Alexandria, VA – December 21, 2012 – the purported last day of a 5,125-year cycle in the Mesoamerican calendar – has been added to an endless list of days when the world has been expected to end. But what are our real chances of being wiped out by a catastrophic event – the kind that has happened in the past and will inevitably occur again someday? In the August issue of EARTH, we explore four of the most probable global events that could change life on Earth forever.
Near-Earth objects (NEOs), super-eruptions, solar storms and cataclysmic earthquakes all pose serious risks to our planet on a global and regional scale. However, though these threats exist, is it possible to realistically and economically prepare for them all? Find out more online at http://www.earthmagazine.org/article/2012-end-world-or-just-another-year-living-harms-way.
Read this story and more in the August issue of EARTH Magazine, available online at http://www.earthmagazine.org. Turn trash to treasure when scientists turn nonrecylced waste into low-carbon fuel; discover how fossilized raindrops provide clues to Earth's early atmosphere; and learn about the silver lining of potentially hazardous asteroids all in this month's issue of EARTH.
Source: American Geological Institute