atmospheric science
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Diseased Ocean Microbes Could Be Messing With The Weather
Our oceans are brimming with microscopic phytoplankton — plant-like organisms that contribute significantly to marine diversity. Tiny though they are, these sea critters, when infected with a particular virus, may influence atmospheric processes such as cloud formation, according to new research.
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The Switch To Outdoor LED Lighting Has Completely Backfired
To reduce energy consumption, many jurisdictions around the world are transitioning to outdoor LED lighting. But as new research shows, this solid-state solution hasn’t yielded the expected energy savings, and potentially worse, it’s resulted in more light pollution than ever before.
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The Atmosphere Of Venus Is More Terrifying Than We Imagined
Add this to the list of reasons Venus is a blistering hellscape: Not only is the surface hot enough to melt lead, not only will the sulphuric acid rainstorms burn gaping holes in your partially-melted spaceship, it also has a monstrous electric wind that appears to have helped strip all the water out of the…
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The UAE Should Not Build A Rain-Making Mountain To Fix Its Water Problems
It sounds like the plot of a winter blockbuster, but the United Arab Emirates is apparently quite serious about building a mountain to increase rainfall in the region. Would it work? Probably. But instead of launching an infrastructure project where a very rich country attempts to dig its way out of a drought, the UAE…