But a growing brood of specialists are questioning an antiquated system and demanding that newer science be used to adopt a more realistic index. Working in the sizzling or freezing temperatures isn't always a punishment. More than 500 scientists have taken part in producing the world's first earthquake hazard map. And to get it finished, they had to contend with more than just piles of data. The worst and weirdest Canadian weather Tales of the worst, wildest and weirdest weather to hit the land north of the 49th parallel.
Climate change threatens polar bear food supply When temperatures rise, ice melts.
That relationship means some polar bears, who almost exclusively feed on ice-bound seals, are coming perilously close to starvation. A civil engineer has come up with a new way to reinforce concrete structures - and minimize the damage caused by falling rubble. Volcanoes trigger global cooling Wind, rain and snow storms are just some of the weather effects caused by large volcanic eruptions. A freak weather phenomenon in Toronto yesterday tricked many people into thinking they had witnessed a twister touch down. Despite several major tributaries downstream from the Three Gorges project capable of causing floods, people are being encouraged to settle on the vulnerable floodplain.