Earth Watch Report – Monday October 1st, 2012

Earthquakes

MAG	UTC DATE-TIME y/m/d h:m:s	LAT deg	LON deg	DEPTH km	Region
MAP	4.7	2012/09/30 23:04:44	41.443	81.868	35.0	SOUTHERN XINJIANG, CHINA
MAP	4.4	2012/09/30 22:47:25	2.954	127.599	58.1	MOLUCCA SEA
MAP	4.6	2012/09/30 22:39:16	38.284	142.144	15.8	NEAR THE EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN
MAP	4.5	2012/09/30 21:49:27	56.322	164.351	30.4	KOMANDORSKIYE OSTROVA, RUSSIA REGION
MAP	4.7	2012/09/30 20:43:39	2.521	89.939	15.0	NORTH INDIAN OCEAN
MAP	3.0	2012/09/30 19:17:17	35.523	-96.778	5.0	OKLAHOMA
MAP	3.3	2012/09/30 18:00:27	19.661	-64.230	63.0	VIRGIN ISLANDS REGION
MAP	3.7	2012/09/30 16:59:39	68.478	-147.328	2.7	NORTHERN ALASKA
MAP	7.3	2012/09/30 16:31:36	1.916	-76.355	168.3	COLOMBIA
MAP	2.6	2012/09/30 16:27:23	63.848	-148.806	104.6	CENTRAL ALASKA
MAP	5.4	2012/09/30 15:35:54	22.992	146.050	35.0	VOLCANO ISLANDS, JAPAN REGION
MAP	3.1	2012/09/30 14:29:31	51.574	-173.280	16.9	ANDREANOF ISLANDS, ALEUTIAN IS., ALASKA
MAP	3.0	2012/09/30 13:41:25	19.280	-64.034	96.0	VIRGIN ISLANDS REGION
MAP	4.3	2012/09/30 09:30:13	8.396	-77.105	43.2	PANAMA-COLOMBIA BORDER REGION
MAP	2.7	2012/09/30 07:22:14	19.560	-64.384	58.0	VIRGIN ISLANDS REGION
MAP	4.3	2012/09/30 07:14:42	38.303	71.383	47.6	TAJIKISTAN
MAP	4.2	2012/09/30 06:49:25	26.997	-111.585	9.7	GULF OF CALIFORNIA
MAP	3.3	2012/09/30 06:44:19	53.636	-159.180	40.9	SOUTH OF ALASKA
MAP	2.6	2012/09/30 06:03:37	51.482	-178.257	29.8	ANDREANOF ISLANDS, ALEUTIAN IS., ALASKA
MAP	3.1	2012/09/30 05:47:38	19.675	-64.552	29.0	VIRGIN ISLANDS REGION
MAP	3.0	2012/09/30 05:36:12	19.542	-64.326	67.0	VIRGIN ISLANDS REGION
MAP	3.1	2012/09/30 04:46:26	19.969	-64.194	24.0	NORTH OF THE VIRGIN ISLANDS
MAP	3.1	2012/09/30 04:09:03	32.768	-96.915	5.1	NORTHERN TEXAS
MAP	3.4	2012/09/30 04:05:01	32.847	-96.956	5.0	NORTHERN TEXAS
MAP	2.6	2012/09/30 04:03:35	17.980	-64.260	26.0	VIRGIN ISLANDS REGION
MAP	3.1	2012/09/30 02:26:00	60.192	-149.094	16.5	KENAI PENINSULA, ALASKA
MAP	3.0	2012/09/30 02:13:08	38.830	-122.760	1.3	NORTHERN CALIFORNIA
MAP	3.0	2012/09/30 01:53:31	18.765	-67.372	59.0	PUERTO RICO REGION
MAP	4.9	2012/09/30 01:52:26	2.606	89.721	10.1	NORTH INDIAN OCEAN

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7.1 mb – COLOMBIA

Preliminary Earthquake Report

Magnitude	7.1 mb
Date-Time	30 Sep 2012 16:31:34 UTC 30 Sep 2012 11:31:34 near epicenter 30 Sep 2012 10:31:34 standard time in your timezone
Location	1.969N 76.315W
Depth	150 km
Distances	62 km (39 miles) SSE (149 degrees) of Popayan, Colombia 89 km (55 miles) WNW (296 degrees) of Florencia, Colombia 137 km (85 miles) NE (51 degrees) of Pasto, Colombia 345 km (214 miles) NE (45 degrees) of QUITO, Ecuador
Location Uncertainty	Horizontal: 3.0 km; Vertical 6.9 km
Parameters	Nph = 717; Dmin = 885.8 km; Rmss = 0.89 seconds; Gp = 57° M-type = mb; Version = A
Event ID	us 2012gdap

For updates, maps, and technical information, see:
Event Page
or
USGS Earthquake Hazards Program

National Earthquake Information Center
U.S. Geological Survey
http://neic.usgs.gov/

Two earthquakes rattle North Texas

by WALT ZWIRKO

WFAA

Twin earthquakes

IRVING — The U.S. Geological Survey recorded a 3.4 magnitude earthquake centered near Irving at 11:05 p.m. Saturday.

Four minutes later, there was a magnitude 3.1 quake in West Dallas. Both were estimated at a depth of 3.1 miles.

News 8 has been receiving calls and Facebook postings from people who felt the earth moving in Richardson, Garland, Coppell, Dallas, Grapevine, and other locations in North Texas.

The epicenter of the initial quake was located near MacArthur Boulevard and Rochelle Road near Farine Elementary School, according to coordinates provided by the USGS.

The second tremor was centered near the intersection of Loop 12 and Interstate 30, about six miles southeast of the first earthquake.

Irving’s emergency operators were flooded with more than 400 calls after the initial quake as people reported such minor damage as cracks in some walls and a ceiling, pictures knocked down and a report of a possible gas leak, according to an emergency official, Pat McMacken. City officials said they were still following up on the various reports early Sunday.

Beverly Rangel’s home on New Haven Street in Irving was at the epicenter of the first quake. “The table started shaking,” she said. “It’s a pretty heavy table for it to be shaking!”

“I kind of got scared,” said her son, Emmanuel. “I was sitting right here, and the couch just started shaking.”

Ashley Finley in Las Colinas said she felt two tremors that shook her walls and furniture.

Cheryl Gideon in Irving said she and her neighbors all ran outside.

Irving police checked neighborhoods near the epicenter to ensure there was no damage.

“We felt it twice in Euless about five minutes apart,” wrote Denise Perez. “We weren’t sure if a plane had crashed or the roof was caving in. It sounded massive.”

Joni Gregory of Carrollton said she was surprised she could feel the quake so far away. “The house shook a couple of times… didn’t know what was going on,” she said. “Maybe it’s wind? No, it’s too much.”

Geophysicist Randy Baldwin at the USGS earthquake center in Golden, Colorado  told The Associated Press that the quake was just strong enough to likely have been felt for about 15 or 20 miles around the epicenter. He says the quake’s online reporting system received no reports of any damages or injuries but there were some 1,200 responses from people who felt the quake.

Baldwin says smaller aftershocks are a possibility in that area in coming hours or days. He said the Saturday night quakes were detected by a seismological station located about 65 miles from the epicenter — somewhat distant — and the preliminary magnitude of 3.4 for the initial tremor could be revised up or down once further data is evaluated.

Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport continued operations normally during and after the quakes, which barely rattled nerves at the airport located partially within the city limits of Irving, said airport public affairs officer David Magaña. He told AP said the airport, which bustles at peak hours to get some 1,800 flights in and out daily, was in a quiet period with very little air traffic late Saturday night.

But he said those still in the airport definitely felt the quakes.

“I wouldn’t call it panic. I would call it surprise,” Magaña said.

He said members of the airport operations team immediately conducted a special inspection of the airfield, buildings and found nothing harmed by the quake.

“We don’t have any damage to report. There were no impacts or (power) outages and no disruptions to flights,” Magaña said. “I felt it at my house. It shook it a little bit but it wasn’t enough of a jolt to shake anything loose like you have in California. I’ve been in California and this was nothing like that.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Related:

• Small earthquake reported in Irving
• Irving residents reflect on a shaky Saturday night.
• Share your earthquake photos and videos

LISS – Live Internet Seismic Server

GSN Stations

These data update automatically every 30 minutes. Last update: October 1, 2012 07:49:12 UTC

Seismograms may take several moments to load. Click on a plot to see larger image.

CU/ANWB, Willy Bob, Antigua and Barbuda

CU/BBGH, Gun Hill, Barbados

CU/BCIP, Isla Barro Colorado, Panama

CU/GRGR, Grenville, Grenada

CU/GRTK, Grand Turk, Turks and Caicos Islands

CU/GTBY, Guantanamo Bay, Cuba

CU/MTDJ, Mount Denham, Jamaica

CU/SDDR, Presa de Sabaneta, Dominican Republic

CU/TGUH, Tegucigalpa, Honduras

IC/BJT, Baijiatuan, Beijing, China

IC/ENH, Enshi, China

IC/HIA, Hailar, Neimenggu Province, China

IC/LSA, Lhasa, China

IC/MDJ, Mudanjiang, China

IC/QIZ, Qiongzhong, Guangduong Province, China

IU/ADK, Aleutian Islands, Alaska, USA

IU/AFI, Afiamalu, Samoa

IU/ANMO, Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA

IU/ANTO, Ankara, Turkey

IU/BBSR, Bermuda

IU/BILL, Bilibino, Russia

IU/CASY, Casey, Antarctica

IU/CCM, Cathedral Cave, Missouri, USA

IU/CHTO, Chiang Mai, Thailand

IU/COLA, College Outpost, Alaska, USA

IU/COR, Corvallis, Oregon, USA

IU/CTAO, Charters Towers, Australia

IU/DAV,Davao, Philippines

IU/DWPF,Disney Wilderness Preserve, Florida, USA

IU/FUNA,Funafuti, Tuvalu

IU/FURI, Mt. Furi, Ethiopia

IU/GNI, Garni, Armenia

IU/GRFO, Grafenberg, Germany

IU/GUMO, Guam, Mariana Islands

IU/HKT, Hockley, Texas, USA

IU/HNR, Honiara, Solomon Islands

IU/HRV, Adam Dziewonski Observatory (Oak Ridge), Massachusetts, USA

IU/INCN, Inchon, Republic of Korea

IU/JOHN, Johnston Island, Pacific Ocean

IU/KBS, Ny-Alesund, Spitzbergen, Norway

IU/KEV, Kevo, Finland

IU/KIEV, Kiev, Ukraine

IU/KIP, Kipapa, Hawaii, USA

IU/KMBO, Kilima Mbogo, Kenya

IU/KNTN, Kanton Island, Kiribati

IU/KONO, Kongsberg, Norway

IU/KOWA, Kowa, Mali

IU/LCO, Las Campanas Astronomical Observatory, Chile

IU/LSZ, Lusaka, Zambia

IU/LVC, Limon Verde, Chile

IU/MA2, Magadan, Russia

IU/MAJO, Matsushiro, Japan

IU/MAKZ,Makanchi, Kazakhstan

IU/MBWA, Marble Bar, Western Australia

IU/MIDW, Midway Island, Pacific Ocean, USA

IU/MSKU, Masuku, Gabon

IU/NWAO, Narrogin, Australia

IU/OTAV, Otavalo, Equador

IU/PAB, San Pablo, Spain

IU/PAYG Puerto Ayora, Galapagos Islands

IU/PET, Petropavlovsk, Russia

IU/PMG, Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea

IU/PMSA, Palmer Station, Antarctica

IU/POHA, Pohakaloa, Hawaii

IU/PTCN, Pitcairn Island, South Pacific

IU/PTGA, Pitinga, Brazil

IU/QSPA, South Pole, Antarctica

IU/RAO, Raoul, Kermandec Islands

IU/RAR, Rarotonga, Cook Islands

IU/RCBR, Riachuelo, Brazil

IU/RSSD, Black Hills, South Dakota, USA

IU/SAML, Samuel, Brazil

IU/SBA, Scott Base, Antarctica

IU/SDV, Santo Domingo, Venezuela

IU/SFJD, Sondre Stromfjord, Greenland

IU/SJG, San Juan, Puerto Rico

IU/SLBS, Sierra la Laguna Baja California Sur, Mexico

IU/SNZO, South Karori, New Zealand

IU/SSPA, Standing Stone, Pennsylvania USA

IU/TARA, Tarawa Island, Republic of Kiribati

IU/TATO, Taipei, Taiwan

IU/TEIG, Tepich, Yucatan, Mexico

IU/TIXI, Tiksi, Russia

IU/TRIS, Tristan da Cunha, Atlantic Ocean

IU/TRQA, Tornquist, Argentina

IU/TSUM, Tsumeb, Namibia

IU/TUC, Tucson, Arizona

IU/ULN, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia

IU/WAKE, Wake Island, Pacific Ocean

IU/WCI, Wyandotte Cave, Indiana, USA

IU/WVT, Waverly, Tennessee, USA

IU/XMAS, Kiritimati Island, Republic of Kiribati

IU/YAK, Yakutsk, Russia

IU/YSS, Yuzhno Sakhalinsk, Russia

• Advanced National Seismic System
• Global Seismographic Network
• Volunteer Monitoring
• Albuquerque Seismo Lab
• Network Operations
• Seismogram Displays
• Buildings
• National Strong Motion Project
• Crustal Deformation Monitoring
• Data

Today

Earthquake

USA

State of Texas, Irving

Earthquake in USA on Monday, 01 October, 2012 at 05:18 (05:18 AM) UTC.

Description

Damage from a small earthquake and a subsequent aftershock in a suburb west of Dallas was mostly limited to cracked walls and knocked-down pictures, authorities said. The unscathed Dallas-Fort Worth airport, near the epicenter of Saturday’s late-night temblor, kept up with normal flight operations. Emergency officials said there were no indications of any injuries. The initial earthquake, measured at a preliminary magnitude of 3.4, struck at 11:05 p.m. central time Saturday and was centered about 2 miles north of the Dallas suburb of Irving, the U.S. Geological Survey’s national earthquake monitoring center in Golden, Colo., reported. USGS geophysicist Randy Baldwin told The Associated Press that the initial quake lasted several seconds and appeared strong enough to be felt up to 15 or 20 miles away. He said the smaller aftershock, with an estimated 3.1 magnitude, occurred four minutes later and just a few miles away in another area west of Dallas. Irving’s emergency operators were flooded with more than 400 calls after the initial quake, with people reporting minor damage, such as cracks in some walls and a ceiling, pictures that had been knocked down and a report of a possible gas leak, emergency official Pat McMacken said Sunday.

Tsunami Information
Pacific Ocean Region
Date/Time (UTC)	Message	Location	Magnitude	Depth	Status	Details
30.09.2012 16:38 PM	Tsunami Information Bulletin	Colombia	7.4	140 km

Tsunami Information Bulletin in Colombia, Pacific Ocean

GuID:	pacific.TIBPAC.2012.09.30.1638
Date/Time:	2012-09-30 16:38:57
Source:	PTWC
Area:	Pacific Ocean
Location:	Colombia
Magnitude:	M 7.4
Depth:	140 km
Tsunami observed:	Not observed.

Original Bulletin

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Tsunami Information Bulletin in Colombia, Pacific Ocean

000 WEPA42 PHEB 301638 TIBPAC TSUNAMI BULLETIN NUMBER 001 PACIFIC TSUNAMI WARNING CENTER/NOAA/NWS ISSUED AT 1638Z 30 SEP 2012 THIS BULLETIN APPLIES TO AREAS WITHIN AND BORDERING THE PACIFIC OCEAN AND ADJACENT SEAS...EXCEPT ALASKA...BRITISH COLUMBIA... WASHINGTON...OREGON AND CALIFORNIA. ... TSUNAMI INFORMATION BULLETIN ... THIS BULLETIN IS FOR INFORMATION ONLY. THIS BULLETIN IS ISSUED AS ADVICE TO GOVERNMENT AGENCIES. ONLY NATIONAL AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT AGENCIES HAVE THE AUTHORITY TO MAKE DECISIONS REGARDING THE OFFICIAL STATE OF ALERT IN THEIR AREA AND ANY ACTIONS TO BE TAKEN IN RESPONSE. AN EARTHQUAKE HAS OCCURRED WITH THESE PRELIMINARY PARAMETERS ORIGIN TIME - 1632Z 30 SEP 2012 COORDINATES - 2.0 NORTH 76.6 WEST DEPTH - 140 KM LOCATION - COLOMBIA MAGNITUDE - 7.4 EVALUATION A DESTRUCTIVE TSUNAMI WAS NOT GENERATED BASED ON EARTHQUAKE AND HISTORICAL TSUNAMI DATA. THIS WILL BE THE ONLY BULLETIN ISSUED FOR THIS EVENT UNLESS ADDITIONAL INFORMATION BECOMES AVAILABLE. THE WEST COAST/ALASKA TSUNAMI WARNING CENTER WILL ISSUE PRODUCTS FOR ALASKA...BRITISH COLUMBIA...WASHINGTON...OREGON...CALIFORNIA.

 

 

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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
Nadine (AL14)	Atlantic Ocean	11.09.2012	01.10.2012	Hurricane II	230 °	139 km/h	167 km/h	4.88 m	NOAA NHC

Tropical Storm data

Share: Share on facebook Share on twitter Share on email Share on print More Sharing Services 3 Storm name: Nadine (AL14) Area: Atlantic Ocean Start up location: N 16° 18.000, W 43° 6.000 Start up: 11th September 2012 Status: 28th September 2012 Track long: 1,426.96 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 12th Sep 2012 05:01:17 N 17° 48.000, W 45° 12.000 24 65 83 Tropical Storm 300 13 1004 MB NOAA NHC 12th Sep 2012 10:46:22 N 18° 36.000, W 46° 36.000 28 74 93 Tropical Storm 300 15 1001 MB NOAA NHC 13th Sep 2012 05:34:52 N 20° 42.000, W 50° 6.000 26 111 139 Tropical Storm 305 17 990 MB NOAA NHC 14th Sep 2012 05:11:31 N 25° 0.000, W 53° 42.000 24 111 139 Tropical Storm 330 17 989 MB NOAA NHC 15th Sep 2012 06:55:17 N 30° 0.000, W 52° 48.000 22 120 148 Hurricane I. 25 17 985 MB NOAA NHC 15th Sep 2012 10:59:20 N 30° 42.000, W 51° 24.000 24 120 148 Hurricane I. 50 13 985 MB NOAA NHC 16th Sep 2012 05:13:53 N 30° 36.000, W 46° 36.000 28 130 157 Hurricane I. 95 15 983 MB NOAA NHC 17th Sep 2012 05:22:55 N 31° 24.000, W 38° 6.000 30 111 139 Tropical Storm 75 16 987 MB NOAA NHC 17th Sep 2012 10:47:47 N 32° 0.000, W 36° 24.000 28 111 139 Tropical Storm 65 15 985 MB NOAA NHC 18th Sep 2012 05:15:16 N 33° 54.000, W 34° 12.000 15 93 111 Tropical Storm 45 18 989 MB NOAA NHC 18th Sep 2012 10:46:51 N 34° 18.000, W 33° 36.000 13 93 111 Tropical Storm 45 14 990 MB NOAA NHC 19th Sep 2012 05:31:59 N 35° 48.000, W 32° 12.000 11 83 102 Tropical Storm 25 15 993 MB NOAA NHC 19th Sep 2012 11:00:20 N 36° 24.000, W 32° 6.000 7 83 102 Tropical Storm 360 9 993 MB NOAA NHC 20th Sep 2012 05:12:41 N 37° 6.000, W 31° 24.000 6 83 102 Tropical Storm 60 9 990 MB NOAA NHC 21st Sep 2012 10:40:35 N 35° 6.000, W 27° 12.000 13 102 120 Tropical Storm 140 14 981 MB NOAA NHC 22nd Sep 2012 06:38:52 N 31° 54.000, W 26° 36.000 20 93 111 Tropical Storm 165 15 984 MB NOAA NHC 27th Sep 2012 04:58:41 N 29° 30.000, W 31° 24.000 9 83 102 Tropical Storm 220 15 993 MB NOAA NHC 30th Sep 2012 06:48:45 N 35° 36.000, W 37° 30.000 17 139 167 Hurricane I. 340 19 984 MB NOAA NHC Current position Date Time Position Speed km/h Wind km/h Gust km/h Category Course Wave feet Pressure Source 01st Oct 2012 04:38:54 N 36° 42.000, W 39° 24.000 11 139 167 Hurricane II 230 ° 16 981 MB NOAA NHC Forecast track Date Time Position Category Wind km/h Gust km/h Source 02nd Oct 2012 12:00:00 N 35° 12.000, W 37° 54.000 Hurricane I 102 120 NOAA NHC 02nd Oct 2012 00:00:00 N 35° 42.000, W 39° 0.000 Hurricane I 111 139 NOAA NHC 03rd Oct 2012 00:00:00 N 35° 24.000, W 36° 24.000 Tropical Depression 93 111 NOAA NHC 04th Oct 2012 00:00:00 N 38° 0.000, W 31° 18.000 Tropical Depression 83 102 NOAA NHC 05th Oct 2012 00:00:00 N 44° 36.000, W 26° 24.000 Tropical Depression 74 93 NOAA NHC 06th Oct 2012 00:00:00 N 50° 0.000, W 27° 18.000 Tropical Depression 74 93 NOAA NHC

20W

Pacific Ocean

01.10.2012

01.10.2012

Tropical Depression

290 °

56 km/h

74 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: 20W Area: Pacific Ocean Start up location: N 16° 54.000, E 146° 18.000 Start up: 01st October 2012 Status: Active Track long: 0.00 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 Current position Date Time Position Speed km/h Wind km/h Gust km/h Category Course Wave feet Pressure Source 01st Oct 2012 10:51:23 N 17° 48.000, E 145° 48.000 19 56 74 Tropical Depression 310 ° 15 JTWC Forecast track Date Time Position Category Wind km/h Gust km/h Source 02nd Oct 2012 12:00:00 N 21° 12.000, E 141° 6.000 Typhoon I 111 139 JTWC 02nd Oct 2012 00:00:00 N 19° 48.000, E 142° 30.000 Typhoon I 93 120 JTWC 03rd Oct 2012 00:00:00 N 23° 6.000, E 140° 6.000 Typhoon II 130 157 JTWC 04th Oct 2012 00:00:00 N 26° 42.000, E 140° 36.000 Typhoon II 139 167 JTWC 05th Oct 2012 00:00:00 N 32° 24.000, E 146° 24.000 Typhoon I 120 148 JTWC 06th Oct 2012 00:00:00 N 39° 30.000, E 155° 42.000 Tropical Depression 83 102 JTWC

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Today

Tropical Storm

Japan

Capital City, Tokyo

Tropical Storm in Japan on Monday, 01 October, 2012 at 03:25 (03:25 AM) UTC.

Description

A weakening tropical storm was speeding out of Japan on Monday after bringing gale-strength winds to Tokyo and injuring dozens of people, causing blackouts and paralyzing traffic to the south and west of the capital. Japan’s Meteorological Agency had warned Tokyo residents to stay indoors while Typhoon Jelawat passed Sunday night. The storm then had winds of up to 126 kilometers (78 miles) an hour but weakened to a tropical storm with 108 kph (67 mph) in the morning. On Sunday, Nagoya city issued an evacuation advisory to more than 50,000 residents because of fear of flooding from a swollen river. A similar advisory was issued for more than 10,000 people in the northern city of Ishinomaki that was hit by last year’s tsunami. The typhoon left 145 people with minor injuries in southern and western Japan, about half of them on the southern island of Okinawa, public broadcaster NHK said. Tens of thousands of homes were without electricity. Kyodo news agency reported one fatality, a man who was swept away by seawater while fishing in Okinawa. Dozens of trains were halted in coastal areas around Tokyo and many stores inside the capital closed early Sunday as the storm approached. It is expected to move into the Pacific Ocean early Monday.

 

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Epidemic Hazards / Diseases

New virus in Africa looks like rabies, acts like Ebola

Frederick A. Murphy / CDC handout via EPA file

A new virus that appears similar to rabies, but has the symptoms and lethality of Ebola, shown here, has been dubbed the Bas-Congo virus. It killed two teenagers in the Congo in 2009.

By Maggie Fox, NBC News

A virus that killed two teenagers in Congo in 2009 is a completely new type, related to rabies but causing the bleeding and rapid death that makes Ebola infection so terrifying, scientists reported on Thursday. They’re searching for the source of the virus, which may be transmitted by insects or bats.

The new virus is being named Bas-Congo virus, for the area where it was found.  Researchers are finding more and more of these new viruses, in part because new tests make it possible, but also in the hope of better understanding them so they can prevent pandemics of deadly disease.

The virus infected a 15-year-old boy and a 13-year-old girl in the same village in Congo in 2009. They didn’t stand a chance, says Joseph Fair of Metabiota, a company that investigates pathogens. Fair is in the Democratic Republic of Congo now, under contract to the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) to help battle an ongoing Ebola outbreak.

“They expired within three days,” Fair said in a telephone interview. “It was a very rapid killer.”

A few days later a male nurse who cared for the two teenagers developed the same symptoms and survived. Samples from the lucky nurse have been tested and it turned out a completely new virus had infected him, Fair and other researchers report in the Public Library of Science journal PLoS pathogens.

The genetic sequences went to Dr. Charles Chiu, of the University of California, San Francisco.

“We were astounded that this patient had sequences in his blood from a completely unknown and unidentified virus,” Chiu said. They weren’t expecting that.

“Congo is very much known for having Ebola and Marburg outbreaks. Yet about 20 percent of the time we have hemorrhagic fever outbreaks that are completely negative, which means unknown causes and they are not Ebola.”

The sequencing puts this new virus on its own branch of the bad virus family tree — somewhat related to Ebola and the virus that causes Lassa fever, another horrific killer, and most closely related to the rhabdoviruses. This family usually only infects animals with one notable exception — rabies.

But rabies is not known to cause hemorrhaging. It’s plenty horrible on its own, of course, killing virtually all patients if they aren’t vaccinated soon after infection.

A nurse who took care of the first infected nurse had antibodies to the new virus. It doesn’t look like the teenagers infected one another, says Fair, but they probably infected the first nurse, who probably infected the second. Tests of other villagers have found no more evidence of the virus, however, which is good news.

“Although the source of the virus remains unclear, study findings suggest that Bas-Congo virus may be spread by human-to-human contact and is an emerging pathogen associated with acute hemorrhagic fever in Africa,” the researchers wrote.

Africa is loaded with nasty viruses. Lassa fever virus comes from a family known as arenaviruses and causes 500,000 cases of hemorrhagic fever a year. Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever and Rift Valley Fever viruses are in another family called bunyaviruses; Ebola and Marburg viruses are filoviruses that kill anywhere between 30 percent and 90 percent of victims. They’re also helping wipe out great apes such as gorillas in Central Africa. This adds a new one to the list.

It worries Chiu because its closest relative is spread by biting flies in Australia. “We think that is potentially a valuable clue. This virus may have come from an insect vector,” Chiu says. “What is scary about this virus is if it does happen to be spread by insects, it has the potential to be something like West Nile.”

West Nile showed up in the United States for the first time in 1999, having never been seen here before. It causes regular outbreaks in Africa and parts of Europe, however, and some experts think a mosquito or an infected person carried it on a flight to New York. It’s killed 147 people in an especially bad U.S. outbreak this year, although more than 90 percent of people infected with West Nile never even know it.

New viruses often cause disease — there was severe acute respiratory syndrome or SARS, which killed 800 people and infected 8,000 in 2003 before it was stopped. Scientists are now watching a similar virus that has emerged in the Middle east.

Chiu says there is not enough information to know how deadly the new Bas-Congo virus is.

“It  has probably been lurking out there in remote areas and causing sporadic cases of hemorrhagic fever and no one had the resources to discover it,” Chiu said. “This is probably the tip of the iceberg. I believe there are many, many more of these emerging viruses that have yet to be discovered,” he added.

“This points to the importance of being vigilant, especially these remote areas of Africa and Asia. This is the area that I believe the next generation of emerging viruses will come from.”

Fair agrees, and says his team will be looking. They’ll also be checking to see if bats or insects can spread it. “It is a frightening prospect. That is why the next step in this process is to look for the vector,” Fair said.

That’s not so easy. Fair’s team and hundreds of other scientists have been looking for the reservoir — the animal or insect source –of Ebola. That would be a bat or other creature that can carry it without getting sick itself. So far they have had no luck, although fruit bats are a major suspect.

And for the new Bas-Congo virus, the trail is now three years old. “Everything we do will be as a forensic investigation,” Fair said. “We really have to go look for a needle in a sack of needles.”

And in the meantime, there’s an outbreak of Ebola to cope with. Fair says a coordinated effort is going on, although this isn’t the worst outbreak he has seen. It’s killing about 30 percent to 40 percent of patients — not nearly as bad as some strains, which killed up to 90 percent of victims.

“If you had to get Ebola, this is the strain to get,” he said.

Related stories:

 

• West Nile cases jump
• New virus related to SARS
• Rabid animals on the rise as human vaccine supply tightens
• Health teams face real-life horror in Ebola battle
• Ebola out of control in Congo, WHO says

 

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Solar Activity

2MIN News Sept 30. 2012

Published on Sep 30, 2012 by Suspicious0bservers

Pole Shift Video: http://youtu.be/uI10tKuLtFU

REPEAT 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]

NASA ENLIL SPIRAL: http://iswa.gsfc.nasa.gov:8080/IswaSystemWebApp/iSWACygnetStreamer?timestamp=…
NOAA ENLIL SPIRAL: http://www.swpc.noaa.gov/wsa-enlil/

US Wind Map: http://hint.fm/wind/

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

NOAA Environmental Visualization Laboratory: http://www.nnvl.noaa.gov/Default.php

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

GOES Xray: http://www.swpc.noaa.gov/sxi/goes15/index.html

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]

RAIN RECORDS: http://www.cocorahs.org/ViewData/ListIntensePrecipReports.aspx

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!]

QUAKES LIST FULL: http://www.emsc-csem.org/Earthquake/seismologist.php

 

 

 

SUBSIDING GEOMAGNETIC STORM:

A strong (Kp=7) geomagnetic storm sparked by a CME impact on Sept. 30th is subsiding now. At maximum, during the early hours of Oct. 1st, Northern Lights descended as far south in the United States as Michigan, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Ohio, Montana, Minnesota, Washington, Idaho, Illinois and South Dakota. Even California experienced some auroras. Tim Piya Trepetch caught a patch of sky turning purple over the Lassen Volcanic National Park:

“Purple auroras erupted right over Lassen Peak,” says Trepetch.

California auroras are not as rare as some people think. The webmaster of spaceweather.com lives in California and has witnessed auroras no fewer than six times. The trick is knowing when to look.
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Space

 

 

 

Realtime Aurora Photo Gallery

ISS COMPANION:

Europe’s massive ATV-3 cargo carrier undocked from the International Space Station (ISS) on Sept. 28th. Now the spacecraft, as large as a double-decker bus, is leading the ISS in orbit around Earth. Monika Landy-Gyebnar saw it this morning flying over Veszprem, Hungary:

“I went outside to see the ISS,” says Landy-Gyebnar. “About a minute before the space station appeared, I saw a realtively bright object flying overheads almost where the ISS was to fly. Then I remembered that the ATV-3 undocked from ISS on Friday–and there it was! Just as ATV-3 has faded, the ISS emerged from the clouds and followed the small cargo vehicle towards the east.”

The ATV-3 will reenter Earth’s atmosphere on or about October 3rd, disintegrating in a spectacular fireball over the Pacific Ocean. Until then, sky watchers should be alert for the cargo vessel leading the ISS across the night sky. ATV-3 and ISS flyby predictions may be found on the web or on your smartphone.

 

 

 

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
(2012 RH10)	03rd October 2012	2 day(s)	0.1260	49.0	98 m – 220 m	12.90 km/s	46440 km/h
(2012 QE50)	09th October 2012	8 day(s)	0.0809	31.5	450 m – 1.0 km	11.47 km/s	41292 km/h
(1994 EK)	14th October 2012	13 day(s)	0.1356	52.8	230 m – 520 m	12.22 km/s	43992 km/h
(2012 PA20)	15th October 2012	14 day(s)	0.1502	58.5	100 m – 230 m	10.36 km/s	37296 km/h
(2012 RV16)	18th October 2012	17 day(s)	0.1270	49.4	310 m – 700 m	16.14 km/s	58104 km/h

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Sinkhole

 

Sinkhole grows, hits Assumption business and home values

Don Ames/AP Reporting

The sinkhole in Assumption Parish keeps getting bigger.The parish’s director of homeland security and emergency preparedness, John Boudreaux, says a 15-hundred square foot section of the earth caved in last week, pulling down several trees and part of a road.

The road that caved in was built to assist in the cleanup efforts. The sinkhole is about four acres in size and has grown since it emerged on August third.

150 homes in two nearby communities are evacuated as a result of the sinkhole.

Experts believe an underground brine cavern encased in a salt dome could be the cause of the sink hole. Sonar testing inside the cavern began a few days ago.

Boudreaux says an unknown substance was found at the bottom of the cavern. “The substance could be soil and sand that now has entered the cavern that created the sinkhole.”

Scientists are still trying to determine precisely why the hole appeared.

Residents and businesses in the area are growing increasingly concerned that it may swallow up their investments.

The hole filled with sludge and muck as it swallowed hundreds of yards of swampland.

Area residents have been worried not only by tremors, possibly caused by natural gas shifting underground in or near the dome, but also by concerns the value of their homes and business could suffer.

 

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Articles of Interest

Today

Power Outage

USA

State of Colorado, [Greeley, Garden City, Evans, LaSalle and surrounding areas]

Power Outage in USA on Monday, 01 October, 2012 at 04:29 (04:29 AM) UTC.

Description

Power has been restored to about 17,000 Xcel Energy customers who were affected Sunday evening by an outage in the Greeley area. Xcel Energy spokeswoman Michelle Aguayo said at least 16,900 customers in Greeley, Garden City, Evans, LaSalle and surrounding areas were affected. She said the outage originated at a Greeley substation at 6:18 p.m. The outage lasted a little more than two hours. As of Sunday night, Aguayo said crews were still trying to determine the cause of the outage, but it did not appear to be weather-related. Xcel Energy’s outage hotline was inundated with calls. Aguayo said the company encourages customers to call and leave messages. Paul Sadd, a mechanic at North Colorado Medical Center, said the hospital was running on emergency power during the outage. He said several people were stuck in elevators, but workers were able to get them out safely. Aguayo said Xcel works closely with large customers like hospitals and law enforcement agencies to ensure that they have back-up power resources.

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