The Cascadia fault is expected to release a giant earthquake — it’s not a matter of if, but a matter of when.  That’s why research and preparedness activities are crucial. Operation Pinecone, a major emergency operations scenario, is currently taking place all over Western Washington to help teams prepare for “the big one.” Hundreds of emergency workers in six counties, state agencies, private businesses, FEMA and even officials from British Colombia are taking part in the biggest disaster drill of its kind. 

Not having enough Chinook salmon to eat stresses out southern resident killer whales in the Pacific Northwest more than having boatloads of whale watchers nearby, according to hormone levels of whales summering in the Salish Sea.  Read more about this study here, which was published today in PLoS ONE. 

The Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant in Alabama had to shut down more than once last summer because the Tennessee River’s water was too warm to use it for cooling. A new study projects that, with warmer water and lower flows, more such power disruptions are likely across US and Europe in the next 50 years. Civil and Environmental Engineering‘s Dennis Lettenmaier is a co-author on this study. 

Like clockwork, June gloom is upon us. What exactly causes the “light gray days” of early summer, and how does it lead to some of the driest conditions in the nation? ATMO‘s Cliff Mass discusses.