Taxonomy term

sam lemonick

Why meteors snap, crackle and pop

Keen-eared observers sometimes report hearing popping, whistling or buzzing at the same time they see meteors pass far overhead, a perplexing phenomenon called the electrophonic effect. What causes the effect — or if it’s even real — has been discussed for centuries; famed astronomer Edmond Halley is said to have dismissed it as a figment of people’s imaginations. In a new study in Geophysical Research Letters, researchers suggest that not only is it real, but that it is caused by radio waves induced by meteors and converted to sound waves near Earth’s surface.

17 Aug 2017

More than a nuisance: Over time, small floods cost more than extreme events

Devastating storms like Hurricanes Katrina and Sandy dominate public attention when they hit, causing massive amounts of damage from high winds and waters. But small floods driven by rising seas may end up costing some coastal areas more in the long run. According to a new study published in the journal Earth’s Future, the cumulative property damage from these so-called nuisance floods could eventually match or exceed costs from rare extreme storms.

03 Jul 2017

Monsoon shifts shaped early Chinese cultures

Rapid, climate-driven shifts in monsoon patterns may have shaped ancient Chinese societies, according to new research. And their history could be our future.

01 Jun 2017

"Blob"-related warming contributed to Pacific Northwest ozone spike

In June 2015, instruments on Oregon’s Mount Bachelor recorded mean ozone for the month at 56 parts per billion, more than 20 percent higher than the average level for the 11 years prior. Other stations around the West noted similarly high readings, puzzling scientists over the cause of the rise. In a new study in Geophysical Research Letters, researchers describe a confluence of meteorological conditions that appear to have driven the phenomenon.

18 May 2017

Sunlight liberates nitrogen from urban grime

Cities are dirty. That’s obvious from all the grime that collects on glass, metal and other urban surfaces. But new research shows that not everything in that grunge is staying put at ground level, and that the grime — and the nitrogen in it — is contributing to air pollution in ways scientists aren’t accounting for.
 
24 Dec 2015

Travels in Geology: Navigating the rocks, reefs and waters of Bermuda

Picturesque beaches, beautiful weather and a pleasant mix of Caribbean and British cultures make Bermuda a popular tourist destination, especially in the winter. But it's also a place where geology and history are on full display. 

16 Jan 2015

Getting there and getting around Bermuda

Several major airlines serve Bermuda’s L.F. Wade International Airport, located on St. David’s Island about 30 minutes from Bermuda’s capital and largest city, Hamilton. Dozens of bus routes can take passengers to almost any place on the island, but getting to and from the airport — or anywhere with large suitcases — on the bus is frowned upon. Instead, take a taxi. Rental cars are not available to visitors. The alternative is scooters, but nerves of steel and good health insurance are a must for navigating the narrow, windy, high-speed roads. And although the island is small — less than two-thirds the size of Manhattan — and many places are within walking distance, few roads outside Hamilton have sidewalks or even shoulders. A handful of ferry routes can also help you reach some destinations.

16 Jan 2015

Harvesting fog could bring water to millions

In northern Chile, as in many other parts of the world, freshwater is a limited commodity, but heavy fogs are a regular occurrence. For at least two decades, people in such areas have turned to fine mesh nets to harvest moisture from fog, but to date the nets have never been terribly efficient. Now, new research could greatly improve the nets’ efficiency, increasing the amount of water they’re able to capture.

14 Mar 2014

MAVEN takes off for Mars to study the planet's atmosphere

NASA’s latest Mars mission, the Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution (MAVEN) orbiter, successfully blasted off toward the Red Planet today to study how its evolving atmosphere contributed to climate change on Earth's neighbor.

18 Nov 2013

Hominin skull discovery fuels debate about early human evolution

Hailed as a find for the ages, a rare skull of a 1.8-million-year-old human relative could provide answers to longstanding questions about the lineage of our species. It also fuels debate over what differentiates one hominin species from another, and could mean that Homo habilis, Homo rudolfensis and other early bipedal hominins may all be members of Homo erectus, rather than distinct species.

17 Oct 2013

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