Why coastal climates have cooler summers and warmer winters

During the American Civil War, Confederate leaders hoped Britain's dependence on Southern cotton would force it to support their rebellion. But European mills had alternative supplies, while British food imports from the United States became increasingly important. Cotton was not enough to persuade Britain or France to intervene on the Confederacy's behalf.

The Chicxulub asteroid impact shattered rock and left enormous amounts of heat beneath the crater. Water circulated through the fractured ground, forming a hydrothermal system that may have lasted for a very long time. Researchers think such environments could have supported microorganisms even after the surface suffered catastrophic destruction.