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1500 questions
21
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2 answers
Does Earth's air leak into space over time?
From my current understanding, Earth's atmosphere and air are held by the balance of two forces: 1. Earth's gravity and 2. Air pressure from air out to space.
Is my understanding correct?
So, do these two forces always stay the same? If they are…
Poomrokc The 3years
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21
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Does rain (temporarily) deplete the surrounding atmosphere of carbon dioxide?
CO2 in the air dissolves into rain water, making them slightly acidic. Is that enough to deplete the surrounding air out of CO2? If yes, how fast does this occur? Is it only with the first drops of rain or do you need several hours?
How long does it…
Gimelist
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21
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What would a replacement for SEGY look like?
I have been having a miserable time this week reading SEGY files. This is data from the largest seismic acquisition company in the world whose client is the 7th largest oil company in the world. So if anyone could get it right you would think it…
Candid Lunch
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21
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6 answers
Why doesn't the sun reach its highest point overhead at exactly 12:00 noon?
Many sources state that 12:00 noon is the high-point or mid-point of the sun's path across the sky.
However, for where I am, this is obviously wrong. In my own town the high point of the sun occurs at about 13:30 in the summer (because of DST), and…
Ian Paschal
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21
votes
6 answers
What was the first rock in the rock cycle?
I am an undergraduate student but I am a tutor at a High School, and one student asked me. Attempting to explain the rock cycle "if one rock turns into the other then which came first" my gut is telling me probably igneous (given Earth geologic…
Lucian09474
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21
votes
2 answers
What caused the Younger Dryas cold event?
During the termination of the latest ice age the warming climate leading from glacial to interglacial conditions was abruptly reverted by a distinct but short (about 1300 years in duration) cold event, referred to as the Younger Dryas. This event…
Peter Jansson
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21
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2 answers
Why does a subduction zone produce a serpentinization diapir rather than volcanism?
The classic Troodos Ophiolite in Cyprus has been uplifted by a 'serpentinization event'. Upper mantle (peridotite) has been serpentinized creating a buoyant diapir. This has uplifted the ocean crust sufficiently for it to be thrust over continental…
winwaed
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21
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How can I improve the numerical stability of a coastal hydrodynamic model?
I am working with a coastal hydrodynamic model in the MIKE3 modelling package. MIKE3 uses the finite volume method to solve the shallow water equations with explicit timestepping, over a triangular mesh.
My model frequently "blows up" (numerically…
Semidiurnal Simon
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21
votes
3 answers
Why don't scientists use fire entry suits to study volcanoes?
It seems like the only personal protective equipment
(PPE) that volcanologists use are aluminized suits that don't provide any protection from direct contact with lava, making an unexpected splash lethal. There are suits that firefighters use to go…
football-fsj
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votes
2 answers
Why are minerals found in "large" quantities and not scattered throughout the earth as individual atoms?
Heavier elements are created in stars. After stars die they scatter these heavier elements throughout the universe. These elements eventually gather to form planets. But why do we find "chunks" of gold, silver, etc. and not scattered atoms…
Zac Patterson
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21
votes
2 answers
How do tropopause folds form and do they have any impact on synoptic scale weather?
What is the process that creates a tropopause fold? Do these features have any significant impact(s) on weather patterns or the atmosphere?
DrewP84
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21
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2 answers
Why is there no middle ground between tornadoes and hurricanes?
A tornado has an effective area of destruction about the size of a city block.
A hurricane spans several hundred kilometers.
However, there doesn't seem to be a continuum between the two. Why are there no vortex windstorms on the scale of a city?…
200_success
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21
votes
1 answer
What data does a skilled meteorologist look at to predict thunderstorms?
An uneducated layman like me would just look at CAPE numbers and make rough guesses on possible thunderstorms. In a related but non-duplicate question, vertical wind shear is discussed.
If we are talking about predicting afternoon thunderstorms at…
Deer Hunter
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21
votes
4 answers
Can the previous weather be computed from the current situation?
If one applies today's state-of-the-art weather forecast computations "backwards", i.e. computing how the systems was X days before the current situation based on knowledge of today's situation, at which point do "predictions" deviate significantly…
BmyGuest
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21
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2 answers
"Five of the Solomon Islands disappeared" due to sea level rise, how is this possible so quickly?
The text of the introduction to the BBC Podcast Sea Levels Rise; The Compass, Living on the Edge Episode 1 of 4 says:
Five of the Solomon Islands have disappeared, many more are becoming uninhabitable. For Kerry and Sally, climate change is not a…
uhoh
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