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Is there snow and ice on other planets?
Like Earth, the north and south poles of Mars have ice caps that grow and shrink with Mars’ seasons.
Mars’ ice caps are made mainly of water ice, although Mars is cold enough to also have frozen carbon dioxide, or dry ice. Continue reading
What is a ‘bomb cyclone’?
The term “bomb cyclone” refers to the formation and rapid development of a mid-latitude cyclone. A mid-latitude cyclone is a large-scale, low-pressure system, characteristic of the middle latitudes, that has counter-clockwise flow around its center (in the Northern Hemisphere).
A primary measure of development in these storms is a drop in the atmospheric pressure at the center of the storm. Air near the ground is forced to move inward to the center of the circulation — this is known as convergence. Continue reading
Did climate change kill the dinosaurs?
Sixty-six million years ago, the age of the dinosaurs ended abruptly, coinciding with the extinction of about 75 percent of the total number of living species.
Evidence and climate modeling indicate that global wildfires resulted from a collision with a massive asteroid that could have lofted large amounts of soot into the atmosphere. The smoke would have plunged Earth into darkness for nearly two years, which would have shut down photosynthesis, drastically cooled the planet, and contributed to the mass extinctions as evidenced in the fossil record. Continue reading
Who is Increase Lapham?
Many consider Increase Lapham to be one of Wisconsin’s greatest scientists. Though never formally educated, Lapham demonstrated an early talent for topographical sketching and became an engineer and surveyor of canals in the 1830s. He was born in Palmyra, New … Continue reading
Why do bridges ice before the road?
Living in a cold climate, we are used to seeing signs that say “bridge freezes before road.” The fundamental reason is that a bridge hangs above the ground, while the roadway rests on the ground. Water on a road or … Continue reading
