Thursday, 9 February, 2012

What is freezing rain? ENLARGE Photo: Mike Giovinazzo Freezing rain covers everything with a sheet of ice. When water particles fall from clouds and reach the surface as precipitation, they do so primarily as rain, snow, freezing rain or sleet. The many types of precipitation occur because water can change phase as it falls. In [...]

Mysterious holes in clouds, such as this one, have long fascinated the public and, until recently, baffled scientists. New research shows that turboprop or jet aircraft punch these holes, causing narrow bands of rain or snowfall. Clouds often contain supercooled water, or water droplets that persist in liquid form despite subfreezing temperatures due to a [...]

What does a 60 percent chance of precipitation mean? The probability of precipitation (fondly known as PoP) has been part of weather forecasts since the late 1960s, and is the only forecast element that includes a probability. Unfortunately, there is confusion about the exact meaning of a “60 percent chance of precipitation.” Part of that [...]

How much water is in the atmosphere? Water is an exceptionally interesting chemical with many important implications for life on Earth and the circulation of the atmosphere. It is the only chemical that naturally exists in all three phases (solid, liquid, and gas) in our atmosphere. Diagram: NOAA At any moment, the atmosphere contains an [...]

After a strong rain, the corpses of worms strewn across the pavement are a disgusting sight – or a pathetic one, depending on your sympathy for these slithery invertebrates. But what’s the advantage of suicide? Teri Balser, an associate professor of soil and ecosystem ecology at UW-Madison, says the answer starts with the fact that [...]