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1500 questions
13
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3 answers
Are ice-ages dependent on an un-equal distribution of land-masses?
Having read this answer about the precession of the equinoxes and how it affects Earth's climate, my understanding was that only because of the differing affect of continental and maritime insolation that precession of the equinoxes was a factor in…
AlexLipp
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Who are the 3% in the often cited "97% of climate scientists"?
The media have variously reported that:
Ninety-seven percent of climate scientists agree that climate-warming
trends over the past century are very likely due to human activities.
Based on this study. My question is, who are the 3%, who do not…
Nathaniel Bubis
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13
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Why does Mars' experience an 'ice age' at high axis obliquity, when Earth experiences an ice age at low axis obliquity
This paper here goes into some detail about how Mars' experiences its own form of 'ice ages' on a quasi periodic basis driven by the wobbling of its axis. The main mechanism outlined is that the stability of water ice on the surface increases with…
AlexLipp
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13
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1 answer
P wave to S wave conversion
While passing through layers inside the earth some P waves get converted to S waves and then back to P waves while returning towards the surface. Is this statement true?
If yes, then why? (Considering that they are both fundamentally different in…
shrey
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13
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Are there any photographs of mountains without significant erosion (on Earth or otherwise)
I'm curious about how mountains on an airless world such as the Moon would look if you were standing on the surface and looking at them. There are plenty of artists' impressions, of course, but I'm curious about whether there are any existing…
N. Virgo
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How do Kelvin waves determine surface temperature variations?
Kelvin waves are basically waves that balance out the Coriolis force against topographic boundaries like coastlines and mountains. It seems very important in the oceans, for example.
My question is this: are Kelvin waves important in determining the…
InquilineKea
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13
votes
2 answers
Why are the clouds white and Australia black in weather satellite infrared images?
The question Is the sunlight on the GOES-16 Imagery reaching from the east? shows a visible light image and so in the night areas the Earth appears dark and in the day areas the Earth is a bit brighter and the clouds are the brightest.
We can have…
uhoh
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13
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1 answer
Is Hudson Bay part of the Arctic or the Atlantic Ocean?
Years ago I learned that the Columbia ice field was North America's triple divide point: water flowing from this ice field could drain into the Artic, the Pacific, and the Atlantic Ocean. Something I never questioned. Today I came upon this map, and…
Jean-Marie Prival
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Why have "ozone-depleting substances" led to a third of all global warming and half of arctic sea ice loss?
According to the Phys.org article "Ozone-depleting substances caused half of late 20th-century Arctic warming, says study" (emphasis added):
A study published today in Nature Climate Change by researchers at Columbia University examines the…
uhoh
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13
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1 answer
Why does the "Ring of Fire" pretty much define "Pacific Rim"
The Pacific Rim is pretty much defined by the so-called "Ring of Fire." It consists of the "stomping ground" for a disproportionate number of earthquakes and volcanoes, and the affected territory extends up and down the coast of North and South…
Tom Au
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3 answers
How is it possible to use up the water in a region?
The Dead Sea, rivers in California and the Aral Sea are said to be shrinking due to water usage, e.g. for agriculture. Yet the water must go somewhere.
After the fields are irrigated, the water either soaks into the ground or evaporates. In the…
Joshua Fox
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13
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2 answers
Tipping point theory, historical examples
This article gives a wonderful overview of tipping point theory, where a large system can be brought into a different state by a small perturbation.
Searching online I have found mostly articles on theoreticly based studies on tipping point theory…
Bollehenk
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13
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What is the (average) velocity of ocean currents?
Does anybody know where to find statistical (average, standard deviation) data on velocities of ocean currents, such as
Equatorial countercurrent North of Madagascar
Agulhas current
East Australia current
Gulf stream East of Florida is about…
some_weired_user
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13
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1 answer
How big does a lake have to be to have its own Sea Breeze?
How big does a body of water need to have a sea breeze? Is there a chart on sea breezes wind speed that include lakes?
Could a circular lake create enough sea breeze to create a wind vortex in the center of the…
Muze
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13
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2 answers
How to tell if fog is made out of water droplets or ice crystals?
I understand that clouds can be made out of water droplets and/or ice crystals. And that fog is nothing else than low-lying clouds.
However, I've experienced fog in a wide ranges of temperatures. I like mountaineering and you often get fog high in…
Camilo Rada
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