There are many kinds of floods.

River floods develop slowly, water gradually rising over days, providing ample time to evacuate.

Coastal floods come mostly from storm surges, when a hurricane or tsunami makes landfall.

Coastal communities also have evacuation warnings. But when not, these can be catastrophic.

Urban flooding happens increasingly as paved areas expand, preventing the land from absorbing rainfall.

Flash floods, though often localized, can be the deadliest for their size, simply because they are sudden.

They occur when torrential rain falls, snow rapidly melts, or water is forced down a river.

They can send a wall of water tens of feet high hurtling down a channel, faster than people can seek safety.

They can sweep away vehicles and roads, making escape impossible.

They can carry debris and chemicals, leaving long-lasting devastation in their path.

Despite a few fatal incidents, authorities are improving their ability to predict and react.

AI analysis of massive weather data now provides longer lead times for flash floods, especially in the Southwest U.S., Latin America, and Asia.

Meanwhile, smarter urban planning and development include runoff zones to capture floodwaters, and innovative warning systems that alert and prepare the populace.

In the rare case you receive an alert, move quickly to high ground and stay safe.

In 2024, Spanish oceanographers studying the deep seafloor west of the Canary Islands discovered an enormous seamount --

A mile-high, 70-mile long mountain on the bottom of the ocean, formed of three inter-linked ancient volcanoes.

At its summit, just 200 feet beneath the water’s surface, they found sand dunes and cliff faces that could only have been formed if it had once been above water.

During the last Ice Age, when Earth’s water was locked up in continental ice sheets, sea level was over 300 feet lower.

Meaning that at least 100 feet of the seamount would have risen above the water, to form an island many miles long

It was almost directly west of the Straits of Gibraltar – exactly where Plato had described the city of Atlantis, before it sank beneath the waves.

Could it be? These scientists began to wonder, had they accidentally discovered the lost city?

They sent down the ship’s ROVs – Remote Operated Vehicles, to explore the surface of the seamount.

They found sediments and other evidence of erosion, only possible if the island were indeed above water.

But unfortunately, no ruins of an ancient city, or any evidence of human habitation.

Their continued research did provide valuable data about the volcanic past of the eastern Atlantic, the geologic formation of seamounts, and how they impact ocean currents – their original mission.

But Atlantis remains elusive, perhaps waiting for future scientists.

Just eight percent of Earth’s surface is covered in topsoil -- but that grows 95 percent of our crops.

And healthy plant growth depends on healthy soil. Which depends on a healthy population of soil life.

As noted in an earlier EarthDate, a single handful of healthy soil contains more microbes than the human population of Earth.

And more biodiversity than the entire Amazon. One handful.

Along with microbes, there are fungi, worms, insects, plant roots, and much more. And they all make noise.

Sixty years ago, ecologists began recording the sounds of nature, to understand what species populate different areas – cataloging, for example, the bird, insect, and animal noises of a forest.

But when one curious scientist poked a microphone into the ground, he was blown away.

Turns out soil life makes noises of its own. From grubs chewing on roots, to worms slithering through tunnels, to millipedes’ feet drumming.

In fact, they realized you can tell a lot about soil health simply by listening to it.

Conversely, degraded soils have less active life, and therefore less sound.

Ecologists now monitor soils with a microphone, helping evaluate their resident lifeforms, crop productivity, and the success of soil replenishment programs.

Their discoveries remind us that soil is a vital, living system, worth protecting for its own sake – and ours.