Earth Science

The term “dry lightning” is heard quite a bit during dry, hot months. Residents of western U.S. states are very familiar with the term. Summer time news stories are full of wild fires started by dry lightning. But what is…
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Dry lightning and heat lightning are often confused. Heat lightning is distant lightning is distant lightning without thunder or rain. It usually occurs when the weather is hot and muggy. Dry lightning is nearby lightning with thunder and with little…
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The first thing to consider about the desert is that beneath the pebbly and/or sandy surface, there is no water aquifer, which means no moisture to sustain vegetation.  Vegetation (which includes trees) provides a certain amount of top soil stability…
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Léon Philippe Teisserenc de Bort was a French experimental meteorologist whose research with high altitude balloons led to the discovery of the stratosphere. He lived from 1855 until 1913. He conducted his key work from 1898 until 1902. In 1902…
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Like much of European Russia, the climate of Moscow is humid continental. This means warm summers, which can sometimes turn muggy, and long, cold winters. In the winter, Moscow temperatures can reach 10 degrees F and sometimes much lower. Temperatures…
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People are often surprised at just how well snow insulates against the cold. Part of the reason for the amazement is that snow is a form of frozen water. It is mostly the fact that it is water and how…
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Leon Teisserenc de Bort may not be a familiar term or household name but the Ozone Layer is. Without Teisserenc’s discovery of this important part of Earth’s atmosphere, the world of meteorology would not be what it is today. Leon Teisserenc…
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The UK is braced for a weekend of severe weather following warnings from the MET office. Heavy snow, ice and blustery winds are predicted for many places as winter finally starts to take effect. The UK has so far enjoyed…
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In mere seconds, a tornado can transform your life forever. During the tornado itself, you will be too busy taking the fast action needed to save your life. Afterwards, when you emerge to see how badly the tornado has ripped…
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It wasn’t all that long ago when there was a lot of contention over which river was really the longest. To a point, there still is. Most people have accepted that the two longest rivers in the world are the…
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