Getting Through It

In this episode, Dr. Jones explains why even a distant volcanic eruption could impact you where you are. From the ash that impacts air travel to gases that can kill thousands, volcanos emit more than lava that can impact the entire world.

Volcanoes can be the most visually impressive natural hazard for many reasons, and Dr. Jones explains key facts about these very specific geologic features of the earth that are often misunderstood. She tackles six myths, giving insights on where volcanoes can happen, why "sticky lava" matters, and their impact on climate change.

In this episode, we explore how tsunamis are formed, how they travel, and what to do when you hear (or feel!) a warning of one. Though they're one of the most feared natural hazards, understanding the basics of tsunamis will help you manage the risk you might face.

In this episode, Dr. Jones explores how we come to use magnitude to describe the size of an earthquake, and all the complications that come along with it... and why we need it to manage the human response to fear the uncertainty of earthquakes.

"What is a disaster, anyway?" This episode explores how we historically and currently define disasters. By understanding what they are, we can manage them more effectively. Dr. Jones explores how an earthquake disaster can inform our management of the pandemic, and how we can't let time scale distract us from the impact and severity of longer, "slow" disasters.

In this episode, we explore the failures in Texas in February 2021 to deal with a winter storm that impacted them based on the choices made by that state. We take a look at why government has a role in preventing disasters and how they do or don't do that critical work - a core function of government in general. And what can you do about it so you can get through the next disaster?

In this episode, Dr. Jones explains how aftershocks are named, how long they can last, and what to expect when in the midst of an aftershock sequence. She reveals the story behind how she came to want to study and explain them, and how understanding aftershocks can help manage fears around earthquakes. This primer includes all the basics you need to understand aftershocks.

In this episode, Dr. Jones shares how she came to be the one to explain more than just the science behind earthquakes and disasters. She recalls the story from 1992 that showed to everyone that she was a mother and a scientist and appeared to be able to "have it all." From 2020 into 2021, the experience of working from home and parenting at the same time focuses everyone on what it takes to do both - often at the same time. Dr. Jones offers her insights on how she sacrificed to make it work, as she had to do quite publicly in the 1990s, and what those trying to cope now could do to get through it.

In this episode, we share the science, damage, and lasting impact that the first large earthquake in modern Los Angeles had on the city and how we address earthquake risk across the country. What was learned created new laws, funding streams, and approaches to manage earthquake risk. In fact, it's this earthquake on February 9, 1971 that may have put Dr Jones on track to the career she had helping us all get through it.

In this episode, Dr. Jones explains the way the Coronavirus works, how the vaccines work, and how virus mutation could impact the vaccine effectiveness. She talks about when you're most contagious (and it's not when you're sickest!), and she reveals why the name of the Coronavirus also relates to how the vaccine works. And, Dr. Jones explains why the virus is "lazy."