Joe Kington
@joferkington.bsky.social
Geology to Software to Remote sensing. Opinions and poor taste my own. He/Him. SLC-based. PhD if you care about that. This account is all dog pictures and mindless prattle.
Reposted by Joe Kington
Before the 1990s, plane crashes caused by microbursts used to kill planeloads of people fairly regularly.
Dr. Ted Fujita and NCAR scientists figured out how to detect microbursts and warn pilots about them.
Since then? Zero airliner crashes from microbursts.
Dr. Ted Fujita and NCAR scientists figured out how to detect microbursts and warn pilots about them.
Since then? Zero airliner crashes from microbursts.
Exclusive: The Trump administration is moving to dismantle the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Colorado, according to a senior White House official, taking aim at one of the world's leading climate research labs.
Trump moves to dismantle major US climate research center in Colorado
The Trump administration is breaking up the National Center for Atmospheric Research, taking aim at one of the world's leading climate research labs.
bit.ly
December 17, 2025 at 3:47 AM
Before the 1990s, plane crashes caused by microbursts used to kill planeloads of people fairly regularly.
Dr. Ted Fujita and NCAR scientists figured out how to detect microbursts and warn pilots about them.
Since then? Zero airliner crashes from microbursts.
Dr. Ted Fujita and NCAR scientists figured out how to detect microbursts and warn pilots about them.
Since then? Zero airliner crashes from microbursts.
Occasionally, I get reminded of why I still read HN: web.stanford.edu/class/cs81n/... This is proper old web and I miss this...
web.stanford.edu
December 15, 2025 at 4:04 AM
Occasionally, I get reminded of why I still read HN: web.stanford.edu/class/cs81n/... This is proper old web and I miss this...
Bit of offroading plus hiking today that led to a really pretty spot....
December 14, 2025 at 11:51 PM
Bit of offroading plus hiking today that led to a really pretty spot....
Reposted by Joe Kington
International conventions should not be held in the U.S.
NEW: Five years of social media history is only a fraction of what the US Government will shortly demand of overseas visitors.
The full requirements will end tourism in the United States.
Below is the full, mind-blowing list.
🚨THEY. WANT. YOUR. DNA.🚨
1/
The full requirements will end tourism in the United States.
Below is the full, mind-blowing list.
🚨THEY. WANT. YOUR. DNA.🚨
1/
December 11, 2025 at 10:49 PM
International conventions should not be held in the U.S.
Reposted by Joe Kington
I recommend checking out this recent podcast episode about recent airborne EM surveys in the Lake Superior region. USGS geophysicist Jamey Jones did a great job explaining the work for a broad audience who might see the big, weird tools flying overhead!
⚒️🧪🎧
⚒️🧪🎧
Lake Superior Podcasts | NPLSF
We are made stronger by story and there’s no better source than the continent's largest body of freshwater, Lake Superior. Join hosts Walt Lindala and Frida Waara as they highlight the five National P...
www.nplsf.org
December 11, 2025 at 5:39 PM
I recommend checking out this recent podcast episode about recent airborne EM surveys in the Lake Superior region. USGS geophysicist Jamey Jones did a great job explaining the work for a broad audience who might see the big, weird tools flying overhead!
⚒️🧪🎧
⚒️🧪🎧
Unexpected python quirk that I hit today (code in alt text):
![import argparse
parser = argparse.ArgumentParser()
parser.add_argument('--foo', nargs='+')
parser.add_argument('--bar')
args, additional = parser.parse_known_args(['--foo', 'bar', 'baz', '--some-other-arg="foo bar"', '--something=a'])
print(args.foo)
args, additional = parser.parse_known_args(['--foo', 'bar', 'baz', '--something=a', '--some-other-arg="foo bar"'])
print(args.foo)](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:umimocvlvc6qmlvfsuon7kgn/bafkreickp53jlfdwl5diaue7kaoz5ebc7lkcps5hgf5odkqd45jg4qax5y@jpeg)
December 10, 2025 at 10:56 PM
Unexpected python quirk that I hit today (code in alt text):
Mountains need to be barked at!
December 7, 2025 at 7:56 PM
Mountains need to be barked at!
Well, I think that's the least flattering picture of me ever.... But it turned out okay!
December 7, 2025 at 3:50 AM
Well, I think that's the least flattering picture of me ever.... But it turned out okay!
Reposted by Joe Kington
In the sixth month
of a disastrous reign in the house of money
in the street of money in the city of money in the country of money,
our great country of money, we (forgive us)
lived happily during the war
of a disastrous reign in the house of money
in the street of money in the city of money in the country of money,
our great country of money, we (forgive us)
lived happily during the war
December 7, 2025 at 3:39 AM
In the sixth month
of a disastrous reign in the house of money
in the street of money in the city of money in the country of money,
our great country of money, we (forgive us)
lived happily during the war
of a disastrous reign in the house of money
in the street of money in the city of money in the country of money,
our great country of money, we (forgive us)
lived happily during the war
Reposted by Joe Kington
Ruling that the land owner owns the pore space under their property is interesting. Do you own the pore space but not what’s in it if it happens to be natural gas or whatever (unless you also own the mineral rights)? I have a lot of questions about this.
Ruling on control of pore space in underground rock formations. Relevant to carbon sequestration #CCS.
"the state law is unconstitutional because it allows a government-authorized taking of property... pore space" - #NorthDakota #WillistonBasin #geology 🧪⚒️
northdakotamonitor.com/2025/12/02/n...
"the state law is unconstitutional because it allows a government-authorized taking of property... pore space" - #NorthDakota #WillistonBasin #geology 🧪⚒️
northdakotamonitor.com/2025/12/02/n...
North Dakota judge rules in favor of landowners, finds law unconstitutional • North Dakota Monitor
A district court judge on Tuesday sided with a landowner group and found a North Dakota law related to underground storage of carbon dioxide to be unconstitutional.
northdakotamonitor.com
December 3, 2025 at 4:31 PM
Ruling that the land owner owns the pore space under their property is interesting. Do you own the pore space but not what’s in it if it happens to be natural gas or whatever (unless you also own the mineral rights)? I have a lot of questions about this.
I am (again) ashamed to be a Bama alum: www.nytimes.com/2025/12/02/u...
There's already a significant gap between the states demographics and the university's. Things like this are just flat out attacks to make the student body even more white and less diverse.
There's already a significant gap between the states demographics and the university's. Things like this are just flat out attacks to make the student body even more white and less diverse.
U. of Alabama Suspends Black and Female Student Magazines, Citing D.E.I. Guidance
www.nytimes.com
December 3, 2025 at 1:46 PM
I am (again) ashamed to be a Bama alum: www.nytimes.com/2025/12/02/u...
There's already a significant gap between the states demographics and the university's. Things like this are just flat out attacks to make the student body even more white and less diverse.
There's already a significant gap between the states demographics and the university's. Things like this are just flat out attacks to make the student body even more white and less diverse.
I more or less grew up in one of these libraries. My mom was a librarian for many years in rural middle Tennessee. This is a travesty either way, but it's also personal.
Public libraries in Tennessee have begun to shut down as they carry out an order from state officials to remove children’s books containing LGBTQ+ themes or characters.
www.rawstory.com/alternet-pos...
www.rawstory.com/alternet-pos...
Alarm as Tennessee libraries shut down for Republican 'book purge'
Public libraries in Tennessee have begun to shut down as they carry out an order from state officials to remove children’s books containing LGBTQ+ themes or characters.For Popular Information, Rebecca...
www.rawstory.com
November 29, 2025 at 1:48 AM
I more or less grew up in one of these libraries. My mom was a librarian for many years in rural middle Tennessee. This is a travesty either way, but it's also personal.
Reposted by Joe Kington
On my deathbed, I will regret not mobilizing my actionables in order to maximize my market impact.
November 25, 2025 at 8:41 PM
On my deathbed, I will regret not mobilizing my actionables in order to maximize my market impact.
Reposted by Joe Kington
Every year around Thanksgiving, I see tons of grad students post heartbreaking messages on social media about how their loved ones don’t understand or support their decision to study what seems like something pointless or silly.
Perhaps my American Scientist essay can help!
🧪🌎🦑 #SciComm
Perhaps my American Scientist essay can help!
🧪🌎🦑 #SciComm
“Why Are We Funding This?”
Long-standing myths about “silly science” have contributed to the reckless slashing of government-supported research.
www.americanscientist.org
November 25, 2025 at 6:42 PM
Every year around Thanksgiving, I see tons of grad students post heartbreaking messages on social media about how their loved ones don’t understand or support their decision to study what seems like something pointless or silly.
Perhaps my American Scientist essay can help!
🧪🌎🦑 #SciComm
Perhaps my American Scientist essay can help!
🧪🌎🦑 #SciComm
We have reached peak... Something... I don't know what, but this is a peak!
November 23, 2025 at 7:19 PM
We have reached peak... Something... I don't know what, but this is a peak!
It's not every day you get to see a rock glacier flow!!
Rock glaciers (creeping bodies made of a mixture of scree and interstitial ice), flow at lower speed than glaciers, typically few dm/yr 🧊
Here are 8 yrs of RG surface change on the Dos Lenguas RG (Dry Argentinean Andes), at 11 cm resolution!! 💪
Data: Melanie Stammler 🙏
1/
Here are 8 yrs of RG surface change on the Dos Lenguas RG (Dry Argentinean Andes), at 11 cm resolution!! 💪
Data: Melanie Stammler 🙏
1/
November 21, 2025 at 2:32 PM
It's not every day you get to see a rock glacier flow!!
November 21, 2025 at 2:30 PM
Reposted by Joe Kington
Oregon is the only state that has a two sided flag
November 21, 2025 at 5:19 AM
Oregon is the only state that has a two sided flag
"Play a train song, pour me one more round. Make em leave my boots on when they lay me in the ground"
We'll sure as hell miss you Todd...
We'll sure as hell miss you Todd...
November 15, 2025 at 6:08 PM
"Play a train song, pour me one more round. Make em leave my boots on when they lay me in the ground"
We'll sure as hell miss you Todd...
We'll sure as hell miss you Todd...
Apparently my punishment for complaining about how STAC does not apply to datasets that aren't fairly "tame" geotiffs is now to shoehorn STAC to describe a large and complex set of HDFs/tiffs/geojsons/etc... Thanks, I hate it. Also, the STAC catalog will be mostly wrong, so why do this?
November 15, 2025 at 12:00 AM
Apparently my punishment for complaining about how STAC does not apply to datasets that aren't fairly "tame" geotiffs is now to shoehorn STAC to describe a large and complex set of HDFs/tiffs/geojsons/etc... Thanks, I hate it. Also, the STAC catalog will be mostly wrong, so why do this?
Reposted by Joe Kington
Reposted by Joe Kington
Tonight’s aurora in Michigan.
November 13, 2025 at 4:55 AM
Tonight’s aurora in Michigan.
Reposted by Joe Kington
Breaking: Judge Gibson rejects the Legislature’s congressional boundaries. Chooses the plaintiffs Map 1. A solid northern SLCO district that strongly favors a Democrat.
November 11, 2025 at 6:50 AM
Breaking: Judge Gibson rejects the Legislature’s congressional boundaries. Chooses the plaintiffs Map 1. A solid northern SLCO district that strongly favors a Democrat.
Today I learned something very cool I did not know about my backyard!!
⚒️ Seems a good excuse to note that this whole part of the world seems to have been a mega-landslide (and probably relatedly, large explosive volcano) wonderland in the Cenozoic. In addition to Heart Mountain, Markagunt in Utah and now this one near Salt Lake City have been identified.
November 5, 2025 at 12:46 AM
Today I learned something very cool I did not know about my backyard!!