Category Archives: Phenomena

Why do tornadoes happen in hurricanes?

When hurricanes make landfall, they can spawn tornadoes.

The friction over land is much stronger than friction over water, where the hurricanes form. Frictional force quickly weakens the farther you get from the ground. Continue reading

Category: Meteorology, Phenomena, Severe Weather, Tropical

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Do car tires protect you from lightning strikes?

Lightning is a huge electrical discharge, or spark, that results from vigorous motions that occur in thunderstorms. While you can be safe in a car in a lightning storm, it is not because of the tires. Rubber tires do act … Continue reading

Category: Meteorology, Phenomena, Weather Dangers

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Can space dust affect our atmosphere?

Space contains tons of dust. When dust particles approach Earth, they can be captured by gravity and enter the atmosphere at very high speeds.

Particles with diameters larger than about 2 millimeters undergo very rapid heating through collisions in our atmosphere. As they heat up, they can produce a short-lived trail of light known as “shooting star.” Most dust particles entering the atmosphere are estimated to be much smaller than this and don’t provide a visible trail. Continue reading

Category: History, Meteorology, Phenomena

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Does it rain only on Earth?

It does precipitate on other planets and moons in our solar system.

On Earth, when particles fall from clouds and reach the surface as precipitation, they do so primarily as rain, snow, freezing rain or sleet. Continue reading

Category: Meteorology, Phenomena

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How is the ice cover on the Great Lakes?

Until this recent frigid arctic air outbreak, the Great Lakes were experiencing one of the mildest winters on record National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) monitors and reports on the ice coverage of the Great Lakes. NOAA reports total coverage … Continue reading

Category: Climate, Meteorology, Phenomena, Seasons, Uncategorized

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