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  • Irish Chronicles Document Links Between Volcanoes and Weather
    A study of over 40,000 written entries in Irish Annals and ice core measurements shows a strong corr...Read more

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    Irish Chronicles Document Links Between Volcanoes and Weather

    A study of over 40,000 written entries in Irish Annals and ice core measurements shows a strong correlation between the occurrence of volcanic eruptions and extreme cold weather in Ireland over a 1200 year period. Data analyzed in this study cover the period from 431 to 1649, during which time up to 48 volcanic eruptions are identified in Greenland ice core records through deposition of volcanic sulfate in annual layers of ice. You can find the study (open access), published on 6 June 2013 in IOP Publishing's journal Environmental Research Letters, at http://iopscience.iop.org/1748-9326/8/2/024035/article. Find out more about how volcanoes can influence climate.
  • EF-5 Tornado in El Reno, Oklahoma Widest Ever Recorded in US
    The EF-5 tornado that hit El Reno, Oklahoma on May 31st was the widest ever recorded in the US, acco...Read more

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    EF-5 Tornado in El Reno, Oklahoma Widest Ever Recorded in US

    The EF-5 tornado that hit El Reno, Oklahoma on May 31st was the widest ever recorded in the US, according to the National Weather Service in Norman Oklahoma. The tornado, which remained on the ground for 40 minutes and reached 2.6 miles across (4.2 km), took the lives of 18 people including storm chasers Tim Samaras, Paul Samaras and Carl Young. For more information on the tornado, visit http://ow.ly/i/2hfDG.
  • 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.
This is an artist's picture of the mysterious Stonehenge.
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Windows to the Universe original image

The Stonehenge Monument

There are over 900 rings of stone located in the British Isles. The most famous of these stone rings is Stonehenge.

Stonehenge is in England. Stonehenge is a mysterious sight. There's these huge stones arranged in a circle, with some stones lying on top of others. Who could've built this monument?

Stonehenge is really old! It is between 4,000 and 5,000 years old! So, it was probably built by the Neolithic people of Britain. Neolithic is a fancy name for the farmers and people who lived in England long ago. Stonehenge might have been a temple or a graveyard. Astronomy did take place at Stonehenge, it's just difficult to tell exactly what went on there.

Stonehenge probably required more than 30 million hours of labor. Certain stones may have been brought from over 240 miles away! And this was before cars, trucks and highways! Stonehenge must have been important to this Neolithic community to put so much time and effort into it.

Last modified September 13, 2000 by Jennifer Bergman.

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