"Wisdom begins in wonder" – Socrates
Category: Earth/Climate science
How Radiative Forcing is Causing Climate Change
07/27/19
“How is radiative forcing causing climate change?”
Radiative forcing is the primary driver of Earth’s climate. And since the Earth is trapping more heat, its radiative forcing is increasing and making temperatures hotter. This is How Radiative Forcing is Causing Climate Change.
Image credit upload.wikimedia.org
Radiative Forcing
07/23/19
“What is the primary influence on Earth’s climate?”
The Earth receives energy from the sun and then radiates some of it out into space. The difference from this is the Radiative Forcing and is the energy that is received by the Earth. This is the primary influence on the Earth’s climate
Image credit upload.wikimedia.org
Solar Insolation
07/24/19
“How does the Earth receive energy from the sun?”
Every second of every minute of every hour the sun is shining upon the Earth. This energy absorbed is known as Solar Insolation and is responsible for shaping the Earth’s climate and solar energy.
Image credit Wikiepdia.org
How Climate Change Will Exacerbate the Frequency of Deadly Diseases
07/23/19
“Why will there be more diseases as a result of climate change?”
Insects and viruses thrive in warm climates and human’s immune systems suffer when under temperature stress. As the global climate heats up, more areas will become warmer. This will enable more disease vectors to breed and put stress on humans, therefore vastly increasing susceptibility to illness.. This is How Climate Change Will Exacerbate the Frequency of Deadly Diseases.
Why Groundwater Needs to be Constantly Monitored
07/14/19
“Why do we need to constantly monitor groundwater?”
Groundwater is used worldwide for drinking and irrigation water. However, if levels become too low or the water becomes too toxic, then there could be disastrous consequences on a community’s health, as in the current ongoing case in Chennai, India. This is Why Groundwater Needs to be Constantly Monitored.
Image credit https://files.nc.gov
Rain Gardens
07/01/19
“What is a simple way to build resilience against urban water runoff?”
With the advent of the changing climate, flood resilience will be a hot topic for urban areas. One of the simplest green stormwater infrastructure methods is to simply build Rain Gardens which can divert runoff water into depressed areas with soil to grow greenery. This is a simple and cost-effective method to enhance climate change resilience.
Image credit radioadelaide.org.au
Urban Flooding
06/29/19
“How does flooding in urban areas occur and how does it damage infrastructure?”
Floods occur when there is an overflow of water in an area that is usually dry. This can occur in urban areas as well, usually caused by too much rainfall or a burst in storm control infrastructure. Urban Flooding can wreak havoc on communities and cost upwards of billions of dollars in damages.
The Ratio of Fresh Surface Water to Ocean Surface Water and Why it Matters
06/27/19
“Why does it matter that there is over thirty-two times as much water in the ocean than lakes?”
Water is foundational to biological life. 97% of surface water is located in the ocean while the rest are in lakes and other freshwater sources. Since humans are using freshwater at unsustainable rates and ocean water has extra salinity, people will have to think more about conserving water and expanding desalinization.
Flues (Architecture)
06/26/19
“How is smoke from a controlled fire source let out of a building?”
Controlled fire has all sorts of uses for humans. Whether it be keeping a home warm with a fireplace, heating water, or using an electric generator, something is there. But fire often releases particles into the air which may be harmful for human health. So how can we get rid of these? Well, what if we were to send the smoke through a chimney and out through a hole called a flue? This is the exact idea behind ventilation in modern architecture.
Image credit https://randpc.com
