M K 12/8/21 M K 12/8/21

Shop Local, Save the World!

Consume less. Consume locally. Shop secondhand. New isn’t always best.

M K 11/24/21 M K 11/24/21

Paleoclimatology and Proxy Records

Proxy records allow us to reconstruct Earth’s past climates over hundreds of millions of years. This article explains how we use our knowledge of physical, biological, and chemical processes to interpret the geologic record and reconstruct deep time.

M K 11/10/21 M K 11/10/21

Topography and Microclimates

The higher up in the troposphere you go, the colder it gets. This is called the adiabatic lapse rate. Also, mountains tend to be wetter on their windward side, where clouds sweep in and are forced to loft up and over the peaks. This is known as the “orographic effect” or “rain shadow”.

M K 10/27/21 M K 10/27/21

The Milankovitch Cycles Drove the Ice Ages for Millions of Years, Long Before Humans Arrived

Orbital movements drove the ice ages for millions of years. Humans have no effect on these astronomical movements whatsoever. What we DO have a clear, definitive, measurable effect upon is atmospheric chemistry . . .

M K 10/13/21 M K 10/13/21

Global Warming Exacerbates Wildfires

Worsening wildfires are due to fuels buildup, lack of annual burning, and the acidification of the American West. Global warming does not cause wildfires (only a spark or lightning strike can do that), but it absolutely does make wildfires worse.

M K 9/22/21 M K 9/22/21

It’s Still a Wonderful World

Even though there are still fires raging in Trinity County, it’s worth appreciating the majesty and mystery of life. Everything is deeply interconnected.

M K 9/8/21 M K 9/8/21

The Slow Carbon Cycle: Long-Term Climate Thermostat

The formation of carbonate sediments and rocks is a slow process that sequesters massive quantities of carbon in the geosphere. Unfortunately, it operates too slowly to help us out this century. Forests are a faster, more immediate atmospheric carbon sink.

M K 8/25/21 M K 8/25/21

The Chemistry of Combustion

Combustion of hydrocarbons, aka fossil fuels, inevitably leads to the creation of carbon dioxide.

M K 8/11/21 M K 8/11/21

Drought vs. Desertification

California isn’t in a drought. It’s succumbing to aridification. We need to be prepared.

M K 7/28/21 M K 7/28/21

Systems Thinking: Unlocking A Complex Earth

Earth is full of complex intricacies, different spheres interacting in nonlinear ways, shaping our lived experience as delicate humans in a planetary-scale system.

M K 7/14/21 M K 7/14/21

The Fantastic Formation of the Solar System!

4.6 billion years ago, our solar system was born in a universe 12-14 billion years old . . .