Volcanoes capable of super-eruptions that could be catastrophic for civilizations have short fuses, according to new research conducted at Vanderbilt University.

By studying crystals formed in volcanic rock, experts may be able to predict an impending eruption up to a year in advance, researchers from the University of Bristol have discovered.

The early April earthquake of magnitude 8.6 that shook Sumatra was a grim reminder of the devastating earthquakes and tsunami that killed tens of thousands of people in 2004 and 2005.

Researchers have been able to capture the rise and collapse of an underwater volcano in the Pacific Ocean for the first time.

A large part of the Northern Hemisphere was in the midst of an unusual cold snap for nearly 500 years, from the Middle Ages through the early 19th century, in what scientists now call the “Little Ice Age.”