Heavy rains followed by a sudden freeze can produce icy puddles like this one. Because the pool was shallow to begin with, it likely froze rapidly. As the temperature continued Keep reading
Droplets on Inclined Walls
When a droplet impacts an inclined surface, it spreads asymmetrically. The splash shape is largely elliptical, as researchers found when modeling such impacts over a range of inclination angles. Understanding Keep reading
A Primer on Blood Pressure
Some of the most important fluid dynamics goes on every moment inside our bodies. After only a few weeks of gestation, the human heart begins its lifelong task of pumping Keep reading
Freezing Splats
When a drop hits a surface colder than its freezing point, there’s a competition between retraction and solidification that determines the final shape of the splat. For many materials, like Keep reading
Coffee, Magnified
Sometimes it’s nice to see a new perspective on something familiar. These images show oils from coffee beans suspended in hot water, as seen under 40x magnification. The crystals you Keep reading
A Colorful Portrait of Flow
This gorgeous, natural-color image shows Lake Balkhash in southeastern Kazakhstan. In early March, the ice on the lake was beginning to break up, revealing glimpses of swirling sediment below the Keep reading
Vortex Rings on V-Shaped Walls
Vortex ring impacts are eternally fascinating. Here, researchers explore what happens when a vortex ring encounters a V-shaped wall. Because the outer portions of the vortex ring hit the wall Keep reading
Self-Started Siphoning
Here’s a fun activity you can do while you #StayHome: build a self-starting siphon. Michael from VSauce explains how in this video. Moving fluids from one location to another is Keep reading
Lava Barriers
Inspired by protecting people and property from lava flows, researchers investigated how viscous fluids flow downhill past large obstacles. As seen above, when the obstacle is tall enough that the Keep reading
The Great Haboob Chase
Few sights look as apocalyptic as the leading edge of an incoming dust storm. Known as a haboob, these storms form when a downdraft spreads along the ground, picking up Keep reading