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1500 questions
29
votes
7 answers
Is a complete global flood physically possible on Earth?
Genesis 7:11-20 presents an account of an event which, in 40 days, submerges the entire surface of the earth:
[On] the seventeenth day of the second month — on that day
all the springs of the great deep burst forth, and the
floodgates of the…
Graviton
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Why does glacier ice look blue?
The color of the ice observed in glaciers, icebergs and crevasses is often blue. However, ice cubes and industrial ice blocks are perfectly transparent or white if not.
So. Why does glacier ice look blue?
Some examples of what I mean:
Ice…
Camilo Rada
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28
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Why does El Niño only exist in the Pacific Ocean and not the Atlantic/Indian Oceans?
El Niño is associated with the weakening of the ‘normal’ pressure/temperature gradients between the western and eastern Pacific Oceans.
My question is this: why does it only exist in the Pacific Ocean?
Could it be that the Atlantic is always in an…
InquilineKea
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28
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1 answer
What is responsible for the underwater waterfall illusion of Mauritius Island?
From an aerial view just off the island of Mauritius, there is what appears be an underwater waterfall. The picture below illustrates this visual phenomenon:
The image can also be seen from the google maps satellite here.
What is responsible for…
Kenshin
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28
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2 answers
What would it take to confirm or refute the Snowball Earth Hypothesis?
Since Harland's sedimentary work and Budyko's models in the 1960s, geologists have hypothesized that the Earth may once have been completely frozen. There are various lines of evidence for this event.
What would it take to conclusively confirm or…
Paul
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28
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2 answers
What sort of climate zones would be present if Earth was tilted like Uranus?
The three main climate zones on Earth are tropics, temperate and polar. Due to Earth's axial tilt, the three zones experience different seasonal patterns:
The tropics experience 2 or 4 wet/dry seasons depending on how the tropical rain belt passes…
congusbongus
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Is it possible for a sting jet to form over a continental landmass?
Sting jets are thought to be responsible for some of the most damaging winds associated with extratropical cyclones in the mid-latitudes. So far they have only been confirmed in the European region, associated with the Shapiro-Keyser model of…
Siv
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27
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Can mining trigger earthquakes?
Are earthquakes more common in mining regions than they would otherwise be? e.g. is the frequency of earthquakes in those regions different when mining is occurring than when it is not?
I am interested in earthquakes generally, but also particularly…
naught101
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27
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Would the Earth function the same spinning the other way?
Right, I saw a question about why the Earth spins counter clockwise, and it reminded me of something I would like to know the answer to.
I watched a episode of Futurama. In this episode the Earth stops spinning and they restart the Earth's spin,…
Ruddy
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27
votes
5 answers
What is the origin of the dominant atmospheric nitrogen content in Earth's atmosphere?
Comparing the atmospheric compositions of Earth with our nearest neighbours:
As the table shows, the Earth's atmospheric nitrogen concentration is 78%, compared to 3.8% for Venus and 2.7% for Mars Image source.
I have read the excellent question…
user889
27
votes
3 answers
How do I convert specific humidity to relative humidity?
How do I convert specific humidity to relative humidity? What variables are needed (e.g. air temperature, pressure, etc.)?
naught101
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27
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3 answers
Is there sand in Antarctica?
There's a song "Blizzard's Never Seen the Desert's Sand". Given Antarctica is a desert, someone questioned the title's validity. BUT is there sand in Antarctica?
I'd imagine yes as it's a pretty basic soil and Antarctica is a big place, and I know…
cr0
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27
votes
4 answers
What is the steepest surface that can hold snow?
I know it depends on the type of snow (dry or wet) and the rougness of the surface. I'm looking for an approximate rule of thumb answer. Assuming a reasonably smooth surface, at what angle it's likely to be free from snow?
Google results only…
Ansis Māliņš
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26
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3 answers
What do weather forecasters mean when they say "50% chance of rain"?
What do weather forecasters mean when they say "50% chance of rain"?
Even more confusing: weather report often says something like "30% chance of rain. >10mm", then the next day "70% chance of rain <1mm". How should I deal with this information,…
naught101
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2 answers
Why does phosphate rock contain uranium?
I have been doing some research on the issue of phosphogypsum pollution. Phosphogypsum is a waste by-product formed with the "wet process" method of extraction of phosphoric acid out of phosphate rock, which uses sulfuric acid and water to break…
antortjim
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