Most Popular
1500 questions
15
votes
2 answers
Why is there a daily inequality for low tides?
I understand why there is a daily inequality for high tides. What I do not understand is why the low tides are not equal. The data all seems to be somewhere along the lines of but the theory seems to point to
That is, a greater daily inequality for…
stellatedHexahedron
15
votes
2 answers
What factors affect the size of rain shadows?
Rain shadows are dry areas on the lee side of mountains. Due to humid air condensing and precipitating as they are lifted up and over the mountains, they lose moisture by the time they reach the lee side, forming a relatively dry area.
What factors…
congusbongus
- 1,833
- 16
- 23
15
votes
5 answers
Is Earth an organism?
According to Wikipedia, "all known types of organism are capable of some degree of response to stimuli, reproduction, growth and development and self-regulation via homeostasis." Further, watching a video like the "Earth Breathes as Seasons Change"…
blunders
- 4,601
- 2
- 27
- 52
15
votes
2 answers
How to learn the different types of rock
I would like to be able to point to a piece of rock and say that is rock type such and such. I have tried learning but it literally seems like an endless list of types and sub types and the pictures don’t really seem to help me. Short of a person…
Nat
- 351
- 1
- 3
15
votes
1 answer
What is a reasonable forecast of sea level in 2100?
The IPCC 2013 Physical Science Basis Report says 0.4m - 0.6m. That is somewhat dated and now http://www.atmos-chem-phys-discuss.net/15/20059/2015/acpd-15-20059-2015.html seem to have contested it. Is it safe for local governments to plan on the…
Grant Bussell
- 157
- 7
15
votes
2 answers
Could the Dead Sea dry up? and if so, when?
According to recent findings, during the last interglacial period, about 120,000 years ago, the precursor of the Dead Sea (Lake Lisan) dried up perhaps entirely. Today, the Dead Sea level is dropping at rates of around >1m/year from the countries…
arkaia
- 15,447
- 4
- 52
- 122
15
votes
2 answers
At the ocean surface, why do large amplitude waves travel faster than small amplitude waves?
I understand the mathematics behind it but I am looking for an intuitive description.
reddit
- 973
- 3
- 7
- 14
15
votes
1 answer
How to compute the earthquake occurrence probability under ETAS model
I have fitted an ETAS model (unmarked) with an independent exponential magnitude distribution to a set of earthquake data. However, I do not know how to calculate the probability of the earthquake occurrence (or the probability of no events) during…
user99015
- 251
- 1
- 2
15
votes
2 answers
Water veins underground causing health problems
It seems to be given that around my country everybody believes in water veins (that's the best that Google Translate could come up with. Basically underground water currents) that somehow affect humans. For example, one of the beliefs is that if you…
Reinis
- 153
- 1
- 1
- 6
15
votes
3 answers
What causes these banded clouds?
A set of banded clouds can be seen in MODIS imagery during several days in January and February over the Gulf of Maine. They tend to occur with very cold winds from the NW following storms.
There are several similar examples: 17 January and 6, 20…
arkaia
- 15,447
- 4
- 52
- 122
15
votes
1 answer
About meddies: what are they? How do they form? How are they maintained?
A "meddy" is usually described as a Mediterranean Water eddy. While many meddies have been observed in recent years, I would want to know what are the common characteristics of such features (temperature, salinity, depth, lifespan)? What are the…
arkaia
- 15,447
- 4
- 52
- 122
15
votes
2 answers
How and why do these tree-like river structures form?
I noticed these detailed tree-like river structures in Google Earth
Google Maps link
How and why do these form? Rivers don't typically split. What would cause the water to keep branching off again and again, forming these tree-like fractal…
Glacialis
- 682
- 1
- 5
- 10
15
votes
2 answers
What is the lowest latitude at which snow has been recorded at sea level?
We have had some stations report snow that have not reported snow in the past 55 years at sea level. I have read that Tampico, Mexico at 22°N is one of the stations that has recorded snow in the tropics. What is the lowest latitude at which recent…
user1066
15
votes
1 answer
Are cloudy nights warmer than nights without clouds?
I have noticed this winter that nights without clouds (especially when the 12h before the night where not cloudy) were way colder than the cloudy ones.
It makes sense to me because the clouds can reflect the heat (infrared?) earth have accumulated…
MagTun
- 823
- 2
- 7
- 14
15
votes
3 answers
What causes waves to form the characteristic "breaking" shape as they approach the shoreline?
We all know that as waves approach the shallow shores, the waves begin to form a characteristic shape. The upper portion of these breaking waves appears to curl forward and downwards over the bottom segment of the wave, before breaking into "white…
Kenshin
- 7,576
- 12
- 42
- 81