Our planet’s history includes episodes of cold so extreme that glaciers reached sea level in equatorial regions. Source: https://earthsky.org/earth/whats-coldest-earth-has-ever-been…
Tag: precipitation
Avalanche Warnings Are Issued in Northwest
Two avalanche warnings have been issued for parts of Washington and Oregon as heavier-than-usual rainfall and snowfall is expected to hit part of the West Coast through Monday. From a report: One of the warnings, a Level 4 on a scale of 5, said there was a high avalanche danger for parts of North Cascades National Park by the Canadian border,…
A record deadly week for US avalanches in early February
2021 has brought a deadly avalanche season. “We’re only halfway through the season and we’re 3/4 of the way to the number of fatalities we’d see in a typical year. The dangerous, record-breaking year keeps avalanche forecasters up at night,” one expert said. Source: https://earthsky.org/human-world/avalanches-2021-united-states-how-to-survive…
Ancient Mayan civilization used advanced water treatment technology
The oldest known example of a water treatment system in the Western Hemisphere was recently discovered in Guatemala. Source: https://earthsky.org/human-world/ancient-mayan-civilization-used-advanced-water-treatment-technology…
What are your chances of a white Christmas this year?
Dreaming of a white Christmas? Here’s a map depicting which places in the US have the best chance of being snowy on Christmas Day 2020. Source: https://earthsky.org/earth/chances-of-white-christmas-us-2020…
Wall Street Begins Trading Water Futures as a Commodity
Wall Street has begun trading water as a commodity, like gold or oil. The country’s first water market launched on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange this week with $1.1 billion in contracts tied to water prices in California, Bloomberg News reported. From a report: The market allows farmers, hedge funds, and municipalities to hedge bets on the future price of water and…
Arecibo telescope receiver platform crashes onto dish
The telescope has been inoperable since mid-November, when multiple engineering companies reported that safety in and around it could not be guaranteed. Now their fears have come to pass. No one was injured. Source: https://earthsky.org/human-world/arecibo-telescope-receiver-platform-crashes-onto-dish…
NSF says Arecibo telescope will be dismantled
Heartbreaking news. After 57 years as a world-class resource for astronomy, the iconic Arecibo telescope is to be decommissioned, or withdrawn from service, the NSF announced today. The dish-type radio telescope – built into a natural depression in the landscape in Puerto Rico – appears to be headed for a “controlled disassembly.” Source: https://earthsky.org/space/arecibo-telescope-to-be-decommissioned…
Meet the hell planet with a magma ocean and rocky rain
Exoplanet K2-141b is fiery hot world that circles so close to its star that 1 side of the planet features a deep ocean of molten lava. Meanwhile, the other side is freezing cold. Source: https://earthsky.org/space/k2-141b-lava-planet-with-magma-ocean-rocky-rain-supersonic-winds-super-earth…
What are shelf clouds? Stunning photos here
Shelf clouds sometimes form at the forward edge of thunderstorms. See photos here. Source: https://earthsky.org/earth/photos-shelf-clouds-arcus…