Replacement of horses by machines since the 1940s allowed central U.S. farmers to change the crops they planted, which may have altered regional climate.
rain
Posted inResearch Spotlights
Mysterious Intraseasonal Oscillations in Monsoons
The unpredictable cycles of rainfall during India's summerlong monsoon have stymied scientists for decades.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
Reading Raindrops: Microphysics in Typhoon Matmo
Quantitative predictions about tropical storms require an understanding of even their smallest physical processes. A new study observes unusual microphysics in 2014's Typhoon Matmo.
Posted inNews
Earth Fissures May No Longer Get Mapped in Arizona
A program that monitors giant cracks in the ground that suddenly appear after heavy rain could become a casualty of budget cuts to the Arizona Geological Survey.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
Tropical Rainfall Intensifies While the Doldrums Narrow
Scientists show long-term changes in the Intertropical Convergence Zone's location, extent, and rainfall intensity.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
The Unique Radar Signature of Rain Falling on Water
If rain falls on an ocean and nobody's there to see it, how can we determine its effect on the Earth's climate? A new study shows us how space-based radar could help.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
Distant Rains Contributed to La Niña Ocean Warming Event
Unusually low salinity intensified a warm-water current off the coast of Western Australia in 2010–2011.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
Soil Texture Determines How Groundwater and Rain Impact Crops
Scientists model water table depth, soil texture, and weather conditions to identify how these variables interact to make or break corn yields.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
Aerosol Cutbacks May Bring Tropical Rains Farther North
Lower anthropogenic aerosol emissions in the 21st century may lead to warming that drives the Intertropical Convergence Zone northward.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
Precooled Aerosols Are Better Raindrop Nuclei
Cooling inorganic and organic aqueous solutions makes the particles into more robust seeds of clouds.