logo
TONIGHT AT 5:30: How Native American myths helped scientists track earthquakes

TONIGHT AT 5:30: How Native American myths helped scientists track earthquakes

Yahoo10-03-2025

Earthquakes are part of Washington's past, present, and future, and we have local Native American tribes to thank for documenting some of our earliest ones.
Local tribes have helped inform today's scientists about earthquakes that occurred more than a thousand years ago.
'It's explained in myths,' said Duwamish Tribal Councilman Ken Workman. 'Things happen. Then, stories are made about the things that happen.'
One of the most significant was an earthquake on the Seattle Fault that took place around AD 900–950. According to the Washington State Department of Natural Resources, the earthquake caused parts of Bainbridge Island to lift 35 feet and even triggered a tsunami in Puget Sound.
Tonight at 5:30 p.m. KIRO 7 News' Madeline Ottilie will explain how these myths have helped modern scientists to track earthquakes.

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

A Near-Full ‘Strawberry Moon' Will Shine Again on Wednesday Night
A Near-Full ‘Strawberry Moon' Will Shine Again on Wednesday Night

New York Times

time4 hours ago

  • New York Times

A Near-Full ‘Strawberry Moon' Will Shine Again on Wednesday Night

Night sky observers are being treated this week to a view of a red-tinted full moon — known in June as a 'strawberry moon' — a phenomenon that occurs when the moon sits low on the Southern Horizon. This summer, the reddish color is particularly pronounced because the moon is sitting at the lowest position it will reach for about 19 years. The strawberry moon's colorful hues were visible Tuesday night, and it reached its brightest point Wednesday around 4 a.m. Eastern time. Here's what it looked like: Each month's full moon has a name. According to folklore, the name 'strawberry moon' came from Algonquin Native American tribes to commemorate strawberry gathering season. Another name for the full moon in June is 'rose moon,' which may have come from Europe. 'Most of the traditional names we use seem to come from Native American usage, but some are clearly European in origin, like the one in December, called 'the moon before yule,' a reference to Christmas,' said James Lattis, a historian of astronomy at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. The moon will not sit this low on the Southern Horizon again for about 19 years. Summer full moons are always low relative to winter full moons in the Northern Hemisphere, and therefore are more reddish in color, Dr. Lattis said. That's because viewing the moon through the atmosphere gives it a reddish hue, much like the colors visible during a sunrise or sunset, he said. 'If one looks straight up into the sky, there's less atmosphere,' he said. 'If you're looking through the horizon, you're looking through the most atmosphere.' The strawberry moon will still be 'visually full' for observers on Wednesday night. Dr. Lattis said that he had viewed the moon on Tuesday night in Wisconsin, and that it was notable for the pinkish hue it had from smoke in the air from wildfires. He said the sight may not be as dramatic elsewhere. 'I hate to discourage anybody from going out and looking at the moon — it's a wonderful thing to do, and a lot of times, if you don't give somebody a reason, they'll never do it,' he said. 'But it's just another full moon.'

Look up tonight! Wednesday's full moon in Indiana will be the lowest in 20 years
Look up tonight! Wednesday's full moon in Indiana will be the lowest in 20 years

Indianapolis Star

time5 hours ago

  • Indianapolis Star

Look up tonight! Wednesday's full moon in Indiana will be the lowest in 20 years

If you're out and about Wednesday evening, take a moment to gaze up at the night sky. Experts say the full Strawberry Moon will shine at its lowest orbit in roughly 20 years. Avid skywatchers can also spot the Milky Way, the "bright central bulge of our galaxy," writes NASA, which should be visible through August. Here's what skywatchers should know. Wednesday, June 11, 2025, is when the sweet Strawberry Moon is fullest. The moon's phases in June are: June's Strawberry moon will be the lowest full moon in roughly 20 years, so look closer toward the horizon. Experts say the moon's low arc should give it a more yellowish or orange tint. Story continues after photo gallery. The reason the moon will appear lower is because the Earth is in the midst of "a major lunar standstill," writes EarthSky, which has to do with the moon's orbit around the Earth. "It's all about the inclination of the moon's orbit, which undergoes an 18.6-year cycle," writes EarthSky's John Jardine Goss. "The cycle happens because the moon's orbit is being slowly dragged around — mostly due to the pull of the sun — every 18.6 years." The last major lunar standstill occurred in 2006. More about June 2025's full moon: It's been years since you've seen one that looks like this. According to the Old Farmer's Almanac, moonrise for the Indianapolis area will happen by roughly 10:09 p.m. Wednesday, June 11, crossing the meridian at 1:38 a.m. before setting at 6:01 a.m. Thursday. You can check moonrise and moonset times for your zip code by visiting the Old Farmer's Almanac online. Skies around Central Indiana are expected to be partly cloudy Wednesday night, June 11, with a low of around 64, according to an advanced forecast from the National Weather Service. Similar to the Pink Moon, June's Strawberry Moon takes its name from seasonal plant growth, according to the Old Farmer's Almanac. Many ripening berries were ready to be harvested around this time in the northeastern United States. Other names for June's full moon from Native American tribes include the Birth Moon, Hot Moon, Blooming Moon, and the Green Corn Moon. The Milky Way can best be viewed somewhere far away from bright city lights. Find a dark, safe spot out in the country where you can see more stars in the sky. If possible, head to Beverly Shores, near Gary, which is an International Dark Sky location and therefore an excellent place for stargazing. You can also travel to Kemil Beach at Indiana Dunes State Park and Dr. T.K. Lawless County Park in Michigan, which also are designated dark sky locations, according to DarkSky International. According to NASA, traces of the Milky Way will appear as a "faint, cloud-like band arching across the sky toward the south." If you plan on observing the night sky this month, writes NASA, keep the following dates in mind for June 2025: The following free astronomy apps can help you locate stars, planets, and constellations. The full Buck Moon should reach peak illumination by Thursday, July 10, 2025. When is the next full moon?: When every full moon shines in 2025. Dates, times and the history behind each name.

6,000-year-old skeletons found in Colombia have unique DNA
6,000-year-old skeletons found in Colombia have unique DNA

Yahoo

time6 hours ago

  • Yahoo

6,000-year-old skeletons found in Colombia have unique DNA

Sign up for CNN's Wonder Theory science newsletter. Explore the universe with news on fascinating discoveries, scientific advancements and more. Scientists studying ancient human remains uncovered in Colombia have found that the people they were researching have no known ancestors or modern descendants. In a study published May 30 in the journal Science Advances, a team of researchers reported on the genetic data of 21 individuals whose skeletal remains were found in the Bogotá Altiplano in central Colombia, some of whom lived as long as 6,000 years ago, that belonged to a previously unknown population. Previous studies have proven the existence of two lineages, northern Native American and southern Native American, which developed after people first arrived on the continent across an ice bridge from Siberia and started to move south. The latter split into at least three sub-lineages whose movements have been traced in South America, but scientists have not yet ascertained when the first people would have moved from Central America to South America. The study helps to map the movements of the first settlers, who would have been nomadic hunter-gatherers, study author Andrea Casas Vargas, a researcher at the Universidad Nacional de Colombia, told CNN on Wednesday, but it also found that they have unique DNA. Casas Vargas said the team were 'very surprised' to find that the remains did not share DNA with other people in the genetic record. 'We did not expect to find a lineage that had not been reported in other populations,' she said. Casas Vargas underlined that Colombia's position as the entry point to South America makes it significant to our understanding of the population of the Americas. 'This study is very important because it is the first to sequence complete genomes in ancient samples from Colombia,' she said, The results raise questions 'as to where they came from and why they disappeared,' said Casas Vargas. 'We are not certain what happened at that time that caused their disappearance, whether it was due to environmental changes, or if they were replaced by other population groups,' she added. Further research will hopefully provide some answers, said Casas Vargas. 'Our next investigations will look for other archaeological remains from other regions of the country and analyze them at the genetic level and complement this first discovery,' she said. Christina Warinner, a professor of scientific archaeology at Harvard University, told CNN that Colombia 'is a key region for understanding the peopling of South America… but until now it has been a blank spot in ancient DNA studies of the Americas.' 'This study highlights the deep history of population migration and mixing in the formation today's populations, and points to Central America as a key region that influenced the development of complex societies in both North and South America,' she added.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store