Noah & Natural History

Like Cecil B. DeMille's past epics, the new film, Noah , brings a Bible story to the big screen.  Initial reviews praise its special ef...

Formula for a Landslide

The landslide tragedy in Oso, Washington, occurred in a region of North America that is especially prone to such events.  Landslides general...

The Nature of Hail

While we dodged tornados in Columbia yesterday, we did experience strong thunderstorms, one of which dropped penny-sized hail.  Fortunately,...

Tornado Season

Most of Missouri is under a tornado watch today.  As a Pacific storm approaches from the Southern Plains, it is pumping warm air and Gulf mo...

Formation of the Indian Ocean

About 200 million years ago (MYA), the Tethys Sea split Pangea into Laurasia (the northern continents) and Gondwanaland (the southern contin...

The Phoebe's Leap of Faith

Yesterday, on a cloudy and chilly day in Columbia, an eastern phoebe foraged across the restored prairie at Forum Nature Preserve.  Among th...

Teal Days

As the tide of spring gains momentum, blue-winged teal have returned to Eagle Bluffs Conservation Area, on the Missouri River floodplain.  L...