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What would happen if we could revert $\mathrm{CO}_2$ production but took it too far?

So recently, scientists managed to produce fuel basically out of thin air (water, air and sunlight). And in a discussion I had with a friend, the question came up, what would happen if you took that idea too far? Say you could build an air-to-fuel…
kram1032
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Does finer input data lead to a better model accuracy?

Climate and chemical transport models all need input files including meteorology data, emission inventory, surface data (e.g. land use type) to initialize the simulation field. Take the case of WRF for regional meteorology data. I always use the 1…
Han Zhengzu
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Will increased precipitation in Antarctica prevent sea level rise?

It has been suggested that global warming will lead to increased precipitation in parts of Antarctica. This would sequester water in the ice sheet, preventing sea level rise. However, the slope (and thus the height and volume) of continental ice…
Keith McClary
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How can scientists be confident of isotope ratios in past eras and varied locations, used for radiometric dating?

Radiometric dating relies on past isotope ratio predictions being very reliable. However, this is not necessarily so. For example, in Uranium forensics, 235U and 238U ratios are about the same for all sources, but 234U varies and can sometimes be…
497362
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How do current pollution levels in Los Angeles compare to the 1970s?

As I understand it there are two key kinds of air pollution: ozone and fine particles. Are there any long-term data series that chart average ozone levels and/or fine particulates over time going back to 1970?
Tyler Durden
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How were the sea levels around western Europe during the Medieval Warm Period?

The Medieval Warm Period (MWP) or Medieval Climatic Anomaly was a time from about 950 to 1250 when climate was warmer than in the timespans immediately before and after. My question is if this warming lead to significant changes in sea level and how…
mart
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Waves on sandy beach separating differently-sized rocks?

I recently went to a beach, and I noticed that the sand seemed to have a few distinct regions. I'm wondering what would cause this, and how it works. One region is the part of the beach which is kept wet by the waves, but is far enough away that…
Ben Sandeen
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What is the motivation of using the Enhanced Fujita Scale in place of the Fujita Scale?

In 2007, the US started using an Enhanced Fujita Scale in place of the Fujita Scale. From a "civilian's" perspective, the Fujita Scale seemed to measure wind whereas the Enhanced Fujita Scale measures damage. This would suggest that tornadoes based…
user402
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1 answer

What is this "hole" that blows sand into the air?

This video clip, "Strange Hole in the desert Blows Sand into the air in Saudi Arabia" (alternative link), shows a hole in the desert that erupts like a geyser, except with sand instead of water. It is apparently located in the Aljof area in the…
NVZ
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Is it possible to find the magma chambers that produce supervolcanos?

Supervolcanos have occurred in the recent geological past, but not within the past 74,000 years. Is it possible to find the magma chambers with no previous history of supervolcanic activity that are likely to produce supervolcanos?
blunders
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Snowing when the actual temperature is around $\small\sf9^o$ Celsius

In Paris, actually, it is snowing smoothly and the temperature, according to many sources, is around $\small\sf{9^o}$ Celsius. I had always the feeling that snow is possible when temperature approaches $\small\sf0^o$ or below $\small\sf0^o$ Celsius…
optimal control
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What periods of the fossil record are most lacking in specimens?

What parts of the fossil record are most lacking in specimens? That is, if you were to trace the evolution of a modern mammal (humans, for example) from abiogenesis to now, which periods are the most lacking in fossils? Where are the biggest gaps in…
naught101
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Why is the South Pole colder than the North Pole?

This question popped into my head because I am designing a fictional world map, and I was wondering what factors influence the amount of ice at poles. I want to know why there is much more ice covering South Pole than North Pole. An answer I found…
afaf12
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Is there any experiment to prove that CO2 with the atmosphere concentration can have greenhouse effect?

All gas molecules have the capability to absorb radiation energy. $\rm{CO}_2$ has much less capability to absorb radiation energy, comparing with water vapor. In Earth's atmosphere currently $\rm{CO}_2$ constitutes only about 0.04% (400 parts per…
Charlie Jiang
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Does gravity differ from place to place on Earth

Does a particular object have the same weight on every part of Earth or does it vary?
John
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