Commercial vessels extinguish a fire on board an oil platform approximately 20 miles off the coast of Grand Isle, Louisiana.
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
About 28 gallons of fuel spilled, Coast Guard official says
11 injured, including four critically
The platform is for production and not drilling, authorities say
The fire has been put out, the Houston-based firm in charge of the platform says
Rescue planes and helicopters are searching for at least two crew members who are still missing.
The incident happened roughly 20 miles off the coast of Grand Isle, Louisiana, on a platform used for production, not drilling. About 28 gallons of fuel spilled into the region, according to Coast Guard Response Division Chief Ed Cubanski. A half-mile oil sheen reportedly stretched near the area.
The 11 injured were airlifted off the platform, and nine additional crew members were safely evacuated off the platform, according to the Coast Guard. Four of the injured were taken to West Jefferson Medical Center in Louisiana where they were listed in critical condition, a hospital spokeswoman told CNN. Once they stabilized, they were scheduled to be transferred to the Baton Rouge General Burn Center.
Map: Grand Isle, Louisiana
The fire has been extinguished, according to a spokesman for Black Elk Energy, the Houston-based firm in charge of the platform. Federal authorities are investigating what triggered the explosion.
The incident comes a day after the Justice Department announced that oil company BP would plead guilty to manslaughter charges stemming from the 2010 Deepwater Horizon explosion and oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.
As of 3:40 p.m. ET, more than 25,000 Texans have already signed the petition on The White House website to let Texas peacefully secede from United States of America and “create its own NEW government.”
The petition, created on Nov. 9, argues for secession, stating: secession
Screenshot of the petition on the White House website at 3:40 p.m. ET on Nov. 12, 2012. (Jana Kasperkevic/Houston Chronicle)
According to The White House, the petition must reach 25,000 signatures within 30 days in order to be considered.
“If a petition gets enough support, White House staff will review it, ensure it’s sent to the appropriate policy experts, and issue an official response,” explains the website.
If you would like to know about the process of creating petitions on ‘We the People: your voice in our government‘ section of the White House website, watch the video below:
And according to BuzzFeed’s Zeke Miller, Texas is not the only state whose residents are petitioning for secession, but is leading with the highest number of petitioners. Check out his list here.
Citizens in 21 states ask to secede after Obama re-election 29
QMI Agency
Monday, November 12, 2012 3:34:48 EST PM
(QMI Agency file photo)
Within a week of U.S. President Barack Obama’s re-election, citizens from 21 states have filed petitions asking to secede from the United States, according to the White House website.
Louisiana was first, posting its request on Nov. 7.
It was soon joined by Texas, on Nov. 9.
In asking for the president to “peacefully grant” permission for his state to withdraw from the union, creator Micah H., of Arlington, wrote: “To do so would protect its citizens’ standard of living and re-secure their rights and liberties in accordance with the original ideas and beliefs of our founding fathers which are no longer being reflected by the federal government.”
Petitioners have one month to obtain 25,000 signatures in order for the president to consider the request.
As of Monday morning, Louisiana had 13,197.
Texas had 17,260.
The petition from Florida was created Saturday — the same day the state finally declared Obama the victor in this election after another controversial ballot count. On Monday morning, it had 4,823 signatures.
The other 18 states with requests for secession: Alabama, North and South Carolina, Kentucky, Mississippi, Tennessee, Michigan, Indiana, North Dakota, Montana, Colorado, Oregon, New Jersey, New York, Arkansas, Georgia and Missouri.
All quote a passage from the Declaration of Independence that reads “whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or abolish it, and institute new Government.”
As the saying goes: if you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em. Some Americans upset with the results of Election Day don’t quite agree, and now residents from 20 states have filed petitions with the White House to secede from the country.
Louisiana became the first of the (as of now) 50 united states that managed to collect enough signatures to have their petition for secession added to the White House’s website last week, and so far they’ve had no problem finding company. A petition asking for the government to “Peacefully grant the State of Louisiana to withdraw from the United States of America and create its own NEW government” garnered more than 14,000 signatures since going live on November 7, and so far 19 other states have managed to attract similar success.
According to the terms of participation on WhiteHouse.gov, the website for the executive branch of the United States will make any petition searchable if it can collect 150 signatures within one months’ time, and collecting 25,000 signatures will necessitate an official response. So far Texas seems to be in the running to be the first state to receive a response from the commander-in-chief, with 21,777 signees asking for secession since their petition went live on November 9, barely 48 hours after US President Barack Obama claimed a victory in his bid for re-election.
In all, 20 states have so far broken the 150 signature threshold, mostly sticking closely to the script included in the first petition published by “Michael E” of Slidell, LA, who quotes the Declaration of Independence in his plea to once again separate the public from a power that, according to thousands of residents, doesn’t represent what is best for the people anymore.
“When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation,” Michael writes. “…Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, that whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or abolish it, and institute new Government…”
In the case of Florida, where 6,271 signees have added their names between November 10 and November 12, the creator called on a quip from founding father Benjamin Franklin to explain his motives, quoting him as saying, “They who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety.”
“Scott E” of Columbia Falls, MT also quoted Mr. Franklin in creating a petition that asks for the peaceful secession of Montana, adding that residents there “do see that in today’s world the Federal Government has not led our citizens justly and with honor.” In just two days, that petition has been signed more than 4,000 times.
In the Lone Star State, only 3,000 or so Texans are needed to cross that 25,000 threshold. According to their petition started by Arlington, TX’s “Micah E,” “The US continues to suffer economic difficulties stemming from the federal government’s neglect to reform domestic and foreign spending.”
“Given that the state of Texas maintains a balanced budget and is the 15th largest economy in the world, it is practically feasible for Texas to withdraw from the union, and to do so would protect its citizens’ standard of living and re-secure their rights and liberties in accordance with the original ideas and beliefs of our founding fathers which are no longer being reflected by the federal government,” he writes, adding that the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) and Transportation Security Administration (TSA) have blatantly abused the civil rights of Texans and other Americans, and cessation could be the only solution.
Should the threats of secession materialize past a flash in the pan on the White House’s website, the United States is likely to have a new addition sooner or later anyway. On Nov. 6, voters in Puerto Rico elected to petition US Congress for statehood, putting them on track to perhaps becoming the fifty-first member of the union.
The states that have so far accumulated more than 150 signatures on WhiteHouse.gov include Alabama, Arkansas, Colorado, Florida, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, Montana, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oregon, Tennessee and Texas. Georgia, Missouri and South Carolina have all crossed the 150 mark on two separate petitions posted online.
An online petition that calls for the state to Texas to withdraw from the U.S. and create its own government on Monday reached the required signature threshold to receive an official response from The White House.
The petition on WhiteHouse.gov asks the Obama administration to “peacefully grant the State of Texas to withdraw from the United States of America and create its own new government.” The petition had surpassed 34,000 signatures as of Monday evening. It was created by a person self-identified only as “Micah H.” from Arlington, Texas.
The petition cites the nation’s economic woes as an issue and says that the condition of Texas’ budget and economy make it “practically feasible for Texas to withdraw from the union.”
Online petitions on WhiteHouse.gov that get sufficient support are reviewed by White House staff and “sent to the appropriate policy experts.” To be searchable on WhiteHouse.gov in the first place, petitions currently need to get 150 signatures within 30 days. To get an official response, petitions need 25,000 signatures within 30 days.
Similar petitions from other states have also been filed including: Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina and Tennessee. However, unlike the petition from Texas, none of these states had reached the 25,000-signature threshold to get an official White House response as of Monday evening.
“…It is the manifest determination of the American people that no State, of its own will, has a right or power to go out of or separate itself from, or be separated from the American Union; and that, therefore, each State ought to remain and constitute an integral part of the United States…”
The flurry of petitions are likely just the consequence of voters unhappy with last week’s presidential election results. University of Texas at Austin Assistant Professor Jason Casellas told NBC News that’s likely the case in Texas, where 57 percent of the state population’s vote went for Republican Mitt Romney.
Catherine Frazier, press secretary for Texas Gov. Rick Perry, told NBC News Monday that the governor “believes in the greatness of our Union and nothing should be done to change it.”
“But he also shares the frustrations many Americans have with our federal government,” Frazier said in a statement. “Now more than ever our country needs strong leadership from states like Texas, that are making tough decisions to live within their means, keep taxes low and provide opportunities to job creators so their citizens can provide for their families and prosper.”
States filing petition to secede from the United States
Credits:
watersworld.us
As of Saturday November 10, 2012, 15 States have petitioned the Obama Administration for withdrawal from the United States of America in order to create its own government.
States following this action include: Louisiana, Texas, Montana, North Dakota, Indiana, Mississippi, Kentucky, North Carolina, Alabama, Florida, Georgia, New Jersey, Colorado, Oregon and New York. These States have requested that the Obama Administration grant a peaceful withdrawal from the United States.
Louisiana was the first State to file a petition a day after the election by a Michael E. from Slidell, Louisiana. Texas was the next State to follow by a Micah H. from Arlington, Texas.
The government allows one month from the day the petition is submitted to obtain 25,000 signatures in order for the Obama administration to consider the request.
The Texas petition reads as follows:
The US continues to suffer economic difficulties stemming from the federal government’s neglect to reform domestic and foreign spending. The citizens of the US suffer from blatant abuses of their rights such as the NDAA, the TSA, etc. Given that the state of Texas maintains a balanced budget and is the 15th largest economy in the world, it is practically feasible for Texas to withdraw from the union, and to do so would protect it’s citizens’ standard of living and re-secure their rights and liberties in accordance with the original ideas and beliefs of our founding fathers which are no longer being reflected by the federal government.
As of 12:46 am, Sunday, signatures obtained by Louisiana, 7,358; Texas, 3,771; Florida, 636; Georgia, 475; Alabama, 834; North Carolina, 792; Kentucky, 467; Mississippi, 475; Indiana, 449; North Dakota, 162; Montana, 440; Colorado, 324; Oregon, 328; New Jersey, 301 and New York, 169. Many more States are expected to follow.
A petition is not searchable at WhiteHouse.gov until 150 signatures have been obtained. It is the originator’s responsibility to obtain these signatures.
The Texas petition can be reviewed and/or signed by clicking here.
It’s either the political theater equivalent of a hissy fit or the start of more than a dozen new countries: Citizens in 15 states have filed petitions to secede from the United States after Tuesday’s election. These include Louisiana (which led the charge), the Republic of Texas, Kentucky, Colorado, New Jersey, Montana, North Dakota, Indiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Alabama, Florida, Georgia and Oregon. And somewhat hilariously, someone in North Dakota filed a petition requesting New York secede, which seems pretty rude, given they are sort of handling a major natural disaster right now. Although this is largely seen as symbolic, the filers in each state still have a month to gather 25,000 signatures to have their peaceful withdrawal from the U.S.A. considered by the president. Good luck with that. [Source]
Click to see more on msnNOW.com, updated 24 hours a day.
I love dogs and they have always been a part of my life. I had always had small to medium sized dogs until I got it into my head to take on a big dog. I did my research of the larger breeds; mastiffs, irish wolfhounds, and great danes. Of all of the breeds I looked at, the great dane described as the gentle giant, caught my attention. I have small grandchildren and this dog would have to be gentle and like kids. Also, we had a small dog and a cat in our home already. I contacted Great Dane Rescue of North Texas and saw pictures of dogs that needed a furever home. The organization matched us up with 2 dogs that met my criteria and my husband and I went to a local meet and greet to actually meet the 2 danes. We both chose Solomon, a big black great dane. The adoption was arranged and a few weeks later we took him home. We don’t know a lot about his life before we got him but that is ok. He has fit into our family just as I had hoped. He loves people and is good with our other pets. We were told that he was a senior but I don’t think he knows that. He has a lot of energy and he is the guardian of the doorbell. He spends most of his time on his giant bed in our den. He also is the world’s largest lap dog.
The best part of my day is coming home to a very large black great dane running towards me. Not everybody can say that.
I sometimes wonder about where Solomon came from and why he came to rescue. Ultimately, it doesn’t matter because we love him.
On our early morning walk one weekend, Rambo and I happened across a strange sight – a tiny kitten trotting along behind a Labrador and his walker – in a high traffic street. I immediately reigned in my 70 pound lab who had never before encountered a live cat. The kitten was undaunted and simply arched her back and proceeded on tip toes to increase her size. Rambo was smitten by this < 1 lb creature with 100 lbs of guts. Knowing that the area, apart from the traffic, has a number of stray dogs, I could do naught but oblige Rambo and bring Kitty home. She immediately settled in with Rambo (himself rescued at a near-death state) and Zuma (a recently adopted stray puppy who was suffering from Rickets and Distemper) on my terrace. Kitty initially missed her mommy and Zuma had to grow up quickly to play mom. Now Rambo shares suckling duties. I love going upstairs and watching the three at their antics. It is heartwarming to see that Rambo allows the much smaller Zuma to play rough with him and, similarly, Kitty is quite wicked when playing with Zuma. The stronger often takes a beating at play but does not hurt the weaker!
And Kitty is of the view that dogs aren’t exactly hot on personal hygiene and works hard and grooming them, whether they like it or not. Here is Kitty, contemplating the cleanliness of Rambo’s belly.
He was picked up as a stray the day after Christmas last year. A senior, no matter how wonderful, will not be the first to be picked at the shelter so, at 10 years of age, the cat they named “Harvest Moon” would stay there for 10 months…until we met. I was looking for a senior male to join my harmonious brood of three dogs and an older female cat. He draped himself around my legs and fell relaxed when I picked him up. He purred when kissed his nose. The deal was sealed…with that kiss. Twenty dollars later, we were in the car heading home…forever home for Harvest Moon! We stopped first at my mom’s, where I was due for dinner. He plopped down under the table, cleaning himself. He was happy & so relaxed. Wow! Within 90 minutes, mom, who was not excited about my bringing a “guest” to dinner, fell in love with him and began thinking of a new name for him. She even called her neighbor to come meet this handsome gentleman with the cool personality. Older cats and dogs reflect their true personalities more, so it’s easier to find the “right” match. Encourage others to adopt seniors! Kitten and puppies always go more quickly, but the older folks have a harder time or – worse – face the sad prospect of being euthanized. Harvest Moon was spared because he proved so lovable and, ultimately, adoptable, so the kind folks at the shelter kept him longer than usual in the hope that he’d be discovered by the right person and go home forever. I’m glad they did! Rescue the older folks! Gift yourself with a fine, new friend who already knows the ropes.
The first day moving into our home, an orange cat was watching us. The next day I arrived, there were two orange cats watching me. The third day, there were THREE cats. I thought to myself, if I come tomorrow and there are four cats, that would be crazy! No fourth cat on the fourth day, but the watchful kitties would go inside if I left the door open while moving boxes so I called my realtor to have him ask the previous owner if she abandoned her cats. I was told they were the “neighborhood cats” and the guy next door feeds them. Since we never saw the guy next door and the possible food dish was completely empty, we started feeding them and named the boys Morris and Bruce and the girl Allie. We already had seven of our own cats so my husband was emphatic that these kitties stay outside. I complied (even through the Arizona summer!) until the boys were inadvertently locked in the attic of the abandoned house next door. I busted them out and they all became inside only after that. Now they never have to worry about the heat, rain or anything and have every comfort they could want.
Our story starts in September 2011. We unexpectedly had to put a beloved pet to sleep. After our hearts started to heal, we decided to look into adopting another rescue dog. We scoured petfinder.com for weeks and weeks. One late Friday night, this adorable puppy’s eyes just called to us, we had to meet her, we had to have her. She was listed through Last Day Dog Rescue from Livonia, Michigan. Her name was Sonoma and she was listed as approximately 7 weeks old. We filled out the online application and were in contact with Sonoma’s foster mom. After we passed our vet check and home visit, we got to meet her and bring her home! We had a dog tag made with her new name Daphne ready to go! When we picked her up, we learned about her story. She and her brothers were dumped off at a lake to fend for themselves at approximately 2-3 weeks of age. She had a lot to overcome when we first got her. She had coccidia, giarida and demodex mites. She lost a lot of fur around her eyes and on her nose. She never complained when it came time to take her medicines several times a day. We learned quickly that she was younger than we thought but is she smart! She mastered sit, stay and down in a matter of weeks. She has grown into a 1 year old dog who is happy all the time, people say seems to smile, listens well, loves people and other dogs and is just as sweet as they come. Even after a rough start, she has such a strong spirit! We can not imagine our lives without her! Thank you LDDR!!
Sweet Penny was taken in as a stray by Acadiana Humane Society in Sunset Louisiana, 70584. She had a terrible cough and was slightly under weight. Her teeth were in pretty bad shape. We were thinking it was kennel cough or worse, heart worms. We took her to the vet to have her checked and assess her over all health. She was heart worm negative and did not have kennel cough but was diagnosed with a heart condition. Penny was spayed and had a dental. We were hoping by having her teeth cleaned and the bad ones removed it would help her little heart but we soon found out that without the proper medication Penny would surely die. She would need to be on medication for the rest of her life. We really didn’t think we would find Penny a loving home because not many people want a not so perfect dog. But Scott and Julaine came into Petco, saw Penny and fell in love instantly. They could see beyond the heart condition and knew she deserved a second chance. It has been almost a year since they adopted her. They have taken Penny into their home and hearts and have given her the best home we could have ever hoped for. Penny is now on 3 medications a day to help her heart function properly and is happy and healthy in her new home. She has another Chihuahua to play with. She loves to chase lizards on the patio, sun herself in the yard and best of all be a Daddy’s girl. Penny is the perfect example of what a loving home can do for a not so perfect pup. It turned out that Penny was the PERFECT pup for Scott and Julaine
Earthquakes can – of course – damage nuclear power plants. For example, even the operator of Fukushima and the Japanese government now admit that the nuclear cores might have started melting down before the tsuanmi ever hit. More here.
Indeed, American reactors may be even more vulnerable to earthquakes than Fukushima.
But American nuclear “regulators” have allowed numerous nuclear power plants to be built in earthquake zones (represented by black triangles in the following diagram):
Some plants are located in very high earthquake risk zones:
(Note: Ignore the long lines in the diagram … they represent the Missouri and Mississippi rivers, which present a huge danger of flooding nuclear reactors , but not an earthquake risk).
The NRC won’t even begin conducting its earthquake study for Indian Point nuclear power plant in New York until after relicensing is complete in 2013, because the NRC doesn’t consider a big earthquake “a serious risk”
Congressman Markey has said there is a cover up. Specifically, Markey alleges that the head of the NRC told everyone not to write down risks they find from an earthquake greater than 6.0 (the plant was only built to survive a 6.0 earthquake)
We have 4 reactors in California – 2 at San Onofre 2 at San Luis Obisbo – which are vulnerable to earthquakes and tsunamis
For example, Diablo Canyon is located on numerous earthquake faults, and a state legislator and seismic expert says it could turn into California’s Fukushima:
On July 26th 2011 the California Energy Commission held hearings concerning the state’s nuclear safety. During those hearings, the Chairman of the Commission asked governments experts whether or not they felt the facilities could withstand the maximum credible quake. The response was that they did not know.
Chesapeake Energy has a permit to frack just one mile from the Beaver Valley Nuclear Power Station in Shippingport. Whether that is cause for alarm, experts can’t say.
***
“Hydraulic fracturing near a nuclear plant is probably not a concern under normal circumstances,” [Richard Hammack, a scientist at the Department of Energy’s National Energy Technology Laboratory] said. “If there is a pre-stress fault that you happen to lubricate there (with fracking solution), that is the only thing that might result in something that is (seismically) measurable.”
That’s not very reassuring, given that “lubrication” of faults is the main mechanism by which fracking causes earthquakes. (Indeed, the point is illustrated by the analogous fact that leading Japanese seismologists say that the Fukushima earthquake “lubricated” nearby faults, making a giant earthquake more likely than ever.)
And as Akron Beacon Journal notes, fracking is allowed with 500 feet of nuclear plants:
“We’re not aware of any potential impacts and don’t expect any,” said FirstEnergy spokeswoman Jennifer Young today. “We see no reason to be particularly concerned.”
***
[But] experts can’t say if the proposed well so close to two nuclear power plants is cause for concern.
***
DEP spokesperson John Poister told the Shale Reporter that there are no required setbacks specifically relating to a required distance between such shale wells and nuclear facilities, just a blanket regulation requiring a 500-foot setback from any building to a natural gas well.
REYKJAVIK (Reuters) – Icelandic authorities warned people in the north of the island on Thursday to prepare for a possible big earthquake after the biggest tremors in the area for 20 years.
The north Atlantic island, where almost 320,000 people live, is a hotspot of volcanic and seismic activity as it straddles a fault in the earth’s surface.
The Civil Protection Department said in a statement that recent small quakes in an area under the sea about 20 km (12 miles) off the north of Iceland had prompted it to issue a warning to local people.
It said such shocks, one of which was a magnitude 5.6, often led to stronger quakes. Warnings were issued when there were grounds to expect a natural or manmade event that could threaten health and human safety, it added.
“People are anxious because they don’t know what might happen,” said Amundi Gunnarsson, chief of the fire brigade in Fjallabyggd, one of the small towns in the area, and a member of the Civil Protection Department.
“At the same time, life goes on as usual. People are going to work and children are going to school, but everyone is on alert,” he told Reuters by telephone.
The coastal area in the north is home to several small towns and a population of several thousand people.
The biggest town in the north of Iceland, Akureyri, has a population of about 17,000 people, and lies roughly 100 km south of the seismic activity.
Geologist Benedikt Ofeigsson said houses in Iceland could typically withstand quakes of a magnitude about 7.
“Of course there could be some damage to in walls and concrete in such strong earthquakes, but what is important that houses have stood firm,” he told Reuters.
(Reporting by Robert Robertsson, writing by Patrick Lannin; Editing by Alistair Scrutton and Keith Weir)
A magnitude 5 earthquake struck north of Cosenza in southern Italy early on Friday, and police said a hospital had been evacuated after cracks were found in its structure, but there were no reports of injuries. The quake hit at 1:05 a.m. (7.05 p.m. EDT on Thursday) about 6.3 km (3.9 miles) underground, north of Cosenza in the Pollino mountains area on the border of the southern regions of Calabria and Basilicata, according to data from the Italian Geophysics Institute (INGV). It said on its website that at least 14 other tremors followed the initial earthquake. An Italian police official told Reuters a hospital in the small town of Mormanno had been evacuated as a precautionary measure because some cracks were found in its structure. No injuries were reported, the official said. Italian news agencies reported scenes of panic in the hospital and said many inhabitants of Mormanno and surrounding towns had come out in the streets. Police and fire fighters are surveying the area for further damage, officials said.
Today
Earthquake
Iceland
North Atlantic Ocean, [North of the island (under the sea)]
Icelandic authorities warned people in the north of the island yesterday to prepare for a possible earthquake after the biggest tremors in the area for 20 years. The north Atlantic island, where almost 320,000 people live, is a hotspot of volcanic and seismic activity. The Civil Protection Department said in a statement that recent small quakes in an area under the sea about 20km off the north of Iceland had prompted it to issue a warning. It said such shocks, one of which was a magnitude 5.6, often led to stronger quakes
New model says they are connected underground and relieve pressure in each other
By Becky Oskin
OurAmazingPlanet
The past decade of eruptions of Hawaii’s Kilauea volcano may have acted as a pressure-relief valve for neighboring Mauna Loa, according to a new model suggesting two of the planet’s biggest volcanoes connect deep underground.
Scientists know each of the two Hawaiian volcanoes has its own plumbing —separate, shallow magma chambers. Such chambers are the source of Kilauea’s rising lava lake, which is threatening to spill over. But 50 miles (80 kilometers) down, in a part of the Earth’s mantle layer called the asthenosphere, Mauna Loa and Kilauea are dynamically coupled, said Helge Gonnermann, a professor at Rice University in Houston, who is the lead author of a new study showing the link.
“It’s like groundwater in an aquifer or oil in an oil reservoir,” Gonnermann told OurAmazingPlanet. “We know that there is melt that extends beneath both volcanoes. Changes in pressure can be transmitted to both volcanoes.”
The Hawaiian Islands are hotspot volcanoes, formed as the Pacific plate moves over a plume of hot magma in the mantle. Pressure changes in the pooled magma in the mantle could rapidly affect both volcanoes, the model indicates.
The model helps explains some intriguing observations: When one volcano inflates, the other starts to bulge about six months later. At times, such as in 2005, both volcanoes inflate at the same, GPS data show
The study suggests that Mauna Loa’s and Kilauea’s opposing pattern — when one is active, the other is quiet — occurs because eruptions at one volcano release pressure in the other.
The model suggests Mauna Loa, which produced its most recent blast in 1984, had accumulated enough magma for another eruption, but its pressure was relieved by Kilauea’s heightened activity.
“The hypothesis coming out of this model is that if we hadn’t seen this increased activity at Kilauea, then we would not have seen this pressure relief,” Gonnermann said.
The summit of Kilauea has recently started inflating, giving the researchers a real-world test. “If Kilauea continues to inflate like it is right now, and if our model holds water, we should also see another period of inflation at Mauna Loa in about half a year,” Gonnermann said.
The scientists also hope to test the model in other hotspot volcanoes, such as those of the Galapagos.
The findings are detailed in the November issue of the journal Nature Geosciences.
The Kuril Island volcano named Alaid, in Russia’s Far East has begun spewing ash with the giant ash cloud rising to an altitude of up to 700 meters.
The Alaid Volcano is the tallest and northernmost volcano in the islands, with a crater which is approximately 1.5-km-wide.
The first signs of activity were recorded on October 7th when thermal anomalies were observed a cloud of steam appeared.
Volcanologists are issuing warnings regarding the likelihood of an eruption of ash emissions which may reach a height of 10-15 kilometers above sea level.
Voice of Russia, Russia 24
25.10.2012 03:12 AM
Australian Antarctic Territory in the Southern Ocean, Heard Island and McDonald Islands
One of Australia’s two active volcanoes seems to be erupting. We say seems because the volcano in question, on Heard Island, is located in the southern reaches of the Indian Ocean, 2000km north of Antarctica and closer to Africa than to Australia. That’s about as close to the middle of nowhere as it is possible to be. Heard Island and its neighbour MacDonald Island are Australian territories and are uninhabited, but each possesses an active volcano. Scientific expeditions venture there infrequently, due to conservation issues and the fact the islands have a wretched climate, are thousands of miles from anywhere nice and can only be accessed or supplied by ship. That means little attention is paid to the islands, with the satellite images such as the one below seldom acquired. But NASA’s Earth Observatory says the image and other analysis detected heat signatures on Heard Island’s 2475m Mawson Peak that suggest recent volcanic activity. “Although not definitive, this natural-color satellite image also suggests an ongoing eruption,” NASA writes. “The dark summit crater (much darker than Mawson’s shaded southwestern face) is at least partially snow-free, and there’s a faint hint of an even darker area—perhaps a lava flow—within. Shortwave infrared data (collected along with the visible imagery) shows hot surfaces within the crater, indicating the presence of lava in, or just beneath, the crater.” The Australian Government’s official Heard and McDonald Island website, which has a nifty .aq domain, reports eruptions on McDonald Island. In 1992. Heard Island’s remote location means any eruptions are unlikely to bother anyone, as the region has no history of colossal, world-shaking, events. Penguins and expeditions that plan to visit the islands are, however, in jeopardy. Two of the latter are scheduled for the near future. In 2013 a solo adventurer plans to sail to the islands and then kayak ashore.
A sudden, unexpected burst of high winds caused a controlled burn in the Croatan National Forest to get out of control and burn 21,000 acres this summer, according to a report on the fire. The U.S. Forest Service released its “Learning Analysis” of the fire that prompted road closures in the forest and affected the region for weeks with heavy smoke. The report shows that the controlled burn that began on June 14 to remove undergrowth and improve habitat for the red cockaded woodpecker in 1,567 acres went well at first. Subsequent burns on June 15 and June 16 also had no issues. However, the report cites a sudden burst of high winds during a 20- to 30-minute window around 2:30 p.m. on June 16 that sent embers across South Little Road outside of the controlled burn area as the reason behind the wildfire. The report shows that maximum winds had been up to only 15 mph, but that the wind suddenly picked up to 23 mph. “The winds that kicked up for that half an hour were what we suspect as contributing to us having a spot fire,” Barry Garten, acting district ranger for the Croatan National Forest, said on Thursday. “We did everything that we possibly could to make sure that everything was in good shape but when the wind comes up like that, a kind of anomaly of a wind that no one saw, it makes it difficult to keep everything in check.”
According to the report, a forest service helicopter spotted the new fire at about 3 p.m. June 16 and estimated its size at 50 to 75 acres. By 6 p.m., it had grown to 235 acres. Forestry officials opted not to fight the fire through the night of June 16, citing safety concerns, according to the report. By the morning of June 17, the fire had spread to 2,800 acres. The report lists that the controlled burn created a “smoke screen” that made detecting the wildfire difficult. The report also mentioned the importance of maintaining communication with the National Weather Service about weather conditions during controlled burns. The report, put together by eight forestry officials that were not directly connected to the fire, mentioned that the preparation, plan and practices established for controlled burns were followed and that officials took appropriate action once the wildfire started.
Colorado authorities said they were hoping to determine Wednesday how many buildings had been burned by a fast-moving wildfire that sprang up Tuesday afternoon. The blaze in south-central Custer County was quickly spread by 50 mph winds. The high winds prevented crews from fighting the fire from the air. Officials said the wildfire was ignited by a house fire in a subdivision south of Wetmore and that it had burned into “broken terrain” of relatively uninhabited areas of Custer and Pueblo counties. More than 300 homes have been evacuated, said Steve Segin of the Rocky Mountain Area Coordination Center. A separate wildfire in Estes Park has consumed 979 acres and was only partially contained, the National Park Service reported.
Sandy is expected to bring high winds, heavy rain and extreme tides to the eastern US seaboard
Hurricane Sandy has swept north over the Bahamas towards the US, having reportedly killed some 20 people as it tore through Cuba, Haiti and Jamaica.
Schools, offices, airports and bridges had closed across the Bahamas as residents stocked up on supplies.
Forecasters warn the storm could pose a major threat to the US East Coast.
Early on Friday, Sandy had dropped to a category one hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 90 mph (150 kph), said the US National Hurricane Center.
It was moving north at about 13 mph centred between Cat Island and Eleuthera in the central Bahamas about 185 miles south-east of Freeport on Grand Bahama Island.
Florida was already being lashed by heavy rain and high winds, with the coastal state being put under a tropical storm warning.
“We’re looking for tropical-storm force winds along the coast and then some very dangerous surf conditions over the next couple of days,” said James Franklin, the NHC’s chief hurricane forecaster.
“So we can’t really emphasise enough to keep people out of the water, the winds are going to be very strong.”
Some US broadcasters were already referring to Sandy as The Halloween Hurricane – or even Frankenstorm, due to the possibility of it blending with a winter storm over the United States – as it was expected to bring coastal flooding and power outages around All Hallow’s Eve – on 31 October.
The storm was expected to head north-west at a slower pace on Friday, getting gradually larger all the while.
Although it is forecast to weaken, the NHC said it would likely remain a hurricane during the next 48 hours.
Guantanamo battered
Earlier on Thursday Sandy had caused a storm surge leading to severe flooding along Cuba’s south-eastern coastline.
Civil emergency authorities revealed 11 people died as the storm lashed the communist island – nine of those in Santiago de Cuba, the island’s second-largest city.
TV footage of the popular tourist destination showed fallen trees, toppled houses and debris-choked streets.
More than 50,000 people had been moved from their homes in the city as a precaution.
Strong winds and rain also battered the US naval base and detention facility at Cuba’s Guantanamo Bay, confining some workers to their quarters, delaying a hearing and prompting a number of prisoners to be moved to safer accommodation.
Elsewhere, nine deaths were reported in Haiti – where much of the infrastructure remains in a very poor condition following a massive earthquake in 2010.
In Jamaica earlier, more than 1,000 people sought refuge in shelters as Sandy caused widespread power outages, flooded streets and damaged buildings.
One elderly Jamaican was killed when a boulder fell on his house.
A 48-hour curfew was imposed in the island’s major towns to deter the looting that had accompanied previous storms.
Forecasters warned the category one hurricane would grow in size
A man has been crushed to death by boulders as Hurricane Sandy sweeps across Jamaica, moving north to Cuba.
The category one hurricane struck the island on Wednesday, unleashing heavy rains and winds of 125km/h (80mph).
Schools and airports are closed, and a curfew has been imposed in major towns. A police officer was shot and injured by looters in the capital, Kingston.
A hurricane warning has also been issued in Cuba, where Sandy is expected to make its next landfall.
Moving at 22km/h, the hurricane struck Kingston on Wednesday evening and headed north, emerging off the island’s northern coast near the town of Port Antonio.
Sandy has prompted a hurricane watch in the Bahamas, while Florida has been placed on tropical storm watch.
“It’s a big storm and it’s going to grow in size after it leaves Cuba,” said forecaster Michael Brennan from the National Hurricane Center (NHC) in Miami.
Officer shot
The NHC predicts that Sandy could dump up to 50cm (inches) of rain across parts of Jamaica, Haiti, the Dominican Republic and eastern Cuba.
“These rains may produce life-threatening flash floods and mudslides, especially in areas of mountainous terrain,” the centre warned in a statement.
More than 1,000 Jamaicans have sought refuge in shelters, with residents reporting widespread power outages, flooded streets and damages to buildings.
An elderly man was crushed to death by stones that fell from a hillside as he tried to get into his house in a rural village, authorities said.
Much of the island’s infrastructure is in a poor state of repair, and a lack of effective planning regulation has resulted in homes being built close to embankments and gullies.
“A part of the roof of my veranda just went like that [and] at least five of my neighbours have lost their entire roofs,” a resident of the coastal city of Iter Boreale told Reuters news agency.
Kingston prepares for the arrival of the hurricane
The country’s sole energy provider, the Jamaica Public Service Company, said 70% of its customers were without electricity.
Authorities have imposed a 48-hour curfew in all major towns. But looters in Kingston ignored the order and wounded a senior officer in a shooting, police said.
In some southern Jamaican towns, crocodiles were caught in rushing floodwaters, which carried them out of mangrove thickets, the Associated Press reports.
One big croc was washed into a family’s front yard in the city of Portmore, according to the news agency.
While Jamaica was ravaged by winds from Hurricane Ivan in 2004, the eye of a hurricane hasn’t crossed the island since Hurricane Gilbert in 1988.
Almost 50 people were killed by that storm, and the then Prime Minister, Edward Seaga, described the hardest hit areas near where Gilbert made landfall as looking “like Hiroshima after the atom bomb”.
Hurricane Sandy, which closed businesses and airports on Jamaica as it moved north in the Caribbean, may strike the U.S. East Coast next week with the potential to cause millions of dollars in damage.
Sandy’s top winds reached 85 miles (137 kilometers) an hour as it moved off the north coast of Jamaica and headed toward Cuba, according to a U.S. National Hurricane Center advisory at 8 p.m. New York time.
“The table is set for some pretty major weather,” said Henry Margusity, an expert senior meteorologist at AccuWeather Inc. in State College, Pennsylvania. “Is it going to be an epic storm or is going to be just your typical nor’easter? We will have the answers next week.”
Sandy is expected to cross Cuba overnight and the Bahamas tomorrow, according to the hurricane center. The storm may then move parallel to the U.S. East Coast and either be pushed into the Atlantic Ocean or pulled into the coastline.
A computer model based in Europe took the storm up Delaware Bay, while another by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration had Sandy curve into Portland, Maine, Margusity said. Both events would take place early next week.
The Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency said residents should monitor the storm’s progress.
Weather Patterns
One of the major weather patterns determining where Sandy will end up is the North Atlantic Oscillation, which is currently blocking weather systems moving off the U.S. The system may turn Sandy into the U.S. coast, Margusity said.
A storm on that potential track may do millions in damage from downed trees, power outages and flooding, he said.
Before then, Sandy is forecast to cross eastern Cuba and the Bahamas, where hurricane warnings have been issued, according to the hurricane center.
As much as 20 inches (51 centimeters) of rain may fall on parts of Cuba, Haiti, the Dominican Republic and Jamaica, the center said. Three inches are possible in Florida.
To contact the reporter on this story: Brian K. Sullivan in Boston at bsullivan10@bloomberg.net
To contact the editor responsible for this story: Dan Stets at dstets@bloomberg.net
ORLANDO BARRIA / EPAA boy plays next to firefighters in a flooded street amidst garbage that was dragged by the heavy rains in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic after Hurricane Sandy hit the country on Oct. 25, 2012. About 8,755 people have been forced to leave their homes due to heavy rains caused by Hurricane Sandy.
(WASHINGTON) — Much of the U.S. East Coast has a good chance of getting blasted by gale-force winds, flooding, heavy rain and maybe even snow early next week by an unusual hybrid of hurricane and winter storm, federal and private forecasters say.
Though still projecting several days ahead of Halloween week, the computer models are spooking meteorologists. Government scientists said Wednesday the storm has a 70 percent chance of smacking the Northeast and mid-Atlantic.
Hurricane Sandy in the Caribbean, an early winter storm in the West, and a blast of arctic air from the North are predicted to collide, sloshing and parking over the country’s most populous coastal corridor starting Sunday. The worst of it should peak early Tuesday, but it will stretch into midweek, forecasters say.
“It’ll be a rough couple days from Hatteras up to Cape Cod,” said forecaster Jim Cisco of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration prediction center in College Park, Md. “We don’t have many modern precedents for what the models are suggesting.”
It is likely to hit during a full moon when tides are near their highest, increasing coastal flooding potential, NOAA forecasts warn. And with some trees still leafy and the potential for snow, power outages could last to Election Day, some meteorologists fear. They say it has all the earmarks of a billion-dollar storm.
Some have compared it to the so-called Perfect Storm that struck off the coast of New England in 1991, but Cisco said that one didn’t hit as populated an area and is not comparable to what the East Coast may be facing. Nor is it like last year’s Halloween storm, which was merely an early snowstorm in the Northeast.
At least 1,250 families evacuated to safer ground as flash flood, triggered by incessant rains, hit the town of Buug, Zamboanga Sibugay, a military officer said here. Two families were also forced to flee their homes due to landslides near the mining village of Lamare, Bayog town in the adjacent province of Zamboanga del Sur Thursday. No one was hurt or injured during the incident as the two families managed to flee before huge chunks of crumbling earth destroyed their houses made of light materials. Capt. Alberto Caber, Spokesman of the Army’s 1st Division, said ground troops and civilian disaster response teams reported that the flood water swelled in the Barangay Poblacion – the town center of Buug and in the nearby village of Bula-an, prompting residents residents to flee to higher ground. “The flood water reached as [high] as five feet, prompting the rescue and evacuation Thursday of the affected residents in the area,” Caber said. He said local disaster officials on the ground reported that the flood was triggered by continuous rains since Wednesday night.
Local weather bureau of Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said the incessant rain was triggered by the monsoon and enhanced by the tail ends of tropical storm Ofel. Close to 6,250 persons were evacuated by the rescuing police and military troops to the nearby Villa Castor Elementary School. Caber said no casualty was reported while local authorities have yet to assess the damage brought by the flood. Maj. Gen. Ricardo Rainier Cruz III, 1st Army Division chief, directed the military units located in the coastal areas to closely monitor the water level. “As the need arises, [we will] undertake rescue and retrieval operations jointly with the PNP, local officials and civilian volunteers,” Cruz said.
Today
Flash Flood
Turkey
Province of Gaziantep, [Gaziantep-Sanl urfa Highway]
Three people were killed early on Thursday in the province of Gaziantep in southeastern Turkey when a passenger bus was drifted in flood. The passenger bus was among several vehicles which were drifted by flood along the Gaziantep-Sanl urfa Highway after flash floods hit the city, said the report, adding that several people were also missing. Search and rescue teams were dispatched for searching for the missing people since the early hours of the day, said the report. The floods came during the holidays of Eid al-Adha (Feast of Sacrifice), a four-day Islamic holiday. Thousands of people were jamming the roads during the Eid to visit relatives, with authorities calling on drivers to be careful while driving.
Petty traders preparing for Hari Raya Haji shoppers had their business interrupted by flash floods. Lemang stall operators along Jalan Damansara had to wait for the floods to subside after heavy rain at 5pm yesterday before reopening for business. The flash floods also caused a 3km-long jam on the Sprint Highway from Section 16. Muslims are celebrating Hari Raya Haji today amid a forecast of heavy rain by the Meteorology Department.
As such, it is disturbing news that the ground beneath unit 4 is sinking.
Specifically, Unit 4 sunk 36 inches right after the earthquake, and has sunk another 30 inchessince then.
Moreover, Unit 4 is sinking unevenly, and the building may begin tilting.
An international coalition of nuclear scientists and non-profit groups are calling on the U.N. to coordinate a multi-national effort to stabilize the fuel pools. And see this.
Given the precarious situation at Unit 4, it is urgent that the world community pool its scientific resources to come up with a fix.
LOS ANGELES—The operators of the shuttered San Onofre nuclear power plant say a hydrogen leak is the latest problem to plague the troubled plant, but it was small and presented no risk to workers or the public.Plant operator Southern California Edison said in a statement Monday that the leak was discovered in a non-nuclear part of the facility Sunday and has been reported to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
The Orange County Register (http://bit.ly/RSeFa9) reports that hydrogen is used to cool electrical generators at the plant, and a pipe fitting will be replaced because of the leak.
The plant located between Los Angeles and San Diego hasn’t produced power since Jan. 31 because of excessive wear in its reactors, and it’s not clear when, or if, it will return to service.
A contained radioactive water leak detected at EDF’s Flamanville nuclear plant did not cause any damage to the environment or harm any employees, France’s nuclear safety watchdog ASN and EDF said on Thursday. The nuclear safety agency said on its website EDF had detected a leak in a water pipe that feeds the plant’s reactor 1 primary circuit late on Wednesday. It was stopped and did not cause any radioactive contamination. The incident was defined as a grade 1 incident on the international nuclear event scale (INES), where the maximum 7 is the most severe. There were 66 Level 1 incidents in 2011 in France according to the ASN.
Health experts have confirmed an outbreak of the deadly Marburg virus in the western district of Kabale after samples from two relatives taken to the Uganda Virus Institute tested positive. Police Thursday stopped the burial of Boaz Turyahikayo a lecturer at Uganda Christian University and his sister Mildrid Asasira after it emerged that their family had lost four people from a mysterious disease in just a month. The other two are Lillian Banegura their mother and an elder brother Bernard Rutaro who passed away early this month. Dr. Patrick Tusiime the Kabale district health officer said a team from the Ministry of Health and World Health Organization is on its way to oversee the burial of the two victims. The Marburg virus was last reported in Uganda in 2008. It carries symptoms similar to those of Ebola that include fever, vomiting and internal bleeding.
Biohazard name:
Marburg virus disease (MVD)
Biohazard level:
4/4 Hazardous
Biohazard desc.:
Viruses and bacteria that cause severe to fatal disease in humans, and for which vaccines or other treatments are not available, such as Bolivian and Argentine hemorrhagic fevers, H5N1(bird flu), Dengue hemorrhagic fever, Marburg virus, Ebola virus, hantaviruses, Lassa fever, Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever, and other hemorrhagic or unidentified diseases. When dealing with biological hazards at this level the use of a Hazmat suit and a self-contained oxygen supply is mandatory. The entrance and exit of a Level Four biolab will contain multiple showers, a vacuum room, an ultraviolet light room, autonomous detection system, and other safety precautions designed to destroy all traces of the biohazard. Multiple airlocks are employed and are electronically secured to prevent both doors opening at the same time. All air and water service going to and coming from a Biosafety Level 4 (P4) lab will undergo similar decontamination procedures to eliminate the possibility of an accidental release.
Measles hasn’t been seen in the Saskatoon Health Region in the past 15 years, but Thursday the region is reporting a case of the disease. Parents of infants should to check their children’s vaccination records, said Julie Kryzanowski, the region’s medical health officer. About one in four children younger than two are not properly covered by the vaccine because their immunizations are not up to date, she said. “We’re at about 76 per cent coverage rate for children under two years with two doses, so public health will be calling parents of children who are behind with their measles vaccine,” Kryzanowski said. “We’ve set up extra drop in clinics in Saskatoon and some of the surrounding communities of our health region starting Saturday and running through next week.” Measles can be quite serious. “If somebody isn’t protected by immunization and they are exposed to a case of measles, over 90 per cent will be infected,” Kryzanowski said. “Whenever we see a single case of measles we are concerned about the risk of an outbreak because measles is so contagious.” While rare, there are cases seen across the country. “Most of the cases of measles that we do see in Canada are sporadic cases and usually attributed to travel internationally or people coming from overseas to Canada and bringing the measles virus with them.” The case here has been linked to a case in Prince Albert reported last month.
Biohazard name:
Measles
Biohazard level:
2/4 Medium
Biohazard desc.:
Bacteria and viruses that cause only mild disease to humans, or are difficult to contract via aerosol in a lab setting, such as hepatitis A, B, and C, influenza A, Lyme disease, salmonella, mumps, measles, scrapie, dengue fever, and HIV. “Routine diagnostic work with clinical specimens can be done safely at Biosafety Level 2, using Biosafety Level 2 practices and procedures. Research work (including co-cultivation, virus replication studies, or manipulations involving concentrated virus) can be done in a BSL-2 (P2) facility, using BSL-3 practices and procedures. Virus production activities, including virus concentrations, require a BSL-3 (P3) facility and use of BSL-3 practices and procedures”, see Recommended Biosafety Levels for Infectious Agents.
In this visualization, the Gulf Stream is seen as the dark red current coming into the Atlantic from the Gulf of Mexico.
By Miguel Llanos, NBC News
A changing Gulf Stream off the East Coast has destabilized frozen methane deposits trapped under nearly 4,000 square miles of seafloor, scientists reported Wednesday. And since methane is even more potent than carbon dioxide as a global warming gas, the researchers said, any large-scale release could have significant climate impacts.
Using seismic records and ocean models, the team estimated that 2.5 gigatonnes of frozen methane hydrate are being destabilized and could separate into methane gas and water.
It is not clear if that is happening yet, but that methane gas would have the potential to rise up through the ocean and into the atmosphere, where it would add to the greenhouse gases warming Earth.
The 2.5 gigatonnes isn’t enough to trigger a sudden climate shift, but the team worries that other areas around the globe might be seeing a similar destabilization.
USGS
Methane hydrate samples
“It is unlikely that the western North Atlantic margin is the only area experiencing changing ocean currents,” they noted. “Our estimate … may therefore represent only a fraction of the methane hydrate currently destabilizing globally.”
The wider destabilization evidence, co-author Ben Phrampus told NBC News, includes data from the Arctic and Alaska’s northern slope in the Beaufort Sea.
And it’s not just under the seafloor that methane has been locked up. Some Arctic land area are seeing permafrost thaw, which could release methane stored there as well.
An expert who was not part of the study said it suggests that methane could become a bigger climate factor than carbon dioxide.
“We may approach a turning point” from a warming driven by man-made carbon dioxide to a warming driven by methane, Jurgen Mienert, the geology department chair at Norway’s University of Tromso, told NBC News.
“The interactions between the warming Arctic Ocean and the potentially huge methane-ice reservoirs beneath the Arctic Ocean floor point towards increasing instability,” he added.
For thousands of years, permafrost has trapped Siberia’s carbon-rich soil, a compost of Ice Age plant and animal remains. But global warming is melting the permafrost and exposing the soil, causing highly flammable methane to seep out. NBC’s Jim Maceda reports.
He also noted, however, that “one of the big unknowns is the magnitude of rapid methane escape from the ocean floor, and how natural filter systems react and affect the future ocean, its environment and the climate.”
Another unknown is what caused the Gulf Stream changes, said Phrampus, an earth sciences PhD candidate at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas.
“Multiple events can play a factor, such as changing sea level or an addition of cold/fresh water from the north,” Phrampus said, adding he was hopeful that the changes might be “reversible under their own influence.”
But, he added, “we need more data to resolve this, and we are currently investigating this process.”
(Source: Assumption Office of Emergency Preparedness)
BAYOU CORNE, LA (WAFB) -
A sharp tremor was recorded by USGS monitors just after 9 p.m. Wednesday at the site of the giant Louisiana sinkhole in Assumption Parish.
The giant sinkhole appeared in August near the Bayou Corne and Grand Bayou areas.
The Assumption Parish Police Jury says the tremor was large enough that the body wave phases could easily be identified. A body wave travels through the interior of the earth.
The preliminary location of the tremor was just SE of Oxy #3 cavern at a depth of 500m. There is no additional information specific to this seismic activity at this time.
The sinkhole is now about four acres in size.
Residents were forced from their homes on August third, two months after the bayous started bubbling. They are still evacuated from their homes.
The Assumption Parish, LA sinkhole continues to grow. The ground opened up on August 3, 2012 and residents were evacuated from their homes. The sinkhole, or slurry, is consuming land and trees.
Today
Unusual geological event
USA
State of Louisiana, [Bayou Corne and Grand Bayou areas, Assumption Parish]
A sharp tremor was recorded by USGS monitors just after 9 p.m. Wednesday at the site of the giant Louisiana sinkhole in Assumption Parish. The giant sinkhole appeared in August near the Bayou Corne and Grand Bayou areas. The Assumption Parish Police Jury says the tremor was large enough that the body wave phases could easily be identified. A body wave travels through the interior of the earth. The preliminary location of the tremor was just SE of Oxy #3 cavern at a depth of 500m. There is no additional information specific to this seismic activity at this time. The sinkhole is now about four acres in size. Residents were forced from their homes on August third, two months after the bayous started bubbling. They are still evacuated from their homes.
Officials say nine people have been slightly hurt in a chemical tank leak that restricted outdoor activities in a Southeast Texas city. Emergency authorities in Texas City lifted the shelter-in-place order shortly after 5 a.m. Thursday in a storage tank spill involving hydrochloric acid. Diane Tracy with New Jersey-based Dallas Group of America Inc. says company officials are investigating Wednesday night’s accident. Tracy says one Dallas Group employee, four workers with a neighboring transportation company and four firefighters were injured. Tracy says all nine victims were treated and released from a hospital. Homeland Security coordinator Bruce Clawson says the victims suffered acid exposure in the leak around 11 p.m. Wednesday. A shelter-in-place order was issued just before midnight Wednesday.
25.10.2012
HAZMAT
USA
State of California, Santa Monica [Lincoln and Ocean Park boulevards]
Fire crews have blocked off the parking lot outside Albertson’s grocery store in Santa Monica while a hazardous materials team investigates a low-level radioactive substance which was found inside a trash bin close by. The material was discovered Wednesday morning near the store on Lincoln and Ocean Park boulevards, according to reports. The store has not been evacuated but the parking lot has been blocked off. “We do have firefighters inside the Albertson’s doing radiation monitoring,” Santa Monica Fire Department Chief Mark Bridges told KNX Newsradio. “They are not getting any radiation readings inside the store, but outside we’re getting above-normal readings.” Bridges also confirmed that “low-level radioactive material”, thought to be medical waste, was found in a trash bin.
Earthquake swarms and a region-wide rotten egg smell recently reminded Southern California residents they live next to an active volcano field, tiny though it may be. At the time, scientists said the phenomena did not reflect changes in the magma chamber below the Salton Sea. But now, researchers may need to revise estimates of the potential hazard posed by the Salton Buttes – five volcanoes at the lake’s southern tip. The buttes last erupted between 940 and 0 B.C., not 30,000 years ago, as previously thought, a new study detailed online Oct. 15 in the journal Geology reports. The new age – which makes these some of California’s youngest volcanoes – pushes the volcanic quintuplets into active status. The California Volcano Observatory, launched in February by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), already lists the area as a high threat for future blasts. “The USGS is starting to monitor all potentially active volcanoes in California, which includes the Salton Buttes,” said study author Axel Schmitt, a geochronologist at the University of California, Los Angeles. “With our results, I think this will further enhance the need to look into the system,” Schmitt told OurAmazingPlanet. Schmitt and his colleagues dated zircon crystals in the hardened lava of the buttes with a relatively new technique, a “helium clock” that starts ticking once the minerals begin cooling at the surface.
The National Science Foundation’s EarthScope project funds an extensive seismic imaging project in the Salton Sea that may soon reveal more information about what’s happening deep underground. “We’ll be looking with great interest to see what we can tell from the Salton Seismic Imaging Project,” said Joann Stock, a Caltech professor and an expert on the region’s volcanic hazards who was not involved in the new study. “I think (Schmitt’s study) is a great contribution,” she said. “It’s an area where we should be concerned. We know that there’s a lot of hot stuff down there,” she told OurAmazingPlanet. In August, an earthquake swarm shook the nearby town of Brawley. The USGS attributed the temblors to faults in the Brawley Seismic Zone. In September, a sulfurous stench emanated from the Salton Sea and wafted across the Inland Empire. The odor was tentatively linked to a fish die-off, but could also have been caused by volcanic gases, Stock said.
[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.]
(Source: Assumption Office of Emergency Preparedness)
BAYOU CORNE, LA (WAFB) -
A sharp tremor was recorded by USGS monitors just after 9 p.m. Wednesday at the site of the giant Louisiana sinkhole in Assumption Parish.
The giant sinkhole appeared in August near the Bayou Corne and Grand Bayou areas.
The Assumption Parish Police Jury says the tremor was large enough that the body wave phases could easily be identified. A body wave travels through the interior of the earth.
The preliminary location of the tremor was just SE of Oxy #3 cavern at a depth of 500m. There is no additional information specific to this seismic activity at this time.
The sinkhole is now about four acres in size.
Residents were forced from their homes on August third, two months after the bayous started bubbling. They are still evacuated from their homes.
The Assumption Parish, LA sinkhole continues to grow. The ground opened up on August 3, 2012 and residents were evacuated from their homes. The sinkhole, or slurry, is consuming land and trees.
Islamabad: A tremor of moderate earthquake was felt in Islamabad, Peshawar and other parts of Pakistan, however no causalities were reported.
According to the Pakistan Metrological Department (PMD), the intensity of the earthquake was magnitude 5.5 on Richter scale. The earthquake was felt in Islamabad, Peshawar, Rawalpindi, Swat, Malakand, Dir, North Punjab and other parts of Pakistan.
The focal point of the quake was near the Afghan-Tajik border. The tremors created panic among the residents.
Described as “a stronger than usual explosion” by volcanic activity specialists, the Sakurajima eruption was captured by four live cameras set up by the Japanese Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport. The volcano, located in Japan’s southern Kagoshima region, erupted at 20:42 local time (11:42GMT) on Tuesday and sent a plume of ash 15,000ft in the air, according to Japanese authorities.
CASPER, Wyo. (AP) — Firefighters are taking advantage of cooler, more humid weather to dig in around a wildfire burning on Casper Mountain.
Crews were focusing Wednesday on building containment lines around the northwest corner of the Sheep Herder Hill Fire, the portion closest to most of the 750 homes threatened by the blaze. The fire has destroyed seven homes on the mountain overlooking Casper since breaking out Sunday.
It hasn’t spread much in the last 24 hours and is listed at nearly 25 square miles and 10 percent contained.
Investigators will also be in the fire zone looking into how the fire started. Fire spokeswoman Susan Ford said that’s a standard procedure when there aren’t any obvious signs of how a fire started, such as a lightning strike.
A flyover of southeast Louisiana revealed storm damage from Hurricane Isaac and marsh dieback, some of which was occurring before Hurricane Isaac. The flyover was conducted by the U.S. Geological Survey National Wetlands Research Center (NWRC), U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service.
The flight examined areas from Wax Lake Delta, La., to Ship Island, Miss., and preliminary assessments suggest that Hurricane Isaac damaged coastal wetlands in a manner that is substantial, but not unprecedented. Damage to coastal wetland areas was evident throughout much of southeast Louisiana. The intensity of hurricane effects was most abundant in areas of upper Breton Sound, an area just to the south of the community of Braithwaite, which experienced devastating flooding. Breton Sound had been experiencing some slight recovery from the extensive damage inflicted by Hurricanes Katrina and Gustav; however, scientists observed many of the initial effects of Hurricane Isaac to be reactivations of previous damages in these newly recovering areas. Photos from the flyover are available online.
“The before and after images from coastal flyovers reveal the disappearance of some of the Gulf’s most biologically and economically significant landscape disappearing before our very eyes, on human time scales,” said USGS Director Marcia McNutt. “There are many compounding factors that lead to enhanced coastal vulnerability, with hurricanes sweeping in to deliver the coup de grace.”
Other areas in which physical damage to coastal wetlands was observed include the north shore of Lake Pontchartrain near Slidell, areas surrounding the Rigolets to include the mouth of the Pearl River, and the Chandeleur Islands. The majority of structural changes in these areas appear to be reactivations or intensifications of effects of previous storms. Previous storms such as hurricanes Audrey, Hilda, Betsy, Andrew, Katrina, Rita, Gustav, and Ike are known to have damaged coastal wetlands and contributed to wetland loss, and Isaac appears to have been yet another blow to Louisiana’s fragile but vital coastal wetlands.
“Louisiana’s coastal land loss is the greatest environmental, economic and cultural tragedy on the North American Continent, and marsh dieback exacerbates this ongoing disaster,” said USGS NWRC Director Phil Turnipseed. “The NWRC is dedicated to continuing to investigate the causes of land loss in order to provide decision makers with information that can help reduce land loss in the future.”
The most prevalent effects of Hurricane Isaac observed were expansive wrack fields. Wrack is accumulated organic debris and trash that are transported and deposited by a hurricane’s surge. Wrack deposits from Hurricane Isaac were observed throughout southeast Louisiana, burying existing marsh areas and obstructing infrastructure, such as canals and railroads. Generally wrack deposits eventually decompose and the areas are re-vegetated, but in the short-term wrack can kill the existing wetland vegetation.
Very few downed trees were observed in forested wetlands from Hurricane Isaac, especially compared to that of Hurricane Katrina, which is likely indicative of the lesser intensity of this storm. Even in areas where no physical removal of wetlands or vegetation was evident, the vegetation which did survive was observed to have sustained substantial damage.
Large areas of marsh dieback, termed “brown marsh” or “sudden marsh dieback,” were observed in the Terrebonne and Barataria basins in Louisiana. Previous reports of sudden marsh dieback in the spring and summer of 2012, before Hurricane Isaac, indicate that the dieback in this area has been increasing over time and may be the result of a combination of other stressors. Evidence of vegetation stress, such as widespread discoloration, was also observed in areas that were directly impacted further to the east by hurricane storm surge. The browning and destruction in the marshes east of the Mississippi River in coastal Louisiana appear to be recent, indicating a more direct link to salinity and flooding stress associated with the Hurricane Isaac’s storm surge. The USGS will further investigate the recent history of sudden marsh dieback events in coastal Louisiana. Subsequent aerial surveys will be conducted to quantify the extent of brown marsh and to potentially separate the phenomenon of sudden dieback and the storm surge impacts.
Sudden marsh dieback events have occurred over the last decade in coastal marshes from the Northern Gulf of Mexico to Maine. One of the most severe events occurred in 2000, where almost 25,000 acres (about 400 square miles) of salt marsh were impacted throughout Louisiana’s Mississippi River Delta Plain. The cause of sudden marsh dieback is still under debate, but may be cyclical depending on interactive climate conditions, sea level changes, and other environmental factors.
Marsh dieback can lead to land loss since the roots of the plants help hold the marsh together and, in some cases, increase the elevation of the marsh. As the plants die, the elevation of the marsh sinks when the roots deteriorate, turning marsh to shallow open water.
Louisiana currently experiences more wetland loss then all other states in the U.S. combined. Coastal Louisiana has lost a wetland area the size of Delaware, equaling 1,883 square miles, over the past 78 years, according to a 2011 USGS National Wetlands Research Center study.
Visit NWRC’s hurricane research for more information. To view images collected during post-Hurricane Isaac reconnaissance flights, click on the Hurricane Isaac link. To learn more about brown marsh, visit the Coastal Marsh Dieback (Brown Marsh) website.
12.09.2012
Flash Flood
USA
State of Utah, [Santa Clara area of Washington County]
Stacie Rogers was happy to hear that an employee got the seven preschoolers out of her performing art school and safely home – a flood was coming. Rogers, owner of Talent Sprouts, got word from the city early Tuesday afternoon that her business and others needed to evacuate. Heavy rain in southern Utah Tuesday afternoon caused flooding in the Santa Clara area of Washington County, which was declared a disaster area after an earthen dike broke. Extremely heavy rain fell into a small canyon above Santa Clara, which drained into what used to be a dry wash but has since been developed with homes and businesses, said Pete Wilensky, lead forecaster for the NWS in Salt Lake City. Between Monday evening and Tuesday at 2:44 p.m., 3.41 inches of rain fell in nearby Ivins, according to the NWS website. A retention pond swollen by the torrential rain broke through a canal dike near Sunset Boulevard and North Canyon View Drive, unleashing a flood of muddy red water. Shortly after noon, the city had evacuated 60 homes and 15 businesses threatened by water pouring toward the Santa Clara River. Water flooded at least several homes and businesses near the intersection of Santa Clara Drive and Canyon View Drive, said Chad Hays, director of parks and trails for Santa Clara. The waters flooded at least 10 to 15 homes, though officials were still trying to assess the extent of the damage Tuesday evening. The Red Cross of Utah provided snacks, water and dry ground for evacuees in the first floor of the Santa Clara City Building. Most of the water from the retention pond had stopped flowing by late Tuesday afternoon, and the city allowed people to return to their homes and businesses, some to see the damage for themselves. That included Randy Snow, owner of the Domino’s Pizza at 2311 Santa Clara Drive.
An intense thunderstorm is flooding streets and washes and prompting 911 calls for swift-water rescues in the Las Vegas area. Clark County spokesman Dan Kulin says rescuers are trying to confirm a report of a person in the water in a wash near Viking Road. That’s northeast of Maryland Parkway and Flamingo Road. But Las Vegas officials say firefighters haven’t confirmed any reports of people being swept away by water. The National Weather Service has issued a flash flood warning until 4 p.m. Tuesday in the central Las Vegas area. Almost an inch of rain was reported at McCarran International Airport just before 2 p.m. Officials say some motorists are reporting high water in intersections around the Las Vegas area.
Torrential rains continued lashing northern and eastern Balochistan, rendering hundreds of families homeless, inundating vast area of agriculture land and cutting off Balochistan from rest of the country. Two dead bodies have also recovered from the rainwater in Dera Murad Jamali and Bolan district while eight people, among them three women were also missing. Provincial government, Pak Army and Frontier Corps have started rescue operation in the rain battered areas of the province. The prevailing spate of intermittent rains which started five days back has badly affected Naseerabad, Jaffarabad, Kohlu, Barkhan, Rakhni, Sibi, Qila Saifullah, Zhob, Harnai, Loralai and Musa Khail districts of Balochistan rendering hundreds of families homeless and suspending train and road network with Punjab, Sindh and Khaibar Pakhtunkhwa. The torrential rains continued lashing parts of Balochistan for fifth consecutive day inundating hundreds of houses, destroying standing crops on millions of acre, injuring hundreds of people.Road network linking Balochistan to rest of the country has suspended as rain has pounded portion of roads in Qila Saifullah, Loralai, Harnai, Naseerabad, Jaffarabad, Zhob, Dera Ghazi Khan, Bolan and Sibi districts. Police official told that flash floods swept away three women namely Rahima, Saeeda and Saeeda in QIla Saifullah. Torrential rains has submerged the portion of railway track at Jacobabad-Sibi Junction, suspending train services in Balochistan. Balochistan is cut- off from rest of the country as road network is already disrupted due to the heavy rains in northern and eastern Balochistan. According to reports pouring in from different areas of the province, rain-battered people are fleeing to safer places. However, the provincial government has declared emergency and dispatched rescue teams to the rain-battered areas. On account of reports of possible breach in the Pat Feeder Canal, the leaves of the Irrigation department staff has been cancelled. PPP Balochistan president while addressing a press conference at his residence said that recent rains have played havoc in Naseerabad district. “Rains have so far claimed 12 lives while 4 lakh people are trapped in Naseerabad he said adding rains left hundreds of families homeless, destroyed 7 lakh acre rice crops. He maintained that rainwater has gushed into the houses in the district and people awaiting response from government and international humanitarian organizations. Meanwhile, under the supervision of Secretary Information Technology Captain retired Mohammad Akbar Durrani, Balochistan government has established relief cell for the masses of the rain battered areas. Relief goods comprising tents, ration, medicine and other stuff has been dispatched to the affected population.
A significant quantity of radioactive cesium, likely from the crippled Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant, has turned up in subsea mud about 200 kilometers away, near the mouth of the Shinanogawa River on Japan’s northwestern coast.
Scientists said samples taken in 2011 at Nagaoka, Niigata Prefecture, contained concentrations of up to 460 becquerels per kilogram of dry mud, a level comparable to that detected at a river mouth in Tokyo Bay last year.
Some isotopes of cesium are heavily radioactive. They are produced in uranium fission and deposits are often closely associated with nuclear accidents and atomic weapons tests.
A team sampled coastal seabed mud last August around the mouth of the river’s Okozu diversion canal, which discharges into the Sea of Japan. The team was led by Hideo Yamazaki, a professor of environmental analysis at Kinki University.
The sample sites lay beneath 15, 20 and 30 meters of water. Scientists took mud from those depths, and analyzed cesium concentrations at intervals of 1 centimeter.
The highest concentration was 2-3 cm below the mud surface at a water depth of 30 m. That reading of 460 becquerels per kg compares to samples of over 400 becquerels around the mouth of the Arakawa river in Tokyo Bay in August 2011.
Both readings are dozens of times higher than contamination detected after past atmospheric nuclear tests.
At a depth of 20 m the maximum concentration was 318 becquerels per kg, while at 15 m it was 255 becquerels.
The research results will be published at the fall meeting of the Oceanographic Society of Japan, which opens in Shizuoka on Sept. 13.
***
To read The Asahi Shimbun stories on the survey on seabed mud in Tokyo Bay, visit:
Eight people have been injured in an explosion at a Nuon power plant in Velsen Noord, west of Amsterdam. Three people have been rushed to hospital and one may be seriously injured, news agencies reported. One eyewitness said: ‘There was a big explosion followed by several little ones. There were flames but not a real fire.’ Others told the Telegraaf the incident may have been caused by workers making changes in the high-voltage sub-station. Once the area has been declared safe, fire officers will enter the building and try to establish more.
Climate change, algal blooms and ‘dead zones’ in the Great Lakes Enlarge The green scum shown in this image is the worst algae bloom Lake Erie has experienced in decades. Such blooms were common in the lake’s shallow western basin in the 1950s and 60s. Phosphorus from farms, sewage, and industry fertilized the waters so that huge algae blooms developed year after year. The blooms subsided a bit starting in the 1970s, when regulations and improvements in agriculture and sewage treatment limited the amount of phosphorus that reached the lake. But in 2011, a giant bloom spread across the western basin once again. Credit: Jesse Allen and Robert Simmon, using data provided courtesy of the United States Geological Survey (Phys.org)—Climate change is expected to increase the frequency of intense spring rain storms in the Great Lakes region throughout this century and will likely add to the number of harmful algal blooms and “dead zones” in Lake Erie, unless additional conservation actions are taken, according to a University of Michigan aquatic ecologist.
Climate models suggest that the number of intense spring rain storms in the region could double by the end of the century, contributing to an overall 30 to 40 percent increase in spring precipitation, said Donald Scavia, director of the U-M’s Graham Sustainability Institute. That increase, combined with the greater availability of phosphorous due to current agricultural practices in the Midwest, means that increased amounts of the nutrient will be scoured from farmlands and run into rivers that feed Lake Erie, fueling algae blooms and low-oxygen zones known as dead zones. “Climate change is likely to make reducing phosphorous loads even more difficult in the future than it is now, which will likely lead to even more toxic algae blooms and larger dead zones unless more conservation is undertaken,” said Scavia, who will present his latest findings on the topic Wednesday morning during Great Lakes Week events in Cleveland. “Current agricultural practices and climate are conspiring to increase the phosphorous loads that make their way into Lake Erie,” said Scavia, a professor at the U-M School of Natural Resources and Environment. The agricultural practices that contribute to increased availability of phosphorous from fertilizer include no-till farming, a method of planting crops without plowing. The technique reduces soil erosion but also leaves “high concentrations of phosphorous in the upper surface soil, and these intense storms appear to be flushing it out,” Scavia said. The widespread adoption of no-till farming and other agricultural techniques since the mid-1990s have had some positive effects but appear to have also increased the availability of the type of phosphorous, known as soluble reactive phosphorous, that promotes algae blooms, Scavia said. Since the mid-1990s, intense spring rain storms have also become more common in the Great Lakes region, especially in southeast Michigan and northwest Ohio, the regions that provide runoff into Lake Erie, Scavia said. Current agricultural best management practices – such as planting buffer strips around cropland, protecting wetlands and using less fertilizer – applied at the current scales are likely “not going to be sufficient to reduce the phosphorous loads to the levels we need to prevent the blooms and to get rid of the dead zones,” Scavia said. In the late 1960s, 1970s and early 1980s, control strategies focused on reducing phosphorous from specific sources, such as waste-treatment plants. Reductions from those so-called point sources led to major gains in Great Lakes health, including a drop in the frequency and extent of harmful algae blooms and dead zones. Some of those gains have been reversed since the mid-1990s. The increased availability of soluble reactive phosphorous and a surge in extreme rainfall events in the region have contributed to a resurgence of both harmful algal blooms and dead zones in Lake Erie, Scavia said. Algae blooms can foul harbors, clog boat motors, reduce fish populations, and can sometimes be toxic to humans. Dead zones are low-oxygen regions where most aquatic organisms cannot survive. Provided by University of Michigan search and more info website
Glaciers in the eastern and central regions of the Himalayas appear to be retreating at accelerating rates, similar to those in other areas of the world, while glaciers in the western Himalayas are more stable and could be growing, says a new report from the National Research Council.Read more at: http://phys.org/news/2012-09-himalayan-glaciers-retreating-regions.html#jCp
The report examines how changes to glaciers in the Hindu Kush-Himalayan region, which covers eight countries across Asia, could affect the area’s river systems, water supplies, and the South Asian population. The mountains in the region form the headwaters of several major river systems—including the Ganges, Mekong, Yangtze, and Yellow rivers—which serve as sources of drinking water and irrigation supplies for roughly 1.5 billion people. The entire Himalayan climate is changing, but how climate change will impact specific places remains unclear, said the committee that wrote the report. The eastern Himalayas and Tibetan Plateau are warming, and the trend is more pronounced at higher elevations. Models suggest that desert dust and black carbon, a component of soot, could contribute to the rapid atmospheric warming, accelerated snowpack melting, and glacier retreat. While glacier melt contributes water to the region’s rivers and streams, retreating glaciers over the next several decades are unlikely to cause significant change in water availability at lower elevations, which depend primarily on monsoon precipitation and snowmelt, the committee said. Variations in water supplies in those areas are more likely to come from extensive extraction of groundwater resources, population growth, and shifts in water-use patterns. However, if the current rate of retreat continues, high elevation areas could have altered seasonal and temporal water flow in some river basins. The effects of glacier retreat would become evident during the dry season, particularly in the west where glacial melt is more important to the river systems. Nevertheless, shifts in the location, intensity, and variability of both rain and snow will likely have a greater impact on regional water supplies than glacier retreat will.
Melting of glacial ice could play an important role in maintaining water security during times of drought or similar climate extremes, the committee noted. During the 2003 European drought, glacial melt contributions to the Danube River in August were about three times greater than the 100-year average. Water stored as glacial ice could serve as the Himalayan region’s hydrologic “insurance,” adding to streams and rivers when it is most needed. Although retreating glaciers would provide more meltwater in the short term, the loss of glacier “insurance” could become problematic over the long term. Water resources management and provision of clean water and sanitation are already a challenge in the region, and the changes in climate and water availability warrant small-scale adaptations with effective, flexible management that can adjust to the conditions, the committee concluded. Current efforts that focus on natural hazard and disaster reduction in the region could offer useful lessons when considering and addressing the potential for impacts resulting from glacial retreat and changes in snowmelt processes in the region. Many basins in the region are “water-stressed” due to both social changes and environmental factors, and this stress is projected to intensify with large forecasted population growth, the committee concluded. Climate change could exacerbate this stress in the future. Although the history of international river disputes suggests that cooperation is a more likely outcome than violent conflict in this region, social conditions could change. Therefore, modifications in water supplies could play an increasing role in political tensions, especially if existing water management institutions do not evolve to take better account of the region’s social, economic, and ecological complexities, the committee said. More information: Pre-publication copies of Himalayan Glaciers: Climate Change, Water Resources, and Water Security are available from http://www.nap.edu . Provided by National Academy of Sciences search and more info website
Around the world, amateur astronomers have been scanning the cloudtops of Jupiter for signs of debris from an explosion witnessed by Dan Peterson and George Hall on Sept. 10th. So far the cloud layer is blank. “Several observers have now obtained excellent images on the second and third rotations after the fireball, and there is nothing new nor distinctive at the impact site,” reports John H. Rogers, director of the Jupiter Section of the British Astronomical Association:
The fireball was probably caused by a small asteroid or comet hitting Jupiter. Apparently, the giant planet swallowed the impactor whole.
When fragments of Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 hit Jupiter in 1994, each major flash observed by NASA’s Galileo spacecraft produced a “bruise,” a murky mixture of incinerated comet dust and chemically altered Jovian gas twisting and swirling among the clouds. In July 2009, amateur astromer Anthony Wesley discovered a similar mark thought to be debris from a rogue asteroid crashing into the planet.
So where is the debris this time? Perhaps the impactor was small, packing just enough punch to make a flash, but without leaving much debris. Indeed, studies suggest that Jupiter is frequently struck by relatively small 10-meter-class asteroids. In such cases, minimal debris is to be expected.
POLAR LIGHTS:
In the Arctic, springtime ended months ago. Nevertheless, butterflies have been sighted. This one appeared last night over Grøtfjord, Norway:
Helge Mortensen took the picture on Sept. 12th. “The auroras were not a strong as some I’ve seen, but it was still nice to be outside and watch such a beautiful apparition,” he says.
This Northern Lepidoptera appeared when a “kink” in the interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) drifted past Earth, briefly opening a crack in our planet’s magnetosphere. Solar wind poured in to fuel the display. At the peak of the storm, the Arctic Circle was glowing from Scandinavia to Iceland to Canada.
Earth’s polar magnetic field is settling down again, but more Arctic auroras are in the offing, especially on Sept 14-15 when a solar wind stream is expected to reach our planet
The galaxy cluster Abell 1689 is famous for the way it bends light in a phenomenon called gravitational lensing. A new study of the cluster is revealing secrets about how dark energy shapes the universe. Full story.
CREDIT: NASA, ESA, E. Jullo (JPL/LAM), P. Natarajan (Yale) and J-P. Kneib (LAM)
Dark energy, the mysterious substance thought to be accelerating the expansion of the universe, almost certainly exists despite some astronomers’ doubts, a new study says.
After a two-year study, an international team of researchers concludes that the probability of dark energy being real stands at 99.996 percent. But the scientists still don’t know what the stuff is.
“Dark energy is one of the great scientific mysteries of our time, so it isn’t surprising that so many researchers question its existence,” co-author Bob Nichol, of the University of Portsmouth in Engalnd, said in a statement. “But with our new work we’re more confident than ever that this exotic component of the universe is real — even if we still have no idea what it consists of.”
Water quality officials are posting blue-green algae warnings along the Klamath River and its reservoirs, encouraging people to stay out of the water. ”It’s a human health issue,” said Craig Tucker, a Klamath campaign coordinator for the Karuk tribe. “The hotter and drier it is, the worse the algae blooms.” Users are warned to avoid contact with the blue-green algae, which contains the microcystis toxin. Microcystin is a known tumor promoter and liver toxin, according to a press release from the Karuk Tribe Department of Natural Resources. Craig said that the blooms affect reservoirs along the Klamath every year, but do not always contaminate the river downstream. This year, however, posted warning areas include Copco Reservoir, Iron Gate Reservoir and the river itself downstream to Turwar on the Yurok Reservation. The algal blooms usually occur between June and October because shallow, nutrient-rich water trapped behind the Klamath dams heats up. This provides an optimal environment for algae to bloom. ”We think the only way to deal with it is dam removal,” Tucker said. Blooms normally occur while downstream tribes are holding annual World Renewal ceremonies. According to the release, the ceremonies require spiritual leaders to bathe in the river, which puts them at risk of exposure. Tucker said, the Karuk medicine men who do the rituals are at an elevated risk.
Biohazard name:
Blue-Green Algae bloom (cyanobacteria)
Biohazard level:
0/4 —
Biohazard desc.:
This does not included biological hazard category.
At least seven people were killed, eight injured and five remain missing after a five-story building collapsed today in the district of Shubra in the Egyptian capital Cairo. Several such incidents in Egypt have been caused by building violations and bad maintenance.
12.09.2012
Power Outage
Canada
Province of Newfoundland and Labrador, [Avalon Peninsula]
Approximately 9,000 Newfoundland Power customers on the Avalon Peninsula are still without power as of midday Wednesday, one day after tropical storm Leslie hit the island. According to Newfoundland Power spokeswoman Michele Coughlan, 6,000 of those customers are in the St. John’s area, with five main feeders in need of repairs. The remaining 3,000 customers are spread throughout the Avalon Peninsula. Over 60 poles needed replacing as of this morning, according to Coughlan. Trees tangled with power lines and lines downed by fallen trees were continuing to pose problems for the electric utility, she said. Siding detached from various buildings had also caused problems for power lines. Coughlan said the company intends to have all main feeders repaired by Wednesday’s supper hour, adding that isolated outages for some customers may run into Thursday.
Today the drilling starts for a seismic monitoring network on the Marmara Sea near Istanbul. Specially designed seismic sensors in eight boreholes on the outskirts of Istanbul and around the eastern Marmara Sea will monitor the seismic activity of the region with high precision.
In each of the respective 300 meter deep holes several borehole seismometers will be permanently installed at various depths. These detect even barely perceptible earthquakes with very small magnitudes at a high resolution and can thus provide information about the earthquake rupture processes associated with these.
To determine and monitor the seismic hazard of the region and the processes occurring in the fault zone beneath the Marmara Sea off Istanbul with the latest earthquake monitoring technology, the GONAF plate boundary observatory (Geophysical Observatory at the North Anatolian Fault) was set up under the auspices of the GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences.
“Istanbul with its more than 13 million inhabitants is located in a region that is extremely vulnerable to earthquakes. A high probability of a strong earthquake of magnitude up to 7.4 is assumed for the region,”explains Professor Georg Dresen from the GFZ, one of the organizers of the project GONAF. “The data of small earthquakes in the region that are measured in the borehole can provide important information about the processes before a major earthquake.”
The data is continuously transmitted in real time to Potsdam and Ankara and evaluated there. A particular difficulty is that the earthquake zone to be monitored lies under the seabed of the Marmara Sea, about 20 kilometers off Istanbul. Only monitoring below ground in bore holes ensures the required precision of the measurementsdue to the much lower noise level.
“This means we have to get as close as possible to the quake source region,” explains GFZ researcher Professor Marco Bohnhoff, director of the project. “With our new, specially developed borehole seismometers the ratio of signal to background noise can be improved by at least a factor of 10, and therefore achieve a much higher resolution.”
The project involves close cooperation with the Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency of Turkey (AFAD). The drilling is implemented as part of the International Continental Scientific Drilling Program ICDP. Engineers and scientists at the GFZ supervise the construction and installation activities.
Upon successful completion and handover of the fully equipped pilot bore hole on the peninsula Tuzla just off Istanbul a first test phase will commence before the remaining seven wells will be drilled. “An earthquake prediction is not the goal of the project,” clarifies Marco Bohnhoff.
“Earthquake prediction is still not possible. But the data gathered in our project of the seismic activity before, during and after the expected strong quake will mean a great advance in the study of earthquakes.”
The flight path of the first HS3 Global Hawk unmanned aircraft from NASA’s Dryden Flight Research Center at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif. to NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility in Wallops Island, Va., on Sept. 5-6 included investigations of a tropical disturbance in the Gulf of Mexico and Hurricane Leslie in the Atlantic. Image credit: NASA. For a larger version of this image please go here.
NASA has begun its latest hurricane science field campaign by flying an unmanned Global Hawk aircraft over Hurricane Leslie in the Atlantic Ocean during a day-long flight that began in California and ended in Virginia. With the Hurricane and Severe Storm Sentinel (HS3) mission, NASA for the first time will be flying Global Hawks from the U.S. East Coast.
The Global Hawk took off from NASA’s Dryden Flight Research Center at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., Thursday and landed at the agency’s Wallops Flight Facility on Wallops Island, Va., Monday at 8:37 a.m. PDT (11:37 a.m. EDT) after spending 10 hours collecting data on Hurricane Leslie. The month-long HS3 mission will help researchers and forecasters uncover information about how hurricanes and tropical storms form and intensify.
NASA will fly two Global Hawks from Wallops during the HS3 mission. The planes, which can stay in the air for as long as 28 hours and fly over hurricanes at altitudes greater than 60,000 feet (18,288 meters), will be operated by pilots in ground control stations at Wallops and Dryden Flight Research Center at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif.
The mission targets the processes that underlie hurricane formation and intensity change. The aircraft help scientists decipher the relative roles of the large-scale environment and internal storm processes that shape these systems.
Studying hurricanes is a challenge for a field campaign like HS3 because of the small sample of storms available for study and the great variety of scenarios under which they form and evolve. HS3 flights will continue into early October of this year and be repeated from Wallops during the 2013 and 2014 hurricane seasons.
The first Global Hawk arrived Sept. 7 at Wallops carrying a payload of three instruments that will sample the environment around hurricanes. A second Global Hawk, scheduled to arrive in two weeks, will look inside hurricanes and developing storms with a different set of instruments. The pair will measure winds, temperature, water vapor, precipitation and aerosols from the surface to the lower stratosphere.
“The primary objective of the environmental Global Hawk is to describe the interaction of tropical disturbances and cyclones with the hot, dry and dusty air that moves westward off the Saharan desert and appears to affect the ability of storms to form and intensify,” said Scott Braun, HS3 mission principal investigator and research meteorologist at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md.
This Global Hawk will carry a laser system called the Cloud Physics Lidar (CPL), the Scanning High-resolution Interferometer Sounder (S-HIS), and the Advanced Vertical Atmospheric Profiling System (AVAPS).
The CPL will measure cloud structure and aerosols such as dust, sea salt and smoke particles. The S-HIS can remotely sense the temperature and water vapor vertical profile along with the sea surface temperature and cloud properties. The AVAPS dropsonde system will eject small sensors tied to parachutes that drift down through the storm, measuring winds, temperature and humidity.
“Instruments on the ‘over-storm’ Global Hawk will examine the role of deep thunderstorm systems in hurricane intensity change, particularly to detect changes in low-level wind fields in the vicinity of these thunderstorms,” said Braun.
These instruments will measure eyewall and rainband winds and precipitation using a Doppler radar and other microwave sensors called the High-altitude Imaging Wind and Rain Airborne Profiler (HIWRAP); the High-Altitude MMIC Sounding Radiometer (HAMSR), developed by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif.; and the Hurricane Imaging Radiometer (HIRAD).
HIWRAP measures cloud structure and winds, providing a three-dimensional view of these conditions. HAMSR uses microwave wavelengths to measure temperature, water vapor and precipitation from the top of the storm to the surface. HIRAD measures surface wind speeds and rain rates.
“HAMSR was the first complete scientific instrument to come out of NASA’s Instrument Incubator Program,” said Bjorn Lambrigtsen, HAMSR principal investigator at JPL. “An advanced version of instruments currently flying on satellites such as NASA’s Suomi NPP, HAMSR provides a much more detailed view of the atmospheric conditions in a hurricane than is possible from satellites. HAMSR is one of a number of airborne instruments developed by JPL that are being used to carry out research in a variety of areas.”
The HS3 mission is supported by several NASA centers, including Wallops; Goddard; Dryden; Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, Calif.; Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, Ala.; and JPL. HS3 also has collaborations with partners from government agencies and academia.
[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.]
TEHRAN (FNA)- An earthquake measuring 5.3 on the Richter scale jolted the town of Ahal in Fars province, Southern Iran, on Thursday.
The Seismological center of Fars province affiliated to the Geophysics Institute of Tehran University registered the quake at 06:27 hours local time (0157 GMT).
The epicenter of the quake was located in an area 53.8 degrees in longitude and 26.9 degrees in latitude.
There are yet no reports on the number of possible casualties or damage to properties by the quake.
Iran sits astride several major faults in the earth’s crust, and is prone to frequent earthquakes, many of which have been devastating.
The worst in recent times hit Bam in southeastern Kerman province in December 2003, killing 31,000 people – about a quarter of its population – and destroying the city’s ancient mud-built citadel.
The deadliest quake in the country was in June 1990 and measured 7.7 on the Richter scale. About 37,000 people were killed and more than 100,000 injured in the northwestern provinces of Gilan and Zanjan. It devastated 27 towns and about 1,870 villages.
Last month, two quakes in Northwestern Iran also claimed the lives of 306 people and injured more than 4500 others.
An earthquake measuring 6.2 on the Richter scale jolted Ahar in East Azerbaijan province at 16:00 hours local time (1130GMT) on August 11. The epicenter of the quake was located in an area 46.8 degrees in longitude and 38.4 degrees in latitude.
Almost an hour later another quake with magnitude 6 on the Richter scale jolted Varzaqan at 17:04 hours local time (1234GMT) in the same province. The epicenter of the quake was located in an area 46.7 degrees in longitude and 38.4 degrees in latitude.
National Earthquake Information Center
U.S. Geological Survey http://neic.usgs.gov/
Tectonic Summary
The September 5th 2012 M 7.6 earthquake beneath the Nicoya Peninsula, Costa Rica, occurred as the result of thrust faulting on or near the subduction zone interface between the Cocos and Caribbean plates. At the latitude of this earthquake, the Cocos plate moves north-northeast with respect to the Caribbean plate at a velocity of approximately 77 mm/yr, and subducts beneath Central America at the Middle America Trench.
Over the past 40 years, the region within 250 km of the September 5th earthquake has experienced approximately 30 earthquakes with M 6 or greater; two of these were larger than M 7, and neither caused documented fatalities. The first was a M 7.2 in August of 1978, 9 km to the north-northeast of the September 5th 2012 event; the second had a magnitude of M 7.3, and struck a region just over 50 km to the east-southeast in March 1990. The earthquake of October 5, 1950, M 7.8, occurred in the general area of the September 5th 2012 earthquake, although the hypocenter of the earlier earthquake is not known to high precision. The 1950 earthquake caused damage in northwestern Costa Rica and in the Valle Central of Costa Rica, but no reported casualties. The closest earthquake to cause fatalities in recent history was the M 6.5 April 1973 earthquake approximately 80 km to the northeast, which resulted in 26 fatalities and over 100 injuries.
Seismotectonics of the Caribbean Region and Vicinity
Extensive diversity and complexity of tectonic regimes characterizes the perimeter of the Caribbean plate, involving no fewer than four major plates (North America, South America, Nazca, and Cocos). Inclined zones of deep earthquakes (Wadati-Benioff zones), ocean trenches, and arcs of volcanoes clearly indicate subduction of oceanic lithosphere along the Central American and Atlantic Ocean margins of the Caribbean plate, while crustal seismicity in Guatemala, northern Venezuela, and the Cayman Ridge and Cayman Trench indicate transform fault and pull-apart basin tectonics.
Along the northern margin of the Caribbean plate, the North America plate moves westwards with respect to the Caribbean plate at a velocity of approximately 20 mm/yr. Motion is accommodated along several major transform faults that extend eastward from Isla de Roatan to Haiti, including the Swan Island Fault and the Oriente Fault. These faults represent the southern and northern boundaries of the Cayman Trench. Further east, from the Dominican Republic to the Island of Barbuda, relative motion between the North America plate and the Caribbean plate becomes increasingly complex and is partially accommodated by nearly arc-parallel subduction of the North America plate beneath the Caribbean plate. This results in the formation of the deep Puerto Rico Trench and a zone of intermediate focus earthquakes (70-300 km depth) within the subducted slab. Although the Puerto Rico subduction zone is thought to be capable of generating a megathrust earthquake, there have been no such events in the past century. The last probable interplate (thrust fault) event here occurred on May 2, 1787 and was widely felt throughout the island with documented destruction across the entire northern coast, including Arecibo and San Juan. Since 1900, the two largest earthquakes to occur in this region were the August 4, 1946 M8.0 Samana earthquake in northeastern Hispaniola and the July 29, 1943 M7.6 Mona Passage earthquake, both of which were shallow thrust fault earthquakes. A significant portion of the motion between the North America plate and the Caribbean plate in this region is accommodated by a series of left-lateral strike-slip faults that bisect the island of Hispaniola, notably the Septentrional Fault in the north and the Enriquillo-Plantain Garden Fault in the south. Activity adjacent to the Enriquillo-Plantain Garden Fault system is best documented by the devastating January 12, 2010 M7.0 Haiti strike-slip earthquake, its associated aftershocks and a comparable earthquake in 1770.
Moving east and south, the plate boundary curves around Puerto Rico and the northern Lesser Antilles where the plate motion vector of the Caribbean plate relative to the North and South America plates is less oblique, resulting in active island-arc tectonics. Here, the North and South America plates subduct towards the west beneath the Caribbean plate along the Lesser Antilles Trench at rates of approximately 20 mm/yr. As a result of this subduction, there exists both intermediate focus earthquakes within the subducted plates and a chain of active volcanoes along the island arc. Although the Lesser Antilles is considered one of the most seismically active regions in the Caribbean, few of these events have been greater than M7.0 over the past century. The island of Guadeloupe was the site of one of the largest megathrust earthquakes to occur in this region on February 8, 1843, with a suggested magnitude greater than 8.0. The largest recent intermediate-depth earthquake to occur along the Lesser Antilles arc was the November 29, 2007 M7.4 Martinique earthquake northwest of Fort-De-France.
The southern Caribbean plate boundary with the South America plate strikes east-west across Trinidad and western Venezuela at a relative rate of approximately 20 mm/yr. This boundary is characterized by major transform faults, including the Central Range Fault and the Bocon?-San Sebastian-El Pilar Faults, and shallow seismicity. Since 1900, the largest earthquakes to occur in this region were the October 29, 1900 M7.7 Caracas earthquake, and the July 29, 1967 M6.5 earthquake near this same region. Further to the west, a broad zone of compressive deformation trends southwestward across western Venezuela and central Columbia. The plate boundary is not well defined across northwestern South America, but deformation transitions from being dominated by Caribbean/South America convergence in the east to Nazca/South America convergence in the west. The transition zone between subduction on the eastern and western margins of the Caribbean plate is characterized by diffuse seismicity involving low- to intermediate-magnitude (M<6.0) earthquakes of shallow to intermediate depth.
The plate boundary offshore of Colombia is also characterized by convergence, where the Nazca plate subducts beneath South America towards the east at a rate of approximately 65 mm/yr. The January 31, 1906 M8.5 earthquake occurred on the shallowly dipping megathrust interface of this plate boundary segment. Along the western coast of Central America, the Cocos plate subducts towards the east beneath the Caribbean plate at the Middle America Trench. Convergence rates vary between 72-81 mm/yr, decreasing towards the north. This subduction results in relatively high rates of seismicity and a chain of numerous active volcanoes; intermediate-focus earthquakes occur within the subducted Cocos plate to depths of nearly 300 km. Since 1900, there have been many moderately sized intermediate-depth earthquakes in this region, including the September 7, 1915 M7.4 El Salvador and the October 5, 1950 M7.8 Costa Rica events.
The boundary between the Cocos and Nazca plates is characterized by a series of north-south trending transform faults and east-west trending spreading centers. The largest and most seismically active of these transform boundaries is the Panama Fracture Zone. The Panama Fracture Zone terminates in the south at the Galapagos rift zone and in the north at the Middle America trench, where it forms part of the Cocos-Nazca-Caribbean triple junction. Earthquakes along the Panama Fracture Zone are generally shallow, low- to intermediate in magnitude (M<7.2) and are characteristically right-lateral strike-slip faulting earthquakes. Since 1900, the largest earthquake to occur along the Panama Fracture Zone was the July 26, 1962 M7.2 earthquake.
References for the Panama Fracture Zone:
Molnar, P., and Sykes, L. R., 1969, Tectonics of the Caribbean and Middle America Regions from Focal Mechanisms and Seismicity: Geological Society of America Bulletin, v. 80, p. 1639-1684.
A preliminary review revealed some structural damage near the epicenter, but no reports of deaths or injuries, said Douglas Salgado, a geographer with Costa Rica’s National Commission of Risk Prevention and Emergency Attention. He said a tsunami alert had been called off for Costa Rica. The review also uncovered a landslide on the main highway that connects the capital of San Jose to the Pacific coast city of Puntarenas, Salgado said. Hotels and other structures suffered cracks in walls and saw items knocked off shelves. “There’s chaos in San Jose because it was a strong earthquake of long duration,” Salgado said. “It was pretty strong and caused collective chaos.” Michelle Landwer, owner of the Belvedere Hotel in Samara, north of the epicenter, said she was having breakfast with about 10 people when the earthquake struck. “The whole building was moving, I couldn’t even walk,” Landwer said. “Here in my building there was no real damage. Everything was falling, like glasses and everything.” At the Hotel Punta Islita in the Guanacaste area, “everybody is crying a lot and the telephone lines are saturated,” said worker Diana Salas, speaking by telephone, but she said was no damage there. In the coastal town of Nosara, roughly 50 miles (80 kilometers) north of the epicenter, trees shook violently and light posts swayed. Teachers chased primary school students outside as the quake hit. Roads cracked and power lines fell to the ground. A tsunami warning was in effect for Costa Rica, Panama and Nicaragua, the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said in a bulletin. It said it was unknown if a tsunami was generated, but the warning was based on the size of the earthquake.
Three people, two from heart attacks, when a major earthquake hit northwestern Costa Rica on Wednesday, authorities said. At least 20 people were injured and two others were missing, but the Red Cross said those numbers could rise as damage assessment teams reached more areas. Costa Rican President Laura Chinchilla, however, said there were no deaths caused by the earthquake, contradicting the Red Cross. The quake â initially rated at magnitude 7.9 but then revised by the the U.S. Geological Survey to 7.6 â struck at 10:42 a.m. ET at a depth of about 25 miles about 7 miles southeast of Nicoya. The town of 15,000 people is near the Pacific coast, about 90 miles from the capital, San Jose. Government buildings, including the National Assembly complex in San Jose, were under evacuation orders, the newspaper La Nacion reported. Thousands of youngsters were sent home from school as a precaution against aftershocks. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center canceled tsunami warnings for Costa Rica, Panama and Nicaragua.A man died in Nicoya when a wall fell on him, said Vanessa Rosales, president of the National Emergency Commission. He wasn’t immediately identified. A second person, identified only as an elderly man named Smith, died of a heart attack in San Antonio in Desamparados province, authorities said. A woman from the Pacific coastal town of Carrillo also died from a heart attack during the quake, Eva Camargo, director of the hospital in Filadelfia, told the news service Terra. The woman was about 55 years old and had the surnames Rodriguez Machado. Camargo said the hospital was treating at least 20 people for quake-related injuries. Two other people suffered minor injuries at the Hotel Barceló Tambor Beach in Playa Tambor, said Alcides Gonzalez, mayor of the coastal town of Paquera. The nature of their injuries wasn’t immediately known, but Gonzalez told La Nacion that the resort hotel was damaged when a pipe collapsed. It couldn’t be immediately determined whether the victims were tourists or hotel employees. Costa Rican President Laura Chinchilla Miranda met with the National Emergency Council and the International Committee of the Red Cross later in the morning. In a news conference monitored by NBC News, Chinchilla confirmed that several buildings had been damaged in the capital and called on residents of the western coast to remain calm.Power was out in Puntarenas, capital of the province of the same name, where Monsignor Sanabria Hospital was evacuated for a structural review amid visible signs of damage. A bridge over the Sucio River collapsed in the town of Sarapiqui, local media reported. Some roads were blocked by landslides, and the Red Cross said rescue teams were unable to reach some areas.
A powerful earthquake rocked Costa Rica on Wednesday, causing the deaths of at least two people, damaging buildings, and briefly triggering a tsunami warning. Unconfirmed media reports of people being treated for injuries. A spokesman for the local Red Cross said two people died during the earthquake, one from a heart attack. He was not immediately able to confirm media reports the other person had been crushed under a collapsing wall. The center had earlier warned of tsunamis for as far afield as Mexico and Peru. The quake’s epicenter was in western Costa Rica about 87 miles (140 km) from San Jose, the US Geological Survey (USGS) said, and it was felt as far away as Nicaragua and Panama. The Guanacaste region around the epicenter is known for its beaches, surf and volcanoes.
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LISS – Live Internet Seismic Server
GSN Stations
These data update automatically every 30 minutes. Last update: September 6, 2012 09:49:41 UTC
Seismograms may take several moments to load. Click on a plot to see larger image.
CU/ANWB, Willy Bob, Antigua and Barbuda
CU/BBGH, Gun Hill, Barbados
CU/BCIP, Isla Barro Colorado, Panama
CU/GRGR, Grenville, Grenada
CU/GTBY, Guantanamo Bay, Cuba
CU/MTDJ, Mount Denham, Jamaica
CU/TGUH, Tegucigalpa, Honduras
IC/BJT, Baijiatuan, Beijing, China
IC/ENH, Enshi, China
IC/HIA, Hailar, Neimenggu Province, China
IC/LSA, Lhasa, China
IC/MDJ, Mudanjiang, China
IC/QIZ, Qiongzhong, Guangduong Province, China
IU/ADK, Aleutian Islands, Alaska, USA
IU/AFI, Afiamalu, Samoa
IU/ANMO, Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA
IU/ANTO, Ankara, Turkey
IU/BBSR, Bermuda
IU/CASY, Casey, Antarctica
IU/CCM, Cathedral Cave, Missouri, USA
IU/CHTO, Chiang Mai, Thailand
IU/COLA, College Outpost, Alaska, USA
IU/COR, Corvallis, Oregon, USA
IU/CTAO, Charters Towers, Australia
IU/DAV,Davao, Philippines
IU/DWPF,Disney Wilderness Preserve, Florida, USA
IU/FUNA,Funafuti, Tuvalu
IU/GNI, Garni, Armenia
IU/GRFO, Grafenberg, Germany
IU/GUMO, Guam, Mariana Islands
IU/HKT, Hockley, Texas, USA
IU/HNR, Honiara, Solomon Islands
IU/HRV, Adam Dziewonski Observatory (Oak Ridge), Massachusetts, USA
IU/INCN, Inchon, Republic of Korea
IU/JOHN, Johnston Island, Pacific Ocean
IU/KBS, Ny-Alesund, Spitzbergen, Norway
IU/KEV, Kevo, Finland
IU/KIEV, Kiev, Ukraine
IU/KIP, Kipapa, Hawaii, USA
IU/KMBO, Kilima Mbogo, Kenya
IU/KNTN, Kanton Island, Kiribati
IU/KONO, Kongsberg, Norway
IU/KOWA, Kowa, Mali
IU/LCO, Las Campanas Astronomical Observatory, Chile
IU/LSZ, Lusaka, Zambia
IU/LVC, Limon Verde, Chile
IU/MA2, Magadan, Russia
IU/MAJO, Matsushiro, Japan
IU/MAKZ,Makanchi, Kazakhstan
IU/MBWA, Marble Bar, Western Australia
IU/MIDW, Midway Island, Pacific Ocean, USA
IU/NWAO, Narrogin, Australia
IU/OTAV, Otavalo, Ecuador
IU/PAB, San Pablo, Spain
IU/PAYG Puerto Ayora, Galapagos Islands
IU/PET, Petropavlovsk, Russia
IU/PMG, Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea
IU/PMSA, Palmer Station, Antarctica
IU/POHA, Pohakaloa, Hawaii
IU/PTCN, Pitcairn Island, South Pacific
IU/PTGA, Pitinga, Brazil
IU/QSPA, South Pole, Antarctica
IU/RAO, Raoul, Kermadec Islands
IU/RAR, Rarotonga, Cook Islands
IU/RCBR, Riachuelo, Brazil
IU/RSSD, Black Hills, South Dakota, USA
IU/SAML, Samuel, Brazil
IU/SBA, Scott Base, Antarctica
IU/SDV, Santo Domingo, Venezuela
IU/SFJD, Sondre Stromfjord, Greenland
IU/SJG, San Juan, Puerto Rico
IU/SLBS, Sierra la Laguna Baja California Sur, Mexico
000
WEPA40 PHEB 051702
TSUPAC
TSUNAMI BULLETIN NUMBER 004
PACIFIC TSUNAMI WARNING CENTER/NOAA/NWS
ISSUED AT 1702Z 05 SEP 2012
THIS BULLETIN APPLIES TO AREAS WITHIN AND BORDERING THE PACIFIC
OCEAN AND ADJACENT SEAS...EXCEPT ALASKA...BRITISH COLUMBIA...
WASHINGTON...OREGON AND CALIFORNIA.
... TSUNAMI WARNING CANCELLATION ...
THE TSUNAMI WARNING AND/OR WATCH ISSUED BY THE PACIFIC TSUNAMI
WARNING CENTER IS NOW CANCELLED FOR
COSTA RICA / PANAMA / NICARAGUA
THIS BULLETIN IS ISSUED AS ADVICE TO GOVERNMENT AGENCIES. ONLY
NATIONAL AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT AGENCIES HAVE THE AUTHORITY TO MAKE
DECISIONS REGARDING THE OFFICIAL STATE OF ALERT IN THEIR AREA AND
ANY ACTIONS TO BE TAKEN IN RESPONSE.
AN EARTHQUAKE HAS OCCURRED WITH THESE PRELIMINARY PARAMETERS
ORIGIN TIME - 1442Z 05 SEP 2012
COORDINATES - 9.9 NORTH 85.5 WEST
DEPTH - 46 KM
LOCATION - OFF COAST OF COSTA RICA
MAGNITUDE - 7.6
MEASUREMENTS OR REPORTS OF TSUNAMI WAVE ACTIVITY
GAUGE LOCATION LAT LON
------------------- ----- ------
ACAJUTLA SV 13.6N 89.8W NO TSUNAMI WAS OBSERVED
LAT - LATITUDE (N-NORTH, S-SOUTH)
LON - LONGITUDE (E-EAST, W-WEST)
TIME - TIME OF THE MEASUREMENT (Z IS UTC IS GREENWICH TIME)
AMPL - TSUNAMI AMPLITUDE MEASURED RELATIVE TO NORMAL SEA LEVEL.
IT IS ...NOT... CREST-TO-TROUGH WAVE HEIGHT.
VALUES ARE GIVEN IN BOTH METERS(M) AND FEET(FT).
PER - PERIOD OF TIME IN MINUTES(MIN) FROM ONE WAVE TO THE NEXT.
EVALUATION
ALTHOUGH SEA LEVEL READINGS DO NOT INDICATE THAT A TSUNAMI WAS
GENERATED... THERE MAY HAVE BEEN DESTRUCTIVE WAVES ALONG COASTS
NEAR THE EARTHQUAKE EPICENTER.
FOR THOSE AREAS - WHEN NO MAJOR WAVES ARE OBSERVED FOR TWO HOURS
AFTER THE ESTIMATED TIME OF ARRIVAL OR DAMAGING WAVES HAVE NOT
OCCURRED FOR AT LEAST TWO HOURS THEN LOCAL AUTHORITIES CAN ASSUME
THE THREAT IS PASSED. DANGER TO BOATS AND COASTAL STRUCTURES CAN
CONTINUE FOR SEVERAL HOURS DUE TO RAPID CURRENTS. AS LOCAL
CONDITIONS CAN CAUSE A WIDE VARIATION IN TSUNAMI WAVE ACTION THE
ALL CLEAR DETERMINATION MUST BE MADE BY LOCAL AUTHORITIES.
NO TSUNAMI THREAT EXISTS FOR OTHER COASTAL AREAS IN THE PACIFIC
ALTHOUGH SOME OTHER AREAS MAY EXPERIENCE SMALL SEA LEVEL CHANGES.
THE TSUNAMI WARNING IS NOW CANCELLED FOR ALL AREAS COVERED BY
THIS CENTER.
THIS WILL BE THE FINAL BULLETIN ISSUED FOR THIS EVENT UNLESS
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION BECOMES AVAILABLE.
THE WEST COAST/ALASKA TSUNAMI WARNING CENTER WILL ISSUE PRODUCTS
FOR ALASKA...BRITISH COLUMBIA...WASHINGTON...OREGON...CALIFORNIA.
Clouds of volcanic ash from Anak Krakatau, or child of Krakatau, have become so prominent in recent days that Indonesian authorities have issued a warning for local residents and tourists. âThe ash was carried by wind from the southeast to the south, reaching Bandarlampung,â Nurhuda, head of the observation and information section of the Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) in Lampung province told state news agency Antara. The major population center of Bandarlampung is the capital of the Lampung province and is the same distance from the volcano as the Indonesian capital of Jakarta. âWe also advise fishermen and tourists not to come within a radius of 3 kilometers of Anak Krakatau. The thick plumes of smoke sent off by Krakatau contain toxic material that is hazardous for your health,â said Andi Suhardi, head of the Anak Krakatau observation post in Hargo Pancuran village. Officials advised residents to wear masks when traveling outdoors to protect themselves against the ash. Short term effects of volcanic ash could include respiratory discomfort, including nose and throat irritation. Those with pre-existing respiratory conditions could be susceptible to more long term effects.In addition to having negative effects on the human population, volcanic ash has also been proven to be harmful to livestock. The ash has been observed causing cosmetic damage, such as abrasion of the teeth, as well as more dire impacts like fluorine poisoning from the heightened levels of hydrogen fluoride found in volcanic debris. Following the 1995 Mount Ruapehu eruptions in New Zealand, two thousand sheep died after being affected by fluorosis while grazing on land littered with the ash. The added weight of ash in the animalsâ wool also led to widespread fatigue affecting the flocks. Observations of Anak Krakatau could be hinting toward a major eruption as the volcanology office in Bandung has recorded almost 90 eruptions per day over the past week. In addition, Nurhuda added that the volcano has been observed spewing red hot lava up almost 1000 feet above its peak in recent days. A major eruption of the tiny island volcano would be the first one for Indonesia since the eruption of Mount Merapi. In October 2010, the Indonesian government sounded the alarm regarding Mount Merapi and warned villagers in threatened areas to move to safe areas. The evacuation orders affected at least 19,000 people, but by the time volcanic activity had subsided, over 350,000 people were displaced.The eruptions would eventually claim the lives of 353 people with a number of victims succumbing to severe burns and some bodies being found on the volcanoâs slopes. The mountain continued to erupt until November 2010 and on December 3rd the official alert status was reduced to level 3, from level 4, the highest possible level. After the eruptions at Mount Merapi subsided, officials declared them the worst the country had seen since the 1870s. In addition to death, damage and displacement, the volcanic activity also disrupted air travel, grounding flights from Indonesia and Australia for over a month.
The Fuego volcano in central Guatemala is continuing to erupt, shooting lava and columns of ash into the air, and causing concerns of a possible ash cloud that could halt flights in the area. The volcano overlooks the tourist city of Antigua and is one of central America’s most active volcanoes. Lava flows of around 1000m are being spewed out down the west and east sides of the volcano. No evacuations have been ordered, but aviation authorities have been alerted about a potential ash cloud, and air traffic is expected to be hindered.
A severe weather watch is in place for Canterbury today, after Christchurch was hit by freakish weather last night leaving conservatories damaged and lifting a roof off a house.
Emergency services in Christchurch were kept on their toes when lightning, thunder, rain and hail the size of golf balls hit the region shortly after 6pm. It finished just after 7pm.
MetService said that the weather watch covers the possibility of northwesterlies gusting to severe gale strength at times in inland parts of Canterbury, Otago and Southland from late Wednesday through Thursday.
The Fire Service received about 20 callouts during and after the storm last night, about damage to roofs and conservatories from the hail, but many were false alarms triggered by the weather.
“Two conservatories collapsed because of the hail, and we had to assist one family whose roof had begun to lift,” a Fire Service spokesman told NZ Newswire.
The spectacular show could be seen and heard over most of the city, with MetService reporting more than 200 lightning flashes during the storm.
Joy Hartley-Anderson commented on the ONE News Facebook page that the storm “was awesome”.
“Just something special for us from mother nature to mark the two year anniversary of shaking the crap out of us.. ,” she posted.
On September 4, 2010, a 7.1 magnitude earthquake shook the ground beneath Christchurch more strongly than it had for thousands of years.
Flo Brown posted that the weather display was “amazing” and a “very special light display”.
However, Tania Ake said it was “pretty bad at Redwood” and freaked her out.
The storm caused a power outage in the Southbridge, but electricity company Orion managed to restore power to all but four customers.
The last time Canterbury had a hail storm of this size, there were a huge number of insurance claims for hail damage on vehicles.
Meanwhile, MetService said strong westerlies should remain over central New Zealand this morning.
The forecaster said westerlies could become severe gale strength at times in central Hawkes Bay and northern Wairarapa this morning.
Today
Extreme Weather
USA
State of Kentucky, [Louisville and Jeffersonville]
A severe thunderstorm rumbled through the region Wednesday afternoon, knocking out power for more than 6,000 people in Jefferson County and causing temporary flooding of some Louisville streets. Lightning strikes from the storm caused two house fires in Jefferson County, said Jody Johnson Duncan, a spokeswoman for MetroSafe Communications. The fires, at 2201 Deveron Drive in Shively and 7007 Windham Parkway in Prospect, were reported between 3:30 and 4:30 p.m. No injuries were reported from the fires. The storm also caused several blown electrical transformers and knocked down wires around the city, Johnson Duncan said. Two people had to be rescued from their vehicles after driving into high water at South 7th Street and Berry Boulevard. The Jefferson County Public Schools delayed releasing elementary students while the storm passed through, said Rick Caple, the transportation director. The weather service issued a severe thunderstorm warning for the storm, which it said was capable of producing damaging winds of more than 60 mph. The Metropolitan Sewer District, which tracks rainfall closely at several monitors, said that the storm produced 1.25 inches of rain in about 30 minutes, with some areas getting up to a half inch in as little as five minutes. Water pressure from the storm blew the covers off about 10 manholes, but all MSD storm water and sewer facilities were operating after the storm, said MSD spokesman Steve Tedder. He said a few pumping stations used backup power. Several trees were reported down in Jeffersonville, the weather service said. A weather spotter also reported a large tree down on a railroad track in Anchorage and another person reported on Facebook that a small car was crushed at Woodbourne Avenue. More than 6,000 electric customers in Jefferson County were without service at 6 p.m., according to Louisville Gas & Electric. The outages were spread across the county, with the outages tracking the path of the storm. The weather service also issued a tornado warning for northeastern Shelby County that was in effect until 5:05 p.m. There were no immediate reports of tornadoes.
An overnight wind storm with gusts of over 100 miles an hour at high elevations knocked out power to at least half of Alaska’s largest city in the biggest outage in Anchorage’s center in decades, municipal and utility officials said on Wednesday. “It’s incredibly substantial. A huge proportion of Anchorage is affected,” said Dawn Brantley, emergency program manager for the Municipality of Anchorage. She said she did not know yet what percentage of the city overall had been affected but called the outage the biggest for downtown Anchorage in decades. Electricity was cut to at least half of Anchorage, including nearly all customers of the utility that serves the central part of the city, the officials said. Tens of thousands of homes and businesses remained without power by midday on Wednesday, Brantley said. Both of Anchorage’s electrical utilities, city-owned Municipal Light and Power and member-owned Chugach Electric Association, suffered outages. Power outages caused schools, local colleges and state offices to close on Wednesday. Access to Joint Base Elemendorf-Richardson was limited to essential workers. But municipal offices were open, Brantley said. The storm knocked down large trees and caused some property damage, but no storm-related injuries were reported, she said.
(Francisco Seco/ Associated Press ) – A firefighter steps back while working to douse a fire in Alvaiazere, center Portugal, Tuesday, Sept. 4, 2012. A Portuguese official says authorities have asked other European countries to send help as the country’s firefighters struggle to contain forest blazes being fueled by high temperatures and strong winds. More than 1,700 firefighters, almost 500 vehicles and 13 aircraft fought blazes mostly in the north of the country.
By Associated Press, Published: September 4
LISBON, Portugal — Water-dumping aircraft from Spain and France on Tuesday joined Portugal’s battle to halt the spread of wildfires through thick woodland in the country’s north left tinder-dry by months of drought.Spain and France sent two aircraft each, Portugal’s Civil Protection Service said, a day after authorities appealed for help for fire crews struggling to contain blazes amid high temperatures and strong winds.
At mid-afternoon Tuesday, the Civil Protection Service said just over 1,000 firefighters were tackling 10 blazes in steep hills and dense forests in northern Portugal.More than 350 vehicles and 19 aircraft, including those from Spain and France, were on duty, it said on its website.Interior Minister Miguel Macedo met with national fire officials at their command center just outside Lisbon and said the temperatures above 30 degrees Celsius (86 Fahrenheit), high winds and difficult terrain “have produced what firefighters call a perfect storm.”He said the difficult conditions were forecast to continue another 48 hours.Portugal is in the grip of one of its worst droughts in recent memory. At the end of July, 58 percent of Portugal was enduring extreme drought conditions and 26 percent was in severe drought, the two highest classifications, according to the Meteorological Institute.The lack of rain has left forests vulnerable. Between January and July, fires scorched some 67,000 hectares (165,550 acres) of forest and scrubland — triple the amount recorded in the same period last year, the National Forest Authority said in its latest report.The Civil Protection Service said firefighters extinguished two major forest blazes that had burned for more than 30 hours from Sunday and claimed the life of one person.In remote villages, locals used buckets and garden hoses to douse flames encroaching on their homes as black smoke billowed across blue skies.Despite the difficulties, Tuesday was quieter than the previous day when more than 7,300 firefighters and almost 2,000 vehicles attended 289 major forest blazes.The largest outbreak was in Ourem, near Leiria, where a blaze that started midday Sunday killed a 54-year-old farmer trying to protect his property. That fire was brought under control early Tuesday.
The 6 hurricanes so far in 2012 matches the average number in an entire season slightly less than half way through. NOAA’s updated hurricane forecast called for 5-8 hurricanes, 2 to 3 of which would be major (category 3 or higher). So far, there have been no major hurricanes.
While forecasting hurricane intensity is highly uncertain, Leslie has the potential to strengthen into a major hurricane. By Saturday, the National Hurricane Center predicts its peak winds will be 110 mph – which is right at the major hurricane threshold (category 3 storms have maximum winds of at least 111 mph).
We’ll have more on Leslie and the rest of the tropics tomorrow.
The extremely active 2012 Atlantic hurricane season continues. Leslie and Michael are swirling in the open sea, while a piece of Isaac’s remnants might regenerate into tropical storm Nadine.
Model forecasts for tropical storm Leslie steer it towards Bermuda Saturday into SundayBermuda, Nova Scotia and Newfoundland need to be on-guard for possible impacts from Leslie. The northern Gulf Coast should keep an eye on the ghost of Isaac.
Leslie
In the past six days, Leslie has been in a moderate-to-high shear environment, limiting its intensity, but not dismantling it. Now, models are in fairly good agreement that the shear should subside and the storm will finally become a hurricane.
While the track remains far off the U.S. East Coast, Leslie could impact Bermuda later this weekend, and likely as a rather strong hurricane.
The latest suite of model runs keeps a tight cluster centered on the tiny island. At 11 a.m. this morning, Leslie’s maximum sustained winds were 70 mph; it was centered about 470 miles south-southeast of Bermuda and drifting north at 2mph. In the longer term, Nova Scotia and Newfoundland need to be on the lookout.
Michael
Michael formed on Monday afternoon as a depression, but was quickly upgraded to the 13th named storm of the season on Tuesday morning.
It’s a very small system, with tropical storm force winds extending just 35 miles from the center (recall Isaac’s typically extended about 200 miles from the center). It is very far from any land, but the best reference point would be the Azores islands, 1155 miles to the northeast.
Michael is a 50 mph tropical storm and is not forecast to change much in the coming days… perhaps gradually strengthening as it meanders generally northward.
Isaac/Nadine
Finally, in an unusual fashion, the remnants of Isaac may be making a comeback… over the northern Gulf coast!
Tracing the low-level circulation (850mb vorticity – area of spin about 5,000 feet aloft) over the past week reveals a complex history of what was once Hurricane Isaac. After moving inland across Louisiana, Arkansas, and Missouri, the circulation was distorted and ripped apart by a trough.
I simplified the events that transpired in the crude diagram shown here (to the right). Sometime around Monday, it appears that a part of the circulation split off to the northeast and a part split off to the south. This was not a clean separation, and someone else might analyze the circulation tracks slightly differently. But the basic point is that there is a disturbance re-entering the northern Gulf of Mexico that has some of Isaac in its “genes”. However, should this disturbance become a tropical storm, it would get a new name – Nadine – because there is not enough of Isaac’s circulation in its pedigree. As the National Hurricane Center described on its Facebook page:
There have been quite a few inquiries about whether the name “Isaac” would be given to the area of disturbed weather currently located along the northern coast of the Gulf of Mexico, if it were to develop into a tropical cyclone. The short answer is no, it would get a new name.
As of this morning, the disturbance is certainly active and producing heavy rain (regional radar loop) across parts of LA, MS, AL, and FL, but the bulk of the thunderstorm activity is offshore. For the most part, model guidance suggests that it will continue to drift toward the Gulf, then get nudged back east toward northern Florida… making “landfall” this weekend. Even if it doesn’t get named or develop beyond what it is now, it should still be a big rain maker for the northeast Gulf coast over the next few days.
We’re also already on the 13th named storm as of September 4th, which isn’t a record, but it’s really close. The only years to beat that date are 2005 and 2011 when the 13th named storm formed on September 2nd. Since records began 160 years ago, only about 8% of years even reach the 13th named storm by the END of the season, let alone prior to the peak.
But, in terms of major hurricanes (Category 3+), this season is definitely lagging behind its peers. By this date in 2005, we already had three major hurricanes (Dennis, Emily, and Katrina), and by this date in 2011, we had one major hurricane (Katia). This year, we have had none.
* Brian McNoldy is a senior researcher at the University of Miami’s Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science.
The aftermath of Hurricane Isaac has washed ashore tens of thousands of dead “swamp rats,” invasive species whose rotting corpses are now presenting a health hazard in Mississippi.
The drowned rodents, known as nutria, are a stark reminder of the effects of hurricanes on wildlife, which can range from mass death to – surprisingly enough – dolphin baby booms. In the case of the nutria, the drownings may be a blessing for the Gulf Coast, where the beaver-like creatures wreck havoc on native marsh vegetation.
The clean-up, though, is proving unpleasant.
“They’re actually starting to swell up and bust,” Hancock County Supervisor David Yarborough told local news station WLOX. “It smells really bad.”
Nutria aren’t the only animals to suffer after hurricanes. A study of alligators in southwest Louisiana after Hurricane Rita hit in 2005 found that the reptiles were physically stressed a month after the initial storm surge inundated their marshy habitat. Blood tests on the gators showed elevated stress hormones as well as other signs of ill health, the researchers reported in February 2010 in the Journal of Experimental Zoology Part A: Ecological Genetics and Physiology.
Research on Florida manatees has suggested that docile “sea cows” die more frequently during years with extreme storms, perhaps due to immediate causes like getting swept out to sea, or perhaps due to post-hurricane environmental changes such as cooling in coastal waters, according to a 2006 paper published in the journal Estuaries and Coasts. That study tracked a handful of manatees through the 2004 and 2005 hurricane seasons and found that the animals tended to “ride out” the storms in place rather than attempt to avoid them.
Other studies have found changes in fish populations right after hurricanes, as well as changes in phytoplankton, the algal basis of the ocean food chain, though these changes are short-lived. Sometimes, though, hurricane effects echo over long time periods. A 2010 study on bottlenose dolphins found that two years after Hurricane Katrina, the number of baby dolphins in the Gulf of Mexico suddenly skyrocketed.
Some of the jump could be explained by dolphin mamas getting pregnant sooner than usual after losing their previous calves in the storm, the researchers reported in the journal Marine Mammal Science. But the storm had another effect: It destroyed a significant chunk of the Gulf of Mexico fishing fleet. Fewer fishermen meant more food for dolphins and their young, the researchers concluded.
Nutria death zone
Mississippi’s nutria population took a hit from Isaac. Sanitation workers have been cleaning up the carcasses with pitchforks and front-end loaders.
“Estimates are there will be over 20,000 carcasses, but that is unclear now,” Robbie Wilbur, a spokesman for the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality, told LiveScience. “Eventually, the totals will be numerated in tons when they’re all disposed.”
The carcasses are being sent to the Pecan Grove landfill in Harrison County, Miss., Wilbur added.
“It’s starting to get bad,” said Mark Williams of the Department of Environmental Quality’s Solid Waste Management branch. “It’s heated up over the last two or three days, and of course that really expedites the degradation process.”
Nutria are native to South America, but the rodents were brought to North America in the late 1800s and farmed for their fur. Escaped and released nutria established themselves in the marshes of the Gulf Coast, where they gnaw the roots of marsh plants, destroying the vegetal web that keeps the marshes from washing away.
Hurricane Isaac likely won’t set Mississippi’s nutria population back for long. Nutria can produce litters with as many as 13 babies, and they’re capable of reproducing twice a year starting at as early as four months of age. Baby nutria begin supplementing their mother’s milk with marsh vegetation within hours of birth.
Thousands of homes were without power across Perth this afternoon in the aftermath of a cold front that lashed the city today.
A Western Power spokeswoman said thousands of homes had without power at different times during the day, but the number was steadily decreasing.
Midland, Upper Swan and Pickering Brook were the worst affected areas.
Many home owners are tonight counting the cost of damage caused by the storm.
Nine News reports that a lightning strike caused a fire at a house in Bellevue caused more than $100,000 in damage, while wild winds brought down trees, including one in Forrestfield that crushed a car.
Meanwhile, the Bureau of Meteorology warns that widespread damaging winds could tonight affect areas in a line south from Augusta to Lake Grace to Israelite Bay, including people in or near Bridgetown, Albany, Katanning and Esperance.
A deep low south of Bremer Bay will move eastwards during the evening, producing winds up to 100km/h which could result in damage to homes and property.
Dangerous gusts in excess of 125 km/h could cause significant damage or destruction to homes and property in localised areas.
Isolated thunderstorms and small hail is also possible.
The Bureau warned of dangerous surf conditions which could cause significant beach erosion.
Broad cold front sweeps over Western Australia
A cold front, which crossed the coast from Geraldton, 450km north of Perth, to Bremer Bay, 500km southeast, late yesterday brought widespread heavy rains and hail today.
There were numerous reports of small, but intense hailstorms across the metro area, including the city, Ellenbrook, Woodvale and Midland to the east.
One PerthNow commenter, from Midland, said a fierce hailstorm had left the ground white, as if it had snowed.
Today’s cold, wintry weather comes after yesterday’s strong cold front brought squally thunderstorms packing potential wind gusts up to 125km/h which swept across the South West and metropolitan area yesterday afternoon, hitting areas from Geraldton to Narrogin to Albany last night.
The State Emergency Service received 35 calls for help during and after the storm, mainly in the metro area for minor damage to homes and fallen trees on patios.
Heavy rain in South-West, Perth Hills
In the South West Forest Grove recorded 50mm, Cowaramup 47mm; Witchcliffe, just south of Margaret River, and Donnybrook had 43mm; Cape Naturaliste 33mm and Bunbury 27mm, with many centres receiving 20mm or more.
Further north, Dwellingup, 97km south of Perth, got 52mm; Bickley in the Perth Hills received a drenching with 67mm; Swanbourne 41mm and Jandakot 33mm. Perth city recorded 27mm and Perth Airport 31mm.
Most stations in the Hills received 40mm or more, with Pickering Brook 56mm; Karnet and Mundaring 46mm.
Strong winds buffeted most of the South West and the city with gusts recorded over 100km/h. Mandurah had a gust of 102km/h and Rottnest Island 96km/h.
Good rainfalls reached most of the Wheatbelt with farmers welcoming much-needed falls of 15mm to 30mm to boost yields on all grain crops.
In the Central West, Dandaragan had 24mm; Badgingarra 22mm, Northampton 18mm, Mingenew 17mm; and Morawa 11mm, with Geraldton Airport recording just over 8mm. But much of the region received 15mm or more.
In the Great Southern Wandering got 35mm, Williams 27mm, Katanning 25mm, Narrogin 24mm, Brookton 21mm and Lake Grace 10mm.
In the Central Wheatbelt, where farmers are desperate for rain, York got 26mm, Wongan Hills 17mm; Northam 16mm.
Sheep farmers warning
Sheep farmers in the Lower West, Great Southern, Southwest, South Coastal,Southeast Coastal, and the southern parts of the Central Wheat Belt and Central West districts are advised that wet and windy conditions are expected during Tuesday as a deep low pressure system moves to the south of the state. There is a serious risk of sheep or lamb losses.
A hailstorm has battered Johannesburg, with several road accidents being reported. Radio 702’s early morning show has been inundated with calls and SMSes from people reporting heavy hail and rain. Several said road conditions were very poor and urged motorists to drive with extreme caution. Presenter Ray White said he had heard of a fatal accident in Randfontein. A caller said she was stuck behind a three-car pile-up. One man, calling from Rosebank, said: “It’s white, white, white.” Another woman said that even though she was driving at 50km/h, her brakes were not working because of the slipperiness of the roads. On Twitter at 5.57am, the SA Weather Service posted this warning: “Severe thunderstorm over N. Joburg and Centurion with possible heavy falls that might lead to road flooding within the next 30min.”
Heavy rain and a high tide caused flooded streets in Fall River on Wednesday. Trucks, cars and ambulances tried to navigate streets that looked more like rivers. Flash floods forced people to abandon cars and even trapped some people inside Bruce Morrow’s sporting goods store. “We were inside and people all of a sudden the people inside said, ‘Hey the water is coming in the doors,’” said Morrow. Close to 40 people were trapped in the store during the torrential downpour and flash flooding. “He told us we could leave, but where were we going to go? Honestly, the water was all the way up. Where were you going to go? Swim across to a truck that’s submerged?” said Melonie O’Brien, who was trapped in the store. Some drivers plowed through flooded streets, leaving small wakes in their path. Roads were closed; cars were diverted or abandoned in the middle of the madness. “My car is here. Now I have to walk to work because I can’t get by anywhere,” said Shannon Sousa, who abandoned her car. “Just made it here, but all over it’s completely flooded. It’s ridiculous. It’s like the whole city is shut down right now.” The ramp to 24 at Exit 8A was waterlogged and closed to traffic. The only way people were getting around at the height of the storm was on foot and without shoes. Everything in the town was soaked. “This is the worst it’s ever been in the last 22 years since we’ve been here. Just two weeks ago it was almost this bad. This is the worst,” said John Norfolk, who is cleaning up after his store flooded. The Red Cross is on the scene trying to help some of the stores and businesses that have been drenched with the torrential rains.
Torrential rains and floods yesterday killed at least 15 people in Pakistan, officials said. Pakistan-administered Kashmir in the north and the southern port city of Karachi were among the worst-hit areas. Police officer Malik Shafiq said “13 people, including three women, were swept away” by a flooded stream in Machhera village, about 35kms from the Kahmir capital Muzaffarabad. “So far we recovered one body while efforts were underway to find others,” Shafiq said. Rescue work was underway, he added. He adding there were also reports of landslide in the area. “The water level is still very high and has hampered the rescue operation. It seems that there is no chance for any survival,” Ansar Yaqoob, a senior government official added. Two people died when the roof of their house collapsed due to rain in the Hafizabad district of Punjab province. Police said more people were still trapped under the debris. In Karachi, prolonged power cuts and gridlocks were reported after heavy rainfall as officials struggled to restore electricity to the financial hub with a population of more than 18mn. Chief meteorologist Arif Mehmood said his department had forecast heavier monsoon rains than the previous year.
A steam leak brought on by an involuntary chemical reaction at France’s oldest nuclear plant has led to two people being slightly burnt, officials say. The accident occurred at the Fessenheim nuclear power plant in northeastern France within 1.5 kilometres of the border with Germany and about 40 kilometres from Switzerland. “It was not a fire,” the local prefecture said. “There was an outlet of oxygenated steam” produced after hydrogen peroxide reacted with water in a reservoir. About 50 firefighters have been deployed, an official from the service said. French power supplier EDF said “two people were slightly burnt through their gloves.”
Five people in the Auckland region have been diagnosed with potentially fatal meningococcal disease in the past week. Auckland Regional Public Health Service said no-one had died from it and no links between the cases had been established. Since January, 16 people in Auckland have contracted meningococcal disease – less than the 23 patients diagnosed with it during the same period in 2011. The last death from meningococcal disease reported in Auckland was in August last year. Meningococcal disease can be life threatening if it is not treated early. The health service is encouraging Aucklanders to remain alert for flu-like symptoms that become worse within two or three days. On Monday, a Wellington teenager died from suspected meningococcal disease. It is the first suspected meningococcal death in that region this year. Amanda Crook-Barker had the day off school after feeling “a little bit sick”. The 12-year-old vomited in the morning and developed a rash around 3pm. Ambulance staff were called after her symptoms worsened and she died in hospital at 5pm.
Biohazard name:
Neisseria meningitidis
Biohazard level:
3/4 Hight
Biohazard desc.:
Bacteria and viruses that can cause severe to fatal disease in humans, but for which vaccines or other treatments exist, such as anthrax, West Nile virus, Venezuelan equine encephalitis, SARS virus, variola virus (smallpox), tuberculosis, typhus, Rift Valley fever, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, yellow fever, and malaria. Among parasites Plasmodium falciparum, which causes Malaria, and Trypanosoma cruzi, which causes trypanosomiasis, also come under this level.
Meteoroids streaking through the atmospheres of planets such as Earth, Mars and Venus can change these worlds’ air, in ways that researchers are just now beginning to understand.
Most planetary atmospheres are made up of simple, low-mass elements and compounds such as carbon dioxide, oxygen and nitrogen. But when a debris particle, or meteoroid, passes through, it can shed heavier, more exotic elements such as magnesium, silicon and iron.
Such elements can have a significant impact on the circulation and dynamics of winds in the atmosphere, researchers say.
“That opens up a whole new network of chemical pathways not usually there,” said Paul Withers of Boston University.
Contaminating the outer layers
Part of a planet’s upper atmosphere, the ionosphere contains plasma – a mixture of positively charged (ionized) atoms or molecules and the negatively charged electrons stripped from them. When simple elements such as oxygen move into this outer shell, they break apart easily, decaying in a matter of minutes.
But meteoroids streaking toward a planet’s surface carry heavier metals that can be removed in a variety of ways. A grain of dust, for instance, may rapidly burn up, shedding already-ionized magnesium as it falls. Or, neutral magnesium may be torn from the small rock, then receive a charge from sunlight or from stripping an electron from another particle. The newly charged elements can take as much as a full day to decay.
Meteoroids that blaze a trail through the atmosphere are called meteors, or shooting stars. Only those that make it to the ground are meteorites.
“When we add metal ions to the ionosphere as a result of this meteoroid input, we create plasma in regions where there wasn’t any plasma there to start out with,” Withers told SPACE.com.
In a recent article for Eos, the American Geophysical Union’s newspaper covering Earth and space sciences, Withers discusses important questions raised by the recent wealth of research on the upper atmosphere of Mars and Venus.
Shocking similarities, strange differences
Over the last decade, scientists have collected more and more information about the ionospheres of Mars and Venus. Though one might envision the composition and location of the two planets would create different interactions in the ionosphere, the two are actually very similar, scientists say.
“If you stand at the surface of the two planets, they are very different,” Withers said. “But up at about 100 kilometers (62 miles), conditions are surprisingly similar.”
The pressures, temperatures, and chemistry at high altitudes are comparable for the two planets. So too are many of the properties of the layers of charged particles shed by meteoroids.
“The plasma densities are quite similar on average on all three planets, which is not what you might expect on the first impression,” Withers said, referring to Earth, Mars and Venus.
Since the sun is the ultimate driving force for most ionization processes, it’s tempting to assume that Venus has more particles in a given area than Mars does because it orbits twice as closely to our star. Instead, the two planets have similar densities, which differ from Earth’s measurements by only a factor of ten.
At the same time, the layers affected by the meteoroids on Earth are very narrow, maybe only a mile or two wide, while Venus and Mars both have layers stretching six to eight miles.
According to Withers, the difference may come from the presence of Earth’s strong magnetic field, a feature lacking on the other two planets. But scientists aren’t certain how much of a role the field actually plays.
Finding the source
To study Earth’s ionosphere, scientists can launch rockets to take measurements in the region. But the process is more complicated for other planets.
As a spacecraft travels through the solar system, a targeted radio signal sent back to Earth can be aimed through the ionosphere of a nearby planet. Plasma in the ionosphere causes small but detectable changes in the signal that allow scientists to learn about the upper atmosphere.
This process – known as radio occultation – doesn’t require any fancy equipment, only the radio the craft already uses to communicate with scientists on Earth.
“It’s really one of the workhorse planetary science instruments,” Withers said.
Because it is so simple, the process has been applied to every planet ever visited by spacecraft.
Only in recent years has enough data come back on Venus and Mars to seriously examine their upper atmospheres. As of yet, no numerical simulations have been created to explain some of the differences, but Withers expressed hope that this would change in the near future. Such simulations could help answer some of the questions that the observations have raised.
Withers also hopes that, in time, a detailed understanding of the ionosphere could even help scientists engage in a kind of “atmospheric archeology” for Venus and Mars.
One day, scientists may be able to track the history of comets in the solar system by measuring how planetary atmospheres have been affected by the icy wanderers’ shed dust and gas. But conclusions drawn by this sort of sleuthing are probably a ways down the road, Withers said.
A new strain of avian flu virus that was found in China two months ago has appeared in Vietnam, health experts have confirmed. The new strain, 2.3.2.1 C, which has been detected through epidemic investigations, is highly toxic and therefore extremely deadly, Diep Kinh Tan, Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, said at a meeting on September 4 to review the epidemic situation. The 2.3.2.1 C strain has recently spread to Vietnam and is now present in affected areas in seven provinces and cities, namely Haiphong, Ha Tinh, Ninh Binh, Nam Dinh, Bac Kan, Thanh Hoa and Quang Ngai, said Hoang Van Nam, head of the Department of Animal Health (DoAH). As the new strain is different from the A/H5N1 virus, the ministry is to conduct experiments and tests to confirm if the vaccines that are being used to combat A/H5N1 are also effective against the new strain.If the existing medication is ineffective, studies on new vaccines against the new strain should be conducted soon, Tan said, adding that he has asked the DoAH to isolate the virus for this purpose. The Central Veterinary Diagnosis Center is also monitoring and looking into the new strain to help find a specific medication against it. The avian flu has so far this year severely impacted the seven above-mentioned provinces and cities, with more than 181,000 ducks and chicken having died or been culled, the DoAH reported. Most of these provinces are involved in smuggling poultry from China that might have carried pathogens that were then spread to domestic poultry, the department said.
Biohazard name:
H5N1 (2.3.2.1 C) – Very highly pathogenic avian influenza virus – New strain
Biohazard level:
4/4 Hazardous
Biohazard desc.:
Viruses and bacteria that cause severe to fatal disease in humans, and for which vaccines or other treatments are not available, such as Bolivian and Argentine hemorrhagic fevers, H5N1(bird flu), Dengue hemorrhagic fever, Marburg virus, Ebola virus, hantaviruses, Lassa fever, Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever, and other hemorrhagic or unidentified diseases. When dealing with biological hazards at this level the use of a Hazmat suit and a self-contained oxygen supply is mandatory. The entrance and exit of a Level Four biolab will contain multiple showers, a vacuum room, an ultraviolet light room, autonomous detection system, and other safety precautions designed to destroy all traces of the biohazard. Multiple airlocks are employed and are electronically secured to prevent both doors opening at the same time. All air and water service going to and coming from a Biosafety Level 4 (P4) lab will undergo similar decontamination procedures to eliminate the possibility of an accidental release.
Symptoms:
Status:
confirmed
06.09.2012
Biological Hazard
Canada
Province of Ontario, [From Port Stanley in Elgin County to the village of Morpeth in Chatham-Kent]
Tens of thousands of rotting fish are lining a 40-kilometre stretch of shoreline along Lake Erie, reports the provincial environment ministry, which is investigating the cause. A spokesperson for the Ontario Ministry of Environment said Tuesday the kill was reported on the weekend. So far it appears the fish may have died from the affects of a naturally occurring lake inversion rather than a spill, but cautioned the investigation is continuing. The question now is which agency is responsible for cleaning up the rotting carcasses of thousands of yellow perch, carp, sheepshead, catfish, big head buffalo and suckers, which kept untold beachgoers from enjoying their Labour Day weekend. “It (the water) was quite putrid really … I had never experienced anything like this,” said Neville Knowles, of London, Ont. and cottager at Rondeau Provincial Park for more than 50 years. The dead fish stretch from west of the fishing village of Port Stanley in Elgin County to the village of Morpeth in Chatham-Kent or just east of Rondeau. “There was a significant number of fish, tens of thousands,” the environment ministry’s Kate Jordan told the Star. Jordan said the ministry officials took fish and water samples for analysis, “but all observations made at the site … did not show anything unusual and we did not see any evidence of … a spill to the lake or man-made pollution … so we are considering natural causes, including a lake inversion.” She explained that an inversion happens when the surface water cools down dramatically, sinks and displaces the bottom layer, which has lower oxygen content. As the bottom layer is displaced, it rises and robs fish of oxygen needed to survive. The phenomenon is also referred to as the lake “rolling over.” Even so, some residents are suspicious just the same that run-off from a large pig operation along the stretch may have caused the fish to die, said Knowles, who quickly added there is nothing to support that position.
Biohazard name:
Mass. Die-off (fishes)
Biohazard level:
0/4 —
Biohazard desc.:
This does not included biological hazard category.
The Coast Guard is investigating about 90 reports of oil and chemical releases associated with Hurricane Isaac, including a leak from a closed storage facility in Plaquemines Parish that killed several brown pelicans, officials said Tuesday. Separately, the Louisiana Department of Wildlife & Fisheries closed a stretch of coastline from Elmer’s Island to Belle Pass after a tar mat appeared in the Gulf of Mexico and tar balls washed ashore. The closure affects commercial and recreational fisheries from the shore to one mile offshore. The agency and Department of Environmental Quality will determine the source of the oil, but its location has stoked concerns that it is remnants of the 2010 Deepwater Horizon explosion and subsequent oil leak. The Coast Guard did not address Tuesday’s coastal closure, which happened hours after senior officers, including Coast Guard Commandant Adm. Robert Papp, held a press conference at Coast Guard Sector New Orleans’s headquarters in Algiers. But Coast Guard officials said that in addition to causing new spills, hurricanes do stir up oil resting the seabed. “It often happens, particularly down here in the Gulf area,” Papp said. Oil samples have been sent to a Coast Guard laboratory in New London, Conn., for analysis, which is expected to take a week, Lt. Lily Zepeda said. The Coast Guard is responding to “several different reports of oil,” including at Myrtle Grove in Plaquemines Parish, said Rear Adm. Roy Nash, commander of the 8th Coast Guard District, whose headquarters is in New Orleans.A “defunct” terminal with storage tanks at Myrtle Grove leaked oil that has been contained, said Capt. Peter Gautier, commander of Coast Guard Sector New Orleans and captain of the port of New Orleans. But the oil contaminated seven or eight brown pelicans. “Several of those are dead,” he said. Other reports range from lose barrels to overturned rail cars and tanks that are not leaking, Gautier said. He also cited a chemical release in Braithwaite, the scene of some of Isaac’s most serious flooding that left two people dead and scores of others homeless when the storm surge topped a parish-owned levee. Incidents reported to the Coast Guard’s National Response Center last week include an oil storage barge carrying 1,646 barrels of crude oil that was missing from an oil production facility in Barataria Bay; a discharge from an offshore platform near South Pass; and a release from a platform near High Island because of an equipment malfunction after the platform was evacuated. U.S. Sen. Mary Landrieu, D-La., also at the press conference, called Isaac’s hovering on the region for 60 hours “unprecedented.”"It could have been a lot worse, considering he infrastructure,” Landrieu said of the region’s petroleum industry. She also used Isaac to renew her call to provide hurricane protection to communities such as Venice in Lower Plaquemines, home to people who work in the offshore industry and maritime commerce. “This is a very strategic area for the United States of America,” Landrieu said. Papp, the senior most Coast Guard officer, said he traveled to the Gulf Coast “to thank my Coast Guard people” for their response to Isaac. He also said Coast Guard personnel stationed in the region were impacted by the storm like everyone else.
A cave-in at a construction site injured eight workers and trapped at least one other in Wuhan, Hubei province, on Wednesday, local authorities said. The collapse happened at 7:30 am in the underground structure of a planned market for home furnishings and building materials in Qiaokou district. A staff member of the market, who declined to give a name, said that the workers were pouring concrete over the roof of the building when the collapse happened. At least one worker remained trapped in the rubble and a search by three teams of firefighters continued, said an official surnamed Tong from the fire control department of Wuhan on Wednesday. The cave-in caused a clutter of steel bars and concrete that made the rescue work difficult, Tong said. Eight injured people pulled from the debris were sent to Wuhan No 10 Hospital for treatment. Six workers were slightly injured and two critically, a doctor at the hospital said. A resident surnamed Wang who lives near the construction site said that he heard a loud bang and felt a tremor when the site collapsed. The construction company for the project is Zhejiang Baoye Construction Group.
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An earthquake early Monday centered in Beverly Hills was upgraded from to 3.2 to 3.3. and was felt around Los Angeles, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
The temblor occurred at 3:26 a.m.
According to the USGS, the epicenter was one mile from West Hollywood, two miles from Century City and eight miles from Los Angeles Civic Center.
The USGS “Do You Feel It” site said the quake was most strongly felt on the Westside but also in the South Bay, downtown L.A. area and the San Fernando Valley.
In the past 10 days, there has been one earthquake magnitude 3.0 and greater centered nearby.
JAKARTA—A strong 6.4-magnitude earthquake struck off the Indonesian resort island of Bali early on Tuesday, but there was no tsunami warning and no immediate reports of damage or injuries.
The quake’s epicentre was at a shallow depth of eight kilometers (five miles), the US Geological Survey said, putting it 278 kilometers south of Denpasar, on Bali. The quake hit at 2:23 am (1823 GMT Monday).
Indonesia sits on the Pacific “Ring of Fire” where continental plates collide, causing frequent seismic and volcanic activity.
Anak Krakatau in the Sunda Strait, 130 kilometers west of Jakarta, was created by the same tectonic forces that led to the 1883 Krakatoa eruption that killed tens of thousands of people. (Reuters Photo)
Bandarlampung. Volcanic ash from the increasingly active Anak Krakatau has reached a number of areas in Lampung, prompting officials on Monday to issue a warning for local residents and tourists.
“The ash was carried by wind from the southeast to the south, reaching Bandarlampung,” Nurhuda, who heads the observation and information section of the Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) in Lampung, said according to state news agency Antara.
Nurhuda said the ash fell over several subdistricts in Bandarlampung, about 130 kilometers away from Anak Krakatau.
“It is rather unusual for the dust to be this thick,” said Juniardi, a resident of Bandarlampung who complained that the falling dust was also hampering visibility.
Officials warned that the ask posed health hazards and asked local residents to wear masks when going outdoors or driving motorcycles.
“We also advise fishermen and tourists not to come within a radius of 3 kilometers of Anak Krakatau. The thick plumes of smoke sent off by Krakatau contain toxic material that is hazardous for your health,” said Andi Suhardi, head of the Anak Krakatau observation post in Hargo Pancuran village.
A report from the volcanology office in Bandung shows that the activities of Anak Krakatau has been on the rise over the past few days, reaching almost 90 eruptions per day.
Nurhuda said the report showed the volcano spewed red hot lava up to 300 meters above its peak. “More than 100 volcanic quakes and tremors have been recorded,” he added.
Anak Krakatau, or child or Krakatau, about 130 kilometers west of Jakarta, was created by the same tectonic forces that led to the 1883 Krakatoa eruption that killed tens of thousands of people.
A new phase of activity has started at Krakatau volcano. A large explosion occurred early today and produced an ash plume that reached 14,000 ft (4.2 km) according to Darwin VAAC who first observed it at 01:32 GMT. Ash fall has reached Lampung and over several subdistricts in Bandarlampung, at about 130 kilometers distance. Authorities have issued a warning for local residents and tourists not to approach the volcano. “It is rather unusual for the dust to be this thick,” said Juniardi, a resident of Bandarlampung who complained that the falling dust was also hampering visibility, the Jakarta Globe writes. According to the news article, the activity of Anak Krakatau has been on the rise over the past few days, reaching almost 90 eruptions per day. Nurhuda said the report showed the volcano spewed red hot lava up to 300 meters above its peak. “More than 100 volcanic quakes and tremors have been recorded,” he added.
Unusually fierce storms swept through Malta on Monday, killing one man and dropping more rain on the Mediterranean island in two hours than its normal monthly average for September. The first storm triggered floods that swept away a man who had abandoned his car. Police said the man managed to make it to higher ground. Another man working in a field was fatally struck by lightning, however, as a second storm battered Malta in the afternoon. The storms caused substantial damage across the small Mediterranean archipelago, which includes the main island and sister islands of Gozo and Comino, with cars overturned, trees uprooted, houses flooded and walls collapsed. Malta’s meteorological office said 42.4 millimeters (1.67 inches) of rain fell, eclipsing the 40-millimeter average for the month of September.
A fire in the Angeles National Forest north of Glendora has spread to 700 acres since it began about 2:15 p.m. along East Fork Road, according to a spokesman for the U.S. Forest Service. The blaze was moving north toward the Sheep Mountain Wilderness Area, said John Wagner, an assistant public affairs officer with the forest service. An evacuation was underway at a mobile home park in the vicinity of the fire, Wagner said. He did not know how many residents had been evacuated. There were no reports of casualties or property damage. Wagner said seven air tankers from various agencies were battling the blaze. Fifteen engine companies from the Los Angeles County Fire Department were also fighting the fire, a spokesman said.
NEW ORLEANS — Tens of thousands of customers remained in the dark Monday in Louisiana and Mississippi, nearly a week after Isaac inundated the Gulf Coast with a deluge that still has some low-lying areas under water.
Most of those were in Louisiana, where utilities reported more than 100,000 people without power. Thousands also were without power in Mississippi and Arkansas.
President Barack Obama visited Monday, a day ahead of the Democratic National Convention, and walked around storm damage in St. John the Baptist Parish, where subdivisions were soaked in water from Isaac.
“I know it’s a mess,” Obama said as he approached a resident in the Ridgewood neighborhood. “But we’re here to help.”
Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney visited the state Friday.
In St. John the Baptist Parish, residents spent Labor Day dragging waterlogged carpet and furniture to the curb and using bleach and water to clean hopefully to prevent mold.
LaPlace resident Barbara Melton swept mud and debris from her home, which was at one point under 2 feet of water. The garbage, debris and standing water – combined with heat reaching the 90s – created a terrible stench.
“It’s hot, it stinks, but I’m trying to get all this mud and stuff out of my house,” she said.
Melton was grateful for the president’s visit.
“I think it’s awesome to have a president that cares and wants to come out and see what he can do,” Melton, 60, said.
A few houses away, Ed Powell said Isaac was enough to make him question whether to stay.
“I know Louisiana’s a gambling state, but we don’t want to gamble in this method because when you lose this way, you lose a lot.”
Powell said even if Obama comes up with a plan or solution to the flooding problem in his area, time is not on the residents’ side.
“Even if they narrow down what the problem is and begin to resolve the problem, it usually takes years. And between now and whenever, a lot of things can happen,” Powell said.
More than 2,800 people were at shelters in Louisiana, down from around 4,000. State officials were uncertain how many people would eventually need longer-term temporary housing. Kevin Davis, head of the state’s emergency office, said housing would likely include hotels at first, then rental homes as close as possible to their damaged property.
Progress was evident in many places, though lingering flooding remained a problem in low-lying areas.
Crews in the town of Lafitte intentionally breached a levee Sunday night in an effort to help flooding there subside, Jefferson Parish Councilman Chris Roberts told The Times-Picayune.
Much of Plaquemines Parish, a vulnerable finger of land that juts into the Gulf of Mexico, remained under as much as 5 feet of water, Parish President Billy Nungesser said. The Category 1 hurricane walloped the parish, and for many, the damage was worse than that from Katrina in 2005.
Mumbai received a whopping 15 cm average rainfall in 12 hours since 8 a.m. Monday, even as one person was killed and normal life disrupted, officials said. Five people were killed in rain-related incidents in other parts of Maharashtra. Five persons were killed and another four injured when the wall of a temple crashed at Kaundinyapur village in Amravati district. The incident occurred Sunday evening and the bodies of the victims were removed from the debris early Monday. The incessant rains resulted in overflowing of Thane district’s Lake Tansa, a major source of drinking water for the 17 million people of the city, civic official said. Some parts of the city received between four to eight centimetres of rains since Monday morning, raising hopes that the water deficit would be wiped out this year. Several low-lying areas in the city and suburbs were waterlogged, slowing down vehicular movement and causing massive traffic snarls on both the national highways and other major roads. In the evening, five people were injured in a house-collapse in Chunabhatti area of central Mumbai as torrential rains continued. Water logging was reported from parts of Borivli, Kandivli, Jogeshwari, Andheri, Santacruz, Bhandup, Sion, Byculla and some areas in Dadar, Worli, Goregaon and Kurla experienced flooding.
Suburban train services were disrupted on the Western Railway, Central Railway and Harbour Line with average 20-30 minutes delays, hitting office workers and students. The evening peak hour witnessed chaos with a signal failure at Santacruz-CST on the Harbour Line route and trains virtually crawling to their destinations. People commuting from south Mumbai to their homes in the suburbs were stuck en route and reached their destinations only after long delays of one-two hours. Elsewhere in the state, most districts of the coastal Konkan, eastern districts of Vidarbha, northern parts of the state, Marathwada and western Maharasthra were lashed with heavy rains since morning, spelling cheers for the water-starved farming community. Torrential downpour in Thane’s major towns like Kalyan, Dombivli, Vasai, Virar, Palghar and Dahanu led to flooding on the roads with vehicular movements virtually crippled for hours. As a precautionary measure, some schools in the district were closed early to enable students reach their homes safely. Farmers in the parched districts of Marathwada smiled broadly as the region was lashed with rains after a gap of over three weeks and earnestly resumed their farming activities. The weather bureau has forecast similar heavy to very heavy rains over Mumbai and other parts of the state for the next two days.
The Ohio Department of Health announced on Friday that the country’s first known swine flu death took place in their state. A 61-year-old Madison county women was infected with the H3N2v virus and died. She had had direct contact with swine at the Ross County fair and had “multiple other underlying medical conditions” according to the statement.
There are currently 102 cases of the H3N2v virus in Ohio. The age range of patients is between 6 months and 61 years. Most of the patients had only a mild illness, and there have been few hospitalizations in this outbreak.
David Daniels, director of the Ohio Department of Agriculture, said, “swine flu is not uncommon, especially when temperatures have been high, as they have been this summer.” Dr. Tony Forshey, state veterinarian at the Ohio Department of Agriculture said “there are veterinarians in the barn at every fair. Heat-stressed swine are more likely to become ill and contagious.”
This type of flu is only transmissible through contact with live pigs. You cannot get the flu through properly handled and cooked pork. This virus is different from seasonal influenza, but it is transmitted in the same way: through coughing and sneezing by people who are infected. Most of the patients this year have been children.
To protect yourself, wash your hands with soap and water, especially after you’ve been around animals at the fair. Avoid touching eyes, nose, and mouth. Do not drink or eat near animals, and do not bring food into the barns when you visit a fair. And limit time around animals. Young children, pregnant women, the elderly, and those with weakened immune systems should avoid exposure to pigs and swine barns.
If you develop a flu-like illness, with symptoms including fever, tiredness, lack of appetite, coughing, runny nose, sore throat, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea, see your healthcare provider. And make sure to tell her that you have been in contact with swine or other people who are sick. For questions or help, call the Ohio Department of Agirculture’s Division of Animal Health at 614-728-6220.
The next strong flare could be just around the corner. Sunspot AR1564 is growing rapidly and has developed a ‘beta-gamma’ magnetic field that harbors energy for M-class flares. NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory took this picture of the active region during the early hours of Sept. 4th:
NOAA forecasters estimate a 40% chance of M-flares during the next 24 hours. Any eruptions will likely be Earth-directed as the active region is turning toward our planet.
Solar wind
speed: 422.7 km/sec
density: 15.2 protons/cm3 explanation | more data
Updated: Today at 0735 UT
X-ray Solar Flares
6-hr max: C2 0507 UT Sep04
24-hr: C2 0507 UT Sep04 explanation | more data
Updated: Today at: 0700 UT
Daily Sun: 04 Sep 12
Sunspot 1564 is suddenly growing. It has a ‘beta-gamma’ magnetic field that harbors energy for M-class solar flares. Credit: SDO/HMI
Spotless Days Current Stretch: 0 days
2012 total: 0 days (0%)
2011 total: 2 days (<1%)
2010 total: 51 days (14%)
2009 total: 260 days (71%)
Since 2004: 821 days
Typical Solar Min: 486 days
Update 04 Sep 2012
A geomagnetic storm that began on Sept. 3rd when a coronal mass ejection (CME) hit Earth’s magnetic field is fitfully subsiding. The impact at 1200 UT (5 am PDT) induced significant ground currents in the soil of northern Scandinavia and sparked bright auroras around the Arctic Circle. Ole C. Salomonsen photographed the display over Naimakka, Finland, on Sept. 4th:
“There I was standing all alone deep in the Finish forest, just in awe of this display of light above my head,” says Salomonsen. “This is just one of many images of spectacular auroras I shot on this wonderful night.”
Forty-six students of Government Polytechnic College for Women at Sidhapudur in the heart of Coimbatore city became ill on Monday following suspected food poisoning. They were admitted at two hospitals in the vicinity after they complained of severe vomiting and stomach pain. The students developed discomfort after having dinner at the college hostel cafeteria on Sunday. While 11 of them were admitted at Ramakrishna hospital on Sunday night itself, 35 students were rushed to the Coimbatore Medical College and Hospital (CMCH) at around 8 am on Monday. Seven of them are being kept in the Intensive Care unit at CMCH and Ramakrishna hospital. The doctors attending to the students said that most of them were admitted with complaints of vomiting, diarrhea and stomach pain. They were put on drips and medication. P Sivaprakasam, resident medical officer of CMCH said initial examinations had revealed that the students were suffering from food poisoning. He also said that they had consumed contaminated water. “They are recovering well and will be discharged in a couple of days,” he added.
A Kalpana, a third year student recovering at CMCH said that on Sunday night they were served tomato rice for dinner. For the past week the drinking water supply was not proper. Some students may have consumed contaminated water or it may have been used for cooking,” said another student on conditions of anonymity. “Just a few months ago the students had oragnised a public protest demanding good quality food. The case of food poisoning highlights the grim situation prevailing at the hostel,” she added. The doctors say that students fell ill because of consuming contaminated water. What has happened is unfortunate. We will look into the issue and ensure this does not happen again. Corrective measures will be put in place,” said B Padmini, principal of the college. There are 300 students residing at the hostel. Most hostel students are sports players, she said. “Students may have consumed pipe water instead of the boiled water made available to them. This is despite several reminders to drink only boiled water,” the principal added. Regarding the allegation of inadequate drinking water supply in the past one week, Padmini said that on certain days there was a disruption in supply.
Biohazard name:
Mass. Food Poisoning
Biohazard level:
0/4 —
Biohazard desc.:
This does not included biological hazard category.
Symptoms:
Status:
03.09.2012
Biological Hazard
Kyrgyzstan
Chuy Oblast, [About 20 kilometers of the Kant Air Base]
Russia’s military officials say that efforts to prevent an anthrax epidemic have been increased at a Russian air base in Kyrgyzstan because of an outbreak of anthrax nearby. Officials from Russia’s Central Military District say one of the outbreaks is within 20 kilometers of the Kant Air Base in Kyrgyzstan’s northern region of Chui. He says all military buildings on the base — including apartments for officers and their families — have been disinfected and safety checks on food supplies have been increased. The move was undertaken after Kyrgyz health officials announced last week that several cases of anthrax had been confirmed in Chui and in the southern regions of Jalal-abad and Batken.
Biohazard name:
Anthrax
Biohazard level:
0/4 —
Biohazard desc.:
This does not included biological hazard category.
A wildlife rescue organization says 13 whales have died following a mass stranding off the Scottish coast. British Divers and Marine Life Rescue said Sunday that the mammals were among a group of 26 pilot whales stranded at Pittenweem, in eastern Scotland. Coast guards, volunteer medics, fire crews and police are all also involved in efforts to rescue the 13 still living. But rescue coordinator Gareth Norman said that it was likely more of the whales would die. A further 24 pilot whales from the same pod are currently in shallow water three miles along the coast at Cellardyke.
Scientists and conservationists are once again puzzled over the behaviour of whales – with two different pods of pilot whales beaching themselves this weekend on either side of the Atlantic.
A pod of 26 pilot whales stranded themselves off the coast of Fife in Scotland.
Crowds of on-lookers gathered to watch the massive rescue and relief operation.
13 of the 26 whales did not make it.
And in a strange coincidence… another pod of whales beached themselves along the coast of south-central Florida in the U.S.
This time, 22 pilot whales stranded themselves near Fort Pierce.
VERO BEACH, Fla., Sept. 2 (UPI) — Wildlife experts suspect an ailing alpha whale caused a pod of short-fin pilot whales to beach themselves in Florida this weekend.
Seventeen of the 22 mammals died in the surf at Avalon Beach State Park in St. Lucie County and five juveniles were taken to a rescue facility at nearby Florida Atlantic University, but were not expected to survive.
Blair Mase, who specializes in the study of whale stranding for the U.S. government, told TCPalm.com the tragedy was probably linked to the pod leader.
“This species has a tight social structure,” said Mase, a regional coordinator for the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration. “Typically, they stay together as a group. So if one animal is sick, they all come ashore.”
Hundreds of people on the area either watched the stranding unfold. Many tried to help out by throwing wet towels on the whales to protect them from the sun, TCPalm.com said.
Mase it would not have done much good to push the whales off the sand. “If you push them into the water, they’ll just keep coming back and stranding themselves again,” she said.
[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.]
The August 31, 2012 M 7.6 earthquake off the east coast of the Philippines occurred as a result of reverse faulting within the oceanic lithosphere of the Philippines Sea plate. The preliminary location of the earthquake indicates this is an intraplate event, 50 or more kilometers to the east of the subduction zone plate boundary between the Philippine Sea and Sunda plates. At the latitude of the earthquake, the Philippine Sea plate moves west-northwest at a velocity of approximately 100 mm/yr.
While this region of the Philippines experiences moderate-to-large earthquakes fairly frequently – there have been approximately 40 events of M6 and above over the past 40 years, within 250 km of the August 31 2012 earthquake – large events outboard of the subduction zone are unusual. While several moderate-sized events have occurred in this intraplate region, most have been the result of normal faulting within the shallower oceanic lithosphere, rather than deeper reverse faulting like August 31 2012 event. The largest nearby event regardless of mechanism was the October 1975 M 7.6 earthquake, approximately 200 km to the north of the August 31 2012 event.
For information on aftershocks within the region of this earthquake, see this map.
Seismotectonics of the Philippine Sea and Vicinity
The Philippine Sea plate is bordered by the larger Pacific and Eurasia plates and the smaller Sunda plate. The Philippine Sea plate is unusual in that its borders are nearly all zones of plate convergence. The Pacific plate is subducted into the mantle, south of Japan, beneath the Izu-Bonin and Mariana island arcs, which extend more than 3,000 km along the eastern margin of the Philippine Sea plate. This subduction zone is characterized by rapid plate convergence and high-level seismicity extending to depths of over 600 km. In spite of this extensive zone of plate convergence, the plate interface has been associated with few great (M>8.0) ‘megathrust’ earthquakes. This low seismic energy release is thought to result from weak coupling along the plate interface (Scholz and Campos, 1995). These convergent plate margins are also associated with unusual zones of back-arc extension (along with resulting seismic activity) that decouple the volcanic island arcs from the remainder of the Philippine Sea Plate (Karig et al., 1978; Klaus et al., 1992).
South of the Mariana arc, the Pacific plate is subducted beneath the Yap Islands along the Yap trench. The long zone of Pacific plate subduction at the eastern margin of the Philippine Sea Plate is responsible for the generation of the deep Izu-Bonin, Mariana, and Yap trenches as well as parallel chains of islands and volcanoes, typical of circum-pacific island arcs. Similarly, the northwestern margin of the Philippine Sea plate is subducting beneath the Eurasia plate along a convergent zone, extending from southern Honshu to the northeastern coast of Taiwan, manifested by the Ryukyu Islands and the Nansei-Shoto (Ryukyu) trench. The Ryukyu Subduction Zone is associated with a similar zone of back-arc extension, the Okinawa Trough. At Taiwan, the plate boundary is characterized by a zone of arc-continent collision, whereby the northern end of the Luzon island arc is colliding with the buoyant crust of the Eurasia continental margin offshore China.
Along its western margin, the Philippine Sea plate is associated with a zone of oblique convergence with the Sunda Plate. This highly active convergent plate boundary extends along both sides the Philippine Islands, from Luzon in the north to the Celebes Islands in the south. The tectonic setting of the Philippines is unusual in several respects: it is characterized by opposite-facing subduction systems on its east and west sides; the archipelago is cut by a major transform fault, the Philippine Fault; and the arc complex itself is marked by active volcanism, faulting, and high seismic activity. Subduction of the Philippine Sea Plate occurs at the eastern margin of the archipelago along the Philippine Trench and its northern extension, the East Luzon Trough. The East Luzon Trough is thought to be an unusual example of a subduction zone in the process of formation, as the Philippine Trench system gradually extends northward (Hamburger et al., 1983). On the west side of Luzon, the Sunda Plate subducts eastward along a series of trenches, including the Manila Trench in the north, the smaller less well-developed Negros Trench in the central Philippines, and the Sulu and Cotabato trenches in the south (Cardwell et al., 1980). At its northern and southern terminations, subduction at the Manila Trench is interrupted by arc-continent collision, between the northern Philippine arc and the Eurasian continental margin at Taiwan and between the Sulu-Borneo Block and Luzon at the island of Mindoro. The Philippine fault, which extends over 1,200 km within the Philippine arc, is seismically active. The fault has been associated with major historical earthquakes, including the destructive M7.6 Luzon earthquake of 1990 (Yoshida and Abe, 1992). A number of other active intra-arc fault systems are associated with high seismic activity, including the Cotabato Fault and the Verde Passage–Sibuyan Sea Fault (Galgana et al., 2007).
Relative plate motion vectors near the Philippines (about 80 mm/yr) is oblique to the plate boundary along the two plate margins of central Luzon, where it is partitioned into orthogonal plate convergence along the trenches and nearly pure translational motion along the Philippine Fault (Barrier et al., 1991). Profiles B and C reveal evidence of opposing inclined seismic zones at intermediate depths (roughly 70-300 km) and complex tectonics at the surface along the Philippine Fault.
Several relevant tectonic elements, plate boundaries and active volcanoes, provide a context for the seismicity presented on the main map. The plate boundaries are most accurate along the axis of the trenches and more diffuse or speculative in the South China Sea and Lesser Sunda Islands. The active volcanic arcs (Siebert and Simkin, 2002) follow the Izu, Volcano, Mariana, and Ryukyu island chains and the main Philippine islands parallel to the Manila, Negros, Cotabato, and Philippine trenches.
Seismic activity along the boundaries of the Philippine Sea Plate (Allen et al., 2009) has produced 7 great (M>8.0) earthquakes and 250 large (M>7) events. Among the most destructive events were the 1923 Kanto, the 1948 Fukui and the 1995 Kobe (Japan) earthquakes (99,000, 5,100, and 6,400 casualties, respectively), the 1935 and the 1999 Chi-Chi (Taiwan) earthquakes (3,300 and 2,500 casualties, respectively), and the 1976 M7.6 Moro Gulf and 1990 M7.6 Luzon (Philippines) earthquakes (7,100 and 2,400 casualties, respectively). There have also been a number of tsunami-generating events in the region, including the Moro Gulf earthquake, whose tsunami resulted in more than 5000 deaths.
The August 31, 2012 M 7.6 earthquake off the east coast of the Philippines occurred as a result of reverse faulting within the oceanic lithosphere of the Philippines Sea plate. The preliminary location of the earthquake indicates this is an intraplate event, 50 or more kilometers to the east of the subduction zone plate boundary between the Philippine Sea and Sunda plates. At the latitude of the earthquake, the Philippine Sea plate moves west-northwest at a velocity of approximately 100 mm/yr with respect to the Sunda plate.
While this region of the Philippines experiences moderate-to-large earthquakes fairly frequently – there have been approximately 40 events of M6 and above over the past 40 years, within 250 km of the August 31 2012 earthquake – large events outboard of the subduction zone are unusual. While several moderate-sized events have occurred in this intraplate region, most have been the result of normal faulting within the shallower oceanic lithosphere, rather than deeper reverse faulting like August 31 2012 event. The largest nearby event regardless of mechanism was the October 1975 M 7.6 earthquake, approximately 200 km to the north of the August 31 2012 event.
For information on aftershocks within the region of this earthquake, see this map.
Seismotectonics of the Philippine Sea and Vicinity
The Philippine Sea plate is bordered by the larger Pacific and Eurasia plates and the smaller Sunda plate. The Philippine Sea plate is unusual in that its borders are nearly all zones of plate convergence. The Pacific plate is subducted into the mantle, south of Japan, beneath the Izu-Bonin and Mariana island arcs, which extend more than 3,000 km along the eastern margin of the Philippine Sea plate. This subduction zone is characterized by rapid plate convergence and high-level seismicity extending to depths of over 600 km. In spite of this extensive zone of plate convergence, the plate interface has been associated with few great (M>8.0) ‘megathrust’ earthquakes. This low seismic energy release is thought to result from weak coupling along the plate interface (Scholz and Campos, 1995). These convergent plate margins are also associated with unusual zones of back-arc extension (along with resulting seismic activity) that decouple the volcanic island arcs from the remainder of the Philippine Sea Plate (Karig et al., 1978; Klaus et al., 1992).
South of the Mariana arc, the Pacific plate is subducted beneath the Yap Islands along the Yap trench. The long zone of Pacific plate subduction at the eastern margin of the Philippine Sea Plate is responsible for the generation of the deep Izu-Bonin, Mariana, and Yap trenches as well as parallel chains of islands and volcanoes, typical of circum-pacific island arcs. Similarly, the northwestern margin of the Philippine Sea plate is subducting beneath the Eurasia plate along a convergent zone, extending from southern Honshu to the northeastern coast of Taiwan, manifested by the Ryukyu Islands and the Nansei-Shoto (Ryukyu) trench. The Ryukyu Subduction Zone is associated with a similar zone of back-arc extension, the Okinawa Trough. At Taiwan, the plate boundary is characterized by a zone of arc-continent collision, whereby the northern end of the Luzon island arc is colliding with the buoyant crust of the Eurasia continental margin offshore China.
Along its western margin, the Philippine Sea plate is associated with a zone of oblique convergence with the Sunda Plate. This highly active convergent plate boundary extends along both sides the Philippine Islands, from Luzon in the north to the Celebes Islands in the south. The tectonic setting of the Philippines is unusual in several respects: it is characterized by opposite-facing subduction systems on its east and west sides; the archipelago is cut by a major transform fault, the Philippine Fault; and the arc complex itself is marked by active volcanism, faulting, and high seismic activity. Subduction of the Philippine Sea Plate occurs at the eastern margin of the archipelago along the Philippine Trench and its northern extension, the East Luzon Trough. The East Luzon Trough is thought to be an unusual example of a subduction zone in the process of formation, as the Philippine Trench system gradually extends northward (Hamburger et al., 1983). On the west side of Luzon, the Sunda Plate subducts eastward along a series of trenches, including the Manila Trench in the north, the smaller less well-developed Negros Trench in the central Philippines, and the Sulu and Cotabato trenches in the south (Cardwell et al., 1980). At its northern and southern terminations, subduction at the Manila Trench is interrupted by arc-continent collision, between the northern Philippine arc and the Eurasian continental margin at Taiwan and between the Sulu-Borneo Block and Luzon at the island of Mindoro. The Philippine fault, which extends over 1,200 km within the Philippine arc, is seismically active. The fault has been associated with major historical earthquakes, including the destructive M7.6 Luzon earthquake of 1990 (Yoshida and Abe, 1992). A number of other active intra-arc fault systems are associated with high seismic activity, including the Cotabato Fault and the Verde Passage–Sibuyan Sea Fault (Galgana et al., 2007).
Relative plate motion vectors near the Philippines (about 80 mm/yr) is oblique to the plate boundary along the two plate margins of central Luzon, where it is partitioned into orthogonal plate convergence along the trenches and nearly pure translational motion along the Philippine Fault (Barrier et al., 1991). Profiles B and C reveal evidence of opposing inclined seismic zones at intermediate depths (roughly 70-300 km) and complex tectonics at the surface along the Philippine Fault.
Several relevant tectonic elements, plate boundaries and active volcanoes, provide a context for the seismicity presented on the main map. The plate boundaries are most accurate along the axis of the trenches and more diffuse or speculative in the South China Sea and Lesser Sunda Islands. The active volcanic arcs (Siebert and Simkin, 2002) follow the Izu, Volcano, Mariana, and Ryukyu island chains and the main Philippine islands parallel to the Manila, Negros, Cotabato, and Philippine trenches.
Seismic activity along the boundaries of the Philippine Sea Plate (Allen et al., 2009) has produced 7 great (M>8.0) earthquakes and 250 large (M>7) events. Among the most destructive events were the 1923 Kanto, the 1948 Fukui and the 1995 Kobe (Japan) earthquakes (99,000, 5,100, and 6,400 casualties, respectively), the 1935 and the 1999 Chi-Chi (Taiwan) earthquakes (3,300 and 2,500 casualties, respectively), and the 1976 M7.6 Moro Gulf and 1990 M7.6 Luzon (Philippines) earthquakes (7,100 and 2,400 casualties, respectively). There have also been a number of tsunami-generating events in the region, including the Moro Gulf earthquake, whose tsunami resulted in more than 5000 deaths.
A 7.6 earthquake struck off the Philippine coast on Friday, triggering landslides that killed at least one person and a small tsunami that hit the eastern part of the archipelago, authorities said. The quake struck at a depth of 34 kilometres (21 miles) in the Pacific Ocean about 140 kilometres from the Philippines, leading to tsunami warnings across its east coast and as far away as Indonesia, Japan and Papua New Guinea. A series of small waves ranging from 16-centimetres (six-inch) to 50 centimetres hit the eastern Philippines about two hours after the quake, according to local authorities, but there were no reports of major damage. The US Pacific Tsunami Warning Center shortly afterwards lifted its tsunami warnings for the Philippines and Indonesia. It had earlier cancelled similar warnings for Japan, Taiwan and several Pacific islands. The warnings led to a burst of terror for residents along the east coast of the Philippines, many of whom were without electricity because power lines had been cut during the earthquake that hit at 8:47 pm (1247 GMT). Leticia Amos, 35, a government employee, said hundreds of families on Samar island rushed to a hillside area, carrying their belongings as soon as the alert was raised.”It is very dark, there is no electricity and everyove is panicking,” she said. “Our place is on a hilly portion along the highway, and hundreds of people from low lying bayside areas rushed here.” The quake shook large areas of the east, and one person was confirmed killed when a landslide engulfed her home in Cagayan de Oro City. “There’s a 60-year-old woman who died and a five-year-old girl who was injured. There was a small landslide,” civil defence chief Benito Ramos said on DZMM radio. “The quake occurred amid strong rain, so the earth shook loose and there was a landslide.” Paula Daza, the governor of northern Samar province, one of the areas closest to where the quake struck, said there were reports of damage to infrastructure. “Some cracks appeared on concrete roads, and at the base of at least one bridge,” he said. Sol Matugas, the governor of another eastern region, Surigao del Norte, said on DZMM radio that the quake had severely shaken homes. “We were rather frightened. For the first time, we saw objects falling out of our cabinets,” he said. The USGS had initially reported the quake as having a magnitude of 7.9, but revised it to 7.6.
The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) reported in its website that the quake’s epicenter was located at 112 kilometers east of Guiuan, Eastern Samar.
The quake’s origin is tectonic and it has a depth of 10 kilometers.
It was also located at 175 kilometers northeast of Surigao, 187 kilometers east southeast of Tacloban, Leyte and 749 kilometers southeast of Manila, the US Geological Survey said in its latest bulletin.
The USGS issued a tsunami warning in the Philippines, as well as in Indonesia, Taiwan, Japan and Guam.
Phivolcs Director Renato Solidum advised residents in Surigao del Norte, Eastern Samar, Southern Leyte and Bicol to be on alert for possible aftershocks.
He also advised those living in coastal villages in these areas to evacuate due to the tsunami warning.
Southern Leyte Governor Damian Mercado said in a radio interview that he told all town mayors in the province to evacuate all families living in coastal areas. Evacuation is also ongoing in Eastern Samar and Surigao.
No damage has been reported as of this posting Friday. (Sunnex)
000
WEPA40 PHEB 311454
TSUPAC
TSUNAMI BULLETIN NUMBER 004
PACIFIC TSUNAMI WARNING CENTER/NOAA/NWS
ISSUED AT 1454Z 31 AUG 2012
THIS BULLETIN APPLIES TO AREAS WITHIN AND BORDERING THE PACIFIC
OCEAN AND ADJACENT SEAS...EXCEPT ALASKA...BRITISH COLUMBIA...
WASHINGTON...OREGON AND CALIFORNIA.
ADDITIONAL SEA LEVEL READINGS INCLUDED. WARNING IS CANCELLED.
... TSUNAMI WARNING CANCELLATION ...
THE TSUNAMI WARNING AND/OR WATCH ISSUED BY THE PACIFIC TSUNAMI
WARNING CENTER IS NOW CANCELLED FOR
INDONESIA / PHILIPPINES / BELAU
THIS BULLETIN IS ISSUED AS ADVICE TO GOVERNMENT AGENCIES. ONLY
NATIONAL AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT AGENCIES HAVE THE AUTHORITY TO MAKE
DECISIONS REGARDING THE OFFICIAL STATE OF ALERT IN THEIR AREA AND
ANY ACTIONS TO BE TAKEN IN RESPONSE.
AN EARTHQUAKE HAS OCCURRED WITH THESE PRELIMINARY PARAMETERS
ORIGIN TIME - 1248Z 31 AUG 2012
COORDINATES - 10.9 NORTH 127.1 EAST
DEPTH - 33 KM
LOCATION - PHILIPPINE ISLANDS REGION
MAGNITUDE - 7.6
MEASUREMENTS OR REPORTS OF TSUNAMI WAVE ACTIVITY
GAUGE LOCATION LAT LON TIME AMPL PER
------------------- ----- ------ ----- --------------- -----
MALAKAL KOROR PW 7.3N 134.5E 1447Z 0.01M / 0.0FT 10MIN
DART 52404 20.9N 132.3E 1418Z 0.01M / 0.0FT 10MIN
DAVAO PH 7.1N 125.6E 1350Z 0.03M / 0.1FT 32MIN
DART 52405 12.9N 132.3E 1333Z 0.03M / 0.1FT 10MIN
LEGASPI PH 13.1N 123.8E 1343Z 0.03M / 0.1FT 14MIN
LAT - LATITUDE (N-NORTH, S-SOUTH)
LON - LONGITUDE (E-EAST, W-WEST)
TIME - TIME OF THE MEASUREMENT (Z IS UTC IS GREENWICH TIME)
AMPL - TSUNAMI AMPLITUDE MEASURED RELATIVE TO NORMAL SEA LEVEL.
IT IS ...NOT... CREST-TO-TROUGH WAVE HEIGHT.
VALUES ARE GIVEN IN BOTH METERS(M) AND FEET(FT).
PER - PERIOD OF TIME IN MINUTES(MIN) FROM ONE WAVE TO THE NEXT.
NOTE - DART MEASUREMENTS ARE FROM THE DEEP OCEAN AND THEY
ARE GENERALLY MUCH SMALLER THAN WOULD BE COASTAL
MEASUREMENTS AT SIMILAR LOCATIONS.
EVALUATION
SEA LEVEL READINGS INDICATE A TSUNAMI WAS GENERATED. IT MAY HAVE
BEEN DESTRUCTIVE ALONG COASTS NEAR THE EARTHQUAKE EPICENTER. FOR
THOSE AREAS - WHEN NO MAJOR WAVES ARE OBSERVED FOR TWO HOURS
AFTER THE ESTIMATED TIME OF ARRIVAL OR DAMAGING WAVES HAVE NOT
OCCURRED FOR AT LEAST TWO HOURS THEN LOCAL AUTHORITIES CAN ASSUME
THE THREAT IS PASSED. DANGER TO BOATS AND COASTAL STRUCTURES CAN
CONTINUE FOR SEVERAL HOURS DUE TO RAPID CURRENTS. AS LOCAL
CONDITIONS CAN CAUSE A WIDE VARIATION IN TSUNAMI WAVE ACTION THE
ALL CLEAR DETERMINATION MUST BE MADE BY LOCAL AUTHORITIES.
NO TSUNAMI THREAT EXISTS FOR OTHER COASTAL AREAS IN THE PACIFIC
ALTHOUGH SOME OTHER AREAS MAY EXPERIENCE SMALL SEA LEVEL CHANGES.
THE TSUNAMI WARNING IS NOW CANCELLED FOR ALL AREAS COVERED BY
THIS CENTER.
THIS WILL BE THE FINAL BULLETIN ISSUED FOR THIS EVENT UNLESS
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION BECOMES AVAILABLE.
THE JAPAN METEOROLOGICAL AGENCY MAY ALSO ISSUE TSUNAMI MESSAGES
FOR THIS EVENT TO COUNTRIES IN THE NORTHWEST PACIFIC AND SOUTH
CHINA SEA REGION. IN CASE OF CONFLICTING INFORMATION... THE
MORE CONSERVATIVE INFORMATION SHOULD BE USED FOR SAFETY.
THE WEST COAST/ALASKA TSUNAMI WARNING CENTER WILL ISSUE PRODUCTS
FOR ALASKA...BRITISH COLUMBIA...WASHINGTON...OREGON...CALIFORNIA.
Some unrest is going on at Reclus volcano in southern Chile, located between Aguilera and Monte Burney in Patagonia, the Eruptions Blog writes:
“Over the summer, earthquakes began to be felt in towns in the region of the volcano and a potential for new activity from the Reclus has prompted geologists to visit the volcano later this spring (southern hemisphere). Interestingly, one article mentions that an overflight of the volcano in 2008 spotted cracks on the glaciers that cover the volcano along with traces of ash. However, the direct connection between the seismicity in Patagonia and Reclus is still tenuous, so further observations of the remote volcano will need to be done.”
Reclus has had at least 4 historical eruptions around, 1908, 1879, and in 1869. Although these were small, the volcano has produced larger explosive eruptions in the past and should be closely monitored.
Elevated Volcanic Activity and Information Releases
Friday, Aug 31, 2012 at 20:30:59 PDT.
The following U.S. volcanoes are known to be above normal background (elevated unrest or eruptions) or have shown activity that warranted an Information Release (for example, an earthquake swarm).
Times are local to the volcano and in military format.
Volcano Alert Levels & Aviation Color Codes defined at http://volcanoes.usgs.gov/activity/alertsystem.
Little Sitkin Alert Level=ADVISORY. Aviation Color Code=YELLOW. As of Aug 31, 2012, 15:35 AKDT Anomalous seismicity that began on August 29 gradually decreases since 06:00 AKDT (14:00 UTC) August 31, 2012.
(Change to current status occurred on Aug 30, 2012 04:23 AKDT from Alert Level UNASSIGNED and Aviation Color Code UNASSIGNED ) For more information see http://volcanoes.usgs.gov/activity/archiveupdate.php?noticeid=7691
Iliamna Alert Level=ADVISORY. Aviation Color Code=YELLOW. As of Aug 31, 2012, 15:35 AKDT Clouds obscured satellite and webcam view of Iliamna during the past 24 hours. Seismicity remains slightly above background.
(Change to current status occurred on Mar 9, 2012 13:07 AKDT from Alert Level NORMAL and Aviation Color Code GREEN ) For more information see http://volcanoes.usgs.gov/activity/archiveupdate.php?noticeid=7690
Cleveland Alert Level=WATCH. Aviation Color Code=ORANGE. As of Aug 31, 2012, 15:35 AKDT Satellite imagery indicates that as of August 27, 2012, the summit crater of Cleveland is a tephra-covered funnel surrounding a central vent containing no dome.
(Change to current status occurred on Jun 19, 2012 15:06 AKDT from Alert Level ADVISORY and Aviation Color Code YELLOW ) For more information see http://volcanoes.usgs.gov/activity/archiveupdate.php?noticeid=7689
Pagan Alert Level=ADVISORY. Aviation Color Code=YELLOW. As of Aug 31, 2012, 10:09 ChST Low-level unrest. YELLOW/ADVISORY. Persistent steam/gas plume.
(Change to current status occurred on Oct 6, 2011 14:21 ChST from Alert Level UNASSIGNED and Aviation Color Code UNASSIGNED ) For more information see http://volcanoes.usgs.gov/activity/archiveupdate.php?noticeid=7686
Kilauea Alert Level=WATCH. Aviation Color Code=ORANGE. As of Aug 31, 2012, 08:16 HST DI deflation and lava lake dropping slowed; new pit craters in Pu`u `O`o Crater and barely active lava flows to the SE; no ocean entry; gas emissions elevated.
(Change to current status occurred on Mar 9, 2011 19:45 HST from Alert Level WARNING and Aviation Color Code RED ) For more information see http://volcanoes.usgs.gov/activity/archiveupdate.php?noticeid=7688
People stand on large hexagonal columns of volcanic rock, southeast of Hong Kong in this handout photo released August 30, 2012.
Some 140 million years after it erupted and then toppled into the sea, an ancient supervolcano in Hong Kong is making headlines.
The government announced Thursday that it had located the supervolcano—the first discovery of its kind in southeastern China—while surveying in the area in southeastern Hong Kong. The volcano is now extinct and poses no threat to Hong Kong.
What makes the volcano super? When it last exploded 140 million years ago, it would have darkened the sky with 312 cubic miles of ash, enough to blanket all of Hong Kong, said Denise Tang of the government’s civil engineering & development department, which discovered the volcano. About 50 other such supervolcanos are known to exist around the world, she said.
The original base of Hong Kong’s supervolcano would have measured about 11 miles in diameter, and the vista of vaulting, hexagonal rock columns and small islands it left behind remain gorgeous reminders of its dramatic geologic past. They can be toured by boat, but Ms. Tang was quick to warn any would-be tourists to use caution before making any expeditions.
“Although it’s very beautiful,” she said, “there’s no facilities, no pier facilities, so we actually do not recommend people try to land on the island.”
Remnants of an ancient super volcano have been discovered near Hong Kong.
According to experts, the last eruption of the volcano occurred in the Mesozoic Era at the turn of the Jurassic and Cretaceous Periods about 140 million years ago.
The diameter of the gigantic crater spans 18 kilometers.
Scientists have confirmed the earlier hypothesis that the volcano settled down many years ago and assured Hong Kong residents that it won’t erupt again.
Seismologists say a cluster of earthquakes has been detected at a remote volcano in Alaska’s western Aleutian Islands. The Alaska Volcano Observatory says the quakes began Wednesday evening at Little Sitkin Volcano and are continuing as of Thursday morning. No eruption has been detected. Scientist in charge John Power says there is no direct link to the swarm of earthquakes at Little Sitkin and a cluster of quakes that shook California’s Imperial County earlier this week. Powers says Little Sitkin is located on an uninhabited island and is far from any populated areas. He says the seismic activity is unusual for Little Sitkin, whose last eruption possibly in the early 1900s is questionable. Powers says the concern about an eruption would be the possible threat posed to aircraft.
Map: Grand Isle, Louisiana
Sandy is expected to bring high winds, heavy rain and extreme tides to the eastern US seaboard
Kingston prepares for the arrival of the hurricane
NOAA
USGS
,” she posted.
Anak Krakatau in the Sunda Strait, 130 kilometers west of Jakarta, was created by the same tectonic forces that led to the 1883 Krakatoa eruption that killed tens of thousands of people. (Reuters Photo)
The 
