animals. Some zoologists claim animals can sense subsonic Rayleigh waves. An animal that can sense these subsonic waves would travel in the opposite direction of the noise. There were reports of animals doing this during the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami.

Tsunami Pictures

A picture of the damaged caused by a tsunami.

A picture of a lighthouse getting hit by a tsunami.

An illustration of a city being hit by a tsunami.

Additional Resources on Tsunamis

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In this section you'll learn about tsunamis. You'll learn what a tsunami is. What events cause a tsunami. How a tsunamis causes damage and other facts about tsunamis. Tsunami Facts for Kids

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Have you ever heard about a tsunami or seen something on TV about them? Well, they are a mighty force to be dealt with, and they can be deadly. Here we take a look at everything you need to know about these enormous walls of water so you can be the cool expert on tsunamis […] More

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Interesting Facts for Kids about Tsunamis

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Kids learn about tsunamis including what causes them such as earthquakes, where they occur, why they are dangerous, and what happens during a tsunami event.

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Tsunami | The Dr. Binocs Show | Educational Videos For Kids

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VideoLink lets you share videos on YouTube easily, without distracting third-party content or advertisements.

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The word "hurricane" comes from 'Huracan', the god of big winds and evil spirits once worshiped by the Maya people of Central America. Here we take a look at some cool hurricane facts.

First - what is a hurricane? A hurricane is an intense tropical storm with powerful winds and heavy rain and can also create tornadoes, high waves and lots of flooding.

Where do hurricanes form?

They usually form in tropical parts of the world like the southern Atlantic Ocean, Caribbean Sea, Gulf of Mexico, and in the eastern Pacific Ocean. The Atlantic hurricane season lasts from June to November, with the peak season being from August to late October.

So, no visiting at those times then. Make sure your parents plan their holiday properly! The Eastern Pacific hurricane season begins on May 15 and ends November 30. Evaporation (when liquid changes to gas) from the seawater also increases their power.

The heat dissipates (reduces) as the hurricane moves toward the poles, sometimes causing extreme damage for people living along the coastlines where hurricanes take place.

Some Info about Hurricanes

Hurricanes range from about 100 miles (160 kilometers) to 1000 miles (1600 kilometers) wide. They can last from days to weeks and almost always form over the ocean.

They can have speeds over 200 miles per hour (322 kilometers per hour), with things flying all over and be can also have heavy rains with them, which can cause land/mud slides.

What needs to happen for a hurricane to form?

The ocean waters must be warm enough at the surface - about 80° Fahrenheit (26⁰ Celsius) or warmer to put enough heat and moisture into the atmosphere.

Atmospheric moisture from sea water evaporation must cool off very quickly and combine the heat and energy to form the powerful engine needed to propel the hurricane.

A wind must be blowing in the same direction and at the same speed to force air upward from the ocean surface. Bands of thunderstorms form, allowing the air to warm even more and rise higher into the atmosphere.

Winds flow outward above the storm and the air below rises. If the winds at the higher levels are not that strong, the structure can remain intact and grow stronger and this is the beginning of a hurricane.

When hurricanes come onto land, the heavy rain, strong winds and large waves can damage buildings, trees and cars.

The eye of the hurricane

The eye of a hurricane is the calmest spot. It is generally 20 (32 kilometers) to 30 miles (48 kilometers) wide. Amazingly the hurricane can be about 400 miles (644 kilometers) wide. The most violent activity takes place in the area immediately around the eye, called the "eyewall".

At the top of the eyewall, which is up to 50,000 feet (15,240 meters), most of the air is driven outward, which increases the upward motion of the air. Some of the air, however, moves inward and sinks into the eye. This actually creates a cloud-free area.

Hurricane winds in the northern hemisphere circulate in a counter-clockwise motion around the hurricane's centre or "eye," while hurricane winds in the southern hemisphere circulate clockwise. Wow, that's amazing!

Storm surges are usually the most devastating part of a hurricane. As a hurricane's winds spiral around and around the storm, they push water into a mound at the storm's centre. This mound of water becomes dangerous when the storm reaches land because it causes flooding along the coast.

The water piles up, unable to escape anywhere but on to land as the storm carries it forwards. A hurricane will cause more storm surge in areas where the ocean floor slopes gradually and this will cause major flooding.

The amount of surge that a hurricane can cause is measured on machines called Slosh Models. What a weird name.

From 1953 the United States Weather Bureau started naming hurricanes using women's names for North Atlantic hurricanes. The rest of the world eventually caught on, and now the World Meteorological Organization, is responsible for naming hurricanes.

It uses different types of names dependent on the part of the world the storm is in. Around the US only women's names were used. Then in 1979 they decided men's names should be used as well. If a hurricane creates huge damage, its name is retired and replaced with another.

Here are a few of the names from the 2015 list: Ana, Bill, Claudette, Danny, Erica, Fred. There are many more!

There are brave "hurricane hunters" who work for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Each mission lasts about ten hours, with the crews passing four to six times through the storm. Can you imagine? That just sounds crazy!

The planes carry radar, sophisticated computers and weather instruments that measure temperature, air pressure, wind speed, and wind direction inside the hurricane. The crews also release instruments that measure temperature, air pressure, and wind at different levels as the devices drop through the hurricane toward the ocean.

By mission's end, NOAA can warn everyone in the hurricane's path. At least it's a massive help to people.

Hurricanes can be tracked by weather satellites and weather radar closer to land.

What was one of the worst hurricanes in history?

One of the worst hurricanes in history was the Galveston hurricane in the 1900s, which devastated the city and killed between 6,000 and 12,000 people - mostly from drowning. That's frightening.

The 1970 Bhola Cyclone that struck Bangladesh killed over 300,000 people. Cyclones, hurricanes and typhoons are just different names for the same thing.
Earth Science

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Hurricane Facts For Kids The word "hurricane" comes from 'Huracan', the god of big winds and evil spirits once worshiped by the Maya people of Central America. Here we take a look at some cool hurricane facts. First - what is a hurricane?

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Hold on tight, gang - and we mean super tight! - because we're about to check out ten facts on one of nature's most powerful forces - hurricanes!

1. Hurricanes are giant tropical storms that produce heavy rainfall and super-strong winds.

2. Hurricanes form over warm ocean waters near the equator. The warm, moist air above the ocean surface rises, causing air from surrounding areas to be "sucked" in. This "new" air then becomes warm and moist, and rises, too, beginning a continuous cycle that forms clouds. The clouds then rotate with the spin of the Earth. If there is enough warm water to feed the storm, a hurricane forms!

3. Hurricanes rotate around a circular centre called the " eye ", where it is generally calm with no clouds. Surrounding the eye is the eye wall - the most dangerous part of the hurricane with the strongest winds, thickest clouds and heaviest rain!

4. Most hurricanes occur harmlessly out at sea. However, when they move towards land they can be incredibly dangerous and cause serious damage.

5. The strong spiraling winds of a hurricane can reach speeds of up to 320kmph - strong enough to rip up entire trees and destroy buildings!

6. In the southern hemisphere, hurricanes rotate in a clockwise direction, and in the northern hemisphere they rotate in an anti-clockwise direction. This is due to what's called the Coriolis Force, produced by the Earth's rotation.

7. When a hurricane reaches land it often produces a " storm surge". This is when the high winds drive the sea toward the shore, causing water levels to rise and creating large crashing waves. Storm surges can reach 6m high and extend to over 150km!

8. Hurricanes are also called cyclones and typhoons, depending on where they occur. In the Atlantic Ocean and Northwest Pacific they are hurricanes, in the Northwest Pacific they are typhoons and in the South Pacific and Indian Ocean they are cyclones.

9. The largest hurricane on record is Typhoon Tip, which occurred in 1979 in the northwest Pacific. With a diameter of around 2,220km, it was nearly half the size of the United States!

10. Hurricanes are given names by the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) so that they can be distinguished. Each year, tropical storms are named in alphabetical order according to a list produced by the WMO. That name stays with the storm if it develops into a hurricane. The names can only be repeated after six years.

Photos: Getty Images UK

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10 Facts about Hurricanes! - National Geographic Kids

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Check out ten top facts about hurricanes here at National Geographic Kids! Learn how hurricanes form, what the world's biggest hurricane is and more!

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Earth Science Facts - Science For Kids - [year] (Fun Facts)

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Earth Science For Kids Let's learn all about our amazing Earth and what happens on our planet! From facts about deserts and mountains to the different types of rocks on our planet, we have lots of interesting subjects to explore. Let's dive right in! We hope you enjoy learning about these subjects.

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Interested in learning more about tornadoes? Are you a student looking up information for a class project? Then you've come to the right place! We've put together these tornado facts for kids to help you with the learning and research process. You can learn more about tornadoes by visiting our Tornado Facts homepage.

If you're doing a school project you can freely use the information on this web page if you give properly reference this website. If you want to report any inaccurate information please contact us.

Tornadoes are also referred to as cyclones or twisters.

A tornado is a violent weather event.

A tornado generally has a grey color tint and looks like an elephant's trunk.

The majority of tornadoes have a wind speed than is less than 100 miles per hour.

The majority of tornadoes only travel a few miles before they dissipate.

The majority of tornadoes only last for a few minutes.

Extreme tornadoes can have wind speeds that reach 300+ miles per hour.

Extreme tornadoes can travel 100+ miles before they dissipate.

Extreme tornadoes can last on the ground for over an hour before they dissipate.

There are about 1,000 to 1,200 tornadoes annually in the United States.

The Fujita Scale andEnhanced Fujita Scale are used to measure the strength of tornadoes.

Areas in the U.S. with the most tornadoes are Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Florida.

The region(s) that have a frequent occurrence of tornadoes are called tornado alley.

The 1925 Tri-State Tornado was the deadliest tornado in U.S. history, it killed 695 people.

A tornado hit Bangladesh in 1989 and killed 1,300+ people making it the deadliest tornado ever.

Doppler radar is used to detect tornadoes by looking for large rotating updrafts in supercells.

A tornado that forms or travels over water is called a waterspout.

Tornadoes in the southern hemisphere usually rotate clockwise.

Tornadoes in the northern hemisphere usually rotate counterclockwise.

A tornado watch is issued when the conditions are right for the formation of a tornado.

A tornado warning is issued when a funnel cloud has been sighted or a meteorologist has detected a tornado using Doppler radar.

A basement, storm cellar or underground area is the safest place to be during a tornado.

You might also want to check out our web page with general tornado facts. If you live in an area with a high occurrence of tornadoes we recommend you read our web page with tornado safety facts. Head on over to our tornado myths archive to learn about all the misinformation surrounding torandoes.

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Interested in learning more about tornadoes? Are you a student looking up information for a class project? Then you've come to the right place! We've put together these tornado facts for kids to help you with the learning and research process. You can learn more about tornadoes by visiting our Tornado Facts homepage.

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They can speed across the ocean as fast as a jet plane, swallow up islands and wipe out villages.

But what causes tsuamis...? Join National Geographic Kids and dive into our tsunami facts to find out!

What causes a tsunami?

Meaning " great harbour wave" in Japanese, tsunamis are sometimes called "tidal waves" but their strength has nothing to do with the tides. About four out of five tsunamis happen within the Ring Of Fire, a zone in the Pacific Ocean where earthquakes and volcanic eruptions frequently take place.

Giant slabs of the Earth's crust, called tectonic plates, grind together. Sometimes, though, the plates get stuck, the pressure builds up and they suddenly slam into a new position. This causes an earthquake. If an earthquake lifts or drops part of the ocean floor, the water above rises and starts spreading across the ocean, causing a tsunami. Underwater landslides or volcanic eruptions can also displace water (cause water to spread across the ocean) and may lead to a tsunami.

How big is a tsunami?

Out in the open ocean, tsunami waves are only about one-metre high because the water is deep. However, as the water becomes shallow, the waves slow down and begin to grow. They can rise 35m or higher - that's the same as a 10-floor block of flats! However, the scariest thing about a tsunami is its wavelength, as this determines how far inland it can travel. Whereas a large wave caused by a storm might have a wavelength of up to 150m, a tsunami could reach up to a fearsome 1,000km!

How fast is a tsunami?

A normal wind wave travels at about 90kmh, but a tsunami can race across the ocean at an incredible 970kmh! Sometimes, before a tsunami hits, there is a huge vacuum effect, sucking water from harbours and beaches. People can see the ocean floor littered with flopping fish and other sea animals. Then a wave blasts onto the shore minutes later, then another and another for two hours or more. There may also be up to one hour between each wave.

Can you predict when a tsunami is coming?

To save lives, scientists established the Pacific Tsunami Warning System, based in Hawaii, in the USA. Its network of detectors can track quakes that may cause a tsunami. These waves can race from one side of the Pacific Ocean to the other in less than a day, so people need to be warned in time to head for higher ground!

What do you think of these tsunami facts? Let us know by leaving a comment, below!

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Tsunami facts: check out the mighty wave! - National Geographic Kids

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Check out these epic tsunami facts from National Geographic Kids! How do tsunamis form? And how big are they? Find out all about them in our tsunami facts...

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1. Cold air (below freezing) is needed to make snow.
For snow to fall to the ground, the temperature must be cold both up in the clouds where snowflakes form, and down at ground level. If the air near ground level is too warm, the snow will melt on its way down, changing to rain or freezing rain.

2. Moisture is needed to form clouds and precipitation.
Moisture in the air is called water vapor. Air blowing across a body of water, such as a large lake or the ocean, is an excellent source of water vapor. As wind moves air over the water, some water evaporates from the surface, putting vapor into the air. This is how "lake effect snowstorms" and "Nor'easters" pick up so much moisture. However, cold air is not able to hold much water vapor. In fact, very cold air does not make very much snow.

3. Warm, rising air is needed to form clouds and cause precipitation.
For a blizzard to form, warm air must rise over cold air. There are two ways that this may happen. Winds pull cold air toward the equator from the poles and bring warm air toward the poles from the equator. When warm air and cold air are brought together, a front is formed and precipitation occurs. Warm air can also rise to form clouds and blizzard snows as it flows up a mountainside.

What Are Snowflakes?

Snowflakes are made of ice crystals. Each snowflake is made of as many as 200 ice crystals.

Some snow crystals are symmetrical, like the type that you cut from paper. They form a hexagonal shape because that is how water molecules organize themselves as they freeze. Others are small and irregularly shaped. If they spin like tops as they fall to the ground, they may be perfectly symmetrical when they hit the Earth. But if they fall sideways, they will end up lopsided.

Even though most have a hexagonal structure, there are so many ways that water molecules can arrange themselves as the water freezes, that some people say that there are no two snowflakes alike. Probably no two snowflakes have exactly the same arrangement of molecules. But they can look alike. Many snow crystals are like the two in the photograph below. They are simple in shape and look alike.

How Snowflakes Form

Snowflakes form in clouds where the temperature is below freezing (0ºC, or 32ºF). The ice crystals form around tiny bits of dirt that have been carried up into the atmosphere by the wind. As the snow crystals grow, they become heavier and fall toward Earth. Different types of snowflakes form in different conditions. Temperature determines if the crystals become a flat plate, a long column, or a prism shape.

On average, 10 inches of snow melt down to about an inch of water; however, not all snow is the same. Some places receive very heavy snow. For instance, only five and a half inches of January snow on Mount Washington, New Hampshire, melt down to an inch of water. In contrast, over 15 inches of January snow at Crested Butte, Colorado, melt down to an inch of water.

Other Icy Precipitation
Snow is not the only type of ice that falls from the sky! Other types are described below.
Graupel: Snowflakes that have become encrusted with ice. This happens when snowflakes pass through a chilly cloud on their way down and water droplets freeze on them.

Ice pellets: Frozen raindrops, also known as sleet. They are usually quite small in size and unlike snowflakes, do not have a crystal shape.

Hail: A frozen raindrop or graupel that is kept from falling to the ground by the upward flowing air of a thunderstorm. The more droplets that freeze onto the hailstone, the longer the hailstone spends in the sky. When it finally grows too heavy to be held up by the flowing air, it falls to the ground like those in the picture to the right.

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1. Cold air (below freezing) is needed to make snow. For snow to fall to the ground, the temperature must be cold both up in the clouds where snowflakes form, and down at ground level. If the air near ground level is too warm, the snow will melt on its way down, changing to rain or freezing rain.

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Nor'easters can occur in the eastern United States any time between October and April, when moisture and cold air are plentiful. A Nor'easter is named for the winds that blow in from the northeast and drive the storm up the east coast along the Gulf Stream, a band of warm water that lies off the Atlantic coast. They are known for dumping heavy amounts of rain and snow, producing hurricane-force winds, and creating high surfs that cause severe beach erosion and coastal flooding. Winter Storms

How do winter storms form?
Winter storms derive their energy from the clash of two air masses of different temperatures and moisture levels. Winter storms usually form when an air mass of cold, dry, Canadian air moves south and interacts with a warm, moist air mass moving north from the Gulf of Mexico. The point where these two air masses meet is called a front. If cold air advances and pushes away the warm air, it forms a cold front. When warm air advances, it rides up over the denser, cold air mass to form a warm front. If neither air mass advances, it forms a stationary front.

What are snowflakes?
Snowflakes are made of ice crystals. Each snowflake is six-sided and made of as many as 200 ice crystals. Snowflakes form in clouds where the temperature is below freezing. The ice crystals form around tiny bits of dirt that has been carried up into the atmosphere by the wind. As the snow crystals grow, they become heavier and fall toward the ground. Why is snow white?
Bright snow blinds us with its gleaming white color because it reflects beams of white light. Instead of absorbing light, snow's complex structure prevents the light from shining through its lattice formation. A beam of white sunlight entering a snow bank is so quickly scattered by a zillion ice crystals and air pockets that most of the light comes bouncing right back out of the snow bank. What little sunlight is absorbed by snow is absorbed equally over the wavelengths of visible light thus giving snow its white appearance. So while many natural objects get their blue, red, and yellow colors from absorbing light, snow is stuck with its white color because it reflects light.

What is thundersnow? How is snow formed?
Snow is commonly formed when water vapor undergoes deposition, which is when water vapor changes directly to ice without first becoming a liquid, high in the atmosphere at a temperature of less than 32°F and then falls to the ground. What is sleet?
Sleet is just rain drops that freeze into ice pellets before reaching the ground. Sleet usually bounces when hitting a surface and does not stick to objects. However, it can accumulate like snow and cause a hazard to motorists.
What is an ice storm?
An ice storm is a type of winter storm caused by freezing rain. The U.S. National Weather Service defines an ice storm as a storm which results in the accumulation of at least 0.25-inch of ice on exposed surfaces.
What is freezing rain?
Freezing rain is just rain that falls onto a surface with a temperature below freezing. This causes it to freeze to surfaces, such as trees, cars, and roads, forming a coating or glaze of ice. Even small accumulations of ice can cause a significant hazard. How do ice storms form?
Ice storms form when a layer of warm air is between two layers of cold air. Frozen precipitation melts while falling into the warm air layer, and then proceeds to refreeze in the cold layer above the ground. This creates freezing rain or a glaze of ice.

What is frost? What is a frost quake?
Frost is white ice crystals that form on a surface, like the ground or leaves of a plant. Frost is created when the air temperature drops below freezing and the water vapor in the air freezes into ice crystals.

How is lake-effect snow formed?
As the cold air flows over the warm lake water, the relatively warm water heats the air's bottom layer as lake moisture evaporates into the cold air. Since warm air is lighter or less dense than cold air, the heated air rises and begins to cool. As the air cools, the moisture that evaporated into it condenses and forms clouds and snow begins falling from the cloud if the air is humid enough. (Graphic Credit: USA TODAY.) What is a Nor'easter?

What is Wind Chill? What is an Alberta Clipper? Click Here to calculate the Wind Chill.
An Alberta clipper is an area of low pressure that generally forms over Alberta, Canada, east of the Rocky Mountains. They develop east of the Rockies because air flowing eastward over the mountains creates favorable conditions. Once an Alberta Clipper forms it usually moves very rapidly to the southeast across the USA's northern Plains and then to the east off the mid-Atlantic Coast. Clippers usually cause only light precipitation with very few producing major snowstorms. However, if conditions are favorable, some Alberta clippers can rapidly intensify off the East Coast once the storm taps the relatively warm moist air over the Atlantic Ocean. The storms that rapidly intensify sometimes spread heavy snow over New England and southeastern Canada. Generally, the main weather features associated with Alberta clippers are some light snow and a reinforcement of cold air over the USA.
What is frostbite? How do blizzards form?

A blizzard is a long-lasting snowstorm with very strong winds and intense snowfall. You need three things to have a blizzard; cold air at the surface, lots of moisture, and lift. Warm air must rise over cold air.
What is an avalanche?
An avalanche is a moving mass of snow that may contain ice, soil, rocks, and uprooted trees. The height of a mountain, the steepness of its slope, and the type of snow lying on it all help determine the likelihood of an avalanche. Avalanches begin when an unstable mass of snow breaks away from a mountainside and moves downhill. The growing river of snow picks up speed as it rushes down the mountain. Avalanches have been known to reach speeds of 245 miles an hour (394 kilometers per hour)—about four times as fast as the speediest downhill skier.
Click Here to learn more about Avalanche Saftey.
Know the Lingo
WINTER WEATHER ADVISORIES - Issued for accumulations of snow, freezing rain, freezing drizzle, and sleet which will cause significant inconveniences and, if caution is not exercised, could lead to life-threatening situations.

Thundersnow is when thunder and lighting occur during a snowstorm. This occurs most often in late winter or early spring. To get thundersnow, you need a mass of cold air on top of warm air, plus moist air closer to the ground. Thundersnow starts out like a summer thunderstorm. The sun heats the ground and pushes masses of warm, moist air upward, creating unstable air columns. As it rises, the moisture condenses to form clouds, which are jostled by internal turbulence. The "tricky part" for making thundersnow is creating that atmospheric instability in the wintertime. For thundersnow to occur, the air layer closer to the ground has to be warmer than the layers above, but still cold enough to create snow. During thundersnow events, heavy snowfall is to be expected. In some cases, two inches per hour is possible.

Click Here to see if there are any active warnings in your area.

Winter Storm Safety Tips
BEFORE A WINTER STORM: Have a disaster plan and prepare a disaster supplies kit for your home and car. Include a first aid kit, emergency food supply, bottled water, battery-operated radio, flashlight, protective clothing, and blankets. Don't forget, be aware of changing weather. DURING A WINTER STORM: Stay indoors and dress warmly. Eat regularly, because food provides the body with energy for producing its own heat. Also, drink lots of water. If you must go outside, wear layered clothing, mittens and a hat. Watch for signs of hypothermia and frostbite. Remember to keep dry. Always change wet clothing to prevent the loss of body heat. If you must drive, carry a cell phone. Always, keep the gas tank full. Don't forget, let someone know where you're going, just in case your car gets stuck. If you're car gets stuck, stay with it and wait for help unless help is visible within 100 yards. Use maps and car mats to stay warm.

AFTER A WINTER STORM: Avoid driving until conditions have improved. Avoid overexertion! Heart attacks from shoveling snow are the leading cause of deaths during the winter. Also, check on neighbors to make sure they're okay.

Frost quakes are non-tectonic seismic events, meaning they are not caused by the shifting of the Earth's tectonic plates. Also known as cryoseisms, frost quakes are caused by a sudden rapid freezing of ground and bedrock, usually when temperatures go from above freezing to below zero. As moisture absorbed in the rock and soil freezes, it expands. This puts a great amount of stress on the areas around it. Eventually, the stress is too much and the soil and rock will crack in an "explosive" manner, creating a loud sound and even shaking the ground surface. Since temperatures are coldest in the overnight hours, most people experience frost quakes in the middle of the night. Winter Storm Activities
Lesson Plan: Here is a great lesson plan on learning about winter weather. In this activity, kids investigate aspects of winter weather, such as temperature and wind. They familiarize themselves with weather-related words. It's a great activity for K-2nd graders.

Cold air moves over warm water and is warmed from below. Moisture evaporates in the air.

Warm moist air rises downwind of lakes and forms heavy snow.

Lesson Plan: Here is a great lesson plan on learning about winter weather. In this activity, kids learn how winter storms form and about the different types of fronts. It's a great activity for 3rd-5th graders. Note: This is a PDF file, so you need to have Adobe Acrobat Reader.
Measuring Snow Experiment: Here is a great experiment that lets kids measure snow. They let the snow melt and then measure it again. It teaches kids that snow is very dense and is why it holds more space than water.

The wind chill is the temperature your body feels when the air temperature is combined with the wind speed. The higher the wind speed the faster exposed areas of your body lose heat and the colder you feel.Melting Snow Experiment: Here is another experiment that teaches kids the difference between the freezing and melting process. It allows kids to take the temperature of a glass of snow. Then, watch the snow melt and observe how the temperature changed.

Frost Experiment: Here is a great experiment that lets kids make frost. They can see how dew turns into frost in a matter of minutes.Examining Snowflakes Experiment: Here is a great experiment that lets kids see snowflakes up close. They can examine the snowflake's six sides.
Pressure Experiment: Here is an experiment that shows how pressure is created in our atmosphere by sucking an egg in a bottle. This is a very cool experiment!
Science Fair Project Ideas: Here is a complete list of science fair project ideas. Discover the science behind the weather that impacts us every day.
Make A Barometer Experiment: Here is an experiment that allows the kids to make a barometer.

Evaporation Experiment: Here is an experiment that shows kids how evaporation takes place.

Frostbite is damage to the skin due to prolonged exposure to cold temperatures, usually below 32° F.

WINTER STORM WATCH - Alerts the public to the possibility of a blizzard, heavy snow, heavy freezing rain, or heavy sleet. Winter Storm Watches are usually issued 12 to 48 hours before the beginning of a winter storm.

WINTER STORM WARNING - Issued when hazardous winter weather in the form of heavy snow, heavy freezing rain, or heavy sleet is occurring. Winter Storm Warnings are usually issued 12 to 24 hours before the event is expected.

BLIZZARD WARNING - Issued for sustained or gusty winds of 35 mph or more, and falling or blowing snow creating visibilities at or below 1/4 mile. These conditions should persist for 3 hours.

FROST/FREEZE WARNING - Issued when below freezing temperatures are expected.

LAKE EFFECT SNOW ADVISORY - Issued when accumulation of lake effect snow will cause significant inconvenience.

LAKE EFFECT SNOW WARNING - Issued when heavy lake effect snow is occurring.

WIND CHILL ADVISORY - Issued when the wind chill temperature is forecast to be between -15°F to -24°F.

WIND CHILL WARNING - Issued when the wind chill temperature is forecast to be -25°F or lower.

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Weather Wiz Kids weather information for kids

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Weather Wiz Kids is a fun and safe website for kids about all the weather info they need to know. It contains tools for weather education, including weather games, activities, experiments, photos, a glossary and educational teaching materials for the classroom.

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Volcano | The Dr. Binocs Show | Learn Videos For Kids

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Enjoy our awesome range of Earth facts for kids. Check out the cool trivia and have fun learning about some of our planet's most amazing features.

Tsunami Facts

Check out our tsunami facts for kids and learn some interesting information related to these great walls of water that can cause so much destruction. Find out what causes tsunamis and read about some notable recent examples of tsunamis that have occurred around the globe.

Tsunamis are huge waves of water that are usually caused by earthquakes or volcanic eruptions.

As a tsunami approaches the shore, water may recede from the coast, if it is shallow enough the water may be pulled back hundreds of metres. If you are in the area, observing this is a good indication that a tsunami is on the way.

Regions in tsunami danger zones often have warning systems in place to give people as much time to evacuate as possible.

When tsunamis hit shallow water (often near the coast) they slow down but increase in height.

An earthquake in the Indian Ocean off Indonesia in December 2004 caused a tsunami that killed over 200000 people in 14 countries. More earthquake facts.

In March 2011, the Tohoku earthquake off the eastern coast of Japan caused a tsunami that was a major factor in the death of over 15000 people.

The tsunami waves created by the Tohoku earthquake reached heights of over 40 metres (131 feet) in some areas, wiping out coastal towns and causing a number of nuclear accidents.

The Japanese word tsunami literally means 'harbor wave'.

Tsunamis are sometimes referred to as tidal waves but this term has fallen out of favour because tsunamis are not related to tides.

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Tsunami Facts for Kids - Interesting Information about Tsunamis

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Enjoy our awesome range of Earth facts for kids. Check out the cool trivia and have fun learning about some of our planet's most amazing features. Tsunami Facts Check out our tsunami facts for kids and learn some interesting information related to these great walls of water that can cause so much destruction.

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VOLCANO SAFETY

Volcanoes blast hot, solid and molten rock and gases into the air. As a result, ash can fall hundreds of miles downwind of a volcano. If you live near a volcano, active or dormant, be prepared to follow instructions from your local emergency officials by listening to the radio and television. Volcanoes occur on the West Coast, in Alaska and in Hawaii.

PLAN FOR A VOLCANO:

Have a disaster plan.

Know whether or not you are at risk for danger.

Be prepared for mudslides, flash floods, earthquakes, ash falling, acid rain and tsunamis.

Prepare a disaster supplies kit for your home and car. Include a first aid kit, canned food and a can opener, bottled water, battery-operated radio, flashlight, protective clothing, dust mask, goggles and sturdy shoes.

Know evacuation routes.

DURING A VOLCANO:

Follow the evacuation order issued by authorities.

Avoid areas downwind and river valleys downstream of the volcano.

If your caught indoors, close all windows and doors, put machinery inside a barn, and bring animals inside.

If you're trapped outdoors, seek shelter indoors. If you're caught in falling rocks, roll into a ball and protect your head. If you're caught near a stream, be aware of mudflows. Move to higher ground.

Protect yourself when ash falls. Wear long-sleeved shirts and long pants. Use goggles to protect your eyes. Wear a dust mask and keep car engines off.

AFTER A VOLCANO:

Cover you mouth and nose. Volcanic ash can irritate your respiratory system.

Wear goggles and protect your eyes.

Keep your skin covered.

Clear roofs of ash. The ash is very heavy and can cause the building to collapse.

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Weather Wiz Kids weather information for kids

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Weather Wiz Kids is a fun and safe website for kids about all the weather info they need to know. It contains tools for weather education, including weather games, activities, experiments, photos, a glossary and educational teaching materials for the classroom.

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All About Volcanoes for Children: Introduction to Volcanoes for Kids - FreeSchool

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Enjoy our awesome range of Earth facts for kids. Check out the cool trivia and have fun learning about some of our planet's most amazing features.

Fun Volcano Facts

Check out these fun volcano facts for kids. Learn about hot magma, famous eruptions, volcanoes on other planets, volcanic gases, flowing lava and more. Enjoy our wide range of strange and interesting facts about volcanoes.

Volcanoes are openings in the Earth's surface. When they are active they can let ash, gas and hot magma escape in sometimes violent and spectacular eruptions.

The word volcano originally comes from the name of the Roman god of fire, Vulcan.

Volcanoes are usually located where tectonic plates meet. This is especially true for the Pacific Ring of Fire, an area around the Pacific Ocean where over 75% of the volcanoes on Earth are found.

While most volcanoes form near tectonic boundaries, they can also form in areas that contain abnormally hot rock inside the Earth. Known as mantle plumes, these hotspots are found at a number of locations around the globe with the most notable being in Hawaii.

Hot liquid rock under the Earth's surface is known as magma, it is called lava after it comes out of a volcano.

Some famous volcanic eruptions of modern times include Mount Krakatoa in 1883, Novarupta in 1912, Mount St Helens in 1980 and Mt Pinatubo in 1991.

While we certainly have some big volcanoes here on Earth, the biggest known volcano in our solar system is actually on Mars. Its name is Olympus Mons and it measures a whooping 600km (373 miles) wide and 21km (13 miles) high.

The object with the most volcanic activity in our solar system is Io, one of Jupiter's moons. Covered in volcanoes, its surface is constantly changing to the large amount of volcanic activity.

Most people think of volcanoes as large cone shaped mountains but that is just one type, others feature wide plateaus, fissure vents (cracks were lava emerges) and bulging dome shapes.

There are also volcanoes found on the ocean floor and even under icecaps, such as those found in Iceland.

Volcanoes can be active (regular activity), dormant (recent historical activity but now quiet) or extinct (no activity in historical times and unlikely to erupt again). While these terms are useful, scientists are more likely to describe volcanoes by characteristics such a how they formed, how they erupt and what their shape is.

Common volcanic gases include water vapor, carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide, hydrogen chloride, hydrogen fluoride and hydrogen sulfide.

Volcanic eruptions can send ash high into the air, over 30km (17 miles) above the Earth's surface.

Large volcanic eruptions can reflect radiation from the Sun and drop average temperatures on Earth by around half a degree. There have been several examples of this over the last century.

Pumice is a unique volcanic rock ( igneous) that can float in water. It can also be used as an abrasive and is sometimes used in beauty salons for removing dry skin.

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Fun Volcano Facts for Kids - Interesting Facts about Volcanoes

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Enjoy our awesome range of Earth facts for kids. Check out the cool trivia and have fun learning about some of our planet's most amazing features. Fun Volcano Facts Check out these fun volcano facts for kids. Learn about hot magma, famous eruptions, volcanoes on other planets, volcanic gases, flowing lava and more.