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Atmospheric Science
The atmosphere is the key to life on Earth. This thin layer is what protects us from the hostile environment of space. Here you can learn all about the atmospheric sciences.
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What Are Santa Ana Winds?
These annual winds blow during Southern California's dangerous dry season, whipping up wildfires that can ravage thousands of acres.
Why Does the U.S. Use Fahrenheit Instead of Celsius?
While most of the rest of the world has switched to Celsius, the U.S. continues to use the Fahrenheit temperature scale, apparently out of simple inertia.
If Rainbows Are Circular, Why Do We Only See Arches?
The simple explanation is you have to be in just the right spot and the conditions have to be perfect for you to see the entire 360 degrees.
Sun's Twisted Magnetism Can Create Wonky Auroras
Auroras are one of the best parts about living on a planet with a global magnetic field. And they still puzzle space weather experts.
What's a Polar Vortex?
Whenever a winter is exceptionally cold, the term "polar vortex" gets thrown around, causing many to wonder if it is a new weather phenomenon. Actually, the polar vortex is always with us – just usually with a lower profile.
Why Is Salt Used to Melt Ice on the Roads in Winter?
Rock salt is the go-to for melting ice on the roadways. But why?
'Rainbow Lightning': One of Mother Nature's Rare Shows
You may never see it happen live, but if you do, consider yourself lucky. Because this meteorological phenomenon doesn't happen very often.
Greenland Crater First Ever Found Beneath Glacial Ice Sheet
This ice-age asteroid crater isn't just the first of its kind. It may also be the smoking gun about what triggered the Younger Dryas, one of the most well-known examples of abrupt climate change.
Why Ice Usually Freezes Cloudy, Not Clear
Ice cubes usually look cloudy and opaque in the middle, despite the fact that water is clear. What's the deal?
Ice Crystals Cause Beautiful Noctilucent Clouds
Noctilucent clouds form at high altitudes when drifting particles become coated with ice crystals at low temperatures.
Weather and Climate: What's the Difference?
It's sometimes easy to confuse the two, but weather and climate are very different things.
Earth Hits 400 Straight Months of Hot
The evidence is clear: Human activities — like the burning of fossil fuels — are the main driving force behind modern climate change.
Climate Change Threatens the Moai of Easter Island
The danger to the iconic statues is now greater than ever due to erosion and higher-energy wave action caused by climate change.
The Amazing, and Alarming, Science Behind Red Snow
Red snow? Yes. It totally exists. And while it might look cool, it's not exactly what you want to see from Mother Nature.
As Earth's Climate Changes, Is It Time to Redefine the Four Seasons?
The four seasons experienced by Earth's midlatitude regions are being gradually altered by global warming — but a climate expert says they won't completely go away.
Scientists Develop Clearer Idea of How Dino-Killing Asteroid Changed Earth's Environment
A new model describes in more detail how the Chicxulub asteroid affected our planet, from dropping temperatures to pausing photosynthesis, with soot playing an integral part.
'Pilot's Glory': Why a Rainbow Encircles an Airplane Shadow on Clouds
Very specific atmospheric conditions and just the right perspective are necessary to see the phenomenon.
Weather Patterns Are Getting Stuck as Climate Changes Affect the Jet Stream
Polar temperatures are changing more rapidly than equatorial ones, making the jet stream slower and wider, and extreme events longer-lasting.
Becoming Better Solar Meteorologists, With Help From Some Monster Waves
Explosive solar events are bad news for Earth, so it's good to keep an eye on space weather. Newly discovered "Rossby-like" waves could help them out with that big job.
Yes, Wind Can Blow You Away If It's the Right Speed
We've all seen shots of meteorologists fighting gale-force winds to report on storms. So just how high can the winds get before the reporters are knocked off their feet?
Earth's Early Atmosphere Was Briefly a Methane Haze
Earth's atmosphere used to be full of toxic hydrogen, but a brief period of methane smog cleared the way for valuable oxygen to set up shop.
Green Fireball Lights Up Midwestern Night Skies
Midwestern night owls got a meteoric surprise this week.
NASA Investigates Cosmic Ray Impact on High-altitude Travelers
The atmosphere protects those of us here on land from cosmic radiation. So what about those who spend time above the clouds?
Weather Bombs Are Spectacularly Destructive
Weather bombs have produced some of the most destructive storms on record. So what is one exactly?
200 Years Ago, We Had a Year Without a Summer
More than two centuries ago, the biggest volcanic explosion in human history occurred. And it had far-reaching effects.
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