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Category: meteorology

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AI

Algorithms and Weather Forecasting

Every day, power grids guess tomorrow’s demand, cities predict traffic jams, and farmers estimate how much sun their panels will capture. These forecasts shape real decisions—when to store energy, open roads, or irrigate fields. Yet even the most powerful deep-learning models often stumble on a surprisingly basic problem: how to train themselves well. For years, […]

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Meteorology

Superbolts! How New Data Could Improve Storm and Safety Forecasts

Every second, the Earth is struck by about 100 lightning bolts. But only a tiny fraction, so rare they barely register in global datasets, carry currents powerful enough to rewrite what we thought we knew about extreme storms. And a new analysis suggests that these “superbolts” don’t behave the way scientists expected. For years, textbooks […]

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Meteorology

Drivers of Rapid Spring Ice Loss

Every spring, a chunk of sea ice the size of a small country disappears from the Arctic. But here’s the part almost no one talks about: a major share of that melt can be traced back to winds thousands of kilometers away in the Western Pacific. And according to new research, this faraway influence explains […]

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Meteorology

South Carolina’s Chemtrail Ban: When Law Tries to Command the Sky

A South Carolina Senate subcommittee recently voted to advance legislation that would ban so-called “chemtrails” across the state. The bill, Senate Bill 110, would make it illegal to release any substance into the atmosphere “with the express purpose of affecting temperature, weather, or the intensity of sunlight.” Supporters argue the bill is necessary to stop […]

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Astronomy

Strong, Fast, and Everywhere: The New Story of Martian Winds

Most Mars weather models are too calm. But a new analysis shows fast, ground-hugging winds on Mars are common—often strong enough to lift dust and shape climate. If you work in a field station in Rajasthan, a clinic in Lagos, or a teaching lab in Manaus, you know wind changes what you see and what […]

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Meteorology

5 of the 6 Riskiest Dams Are in Just Two States

In 2017, California’s Oroville Dam nearly failed, forcing 180,000 people to evacuate. In 2020, two Michigan dams collapsed, flooding entire towns. And just last year, a dam in North Carolina overtopped during Hurricane Helene. These aren’t rare “once-in-a-lifetime” events anymore—they’re becoming warning flares for a growing national problem: America’s dams are aging, and extreme weather […]

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Meteorology

This AI Predicts Rain with 99% Accuracy

It’s 6 a.m., and you’re staring at your weather app. Will it pour during your commute or stay dry until lunch? We rely on forecasts for everything—planning weddings, watering crops, even prepping for floods. But what if the estimates you trust are barely better than a guess? Spoiler alert: many are. Enter a team of […]

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Environment

It’s a Heat Wave

For those in the Northeast US, it’s a heat wave. But what causes these? What Causes Heat Waves Heat waves are prolonged periods of excessively hot weather that arise from several interacting factors: What People Can Do About It Research and public health studies provide several strategies to mitigate the adverse effects of heat waves: […]

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Meteorology

The Antarctic Alarm: Why 2023’s Sea-Ice Decline Matters

Imagine a vast expanse of frozen sea shrinking before your eyes. This isn’t a scene from The Day after Tomorrow but the stark reality of 2023. That year, Antarctic sea ice reached record lows, with more than 2.33 million square kilometers lost compared to historical averages. But this story is about more than disappearing ice. […]

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AI

A Forecasting Revolution: What If We Could Predict Weather—Better?

Every day, weather forecasts guide countless decisions: Should you grab an umbrella? Should a city evacuate ahead of a hurricane? Will wind farms generate enough energy tomorrow? While weather forecasting has come a long way, it’s never been perfect. A slight miscalculation can lead to disruptions in energy grids or delays in critical safety measures. […]

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