Crust falls apart

SEISMOLOGISTS say the two undersea quakes that struck near the Indonesian province of Aceh on April 11, 2012, could have been triggered by changes happening at the faults on the Indo-Australian plate of the Earth’s crust. The plate spans Australia, eastern Indian Ocean and the Indian subcontinent.

How humans invite storm

EVER wondered why it’s windy and thunderous when you need to go to office and quiet on weekends? Well, blame yourself. Scientists have found that human activity that releases aerosols is the culprit behind an increase in tornadoes and hailstorms during summer weekdays.

Future shock

It is a definite recipe for disaster, barely short of apocalypse. Thousands may die, millions get affected, and assets worth billions of dollars get destroyed. As human-induced greenhouse gases increase, so will extreme weather events like floods, heat waves and droughts.

Beyond Tsunami

At 6.29 am, on the morning of December 26, 2004 an undersea earthquake erupts in Sumatra, triggering off tidal waves called tsunami. A minute later, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) gets the news. In 15 minutes, IMD tracks the tsunami to the Indonesian coastline. But they make no attempt to issue warnings to people on the Indian coast for, by rule, the tsunami has occurred beyond Indian waters. At 7.50 am, the tsunami hits Car Nicobar. The island is almost wiped out. Then the tidal waves head for the southern coast of India. At 8.50 am, Tamil Nadu is hit.

Unmasking aerosols

A P Mitra couldn't believe it. He along with 200-odd scientists from India, Europe, Maldives and the us was conducting an intensive six-week field experiment in 1999 to study the effect of airborne tiny particles called aerosols on climate.

Neptune's sorrows

Losing colour From central America to Austrelia, from the 2,000-km Great Barrier Ref to the small, reefs in Pacific islets, bleaching takes the life out of corals the world over

‘Predictions wrong, but give indications’

On many occasions monsoons have failed leading to droughts, but IMD did not predict them. Why? Interviewee:  Sivananda Pai

Coconut cousins

COCONUT trees are found across the world and it is said that they played a fundamental role in human migrations and the development of civilisations. So far, nobody has studied the genetic variability in the tree. Now a study of the DNA shows that coconuts have two well-defined and differentiated populations representing two separate locations of cultivation—the Pacific basin and the Indo-Atlantic Ocean basin.

An ocean of wealth

FISHERS’ folklores are full of them but the creatures of the deep sea are still a mystery.

Sharper divide

SEA level is rising, but only in parts of oceans.