
Earth
Earth farts may explain some spooky floating lights
The gases released by earthquakes might occasionally ignite, triggering ghostly lights sometimes witnessed in South Carolina.
By Nikk Ogasa
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The gases released by earthquakes might occasionally ignite, triggering ghostly lights sometimes witnessed in South Carolina.
The eruption plume spawned lightning that started 20 to 30 kilometers (some 12 to 19 miles) above sea level.
Bits of airborne salt may help raindrops form, removing water from clouds before it can freeze as part of the process that makes lightning.
This is bad news as a warming planet leads to growing numbers of excessive heat waves — and millions more people facing potentially deadly temperatures.
Physicists had a bright idea: Make light into swirling, ring-shaped vortices, similar to smoke rings or bubble rings.
The device not only produces electricity but also harvests water for drinking or crops. It could be especially useful in remote and dry parts of the world.
Tornadoes are often spawned by thunderstorms — but can also emerge from hurricanes and wildfires.
The upper edge of the troposphere, the slice of sky closest to the ground, rose 50 to 60 meters (165 to 200 feet) a decade from 1980 to 2020.
The final refuge for summer sea ice may also protect the creatures that depend on it. Saving it is an ambitious goal with many hurdles.