Archive: The Science of Hurricanes, Earth’s Most Powerful Storms, May 7, 2026

Science Update logoAround the world, hurricanes reshape coastlines, disrupt lives, and threaten communities. These powerful weather systems, which are also known as tropical cyclones, produce hazardous winds, waves, and rainfall that can reach hundreds of miles inland. They also have significant economic impacts: in the U.S. alone, hurricanes have produced over $1.5 trillion dollars in damage since 1980 (NOAA).

Join Dr. Quinton Lawton, researcher at the NSF National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) and learn the basic science behind the formation, growth, and lifecycle of these powerful storms. You will also learn about the groundbreaking research that is currently being done to better understand and predict hurricanes: from cutting-edge weather models to new tools and sensors being launched directly into these systems. Attendees will leave with a better understanding of hurricane science, research, and resources for staying informed and resilient in the face of these powerful storms.

After the presentation, learn about free online classroom resources for your students from the UCAR Center for Science Education Center related to today’s webinar. 

All individuals receive a certificate of participation and 100 NSTA activity points for attending the live seminar and completing the end-of-program survey. A certificate of participation is not awarded for watching the recorded version of the program.

We invite you to register for upcoming web seminars at NSTA.

View the Archive Video

To view the presentation slides from the web seminar and related resources, visit the resource collection. Continue discussing this topic in the community forums.

Below are comments from individuals who attended the seminar:

  • "I appreciated how the seminar explained the science behind hurricane formation and their immense power, making complex processes clear and engaging."
  • "I enjoyed The Science of Hurricanes, Earth’s Most Powerful Storms Web Seminar because it was interesting, informative, and easy to follow. The speaker explained everything clearly and shared helpful information that felt very relevant to our everyday lives."
  • "Incredible speaker, sharing his very important area of research. Dr. Lawton did an excellent job at expressing complex concepts in an accessible and engaging way!"

A certificate of attendance was deposited into participants' account page for completing the evaluation form at the end of the program.

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