First spotted by humanity in 1664, Jupiter‘s Great Red Spot is a seemingly endless storm. Strictly speaking, there is debate as to whether observations prior to 1831 were of the Keep reading
Tag: atmospheric science
Lenticular Landscape
Mountain ridgelines push oncoming winds up and over their peaks, creating the conditions for some spectacular condensation. If the displaced air is moist enough, it cools and condenses into a Keep reading
Feeding Hurricanes
With the strong hurricane season pummeling the southern U.S. this year, you may have heard comments about how warm oceans are intensifying hurricanes. Let’s take a look at how this Keep reading
Gigantic Jets
Stormy skies feature much more than the forked cloud-to-ground lightning we’re used to seeing. This composite image shows a rare and recently-recognized type of lightning known as a gigantic jets. Keep reading
Why Tornado Alley is North American
Growing up in northwest Arkansas, I spent my share of summer nights sheltering from tornadoes. Central North America — colloquially known as Tornado Alley — is especially prone to violent Keep reading
Hole Punch Clouds
At times altocumulus cloud cover is pierced by circular or elongated holes, filled only with the wispiest of virga. These odd holes are known by many names: cavum, fallstreak holes, Keep reading
The Real Butterfly Effect
The butterfly effect — that the flapping of a butterfly’s wings in Brazil can cause a tornado in Texas — expresses the sensitivity of a chaotic system to initial conditions. Keep reading
Warming Temperatures Increase Turbulence
After multiple high-profile injuries caused by atmospheric turbulence, you might be wondering whether airplane rides are getting rougher. Unfortunately, the answer is yes, at least for clear-air (i.e., non-storm-related) turbulence Keep reading
How Venus Is Losing Its Water
Since Venus formed at the same time as Earth and is similar in size, scientists believe it once had the same amount of water our planet does. Today, hellish Venus Keep reading
Exoplanet Heating
WASP-96B is a tidally-locked exoplanet between the size of Saturn and Jupiter. This hot, massive planet lies close to its star, orbiting in less than three-and-a-half Earth days. A recent Keep reading