Tag Archives: weather

Jul 29 2015

Rare Weather Patterns Can Trigger Tsunamis

This article was originally posted on RealClearScience.

The deadliest tsunami in world history struck southeast Asia on Boxing Day 2004 following a behemoth 9.1-magnitude earthquake. Several years later, in March 2011, another tsunami hit Japan, again following a 9.0-magnitude quake. It is not a surprise, then, that geophysicist Gerard Fryer considers earthquakes to be the most common cause of tsunamis. But, they are not the only cause. Landslides are the second most common cause, such as the ones that generated tsunamis in Lake Geneva and Doggerland, a now submerged region of land in the North Sea that once connected Britain to mainland Europe. Continue reading →

Jan 5 2015

Mom Was Right: Catching Cold in the Cold

This article was originally published on RealClearScience.

If your parents or grandparents were like mine, you probably heard this as a child heading out to play in the snow: “Put your hat and scarf on. If you don’t, you’ll catch a cold.” Years later, all grown up with a microbiology doctorate hanging on my wall, I know that viruses cause colds, not chilly weather. Their admonitions, while well-intentioned, were based on nothing but folklore and superstition. Right? Continue reading →

Dec 3 2013

Air Pressure: The Chemistry of Weather Forecasts

This article was originally posted on RealClearScience.

Everybody in Seattle knows Jeff Renner. He’s the weather guy on KING5 News, the local NBC affiliate. Each night at around 11:15 p.m., he provides us with little nuggets of knowledge, from the extended forecast to the type of tires we should use when crossing the mountains.

Like all scientists, Mr. Renner has his own special lexicon. Meteorologists are known to use some phrases which may not make an awful lot of sense to the average person. For instance, you might very well hear your weather guy (or gal) say, “The barometic pressure is 30.2 inches and falling.” What on Earth does that mean? Well, it helps to know a little chemistry. Continue reading →