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.
More Science Topics to Explore:
You Have a Thermostat, But Do You Need a Hygrometer, Too?
How Weather Balloons Work
How the Totable Tornado Observatory Worked
Can China control the weather?
Here's How Scientists Predict the Next Hurricane Season
What's the Difference Between a Tornado Watch and a Warning?
Whiteout Warning! Why Snow Squalls Can Be So Deadly
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Iceland? The North Pole? Antarctica? There are a lot of super cold places on this planet, but which one can claim bragging rights as the coldest place on Earth?
By Mark Mancini
In 2014, scientists observed a space hurricane for the first time; they reported their findings this year. But what's a space hurricane — and do we on Earth have to worry about with them?
Dusk is a beautiful time of day. So is twilight. But when does one turn into the other? And did you know there were three versions of each?
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It might seem that the constant rushing of water over a falls would keep it from freezing, but that isn't always the case. Check out the science behind the phenomenon of the frozen waterfall.
By Mark Mancini
A single stalk of corn can create its own microclimate. But what is a microclimate, and why do they even matter?
By Mark Mancini
These annual winds blow during Southern California's dangerous dry season, whipping up wildfires that can ravage thousands of acres.
By John Donovan
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.
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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.
By Mark Mancini
Auroras are one of the best parts about living on a planet with a global magnetic field. And they still puzzle space weather experts.
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.
Rock salt is the go-to for melting ice on the roadways. But why?
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You may never see it happen live, but if you do, consider yourself lucky. Because this meteorological phenomenon doesn't happen very often.
By Mark Mancini
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.
By Mark Mancini
Ice cubes usually look cloudy and opaque in the middle, despite the fact that water is clear. What's the deal?
By Mark Mancini
Noctilucent clouds form at high altitudes when drifting particles become coated with ice crystals at low temperatures.
By Mark Mancini
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It's sometimes easy to confuse the two, but weather and climate are very different things.
The evidence is clear: Human activities — like the burning of fossil fuels — are the main driving force behind modern climate change.
By Mark Mancini
We hear about humidity in just about every weather report on the nightly news. There are several different ways meteorologists measure humidity, but relative humidity is the most common measurement. What is relative humidity, though?
The danger to the iconic statues is now greater than ever due to erosion and higher-energy wave action caused by climate change.
By Amanda Onion
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Red snow? Yes. It totally exists. And while it might look cool, it's not exactly what you want to see from Mother Nature.
By Mark Mancini
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.
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.
Very specific atmospheric conditions and just the right perspective are necessary to see the phenomenon.
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Polar temperatures are changing more rapidly than equatorial ones, making the jet stream slower and wider, and extreme events longer-lasting.
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.