Current Events

  • Atmospheric CO2 Level Tops 400 ppm
    During the week of May 13th, the CO2 level at the Mauna Loa Observatory in Hawaii topped 400 ppm rep...Read more

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    Atmospheric CO2 Level Tops 400 ppm

    During the week of May 13th, the CO2 level at the Mauna Loa Observatory in Hawaii topped 400 ppm repeatedly. Daily levels of CO2 can vary due to weather, and there are seasonal trends as well. The level of atmospheric greenhouse gases continues to increase, now over 120 ppm since the Industrial Revolution began. For more on the Keeling Curve, see http://keelingcurve.ucsd.edu/. Find out more about greenhouse gases and warming.
  • Massive Tornado Outbreak on Tornado Alley
    The week of May 19 brings dozens of tornadoes to Tornado Alley in the states of Oklahoma, Kansas, Io...Read more

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    Massive Tornado Outbreak on Tornado Alley

    The week of May 19 brings dozens of tornadoes to Tornado Alley in the states of Oklahoma, Kansas, Iowa, Illinois and Missouri. On May 20th, a massive tornado struck Moore, Oklahoma, devastating communities - destroying over 100 homes and hitting two elementary schools and a hospital - with many casualties and deaths. Our thoughts are with our friends and colleagues suffering from these storms. For more on the May 20th storms, see the NOAA Storm Prediction Center Storm Report.
  • Kansas Legislator Proposes Bill to Outlaw Sustainability Education
    A bill has been introduced in the Kansas legislature this week that would prohibit the promotion of ...Read more

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    Kansas Legislator Proposes Bill to Outlaw Sustainability Education

    A bill has been introduced in the Kansas legislature this week that would prohibit the promotion of sustainability. Here is a link to the one-page bill: http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2013_14/measures/documents/hb2366_00_0000.pdf. See report on Bloomberg News.

Physics of Space Weather

Subatomic particles zipping around through magnetized plasma - does that sound like physics to you? The tools of the science of physics are essential ingredients for an understanding of space weather phenomena. This page provides links to physics fundamentals relevant to space weather.
This is an artist's conception of the Earth and the inner and outer <a href="/glossary/radiation_belts.html">radiation belts</a> that surround it. The Earth's radiation belts are just one part of the system called the <a href="/earth/Magnetosphere/overview.html">magnetosphere</a>. The radiation belts of the Earth are made up of <a href="/physical_science/physics/atom_particle/electron.html">electrons</a>, <a href="/physical_science/physics/atom_particle/proton.html">protons</a> and heavier atomic ions. These particles get trapped in the <a href="/earth/Magnetosphere/earth_magnetic_field.html">magnetic field of the Earth</a>. These belts were <a href="/earth/Magnetosphere/radiation_belts_discovery.html">discovered</a> by James Van Allen in 1958, and so they are known as Van Allen Belts.<p><small><em>Courtesy of Windows to the Universe</em></small></p>

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Explore Physics of Space Weather

Starting Points for Science

Some basic concepts find applications in many, many places throughout science, especially physical ...Read more

Mechanics

Mechanics is the term used to refer to one of the main branches of the science of physics. ...Read more

Electricity and Magnetism

Electricity and magnetism are two closely related and very important topics within the science ...Read more

Thermal Physics

The scientific field of thermal physics is concerned with heat and temperature. When we delve ...Read more

Atomic Physics and Particle Physics

Atoms and the minute particles from which they are made strongly influence the nature of many ...Read more

Tools for Math and Science

Some concepts are used in many different fields of science and serve as a general purpose "toolbox" ...Read more

Historical Events

5/24 Nicholas Copernicus, a Polish astronomer, died on this date in 1543 Details
5/30 7.5 magnitude quake hits Quetta, Pakistan in 1935
5/31 7.9 magnitude earthquake hits Peru in 1970

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Did you know?

Do you know what causes the different phases of the Moon?

Do you know what theory Archimedes is most famous for?

 

Earth and Space Science Concept of the Day

Do you know what this word or phrase means?

Shadow zone
xShadow zone : The shadow zone is the area of the earth from angular distances of 104 to 140 degrees from a given earthquake that does not receive any direct P waves. The shadow zone results from S waves being stopped entirely by the liquid core and P waves being b

Click on the word to find out!

Research Highlights

New Computer Model Advances Climate Change Research

Scientists can now study climate change in far more detail with powerful new computer software released by the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) in Boulder, Colo. The Community Earth System...Read more

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