Low Pressure Systems

05/22/25

“What causes cold, rainy weather?”

Nearly every location in the world experiences cold, rainy days sometimes. But what exactly causes them? Well, when the atmosphere has low pressure, it sucks up the air underneath like a straw. As the air rises, it cools and has less capacity to hold moisture. This moisture then turns into clouds and releases rain. These Low-Pressure Systems are the reason behind many cloudy days. 

High-Pressure Systems

05/21/25

“What’s behind clear, sunny days?”

Dry, sunny days are great for going out and hanging with friends. But what causes this weather? Well, when the atmosphere over an area has high pressure, it will sink and bring with it warm, dry air. This will push away moisture from the air, leading to dry, warmer air. These phenomena are called High-Pressure Systems and are core to weather operation.

Westerlies

05/20/25

“Why do winds between 30 and 60 degrees latitude blow from the west?”

Hot air at the tropics descends at around 30 degrees latitude, and sub-polar air moves towards the poles at around 60 degrees. This creates a pressure differential from the 30 to 60 degree latitudes. Wind will travel along this route and get pushed eastward by the Earth’s spin. This creates winds known as the Westerlies at these latitudes. The westerlies are the cause behind much of the Earth’s climate, and are important for every student of geography to know.

Ocean Currents

05/19/25

“How do ocean currents move around the world?”

It’s easy to think that ocean waters are stationary. But in reality, ocean waters move all around the world. When there’s a significant difference in water, wind, temperature, salinity, and other factors between ocean regions, a force will push the ocean water from one place to another through an Ocean Current. Ocean currents are the backbone of global water circulation.

Geological Strata

05/18/25

“Why are different geological layers different from one another?”

If you dig into the Earth, you’ll notice that the crust is divided into different rock and sediment layers. This can seem very perplexing. How did this come to be? Well, each layer represents a different point in Earth’s history. Over time, what was on the surface became rock, and whatever properties they had influenced what rocks appear in the Geological Strata layers. Geological strata, or stratum for singular, imprint the Earth’s history and are crucial for understanding local lithological conditions. 

Clastic Rocks

05/15/25

“What are rocks composed of fragments of minerals and other rocks?”

Clasts are fragments of rocks broken off by physical weathering. Clastic Rocks are rocks composed of clasts. Examples of clastic rocks include sandstone and shale.

Microplates (Geology)

05/14/25

“How can there be small tectonic plates in between large ones?”

It’s typical for Geology classes to teach that the world is made up of several large tectonic plates. However, between these larger tectonic plates are smaller Microplates. These microplates play a critical role in mountain formation and geological dynamics. Famous microplates include the Anatoian microplate and the Maoke plate.

Salt Pans

05/12/25

“How do massive deserts of salt form?”

Areas turn into deserts when evaporation exceeds precipitation. If the desertifying area has insufficient aquifer storage, then the water will evaporate and leave behind all dissolved minerals on the surface. This can lead to large salt formations in deserts in the form of Salt Pans. Salt pans are beautiful facets of nature that make us wonder about the world.