Natural disasters, from wildfires, floods and mudslides in western states to large earthquakesin Japan, have rocked, burned and flooded parts of the world in the first months of 2025. What’s next? Lava is erupting from several volcanoes, including one in Hawaii. Nearly 50 volcanic eruptions have been recorded this year, and more are expected. An underwatervolcano about 300 miles off the coast of Oregon is predicted to erupt soon, scientists say.The Axial Seamount is a miles-wide undersea volcano that towers more than 3,600 feet over theseabed. Though it last erupted...

Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. A unique, dark-colored glass found inside the skull of a Roman killed by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius is his brain—cooked into a fossil by an ash cloud. This is the horrific revelation of an international team of researchers who analyzed the glass to determine what conditions would have been needed to produce it. Archaeologists first unearthed the remains of the poor young man—estimated to be in his twenties—in 1960; the black...

Nearly 2,000 years after a young man died in the Vesuvius volcanic eruption, scientists have discovered that his brain was preserved when it turned to glass in an extremely hot cloud of ash. Researchers found the glass in 2020 and speculated that it was a fossilised brain but did not know how it had formed. The pea-sized chunks of black glass were found inside the skull of the victim, aged about 20, who died when the volcano erupted in 79 AD near modern-day Naples. Scientists now believe a cloud of...

An eruption could impact the most populated city in Alaska. Uptick in earthquakes could signal possible eruption at Alaska's Mount Spurr volcano Mount Spurr summit crater viewed from the southeast on February 7, 2025 during a helicopter gas and photo survey. Mount Spurr summit crater viewed from the southeast on February 7, 2025 during a helicopter gas and photo survey. Mount Spurr summit crater viewed from the southeast on February 7, 2025 during a helicopter gas and photo survey. Mount Spurr summit crater viewed from the southeast on February 7,...

Kilauea volcano began shooting lava into the air once again Tuesday on the Big Island of Hawaii. Kilauea, one of the world’s most active volcanoes, has been erupting on and off for nearly two months since it burst to life on Dec. 23. The eruption has been taking place at the volcano’s summit crater inside Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. No residential areas have been threatened by lava. The latest release of molten rock began 10:16 a.m. with lava flowing on to the floor of Halemaumau Crater. A half-hour later, a...

Mount Kaputar pink slugs were almost wiped out by wildfires in 2019, but a mass breeding event helped their numbers to bounce back. Where it lives: Mount Kaputar, New South Wales, Australia Why it's awesome: Not all slugs blend into the background. Some, like the striking Mount Kaputar slug, stand out from the crowd. These slimy critters not only grow up to 8 inches (20 centimeters) long, they also have vibrant, neon-red bodies that are hard to miss. These distinctive hot-pink slugs are found only on an extinct volcano called...

The hellish surface of a moon of Jupiter known as Io is riddled with hundreds of lava-spewing volcanoes that make the world one of chaos and violence. The brutal conditions also make Io intriguing to NASA scientists intent on learning more about the innermost and third-largest of Jupiter’s four Galilean moons. For nine years, a spacecraft known as the Juno orbiter has divided its time between observing the gas giant of Jupiter and studying its moons, including Io. And on its third flyby of the celestial body, the orbiter struck...

A mile-wide volcano off Oregon’s coast could erupt “soon” say scientists who’ve been tracking it for decades. The Axial Seamount is a massive undersea volcano that reaches more than 3,600 feet above the seabed, 300 miles offshore. It last erupted in 2015 but has a history of more than 50 different eruptions over the last 800 years. The good news is that because the top of the volcano is still 4,500 feet below the ocean’s surface, it poses no danger to people. “If you were in a boat right over...

Episode 7 of Kīlauea's ongoing eruption began at 6:41 p.m. HST (11:41 p.m. ET) on January 27, marking the latest phase of volcanic activity at the Halemaʻumaʻu crater in Hawaii. Sustained lava fountains from the north vent have been observed, reaching heights of 100–120 feet, while lava flows have covered 15–20 percent of the crater floor. This new episode follows a brief pause in activity after Episode 6. Kīlauea's eruptions hold significant implications for the local ecosystem, visitors and residents of Hawaii. While lava flows remain confined to the Kīlauea...

This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: New Cornell University led-research challenges the long-standing belief that active volcanoes have large magma bodies that are expelled during eruptions and then dissipate over time as the volcanoes become dormant. Researchers used seismic waves to identify magma chambers beneath the surface of six volcanoes of various sizes and dormancy within the Cascade Range, which includes half of the U.S.