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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Did bunnies just attack that sailboat, or was it a narwhal playing with a school of fish? Are you going crazy, or are you just watching the clouds?
You might think of weather as something that happens around your life. It could prevent you from taking a bike ride or inspire you grab an umbrella on your way out. But there's more to weather than its ability to thwart the best-laid plans.
By Robert Lamb
Ball lightning can float through the air, pass through walls and even kill you. What could it be, and why are scientists finally accepting this strange meteorological phenomenon?
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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
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?
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?
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
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A perfect climate means different things to different people. These 10 countries span the globe and offer a wide range of climates to satisfy any taste -- hot, cold or in-between.
A geomagnetic storm could cause a spectacular aurora borealis Aug. 18 and 19 over parts of the continental United States, as far south as Illinois.
By Sarah Gleim
These annual winds blow during Southern California's dangerous dry season, whipping up wildfires that can ravage thousands of acres.
By John Donovan
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
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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.
Mammatus clouds, which are made from falling air instead of rising air, are one of the most spectacular cloud formations you'll ever see.
They're an odd enough sight in the sky to make you do a double take. Ready for the "super cool" explanation behind hole-punch clouds?
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.
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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.
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?
Very specific atmospheric conditions and just the right perspective are necessary to see the phenomenon.
Smartphone cameras enable us to take striking pictures of strange atmospheric phenomena-though we don't always know what we're seeing.
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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
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
It's sometimes easy to confuse the two, but weather and climate are very different things.
Sometimes a lightning storm heralds sightings of St. Elmo's Fire. What causes the mysterious glow sailors interpreted as a sign of salvation?
By Julia Layton
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Acid rain is caused by emissions of sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides from power plants, cars and factories. Find out how acid rain is produced, how it affects natural and man-made objects and how governments aim to reduce it.
By Sarah Dowdey
Not to be confused with sleet, graupel is actually an interesting mix of snow and ice. But it's not hail. Graupel, get to know it.