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1500 questions
36
votes
3 answers
Does gravity increase the closer to the core you get?
Or does the mantle and crust above you counteract the increase at one point and it actually decreases?
HingedHD
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35
votes
1 answer
What factors determine the number of Hadley cells for a planet?
We know (think?) that Earth has three Hadley cells per hemisphere, but from observing gas giants such as Jupiter, we see that they have many more cells. According to a link from a comment in this question, Titan might have one cell going from north…
congusbongus
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35
votes
5 answers
How and why did the oceans form on Earth but not on other planets?
Earth is the only planet in our solar system that has copious amounts of water on it. Where did this water come from and why is there so much water on Earth compared to every other planet in the solar system?
Kenshin
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35
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3 answers
How would plate tectonics differ if Earth had no water?
Water plays a crucial role in plate tectonics by easing the brittle and ductile deformation of the Earth's lithosphere. Water lowers the Mohr-Coulomb for brittle fractures. During ductile deformation, it lubricates different deformational regimes.…
tobias47n9e
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35
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4 answers
How can we determine the size and composition of Earth's inner core?
From Wikipedia:
Earth's inner core is Earth's innermost part and is a primarily solid ball with a radius of about 1,220 km (760 mi). (This is about 70% of the Moon's radius.) It is believed to consist primarily of an iron–nickel alloy and to be…
Ben A. Noone
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35
votes
9 answers
Is there any river that does not discharge into larger body of water?
Do you know any example of a river that does not flow into sea or lake? For example, if water rises from the underground spring and forms a river but water vaporises in hot climate before it reaches any larger body of water. Or if there is a valley…
Hannelore Schmette
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33
votes
2 answers
How much of the current global warming is due to human influence?
Approximately what proportion of the global warming seen over the the last century is attributed to anthropogenic sources?
naught101
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33
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3 answers
Is it true that earthquakes are not felt in a cave?
I took a tour of a cave in northern California last weekend. The tour guide asked us, "If an earthquake occurred, what would we feel in here?"
My answer was, "fear," but she said we would feel nothing - that earthquakes are not felt…
B. Clay Shannon-B. Crow Raven
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33
votes
12 answers
Global warming - why doesn´t mankind collect heat (thermal energy) and turn it into electricity or send it to space?
Why doesnt mankind "collect" thermal energy (there has to be some way: thermal couplings, detour over chemical energy, whatever) and after it has been concentrated at one point, turn it to electrical energy (like steam turbines do) or at least…
Martin Eckleben
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33
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11 answers
Why does the salt in the oceans not sink to the bottom?
This is something that just occurred to me. If heavier elements sink, then how can the entire ocean be salty? Shouldn't the 'salt', because of its density, all sink to the bottom of the ocean? In theory, only the deepest parts of the ocean should be…
user17432
33
votes
3 answers
Why do felsic materials have lower melting points than mafic?
It is clear from Bowen's reaction series that more felsic minerals have lower melting points than mafic minerals. As far as I know, the same is true of quenched glasses.
Felsics have a higher degree of SiO2 polymerization in the solid phase, which I…
foobarbecue
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32
votes
8 answers
Is earthquake prediction possible?
After the Tohoku and East Coast quakes, I skimmed over several books discussing the validity of earthquake prediction as a discipline, yet found no significant breakthroughs. What should change in our methods and models to enable timely forecasts to…
Deer Hunter
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32
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2 answers
Why is Europe warmer than North America at similar latitudes?
Traditionally it has thought to be the Gulf Stream. But other researchers, like Richard Seager and Tapio Schneider, propose different arguments as to why.
How much of a role does the Gulf Stream really play? Who is right? (or are they all at least…
InquilineKea
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32
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3 answers
Why does Coriolis determine the rotation direction of a cyclone but not my drain?
It is a common misconception that Coriolis is responsible for the direction the water swirls down a toilet, tub or sink drain. E.g. does a toilet flush the other way in the southern hemisphere? (If it does, it is due to the construction of the…
casey
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32
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4 answers
How do weather models work?
We use different weather models all the time, such as the ECMWF and the GFS. These models are simply amazing to me.
How do these models work? I know they have to take in various data points - what are these, and how does the model use it? Also, how…
hichris123
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