Volcanic ash can damage engines and machinery.

The first flowering plants appeared during the Cretaceous period.

Wildfires release stored carbon instantly — forests can take centuries to recover that carbon sequestration capacity.

The touch-me-not plant (Mimosa pudica) closes its leaves when touched and remembers the stimulus for weeks.

The average lightning bolt is about 1 inch wide and 5 miles long.

St. Elmo's Fire is a plasma glow around ship masts and aircraft during thunderstorms — mistaken for supernatural fire.

A bolt of lightning is about one inch wide but can be miles long.

Trees growing on slopes develop asymmetric root systems and denser wood on the downhill side for stability.

The Pantanal in South America is the world's largest tropical wetland area, covering up to 195,000 square kilometers.