Caitlin Dempsey

Caitlin Dempsey is the editor of Geography Realm and holds a master's degree in Geography from UCLA as well as a Master of Library and Information Science (MLIS) from SJSU.
Taken at about 30,000 feet (9 kilometers) over eastern Washington, the smoke plume (gray) feeds the pyrocumulonimbus cloud (white). Photo: David Peterson (U.S. Naval Research Laboratory), public domain, August 8, 2019.

Understanding the Increase in PyroCbs: Wildfire Thunderstorms

Caitlin Dempsey

The phenomenon of fire-triggered thunderstorms is called pyroCbs, which is short for pyrocumulonimbus clouds.

Screenshot from an interactive map website showing transit maps.

Automating a London Tube Style Transit Map of the World

Caitlin Dempsey

Researchers used OpenStreetMap data to automate the creation of a global transit map, featuring schematic layouts inspired by the iconic London Tube map.

A view on a bright sunny day of a street in a residential neighborhood with some trees.

Study: Cities at Higher Latitudes Benefit More from Urban Vegetation Cooling

Caitlin Dempsey

Study in Nature Communications examined cooling benefits of urban vegetation in 468 cities to see where parks and greenery benefit residents most.

Fire Islands is an Atlantic Ocean barrier island off the southern shore of Long Island, New York. Photo: Jennifer Miselis, USGS. Public domain.

Barrier Islands in the United States

Caitlin Dempsey

Barrier islands are narrow landforms running parallel to coastlines, protecting shores from storms and erosion while supporting unique ecosystems.

Coastlines, like this California view at Pescadero, show how complex coastlines are with bluffs, rocks, and curvature. Photo: Meaghan Faletti, USGS . Public domain.

How Many States Are Along the East Coast and West Coast of the United States?

Caitlin Dempsey

Learn how many states are along the East Coast and how many states are along the West Coast.