Learn how to stay safe outdoors from Smokey the bear.
Learn more about Air Pollution from the CDC (printed in 2024).
Air Quality
Check out the air quality in our region (updated regularly).
Air Quality Near You!
Interested in the Air Quality near you? Check out this interactive map with data for Michigan.
NASA image of Canadian Wildfire smoke on July 16, 2026 - Hazardous Air Quality conditions in Michigan (Midwest).
Wild Fires
Learn more about the dangers of forest fires here.
Extreme Weather
Geologic catastrophes caused by extreme weather can come in many forms and affect us all here on Earth. A natural disaster is a major adverse event resulting from natural processes of the Earth; examples are floods, hurricanes, tornadoes, volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, tsunamis, storms, and other geologic processes.

Activity:
Investigate the following phenomena and select a virtual lab below to create a tornado or hurricane.
Virtual Labs and Readings
Weather
Learn what weather is and what causes it. After your investigation, take the quiz to challenge your knowledge of weather.
Extreme Weather
Use the reading on Extreme Weather to complete the attached worksheet.
 Thunderstorms
Can you adjust the atmosphere to make a thunderstorm?  Thunderstorms can only happen under certain conditions. What do temperature and humidity need to be like up high and near to the ground to make a storm?
Tornados
Discover how tornadoes are measured in this virtual lab. Adjust the tornado's funnel width and core pressure difference in this simulation, then click the "go" button and observe the different types of wind damage tornadoes can produce.
Hurricanes
​Explore the relationship between sea surface temperatures (SST) and hurricane strength by building a hurricane.