Ground fissures in Utah have been opening in rural areas for years, creating deep cracks in the earth that can stretch for miles. Scientists with the Utah Geological Survey attribute these fissures primarily to groundwater depletion, though the phenomenon has not attracted widespread national attention.

The process works similarly to a sponge drying out. Underground aquifers hold water that supports the soil above them. As agriculture, cities, and industry draw heavily on those water supplies, the ground loses structural support and gradually collapses. The resulting fissures form when softer soil settles unevenly over harder bedrock ridges, eventually tearing open from below. Unlike earthquakes, these events occur without noticeable warning or shaking.

Most fissures appear in remote regions like Cedar Valley and Parowan, where they primarily damage farmland and irrigation infrastructure. Because they pose limited direct threat to major population centers, they rarely generate significant news coverage. Local farmers do regard them as serious hazards, as livestock and equipment can be lost in the unstable openings.

Similar ground failures have occurred elsewhere. In 2010, a large sinkhole opened in Guatemala City, destroying a building. In 2013, a Florida man died after a sinkhole opened beneath his home. Parts of China have experienced extensive ground cracking due to mining and water extraction.

Infrastructure such as gas lines, sewage pipes, and fiber optic cables can be damaged when the ground shifts. Once soil compacts in these events, it does not recover, leaving permanent depressions and cracks. Scientists consider the phenomenon a long-term concern that may spread into more populated or developed areas over time.

Tornado patterns in the United States have shifted eastward over the past decade. The region historically known as Tornado Alley, centered on Texas and Oklahoma, remains active, but parts of the eastern Midwest and Southeast now see more frequent tornado activity.

The shift results from changes in atmospheric conditions. Warm, humid air from the Gulf of Mexico and cooler, drier air from the west collide more regularly over eastern regions. Supercell storms, which produce most tornadoes, have become more common in late winter and early spring. The dry line separating wetter eastern areas from drier western areas has also moved east by roughly 140 miles since the late 1800s.

The National Weather Service has tracked tornadoes since 1950. Annual totals of tornado days have decreased, but outbreaks with multiple tornadoes have become more common. The southeastern United States faces particular risk because the region has a larger population, more mobile homes, and fewer community shelters. Nighttime tornadoes in this region are statistically more likely to cause fatalities.

The 2008 Super Tuesday outbreak illustrated the danger. Over a 15-hour period, 87 tornadoes struck the southern United States and lower Ohio Valley. The storms claimed 57 lives across four states and caused extensive property damage, including destroyed homes, overturned vehicles, and widespread power outages.

Meteorologists advise that individuals in tornado-prone areas follow basic safety protocols: move to an interior room on the lowest floor, stay away from windows, and use available materials for protection. After a tornado passes, residents should remain cautious of flooding, debris, downed power lines, and damaged buildings.

Thundersnow is a rare weather event in which lightning and thunder occur during a snowstorm. It most commonly develops near the Great Lakes, where cold air mixes with warmer lake water, creating the instability needed for electrical activity. Because snow absorbs sound, thunder from thundersnow is often heard only within a few miles and sounds like a low rumble rather than a sharp crack. The phenomenon is associated with heavy snowfall but is not predictable from every snowstorm.

Other uncommon weather phenomena include snow rollers, which form when wind pushes wet snow across a surface it cannot stick to; sprites, which are electrical discharges that shoot upward from storm clouds; and dust devils, which are rotating columns of air that form over hot ground.

A hypothetical storm called a hypercane would require ocean temperatures near 122 degrees Fahrenheit, far above any recorded level. Scientists theorize that such a storm, if it formed, could reach the upper stratosphere, produce winds near 500 miles per hour, and persist for weeks. The concept remains theoretical.

Large-scale solar events pose a more concrete concern. A massive solar flare could disrupt electronic infrastructure worldwide, affecting communication, banking, transportation, and power grids. The 1859 Carrington Event caused fires and disrupted telegraph systems despite the limited technology of the era. Gamma-ray bursts from colliding neutron stars or collapsing massive stars could, if close enough, damage the ozone layer, though no such event currently poses a known threat.

The Yellowstone supervolcano has not shown signs of imminent eruption. An eruption would release large amounts of ash, potentially lowering global temperatures for several years, but current monitoring indicates no immediate risk.

Atlantic hurricane seasons vary with the El Nino-Southern Oscillation cycle. El Nino conditions typically weaken Atlantic hurricane activity, while La Nina conditions strengthen it. The 2023 season occurred under El Nino, but forecasters expected a more active 2024 season as conditions shifted toward La Nina.

The 1900 Galveston hurricane remains the deadliest natural disaster in U.S. history. A Category 4 storm struck the Texas city with winds over 135 miles per hour, destroying more than 3,600 buildings and killing between 6,000 and 12,000 people. Poor communication contributed to the death toll. Forecasters in Washington predicted the storm would move toward Florida, while observers in Cuba and Galveston recognized the actual threat. The disaster led to reforms in the National Weather Service, including improved international and domestic communication.

Hurricane preparedness focuses on advance planning. Coastal residents are advised to maintain evacuation routes, prepare disaster kits with food and water for several days, and secure safe rooms. During a storm, officials recommend moving to the nearest shelter and waiting for official clearance before leaving.

Volcanic ash poses a serious hazard to aircraft. In 1982, a British Airways flight encountered an ash cloud from Indonesia’s Mount Galunggung. All four engines failed, but the crew restarted them after leaving the ash cloud and landed safely. The ash, which is not visible on weather radar, melted in the engines and caused them to shut down. Similar incidents have occurred since, including a 2022 flight that landed with a damaged nose cone after flying through hail.

Operating aircraft in winter weather also presents challenges. Ice on runways can cause planes to slide, and ice on wings reduces lift. Airports use deicing fluids to prevent buildup. Jet fuel freezes at around minus 40 degrees Fahrenheit, but in-flight temperatures are generally manageable because the fuel warms as it burns.

Lightning strikes the United States approximately 28 million times per year. Traditional lightning rods have been used since Benjamin Franklin’s time to direct strikes safely into the ground. Researchers have tested laser-based lightning rods that create ionized channels in the air to guide strikes, with promising results in trials conducted in the Swiss Alps in 2021, though the technology requires further development.

Laser technology has proven useful beyond lightning protection. Archaeologists use lidar, a laser-based mapping system, to identify structures hidden beneath dense vegetation. In Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula, lidar surveys revealed the remains of a large Maya city called Akumtun. The technology works by measuring how long reflected light takes to return, creating a detailed map of the terrain.

Scientists also use lasers to study volcanic rock composition. By vaporizing samples, researchers can analyze the chemical makeup of magma, which helps predict eruption behavior. The technique has been applied to samples from the 2021 Cumbre Vieja eruption on La Palma in the Canary Islands, which lasted 85 days and covered 4 square miles.

Ball lightning remains a poorly understood phenomenon. Reports describe glowing spheres that appear during thunderstorms, sometimes passing through windows and walls. In 2012, researchers in China recorded an instance using video cameras and spectrometers. The device detected silicon, iron, and calcium. Multiple theories exist, including reactions from lightning striking the ground and plasma bubbles formed by microwave radiation, but no explanation has been confirmed.

Delaware County, Pennsylvania, has residents who report that an unusually favorable microclimate spares their area from the worst effects of regional storms. The phenomenon, sometimes called the Delco weather bubble, lacks scientific confirmation. One plausible explanation is that cool, humid sea air in the region stabilizes the atmosphere and weakens approaching storms. Others suggest a psychological effect, with residents noticing only storms that affect their immediate area.

In 1942, a park ranger named Roy Sullivan was struck by lightning for the first time while working in a fire tower without a lightning rod. He survived. Over the next 35 years, Sullivan was struck six more times, according to records kept by the National Park Service and his doctors. The strikes occurred in 1969, 1970, 1972, 1973, 1976, and 1977 at various locations, often while he was outdoors. He attributed his survival to luck and carried water to extinguish clothing fires. Sullivan reported an additional strike in his youth that was not documented. He later said the repeated strikes left him anxious and socially isolated, as acquaintances feared being near him during storms. Sullivan died in 1983.

El Nino events occur when sea surface temperatures in the central and eastern Pacific rise above normal, altering weather patterns worldwide. La Nina is the corresponding cool phase. The two phases alternate roughly every three to seven years, with neutral periods in between. A strong El Nino developed in 2015, contributing to record heat, heavy rainfall in South America, and drought in parts of Africa. Scientists had predicted a similar event for 2026, with some meteorologists suggesting it could be intense.

The measuring system for El Nino has changed in recent years. The traditional Oceanic Nino Index compared temperatures in one region of the Pacific to a 30-year average. Because the entire tropical Pacific is warming, scientists developed the Relative Oceanic Nino Index, which subtracts temperature differences across the wider tropical Pacific to isolate the El Nino signal.

A Swedish couple, Erica and Stefan, experienced several natural disasters during their honeymoon. They were delayed at Munich airport by thunderstorms, encountered high winds in Bali, left Australia when wildfires began near Perth, and took shelter in a mall during a cyclone. They also experienced earthquakes in Japan. They later said the experience strengthened their marriage.

Dana Wyland, a California resident, survived Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans in 2005, Hurricane Rita in Texas shortly afterward, a major snowstorm that left her without power for 11 days, and a wildfire near her home in Lake Arrowhead.

A man named Zahrul Fuadi survived tsunamis in Indonesia in 2004 and Japan in 2011. He later moved back to Indonesia and said he chose not to live in constant fear of disasters.

Records of continuous rainfall are limited to places where measurements have been kept. A location in Hana, Hawaii, recorded measurable rain for 881 consecutive days in the early 1900s.

Certain rock formations called columnar jointing occur when lava cools and contracts, forming hexagonal columns. The Giant’s Causeway in Ireland is a well-known example. Devil’s Postpile in California is another prominent site.

Fire rainbows, officially called circumhorizontal arcs, form when sunlight passes through ice crystals in high-altitude cirrus clouds. They require the sun to be at least 58 degrees above the horizon, which limits where and when they can be seen.

Underwater crop circles off the coast of Japan were identified in 2011 as the work of male pufferfish, which construct patterned nests in the sand to attract mates.

Frost flowers are thin ice formations that emerge from the stems of certain plants in cold weather when water inside the stem freezes, expands, and cracks the plant, pushing out delicate layers of ice.

Moonbows, or lunar rainbows, form when moonlight refracts through water droplets. They are less vivid than solar rainbows because the light is fainter, and the best viewing conditions occur during a full moon when the moon is low in the sky.

Brinnacles are hollow icicles that form under sea ice when cold, salty water freezes. They can reach the ocean floor and freeze slow-moving sea creatures.

Sinkholes form when acidic groundwater dissolves soft rock such as limestone, creating underground caverns that eventually collapse. They occur worldwide and can open suddenly. New York City reported around 4,000 sinkholes between July 2021 and June 2022.

Bioluminescent phytoplankton can make ocean water glow blue when disturbed. Fox fire is a similar phenomenon produced by bioluminescent fungi growing on rotting wood in forests.

Snow rollers form when wind pushes fresh snow across a layer of ice, creating cylindrical shapes with hollow centers. They require precise temperature and wind conditions and are rare.

Catatumbo lightning over Lake Maracaibo in Venezuela occurs 140 to 160 nights per year and produces up to 40 flashes per minute, making the region one of the most lightning-active places on Earth.

A phenomenon called a bolt from the blue occurs when lightning travels horizontally from the top of a storm and strikes the ground up to 30 miles away under clear skies. Dry microbursts are downward blasts of air that occur when evaporating raindrops cool the surrounding air, causing it to plummet. They can reach speeds over 100 miles per hour and are hazardous to aircraft during takeoff and landing.

Cold air pools form when cool, dense air settles in valleys and basins at night, causing temperatures to drop well below surrounding areas. The phenomenon has produced extreme lows in places like Peter Sinks, Utah, where temperatures have reached minus 69 degrees Fahrenheit.

Mega tsunamis triggered by volcanic flank collapses have occurred in geological history. Roughly 234,000 years ago, a collapse on Fogo Island in the Cape Verde archipelago sent waves that may have reached heights near 800 feet and displaced boulders far inland. The volcano lost a section estimated at ten times the size of Mount Everest. The island was created by a magma hotspot and has erupted as recently as 2014. Scientists consider smaller volcanic islands vulnerable to similar collapses because their foundations may be unstable sediment.

In 2018, a partial collapse of Anak Krakatau in Indonesia generated a tsunami, and Ritter Island in Papua New Guinea lost significant elevation during an 1888 collapse. The 1958 Lituya Bay event in Alaska produced a wave over 1,700 feet tall when an earthquake triggered a landslide, though only five people died.

Tsunami risk in the Mediterranean and northeastern Atlantic is a recognized concern. Around 290 tsunamis have occurred in the Mediterranean since 1600 BCE. The 1755 Lisbon earthquake generated a tsunami that destroyed much of the city. A UNESCO program called Tsunami Ready aims to train coastal communities in response procedures by 2030. European countries including Spain have installed warning signs and evacuation route markers. Warning centers monitor the region continuously, and seismic data provides an early signal when earthquakes occur.

Experts note that even modest tsunamis of a few feet can be dangerous due to water flow and flooding. Meteor tsunamis, caused by rapidly changing weather pressure systems, occasionally affect Mediterranean coastlines, as occurred in 2006 at Ciutadella, Menorca, when a wave stranded yachts in the harbor.