Chronicles of Earth: Journey Through a Year – Chapter Three

In this concluding segment of a three-part series summarizing some of the most impactful and significant occurrences of 2024, I will begin by examining the record-breaking hurricane season that has just concluded. To balance matters, I will end with some stunning events that presented us with remarkable beauty throughout the year.

But first, for Part 1 of the series, navigate here. And for Part 2, here.

Now, let’s dive into it — Part 3 of “A Year on Planet Earth”:

Above Normal Atlantic Hurricane Season

The Atlantic Hurricane season did not completely align with some predictions of hyper-activity, which anticipated up to two dozen named storms. Nonetheless, it still established significant records — and certain storms inflicted catastrophic destruction.

During the official season, spanning from June 1 to Nov. 30, 18 named storms developed in the Atlantic basin. (Named storms boast winds of 39 mph or higher.) Eleven of these attained winds of 74 mph or above, categorizing them as hurricanes. Out of these, five escalated to major hurricanes with winds of 111 mph or more.

In total, five hurricanes made landfall in the continental United States, with two impacting as major hurricanes.

In Part 1 of this series, I showcased an image of Hurricane Beryl captured from the International Space Station on July 1. It depicts the sprawling storm from a striking oblique viewpoint. At that moment, the cyclone’s winds were raging at 150 miles per hour. Above, I’ve provided an intense close-up satellite photo of Beryl’s eye, also taken on July 1.

Beryl was significant as it marked the earliest Atlantic basin Category-5 hurricane on record and the strongest hurricane recorded in June and July within the basin. It surged through portions of the Caribbean and the Yucatán Peninsula, ultimately making landfall in the United States along the Gulf Coast as a Category-1 storm.

The customary peak of the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season experienced a brief lull, but then the activity surged back with record-setting storms. Hurricane Helene was one of those. Illustrated in the GOES-16 satellite image above, it stretched across a vast section of the eastern coastline of the United States.

Helene was truly immense. At its largest extent, it reached 420 miles wide. This made her larger than all except two storms in the Gulf of Mexico since 1988, according to a study conducted by hurricane scientist Phil Klotzbach from Colorado State University.

Helene made landfall on the Florida Gulf Coast as a Category 4 storm on Sept. 26. After wreaking havoc and generating devastating storm surges along the coastline, Helene moved northward, resulting in catastrophic flooding throughout the southern Appalachians, in addition to widespread wind damage extending into the North Carolina mountains. Ultimately, the storm claimed more than 200 lives.

Hurricane Milton was also a remarkable storm in 2024. It touched down as a Category-3 near Siesta Key, Florida, on October 9, triggering an outbreak of 46 tornadoes and yielding rainfall totals of 10-15 inches (and more) that led to flooding. Milton also created a destructive storm surge between Siesta Key, Florida, and Ft. Myers Beach, Florida.

However, arguably Milton’s greatest distinction was how swiftly it intensified. Its 90-mile-per-hour rise in wind speed over a 24-hour period was among the quickest intensifications ever documented in the Atlantic Basin.

On the contrary, the Pacific experienced a different scenario. Hurricane season activity was below average for both the eastern Pacific basin and central Pacific basin and fell within anticipated ranges, as reported by NOAA.

In Brighter Tidings, 2024 Also Gifted Us Much Beauty

Upon first seeing the image above, it completely captivated me. I have observed the aurora borealis numerous times from the ground in Northern Norway and have always found it breathtaking. Yet, this image, taken from above aboard the International Space Station, showcasing the Northern Lights shimmering over our planet’s surface, was like nothing I had previously witnessed.

Here is another perspective:

I could envision myself on the station (and indeed, I even dreamt about it), my face pressed against the oval window, enchanted by the magnificent “otherworldly” scene passing below — though it is very much part of our own world.

As I noted in a piece I wrote on Oct. 22, the breathtaking phenomenon was a result of a substantial X-class solar flare, the most significant type, along with a related surge of solar plasma and magnetic energy termed a coronal mass ejection, or CME, that sped toward our planet. (For an image depicting a massive X-flare erupting from the Sun, refer to Part 1 of the series.) The outcome was that millions more individuals than typical enjoyed views of the crimson, emerald, and pink auroral illuminations in the atmosphere. Typically, you must journey to far northern regions (or remote southern areas in the Southern Hemisphere) to witness such vibrant displays. However, during the night of Oct. 10 and 11, they illuminated the skies as far south as Texas!

As I pen this on New Year’s Eve, the sun has once again unleashed a series of CMEs toward Earth, and these are already igniting the skies over Finland — as this screenshot from a live webcam illustrates:

To view the live webcam on Youtube yourself, click here.

Iceland Volcanic Eruption Redux

The first photograph I shared in Part 1 of the series captured a view from above of a volcanic eruption that occurred last winter in Iceland, which expelled brilliant, blazing orange lava flowing over pristine white snow. In remote sensing images like that, the contrast between fire and ice was indeed breathtaking. So here’s another perspective of the scene taken by a different satellite:

This eruption was part of a sequence that commenced in December of 2023 and extended into early 2024. As expected, it did not dissipate. In November, satellites once again captured stunning images of a new eruption — such as this one:

In late November, lava advanced into the outskirts of the world-famous Blue Lagoon hot springs resort.

The Landsat imagery above certainly gives the impression that Earth’s crust has split open, allowing us a glimpse into the fiery inner layers of the planet. In a way, that’s true.

Iceland is situated along the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, where the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates are drifting apart. On Iceland’s Reykjanes Peninsula, this is prompting fissures to form in the crust, permitting lava to rise from a source of heat deep within Earth’s mantle.

Last But Absolutely Not Least, Hawaii!

You’ve likely heard of the extraordinary pre-Christmas eruption of the Kīlauea volcano in Hawaii. (My colleague here at Discover Erik Klemetti wrote about it here.) It was preceded by a series of earthquakes, and then the emergence of fissures in the floor of the Halema’uma’u caldera. Geysers of lava soon began erupting into the sky, and the molten rock spread rapidly along the base of the caldera.

It somehow feels fitting and uplifting to conclude this series with images of these volcanic phenomena, which are contributing to the rejuvenation of the surface of our ancient planet. They are also providing bursts (both literally and figuratively) of creative vigor that remind us just how dynamic, resilient, and incredibly awe-inspiring our home truly is.

Wishing everyone a Happy New Year! May 2025 bring you joy and countless marvelous encounters with nature.