1) Is cloud to ground lightning more common than in-cloud lightning?
A- Though it varies across the U.S. there are 4-5 times as much in-cloud lightning than cloud to ground lightning! Mountains have the highest percent of cloud to ground lightning where the lightning counts can occasionally be the same for both.
2) Is moist-hot, moist-cold, dry-hot or dry-cold weather best to run/bike fast in?
A- moist-hot is the answer, though not good for a person over-heating. Ground air density is lower in hot weather and in moist air (moist air is lighter because water vapor is lighter than air)!
3) What is the world record for the most rainfall in one hour, one day? Where?
A= 1-hour 15.78″ Shangdi, China Aug 1975 1-day 71.85″ Foc-Foc, La Reunion Island January 1966. This very steep island in the southwest Indian Ocean holds many almost unbelievable rainfall records all caused by tropical cyclones.
4) Why is the south pole colder than the north pole?
A- The 2 primary reasons 1- the South Pole is land some very high, one mountain peak exceeding 16,000 feet in elevation above the ocean. The North Pole is ocean often covered in ice in winter with some water breaks possible in summer it has virtually no elevation and sea water cannot be cooler than about 28 F so it can warm the air when it is void of ice.
5) Why are seasonal temperature changes in San Diego CA much less than in Savannah GA (about the same latitude)?
A- Winds and weather generally move from west to east. San Diego CA is dominated by onshore flow of cool, but not cold marine air year round resulting in very small changes in annual temperature because the ocean does not change temperature by more than about 15 degrees annually. Savannah GA is on the US east coast and hence in summer gets hot air from land and in winter is dominated by cold air from land though it is on the coastline. Hence it has a large annual temperature range even though it is on the coastline due to large annual swings in the continental air that influences its weather.
6) Is it possible for a tsunami (ocean wave caused by an earthquake) heading toward the west coast of an island to also strike the islands east coast?
A- Yes a tsunami has a very long wavelength (miles) compared to normal ocean wind driven waves (hundreds of feet or less). Waves refract or bend, always toward shallow water and that refract increases as the wave wavelength gets longer. A tsunami wavelength is so long that refraction in shallow water allows it to bend completely around some islands often causing as much or more damage on the island side not facing the tsunami. If you are on an island, no side is necessarily safe from a tsunami coming from any direction. Move to high ground ASAP!
7) Why is it wet on the west and dry on the east sides of the Sierra and Rockies mountains?
A- As mentioned in question #5 average winds typically move from west to east across North America. That means air flows up the west sides of mountains and down the east sides. Air moving up (rising) cools and causes clouds/rain, air moving down (sinking) heats and dries out. Hence we have cool wet western mountain slopes and hotter drier eastern sides of mountains and following plains.
8) Where is the “ozone hole”, is it always there?
A- The ozone hole is a lack of ozone in Earth’s upper atmosphere partly caused by man-made pollution. The ozone hole is most prominent over the South Pole in Southern Hemisphere winter! This is because in winter there little or no sunlight is available and the Earth’s upper atmosphere we call the stratosphere cools to very cold temperatures (below -80F). The cold temperatures combined with man-made gases prevent ozone from forming at these times. The ozone hole slowly recovers into the late spring and summer as stratosphere temperatures warm and ozone formation is again possible. However, nearly the entire Earth’s stratosphere has seen some depletions in ozone especially in the cool season. Recent bans on certain gases used as propellents in aerosol cans and refrigerants has helped stop the ozone hole from expanding, but it remains in south pole winter far more prominently than it did in the 1970’s and earlier (see this NASA link for pictures of the ozone hole-
http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/IOTD/view.php?id=49040
9) How large can ocean waves get in a hurricane and why are they not the same height all the time?
A- Hurricanes or typhoons (same phenomena) can cause waves that may briefly exceed 80 feet. Wave heights depend on the strength of the hurricane, the size of the hurricane, the direction and how fast the hurricane moves. Waves grow largest in strong, large, straight moving hurricanes that accelerate from speeds of 10-15 mph to about 22 mph when waves have grown very high.
Dr. Steve Lyons 