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Magnetic "magnetic hills"?

I have found on Wikipedia that the term "magnetic hill" is used for an optical illusion. However, I have heard that there are true magnetic hills, i.e., locations where you can't use compass simply because the nearby hill generates its own magnetic…
yo'
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What causes these circular swirls of islands?

I was following the boarder of the US and Canada on Google Maps, because, and found these interesting circular patterns of islands near the Northwest Angle. I have heard of geologic folding but I have never heard of Swirls or Circles. What is the…
QueueHammer
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How does radiogenic argon-40 get into the atmosphere?

There's an awful lot of argon in the atmosphere: about 0.93% of the atmosphere is argon[1], making it the third-most abundant gas after N2 and O2. As I understand it, most of it is produced by the following decay path: $$ \ce{^{40}_{19}K +…
senshin
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Are "monoliths" giant, isolated rocks sitting in dirt, or are they continuous with bedrock

I am at a loss for the precise, correct terminology, but I have read in Wikipedia that Uluru is not a monolith, but Savandurga is, and that I probably shouldn't be using the word monolith to begin with, but instead use inselberg. I was once told…
uhoh
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Was the filling of the Three Gorges Dam's impact on the Earth's rotation rate detectable?

I'm a big fan of Vsauce and the video How Earth Moves is just one example of science related to the Earth available there (there's plenty more). But the statement in this video starting at 01:39 strikes me as a little surprising. You know how a…
uhoh
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Regarding the theory of the origin of water on Earth through meteorites, why wouldn't the water evaporate on impact?

Water on earth has been theorized to have come through comets trapped inside crystals. But why wouldn't that water evaporate on impact, and wouldn't the atmosphere at that time allow the vapours to escape Earth? Also, what is the current scientific…
Daud
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Carbon dioxide on Mars, Venus and Earth

Earth's atmosphere is 0.038% carbon dioxide. Mars's atmosphere is 95.3% carbon dioxide. Venus's atmosphere is 96.5% carbon dioxide. If Earth's climate is controlled by CO2, then why is Mars so cold in comparison to Venus? Mars is very cold (average…
Lucian09474
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What is the temperature of the flowing water in icy river?

Boundaries of the question: The question is about rivers where water flows in cold area of the earth. Whether it's because of the winter or it's simply cold all year long. Usually, the top layer of the river freeze and water underneath continue to…
AXMIM
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How long does it take for a stone to alter?

We see stones and they appear to be the same throughout our life time. Mountains also appear to not significantly change. So do mountains and stones decompose? What is the life span of a stone? After it alters, what does it turn into?
avito009
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How much does the Meridional Overturning Circulation strengthen the Gulf Stream?

While the Gulf Stream is a western boundary current (WBC), one professor told me that the Gulf Stream is stronger than it should be just by using theoretical calculations of WBC. How much is the heat+volume flux of the Gulf Stream increased by the…
InquilineKea
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Where to find an accurate Mercator Projection world image?

I'm sorry if this doesn't fit "Earth Science" too well. No idea where else to ask this! Can anyone help me find an accurate world map in Mercator Projection? It doesn't need political borders or too much detail, just coastlines would do. (Ideally…
CompanyDroneFromSector7G
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Why would a suite of related rocks have one anomalous sample?

I have a suite of rocks that have nearly identical major element chemistry, but a single sample has quite different trace element concentrations. All the rocks are trachydacites. I know the analysis was done corrected. What process could cause this?
HeavensEdge
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Fine particulate matter - Why the lack of attention? What can be done to tackle it?

If fine particulate matter as a pollutant from industrial or natural sources (e.g. a desert) can be such a cause for concern in terms of (further) desertification as well as health impacts, is there a reason why there does not appear to be much…
Avestron
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Use of Neodymium in Paleoceanography

$\varepsilon_{Nd}$ (i. e. the relative deviation of $\frac{^{143}Nd}{^{144}Nd}$ from a standard) is often used as a proxy in paleoceanography to identify the basin of origin of oceanic currents. But what is the model behind this idea? Is this proxy…
plannapus
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Why is Montana warmer than Wyoming?

The National Climatic Data Center (NCDC) data shows the mean temperature from 1971-2000 for Montana was 5.97°C (42.74°F) and Wyoming's was 5.54°C (41.98°F). Montana is at a higher latitude, so this is surprising.
InquilineKea
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