The reason is that darknessâor, to put it the other way, the absence of lightâstimulates the production of a hormone, melatonin, from its immediate precursor, the neurotransmitter serotonin. Like serotonin, melatonin plays important roles in our physical and mental well-being.
The five major ocean gyres. A gyre in oceanography is any large system of circulating ocean currents, particularly those involved with large wind movements. Gyres are caused by the Coriolis effect; planetary vorticity along with horizontal and vertical friction, determine the circulation patterns from the wind curl (torque).
1 The ionosphere is a region of the atmosphere that is ionized by solar radiation. 2  It is responsible for auroras. 3  During daytime hours, it stretches from 50 to 1,000 km (31 to 621 mi; 160,000 to 3,280,000 ft) and includes the mesosphere, thermosphere, and parts of the exosphere. The ionosphere is a region of the atmosphere that is ionized by solar radiation. 2  It is responsible for auroras. 3  During daytime hours, it stretches from 50 to 1,000 km (31 to 621 mi; 160,000 to 3,280,000 ft) and includes the mesosphere, thermosphere, and parts of the exosphere.