Earthquakes

ROSE EDIS

Date/Time (UTC)	Magnitude	Area	Country	State/Prov./Gov.	Location	Risk			Source	Details
30.06.2012 07:20:49	2.3	North America	United States	California	Watermans Corner				USGS-RSOE
30.06.2012 07:15:40	2.2	Asia	Turkey		Cirpi				EMSC
30.06.2012 06:55:41	2.2	North America	United States	California	Bitterwater				USGS-RSOE
30.06.2012 07:16:02	2.2	Asia	Turkey		Sokte				EMSC
30.06.2012 07:16:28	2.8	South-America	Chile		Cautenicsa				EMSC
30.06.2012 07:16:49	2.5	Asia	Turkey		Ulukoy				EMSC
30.06.2012 06:15:29	2.5	Asia	Turkey		Inlice				EMSC
30.06.2012 06:15:56	2.7	Europe	Spain		Sabinosa				EMSC
30.06.2012 07:17:09	2.1	Asia	Turkey		Nargize				EMSC
30.06.2012 05:25:37	2.8	North America	United States	California	Ribbonwood				USGS-RSOE
30.06.2012 05:26:03	2.8	North America	United States	California	Ribbonwood				USGS-RSOE
30.06.2012 06:16:22	3.7	Asia	Turkey		Alakilise				EMSC
30.06.2012 04:46:38	2.6	North America	United States	Alaska	Ninilchik				USGS-RSOE
30.06.2012 06:16:43	2.6	Europe	Spain		Sabinosa				EMSC
30.06.2012 06:17:03	2.5	Europe	Spain		Sabinosa				EMSC
30.06.2012 08:00:45	2.5	North America	United States	Alaska	Nikolski				USGS-RSOE
30.06.2012 04:11:38	2.2	North America	United States	California	Bryn Mawr				USGS-RSOE
30.06.2012 04:10:30	2.4	Europe	Montenegro		Zlostup				EMSC
30.06.2012 06:30:58	2.4	North America	United States	New York/Empire State	Fineview				USGS-RSOE
30.06.2012 04:00:36	3.9	North America	United States	California	Centerville (historical)				USGS-RSOE
30.06.2012 05:11:52	2.4	Asia	Turkey		Inlice				EMSC
30.06.2012 04:12:33	3.0	Pacific Ocean	New Zealand	Woodville County	Cashmere Hills				GEONET
30.06.2012 03:35:30	3.4	Caribbean	Dominican Republic	Provincia de La Altagracia	Boca de Chavon				USGS-RSOE
30.06.2012 03:09:19	4.5	Asia	China	Xinjiang Uygur Zizhiqu	Kunes Linchang				USGS-RSOE
30.06.2012 03:05:25	4.5	Asia	China		Quergou				EMSC
30.06.2012 04:10:50	2.5	Europe	Spain		Sabinosa				EMSC
30.06.2012 04:11:10	2.3	Asia	Turkey		Arakin				EMSC
30.06.2012 03:05:51	2.9	Asia	Turkey		Bodrum				EMSC
30.06.2012 03:06:11	2.5	Asia	Turkey		Inlice				EMSC
30.06.2012 03:06:32	2.7	Europe	Spain		Sabinosa				EMSC
30.06.2012 03:07:11	4.9	Australia & New-Zealand	New Zealand		East Cape				EMSC
30.06.2012 03:09:41	4.9	Pacific Ocean	New Zealand	Woodville County	East Cape				USGS-RSOE
30.06.2012 03:07:30	5.2	Asia	Japan		Takinoura				EMSC
30.06.2012 02:30:40	5.2	Asia	Japan	Tokyo-to	Takinoura				USGS-RSOE
30.06.2012 03:07:51	2.0	Asia	Turkey		Bekdemir				EMSC
30.06.2012 03:08:17	3.2	Europe	Spain		Sabinosa				EMSC
30.06.2012 03:08:35	2.6	Europe	Greece		Vathy				EMSC
30.06.2012 03:08:55	2.2	Asia	Turkey		Taslik				EMSC
30.06.2012 02:00:43	2.5	Asia	Turkey		Ovakislacik				EMSC
30.06.2012 02:01:04	2.4	Asia	Turkey		Citoren				EMSC
30.06.2012 02:01:24	3.6	Europe	Serbia		Rakinac				EMSC
30.06.2012 02:01:45	2.5	Europe	Spain		Sabinosa				EMSC
30.06.2012 02:02:03	3.1	South-America	Chile		Zorras				EMSC
30.06.2012 00:55:34	4.8	Pacific Ocean	New Zealand	Woodville County	Horoera				USGS-RSOE
30.06.2012 01:00:29	4.9	Australia & New-Zealand	New Zealand		Horoera				EMSC
30.06.2012 00:30:36	4.7	Pacific Ocean	New Zealand	Woodville County	Okiwi				USGS-RSOE
30.06.2012 01:00:51	4.8	Australia & New-Zealand	New Zealand		Okiwi				EMSC
30.06.2012 01:01:11	2.5	Europe	Spain		Sabinosa				EMSC
30.06.2012 00:10:32	2.2	North America	Canada	British Columbia	Princeton				USGS-RSOE
30.06.2012 01:01:31	2.7	Europe	Greece		Platanos				EMSC
30.06.2012 02:02:25	2.6	Europe	Spain		Sabinosa				EMSC
30.06.2012 01:01:36	2.8	Europe	Spain		Sabinosa				EMSC
30.06.2012 00:00:49	3.7	Europe	France		Rompon				EMSC
30.06.2012 00:01:11	2.8	South-America	Chile		Sipiza				EMSC
30.06.2012 01:01:56	2.7	Europe	Spain		Sabinosa				EMSC
29.06.2012 23:55:34	3.2	Caribbean	Puerto Rico		El Morro				USGS-RSOE
30.06.2012 00:01:35	6.3	Asia	China		Kunes Linchang				EMSC
29.06.2012 23:25:29	6.3	Asia	China	Xinjiang Uygur Zizhiqu	Kunes Linchang				USGS-RSOE
30.06.2012 01:02:20	2.9	Europe	Spain		Sabinosa				EMSC
30.06.2012 01:02:20	2.9	Europe	Spain		Sabinosa				EMSC
30.06.2012 00:01:56	3.5	Asia	Turkey		Uzunyurt				EMSC
30.06.2012 01:02:21	2.9	Europe	Spain		Sabinosa				EMSC
30.06.2012 00:02:19	3.1	Europe	Spain		Sabinosa				EMSC
30.06.2012 00:02:37	2.4	Asia	Turkey		Rustemgedik				EMSC
30.06.2012 00:02:56	3.0	Europe	Spain		Sabinosa				EMSC
30.06.2012 00:03:15	3.3	Asia	Turkey		Sabanli				EMSC
30.06.2012 01:25:30	3.1	North America	United States	Oregon	Pistol River				USGS-RSOE
29.06.2012 22:55:56	2.3	Asia	Turkey		Rustemgedik				EMSC
29.06.2012 23:10:48	2.4	North America	United States	Washington	Coal Creek				USGS-RSOE
29.06.2012 22:56:23	3.6	South-America	Chile		Puerto Flamenco				EMSC
30.06.2012 00:03:34	2.6	Europe	Spain		Sabinosa				EMSC
29.06.2012 22:56:43	4.8	Pacific Ocean – Middle	Solomon Islands		Paeu				EMSC
29.06.2012 22:57:35	4.8		Solomon Islands	Western Province	Paeu				USGS-RSOE
29.06.2012 21:50:36	3.0	Europe	Greece		Dhiyeliotika				EMSC
29.06.2012 21:50:58	2.5	Europe	Greece		Dhiyeliotika				EMSC
29.06.2012 21:51:19	3.1	Europe	Poland		Pstraze				EMSC
29.06.2012 21:51:39	2.3	Europe	Greece		Neon Karlovasion				EMSC
29.06.2012 22:57:04	2.4	Asia	Turkey		Bugdayli				EMSC
29.06.2012 21:51:59	2.7	Europe	Spain		Sabinosa				EMSC
29.06.2012 21:52:21	2.5	Europe	Greece		Rodhodhafni				EMSC
29.06.2012 21:52:41	2.5	Europe	Greece		Stavria				EMSC
29.06.2012 21:53:02	2.3	Europe	Italy		Le Cremosine				EMSC
30.06.2012 07:17:37	2.3	North America	United States	Texas	Keene				USGS-RSOE
29.06.2012 20:45:31	4.5	North-America	United States		Atka				EMSC
29.06.2012 20:10:41	4.3	North America	United States	Alaska	Atka				USGS-RSOE
29.06.2012 20:30:37	4.5	North America	United States	Alaska	Atka				USGS-RSOE
29.06.2012 20:45:51	2.5	Europe	Spain		Sabinosa				EMSC
29.06.2012 19:25:44	2.8	North America	United States	Alaska	Eska				USGS-RSOE
29.06.2012 19:21:00	2.0	North America	United States	Alaska	Happy Valley				USGS-RSOE
29.06.2012 20:56:22	2.0	North America	United States	Oregon	Galloway (historical)				USGS-RSOE
29.06.2012 19:40:30	3.1	South-America	Chile		Aguas Buenas				EMSC
29.06.2012 19:40:51	2.5	Asia	Turkey		Kasikci				EMSC
29.06.2012 19:41:10	2.3	Asia	Turkey		Hacilar				EMSC
29.06.2012 19:41:31	2.5	Asia	Turkey		Hacidanisment				EMSC
29.06.2012 17:55:33	5.8	Atlantic Ocean	Saint Helena		Wild Cattle Pound				USGS-RSOE
29.06.2012 18:35:28	6.0	Atlantic Ocean – North	Saint Helena		Wild Cattle Pound				EMSC
29.06.2012 17:30:50	2.2	Asia	Turkey		Karakuyu				EMSC
29.06.2012 18:35:52	2.2	Asia	Turkey		Karakuyu				EMSC
29.06.2012 17:31:10	2.3	Asia	Turkey		Karakuyu				EMSC
29.06.2012 18:36:15	2.5	Europe	Spain		Sabinosa				EMSC
29.06.2012 16:55:46	2.2	North America	United States	Alaska	Lucky Shot Landing				USGS-RSOE
30.06.2012 01:02:39	2.3	Asia	Turkey		Kapanalan				EMSC
29.06.2012 18:36:36	2.6	Europe	Spain		Sabinosa				EMSC
30.06.2012 01:02:59	2.4	Asia	Turkey		Dibekduzu				EMSC
29.06.2012 17:31:32	2.5	Europe	Spain		Sabinosa				EMSC
29.06.2012 16:30:47	2.2	Asia	Turkey		Karaseyh				EMSC
29.06.2012 17:31:53	2.5	Europe	Spain		Sabinosa				EMSC
29.06.2012 16:31:10	2.7	Europe	Greece		Evpalion				EMSC
29.06.2012 16:31:32	4.1	Indonesian Archipelago	Indonesia		Wasiri				EMSC
29.06.2012 16:31:53	2.8	Europe	Greece		Asminion				EMSC
29.06.2012 16:32:14	2.2	Asia	Turkey		Kucukcukur				EMSC
29.06.2012 16:32:32	2.3	Europe	Italy		La Fruttarola				EMSC
29.06.2012 15:34:34	2.2	North America	United States	California	San Juan Hot Springs				USGS-RSOE
29.06.2012 16:32:52	2.5	Asia	Turkey		Cayirozu				EMSC
29.06.2012 16:33:13	2.1	Asia	Turkey		Hunguvet				EMSC
29.06.2012 16:33:34	4.8	Pacific Ocean – East	Fiji		Matokana				EMSC
29.06.2012 15:34:55	4.8	Pacific Ocean	Fiji		Matokana				USGS-RSOE
29.06.2012 17:32:18	3.2	Europe	Spain		Sabinosa				EMSC
29.06.2012 16:33:52	2.2	Asia	Turkey		Kotanli				EMSC
29.06.2012 17:32:39	3.1	Europe	Spain		Sabinosa				EMSC
29.06.2012 15:15:47	2.1	North America	United States	California	Blocksburg				USGS-RSOE
29.06.2012 22:57:57	2.2	North America	United States	California	Blocksburg				USGS-RSOE
29.06.2012 17:32:59	3.0	Europe	Spain		Sabinosa				EMSC
29.06.2012 16:34:13	2.7	Europe	Spain		Sabinosa				EMSC
29.06.2012 16:34:33	2.8	Europe	Spain		Sabinosa				EMSC
29.06.2012 16:34:54	2.5	Europe	Spain		Sabinosa				EMSC
29.06.2012 16:35:25	3.1	Europe	Spain		Sabinosa				EMSC
29.06.2012 15:30:32	5.2	Middle-America	Mexico		Zacapulco				EMSC
29.06.2012 15:16:09	5.2	Middle America	Mexico	Estado de Chiapas	Zacapulco				USGS-RSOE
29.06.2012 15:30:54	2.0	Asia	Turkey		Ulaslar				EMSC
29.06.2012 16:35:52	2.6	Europe	Spain		Sabinosa				EMSC
29.06.2012 16:15:26	3.0	Caribbean	Dominican Republic	Provincia de La Romana	Boca Chica				USGS-RSOE
29.06.2012 15:31:14	2.3	Asia	Turkey		Karabogurtlen				EMSC
29.06.2012 15:31:36	2.6	Europe	Spain		Sabinosa				EMSC
29.06.2012 14:28:11	2.3	North America	United States	California	Black Oaks				USGS-RSOE
29.06.2012 15:31:57	2.4	Asia	Turkey		Bekiran				EMSC
29.06.2012 15:32:18	3.4	South-America	Chile		Campamento El Laco				EMSC
29.06.2012 15:32:37	2.8	Europe	Spain		Sabinosa				EMSC
29.06.2012 14:25:37	3.1	Asia	Turkey		Karabogurtlen				EMSC
29.06.2012 15:32:57	2.0	Asia	Turkey		Inlice				EMSC
29.06.2012 15:33:17	2.0	Asia	Turkey		Isikkara				EMSC
29.06.2012 14:25:59	2.4	Europe	Greece		Marathias				EMSC
29.06.2012 13:45:46	2.1	North America	United States	California	Pinnacles				USGS-RSOE
29.06.2012 14:26:29	2.6	Asia	Turkey		Suberde				EMSC
30.06.2012 03:10:49	2.8	Pacific Ocean	New Zealand	Woodville County	New Brighton				GEONET
29.06.2012 13:15:49	2.8	North America	United States	Alaska	Susitna				USGS-RSOE
29.06.2012 14:26:50	2.6	Asia	Turkey		Aziz				EMSC
29.06.2012 14:27:11	2.2	Asia	Turkey		Karandere				EMSC
29.06.2012 13:20:43	2.9	South-America	Chile		Polcura				EMSC
29.06.2012 13:21:05	2.0	Europe	Italy		Barchessone				EMSC
29.06.2012 13:21:26	3.4	Asia	Turkey		Baskonak				EMSC
29.06.2012 12:20:48	5.5	Pacific Ocean – East	Tonga		Haatua				EMSC
29.06.2012 12:24:27	4.9	Pacific Ocean	Tonga		Haatua				USGS-RSOE
29.06.2012 14:27:31	2.3	Asia	Turkey		Sizma				EMSC
29.06.2012 12:21:06	2.3	Europe	Italy		Arli				EMSC
29.06.2012 12:21:26	2.8	Europe	Greece		Foinikous				EMSC
29.06.2012 12:21:47	2.8	Europe	Spain		Sabinosa				EMSC
29.06.2012 12:22:11	3.2	Europe	France		Aleu				EMSC
29.06.2012 12:22:32	2.7	Europe	Greece		Ano Mazarakion				EMSC
29.06.2012 11:45:37	4.9	Indonesian archipelago	Indonesia		Faighunaa				USGS-RSOE
29.06.2012 12:22:50	5.0	Indonesian Archipelago	Indonesia		Detna				EMSC
29.06.2012 12:23:11	2.1	Asia	Turkey		Buban				EMSC
29.06.2012 12:23:29	2.1	Asia	Turkey		Kocaalagolkoy				EMSC
29.06.2012 15:33:37	3.1	South-America	Chile		Bellavista				EMSC
29.06.2012 11:36:37	4.2	Asia	Tajikistan	(( Kurgan-Tyubinskaya Oblast' ))	Ak-Mamad				USGS-RSOE
29.06.2012 12:23:47	4.2	Asia	Tajikistan		Ak-Mamad				EMSC
29.06.2012 10:10:41	2.2	North America	United States	Alaska	Nelchina				USGS-RSOE
29.06.2012 11:20:46	2.5	Asia	Turkey		Eskisayaca				EMSC
29.06.2012 09:25:35	4.6	Indonesian archipelago	Indonesia		Cikawung				USGS-RSOE
29.06.2012 10:15:27	4.6	Indonesian Archipelago	Indonesia		Cikawung				EMSC
29.06.2012 10:30:45	3.5	Caribbean	British Virgin Islands		The Settlement				USGS-RSOE
29.06.2012 10:15:48	2.5	Asia	Turkey		Sevketiye				EMSC
29.06.2012 15:25:56	2.0	North America	United States	Missouri	Linda				USGS-RSOE
29.06.2012 09:10:47	2.2	Europe	Greece		Taratsa				EMSC
29.06.2012 09:11:09	2.7	Europe	Czech Republic		Albrechtice				EMSC

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Cartoon of main geological events recorded at Gorst, Wash., from pre-earthquake conditions (a), to a tsunami that deposited material (b), through landslide debris flow (c). The depiction appears in a study from the June 2012 issue of the journal Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America. CREDIT: Maria E. Martin Arcos View full size image

A new word of caution for Seattleites: The big quake you’ve been waiting for could be even bigger than expected.

The Seattle Fault, a zone of east-west thrust faults under the Puget Sound and Seattle, last ruptured in a magnitude-7.0 to -7.5 earthquake about 1,100 years ago. It’s due for another one, but scientists don’t know when that might happen.

Whenever it does, the quake — and ensuing hazards like landslides or a tsunami — could be larger and affect a wider area than scientists had calculated, according to recent research from the University of Washington.

“Before, it looked like the Seattle Fault had a very narrow zone that was deformed during the last major earthquake, but this evidence shows that the zone of deformation was actually several kilometers wider,” said Maria Martin Arcos, a geologist with the engineering firm AMEC, who completed the research while she was a doctoral student at the University of Washington.

“This also shows that when you think about an earthquake, you also have to think about and plan for these other things, like landslides and tsunamis, that can come along with it,” Arcos told OurAmazingPlanet.

Triple threat

Native American oral legends recount a major earthquake near Seattle around A.D. 900-930, but those are the only human records of the event. To learn more about the prehistoric quake — and what the Seattle Fault might have in store for future ruptures — researchers have had to dig into the geologic record.

Arcos looked for evidence in a coastal marsh near Gorst, Wash. Geophysical models of the fault predicted that the prehistoric quake didn’t deform this area, but Arcos discovered that parts of the marsh had been lifted about 10 feet (3 meters) during the quake.

She found a layer of big cedar trunks, forest peat and seeds and leaves from land plants directly on top of a layer full of clams, mussels and mud. Together, the two layers are evidence that the quake suddenly lifted land in an intertidal zone, turning it into a forested zone.

Also, a sandy layer deposited by a tsunami and a layer of forest turf torn up during a landslide showed that at least two violent events accompanied the major earthquake, Arcos said.

Bigger danger zone

A better understanding of the Seattle Fault’s structure will help researchers forecast which areas might experience intense ground shaking in future quakes, Arcos said.

Her research indicates that a zone 6 to 7 miles (10 to 12 kilometers) wide could be deformed in a future quake with a magnitude up to 7.5. Previous estimates showed the danger zone was only about 4 to 5 miles (7 to 8 km) wide. [Video: What Earthquake 'Magnitude' Means]

“We know where most of the big plate boundary faults are, and we have some ideas as to how they behave. But for these smaller faults, we don’t really know where all of them are or how all of them behave,” Arcos said. “This fault runs right under the city of Seattle, and we’re still finding new things almost every year.”

Arcos’ research is detailed in the June 2012 issue of the journal Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America.

Follow OurAmazingPlanet for the latest in Earth science and exploration news on Twitter @OAPlanet. We’re also on Facebook and Google+.

Strong quake hits remote western China: USGS

Today

Earthquake

China

Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, [98 km S Kuytun]

Earthquake in China on Saturday, 30 June, 2012 at 04:28 (04:28 AM) UTC.

Preliminary Earthquake Report

EDIS Number:	EQ-20120629-256663-SHN
Magnitude:	6.0
Mercalli scale:	6
Date-Time [UTC]:	Friday, 29th June 2012 at 03:31 PM
Local Date/Time:	Friday, June 29, 2012 at 15:31 in the afternoon at epicenter
Coordinate:	24° 45.000, 9° 37.800
Depth:	10 km (6.21 miles)
Hypocentrum:	Shallow depth
Class:	Strong
Region:	Atlantic Ocean – North
Country:	Saint Helena
Location:	952.4 km (591.79 miles) SW of Wild Cattle Pound, Saint Helena
Source:	EMSC
Generated Tsunami:	Not or no data
Damage:	Not or no data

**********************************************************************************************************

Volcanic Activity

Siple volcano (Marie Byrd Land, Western Antarctica): possible awakening – steaming detected on 20 June

Mt Siple volcano in Antarctica might have become active and produced a steam plume recently detected on satellite imagery. The latest Smithsonian activity report mentions:
“Infrared imagery from the Metop satellite showed a possible rising steam plume from the area of Siple on 20 June. The imagery, as interpreted by Mark Drapes, indicated that the volcano was about -22 degrees Celsius, about 6 degrees warmer that the surrounding landscape, and the base of the plume was about -55 degrees Celsius.
Sources: Mark Drapes, personal communication, European Organisation for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites (EUMETSAT)”

***********************************************************************************************************

Extreme Temperatures/ Weather

Excessive Heat Warning

LOUISVILLE KY
WILMINGTON NC
LINCOLN IL
KANSAS CITY/PLEASANT HILL MO
GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
PADUCAH KY
WAKEFIELD VA
WILMINGTON OH
RALEIGH NC
INDIANAPOLIS IN
PEACHTREE CITY GA
NEWPORT/MOREHEAD CITY NC
HUNTSVILLE AL
BLACKSBURG VA
MOUNT HOLLY NJ
ST LOUIS MO
PHOENIX AZ

Excessive Heat Watch

CHARLESTON SC
BALTIMORE MD/WASHINGTON DC

Heat Advisory

NEWPORT/MOREHEAD CITY NC
COLUMBIA SC
PITTSBURGH PA
SPRINGFIELD MO
LOUISVILLE KY
WILMINGTON NC
NEW YORK NY
GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
JACKSON KY
NASHVILLE TN
JACKSON MS
LITTLE ROCK AR
WILMINGTON OH
RALEIGH NC
PEACHTREE CITY GA
HUNTSVILLE AL
BLACKSBURG VA
BIRMINGHAM AL
CHARLESTON WV
MORRISTOWN TN
MOBILE AL
ST LOUIS MO
MEMPHIS TN
STATE COLLEGE PA
TALLAHASSEE FL

The Weather Channel estimated that on Thursday nearly 93 million Americans were in areas under heat advisories and 21 million in areas with excessive heat warnings.

The heat wave smothering the central U.S. on Friday spread east — and for Washington, D.C., that meant topping out at 104 degrees at Reagan National Airport around 5 p.m. ET.

The nation’s capital broke the June 29 record mark by 3 degrees and, with the humidity, it felt like 112, the National Weather Service reported.

The old record of 101 degrees stood for 138 years. Washington’s all-time record is 106.

Nashville, Tenn., saw 109 degrees on Friday — smashing its 60-year record by two degrees.

Triple-digit temperatures across the Mid-Atlantic were expected to break records elsewhere as well, the weather service reported earlier.

Record-breaking heat will continue into the weekend and possibly through the July 4th holiday, it added, “and overnight lows will struggle to drop below 70.”

Much of the Mid-Atlantic and Southeast on Friday joined areas in the Plains and Midwest with excessive heat warnings and heat advisories. The Northeast was only slightly cooler.

High humidity could make it feel like 119 degrees in some Carolina coastal areas by Saturday afternoon, the weather service stated.

On Thursday, Norton, Kan., was the hottest spot in the nation, topping out at 118 degrees, according to the National Climatic Data Center. In all, 22 Kansas locations reached 110 or hotter on Thursday.

Over the previous five days, another Kansas town, Hill City, held that hottest spot, reaching 115 degrees on Wednesday.

Read Full Article here

Two Suspected Deaths in Heat Wave

© unknown

BILLINGS MT
MEDFORD OR
SALT LAKE CITY UT

BOISE ID
GREAT FALLS MT
POCATELLO ID
MISSOULA MT

No End in Sight to Colorado Fire Weather

By Alex Sosnowski, Expert Senior Meteorologist

The Waldo Canyon fire destroyed a neighborhood in Colorado Springs, Co. Photo via Gold Coast Weather Facebook page. See more before and after photos at The Denver Post.

A lack of drenching rainfall could continue through much of the summer over Colorado and neighboring areas, adding to wildfire woes.

While there has been some thunderstorm activity of late in the region, not enough rain will fall over a broad enough area to significantly impact tinder-dry conditions.

In many cases the storms have brought and will continue to bring little or no rainfall in the weeks ahead.

The air over the region is much too dry to allow the rain falling at cloud level in the storm to reach the ground.

What happens is that the evaporating rain cools the air, which then races to the ground in the form of strong gusts. In turn, the gusty winds generated nearby from the storms fan the flames of existing fires, while lightning strikes from the storms threaten to start new fires.

 

According to Paul Pastelok, head of AccuWeather.com’s Long Range Experts, “It appears the zone of high pressure over the region now will last through much of July and could continue through much of August.”

Pastelok pointed out that some moisture will continue and may increase over the Southwest in general in the coming weeks, but it will tend to “go around” rather than through most of Colorado.

Pastelok is referring to the phenomenon known to locals as the monsoon, which brings more humid air up from Mexico, and produces thunderstorm activity.

“It is possible a non-monsoon feature with a more liberal amount of showers and thunderstorms may swing from Texas to New Mexico next week, but only the southern part of Colorado would be grazed,” Pastelok said.

Otherwise, the region will have to wait until the high pressure area breaks down or shifts position and shorter days with lower sun intensity assist with matters.

While temperatures will occasionally throttle back in coming weeks, the overall massive heat pump will remain in place over Colorado through the middle of summer.

Even in areas that manage to get a couple of rainfalls of 0.10 of an inch from one of the spotty thunderstorms the next week or so, long sun-filled days and evaporation rates of 0.25 to 0.50 of an inch per day will rapidly trump rainfall.

Nebraska National Guard crewmembers dump water from a Bambi bucket onto flames of the High Park fire, in Larimer County, Colo., on June 18, 2012.
The National Guard/Flickr

 

 

50 evacuations near De Beque as blaze grows

---

By Paul Shockley
Friday, June 29, 2012

The Daily Sentinel
An overflow crowd of at least 200 De Beque residents heard Thursday night they may be evacuated over the coming days to either Parachute or Palisade, all dependent on the mood of a growing wind-whipped wildfire which closed a smoky Interstate 70.

“I’ve never seen fire do some of things that we’ve seen this year,” Mesa County Sheriff Stan Hilkey told the crowd. “It’s scary here.”

Growing more than tenfold from Wednesday, the 10,000-acre Pine Ridge Fire southwest of De Beque blew up Thursday as winds kicked up over the afternoon, spreading in all directions and coming within a stone’s throw of the westbound traffic lanes of I-70.

A 13-mile stretch of the highway from the Powderhorn exit to the De Beque exit was closed.

The Bureau of Land Management said it planned to map the blaze from the air overnight to get an accurate estimate of acreage burned.

While roughly 50 residents southeast of De Beque were evacuated Thursday afternoon and offered shelter at Palisade High School, Hilkey laid out an uncertain scenario for a possible mandatory evacuation of the entire town De Beque over the coming days. The sheriff said authorities were concerned today’s projected weather may push flames toward De Beque.

“If Interstate 70 is still closed, we’ll go down 45 1/2 Road to the De Beque Cutoff, to Highway 65 and to Grand Junction,” Hilkey said, adding evacuees would be directed to Palisade High School.

“If the fire jumps I-70 and reaches 45 1/2 Road, both of which would be closed, we’ll send people to Parachute,” Hilkey added, saying they’ve receive a commitment from Grand Valley High School to assist.

Hilkey said any evacuation notice will include phone calls from 911 dispatchers in Grand Junction, while some 206 such calls went out late Thursday afternoon to residences and business on the south side of De Beque, closer to I-70.

DeBeque, which registered a population of 504 in the 2010 census, also has other means of notifying residents.

“We have a siren and everyone in town can hear it clearly,” a woman yelled at Hilkey from the back of the De Beque Community Center Thursday night.

“We’ll build that into our contingency plan,” the sheriff replied.

Russell Long, division chief with the Upper Colorado River Interagency Fire Management team, said a staff of 100 firefighters and support staff were on the ground, and the number of resources was growing.

With the acceleration of the fire Thursday afternoon, the BLM formally issued a request for a Type 1 overhead management team, Catherine Robertson, Grand Junction BLM Field Office Director, told the crowd Thursday night. Type 1 teams consist of the most skilled federal firefighters.

“This is the same type of team they have on the Front Range right now,” Robertson said. “We’re trying to give you the best resources to work this fire, but we have to be patient.”

Long acknowledged the Pine Ridge blaze was in something of a “competition” for resources with the wildfires charring the Front Range.

Tanker planes were seen throughout Thursday making several passes around the blaze, while officials held out hope that a heavy-duty helicopter capable of dropping 1,500-gallon water bombs on the blaze might be available by Friday.

“We can do bucket drops in the (Colorado) river,” Robertson said. “Part of the reason we have to shut down I-70 is safety.”

Grand Valley Power officials announced late Thursday evening that they may de-energize power lines in the De Beque area should the fire advance toward those lines in order to keep firefighters safe, a move that would leave customers in the area without power for an extended period of time.

The power company said it is working with the incident commander on the fire to monitor it and has dispatched linemen to locations ahead of the fire so that they’re in position to de-energize the lines if it becomes necessary to do so.

In the event lines are de-energized, Grand Valley Power encourages customers to keep refrigerators and freezers closed to minimize the impacts an extended outage could have on food storage. Officials said they will keep customers informed about any action taken with the power lines.

City Editor Mike Wiggins contributed to this report.

 

 

Serious Heat and Serious Storms

 Today’s all-time record highs (that I could find, anyway):

Columbia, SC: 109 (nyah-nyah, Augusta … Columbia’s hottest ever is now one hotter than yours)

Nashville, TN: 109

Athens, GA: 109

Paducah, KY: 108 (tie)

Huntsville, AL: 106

Chattanooga, TN: 106 (tie)

Columbus, GA: 105

Greer, SC: 105 (tie)

Raleigh, NC: 105 (tie)

Charlotte, NC: 104 (tie)

Tri-Cities, TN: 102 (tie)

Crossville, TN: 102

Honorable mentions:

Smyrna, TN: 113 (I’ve always thought this thermometer runs a bit hot, but if it is accurate, it ties the Tennessee all-time state record high from Perryville on August 9, 1930)

Columbia, SC (Owens Field): 110 (short period of record, 1 short of the South Carolina state record high)

Bowling Green, KY: 110 (June record high)

Rumor has it that Mount Leconte, TN got to 81 today, the first time they have ever been in the 80s. It will be interesting to see how warm Grandfather Mountain and Mount Mitchell were today. Grandfather Mountain’s warmest is 83 and I believe Mount Mitchell’s is 82.

Today certainly rivals what I used to consider the hottest day ever in the Southeast, August 21, 1983.

I’m looking forward to pouring over the local cooperative reports to see if any state record highs were tied or broken. I think there’s a chance in South Carolina and Tennessee. Someone in Georgia might have gotten close.

Most places in the Southeast will be within a degree or two of what we saw yesterday, some places hotter, others not as hot. So, we’ll take a run at some of these figures again Saturday.

 

 

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Storms, Flooding

Severe Thunderstorm Warning

BISMARCK ND

“So this is going on outside my window #chicago #storm,” tweeted user @twobitme this morning.

People dealing with scorching temperatures stretched across the Midwest may get a break from the heat wave, but only at the expense of severe thunderstorms.

The storms slammed Illinois with 60-mph winds and heavy rain during the midday Friday and were racing along at nearly 80 mph across Indiana and Ohio, aiming toward West Virginia and western Pennsylvania Friday evening.

High winds from the storms have had a history of numerous power outages, downed trees and property damage.

The heat combining with the severe weather in the atmosphere could also create large hailstones the size of golf balls and frequent lightning strikes.

The storms will approach quickly. Be sure to seek shelter as soon as you hear thunder.

Flood Warning

JACKSONVILLE FL
SPOKANE, WA
DULUTH MN
TALLAHASSEE FL
TAMPA BAY AREA - RUSKIN FL

30.06.2012

Flood

India

State of Assam , [Assam-wide]

Flood in India on Friday, 29 June, 2012 at 09:54 (09:54 AM) UTC.

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Radiation / Nuclear

Seismologists warn Japan against nuclear restart

Japan has approved the restart of the two reactors at the Kansai Electric Power Ohi nuclear plant, northwest of Tokyo, despite mass public opposition.

They will be the first to come back on line after all reactors were shut following a massive earthquake and tsunami last March that caused the worst nuclear crisis since Chernobyl at Tokyo Electric Power’s Daiichi Fukushima plant.

Seismic modeling by Japan’s nuclear regulator did not properly take into account active fault lines near the Ohi plant, Katsuhiko Ishibashi, a seismologist at Kobe University, told reporters.

“The stress tests and new safety guidelines for restarting nuclear power plants both allow for accidents at plants to occur,” Ishibashi told reporters. “Instead of making standards more strict, they both represent a severe setback in safety standards.”

Experts advising Japan’s nuclear industry had underestimated the seismic threat, Mitsuhisa Watanabe, a tectonic geomorphology professor at Toyo University, said at the same news conference.

“The expertise and neutrality of experts advising Japan’s Nuclear Industrial Safety Agency are highly questionable,” Watanabe said.

After an earthquake in 2007 caused radiation leaks at reactors north of Tokyo, Ishibashi said Japan was at risk of a nuclear disaster following a large earthquake, a warning that proved prescient after Fukushima.

While it is impossible to predict when earthquakes will happen, Ishibashi said on Tuesday the magnitude 9 quake last year made it more likely “devastating” earthquakes would follow.

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Climate Change

Africa’s Savannas May Become Forests by 2100, Study Suggests

Science Daily

ScienceDaily (June 28, 2012) — A new study published today in Nature by authors from the Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre and the Goethe University Frankfurt suggests that large parts of Africa’s savannas may well be forests by 2100. The study suggests that fertilization by atmospheric carbon dioxide is forcing increases in tree cover throughout Africa. A switch from savanna to forest occurs once a critical threshold of CO₂ concentration is exceeded, yet each site has its own critical threshold. The implication is that each savanna will switch at different points in time, thereby reducing the risk that a synchronous shock to the earth system will emanate from savannas.

Tropical grasslands, savannas and forests, areas the authors call the savanna complex, are expected to respond sensitively to climate and atmospheric changes. This is because the main players, grasses and trees, differ fundamentally in their response to temperature, carbon dioxide supply and fire and are in an unrelenting struggle for the dominance of the savanna complex. The outcome of this struggle determines whether vast portions of the globe’s tropical and sub-tropical regions are covered with grasslands, savannas or forests.  In the past such shifts in dominance have played out in slow motion, but the current wave of atmospheric changes has accelerated the potential rate of change.

Experimental studies have generally shown that plants do not show a large response to CO₂ fertilization.  “However, most of these studies were conducted in northern ecosystems or on commercially important species” explains Steven Higgins, lead author of the study from the Biodiodversity and Climate Reseach Centre and Goethe-University. “In fact, only one experimental study has investigated how savanna plants will respond to changing CO₂ concentrations and this study showed that savanna trees were essentially CO₂ starved under pre-industrial CO₂ concentrations, and that their growth really starts taking off at the CO₂ concentrations we are currently experiencing.“

The vegetation shifts that the Higgins and Scheiter study projects are an example of what some theorists call catastrophic regime shifts. Such catastrophic regime shifts can be triggered by small changes in the factors that regulate the system. These small changes set up a cascade of events that reinforce each other causing the system to change more and more rapidly. The study demonstrated that the savanna complex showed symptoms of catastrophic regime shifts.  “The potential for regime shifts in a vegetation formation that covers such vast areas is what is making earth system scientists turn their attention to savannas” comments Higgins.

Knowing when such regime shifts will occur is critical for anticipating change. This study discovered that locations where the temperature rise associated with climate change occurs rapidly, for example in the center of southern Africa, are projected to switch later to forest as the high rate of temperature increase allows the savanna grasses to remain competitive for longer in the face of rising atmospheric CO₂ concentration. This means that even though a single location may experience its catastrophic regime shift, the vegetation change when averaged over a region will be smoother. Such gradual transitions in regional vegetation patterns will reduce the potential for shocks to the earth system. “While this may seem reassuring, we have to bear in mind that these changes are still rapid when viewed on geological time scales”, says Higgins.

The practical implications of the study are far reaching. For example, the study identified a belt that spans northern central Africa where fire suppression would encourage savannas to transition to forests. “So if you wanted to sequester carbon as part of a carbon mitigation action, this is where you should do it” explained Higgins “with the caveat that where this will work is shifting as atmospheric conditions change.” A worrying implication is that the grasslands and open savannas of Africa, areas with unique floras and faunas, are set to be replaced by closed savannas  or forests.  Hence it appears that atmospheric change represents a major threat to systems that are already threatened by over-grazing, plantation forestry and crop production.

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Solar Activity

2MIN News June 29, 2012: Maya, M Flares, and the Canary Islands

Published on Jun 29, 2012 by Suspicious0bservers

TODAYS LINKS
African Rainforests: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/06/120628130643.htm
2012: http://phys.org/news/2012-06-maya-archaeologists-unearth-monument.html
Debbie Rain Totals: http://phys.org/news/2012-06-trmm-satellite-debby-drenching-florida.html
Chinese Astronauts: http://phys.org/news/2012-06-chinese-astronauts-parachute-mission.html
Secret Space Mission: http://www.universetoday.com/96033/mighty-delta-4-heavy-rocket-and-clandestin…
Tital Ocean: http://www.universetoday.com/96027/titans-tides-suggest-a-subsurface-sea/
June Heat: http://www.weather.com/news/weather-forecast/record-heat-all-time-monthly-201…

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

M2.4 Solar Flare & CME’s June 28-29, 2012

Published on Jun 29, 2012 by SolarWatcher

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Space

Earth approaching objects (objects that are known in the next 30 days)
Object Name	Apporach Date	Left	AU Distance	LD Distance	Estimated Diameter*	Relative Velocity
(2004 CL)	30th June 2012	0 day(s)	0.1113	43.3	220 m – 480 m	20.75 km/s	74700 km/h
(2008 YQ2)	03rd July 2012	3 day(s)	0.1057	41.1	29 m – 65 m	15.60 km/s	56160 km/h
(2005 QQ30)	06th July 2012	6 day(s)	0.1765	68.7	280 m – 620 m	13.13 km/s	47268 km/h
(2011 YJ28)	06th July 2012	6 day(s)	0.1383	53.8	150 m – 330 m	14.19 km/s	51084 km/h
276392 (2002 XH4)	07th July 2012	7 day(s)	0.1851	72.0	370 m – 840 m	7.76 km/s	27936 km/h
(2003 MK4)	08th July 2012	8 day(s)	0.1673	65.1	180 m – 410 m	14.35 km/s	51660 km/h
(1999 NW2)	08th July 2012	8 day(s)	0.0853	33.2	62 m – 140 m	6.66 km/s	23976 km/h
189P/NEAT	09th July 2012	9 day(s)	0.1720	66.9	n/a	12.47 km/s	44892 km/h
(2000 JB6)	10th July 2012	10 day(s)	0.1780	69.3	490 m – 1.1 km	6.42 km/s	23112 km/h
(2010 MJ1)	10th July 2012	10 day(s)	0.1533	59.7	52 m – 120 m	10.35 km/s	37260 km/h
(2008 NP3)	12th July 2012	12 day(s)	0.1572	61.2	57 m – 130 m	6.08 km/s	21888 km/h
(2006 BV39)	12th July 2012	12 day(s)	0.1132	44.1	4.2 m – 9.5 m	11.11 km/s	39996 km/h
(2005 NE21)	15th July 2012	15 day(s)	0.1555	60.5	140 m – 320 m	10.77 km/s	38772 km/h
(2003 KU2)	15th July 2012	15 day(s)	0.1034	40.2	770 m – 1.7 km	17.12 km/s	61632 km/h
(2007 TN74)	16th July 2012	16 day(s)	0.1718	66.9	20 m – 45 m	7.36 km/s	26496 km/h
(2007 DD)	16th July 2012	16 day(s)	0.1101	42.8	19 m – 42 m	6.47 km/s	23292 km/h
(2006 BC8)	16th July 2012	16 day(s)	0.1584	61.6	25 m – 56 m	17.71 km/s	63756 km/h
144411 (2004 EW9)	16th July 2012	16 day(s)	0.1202	46.8	1.3 km – 2.9 km	10.90 km/s	39240 km/h
(2012 BV26)	18th July 2012	18 day(s)	0.1759	68.4	94 m – 210 m	10.88 km/s	39168 km/h
(2010 OB101)	19th July 2012	19 day(s)	0.1196	46.6	200 m – 450 m	13.34 km/s	48024 km/h
(2008 OX1)	20th July 2012	20 day(s)	0.1873	72.9	130 m – 300 m	15.35 km/s	55260 km/h
(2010 GK65)	21st July 2012	21 day(s)	0.1696	66.0	34 m – 75 m	17.80 km/s	64080 km/h
(2011 OJ45)	21st July 2012	21 day(s)	0.1367	53.2	18 m – 39 m	3.79 km/s	13644 km/h
153958 (2002 AM31)	22nd July 2012	22 day(s)	0.0351	13.7	630 m – 1.4 km	9.55 km/s	34380 km/h
(2011 CA7)	23rd July 2012	23 day(s)	0.1492	58.1	2.3 m – 5.1 m	5.43 km/s	19548 km/h
(2012 BB124)	24th July 2012	24 day(s)	0.1610	62.7	170 m – 380 m	8.78 km/s	31608 km/h
(2009 PC)	28th July 2012	28 day(s)	0.1772	68.9	61 m – 140 m	7.34 km/s	26424 km/h
1 AU = ~150 million kilometers,1 LD = Lunar Distance = ~384,000 kilometers Source: NASA-NEO

………………………………..

Titan’s Tides Suggest a Subsurface Sea

by Jason Major

Universe Today

Saturn’s hazy Titan is now on the short list of moons that likely harbor a subsurface ocean of water, based on new findings from NASA’s Cassini spacecraft.

Want to stay on top of all the space news? Follow @universetoday on Twitter

As Titan travels around Saturn during its 16-day elliptical orbits, it gets rhythmically squeezed by the gravitational pull of the giant planet — an effect known as tidal flexing (see video below.) If the moon were mostly composed of rock, the flexing would be in the neighborhood of around 3 feet (1 meter.) But based on measurements taken by the Cassini spacecraft, which has been orbiting Saturn since 2004, Titan exhibits much more intense flexing — ten times more, in fact, as much as 30 feet (10 meters) — indicating that it’s not entirely solid at all.

Instead, Cassini scientists estimate that there’s a moon-wide ocean of liquid water beneath the frozen crust of Titan, possibly sandwiched between layers of ice or rock.

“Short of being able to drill on Titan’s surface, the gravity measurements provide the best data we have of Titan’s internal structure.”

– Sami Asmar, Cassini team member at JPL

“Cassini’s detection of large tides on Titan leads to the almost inescapable conclusion that there is a hidden ocean at depth,” said Luciano Iess, the paper’s lead author and a Cassini team member at the Sapienza University of Rome, Italy. “The search for water is an important goal in solar system exploration, and now we’ve spotted another place where it is abundant.”

Although liquid water is a necessity for the development of life, the presence of it alone does not guarantee that alien organisms are swimming around in a Titanic underground ocean. It’s thought that water must be in contact with rock in order to create the necessary building blocks of life, and as yet it’s not known what situations may exist around Titan’s inner sea. But the presence of such an ocean — possibly containing trace amounts of ammonia – would help explain how methane gets replenished into the moon’s thick atmosphere.

“The presence of a liquid water layer in Titan is important because we want to understand how methane is stored in Titan’s interior and how it may outgas to the surface,” said Jonathan Lunine, a Cassini team member at Cornell University, Ithaca, N.Y. “This is important because everything that is unique about Titan derives from the presence of abundant methane, yet the methane in the atmosphere is unstable and will be destroyed on geologically short timescales.”

China to invest in Earth monitoring system

by Staff Writers
Beijing (UPI)

Space Daily

disclaimer: image is for illustration purposes only

China says it will invest $81 million to build a national network to monitor movement in the Earth’s crust and for other Earth sciences in the next four years.

The program will use more than 3,000 technicians to build a three-dimensional and dynamic “geodetic” network with high precision, the country’s National Administration of Surveying, Mapping and Geoinformation announced Tuesday.

The national geodetic network aims to build 360 Global Positioning System reference stations and a satellite-geodesy control network consisting of 4,500 control points, China’s state-run Xinhua News Agency reported.

The network will ensure people can get timely geodetic information for any point in the country’s land area, surveying administration Deputy Directory Li Weisen said.

China lags behind developed countries in terms of surveying and mapping technologies.

While the United States’ “geoid” determination network can reach an accuracy of 1 inch, China can only determine geoid at an accuracy of 1 foot in its eastern part and 2 feet in its western region, Xinhua said.

Related Links
Earth Observation News – Suppiliers, Technology and Application

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Mysterious Booms / Rumblings

Getty Images

Residents from Chula Vista to Oceanside reported a large rumble around 12:45 p.m. Friday.

The mysterious sensation was described by some people as sounding like a door slamming while others said it was strong enough to rattle windows.

A check of the U.S. Geological Survey website showed no earthquake activity.

NBC 7 San Diego’s Dagmar Midcap was in Del Mar at the time and described it as a “Sonic ‘rumble’” She tweeted, “according to my contacts at USGS, not seismic but rather sonic.”

Two months ago, when San Diegans heard a similar sound, there was evidence of chaff on weather radar. Chaff is a material sometimes emitted during military exercises.

On Friday, however, Tina Stall with the National Weather Service said there was no visible chaff in the area at the time the noise was reported.

The mysterious sound had both residents and experts scratching their heads. Scripps Institution of Oceanography scientist Kristoffer Walker said he felt it too, and looked into microphones recorded from MCAS Miramar.

Evidence from his research revealed an answer.

“There was indeed an atmospheric tremor, or ‘skyquake,’” Walker said. “The likely cause of these ‘skyquakes’ is routine military activity very far off the coast of San Diego (at least 50 miles away) in zones that are designated military training zones.”

Typically, we don’t hear these “skyquakes.” But when the wind reaches speeds of over 100 miles per hour, the sound can reach parts of San Diego, Walker said.

A spokesperson from Camp Pendleton said Marines are not training with anything unusual. They often train with various military equipment and will be training with tanks both Saturday and Sunday.

On Friday evening, the U.S. Naval Air Forces official Facebook page posted the following message regarding the mysterious boom heard around San Diego:

“San Diego, it looks like the boom that was heard and felt today was likely due to some aircraft associated with the USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70) family day cruise. As part of a flight demonstration two F/A-18 aircraft went supersonic about 35 miles off the coast. Sorry for any inconvenience this may have caused. — LT Aaron Kakiel, media officer.”

So, according to the Navy, it appears Friday’s San Diego boom mystery has finally been solved.

Source: Strange Sound Reported in San Diego | NBC San Diego

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Biological Hazards / Wildlife / Hazmat

Bee disease outbreak

The disease was confirmed following laboratory diagnosis by Science and Advice for Scottish Agriculture. Other outbreaks of AFB have previously been reported – and dealt with – in this area over the last three years.

The movement of bees and related equipment into or out of the affected apiary is prohibited. As there is no permitted treatment for the disease in the UK, the infected hive will be destroyed. There are no risks to public health from AFB and no implications for the quality and safety of honey.

Bee farmers and beekeepers are being urged to be vigilant for signs of the disease, to maintain good husbandry practices and to notify any suspicion of disease to BeesMailbox@scotland.gsi.gov.uk. In order to assist Scottish Government Bee Inspectors to control this and other diseases, beekeepers are urged to register on BeeBase, the national bee database.

 

 

 

Today

Biological Hazard

USA

State of California, Los Angeles [Huntington Park]

Biological Hazard in USA on Saturday, 30 June, 2012 at 03:26 (03:26 AM) UTC.

Today

HAZMAT

Canada

Province of Manitoba, St. Vital [Victor Mager School]

HAZMAT in Canada on Saturday, 30 June, 2012 at 03:24 (03:24 AM) UTC.

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Articles of Interest

ASSUMPTION PARISH, LA (WAFB) -

Mysterious bubbles are rising up out of an Assumption Parish bayou. Officials are trying to figure what’s causing them.

Take a ride down Bayou Corne, and there are bubbles of all sizes along the waterway.

“We have reported on May 30th a pipeline leak, which started us coming out and investigating a bubbling in Bayou Corne,” said Assumption Parish Homeland Security Director John Boudreaux.

Since then though, pipeline officials have not ruled that out just yet, but said it’s unlikely. So now, investigators are going through the process of elimination.

By coincidence, since the bubbling began, many in Assumption Parish are worried

“Our houses shifting and cracks in our sheet rock and our foundation,” said Jason Hugh.

“My home moved, and my home shook. My home moved, and I’m on cement,” said Debra Charlet.

Officials don’t know yet whether the two are related. Boudreaux has taken samples of the bubbles and sent them off for testing. Those samples are expected back in the next couple of weeks.

Officials are monitoring the bubbles twice a day. As for now, no evacuations have been issued and the waterways remain open.

Press Release #1

Tuesday, June 26, 2012

3:00  p.m.

For Immediate Release

Gas Bubbles in the Bayou Corne/Grand Bayou Areas

Bubbling has been noticed in the water in the Bayou Corne and Grand Bayou areas. Parish officials have determined that this bubbling is caused by a release of natural gas and not “swamp gas”.

The origin of the gas is presently unknown. Potential causes could perhaps be a pipeline leak or a potential leak from an adjacent storage cavern. Presently, it has not been established that this gas is a residual gas leak from the Gulf South incident of 2003-2004.

Government officials including the LA Department of Natural Resources, LA State Police, LA Department of Environmental Quality, Assumption Parish Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness, and the Assumption Parish Sheriff’s Office are continuously working with local industry to determine the origin of the leak. The immediate task at hand is to isolate the problem so that repair and mitigation can commence to resolve the problem.

Daily readings are being taken and recorded from all known bubbling locations for ignition risk. At present time, no readings have suggested any ignition risk; therefore, all waterways remain open to boat traffic. If readings change, waterways may be closed for a period of time.

If anyone has information on bubbling locations or about a potential origin of the gas, please contact the Assumption Parish Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness at (985) 369-7386.

Mysterious African ‘Fairy Circles’ Stump Scientists

© Mike and Ann Scott of the NamibRand Nature Reserve
Mysterious bare spots called “fairy circles” dotting the sandy desert grasslands of Namibia have long stumped scientists who have no idea how the strange patterns form.

In the sandy desert grasslands of Namibia in southern Africa, mysterious bare spots known as “fairy circles” will form and then disappear years later for no reason anyone can determine. A new look at these strange patterns doesn’t solve the wistful mystery but at least reveals that the largest of the circles can linger for a lifetime.

Small fairy circles stick around an average of 24 years, while larger ones can exist as long as 75 years, according to research detailed today (June 27) in the journal PLoS ONE. Still, the study sheds little light on why the circles form, persist and then vanish into the landscape after decades.

“The why question is very difficult,” said study researcher Walter Tschinkel, a biologist at Florida State University. “There are a number of hypotheses on the table, and the evidence for none of them is convincing.” [See Photos of Fairy Circles]

Circles of life (and death)

Tschinkel grew interested in fairy circles during a 2005 safari to NamibRand Nature Reserve in southwest Namibia, in the Namib Desert. It was his first experience with the round clearings, tens of thousands of which expose the red sandy soil in the area. A short time after the circles form, a tall ring of grass grows around the border, highlighting the bare area.

Few researchers have studied fairy circles, in part because of their remoteness, 111 miles (180 km) from the nearest village. It’s an arid landscape where springbok, ostriches, leopards and other large animals roam, Tschinkel told LIveScience.

“It’s like dying and going to heaven if you like remote, beautiful desert places,” he said.

At first glance, Tschinkel assumed the circles marked underground nests of harvester termites. But digs have shown no evidence of termite nests under fairy circles. Other explanations, such as differences in soil nutrients or the death of seedlings by toxic vapors from the ground, have likewise failed to hold up to study.

© Mike and Ann Scott of the NamibRand Nature Reserve
The smallest are about 6.5 feet (2 meters) in diameter, while the largest can be almost 40 feet (12 m) across. Eventually, plants move back in, re-colonizing the circles and leaving only slightly indented “ghost circles” behind.

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