The events leading to the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico involved a complex interplay of technical failures, human errors, and regulatory shortcomings. A flawed cementing job allowed... Read more »
Earthquakes, while devastating in their own right, can trigger a cascade of other hazardous events. These secondary effects often amplify the destruction and pose significant challenges for disaster preparedness and response. For... Read more »
The failure of O-rings to seal properly in the solid rocket booster, due to unusually cold temperatures on the launch date, allowed hot gases to escape and ignite the external fuel tank.... Read more »
The April 1986 catastrophe at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant resulted from a flawed reactor design coupled with critical operational errors during a safety test. This combination led to an uncontrolled power... Read more »
The catastrophic incident at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant in 1986 resulted from a confluence of flawed reactor design, inadequate safety procedures, and human error during a systems test. A power surge... Read more »
The Space Shuttle Challenger disintegrated 73 seconds into its flight on January 28, 1986, resulting in the loss of all seven crew members. The proximate cause was the failure of O-rings in... Read more »
The airship Hindenburg’s fiery demise on May 6, 1937, remains one of history’s most iconic disasters. Determining the factors that led to the tragedy has been the subject of extensive investigation and... Read more »
The loss of the Space Shuttle Columbia on February 1, 2003, during re-entry into Earth’s atmosphere resulted from damage sustained during launch. A piece of insulating foam separated from the external tank... Read more »
The relationship between a shifting global climate and the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events is a complex and crucial area of scientific investigation. While natural variability always plays a role,... Read more »