Air conditioner refrigerants are changing because older HFCs cool well but can trap far more heat than carbon dioxide when they leak.
Category - Environment
Akshay Dinesh
How Weather Satellites Spot Hurricanes Before They Reach Land
Weather satellites help forecasters watch tropical storms over open ocean by tracking clouds, heat, water vapor, and storm structure.
How Prescribed Burns Reduce Wildfire Risk
Prescribed burns reduce wildfire risk by clearing surface fuel under planned conditions, but smoke, timing, and safety still matter.
Why Atlantic Hurricane Season Peaks in September
Atlantic hurricane season peaks in September because ocean heat, weaker wind shear, and tropical disturbances line up at the same time.
How Cloud Seeding Tries to Make More Rain
Cloud seeding can sometimes nudge suitable clouds toward more rain or snow, but it cannot create storms from nowhere or control floods.
How Air Quality Sensors Turn Smoke Into Local Readings
Air quality sensors estimate nearby PM2.5 from smoke and pollution, but their readings need context, correction, and careful interpretation.
How the Bermuda High Steers Atlantic Hurricanes
The Bermuda High can help steer hurricanes out to sea, along the coast, or toward the Gulf depending on its size and position.
How Derechos Turn Thunderstorms Into Long-Distance Windstorms
Derechos are fast-moving thunderstorm windstorms that can spread damaging straight-line winds across hundreds of miles.
Why Airplanes Leave Contrails That Sometimes Become Clouds
Contrails form when jet exhaust meets cold, humid air, and some spread into cirrus-like clouds that can affect the atmosphere.
Why Hurricanes Sometimes Replace Their Eyewalls
Eyewall replacement cycles can temporarily weaken a hurricane while spreading dangerous winds across a larger area.
Why Noctilucent Clouds Glow After Sunset
Noctilucent clouds glow after sunset because ice crystals high in the mesosphere still catch sunlight when the ground is dark.
How Atmospheric Rivers Move Water Through the Sky
Atmospheric rivers carry huge amounts of water vapor through the sky, bringing both vital rain and serious flood risk.
Why Warming Ocean Water Raises Sea Level
Warming seawater expands, adding height to the ocean even before melting land ice enters the picture.
How Ocean Upwelling Brings Hidden Nutrients to the Surface
Ocean upwelling brings cold, nutrient-rich water toward sunlight, feeding plankton, fish, seabirds, and productive coastal ecosystems.
How Environmental DNA Helps Find Invasive Species Early
Environmental DNA lets scientists test water, soil, or air for traces of species that may be hard to see directly.
