Lightning in a thunderstorm changes the electromagnetic field in a way that sparks upward lightning from tall structures.
geography
Some Communities Feel the Effects of Air Pollution More Than Others
A new study compares exposure to power plant emissions among communities based on race, income, and geography. Black Americans are most at risk.
A Key to Coral Bleaching Events? Location, Location, Location
New research indicates that longitude, as well as warming waters, may be a key predictor of coral bleaching events.
The Scientist Who Connected It All
Approaching the 250th anniversary of Alexander von Humboldt’s birth, we look back at the life and legacy of “the most scientific man of his age.”
Tropical Corals Are Migrating Away from Warming Waters
In the first global assessment of its kind, researchers discovered that coral recruitment is declining globally and throughout the tropics while increasing in the subtropics.
Finding Sources of Uncertainty in the Spatial Pattern of Warming
The planet is heating up, but uncertainty still exists about how temperatures will change in specific regions. A new study examines sources of uncertainty in the meridional pattern of warming.
Next Olympics Marathon Course Has Dangerous “Hot Spots” for Spectators
Spectators’ health may be jeopardized by high heat loads along the 2020 Olympics marathon course in Tokyo, a bicycle-mounted meteorological survey found.
Algorithm Discerns Where Tweets Came from to Track Disasters
New pilot system that analyzed more than 35 million flood-related Twitter posts to determine their geographic origin might help first responders locate and react more quickly to calamities.
What Proportion of River Nutrients Reaches the Open Sea?
Results of the first geographically based estimates of river nutrient supply indicate that 75% of dissolved nitrogen and 80% of phosphorus reach the open ocean.
Earth's Ground Heat Flux Should Not Be Overlooked
Scientists compare models of how much heat Earth's surface gives off and absorbs from the atmosphere.
