Earth Watch Report – Monday August 6th, 2012

Earthquakes

RSOE EDIS

Date/Time (UTC)	Magnitude	Area	Country	State/Prov./Gov.	Location	Risk			Source	Details
06.08.2012 09:45:24	4.4	North America	United States	California	Coalinga				USGS-RSOE
06.08.2012 09:40:34	4.2	Middle East	Iran	M?zandar?n	Neka’				USGS-RSOE
06.08.2012 09:35:24	4.1	Middle-East	Iran	M?zandar?n	Neka’				EMSC
06.08.2012 09:35:43	3.1	Asia	Azerbaijan	Hac?qabul	Mughan				EMSC
06.08.2012 08:30:26	2.5	Asia	Turkey	Van	Yuvacik				EMSC
06.08.2012 08:30:48	4.6	Asia	Japan	Kagoshima	Nishinoomote				EMSC
06.08.2012 08:25:26	4.6	Asia	Japan	Kagoshima	Nishinoomote				USGS-RSOE
06.08.2012 08:31:07	4.9	Asia	Japan	Kagoshima	Nishinoomote				EMSC
06.08.2012 07:55:27	5.0	Asia	Japan	Kagoshima	Nishinoomote				USGS-RSOE
06.08.2012 08:31:27	2.8	Asia	Turkey	Van	Toyga				EMSC
06.08.2012 07:45:27	2.9	North America	United States	Oklahoma	Boley				USGS-RSOE
06.08.2012 09:36:38	2.8	Caribbean	U.S. Virgin Islands	Saint Thomas Island	Charlotte Amalie				USGS-RSOE
06.08.2012 07:30:25	2.1	Asia	Turkey	Manisa	Soma				EMSC
06.08.2012 07:20:34	4.5	Asia	Afghanistan	Badakhshan	Ashkasham				USGS-RSOE
06.08.2012 07:30:46	4.5	Asia	Afghanistan	Badakhshan	Ashkasham				EMSC
06.08.2012 07:10:26	4.9	Pacific Ocean – West	New Caledonia		Tadine				USGS-RSOE
06.08.2012 07:31:07	5.1	Pacific Ocean – West	New Caledonia		Tadine				EMSC
06.08.2012 07:31:27	2.5	Asia	Turkey	??rnak	Uzungecit				EMSC
06.08.2012 09:37:03	2.4	Caribbean	Puerto Rico	Rincon	Stella				USGS-RSOE
06.08.2012 06:40:34	2.9	North America	United States	Alaska	Ugashik				USGS-RSOE
06.08.2012 07:31:48	2.4	Europe	Greece	North Aegean	Agios Ilias				EMSC
06.08.2012 07:32:10	2.3	Europe	Greece	North Aegean	Agios Dimitrios				EMSC
06.08.2012 07:00:33	2.7	North America	United States	Nebraska	Seneca				USGS-RSOE
06.08.2012 06:25:32	2.1	Europe	Italy	Abruzzo	Fagnano Alto				EMSC
06.08.2012 09:36:04	4.4	Asia	Japan	Kagoshima	Naze				EMSC
06.08.2012 06:25:51	2.5	Europe	Greece	Peloponnese	Skala				EMSC
06.08.2012 06:26:11	5.2	Asia	Japan	Kagoshima	Nishinoomote				EMSC
06.08.2012 05:40:49	5.3	Asia	Japan	Kagoshima	Nishinoomote				USGS-RSOE
06.08.2012 05:16:34	4.4	Europe	Sweden	Skåne	Torekov				USGS-RSOE
06.08.2012 05:20:27	4.4	Europe	Sweden	Skĺne	Torekov				EMSC
06.08.2012 05:21:02	3.0	Europe	Greece	North Aegean	Agios Ilias				EMSC
06.08.2012 06:26:58	2.5	Asia	Turkey	Karabük	Gozyeri				EMSC
06.08.2012 06:27:18	4.7	Asia	Japan	Chiba	Ohara				EMSC
06.08.2012 05:22:31	4.7	Asia	Japan	Chiba	Ohara				USGS-RSOE
06.08.2012 04:10:26	2.4	North America	United States	Alaska	Petersville				USGS-RSOE
06.08.2012 06:27:37	2.0	Asia	Turkey	Erzurum	Narman				EMSC
06.08.2012 06:27:54	2.7	Asia	Turkey	Van	Yuvacik				EMSC
06.08.2012 05:21:23	3.1	Asia	Turkey	Van	Yuvacik				EMSC
06.08.2012 05:21:44	3.1	Asia	Turkey	??rnak	Bogazoren				EMSC
06.08.2012 02:00:34	2.2	North America	United States	Alaska	Trapper Creek				USGS-RSOE
06.08.2012 02:00:57	2.7	North America	United States	Alaska	Pope-Vannoy Landing				USGS-RSOE
06.08.2012 06:28:12	2.5	Asia	Turkey	??rnak	Uzungecit				EMSC
06.08.2012 05:22:06	3.1	Asia	Turkey	??rnak	Uzungecit				EMSC
06.08.2012 06:28:32	2.7	Asia	Turkey	Kütahya	Pazarlar				EMSC
06.08.2012 01:30:31	3.3	North America	United States	Hawaii	Puako				USGS-RSOE
06.08.2012 06:28:50	2.0	Asia	Turkey	Van	Toyga				EMSC
06.08.2012 06:29:10	2.4	Asia	Turkey	Mu?la	Datca				EMSC
06.08.2012 01:05:52	4.8	Pacific Ocean	Tonga	Vava`u	Hihifo				USGS-RSOE
06.08.2012 01:15:19	4.8	Pacific Ocean – East	Tonga	Vava`u	Hihifo				EMSC
06.08.2012 06:29:30	2.4	Asia	Turkey	Kütahya	Saphane				EMSC

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Volcanic Activity

Steam plume visible at White Island crater

Source: ONE News

• 
  White Island crater, 5 August 2012 – Source: GeoNet

  

  View of White Island from Papamoa Beach – Source: Supplied by Rebecca Cowley

A steam plume has been visible at the White Island crater today.

Earlier this week GNS Science issued a volcanic alert for White Island, which is off the coast of the Bay of Plenty, due to signs of increased activity.

According to GNS, although more volcanic activity has been recorded, “everything seems to be relatively stable”.

Volcanologists have recorded a rapid rise in White Island’s crater lake, a pulse of volcanic tremor and slightly higher gas levels in the plume.

“Although the volcanic tremor increased substantially during Saturday it has returned to levels similar to those during the early part of last week,” GNS said.

The white steam plume can sometimes be seen from areas of the Bay of Plenty coast.

On Thursday, GNS Science duty volcanologist Michael Rosenberg said its crater lake has started to re-fill and gases were now “vigorously streaming through it”.

“Airborne gas measurements show that the discharge of some sulphur gases has increased,” he said.

GNS volcanologists plan to visit White Island early next week to collect water and gas samples and make a ground level survey of the crater floor.

These measurements will help understand what changes are taking place beneath the volcano and whether these might lead to increased surface activity.

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GNS advises people to take extra caution, especially if approaching the crater lake and other active thermal features.

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Extreme Temperatures/ Weather

Excessive Heat Warning

PHOENIX AZ

Heat Advisory

FORT WORTH TX

Blame blistering heat waves on global warming, study says

Sue Ogrocki / AP

In this Sept. 30, 2011, file photo, sailboats and a floating dock lie on the dry, cracked dirt in a harbor at Lake Hefner in Oklahoma City as drought continues to be a problem across the state. The relentless type of heat that has blistered the U.S. and other parts of the world in recent years is due to man-made global warming, a new study from a top government scientist says.

By The Associated Press and NBC News staff

The relentless, weather-gone-crazy type of heat that has blistered the United States and other parts of the world in recent years is so rare that it can’t be anything but man-made global warming, says a new statistical analysis from a top government scientist.

The research by a man often called the “godfather of global warming” says that the likelihood of such temperatures occurring from the 1950s through the 1980s was rarer than 1 in 300. Now, the odds are closer to 1 in 10, according to the study by NASA scientist James Hansen. He says that statistically what’s happening is not random or normal, but pure and simple climate change.

“This is not some scientific theory. We are now experiencing scientific fact,” Hansen told The Associated Press in an interview.

Hansen is a scientist at NASA’s Goddard Institute for Space Studies in New York and a professor at Columbia University. He has called for government action to curb greenhouse gases for years. While his study was published online Saturday in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science, it is unlikely to sway opinion among the remaining climate change skeptics.

However, several climate scientists praised the new work.

In a departure from most climate research, Hansen’s study — based on statistics, not the more typical climate modeling — blames these three heat waves purely on global warming:

—Last year’s devastating Texas-Oklahoma drought.

—The 2010 heat waves in Russia and the Middle East, which led to thousands of deaths.

—The 2003 European heat wave blamed for tens of thousands of deaths, especially among the elderly in France.

The analysis was written before the current drought and record-breaking temperatures that have seared much of the United States this year. But Hansen believes this too is another prime example of global warming at its worst.

In an opinion column published Saturday in The Washington Post, Hansen said his predictions in the late 1980s of the dire consequences of steadily increasing temperatures have proven to be worse than he thought.

“Our analysis shows that it is no longer enough to say that global warming will increase the likelihood of extreme weather and to repeat the caveat that no individual weather event can be directly linked to climate change. To the contrary, our analysis shows that, for the extreme hot weather of the recent past, there is virtually no explanation other than climate change.

The deadly European heat wave of 2003, the fiery Russian heat wave of 2010 and catastrophic droughts in Texas and Oklahoma last year can each be attributed to climate change. And once the data are gathered in a few weeks’ time, it’s likely that the same will be true for the extremely hot summer the United States is suffering through right now.

These weather events are not simply an example of what climate change could bring. They are caused by climate change. The odds that natural variability created these extremes are minuscule, vanishingly small. To count on those odds would be like quitting your job and playing the lottery every morning to pay the bills.”

The new research makes the case for the severity of global warming in a different way than most scientific studies and uses simple math instead of relying on complex climate models or an understanding of atmospheric physics. It also doesn’t bother with the usual caveats about individual weather events having numerous causes.

The increase in the chance of extreme heat, drought and heavy downpours in certain regions is so huge that scientists should stop hemming and hawing, Hansen said. “This is happening often enough, over a big enough area that people can see it happening,” he said.

Scientists have generally responded that it’s impossible to say whether single events are caused by global warming, because of the influence of natural weather variability.

Watch the most-viewed videos on NBCNews.com

However, that position has been shifting in recent months, as other studies too have concluded climate change is happening right before our eyes.

Hansen hopes his new study will shift people’s thinking about climate change and goad governments into action. He wrote an op-ed piece that appeared online Friday in the Washington Post.

“There is still time to act and avoid a worsening climate, but we are wasting precious time,” he wrote.

The science in Hansen’s study is excellent “and reframes the question,” said Andrew Weaver, a climate scientist at the University of Victoria in British Columbia who was a member of the Nobel Prize-winning international panel of climate scientists that issued a series of reports on global warming.

“Rather than say, ‘Is this because of climate change?’ That’s the wrong question. What you can say is, ‘How likely is this to have occurred with the absence of global warming?’ It’s so extraordinarily unlikely that it has to be due to global warming,” Weaver said.

For years scientists have run complex computer models using combinations of various factors to see how likely a weather event would happen without global warming and with it. About 25 different aspects of climate change have been formally attributed to man-made greenhouse gases in dozens of formal studies. But these are generally broad and non-specific, such as more heat waves in some regions and heavy rainfall in others.

Another upcoming study by Kevin Trenberth, climate analysis chief at the National Center for Atmospheric Research, links the 2010 Russian heat wave to global warming by looking at the underlying weather that caused the heat wave. He called Hansen’s paper an important one that helps communicate the problem.

But there is bound to be continued disagreement. Previous studies had been unable to link the two, and one by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration concluded that the Russian drought, which also led to devastating wildfires, was not related to global warming.

White House science adviser John Holdren praised the paper’s findings in a statement. But he also said it is true that scientists can’t blame single events on global warming: “This work, which finds that extremely hot summers are over 10 times more common than they used to be, reinforces many other lines of evidence showing that climate change is occurring and that it is harmful.”

Skeptical scientist John Christy of the University of Alabama at Huntsville said Hansen shouldn’t have compared recent years to the 1950s-1980s time period because he said that was a quiet time for extremes.

But Derek Arndt, director of climate monitoring for the federal government’s National Climatic Data Center, said that range is a fair one and often used because it is the “golden era” for good statistics.

Granger Morgan, head of engineering and public policy at Carnegie Mellon University, called Hansen’s study “an important next step in what I expect will be a growing set of statistically-based arguments.”

In a landmark 1988 study, Hansen predicted that if greenhouse gas emissions continue, which they have, Washington, D.C., would have about nine days each year of 95 degrees or warmer in the decade of the 2010s. So far this year, with about four more weeks of summer, the city has had 23 days with 95 degrees or hotter temperatures.

Hansen says now he underestimated how bad things would get.

And while he hopes this will spur action including a tax on the burning of fossil fuels, which emit carbon dioxide, a key greenhouse gas, others doubt it.

Science policy expert Roger Pielke Jr. of the University of Colorado said Hansen clearly doesn’t understand social science, thinking a study like his could spur action. Just because people understand a fact that doesn’t mean people will act on it, he said.

In an email, he wrote: “Hansen is pursuing a deeply flawed model of policy change, one that will prove ineffectual and with its most lasting consequence a further politicization of climate science (if that is possible!).”

Tens of thousands evacuated as high winds threaten music Lollapalooza fest

Many of the fans were told to go to one of three underground parking garages designated as ’emergency evacuation shelters’

Daniel Boczarski  /  Getty Images Contributor

Fans evacuate Lollapalooza music festival after a severe storm warning on Saturday in Chicago.

NBC News and news services

The Lollapalooza music festival in Chicago was suspended and tens of thousands of fans were evacuated to shelters on Saturday as the city braced for dangerous storms with high winds, organizers said.

Organizers stopped at about 3:30 p.m. (2:30 p.m. ET), and many of the fans were told to go to one of three underground parking garages designated as “emergency evacuation shelters,” the Los Angeles Times reported.

“Our first priority is always the safety of our fans, staff and artists,” said Shelby Meade, communications director for C3 Presents, the promoter behind Lollapalooza. “We regret having to suspend any show but safety always comes first.”

All told, the festival was closed for about three hours, according to a statement by the organizers.

The National Weather Service office in Romeoville, Illinois, which covers Chicago, recorded wind gusts up to 55 miles per hour on Saturday and had reports of gusts up to 70 mph, some measured, some estimated, said meteorologist Ben Deubelbeiss.

“Heavy rains, wind and lightning are the main threats from these storms,” he said.

The worst of the severe weather powered through Chicago late Saturday afternoon and headed over Lake Michigan and northern Indiana.

The unsettled weather was set to continue in the Midwest and beyond throughout the weekend and into Monday, Weather.com reported. A cold front was set to march across the eastern states on Sunday and Monday, the website said.

This cold weather mingled with a warm, humid air mass will help trigger severe thunderstorms from the eastern Great Lakes and Northeast into the Mid-South, weather.com said.

Downpours were expected ahead of the front and flash flooding was possible, it added.

Festival-goers evacuated
Festival-goers were evacuated from Grant Park in downtown Chicago and directed by police and staffers to three shelter sites along Michigan Avenue in underground garages.

The festival draws nearly 200,000 people to the park each year, and this year is headlined by music acts including the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Black Sabbath and Jack White.

A year ago, seven people died and 40 were injured when a huge temporary stage at the Indiana State Fair came crashing down amid high winds just before the country duo Sugarland was to begin performing.

Poor communication about predictions of stormy weather approaching the area ahead of the Sugarland concert was among the factors cited in the stage collapse by consultant studies commissioned by the state.

This year, organizers thanked city officials and fans for their reaction to the inclement weather.

“We want to thank the tens of thousands of festival goers, staff, and artists who calmly and safely exited from Grant Park today,” Charlie Jones, partner of C3 Presents, which promotes the festival. “We also applaud and thank the City of Chicago for their cooperation and commitment to making Lolla a safe and enjoyable experience for all. Once again Chicago has come through and we’re proud to call the city our partner.”

Lollapalooza, initially organized in 1991 by Jane’s Addiction singer Perry Farrell, began as a traveling music festival with several dates all summer. After a six-year hiatus starting in the late 90s, the popular alternative music festival began holding its annual concerts only in Chicago in 2005.

Reuters contributed to this report.

Red Flag Warning

FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE

MEDFORD OR
BOISE ID
PENDLETON OR
MISSOULA MT
SPOKANE WA

Fire Weather Watch

CHEYENNE WY
NORTH PLATTE NE
MISSOULA MT
BILLINGS MT
GREAT FALLS MT
RIVERTON WY
POCATELLO ID

05.08.2012

Forest / Wild Fire

USA

State of Utah, Layton

Forest / Wild Fire in USA on Sunday, 05 August, 2012 at 09:57 (09:57 AM) UTC.

Description

About 30 homes in Layton were evacuated late Saturday after a brush fire broke out in the foothills. The residents in the Layton Ridge subdivision and along Hanney Canyon were ordered to evacuate as a precaution. Dubbed the Ridges Fire, firefighters were worried that if the winds shifted, the flames could threaten several homes in the area. Fire crews were prepared to spend the night defending those homes if necessary. “We have a hillside fire that’s actually involving a lot of federal and stand land property right now,” said Layton fire spokesman Doug Bitton. “We do have some concerns that we have downslope winds that have been projected.” The fire began about 6 p.m. east of Highway 89, burning brush and steep terrain. It had burned about 10 acres as of 11 p.m. How the blaze began, however, was unknown. The steep terrain made it difficult for firefighters to reach the area and fight it from the ground. Air attacks were stopped for the night, which contributed to the concerns. “This will be an overnight fire and will probably extend for many days to search for and seek containment,” Bitton said. Residents and drivers along Highway 89 flooded dispatchers with 911 calls. Smoke could be seen for miles. No homes were initially threatened, but dozens of families came to see where the smoke was coming from. “I drove home, got the wife and kids and came over to take a look. It’s probably tripled in size since I saw it first,” Layton resident Michael Ellgren said of the wildfire. “I see a helicopter going and trying to pour water onto the fire, which is spreading really fast,” said Scarlett Kluge, who also lives in Layton. More than 30 firefighters were battling the fire, which quickly became a danger to a nearby neighborhood. The Red Cross set up an evacuation shelter at Northridge High School, 2430 N. Hill Field Road. Fire officials also sent a Tweet warning commuters along Highway 89 to slow down because of the large amount of smoke in the area.

……………………………………………….

Towns’ residents flee Oklahoma wildfires that have destroyed dozens of homes

Firefighters are struggling to control more than a dozen blazes that have scorched thousands of acres. NBC’s Gabe Gutierrez reports.

By NBC News staff and wire services

Updated at 12:20 a.m ET: At least 121 structures, many of them homes, have been destroyed by wildfires in Oklahoma, officials said Saturday as temperatures topped 100 degrees for a 19th straight day.

New evacuations were under way Saturday as well: Authorities ordered evacuations in the towns of Glencoe, population of around 600, and Mannford, population about 3,000 in Creek County about 20 miles west of Tulsa.

Thousands were on the move as the fire in Creek County spread quickly, the Oklahoma Highway Patrol reported.

A Glencoe official said 15 to 20 homes had burned in that area on Saturday, KOCO of Oklahoma City reported.

A grass fire near Luther consumed 56 structures and hot spots there and at two other large fires kept crews busy Saturday. It has burned 2,600 acres by Saturday evening.

Gov. Mary Fallin toured the Luther area on Saturday, calling the devastation “heartbreaking.”

“A lot of people were at work and didn’t realize how quickly the fire was moving,” Fallin told Reuters in a telephone interview. “It’s emotional. For the children, it’s very emotional to lose their possessions.”

Authorities suspect that fire might be arson: The Oklahoma County Sheriff’s Department said it received a 911 call from a man who reported seeing another man toss a lighted newspaper from a pickup truck window on Friday afternoon.

Residents returning to their homes Saturday found charred timbers poking from the debris and the burned out shells of refrigerators, washers and dryers.

“It’s all gone. All of our family pictures, everything was there,” said Victoria Landavazo, clutching a young child in her arms.

Tracy Streeper was working in Oklahoma City, about 40 miles southwest, when she learned the fire was approaching. Caught in traffic, it took her a long time to reach home and then, “once we got here, we had maybe 30 minutes.”

A wildfire has consumed over 2,000 acres in Cleveland County, Oklahoma, burning buildings and forcing evacuations. NBCNews.com’s Al Stirrett reports.

She grabbed a few clothes, medicine and her three dogs and left quickly.

Reuters

Remains of a home burnned to the ground are seen in Luther, Okla., on Saturday.

“Your adrenaline is running. You’re pumped up,” Streeper said. “You could just see a wall of flames coming this way. Everything was on fire.”

Casey Strahan said he went outside after power went out in the home he rents about 4:30 p.m. He looked south and saw smoke rising in the distance. He thought it was moving away from him until police ordered him to leave. He rushed through the house, grabbing clothing, photos and a computer as he went. When he returned Saturday, he found the house burned to the ground.

“I just never thought it was really going to get us,” said Strahan, a softball and girls basketball coach at Luther High School.

Fires near Mannford and Noble claimed another 65 structures.

Two new fires broke out on Saturday, and Oklahoma now is fighting 13 across the state, said Forestry Services spokeswoman Michelle  Finch-Walker.

A state-wide burn ban was issued by Fallin on Friday.

Oklahoma has contacted neighboring states for help but, with the exception of Texas, neighbors have had to focus on their own fire threats, Fallin said on Friday.

“There’s fires in Arkansas. There’s fires in Kansas and Texas. Everybody else is on high heat alert,” she said.

Sarah Phipps / AP

A home burns during a large wildfire Friday, Aug. 3, 2012 in Luther, Okla.

Oklahoma joins several states that have been plagued by wildfires this summer, including Colorado, Arkansas and Nebraska. Fires are being fed by a widespread drought. Nearly two-thirds of the contiguous United States was under some level of drought as of July 31.

Low humidity, strong southerly winds and drought conditions enabled the wildfires to spread quickly across treetops, said Michelann Ooten, deputy director of the state’s Office of Emergency Management.

“It’s just a very difficult situation we’re facing that’s all weather related,” Ooten said.

The heat in Oklahoma City, the state capital, has reached historic levels.

On Friday, Oklahoma City tied its all-time record for the highest temperature ever recorded when the thermometer reached 113 Fahrenheit, a mark last recorded in the Dust Bowl days in 1936.

It’s so hot that some volunteer fire departments have made a public plea for Gatorade donations to keep their crews hydrated in the scalding conditions.

Reuters and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Storms, Flooding

Active tropical storm system(s)
Name of storm system	Location	Formed	Last update	Last category	Course	Wind Speed	Gust	Wave	Source	Details
Ernesto (AL05)	Atlantic Ocean	02.08.2012	06.08.2012	Tropical Depression	270 °	83 km/h	102 km/h	4.57 m	NOAA NHC

Tropical Storm data

Share: Share on facebook Share on twitter Share on email Share on print More Sharing Services 5 Storm name: Ernesto (AL05) Area: Atlantic Ocean Start up location: N 12° 36.000, W 50° 36.000 Start up: 02nd August 2012 Status: 01st January 1970 Track long: 1,958.78 km Top category.: Report by: NHC Useful links: Saffir–Simpson Hurricane Scale FEMA – How To Prepare for a Hurricane Effects of a Hurricane USA – National Hurricane Center

Past track Date Time Position Speed km/h Wind km/h Gust km/h Category Course Wave Pressure Source 02nd Aug 2012 04:08:45 N 12° 36.000, W 50° 36.000 30 56 74 Tropical Depression 285 16 1008 MB NHC 03rd Aug 2012 04:49:11 N 13° 24.000, W 58° 18.000 35 83 102 Tropical Storm 275 20 1005 MB NHC 04th Aug 2012 05:16:42 N 13° 54.000, W 65° 36.000 30 83 102 Tropical Storm 275 16 1003 MB NHC 05th Aug 2012 05:35:24 N 15° 24.000, W 72° 42.000 35 93 111 Tropical Storm 285 16 1007 MB NHC Current position Date Time Position Speed km/h Wind km/h Gust km/h Category Course Wave feet Pressure Source 06th Aug 2012 05:25:12 N 15° 0.000, W 79° 42.000 24 83 102 Tropical Depression 270 ° 15 1003 MB NHC Forecast track Date Time Position Category Wind km/h Gust km/h Source 07th Aug 2012 12:00:00 N 17° 6.000, W 85° 6.000 Hurricane I 111 139 NHC 07th Aug 2012 00:00:00 N 16° 6.000, W 83° 18.000 Hurricane I 102 120 NHC 08th Aug 2012 00:00:00 N 17° 54.000, W 87° 30.000 Hurricane I 120 148 NHC 09th Aug 2012 00:00:00 N 19° 0.000, W 91° 24.000 Tropical Depression 65 83 NHC 10th Aug 2012 00:00:00 N 20° 0.000, W 95° 12.000 Tropical Depression 93 111 NHC 11th Aug 2012 00:00:00 N 20° 30.000, W 98° 30.000 Hurricane I 102 120 NHC

Haikui (12W)

Pacific Ocean

03.08.2012

06.08.2012

Typhoon I

270 °

102 km/h

130 km/h

3.66 m

JTWC

 Tropical Storm data

Share: Share on facebook Share on twitter Share on email Share on print More Sharing Services 4 Storm name: Haikui (12W) Area: Pacific Ocean Start up location: N 24° 24.000, E 139° 48.000 Start up: 03rd August 2012 Status: 01st January 1970 Track long: 879.50 km Top category.: Report by: JTWC Useful links: Saffir–Simpson Hurricane Scale FEMA – How To Prepare for a Hurricane Effects of a Hurricane USA – National Hurricane Center

Past track Date Time Position Speed km/h Wind km/h Gust km/h Category Course Wave Pressure Source 03rd Aug 2012 09:08:44 N 24° 24.000, E 139° 48.000 24 56 74 Tropical Depression 295 20 JTWC 04th Aug 2012 05:17:37 N 24° 54.000, E 134° 12.000 35 65 83 Tropical Storm 275 20 JTWC 05th Aug 2012 05:42:49 N 26° 48.000, E 129° 12.000 17 83 102 Tropical Storm 290 16 JTWC Current position Date Time Position Speed km/h Wind km/h Gust km/h Category Course Wave feet Pressure Source 06th Aug 2012 05:33:59 N 27° 12.000, E 126° 0.000 7 102 130 Typhoon I 270 ° 12 JTWC Forecast track Date Time Position Category Wind km/h Gust km/h Source 07th Aug 2012 00:00:00 N 27° 42.000, E 123° 6.000 Typhoon I 120 148 JTWC 07th Aug 2012 12:00:00 N 28° 24.000, E 121° 48.000 Typhoon II 130 157 JTWC 08th Aug 2012 00:00:00 N 29° 0.000, E 120° 48.000 Typhoon I 102 130 JTWC 09th Aug 2012 00:00:00 N 29° 36.000, E 120° 12.000 Tropical Depression 83 102 JTWC 10th Aug 2012 00:00:00 N 30° 24.000, E 120° 0.000 Tropical Depression 46 65 JTWC 11th Aug 2012 00:00:00 N 31° 24.000, E 120° 42.000 Tropical Depression 37 56 JTWC

Florence (AL06)

Atlantic Ocean

04.08.2012

06.08.2012

Tropical Depression

270 °

65 km/h

83 km/h

3.96 m

NOAA NHC

  Tropical Storm data

Share: Share on facebook Share on twitter Share on email Share on print More Sharing Services 1 Storm name: Florence (AL06) Area: Atlantic Ocean Start up location: N 13° 48.000, W 27° 48.000 Start up: 04th August 2012 Status: Active Track long: 693.88 km Top category.: Report by: NOAA NHC Useful links: Saffir–Simpson Hurricane Scale FEMA – How To Prepare for a Hurricane Effects of a Hurricane USA – National Hurricane Center

Past track Date Time Position Speed km/h Wind km/h Gust km/h Category Course Wave Pressure Source 04th Aug 2012 05:23:26 N 13° 48.000, W 27° 48.000 26 56 74 Tropical Depression 290 20 1009 MB NOAA NHC 05th Aug 2012 05:34:42 N 16° 6.000, W 33° 0.000 24 93 111 Tropical Storm 295 20 1000 MB NOAA NHC Current position Date Time Position Speed km/h Wind km/h Gust km/h Category Course Wave feet Pressure Source 06th Aug 2012 05:28:10 N 16° 12.000, W 37° 54.000 20 65 83 Tropical Depression 270 ° 13 1008 MB NOAA NHC Forecast track Date Time Position Category Wind km/h Gust km/h Source 07th Aug 2012 12:00:00 N 17° 18.000, W 46° 24.000 Tropical Depression 56 74 NOAA NHC 07th Aug 2012 00:00:00 N 16° 42.000, W 43° 0.000 Tropical Depression 56 74 NOAA NHC 08th Aug 2012 00:00:00 N 18° 6.000, W 50° 0.000 Tropical Depression 56 74 NOAA NHC 09th Aug 2012 00:00:00 N 19° 54.000, W 57° 0.000 Tropical Depression 56 74 NOAA NHC 10th Aug 2012 00:00:00 N 22° 0.000, W 62° 30.000 Tropical Depression 56 74 NOAA NHC 11th Aug 2012 00:00:00 N 25° 0.000, W 67° 30.000 Tropical Depression 46 65 NOAA NHC

13W

Pacific Ocean

05.08.2012

06.08.2012

Tropical Depression

240 °

65 km/h

83 km/h

3.05 m

JTWC

 Tropical Storm data

Share: Share on facebook Share on twitter Share on email Share on print More Sharing Services 0 Storm name: 13W Area: Pacific Ocean Start up location: N 23° 6.000, E 161° 36.000 Start up: 05th August 2012 Status: Active Track long: 190.29 km Top category.: Report by: JTWC Useful links: Saffir–Simpson Hurricane Scale FEMA – How To Prepare for a Hurricane Effects of a Hurricane USA – National Hurricane Center

Past track Date Time Position Speed km/h Wind km/h Gust km/h Category Course Wave Pressure Source 05th Aug 2012 05:44:20 N 23° 6.000, E 161° 36.000 13 46 65 Tropical Depression 195 10 JTWC Current position Date Time Position Speed km/h Wind km/h Gust km/h Category Course Wave feet Pressure Source 06th Aug 2012 05:31:12 N 25° 48.000, E 162° 12.000 9 65 83 Tropical Depression 240 ° 10 JTWC Forecast track Date Time Position Category Wind km/h Gust km/h Source 07th Aug 2012 12:00:00 N 30° 0.000, E 160° 18.000 Tropical Depression 83 102 JTWC 07th Aug 2012 00:00:00 N 28° 54.000, E 161° 12.000 Tropical Depression 74 93 JTWC 08th Aug 2012 00:00:00 N 31° 0.000, E 159° 24.000 Tropical Depression 83 102 JTWC 09th Aug 2012 00:00:00 N 32° 42.000, E 157° 18.000 Tropical Depression 74 93 JTWC 10th Aug 2012 00:00:00 N 34° 30.000, E 155° 0.000 Tropical Depression 65 83 JTWC 11th Aug 2012 00:00:00 N 38° 12.000, E 152° 30.000 Tropical Depression 56 74 JTWC

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06.08.2012

Flash Flood

India

MultiStates, [States of Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir]

Flash Flood in India on Saturday, 04 August, 2012 at 04:06 (04:06 AM) UTC.

Description

Hundreds of people residing near Beas river have been evacuated to safe places after flash flood caused by torrential rain over Dhundi peaks at south portal of Rohtang tunnel flooded the Seri rivulet, a tributary to Beas river, on Friday at 8pm. People living close to river between Palchan and Kullu are being evacuated and traffic on national highway has been stopped. Till last report received from Palchan (near Dhundi) at 10.30pm, level of the river was rising continuously and police were evacuating the people from Bahang village, 6km from Manali. According to police, there is no report of any casualty. Sandeep Kumar, a resident of Bahang village, said people are trying to save the household accessories amid chaotic atmosphere and conditions have become even worse after power failure. “Everything was normal till late evening but the situation changed suddenly after 8pm when river water, mixed with sludge, started engulfing its banks. People are risking their lives to remove the household stuffs,” he said. An engineer working with a hydel project near Palchan said over phone that roaring sound of river is shaking the foundation of the houses. “Nobody is going to sleep tonight. Villagers have gathered at many places and are guarding the river banks with floodlights,” he said. According to villagers it is a cloudburst which might have caused devastation at its source on mountains. Kullu deputy commissioner Amitabh Awasthi said , police are patrolling the river banks and have directed people to move to safe places. “We have closed the traffic on national highway. We shall keep an eye on the situation throughout the night,” he said.

Today

Flash Flood

United Kingdom

England and Wales, [Western, Southwestern and Northern region]

Flash Flood in United Kingdom on Monday, 06 August, 2012 at 03:11 (03:11 AM) UTC.

Description

Heavy rain over the weekend caused a landslip, and left homes knee-deep in floodwater. Firefighters worked with rescue teams to ensure no one was trapped after serious landslide in Portbury, near Bristol, brought soil, rocks and debris down on to a country lane. In North Somerset, Devon, North Cornwall and North Yorkshire fire brigade teams were called out to pump water from homes and to rescue people from cars trapped on inundated roads. Flash flooding closed the A69 Newcastle to Carlisle Road in Northumberland for a time. Six people were evacuated from properties in Jedburgh in the Scottish Borders, roads were closed due to flash flooding and the town centre had to be pumped out. In Wales, the Environment Agency put a flood warning in place on the River Hydfron at Llanddowror, Carmarthenshire, and an alert on rivers on the eastern Cleddau, Pembrokeshire. The Met Office issued amber “be prepared” warnings of slow-moving heavy showers through the day for the East Midlands, North-east England, North-west England, South-west Scotland, Lothian borders, South-west England, Strathclyde, Wales, the West Midlands and Yorkshire and Humber.

05.08.2012

Flash Flood

United Kingdom

Scotland, [Scotland-England border region]

Flash Flood in United Kingdom on Sunday, 05 August, 2012 at 15:25 (03:25 PM) UTC.

Description

Overnight heavy rain has flooded scores of homes in the Scottish borders and the south-west of England. A flash flood ripped through the Scottish border town of Jedburgh on Saturday night. Around 30 homes had to be evacuated after they were submerged in 3ft of silted water when the river broke its banks. Displaced families are being put up in the local community hall. Flash flooding also hit towns in north Somerset, where the emergency services received around 80 calls for help. Firefighters spent the night pumping out homes in an operation that lasted for more than six hours. Crews also worked with specialist rescue teams at a landslip in Portbury, near Bristol, after the rain and run-off from surrounding fields brought down mud, rocks and trees. Fire brigades said no one had been trapped under the slip. A search and rescue 4×4 vehicle was used to clear debris to make the lane passable, with help from a local farmer and his tractor, and one family was helped to safety. An Avon Fire and Rescue spokesman said: “One family that were trapped in their property by the slides were able to get access to and from the lane. “Very fortunately, after extensive searching the area was declared clear.”David Westrup, 61, who runs the Elm Tree Cottage bed and breakfast in Nailsea, about eight miles from Bristol, said that his neighbours had been hit by the floods. “We’re on a hill above the river, so we’re absolutely fine … but there’s a cottage right on the roadside that was flooded out last night.” “I saw fire engines there that were pumping and there were houses that were in our view that were being pumped out by the fire brigade.” He said the home on the opposite side of the river which flows through Nailsea had been flooded a few times in recent years. “There were sandbags all over their drive and you could see water all over their driveway. But whether it got up to their front door I don’t know.” Westrup said the Environment Agency had shored up the river bank in the area in 2011, but it didn’t seem to make much difference. He added: “I can’t imagine the [extra defences] would have broken because they put extra shuttering which wasn’t there before. In other words, the agency had properly shored it up and raised the level of the bank, but it looks like it [the water] may have come over the top of it again.” Heavy showers have been forecast across much of the UK for the rest of Sunday, but Olympic events in London may escape the worst despite heavy downpours hitting the start of the women’s marathon race .

Flood Warning

MORRISTOWN TN

Flood Advisory

LOUISVILLE KY

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Epidemic  Hazards /  Diseases

05.08.2012

Epidemic Hazard

Tanzania

Kagera Region, [Nyakahanga area]

Epidemic Hazard in Tanzania on Sunday, 05 August, 2012 at 17:33 (05:33 PM) UTC.

Description
A team of medical experts from Dar es Salaam was yesterday dispatched to Kagera region to further examine the two patients believed to be suffering from the Ebola hemorrhagic fever. But as the team of medical experts was sent to Kagera region, the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare subsequently confirmed the outbreak of the deadly fever in the western part of the country. Confirming the reports, the Deputy Minister for Health and Social Welfare, Dr Seif Seleman Rashid, also said that a team of medical experts was still diagnosing a patient in efforts to establish the symptoms. In the meantime, reports from Nyakahanga designated hospital in Karagwe district, Kagera region indicate that there were two patients including a child, suspected to be suffering from the deadly fever that has rocked neighbouring Uganda. According to one of the doctors who diagnosed the patient at Karagwe’s Nyakahanga hospital, preliminary findings show that the victim might have contacted the Ebola virus. However, the doctor who requested anonymity told the Guardian on Sunday that ‘further medical examination’ would be conducted to gather more evidence about the possible outbreak of Ebola, adding that the patient had since been quarantined pending final results. According to the doctor, the ‘Ebola patient’ was brought to the hospital on Friday morning and, upon diagnosis, it was established that the patient had suffered from Ebola. The patient who is a six-year-old child was brought to the Mulongo hospital by his mother from a village close to the Uganda-Tanzania boarder after the child developed severe symptoms.“We are doing further medical examination on a patient … we will tell the general public once it is confirmed that we are dealing with Ebola virus infections,” the doctor said, adding that currently the patient alleged to have been infected was admitted in a separate room and now lives in isolation from other patients at the hospital. He said preliminary check-ups found out that the diagnosis had all signs showed clear symptoms of Ebola – after which he ordered the patient to be admitted for closer monitoring locally, and further medical examination by medical experts from the ministry headquarters. He added that the patient had since been placed in a special intensive care room which is out of bounds for all other people — apart from his mother who is taking care of the patient. However, he said, this was a medical rule aimed at avoiding quick spread of the deadly disease Another patient also believed to have crossed the boarder from Uganda was admitted at the hospital as well, but medical investigations of his deteriorating health conditions were still not completed by Saturday evening. As a precaution, the doctor said his hospital team and the district health workers had since started warning people in surrounding villages to take immediate measures whenever they come across such patients. He has also warned the people living closer to the border with Uganda to be careful not to come into contact with any person whom they see vomiting or bleeding – clear signs of someone suffering from Ebola. On Wednesday this week, Dr. Mwinyi told visibly alarmed legislators in Dodoma that a team of medical experts had been dispatched to the border with Uganda, fully equipped with protective gear and medical supplies. The minister advised the general public especially those living in the northern regions of Kagera, Mara, Mwanza and Kigoma — some of which share the border crossings with Uganda — to take precautions because the disease was highly contagious. Earlier, the World Health Organization (WHO) had alerted Tanzania on the Ebola threat, prompting the ministry to issue a press statement elaborating that Ebola (Ebola HF) was a severe, often-fatal disease in humans and nonhuman primates (monkeys, gorillas, and chimpanzees) that has appeared sporadically since its initial recognition in 1976. The disease is caused by infection with Ebola virus, named after a river in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (formerly Zaire), where it was first recognized. The virus is one of two members of a family of RNA viruses called the Filoviridae; there are five identified subtypes of the Ebola virus — four of which have been known to cause disease in humans: Ebola-Zaire, Ebola-Sudan, Ebola-Ivory Coast and Ebola-Bundibugyo. The fifth, Ebola-Reston, has caused disease in nonhuman primates, but not in humans.
Biohazard name:	Ebola (susp.)
Biohazard level:	4/4 Hazardous
Biohazard desc.:	Viruses and bacteria that cause severe to fatal disease in humans, and for which vaccines or other treatments are not available, such as Bolivian and Argentine hemorrhagic fevers, H5N1(bird flu), Dengue hemorrhagic fever, Marburg virus, Ebola virus, hantaviruses, Lassa fever, Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever, and other hemorrhagic or unidentified diseases. When dealing with biological hazards at this level the use of a Hazmat suit and a self-contained oxygen supply is mandatory. The entrance and exit of a Level Four biolab will contain multiple showers, a vacuum room, an ultraviolet light room, autonomous detection system, and other safety precautions designed to destroy all traces of the biohazard. Multiple airlocks are employed and are electronically secured to prevent both doors opening at the same time. All air and water service going to and coming from a Biosafety Level 4 (P4) lab will undergo similar decontamination procedures to eliminate the possibility of an accidental release.
Symptoms:
Status:	suspected

05.08.2012

Epidemic Hazard

Nepal

Capital City, Kathmandu

Epidemic Hazard in Nepal on Saturday, 04 August, 2012 at 04:51 (04:51 AM) UTC.

Description
At least 10 people admitted to the Sukraraj Tropical and Disease Control Hospital in Nepali capital Kathmandu have tested positive for cholera. The hospital laboratory said Vibrio Cholera belonging to 01 Ogawa stereotype was detected in all the patients. Doctors at hospital attributed the spread of cholera and diarrhea infection in Kathmandu to contaminated water, according to Saturday’s Republica daily. “Most of the patients who came to the hospital said that they had drunk water supplied by Kathmandu Upatyaka Kahanepani Limited without boiling or treatment,” Tulsha Adhikari, a nursing staff said. She said whole families had been infected and some were brought to the hospital by their neighbors as all family members were sick.
Biohazard name:	Cholera
Biohazard level:	2/4 Medium
Biohazard desc.:	Bacteria and viruses that cause only mild disease to humans, or are difficult to contract via aerosol in a lab setting, such as hepatitis A, B, and C, influenza A, Lyme disease, salmonella, mumps, measles, scrapie, dengue fever, and HIV. “Routine diagnostic work with clinical specimens can be done safely at Biosafety Level 2, using Biosafety Level 2 practices and procedures. Research work (including co-cultivation, virus replication studies, or manipulations involving concentrated virus) can be done in a BSL-2 (P2) facility, using BSL-3 practices and procedures. Virus production activities, including virus concentrations, require a BSL-3 (P3) facility and use of BSL-3 practices and procedures”, see Recommended Biosafety Levels for Infectious Agents.
Symptoms:
Status:	confirmed

Today

Epidemic Hazard

Democratic Republic of the Congo

Province of Nord Kivu, [Goma Refugee Camp]

Epidemic Hazard in Democratic Republic of the Congo on Monday, 06 August, 2012 at 03:45 (03:45 AM) UTC.

Description
Health workers in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo say an outbreak of cholera has claimed at least nine lives in a refugee camp. The first case of cholera – a contagious disease caused by filth and lack of hygiene – emerged three days ago among thousands of people in a makeshift refugee camp, Doctors Without Borders said. Thousands of people have fled fighting between M23 rebels and government forces backed by UN peacekeepers. Patrick Wieland, from Doctors Without Borders, said his organisation had set up an isolation clinic tent at Kanyaruchinya on the outskirts of Goma, the capital of North Kivu province. Wieland said humanitarian agencies were delivering water to the camp but people probably were collecting the water with dirty containers. He said there were not enough toilets for the people who fled fighting last week in Rutshuru and neighbouring Kiwanja, about 80km north of Goma. “We’re treating people with arms and legs blown-off by grenades and other heavy arms,” said Wieland. He also said that for the first time they treated many more civilians than combatants. In Goma, locals had told that 13,500 families had arrived in the past month, displaced by the fighting. “People have been forced to build their own makeshift shelters – shelters made of twigs, grass and so on and a few leaves,” he said.”Few people have been able to get hold of plastic sheeting from the United Nations refugee agency, but for the most part people are being forced to live out in the open. “They’re saying they have had no food for a month and have [had only] high-energy biscuits a week ago, but since then nothing.” M23 rebels, who take their name from a March 23 2009 agreement they signed with the Congolese government, last week attacked government troops and UN peacekeepers, firing mortars at the peacekeepers’ base at Kiwanja which was surrounded by more than 2,000 displaced people at the time. Wieland said the fighting was much heavier than any his team has seen in the three-month-old rebellion. He said that since April, Doctors Without Borders has treated more than 500 people hurt in the conflict. Congo’s army now controls only the city of Goma and the village of Kibumba, 10km outside Goma. Now the rebels hold all towns going north as far as Rutshuru and are threatening to besiege Goma. The UN Security Council demanded on Thursday that the M23 halt any advances towards Goma. In a statement delivered by council president Gerard Araud of France, the Security Council expressed deep concern at the worsening humanitarian situation, especially a surge in the number of refugees. Araud called on the international community to provide appropriate humanitarian support.
Biohazard name:	Cholera Outbreak
Biohazard level:	2/4 Medium
Biohazard desc.:	Bacteria and viruses that cause only mild disease to humans, or are difficult to contract via aerosol in a lab setting, such as hepatitis A, B, and C, influenza A, Lyme disease, salmonella, mumps, measles, scrapie, dengue fever, and HIV. “Routine diagnostic work with clinical specimens can be done safely at Biosafety Level 2, using Biosafety Level 2 practices and procedures. Research work (including co-cultivation, virus replication studies, or manipulations involving concentrated virus) can be done in a BSL-2 (P2) facility, using BSL-3 practices and procedures. Virus production activities, including virus concentrations, require a BSL-3 (P3) facility and use of BSL-3 practices and procedures”, see Recommended Biosafety Levels for Infectious Agents.
Symptoms:
Status:	confirmed

Today

Epidemic Hazard

MultiCountries

[Germany and Ireland]

Epidemic Hazard in MultiCountries on Monday, 06 August, 2012 at 03:04 (03:04 AM) UTC.

Description
A 30-year-old tourist from Germany presented in the Mid West Regional Hospital earlier this year with renal failure and respiratory symptoms. He was managed with supportive therapy and made a good recovery. He was discharged and returned to Germany. Subsequently, he was found to be IgM positive for [a] hantavirus [infection] and this diagnosis was confirmed by Porton Down in early June [2012]. A human hantavirus infection has not previously been diagnosed in Ireland. However, there were an exceptional number of cases reported in Germany and in other countries in Europe during the winter of 2011 and spring of 2012. Given the amount of travel between the continent and Ireland, it is not surprising that we would eventually see a case of this infection here. This is the 1st ever case confirmation that has been reported in this country [Ireland] and, as an unusual event, it merits further consideration.
Biohazard name:	Hantavirus
Biohazard level:	4/4 Hazardous
Biohazard desc.:	Viruses and bacteria that cause severe to fatal disease in humans, and for which vaccines or other treatments are not available, such as Bolivian and Argentine hemorrhagic fevers, H5N1(bird flu), Dengue hemorrhagic fever, Marburg virus, Ebola virus, hantaviruses, Lassa fever, Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever, and other hemorrhagic or unidentified diseases. When dealing with biological hazards at this level the use of a Hazmat suit and a self-contained oxygen supply is mandatory. The entrance and exit of a Level Four biolab will contain multiple showers, a vacuum room, an ultraviolet light room, autonomous detection system, and other safety precautions designed to destroy all traces of the biohazard. Multiple airlocks are employed and are electronically secured to prevent both doors opening at the same time. All air and water service going to and coming from a Biosafety Level 4 (P4) lab will undergo similar decontamination procedures to eliminate the possibility of an accidental release.
Symptoms:
Status:	confirmed

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Solar Activity

2MIN News August 5, 2012: Gulf Coast Beware, Undead Filament & CME on the Way

Published on Aug 5, 2012 by Suspicious0bservers

LINKS

Spaceweather: http://spaceweather.com/ [Look on the left at the X-ray Flux and Solar Wind Speed/Density]

HAARP: http://www.haarp.alaska.edu/haarp/data.html [Click online data, and have a little fun]

SDO: http://sdo.gsfc.nasa.gov/data/ [Place to find Solar Images and Videos – as seen from earth]

SOHO: http://sohodata.nascom.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/soho_movie_theater [SOHO; Lasco and EIT – as seen from earth]

Stereo: http://stereo.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/images [Stereo; Cor, EUVI, HI – as seen from the side]

SunAEON:http://www.sunaeon.com/#/solarsystem/ [Just click it… trust me]

SOLARIMG: http://solarimg.org/artis/ [All purpose data viewing site]

iSWA: http://iswa.gsfc.nasa.gov/iswa/iSWA.html [Free Application; for advanced sun watchers]

NOAA ENLIL SPIRAL: http://www.swpc.noaa.gov/wsa-enlil/cme-based/ [CME Evolution]

NOAA Bouys: http://www.ndbc.noaa.gov/

RSOE: http://hisz.rsoe.hu/alertmap/index2.php [That cool alert map I use]

JAPAN Radiation Map: http://jciv.iidj.net/map/

LISS: http://earthquake.usgs.gov/monitoring/operations/heliplots_gsn.php

Gamma Ray Bursts: http://grb.sonoma.edu/ [Really? You can’t figure out what this one is for?]

BARTOL Cosmic Rays: http://neutronm.bartol.udel.edu//spaceweather/welcome.html [Top left box, look for BIG blue circles]

TORCON: http://www.weather.com/news/tornado-torcon-index [Tornado Forecast for the day]

GOES Weather: http://rsd.gsfc.nasa.gov/goes/ [Clouds over America]

EL DORADO WORLD WEATHER MAP: http://www.eldoradocountyweather.com/satellite/ssec/world/world-composite-ir-…

PRESSURE MAP: http://www.woweather.com/cgi-bin/expertcharts?LANG=us&MENU=0000000000&…

HURRICANE TRACKER: http://www.weather.com/weather/hurricanecentral/tracker

INTELLICAST: http://www.intellicast.com/ [Weather site used by many youtubers]

NASA News: http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/

PHYSORG: http://phys.org/ [GREAT News Site!]

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Space

Earth approaching objects (objects that are known in the next 30 days)
Object Name	Apporach Date	Left	AU Distance	LD Distance	Estimated Diameter*	Relative Velocity
(2006 EC)	06th August 2012	0 day(s)	0.0932	36.3	13 m – 28 m	6.13 km/s	22068 km/h
(2006 MV1)	07th August 2012	1 day(s)	0.0612	23.8	12 m – 28 m	4.79 km/s	17244 km/h
(2005 RK3)	08th August 2012	2 day(s)	0.1843	71.7	52 m – 120 m	8.27 km/s	29772 km/h
(2009 BW2)	09th August 2012	3 day(s)	0.0337	13.1	25 m – 56 m	5.27 km/s	18972 km/h
277475 (2005 WK4)	09th August 2012	3 day(s)	0.1283	49.9	260 m – 580 m	6.18 km/s	22248 km/h
(2004 SC56)	09th August 2012	3 day(s)	0.0811	31.6	74 m – 170 m	10.57 km/s	38052 km/h
(2008 AF4)	10th August 2012	4 day(s)	0.1936	75.3	310 m – 690 m	16.05 km/s	57780 km/h
37655 Illapa	12th August 2012	6 day(s)	0.0951	37.0	770 m – 1.7 km	28.73 km/s	103428 km/h
(2012 HS15)	14th August 2012	8 day(s)	0.1803	70.2	220 m – 490 m	11.54 km/s	41544 km/h
4581 Asclepius	16th August 2012	10 day(s)	0.1079	42.0	220 m – 490 m	13.48 km/s	48528 km/h
(2008 TC4)	18th August 2012	12 day(s)	0.1937	75.4	140 m – 300 m	17.34 km/s	62424 km/h
(2006 CV)	20th August 2012	14 day(s)	0.1744	67.9	290 m – 640 m	13.24 km/s	47664 km/h
(2012 EC)	20th August 2012	14 day(s)	0.0815	31.7	56 m – 130 m	5.57 km/s	20052 km/h
162421 (2000 ET70)	21st August 2012	15 day(s)	0.1503	58.5	640 m – 1.4 km	12.92 km/s	46512 km/h
(2007 WU3)	21st August 2012	15 day(s)	0.1954	76.0	56 m – 120 m	5.25 km/s	18900 km/h
(2012 BB14)	24th August 2012	18 day(s)	0.1234	48.0	27 m – 60 m	2.58 km/s	9288 km/h
1 AU = ~150 million kilometers,1 LD = Lunar Distance = ~384,000 kilometers Source: NASA-NEO

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Sinkholes

Sinkhole In Assumption Parish

 

For more than two months, officials from federal to local have been unable to pin down the source of a natural gas leak and tremors in assumption parish.

But on Thursday a 200 by 200 foot “slurry area” has appeared in bayou corne in northern assumption parish…

The formation of the slurry area was accompanied by a diesel-like odor that some residents said burned their eyes and noses but dissipated by midmorning Friday…

Assumption parish officials declared an emergency and called for an evacuation of residents living near the nearly 1-acre muddy site.

A potential failure of a cavern operated by Texas brine company may have caused the slurry area, or sinkhole, which swallowed full-grown trees and denuded a formerly forested patch of cypress swamp.

Final determination of a positive link between the failure of the cavern and either the natural gas bubbling or the slurry area has not been made.

In response, gov. bobby jindal declared an emergency Friday.

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Biological  Hazards / Wildlife

Today

Biological Hazard

USA

State of Colorado, [Plaster Reservoir]

Biological Hazard in USA on Monday, 06 August, 2012 at 03:57 (03:57 AM) UTC.

Description
Broomfield Public Health and Environment advises people to steer clear of wild rodents, squirrels and rabbits near the Plaster Reservoir after confirming cases of tularemia. The disease was found Thursday in specimens of wild rabbits collected south and west of the reservoir located northeast of W. 136th Avenue and Lowell Boulevard. Broomfield residents had noticed several dead rabbits in the vicinity. Broomfield Public Health and Environment said in a health alert released Friday that there have not been any confirmed cases or noticeable outbreaks in other areas. People can contract tularemia from tick and deer fly bites or skin contact with infected animals. Symptoms include sudden fever, chills, headache, diarrhea, muscle aches, joint pain and dry cough. People can also develop pneumonia. Health officials said the threat to human health is minimal, so trails will remain opened and the area will be monitored over the next few weeks.
Biohazard name:	Tularemia (rabbit)
Biohazard level:	2/4 Medium
Biohazard desc.:	Bacteria and viruses that cause only mild disease to humans, or are difficult to contract via aerosol in a lab setting, such as hepatitis A, B, and C, influenza A, Lyme disease, salmonella, mumps, measles, scrapie, dengue fever, and HIV. “Routine diagnostic work with clinical specimens can be done safely at Biosafety Level 2, using Biosafety Level 2 practices and procedures. Research work (including co-cultivation, virus replication studies, or manipulations involving concentrated virus) can be done in a BSL-2 (P2) facility, using BSL-3 practices and procedures. Virus production activities, including virus concentrations, require a BSL-3 (P3) facility and use of BSL-3 practices and procedures”, see Recommended Biosafety Levels for Infectious Agents.
Symptoms:
Status:	confirmed

Today

Biological Hazard

Reunion

[Saint Leu coastal region]

Biological Hazard in Reunion on Monday, 06 August, 2012 at 03:10 (03:10 AM) UTC.

Description
A Surfer on the French Indian Ocean island of Reunion has been seriously injured in a shark attack, the second in two weeks, as local authorities called for swift preventative action. Xavier Brunetiere, general secretary at the Reunion town hall, said the surfer’s right foot and his hand were seriously injured, in the attack at Saint Leu, located in a marine reserve on the western side of the island. The man, whose identity was not released, is aged about 40 and is an experienced surfer, Mr Brunetiere said. Witnesses said the shark had severed a hand and a foot from the victim, but he made it back to the beach by himself. His life was not in danger, Mr Brunetiere said. Shark attacks here have been increasing in the last two years, with three surfers killed in the last 13 months. Sunday’s attack, the third this year, comes just over a fortnight after 22-year-old local Alexandre Rassica was killed by a shark who bit off his leg. A number of worried local mayors want to allow fishermen to catch sharks in the marine reserve. Last week, the mayor of Saint Leu, Thierry Robert, authorised fishing for sharks in the waters around Saint Leu — which contain part of the marine reserve. He later withdrew the decision after French Overseas minister Victorin Lurel said France would deal with the problem.
Biohazard name:	Shark attack (Non-Fatal)
Biohazard level:	0/4 —
Biohazard desc.:	This does not included biological hazard category.
Symptoms:
Status:

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Thousands of fish die as US streams heat up

by GRANT SCHULTE (AP) — Thousands of fish are dying in the central U.S. as the hot, dry summer dries up rivers and causes water temperatures to climb in some spots to nearly 100 degrees Fahrenheit (38 Celsius). Ads by Google Heating Contractor – Repair-Replacement-Maintenance Mention Ad 10% off Repair/ Install – http://www.g-smechanical.com/ About 40,000 shovelnose sturgeon were killed in Iowa last week as water temperatures reached 97 degrees Fahrenheit (36.1 Celsius). Nebraska fishery officials said they’ve seen thousands of dead sturgeon, catfish, carp, and other species in the Lower Platte River, including the endangered pallid sturgeon. And biologists in Illinois said the hot weather has killed tens of thousands of large- and smallmouth bass and channel catfish and is threatening the population of the greater redhorse fish, a state-endangered species. So many fish died in one Illinois lake that the carcasses clogged an intake screen near a power plant, lowering water levels to the point that the station had to shut down one of its generators. “It’s something I’ve never seen in my career, and I’ve been here for more than 17 years,” said Mark Flammang, a fisheries biologist with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources. “I think what we’re mainly dealing with here are the extremely low flows and this unparalleled heat.” The fish are victims of one of the driest and warmest summers in history. The federal U.S. Drought Monitor shows nearly two-thirds of the lower 48 states are experiencing some form of drought, and the Department of Agriculture has declared more than half of the nation’s counties — nearly 1,600 in 32 states — as natural disaster areas. More than 3,000 heat records were broken over the last month. Iowa DNR officials said the sturgeon found dead in the Des Moines River were worth nearly $10 million, a high value based in part on their highly sought eggs, which are used for caviar. The fish are valued at more than $110 a pound. Gavin Gibbons, a spokesman for the National Fisheries Institute, said the sturgeon kills don’t appear to have reduced the supply enough to hurt regional caviar suppliers. Flammang said weekend rain improved some of Iowa’s rivers and lakes, but temperatures were rising again and straining a sturgeon population that develops health problems when water temperatures climb into the 80s. “Those fish have been in these rivers for thousands of thousands of years, and they’re accustomed to all sorts of weather conditions,” he said. “But sometimes, you have conditions occur that are outside their realm of tolerance.” Ads by Google Fish & Wildlife Mgmt. – Online Environmental Science Degree at AMU. Flexible Courses. Enroll. – http://www.AMUOnline.com/Environment In Illinois, heat and lack of rain has dried up a large swath of Aux Sable Creek, the state’s largest habitat for the endangered greater redhorse, a large bottom-feeding fish, said Dan Stephenson, a biologist with the Illinois Department of Natural Resources. “We’re talking hundreds of thousands (killed), maybe millions by now,” Stephenson said. “If you’re only talking about game fish, it’s probably in the thousands. But for all fish, it’s probably in the millions if you look statewide.” Stephenson said fish kills happen most summers in small private ponds and streams, but the hot weather this year has made the situation much worse. “This year has been really, really bad — disproportionately bad, compared to our other years,” he said. Stephenson said a large number of dead fish were sucked into an intake screen near Powerton Lake in central Illinois, lowering water levels and forcing a temporary shutdown at a nearby power plant. A spokesman for Edison International, which runs the coal-fired plant, said workers shut down one of its two generators for several hours two weeks ago because of extreme heat and low water levels at the lake, which is used for cooling. In Nebraska, a stretch of the Platte River from Kearney in the central part of the state to Columbus in the east has gone dry and killed a “significant number” of sturgeon, catfish and minnows, said fisheries program manager Daryl Bauer. Bauer said the warm, shallow water has also killed an unknown number of endangered pallid sturgeon. “It’s a lot of miles of river, and a lot of fish,” Bauer said. “Most of those fish are barely identifiable. In this heat, they decay really fast.” Bauer said a single dry year usually isn’t enough to hurt the fish population. But he worries dry conditions in Nebraska could continue, repeating a stretch in the mid-2000s that weakened fish populations. Kansas also has seen declining water levels that pulled younger, smaller game fish away from the vegetation-rich shore lines and forced them to cluster, making them easier targets for predators, said fisheries chief Doug Nygren of the Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism. Nygren said he expects a drop in adult walleye populations in the state’s shallower, wind-swept lakes in southern Kansas. But he said other species, such as large-mouth bass, can tolerate the heat and may multiply faster without competition from walleye. “These last two years are the hottest we’ve ever seen,” Nygren said. “That really can play a role in changing populations, shifting it in favor of some species over others. The walleye won’t benefit from these high-water temperatures, but other species that are more tolerant may take advantage of their declining population.” Geno Adams, a fisheries program administrator in South Dakota, said there have been reports of isolated fish kills in its manmade lakes on the Missouri River and others in the eastern part of the state. But it’s unclear how much of a role the heat played in the deaths. One large batch of carp at Lewis and Clark Lake in the state’s southeast corner had lesions, a sign they were suffering from a bacterial infection. Adams said the fish are more prone to sickness with low water levels and extreme heat. But he added that other fish habitat have seen a record number this year thanks to the 2011 floods. “When we’re in a drought, there’s a struggle for water and it’s going in all different directions,” Adams said. “Keeping it in the reservoir for recreational fisheries is not at the top of the priority list.” Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

 

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