How air can move the earth
Nature Geoscience
2009년11월2일
Tides in the atmosphere ― working much like ocean tides ― can trigger an episode of movement in an ongoing landslide. The study, published online this week in Nature Geoscience, found that episodic sliding of land near Slumgullion pass in Colorado, USA, tends to occur during the daily atmospheric low tide.
William Schulz and colleagues compared hourly measurements of the slip speed of the landslide over nine months with equally frequent observations of local atmospheric pressure. The scientists found a significant correlation between both time series. The effect could be caused by an upward movement of air and water molecules in the soil during periods of low atmospheric pressure, which reduces the friction that usually holds the landslide in place.
The researchers suggest that atmospheric pressure could trigger other geological phenomena that involve sliding surfaces, such as earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and glacier movement.
doi: 10.1038/ngeo659
리서치 하이라이트
-
6월29일
Environment: 1.81 billion people at risk of 1-in-100 year floodNature Communications
-
6월28일
Astronomy: Hydrogen- and helium-rich exoplanets may provide habitable conditions for billions of yearsNature Astronomy
-
6월28일
Climate change: Decline in tropical cyclones during the twentieth centuryNature Climate Change
-
6월24일
Environment: Assessing the impacts of US school lunches on climate, land and waterCommunications Earth & Environment
-
6월24일
Palaeontology: It sucked to be the prey of ancient cephalopodsScientific Reports
-
6월23일
Scientific community: Women credited less than men in scientific paper authorshipNature
