In the semi-arid southwest, measuring winter snowpack is critical for planning next summer’s water supplies. NASA’s ASO project helps to make projections of water availability more accurate than ever before.
Monitoring Superstorms Leading to Better Understanding of Effects
As the climate changes, superstorms are becoming more common. Earthzine staff explore how severe weather affects people and how remote sensing can change our understanding of storms. Earthzine’s latest monthly focus topic comes as spring begins to brighten the northern hemisphere. For the month of March, our focus topic articles center on superstorms – massive storms that effect millions of … Read More
Tracking Snow: The Cryosphere in an Era of Climate Change
A new generation of weather satellites is helping researchers gain insights into the complex relationship between the cryosphere ÛÒ the planet’s cold regions ÛÒ and the climate. With drinking water supplies dwindling around the world, understanding the cryosphere is becoming a front-burner issue.
How do snowflakes get their shape?
Originally Published by EarthSky – The shape of snowflakes is influenced by the temperature and humidity of the atmosphere. Snowflakes form in the atmosphere when cold water droplets freeze onto dust particles. Depending on the temperature and humidity of the air where the snowflakes form, the resulting ice crystals will grow into a myriad of different shapes.