How Satellites Determine the Weather on Earth
The idea of using cameras to orbit and observe weather began as early as 1946. At the time, there was little observation data, and cloud cameras on rockets were expensive. On February 17, 1959, the first weather satellite, Vanguard 2 launched. Unfortunately, a large amount of data was uncollected by the satellite due to its […]
The Oil Spill of 2010
Deepwater Horizon was a mobile and floating drill rig that was operational in waters up to 10,000 feet deep. It was built by Hyundai Heavy Industries in South Korea and chartered to BP starting in March of 2008 to September of 2013. In 2010, the rig was drilling a well about 41 miles off of […]
Earthquake in Los Angeles | July 30th, 2020
In Southern California on July 30, 2020, at 4:30 a.m., a 4.2 magnitude earthquake in Pacoima shook the San Fernando Valley and provided an early wake-up call for residents. Some of the shakings included aftershocks of 3.3 and 3.9 magnitudes. The earthquake and its aftershocks were felt throughout Glendale, downtown Los Angeles, La Crescenta, Hollywood, […]
Big Bayou Canot Collapse | September 22, 1993
On September 22, 1993, an Amtrak train was traveling across the Big Bayou Canot Bridge in Mobile, Alabama. The train derailed which resulted in the death of 47 people and 103 people being injured. The derailing of the train was caused by a deformation in the rails from a barge towing a heavy load that […]
May – June, 2020: Michigan Flooding
In mid-May, seven inches of rain created a chain of catastrophic events. The rainstorm caused more than 10,000 people to evacuate, damaged property and homes, and destroyed two hydroelectric dams. The Rainstorm Moisture created by Tropical Storm Arthur produced the heaviest rainfall. Moisture traveled from the East Coast to Michigan causing an increase in rainfall […]
Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire: March 25, 1911
On March 25, 1911, the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory in Greenwich Village of New York City caught fire. It would become known as the worst industrial fire in the area’s history and one of the deadliest in the nation. The fire caused the tragic deaths of 123 women and 23 men. Most were of Italian and […]