INSANE: 5 | Vintage Vibes

What does the largest UNESCO World Heritage Site look like?

The Phoenix Islands Protected Area (PIPA), located in the Republic of Kiribati in the central Pacific Ocean, is the largest UNESCO World Heritage Site by area, spanning 408,250 square kilometers. Designated in 2010, it’s a vast marine and terrestrial expanse known for its pristine beauty and ecological significance. Here are…

The Times of India · Apr 6, 2025

Consecutive El Niños are happening more often and the result is more devastating – new research

El Niño, a climate troublemaker, has long been one of the largest drivers of variability in the global climate. Every few years, the tropical eastern Pacific Ocean seesaws between warm (El Niño) and cold (La Niña) phases. This reshuffles rainfall patterns, unleashing floods, droughts and storms thousands of miles from…

The Conversation · Apr 3, 2025

Race To Name Creatures Of The Deep As Mining Interest Grows

In the cold, lightless Pacific Ocean deep, the seabed is scattered with metal-rich rocks coveted by miners -- and huge numbers of strange and rare animals almost entirely unknown to science.

International Business Times · Mar 17, 2025

In Disney’s ‘Moana,’ the characters navigate using the stars, just like real Polynesian explorers − an astronomer explains how these methods work

If you have visited an island like one of the Hawaiian Islands, Tahiti or Easter Island, also known as Rapa Nui, you may have noticed how small these land masses appear against the vast Pacific Ocean. If you’re on Hawaii, the nearest island to you is more than 1,000 miles…

The Conversation · Dec 20, 2024

Kristy strengthens into a hurricane in the eastern Pacific Ocean

Forecasters say Kristy has strengthened into a hurricane in the eastern Pacific Ocean and is expected to remain away from land as the storm grows more powerful

The Independent UK · Oct 22, 2024

Canada Marine Protection Plan Aims To Serve As Global Model

Viewed from above, Canada's newest Marine Protected Area (MPA) is deceptively simple: stretches of blue Pacific Ocean waters and a few patches of green forest.

International Business Times · Oct 16, 2024

'Many more ancient structures waiting to be discovered': Lost chunk of seafloor hidden in Earth's mantle found off Easter Island

Researchers created a seismic map of Earth's interior beneath the southeastern Pacific Ocean and discovered an ancient slab of oceanic crust that appears to be stuck midway through the mantle.

LiveScience · Oct 4, 2024

John rapidly strengthens into a hurricane off southern Mexico's Pacific coast

Hurricane John is ripping toward Mexico’s southern coast after rapidly intensifying over the eastern Pacific Ocean, surprising authorities who called for residents of some coastal areas to head for cover

The Independent UK · Sep 24, 2024

Anniversary of French occupation exposes rifts over New Caledonia's future

Long considered a day of mourning by New Caledonia's indigenous population, 24 September is infamous on the Pacific Ocean islands as the date France claimed them in 1853. With unrest flaring once again over the question of self-determination, this year's anniversary is expected to be especially tense.

Radio France Internationale · Sep 23, 2024

Hot 'Salsa:' European satellite burns up in landmark controlled reentry (photo)

The European Space Agency's Salsa satellite safely deorbited on Sunday (Sept. 8) over a hand-picked region of the South Pacific Ocean.

Space · Sep 11, 2024