climate
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Record-Shattering Heat at Both Poles Is Freaking Scientists Out
Unusually warm temperatures broke several records in both Antarctica and the Arctic late last week. The Concordia research base in Eastern Antarctica, one of the most remote research facilities in the world, reported temperatures at around -11 degrees Celsius or about 11 degrees Fahrenheit. That’s 70 degrees Fahrenheit higher than usual on the icy continent.
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How Is There So Much Rain Along the East Coast of Australia?
At any one time, Earth’s atmosphere holds only about a week’s worth of rain. But rainfall and floods have devastated Australia’s eastern regions for weeks and more heavy rain is forecast. So where’s all this water coming from? We recently investigated the physical processes driving rainfall in eastern Australia. By following moisture from the oceans…
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Planetary Scientists Recreate Arrakis From Dune, and It Really Is a Hellhole
By modifying a well-known climate model and applying it to the fictional world of Arrakis, a group of scientists has shown that Frank Herbert’s depiction of a desert planet in the book series Dune was surprisingly apt, though with some surprising differences.
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The Pacific Northwest Heat Wave Is Now a ‘Mass Casualty Event’
The Pacific Northwest is still reeling from the mind boggling heat wave that gripped it late last month. The past two days have made it clear that hundreds died in the region, and that the climate crisis played a role in driving the extreme heat. It underscores the reality that climate change’s deadly impacts aren’t…