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1500 questions
11
votes
1 answer
How much energy is needed to alter the path of a hurricane?
Suppose we spot an Atlantic hurricane very early. How much energy should we expend to alter its track:
with nuclear detonations (let's forget about the side effects for the moment)?
with a large orbital geostationary mirror illuminating say, the…
Deer Hunter
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11
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1 answer
Why is colder seawater more compressible?
I know compressibility is related to the pressure and temperature of the water parcel, but what is the physical/molecular reason as to why colder water is more compressible?
pocketlizard
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11
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1 answer
What is the mechanism behind changes in oxidation state (of iron, for example) as magma rises?
From this answer, I learned that rising magma may change oxidation state, which I wasn't aware of.
In [#1], the authors state in the abstract
The conventional view holds that the oxidation state of a mantle-derived degassed magma reflects its…
jonsca
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11
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1 answer
What efforts have been made to separate the microseismic events related to wind-related ocean waves from the components of volcanic origin?
I have read the question What generates the microseism? and it's accompanying answer.
In [#1, cited below], they use the azimuth values of seismographic activity on the flanks of the volcano Stromboli to discern where this microseismic "noise" is…
jonsca
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11
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3 answers
Is the atmosphere becoming thicker?
Is the atmosphere getting more dense with various gases, car pollution (200 million cars just in North America), factory pollution, more water vapor and denser cloud cover? If so could a "thicker" atmosphere act like a lens and magnify the Sun's…
user128932
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11
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2 answers
Zeolites, odor control, and the witchcraft of sunlight
Various companies offer "volcanic crystals" or "volcanic rock" available in small mesh bags for odor control. The best description I have found is that these are made up largely of Zeolites. All of these manufacturers suggest that the rocks will…
Christopher
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11
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3 answers
Looking at ocean depth/latitude profiles of dissolved oxygen and nitrate. Why is dissolved oxygen low when nitrate is high?
I was looking at a depth profile of a segment of the Atlantic Ocean. What is the relationship between dissolved oxygen and nitrate? When nitrate is high, dissolved oxygen is low and vice versa. I've been trying to work out why this is, but I'm…
pocketlizard
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11
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2 answers
Why are alkali basalts found at rifting centres and on top of 'plumes', whereas MORBs are generally tholeiitic?
So I was essentially wondering why it was that the basalts on top of 'plumes' at 'hotspots' (sometimes called OIBs, ocean island basalts) and at continental rifting centres are enriched in alkaline metals (Na and K) compared to the tholeiitic MORBs.…
AlexLipp
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11
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2 answers
What oxidised the soil on Mars?
What exactly was it in the ancient Martian atmosphere that made it red? Was it water, molecular oxygen or something else?
Andykins
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11
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2 answers
Are there any general-purpose climate-model coupling projects?
In climate modelling, there are three major model types that form the basis of a fully coupled Atmosphere-Ocean General Circulation Model (AOGCM):
Atmosphere circulation models
Ocean circulation models
Land surface models
There are at least 10-15…
naught101
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11
votes
1 answer
What are the key differences between warm and cold core cyclones?
What are the key differences between warm and cold core cyclones? What is an example of each?
DrewP84
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11
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1 answer
What happens to the higher frequency content of the tremors associated with a volcanic eruption?
From [1]:
The main characteristics of volcanic tremor depend strongly on
whether a volcano is erupting explosively and on the intensity of the
event. Long before an eruption, tremor is ‘narrow-band’ (about
0.5–2 Hz and sometimes monochromatic or…
jonsca
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11
votes
1 answer
Generic pedo-transfer functions to compute field capacity and wilting point from sand/silt/clay?
I have a model (Miguez et al 2008) that defines wilting point as the soil water content below which there is no transpiration (from Johnson et al 1993). Field capacity is defined as the volume of water that remains in wetted soil after excess has…
David LeBauer
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11
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1 answer
How long did it take for Earth's magnetic field to first appear?
Merely what the title states. My knowledge of geography/geology/*logy is limited to high-school, and some snippets, and snatches of conversation.
As I understand Earth's magnetic field is attributed to the bi-layered nature of it's core. Proto-Earth…
Everyone
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11
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5 answers
Which theory is stronger, that iron came from outside or was formed within earth?
Where is the current body of science learning towards, that iron came from meteor or it was somehow formed on earth?
public static
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