Tag Archive: Virgin Islands Region

Earth Watch Report – Thursday April 26th, 2012

Filed under: Earthquakes, Extreme Weather, Flooding, Global Disaster Watch, meteors, Solar Activity, Solar System, Storms, Volcanic Events, Weather Phenomena — Leave a comment

April 26, 2012

Earthquakes

EMSC Tonga Region
Apr 25 23:43 PM
5.0 33.0 MAP

USGS Tonga Region
Apr 25 23:43 PM
4.7 92.0 MAP

GEOFON Tonga Islands Region
Apr 25 23:43 PM
5.4 10.0 MAP

USGS Virgin Islands Region
Apr 25 23:19 PM
2.7 42.8 MAP

GEOFON Southern Xinjiang, China
Apr 25 22:50 PM
4.5 10.0 MAP

USGS Southern Xinjiang, China
Apr 25 22:49 PM
4.5 13.8 MAP

EMSC Southern Xinjiang, China
Apr 25 22:49 PM
4.5 10.0 MAP

EMSC Central Italy
Apr 25 22:42 PM
2.6 9.0 MAP

EMSC Southern Italy
Apr 25 22:38 PM
2.8 9.0 MAP

EMSC Poland
Apr 25 22:18 PM
2.9 2.0 MAP

USGS Near The East Coast Of Honshu, Japan
Apr 25 22:11 PM
4.6 44.1 MAP

EMSC Near East Coast Of Honshu, Japan
Apr 25 22:11 PM
4.5 60.0 MAP

EMSC Western Turkey
Apr 25 22:06 PM
2.9 5.0 MAP

USGS Off The West Coast Of Northern Sumatra
Apr 25 21:04 PM
4.4 10.0 MAP

EMSC Off W Coast Of Northern Sumatra
Apr 25 21:04 PM
4.4 10.0 MAP

GEOFON Off West Coast Of Northern Sumatra
Apr 25 21:04 PM
4.3 10.0 MAP

EMSC France
Apr 25 21:02 PM
2.7 2.0 MAP

EMSC Near East Coast Of Honshu, Japan
Apr 25 20:45 PM
4.7 100.0 MAP

GEOFON Near East Coast Of Honshu, Japan
Apr 25 20:45 PM
4.6 88.0 MAP

EMSC Ionian Sea
Apr 25 20:29 PM
2.9 10.0 MAP

GEOFON New Britain Region, P.n.g.
Apr 25 20:17 PM
4.7 262.0 MAP

EMSC New Britain Region, P.n.g.
Apr 25 20:17 PM
4.8 256.0 MAP

USGS Virgin Islands Region
Apr 25 18:17 PM
2.5 46.1 MAP

EMSC Cyprus Region
Apr 25 18:16 PM
3.4 20.0 MAP

EMSC Cyprus Region
Apr 25 17:52 PM
3.6 2.0 MAP

GEOFON Galapagos Islands, Ecuador
Apr 25 17:40 PM
5.0 10.0 MAP

EMSC Greece
Apr 25 17:33 PM
2.5 24.0 MAP

USGS Baja California, Mexico
Apr 25 16:54 PM
2.8 1.8 MAP

EMSC Nicobar Islands, India Region
Apr 25 16:31 PM
5.1 2.0 MAP

GEOFON Nicobar Islands, India Region
Apr 25 16:31 PM
4.8 10.0 MAP

USGS Nicobar Islands, India Region
Apr 25 16:30 PM
5.1 22.7 MAP

USGS Southern Alaska
Apr 25 16:19 PM
2.8 141.3 MAP

GEOFON Southern Peru
Apr 25 16:19 PM
4.8 93.0 MAP

USGS Southern Peru
Apr 25 16:19 PM
4.6 109.6 MAP

EMSC Southern Peru
Apr 25 16:19 PM
4.6 110.0 MAP

EMSC Western Turkey
Apr 25 16:18 PM
3.2 7.0 MAP

EMSC Off W Coast Of Northern Sumatra
Apr 25 16:17 PM
4.1 10.0 MAP

USGS Off The West Coast Of Northern Sumatra
Apr 25 16:17 PM
4.1 10.0 MAP

GEOFON Galapagos Islands Region
Apr 25 16:00 PM
4.4 10.0 MAP

EMSC Galapagos Islands Region
Apr 25 16:00 PM
4.5 10.0 MAP

USGS Galapagos Islands, Ecuador Region
Apr 25 16:00 PM
4.5 10.0 MAP

GEOFON Galapagos Islands Region
Apr 25 15:44 PM
5.3 10.0 MAP

EMSC Galapagos Islands Region
Apr 25 15:44 PM
4.7 10.0 MAP

USGS Galapagos Islands, Ecuador Region
Apr 25 15:44 PM
4.7 10.0 MAP

EMSC Greece
Apr 25 15:16 PM
2.5 5.0 MAP

EMSC Iran-iraq Border Region
Apr 25 14:37 PM
3.6 9.0 MAP

EMSC Aegean Sea
Apr 25 14:21 PM
2.4 16.0 MAP

EMSC Bosnia And Herzegovina
Apr 25 14:13 PM
2.9 2.0 MAP

EMSC Western Turkey
Apr 25 14:07 PM
3.0 7.0 MAP

EMSC Iran-iraq Border Region
Apr 25 13:39 PM
3.9 10.0 MAP

EMSC Southern Mid-atlantic Ridge
Apr 25 13:27 PM
5.2 10.0 MAP

GEOFON Southern Mid Atlantic Ridge
Apr 25 13:27 PM
5.0 10.0 MAP

USGS Southern Mid-atlantic Ridge
Apr 25 13:27 PM
5.2 10.0 MAP

EMSC Aegean Sea
Apr 25 13:01 PM
3.1 400.0 MAP

EMSC Greece
Apr 25 12:58 PM
2.8 9.0 MAP

EMSC Azores-cape St. Vincent Ridge
Apr 25 12:42 PM
2.4 27.0 MAP

USGS Kenai Peninsula, Alaska
Apr 25 12:31 PM
2.5 0.2 MAP

EMSC Greece
Apr 25 12:07 PM
2.7 10.0 MAP

GEONET Whanganui
Apr 25 11:54 AM
2.9 33.0 MAP

EMSC Western Turkey
Apr 25 11:49 AM
2.4 5.0 MAP

USGS Nicobar Islands, India Region
Apr 25 11:30 AM
4.5 9.7 MAP

EMSC Nicobar Islands, India Region
Apr 25 11:30 AM
4.5 10.0 MAP

EMSC Greece
Apr 25 10:45 AM
2.8 10.0 MAP

GEOFON Greece
Apr 25 10:34 AM
4.5 10.0 MAP

USGS Greece
Apr 25 10:34 AM
4.5 10.2 MAP

EMSC Greece
Apr 25 10:34 AM
4.4 8.0 MAP

EMSC Central Turkey
Apr 25 10:25 AM
2.6 5.0 MAP

EMSC Greenland Sea
Apr 25 10:09 AM
4.5 2.0 MAP

USGS Norwegian Sea
Apr 25 10:09 AM
4.6 9.8 MAP

GEOFON Greenland Sea
Apr 25 10:09 AM
4.2 10.0 MAP

USGS Aegean Sea
Apr 25 10:07 AM
4.2 9.2 MAP

GEOFON Aegean Sea
Apr 25 10:07 AM
4.4 10.0 MAP

EMSC Aegean Sea
Apr 25 10:07 AM
4.1 9.0 MAP

EMSC Eastern Turkey
Apr 25 08:52 AM
2.5 20.0 MAP

USGS Dominican Republic Region
Apr 25 08:23 AM
3.7 76.0 MAP

EMSC Western Turkey
Apr 25 08:16 AM
2.6 6.0 MAP

EMSC Nicobar Islands, India Region
Apr 25 07:53 AM
5.2 50.0 MAP

GEOFON Nicobar Islands, India Region
Apr 25 07:53 AM
5.1 10.0 MAP

USGS Nicobar Islands, India Region
Apr 25 07:53 AM
5.2 10.0 MAP

EMSC Greece
Apr 25 07:49 AM
2.4 5.0 MAP

EMSC Western Turkey
Apr 25 07:48 AM
2.4 5.0 MAP

EMSC Nicobar Islands, India Region
Apr 25 07:42 AM
5.7 10.0 MAP

USGS Nicobar Islands, India Region
Apr 25 07:42 AM
5.7 13.8 MAP

GEOFON Nicobar Islands, India Region
Apr 25 07:42 AM
5.8 10.0 MAP

GEOFON Democratic Republic Of Congo
Apr 25 07:24 AM
4.5 10.0 MAP

EMSC Western Turkey
Apr 25 07:22 AM
3.3 3.0 MAP

USGS Puerto Rico
Apr 25 07:00 AM
2.7 63.5 MAP

USGS Samar, Philippines
Apr 25 06:55 AM
5.0 122.8 MAP

GEOFON Samar, Philippines
Apr 25 06:55 AM
4.8 99.0 MAP

EMSC Samar, Philippines
Apr 25 06:55 AM
5.0 100.0 MAP

EMSC Near The Coast Of Western Turkey
Apr 25 06:51 AM
2.8 14.0 MAP

EMSC Vancouver Island, Canada Region
Apr 25 06:24 AM
3.9 28.0 MAP

USGS Vancouver Island, Canada Region
Apr 25 06:24 AM
3.9 27.8 MAP

EMSC Crete, Greece
Apr 25 05:42 AM
3.4 5.0 MAP

USGS Gulf Of Santa Catalina, California
Apr 25 05:29 AM
3.0 13.3 MAP

EMSC Cyprus Region
Apr 25 05:23 AM
3.1 2.0 MAP

GEOFON Off Coast Of Southern Chile
Apr 25 05:02 AM
4.8 10.0 MAP

USGS Off The Coast Of Aisen, Chile
Apr 25 05:01 AM
4.9 10.0 MAP

EMSC Off Coast Of Aisen, Chile
Apr 25 05:01 AM
4.8 10.0 MAP

USGS Northern Alaska
Apr 25 04:47 AM
2.8 11.1 MAP

GEOFON South Of Mariana Islands
Apr 25 04:46 AM
4.7 226.0 MAP

USGS Guam Region
Apr 25 04:45 AM
4.8 214.5 MAP

EMSC Guam Region
Apr 25 04:45 AM
4.8 216.0 MAP

EMSC Caucasus Region, Russia
Apr 25 04:17 AM
3.4 10.0 MAP

GEOFON    North Indian Ocean
Apr 25 03:45 AM
4.5    10.0    MAP
EMSC    Crete, Greece
Apr 25 03:26 AM
2.5    19.0    MAP

EMSC Tonga
Apr 25 03:23 AM
5.0 156.0 MAP

USGS Tonga
Apr 25 03:23 AM
4.8 159.7 MAP

GEOFON Tonga Islands
Apr 25 03:23 AM
5.3 134.0 MAP

EMSC Ionian Sea
Apr 25 03:21 AM
2.8 153.0 MAP

EMSC Western Mediterranean Sea
Apr 25 03:19 AM
2.9 11.0 MAP

USGS Northern Algeria
Apr 25 03:18 AM
4.7 9.6 MAP

GEOFON Northern Algeria
Apr 25 03:18 AM
4.7 6.0 MAP

EMSC Northern Algeria
Apr 25 03:18 AM
4.7 10.0 MAP

EMSC Western Turkey
Apr 25 02:37 AM
3.0 6.0 MAP

EMSC Crete, Greece
Apr 25 02:08 AM
2.4 8.0 MAP

EMSC Southern Greece
Apr 25 01:26 AM
2.6 12.0 MAP

EMSC Western Turkey
Apr 25 00:55 AM
2.6 4.0 MAP

EMSC Sicily, Italy
Apr 25 00:42 AM
3.4 16.0 MAP

EMSC Eastern Turkey
Apr 25 00:04 AM
2.6 5.0 MAP

sources : USGS – EMSC – GFZ – GEONET

Quake rocks Andaman Nicobar Islands

The Hindu

PTI

A tremor with moderate intensity shook parts of Andaman and Nicobar Islands on Wednesday.

No injury or casualty has been reported.

The epicentre of the tremor measuring 5.7 on the Richter Scale was between Little Andaman and Car Nicobar, said disaster management director Ashok Sharma.

The earthquake occurred at 1.12 PM and originated at a depth of 10 km, he said.

It may be recalled following a massive earthquake off Sumatra coast on April 11, a tsunami alert had been sounded in the islands.

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Volcanic Activity

Volcano Watch: Heavy Breathing in Santorini

Analysis by Sarah Simpson
Wed Apr 25, 2012 07:27 AM ET

The iconic white roofs of the Greek isles of Santorini may not stay that way forever. Those buildings are perched, after all, on the rim of a massive underwater volcano blamed for destroying the Minoan civilization of Crete. And it’s restless.

ANALYSIS: White Roofs Help Volcanoes Chill Out

About 3600 years ago, at the height of Minoan civilization, Santorini let loose with one of the largest volcanic eruptions in history. The explosion blanketed nearby islands with piles of ash hundreds of feet thick and sent out a gigantic tsunami that devastated Crete, about 68 miles to the south.

Smaller eruptions across the ensuing millennia ended abruptly in 1950. Then, after 60 years of calm, the caldera reawakened early last year with an escalating swarm of earthquakes. When geologists took a closer look, they could see the ground was swelling as well, as though the sleeping giant were yawning.

Read Full Article Here

Lava from Puu Oo spreads over coastal plain

By Star-Advertiser staff

POSTED: 03:35 p.m. HST, Apr 25, 2012
LAST UPDATED: 08:12 p.m. HST, Apr 25, 2012

COURTESY USGS/HAWAIIAN VOLCANO OBSERVATORY

The flows active on the coastal plain for the last month and a half have entered Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park in this Monday photo. These flows were just 80 f eet within the Park boundary, and 0.6 miles from the ocean.

Photo gallery: Island Images: Kilauea in April

Lava flows from Puu Oo vent are spreading over the coastal plain in Kalapana and over the weekend entered the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. But the flows are still about a half-mile from the ocean.

The Hawaiian Volcano Observatory released new lava photos taken Monday that show slow-moving breakouts of pahoehoe lava, with the characteristic look of bunched up rope as it cools.

Other photos released in the last month show how the lava has been spreading on the plain, rather than moving directly to the south, toward the ocean.

The plain is below the Pulama Pali and the Royal Gardens subdivision.

The observatory also released video and thermal images showing the summit lava lake rising at Halemaumau Crater.

A glow from the lava lake illuminates the gas plume coming from the vent at night. The lava level rises and falls as the volcano goes through inflation and deflation cycles. The lake level is about 230 feet below the floor of Halemaumau Crater

Current Emergencies

26.04.2012

Volcano Activity

Mexico

State of Puebla, [Popocatepetl Volcano]

Short Time Event(s)

25.04.2012

Volcano Eruption

Ecuador

Cordillera Oriental , [Tungurahua Volcano]

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Extreme Temperatures/ Weather

Hard Freeze Warning

GRAND FORKS ND

Rare Weather Phenomenon Hit Part of Twin Lakes Area this Morning

By: KTLO
Posted: Wednesday, April 25, 2012

National Weather Service Meteorologist B. J. Simpson says a rare weather phenomenon occurred this morning at the Twin Lakes Area. Between 4 a.m. and 6 a.m. the temperature in Mountain Home rose some 18 degrees going from 64 to 82 degrees before dropping back into the upper 60’s just before 7 a.m. Local weather observer Chuck Beall at Mallard Point
reported about a 20 degree rise in a 90-minute span this morning before it dropped back.
Simpson on the phenomenon.

National Weather Service meteorologist B. J. Simpson on this mornings “heat burst” that saw the temperature rise some 18 degrees between 4 a.m. and 6 a.m.

Listen to the Broadcast Here

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Storms, Flooding

Current Emergencies

Upd.	Date (UTC)	Event	Country	Location	Level	Details
	Today	Flash Flood	MultiCountries	[Haiti and Dominican Republic]
1	19.04.2012	Biological Hazard	China	Ningxia Autonomous region, [Touying township]
3	24.04.2012	Epidemic Hazard	Vietnam	Province of Quang Ngai, [Son Ky Commune]

Short Time Event(s)

Upd.	Date (UTC)	Event	Country	Location	Level	Details
	Today	Vehicle Accident	Indonesia	Province of East Kalimantan, [Island of Borneo]
	Today	Extreme Weather	China	Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, [Southern regions]
	Today	Nuclear Event	USA	State of California, [Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant]
	Today	Heat Wave	USA	State of Texas, San Angelo
	Today	Epidemic Hazard	India	State of Maharastra, Mumbai (Bombay) [Girgaum]
	Today	Flood	Canada	Province of British Columbia, [Princeton and Kimberley]
	25.04.2012	Vehicle Incident	India	State of West Bengal, Salar
	25.04.2012	HAZMAT	USA	State of South Carolina, Columbia [Columbia Nuclear Fuel plant. Westinghouse Ltd]
	25.04.2012	Vehicle Accident	USA	State of Florida, Deerfield Beach
	25.04.2012	Forest / Wild Fire	New Zealand	Northland, [Manawatu Region]
	25.04.2012	Flash Flood	Afghanistan	Province of Balkh, [Kushandi and Shulgara districts]
	25.04.2012	Biological Hazard	Australia	State of Queensland, [Gordonbrook Dam]

1	25.04.2012	Epidemic Hazard	Taiwan	Changhua County, [Fangyuan Township]
3	25.04.2012	Event into space	USA	States of Nevada and California, [Reno-Sparks area, Carson City, Minden, South Lake Tahoe, Placerville and Truckee]

Severe Thunderstorm Warning

LOUISVILLE KY
PADUCAH KY

Severe Thunderstorm Watch

LOUISVILLE KY
 NORMAN OK

Severe Weather Statement

LOUISVILLE KY
PADUCAH KY

Gale Warning

MARQUETTE MI
BALTIMORE CANYON TO HATTERAS CANYON
HATTERAS CANYON TO CAPE FEAR
CHICAGO IL
 ANCHORAGE ALASKA
GEORGES BANK...FROM THE NORTHEAST CHANNEL TO THE GREAT SOUTH
CHANNEL INCLUDING WATERS EAST OF CAPE COD...TO THE HAGUE LINE

Flood Warning

MISSOULA MT
PENDLETON OR
LAKE CHARLES LA
SPOKANE, WA
POCATELLO ID

Flash Flood Warning

JACKSON KY

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Solar Activity

3MIN News Apr25: Solar Watch/Magnetic Storm Watch

Published on Apr 25, 2012 by Suspicious0bservers

http://en.rian.ru/russia/20120424/173017423.html
http://money.cnn.com/2012/04/24/news/economy/south-china-sea/index.htm?iid=HP_LN
http://money.cnn.com/2012/04/24/markets/euro-crisis/index.htm?iid=HP_LN
http://www.weather.com/weather/hurricanecentral/article/2012-hurricane-season…
http://www.universetoday.com/94790/lunar-satellite-reveals-apollo-16-remains/
http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/cassini/whycassini/factory20120420.html
http://www.nasa.gov/centers/jpl/news/earth20120424.html
http://spaceweather.com/
http://rsd.gsfc.nasa.gov/goes/
http://www.haarp.alaska.edu/haarp/data.html
http://sdo.gsfc.nasa.gov/data/
http://umtof.umd.edu/pm/
http://sohodata.nascom.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/soho_movie_theater
http://www.ips.gov.au/HF_Systems/6/5
http://solarimg.org/artis/
http://www.swpc.noaa.gov/wsa-enlil/cme-based/
http://hisz.rsoe.hu/alertmap/index2.php
http://ccmc.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/SWMF_RealTime_browse.cgi
http://grb.sonoma.edu/

Solar X-rays:Geomagnetic Field:

From n3kl.org
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Solar System

NASA releases photo of meteor blazing across Nevada skies

Lisa Warren / NASA-JPL via AP

An image provided by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory shows a meteor over Reno, Nevada on April 22, 2012.

By David R Arnott, msnbc.com

NASA has released a photograph of a flaming meteor that unleashed a powerful sonic boom Sunday morning, rattling houses in California and Nevada when its disintegration released energy equivalent to a 5-kiloton explosion.

The former space rock entered Earth’s atmosphere around 8 a.m. PT on April 22 and exploded over California’s Central Valley, according to NASA, which pinpointed the location in a map posted on its website.

According to space.com, several witnesses initially thought they had experienced an earthquake.

“An event of this size might happen about once a year,” said Don Yeomans of NASA’s Near-Earth Object Program Office. “But most of them occur over the ocean or an uninhabited area, so getting to see one is something special.”

Hunt is on for pieces of van-sized California meteor

15:33 25 April 2012 by Lisa Grossman
Magazine issue 2862.

Wanted: fragments of a minivan-sized meteor that exploded over northern California and Nevada on Sunday morning and may well have survived to strike Earth.

Meteorites – meteors that make landfall – can provide crucial information about the chemical composition of the early solar system. “It’s like getting sample return without having to go there,” says Bill Cooke of NASA’s Meteoroid Environment Office at the Marshall Space Flight Centre in Huntsville, Alabama.

However, meteorites are rare. Though meteors frequently streak across the sky, they tend to burn up before reaching the ground or they land in the sea. There’s reason to think the recent meteor is different.

Apart from exploding over land, it created a sonic boom, so it must have stayed intact for long enough for it to get down into the denser air low in the atmosphere – just 16 kilometres above the Earth’s surface, Cooke reckons – raising the chance that some of it hit the dirt.

Read Full Article Here

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Mysterious Booms / Rumblings

Mystery ‘boom’ in Appling confirmed as minor quake

Minor temblor in Appling confirmed

By Rob Pavey

Staff Writer

Tuesday, April 24, 2012 4:03 PM

Last updated 8:23 PM

A mysterious boom that shook portions of Appling late Monday was confirmed Tuesday as a minor earthquake, according to Columbia County authorities.

The event, which registered a 2.1 magnitude on the Richter scale, occurred at 9:26 p.m. and was located near Columbia and Appling-Harlem roads, Emergency Services Director Pam Tucker said.

The temblor was not listed on national earthquake monitors, but was confirmed by a seismologist at Savannah River Site, she said.

“This would explain the loud boom and shaking that many residents felt,” she said.

Earthquakes occur periodically in the area, which lies along the fall line, where the Coastal Plains and Piedmont regions meet.

For decades, scientists have monitored the region around the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ earth-and-concrete Thurmond Dam for seismic activity, which has included dozens of small quakes.

According to the National Earthquake Information Center in Golden, Colo., Thurmond Lake is one of the major earthquake centers in Georgia and South Carolina, where pressure changes caused by water in reservoirs can promote seismic movement.

The largest recent quake in the lake area occurred in Lincoln County on Aug. 2, 1974, and registered 4.2. Three other quakes were recorded in nearby Edgefield County, S.C., in 1996, measuring 2.5, 2.3 and 2.2.

Experts say Augusta is unlikely to experience a serious quake.

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Articles of Interest

Warning signs from ancient Greek tsunami

by Staff Writers
San Francisco CA (SPX) Apr 25, 2012

This figure shows the study area in Greece (Thermaikos Gulf). Red stars indicate drilling sites, where researchers have found high-energy layers, which are interpreted a of a tsunami origin. Credit: Klaus Reicherter, RWTH Aachen University.

In the winter of 479 B.C., a tsunami was the savior of Potidaea, drowning hundreds of Persian invaders as they lay siege to the ancient Greek village.

New geological evidence suggests that the region may still be vulnerable to tsunami events, according to Klaus Reicherter of Aachen University in Germany and his colleagues.

The Greek historian Herodotus described the strange retreat of the tide and massive waves at Potidaea, making his account the first description of a historical tsunami. Reicherter and colleagues have added to the story by sampling sediments on the Possidi peninsula in northern Greece where Potidaea (and its modern counterpart, Nea Potidea) is located.

The sediment cores show signs of “high-energy” marine events like significant waves, and excavations in the suburbs of the nearby ancient city of Mende have uncovered a high-energy level dated to the 5th century B.C. The Mende layer contains much older marine seashells that were probably scoured from the ocean bed and deposited during a tsunami.

Earthquake forecast modeling in the North Aegean Basin near the peninsula suggests that future earthquakes in the area could produce significant tsunami waves, although the area is not included currently in the ten “tsunami” prone regions of Greece.

However, Reicherter and colleagues say their new findings suggest the Thermaikos Gulf where the peninsula is located should be included in tsunami hazard calculations, especially since the area is densely populated and home to many holiday resorts.

Reicherter will present his findings at the Annual Meeting of the Seismological Society of America (SSA) on April 19 in San Diego.

New CU-NOAA monitoring system clarifies murky atmospheric questions

by Staff Writers
Boulder CO (SPX) Apr 25, 2012

A new technique to measure CO2 and trace gas emissions may be of help in monitoring greenhouse gases. Credit: National Park Service.

A University of Colorado Boulder-led team has developed a new monitoring system to analyze and compare emissions from man-made fossil fuels and trace gases in the atmosphere, a technique that likely could be used to monitor the effectiveness of measures regulating greenhouse gases.

The research team looked at atmospheric gas measurements taken every two weeks from aircraft over a six-year period over the northeast United States to collect samples of CO2 and other environmentally important gases. Their method allowed them to separate CO2 derived from fossil fuels from CO2 being emitted by biological sources like plant respiration, said CU-Boulder Senior Research Associate Scott Lehman, who led the study with CU-Boulder Research Associate John Miller.

The separation was made possible by the fact that CO2 released from the burning of fossil fuels like coal, oil and gas has no carbon-14, since the half-life of that carbon radio isotope is about 5,700 years – far less than the age of fossil fuels, which are millions of years old.

In contrast, CO2 emitted from biological sources on Earth like plants is relatively rich in carbon-14 and the difference can be pinpointed by atmospheric scientists, said Lehman of CU’s Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research.

The team also measured concentrations of 22 other atmospheric gases tied to human activities as part of the study, said Miller of the CU-headquartered Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences. The diverse set of gases impact climate change, air quality and the recovery of the ozone layer, but their emissions are poorly understood.

The authors used the ratio between the concentration level of each gas in the atmosphere and that of fossil fuel-derived CO2 to estimate the emission rates of the individual gases, said Miller.

In the long run, measuring carbon-14 in the atmosphere offers the possibility to directly measure country and state emissions of fossil fuel CO2, said Miller. The technique would be an improvement over traditional, “accounting-based” methods of estimating emission rates of CO2 and other gases, which generally rely on reports from particular countries or regions regarding the use of coal, oil and natural gas, he said.

“While the accounting-based approach is probably accurate at global scales, the uncertainties rise for smaller-scale regions,” said Miller, also a scientist at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Earth System Research Laboratory in Boulder. “And as CO2 emissions targets become more widespread, there may be a greater temptation to underreport. But we’ll be able to see through that.”

A paper on the subject was published in the Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres, published by the American Geophysical Union. Co-authors include Stephen Montzka and Ed Dlugokencky of NOAA, Colm Sweeney, Benjamin Miller, Anna Karion, Jocelyn Turnbull and Pieter Tans of NOAA and CIRES, Chad Wolak of CU’s INSTAAR and John Southton of the University of California, Irvine.

One surprise in the study was that the researchers detected continued emissions of methyl chloroform and several other gases banned from production in the United States. Such observations emphasize the importance of independent monitoring, since the detection of such emissions could be overlooked by the widely used accounting-based estimation techniques, said Montzka.

The atmospheric air samples were taken every two weeks for six years by aircraft off the coastlines of Cape May, N.J., and Portsmouth, N.H.

Fossil fuel emissions have driven Earth’s atmospheric CO2 from concentrations of about 280 parts per million in the early 1800s to about 390 parts per million today, said Miller. The vast majority of climate scientists believe higher concentrations of the greenhouse gas CO2 in Earth’s atmosphere are directly leading to rising temperatures on the planet.

“We think the approach offered by this study can increase the accuracy of emissions detection and verification for fossil fuel combustion and a host of other man-made gases,” said Lehman. He said the approach of using carbon-14 has been supported by the National Academy of Sciences and could be an invaluable tool for monitoring greenhouse gases by federal agencies like NOAA.

Unfortunately, NOAA’s greenhouse gas monitoring program has been cut back by Congress in recent years, said Lehman. “Even if we lack the will to regulate emissions, the public has a right to know what is happening to our atmosphere. Sticking our heads in the sand is not a sound strategy,” he said.

How humans have transformed Earth: Incredible video illuminates every road, shipping route and flight path

Three per cent of the planet’s land surface is under tarmac – an area the size of India

By Rob Waugh and Ted Thornhill
UPDATED: 10:26 EST, 25 April 2012

From space Earth looks completely untouched.

However, it’s deceptive, as a new video shows in mesmerising fashion.

‘Anthropocene’ demonstrates just how much the planet has been transformed by humans by illuminating every road, shipping route and flight path.

SCROLL DOWN FOR VIDEO

Illuminating: Anthropocene is a three-minute rollercoaster ride through the latest chapter in the story of how one species has transformed a planet

Read Full Article and View Video Here

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Comment

Earth Watch Report – Monday April 23rd, 2012

Filed under: Earthquakes, Environmental, Extreme Weather, Flooding, Global Disaster Watch, Government Overreach, Magnetic North Pole, Mass Animal Deaths, Mysterious Phenomena, Radiation, Solar Activity, Uncategorized, Wildlife — Leave a comment

April 23, 2012

Earthquakes

GEOFON Central Peru
Apr 22 23:45 PM
4.6 124.0 MAP

EMSC Central Peru
Apr 22 23:45 PM
4.6 113.0 MAP

USGS Central Peru
Apr 22 23:45 PM
4.6 112.8 MAP

EMSC Syria-iraq Border Region
Apr 22 23:38 PM
3.1 21.0 MAP

EMSC Western Turkey
Apr 22 23:27 PM
2.6 5.0 MAP

EMSC Western Turkey
Apr 22 23:15 PM
2.5 5.0 MAP

USGS Nicobar Islands, India Region
Apr 22 23:05 PM
4.8 39.5 MAP

EMSC Nicobar Islands, India Region
Apr 22 23:05 PM
4.9 40.0 MAP

GEOFON Nicobar Islands, India Region
Apr 22 23:05 PM
4.9 32.0 MAP

EMSC Poland
Apr 22 23:05 PM
3.0 10.0 MAP

USGS Northern California
Apr 22 22:25 PM
2.6 2.1 MAP

EMSC Pyrenees
Apr 22 22:04 PM
2.9 1.0 MAP

USGS Southern Alaska
Apr 22 21:55 PM
3.1 51.3 MAP

USGS Celebes Sea
Apr 22 21:41 PM
4.6 591.3 MAP

GEOFON Celebes Sea
Apr 22 21:41 PM
4.6 590.0 MAP

EMSC Celebes Sea
Apr 22 21:41 PM
4.6 595.0 MAP

EMSC Pyrenees
Apr 22 21:37 PM
2.9 10.0 MAP

EMSC Strait Of Gibraltar
Apr 22 21:37 PM
3.0 9.0 MAP

EMSC Dodecanese Islands, Greece
Apr 22 21:09 PM
2.4 4.0 MAP

USGS Central Alaska
Apr 22 20:48 PM
3.3 85.0 MAP

EMSC Albania
Apr 22 19:54 PM
2.7 36.0 MAP

EMSC Eastern Turkey
Apr 22 19:28 PM
3.6 10.0 MAP

EMSC Western Turkey
Apr 22 19:08 PM
2.4 6.0 MAP

GEOFON Fiji Islands Region
Apr 22 18:31 PM
4.7 368.0 MAP

USGS Jalisco, Mexico
Apr 22 18:12 PM
4.6 85.7 MAP

GEOFON Near Coast Of Jalisco, Mexico
Apr 22 18:11 PM
4.7 10.0 MAP

USGS La Paz, Bolivia
Apr 22 18:04 PM
4.4 155.6 MAP

EMSC La Paz, Bolivia
Apr 22 18:04 PM
4.4 140.0 MAP

GEOFON Peru-bolivia Border Region
Apr 22 18:04 PM
4.6 134.0 MAP

USGS Southern Alaska
Apr 22 18:01 PM
3.0 10.7 MAP

EMSC Western Turkey
Apr 22 17:30 PM
2.5 5.0 MAP

USGS Baja California, Mexico
Apr 22 17:16 PM
2.8 18.1 MAP

EMSC Eastern Turkey
Apr 22 17:14 PM
2.7 5.0 MAP

EMSC Western Turkey
Apr 22 16:51 PM
2.4 6.0 MAP

USGS Southern California
Apr 22 16:18 PM
3.5 4.8 MAP

GEOFON Off West Coast Of Northern Sumatra
Apr 22 16:06 PM
4.1 10.0 MAP

EMSC Kep. Tanimbar Region, Indonesia
Apr 22 15:37 PM
5.0 40.0 MAP

GEOFON Tanimbar Islands Reg., Indonesia
Apr 22 15:37 PM
5.0 10.0 MAP

EMSC Western Turkey
Apr 22 15:21 PM
2.4 5.0 MAP

EMSC Eastern Turkey
Apr 22 14:28 PM
3.1 2.0 MAP

EMSC Albania
Apr 22 14:27 PM
2.5 2.0 MAP

EMSC Western Turkey
Apr 22 14:14 PM
2.6 5.0 MAP

GEOFON Off East Coast Of Honshu, Japan
Apr 22 13:58 PM
4.6 10.0 MAP

EMSC Off East Coast Of Honshu, Japan
Apr 22 13:58 PM
4.6 2.0 MAP

EMSC Western Turkey
Apr 22 13:56 PM
2.4 5.0 MAP

EMSC North Indian Ocean
Apr 22 13:50 PM
4.8 10.0 MAP

GEOFON North Indian Ocean
Apr 22 13:50 PM
4.8 10.0 MAP

GEOFON Southwestern Ryukyu Islands, Japan
Apr 22 13:37 PM
4.6 10.0 MAP

EMSC Western Turkey
Apr 22 13:15 PM
2.8 5.0 MAP

EMSC Hokkaido, Japan Region
Apr 22 13:13 PM
5.0 180.0 MAP

GEOFON Hokkaido, Japan Region
Apr 22 13:13 PM
4.7 156.0 MAP

GEOFON West Of Macquarie Island
Apr 22 13:11 PM
5.2 10.0 MAP

EMSC West Of Macquarie Island
Apr 22 13:11 PM
5.0 10.0 MAP

USGS West Of Macquarie Island
Apr 22 13:11 PM
5.0 9.8 MAP

EMSC Western Turkey
Apr 22 13:09 PM
2.5 21.0 MAP

EMSC Sunda Strait, Indonesia
Apr 22 13:04 PM
4.6 2.0 MAP

GEOFON Sunda Strait, Indonesia
Apr 22 13:04 PM
4.8 10.0 MAP

EMSC Western Turkey
Apr 22 12:27 PM
2.6 5.0 MAP

EMSC West Of Macquarie Island
Apr 22 12:20 PM
5.2 40.0 MAP

GEOFON West Of Macquarie Island
Apr 22 12:20 PM
5.1 10.0 MAP

USGS West Of Macquarie Island
Apr 22 12:20 PM
5.2 10.2 MAP

EMSC Western Turkey
Apr 22 12:07 PM
3.2 5.0 MAP

EMSC Eastern Turkey
Apr 22 12:02 PM
3.1 8.0 MAP

USGS Solomon Islands
Apr 22 11:44 AM
5.3 39.2 MAP

EMSC Solomon Islands
Apr 22 11:44 AM
5.3 34.0 MAP

GEOFON Solomon Islands
Apr 22 11:44 AM
5.1 10.0 MAP

EMSC Western Turkey
Apr 22 10:33 AM
2.7 5.0 MAP

EMSC South Island Of New Zealand
Apr 22 10:08 AM
4.2 11.0 MAP

USGS South Island Of New Zealand
Apr 22 10:08 AM
4.2 11.3 MAP

GEONET Canterbury
Apr 22 10:08 AM
4.2 11.0 MAP

EMSC Eastern Turkey
Apr 22 10:01 AM
2.6 21.0 MAP

EMSC Western Turkey
Apr 22 09:47 AM
2.8 5.0 MAP

USGS    Near The East Coast Of Honshu,
Japan    Apr 22 09:45 AM
4.5    24.5    MAP

EMSC Near East Coast Of Honshu, Japan
Apr 22 09:45 AM
4.5 24.0 MAP

EMSC Central Turkey
Apr 22 09:32 AM
2.6 5.0 MAP

EMSC Southern Mid-atlantic Ridge
Apr 22 09:19 AM
4.8 10.0 MAP

USGS Southern Mid-atlantic Ridge
Apr 22 09:19 AM
4.8 10.0 MAP

EMSC Western Turkey
Apr 22 09:07 AM
2.8 21.0 MAP

USGS Virgin Islands Region
Apr 22 08:59 AM
2.5 51.9 MAP

USGS Virgin Islands Region
Apr 22 08:57 AM
2.6 27.2 MAP

EMSC Western Turkey
Apr 22 08:46 AM
3.2 2.0 MAP

EMSC Eastern Turkey
Apr 22 08:37 AM
2.4 17.0 MAP

GEOFON Vancouver Island, Canada Region
Apr 22 08:36 AM
4.3 10.0 MAP

EMSC Vancouver Island, Canada Region
Apr 22 08:36 AM
4.4 20.0 MAP

USGS Vancouver Island, Canada Region
Apr 22 08:36 AM
4.4 11.6 MAP

EMSC Iran-iraq Border Region
Apr 22 08:14 AM
4.1 10.0 MAP

GEOFON Iran-iraq Border Region
Apr 22 08:14 AM
4.5 88.0 MAP

USGS Iran-iraq Border Region
Apr 22 08:13 AM
4.6 40.0 MAP

EMSC Guatemala
Apr 22 08:07 AM
4.1 67.0 MAP

USGS Guatemala
Apr 22 08:07 AM
4.1 67.0 MAP

USGS    Puerto Rico Region
Apr 22 08:00 AM
3.0    40.5    MAP
USGS    Puerto Rico Region
Apr 22 07:54 AM
3.1    6.5    MAP

EMSC Western Turkey
Apr 22 07:50 AM
2.8 5.0 MAP

EMSC Eastern Turkey
Apr 22 07:26 AM
2.9 20.0 MAP

EMSC Western Turkey
Apr 22 07:19 AM
2.8 6.0 MAP

EMSC Western Turkey
Apr 22 07:09 AM
2.6 5.0 MAP

EMSC Central Italy
Apr 22 07:09 AM
2.5 10.0 MAP

EMSC Greece
Apr 22 07:06 AM
2.5 10.0 MAP

EMSC Eastern Turkey
Apr 22 07:05 AM
2.4 8.0 MAP

USGS Kodiak Island Region, Alaska
Apr 22 07:04 AM
2.5 3.0 MAP

EMSC Crete, Greece
Apr 22 07:03 AM
3.6 10.0 MAP

EMSC Western Turkey
Apr 22 07:01 AM
3.5 3.0 MAP

EMSC Central Turkey
Apr 22 06:58 AM
2.5 9.0 MAP

USGS Northern Alaska
Apr 22 06:56 AM
3.4 6.6 MAP

EMSC Western Turkey
Apr 22 06:50 AM
3.0 2.0 MAP

EMSC Western Turkey
Apr 22 06:40 AM
2.6 5.0 MAP

EMSC Northern Iran
Apr 22 06:38 AM
4.1 6.0 MAP

EMSC Western Turkey
Apr 22 06:35 AM
2.5 6.0 MAP

EMSC Western Turkey
Apr 22 06:26 AM
2.7 5.0 MAP

EMSC Western Turkey
Apr 22 06:15 AM
2.5 6.0 MAP

EMSC Western Turkey
Apr 22 05:59 AM
2.6 5.0 MAP

EMSC Western Turkey
Apr 22 05:56 AM
2.6 5.0 MAP

EMSC Dodecanese Islands, Greece
Apr 22 05:11 AM
2.6 11.0 MAP

GEOFON Off West Coast Of Northern Sumatra
Apr 22 04:34 AM
4.2 10.0 MAP

GEOFON Chile-bolivia Border Region
Apr 22 04:08 AM
4.1 137.0 MAP

EMSC Potosi, Bolivia
Apr 22 04:08 AM
4.4 133.0 MAP

USGS Potosi, Bolivia
Apr 22 04:08 AM
4.4 122.8 MAP

EMSC Iran-iraq Border Region
Apr 22 04:00 AM
3.9 10.0 MAP

EMSC Western Turkey
Apr 22 03:23 AM
2.5 6.0 MAP

GEOFON North Indian Ocean
Apr 22 03:17 AM
5.0 10.0 MAP

EMSC North Indian Ocean
Apr 22 03:17 AM
4.9 2.0 MAP

USGS North Indian Ocean
Apr 22 03:17 AM
4.9 11.6 MAP

EMSC Western Turkey
Apr 22 01:54 AM
3.1 10.0 MAP

EMSC Southwestern Siberia, Russia
Apr 22 01:11 AM
3.7 10.0 MAP

GEOFON Volcano Islands, Japan Region
Apr 22 00:35 AM
4.5 344.0 MAP

USGS Volcano Islands, Japan Region
Apr 22 00:35 AM
4.8 48.9 MAP

EMSC Volcano Islands, Japan Region
Apr 22 00:35 AM
4.8 60.0 MAP

EMSC Western Iran
Apr 22 00:22 AM
4.2 20.0 MAP

USGS Western Iran
Apr 22 00:22 AM
4.2 10.4 MAP

GEOFON Western Iran
Apr 22 00:21 AM
4.2 10.0 MAP

EMSC Eastern Turkey
Apr 22 00:08 AM
2.7 5.0 MAP

EMSC Near The Coast Of Syria
Apr 22 00:06 AM
3.0 15.0 MAP

Sources : USGS – EMSC – GFZ – GEONET

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Volcanic Activity

Current Emergencies

Upd.	Date (UTC)	Event	Country	Location	Level	Details
1	19.04.2012	Biological Hazard	China	Ningxia Autonomous region, [Touying township]
2	23.04.2012	Epidemic Hazard	Vietnam	Province of Quang Ngai, [Son Ky Commune]
11	22.04.2012	Volcano Activity	Mexico	State of Puebla, [Popocatepetl Volcano]

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Extreme Temperatures/ Weather

Short Time Event(s)

Upd.	Date (UTC)	Event	Country	Location	Level	Details
	Today	Flash Flood	Kenya	State of Rift Valley, [Hells Gate National Park]
	Today	Epidemic Hazard	Taiwan	Central Region, [ The area was not defined.]
	Today	Epidemic Hazard	USA	State of Minnesota, Duluth [Edgewater Resort and Water Park]
	Today	Epidemic Hazard	USA	State of Florida, Hillsborough
	Today	Biological Hazard	Australia	State of Western Australia, Broome [Cable Beach]
	Today	Vehicle Accident	Japan	Prefecture of Kagoshima, [About 2 kilometers west of Sata Cape]
	Today	Flash Flood	Kenya	Rift Valley Province, [Hell’s Gate National Park]
2	23.04.2012	Event into space	USA	States of Nevada and California, [Reno-Sparks area, Carson City, Minden, South Lake Tahoe, Placerville and Truckee]
	22.04.2012	Explosion	Japan	Prefecture of Yamaguchi, [Mitsui Chemicals]
	22.04.2012	Vehicle Accident	China	Municipality of Shanghai, Shanghai
	22.04.2012	Vehicle Accident	Zimbabwe	Mashonaland West Province, Kadoma
	22.04.2012	Vehicle Incident	Pakistan	State of Sindh, Karachi [Jinnah International Airport]

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Storms, Flooding

Destructive Snowstorm Targets Interior Northeast

by Jonathan Erdman, weather.com Sr. Meteorologist

Updated: April 23, 2012 6:15 am ET

The snow season “that largely wasn’t” in the Northeast will be “book-ended” by two destructive winter storms.

A heavy, wet snowstorm in 2011 downed trees and power lines, knocking out power to over 3 million customers in the Northeast just before Halloween 2011, in a storm dubbed “Snowtober”.

Snowtober 2011: Photos | A record-setter | #1 winter storm of 2011-2012

Unfortunately, another “Snowtober”-type destructive snowstorm will wreak havoc in parts of the Northeast kicking off this week. Let’s get to the critical details.
Click here to track current power outages

Read Full Article and Watch Video Here

Lakeshore Flood Warning

 BUFFALO NY

Flood Warning

SPOKANE, WA
LAKE CHARLES LA
JACKSON, MS

Gale Warning

CARIBOU ME
TAUNTON MA
CHICAGO IL
NORTHERN INDIANA
DETROIT/PONTIAC MI
BUFFALO NY
SOUTH OF NEW ENGLAND
GULF OF MAINE TO THE HAGUE LINE
GEORGES BANK...FROM THE NORTHEAST CHANNEL TO THE GREAT SOUTH
CHANNEL INCLUDING WATERS EAST OF CAPE COD...TO THE HAGUE LINE
GAYLORD MI
GRAY ME
CLEVELAND OH
ANCHORAGE AK

Freeze Warning

OMAHA/VALLEY NE
BLACKSBURG VA
GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
QUAD CITIES IA IL
MORRISTOWN TN
INDIANAPOLIS IN
NORTHERN INDIANA
GRAND RAPIDS MI
LINCOLN IL

Red Flag Warning

FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE

MOBILE AL
MIAMI FL
CHICAGO IL
TALLAHASSEE FL
 MELBOURNE FL

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Radiation

Is Fukushima’s Doomsday Machine About to Blow?

By Mike Whitney (about the author)

opednews.com

Mounting troubles at Japan’s hobbled Fukushima Dai-Ichi nuclear power plant now pose a real threat to human survival. If the area in which Unit 4 is struck by another 7.0 magnitude earthquake, there’s a 70 percent chance that “the entire fuel pool structure will collapse” and massive doses of lethal nuclear radiation will be released into the atmosphere. The disaster would release approximately “134 million curies is Cesium-137 — roughly 85 times the amount of Cs-137 released at Chernobyl as estimated by the U.S. National Council on Radiation Protection (NCRP).” Experts believe that the amounts are sufficient to “destroy the world environment and our civilization,” which makes containment “an issue of human survival.” (“The Greatest Single Threat to Humanity: Fuel Pool Number 4,” Washington’s blog)

The structural integrity of Unit 4’s cooling pool was greatly compromised by the earthquake and following tsunami which struck the facility over a year ago. At present, the pools are not adequately protected or reinforced, which means that a sizable tremor could “cause a disaster worse than the three reactor meltdowns.” If such a disaster were to occur, “people should get out of Japan, and residents of the West Coast of America and Canada should shut all of their windows and stay inside,” says nuclear expert Arnie Gundersen.

Read Full Article Here

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Solar Activity

2MIN News Apr22

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Mysterious Booms / Rumblings

NorCal Sonic Boom Possible Meteor Impact

Overnight meteor shower continued Sunday morning.

By Lori Preuitt

| Sunday, Apr 22, 2012 | Updated 1:58 PM PDT

This is from a very active Leonid meteor shower, but you get the idea.

People in Northern California and Nevada reported hearing a loud boom in the sky above the Sierra Sunday morning.

The Tuolumne County sheriff’s department said they are investigating the possibility that it might have been the physical impact of an overnight meteor shower. Some people in the Tahoe area said they saw what they believed to be a meteor just prior to the sound. Others said they saw a fireball streak across the sky at the same time.

People who live in in Lake Tahoe, El Dorado County, Placer County, Tuolumne County, Amador County and Nevada County contacted our sister station in Sacramento. KCRA is reporting that they heard the sound just after 8:30 a.m.

The Associated Press reported the explosion rattled windows and shook houses from Reno to Winnemucca in Nevada, and from the Sacramento to Bakersfield.

Meteorologists in California and Nevada including our own Rob Mayeda said there were meteor showers Saturday night that could have still been going on Sunday morning.

Read Full Article Here

Inexplicable Earthquake Swarm in Canada; “Sounds like dynamite exploding.”

http://sheilaaliens.net/?p=539 “A New Brunswick town has been experiencing small earthquakes over the past month and residents are getting worried.”
source: http://www.globalnews.ca/video/natural+phenomenon+rocks+nb+town/video.html?v=…
Canada’s EQ Center:
http://www.earthquakescanada.nrcan.gc.ca/index-eng.php

And an interesting article by CanadianBusiness from today entitled
“Manmade earthquakes trigger government drill-down into possible fracking link”:

“VANCOUVER – A booming gas extraction process that has environmentalists all shaken up is being probed by two different studies to determine if it’s also causing the depths of Canada to rattle and roll.

The research into whether hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, can trigger earthquakes is being conducted just as a pair of independent papers were released internationally this week suggesting they do.

The studies out of mid-continent U.S. and Britain found that shallow, man-made tremors may be linked to the blasting of water, sand and chemicals deep underground to break open rock to obtain crude oil and natural gas.

Experts and critics alike are waiting for conclusive results from home soil before suggesting industry practices should be altered.

“These are tiny earthquakes and they’re the variety that occur thousands of times a day around the world,” said John Cassidy, a federal government seismologist in Victoria, B.C., of the international findings.
He said mounting interest and unusual vibrations in British Columbia have prompted closer study at home.

“The idea is to be able to provide well-grounded science advice that can be used by regulators across the country for their decision-making.”

A four-year study was launched by the federal Natural Resources Department on April 1. With the aid of industry regulators and universities, it will seek to unearth whether fracking has inducing quakes in British Columbia, New Brunswick and Quebec, Cassidy said.

A provincial study is also underway in a region of northeastern B.C. called the Horn River Basin, where at least 11 energy companies are developing significant shale gas extraction projects. The study, being conducted by the BC Oil and Gas Commission with commercial co-operation, should be completed later this year.”
Read more: http://www.canadianbusiness.com/article/80131–manmade-earthquakes-trigger-go…

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Wildlife

Mass Dolphin Death Mystery In Peru, Authorities Blame It On Viral Infection

By Sreeja VN | Apr 22, 2012 08:14 AM EDT

Investigations are on into the deaths of hundreds of dolphins that washed up on the northern coast of Peru. Around 877 carcasses of dolphins and porpoises were found on Peruvian beaches in two and half months. Peruvian officials and environmentalists are trying to unravel the mystery behind the phenomenon.

No concrete reasons have been figured out yet but the authorities believe that it could possibly be a viral infection that may have killed the dolphins in huge numbers. While environmental groups in the country blame the seismic oil exploration work carried out by BPZ Energy Company for the dolphin deaths.

Read Full Article Here

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Articles of Interest

100% Certainty of Total Catastrophic Failure of the Entire Power Infrastructure Within 3 Years (Video)

World — 22 April 2012

Mac Slavo
SHTFplan

As smart grid metering systems expand across the developed world, many are starting to ask whether the threats posed by the new devices, which officials promise will save energy and reduce end user utility costs, outweigh their benefits. In addition to documented health concerns resulting from radiation emissions and no cost savings being apparent, opponents of the technology argue that smart meters are violative of basic privacy rights and give the government yet another digital node of unfettered access to monitor and control personal electricity consumption.

Now, an alarming new documentary suggests that security problems with the inter-connected and seemingly convenient smart grid may be so serious that they could lead to a catastrophic failure of our nation’s entire power infrastructure.

In an interview for the upcoming documentary titled Take Back Your Power, Cyber defense expert David Chalk warns that our nation is in crisis. Not only are our smart power grids susceptible to hacking, but they may very well already be infected with Trojan viruses and back doors that will ultimately lead to disastrous consequences:

Read Full Article Here

4/21/2012 — Solar poles to flip next month (1yr early) — TWO north poles = Quadri-polar(???)

Published on Apr 21, 2012 by dutchsinse

update 115am CDT 4/23/2012: Per the Japanese.. last time this sort of thing occurred was about 300 years ago:

http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/features/science/T120420005829.htm

quote the article:

“Magnetic field polarity at the solar poles will reverse and become quadrupolar in May, meaning positive fields will emerge in the North and South poles and negative fields will emerge on the equator, according to the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan and other institutes.

When a similar phenomenon occurred about 300 years ago, the Earth’s average temperature fell slightly. ”

Per the Japanese Hinode team (pronounced hee-no-day) — in about one months time — (may 2012) the suns north pole will reach a magnetic point of “zero” and then form into MULTIPLE positive poles — creating TWO solar north poles, and TWO corresponding south poles .. also.. this is happening a year ahead of the expected “nominal” time.

full website post here: http://sincedutch.wordpress.com/2012/04/22/4212012-solar-poles-to-flip-next-m…

some are asking IS there a difference between .. quadri , quadru, quadra … quick answer.. no difference.. all are variants of Quadri … which means four in Latin ..

http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/quadri-
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/quadra-
http://www.thefreedictionary.com/quadru-

thanks to jeorgekite:

http://www.youtube.com/jeorgekite

download the japanese pdf below his video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eTdlI9bc4Mw

Here is the press release from HINODE Japan:

http://hinode.nao.ac.jp/news/120419PressRelease/index_e.shtml

Polar Field Reversal as observed with Hinode
19 April 2012
Naional Astronomical Observatory of Japan (NAOJ/NINS)
RIKEN
Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency(JAXA)
National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)
Science and Technology Facilities Council(STFC)
European Space Agency(ESA)

The polarity of the extended uni-polar magnetic field in the solar polar region is known to reverse every 11 years, and the reversal occurs at around the maximum of solar activity, which is expected to take place at around 2013 May (NOAA ).

High latitude magnetic fields have been observed with solar telescopes on the ground. However, actual process of the polar field reversal is poorly understood because of the difficulty of the observations on the extreme limb combined with atmospheric seeing effect. The solar optical telescope aboard the Hinode satellite allows us for the first time to perform extremely high-quality observations of the deep polar region of the Sun (Figure A). The initial discoveries include that there are many magnetic patches with intense magnetic field in the polar regions. Their field strength is close to that of sunspots, and their size is as large as small sunspots called pore.

The international research team led by Saku Tsuneta, a professor at NAOJ, has been performing the monthly polar observations with Hinode from September 2008. We here report the discovery that the average magnetic flux of the north polar region is rapidly and steadily decreasing during the period of 2008 and 2012 (Figure B). The reversal (from minus to plus polarity) is taking place in sequence from lower latitude to higher latitude. The average magnetic flux of the polar region soon becomes zero. The estimated completion of the reversal of the north polar region will take place in 1 months or so, about one year earlier than the nominal expected reversal time.

In striking contrast to the north polar situation, the magnetic flux of the south polar region has been very stable, and maintains the plus polarity (Figure C). These latest Hinode observations suggest that the global magnetic field of the Sun will become different from the normal bipolar configuration.

Observations of the polar magnetic fields are the key for understanding the cyclic solar dynamo. Their results will shed light on the origin of the solar magnetism, and will contribute to our understating on the Sun’s effect to the solar-terrestrial environment.

HERE COME THE GREEN POLICE: DHS LAUNCHES ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE UNITS

04-20-2012 1:44 pm – The Rat – ConstitutionClub.org
Sleep well tonight, America. The ever-vigilant Obama Regime stands at red alert in its unflinching effort to protect you, your loved ones and life as you know it. From “climate change” and “melting Arctic ice.” Uh huh. The epic battle is on – and O’s Army is all over it – just like Dennis Quaid in The Day After Tomorrow. Where would our nation be were it not for Barack Hussein Obama’s extraordinary aptitude for keeping his priorities straight? Other countries should be so fortunate.

Not a minute too soon, the Department of Homeland Security has announced that it is creating “environmental justice” units that will be empowered to oversee regulations in conjunction with local governments throughout the country. The framework for the Environmental Justice Working Group includes eleven federal government agencies, including the TSA, the Secret Service and FEMA. Go big or go home, right?

In its just-released Environmental Justice Strategy document, the DHS says the idea is to “include environmental justice practices in our larger mission efforts involving federal law enforcement and emergency response activities” and to incorporate environmental justice in “securing the homeland.” Roll that around in your head for awhile:

“Federal law enforcement” agents conducting “emergency response activities” in the name of “environmental justice” for the purpose of “securing the homeland.” The Green Police. Oh. My. God.

Lest you think these people are crazy as a loon, (which they are), here’s the official explanation from the Regime:

Our nation’s vision of homeland security is a homeland that is safe and secure, resilient against terrorism and other hazards – where American interests and aspirations, and the American way of life can thrive. In seeking to fulfill this vision, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) aspires to avoid burdening minority and low-income populations with a disproportionate share of any adverse human health or environmental risks associated with our efforts to secure the nation.

What a complete crock of crap. Since when is terrorism a mere “hazard,” – comparable to environmentalist wacko-ism? The “American way of life”? As defined by whom – Barack Obama, Al Gore and the rest of the greenies? And – why must the Divider-in-Chief single out – as he always does – “minority and low-income populations”? And their “disproportionate share”? That “efforts to secure the nation” part is hysterical as well. How low of a common denominator are these people playing to?

The DHS document also lists concerns such as “climate change” and “melting Arctic ice,” despite recent reports confirming that the amount of floating ice in the Arctic’s Bering Sea “reached all-time record high levels last month,” according to the US National Snow and Ice Data Center. Then again, liberals never let facts or data get in the way of “securing the nation” according to their agendas, do they?

Memo to O: If you’re so interested in securing the nation, why do you continue your incessant efforts to divide its people? Why do continue your relentless drive to mortgage the future of “the nation’s” grandchildren – all for the self-serving reason of pandering for votes?

In the event that you missed Audi’s Green Police ad during the Super Bowl, it gave a glimpse of things to come – courtesy of the courageous Barack Hussein Obama – without whom, America may very well have been denied the Chevy Volt.

Hell, the O-man reduced NASA to little more than a Muslim-outreach program – why shouldn’t he straighten out the Secret Service, too? Besides, they’ve been somewhat distracted lately anyway.

I can see the television series now – a Maxwell Smart or Barney Fife character – riding a Segway – as he battles diabolical conservatives hellbent on destroying the planet’s environment. Must-see TV.

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Comment

Earth Watch Report – Saturday April 21st, 2012

Filed under: Diseases, Earthquakes, Extreme Weather, Flooding, Global Disaster Watch, meteors, Solar Activity, Space, Storms, Strange diseases, Volcanic Events, Weather Phenomena — Leave a comment

April 21, 2012

Earthquakes

EMSC    Central Alaska
Apr 20 23:56 PM
4.2    123.0    MAP

USGS    Central Alaska
Apr 20 23:56 PM
3.8    122.8    MAP

EMSC    Albania
Apr 20 23:47 PM
2.6    41.0    MAP

EMSC    Western Turkey
Apr 20 23:40 PM
2.6    5.0    MAP

EMSC    Eastern Turkey
Apr 20 23:32 PM
2.5    21.0    MAP

EMSC    Western Turkey
Apr 20 23:27 PM
2.9    6.0    MAP

EMSC    Eastern Turkey
Apr 20 23:21 PM
2.9    5.0    MAP

USGS    Off The West Coast Of Northern Sumatra
Apr 20 23:14 PM
5.7    25.0    MAP

GEOFON    Off West Coast Of Northern Sumatra
Apr 20 23:14 PM
6.0    10.0    MAP

EMSC    Off W Coast Of Northern Sumatra
Apr 20 23:14 PM
5.8    40.0    MAP

EMSC    Strait Of Gibraltar
Apr 20 23:04 PM
2.5    69.0    MAP

USGS    Oaxaca, Mexico
Apr 20 22:56 PM
4.5    10.0    MAP

EMSC    Oaxaca, Mexico
Apr 20 22:56 PM
4.5    10.0    MAP

EMSC    Aegean Sea
Apr 20 22:39 PM
2.9    10.0    MAP

EMSC    Off W Coast Of Northern Sumatra
Apr 20 22:29 PM
5.5    40.0    MAP

USGS    Off The West Coast Of Northern Sumatra
Apr 20 22:29 PM
5.5    28.3    MAP

GEOFON    Off West Coast Of Northern Sumatra
Apr 20 22:28 PM
5.8    10.0    MAP

EMSC    Romania
Apr 20 22:23 PM
2.5    119.0    MAP

EMSC    Off W Coast Of Northern Sumatra
Apr 20 22:19 PM
5.6    2.0    MAP

GEOFON    Off West Coast Of Northern Sumatra
Apr 20 22:19 PM
5.8    10.0    MAP

USGS    Off The West Coast Of Northern Sumatra
Apr 20 22:19 PM
5.6    16.9    MAP

USGS    South Of Java, Indonesia
Apr 20 21:45 PM
4.4    70.8    MAP

EMSC    South Of Java, Indonesia
Apr 20 21:45 PM
4.6    54.0    MAP

GEOFON    South Of Java, Indonesia
Apr 20 21:45 PM
4.7    10.0    MAP

EMSC    Iran-iraq Border Region
Apr 20 21:40 PM
3.7    10.0    MAP

EMSC    Western Turkey
Apr 20 21:31 PM
2.5    5.0    MAP

USGS    Fox Islands, Aleutian Islands, Alaska
Apr 20 21:28 PM
2.6    63.2    MAP

EMSC    Albania
Apr 20 21:05 PM
2.5    17.0    MAP

USGS    Central Alaska
Apr 20 21:04 PM
3.4    12.2    MAP

USGS    Mona Passage, Puerto Rico
Apr 20 21:03 PM
2.9    15.1    MAP

GEONET    Taupo
Apr 20 20:56 PM
2.5    4.0    MAP

USGS    Kodiak Island Region, Alaska
Apr 20 20:37 PM
2.8    34.4    MAP

EMSC    Aegean Sea
Apr 20 20:25 PM
3.1    10.0    MAP

EMSC    Western Turkey
Apr 20 19:48 PM
2.8    5.0    MAP

EMSC    Greece
Apr 20 19:47 PM
2.6    5.0    MAP

EMSC    Off W Coast Of Northern Sumatra
Apr 20 19:34 PM
5.2    40.0    MAP

GEOFON    Off West Coast Of Northern Sumatra
Apr 20 19:34 PM
5.0    10.0    MAP

USGS    Off The West Coast Of Northern Sumatra
Apr 20 19:34 PM
5.2    11.8    MAP

EMSC    Western Turkey
Apr 20 19:32 PM
2.6    5.0    MAP

EMSC    Western Turkey
Apr 20 19:16 PM
3.1    7.0    MAP

EMSC    Eastern Turkey
Apr 20 18:26 PM
2.7    13.0    MAP

EMSC    Eastern Turkey
Apr 20 18:05 PM
3.7    11.0    MAP

GEOFON    Macquarie Island Region
Apr 20 18:02 PM
4.8    10.0    MAP

USGS    Macquarie Island Region
Apr 20 18:02 PM
4.8    7.3    MAP

EMSC    Macquarie Island Region
Apr 20 18:02 PM
4.9    2.0    MAP

EMSC    Western Turkey
Apr 20 17:45 PM
2.7    6.0    MAP

EMSC    Iran-iraq Border Region
Apr 20 17:20 PM
4.5    30.0    MAP

GEOFON    Iran-iraq Border Region
Apr 20 17:20 PM
4.4    10.0    MAP

USGS    Iran-iraq Border Region
Apr 20 17:19 PM
4.6    44.3    MAP

GEOFON    Turkey
Apr 20 16:39 PM
4.5    10.0    MAP

EMSC    Western Turkey
Apr 20 16:39 PM
4.4    22.0    MAP

EMSC    Iran-iraq Border Region
Apr 20 16:32 PM
4.2    2.0    MAP

EMSC    Western Iran
Apr 20 16:18 PM
4.6    60.0    MAP

USGS    Iran-iraq Border Region
Apr 20 16:17 PM
4.7    34.1    MAP

GEOFON    Iran-iraq Border Region
Apr 20 16:17 PM
5.0    10.0    MAP

USGS    Island Of Hawaii, Hawaii
Apr 20 16:11 PM
2.6    6.6    MAP

EMSC    Iran-iraq Border Region
Apr 20 15:57 PM
3.6    5.0    MAP

GEONET    Hawke’s Bay
Apr 20 15:55 PM
3.8    40.0    MAP

EMSC    Iran-iraq Border Region
Apr 20 15:48 PM
3.8    5.0    MAP

EMSC    Central Turkey
Apr 20 15:45 PM
2.5    26.0    MAP

EMSC    Iran-iraq Border Region
Apr 20 15:37 PM
4.9    60.0    MAP

GEOFON    Iran-iraq Border Region
Apr 20 15:37 PM
4.9    10.0    MAP

USGS    Iran-iraq Border Region
Apr 20 15:37 PM
4.8    40.0    MAP

EMSC    Turkey-syria Border Region
Apr 20 15:23 PM
2.4    18.0    MAP

EMSC    Iran-iraq Border Region
Apr 20 15:09 PM
3.7    28.0    MAP

EMSC    Magadanskaya Oblast’, Russia
Apr 20 14:54 PM
4.2    20.0    MAP

EMSC    Eastern Turkey
Apr 20 14:51 PM
2.4    28.0    MAP

USGS    Baja California, Mexico
Apr 20 14:46 PM
2.7    21.5    MAP

USGS    Puerto Rico
Apr 20 14:34 PM
2.9    125.0    MAP

EMSC    Eastern Turkey
Apr 20 14:00 PM
2.5    24.0    MAP

USGS    Mona Passage, Dominican Republic
Apr 20 13:19 PM
3.3    105.0    MAP

EMSC    Western Turkey
Apr 20 12:15 PM
2.4    4.0    MAP

EMSC    Eastern Turkey
Apr 20 12:13 PM
2.5    21.0    MAP

USGS    Southern Alaska
Apr 20 11:52 AM
2.7    203.6    MAP

EMSC    Western Turkey
Apr 20 11:23 AM
3.0    7.0    MAP

EMSC    Dodecanese Islands, Greece
Apr 20 10:49 AM
2.6    10.0    MAP

EMSC    Off W Coast Of Northern Sumatra
Apr 20 10:17 AM
4.6    10.0    MAP

GEOFON    Off West Coast Of Northern Sumatra
Apr 20 10:17 AM
4.6    10.0    MAP

USGS    Puerto Rico Region
Apr 20 09:55 AM
2.7    9.0    MAP

USGS    Bougainville Region, Papua New Guinea
Apr 20 09:44 AM
4.6    147.1    MAP

EMSC    Bougainville Region, P.n.g.
Apr 20 09:44 AM
4.6    147.0    MAP

EMSC    Greece
Apr 20 08:35 AM
2.5    16.0    MAP

EMSC    Romania
Apr 20 08:17 AM
2.8    115.0    MAP

EMSC    Off W Coast Of Northern Sumatra
Apr 20 07:51 AM
4.9    2.0    MAP

GEOFON    Off West Coast Of Northern Sumatra
Apr 20 07:51 AM
4.9    10.0    MAP

USGS    Off The West Coast Of Northern Sumatra
Apr 20 07:51 AM
4.9    12.8    MAP

EMSC    Western Turkey
Apr 20 07:31 AM
2.5    13.0    MAP

GEOFON    Off West Coast Of Northern Sumatra
Apr 20 07:29 AM
4.4    10.0    MAP

USGS    Virgin Islands Region
Apr 20 07:25 AM
2.7    7.5    MAP

USGS    Baja California, Mexico
Apr 20 07:07 AM
2.6    12.8    MAP

EMSC    Iran-iraq Border Region
Apr 20 07:02 AM
3.5    10.0    MAP

EMSC    Southern Italy
Apr 20 06:52 AM
2.7    22.0    MAP

EMSC    Eastern Turkey
Apr 20 06:50 AM
2.4    17.0    MAP

EMSC    Western Turkey
Apr 20 06:11 AM
2.4    6.0    MAP

USGS    Virgin Islands Region
Apr 20 05:51 AM
3.2    51.2    MAP

EMSC    Iran-iraq Border Region
Apr 20 05:22 AM
3.7    6.0    MAP

EMSC    France
Apr 20 04:57 AM
2.9    5.0    MAP

EMSC    Western Turkey
Apr 20 04:49 AM
2.6    5.0    MAP

EMSC    Western Turkey
Apr 20 04:43 AM
2.4    5.0    MAP

EMSC    Iran-iraq Border Region
Apr 20 04:12 AM
4.3    15.0    MAP

GEOFON    Iran-iraq Border Region
Apr 20 04:11 AM
4.5    10.0    MAP

EMSC    Romania
Apr 20 04:03 AM
2.8    113.0    MAP

EMSC    Dodecanese Islands, Greece
Apr 20 03:59 AM
3.5    10.0    MAP

EMSC    Iran-iraq Border Region
Apr 20 03:56 AM
4.6    30.0    MAP

USGS    Iran-iraq Border Region
Apr 20 03:56 AM
4.7    8.0    MAP

GEOFON    Iraq
Apr 20 03:56 AM
4.6    10.0    MAP

EMSC    Iran-iraq Border Region
Apr 20 03:52 AM
4.2    2.0    MAP

GEOFON    Iran-iraq Border Region
Apr 20 03:43 AM
4.3    10.0    MAP

EMSC    Iran-iraq Border Region
Apr 20 03:43 AM
4.1    40.0    MAP

EMSC    Eastern Turkey
Apr 20 03:41 AM
2.4    6.0    MAP

USGS    Libertador General Bernardo O’higgins, Chile
Apr 20 03:37 AM
4.6    111.7    MAP

EMSC    Libertador O’higgins, Chile
Apr 20 03:37 AM
4.6    112.0    MAP

USGS    Iran-iraq Border Region
Apr 20 03:31 AM
4.4    44.3    MAP

EMSC    Iran-iraq Border Region
Apr 20 03:31 AM
4.4    2.0    MAP

EMSC    Iran-iraq Border Region
Apr 20 03:05 AM
4.9    30.0    MAP

USGS    Iran-iraq Border Region
Apr 20 03:05 AM
5.0    45.5    MAP

GEOFON    Iran-iraq Border Region
Apr 20 03:05 AM
5.1    10.0    MAP

EMSC    Western Turkey
Apr 20 02:55 AM
2.7    5.0    MAP

USGS    Virgin Islands Region
Apr 20 02:55 AM
3.0    7.8    MAP

EMSC    Western Turkey
Apr 20 02:54 AM
3.5    7.0    MAP

USGS    Utah
Apr 20 02:53 AM
2.6    6.8    MAP

EMSC    Western Turkey
Apr 20 02:48 AM
3.6    7.0    MAP

EMSC    Western Turkey
Apr 20 02:45 AM
2.8    2.0    MAP

EMSC    Aegean Sea
Apr 20 02:43 AM
3.6    8.0    MAP

EMSC    Western Turkey
Apr 20 02:43 AM
3.6    5.0    MAP

GEOFON    Southern Peru
Apr 20 02:43 AM
4.5    87.0    MAP

USGS    Alaska Peninsula
Apr 20 02:42 AM
2.5    121.3    MAP

EMSC    Western Turkey
Apr 20 02:17 AM
3.2    7.0    MAP

USGS    Virgin Islands Region
Apr 20 01:57 AM
3.3    121.0    MAP

EMSC    Western Turkey
Apr 20 01:51 AM
2.8    3.0    MAP

EMSC    Iran-iraq Border Region
Apr 20 01:48 AM
4.1    2.0    MAP

EMSC    Western Turkey
Apr 20 01:30 AM
2.6    5.0    MAP

EMSC    Sicily, Italy
Apr 20 01:29 AM
2.4    116.0    MAP

EMSC    Near The Coast Of Western Turkey
Apr 20 01:28 AM
3.1    5.0    MAP

EMSC    Iran-iraq Border Region
Apr 20 01:21 AM
5.0    40.0    MAP

USGS    Iran-iraq Border Region
Apr 20 01:21 AM
5.1    34.2    MAP

GEOFON    Iran-iraq Border Region
Apr 20 01:21 AM
5.2    10.0    MAP

GEONET    Canterbury
Apr 20 01:14 AM
3.3    8.0    MAP

EMSC    Northern Italy
Apr 20 01:07 AM
2.4    24.0    MAP

EMSC    Western Turkey
Apr 20 01:00 AM
2.5    5.0    MAP

EMSC    Western Turkey
Apr 20 00:17 AM
3.2    7.0    MAP

GEOFON    Near Coast Of Guerrero, Mexico
Apr 20 00:06 AM
4.5    118.0    MAP

USGS    Guerrero, Mexico
Apr 20 00:06 AM
4.6    35.3    MAP

EMSC    Guerrero, Mexico
Apr 20 00:06 AM
4.6    35.0    MAP

Two earthquakes rock Indonesia

Posted: 21 April 2012 0946 hrs

JAKARTA: A strong 6.6-magnitude earthquake rocked Indonesia’s Papua region on Saturday, sending panicked residents running from their homes and schools, officials said.

Authorities said there was no threat of a tsunami, and that the worst-hit area was the town of Ransiki in western Papua, where students attending morning classes ran from school buildings that shook for around a minute.

“We’ve had reports of mostly superficial damage to buildings, but two houses have caved and a church wall has collapsed,” Meteorology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) official Yulson Sineri, told AFP.

“There are so far no reports of victims, but there has been some damage to buildings in Ransiki,” he said.

The quake struck at 10:16 am (0116 GMT) at a depth of 30 kilometres (19 miles), 83 kilometres southeast of Manokwari, according to the USGS.

Authorities said the quake was felt in various parts of the West Papua province, on the western tip of New Guinea island.

The BMKG reported the quake’s magnitude at 6.8, with a depth of 10 kilometres.

A hotel receptionist at the Mansinam Beach Resort in Manokwari reported a minute of shaking, but said she saw no damage.

“All our guests panicked and ran out of the building, but they went back after the quake was over and everything is back to normal as far as I can see,” Anita, who goes by one name, told AFP.

The Papua region was struck by two mild aftershocks, while a 6.1-magnitude quake hit off Sumatra island, with no reports of damage or casualties.

Earlier on Saturday, a strong 6.1-magnitude earthquake struck off Indonesia’s Sumatra island on Saturday, the US Geological Survey said, but no tsunami warning was issued.

The quake struck at 5:14 am (2314 GMT Friday) at a depth of about 34 kilometres (21 miles), 427 kilometres southwest of Banda Aceh on the northern tip of Sumatra. There were no immediate reports of damage.

Aceh province was shaken earlier this month by two huge earthquakes, triggering an Indian Ocean-wide tsunami alert.

At a magnitude of 8.6, the first of the two quakes was the strongest to hit since the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami that killed 170,000 in Aceh. No major damage was reported.

– AFP/ck

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Volcanic Activity

Colombia prepares for imminent volcano eruption

Friday, 20 April 2012 11:14 Mary Cecelia Bittner

Nevado del Ruiz

Colombia‘s government has called for high risk areas to be prepared for the eruption of the Nevado del Ruiz volcano.

The Interior Ministry has ordered the fire departments of 19 municipalities in the central Caldas and Tolima departments to be on high alert after the Colombian Geological Survey (SGC) announced that an eruption is “probable” in the coming days or weeks.

The alert level was raised from yellow to orange in March as the volcano became increasingly active. Last week a column of gas and steam approximately 1,200 meters tall extended from its crater.

The national director of the firefighting system warned that there is urgent need for a special contingency plan that outlines tactics to be used in emergency volcanic situations, especially for search and rescue groups. He called for a focus on high risk areas in or near the paths of rivers that originate in the Ruiz, whose levels may be elevated by pyroclastic fragments and the melting of ice.

The director of the Colombian Fire Department Federation in the town of Riosucio explained that local firemen are preparing a plan and educating communities.

In 1985 The Nevado del Ruiz erupted, wiping out the town of Armero and killing 25,000 people.

Villages rocked by volcano eruption

(UKPA) – 6 hours ago

A 17,886ft volcano outside Mexico City has exhaled dozens of towering plumes of ash and shot fragments of glowing rock down its slopes, frightening the residents of surrounding villages with hours of low-pitched roaring not heard in a decade.

A white cloud of ash, gas, water vapour and superheated rock spewed from the cone of Popocatepetl high above the village of Xalitzintla, whose residents said they were awakened by a window-rattling series of eruptions.

Mexico’s National Disaster Prevention Centre said that a string of eruptions had ended in the early morning, then started up again at 5.05am, with at least 12 in two hours.

“Up on the mountain, it feels incredible,” said Aaron Sanchez Ocelotl, 45, who was in his turf grass fields when the eruptions happened. “It sounds like the roaring of the sea.”

The white cone of Popo, as most call the mountain, is an iconic backdrop to Mexico City’s skyline on clear days, but its 40-mile distance means even a moderately large eruption is unlikely to do more than dump ash on one of the world’s largest metropolitan areas.

It is a different matter for the villages on the flanks of the volcano, where the quiet of the corn fields and fruit orchards was pervaded by the volcano’s spooky roaring.

“Everyone needs to take this seriously. This buzzing, this roaring isn’t normal,” said Gregorio Fuentes Casquera, the assistant mayor of Xalitzintla, a village of 2,600 people about seven miles from the summit. He said the town had prepared 50 buses and was sending out its six-member police forces to alert people to be ready to evacuate.

Dozens of women lined up in Xalitzintla’s main square to get free face masks and bottles of water. Health authorities were giving out 10 masks and 10 bottles of water to each family, and the surgical-style masks, intended to filter out the fine ash released by the volcano, were becoming common among the town’s students, who are required to wear them in school. Few adults wore them.

President Felipe Calderon said live on national television that authorities are keeping open roads around the mountain, preparing emergency shelters and making sure residents know the latest information about a potential eruption.

Authorities this week raised the alert level due to increasing activity at the volcano, whose most violent eruption in 1,200 years occurred on December 18 2000. More than 30 million people live within view of the volcano, which sits at a point where the states of Mexico, Puebla, and Morelos come together. It has been erupting intermittently since December 1994.

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Extreme Temperatures/ Weather

Current Emergencies

Upd.	Date (UTC)	Event	Country	Location	Level	Details
1	19.04.2012	Biological Hazard	China	Ningxia Autonomous region, [Touying township]
1	21.04.2012	Epidemic Hazard	Vietnam	Province of Quang Ngai, [Son Ky Commune]
10	21.04.2012	Volcano Activity	Mexico	State of Puebla, [Popocatepetl Volcano]

Short Time Event(s)

Upd.	Date (UTC)	Event	Country	Location	Level	Details
	Today	Complex Emergency	Trinidad and Tobago	Tobago, [Tobago-wide]
	Today	Heat Wave	India	State of Uttar Pradesh, [UP-wide]
	Today	Vehicle Accident	Mexico	State of Veracruz, Alamo
	Today	Nuclear Event	USA	State of California, [San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station]
	Today	HAZMAT	USA	State of Minnesota, loc: 1350 Gardena Avenue Northeast, Fridley, MN [Totino-Grace High School]
	20.04.2012	Vehicle Accident	Pakistan	State of Punjab, [Residential area of Rawalpindi]
	20.04.2012	Extreme Weather	Israel	[Jordan Valley-wide]

Freeze Warning

LA CROSSE WI
QUAD CITIES IA IL
GRAND RAPIDS MI
GREEN BAY WI
CHICAGO IL

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Storms, Flooding

Gale Warning

CAPE FEAR TO 31N OUT TO 32N 73W TO 31N 74W
JUNEAU AK
NEW ORLEANS LA
ANCHORAGE ALASKA

Flood Warning

LITTLE ROCK AR
SHREVEPORT LA

Flood Advisory

FAIRBANKS AK

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Radiation/Nuclear

NRC Action Will Force Major Court Fight

by Staff Writers
Washington DC (SPX) Apr 18, 2012

File image: Vogtle nuclear reactor project.

An adverse decision by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) will force parties concerned about the already troubled Vogtle nuclear reactor project in Georgia to file a motion this week in federal court, according to representatives of nine organizations that are seeking to slow down the Vogtle project so that necessary post-Fukushima safety enhancements can be taken into account on the front end – before billions of ratepayer dollars are spent.

In a phone-based news conference held just hours after the NRC rejection of their motion to stay construction, the groups explained that the NRC is violating federal law by issuing the Vogtle license without fully considering important public safety and environmental implications of the catastrophic Fukushima accident in Japan.

The new court proceeding would unfold against a backdrop of more than 30-plus license changes for the Vogtle reactors that Southern Company has said are needed and that the nine groups believe may result in possible delays and cost overruns.

The nine groups are the Blue Ridge Environmental Defense League, Center for a Sustainable Coast, Citizens Allied for Safe Energy, Friends of the Earth, Georgia Women’s Action for New Directions, North Carolina Waste Awareness and Reduction Network, Nuclear Information and Resource Service, Nuclear Watch South, and the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy.

They have asked federal judges to order the NRC to prepare a new environmental impact statement (EIS) for the proposed Vogtle reactors that would detail how cooling systems for the proposed reactors and spent fuel storage pools would meet new regulatory requirements in light of the Fukushima accident to protect the site, and nearby communities, against earthquakes, flooding and prolonged loss of electric power to the site.

Post-Fukushima safety requirements may also lead to a change in the economics of the Vogtle project compared to other energy alternatives.

Sara Barczak, High Risk Energy Choices program director, Southern Alliance for Clean Energy, said: “As evidenced by today’s NRC decision, regulators unfortunately continue to ignore the real ramifications that this risky, expensive nuclear project could have on utility customers and local communities. There are serious safety and economic concerns that will eventually come to a front. Before billions more dollars are spent, post-Fukushima issues should be dealt with in order to best protect surrounding communities and ratepayers’ pocketbooks.”

Diane Curran, Harmon, Curran, Spielberg and Eisenberg, L.L.P., attorney for organizations, said: “The NRC predicts we are going to lose our case in federal court and therefore it refuses to order the suspension of construction at Vogtle while our court case proceeds. But the NRC only digs itself in deeper with this decision, which confirms that the NRC applied the wrong standard in refusing to supplement the EIS for Vogtle to address the environmental implications of the Fukushima accident – whether there was an ‘imminent risk’ of a Fukushima-like accident.

“But that is not the correct standard for whether a supplemental environmental analysis should be required. The standard is whether there is a significant risk of a severe accident sometime during the operating life of the reactor – not tomorrow.”

Dr. Arjun Makhijani, president, Institute for Energy and Environmental Research, said: “In denying a stay of the license, the Commission completely ignored our principal concern about the harm that will be caused by going ahead with construction now – that the costs of Fukushima-related backfits that may be required will be much greater after construction starts than if that issue is settled before construction, which is what we ask. The NRC gave short shrift to the interests of the public and specifically the ratepayers who are bearing the risks of Vogtle 3 and 4.

“For instance, the NRC ignored its own statements, as recent as January 2012, that the frequency of earthquakes of a given ground motion in the eastern region is now estimated to be higher than before. The Commission has failed to learn the lessons of the more than one hundred reactors to which it gave construction licenses in the 1970s that were later cancelled at great damage to ratepayers and the public in general in part because safety-related backfits were needed once construction had begun.”

Rev. Charles Utley, Environmental Justice coordinator, Blue Ridge Environmental Defense League, said: “As residents living within view of Plant Vogtle, we oppose the siting yet another nuclear plant in our backyard. For years we have participated in public hearings, legal actions and many other tactics to slow, stop and reverse this fundamental injustice. For our children, our homes and our community, we will never give up.”

Curran added: “The decision also vividly illustrates how NRC tries to have it both ways, telling the public to ‘trust us’ that it is taking the Fukushima accident seriously, at the same time it refuses to be accountable to the public by supplementing the environmental impact statement for Vogtle or by even holding a hearing on whether it should be supplemented.

“Attendance at the only hearing the NRC has held on the question of whether the NRC should supplement the environmental study for Vogtle was limited to Southern Nuclear Operating Co. and the NRC technical staff. The NRC would not let the public participate and refused these groups’ request for a hearing on the very same issue. We should have learned from the Japanese accident that such a cozy relationship between industry and government regulators leads to complacency and poor regulatory decisions.”

In February, the groups asked the NRC to delay construction of the new Vogtle reactors until the court decided their case. Since the NRC refused their request today, they will re-file the stay motion on construction with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit later this week. They contend that construction should not be allowed until the NRC decides whether the proposed new reactors should be re-designed to provide for more rigorous protection against earthquakes and extended power outages.

To build reactors that might need to be significantly modified later and extensively backfitted in light of new post-Fukushima regulatory requirements risks wasting ratepayer dollars, causing unnecessary pollution, and even possible abandonment of the project.

The NRC’s order today is available online.

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Solar Activity

2MIN News Apr20

Incoming Plasma Clouds to hit Mercury, Earth, Mars

Spaceweather.com
Fri, 20 Apr 2012 16:08 CDT

On April 18th and 19th, a series of minor CMEs puffed away from the sun. Three of them are heading in our general direction. Analysts at the Goddard Space Weather Lab have prepared an animated forecast track of the ensemble.

According to the forecast, the clouds are going to hit Mercury, Earth, Mars and rover Curiosity en route to Mars. The impact on our planet, on April 22nd around 00:50 UT, is expected to be minor with auroras likely only at higher latitudes.
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Space

Black Hole In Scorpius Seen Firing Fast Cosmic Bullets 20 April, 2012 MessageToEagle.com – Located about 28,000 light-years from Earth in the constellation Scorpius, there is a black hole named H1742-322.

Racing outward at about one-quarter the speed of light, “bullets” of ionized gas are thought to arise from a region located just outside the black hole’s event horizon, the point beyond which nothing can escape.

Using the Very Large Baseline Array and Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer (RXTE) satellite, an international team of astronomers have successfully managed to capture a detailed image of the black hole eruption.

The Very Large Baseline Array is a set of 10 radio telescopes that spans 5,000 miles from Mauna Kea in Hawaii to St. Croix in the U.S. Virgin Islands. It provides astronomers with the sharpest vision of any telescope on Earth or in space.

A black hole in the constellation Scorpius is firing fast cosmic bullets.“If your eyes were as sharp as the VLBA, you could see a person on the moon,” said physicist Gregory Sivakoff of the University of Alberta.

“Like a referee at a sports game, we essentially rewound the footage on the bullets’ progress, pinpointing when they were launched,” said Gregory Sivakoff of the University of Alberta in Canada.

Discovered by NASA’s HEAO-1 satellite in 1977, the system is composed of a normal star and a black hole of modest but unknown masses.Their orbit around each other is measured in days, which puts them so close together that the black hole pulls a continuous stream of matter from its stellar companion.

The flowing gas forms a flattened accretion disk millions of miles across, several times wider than our sun, centered on the black hole.

As matter swirls inward, it is compressed and heated to tens of millions of degrees, so hot that it emits X-rays.

Some of the infalling matter becomes re-directed out of the accretion disk as dual, oppositely directed jets.

Read Full Article Here

A wonderful night in April – April 21 and the 3D Lyrid Meteor Shower

Dr. Tony Phillips
Science@NASA
Fri, 20 Apr 2012 16:02 CDT

This weekend, NASA scientists, amateur astronomers, and an astronaut on board the International Space Station will attempt the first-ever 3D photography of meteors from Earth and space.

“The annual Lyrid meteor shower peaks on April 21-22,” says Bill Cooke, the head of NASA’s Meteoroid Environment Office. “We’re going to try to photograph some of these ‘shooting stars’ simultaneously from ground stations, from a research balloon in the stratosphere, and from the space station.”

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Articles of Interest

Vietnam baffled by mystery disease

(UKPA)

Vietnam has asked the World Health Organization to help investigate a mystery disease that has killed 19 people and left 171 others sick.

Le Han Phong, chairman of the People’s Committee in Ba To district in Quang Ngai province, said patients first experience a rash on their hands and feet along with high fever, loss of appetite and eventually organ failure.

He said nearly 100 people remain in hospital, including 10 in critical condition. Patients with milder symptoms are being treated at home.

Mr Phong said the first case was detected last year and that the disease had died down until a spate of new infections were recently reported, mostly in one impoverished village.

A Ministry of Health investigation was inconclusive.

Incurable Mystery Hand, Foot and Mouth Virus Kills 19 Vietnamese Children to Date

Russia Today
Fri, 20 Apr 2012 13:41 CDT

© Quang Tuan / Vietnam Red Cross
A Red Cross volunteer talks to Hoang Thi Kim Phung, whose two-and-a-half -month-old son was admitted to hospital in Long An, Vietnam, with symptoms of hand, foot and mouth disease

Hanoi has asked the World Health Organization for help to cure a virulent disease affecting children. Symptoms include blistering on hands, feet and mouths accompanied by high fever and eventual organ failure.

Nineteen children died from the illness in 2011 alone.

The virus spreads through direct contact with an infected person’s oral discharges or saliva, the fluid from burst blisters or the stool of infected persons.

The Red Cross mission in Vietnam reports the disease has already infected over 28,000 children this year, which is more than 10 times the number of infected children in the same period last year.

According to the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), last year a record 110,000 children became infected, with 169 deaths.

The hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD) disease mostly affects children under three years old (80 per cent of totals cases) the Red Cross said. There is no known treatment for HFMD.

Human HFMD differs from a similar foot-and-mouth disease affecting cattle, sheep, and pigs.

The virus was first detected last year in central Vietnam. Initially the disease died away, but later many new infections were reported. Most of those infected are from one impoverished villages.

Last year HFMD killed 19 people, reportedly most of them children. One hundred and seventy-one people were hospitalized, 10 in a critical condition. Some patients get milder symptoms and are able to be treated at home.

Vietnam’s Ministry of Health launched a fruitless investigation.

In previous years the registered HFMD cases were mild and most patients recovered after a maximum 10 days, but the new virulent strain EV71 has developed into a fatal disease.

The IFRC say it needs $840,000 to sponsor a program preventing the spread of the disease.

Vietnamese authorities are conducting a campaign to improve sanitation and hygiene practices in internal migrant families living in densely-populated areas.

Cases of HFMD are also on increase in other Asian countries, including Japan, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan and Thailand.

HFMD (Hand, foot and mouth disease) awareness posters (Vietnam Red Cross / p-VNM0322)

Did Climate Change Cause Witch Hysteria?

Alan Burke
Salem News

© Public domain / Artist unknown
An engraving depicting a scene from the Salem Witch Trials. The central figure in this 1876 illustration of the courtroom is usually identified as Mary Walcott, 17, one of several girls in Salem with a psychological disorder known as mass hysteria, and whose condition was blamed on witchcraft..

Salem – The Salem witch tragedy of 1692 took less than two years to play out. Yet 300 years later, explanations for how and why it happened are still coming.

One theory recently gaining exposure thanks to bloggers comes from a 2004 college thesis that places the blame on something we think of as a strictly modern phenomenon: climate change.

Proposed in a Harvard thesis, the paper by economist Emily Oster has earned attention due to the modern swirl of controversy surrounding the possibility that human interaction has altered world temperatures.

Currently an assistant professor at the University of Chicago, Oster linked periodic outbreaks of violence against people accused of witchcraft with dramatic temperature drops.

“The most active period of the witchcraft trials (mainly in Europe) coincides with a period of lower-than-average temperature known to climatologists as the ‘little ice age,'” Oster wrote. “The colder temperatures increased the frequency of crop failure, and colder seas prevented cod and other fish from migrating as far north, eliminating this vital food source for some northern areas of Europe.”

When crops failed, “people would have searched for a scapegoat in the face of deadly changes in weather patterns,” she wrote. Thus, desperate people traced their troubles to unpopular neighbors and outcasts allied to the devil.

Oster noted that the persecutions “spread even across the Atlantic Ocean to Salem, Massachusetts.”

Moreover, she added, “The coldest segments of this ‘little ice age’ period were in the 1590s and between 1680 and 1730.”

Mysterious Balancing Rocks Resist Quakes’ Shakes

Andrea Mustain
OurAmazingPlanet

San Diego – In the western San Bernardino Mountains, near the highway that links Los Angeles and Las Vegas, scientists recently discovered a geological mystery: colossal rocks perched in precarious poses right next door to the San Andreas Fault.

It’s not the rocks’ balancing act that is perplexing, said Lisa Grant Ludwig, a scientist who presented this puzzle to colleagues this week here at the annual meeting of the Seismological Society of America.

It’s how the rocks have managed to stay that way with such an aggressive maker of powerful earthquakes just a few miles away.

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Comment

Earth Watch Report – Friday April 20th, 2012

Filed under: Earthquakes, Extreme Weather, Flooding, Global Disaster Watch, Solar Activity, Storms, Uncategorized, Volcanic Events — Leave a comment

April 20, 2012

Earthquakes

EMSC    Georgia (sak’art’velo)
Apr 19 23:51 PM
2.6    2.0    MAP

EMSC    Madeira Islands, Portugal Region
Apr 19 23:41 PM
4.4    80.0    MAP

EMSC    Dodecanese Islands, Greece
Apr 19 23:36 PM
3.2    9.0    MAP

EMSC    Eastern Turkey
Apr 19 23:34 PM
2.6    3.0    MAP

GEOFON    Off West Coast Of Northern Sumatra
Apr 19 23:22 PM
4.2    10.0    MAP

EMSC    Eastern Turkey
Apr 19 23:03 PM
2.5    5.0    MAP

EMSC    Central Peru
Apr 19 23:02 PM
4.8    135.0    MAP

USGS    Central Peru
Apr 19 23:02 PM
4.8    122.7    MAP

GEOFON    Central Peru
Apr 19 23:02 PM
5.2    102.0    MAP

EMSC    Western Turkey
Apr 19 23:01 PM
2.6    6.0    MAP

EMSC    Eastern Turkey
Apr 19 22:54 PM
2.5    4.0    MAP

USGS    Alaska Peninsula
Apr 19 22:36 PM
2.5    15.2    MAP

EMSC    Western Turkey
Apr 19 22:18 PM
2.7    7.0    MAP

EMSC    Dodecanese Islands, Greece
Apr 19 22:11 PM
2.9    9.0    MAP

EMSC    Western Turkey
Apr 19 21:53 PM
2.4    5.0    MAP

USGS    Virgin Islands Region
Apr 19 21:53 PM
2.8    38.5    MAP

EMSC    Western Turkey
Apr 19 21:32 PM
2.5    6.0    MAP

EMSC    Northern Algeria
Apr 19 21:13 PM
3.5    10.0    MAP

EMSC    Western Turkey
Apr 19 20:49 PM
3.2    7.0    MAP

EMSC    Western Turkey
Apr 19 20:25 PM
3.2    6.0    MAP

EMSC    Western Turkey
Apr 19 20:18 PM
3.0    5.0    MAP

EMSC    Western Turkey
Apr 19 20:12 PM
2.5    4.0    MAP

EMSC    Western Turkey
Apr 19 20:10 PM
2.7    5.0    MAP

EMSC    Western Turkey
Apr 19 20:09 PM
3.0    7.0    MAP

EMSC    Western Turkey
Apr 19 20:06 PM
3.4    7.0    MAP

EMSC    Western Turkey
Apr 19 20:00 PM
3.3    7.0    MAP

EMSC    Western Turkey
Apr 19 19:55 PM
3.1    5.0    MAP

GEOFON    Turkey
Apr 19 19:52 PM
4.5    10.0    MAP

EMSC    Western Turkey
Apr 19 19:52 PM
4.5    7.0    MAP

GEOFON    Off West Coast Of Northern Sumatra
Apr 19 19:32 PM
4.2    10.0    MAP

USGS    New South Wales, Australia
Apr 19 19:09 PM
3.7    0.0    MAP

EMSC    Western Turkey
Apr 19 18:48 PM
2.5    5.0    MAP

EMSC    Greece
Apr 19 18:37 PM
2.6    10.0    MAP

GEOFON    North Indian Ocean
Apr 19 18:07 PM
4.7    10.0    MAP

EMSC    North Indian Ocean
Apr 19 18:07 PM
4.7    50.0    MAP

USGS    Washington
Apr 19 17:47 PM
2.5    16.1    MAP

EMSC    Molucca Sea
Apr 19 17:23 PM
5.3    72.0    MAP

GEOFON    Northern Molucca Sea
Apr 19 17:23 PM
5.3    10.0    MAP

USGS    Molucca Sea
Apr 19 17:23 PM
5.3    12.1    MAP

EMSC    Dodecanese Islands, Greece
Apr 19 17:03 PM
2.7    8.0    MAP

EMSC    Pyrenees
Apr 19 17:02 PM
3.2    1.0    MAP

USGS    Washington
Apr 19 16:36 PM
2.6    19.8    MAP

EMSC    Greece
Apr 19 16:26 PM
3.4    2.0    MAP

EMSC    Off East Coast Of Kamchatka
Apr 19 16:17 PM
4.0    33.0    MAP

GEOFON    Near Coast Of Guerrero, Mexico
Apr 19 15:56 PM
4.2    10.0    MAP

EMSC    Oaxaca, Mexico
Apr 19 15:56 PM
4.5    10.0    MAP

USGS    Oaxaca, Mexico
Apr 19 15:56 PM
4.5    1.0    MAP

GEOFON    Irian Jaya Region, Indonesia
Apr 19 15:46 PM
4.9    10.0    MAP

EMSC    Near N Coast Of Papua, Indonesia
Apr 19 15:46 PM
5.0    30.0    MAP

USGS    Near The North Coast Of Papua, Indonesia
Apr 19 15:46 PM
5.0    25.4    MAP

EMSC    Western Turkey
Apr 19 15:37 PM
2.6    5.0    MAP

EMSC    Albania
Apr 19 15:11 PM
2.5    16.0    MAP

EMSC    Eastern Turkey
Apr 19 14:58 PM
2.5    8.0    MAP

EMSC    Western Turkey
Apr 19 14:43 PM
2.5    5.0    MAP

GEOFON    Near Coast Of Guerrero, Mexico
Apr 19 14:35 PM
4.5    10.0    MAP

EMSC    Offshore Oaxaca, Mexico
Apr 19 14:35 PM
4.5    10.0    MAP

USGS    Offshore Oaxaca, Mexico
Apr 19 14:35 PM
4.5    10.0    MAP

GEOFON    Off Coast Of Northern Chile
Apr 19 13:40 PM
4.7    10.0    MAP

EMSC    Greece
Apr 19 13:38 PM
2.4    14.0    MAP

EMSC    Poland
Apr 19 13:31 PM
2.6    10.0    MAP

EMSC    Western Turkey
Apr 19 13:04 PM
2.7    5.0    MAP

EMSC    Eastern Turkey
Apr 19 12:58 PM
3.1    7.0    MAP

EMSC    Western Turkey
Apr 19 12:36 PM
2.5    6.0    MAP

USGS    Southern California
Apr 19 12:31 PM
2.5    2.4    MAP

EMSC    Aegean Sea
Apr 19 12:19 PM
3.0    77.0    MAP

EMSC    Western Turkey
Apr 19 12:15 PM
2.5    7.0    MAP

USGS    Southern California
Apr 19 11:46 AM
3.0    1.7    MAP

USGS    Southern California
Apr 19 11:45 AM
2.8    1.5    MAP

USGS    Southern Alaska
Apr 19 11:24 AM
2.5    75.6    MAP

EMSC    Eastern Turkey
Apr 19 11:00 AM
3.1    8.0    MAP

EMSC    Celebes Sea
Apr 19 10:59 AM
4.5    589.0    MAP

GEOFON    Celebes Sea
Apr 19 10:59 AM
4.5    545.0    MAP

USGS    Celebes Sea
Apr 19 10:59 AM
4.7    553.1    MAP

USGS    Off The West Coast Of Northern Sumatra
Apr 19 10:55 AM
4.7    29.9    MAP

GEOFON    Off West Coast Of Northern Sumatra
Apr 19 10:55 AM
4.8    10.0    MAP

EMSC    Off W Coast Of Northern Sumatra
Apr 19 10:55 AM
4.9    12.0    MAP

EMSC    Central Turkey
Apr 19 10:54 AM
2.6    5.0    MAP

EMSC    Eastern Turkey
Apr 19 10:51 AM
2.8    9.0    MAP

EMSC    Western Turkey
Apr 19 10:34 AM
2.9    6.0    MAP

EMSC    Central Turkey
Apr 19 10:14 AM
2.5    15.0    MAP

EMSC    Dodecanese Islands, Greece
Apr 19 10:13 AM
3.3    5.0    MAP

EMSC    Central Italy
Apr 19 09:40 AM
2.7    7.0    MAP

EMSC    Strait Of Gibraltar
Apr 19 09:34 AM
3.2    10.0    MAP

EMSC    Western Turkey
Apr 19 09:25 AM
3.1    5.0    MAP

EMSC    Western Turkey
Apr 19 09:16 AM
3.0    5.0    MAP

GEOFON    Northern Chile
Apr 19 09:06 AM
4.6    104.0    MAP

EMSC    Eastern Turkey
Apr 19 08:31 AM
2.9    4.0    MAP

USGS    Central Alaska
Apr 19 07:56 AM
2.9    7.2    MAP

USGS    Puerto Rico Region
Apr 19 07:52 AM
3.3    159.0    MAP

USGS    Iran-iraq Border Region
Apr 19 07:42 AM
4.7    46.8    MAP

GEOFON    Iran-iraq Border Region
Apr 19 07:42 AM
4.3    10.0    MAP

USGS    Puerto Rico Region
Apr 19 07:22 AM
3.1    19.0    MAP

USGS    Off The West Coast Of Northern Sumatra
Apr 19 06:52 AM
4.5    29.9    MAP

GEOFON    North Indian Ocean
Apr 19 06:52 AM
4.5    10.0    MAP

USGS    North Indian Ocean
Apr 19 06:30 AM
4.8    14.8    MAP

GEOFON    North Indian Ocean
Apr 19 06:30 AM
4.7    10.0    MAP

USGS    Southern Alaska
Apr 19 06:25 AM
3.3    112.1    MAP

USGS    Dominican Republic
Apr 19 06:15 AM
3.4    100.0    MAP

USGS    Near The East Coast Of Honshu, Japan
Apr 19 05:00 AM
4.7    32.1    MAP

USGS    Near The East Coast Of Honshu, Japan
Apr 19 03:33 AM
5.2    18.0    MAP

GEOFON    Near East Coast Of Honshu, Japan
Apr 19 03:33 AM
4.9    14.0    MAP

GEOFON    Volcano Islands, Japan Region
Apr 19 02:48 AM
5.1    10.0    MAP

USGS    Volcano Islands, Japan Region
Apr 19 02:48 AM
4.9    18.2    MAP

GEONET    Canterbury
Apr 19 02:32 AM
3.6    10.0    MAP

USGS    Puerto Rico Region
Apr 19 02:14 AM
3.4    144.1    MAP

USGS    Puerto Rico Region
Apr 19 02:00 AM
3.3    71.0    MAP

GEOFON    Taiwan
Apr 19 01:58 AM
5.1    17.0    MAP

USGS    Taiwan
Apr 19 01:58 AM
5.1    18.8    MAP

GEOFON    Off West Coast Of Northern Sumatra
Apr 19 01:20 AM
4.3    10.0    MAP

USGS    Southern Yukon Territory, Canada
Apr 19 01:17 AM
2.7    11.9    MAP

USGS    Coquimbo, Chile
Apr 19 01:14 AM
4.7    52.3    MAP

GEOFON    El Salvador
Apr 19 00:48 AM
4.7    97.0    MAP

USGS    El Salvador
Apr 19 00:48 AM
4.4    94.0    MAP

GEOFON    Kuril Islands
Apr 19 00:24 AM
4.5    59.0    MAP

USGS    Kuril Islands
Apr 19 00:24 AM
4.8    71.8    MAP

USGS    Puerto Rico
Apr 19 00:13 AM
2.6    8.6    MAP

Earthquake swarm on Iran-Iraq border continues

Posted on April 20, 2012

April 20, 2012 – IRAN – 5.1 and 5.0 earthquakes are the latest in a swarm of about six earthquakes that have erupted along the convergent plate boundaries between the Arabian and Eurasian plate. The swarm is about 528 km (328 miles) SW of TEHRAN, Iran. The epicenter of the earthquakes is located on the convergent boundary where the two tectonic plates are colliding along the border of Iraq and Iran in what’s known as the Alpide Belt. Three moderate earthquakes have erupted along the epicenter in less than 20 hours. Most of the volcanoes in Iran lie in the north and south of the country, so this region outside the Tigris River is not considered a high-risk region for magma intrusion. Might this be the precursor to some event? We will have to wait and see.

New research puts focus on earthquake, tsunami hazard for southern California

by Staff Writers
San Francisco CA (SPX) Apr 20, 2012

A new map of active faults off the coast of southern California could clarify some of the earthquake hazard for the region, say Jaime Conrad of the U.S. Geological Survey and colleagues. Although this area is crisscrossed by faults, the seismic hazard posed by their activity isn’t well understood, partly because it’s unclear how much the faults slip and how they interact.

Scientists will convene in San Diego to present the latest seismological research at the annual conference of the Seismological Society of America (SSA), April 17-19. This year’s meeting is expected to draw a record number of registrants, with more than 630 scientists in attendance, and will feature 292 oral presentations and 239 poster presentations.

“For over 100 years the Annual Meeting of SSA has been the forum of excellence for presenting and discussing exciting new developments in seismology research and operations in the U.S. and globally,” said Christa von Hillebrandt-Andrade, president of SSA, which is a scientific society devoted to the advancement of earthquake science. von Hillebrandt-Andrade is manager of the NOAA National Weather Service Caribbean Tsunami Warning Program in Puerto Rico.

A special public town hall meeting is scheduled for the evening of April 17, featuring talks by experts on the seismic hazard to San Diego from future earthquakes and tsunamis.

“We are extremely excited by the range, depth, and quality of science to be presented at this meeting” said David Oglesby, associate professor of earth sciences at the University of California, Riverside. “The meeting will cover all aspects of seismology and earthquake science, from geology to numerical models, and from seismograms to tsunamis.

“Our location near the US-Mexican border also help to illuminate the exciting opportunities in international scientific collaborations,” said Oglesby, who is a co-organizer of the conference program along with Raul Castro, a seismologist at the Centro de Investigacion Cientifica y de Educacion Superior de Ensenada, Baja California.

The presentations by the international gathering of seismologists will focus on a broad range of topics, covering the Earth’s surface to its center. Some highlights that focus more closely on the San Diego area include:

Downtown San Diego:
The city of San Diego sits atop a fault system that poses considerable seismic hazard to the millions of the region’s residents. In an evaluation by Ivan Wong and colleagues from the URS Corporation, an international engineering consulting firm, the potential hazard from both strong ground shaking and surface faulting was quantified in the downtown area.

Several rupture scenarios of the Rose Canyon fault system were considered including rupture of the associated San Diego fault that traverses downtown San Diego.

The surface faulting hazard for locations along the San Diego fault is estimated to be low because of its low rate of activity but the ground shaking hazard is probably high throughout much of San Diego because of the distributed nature of the Rose Canyon fault system.

The behavior of the Rose Canyon fault system as it traverses San Diego is poorly understood. It is unclear what the role of individual faults in the fault system are in the vicinity of San Diego Bay and the downtown area in a large magnitude 7+ earthquake and how often such events may occur.

“It is clear however that the threat to the city from a future large earthquake is considerable and that research is needed to define what that level of hazard is,” said Ivan Wong, principal seismologist and vice president of URS Corporation.

San Jacinto Fault Zone:
Geophysicist Tom Rockwell, and colleagues from San Diego State University will describe the latest research findings on the San Jacinto Fault (SJF) Zone, which is a seismically active, major component of the overall southern San Andreas Fault system, and of particular importance to the San Diego region. They have mapped evidence of past ruptures consistent with very large earthquakes along the Clark Fault, an individual strand associated with the SJF.

Tom Rockwell and other presenters will discuss their work at a news briefing on April 19, beginning at 12:10 p.m. (local time) in the Terrace Salon 2 room of the Town and Country Resort and Convention Hotel.

Offshore faults:
A new map of active faults off the coast of southern California could clarify some of the earthquake hazard for the region, say Jaime Conrad of the U.S. Geological Survey and colleagues. Although this area is crisscrossed by faults, the seismic hazard posed by their activity isn’t well understood, partly because it’s unclear how much the faults slip and how they interact.

The new map covers a series of faults in the near-shore portion of the region known as the Inner Continental Borderland, located between the coast and the San Clemente fault, about 35-40 miles offshore.

The crumpled and uplifted seafloor from Santa Monica Bay to the Mexican border includes several high-angled and north-south trending faults. Using high-resolution seismic reflection data from a number of sources, including multiple sources of sonar beamed from research ships and unmanned underwater vehicles, the researchers were able to revise the current map in some surprising ways.

The data show linkages between faults that were not known previously, for example, and in some cases show a fault slip rate of 1-2 millimeters per year.

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Volcanic Activity

Popocatepetl Volcano Threatening to Erupt, 19 Million Prepare to Evacuate

By Sami K. Martin , Christian Post Contributor

April 18, 2012|11:57 am

The Popocatepetl volcano is making movement and threatening to erupt, causing Mexican officials to raise the alert level from yellow phase three to yellow phase two.

The volcano has already begun spewing red-hot bits of rock, and its opening has expanded. These are signs that the volcano, still quite active, could soon erupt. In a statement by Mexico’s National Center for Disaster Prevention, the volcano could produce “moderate exhalations, some with ash, sporadic low to moderate explosions with likely burning fragments, and flaming magma within the crater.”

Residents and tourists have been advised to remain at least seven miles away from the volcano’s base, lest magma or hot rock injure anyone. Mexico has been experiencing natural disasters with increasing frequency.

Read Full Article Here

Popocatépetl Volcano Erupts Spewing Hot Rock Fragments and Ash in Mexico

Alex Sosnowski
AccuWeather
Thu, 19 Apr 2012 11:40 CDT

© AP
Birds fly in the foreground as a plume of ash and steam rise from Popocatepetl volcano as seen from San Andres Cholula, Mexico, Wednesday April 18, 2012. Mexico’s Popocatepetl volcano is continuing to spout gases and hot rock fragments and it is dusting towns on its flanks with volcanic ash.

A volcano within view of Mexico City continues to erupt.

Steam, smoke and hot fragments of rock began to be ejected from Popocatepetl this past weekend.

The volcano is located about 50 miles southeast of Mexico’s capital, Mexico City. The metropolitan area of Mexico City is home to approximately 21 million people.

According to Reuters, Mexico’s National Center for Disaster Prevention this week raised the alert level to three on a scale from one to seven, with seven being the greatest threat.

If eruptions intensify, evacuations of nearby villages may be necessary.

The volcano has had a long history of frequent minor to moderate eruptions.

In 2000, thousands of residents surrounding the nearly 18,000-foot mountain were forced to evacuate. Popocatepetl is North America’s second highest volcano.

Eruptions have occurred in November and June of 2011.

According to VolcanoDiscovery.com, Popocatepetl was dormant during the 1950s, 60s, 70s and 80s.

This is a very active volcanic region of the globe and is known as the Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt.

Mexico authorities were recommending limiting access to the area, including air travel due to the frequency of the volcanic activity of late.

Ash from volcanoes can be carried into the intake of engines, leading to failure.

During a major eruption, smoke and ash can be carried for hundreds and thousands of miles downwind, depending on weather conditions. Such was the case with Eyjafjallajokull in Iceland during 2010.

Accord to Smithsonian, the last major eruption of Popocatepetl, which including a pyroclastic flow, occurred around 800 AD.

A pyroclastic flow is a combination of lethal hot gas and ash, similar to what happened in Pompeii, Italy.

Popocatepetl is the Aztec word for smoking mountain.

Surface winds in the vicinity of the volcano during April 19, 2012, were generally from the west and northwest, carrying smoke and ash away from the Mexico capital.

The town of Puebla, located southeast of Popocatepetl was reporting volcanic ash in the vicinity for a few hours during April 18.

This story was first published on Monday, April 16, 2012 and has been updated.

Reventador volcano (Ecuador), activity update: steaming and ash emission

Thursday Apr 19, 2012 09:04 AM | Age: 23 hrs

BY: T

eruption plume from Reventador on 18 April (photo: L. Gomezjurado / IG)

Reventador continues to be mildly active with ongoing weak to moderate steam and ash emissions. The Instituto Geofísico reports a 2 km high column of steam and ash rising from Reventador volcano on 18 April. The ash cloud moved to the NW.
IG characterizes the actual activity level (visual and seismic activity) of Reventador “moderate”. No major changes have been observed at the volcano in recent days.

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Extreme Temperatures/ Weather

Short Time Event(s)

Upd.	Date (UTC)	Event	Country	Location	Level	Details
	Today	Biological Hazard	India	State of Tamil Nadu, Valparai [Vellamalai Top Division Tea Estate]
	Today	Epidemic Hazard	Samoa	Capital city, Apia [Tafaigata prison]
	Today	Extreme Weather	Turkey	[Statewide]
	Today	Vehicle Accident	USA	State of Indiana, Indianapolis [Zionsville Road, Pike Township]
	Today	Vehicle Incident	USA	State of New York, New York City [John F. Kennedy International Airport ]
	Today	Forest / Wild Fire	India	State of Andhra Pradesh, [Tirumala Forest]
	Today	Flash Flood	United Kingdom	England, Pocklington [East Yorkshire]
	Today	Nuclear Event	USA	State of Pennsylvania, [Limerick Generating Station]
	19.04.2012	Vehicle Accident	Bolivia	Departamento de La Paz, El Castillo
	19.04.2012	Vehicle Accident	USA	State of Texas, Pleasanton
	19.04.2012	Forest / Wild Fire	Turkey	Province of Karabük, [Villages of Cıraklar, Kadibükü and Cercen, Safranbolu district ]
	19.04.2012	Epidemic Hazard	Dominican Republic	Moca Municipio, [Canca, Tamboril and Ceiba de Madera]
	19.04.2012	Biological Hazard	South Africa	State of Western Cape, Cape Town [Koeel Bay]
	19.04.2012	Vehicle Accident	USA	State of , [About 120 miles west of Tampa]
	19.04.2012	HAZMAT	USA	State of Pennsylvania, Wissinoming [James Sullivan Elementary School]
1	20.04.2012	Epidemic Hazard	Vietnam	Province of Quang Ngai, [Son Ky Commune]

Gale Warning

CHICAGO IL
GRAND RAPIDS MI
JUNEAU AK
ANCHORAGE ALASKA
GAYLORD MI
GREEN BAY WI
MILWAUKEE/SULLIVAN WI
 DETROIT/PONTIAC MI

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Storms, Flooding

Flood Warning

LAKE CHARLES LA
LITTLE ROCK AR
JACKSON, MS
SHREVEPORT LA

Winter Weather Advisory

GREEN BAY WI
GAYLORD MI
MARQUETTE MI

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Climate Change

Southeast Asia’s billion dollar cassava industry at high risk due to climate change

by Staff Writers
Bangkok, Thailand (SPX) Apr 20, 2012

Southeast Asia’s billion dollar cassava industry at high risk due to climate change
by Staff Writers
Bangkok, Thailand (SPX) Apr 20, 2012

The green mite was first sighted feeding on cassava in Vietnam in 2009, with further reports from Southern China and additional unconfirmed sightings in Cambodia in 2011. Originally from South America, the tiny mites feed on the leaves of cassava plants, causing them to wither and die. It is closely related to the green mite species Mononychellus tanajoa, which has caused extensive damage to cassava in Africa and South America.

Severe outbreaks of new, invasive pests triggered by rising temperatures could threaten Southeast Asia’s multi-billion dollar cassava industry, as well as the livelihoods of the hundreds of thousands of small farmers that rely on the crop for income, according to research from the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT).

“Warmer conditions and longer dry seasons linked to climate change could prove to be the perfect catalyst for outbreaks of pests and diseases. They are already formidable enemies affecting food crops,” said Pramod K. Aggarwal, regional program leader for Asia at the CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS).

Around five million small producers across Southeast Asia supply cassava to domestic and foreign processing industries, which convert the roots to animal feed and biofuels and also extract starch for use in a wide variety of food and other products. Thailand’s cassava industry accounts for more than 60 percent of global exports. It is one of the world’s biggest producers of tapioca starch, made from the cassava root. In 2011, Thai farmers exported 2.8 billion metric tons of tapioca starch worth almost 48 billion Thai Baht, according to the Thai Tapioca Starch Association.

For cassava in Southeast Asia, mealybugs and whiteflies are already endemic in the region. But new threats, such as the tiny green mite (Mononychellus mcgregori), are already emerging, says the research, published recently in the scientific journal Tropical Plant Biology.

“The cassava pest situation in Asia is pretty serious as it is,” said Tony Bellotti, a cassava entomologist at CIAT. “But according to our studies, rising temperatures could make things a whole lot worse.”

The research was discussed at “Climate Smart Agriculture in Asia: Research and Development Priorities,” a conference convened in Bangkok this week by the Asia-Pacific Association of Agricultural Research Institutions (APAARI), the CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS), the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

“One outbreak of an invasive species is bad enough, but our results show that climate change could trigger multiple, combined outbreaks across Southeast Asia, Southern China and the cassava-growing areas of Southern India,” added Belloti. “It’s a serious threat to the hundreds of thousands of smallholder farmers for whom cassava is a lifeline, and their main source of income.”

An invasive species-one whose movement is aided by the boom in global travel and trade, and which has no natural enemies in Asia-green mite populations could explode if left unchecked.

The report calls for a range of responses to minimize the risk of outbreaks, and to limit damage where outbreaks occur, under the broad banner of Integrated Pest Management. This includes renewed scientific focus on breeding cassava plants with increased resistance to the pests, minimal use of pesticides to avoid killing any possible natural enemies, as well as the identification, rearing and introduction of so-called “biological control agents”-predator and parasite species that hunt down and kill the pests.

In 2009, Thailand showed how a sudden, severe cassava mealybug outbreak could be swiftly brought under control through the use of the parasitic wasp Anagyrus lopezi, which was released into Thai cassava fields in 2010.

“These pest outbreaks need to be continually monitored,” Bellotti said. “Our research shows that there are specific niches that these exotic species can exploit, not just in Asia, but in Africa and the Americas too.”

Scientists emphasize the importance of taming these threats to cassava because the crop is one of the few that can prosper as the climate changes. Previous CIAT research identified cassava as a “Rambo root,” exceptionally tolerant of higher temperatures and droughts. But while the plant can survive the changing temperatures, in order to fully realize its potential to thrive in the face of climate change, it needs assistance in overcoming the crop pests that also come with modified climates.

The Climate Smart Agriculture conference in Bangkok featured leading agriculture, climate and development experts, as well as government representatives from 14 countries in South and Southeast Asia, who brought similar experiences of how agriculture has changed, discussed the most up-to-date research on the impacts of climate change on food security, and identified the priorities to make agriculture “climate-smart.”

These regions are home to more than 30 percent of the world’s population, but half of the world’s poor and malnourished. Agriculture is the backbone of most economies in the region, with nearly 50 percent of the population dependent on the sector for food and livelihoods. Agriculture, along with forestry and land use change, also account for almost one third of greenhouse gas emissions globally, and some of the most innovative approaches to reducing these emissions have been developed in Southeast Asia, one of the leading exporters of rice and cassava to the rest of the world.

In Vietnam, some farmers are switching from rice to shrimp farming to respond to increased salinity and other changes in water resources. Scientists are also working with farmers to disseminate varieties in Mekong Delta countries that can tolerate a larger amount of saltwater flooding, more acidic water and soil, elevated levels of pollution, and new strains of pests and diseases-all while decreasing the crop’s water usage and emissions footprint.

“Last year’s record flooding in Thailand and Southeast Asia was preceded by a record drought in 2010. These and many other extreme weather events have hammered global food prices,” said Bruce Campbell, program director at CCAFS. “With climate change in South and Southeast Asia expected to reduce agriculture productivity by as much as 50 percent in the next three decades, agriculture must become more productive, more resilient and more climate-friendly. Agriculture needs to shift from being climate dependent to being climate-smart.”

The research was published in Tropical Plant Biology, vol 4, numbers 3-4 Dec 2011.

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Solar Activity

2MIN News Apr19: Earth-Directed CME/Quake Watch Peaks 21st/22nd

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Comment

Earth Watch Report – Tuesday April 17th, 2012

Filed under: Earth Watch Report, Earthquakes, Extreme Weather, Flooding, Global Disaster Watch, meteors, Mysterious Phenomena, Solar Activity, Space, Volcanic Events — Leave a comment

April 17, 2012

Earthquakes

USGS Central Alaska
Apr 16 23:57 PM
3.2 80.6 MAP

GEOFON Mid Indian Ridge
Apr 16 23:53 PM
4.9 10.0 MAP

USGS Mid-indian Ridge
Apr 16 23:53 PM
4.9 9.6 MAP

EMSC Mid-indian Ridge
Apr 16 23:53 PM
4.9 10.0 MAP

EMSC Dodecanese Islands, Greece
Apr 16 23:53 PM
3.1 10.0 MAP

EMSC Northern Algeria
Apr 16 23:51 PM
2.8 30.0 MAP

USGS Island Of Hawaii, Hawaii
Apr 16 23:42 PM
2.8 28.6 MAP

USGS Northern California
Apr 16 23:25 PM
2.5 28.4 MAP

USGS Nevada
Apr 16 23:15 PM
2.8 10.9 MAP

EMSC Western Turkey
Apr 16 22:52 PM
2.9 5.0 MAP

EMSC Western Turkey
Apr 16 22:10 PM
2.7 5.0 MAP

EMSC Western Turkey
Apr 16 22:00 PM
2.7 5.0 MAP

EMSC Eastern Turkey
Apr 16 21:40 PM
2.5 5.0 MAP

EMSC Western Turkey
Apr 16 21:35 PM
2.8 5.0 MAP

EMSC Aegean Sea
Apr 16 21:31 PM
2.6 2.0 MAP

EMSC Aegean Sea
Apr 16 21:18 PM
2.6 8.0 MAP

EMSC Western Turkey
Apr 16 20:49 PM
2.4 5.0 MAP

EMSC Southern Greece
Apr 16 20:46 PM
2.6 21.0 MAP

EMSC Western Turkey
Apr 16 20:45 PM
2.7 10.0 MAP

EMSC Western Turkey
Apr 16 20:41 PM
2.4 5.0 MAP

EMSC Western Turkey
Apr 16 20:30 PM
2.5 5.0 MAP

USGS Puerto Rico Region
Apr 16 20:26 PM
3.3 51.0 MAP

EMSC Eastern Turkey
Apr 16 20:24 PM
2.6 5.0 MAP

EMSC Vanuatu
Apr 16 20:16 PM
4.8 87.0 MAP

GEOFON Vanuatu Islands
Apr 16 20:16 PM
5.0 10.0 MAP

EMSC Turkey-iran Border Region
Apr 16 19:58 PM
3.0 2.0 MAP

USGS Fox Islands, Aleutian Islands, Alaska
Apr 16 19:46 PM
2.8 169.5 MAP

USGS Virgin Islands Region
Apr 16 19:39 PM
2.7 55.5 MAP

GEONET Canterbury
Apr 16 19:28 PM
3.2 10.0 MAP

EMSC Southern Greece
Apr 16 19:09 PM
3.2 10.0 MAP

EMSC Western Turkey
Apr 16 19:05 PM
2.8 5.0 MAP

EMSC Western Turkey
Apr 16 18:59 PM
2.6 6.0 MAP

EMSC Western Turkey
Apr 16 18:46 PM
3.1 8.0 MAP

GEONET Taupo
Apr 16 18:36 PM
5.0 150.0 MAP

EMSC Western Turkey
Apr 16 18:03 PM
3.0 5.0 MAP

EMSC Sulawesi, Indonesia
Apr 16 18:01 PM
5.2 40.0 MAP

GEOFON Sulawesi, Indonesia
Apr 16 18:01 PM
5.3 31.0 MAP

EMSC Dodecanese Islands, Greece
Apr 16 17:53 PM
2.6 14.0 MAP

EMSC Southwestern Siberia, Russia
Apr 16 17:04 PM
4.2 10.0 MAP

GEOFON Komandorskiye Ostrova Region
Apr 16 17:03 PM
4.5 10.0 MAP

EMSC Komandorskiye Ostrova Region
Apr 16 17:02 PM
4.6 10.0 MAP

USGS Molucca Sea
Apr 16 16:55 PM
4.4 38.6 MAP

EMSC Molucca Sea
Apr 16 16:55 PM
4.4 39.0 MAP

EMSC Molucca Sea
Apr 16 16:39 PM
4.5 70.0 MAP

GEOFON Southern Molucca Sea
Apr 16 16:39 PM
4.5 70.0 MAP

EMSC Romania
Apr 16 16:39 PM
3.7 149.0 MAP

EMSC Western Turkey
Apr 16 16:13 PM
3.3 5.0 MAP

EMSC Off W Coast Of Northern Sumatra
Apr 16 16:05 PM
5.1 10.0 MAP

USGS Off The West Coast Of Northern Sumatra
Apr 16 16:05 PM
5.2 10.0 MAP

GEOFON Off West Coast Of Northern Sumatra
Apr 16 16:05 PM
5.0 10.0 MAP

EMSC Southern Greece
Apr 16 15:41 PM
2.9 5.0 MAP

GEONET Canterbury
Apr 16 15:11 PM
2.9 5.0 MAP

EMSC Southern Greece
Apr 16 15:06 PM
4.7 30.0 MAP

GEOFON Southern Greece
Apr 16 15:06 PM
4.5 50.0 MAP

USGS Southern Greece
Apr 16 15:06 PM
4.8 40.7 MAP

EMSC Central Turkey
Apr 16 14:39 PM
2.4 5.0 MAP

EMSC Western Turkey
Apr 16 14:24 PM
2.6 12.0 MAP

EMSC Eastern Turkey
Apr 16 14:23 PM
2.5 5.0 MAP

EMSC Aegean Sea
Apr 16 14:14 PM
2.8 5.0 MAP

EMSC East Of Severnaya Zemlya
Apr 16 13:56 PM
4.2 10.0 MAP

EMSC Western Turkey
Apr 16 13:44 PM
2.8 3.0 MAP

EMSC Western Turkey
Apr 16 13:43 PM
2.8 5.0 MAP

EMSC Eastern Turkey
Apr 16 13:23 PM
2.8 5.0 MAP

EMSC Southern Greece
Apr 16 13:21 PM
2.9 5.0 MAP

EMSC Western Turkey
Apr 16 13:00 PM
2.5 5.0 MAP

EMSC Off W Coast Of Northern Sumatra
Apr 16 12:57 PM
4.5 20.0 MAP

USGS Off The West Coast Of Northern Sumatra
Apr 16 12:57 PM
4.2 14.4 MAP

GEOFON Off West Coast Of Northern Sumatra
Apr 16 12:57 PM
4.6 10.0 MAP

EMSC Eastern Turkey
Apr 16 12:56 PM
2.6 9.0 MAP

EMSC Greece
Apr 16 12:47 PM
3.3 5.0 MAP

EMSC Western Turkey
Apr 16 12:39 PM
2.7 5.0 MAP

USGS Southern Alaska
Apr 16 12:33 PM
2.9 107.1 MAP

EMSC Western Turkey
Apr 16 12:28 PM
2.4 6.0 MAP

EMSC Western Turkey
Apr 16 12:24 PM
2.5 5.0 MAP

EMSC Greece
Apr 16 12:23 PM
2.5 10.0 MAP

EMSC Eastern Turkey
Apr 16 12:21 PM
3.3 7.0 MAP

EMSC Western Turkey
Apr 16 12:19 PM
4.0 5.0 MAP

EMSC Southern Greece
Apr 16 12:12 PM
3.3 19.0 MAP

EMSC Western Turkey
Apr 16 12:03 PM
3.1 7.0 MAP

EMSC Southern Greece
Apr 16 12:02 PM
4.6 60.0 MAP

GEOFON Southern Greece
Apr 16 12:02 PM
4.5 51.0 MAP

USGS Southern Greece
Apr 16 12:02 PM
4.7 10.0 MAP

EMSC Eastern Turkey
Apr 16 12:01 PM
3.0 5.0 MAP

EMSC Western Turkey
Apr 16 11:56 AM
2.5 15.0 MAP

EMSC Sicily, Italy
Apr 16 11:51 AM
2.6 132.0 MAP

EMSC Canary Islands, Spain Region
Apr 16 11:45 AM
3.1 14.0 MAP

EMSC Western Turkey
Apr 16 11:44 AM
2.5 5.0 MAP

EMSC Western Turkey
Apr 16 11:42 AM
3.1 6.0 MAP

EMSC Western Turkey
Apr 16 11:36 AM
2.8 5.0 MAP

EMSC Western Turkey
Apr 16 11:34 AM
2.8 11.0 MAP

USGS Southern Alaska
Apr 16 11:32 AM
2.5 122.5 MAP

EMSC Southern Greece
Apr 16 11:23 AM
5.5 40.0 MAP

USGS Southern Greece
Apr 16 11:23 AM
5.5 36.0 MAP

GEOFON Southern Greece
Apr 16 11:23 AM
5.6 31.0 MAP

EMSC Western Turkey
Apr 16 11:19 AM
2.6 7.0 MAP

EMSC Greece
Apr 16 11:15 AM
2.7 5.0 MAP

EMSC Western Turkey
Apr 16 10:50 AM
2.8 5.0 MAP

EMSC France
Apr 16 10:46 AM
2.4 2.0 MAP

EMSC Western Turkey
Apr 16 10:43 AM
2.9 3.0 MAP

EMSC Strait Of Gibraltar
Apr 16 10:41 AM
2.9 21.0 MAP

EMSC Western Turkey
Apr 16 10:40 AM
3.1 5.0 MAP

EMSC Western Turkey
Apr 16 10:39 AM
3.4 7.0 MAP

GEONET Hawke’s Bay
Apr 16 10:39 AM
3.2 30.0 MAP

EMSC Eastern Turkey
Apr 16 10:38 AM
3.1 14.0 MAP

EMSC Western Turkey
Apr 16 10:36 AM
3.1 5.0 MAP

EMSC Western Turkey
Apr 16 10:25 AM
3.3 5.0 MAP

GEOFON Gulf Of California
Apr 16 10:23 AM
4.4 10.0 MAP

USGS Gulf Of California
Apr 16 10:23 AM
4.1 10.0 MAP

EMSC Gulf Of California
Apr 16 10:23 AM
4.1 10.0 MAP

EMSC Greece
Apr 16 10:22 AM
2.7 5.0 MAP

EMSC Western Turkey
Apr 16 10:22 AM
3.5 11.0 MAP

EMSC Eastern Turkey
Apr 16 10:19 AM
2.7 10.0 MAP

EMSC Western Turkey
Apr 16 10:15 AM
3.0 6.0 MAP

GEOFON Turkey
Apr 16 10:10 AM
4.5 10.0 MAP

USGS Western Turkey
Apr 16 10:10 AM
4.5 9.4 MAP

EMSC Western Turkey
Apr 16 10:10 AM
4.7 5.0 MAP

EMSC Tajikistan
Apr 16 10:10 AM
4.2 1.0 MAP

USGS Off The West Coast Of Northern Sumatra
Apr 16 09:46 AM
5.3 14.7 MAP

GEOFON Off West Coast Of Northern Sumatra
Apr 16 09:46 AM
5.2 10.0 MAP

EMSC Off W Coast Of Northern Sumatra
Apr 16 09:46 AM
5.3 10.0 MAP

USGS Malay Peninsula, Thailand
Apr 16 09:44 AM
3.9 10.1 MAP

EMSC Greece
Apr 16 09:41 AM
2.9 5.0 MAP

EMSC Dodecanese Islands, Greece
Apr 16 09:31 AM
3.2 10.0 MAP

EMSC Western Turkey
Apr 16 09:21 AM
3.2 21.0 MAP

EMSC Greece
Apr 16 08:54 AM
3.0 5.0 MAP

EMSC Greece
Apr 16 08:40 AM
3.7 5.0 MAP

USGS Puerto Rico Region
Apr 16 08:33 AM
3.5 56.0 MAP

GEONET Whanganui
Apr 16 08:23 AM
2.4 12.0 MAP

USGS Oklahoma
Apr 16 08:12 AM
3.9 5.0 MAP

GEOFON Java, Indonesia
Apr 16 07:37 AM
4.6 60.0 MAP

EMSC Sunda Strait, Indonesia
Apr 16 07:37 AM
4.6 60.0 MAP

USGS Sunda Strait, Indonesia
Apr 16 07:37 AM
4.8 36.7 MAP

EMSC Dodecanese Islands, Greece
Apr 16 07:27 AM
2.5 5.0 MAP

USGS Kodiak Island Region, Alaska
Apr 16 06:56 AM
3.2 42.2 MAP

EMSC Eastern Mediterranean Sea
Apr 16 06:52 AM
3.7 10.0 MAP

EMSC Western Turkey
Apr 16 06:27 AM
2.6 5.0 MAP

EMSC Eastern Turkey
Apr 16 06:25 AM
2.7 5.0 MAP

EMSC Eastern Turkey
Apr 16 06:12 AM
2.7 14.0 MAP

USGS Southern Alaska
Apr 16 06:08 AM
3.4 15.1 MAP

GEOFON South Of Alaska
Apr 16 05:23 AM
4.4 10.0 MAP

USGS South Of Alaska
Apr 16 05:23 AM
4.5 10.1 MAP

EMSC South Of Alaska
Apr 16 05:23 AM
4.4 2.0 MAP

USGS Southern Alaska
Apr 16 04:37 AM
2.5 47.1 MAP

EMSC Greece
Apr 16 04:24 AM
2.7 10.0 MAP

EMSC Northeastern Iran
Apr 16 04:22 AM
4.0 8.0 MAP

EMSC Greece
Apr 16 04:16 AM
2.6 10.0 MAP

EMSC Dodecanese Islands, Greece
Apr 16 03:37 AM
2.9 10.0 MAP

EMSC Gulf Of California
Apr 16 03:27 AM
5.0 40.0 MAP

USGS Gulf Of California
Apr 16 03:27 AM
5.0 10.3 MAP

GEOFON Gulf Of California
Apr 16 03:27 AM
5.0 10.0 MAP

“There is no doubt that something is seriously wrong. There have been too many strong earthquakes,” said Marmureanu.

croatiantimes.com

A leading earthquake scientist has warned that the planet could be cracking up after a series of massive quakes in just 48 hours.

Expert Gheorghe Marmureanu – from Romania’s National Institute of Earth Physics – says 39 quakes had hit the globe within two days.

The series started with two massive quakes in Indonesia measuring 8.6 and 8.2 on the Richter scale rapidly followed by three more only slightly smaller in Mexico within hours.

Read Full Article Here

Mexico quake causes ‘tsunami’ at Devil’s Hole

By Henry Brean
LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL

Posted: Apr. 10, 2012 | 6:00 p.m.

A powerful earthquake in southern Mexico last month churned the waters of a normally tranquil spring pool west of Pahrump, and a team of researchers was there to capture the bizarre phenomenon on video.

About 10 minutes after the magnitude-7.4 quake struck in the mountains east of Acapulco, some 1,700 miles from Southern Nevada, the water in Devil’s Hole began to slosh back and forth. The inch-high waves gradually grew, eventually surging to more than 2 feet and splashing across the metal catwalks researchers use to study the warm spring pool and its tiny population of endangered Devil’s Hole pup-fish.

The National Park Service is calling the event a “tsunami in the desert.”

“To see it change that dramatically in such a short period of time was amazing,” said Jeffrey Goldstein, a Park Service bio-technician who filmed the waves.

The video has since been posted on YouTube, where it has been viewed more than 32,000 times.

Read Full Article Here

Magnitude-5.5 Quake Jolts Southern Greece, No Injuries Reported

2012-04-16 20:44:21 Xinhua Web Editor: Li

A moderate earthquake measuring 5.5 magnitude on the Richter scale jolted southern Peloponnese in Greece on Monday noon, local media cited the Euro-mediterranean Seismic Institute as saying.

No injuries or major material damages have been reported by local authorities.

The epicenter of the quake was traced at a distance of some 19 kilometers off the coast of the city of Methoni at a depth of about 40 kilometers, according to seismologists. The tremor was felt in a major part of Peloponnese.

Earthquake-prone Greece is regularly hit by moderate tremors and catastrophic ones many times in recent years. The earthquake in 1999 measuring 6 degrees on the Richter scale in Athens caused many deaths and extensive damages.

M 3.9 2012/04/16 08:12 Depth 5.0 km OKLAHOMA, USA
03:12:00 AM at epicenter – Epicenter location see below in list
One of the many aftershocks in the greater Shawnee area still irritating the local people, especially when they happen in the middle of the night. Only a few seconds but long enough shaking to wake up.
Approx. 85,000 people will have felt a light shaking and nearly 2.5 million a weak shaking !
Light shaking would have been (theoretically) experienced in the vicinity of Prague, Chandler, Stroud, Boley, Shawnee and McLoud

Strong earthquake strikes Chile; no serious damage reported

By the CNN Wire Staff

updated 1:24 AM EDT, Tue April 17, 2012

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

An earthquake in 2010 killed hundreds in Chile
Chile is on the so-called “Ring of Fire”
No tsunami warning has been issued
The quake has a depth of 16.1 miles

(CNN) — A strong earthquake struck coastal Chile about 26 miles (42 kilometers) from the port city of Valparaiso late Monday, the U.S. Geological Survey reported.

The 6.7-magnitude quake knocked out some power and phone lines in the region, but there were no immediate reports of major damage, authorities said.

The temblor was felt in the capital city, Santiago, located 69 miles from the epicenter. A CNN en Español anchor held onto his desk as the quake rattled the studio during a newscast in Huechurba, a suburb of the capital.

No tsunami warning has been issued, according to Chile’s Hydrographic and Oceanographic Service, although the government did issue a “mandated preventive evacuation off the coast of Tangoy and Constitution.”

The same region of the country was hit with an 8.8-magnitude earthquake in February 2010, killing hundreds of people.

Chile is on the so-called “Ring of Fire,” an arc of volcanoes and fault lines circling the Pacific Basic that is prone to frequent earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.

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Volcanic Activity

Russian Volcano Spews Ash to 9,500 Meters

The 3,283-meter (10,771-foot) Shiveluch volcano increased activity in May 2009

07:16 17/04/2012

PETROPAVLOVSK KAMCHATSKY, April 17 (RIA Novosti)

Russia’s northernmost active volcano is churning out ash to a height of 9,500 meters (over 31,000 feet) in the country’s Far East, local scientists reported on Tuesday.

The 3,283-meter (10,771-foot) Shiveluch volcano increased activity in May 2009 and has been periodically spewing ash from three to ten kilometers.

“A powerful eruption of ashes took place 05.59 a.m. local time [17:59 GMT on Monday], a source at the Far Eastern Institute of Volcanology and Seismology said.

The official said the column of ashes could be clearly seen from a distance of 40 kilometers spreading to the east.

“It is the most powerful eruption this year,” the expert said.

According to scientists, the volcanic activity over the past two-three years has significantly altered the contour of the volcano with the crater increasing in size by 50% and the slopes becoming far steeper than before.

Although the current eruption poses no immediate threat to nearby settlements, the ensuing ash fallouts could be hazardous to health and the environment.

The clouds of volcanic ash could also pose threat to air traffic because the tiny particles cause problems with aircraft engine turbines.

So far, local authorities issued no warnings to air traffic in the area.

There are more than 150 volcanoes on Kamchatka, 29 of them active.

Sangay volcano (Ecuador), activity update: growing lava dome, lava flows and ash explosions

Tuesday Apr 17, 2012 02:30 AM

BY: T

View of the upper SE flank of Sangay volcano and thermal image showing the various vents at the dome emitting lava flows that form several branches and reach the base of the summit cone (Photo: P. Ramón OVT/IG)

During an overflight on 13 April, an explosion from Sangay volcano was observed at 08:25 local time. It generated an ash and steam column of 2 km above the summit crater.
A new vent was detected, both on visible and thermal images, located next to the active dome on the SE flank (Ñuñurqu). The activity in this area has intensified since October, when the last aerial survey had taken place.
Extensive lava flows are descending on the SE flank of the dome and reaching the base of the cone.
Strong fumarolic activity was seen on the SE flank of the dome and on the S flank of the central crater.

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Extreme Temperatures/ Weather

Short Time Event(s)

Upd.	Date (UTC)	Event	Country	Location	Level	Details
	Today	Volcano Activity	Ecuador	Northern Volcanic Zone , [Sangay Volcano]
	Today	Epidemic Hazard	USA	State of Connecticut, Rocky Hill [Connecticut State Veterans Home]
	16.04.2012	Vehicle Accident	Zimbabwe	Masvingo Province, [Masvingo-Beitbridge road]
2	17.04.2012	Vehicle Incident	United Kingdom	England (The English Channel), [About 20 miles south of the Isle of Wight]
	16.04.2012	Enviroment Pollution	Nigeria	State of River, [Obite Gas production facilities – Total]
	16.04.2012	Vehicle Accident	India	State of Assam, [Golaghat District]
1	17.04.2012	Volcano Activity	Mexico	State of Puebla, [Popocatepetl Volcano]

Gale Warning

CAPE FLATTERY TO CAPE LOOKOUT, WA
MARQUETTE MI
CHICAGO IL
GAYLORD MI
DETROIT/PONTIAC MI

Freeze Warning

 GREEN BAY WI
LA CROSSE WI
 GRAND RAPIDS MI

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Flooding

Flash Flood Watch

 NEW ORLEANS LA
 LAKE CHARLES LA

Flood Warning

EASTERN NORTH DAKOTA/GRAND FORKS ND
ST LOUIS MO
LAKE CHARLES LA
KANSAS CITY/PLEASANT HILL MO
NEW ORLEANS BATON ROUGE LA
 LITTLE ROCK AR
SHREVEPORT LA
DES MOINES IA

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Solar Activity

LYRID METEOR SHOWER:

Earth is approaching the debris field of ancient Comet Thatcher, source of the annual Lyrid meteor shower. Forecasters expect the shower to peak on April 21-22; a nearly-new moon on those dates will provide perfect dark-sky conditions for meteor watching. Usually the shower is mild (10-20 meteors per hour) but unmapped filaments of dust in the comet’s tail sometimes trigger outbursts 10 times stronger. [video] [Lyrid chat]

SPECTACULAR EXPLOSION (UPDATED): Magnetic fields on the sun’s northeastern limb erupted around 17:45 UT on April 16th, producing one of the most visually-spectacular explosions in years. NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory recorded the blast at extreme ultraviolet wavelengths:

The explosion, which registered M1.7 on the Richter Scale of solar flares, was not Earth-directed, but it did hurl a CME into space. Analysts at the Goddard Space Weather have analyzed the trajectory of the cloud and found that it will hit NASA’s STEREO-B spacecraft, the Spitzer space telescope, and the rover Curiosity en route to Mars. Planets Venus and Mars could also receive a glancing blow.

This event confirms suspicions that an active region of significance is rotating onto the Earth-facing side of the sun. Stay tuned for updates

Solar wind
speed: 310.3 km/sec
density: 0.4 protons/cm³
explanation | more data
Updated: Today at 0206 UT

X-ray Solar Flares
6-hr max: C8 1800 UT Apr16
24-hr: M1 1745 UT Apr16
explanation | more data
Updated: Today at: 2359 UT

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Space

Flat Pancake-Shaped Galaxy Harbors Three Black Holes

MessageToEagle.com – Universe is still a big mystery. The bright galaxy NGC 3621 is the so-called “flat galaxy” which appears to be just a classical spiral. But it is rather unusual astronomical object

Bulgeless and therefore described as a pure-disc galaxy, NGC 3621 lies far beyond the local group of galaxies, some 22 million light-years away in the constellation of Hydra (The Sea Snake). The winding spiral arms of this gorgeous island universe are loaded with luminous young star clusters and dark dust lanes.

It is comparatively bright and can be seen well in moderate-sized telescopes.

NGC 3621 is flat and pancake-shaped.Apparently, it hasn’t yet experienced a galactic collision with another galaxy.Merging with other galaxy would have disturbed the thin disc of stars.Over time, this should create a bulge in the galaxy’s center.

This galaxy is of further interest to astronomers because its relative proximity allows them to study a wide range of astronomical objects within it, and use some of its brighter stars as standard candles to establish important estimates of extragalactic distances and the scale of the Universe.

Previously, astronomers thought, that bulgeless galaxies should not be able to host an Active Galactic Nuclei (AGN). And yet, several observations of AGN in bulgeless galaxies currently indicate that a classical bulge is not a requirement for a nuclear black hole.

Today, they know much more about NGC 3621 and other flat galaxies.

NGC 3621 – is a galaxy full of surprises. It is bulgeless but has three central black holes. Credits: ESO

Read Full Article Here

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Articles of Interest

Underground water in eastern Shasta County mysteriously disappears

Some believe quakes causing lowered levels

By Damon Arthur

Photo by Andreas Fuhrmann

Pete Amos said his pump had been submerged 40 feet the entire 24 years he has lived in Cassel. But a couple months ago he ran out of water. When the pump company measured his water level, it had fallen to 54 feet, he said.

Stephen Wolf of Cassel is a former United States Geological Survey worker who has a theory about why wells are running dry in eastern Shasta County.<br /><br />

Photo by Andreas FuhrmannStephen Wolf of Cassel is a former United States Geological Survey worker who has a theory about why wells are running dry in eastern Shasta County.

Stephen Wolf thinks something strange is happening underground in eastern Shasta County and it is draining water wells and maybe even causing sinkholes and subsiding pavement.

A retired marine geologist with the U.S. Geological Survey, Wolf said he has seen what is happening in eastern Shasta County before. After the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, water well levels in the area of the quake fell significantly, he said.

Following the 6.9 magnitude quake in the Santa Cruz Mountains, Wolf wrote a paper for the USGS about the effects the quake had on surface and groundwater.

“The correlation is there. The behavior is identical,” said Wolf, who has lived in the tiny eastern Shasta County community of Cassel since 2001.

Back in October, 131 earthquakes hit the Lassen Peak area. Most were less than 2.0 in magnitude. But since then the water table has fallen significantly, Wolf said.

“We’ve never had a water problem before. We never thought about the water table going down,” Amos said.

Terry Briggs, who owns Gallagher Pump in Fall River Mills, said what is going on in Cassel is unusual. He said the drop in the water table in eastern Shasta County is the most dramatic he has seen in the past 10 to 15 years.

“It always moves up and down a little bit, but this was way more,” Briggs said.

Since January, he has had to help homeowners whose water tables have dropped below their pumps.

Briggs said he isn’t sure why the water level is dropping. Seismic activity may be affecting wells. Rainfall levels also affect the water level, he said. And Cassel, like the rest of the north state, went through a dry winter.

Wolf said the seismic activity further fractures the rocky, volcanic soil, allowing the water to flow deeper into the Earth.

Every time a small quake rattles the area around Lassen Peak, his toilet fills with dirty, silted water, he said. That is the silt that is broken loose from the volcanic soil underground, he said.

Officials at the USGS said they are hesitant to draw a correlation between the quakes and the drop in the water level in Cassel.

Read Full Article Here

Incredible Images Show Giant Sinkhole In Sweden Keeps Expanding!

MessageToEagle.com – It looks like something taken straight from a horror movie. An enormous hole leading to hell, some would say. But this is not a movie.

This is a real and dangerous phenomenon. New shocking images clearly show the enormous pit in Sweden is expanding.

The 200 foot wide open pit is called the “Fabiangropen” (Fabian pit) and is in the Malmberget area is located at Gällivare, 75km from Kiruna, Sweden.

As you can see on the map, it is in the northern regions of Sweden.

Due to presence of many orebodies, mining at Malmberget is conducted at different levels at 600m, 815m and 1,000m.

According to the locals sometimes the tremor around here can last up to 45 minutes!

The enormous sinkhole at Malmberget is expanding. This is an image showing the giant pit from above.

Read Full Article Here

Total shuts down Nigerian gas plant after leak

ABUJA (Reuters) – French oil major Total has shut down a gas plant in Nigeria’s onshore Niger Delta, following a leak caused by a technical incident, the company said in a statement.

The leak occurred on a block that also contains crude oil in Rivers state, one of the three states that make up the Niger Delta, a vast wetlands region veined with hundreds of kilometres of labyrinthine creeks and waterways.

“On April 3rd, Total E&P Nigeria Limited (TEPNG) was alerted about some water and gas resurgence points, observed in an uninhabited area close to its onshore Obite gas production facilities, on the OML 58 license,” a statement on the company’s website said.

Read Full Article Here

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Comment

Earth Watch Report – Sunday April 15th, 2012

Filed under: Earthquakes, Extreme Weather, Flooding, Freak Natural and Not So Natural Phenomena, Global Disaster Watch, Radiation, Solar Activity, Storms, Tornado, Uncategorized, Weather Phenomena, Wildlife — Leave a comment

April 15, 2012

Earthquakes

EMSC    West Chile Rise
Apr 14 23:49 PM
4.9    33.0    MAP

GEOFON    West Chile Rise
Apr 14 23:49 PM
4.8    10.0    MAP

USGS    West Chile Rise
Apr 14 23:49 PM
5.0    10.1    MAP

EMSC    Eastern Turkey
Apr 14 23:44 PM
2.6    5.0    MAP

EMSC    Western Turkey
Apr 14 23:37 PM
2.6    11.0    MAP

EMSC    Western Turkey
Apr 14 23:36 PM
2.8    8.0    MAP

EMSC    Vanuatu
Apr 14 22:24 PM
4.7    10.0    MAP

USGS    Vanuatu
Apr 14 22:24 PM
4.7    10.0    MAP

EMSC    Off W Coast Of Northern Sumatra
Apr 14 22:06 PM
4.9    30.0    MAP

USGS    Off The West Coast Of Northern Sumatra
Apr 14 22:06 PM
4.5    29.7    MAP

GEOFON    Off West Coast Of Northern Sumatra
Apr 14 22:06 PM
5.0    10.0    MAP

USGS    Vanuatu
Apr 14 22:05 PM
6.6    33.0    MAP

GEOFON    Vanuatu Islands
Apr 14 22:05 PM
6.4    10.0    MAP

USGS    Vanuatu
Apr 14 22:05 PM
6.5    8.7    MAP

EMSC    Vanuatu
Apr 14 22:05 PM
6.3    3.0    MAP

USGS    Washington
Apr 14 21:50 PM
2.7    5.8    MAP

GEOFON    Off West Coast Of Northern Sumatra
Apr 14 21:34 PM
5.1    10.0    MAP

USGS    Off The West Coast Of Northern Sumatra
Apr 14 21:34 PM
4.4    14.6    MAP

EMSC    Off W Coast Of Northern Sumatra
Apr 14 21:34 PM
4.5    5.0    MAP

EMSC    Off W Coast Of Northern Sumatra
Apr 14 21:10 PM
4.9    30.0    MAP

USGS    Off The West Coast Of Northern Sumatra
Apr 14 21:10 PM
4.9    28.7    MAP

GEOFON    Off West Coast Of Northern Sumatra
Apr 14 21:10 PM
4.7    10.0    MAP

EMSC    South Sandwich Islands Region
Apr 14 20:53 PM
5.5    30.0    MAP

GEOFON    South Sandwich Islands Region
Apr 14 20:53 PM
5.4    10.0    MAP

USGS    South Sandwich Islands Region
Apr 14 20:53 PM
5.5    18.3    MAP

EMSC    Kashmir-xizang Border Region
Apr 14 20:50 PM
4.1    38.0    MAP

USGS    Kashmir-xizang Border Region
Apr 14 20:50 PM
4.1    37.9    MAP

USGS    Off The West Coast Of Northern Sumatra
Apr 14 20:35 PM
4.5    26.9    MAP

GEOFON    Off West Coast Of Northern Sumatra
Apr 14 20:35 PM
4.8    10.0    MAP

EMSC    Off W Coast Of Northern Sumatra
Apr 14 20:35 PM
4.5    10.0    MAP

EMSC    Western Sichuan, China
Apr 14 20:31 PM
4.9    40.0    MAP

USGS    Western Sichuan, China
Apr 14 20:31 PM
4.9    20.7    MAP

EMSC    Greece
Apr 14 20:19 PM
3.1    5.0    MAP

EMSC    Southwest Of Sumatra, Indonesia
Apr 14 19:26 PM
5.8    60.0    MAP

USGS    Sunda Strait, Indonesia
Apr 14 19:26 PM
5.9    49.0    MAP

GEOFON    Java, Indonesia
Apr 14 19:26 PM
5.8    63.0    MAP

USGS    Off The West Coast Of Northern Sumatra
Apr 14 18:11 PM
4.4    27.2    MAP

EMSC    Off W Coast Of Northern Sumatra
Apr 14 18:11 PM
4.4    27.0    MAP

EMSC    Greece
Apr 14 17:52 PM
2.7    10.0    MAP

EMSC    Western Turkey
Apr 14 17:45 PM
3.2    25.0    MAP

USGS    Northern California
Apr 14 17:21 PM
2.8    25.9    MAP

USGS    Vanuatu
Apr 14 17:10 PM
4.8    50.3    MAP

EMSC    Vanuatu
Apr 14 17:10 PM
4.8    50.0    MAP

EMSC    Poland
Apr 14 16:54 PM
2.9    2.0    MAP

GEONET    Taranaki
Apr 14 16:29 PM
3.5    12.0    MAP

EMSC    Near East Coast Of Kamchatka
Apr 14 16:09 PM
4.1    100.0    MAP

USGS    Luzon, Philippines
Apr 14 15:53 PM
4.3    209.0    MAP

EMSC    Luzon, Philippines
Apr 14 15:53 PM
4.3    209.0    MAP

EMSC    Northern Xinjiang, China
Apr 14 15:45 PM
3.8    1.0    MAP

GEOFON    Poland
Apr 14 15:30 PM
4.1    10.0    MAP

EMSC    Poland
Apr 14 15:30 PM
3.3    2.0    MAP

EMSC    Off W Coast Of Northern Sumatra
Apr 14 15:21 PM
5.5    30.0    MAP

GEOFON    Off West Coast Of Northern Sumatra
Apr 14 15:21 PM
5.4    10.0    MAP

USGS    Off The West Coast Of Northern Sumatra
Apr 14 15:21 PM
5.3    14.7    MAP

USGS    Central Alaska
Apr 14 15:16 PM
2.7    105.4    MAP

GEOFON    Kuril Islands
Apr 14 15:13 PM
5.5    74.0    MAP

USGS    Kuril Islands
Apr 14 15:13 PM
5.6    63.8    MAP

EMSC    Kuril Islands
Apr 14 15:13 PM
5.5    60.0    MAP

EMSC    France
Apr 14 15:05 PM
2.9    2.0    MAP

USGS    Near The East Coast Of Honshu, Japan
Apr 14 15:04 PM
4.5    51.2    MAP

EMSC    Near East Coast Of Honshu, Japan
Apr 14 15:04 PM
4.5    51.0    MAP

USGS    Virgin Islands Region
Apr 14 14:21 PM
2.9    29.8    MAP

EMSC    Eastern Turkey
Apr 14 13:06 PM
3.0    26.0    MAP

EMSC    Western Turkey
Apr 14 12:43 PM
2.5    9.0    MAP

EMSC    Kyushu, Japan
Apr 14 12:39 PM
4.8    55.0    MAP

GEOFON    Ryukyu Islands, Japan
Apr 14 12:39 PM
4.8    10.0    MAP

USGS    Central Alaska
Apr 14 12:30 PM
2.8    8.2    MAP

USGS    Off The West Coast Of Northern Sumatra
Apr 14 12:18 PM
5.1    14.4    MAP

GEOFON    Off West Coast Of Northern Sumatra
Apr 14 12:18 PM
5.3    10.0    MAP

EMSC    Off W Coast Of Northern Sumatra
Apr 14 12:18 PM
5.1    3.0    MAP

USGS    Kenai Peninsula, Alaska
Apr 14 12:13 PM
2.6    6.3    MAP

USGS    Southern California
Apr 14 11:34 AM
2.7    7.2    MAP

EMSC    Poland
Apr 14 11:24 AM
2.6    10.0    MAP

GEOFON    Drake Passage
Apr 14 10:56 AM
6.2    10.0    MAP

EMSC    Drake Passage
Apr 14 10:56 AM
6.2    10.0    MAP

USGS    Drake Passage
Apr 14 10:56 AM
6.2    9.9    MAP

EMSC    Near East Coast Of Honshu, Japan
Apr 14 10:51 AM
4.8    20.0    MAP

GEOFON    Near East Coast Of Honshu, Japan
Apr 14 10:51 AM
4.9    14.0    MAP

USGS    Near The East Coast Of Honshu, Japan
Apr 14 10:48 AM
4.7    24.3    MAP

EMSC    Near East Coast Of Honshu, Japan
Apr 14 10:48 AM
4.7    16.0    MAP

GEOFON    Near East Coast Of Honshu, Japan
Apr 14 10:48 AM
4.7    12.0    MAP

USGS    North Indian Ocean
Apr 14 10:08 AM
4.6    9.8    MAP

EMSC    North Indian Ocean
Apr 14 10:08 AM
4.4    2.0    MAP

GEOFON    Off West Coast Of Northern Sumatra
Apr 14 10:08 AM
4.6    10.0    MAP

EMSC    Off W Coast Of Northern Sumatra
Apr 14 09:34 AM
4.0    10.0    MAP

USGS    Off The West Coast Of Northern Sumatra
Apr 14 09:34 AM
4.0    10.0    MAP

USGS    Near The East Coast Of Honshu, Japan
Apr 14 09:25 AM
4.8    29.5    MAP

EMSC    Near East Coast Of Honshu, Japan
Apr 14 09:25 AM
4.9    10.0    MAP

GEOFON    Near East Coast Of Honshu, Japan
Apr 14 09:25 AM
4.7    11.0    MAP

USGS    Puerto Rico Region
Apr 14 09:00 AM
3.3    38.2    MAP

EMSC    Caucasus Region, Russia
Apr 14 08:58 AM
3.5    10.0    MAP

EMSC    Central Italy
Apr 14 08:47 AM
2.4    6.0    MAP

USGS    Near The East Coast Of Honshu, Japan
Apr 14 08:46 AM
4.4    52.4    MAP

EMSC    Near East Coast Of Honshu, Japan
Apr 14 08:46 AM
4.4    52.0    MAP

GEOFON    Off West Coast Of Northern Sumatra
Apr 14 08:28 AM
4.4    10.0    MAP

EMSC    Eastern Turkey
Apr 14 08:22 AM
2.9    9.0    MAP

USGS    Off The West Coast Of Northern Sumatra
Apr 14 08:15 AM
4.3    10.9    MAP

GEOFON    Off West Coast Of Northern Sumatra
Apr 14 08:15 AM
4.5    10.0    MAP

EMSC    Off W Coast Of Northern Sumatra
Apr 14 08:15 AM
4.6    10.0    MAP

EMSC    Central Turkey
Apr 14 07:51 AM
2.5    7.0    MAP

USGS    Oklahoma
Apr 14 07:35 AM
3.0    5.0    MAP

USGS    Central California
Apr 14 07:34 AM
2.6    6.7    MAP

GEOFON    North Indian Ocean
Apr 14 07:33 AM
4.3    10.0    MAP

USGS    North Indian Ocean
Apr 14 07:33 AM
4.3    10.0    MAP

EMSC    North Indian Ocean
Apr 14 07:33 AM
4.3    10.0    MAP

EMSC    Eastern Turkey
Apr 14 07:23 AM
2.6    12.0    MAP

EMSC    Poland
Apr 14 07:06 AM
2.6    10.0    MAP

USGS    Puerto Rico Region
Apr 14 06:41 AM
3.4    39.6    MAP

EMSC    Central Turkey
Apr 14 06:25 AM
2.5    10.0    MAP

EMSC    Fiji Region
Apr 14 06:23 AM
4.3    560.0    MAP

USGS    Fiji Region
Apr 14 06:23 AM
4.4    553.6    MAP

EMSC    Eastern Turkey
Apr 14 06:05 AM
2.4    31.0    MAP

USGS    Maharashtra, India
Apr 14 05:27 AM
4.3    11.1    MAP

EMSC    Maharashtra, India
Apr 14 05:27 AM
4.3    11.0    MAP

USGS    Puerto Rico
Apr 14 05:25 AM
2.7    27.8    MAP

EMSC    Off W Coast Of Northern Sumatra
Apr 14 05:23 AM
4.3    29.0    MAP

USGS    Off The West Coast Of Northern Sumatra
Apr 14 05:23 AM
4.3    28.9    MAP

GEOFON    Off West Coast Of Northern Sumatra
Apr 14 05:23 AM
4.4    10.0    MAP

EMSC    Caucasus Region, Russia
Apr 14 05:20 AM
3.5    10.0    MAP

USGS    Virgin Islands Region
Apr 14 05:15 AM
3.4    23.7    MAP

EMSC    Eastern Turkey
Apr 14 05:13 AM
2.5    39.0    MAP

EMSC    Kepulauan Barat Daya, Indonesia
Apr 14 04:13 AM
4.3    160.0    MAP

USGS    Kepulauan Barat Daya, Indonesia
Apr 14 04:13 AM
4.3    160.4    MAP

USGS    Central Alaska
Apr 14 04:06 AM
2.5    33.0    MAP

EMSC    Off W Coast Of Northern Sumatra
Apr 14 04:03 AM
4.2    14.0    MAP

USGS    Off The West Coast Of Northern Sumatra
Apr 14 04:03 AM
4.2    14.3    MAP

USGS    Kodiak Island Region, Alaska
Apr 14 04:03 AM
2.9    72.5    MAP

EMSC    Aegean Sea
Apr 14 03:56 AM
2.5    13.0    MAP

EMSC    Western Turkey
Apr 14 03:19 AM
2.4    18.0    MAP

EMSC    Eastern Turkey
Apr 14 03:13 AM
3.5    2.0    MAP

USGS    Baja California, Mexico
Apr 14 03:10 AM
2.8    12.7    MAP

EMSC    Western Turkey
Apr 14 02:49 AM
2.9    15.0    MAP

EMSC    Off W Coast Of Northern Sumatra
Apr 14 02:49 AM
4.2    15.0    MAP

USGS    Off The West Coast Of Northern Sumatra
Apr 14 02:49 AM
4.2    15.0    MAP

GEOFON    Off West Coast Of Northern Sumatra
Apr 14 02:49 AM
4.2    10.0    MAP

EMSC    Albania
Apr 14 02:05 AM
2.7    24.0    MAP

EMSC    Off W Coast Of Northern Sumatra
Apr 14 02:04 AM
4.6    40.0    MAP

USGS    Off The West Coast Of Northern Sumatra
Apr 14 02:03 AM
4.5    13.1    MAP

GEOFON    Off West Coast Of Northern Sumatra
Apr 14 02:03 AM
4.7    10.0    MAP

EMSC    Greece
Apr 14 01:43 AM
2.5    10.0    MAP

GEOFON    Northern Sumatra, Indonesia
Apr 14 01:29 AM
4.2    10.0    MAP

EMSC    Aegean Sea
Apr 14 01:00 AM
2.9    10.0    MAP

EMSC    Aegean Sea
Apr 14 01:00 AM
3.1    8.0    MAP

USGS    Southern Alaska
Apr 14 00:52 AM
2.8    83.4    MAP

EMSC    Northern Sumatra, Indonesia
Apr 14 00:46 AM
4.6    40.0    MAP

USGS    Northern Sumatra, Indonesia
Apr 14 00:46 AM
4.5    24.9    MAP

GEOFON    Northern Sumatra, Indonesia
Apr 14 00:46 AM
4.2    10.0    MAP

USGS    Sulawesi, Indonesia
Apr 14 00:40 AM
4.4    35.0    MAP

EMSC    Sulawesi, Indonesia
Apr 14 00:40 AM
4.6    15.0    MAP

GEOFON    Minahassa Peninsula, Sulawesi
Apr 14 00:40 AM
4.7    10.0    MAP

2 earthquakes shake Gujarat, Maharashtra

The Indian Express

Agencies : Pune/Ahmedabad

Rann of Kutch

Two earthquakes of mild intensity shook parts of Maharashtra and Gujarat today, but there were no reports of any casualty.

A quake measuring 5 on the Richter scale was experienced in parts of western Maharashtra at 10.50 am. Its epicentre was Goshatwadi village, about 10km from Koyana dam in Satara district, the Met office here said.

An aftershock of 4.4 magnitude was registered an hour later, it said. The Koyna dam, situated in a quake-prone region, is safe, officials said.

The tremors were also felt in several parts of Mumbai, Satara, Sangli, Kolhapur, Pune, Ratnagiri and Sindhudurg districts.

There were no reports of any damage to life or property, they added.

A quake, measuring 4.1 on the Richter scale, was felt at 8.55 AM in parts of Gujarat. The earthquake had its epicentre at Vamka taluka in Kutch, which is an active fault line, scientists at Institute of Seismological Research said.

An aftershock measuring 2.9 was also felt, they said.

Besides Kutch district, tremors were experienced in parts of Saurashtra region.

No loss of life or damage to property has been reported so far in Gujarat, officials said.

Among those who felt the tremors in Mumbai were megastar Amitabh Bachchan, who resides in suburban Juhu.

“Earthquake in Mumbai ! Did you feel it… I did.. .Shutters and building shook twice for few seconds,” Bachchan tweeted.

Earthquake Alert 6.2 Earthquake Drake Passage

Published on Apr 14, 2012 by MrHurricaneTracker

This 6.2 Earthquake was reviewd and has been posted by the USGS. This is a Earthquake Alert by MrHurricaneTracker. This earthquake was on the Ring of Fire and we are watching it real close due to the passed few days and earthquake activity. Stay tuned right here on MHTAlerts. The Earthquake location 57.588°S, 65.414°W

USGS reports 5.9 magnitude quake off western Java

(Reuters) – A strong earthquake with a magnitude of 5.9 struck offshore western Java in Indonesia’s Sunda Strait at a depth of 30.5 miles (49 km), the U.S. Geological Survey said on Saturday.

The USGS initially reported the quake as measuring 5.8 and a depth of 27.3 miles (44 km). It revised the location to 97 miles (157 km) south of T.Telukbetung in Sumatra, after first reporting it at 111 miles (178 km) west of Sukabumi in Java.

There were no immediate reports of damage or a tsunami warning from the quake, which was 109 miles (177 km) west-southwest of the capital Jakarta on Java.

(Writing by Eric Walsh)

Asia Pacific News

Strong 6.5-magnitude earthquake rattles Vanuatu

Posted: 15 April 2012 0651 hrs

SYDNEY: A strong 6.5-magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of the South Pacific island of Vanuatu on Sunday, the US Geological Survey said, but there was no tsunami warning.

There were no immediate reports of casualties or damage either.

The quake struck at a relatively shallow depth of eight kilometres, around 150 kilometres south east of the capital Port Vila.

Vanuatu lies on the so-called “Pacific Ring of Fire”, a zone of frequent seismic activity caused by friction between shifting tectonic plates.

The earthquake hit shortly after 9:00am (around 2200 GMT Saturday), USGS said.

The Hawaii-based Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre issued an information bulletin but no alert, saying “a destructive Pacific-wide tsunami is not expected and there is no tsunami threat to Hawaii”.

– AFP/de

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Extreme Temperatures/ Weather

http://hisz.rsoe.hu/alertmap/index2.php

Short Time Event(s)

Upd.	Date (UTC)	Event	Country	Location	Level	Details
	14.04.2012	Extreme Weather	Saudi Arabia	Capital city, Riyadh
	14.04.2012	Biological Hazard	USA	State of Alaska, [Juneau area]
	14.04.2012	Extreme Weather	India	MultiStates, [States of Bengal and Kolkata]
	14.04.2012	Technological Disaster	Pakistan	State of Punjab, Gujranwala
	14.04.2012	Tornado	USA	State of Oklahoma, Norman

Red Flag Warning -FIRE WEATHER

LUBBOCK TX
AMARILLO TX
EL PASO TX/SANTA TERESA NM
MIDLAND/ODESSA TX
 ALBUQUERQUE NM
GOODLAND KS

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Storms, Flooding

More photos of the phenomenal hailstorm in the Texas Panhandle on Wednesday April 11th, 2012

Texas Hailstorm Leaves Panhandle Chest-High In Ice And Mud (PHOTO)

For over two hours Wednesday afternoon, cities in the Texas panhandle were hammered by a hailstorm that left quarter-sized balls of ice stacked chest-high in some areas, Time NewsFeed reports.

The deluge began around 3:30 a.m. Over the next few hours, fast-moving hailstones pummeled the area north of Amarillo, Tex., which had lately been sitting in mud and dust due to a lack of precipitation, according to the news organization. The hail mixed with the mud and dust to create four-foot high mounds that shut down a major highway for the next 18 hours.

Read Full Article Here

Hailstones the size of golf balls in East China

Published on Apr 12, 2012 by PROVOKEDRAGE

Towns in East China’s Fujian Province have been devastated by hailstones the size of golf balls. . Report by Katie Lamborn

http://provokedrage.webnode.com

Tornado Warning &Tornado Watch

TOPEKA KS
WICHITA KS
DES MOINES IA

HASTINGS NE
NORMAN OK

Severe Thunderstorm Warning

DES MOINES IA
NORTH PLATTE NE
HASTINGS NE
DODGE CITY KS

Flash Flood Warning

DES MOINES IA
NORTH PLATTE NE
OMAHA/VALLEY NEBRASKA

Flood Warning

LITTLE ROCK AR
LAKE CHARLES LA
NEW ORLEANS BATON ROUGE LASHREVEPORT LA
KANSAS CITY/PLEASANT HILL MO
SPRINGFIELD MO
ST LOUIS MO

High Wind Warning

MIDLAND/ODESSA TX
ALBUQUERQUE NM
EL PASO TX/SANTA TERESA NM

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Solar Activity

2MIN News Apr14: ‘100 Tornados Possible’ & Quake Watch

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Mysterious Booms / Rumblings

San Diego Earthquake Mystery Today April 13 Denied as Sonic Boom

Posted: April 13th, 2012 in Earthquake, San Diego by LALATE

San Diego Earthquake Mystery Today April 13 Prompts Sonic Boom Sound

LOS ANGELES (LALATE) – A San Diego “earthquake” mystery today Friday April 13, 2012 has been denied as a sonic boom. San Diego residents reported an earthquake like event at 8:38 am to 9 am PST today. While a light San Diego neighboring earthquake did happen this morning, there was no sonic boom from MCAS Miramar, officials tell news.

Earlier today, local news erroneously reported that there wasn’t an earthquake at the time. But USGS does confirm to news that a neighboring earthquake did strike around that time. But the quake wasn’t substantial. And it wasn’t precisely in San Diego either.

Read Full Article Here

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Wildlife / Radiation

Study: Wildlife survive nuclear accidents
by Staff Writers
Portsmouth, England (UPI) Apr 11, 2012

disclaimer: image is for illustration purposes only

Radiation from nuclear accidents such as Chernobyl and Fukushima may not present as much of a threat to wildlife as previously thought, British researchers say.

Earlier studies on the impact on birds of the catastrophic nuclear accident at Chernobyl in Russia in April 1986 have been put in doubt by new research, the University of Portsmouth reported Wednesday.

The findings by Portsmouth researcher Jim Smith and colleagues from the University of the West of England are likely to also apply to wildlife at Fukushima in Japan following its nuclear disaster in 2011, the university said.

“I wasn’t really surprised by these findings — there have been many high profile findings on the radiation damage to wildlife at Chernobyl but it’s very difficult to see significant damage and we are not convinced by some of the claims,” Smith said.

“We can’t rule out some effect on wildlife of the radiation, but wildlife populations in the exclusion zone around Chernobyl have recovered and are actually doing well and even better than before because the human population has been removed.”

Previous studies had suggested radiation affected bird populations following the Chernobyl disaster because it damaged to birds’ antioxidant defense mechanisms, but the new research found the birds’ antioxidant mechanisms could easily cope with radiation at density levels similar to those seen at Chernobyl and Fukushima.

The researchers said their finding would likely apply to other forms of wildlife as well.

“We would expect other wildlife to be similarly resistant to oxidative stress from radiation at these levels,” Smith said.

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Articles of Interest

Summer temperature variability may increase mortality risk for elderly with chronic disease

by Staff Writers
Boston, MA (SPX)

Although heat waves can kill in the short term, the authors say, even minor temperature variations caused by climate change may also increase death rates over time among elderly people with diabetes, heart failure, chronic lung disease, or those who have survived a previous heart attack.

New research from Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH) suggests that seemingly small changes in summer temperature swings-as little as 1 degrees C more than usual-may shorten life expectancy for elderly people with chronic medical conditions, and could result in thousands of additional deaths each year. While previous studies have focused on the short-term effects of heat waves, this is the first study to examine the longer-term effects of climate change on life expectancy.

The study will be published online in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

“The effect of temperature patterns on long-term mortality has not been clear to this point. We found that, independent of heat waves, high day to day variability in summer temperatures shortens life expectancy,” said Antonella Zanobetti, senior research scientist in the Department of Environmental Health at HSPH and lead author of the study. “This variability can be harmful for susceptible people.”

In recent years, scientists have predicted that climate change will not only increase overall world temperatures but will also increase summer temperature variability, particularly in mid-latitude regions such as the mid-Atlantic states of the U.S. and sections of countries such as France, Spain, and Italy. These more volatile temperature swings could pose a major public health problem, the authors note.

Previous studies have confirmed the association between heat waves and higher death rates. But this new research goes a step further. Although heat waves can kill in the short term, the authors say, even minor temperature variations caused by climate change may also increase death rates over time among elderly people with diabetes, heart failure, chronic lung disease, or those who have survived a previous heart attack.

The researchers used Medicare data from 1985 to 2006 to follow the long-term health of 3.7 million chronically ill people over age 65 living in 135 U.S. cities. They evaluated whether mortality among these people was related to variability in summer temperature, allowing for other things that might influence the comparison, such as individual risk factors, winter temperature variance, and ozone levels. They compiled results for individual cities, then pooled the results.

They found that, within each city, years when the summer temperature swings were larger had higher death rates than years with smaller swings. Each 1 degrees C increase in summer temperature variability increased the death rate for elderly with chronic conditions between 2.8% and 4.0%, depending on the condition.

Mortality risk increased 4.0% for those with diabetes; 3.8% for those who’d had a previous heart attack; 3.7% for those with chronic lung disease; and 2.8% for those with heart failure. Based on these increases in mortality risk, the researchers estimate that greater summer temperature variability in the U.S. could result in more than 10,000 additional deaths per year.

In addition, the researchers found the mortality risk was 1% to 2% greater for those living in poverty and for African Americans. The risk was 1% to 2% lower for people living in cities with more green space.

Mortality risk was higher in hotter regions, the researchers found. Noting that physiological studies suggest that the elderly and those with chronic conditions have a harder time than others adjusting to extreme heat, they say it’s likely these groups may also be less resilient than others to bigger-than-usual temperature swings.

“People adapt to the usual temperature in their city. That is why we don’t expect higher mortality rates in Miami than in Minneapolis, despite the higher temperatures,” said Joel Schwartz, professor of environmental epidemiology at HSPH and senior author of the paper.

“But people do not adapt as well to increased fluctuations around the usual temperature. That finding, combined with the increasing age of the population, the increasing prevalence of chronic conditions such as diabetes, and possible increases in temperature fluctuations due to climate change, means that this public health problem is likely to grow in importance in the future.”

How to Prepare For an Earthquake

By Eddie Sage on 14 April 2012

One of the most frightening and destructive phenomena of nature is a severe earthquake and its terrible aftereffects. An earthquake is the sudden, rapid shaking of the earth, caused by the breaking and shifting of subterranean rock as it releases strain that has accumulated over a long time.

For hundreds of millions of years, the forces of plate tectonics have shaped the earth, as the huge plates that form the earth’s surface slowly move over, under and past each other. Sometimes, the movement is gradual. At other times, the plates are locked together, unable to release accumulated energy. When the accumulated energy grows strong enough, the plates break free. If the earthquake occurs in a populated area, it may cause many deaths and injuries and extensive property damage.

While earthquakes are sometimes believed to be a West Coast occurrence, there are actually 45 states and territories throughout the United States that are at moderate to high risk for earthquakes including the New Madrid fault line in Central U.S.

The 2011 East Coast earthquake illustrated the fact that it is impossible to predict when or where an earthquake will occur, so it is important that you and your family are prepared ahead of time.

Read Full Article Here

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[In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, this material is distributed without profit, for research

and/or educational purposes. This constitutes ‘FAIR USE’ of any such copyrighted material.]

Comment

Earth Watch Report – Saturday April 14th, 2012

Filed under: Earthquakes, Environmental, Extreme Weather, Flooding, Global Disaster Watch, Pollution, Solar Activity, Storms, Tornado, Volcanic Events, Weather Phenomena — Leave a comment

April 14, 2012

Earthquakes

EMSC Eastern Turkey
Apr 13 23:20 PM
3.4 2.0 MAP

USGS Central California
Apr 13 22:18 PM
3.5 6.6 MAP

EMSC Northern Italy
Apr 13 22:13 PM
3.4 7.0 MAP

GEOFON Northern Italy
Apr 13 22:13 PM
3.9 10.0 MAP

EMSC Western Turkey
Apr 13 21:39 PM
3.0 2.0 MAP

EMSC Near The Coast Of Syria
Apr 13 21:33 PM
2.6 10.0 MAP

EMSC Central Mediterranean Sea
Apr 13 21:31 PM
3.5 10.0 MAP

EMSC France
Apr 13 21:20 PM
3.6 2.0 MAP

EMSC Eastern Turkey
Apr 13 20:48 PM
2.9 5.0 MAP

GEOFON Near Coast Of Guerrero, Mexico
Apr 13 20:46 PM
4.3 10.0 MAP

EMSC Oaxaca, Mexico
Apr 13 20:46 PM
4.5 30.0 MAP

USGS Oaxaca, Mexico
Apr 13 20:46 PM
4.5 9.8 MAP

GEONET Hawke’s Bay
Apr 13 20:39 PM
4.1 80.0 MAP

USGS Potosi, Bolivia
Apr 13 20:28 PM
4.5 213.0 MAP

EMSC Potosi, Bolivia
Apr 13 20:28 PM
4.5 213.0 MAP

EMSC Eastern Turkey
Apr 13 20:04 PM
2.4 25.0 MAP

USGS Off The West Coast Of Northern Sumatra
Apr 13 20:00 PM
4.6 27.9 MAP

GEOFON Off West Coast Of Northern Sumatra
Apr 13 20:00 PM
4.4 10.0 MAP

EMSC Off W Coast Of Northern Sumatra
Apr 13 20:00 PM
4.7 8.0 MAP I Felt It

EMSC Romania
Apr 13 19:56 PM
2.9 141.0 MAP

USGS Izu Islands, Japan Region
Apr 13 19:54 PM
4.1 429.2 MAP

EMSC Izu Islands, Japan Region
Apr 13 19:54 PM
4.1 429.0 MAP

USGS North Indian Ocean
Apr 13 19:52 PM
4.7 16.8 MAP

GEOFON North Indian Ocean
Apr 13 19:52 PM
4.5 10.0 MAP

EMSC North Indian Ocean
Apr 13 19:52 PM
4.8 12.0 MAP

EMSC Romania
Apr 13 19:50 PM
3.1 151.0 MAP

EMSC Southern Sumatra, Indonesia
Apr 13 19:35 PM
4.8 66.0 MAP

GEOFON Southern Sumatra, Indonesia
Apr 13 19:35 PM
4.5 64.0 MAP

USGS Southern Sumatra, Indonesia
Apr 13 19:35 PM
4.7 64.0 MAP

EMSC Eastern Turkey
Apr 13 19:34 PM
2.5 14.0 MAP

USGS Alaska Peninsula
Apr 13 19:16 PM
3.4 139.8 MAP

GEONET Bay Of Plenty
Apr 13 19:05 PM
2.8 5.0 MAP

USGS Alaska Peninsula
Apr 13 18:47 PM
3.0 6.6 MAP

EMSC Crete, Greece
Apr 13 18:42 PM
2.6 21.0 MAP

USGS Off The West Coast Of Northern Sumatra
Apr 13 18:12 PM
4.0 10.3 MAP

EMSC Off W Coast Of Northern Sumatra
Apr 13 18:12 PM
4.0 10.0 MAP

EMSC Ionian Sea
Apr 13 17:50 PM
2.7 11.0 MAP

USGS Central Alaska
Apr 13 17:45 PM
2.7 1.5 MAP

EMSC Kuril Islands
Apr 13 17:04 PM
4.5 80.0 MAP

USGS Kuril Islands
Apr 13 17:04 PM
4.4 67.0 MAP

GEOFON Fiji Islands Region
Apr 13 16:42 PM
4.8 502.0 MAP

USGS Fiji Region
Apr 13 16:42 PM
4.8 488.6 MAP

EMSC Fiji Region
Apr 13 16:42 PM
4.9 420.0 MAP

GEOFON Near East Coast Of Honshu, Japan
Apr 13 15:54 PM
4.5 10.0 MAP

USGS Near The East Coast Of Honshu, Japan
Apr 13 15:54 PM
4.5 35.8 MAP

EMSC Near East Coast Of Honshu, Japan
Apr 13 15:54 PM
4.7 10.0 MAP

USGS Vanuatu
Apr 13 15:52 PM
4.5 245.2 MAP

EMSC Vanuatu
Apr 13 15:52 PM
4.5 245.0 MAP

USGS North Indian Ocean
Apr 13 15:33 PM
4.4 14.8 MAP

EMSC North Indian Ocean
Apr 13 15:33 PM
4.7 10.0 MAP

GEOFON Off West Coast Of Northern Sumatra
Apr 13 15:33 PM
4.5 10.0 MAP

GEOFON Off West Coast Of Northern Sumatra
Apr 13 15:09 PM
4.5 10.0 MAP

GEOFON Mexico-guatemala Border Region
Apr 13 13:50 PM
4.6 129.0 MAP

EMSC Guatemala
Apr 13 13:49 PM
4.6 111.0 MAP

USGS Guatemala
Apr 13 13:49 PM
4.6 102.5 MAP

GEOFON Near Coast Of Guerrero, Mexico
Apr 13 13:06 PM
4.9 10.0 MAP

EMSC Oaxaca, Mexico
Apr 13 13:06 PM
5.1 10.0 MAP

USGS Oaxaca, Mexico
Apr 13 13:06 PM
5.3 14.3 MAP

EMSC North Indian Ocean
Apr 13 12:48 PM
4.8 15.0 MAP

USGS North Indian Ocean
Apr 13 12:48 PM
4.8 15.4 MAP

GEOFON North Indian Ocean
Apr 13 12:48 PM
4.9 10.0 MAP

EMSC Near East Coast Of Honshu, Japan
Apr 13 12:12 PM
5.0 30.0 MAP

USGS Near The East Coast Of Honshu, Japan
Apr 13 12:12 PM
5.0 35.2 MAP

GEOFON Near East Coast Of Honshu, Japan
Apr 13 12:12 PM
4.9 10.0 MAP

EMSC Off W Coast Of Northern Sumatra
Apr 13 12:03 PM
4.6 30.0 MAP

USGS Off The West Coast Of Northern Sumatra
Apr 13 12:03 PM
4.3 30.8 MAP

GEOFON Off West Coast Of Northern Sumatra
Apr 13 12:03 PM
4.9 10.0 MAP

GEOFON Off West Coast Of Northern Sumatra
Apr 13 11:43 AM
4.7 10.0 MAP

EMSC North Indian Ocean
Apr 13 11:43 AM
4.8 10.0 MAP

USGS North Indian Ocean
Apr 13 11:43 AM
4.7 11.2 MAP

EMSC Eastern Turkey
Apr 13 11:35 AM
3.0 5.0 MAP

EMSC West Of Gibraltar
Apr 13 11:01 AM
3.1 24.0 MAP

EMSC Eastern Turkey
Apr 13 10:30 AM
3.2 15.0 MAP

USGS Puerto Rico Region
Apr 13 10:16 AM
3.3 12.8 MAP

GEOFON Myanmar-india Border Region
Apr 13 10:11 AM
4.4 70.0 MAP

USGS Myanmar
Apr 13 10:11 AM
4.3 73.4 MAP

EMSC Myanmar
Apr 13 10:11 AM
4.3 60.0 MAP

EMSC Oaxaca, Mexico
Apr 13 10:10 AM
5.7 10.0 MAP

GEOFON Near Coast Of Guerrero, Mexico
Apr 13 10:10 AM
5.4 10.0 MAP

USGS Oaxaca, Mexico
Apr 13 10:10 AM
5.4 10.1 MAP

GEOFON Near East Coast Of Honshu, Japan
Apr 13 10:10 AM
5.7 14.0 MAP

EMSC Near East Coast Of Honshu, Japan
Apr 13 10:10 AM
5.8 10.0 MAP

USGS Near The East Coast Of Honshu, Japan
Apr 13 10:10 AM
5.7 8.7 MAP

EMSC Tyrrhenian Sea
Apr 13 09:59 AM
2.9 10.0 MAP

EMSC Central Turkey
Apr 13 09:54 AM
2.5 5.0 MAP

EMSC Sicily, Italy
Apr 13 09:45 AM
3.1 10.0 MAP

EMSC Dodecanese Islands, Greece
Apr 13 08:10 AM
2.7 4.0 MAP

USGS Virgin Islands Region
Apr 13 07:54 AM
2.7 31.1 MAP

USGS Andreanof Islands, Aleutian Islands, Alaska
Apr 13 07:47 AM
2.9 37.4 MAP

EMSC Western Turkey
Apr 13 07:46 AM
3.0 10.0 MAP

GEOFON North Indian Ocean
Apr 13 07:41 AM
4.7 10.0 MAP

EMSC North Indian Ocean
Apr 13 07:41 AM
4.7 10.0 MAP

EMSC Sicily, Italy
Apr 13 07:15 AM
2.9 6.0 MAP

USGS Virgin Islands Region
Apr 13 07:07 AM
3.2 137.6 MAP

USGS Southern Xinjiang, China
Apr 13 06:48 AM
4.5 63.4 MAP

EMSC Southern Xinjiang, China
Apr 13 06:48 AM
4.5 60.0 MAP

EMSC Sicily, Italy
Apr 13 06:44 AM
2.4 10.0 MAP

GEONET Canterbury
Apr 13 06:39 AM
3.2 7.0 MAP

EMSC Western Mediterranean Sea
Apr 13 06:22 AM
2.7 10.0 MAP

EMSC Greece
Apr 13 06:22 AM
2.7 6.0 MAP

USGS Sicily, Italy
Apr 13 06:21 AM
4.7 26.8 MAP

GEOFON Sicily, Italy
Apr 13 06:21 AM
4.3 33.0 MAP

EMSC Sicily, Italy
Apr 13 06:21 AM
4.7 20.0 MAP

EMSC Maule, Chile
Apr 13 06:13 AM
4.7 40.0 MAP

USGS Maule, Chile
Apr 13 06:13 AM
4.7 40.3 MAP

EMSC Eastern Turkey
Apr 13 05:50 AM
3.3 12.0 MAP

EMSC North Indian Ocean
Apr 13 05:31 AM
5.0 30.0 MAP

USGS North Indian Ocean
Apr 13 05:31 AM
4.9 17.4 MAP

GEOFON North Indian Ocean
Apr 13 05:31 AM
4.5 10.0 MAP

USGS Puerto Rico Region
Apr 13 05:31 AM
2.9 5.3 MAP

EMSC North Indian Ocean
Apr 13 05:08 AM
4.6 30.0 MAP

GEOFON North Indian Ocean
Apr 13 05:08 AM
4.6 10.0 MAP

USGS North Indian Ocean
Apr 13 05:08 AM
4.6 15.0 MAP

USGS North Indian Ocean
Apr 13 04:49 AM
4.8 15.1 MAP

GEOFON Off West Coast Of Northern Sumatra
Apr 13 04:49 AM
4.7 10.0 MAP

EMSC North Indian Ocean
Apr 13 04:49 AM
4.8 2.0 MAP

GEOFON Turkey
Apr 13 04:22 AM
4.6 10.0 MAP

USGS Eastern Turkey
Apr 13 04:22 AM
4.2 10.1 MAP

EMSC Eastern Turkey
Apr 13 04:22 AM
4.5 21.0 MAP

USGS San Pedro Channel, California
Apr 13 04:18 AM
2.6 0.1 MAP

GEOFON Vanuatu Islands
Apr 13 04:15 AM
4.8 56.0 MAP

EMSC Vanuatu
Apr 13 04:15 AM
4.9 60.0 MAP

USGS Vanuatu
Apr 13 04:15 AM
5.0 46.5 MAP

GEOFON Banda Sea
Apr 13 04:02 AM
4.6 162.0 MAP

EMSC Banda Sea
Apr 13 04:02 AM
4.6 154.0 MAP

USGS Banda Sea
Apr 13 04:02 AM
4.5 154.8 MAP

USGS Southern Alaska
Apr 13 03:52 AM
2.6 40.0 MAP

EMSC Near The Coast Of Western Turkey
Apr 13 03:51 AM
2.6 8.0 MAP

EMSC Off W Coast Of Northern Sumatra
Apr 13 03:38 AM
4.7 30.0 MAP

USGS Off The West Coast Of Northern Sumatra
Apr 13 03:38 AM
4.5 15.5 MAP

GEOFON Off West Coast Of Northern Sumatra
Apr 13 03:38 AM
4.8 10.0 MAP

EMSC Eastern Turkey
Apr 13 03:23 AM
3.7 5.0 MAP

USGS North Indian Ocean
Apr 13 03:17 AM
4.4 14.1 MAP

EMSC North Indian Ocean
Apr 13 03:17 AM
4.6 2.0 MAP

GEOFON Off West Coast Of Northern Sumatra
Apr 13 03:17 AM
4.8 10.0 MAP

USGS Kodiak Island Region, Alaska
Apr 13 02:20 AM
3.2 68.2 MAP

EMSC Russia-mongolia Border Region
Apr 13 01:35 AM
3.7 10.0 MAP

EMSC Greece
Apr 13 01:09 AM
2.5 10.0 MAP

EMSC Crete, Greece
Apr 13 00:54 AM
3.6 2.0 MAP

GEOFON Armenia-azerbaijan-iran Border Reg.
Apr 13 00:04 AM
4.6 10.0 MAP

USGS Turkey-iran Border Region
Apr 13 00:04 AM
4.2 10.0 MAP

EMSC Turkey-iran Border Region
Apr 13 00:04 AM
4.3 2.0 MAP

USGS – EMSC – GFZ – GEONET

Expert warns of another quake in the Andaman region

Ruins left over from the 2004 temblor that nearly destroyed Banda Aceh.

The Nation/Asia News Network
Friday, Apr 13, 2012

A fierce earthquake from the Nicobar Islands could strike over Songkran, sending a tsunami crashing into the Andaman Coast, an expert warned yesterday after finding that the 8.6magnitude Sumatran tremor three days ago was exceptionally deep.

“Whenever there is a quake rooted in the [Earth’s] mantle, a following quake will be likely in the next few days,” said Professor Thanawat Jaruphongsakul, a senior seismologist at Chulalongkorn University.

Fear of another devastating tsunami panicked Thailand and Southeast Asia on Wednesday.

An underwater quake, with its epicentre at the Nicobar Islands, about 150 kilometres north of Aceh on Sumatra, would affect six coastal provinces of Thailand on the Andaman Sea, especially Ranong, which lies closest to a fault line connecting with the Nicobar Islands, he said.

The quakes on Wednesday originated from mantlelevel crust, 20 kilometres below the Earth’s surface, which is regarded as a layer that would cause very high magnitude tremblers.

The quake that hit Japan in March came from a shallower layer, so it would take up to 100150 years for the next quake. However Wednesday’s quakes, with their epicentre at Aceh, followed just eight years after the massive one that triggered a continentwide tsunami that killed hundreds of thousands of people in many countries, he said.

“Why did Wednesday’s quakes emerge just eight years afterwards? This is new to most seismologists and geologists, who are unfamiliar with quakes with depth rooting to the mantle layer,” he said.

Seismologists were closely watching and cautiously studying the 9.0 quake that devastated Sendai in Japan on March 11 last year. The first tremor on March 9 was recorded at 7.3 on the Richter scale. That one was understood by seismologists as the main shock, but there were two aftershocks on an even greater scale at 9.0 on March 11 that followed, he said.

The tsunamis created on Wednesday were not powerful or harmfully high because the quake was the horizontal dipslide type. But a mantlebased quake at an island with active underwater volcanoes located north of the Nicobar Islands would probably be a vertical strikeslip type, which would directly impact the six Thai coastal provinces, and possibly deluge them with tsunamis, he added.

Professor Michio Hashzume, a wellknown Japanese seismologist, said Wednesday’s quakes were a new type known to have started in the mantle. It was difficult to tell whether a new quake would follow within a few days, like the Sendai quakes, which were similar to Wednesday’s quakes. Then there was a 7.3, followed by a 9.0 two days later.

If there are quakes near the Nicobar Islands, they may cause huge collapses in the seabed and outer crust. The seabed may rise and form new islands, he said.

Minor earthquake in sea off Italy’s Sicily

From: AAP
April 13, 2012 5:50PM

A 4.3 MAGNITUDE earthquake has struck in the sea off Italy’s Sicily, sending residents into the streets but with no immediate reports of victims or injuries, officials said.

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Volcanic Activity

Turrialba Volcano Increases Activity

Thursday morning the Turrialbla volcano unleashed a new series of eruptions, with experts converging on the colossus to take a close look at the smoke emanations coming from its centre.

For a live view of the volcano (photos update every 10 seconds) click here.

According to the Red Sismológica Nacional (RSN) and the Observatorio Vulcanologio y Sismologico de Costa Rica (OVISCORI) the activity does not present any danger, but will continue to monitor the volcano much closer.

The alert followed reports by area residents of hearing a large rumble and then the sighting of dark coloured smoke, produced by gas fumes from the volcano.

Last January the volcano became a concern for residents and experts following the emanation of white gas fumes.

Several RSN experts are on their way to the top of the volcano and the OVISCORI is keeping the national park closed and under a green alert.

Fiery lava and ash spew from Italy’s Mount Etna volcano

Published on Apr 13, 2012 by itnnews

Mount Etna has begun spewing blood-red lava and grey and white ash into the air, the volcano’s 24th eruption in a series that started this year. Report by Sophie Foster.

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Extreme Temperatures/ Weather

Short Time Event(s)

Upd.	Date (UTC)	Event	Country	Location	Level	Details
	Today	Extreme Weather	Saudi Arabia	Capital city, Riyadh
	Today	Biological Hazard	USA	State of Alaska, [Juneau area]
	Today	Extreme Weather	India	MultiStates, [States of Bengal and Kolkata]
	Today	Technological Disaster	Pakistan	State of Punjab, Gujranwala
	Today	Tornado	USA	State of Oklahoma, Norman
	13.04.2012	Volcano Activity	Costa Rica	Cartago, [Turrialba Volcano, Turrialba County]
1	13.04.2012	Hailstorm	China	MultiProvinces, [Provinces of Jiangxi and Guizhou]

http://hisz.rsoe.hu/alertmap/index2.php

Fire Weather Watch

Lubbock,Texas
Tiyan, Guam

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Storms, Flooding

Tornado Watch

TORNADO WATCH OUTLINE UPDATE FOR WT 164
NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER NORMAN OK
340 AM CDT SAT APR 14 2012
  OKLAHOMA COUNTIES INCLUDED ARE

CRAIG                CREEK               DELAWARE
KAY                  LINCOLN             LOGAN
MAYES                NOBLE               NOWATA
OSAGE                OTTAWA              PAWNEE
PAYNE                ROGERS              TULSA
WAGONER              WASHINGTON

Flash Flood Watch

St. Louis , Missouri
Springfield, Missouri

Severe Thunderstorm Warning

Norman, Oklahoma

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Radiation

Fukushima leak may have flowed into Pacific: TEPCO

by Staff Writers
Tokyo (AFP)

About 12 tonnes of radioactive water has leaked at Japan’s crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, with the facility’s operator saying Thursday that some may have flowed into the Pacific Ocean.

Tokyo Electric Power Co. said the leak was found early Thursday from a pipe attached to a temporary decontamination system, and the water had already gone through some of the cleansing process.

The water, once it has been used to cool the reactors, contains massive amounts of radioactive substances and is put into the water-processing facility so it can be recycled for use as a coolant.

“Our officials confirmed that cooling water leaked at a joint in the pipes,” a TEPCO spokesman told AFP, adding that “it is possible that part of the water may have flowed outside the facility and poured into the ocean”.

The leak has since been plugged, the spokesman added, saying the utility was probing the cause of the accident and how much, if any, water flowed into the Pacific.

The accident was the latest of several leaks of radioactive water at the troubled plant, undermining the government’s claim made in December that the shuttered Fukushima reactors were now under control.

In one incident last month, about 120 tonnes of radioactive water leaked at the plant’s water decontamination system and about 80 litres (21 gallons) seeped into the ocean, according to TEPCO.

The plant about 220 kilometres (135 miles) northeast of Tokyo was crippled by meltdowns and explosions caused by Japan’s massive earthquake and tsunami in March last year.

Radiation was scattered over a large area and made its way into the sea, air and food chain in the weeks and months after the disaster.

Tens of thousands of people were evacuated from their homes around the plant and swathes of this zone remain badly polluted. The clean-up is proceeding slowly, amid warnings that some towns could be uninhabitable for three decades.

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Climate Change

Key ice shelf in Antarctica has shrunk by 85 percent

by Staff Writers
Paris (AFP)

A vast ice shelf in the Antarctic peninsula, a hotspot for global warming, has shrunk by 85 percent in 17 years, the European Space Agency (ESA) said on Thursday.

Images taken by its Envisat satellite show that the so-called Larsen B ice shelf decreased from 11,512 square kilometres (4,373 square miles) in 1995, an area about the size of the Gulf state of Qatar, to only 1,670 sq km (634 miles) today.

Larsen B is one of three ice shelves that run from north to south along the eastern side of the peninsula, the tongue of land that projects towards South America.

From 1995 to 2002, Larsen B experienced several calving events in which parts of the shelf broke away. It had a major breakup in 2002 when half of the remainder disintegrated.

Larsen A broke up in January 1995.

“Larsen C so far has been stable in area, but satellite observations have shown thinning and an increasing duration of melt events in summer,” the agency said in a press release.

Ice shelves are thick floating mats of ice, attached to the shore, that are created by the runoff into the sea from glaciers.

Scientists say they are extremely sensitive to changes in atmospheric temperature and can be hollowed out from below by warmer ocean currents.

The northern Antarctic peninsula has been subject to atmospheric warming about 2.5 degrees Celsius (4.5 degrees Fahrenheit) over the last 50 years, a figure that is several times greater than the global average.

Ice shelves are not the same as ice sheets, the vast blanket of frozen water that covers Antarctica.

If these melted, even partially, they would drive up sea levels, threatening small island states and coastal cities. But the scientific evidence is that the icesheets so far are stable.

“These observations are very relevant for measuring the future behaviour of the much larger ice masses of West Antarctica if warming spreads further south,” ESA quoted Helmut Rott, a professor at the University of Innsbruck in Austria, as saying.

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Solar Activity

Massive Solar Flare rocked Earth with Earthquakes & Volcano eruptions this week! (April 13, 2012)

Published on Apr 13, 2012 by adrinilinjunky

A massive Earth directed Solar Flare that launched off the Sun on (April 9th 2012). The expected arrival date was 2 days later which was (April 11th 2012). This was also the day; the Earth just got rocked by all the magor Earthquakes such as a 8.6 off the coast of Sumatra, 7.0 Michoacan Mexico, 6.2 the off the coast of Oregon, 4.3 Utah, 5.0 North Indian Ocean, 6.9 in the Gulf of California & many other less magnitude quakes. So it clearly shows that Solar Flares/CME affect & have a magor impact on our Seismic activity dealing in reguards to Earthquakes & volcano eruptions.

http://sohodata.nascom.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/soho_movie_theater
http://quakes.globalincidentmap.com/
http://spaceweather.com/

2MIN News Apr13: MAGNETIC STORM

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Articles of Interest

Long-term studies detect effects of disappearing snow and ice

by Staff Writers
Washington DC (SPX)

File image: sea ice.

Ecosystems are changing worldwide as a result of shrinking sea ice, snow, and glaciers, especially in high-latitude regions where water is frozen for at least a month each year-the cryosphere.

Scientists have already recorded how some larger animals, such as penguins and polar bears, are responding to loss of their habitat, but research is only now starting to uncover less-obvious effects of the shrinking cryosphere on organisms.

An article in the April issue of BioScience describes some impacts that are being identified through studies that track the ecology of affected sites over decades.

The article, by Andrew G. Fountain of Portland State University and five coauthors, is one of six in a special section in the issue on the Long Term Ecological Research Network. The article describes how decreasing snowfall in many areas threatens burrowing animals and makes plant roots more susceptible to injury, because snow acts as an insulator.

And because microbes such as diatoms that live under sea ice are a principal source of food for krill, disappearing sea ice has led to declines in their abundance-resulting in impacts on seabirds and mammals that feed on krill. Disappearing sea ice also seems, unexpectedly, to be decreasing the sea’s uptake of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.

On land, snowpack changes can alter an area’s suitability for particular plant species, and melting permafrost affects the amount of carbon dioxide that plants and microbes take out of the atmosphere-though in ways that change over time. Shrinking glaciers add pollutants and increased quantities of nutrients to freshwater bodies, and melting river ice pushes more detritus downstream.

Disappearing ice on land and the resulting sea-level rise will have far-reaching social, economic, and geopolitical impacts, Fountain and his coauthors note. Many of these changes are now becoming evident in the ski industry, in infrastructure and coastal planning, and in tourism. Significant effects on water supplies, and consequently on agriculture, can be predicted.

Fountain and his colleagues argue that place-based, long-term, interdisciplinary research efforts such as those supported by the Long Term Ecological Research Network will be essential if researchers are to gain an adequate understanding of the complex, cascading ecosystem responses to the changing cryosphere.

Other articles in the special section on the Long Term Ecological Research Network detail further notable scientific and societal contributions of this network, which had its origins in 1980 and now includes 26 sites.

The achievements include contributions to the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment, to ecological manipulation experiments, to bringing decision makers and researchers together, and to mechanistic understanding of long-term ecological changes.

Deadly March Tornadoes Were First Billion-Dollar Disaster of 2012

The swarms of March caused more than $1.5 billion in damage and killed 40. However, the drama is difficulty to qualify because tornadoes are ‘atypical events’ by nature

By Andrea Mustain and OurAmazingPlanet

Tornado damage in Henryville, Ind., after a tornado swept through the small community on March 2, 2012. Image: Michael Raphael/FEMA

A swarm of tornadoes that tore through the Midwest and Southeast in early March has earned the grim title of the nation’s first billion-dollar weather disaster of 2012.

From March 2 through the early hours of March 3, 132 tornadoes were reported across nine states. Although those numbers are preliminary, and will undoubtedly decrease once overlapping reports are eliminated, their aftermath was devastating, causing more than $1.5 billion in damage and killing 40 people.

The storms killed four people in Ohio, but they took the greatest toll in Indiana, killing 13, and Kentucky, where 23 people died.

The costly disaster follows on the heels of a record-breaking year for devastation wrought by the vagaries of the weather and longer-term climate conditions. Last year, the United States experienced 14 separate events that caused $1 billion or more in damage. Five of those events were tornado outbreaks.

Read Full Article Here

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Tags: Alaska, Alaska Peninsula, Andaman region, Antarctica, Armenia-azerbaijan-iran Border Reg., Banda Sea, Bay of Plenty, Bolivia, California, Canterbury, Central Mediterranean Sea, Chile, China, climate change, Costa Rica, earthquakes, Extreme Temperatures/ Weather, Fiji Islands Region, Fire Weather Watch, Flash Flood Watch, Flooding, FRANCE, Fukushima, Greece, Guam, Guatemala, Hawke's Bay, India, Indonesia, Ionian Sea, Italy, Izu Islands, Japan, Japan Region, Key ice shelf has shrunk by 85 percent, Kuril Islands, Massive Solar Flare, Mediterranean Sea, Mexico, Mexico-guatemala Border Region, Missouri, Mount Etna volcano, Myanmar, Myanmar-india Border Region, Near Coast Of Guerrero, Near The Coast Of Syria, North Indian Ocean, Off The West Coast Of Northern Sumatra, Oklahoma, Pakistan, Puerto Rico Region, Radiation, Romania, Russia-mongolia Border Region, Saudi Arabia, Severe Thunderstorm Warning, solar activity, storms, Tiyan, Tornado Watch, Turkey, Turkey-iran Border Region, Turrialba Volcano, Tyrrhenian Sea, USA, Vanuatu, Virgin Islands Region, volcanic activity, West Of Gibraltar

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Earth Watch Report – Friday April 13th, 2012

Filed under: Earthquakes, Extreme Weather, Flooding, Global Disaster Watch, Radiation, Solar Activity, Storms, Tornado, Volcanic Events, Weather Phenomena — Leave a comment

April 13, 2012

Earthquakes

EMSC    Greece
Apr 12 23:46 PM
2.5    5.0    MAP

EMSC    Western Turkey
Apr 12 23:25 PM
2.7    4.0    MAP

EMSC    Southern Greece
Apr 12 23:19 PM
2.6    10.0    MAP

EMSC    Southeast Indian Ridge
Apr 12 23:15 PM
4.8    10.0    MAP

USGS    Southeast Indian Ridge
Apr 12 23:15 PM
4.8    10.0    MAP

EMSC    Southern Greece
Apr 12 23:04 PM
3.0    10.0    MAP

EMSC    Southern Greece
Apr 12 23:01 PM
2.7    10.0    MAP

EMSC    Southern Greece
Apr 12 22:55 PM
2.9    10.0    MAP

USGS    Southern California
Apr 12 22:46 PM
2.8    9.4    MAP

USGS    Kenai Peninsula, Alaska
Apr 12 22:42 PM
2.7    76.2    MAP

GEOFON    Off West Coast Of Northern Sumatra
Apr 12 22:37 PM
4.6    96.0    MAP

USGS    Off The West Coast Of Northern Sumatra
Apr 12 22:37 PM
4.4    27.1    MAP

EMSC    Off W Coast Of Northern Sumatra
Apr 12 22:37 PM
4.6    15.0    MAP

EMSC    Sea Of Okhotsk
Apr 12 22:28 PM
4.0    480.0    MAP

EMSC    Central Turkey
Apr 12 22:13 PM
3.5    19.0    MAP

EMSC    Central Turkey
Apr 12 22:10 PM
3.0    2.0    MAP

EMSC    Central Italy
Apr 12 21:55 PM
2.4    27.0    MAP

USGS    Off The West Coast Of Northern Sumatra
Apr 12 21:42 PM
4.8    28.7    MAP

GEOFON    Off West Coast Of Northern Sumatra
Apr 12 21:42 PM
4.9    10.0    MAP

EMSC    Off W Coast Of Northern Sumatra
Apr 12 21:42 PM
4.9    2.0    MAP

EMSC    Eastern Turkey
Apr 12 21:12 PM
3.0    7.0    MAP

USGS    Southern Alaska
Apr 12 20:49 PM
2.7    26.4    MAP

GEOFON    Greenland Sea
Apr 12 20:45 PM
4.2    10.0    MAP

EMSC    Greenland Sea
Apr 12 20:45 PM
4.2    2.0    MAP

EMSC    Eastern Turkey
Apr 12 20:43 PM
2.4    5.0    MAP

GEOFON    Greenland Sea
Apr 12 20:31 PM
4.4    10.0    MAP

EMSC    Greenland Sea
Apr 12 20:31 PM
4.5    2.0    MAP

GEOFON    Off West Coast Of Northern Sumatra
Apr 12 20:21 PM
5.3    10.0    MAP

EMSC    Off W Coast Of Northern Sumatra
Apr 12 20:21 PM
4.9    5.0    MAP

EMSC    Southern Greece
Apr 12 20:07 PM
3.5    5.0    MAP

EMSC    Strait Of Gibraltar
Apr 12 19:41 PM
4.1    82.0    MAP

EMSC    Eastern Mediterranean Sea
Apr 12 19:30 PM
2.4    7.0    MAP

GEOFON    Off West Coast Of Northern Sumatra
Apr 12 19:25 PM
4.8    10.0    MAP

EMSC    Off W Coast Of Northern Sumatra
Apr 12 19:25 PM
4.7    10.0    MAP

USGS    Southern California
Apr 12 19:11 PM
2.5    7.0    MAP

USGS    Southern California
Apr 12 18:53 PM
3.5    7.7    MAP

USGS    Puerto Rico Region
Apr 12 18:31 PM
3.6    87.0    MAP

EMSC    Near The Coast Of Western Turkey
Apr 12 17:52 PM
2.4    21.0    MAP

EMSC    Southern Greece
Apr 12 17:36 PM
2.8    5.0    MAP

USGS    Offshore Oregon
Apr 12 16:59 PM
2.7    5.0    MAP

USGS    Offshore Oaxaca, Mexico
Apr 12 16:58 PM
4.2    1.0    MAP

EMSC    Offshore Oaxaca, Mexico
Apr 12 16:58 PM
4.2    1.0    MAP

EMSC    Southern Iran
Apr 12 16:47 PM
3.6    10.0    MAP

USGS    Virgin Islands Region
Apr 12 16:44 PM
3.6    39.0    MAP

EMSC    Eastern Turkey
Apr 12 16:44 PM
2.4    14.0    MAP

EMSC    Central Alaska
Apr 12 16:41 PM
4.2    57.0    MAP

USGS    Central Alaska
Apr 12 16:41 PM
4.0    67.6    MAP

EMSC    Greece
Apr 12 16:27 PM
2.6    16.0    MAP

USGS    Offshore Oregon
Apr 12 16:25 PM
2.7    5.0    MAP

USGS    Near The East Coast Of Honshu, Japan
Apr 12 15:51 PM
4.4    32.0    MAP

EMSC    Near East Coast Of Honshu, Japan
Apr 12 15:51 PM
4.4    32.0    MAP

EMSC    Izu Islands, Japan Region
Apr 12 15:26 PM
4.7    40.0    MAP

USGS    Izu Islands, Japan Region
Apr 12 15:26 PM
4.7    33.1    MAP

GEOFON    Southeast Of Honshu, Japan
Apr 12 15:26 PM
4.7    10.0    MAP

USGS    Off The West Coast Of Northern Sumatra
Apr 12 15:07 PM
4.8    11.0    MAP

GEOFON    Off West Coast Of Northern Sumatra
Apr 12 15:07 PM
4.9    10.0    MAP

EMSC    Off W Coast Of Northern Sumatra
Apr 12 15:07 PM
4.8    10.0    MAP

EMSC    Northern Iran
Apr 12 15:01 PM
4.0    8.0    MAP

EMSC    Java, Indonesia
Apr 12 15:01 PM
4.8    69.0    MAP

GEOFON    Java, Indonesia
Apr 12 15:01 PM
4.9    65.0    MAP

USGS    Java, Indonesia
Apr 12 15:01 PM
4.8    42.8    MAP

EMSC    Western Turkey
Apr 12 14:55 PM
2.8    8.0    MAP

USGS    Near The East Coast Of Honshu, Japan
Apr 12 14:50 PM
5.6    23.2    MAP

GEOFON    Near East Coast Of Honshu, Japan
Apr 12 14:50 PM
5.4    24.0    MAP

EMSC    Near East Coast Of Honshu, Japan
Apr 12 14:50 PM
5.7    10.0    MAP

USGS    Off The West Coast Of Northern Sumatra
Apr 12 14:46 PM
5.0    27.8    MAP

EMSC    Off W Coast Of Northern Sumatra
Apr 12 14:46 PM
5.0    5.0    MAP

GEOFON    Off West Coast Of Northern Sumatra
Apr 12 14:46 PM
5.0    10.0    MAP

EMSC    Off W Coast Of Northern Sumatra
Apr 12 14:31 PM
4.7    30.0    MAP

USGS    Off The West Coast Of Northern Sumatra
Apr 12 14:31 PM
4.7    29.7    MAP

EMSC    Sicily, Italy
Apr 12 13:20 PM
3.1    8.0    MAP

EMSC    Off W Coast Of Northern Sumatra
Apr 12 13:09 PM
5.3    30.0    MAP

USGS    Off The West Coast Of Northern Sumatra
Apr 12 13:09 PM
5.3    30.4    MAP

GEOFON    Off West Coast Of Northern Sumatra
Apr 12 13:09 PM
5.3    10.0    MAP

EMSC    Sicily, Italy
Apr 12 12:57 PM
2.9    5.0    MAP

EMSC    Off W Coast Of Northern Sumatra
Apr 12 12:19 PM
4.8    26.0    MAP

USGS    Off The West Coast Of Northern Sumatra
Apr 12 12:19 PM
4.8    29.5    MAP

GEOFON    Off West Coast Of Northern Sumatra
Apr 12 12:19 PM
4.6    10.0    MAP

USGS    Oklahoma
Apr 12 12:10 PM
3.1    4.9    MAP

USGS    Central California
Apr 12 11:53 AM
2.6    6.1    MAP

EMSC    Southern Mid-atlantic Ridge
Apr 12 11:38 AM
4.9    33.0    MAP

USGS    Southern Mid-atlantic Ridge
Apr 12 11:38 AM
4.9    10.0    MAP

GEOFON    Southern Mid Atlantic Ridge
Apr 12 11:38 AM
4.8    10.0    MAP

USGS    Puerto Rico Region
Apr 12 11:34 AM
3.1    8.6    MAP

EMSC    Western Turkey
Apr 12 11:29 AM
2.6    15.0    MAP

EMSC    Poland
Apr 12 11:28 AM
2.9    10.0    MAP

EMSC    Near East Coast Of Honshu, Japan
Apr 12 11:20 AM
5.2    18.0    MAP

USGS    Near The East Coast Of Honshu, Japan
Apr 12 11:19 AM
5.3    14.3    MAP

GEOFON    Near East Coast Of Honshu, Japan
Apr 12 11:19 AM
5.2    14.0    MAP

EMSC    Eastern Turkey
Apr 12 11:02 AM
3.3    15.0    MAP

GEOFON    Southwest Of Sumatra, Indonesia
Apr 12 11:02 AM
5.1    35.0    MAP

USGS    Southern Sumatra, Indonesia
Apr 12 11:02 AM
4.9    28.1    MAP

EMSC    Southern Sumatra, Indonesia
Apr 12 11:02 AM
4.9    29.0    MAP

GEOFON    Off West Coast Of Northern Sumatra
Apr 12 10:59 AM
4.9    10.0    MAP

USGS    Off The West Coast Of Northern Sumatra
Apr 12 10:59 AM
4.7    10.1    MAP

EMSC    Off W Coast Of Northern Sumatra
Apr 12 10:59 AM
4.9    5.0    MAP

GEOFON    Gulf Of California
Apr 12 10:27 AM
4.8    10.0    MAP

USGS    Gulf Of California
Apr 12 10:26 AM
4.9    9.9    MAP

EMSC    Gulf Of California
Apr 12 10:26 AM
5.0    10.0    MAP

USGS    Off The West Coast Of Northern Sumatra
Apr 12 10:18 AM
4.7    30.2    MAP

EMSC    Off W Coast Of Northern Sumatra
Apr 12 10:18 AM
4.9    27.0    MAP

GEOFON    Off West Coast Of Northern Sumatra
Apr 12 10:18 AM
4.6    10.0    MAP

EMSC    Eastern Turkey
Apr 12 10:07 AM
2.6    15.0    MAP

GEONET    West Coast
Apr 12 09:49 AM
3.8    4.0    MAP

EMSC    Eastern Turkey
Apr 12 09:32 AM
4.0    2.0    MAP

USGS    Puerto Rico Region
Apr 12 09:30 AM
2.5    103.8    MAP

EMSC    Western Turkey
Apr 12 09:24 AM
2.4    12.0    MAP

USGS    Off The West Coast Of Northern Sumatra
Apr 12 09:15 AM
4.7    27.5    MAP

GEOFON    North Indian Ocean
Apr 12 09:15 AM
4.8    10.0    MAP

EMSC    Off W Coast Of Northern Sumatra
Apr 12 09:15 AM
4.8    2.0    MAP

GEOFON    Afghanistan-tajikistan Border Region
Apr 12 08:56 AM
4.0    162.0    MAP

EMSC    Tajikistan
Apr 12 08:56 AM
4.1    156.0    MAP

USGS    Tajikistan
Apr 12 08:56 AM
4.1    163.4    MAP

USGS    Gulf Of California
Apr 12 08:54 AM
4.4    10.1    MAP

EMSC    Gulf Of California
Apr 12 08:54 AM
4.4    10.0    MAP

GEOFON    Baja California, Mexico
Apr 12 08:54 AM
4.3    10.0    MAP

EMSC    Eastern Turkey
Apr 12 08:21 AM
2.6    5.0    MAP

EMSC    Central Italy
Apr 12 08:10 AM
2.6    20.0    MAP

EMSC    Gulf Of California
Apr 12 07:57 AM
4.2    10.0    MAP

USGS    Gulf Of California
Apr 12 07:57 AM
4.2    10.0    MAP

EMSC    Eastern Turkey
Apr 12 07:54 AM
3.0    10.0    MAP

USGS    Off The West Coast Of Northern Sumatra
Apr 12 07:43 AM
5.1    30.4    MAP

EMSC    Off W Coast Of Northern Sumatra
Apr 12 07:43 AM
5.1    30.0    MAP

GEOFON    Off West Coast Of Northern Sumatra
Apr 12 07:43 AM
4.7    10.0    MAP

USGS    Central Alaska
Apr 12 07:43 AM
2.5    7.2    MAP

EMSC    Western Turkey
Apr 12 07:41 AM
2.4    8.0    MAP

EMSC    Greece
Apr 12 07:38 AM
2.5    8.0    MAP

USGS    North Indian Ocean
Apr 12 07:34 AM
5.0    15.8    MAP

EMSC    North Indian Ocean
Apr 12 07:34 AM
5.1    10.0    MAP

EMSC    Poland
Apr 12 07:33 AM
3.9    80.0    MAP

GEONET    West Coast
Apr 12 07:18 AM
4.0    5.0    MAP

EMSC    Baja California, Mexico
Apr 12 07:15 AM
6.3    60.0    MAP

GEOFON    Baja California, Mexico
Apr 12 07:15 AM
7.0    10.0    MAP

USGS    Gulf Of California
Apr 12 07:15 AM
6.9    10.3    MAP

USGS    Southern Alaska
Apr 12 07:14 AM
4.0    64.3    MAP

GEOFON    Baja California, Mexico
Apr 12 07:06 AM
6.1    10.0    MAP

USGS    Gulf Of California
Apr 12 07:06 AM
6.2    10.1    MAP

EMSC    Gulf Of California
Apr 12 07:06 AM
6.0    10.0    MAP

EMSC    Western Turkey
Apr 12 07:01 AM
2.4    5.0    MAP

USGS    Off The West Coast Of Northern Sumatra
Apr 12 07:01 AM
5.0    26.9    MAP

EMSC    Off W Coast Of Northern Sumatra
Apr 12 07:01 AM
5.0    10.0    MAP

GEOFON    Off West Coast Of Northern Sumatra
Apr 12 07:01 AM
5.1    10.0    MAP

GEOFON    Baja California, Mexico
Apr 12 06:48 AM
4.7    10.0    MAP

EMSC    Gulf Of California
Apr 12 06:48 AM
4.6    10.0    MAP

USGS    Gulf Of California
Apr 12 06:48 AM
4.7    9.8    MAP

USGS    Puerto Rico Region
Apr 12 06:47 AM
2.7    11.7    MAP

GEOFON    North Indian Ocean
Apr 12 06:47 AM
4.8    10.0    MAP

EMSC    North Indian Ocean
Apr 12 06:47 AM
4.7    10.0    MAP

USGS    North Indian Ocean
Apr 12 06:47 AM
4.5    14.7    MAP

EMSC    Northern Algeria
Apr 12 06:17 AM
3.1    10.0    MAP

Earthquakes shake Gulf of California

By the CNN Wire Staff

(CNN) — A pair of strong earthquakes rocked Mexico’s Gulf of California only minutes apart early Thursday, the U.S. Geological Survey reported.

The quakes — magnitude 6.9 and 6.2 — were centered about 85 miles northeast of Guerrero Negro in the Mexican state of Baja California, or 325 miles south-southwest of Phoenix in the United States. Both epicenters were shallow, a little more than six miles underground.

No tsunami warnings were issued and there were no immediate reports of damage, but people as far north as Tucson, Arizona, reported feeling them.

The temblors were recorded at 12:16 a.m. and 12:06 a.m. local time (3:16 a.m. and 3;06 a.m. ET).

7.0 Mexico/ 5.9 Oregon Coast/8.6 Sumatra/6.1 Tokyo

Magnitude 4.5 – NORTH ATLANTIC OCEAN

Magnitude	4.5
Date-Time	Thursday, April 12, 2012 at 02:29:41 UTC Wednesday, April 11, 2012 at 10:29:41 PM at epicenter Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones
Location	41.998°N, 65.994°W
Depth	15.8 km (9.8 miles)
Region	NORTH ATLANTIC OCEAN
Distances	203 km (126 miles) S of Yarmouth, Nova Scotia, Canada 290 km (180 miles) SSW of Bridgewater, Nova Scotia, Canada 352 km (218 miles) SW of HALIFAX, Nova Scotia, Canada 421 km (261 miles) E of BOSTON, Massachusetts
Location Uncertainty	horizontal +/- 22 km (13.7 miles); depth +/- 6.3 km (3.9 miles)
Parameters	NST=125, Nph=138, Dmin=323.9 km, Rmss=0.89 sec, Gp=155°, M-type=body wave magnitude (Mb), Version=8
Source	Magnitude: USGS NEIC (WDCS-D) Location: USGS NEIC (WDCS-D)
Event ID	usc0009131

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Volcanic Activity

Mount Etna eruption no danger to local airport

15:44 12 APR 2012

(AGI) Catania – Mount Etna is erupting for the sixth time this year with lava and plumes of smoke and ash from a new crater on the volcano’s southeast side. The new activity was preceded by new phase that began last night and that, according to experts from the INGV in Catania, has the same characteristics as the one before this one. Ash, carried by wind towards the east, has not yet created problems at the Fontanarossa airport, which is fully operational. . .

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Extreme Temperatures/ Weather

URGENT – FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE

New Mexico

Colorado

Florida

Arizona

Texas

Freeze Warning

Virginia

New York

Maryland

Washington, D.C.

Pennsylvania

Michigan

Ohio

South Carolina

New Jersey

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Storms, Flooding

Photos: Spring hailstorm pelts Texas Panhandle

by WFAA

Posted on April 12, 2012 at 8:10 AM

See all 6 photos »

An unusual spring storm in the Texas Panhandle Wednesday afternoon dumped two to four feet of hail near Dumas.

Trucks were reported sliding off the road on Highway 287 as a result of the unexpected weather phenomenon. Snow plows were being used to clear the roads.

Some vehicles were trapped in the drifts of hailstones.

Chief Meteorologist Pete Delkus said a tornado watch was in effect for the Panhandle region through 10 p.m. Wednesday, and the storms were moving very slowly between Pampa and Dumas north of Amarillo and to the east of Dalhart.

Melting hail and heavy rain triggered flash flooding in the Panhandle

http://swfs.bimvid.com/bimvid_player-3_2_7.swf?x-bim-callletters=KVUE

Tornado leaves path of destruction near Stockton

French Camp funnel cloud damage

Damage from tornado in French Camp gallery

gallery Damage from tornado in French Camp

DISCOVERY BAY: Rare tornado touches down in San Joaquin County video

video DISCOVERY BAY: Rare tornado touches down in San Joaquin County

KTVU.com

STOCKTON, Calif. —

An EF-1 tornado that set down near Stockton Wednesday afternoon destroyed a building near a home and left debris strewn across the surrounding area, according to local meteorologists.

In Stockton, a highway traffic camera captured a funnel cloud southwest of the city, near Lathrop and a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Sacramento said it later touched down in French Camp, south of Stockton.

Discovery Bay resident Carlos Espinoza noticed the unusual atmospheric conditions just before the funnel cloud formed.

“I hear what I thought was thunder, said Espinoza. “Curious, I went out to look”

Espinoza grabbed his compact camera and snapped a series of 11 pictures that showed the funnel cloud forming and extending towards the ground.

A retired police officer, Espinoza knew what he’d witnessed.

“We’ve been shown how to look for certain weather conditions, explained Espinoza. To see this come up right in front of you was surprising, and fun!”

By early Wednesday evening, the National Weather Service confirmed that an EF-1 tornado swept through French Camp.

People who live in French Camp said they knew it was a tornado before the weather service did, as they watched it tear apart a building and send pieces of corrugated metal flying into telephone poles.

“[I was] scared to death,” said tornado victim Valentin Guitierrez. “We really thought we were going to die. I thought I was going to die.”

Guitierrez owned the shed that was destroyed when the tornado touched down. He said the sight of the twister and resulting damage was stunning.

“I heard a loud loud noise. I ran out to look out the back window and I see this big ol’ cloud,” said Guitierrez. “I see it flip over the trailers, so I figured it was a tornado. So I ran to the front of the house, told my family to get on the ground.”

One man said he’d never seen anything like it in his 65 years in San Joaquin County.

It is not unheard of to have twisters spawn from the clouds in the San Joaquin Valley, but it’s not common.

Besides the funnel cloud, a mass of unstable air between Spring storms triggered thundershowers and hail in the Central Valley, according tometeorologists.

The thundershowers erupted in a break between two storm fronts that have gotten April off to a wet start.

The National Weather Service issued a severe thunderstorm warning Wednesday afternoon for Tulare County near Hanford where quarter-inch sized hail fell accompanied by strong winds, lightning and thunder.

National Weather Service forecaster Steve Anderson said some BB-size hail was reported in the San Jose area around noon.

Meanwhile, a strong line of thundershowers roared into the Sierra foothills, dumping half inch in diameter hail and heavy downpours.

Two more low pressure system were lined up off shore ready to bring showers for the morning commutes both on Thursday and Friday.

Forecasters predicted the North Bay and the Santa Cruz Mountains could get 2 inches or more of rain by Saturday while the central Bay Area could expect 0.5 to 2 inches.

After one of the driest winters in a century, Mother Nature has done her best to eliminate potential drought conditions with one of the wettest Marchs in the past 80 years and now the April showers.

The same has held true for the Sierra where for much of the winter the ski resorts were forced to rely on snowmaking machines.

“Back in January, when we didn’t have any snow, we were looking for a tough season,” said Jennie Bartlett, a spokeswoman for Sugar Bowl. “But March was an awesome month for us. We got over 200 inches of snow.”

Flood Warning

Texas

Louisiana

Arkansas

Winter Storm Warning

California

Nevada

Oregon

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Radiation

Published on Apr 6, 2012 by TheBigPictureRT

Kevin Kamps, Beyond Nuclear, joins Thom Hartmann. California beware! A radioactive wave is headed toward the West Coast of the United States courtesy of the Fukushima nuclear disaster? So with nuclear power still wreaking havoc on the environment – why are the Japanese about to flip on more of their nuclear reactors?

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Solar Activity

THE SUN TODAY: 12 April 2012 – Activity Building?

Solar X-rays:

Geomagnetic Field:

From n3kl.org
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Tags: Afghanistan-tajikistan Border Region, Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, D.C., earthquakes, Eastern Mediterranean Sea, Extreme Temperatures/ Weather, FIRE WEATHER, Flood Warning, Flooding, Florida, Freeze Warning, Fukushima, Greece, Greenland Sea, Gulf Of California, Indonesia, Iran, Italy, Japan, Japan Region, Louisiana, Maryland., Mexico, Michigan, Mount Etna, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York., North Indian Ocean, Northern Algeria, Off West Coast Of Northern Sumatra, Offshore Oaxaca, Offshore Oregon, OHIO, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Poland, Puerto Rico Region, Radiation, Sea Of Okhotsk, solar activity, South Carolina, Southeast Indian Ridge, Southern Mid Atlantic Ridge, Spring hailstorm, storms, Strait Of Gibraltar, Tajikistan, Texas, Texas Panhandle, Tornado, Turkey, Virgin Islands Region, Virginia, volcanic activity, Washington, West Coast, Winter Storm Warning

Comment

Earth Watch Report – Wednesday April 11th, 2012

Filed under: Earthquakes, Extreme Weather, Flooding, Global Disaster Watch, Solar Activity, Storms, Tornado, Uncategorized — Leave a comment

April 11, 2012

Earthquakes

EMSC Syria
Apr 10 23:23 PM
3.4 2.0 MAP

GEOFON Near East Coast Of Honshu, Japan
Apr 10 23:16 PM
4.5 10.0 MAP

EMSC Near East Coast Of Honshu, Japan
Apr 10 23:16 PM
4.7 40.0 MAP

USGS Off The East Coast Of Honshu, Japan
Apr 10 23:16 PM
4.6 31.7 MAP

EMSC Central Italy
Apr 10 22:46 PM
2.7 29.0 MAP

USGS Off The East Coast Of Honshu, Japan
Apr 10 22:45 PM
4.3 35.7 MAP

EMSC Off East Coast Of Honshu, Japan
Apr 10 22:45 PM
4.3 36.0 MAP

EMSC Central Italy
Apr 10 22:37 PM
3.4 32.0 MAP

USGS Wyoming
Apr 10 20:29 PM
3.0 1.9 MAP

GEONET Taupo
Apr 10 19:42 PM
4.7 100.0 MAP

EMSC Western Turkey
Apr 10 19:28 PM
2.6 9.0 MAP

EMSC Strait Of Gibraltar
Apr 10 19:22 PM
3.0 88.0 MAP

USGS Offshore Northern California
Apr 10 19:07 PM
2.6 26.4 MAP

EMSC Eastern Turkey
Apr 10 17:56 PM
2.5 7.0 MAP

EMSC Pyrenees
Apr 10 17:40 PM
2.8 2.0 MAP

USGS Puerto Rico Region
Apr 10 17:39 PM
2.6 4.0 MAP

EMSC Moro Gulf, Mindanao, Philippines
Apr 10 16:44 PM
4.4 51.0 MAP

USGS Moro Gulf, Mindanao, Philippines
Apr 10 16:44 PM
4.4 51.1 MAP

EMSC Eastern Turkey
Apr 10 16:39 PM
3.1 6.0 MAP

EMSC Sea Of Japan
Apr 10 16:36 PM
4.0 374.0 MAP

USGS Sea Of Japan
Apr 10 16:36 PM
4.0 374.3 MAP

EMSC Eastern Turkey
Apr 10 15:20 PM
2.5 18.0 MAP

EMSC Dodecanese Islands, Greece
Apr 10 14:01 PM
3.0 9.0 MAP

GEOFON Southeast Of Honshu, Japan
Apr 10 13:54 PM
4.6 10.0 MAP

EMSC Greece
Apr 10 13:45 PM
2.4 1.0 MAP

GEOFON Near S. Coast Of Honshu, Japan
Apr 10 13:42 PM
4.7 360.0 MAP

EMSC Near S. Coast Of Western Honshu
Apr 10 13:42 PM
4.6 353.0 MAP

USGS Near The South Coast Of Honshu, Japan
Apr 10 13:42 PM
4.4 357.2 MAP

EMSC Eastern Turkey
Apr 10 13:37 PM
2.6 8.0 MAP

EMSC Eastern Turkey
Apr 10 13:31 PM
2.5 9.0 MAP

EMSC Eastern Turkey
Apr 10 13:24 PM
2.4 30.0 MAP

USGS Molucca Sea
Apr 10 13:00 PM
4.5 51.3 MAP

EMSC Molucca Sea
Apr 10 13:00 PM
4.6 47.0 MAP

GEOFON Southern Molucca Sea
Apr 10 13:00 PM
4.6 43.0 MAP

EMSC Dodecanese Islands, Greece
Apr 10 12:52 PM
2.8 23.0 MAP

USGS Southern Alaska
Apr 10 12:47 PM
2.5 0.6 MAP

EMSC Central Turkey
Apr 10 11:58 AM
2.4 30.0 MAP

EMSC Germany
Apr 10 11:50 AM
2.4 10.0 MAP

EMSC Central Turkey
Apr 10 11:42 AM
2.8 5.0 MAP

EMSC Eastern Turkey
Apr 10 11:36 AM
3.4 7.0 MAP

USGS Northern Alaska
Apr 10 11:07 AM
2.9 7.5 MAP

USGS Puerto Rico Region
Apr 10 10:42 AM
3.6 6.9 MAP

EMSC France
Apr 10 10:33 AM
2.8 10.0 MAP

EMSC Western Turkey
Apr 10 10:25 AM
2.5 14.0 MAP

EMSC Aegean Sea
Apr 10 10:12 AM
3.2 2.0 MAP

EMSC Sicily, Italy
Apr 10 09:57 AM
2.4 20.0 MAP

EMSC Western Turkey
Apr 10 09:52 AM
2.9 5.0 MAP

EMSC Sicily, Italy
Apr 10 09:39 AM
2.4 157.0 MAP

EMSC Western Turkey
Apr 10 09:34 AM
2.6 5.0 MAP

USGS Virgin Islands Region
Apr 10 09:28 AM
3.0 38.0 MAP

EMSC Eastern Turkey
Apr 10 09:26 AM
2.8 18.0 MAP

USGS Virgin Islands Region
Apr 10 09:24 AM
3.1 52.0 MAP

USGS Virgin Islands Region
Apr 10 09:22 AM
3.2 66.0 MAP

USGS Java, Indonesia
Apr 10 09:18 AM
4.7 59.9 MAP

EMSC Java, Indonesia
Apr 10 09:18 AM
4.8 55.0 MAP

GEOFON Java, Indonesia
Apr 10 09:18 AM
4.8 47.0 MAP

USGS Virgin Islands Region
Apr 10 08:48 AM
2.7 53.0 MAP

USGS Western Xizang
Apr 10 08:25 AM
4.3 35.0 MAP

EMSC Western Xizang
Apr 10 08:25 AM
4.4 10.0 MAP

GEOFON Xizang
Apr 10 08:25 AM
4.4 10.0 MAP

USGS Western Xizang
Apr 10 08:08 AM
4.7 34.5 MAP

EMSC Western Xizang
Apr 10 08:08 AM
4.7 30.0 MAP

GEOFON Xizang
Apr 10 08:08 AM
4.8 10.0 MAP

EMSC Western Turkey
Apr 10 07:58 AM
2.5 10.0 MAP

USGS Off The East Coast Of Honshu, Japan
Apr 10 07:13 AM
4.4 36.0 MAP

EMSC Off East Coast Of Honshu, Japan
Apr 10 07:13 AM
4.4 36.0 MAP

EMSC Dodecanese Islands, Greece
Apr 10 06:01 AM
4.0 30.0 MAP

USGS Offshore Northern California
Apr 10 05:43 AM
2.9 10.6 MAP

EMSC North Of Ascension Island
Apr 10 05:09 AM
5.8 33.0 MAP

GEOFON North Of Ascension Island
Apr 10 05:09 AM
5.7 10.0 MAP

USGS North Of Ascension Island
Apr 10 05:09 AM
5.8 9.9 MAP

USGS Washington
Apr 10 04:43 AM
3.2 11.0 MAP

EMSC Dodecanese Islands, Greece
Apr 10 04:34 AM
2.6 12.0 MAP

EMSC Western Turkey
Apr 10 04:19 AM
2.7 8.0 MAP

EMSC Western Turkey
Apr 10 04:13 AM
2.9 3.0 MAP

EMSC Eastern Turkey
Apr 10 04:11 AM
3.0 10.0 MAP

GEOFON Northern Mid Atlantic Ridge
Apr 10 03:37 AM
4.5 10.0 MAP

EMSC Northern Mid-atlantic Ridge
Apr 10 03:37 AM
4.6 10.0 MAP

USGS Northern Mid-atlantic Ridge
Apr 10 03:37 AM
4.7 10.4 MAP

EMSC Near East Coast Of Honshu, Japan
Apr 10 02:57 AM
4.8 55.0 MAP

GEOFON Near East Coast Of Honshu, Japan
Apr 10 02:57 AM
4.7 60.0 MAP

EMSC Spain
Apr 10 01:54 AM
2.9 10.0 MAP

EMSC Carlsberg Ridge
Apr 10 01:42 AM
4.7 30.0 MAP

USGS Carlsberg Ridge
Apr 10 01:42 AM
4.8 15.2 MAP

GEOFON Carlsberg Ridge
Apr 10 01:42 AM
4.6 10.0 MAP

EMSC Eastern Turkey
Apr 10 01:16 AM
3.0 5.0 MAP

USGS Northern California
Apr 10 01:09 AM
2.5 1.4 MAP

EMSC Eastern Turkey
Apr 10 00:02 AM
2.5 12.0 MAP

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Extreme Temperatures/ Weather

Freeze Watch – URGENT – WEATHER MESSAGE

VIRGINIA
1239 AM EDT WED APR 11 2012

INDIANA
1116 PM EDT TUE APR 10 2012

KENTUCKY
1105 PM EDT TUE APR 10 2012

SOUTH CAROLINA
1019 PM EDT TUE APR 10 2012

GEORGIA
1009 PM EDT TUE APR 10 2012

TENNESSEE
801 PM CDT TUE APR 10 2012

WEST VIRGINIA
801 PM EDT TUE APR 10 2012

BALTIMORE MD/WASHINGTON DC
758 PM EDT TUE APR 10 2012

OHIO
749 PM EDT TUE APR 10 2012

NORTH CAROLINA
345 PM EDT TUE APR 10 2012

***********************************************************************************************

Fire Conditions

URGENT – FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE

EL PASO, TEXAS ,SANTA TERESA, NEW MEXICO
909 PM MDT TUE APR 10 2012

JACKSONVILLE , FLORIDA
947 PM EDT TUE APR 10 2012

TAMPA BAY AREA – RUSKIN, FLORIDA
758 PM EDT TUE APR 10 2012

ALBUQUERQUE ,NEW MEXICO
320 PM MDT TUE APR 10 2012

PUEBLO , COLORADO
255 PM MDT TUE APR 10 2012

GLASGOW ,MONTANA
242 PM MDT TUE APR 10 2012

MOBILE ,ALABAMA
233 PM CDT TUE APR 10 2012

************************************************************************************************

Storms, Flooding

Cyclonic storms in Tripura, India

-Seven killed and at least 30 people injured in Tripura.
-Strong winds and hailstorms from last five days have damaged more than 1,000 houses.
-10.5 mm rainfall in capital city and hailstorms reported across the state.
-Amarpur subdivision to be worst affected.
-District administrations has distributed Rs.1,000 to each affected family as immediate assistance.
-Tripura is a state in North-East India which is surrounded by Bangladesh on the north, south, and west.

Tornadoes in Woodward Region, Oklahoma

-Two tornadoes reported in northwest Oklahoma.
-One tornado reported 3 miles south-southwest of Woodward and other east of Sharon.
-Two people injured and damage of about $250,000 estimated.

Tornadoes, giant hail slam northwest Oklahoma

(CBS/AP) OKLAHOMA CITY – At least two tornadoes have touched down and hail the size of softballs pounded northwestern Oklahoma, injuring two people and damaging a county jail and numerous vehicles.

The National Weather Service says one tornado was spotted about 3 miles south-southwest of Woodward about 5:30 p.m. Monday. Another tornado was spotted east of Sharon.

CBS affiliate KWTV in Oklahoma City reports the storm has caused more than $250,000 in damage so far.

In Woodward, hail up to 4.25 inches broke vehicle windows and damaged roofs.

Woodward County Emergency Management Director Matt Lehenbauer says an infant was cut by glass when hail knocked out windows in its parents’ vehicle. Lehenbauer says he didn’t believe the baby was seriously hurt.

Sheriff Gary Stanley says hail broke every skylight in the jail and one hail stone cut an inmate on the back.

Stanley says the hail damage caused the roof to leak.

Winter Storm Watch – URGENT

RENO, NEVADA
217 PM PDT TUE APR 10 2012

…HEAVY SNOW POSSIBLE IN THE SIERRA…

Flood Warning

HOUSTON/GALVESTON, TEXAS
915 PM CDT TUE APR 10 2012

LAKE CHARLES ,LOUISIANA
849 PM CDT TUE APR 10 2012

NEW ORLEANS BATON ROUGE, LOUISIANA
757 PM CDT TUE APR 10 2012

SHREVEPORT ,LOUISIANA
756 PM CDT TUE APR 10 2012

LITTLE ROCK ,ARKANSAS
819 PM CDT TUE APR 10 2012

***********************************************************************************************

SOLAR ACTIVITY

2MIN News Apr10: NASA News, Seismicity, Solar/Planetary Update

Comment

Earth Watch Report – Saturday April 7th, 2012

Filed under: Diseases, Diseases, Earthquakes, Environmental, meteors, oil, Radiation, Solar Activity, Solar System, Storms, Tornado, Volcanic Events — Leave a comment

April 7, 2012

Earthquakes

EMSC Eastern Turkey
Apr 06 23:26 PM
2.6 9.0 MAP

EMSC Crete, Greece
Apr 06 21:31 PM
3.7 1.0 MAP

GEONET Canterbury
Apr 06 20:43 PM
3.2 7.0 MAP

EMSC Eastern Turkey
Apr 06 20:38 PM
3.7 5.0 MAP

EMSC Eastern Turkey
Apr 06 20:27 PM
3.7 5.0 MAP

USGS Southern Alaska
Apr 06 20:16 PM
2.5 88.9 MAP

USGS Puerto Rico Region
Apr 06 19:53 PM
2.6 71.7 MAP

GEONET Taupo
Apr 06 19:31 PM
2.4 2.0 MAP

GEOFON Southern Sumatra, Indonesia
Apr 06 19:24 PM
5.2 26.0 MAP

EMSC Kep. Mentawai Region, Indonesia
Apr 06 19:24 PM
5.2 10.0 MAP

USGS Kepulauan Mentawai Region, Indonesia
Apr 06 19:24 PM
5.5 5.5 MAP

EMSC Western Turkey
Apr 06 18:40 PM
2.5 12.0 MAP

EMSC Western Turkey
Apr 06 18:38 PM
2.4 8.0 MAP

GEONET Taupo
Apr 06 18:25 PM
2.5 2.0 MAP

GEONET Canterbury
Apr 06 17:58 PM
3.1 9.0 MAP

GEOFON Banda Sea
Apr 06 17:49 PM
4.7 10.0 MAP

EMSC Kep. Tanimbar Region, Indonesia
Apr 06 17:49 PM
4.6 88.0 MAP

USGS Kepulauan Tanimbar, Indonesia
Apr 06 17:49 PM
4.5 66.2 MAP

EMSC Southern Xinjiang, China
Apr 06 17:46 PM
4.1 1.0 MAP

USGS Baja California, Mexico
Apr 06 17:23 PM
2.9 17.0 MAP

EMSC Near The Coast Of Western Turkey
Apr 06 17:19 PM
2.8 9.0 MAP

EMSC Offshore Bio-bio, Chile
Apr 06 17:11 PM
4.7 23.0 MAP

USGS Offshore Bio-bio, Chile
Apr 06 17:11 PM
4.7 22.7 MAP

USGS Central Alaska
Apr 06 17:04 PM
3.1 117.8 MAP

USGS Virgin Islands Region
Apr 06 16:38 PM
2.8 1.6 MAP

EMSC Western Turkey
Apr 06 16:34 PM
3.0 2.0 MAP

USGS Oklahoma
Apr 06 16:20 PM
3.3 9.1 MAP

GEOFON New Ireland Region, P.n.g.
Apr 06 16:15 PM
6.1 111.0 MAP

EMSC New Ireland Region, P.n.g.
Apr 06 16:15 PM
6.1 100.0 MAP

USGS New Ireland Region, Papua New Guinea
Apr 06 16:15 PM
6.2 85.4 MAP

EMSC Pyrenees
Apr 06 16:15 PM
2.7 2.0 MAP

USGS Dominican Republic Region
Apr 06 15:40 PM
3.2 90.8 MAP

GEOFON Near Coast Of Chiapas, Mexico
Apr 06 15:38 PM
4.8 61.0 MAP

USGS Offshore Chiapas, Mexico
Apr 06 15:38 PM
4.8 67.9 MAP

EMSC Offshore Chiapas, Mexico
Apr 06 15:38 PM
4.8 60.0 MAP

USGS Seattle-tacoma Urban Area, Washington
Apr 06 15:24 PM
2.6 21.9 MAP

USGS South Of Alaska
Apr 06 15:07 PM
3.1 20.0 MAP

USGS Southern Alaska
Apr 06 15:01 PM
2.5 133.9 MAP

USGS Baja California, Mexico
Apr 06 14:33 PM
2.6 22.1 MAP

USGS Offshore Northern California
Apr 06 14:08 PM
2.8 0.2 MAP

EMSC Off Coast Of Araucania, Chile
Apr 06 13:25 PM
4.8 57.0 MAP

USGS Off The Coast Of Araucania, Chile
Apr 06 13:25 PM
4.8 38.2 MAP

GEOFON Off Coast Of Central Chile
Apr 06 13:25 PM
4.9 10.0 MAP

EMSC Western Turkey
Apr 06 13:04 PM
2.5 8.0 MAP

GEONET Canterbury
Apr 06 11:33 AM
4.2 10.0 MAP

EMSC Izu Islands, Japan Region
Apr 06 11:24 AM
4.2 408.0 MAP

USGS Izu Islands, Japan Region
Apr 06 11:24 AM
4.2 406.2 MAP

EMSC Eastern Turkey
Apr 06 11:01 AM
3.1 5.0 MAP

EMSC Southern Greece
Apr 06 11:00 AM
2.8 5.0 MAP

EMSC Aegean Sea
Apr 06 10:00 AM
3.2 8.0 MAP

EMSC Southwestern Siberia, Russia
Apr 06 09:55 AM
3.4 10.0 MAP

EMSC Central Turkey
Apr 06 09:24 AM
2.4 22.0 MAP

USGS Tonga
Apr 06 08:50 AM
4.9 35.0 MAP

EMSC Tonga
Apr 06 08:50 AM
4.9 41.0 MAP

GEOFON Tonga Islands
Apr 06 08:50 AM
5.0 32.0 MAP

EMSC Eastern Turkey
Apr 06 07:38 AM
2.6 8.0 MAP

USGS Poland
Apr 06 06:42 AM
4.4 4.9 MAP

EMSC Poland
Apr 06 06:42 AM
4.3 2.0 MAP

GEOFON Poland
Apr 06 06:42 AM
4.3 10.0 MAP

EMSC Northern Sumatra, Indonesia
Apr 06 06:28 AM
4.8 60.0 MAP

GEOFON Northern Sumatra, Indonesia
Apr 06 06:28 AM
4.8 48.0 MAP

USGS Northern Sumatra, Indonesia
Apr 06 06:28 AM
4.9 35.5 MAP

EMSC Near The Coast Of Western Turkey
Apr 06 06:10 AM
3.3 14.0 MAP

GEOFON Banda Sea
Apr 06 06:03 AM
4.7 207.0 MAP

EMSC Banda Sea
Apr 06 06:03 AM
4.6 219.0 MAP

USGS Banda Sea
Apr 06 06:03 AM
4.7 212.9 MAP

USGS Mona Passage, Dominican Republic
Apr 06 05:47 AM
3.2 78.4 MAP

EMSC Hokkaido, Japan Region
Apr 06 04:48 AM
4.1 317.0 MAP

USGS Hokkaido, Japan Region
Apr 06 04:48 AM
4.1 301.4 MAP

EMSC Georgia (sak’art’velo)
Apr 06 03:43 AM
3.2 2.0 MAP

USGS Central California
Apr 06 03:25 AM
2.6 5.0 MAP

USGS Central California
Apr 06 03:16 AM
3.7 6.2 MAP

EMSC Oaxaca, Mexico
Apr 06 01:31 AM
4.4 20.0 MAP

USGS Oaxaca, Mexico
Apr 06 01:31 AM
4.4 20.1 MAP

EMSC Western Iran
Apr 06 01:14 AM
3.6 5.0 MAP

EMSC Eastern Turkey
Apr 06 00:37 AM
2.4 5.0 MAP

USGS Southern Alaska
Apr 06 00:26 AM
3.2 127.3 MAP

EMSC Romania
Apr 06 00:24 AM
3.2 127.0 MAP

6.2-magnitude quake hits Papua New Guinea: USGS

SYDNEY: A 6.2-magnitude quake struck off Papua New Guinea early Saturday, the US Geological Survey said, but there were no immediate reports of damage and no tsunami warning was issued.

The quake hit at 02:15 am (16:15 GMT) 150 kilometres (93 miles) east of Rabaul, in Papua New Guinea’s East New Britain province and 885 kilometres northeast of the capital Port Moresby at a depth of 85 kilometres.

Read Full Article Here

***********************************************************************************************

Volcanic Activity

Cleveland Volcano continues to erupt

by The Associated Press

FAIRBANKS, Alaska – Alaska’s Cleveland volcano in the Aleutian Islands is continuing to erupt.

The Alaska Volcano Observatory said Friday that low-level eruptions continue to occur inside the volcano located on a remote, uninhabited island 940 miles southwest of Anchorage.

The volcano’s lava dome in the summit crater was destroyed during a short explosive eruption on Wednesday. The resulting ash cloud reached about 15,000 feet above sea level.

It was the third lava dome that has been destroyed by explosive events since the eruptions began in July 2011.

************************************************************************************************

Climate Change

CNN meteorologist: Today’s tornadoes are ‘climate change we are seeing’

On the Tuesday broadcast of “CNN Newsroom,” CNN meteorologist Alexandra Steele declared that tornadoes plowing through the Dallas-Fort Worth area were brought on by climate change.

Steele, formerly of The Weather Channel, also predicted that more extreme weather is on its way.

“It really is [such a strange spring],” Steele said. “That’s kind of the climate change we are seeing. You know, extremes are kind of ruling the roost and really what we are seeing, more become the norm.”

“CNN Newsroom” host Carol Costello said it made her “afraid” about what is in store for next spring.

“It might be unnaturally cold,” said Costello. Steele agreed that future weather would be less predictable.

“This global warming is really kind of a misnomer,” Steele said. “It’s global climate change. So the colds are colder and warms are warmer and severe is more severe.

************************************************************************************************

Storms

At least 14 dead in Argentina storms

At least 14 people died overnight into Thursday in Argentina following storms that saw strong winds cause damage across the capital region.

“Seven people died — six were crushed and one was electrocuted,” near Buenos Aires, local emergency coordinator Luciano Timerman told reporters.

Police also said three other people died in a neighborhood to the south of Buenos Aires when an illegally built home collapsed.

In the capital, a man died when the walls of his home collapsed, authorities also said in an initial report.

They later reported the death of another man crushed by the wall of a gas station abandoned in Florencio Varela to the south of Buenos Aires. A woman was killed after another wall fell on her.

In central-eastern Santa Fe province, a high tension cable snapped by the high winds killed a man, Timerman said.

Read Full Article Here

************************************************************************************************

Radiation

Fukushima Daiichi Site: Cesium-137 is 85 times greater than at Chernobyl Accident

….In recent times, more information about the spent fuel situation at the Fukushima-Dai-Ichi site has become known. It is my understanding that of the 1,532 spent fuel assemblies in reactor No. 304 assemblies are fresh and unirradiated. This then leaves 1,231 irradiated spent fuel rods in pool No. 4, which contain roughly 37 million curies (~1.4E+18 Becquerel) of long-lived radioactivity. The No. 4 pool is about 100 feet above ground, is structurally damaged and is exposed to the open elements. If an earthquake or other event were to cause this pool to drain this could result in a catastrophic radiological fire involving nearly 10 times the amount of Cs-137 released by the Chernobyl accident.

The infrastructure to safely remove this material was destroyed as it was at the other three reactors. Spent reactor fuel cannot be simply lifted into the air by a crane as if it were routine cargo. In order to prevent severe radiation exposures, fires and possible explosions, it must be transferred at all times in water and heavily shielded structures into dry casks.. As this has never been done before, the removal of the spent fuel from the pools at the damaged Fukushima-Dai-Ichi reactors will require a major and time-consuming re-construction effort and will be charting in unknown waters. Despite the enormous destruction cased at the Da–Ichi site, dry casks holding a smaller amount of spent fuel appear to be unscathed.

Based on U.S. Energy Department data, assuming a total of 11,138 spent fuel assemblies are being stored at the Dai-Ichi site, nearly all, which is in pools. They contain roughly 336 million curies (~1.2 E+19 Bq) of long-lived radioactivity. About 134 million curies is Cesium-137 — roughly 85 times the amount of Cs-137 released at the Chernobyl accident as estimated by the U.S. National Council on Radiation Protection (NCRP). The total spent reactor fuel inventory at the Fukushima-Daichi site contains nearly half of the total amount of Cs-137 estimated by the NCRP to have been released by all atmospheric nuclear weapons testing, Chernobyl, and world-wide reprocessing plants (~270 million curies or ~9.9 E+18 Becquerel).

It is important for the public to understand that reactors that have been operating for decades, such as those at the Fukushima-Dai-Ichi site have generated some of the largest concentrations of radioactivity on the planet…..

Read Full Article Here

************************************************************************************************

Solar Activity

2MIN News Apr6: MAJOR UPDATES! Gas Leak, Alaska Animals, Spaceweather

************************************************************************************************

Solar System

Daytime Fireball Seen Over San Antonio, TX and Surrounding Areas

Uploaded by Sheilaaliens on Apr 5, 2012

http://sheilaaliens.net/?p=504 Old news by now but still interesting considering the one right before it in New Zealand. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2dXJBNSRAyE and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K-5Do82swFI) bonus: Check out this HUGE fireball from April 2010 (bet you’ve seen the video before): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S-TYo1LgHr4

“SAN ANTONIO – We’ve received a bunch of phone calls Monday about a ball of fire in the sky.

John Haley says that’s exactly what it looked like.

“It was like a fireball falling right out of the sky,” Haley told News 4 WOAI. “It was so bright! It was like a little piece of the sun falling with a big torch behind it.”

I spoke to our astronomer expert Bob Kelley with the Scobee Planetarium, and he explained that it was a phenomenon called “April Fireballs.”

Chunks of meteors enter and burn up in our atmosphere. The fireballs are brighter than a shooting star and can happen at any time of the day. For reasons astronomers don’t fully understand, they occur in early April.

San Antonians weren’t the only ones who saw the April Fireball Monday morning. Sightings were reported in New Braunfels, Kerrville, Floresville and other cities nearby.

“I can chalk that up on the old bucket list — I saw a meteorite during the day,” laughed Haley.”
http://www.woai.com/news/local/story/April-Fireball-streaks-across-the-daytim…
http://fireballs-meteorites.blogspot.com/2011/04/april-2011.html
http://lunarmeteoritehunters.blogspot.com

Mars Twister On The Move – Video Animation

Uploaded by VideoFromSpace on Apr 5, 2012

NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter captured imagery of a Red Planet dust devil on March 14, 2012. Different from a tornado, this phenomena sometimes occurs on clear days when the heated surface interacts with pockets of cool air above it.

***********************************************************************************************

Articles of Interest

Mexican plan for Gulf deepwater wells sparks new worries

Tim Johnson

MEXICO CITY — Two years after the worst offshore oil spill in U.S. history, Mexico’s state oil company is about to test its hand at drilling at extraordinary depths in the Gulf of Mexico.

If all goes as planned, Petroleos de Mexico, known as Pemex, will deploy two state-of-the-art drilling platforms in May to an area just south of the maritime boundary with the United States. One rig will sink a well in 9,514 feet of water, while another will drill in 8,316 feet of water, then deeper into the substrata.

Pemex has no experience drilling at such depths. Mexico’s oil regulator is sounding alarm bells, saying the huge state oil concern is unprepared for a serious deepwater accident or spill. Critics say the company has sharply cut corners on insurance, remiss over potential sky-high liability.

Mexico’s plans come two years after the Deepwater Horizon catastrophe, the worst oil spill in U.S. history. On April 20, 2010, a semi-submersible rig that the British oil firm BP had contracted to drill a well known as Macondo exploded off the Louisiana coast, killing 11 workers and spewing 4.9 million barrels of oil in the nearly three months it took engineers to stop the spill.

BP has said the tab for the spill — including government fines, cleanup costs and compensation — could climb to $42 billion for the company and its contractors.

Pemex’s plans to sink even deeper offshore wells underscore Mexico’s pressing need to maintain sagging oil production — exports pay for one-third of government operating expenses — along with oil companies’ desire to leverage technology and drill at ever more challenging depths.

Carlos A. Morales, the chief of the Pemex exploration and production arm, which employs 50,000 people, voiced confidence that his company has to the ability to sink wells in ultra-deep water.

“Pemex is ready to undertake the challenge and to do it safely,” Morales said in an interview in his 41st-floor office at Pemex headquarters in this capital city.

“You have to bear one thing in mind,” he said. “Pemex is the biggest operator in the Gulf — including everyone — both in production and in the number of rigs we operate. We are operating more than 80 rigs offshore.”

Read Full Article Here:

Drug-Resistant Malaria Is Spreading, and It Could Be a Public Health Disaster

Artemisinin-resistant malaria parasites first emerged in Cambodia in 2006. Now researchers say the deadly bugs are quickly spreading.

Malaria remains one of the world’s great unnecessary killers. More than 650,000 people succumb to the disease each year — that’s more than one per minute — mostly in the poor nations of sub-Saharan Africa, but as deadly as malaria is, it doesn’t have to kill. Prevention and better treatment can stop the progression of the disease, and death tends to be a matter of extreme poverty.

Indeed, in recent years great progress has been made in controlling malaria, with deaths down 30% over the past decade. That’s thanks largely to more effective treatment regimens that make use of artemisinin, a plant-derived antimalarial drug originally developed in China. Artemisinin is the closest thing we have to a miracle drug for malaria.

That’s what makes the results of two studies out this week in the Lancet and Science so disturbing. Health officials have known for a while that some malaria parasites in the Southeast Asian nation of Cambodia have begun to develop resistance to artemisinin, but they hoped the resistance wasn’t spreading. Now researchers in the region have shown that artemisinin is becoming dramatically less potent in malaria cases in western Thailand, and they know it’s due to growing drug resistance in the malaria parasites themselves. If resistance to artemisinin were to spread to sub-Saharan Africa, the result could be a “public health disaster,” in the words of lead Lancet author Standwell Nkhoma of the Texas Biomedical Research Institute.

Read Full Article Here

Tags: "April Fireballs.", Aegean Sea, Alaska, Argentina, artemisinin, Banda Sea, California, Cambodia, Canterbury, Cesium-137, Cesium-137 is 85 times greater than at Chernobyl Accident, Chernobyl, Chile, China, Cleveland Volcano, climate change, Could Be a Public Health Disaster, deepwater well drilling in the Gulf, Dominican Republic region, Drug-Resistant Malaria Is Spreading, earthquakes, Fireball Seen Over San Antonio, Fukushima Daiichi, Georgia (sak'art'velo), Greece, Indonesia, Iran, Japan Region, Mars Twister, Mexico, no experience drilling at such depths, Offshore Northern California, Papua New Guinea, Pemex, Petroleos de Mexico, plans to sink even deeper offshore wells, Poland, Puerto Rico Region, Pyrenees, Radiation, Russia, Saharan Africa, Seattle-tacoma Urban Area, semi-submersible rig, solar activity, Solar System, storms, Taupo, Texas Biomedical Research Institute., Tonga, tornadoes are ‘climate change, Turkey, TX, Virgin Islands Region, volcanic activity, Washington

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