#diy fluids

In an earthquake, sand and soil particles get jostled together, forcing any water between them up toward the surface. The result is liquefaction, a state where once-solid ground starts to behave much like a liquid. (Video credit: California Geological Survey)

Schlieren techniques are one of my favorite forms of flow visualization. They cleverly make the invisible visible through an optical set-up that's sensitive to changes in density.  (Video and image credit: All Things Physics; submitted by David J.)

During the winter months, those of us living in the mid-latitudes sometimes experience atmospheric rivers. Formed from the interaction of cold winter storms with warm, moist tropical air, atmospheric rivers can deliver intense rainfall across long distances. (Video and image credit: UCLA SpinLab)

Engineering classes often discuss hydrostatics--the physics of non-moving water--before they cover fluid dynamics and its flows. But hydrostatics is plenty challenging on its own. (Video and image credit: S. Mould)

Fluid dynamics often comes down to a competition between the different forces acting in a flow. Inertia, surface tension, viscosity, gravity, rotation -- flows can be affected by all of these and more.  (Video and image credit: UCLA SpinLab)

Siphons are a bit mind-boggling for anyone who has internalized the idea that water always flows downhill. But gravity actually allows a siphon's water to flow up and over an obstacle, provided certain conditions are met.  (Video and image credit: S. Mould)

If you spin a tank of water at a constant speed, it takes on a curved, parabolic shape--a demonstration often called Newton's bucket. Here, a team from UCLA shows how it's done, both in terms of the equipment needed and a concise explanation of the physics. (Video and image credit: UCLA SpinLab)

The interface where air and water meet is a special world of surface-tension-mediated interactions. Cereal lovers are well-aware of the Cheerios effect, where lightweight O's tend to attract one another, courtesy of their matching menisci. And those who have played with soap boats know that a gradient in surface tension causes flow.  (Research and image credit: J. Wilt et al.; via Ars Technica) Read the full article