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1500 questions
11
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6 answers
Before the Great Oxygenation Event, where was the oxygen?
Today, the oxygen in the atmosphere is about 1018 kg.
The estimated carbon biomass of the earth is about 4×1015. Less than 0.5%.
Estimated fossil fuels are around 5 times as much as existing carbon biomass. If these estimates are appropriate, then…
J Thomas
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11
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7 answers
If water is a renewable resource, why is there water scarcity?
Water is a renewable resource, renewed by the water cycle.
If we use water too quickly, water should get evaporated and come down again as precipitation.
So, Why is there water scarcity if water is a renewable resource?
Ram Keswani
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11
votes
2 answers
Would a volcanic winter trigger an oceanic "spring"?
There is large amounts of observations supporting the effects of volcanic eruptions on climate: A long term subtle warming effect due to $\small\mathsf{CO_2}$ and a short term, but more intense cooling effect due ash and sulfur gases.
There is also…
Camilo Rada
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11
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2 answers
Is Atacama Desert cloudy or cloudless most of the year?
I saw many contradictions everywhere.
For example, my geography textbook says that Atacama Desert is a desert where foggy weather is common, and it persists almost the whole year. Whereas every astronomer will say that it is the place with least…
KKZiomek
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11
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1 answer
Electricity in clouds and induced magnetism
This is well known to everyone that clouds carry electric charges and cumulonimbus clouds contain huge amount of electricity. It is also known from Maxwell's equations that moving particles induce magnetic field around them. I am sorry if I am…
Agni
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11
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2 answers
Are weather forecast models more accurate for either high or low temperatures?
The other day our low temperature for the day was ~10 degrees F below our forecast low. I've noticed this before in the winter, especially when temperatures start to go below 0 degrees F (-18 degrees C). This made me wonder if the models used to…
user11318
11
votes
2 answers
How could this pyramidal Mountain have been formed?
How could this pyramidal peak have been formed in Antarctica? Little is known about it as far as I know but what is known is that its miles away from any existing plate boundary and its shape is also highly atypical, hence I present the above…
Charlie
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11
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1 answer
Synoptic weather predictibility under climate change scenarios
Under climate change scenarios, it is quite certain that high latitude regions will experience more warming than at low latitudes. For example, in winter the reduced area of sea ice and snow cover should have the amplifying effect for temperature…
Mchaiiann
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11
votes
1 answer
What tidal databases are available to be used as model boundary conditions?
I am trying to set up a coastal ocean model simulation. I am looking for different ways to force the tidal boundary condition in the model to study how uncertainty in the tidal forcing in the boundary affects the model solution. What are the…
arkaia
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11
votes
1 answer
How are minor tributaries of a river determined?
What are the criteria to determine if river A is a major or minor tributary to another River B?
Is stream order the only deciding factor i.e. the highest order is the main stem, one less order is a major tributary and one more lesser order is a…
naga
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11
votes
3 answers
Identifying sedimentary rocks in hand specimen
I'm currently learning how to identify rocks in hand specimen. The initial classification into igneous, metamorphic, and sedimentary is mostly ok, but I'm having a problem with further identifying sedimentary rocks—I don't know how to tell if…
B.C.
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11
votes
1 answer
Permeability of well screen as a limitation to a slug-in test
If you were to do a slug-in test where you put in a known volume of water, would there be a point where, say if the formation was extremely permeable, the permeability of the screen itself would be measured?
user541
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11
votes
1 answer
Photo of sprites in a clear dark sky, how is this possible?
above x2: Photos by David Finlay, from here.
The BBC news article Rare 'sprites' photographed beside Southern Lights shows photographs by the Australian photographer David Finlay. They are remarkably clear and distinct, and set against a clear…
uhoh
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11
votes
1 answer
Estimate litter production
How would one go about estimating litter production (fine root turnover, leaves, etc.) for a forested area? I have some estimates from literature - which were derived from models, but I'd like to create my own estimate to compare.
derelict
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11
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1 answer
What is a massif and what differentiates it from other types of mountains?
Wikipedia says that a massif is "a section of a planet's crust that is demarcated by faults or flexures." It goes on to list mountain-like objects.
Is it not true that most mountains are created by faults or flexures? What is it that distinguishes a…
waterproof
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