This collection of basic definitions and answers to questions about hurricanes and tropical cyclones includes how they form, how they are named, how intensities are measured, and how storms are forecast. Historical information, information on myths surrounding these storms, links to sites displaying real-time storm information, and safety tips are also included. Full description.

This is a photograph of the 18 May 1980 explosion of Mount St. Helens. Links to other volcano images and related topics are included. Full description.

At this site, users can read and view pictures and videos that explain the mechanisms that trigger tsunamis, how they travel across great distances of the ocean, and what damage they cause. Full description.

This site consists of a gallery of artists' conceptions of catastrophic strikes on Earth by asteroids or comets, including the impact which occurred at the Cretaceous-Tertiary boundary and is suspected of causing mass extinction of the dinosaurs. Links to other related sites and a short movie of the Peekskill, New York meteorite, which fell in 1993, are also included. Full description.

This article discusses the United States' increasing vulnerability to natural disasters because of population and infrastructure concentrations in disaster-prone areas. Topics include the high cost of earthquakes, hurricanes, and tornadoes, a discussion of the frequency and severity of these events, changes in population and wealth as measured by revenue, and ways to decrease hazard vulnerability. Full description.

In this module, students learn about the physical features, properties, and hazards associated with thunderstorms. Topics include dangers associated with thunderstorms, types and components of thunderstorms, and tornadoes. An additional section discusses the use of computer modeling to understand the formation and lifecycle of storm systems and in forecasting severe weather. Links to additional information ... Full description.

Visitors to this site can access information on tropical storms and hurricanes in the Atlantic Ocean as far back as 1851. Information provided here includes a yearly map showing the tracks of all storms, and individual maps for each storm. The individual maps are accompanied by data tables that show latitude, longitude, wind speed, dates, and times. Full description.

Students can use this map to track the progress of hurricanes and tropical storms in the western Atlantic Ocean and Carribean Sea. It includes descriptions of hurricane watch and warning conditions. Full description.

On this website, Starting Point Teaching Collection explains the Distribution of Active Volcanoes exercise. This worksheet is intended to direct students working independently in a 6-week exercise on volcanoes within an online geology course. The exercise consists of a series of questions plus helpful links and a map. The students collect and plot data, then interpret the results and answer questions ... Full description.

The Weekly Volcanic Activity Report is a cooperative project between the Global Volcanism Program of the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History and the US Geological Survey's Volcano Hazards Program. The project provides up-to-date worldwide volcanic activity information. Users can access regional maps as well as a map of volcanoes discussed each week. New eruption information is provided ... Full description.