Why does wind direction change in a front?
Earth ScienceAsked by: Jeff Buford Do fronts change wind direction? A sudden change in wind direction is commonly observed with the passage of a warm front. Before the front arrives, winds ahead of the front (in the cooler air mass) are typically from the east, but once the front passes through, winds usually shift around to
How to handle negative cosine of Solar Zenith Angle while calculating clear-sky UV Index?
Software & ProgrammingDecoding the Sun: What to Do When the Math Goes Dark on UV Index Ever wondered how they calculate that UV Index number you see on weather reports? It’s more than just a guess – it’s a complex calculation that helps us understand the sun’s potential to damage our skin. But what happens when the
How do the various types of clouds affect the atmosphere below them in a polluted environment?
Earth ScienceAsked by: Christian Williams How does air pollution affect the clouds? In moderate concentrations, they add more particles to the atmosphere for water to condense onto, enabling clouds to grow taller. If pollution is very heavy, however, the sheer number of particles in the sky blocks incoming sunlight — an effect often visible in the
How does metamorphism change talc into soapstone?
Earth ScienceAsked by: Christine Harris How is soapstone formed? Soapstone is formed by the metamorphism of ultramafic protoliths (e.g. dunite or serpentinite) and the metasomatism of siliceous dolomites. By mass, “pure” steatite is roughly 63.37% silica, 31.88% magnesia, and 4.74% water. It commonly contains minor quantities of other oxides such as CaO or Al2O3. What does
Can Volcanic Eruptions Help Combat Global Warming in the Long Run?
Earth ScienceAsked by: Christine Harris Do volcanic eruptions help global warming? While sulfur dioxide released in contemporary volcanic eruptions has occasionally caused detectable global cooling of the lower atmosphere, the carbon dioxide released in contemporary volcanic eruptions has never caused detectable global warming of the atmosphere. How can volcanoes be beneficial to ecosystems over a long
Is there any link between sea-water inflitration into groundwater and nitrate?
Earth ScienceAsked by: Christian Myers What sources cause nitrates in groundwater? Nitrates can get into groundwater from many sources, including fertilizers, manure on the land, and liquid waste discharged from septic tanks. Natural bacteria in soil converts various forms of nitrogen into nitrate. Rain and irrigation water can carry nitrate down through the soil into groundwater.