on October 4, 2022
Can cooled/hardened lava rock return to a molten state?
Earth scienceAsked by: Carson Saunders Yes, at least partially. It is important to remember that a “rock” usually does not have a single melting point. It melts over an interval. Can lava turn back into magma? Magma can be melted or partially melted crust, also old volcanic crust, so if old lava somehow re-enters a magma
on October 4, 2022
Is the Younger Dryas associated with an extinction event?
Earth scienceAsked by: Rene Kielholz The Younger Dryas (YD) impact hypothesis is a recent theory that suggests that a cometary or meteoritic body or bodies hit and/or exploded over North America 12,900 years ago, causing the YD climate episode, extinction of Pleistocene megafauna, demise of the Clovis archeological culture, and a range of other effects. What
on October 4, 2022
Why are weather kites no longer used (much) operationally?
Earth scienceAsked by: Rene Kielholz How are kites used for weather? Each kite train carried a meteorgraph, a combined instrument package which recorded temperature, wind velocity, humidity, and barometric pressure. While weather kites have been largely superseded, they still have their uses, and are still employed by the British Antarctic Survey. How did they predict the
on October 4, 2022
What geological events could cause a Volcanic Explosivity Index (VEI) level 9 eruption?
Earth scienceAsked by: Aaron Howell Is a VEI 9 eruption possible? It is possible that evidence for a VEI 9 eruption exists and is buried in the geologic record. Eruptions that large would be very rare events, but it is impossible to say that eruptions that large have never occurred. What is VEI what were the
on October 4, 2022
Why the “Mission to Earth’s core” proposal suggests using liquid iron instead of lead?
Earth scienceAsked by: Aaron Howell Why do scientists think the Earth’s core is liquid? Two kinds of waves created by earthquakes are compressional (P) waves and shear (S) waves. Both of these waves can travel through solids, but S waves cannot travel through liquids. Scientists figured out that the outer core must be liquid because S
on October 4, 2022
Eruptive fissures in Hawaii associated with Kilauea; what are they? What is really happening?
Earth scienceAsked by: Haydee Broomfield What happened during the eruption of Kīlauea? The eruption began on January 3, 1983, as the first of several fissures broke out on Kīlauea’s East Rift Zone. By June 1983, the eruption became focused at a single vent, and over the next 3 years, a series of 44 lava fountains built
on October 4, 2022
Sedimentology (Particle size distribution parameters)
Earth scienceAsked by: Haydee Broomfield How do you determine particle size distribution? Particle size distribution and size averages are determined by particle counting in a Coulter counter (e.g., Multisizer 3). It provides number, volume, mass, and surface area size distributions in one measurement, with an overall sizing range of 0.4 μm to 1,200 μm. What is
on October 4, 2022
How is a weather forecast really done?
Earth scienceAsked by: Robert Larjin Polar orbiting satellites provide the information most useful for long-term weather forecasting. These satellites use instruments to measure energy, called radiation, emitted by the Earth and atmosphere. This information is incorporated into weather models, which in turn leads to more accurate weather forecasts. How is weather forecasting done short answer? Weather
on October 4, 2022
What would happen if you hypothetically happened to touch an aurora
Earth scienceAsked by: Robert Larjin What would happen if you touched an Aurora? The aurora is emitted between 90 and 150 km in altitude (i.e. mostly above the ‘official’ boundary of space, 100 km), so ungloving your hand inside an aurora would likely be fatal (unless a fellow astronaut immediately reattaches your glove and repressurizes your
on October 4, 2022
What’s the contribution of different types of river sources?
Earth scienceAsked by: Joseph Pratt Why is a river source important? Rivers are absolutely vital: for fresh drinking water, for people’s livelihoods and for nature. Unfortunately, they’re still threatened. We must commit to recovering freshwater biodiversity, restoring natural river flows and cleaning up polluted water for people and nature to thrive. What are the sources of