Tag Archive: Switzerland


HAZMAT – Switzerland, Ticino, Bellinzona : CALLS are growing for more routine radioactive screening at borders after a second lorry containing unshielded radioactive material was stopped on a European road

Filed under: Clean up, Disaster Management, Earth Watch Report, Global Disaster Watch, Hazmat, Nuclear, Nuclear Power Truths — Leave a comment
May 10, 2013

Hazmat -  Nuclear  Power  Truths

-The-vehicle-was-contained-for-exceeding-the-legal-radioactive-emission-limits-europics-

The vehicle was contained for exceeding the legal radioactive emission limits/ europics

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09.05.2013 HAZMAT Switzerland Ticino, Bellinzona Damage level Details

…

HAZMAT in Switzerland on Thursday, 09 May, 2013 at 14:29 (02:29 PM) UTC.

Description
CALLS are growing for more routine radioactive screening at borders after a second lorry containing unshielded radioactive material was stopped on a European road. The startling discovery in Switzerland came only five days after a group of Romanians carrying unshielded nuclear material were stopped in neighbouring Austria. A lorry from Lithuania on its way to Italy has been found to contain dangerous levels of radioactivity by customs officials. The lorry was cordoned off, while the surrounding 300 feet around the vehicle was evacuated and the Customs border crossing point was closed. A specialist team from the Bellinzona fire service and specially trained police officers were called in to investigate further, discovering that the radioactivity was from a package being transported in the lorry which was confiscated and secured. Davide Bassi, from the Swiss Border Control Office said: “It is not unusual that lorry’s have a low level of radiation, and we do carry out controls to check that this limit is not exceeded.” They were currently examining the package to find out why it was irradiated and what it contained, he said speaking to the Austrian Times. Wolfgang Mueller from Greenpeace Germany said: “It is clearly a growing problem and about time that tougher action was made to cut down on the number of dangerous nuclear transports that seem to be taking place on our streets.”

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Nuclear fears in Europe after unshielded radioactive material is found

CALLS are growing for more routine radioactive screening at borders after a second lorry containing unshielded radioactive material was stopped on a European road.

By: Charlotte Meredith

Published: Thu, May 9, 2013

The startling discovery in Switzerland came only five days after a group of Romanians carrying unshielded nuclear material were stopped in neighbouring Austria.

The vehicle was contained after it was discovered to be exceeding the legal radioactive emission limits.

Shockingly, the men had even stored their sandwiches and drinking water in with the radioactive material.

In Austria the men admitted they had made the journey from Germany to Romania carrying similar radioactive loads dozens of times and had not realised how dangerous it was.

Calls are growing for more routine radioactive screening at borders/ europics

It is clearly a growing problem

Wolfgang Mueller

Now, a lorry from Lithuania on its way to Italy has been found to contain dangerous levels of radioactivity by customs officials.

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The Supreme Court of India on Monday dismissed Swiss drugmaker Novartis AG’s attempt to win patent protection for its cancer drug Glivec

Filed under: Bioethics, Health, Health And Wellness Report, Legislation, Medical Research, Pharmaceuticals — 4 Comments
April 1, 2013
     

Image Source                                               Image Source

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Supreme Court dismisses plea of Novartis for patent of cancer drug

Novartis-protest
A file photo of protests against Swiss drugmaker Novartis AG’s case against the Indian government on drug patents.

Reuters | Apr 1, 2013, 11.27AM IST

NEW DELHI/MUMBAI: The Supreme Court on Monday dismissed Swiss drugmaker Novartis AG’s attempt to win patent protection for its cancer drug Glivec, a serious blow to Western pharmaceutical firms who are increasingly focusing on India to drive sales.

The decision also sets a benchmark for several intellectual property disputes in India, where many patented drugs are unaffordable for most of its 1.2 billion people.

India’s domestic drugs market is the 14th largest globally, but with annual growth of 13-14 per cent and the world’s second biggest population, it has massive potential at a time when traditional developed markets have slowed down.

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WARNING: SurvivalBlog found an FBI cookie – covert tracking verified

Filed under: Collection of Personal Data, Freedom, Fundamental Rights, Government Overreach, Internet ID, Internet Neutrality, Internet News, IT, Lack Of Transparency, Secrecy, Security, Security, Surveillance, Unethical — 12 Comments
March 31, 2013

This serves as a strong warning to those who value their anonymity. If you aren’t already accessing the Internet through VPN or another deidentifying service, you may be ‘on the list.’ Go silent today! VPN is one effective option. I use TOR. VPN will allow you to use some services that TOR blocks to protect you, but VPN costs money and TOR is free.

Important Message From JWR: The FBI’s Cookie Caper and the VPN Imperative

It has just come to my attention that from August of 2011 to November of 2011, the FBI secretly redirected the web traffic of more than 10% of SurvivalBlog’s US visitors through CJIS, a sprawling data center situated on 900 acres, 10 miles from Clarksburg, West Virginia. There, the Feebees were surreptitiously collecting the IP addresses of my site visitors. In all, 4,906 of 35,494 connections ended up going to or through the FBI servers. (Note that this happened several months before we moved our primary server to Sweden.) Furthermore, we discovered that the FBI attached a long-lived cookie that allowed them to track the sites that readers subsequently visited. I suspect that the FBI has done the same to hundreds of other web sites. I find this situation totally abhorrent, and contrary to the letter of 4th Amendment as well as the intent of our Founding Fathers.

I recognize that I am making this announcement at the risk of losing some readers. So be it. But I felt compelled to tell my readers immediately, because it was the honorable and forthright course of action.

Working on my behalf, some volunteer web forensics experts dissected some cached version histories. (Just about everything is available on the Internet, and the footprints and cookie crumb trails that you leave are essentially there for a lifetime.) The volunteers found that the bulk of the FBI redirects were selected because of a reader’s association with “Intellectual Property” infringing sites like the now defunct Megaupload. But once redirected, you were assigned a cookie. However, some of these were direct connections to the SurvivalBlog site (around 4% of the total.) So if they had kept this practice up long enough and if you visited us enough times then the FBI’s computers would have given you a cookie. This has been verified with sniffer software.

Bad Cop, No Cookies

For your privacy, I strongly recommend that you disable cookies when web browsing. Here are some detailed instructions on how to do so for the most popular web browsers:
•Disabling Cookies in MS Internet Explorer
•Disabling Cookies in Firefox
•Disabling Cookies in Safari
•Disabling Cookies in Netscape
•Disabling Cookies in Google Chrome
•Disabling Cookies in Opera
•Disabling Cookies in Konqueror

But beyond that, more must be done to protect your privacy. You need to be proactive.

Install and Use VPN!

I am now imploring all SurvivalBlog readers to immediately install and use Virtual Private Network (VPN) on their computers. This will allow you to surf the Internet anonymously. Anyone that tries to track web site visitors e-mails will see your visit as originating from one of dozens of anonymous URLs in Europe, or elsewhere in the United States. (With most VPN services, you may pick the city of your choice.) With VPN active, your connection to the Web is “tunneled”, emerging at a far-distant IP address, and it it would be very difficult to track back to your home IP address. Setting up VPN takes just a few minute to accomplish. Once installed, you can set VPN to turn on automatically by default when you start your PC, Mac, or Linux computer. Most VPN providers charge $5 to $20 per month. You can toggle off VPN with the click of your mouse. (You will find this necessary if you visit any of the few web site that disallow overseas IP addresses, such as Netflix). But I recommend that you leave VPN turned on, as much as possible. Set it up to turn on each time that you start up your computer. It is crucial that you use VPN whenever you visit web sites, blogs, and forums that are deemed politically incorrect, or whenever you purchase storage food or firearms accessories on the Web. For those of you that are not tech savvy, ask a friend or relative under age 25 to set up VPN for you. It is not difficult.

Some recommended VPN service providers include:

  • StrongVPN ($55 to $240 per year. One of the most flexible in reassigning the far end of your tunnel on the fly. Superior speed.)
  • 12VPN ($79 per year.)
  • AceVPN ($55 per year. A bare bones service, but one of the least expensive.)
  • HideMyAss. (Just under $79 per year.)
  • PureVPN. ($75 per year for their basic service.)

(Some reviews of the various services are available here. )

Note that some of the lower cost services might see your connection speed suffer. Your Internet connect will seem noticeably slower than using your original ISP, alone.

It is my hope that in the next two months SurvivalBlog’s site visit map will shift substantially, giving the appearance that most of my readership has moved to Switzerland. Say “Ein Glück, dass wir den los sind” to the FBI’s snooping! It would warm my heart to soon see SurvivalBlog ranked as one of the most popular web sites for readers with Swiss IP addresses.

Beyond VPN

Because government agencies have access to lots and lots of computing power, VPN is not completely impenetrable. It is vulnerable to penetration during the key exchange phase. With the resources available to a state actor, sniffing the entirety of the traffic into and out of a web site is trivial these days. (They can use massively scalable horizontally-scaled virtual sniffers — i.e. using a visualization engine and a template they can keep adding more virtualized instances of a windows or Linux based sniffer program and not even impact the performance of the connections.) I believe that the next loop of the threat spiral in the privacy wars will be Quantum Key Distribution (QKD). But I must clarify that this will become important only for the most high profile media commentators, bloggers, and activists. This is because all the spook legions with all of the mainframe computers in the world simply cannot backtrack everyone’s VPN tunnels. (And, as VPN becomes more and more popular, this supposed goal will become even more elusive.) And if you are high profile, don’t worry. Some very bright people are already working on QKD. Stay tuned.

Our Liberty is Stake

I want apologize for the cost, inconvenience and time required in implementing the foregoing security measures. But you can sleep a little better, knowing that you’ve added a layer of anonymity to your Internet presence. We need to recognize that the early 21st Century is a delicate time for individual liberty. Technology is leapfrogging while at the same time databases are filling at an alarming rate. These databases could provide dossiers on demand, for nefarious purposes. How you vote and how you “vote with your feet” (physically or virtually) are both of tremendous importance. Pray hard. Choose wisely. Act accordingly.

P.S.: For those who are web software savvy, I had originally planned to post the latest version of the actual “foresee-alive.js” Javascript code that the FBI used to attach the cookies. But then it was pointed out to me that ironically, revealing this might constitute copyright infringement, opening me up to a intellectual property lawsuit. That has an odd sort of irony that got me thinking. This predicament somehow dovetails with two bits of history. The first instance is from the First World War: I have read that the U.S. Government paid patent license fees to Mauser before and during the hostilities of the Great War with Imperial Germany. This was because the M1903 Springfield rifle was correctly adjudged a patent infringement on the Mauser Model 1898. During the war, the patent payments continued, conveniently handled by Swiss bankers, acting as middlemen. The U.S. taxpayers paid Mauser of Germany about $1 per rifle plus additional penalties that would have eventually totaled $250,000 USD, up until the U.S. entered the war. It has also been rumored that some payments continued to arrive even after the U.S. Congress declared war on the Kaiser’s Germany. (We’ll have to wait for the release of Jon Speed’s next Mauser book to read the details.) This historical tidbit is just once notch below what happened two decades later when Germany’s Nazi regime had the temerity to sell full fare train tickets to some Jews, to cover the costs of their forced relocation to the designated ghettos before their planned extermination. Oh, but the Nazi bureaucrats were so conciliatory. They only charged children half fare to be sent to their deaths. (If you doubt this, then read the book Fathoming the Holocaust by Ronald J. Berger.)

http://survivalblog.com/2012/03/impo…mperative.html

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The FBI is examining possible insider trading in Heinz shares ahead of last week’s $28bn (£18bn) takeover announcement.

Filed under: Corruption, crime, Economic News, Financial, Greed, Loot and Pillage, Politics, Legislation and Economy News, Special Interests, Unethical, World News — Leave a comment
February 21, 2013

Heinz Insider Trades Claims: FBI Investigates

Sky NewsSky News – 17 hours ago

 

  • Heinz Insider Trades Claims: FBI Investigates

 

A spokeswoman confirmed the move, days after US regulators said they had identified suspicious trades from a Swiss account.

Kelly Langmesser said: “We’re aware of the trading anomalies the day before the announcement … and we’re consulting with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to see if a crime was committed.”

The SEC said last Friday it had identified highly suspicious trades in H.J Heinz before billionaire investor Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway and 3G Capital announced they were acquiring the baked bean and ketchup maker.

It also announced it had obtained an emergency order to freeze a Goldman Sachs bank account in Switzerland suspected of use in the trades.

 

Read Full Article Here

 

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Heinz faces FBI inquiry over ‘insider trading’

The FBI is investigating allegations of insider trading at Heinz prior to the food giant’s salle to billionaire Warren Buffett and 3G Capital.

Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway and 3G Capital to buy Heinz in $28bn deal

Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway and 3G Capital to buy Heinz in $28bn deal Photo: Rex/Bloomberg

By Telegraph staff

8:49AM GMT 20 Feb 2013

On Friday, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) obtained an emergency court order to freeze assets in a Swiss account, which was used to generate more than $1.7m from trades in advance of the sale being announced.

Yesterday, the FBI said it was joining the inquiry. “The FBI is aware of the trading anomalies,” a spokesman said. “The FBI is consulting with the SEC to determine if a crime was committed.”

Unnamed traders took “risky bets” that Heinz’s share price would rise before there was any “public awareness” that Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway investment group and 3G Capital had agreed a deal for the food manufacturer, the SEC said in a statement.

 

Read Full Article Here

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Tina Turner to become Swiss citizen and give up U.S. passport

Filed under: Crossroads News : Changes In The World Around Us And Our Place In It, Global Community, Immigration — Leave a comment
January 26, 2013

By Agence France-Presse
Friday, January 25, 2013 7:14 EST
Tina Turner via AFP

US pop legend Tina Turner, who has been living in Switzerland since 1995, will soon receive Swiss citizenship and will give up her US passport, Swiss media reported Friday.

“I’m very happy in Switzerland and I feel at home here. … I cannot imagine a better place to live,” Turner told German language daily Blick.

Turner, 73, who was born Anna Mae Bullock, lives in picturesque town of Kuesnacht, on the shores of Lake Zurich in northern Switzerland, and has passed a local civics test and interview, according to an official announcement published in the Zuerichsee-Zeitung daily.

The woman behind such hits as “Private Dancer”, “Simply the Best” and “What’s Love Got to Do With It?” will still need a green light from the canton of Zurich as well was federal authorities before she can receive red passport, the two papers reported.

Turner spokeswoman Karin Rhomberg told the Zuerichsee-Zeitung that the singer wanted to “clarify her situation”.

“Tina Turner will therefore also give back her US citizenship,” she said.

Turner, who has learned German, reportedly moved to Switzerland in 1995 when her longtime partner, German record executive Erwin Bach, was transferred here.
Read Full Article Here

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A senior IT technician for Switzerland’s intelligence service (NBD) stole a massive amount of internal data,

Filed under: Government, Politics, Legislation and Economy News, Secrecy, Security, World News — Leave a comment
December 5, 2012

 

spy

YouTube/trailers

 

 

ZURICH (Reuters) – Secret information on counter-terrorism shared by foreign governments may have been compromised by a massive data theft by a senior IT technician for the NDB, Switzerland’s intelligence service, European national security sources said.

Intelligence agencies in the United States and Britain are among those who were warned by Swiss authorities that their data could have been put in jeopardy, said one of the sources, who asked for anonymity when discussing sensitive information.

Swiss authorities arrested the technician suspected in the data theft last summer amid signs he was acting suspiciously. He later was released from prison while a criminal investigation by the office of Switzerland’s Federal Attorney General continues, according to two sources familiar with the case.

The suspect’s name was not made public. Swiss authorities believe he intended to sell the stolen data to foreign officials or commercial buyers.

A European security source said investigators now believe the suspect became disgruntled because he felt he was being ignored and his advice on operating the data systems was not being taken seriously.

Swiss news reports and the sources close to the investigation said that investigators believe the technician downloaded terrabytes, running into hundreds of thousands or even millions of printed pages, of classified material from the Swiss intelligence service’s servers onto portable hard drives. He then carried them out of government buildings in a backpack.

One of the sources familiar with the investigation said that intelligence services like the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency and Britain’s Secret Intelligence Service, also known as MI6, routinely shared data on counter-terrorism and other issues with the NDB. Swiss authorities informed U.S. and British agencies that such data could have been compromised, the source said.

News of the theft of intelligence data surfaced with Switzerland’s reputation for secrecy and discretion in government and financial affairs already under assault.

Swiss authorities have been investigating, and in some cases have charged, whistleblowers and some European government officials for using criminal methods to acquire confidential financial data about suspected tax evaders from Switzerland’s traditionally secretive banks.

The suspect in the spy data theft worked for the NDB, or Federal Intelligence Service, which is part of Switzerland’s Defense Ministry, for about eight years.

He was described by a source close to the investigation as a “very talented” technician and senior enough to have “administrator rights,” giving him unrestricted access to most or all of the NDB’s networks, including those holding vast caches of secret data.

Swiss investigators seized portable storage devices containing the stolen data after they arrested the suspect, according to the sources. At this point, they said, Swiss authorities believe that the suspect was arrested and the stolen data was impounded before he had an opportunity to sell it.

However, one source said that Swiss investigators could not be positive the suspect did not sell or pass on any of the information before his arrest, which is why Swiss authorities felt obliged to notify foreign intelligence partners their information may have been compromised.

Representatives of U.S. and British intelligence agencies had no immediate response to detailed queries about the case submitted by Reuters, although one U.S. official said he was unaware of the case.

 

Read Full Article Here

 

 

 

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Germany stands ready to help Japan with the “demanding” goal of phasing out nuclear energy by drawing on its own nuclear exit progress

Filed under: Global Community, Government, Nuclear, Politics, Politics, Legislation and Economy News, Security, World News — Leave a comment
September 20, 2012

Politics, Legislation and Economy News

Politics  :  Government – Global Community -  Security – Nuclear

Germany ready to help Japan on nuclear exit

by Staff Writers
Berlin (AFP)

Germany stands ready to help Japan with the “demanding” goal of phasing out nuclear energy by drawing on its own nuclear exit progress, a government spokesman said Friday.

Steffen Seibert told a regular news conference that it was a “big political and social task” to phase out nuclear energy but was worthwhile and reaped new technological and industrial benefits.

Germany decided in the immediate wake of Japan’s 2011 disaster at its Fukushima nuclear plant to shutter its nuclear reactors by 2022 and ramp up the use of renewable power sources.

On Friday Japan announced it planned to phase out nuclear power by 2040 in an apparent bow to public pressure after last year’s disaster, the worst atomic accident in a generation.

“You can imagine that Germany, which now has had some experience with the path towards the future of renewable energy, willingly stands beside all Japanese institutions with help in words and deeds,” Seibert told reporters highlighting Tokyo had only just made its decision.

“The Japanese know — what we, too, know — that is a very big political and social task that they have posed themselves,” he said.

“It’s worth it for the nation which goes down this path. It creates new technological possibilities, it creates new industry export potential, but is definitely a very demanding task, as we could say from experience, he added.

Seibert also said he could see broad scope for Germany and Japan swapping advice and expertise.

Japan’s move also brings it into line with Italy and Switzerland.

The German government has come in for criticism for what industry officials say is a cripplingly slow approach to its energy transition programme.

Related Links
Nuclear Power News – Nuclear Science, Nuclear Technology
Powering The World in the 21st Century at Energy-Daily.com

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false
false
false

EN-US
X-NONE
X-NONE

MicrosoftInternetExplorer4

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Music for Introduction :  Inkarnation  by danosongs.com creative commons license

All images utilized  under  Fair  Use  for educational and demonstrative  purposes only.

Sources  of  this report are as follows :

Sci Verse 

El Sevier   Food and Chemical Toxicology

Available online 19 September 2012

In Press, Corrected Proof — Note to users

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0278691512005637

 Le Nouvel Observateur

http://tempsreel.nouvelobs.com/ogm-le-scandale/20120918.OBS2686/exclusif-oui-les-ogm-sont-des-poisons.html

 French GM-fed rat study triggers furor

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-19654825

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

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The main purpose of the Swiss Rubik deals is political: to kill European progress on transparency in order to protect Switzerland’s secrecy industry

Filed under: Banking, Corruption, Economic News, Financial, Fiscal Irresponsibility, Global Economy, Politics, Legislation and Economy News — Leave a comment
September 13, 2012

Politics, Legislation and Economy News

 

Rubik fever

Rubik fever (Photo credit: XuRxO)

 

 

Economic News  :

Global Economy -

Banking/ Financial./ Fiscal Irresponsibility

 

 

 

Is Liechtenstein going for transparency? No. This is a trick

 

 

 

By  Nicholas Shaxson

 

is the author of Treasure Islands, a book about tax havens published in 2011. He is an Associate Fellow of the UK think tank Chatham House, and he writes for the Tax Justice Network. His previous book was Poisoned Wells: the Dirty Politics of African Oil.

 


(Cross-posted from the Tax Justice Network blog.)

There has been quite a bit of discussion today and yesterday about news that Liechtenstein has decided to strike a “Rubik” styled tax deal with Germany – and, shock horror! that it would go for an automatic information exchange option. As the FT Deutschland put it yesterday:

“Liechtenstein wants to shed its image as a tax haven. The Principality plans to exchange information with Germany, under a modeled based on the [German-Swiss "Rubik" tax deal.] However, this would happen automatically – then the customer has no way to protect his identity.”

(A decent English-language appraisal of the underlying Tages Anzeiger story is here.)

Automatic information exchange? No hiding place? Is Liechtenstein coming in from the cold?

No, no, and thrice no. Don’t be deceived. This is a trick.

Here is the killer fact that everyone must know. Everything that Liechtenstein does in this arena – and that means absolutely everything, the whole kitchen sink (OK, except for a few tiny oddities) – will be decisively outside the scope of any kind of Rubik deal. Liechtenstein is even worse than Switzerland in this respect.

There will be no information exchange, and no tax raised.

How so? Well, we know this for three big reasons.

First, Liechtenstein is a participating member in the EU Savings Tax Directive, and if it were really serious about automatic information exchange, it would simply flip its option under the Directive from ‘withholding tax’ to ‘automatic information exchange.’ But no, it has chosen to negotiate for a hugely complex (and, as we have demonstrated, utterly useless) bilateral deal with Germany. Why? Read on.

Second, look at the numbers. Despite having perhaps 100,000 entities and arrangements such as foundations, anstalt, stiftung holding perhaps €500 billion (which includes such monsters as the IKEA empire), and CHF 170 billion (or €140bn) in client assets managed by Liechtenstein banks, a good chunk of them German, Liechtenstein produced the grand total of €7.8m in revenue under the EU Savings Tax Directive.

Yes, just 7.8 million.

Assume perhaps a 3.5% interest rate and the EUSTD’s 20% tax rate and you can work out from that 7.8m figure that the EUSTD captures just over €1 billion in assets – less than one hundredth of the value of what Liechtenstein banks manage! Everything else escapes.

Third, the reason why the EU STD captures so little is because Liechtenstein specialises in those ‘ownerless’ structures such as foundations and the anstalt (the Alpine equivalent of the more Anglo-Saxon discretionary trust) which escape the current version of the EU Savings Tax Directive, because the beneficiary cannot be identified.  (section 3.1 here explains how)

Now the EU STD is being tightened up to include those structures – but Rubik deliberately excludes them. Here’s the relevant section:

“An individual resident is not considered to be a relevant person with regard to assets of associations of persons, asset structures, trusts or foundations, if it is not possible to ascertain the beneficial ownership of such assets, e.g. due to the discretionary nature of the arrangement.”

As we’ve remarked before, that is a flag planted squarely in the Rubik deal saying ‘evade me here.’ These are bread and butter tax evasion and financial crime vehicles, and every last man jack of these structures is decisively outside Rubik’s scope. Rubik will not touch them.

Germany will get no information, and no tax, from this deal. Nada. Rien. Nichts. What information does flow will already be provided by the European Savings Tax Directive.

As we have repeatedly pointed out,

. Why, the Swiss Bankers’ Association even admitted recently that this was the main purpose.

A Liechtenstein-Germany deal isn’t signed yet. They are only mulling it. We believe that the German-Swiss deal is going down, and so is this one.

We’re just saying: don’t be fooled by this announcement. It is a trick, to try and bolster crumbling support for Switzerland’s secrecy project.

 

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Earth Watch Report – Tuesday September 4th, 2012

Filed under: Uncategorized — Leave a comment
September 4, 2012

Earthquakes

RSOE EDIS

Date/Time (UTC) Magnitude Area Country State/Prov./Gov. Location Risk Source Details
04.09.2012 10:35:30 4.6 Asia China Xinjiang Uygur Zizhiqu Hotan VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 USGS-RSOE Details
04.09.2012 10:25:26 2.7 Europe Greece Peloponnese Stoupa VulkĂĄn 0 There are airport(s) nearby the epicenter. VulkĂĄn 0 EMSC Details
04.09.2012 09:40:35 2.4 North America United States Nevada Black Rock City VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 USGS-RSOE Details
04.09.2012 09:35:36 2.3 North America United States Alaska Nanwalek There are volcano(s) nearby the epicenter. VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 USGS-RSOE Details
04.09.2012 10:25:54 2.2 Asia Turkey Amasya Dedekoy VulkĂĄn 0 There are airport(s) nearby the epicenter. VulkĂĄn 0 EMSC Details
04.09.2012 09:15:27 2.4 North America United States Hawaii Volcano There are volcano(s) nearby the epicenter. VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 USGS-RSOE Details
04.09.2012 09:25:24 2.2 Asia Turkey Istanbul Mimarsinan VulkĂĄn 0 There are airport(s) nearby the epicenter. VulkĂĄn 0 EMSC Details
04.09.2012 09:25:45 5.5 Pacific Ocean – West Philippines Eastern Visayas Sulangan VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 EMSC Details
04.09.2012 09:20:25 5.5 Pacific Ocean – West Philippines Eastern Visayas Sulangan VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 USGS-RSOE Details
04.09.2012 09:26:06 5.1 Pacific Ocean – West Philippines Eastern Visayas Sulangan VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 EMSC Details
04.09.2012 09:10:54 5.1 Pacific Ocean – West Philippines Eastern Visayas Sulangan VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 USGS-RSOE Details
04.09.2012 08:55:39 2.7 North America United States Alaska Chase VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 USGS-RSOE Details
04.09.2012 09:05:40 5.3 Pacific Ocean – West Philippines Eastern Visayas Sulangan VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 USGS-RSOE Details
04.09.2012 09:26:26 5.5 Pacific Ocean – West Philippines Eastern Visayas Sulangan VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 EMSC Details
04.09.2012 07:45:29 2.5 North America United States Alaska Chickaloon VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 USGS-RSOE Details
04.09.2012 07:55:37 4.5 South America Chile Valparaíso Los Andes There are volcano(s) nearby the epicenter. VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 USGS-RSOE Details
04.09.2012 08:20:27 4.5 South-America Chile Valparaíso Los Andes There are volcano(s) nearby the epicenter. VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 EMSC Details
04.09.2012 08:20:56 2.9 Europe Switzerland Lucerne Vitznau VulkĂĄn 0 There are airport(s) nearby the epicenter. There are nuclear facilities nearby the epicenter. EMSC Details
04.09.2012 06:55:32 2.0 North America United States California Yorba Linda VulkĂĄn 0 There are airport(s) nearby the epicenter. There are nuclear facilities nearby the epicenter. USGS-RSOE Details
04.09.2012 06:40:32 2.2 North America United States California Cloverdale There are volcano(s) nearby the epicenter. VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 USGS-RSOE Details
04.09.2012 07:20:26 5.0 Indonesian Archipelago Indonesia Bali Jimbaran VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 EMSC Details
04.09.2012 06:56:02 5.0 Indonesian archipelago Indonesia Bali Jimbaran VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 USGS-RSOE Details
04.09.2012 06:25:46 2.1 North America United States Alaska Nikiski There are volcano(s) nearby the epicenter. VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 USGS-RSOE Details
04.09.2012 07:20:56 2.6 Asia Turkey Bursa Yenice VulkĂĄn 0 There are airport(s) nearby the epicenter. VulkĂĄn 0 EMSC Details
04.09.2012 06:15:19 2.8 Europe Italy Calabria Salerni VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 EMSC Details
04.09.2012 06:15:54 2.4 Europe Greece North Aegean Skouraiika VulkĂĄn 0 There are airport(s) nearby the epicenter. VulkĂĄn 0 EMSC Details
04.09.2012 05:26:37 2.2 North America United States California Cobb There are volcano(s) nearby the epicenter. VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 USGS-RSOE Details
04.09.2012 06:16:22 2.8 South-America Chile Libertador General Bernardo O?Higgins Santa Cruz VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 EMSC Details
04.09.2012 06:16:43 4.7 Indonesian Archipelago Indonesia Maluku Amahai VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 EMSC Details
04.09.2012 05:30:35 4.7 Indonesian archipelago Indonesia Maluku Amahai VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 USGS-RSOE Details
04.09.2012 05:14:02 2.0 North America United States Alaska Talkeetna VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 USGS-RSOE Details
04.09.2012 05:10:35 3.1 Europe Switzerland Lucerne Vitznau VulkĂĄn 0 There are airport(s) nearby the epicenter. There are nuclear facilities nearby the epicenter. EMSC Details
04.09.2012 05:06:15 2.8 Caribbean Puerto Rico Cabo Rojo Pole Ojea VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 USGS-RSOE Details
04.09.2012 07:21:20 2.2 Europe Greece Peloponnese Koroni VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 EMSC Details
04.09.2012 04:35:24 4.8 Pacific Ocean Fiji Central Suva VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 USGS-RSOE Details
04.09.2012 05:11:35 4.8 Pacific Ocean – East Tonga Tongatapu Vaini VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 EMSC Details
04.09.2012 05:12:21 3.4 Europe Bosnia and Herzegovina Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina Zenica VulkĂĄn 0 There are airport(s) nearby the epicenter. VulkĂĄn 0 EMSC Details
04.09.2012 08:50:38 2.5 North America United States Oregon Pistol River VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 USGS-RSOE Details
04.09.2012 04:05:19 2.4 Europe Italy Sicily Saponara Villafranca There are volcano(s) nearby the epicenter. There are airport(s) nearby the epicenter. VulkĂĄn 0 EMSC Details
04.09.2012 03:06:32 2.2 North America United States California Brawley There are volcano(s) nearby the epicenter. There are airport(s) nearby the epicenter. VulkĂĄn 0 USGS-RSOE Details
04.09.2012 03:35:57 5.4 Pacific Ocean – West Philippines Caraga Union VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 USGS-RSOE Details
04.09.2012 04:05:42 5.4 Pacific Ocean – West Philippines Caraga Union VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 EMSC Details
04.09.2012 08:21:16 3.8 Europe Russia Krasnodarskiy Sochi VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 EMSC Details
04.09.2012 03:05:31 2.5 Europe Spain Andalusia Estacion de Cartama VulkĂĄn 0 There are airport(s) nearby the epicenter. VulkĂĄn 0 EMSC Details
04.09.2012 02:30:30 2.4 North America United States California Ridgecrest There are volcano(s) nearby the epicenter. There are airport(s) nearby the epicenter. VulkĂĄn 0 USGS-RSOE Details
04.09.2012 02:20:30 2.0 North America United States California Pearsonville There are volcano(s) nearby the epicenter. There are airport(s) nearby the epicenter. VulkĂĄn 0 USGS-RSOE Details
04.09.2012 02:20:53 4.6 North America United States Alaska Aleneva There are volcano(s) nearby the epicenter. VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 USGS-RSOE Details
04.09.2012 03:05:52 4.6 North-America United States Alaska Kokhanok There are volcano(s) nearby the epicenter. VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 EMSC Details
04.09.2012 03:06:11 4.6 Indonesian Archipelago Indonesia Bali Jimbaran VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 EMSC Details
04.09.2012 02:40:30 4.6 Indonesian archipelago Indonesia Bali Jimbaran VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 USGS-RSOE Details

………………………………..

Beverly Hills earthquake upgraded to 3.3; felt across L.A.

 

City map

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.

Read more about California earthquakes on L.A. Now.

— Ken Schwencke

Strong quake hits off Indonesia’s Bali

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.

Globe with Earthquake Location

6.4 Mwp – SOUTH OF JAVA, INDONESIA

Preliminary Earthquake Report
Magnitude 6.4 Mwp
Date-Time
  • 3 Sep 2012 18:23:04 UTC
  • 4 Sep 2012 02:23:04 near epicenter
  • 3 Sep 2012 12:23:04 standard time in your timezone
Location 10.785S 113.880E
Depth 8 km
Distances
  • 278 km (173 miles) SSW (212 degrees) of Denpasar, Bali, Indonesia
  • 287 km (179 miles) WSW (238 degrees) of Mataram, Lombok, Indonesia
  • 297 km (185 miles) S (177 degrees) of Jember, Java, Indonesia
  • 939 km (584 miles) SE (124 degrees) of JAKARTA, Java, Indonesia
Location Uncertainty Horizontal: 12.5 km; Vertical 3.7 km
Parameters Nph = 227; Dmin = 258.3 km; Rmss = 1.04 seconds; Gp = 24°
M-type = Mwp; Version = A
Event ID us c000ce33

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

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

Summary

Location and Magnitude contributed by: USGS, NEIC, Golden, Colorado (and predecessors)

General

100 km
50 mi
Powered by Leaflet
10.785°S, 113.880°E
Depth: 8.8km (5.5mi)

Event Time

  1. 2012-09-03 18:23:04 UTC
  2. 2012-09-04 02:23:04 UTC+08:00 at epicenter
  3. 2012-09-03 13:23:04 UTC-05:00 system time

Nearby Cities

  1. 244km (152mi) S of Sidorukun, Indonesia
  2. 264km (164mi) S of Muncar, Indonesia
  3. 266km (165mi) S of Gambiran Satu, Indonesia
  4. 267km (166mi) S of Srono, Indonesia
  5. 924km (574mi) SE of Jakarta, Indonesia

ShakeMap

Data Contributors

LISS – Live Internet Seismic Server

GSN Stations

These data update automatically every 30 minutes. Last update: September 4, 2012 07:19:15 UTC

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

CU/ANWB, Willy Bob, Antigua and Barbuda

ANWB 24hr plot

CU/BBGH, Gun Hill, Barbados

BBGH 24hr plot

CU/BCIP, Isla Barro Colorado, Panama

BCIP 24hr plot

CU/GRGR, Grenville, Grenada

GRGR 24hr plot

CU/GTBY, Guantanamo Bay, Cuba

GTBY 24hr plot

CU/MTDJ, Mount Denham, Jamaica

MTDJ 24hr plot

CU/TGUH, Tegucigalpa, Honduras

TGUH 24hr plot

IC/BJT, Baijiatuan, Beijing, China

BJT 24hr plot

IC/ENH, Enshi, China

ENH 24hr plot

IC/HIA, Hailar, Neimenggu Province, China

HIA 24hr plot

IC/LSA, Lhasa, China

LSA 24hr plot

IC/MDJ, Mudanjiang, China

MDJ 24hr plot

IC/QIZ, Qiongzhong, Guangduong Province, China

QIZ 24hr plot

IU/ADK, Aleutian Islands, Alaska, USA

ADK 24hr plot

IU/AFI, Afiamalu, Samoa

AFI 24hr plot

IU/ANMO, Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA

ANMO 24hr plot

IU/ANTO, Ankara, Turkey

ANTO 24hr plot

IU/BBSR, Bermuda

BBSR 24hr plot

IU/CASY, Casey, Antarctica

CASY 24hr plot

IU/CCM, Cathedral Cave, Missouri, USA

CCM 24hr plot

IU/CHTO, Chiang Mai, Thailand

CHTO 24hr plot

IU/COLA, College Outpost, Alaska, USA

COLA 24hr plot

IU/COR, Corvallis, Oregon, USA

COR 24hr plot

IU/CTAO, Charters Towers, Australia

CTAO 24hr plot

IU/DAV,Davao, Philippines

DAV 24hr plot

IU/DWPF,Disney Wilderness Preserve, Florida, USA

DWPF 24hr plot

IU/FUNA,Funafuti, Tuvalu

FUNA 24hr plot

IU/GNI, Garni, Armenia

GNI 24hr plot

IU/GRFO, Grafenberg, Germany

GRFO 24hr plot

IU/GUMO, Guam, Mariana Islands

GUMO 24hr plot

IU/HKT, Hockley, Texas, USA

HKT 24hr plot

IU/HNR, Honiara, Solomon Islands

HNR 24hr plot

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

HRV 24hr plot

IU/INCN, Inchon, Republic of Korea

INCN 24hr plot

IU/JOHN, Johnston Island, Pacific Ocean

JOHN 24hr plot

IU/KBS, Ny-Alesund, Spitzbergen, Norway

KBS 24hr plot

IU/KEV, Kevo, Finland

KEV 24hr plot

IU/KIEV, Kiev, Ukraine

KIEV 24hr plot

IU/KIP, Kipapa, Hawaii, USA

KIP 24hr plot

IU/KMBO, Kilima Mbogo, Kenya

KMBO 24hr plot

IU/KNTN, Kanton Island, Kiribati

KNTN 24hr plot

IU/KONO, Kongsberg, Norway

KONO 24hr plot

IU/KOWA, Kowa, Mali

KOWA 24hr plot

IU/LCO, Las Campanas Astronomical Observatory, Chile

LCO 24hr plot

IU/LSZ, Lusaka, Zambia

LSZ 24hr plot

IU/LVC, Limon Verde, Chile

LVC 24hr plot

IU/MA2, Magadan, Russia

MA2 24hr plot

IU/MAJO, Matsushiro, Japan

MAJO 24hr plot

IU/MAKZ,Makanchi, Kazakhstan

MAKZ 24hr plot

IU/MBWA, Marble Bar, Western Australia

MBWA 24hr plot

IU/MIDW, Midway Island, Pacific Ocean, USA

MIDW 24hr plot

IU/NWAO, Narrogin, Australia

NWAO 24hr plot

IU/OTAV, Otavalo, Ecuador

OTAV 24hr plot

IU/PAB, San Pablo, Spain

PAB 24hr plot

IU/PAYG Puerto Ayora, Galapagos Islands

PAYG 24hr plot

IU/PET, Petropavlovsk, Russia

PET 24hr plot

IU/PMG, Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea

PMG 24hr plot

IU/PMSA, Palmer Station, Antarctica

PMSA 24hr plot

IU/POHA, Pohakaloa, Hawaii

POHA 24hr plot

IU/PTCN, Pitcairn Island, South Pacific

PTCN 24hr plot

IU/PTGA, Pitinga, Brazil

PTGA 24hr plot

IU/QSPA, South Pole, Antarctica

QSPA 24hr plot

IU/RAO, Raoul, Kermadec Islands

RAO 24hr plot

IU/RAR, Rarotonga, Cook Islands

RAR 24hr plot

IU/RCBR, Riachuelo, Brazil

RCBR 24hr plot

IU/RSSD, Black Hills, South Dakota, USA

RSSD 24hr plot

IU/SAML, Samuel, Brazil

SAML 24hr plot

IU/SBA, Scott Base, Antarctica

SBA 24hr plot

IU/SDV, Santo Domingo, Venezuela

SDV 24hr plot

IU/SFJD, Sondre Stromfjord, Greenland

SFJD 24hr plot

IU/SJG, San Juan, Puerto Rico

SJG 24hr plot

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

SLBS 24hr plot

IU/SNZO, South Karori, New Zealand

SNZO 24hr plot

IU/SSPA, Standing Stone, Pennsylvania USA

SSPA 24hr plot

IU/TARA, Tarawa Island, Republic of Kiribati

TARA 24hr plot

IU/TATO, Taipei, Taiwan

TATO 24hr plot

IU/TEIG, Tepich, Yucatan, Mexico

TEIG 24hr plot

IU/TIXI, Tiksi, Russia

TIXI 24hr plot

IU/TRIS, Tristan da Cunha, Atlantic Ocean

TRIS 24hr plot

IU/TRQA, Tornquist, Argentina

TRQA 24hr plot

IU/TSUM, Tsumeb, Namibia

TSUM 24hr plot

IU/TUC, Tucson, Arizona

TUC 24hr plot

IU/ULN, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia

ULN 24hr plot

IU/WAKE, Wake Island, Pacific Ocean

WAKE 24hr plot

IU/WCI, Wyandotte Cave, Indiana, USA

WCI 24hr plot

IU/WVT, Waverly, Tennessee, USA

WVT 24hr plot

IU/XMAS, Kiritimati Island, Republic of Kiribati

XMAS 24hr plot

IU/YSS, Yuzhno Sakhalinsk, Russia

YSS 24hr plot

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Volcanic Activity

Residents, Tourists Warned as Indonesia’s Anak Krakatau Activity Increases

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) 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.

Antara

04.09.2012 Volcano Eruption Indonesia Sunda Strait, [Anak Krakatoa Volcano] Damage level Details

Volcano Eruption in Indonesia on Monday, 03 September, 2012 at 18:44 (06:44 PM) UTC.

Description
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.

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

Extreme Temperatures/ Weather

03.09.2012 Extreme Weather Malta [Statewide] Damage level Details

Extreme Weather in Malta on Monday, 03 September, 2012 at 19:16 (07:16 PM) UTC.

Description
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.
03.09.2012 Forest / Wild Fire USA State of California, [Angeles National Forest] Damage level Details

Forest / Wild Fire in USA on Monday, 03 September, 2012 at 02:54 (02:54 AM) UTC.

Description
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.

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Storms / Flooding / Tornadoes

 

 

  Active tropical storm system(s)
Name of storm system Location Formed Last update Last category Course Wind Speed Gust Wave Source Details
Leslie (AL12) Atlantic Ocean 30.08.2012 04.09.2012 Hurricane I 0 ° 102 km/h 120 km/h 3.66 m NOAA NHC Details

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tropical Storm data

Share:
Storm name: Leslie (AL12)
Area: Atlantic Ocean
Start up location: N 14° 6.000, W 43° 24.000
Start up: 30th August 2012
Status: Active
Track long: 1,438.80 km
Top category.:
Report by: NOAA NHC
Useful links:
Past track
Date Time Position Speed
km/h		 Wind
km/h		 Gust
km/h		 Category Course Wave Pressure Source
31st Aug 2012 04:48:01 N 14° 42.000, W 46° 48.000 30 83 102 Tropical Storm 280 12 1002 MB NOAA NHC
01st Sep 2012 05:02:48 N 17° 24.000, W 52° 48.000 33 102 120 Tropical Storm 295 19 999 MB NOAA NHC
02nd Sep 2012 05:34:37 N 20° 12.000, W 58° 24.000 30 102 120 Tropical Storm 305 11 998 MB NOAA NHC
02nd Sep 2012 10:50:12 N 20° 48.000, W 59° 30.000 24 111 139 Tropical Storm 310 13 994 MB NOAA NHC
03rd Sep 2012 04:53:21 N 23° 24.000, W 61° 42.000 17 93 111 Tropical Storm 325 19 998 MB NOAA NHC
Current position
Date Time Position Speed
km/h		 Wind
km/h		 Gust
km/h		 Category Course Wave
feet		 Pressure Source
04th Sep 2012 10:49:52 N 24° 42.000, W 62° 30.000 7 102 120 Hurricane I 360 ° 9 994 MB NOAA NHC
Forecast track
Date Time Position Category Wind
km/h		 Gust
km/h		 Source
05th Sep 2012 06:00:00 N 25° 54.000, W 62° 36.000 Hurricane I 102 120 NOAA NHC
05th Sep 2012 18:00:00 N 26° 24.000, W 62° 36.000 Hurricane I 102 120 NOAA NHC
06th Sep 2012 06:00:00 N 26° 42.000, W 62° 36.000 Hurricane I 111 139 NOAA NHC
07th Sep 2012 06:00:00 N 27° 36.000, W 63° 6.000 Hurricane II 130 157 NOAA NHC
08th Sep 2012 06:00:00 N 29° 6.000, W 64° 6.000 Hurricane III 148 185 NOAA NHC
09th Sep 2012 06:00:00 N 32° 0.000, W 65° 18.000 Hurricane III 167 204 NOAA NHC

 

 

John (EP10) Pacific Ocean – East 03.09.2012 04.09.2012 Tropical Depression 310 ° 56 km/h 74 km/h 5.18 m NOAA NHC Details

 

 

 

 

Tropical Storm data

Share:
Storm name: John (EP10)
Area: Pacific Ocean – East
Start up location: N 18° 18.000, W 109° 36.000
Start up: 03rd September 2012
Status: Active
Track long: 400.51 km
Top category.:
Report by: NOAA NHC
Useful links:
Past track
Date Time Position Speed
km/h		 Wind
km/h		 Gust
km/h		 Category Course Wave Pressure Source
03rd Sep 2012 04:39:35 N 18° 18.000, W 109° 36.000 28 56 74 Tropical Depression 290 12 1006 MB NOAA NHC
03rd Sep 2012 04:52:41 N 19° 0.000, W 110° 54.000 28 56 74 Tropical Depression 300 15 1001 MB NOAA NHC
Current position
Date Time Position Speed
km/h		 Wind
km/h		 Gust
km/h		 Category Course Wave
feet		 Pressure Source
04th Sep 2012 10:48:06 N 22° 30.000, W 115° 36.000 20 56 74 Tropical Depression 310 ° 17 1004 MB NOAA NHC
Forecast track
Date Time Position Category Wind
km/h		 Gust
km/h		 Source
05th Sep 2012 18:00:00 N 25° 36.000, W 119° 48.000 Tropical Depression 37 56 NOAA NHC
05th Sep 2012 06:00:00 N 24° 36.000, W 118° 30.000 Tropical Depression 46 65 NOAA NHC
06th Sep 2012 06:00:00 N 26° 30.000, W 120° 30.000 Tropical Depression 37 56 NOAA NHC
07th Sep 2012 06:00:00 N 28° 30.000, W 121° 0.000 Tropical Depression 28 37 NOAA NHC

 

 

AL13 Atlantic Ocean 04.09.2012 04.09.2012 Tropical Depression 310 ° 56 km/h 74 km/h 3.05 m NOAA NHC Details

 

 

 

Tropical Storm data

Share:
Storm name: AL13
Area: Atlantic Ocean
Start up location: N 25° 54.000, W 42° 48.000
Start up: 04th September 2012
Status: Active
Track long: 0.00 km
Top category.:
Report by: NOAA NHC
Useful links:
Past track
Date Time Position Speed
km/h		 Wind
km/h		 Gust
km/h		 Category Course Wave Pressure Source
Current position
Date Time Position Speed
km/h		 Wind
km/h		 Gust
km/h		 Category Course Wave
feet		 Pressure Source
04th Sep 2012 10:51:48 N 26° 30.000, W 43° 18.000 9 56 74 Tropical Depression 310 ° 10 1012 MB NOAA NHC
Forecast track
Date Time Position Category Wind
km/h		 Gust
km/h		 Source
05th Sep 2012 18:00:00 N 28° 18.000, W 44° 24.000 Tropical Depression 56 74 NOAA NHC
05th Sep 2012 06:00:00 N 27° 36.000, W 44° 18.000 Tropical Depression 56 74 NOAA NHC
06th Sep 2012 06:00:00 N 28° 48.000, W 44° 0.000 Tropical Depression 56 74 NOAA NHC
07th Sep 2012 06:00:00 N 30° 0.000, W 43° 30.000 Tropical Depression 56 74 NOAA NHC
08th Sep 2012 06:00:00 N 31° 30.000, W 44° 30.000 Tropical Depression 65 83 NOAA NHC
09th Sep 2012 06:00:00 N 33° 0.000, W 44° 30.000 Tropical Depression 65 83 NOAA NHC

 

 

…………………………

Hurricane Isaac: Utilities Report Thousands Still In The Dark Across Louisiana And Mississippi 

CAIN BURDEAU and KEVIN McGILL

See  slide show here

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.

___

03.09.2012 Flash Flood India State of Marharastra, [Marharastra-wide] Damage level Details

Flash Flood in India on Monday, 03 September, 2012 at 18:51 (06:51 PM) UTC.

Description
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.

 

 

 

 

………………………..

Small twister confirmed in Indy

Published on Sep 3, 2012 by

The National Weather Service has confirmed a small twister near 16th and White River on Saturday.

 

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Epidemic Hazards / Diseases

First Swine Flu Death in Ohio

Food Poisoning Bulletin

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.

Isaac poses health concerns

Published on Sep 3, 2012 by

There are currently 16 reported cases of West Nile Virus.

 

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Solar Activity

3MIN News Sept 3. 2012: Magnetic Storm Watch

Published on Sep 3, 2012 by

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

SUNSPOT AR1564:

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

Sunspot number: 156
What is the sunspot number?
Updated 04 Sep 2012

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

The Radio Sun
10.7 cm flux: 142 sfu
explanation | more data
Updated 04 Sep 2012

Current Auroral Oval:

Switch to: Europe, USA, New Zealand, Antarctica
Credit: NOAA/POES

Planetary K-index
Now: Kp= 3 quiet
24-hr max: Kp= 6 storm
explanation | more data

Interplanetary Mag. Field
Btotal: 2.8 nT
Bz: 1.5 nT north
explanation | more data
Updated: Today at 0737 UT

Coronal Holes: 04 Sep 12

There are no large coronal holes on the Earthside of the sun. Credit: SDO/AIA.

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Space

SUBSIDING STORM:

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.”

 

 

 Earth approaching objects (objects that are known in the next 30 days)
Object Name Apporach Date Left AU Distance LD Distance Estimated Diameter* Relative Velocity
(2012 PX) 04th September 2012 0 day(s) 0.0452 17.6 61 m – 140 m 9.94 km/s 35784 km/h
(2012 EH5) 05th September 2012 1 day(s) 0.1613 62.8 38 m – 84 m 9.75 km/s 35100 km/h
(2011 EO11) 05th September 2012 1 day(s) 0.1034 40.2 9.0 m – 20 m 8.81 km/s 31716 km/h
(2007 PS25) 06th September 2012 2 day(s) 0.0497 19.3 23 m – 52 m 8.50 km/s 30600 km/h
329520 (2002 SV) 08th September 2012 4 day(s) 0.1076 41.9 300 m – 670 m 9.17 km/s 33012 km/h
(2011 ES4) 10th September 2012 6 day(s) 0.1792 69.8 20 m – 44 m 12.96 km/s 46656 km/h
(2008 CO) 11th September 2012 7 day(s) 0.1847 71.9 74 m – 160 m 4.10 km/s 14760 km/h
(2007 PB8) 14th September 2012 10 day(s) 0.1682 65.5 150 m – 340 m 14.51 km/s 52236 km/h
226514 (2003 UX34) 14th September 2012 10 day(s) 0.1882 73.2 260 m – 590 m 25.74 km/s 92664 km/h
(1998 QC1) 14th September 2012 10 day(s) 0.1642 63.9 310 m – 700 m 17.11 km/s 61596 km/h
(2002 EM6) 15th September 2012 11 day(s) 0.1833 71.3 270 m – 590 m 18.56 km/s 66816 km/h
(2002 RP137) 16th September 2012 12 day(s) 0.1624 63.2 67 m – 150 m 7.31 km/s 26316 km/h
(2009 RX4) 16th September 2012 12 day(s) 0.1701 66.2 15 m – 35 m 8.35 km/s 30060 km/h
(2005 UC) 17th September 2012 13 day(s) 0.1992 77.5 280 m – 640 m 7.55 km/s 27180 km/h
(2012 FC71) 18th September 2012 14 day(s) 0.1074 41.8 24 m – 53 m 3.51 km/s 12636 km/h
(1998 FF14) 19th September 2012 15 day(s) 0.0928 36.1 210 m – 480 m 21.40 km/s 77040 km/h
331990 (2005 FD) 19th September 2012 15 day(s) 0.1914 74.5 320 m – 710 m 15.92 km/s 57312 km/h
(2009 SH2) 24th September 2012 20 day(s) 0.1462 56.9 28 m – 62 m 7.52 km/s 27072 km/h
333578 (2006 KM103) 25th September 2012 21 day(s) 0.0626 24.4 250 m – 560 m 8.54 km/s 30744 km/h
(2002 EZ2) 26th September 2012 22 day(s) 0.1922 74.8 270 m – 610 m 6.76 km/s 24336 km/h
(2009 SB170) 29th September 2012 25 day(s) 0.1789 69.6 200 m – 440 m 32.39 km/s 116604 km/h
(2011 OJ45) 29th September 2012 25 day(s) 0.1339 52.1 18 m – 39 m 4.24 km/s 15264 km/h
(2012 JS11) 30th September 2012 26 day(s) 0.0712 27.7 270 m – 600 m 12.60 km/s 45360 km/h
1 AU = ~150 million kilometers,1 LD = Lunar Distance = ~384,000 kilometers Source: NASA-NEO

 

 

 

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Biological Hazards / Wildlife

Today Biological Hazard India State of Tamil Nadu, Coimbatore [Government Polytechnic College for Women] Damage level Details

Biological Hazard in India on Tuesday, 04 September, 2012 at 02:59 (02:59 AM) UTC.

Description
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] Damage level Details

Biological Hazard in Kyrgyzstan on Monday, 03 September, 2012 at 18:47 (06:47 PM) UTC.

Description
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.
Symptoms:
Status:
04.09.2012 Biological Hazard United Kingdom Scotland, Saint-Andrews Damage level

Biological Hazard in United Kingdom on Sunday, 02 September, 2012 at 19:19 (07:19 PM) UTC.

Back

Updated: Monday, 03 September, 2012 at 07:41 UTC
Description
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.

 

 

Whales beach themselves in UK, US

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.

Only five whales survived.

 

Watch Video Here

 

 

 

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.

 

 

 

 

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Comment

Earth Watch Report – Wednesday August 15th, 2012

Filed under: Asteroids, Biological Hazard, Earth Watch Report, Earthquakes, Extreme Weather, Fire - Forest/ Wild Fires, Flooding, Global Disaster Watch, meteors, Solar Activity, Space, Storms, Tornado, Volcanic Events — Leave a comment
August 15, 2012

Earthquakes

RSOE EDIS

Date/Time (UTC) Magnitude Area Country State/Prov./Gov. Location Risk Source Details
15.08.2012 11:25:45 3.3 North America United States Alaska Ninilchik There are volcano(s) nearby the epicenter. VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 USGS-RSOE Details
15.08.2012 11:00:28 2.5 Europe Switzerland Valais Champery VulkĂĄn 0 There are airport(s) nearby the epicenter. VulkĂĄn 0 EMSC Details
15.08.2012 10:45:25 2.9 North America United States Alaska Pedro Bay There are volcano(s) nearby the epicenter. VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 USGS-RSOE Details
15.08.2012 11:02:05 2.9 Caribbean Dominican Republic La Altagracia Boca de Yuma VulkĂĄn 0 There are airport(s) nearby the epicenter. VulkĂĄn 0 USGS-RSOE Details
15.08.2012 10:20:33 2.1 North America United States Hawaii Na’alehu There are volcano(s) nearby the epicenter. VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 USGS-RSOE Details
15.08.2012 11:01:08 2.4 Europe Italy Sicily Panarea There are volcano(s) nearby the epicenter. There are airport(s) nearby the epicenter. VulkĂĄn 0 EMSC Details
15.08.2012 10:05:55 2.1 North America United States California Brawley There are volcano(s) nearby the epicenter. There are airport(s) nearby the epicenter. VulkĂĄn 0 USGS-RSOE Details
15.08.2012 11:01:31 4.8 Pacific Ocean – East Tonga Vava`u Hihifo VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 EMSC Details
15.08.2012 10:15:30 4.7 Pacific Ocean Tonga Vava`u Hihifo VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 USGS-RSOE Details
15.08.2012 11:30:37 2.9 Caribbean Puerto Rico Rincon Stella VulkĂĄn 0 There are airport(s) nearby the epicenter. VulkĂĄn 0 USGS-RSOE Details
15.08.2012 09:55:24 2.6 Europe Greece Central Greece Lidorikion VulkĂĄn 0 There are airport(s) nearby the epicenter. VulkĂĄn 0 EMSC Details
15.08.2012 09:55:46 2.2 Asia Turkey Diyarbak?r Hazro VulkĂĄn 0 There are airport(s) nearby the epicenter. VulkĂĄn 0 EMSC Details
15.08.2012 09:52:01 3.5 Pacific Ocean New Zealand Marlborough Seddon VulkĂĄn 0 There are airport(s) nearby the epicenter. VulkĂĄn 0 GEONET Details
15.08.2012 09:56:05 3.5 Middle-East Iran East Azarbaijan Ahar There are volcano(s) nearby the epicenter. VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 EMSC Details
15.08.2012 09:56:27 2.5 Europe Bosnia and Herzegovina Republika Srpska Sipovo VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 EMSC Details
15.08.2012 08:05:32 2.0 North America United States Hawaii Pahala There are volcano(s) nearby the epicenter. VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 USGS-RSOE Details
15.08.2012 10:15:55 2.9 North America United States Alaska Adak VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 USGS-RSOE Details
15.08.2012 06:54:44 2.2 North America United States Nevada Beatty There are volcano(s) nearby the epicenter. VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 USGS-RSOE Details
15.08.2012 06:50:20 3.6 Asia Taiwan Taiwan Daxi There are volcano(s) nearby the epicenter. VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 EMSC Details
15.08.2012 06:50:43 2.1 Europe Portugal Faro Sagres VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 EMSC Details
15.08.2012 06:51:05 4.6 Asia Japan Aomori Kizukuri There are volcano(s) nearby the epicenter. There are airport(s) nearby the epicenter. There are nuclear facilities nearby the epicenter. EMSC Details
15.08.2012 07:00:29 4.5 Asia Japan Aomori Kizukuri There are volcano(s) nearby the epicenter. There are airport(s) nearby the epicenter. VulkĂĄn 0 USGS-RSOE Details
15.08.2012 06:51:27 3.5 Asia Taiwan Taitung City VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 EMSC Details
15.08.2012 06:51:53 3.1 Europe Albania Elbasan Librazhd-Qender VulkĂĄn 0 There are airport(s) nearby the epicenter. VulkĂĄn 0 EMSC Details
15.08.2012 04:45:20 2.1 Europe Italy Calabria Nicastro VulkĂĄn 0 There are airport(s) nearby the epicenter. VulkĂĄn 0 EMSC Details
15.08.2012 05:45:28 3.0 Asia Turkey Amasya Dedekoy VulkĂĄn 0 There are airport(s) nearby the epicenter. VulkĂĄn 0 EMSC Details
15.08.2012 03:25:27 2.6 North America United States Nevada Schurz VulkĂĄn 0 There are airport(s) nearby the epicenter. VulkĂĄn 0 USGS-RSOE Details
15.08.2012 05:55:28 2.0 North America United States Alaska Adak There are volcano(s) nearby the epicenter. VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 USGS-RSOE Details
15.08.2012 05:45:52 2.1 Europe Greece North Aegean Agios Dimitrios VulkĂĄn 0 There are airport(s) nearby the epicenter. VulkĂĄn 0 EMSC Details
15.08.2012 02:40:29 2.4 North America United States Nevada Schurz VulkĂĄn 0 There are airport(s) nearby the epicenter. VulkĂĄn 0 USGS-RSOE Details
15.08.2012 02:30:29 2.4 North America United States California Soledad VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 USGS-RSOE Details
15.08.2012 02:45:25 4.1 Asia Taiwan Taiwan Buli There are volcano(s) nearby the epicenter. VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 EMSC Details
15.08.2012 05:46:21 2.0 Europe Greece North Aegean Livadaki VulkĂĄn 0 There are airport(s) nearby the epicenter. VulkĂĄn 0 EMSC Details
15.08.2012 08:50:26 4.2 Atlantic Ocean – North Greenland Kujalleq Prins Christians Sund VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 EMSC Details
15.08.2012 05:55:53 2.0 North America United States Alaska Chignik Lake There are volcano(s) nearby the epicenter. VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 USGS-RSOE Details
15.08.2012 03:50:26 4.6 Asia Japan Miyagi Ishinomaki VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 There are nuclear facilities nearby the epicenter. USGS-RSOE Details
15.08.2012 04:45:47 4.6 Asia Japan Miyagi Ishinomaki VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 There are nuclear facilities nearby the epicenter. EMSC Details
15.08.2012 01:30:26 2.1 North America United States Alaska Chenega VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 USGS-RSOE Details
15.08.2012 01:45:19 2.1 Europe Italy Abruzzo Fagnano Alto VulkĂĄn 0 There are airport(s) nearby the epicenter. VulkĂĄn 0 EMSC Details
15.08.2012 01:45:48 2.5 Asia Turkey Bal?kesir Marmara VulkĂĄn 0 There are airport(s) nearby the epicenter. VulkĂĄn 0 EMSC Details
15.08.2012 00:25:24 3.6 North America United States Nevada Sutcliffe VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 USGS-RSOE Details
15.08.2012 06:52:15 2.0 Asia Turkey Ayd?n Kuyucak There are volcano(s) nearby the epicenter. There are airport(s) nearby the epicenter. VulkĂĄn 0 EMSC Details
15.08.2012 00:40:26 2.9 Europe Greece South Aegean Apollonia There are volcano(s) nearby the epicenter. There are airport(s) nearby the epicenter. VulkĂĄn 0 EMSC Details
15.08.2012 06:52:35 2.4 Europe Greece North Aegean Agios Ilias VulkĂĄn 0 There are airport(s) nearby the epicenter. VulkĂĄn 0 EMSC Details
14.08.2012 23:40:54 2.4 North America United States Alaska Nanwalek There are volcano(s) nearby the epicenter. VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 USGS-RSOE Details
15.08.2012 06:52:56 2.8 Asia Turkey Van Yuvacik There are volcano(s) nearby the epicenter. There are airport(s) nearby the epicenter. VulkĂĄn 0 EMSC Details
14.08.2012 23:55:24 2.3 North America Canada British Columbia Princeton VulkĂĄn 0 There are airport(s) nearby the epicenter. VulkĂĄn 0 USGS-RSOE Details
15.08.2012 06:53:17 2.4 Asia Turkey Kütahya Pazarlar There are volcano(s) nearby the epicenter. There are airport(s) nearby the epicenter. VulkĂĄn 0 EMSC Details
15.08.2012 03:45:20 3.2 Asia Kyrgyzstan Ysyk-Köl Balykchy VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 EMSC Details
14.08.2012 23:40:26 4.4 Asia China Xinjiang Uygur Zizhiqu Hotan VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 EMSC Details

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Nearly 1,000 earthquakes recorded in Arizona over 3 years

  Nearly 1,000 earthquakes recorded in Arizona over 3 years Enlarge Nearly 60 USArray stations were installed in Arizona from 2006 to 2009 as part of the EarthScope project. Station 118A, seen in this photo, recorded ground motion north of Wilcox in southeastern Arizona from April 6, 2007 to Jan. 21, 2009. Credit: Incorporated Research Institutions for Seismology (funded by NSF EarthScope) Arizona State University researchers use EarthScope data to build the first comprehensive earthquake catalog for Arizona. Ads by Google Emergency Mgmt. Degree – Earn an emergency management degree online at AMU. Enroll now. – http://www.AMU.APUS.edu/EmergencyMgmt Earthquakes are among the most destructive and common of geologic phenomena. Several million earthquakes are estimated to occur worldwide each year (the vast majority are too small to feel, but their motions can be measured by arrays of seismometers). Historically, most of Arizona has experienced low levels of recorded seismicity, with infrequent moderate and large earthquakes in the state. Comprehensive analyses of seismicity within Arizona have not been previously possible due to a lack of seismic stations in most regions, contributing to the perception that widespread earthquakes in Arizona are rare. Debunking that myth, a new study published by Arizona State University researchers found nearly 1,000 earthquakes rattling the state over a three-year period. Jeffrey Lockridge, a graduate student in ASU’s School of Earth and Space Exploration and the project’s lead researcher, used new seismic data collected as part of the EarthScope project to develop methods to detect and locate small-magnitude earthquakes across the entire state of Arizona. EarthScope’s USArray Transportable Array was deployed within Arizona from April 2006 to March 2009 and provided the first opportunity to examine seismicity on a statewide scale. Its increased sensitivity allowed Lockridge to find almost 1,000 earthquakes during the three-year period, including many in regions of Arizona that were previously thought to be seismically inactive. “It is significant that we found events in areas where none had been detected before, but not necessarily surprising given the fact that many parts of the state had never been sampled by seismometers prior to the deployment of the EarthScope USArray,” says Lockridge. “I expected to find some earthquakes outside of north-central Arizona, where the most and largest events had previously been recorded, just not quite so many in other areas of the state.” Ads by Google ITT Tech – Official Site – Convenient Schedules, Over 130 Locations. Browse New Programs. – http://www.ITT-Tech.edu One-thousand earthquakes over three years may sound alarmingly high, but the large number of earthquakes detected in the study is a direct result of the improved volume and quality of seismic data provided by EarthScope. Ninety-one percent of the earthquakes Lockridge detected in Arizona were “microquakes” with a magnitude of 2.0 or smaller, which are not usually felt by humans. Detecting small-magnitude earthquakes is not only important because some regions experiencing small earthquakes may produce larger earthquakes, but also because geologists use small magnitude earthquakes to map otherwise hidden faults beneath the surface. Historically, the largest earthquakes and the majority of seismicity recorded within Arizona have been located in an area of north–central Arizona. More recently, a pair of magnitude 4.9 and 5.3 earthquakes occurred in the Cataract Creek area outside of Flagstaff. Earthquakes of magnitude 4.0 or larger also have occurred in other areas of the state, including a magnitude 4.2 earthquake in December 2003 in eastern Arizona and a magnitude 4.9 earthquake near Chino Valley in 1976. “The wealth of data provided by the EarthScope project is an unprecedented opportunity to detect and locate small-magnitude earthquakes in regions where seismic monitoring (i.e. seismic stations) has historically been sparse,” explains Lockridge. “Our study is the first to use EarthScope data to build a regional catalog that detects all earthquakes magnitude 1.2 or larger.” His results appear in a paper titled, “Seismicity within Arizona during the Deployment of the EarthScope USArray Transportable Array,” published in the August 2012 issue of the Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America. Ramon Arrowsmith and Matt Fouch, professors in ASU’s School of Earth and Space Exploration, are Lockridge’s dissertation advisors and coauthors on the paper. Fouch is also a geophysicist at the Carnegie Institution’s Department of Terrestrial Magnetism in Washington, DC. “The most surprising result was the degree to which the EarthScope data were able to improve upon existing catalogs generated by regional and national networks. From April 2007 through November 2008, other networks detected only 80 earthquakes within the state, yet over that same time we found 884 earthquakes, or 11 times as many, which is really quite staggering,” says Lockridge. “It’s one of countless examples of how powerful the EarthScope project is and how much it is improving our ability to study Earth.” Lockridge is also lead author on a study that focuses on a cluster of earthquakes located east of Phoenix, near Theodore Roosevelt Lake. The results from this study will be published in Seismological Research Letters later this year. In his current studies as doctoral student, Lockridge is using the same methods used for Arizona to develop a comprehensive earthquake catalog for the Great Basin region in Nevada and western Utah. Provided by Arizona State University search and more info website

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Volcanic Activity

Volcanic activity world-wide 13 Aug 2012: new activity at Tofua (Tonga Islands), Popocatépetl, Fuego, Santiaguito, Costa Rica, Nevado del Ruiz, Reventador, Tungurahua, Sakurajima, Tongariro, White Island

BY: T

Volcano Discovery

Possibly volcanic SO2 plumes over Costa Rica on 11 Aug (NOAA)

Possibly volcanic SO2 plumes over Costa Rica on 11 Aug (NOAA)

Activity has decreased at White Island. Ash emissions have been lower than in the previous days. Gas measurements showed that all volcanic gases were at levels lower than the previous measurement on August 1.

Tongariro volcano has stayed calm with and GNS scientists think that the most likely scenario is that the 6 Aug eruption was a single event and will not be followed by new eruptions in the near to medium future.

A “new” volcano just entered the watch list:
Out in the Pacific, a pilot observed an ash cloud rising from Tofua volcano to 3,000 ft (ca. 1 km) in the Tonga Islands at 04:42 GMT, VAAC Wellington reports.

El Hierro volcano: A total of 5 earthquakes (between M1.3-2.4) at 10-19 km depth has occurred today so far. This is the highest number in many days.

Activity remains weak at Popocatépetl in Mexico. About 1 weak eruption per hour has been observed during the past day by CENAPRED. SO2 emissions remain high (which is typical for Popo during phases of activity).

An elevated SO2 plume was visible above Costa Rica’s Central valley on NOAA’s SO2 monitoring images. It could have been caused by stronger degassing activity of the volcanoes Poas or Turrialba, both of which have been showing increased activity in 2011-12, but seem to have calmed down in the past months. Another SO2 signal is visible about 100 km east of Rincon de la Vieja and could have originated there. The Costa Rican volcano observatory doesn’t mention any unusual activity.

Santiaguito / Santa Maria (Guatemala): An explosion at 05:49 local tie ejected an 800 m high ash plume and caused ash fall at Finca la Florida and around San Marcos Palajunoj. Only few and weak rock avalanches were reported since yesterday.

For Fuego volcano, INSIVUMEH reports 8 weak explosions during the past day, generating ash columns of 200-500 m height.
The lava flow in direction of Taniluya canyon has further advances and is now 300 m long and generates constant rock avalanches. Avalanches, too, have been observed towards the “Ash” (Ceniza) canyon.

In Colombia, sporadic gas and ash emissions continue to occur at Galeras and tremor signals are sometimes visible on the seismograms.
Nevado del Ruiz (Colombia): Steam and ash emissions continue at Nevado del Ruiz at fluctuating intensity. This morning a fresh ash deposit was found at the volcano observatory.
The seimic recordings show tremor and a seismic swarm with 30 quakes since 22:27 local time last night, located NE of the Arenas crater between 3-5 km, in the same area as the previous swarm on 12 August.

Reventador volcano in Ecuador ejects a 1.5 km high steam plume, but IG mentions no explosions or ash.
Tungurahua volcano continues to emit a steam plume with small amounts of ash, and has occasional small to moderate explosions accompanied by gunshot sounds heard around the volcano.

Jumping to the far north, there is little new activity to be reported from volcanoes in Kamchatka, the Kuriles, Aleutians and in Alaska. It is rather surprising that this normally very area has stayed quite calm over the past week.

Satellite observations show again plumes at 7,000 ft (2.1 km) originating from Batu Tara (Sunda Islands, Indonesia).

Sakurajima volcano has had 2 weak – moderate explosions during the past 30 hours.

 

 

 

NASA Satellites Pinpoint Volcanic Eruption In New Zealand

NASA Satellites Pinpoint Volcanic Eruption

acquired July 19, 2012 download large image (1 MB, JPEG, 2048×1592)

NASA Satellites Pinpoint Volcanic Eruption

acquired July 19, 2012 download large image (2 MB, JPEG, 2048×1592)
acquired July 19, 2012 download Google Earth file (KMZ)

Midway on its 800-kilometer (500-mile) voyage from Auckland to Raoul Island, New Zealand, the HMNZS Canterbury received an intriguing report: a maritime patrol aircraft had spotted a vast area of open ocean covered with floating pumice. Soon after, the ship was sailing through a mass of buoyant volcanic rocks. Up to two feet thick, the pumice raft was about half a nautical mile (1 kilometer) wide, and “extended sideways as far as the eye could see,” wrote Rebecca Priestley, a science writer aboard the ship. Although the lightweight, gas-filled pumice posed no threat to the Canterbury, enough got stuck in the water filters to provide samples for analysis.

Though the pumice was spread over a vast area of the South Pacific, the origin was a mystery to the crew of the ship. An undersea volcano several hundred kilometers to the north of the pumice—Monowai—had erupted on August 3, but an airline pilot reported seeing pumice as early as August 1. Two data sources provided clues to pinpoint the volcano: earthquake records and satellite imagery. After reports of the pumice rafts surfaced, scientists from Tahiti and New Zealand’s GNS Science connected the eruption with a cluster of earthquakes in the Kermadec Islands on July 17 and 18.

Working independently of GNS, volcanologist Erik Klemetti and NASA visualizer Robert Simmon examined a month’s worth of satellite imagery from NASA’s Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS). They discovered the first signs of the eruption—ash-stained water, gray pumice, and a volcanic plume—in imagery from 9:50 a.m. and 2:10 p.m. (local time) on July 19, 2012. (Although the Kermadec Islands are east of the International Date Line, they follow New Zealand time.)

Hidden by clouds in the morning image (above, top), the site of the eruption is clearly visible in the afternoon image (lower). Klemetti matched the satellite imagery with ocean floor bathymetry to identify Havre Seamount as the likely source. The eruption was strong enough to breach the ocean surface from a depth of 1,100 meters (3,600 feet).

Alain Bernard of the Laboratoire de Volcanologie, Université Libre de Bruxelles analyzed nighttime imagery from MODIS and found heat from the eruption at 10:50 p.m. on July 18, 2012, the earliest evidence of the Havre Seamount eruption reaching the ocean surface.

By July 21, the eruption appeared to have waned, leaving behind the dense rafts of pumice. Winds and currents spread the pumice into a series of twisted filaments, spread over an area about 450 by 250 kilometers (280 by 160 miles) as of August 13.

  1. References

  2. Bernard, Alain. (2012, August). Hot Spots from the July 18 Eruption in Kermadec volcanic arc. Accessed August 13, 2012.
  3. Klemetti, Erik. (2012, August 13). Havre Seamount: The Source of Kermadec Island Pumice Raft? Accessed August 13, 2012.
  4. New Zealand Defence Force (2012, August 10). Defence Force Locates 7500Sq Miles of Pumice From Underwater Volcano Accessed August 13, 2012.
  5. Priestley, Rebecca. (2012, August 8–11). Kermadecs voyage #2: The Mystery of the Floating Pumice. Accessed August 13, 2012.
  6. Radio New Zealand. (2012, August 13). Origin of Pumice Raft Found. Accessed August 13, 2012.
  7. Université Libre de Bruxelles. (2012, August). Hot Spots from the July 18 Eruption in Kermadec Volcanic Arc. Accessed August 13, 2012.

NASA image courtesy Jeff Schmaltz, LANCE MODIS Rapid Response Team at NASA GSFC. Caption by Robert Simmon. Detective work by Erik Klemetti.

Instrument: 
Terra – MODIS

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Extreme Temperatures/ Weather

Excessive Heat Watch

SEATTLE WA
PORTLAND OR

…………………….

Today Extreme Weather Canada Province of Alberta, Calgary Damage level Details

Extreme Weather in Canada on Wednesday, 15 August, 2012 at 05:58 (05:58 AM) UTC.

Description
A severe storm swept through Calgary and area this afternoon, bringing hail, torrential downpours and wind gusts reaching more than 100 kilometres per hour that left broken windows and fallen trees in its wake. The worst of the storm has passed Calgary, says CBC meteorologist Danielle Savoni. “At this point it’s starting to change over into just the rain and some embedded thunderstorms, but those embedded thunderstorms are nowhere near as severe as what we’ve seen.” Some window washers got caught on a platform on the 22nd floor on an office building on 5th Avenue S.W. Tara Sukut was in her office a floor below. “You could hear the window washers outside yelling, get us off here, get us out of here,” says Sukut. “And a couple minutes later we just heard glass smashing. And you could see it was banging on the window down on our floor. They broke the windows to get inside the building.” The Calgary Fire Department’s high-angle rescue unit was called in to help the three window washers. Sukut’s interview with the CBC’s Elizabeth Snaddon can be heard in the player below.

Red Flag Warning

FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE

GOODLAND KS
CORPUS CHRISTI TX
NORTH PLATTE NE
CHEYENNE WY
DENVER CO
POCATELLO ID
RIVERTON WY
PORTLAND OR

Extreme Fire Danger

HASTINGS NE
RAPID CITY SD
ABERDEEN SD

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Wildfires blaze through Western states

By the CNN Wire Staff
Watch this video

California flames scorch dry earth

STORY HIGHLIGHTS
  • NEW: Washington blaze has grown to 28,000 acres
  • NEW: National Guard activated in Washington, will provide air support
  • An Idaho firefighter is killed battling a blaze; two others are hurt in Oregon and California
  • In all, 62 fires are burning

Are wildfires blazing near you? Send in your photos and videos to CNN iReport, but please stay safe.

(CNN) — Whipped by high winds, wildfires in central Washington state have scorched 28,000 acres and destroyed at least 60 buildings, officials said Tuesday.

Gov. Chris Gregoire declared Kittitas and Yakima counties to be in states of emergency, according to a written statement from her office. The Washington National Guard will provide air support to the Department of Natural Resources, which is in charge of statewide firefighting efforts.

The fire raging near Cle Elum is one of several Western fires burning this week.

Colorado paid the price earlier this summer. Now, new wildfires are burning through sagebrush, grass and beetle-killed lodgepole pines in California, Oregon, Nevada, Washington and Idaho.

In all, 62 fires, including 16 new large fires, were burning as of Tuesday, the U.S. Forest Service reported. They have destroyed dozens of homes and are threatening many more.

Tearful wildfire victim: ‘Nothing left’

Wildfires destroy homes in Oklahoma

Washington’s Taylor Bridge Fire began as a brush fire Monday afternoon. By Tuesday afternoon more than 20,000 acres, or 31 square miles, were burned.

Authorities have already evacuated between 900 people near the Taylor Bridge Fire, the governor’s office said. There was no report of any injuries.

“The fire behavior I would classify as extreme,” Rex Reed, the incident commander, earlier Tuesday. “Extreme fire conditions. We expect a very busy day. Very rapid rates of spread. There are multiple heads on this fire.”

He said authorities were working to activate National Guard troops to assist in the operation in Kittitas County.

In Idaho, a blaze has killed a 20-year-old firefighter. Two other firefighters have been injured in Oregon and California.

Anne Veseth died Sunday while fighting the Steep Canyon Fire near Orofino, said Phil Sammon of the Forest Service. He said the death was accidental but could not confirm how it happened.

However, CNN affiliate KTVB said Veseth was killed by a falling tree.

Residents of Veseth’s hometown, Moscow, remembered the young college student as someone who always gave back to community.

“This is a stark reminder of how dangerous the business is that we are in,” Sammon said. “We are extremely saddened by this loss.”

Residents evacuate as hundreds of firefighters battle California wildfires

On Tuesday, the fire danger spiked with searing temperatures and single-digit humidity across Western states. In some places, winds were gusting up to 40 miles per hour.

More than 750 firefighters and support personnel were working in Oregon and Nevada to corral the 418,235-acre Holloway Fire, the largest of the Western wildfires ignited by a lightning strike on August 5.

“We saw huge fire whorls all night,” said Fred Kaninski, fire behavior analyst for the Holloway Fire. “It was burning like daytime.”

On Monday, firefighters battled flames that measured 2 to 8 feet high. On occasion, they reported seeing 15-foot flames.

The northeast flank of the fire burned into Oregon Canyon, where a firefighter suffered burns to the leg and forearm and minor smoke inhalation, the Bureau of Land Management said.

The injured firefighter was rushed by helicopter to a hospital in Winnemucca, Nevada, and was released Sunday night. She is being sent to a burn center in Salt Lake City for further evaluation, the bureau said.

In California, a pair of fires north of San Francisco in Lake County burned 7,000 acres and were 30% contained Tuesday, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.

Two buildings were destroyed and one was damaged, CNN affiliate KGO reported. An additional 480 homes are threatened, and a firefighter was injured while battling the flames, said Julie Hutchinson of the state’s forestry and fire department. She did not have information on the status of the injured firefighter.

Meteorologists predict the dry heat will last into next week — not good news for firefighters. Any thunderstorms that pop up could present more bad news than good, since lightning strikes could spark more flames.

However, rain doused the killer Waldo Canyon Fire that blazed out of control through parts of Colorado for many weeks this summer. On Tuesday, Colorado was not on the national map for large fires.

Neighbors vs. nature as wildfires rage in Oklahoma

CNN’s Moni Basu and John Fricke contributed to this report.

 

 

Western Wildfires

Western Wildfires

acquired August 13, 2012 download large image (3 MB, JPEG, 4800×3800)

Western Wildfires

acquired August 13, 2012 download large image (3 MB, JPEG, 4800×3800)
acquired August 13, 2012 download GeoTIFF file (33 MB, TIFF)
acquired August 13, 2012 download Google Earth file (KMZ)

Wildfires raged across Colorado earlier this summer. Now California, Idaho, Nevada, and Oregon are feeling the heat. On August 14, 2012, numerous fires blazed across the four western states, burning through everything from sagebrush to grass to beetle-killed lodgepole pine forests.

The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Aqua satellite captured this image of the fires on Aug 11, 2012. Red outlines indicate hot spots where MODIS detected unusually warm surface temperatures associated with fires.

Three large fires burned through coniferous forests in northern California: the Reading fire in Lassen Volcanic National Park, the Chips fire in Plumas National Forest, and the Fort Complex fire in Klamath National Forest. The largest of the three (Chips) had consumed 57 square miles (148 square kilometers) and was 12 percent contained by August 14. The Reading fire had consumed 37 square miles and was 15 percent contained, whereas the Fort Complex Fire had burned 3 square miles and was 10 percent contained. All three were ignited by lightning. In Oregon, lightning also sparked the Barry Point fire, which had burned 68 square miles.

In northern Nevada, the Holloway, Hansen, and Willow fires burned through grass, brush, and sagebrush. The Holloway fire was the largest and had burned 676 square miles by August 14. The Willow and Hanson fires had burned 67 square miles and 20 square miles respectively. All three were ignited by lightning on August 5.

In Idaho, the Halstead fire burned through stands of beetle-killed lodgepole pines in Salmon-Challis National Forest. It had consumed 81 square miles. To the south, the Trinity Ridge fire had burned about 58 square miles. Lightning ignited the Halstead fire on July 27, whereas human activity started the Trinity Ridge fire.

According to statistics compiled by the National Interagency Fire Center, a total of 9,400 square miles had burned in the United States through August 14. That was above the ten-year average for that date, which was 7,750 square miles.

NASA image courtesy Jeff Schmaltz, LANCE MODIS Rapid Response. Caption by Adam Voiland.

Instrument: 
Aqua – MODIS
Today Forest / Wild Fire USA State of California, Aguanga [Riverside County (San Jacinto foothills)] Damage level Details

Forest / Wild Fire in USA on Wednesday, 15 August, 2012 at 07:24 (07:24 AM) UTC.

Description
A fast-moving wildfire stoked by triple-digit temperatures burned 3,000 acres Tuesday in the foothills of the San Jacinto Mountains, creeping perilously close to tinder-dry areas of the San Bernardino National Forest, officials said. At least four structures, including one home, were destroyed by the blaze, which spread rapidly through dry brush and grasslands in a sparsely populated area south of Hemet and east of Temecula. The fire, just 5% contained as of Tuesday evening, was spreading rapidly through the rocky hills and desert scrub, and was within a mile of forest lands west of Anza, where drought has heightened fire danger all summer. “Of course we’re concerned,” said John Miller, spokesman for the San Bernardino National Forest. “This year our big concern is the fact that rainfall and that includes snow for our forest was somewhere between 50% to 70% of normal.” Mandatory evacuations were ordered in the sparsely populated area near Aguanga, and more than 30 homes have been evacuated, according to Jody Hagemann of the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. Two firefighters suffered minor injuries and were taken to a hospital, according to radio dispatch reports. One man who lived in a trailer was seriously burned and taken by helicopter to a local hospital. Authorities said the man, whose home was in a remote area, apparently had not received a notice to evacuate.South of the Riverside County fire, fast-moving blazes, some started by lightning strikes from heat-born thunderstorms, have burned more than 2,300 acres in northeast San Diego County, leading to evacuations in the rural communities of Ranchita and the San Felipe area off California 78. The four San Diego County fires are being fought by more than 500 firefighters, along with air tankers and water-dropping helicopters. No structures have yet been reported damaged. “We have very dry vegetation, brush and grass and things like that. Now we have multiple days of very high temperatures,” said Chief Julie Hutchinson, spokeswoman for the state fire agency. “It’s like lighting your fireplace with a blowtorch.” The fire in Riverside County was reported just before 1 p.m. in the community of Aguanga. More than 210 firefighters were working to extinguish the blaze, and six water-carrying helicopters and six water-tender aircraft as well as a DC-10 were assisting, state fire officials said. Crews from the Sierra Nevada mountains areas are being dispatched to assist firefighters. “That’s one thing that’s unique about California. We have a state fire agency, and we’re able to move resources up and down the state,” said Hutchinson, adding that crews from the U.S. Forest Service, local departments and the California National Guard are playing a role in the statewide firefighting efforts. Although flames are more than 14 miles away from Idyllwild, residents and fire officials in the artsy mountain community have been nervously watching television news reports.
Today Forest / Wild Fire USA State of Arizona, [Tonto National Forest] Damage level Details

Forest / Wild Fire in USA on Wednesday, 15 August, 2012 at 03:34 (03:34 AM) UTC.

Description
Crews are monitoring a fire in Arizona’s Tonto National Forest that has charred an estimated 1,200 acres. The so-called Queen Fire was reported Monday night and forest officials say its cause is under investigation. The blaze is burning about 2 miles northeast of Superior in rocky, inaccessible terrain and crews are attacking the flames by air. Officials say the fire is burning grass and brush. There was immediate timetable Tuesday for containment of the blaze. Meanwhile, the forest is temporarily closing several areas because of the Mistake Peak fire 11 miles east of Basin. That fire began Aug. 8 and is 10% contained after burning about 3,400 acres by Tuesday. Tonto officials chose to temporarily close areas of the forest to protect the public and crews fighting the fire.

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Storms / Tornado / Flooding / Sinkholes

 

 

 Active tropical storm system(s)
Name of storm system Location Formed Last update Last category Course Wind Speed Gust Wave Source Details
Hector (EP08) Pacific Ocean – East 11.08.2012 15.08.2012 Tropical Depression 20 ° 65 km/h 83 km/h 2.74 m NOAA NHC Details

  Tropical Storm data

Share:
Storm name: Hector (EP08)
Area: Pacific Ocean – East
Start up location: N 17° 30.000, W 106° 0.000
Start up: 11th August 2012
Status: 12th August 2012
Track long: 606.97 km
Top category.:
Report by: NOAA NHC
Useful links:
Past track
Date Time Position Speed
km/h		 Wind
km/h		 Gust
km/h		 Category Course Wave Pressure Source
12th Aug 2012 05:40:34 N 18° 30.000, W 108° 6.000 20 65 83 Tropical Storm 290 11 999 MB NOAA NHC
13th Aug 2012 04:46:16 N 18° 6.000, W 110° 42.000 9 74 93 Tropical Storm 270 10 993 MB NOAA NHC
13th Aug 2012 10:38:02 N 18° 6.000, W 111° 24.000 11 65 83 Tropical Storm 270 16 994 MB NOAA NHC
14th Aug 2012 04:58:09 N 18° 0.000, W 113° 12.000 9 74 93 Tropical Storm 270 10 993 MB NOAA NHC
14th Aug 2012 10:50:22 N 17° 54.000, W 114° 0.000 9 74 93 Tropical Storm 265 10 997 MB NOAA NHC
Current position
Date Time Position Speed
km/h		 Wind
km/h		 Gust
km/h		 Category Course Wave
feet		 Pressure Source
15th Aug 2012 11:18:06 N 17° 12.000, W 115° 12.000 4 65 83 Tropical Depression 20 ° 9 1002 MB NOAA NHC
Forecast track
Date Time Position Category Wind
km/h		 Gust
km/h		 Source
16th Aug 2012 18:00:00 N 19° 36.000, W 116° 30.000 Tropical Depression 56 74 NOAA NHC
16th Aug 2012 06:00:00 N 18° 42.000, W 116° 0.000 Tropical Depression 56 74 NOAA NHC
17th Aug 2012 06:00:00 N 20° 36.000, W 117° 0.000 Tropical Depression 46 65 NOAA NHC
18th Aug 2012 06:00:00 N 22° 30.000, W 118° 30.000 Tropical Depression 37 56 NOAA NHC
19th Aug 2012 06:00:00 N 23° 0.000, W 120° 0.000 Tropical Depression 28 37 NOAA NHC
Kai-tak (14W) Pacific Ocean 12.08.2012 15.08.2012 Typhoon I 305 ° 102 km/h 130 km/h 5.18 m JTWC Details

 Tropical Storm data

Share:
Storm name: Kai-tak (14W)
Area: Pacific Ocean
Start up location: N 16° 36.000, E 128° 30.000
Start up: 12th August 2012
Status: Active
Track long: 440.90 km
Top category.:
Report by: JTWC
Useful links:
Past track
Date Time Position Speed
km/h		 Wind
km/h		 Gust
km/h		 Category Course Wave Pressure Source
13th Aug 2012 04:30:32 N 16° 30.000, E 127° 48.000 19 56 74 Tropical Depression 265 15 JTWC
13th Aug 2012 10:04:19 N 16° 36.000, E 126° 36.000 24 65 83 Tropical Storm 275 17 JTWC
14th Aug 2012 04:58:47 N 17° 30.000, E 125° 36.000 20 83 102 Tropical Storm 275 11 JTWC
14th Aug 2012 10:49:50 N 18° 0.000, E 124° 18.000 22 83 102 Tropical Storm 265 15 JTWC
Current position
Date Time Position Speed
km/h		 Wind
km/h		 Gust
km/h		 Category Course Wave
feet		 Pressure Source
15th Aug 2012 11:18:34 N 18° 54.000, E 120° 42.000 28 102 130 Typhoon I 305 ° 17 JTWC
Forecast track
Date Time Position Category Wind
km/h		 Gust
km/h		 Source
16th Aug 2012 12:00:00 N 21° 42.000, E 116° 24.000 Typhoon II 139 167 JTWC
16th Aug 2012 00:00:00 N 20° 24.000, E 118° 36.000 Typhoon II 130 157 JTWC
17th Aug 2012 00:00:00 N 22° 54.000, E 114° 18.000 Typhoon I 111 139 JTWC
18th Aug 2012 00:00:00 N 24° 12.000, E 111° 18.000 Tropical Depression 74 93 JTWC
19th Aug 2012 00:00:00 N 24° 30.000, E 108° 6.000 Tropical Depression 37 56 JTWC

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Today Tropical Storm Philippines Multiple areas, [Northern Philippines] Damage level Details

Tropical Storm in Philippines on Wednesday, 15 August, 2012 at 03:25 (03:25 AM) UTC.

Description
A second tropical storm in as many weeks battered the northern Philippines after making landfall Wednesday, killing at least two people, as forecasters warned that the still-reeling capital could see more flooding. Meanwhile, President Benigno Aquino III scrambled to avert another crisis when hundreds of state weather agency employees protested over their pay and warned that forecasting services could deteriorate. Tropical Storm Kai-Tak slammed ashore in northeastern Isabela province with maximum winds of 100 kilometers (60 miles) per hour and higher gusts. It is expected to traverse northern farming provinces and exit along Luzon Island’s western seaboard possibly as a powerful typhoon heading toward southern China in the direction of Hong Kong. The head of the disaster-relief agency, Benito Ramos, reported two deaths, including a man who drowned while swimming in Ilocos Norte province. He said some roads were flooded knee-deep, and government forecasters warned of intense rains that may drench the sprawling capital, Manila, which is still reeling from last week’s monsoon deluge. On Tuesday, an alarmed Aquino rushed to assure the protesting weather agency employees that steps were being taken to resume payment of the cash benefits that had been suspended in March. “I just reminded that since the weather is bad and we have a weather disturbance, we should not add to the worries of those who were hit by the floods,” Aquino told reporters after a hasty meeting with the restive employees.Forecasters and other employees of the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration wore black arm bands and hoisted streamers urging the government to resume hazard pay and other allowances. While the workers did not plan any work stoppage, protest leader Ramon Agustin said some hard-up employees had failed to report for work due to lack of money. “The only reason why we remain strong in performing our tasks is our pure love for the country, but this will eventually weaken,” Agustin said in a news conference at the weather agency, which buzzed with activity as forecasters tracked the second storm. The archipelago located in the tropical far western Pacific serves like a welcome mat for about 20 tropical storms and typhoons that develop in the open ocean and blow toward Asia every year. Heavy rain from those storms and the annual monsoon often cause flooding and landslides and leave a trail of death and destruction. Relentless rains for nearly two weeks culminated in last week’s two-day deluge that submerged Manila and outlying farming provinces, killing nearly 100 people and displacing more than 400,000. Budget Secretary Florencio Abad said payment of the hazard pay and other cash benefits had been suspended to correct past irregularities, but added the workers would get back the benefits soon. Agustin said the employees have lost an average of 10,000 pesos ($238) monthly since the benefits were suspended by officials in March.

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The National Weather Service confirms what is said to be the first tornado to touchdown in Duluth, Minn. on record.

The NWS says a waterspout developed at approximately 11 a.m. CDT Thursday, two miles offshore from Duluth’s Sky Harbor Airport over Superior Bay.

The waterspout then turned into a tornado as it tracked briefly onshore at Minnesota Point across from Sky Harbor Airport.

The tornado then went back into the bay as a waterspout before briefly turning into a tornado for a second time as it came onshore at Barker’s Island, where it finally dissipated around 11:20 a.m. CDT.

The tornado was rated an EF-0 on the enhanced fujita scale, with winds from 65 to 85 mph. No damage was reported.

Nonetheless, the tornado is the first confirmed on record to touchdown in Duluth.

Thursday's waterspout in Duluth, Minnesota is the city's first tornado on record. (August 9, 2012)
Thursday’s waterspout in Duluth, Minnesota is the city’s first tornado on record. (August 9, 2012)
Photo credit:
(NWS)

According to Carol Christenson, Warning Coordination Meteorologist at the NWS, there hasn’t been a tornado in our city limits in recorded history, Northland NewsCenter reports.

“There was one outside of city limits back in 1986,” Christenson said.

The NWS says it appears the waterspout turned tornado developed near an inflection point along the leading edge of a strong surge of northeast winds and or small scale frontal boundary, which were enhanced by the very warm Lake Superior water temperatures.

 

 

Flash Flood Warning

NEW ORLEANS LA
FORT WORTH TX

Flood Warning

FORT WORTH TX
TALLAHASSEE FL
TAMPA BAY AREA - RUSKIN FL
AUSTIN/SAN ANTONIO TX

Flood Advisory

FORT WORTH TX
TAUNTON MA
NEW YORK NY
TALLAHASSEE FL
ALBANY NY

Flood Watch

FAIRBANKS AK
Today Flood Canada Province of Saskatchewan, [James Smith First Nation] Damage level Details

Flood in Canada on Wednesday, 15 August, 2012 at 07:22 (07:22 AM) UTC.

Description
A state of emergency has been declared by the James Smith Cree Nation following continued high rainfall and flooding. Local officials are calling for increased assistance from the federal and provincial governments. The drinking water of nine homes has been contaminated due to the high water levels and some roads have flooded over, says a news release issued Tuesday by James Smith. The continued rainfall is adding to the problems caused by last year’s flooding, said the release. “The high rains are destroying what’s left of our roads and water systems, and this is creating dangerous health conditions for our people, especially very young children and our elders,” said James Smith Chief Wally Burns. “We’ve been trying to get assistance since the 2011 flood, but have so far received minimal support.” Last month officials with the provincial disaster assistance program met with band leadership. The program provided $110,000 to repair damage from previous years of flooding, but the band estimates $3.2 million is needed. James Smith is located about 180 kilometres northeast of Saskatoon.

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  • Mysterious Louisiana Sinkhole Raises Concerns of Explosions and Radiation (ABC News)View GalleryMysterious Louisiana Sinkhole Raises Concerns of Explosions and Radiation (ABC News)

A nearly 400-foot deep sinkhole in Louisiana has swallowed all of the trees in its area and enacted a mandatory evacuation order for about 150 residences for fear of potential radiation and explosions.

The 400-square-foot gaping hole is in Assumption Parish, La., about 50 miles south of Baton Rouge.

The sinkhole sits in the middle of a heavily wooded space where it has consumed all of the soaring cypress trees that had been there. Flyover photos show some of the treetops still visible through the mud.

Authorities enacted a mandatory evacuation for between 100 and150 homes in the area, but most people have chosen to stay, according to the Mayor’s Office of Emergency Preparedness. If any of the dangers seem to become more imminent, the order will be escalated to a forced evacuation.

While officials are not certain what caused the massive sinkhole, they believe it may be have ben caused by a nearby salt cavern owned by the Texas Brine Company.

After being used for nearly 30 years, the cavern was plugged in 2011 and officials believe the integrity of the cavern may have somehow been compromised, leading to the sinkhole.

[Slideshow: Massive sinkholes wreak havoc around the world]

On Thursday, Louisiana’s Department of Natural Resources required that Texas Brine drill a well to investigate the salt cavern as soon as possible, obtain samples from the cavern and provide daily reports on their findings. It could take up to 10 days to set up the drilling process, even with an expedited process.

“We have to arrange for the driller. We have to pick a location. We have to be very careful to not be in a point that’s too close to the sinkhole because of the weight of the rig,” Texas Brine Company spokesman Sonny Cranch told ABCNews.com today. “We don’t want to aggravate the situation.”

The sinkhole is on the outside edge of the salt dome where this particular brine well is located.

“There are some indications that it very well may have been connected, but there’s just indications,” Cranch said. “There’s nothing concrete that has connected the sinkhole to the cavern.”

There was bubbling in the water and the sinkhole is near areas where there has been exploration for oil and gas in the past, which would make the presence of low levels of naturally occurring radioactive material (NORM) possible.

The state’s Department of Environmental Quality said water samples from the sinkhole showed oil and diesel on its surface, but initial readings did not detect radiation.

In the days after the sinkhole opened up on Aug. 3, nearby Highway 70 was closed down because officials discovered that the sinkhole caused a 36-inch natural gas pipeline to bend and feared the possibility of an explosion, according to ABC News’ Baton Rouge affiliate WBRZ.

“That’s why the mandatory evacuation is going to stay on, because there is a risk for explosion,” John Boudreaux of from Assumption Parish Emergency Preparedness said at a meeting with residents on Tuesday, WBRZ reported.

“We are determined to do everything we can to find the answer,” president of Texas Brine Mark Cartwright told the residents.

Some community members were visibly frustrated with the situation and lack of answers.

“You can give us a straight answer because that’s all we want,” one woman said at the meeting. “We want to know when we can come home and be safe. Because you all go home after a days work. You’re safe, but we’re not.”

Gov. Bobby Jindal issued a declaration of emergency allowing the Governor’s Office of Homeland Security to assist in the efforts if necessary.

“This is extremely serious and it’s been going on for too long to still be at this point,” Kim Torres, spokeswoman for the Office of Emergency Preparedness, told ABCNews.com today. “The people are very aware of how serious this is.”

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Radiation / Nuclear

Today Nuclear Event USA State of Minnesota, Red Wing [Prairie Island Nuclear Power Plant] Damage level Details

Nuclear Event in USA on Wednesday, 15 August, 2012 at 03:28 (03:28 AM) UTC.

Description
Prairie Island nuclear plant shut down Unit 1 after operators declared its two backup diesel generators inoperable Tuesday. Staff determined during routine testing that both generators had exhaust leaks, Xcel Energy media relations spokeswoman Mary Sandok confirmed. That deemed them inoperable, and the plant filed an incident report of the safe shutdown with the Nuclear Regulatory Plant. Prairie Island has other backup protection, including diesel generators and turbine-driven and portable pumps, the company said in the statement issued at 2:30 p.m. There was no radiation leak or danger to the public. Prairie Island Tribal Council President Johnny Johnson called the loss of both generators “not acceptable.” “A failure of the back-up diesel generators can affect all other safety features that rely on the electricity that they generate,” he said. The plant has had more than 30 reported incidents of failing equipment, security breaches, human performance problems and operating errors in recent years, he said. The emergency diesel generators did not fail, Sandok said. Plant workers test equipment regularly, and during this week’s test they determined both generators had defects. “When it comes to important equipment, the nuclear industry has no tolerance for any imperfections, so operators shut the unit down to repair the generators,” she said. As of 7 p.m. Tuesday, one diesel was operable and the other one was repaired and awaiting testing. “Despite these assurances, today’s unplanned shutdown – and the unusual white steam clouds released throughout the day during the reactor shutdown – are ominous reminders of the fact that the 40-year-old Prairie Island Nuclear Generating Plant operating a half-mile from our homes relies on aging technology,” Johnson said. An unrelated outage also occurred Tuesday at the Monticello plant to repair a gasket on a pipe flange. The plant had been operating at 10 percent power since the weekend as workers investigated leakage to a collection point inside the plant’s containment structure.

 

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Solar Activity

3MIN News August 14, 2012: 7.7 Earthquake

Published on Aug 14, 2012 by

Earthquake/Solar Flare Watch: http://youtu.be/zd7Z6dmABf8 [August 12-18, 2012]
[EXPLANATION Video For Earthquake Watches] Last Quake Watch: http://youtu.be/SMiHsOYwdCs

TODAY’S LINKS
Pumice in Pacific: http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/IOTD/view.php?id=78849
East Severe Weather: http://www.weather.com/news/weather-severe/severe-weather-tracker
MrMBB333 Cosmic Ray Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EemuRabDxGQ

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]

ENLIL SPIRAL: http://iswa.gsfc.nasa.gov:8080/IswaSystemWebApp/iSWACygnetStreamer?timestamp=…

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Space

Earth approaching objects (objects that are known in the next 30 days)
Object Name Apporach Date Left AU Distance LD Distance Estimated Diameter* Relative Velocity
4581 Asclepius 16th August 2012 1 day(s) 0.1079 42.0 220 m – 490 m 13.48 km/s 48528 km/h
(2008 TC4) 18th August 2012 3 day(s) 0.1937 75.4 140 m – 300 m 17.34 km/s 62424 km/h
(2012 OP4) 18th August 2012 3 day(s) 0.1039 40.4 300 m – 670 m 22.54 km/s 81144 km/h
(2012 EC) 20th August 2012 5 day(s) 0.0815 31.7 56 m – 130 m 5.57 km/s 20052 km/h
(2006 CV) 20th August 2012 5 day(s) 0.1744 67.9 290 m – 640 m 13.24 km/s 47664 km/h
162421 (2000 ET70) 21st August 2012 6 day(s) 0.1503 58.5 670 m – 1.5 km 12.92 km/s 46512 km/h
(2007 WU3) 21st August 2012 6 day(s) 0.1954 76.0 56 m – 120 m 5.25 km/s 18900 km/h
(2012 BB14) 24th August 2012 9 day(s) 0.1234 48.0 27 m – 60 m 2.58 km/s 9288 km/h
(2012 FM52) 25th August 2012 10 day(s) 0.0599 23.3 510 m – 1.1 km 17.17 km/s 61812 km/h
66146 (1998 TU3) 25th August 2012 10 day(s) 0.1265 49.2 3.0 km – 6.8 km 16.03 km/s 57708 km/h
(2009 AV) 26th August 2012 11 day(s) 0.1615 62.8 670 m – 1.5 km 22.51 km/s 81036 km/h
331769 (2003 BQ35) 28th August 2012 13 day(s) 0.1585 61.7 240 m – 530 m 4.64 km/s 16704 km/h
(2010 SC) 28th August 2012 13 day(s) 0.1679 65.3 16 m – 36 m 9.56 km/s 34416 km/h
4769 Castalia 28th August 2012 13 day(s) 0.1135 44.2 1.4 km 12.06 km/s 43416 km/h
(2012 LU7) 02nd September 2012 18 day(s) 0.1200 46.7 440 m – 990 m 8.16 km/s 29376 km/h
(2012 FS35) 02nd September 2012 18 day(s) 0.1545 60.1 2.3 m – 5.2 m 2.87 km/s 10332 km/h
(2012 HG31) 03rd September 2012 19 day(s) 0.0716 27.9 440 m – 990 m 10.33 km/s 37188 km/h
(2012 PX) 04th September 2012 20 day(s) 0.0452 17.6 61 m – 140 m 9.94 km/s 35784 km/h
(2012 EH5) 05th September 2012 21 day(s) 0.1613 62.8 38 m – 84 m 9.75 km/s 35100 km/h
(2011 EO11) 05th September 2012 21 day(s) 0.1034 40.2 9.0 m – 20 m 8.81 km/s 31716 km/h
(2007 PS25) 06th September 2012 22 day(s) 0.0497 19.3 23 m – 52 m 8.50 km/s 30600 km/h
329520 (2002 SV) 08th September 2012 24 day(s) 0.1076 41.9 300 m – 670 m 9.17 km/s 33012 km/h
(2011 ES4) 10th September 2012 26 day(s) 0.1792 69.8 20 m – 44 m 12.96 km/s 46656 km/h
(2008 CO) 11th September 2012 27 day(s) 0.1847 71.9 74 m – 160 m 4.10 km/s 14760 km/h
1 AU = ~150 million kilometers,1 LD = Lunar Distance = ~384,000 kilometers Source: NASA-NEO

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Gamma-Ray Photons Seen Emanating From The Center Of The Milky Way
Could Be Evidence of Dark Matter 

MessageToEagle.com – Gamma-ray photons seen emanating from the center of the Milky Way galaxy could be evidence of dark matter.

Dark-matter particles are annihilating each other in space, according to UC Irvine astrophysicists, who found more gamma-ray photons coming from the Milky Way galactic center than they had expected, based on previous scientific models.

Kevork Abazajian, assistant professor, and Manoj Kaplinghat, associate professor, of the Department of Physics & Astronomy analyzed data collected between August 2008 and June 2012 from NASA’s Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope orbiting Earth.

The gamma-rays Fermi detectsare billions of times more energetic, from 20 million to more than 300 billion electron volts.These gamma-ray photons are so energetic, they cannot be guided by the mirrors and lenses found in ordinary telescopes.

Instead Fermi uses a sensor that is more like a Geiger counter than a telescope.

If we could wear Fermi’s gamma ray “glasses,” we’d witness powerful bullets of energy – individual gamma rays – from cosmic phenomena such as supermassive black holes and hypernova explosions.

 

According to Abazajian, “this is the first time this new source has been observed with such high statistical significance, and the most striking part is how the shape, spectrum and rate of the observed gamma rays are very consistent with the leading theories for dark matter.”

In this illustration, one photon (purple) carries a million times the energy of another (yellow). Some theorists predict travel delays for higher-energy photons, which interact more strongly with the proposed frothy nature of space-time. Yet Fermi data on two photons from a gamma-ray burst fail to show this effect, eliminating some approaches to a new theory of gravity. The animation link below shows the delay scientists had expected to observe. Credit: NASA/Sonoma State University/Aurore Simonnet
“Future observations of regions with less astrophysical emission, such as dwarf galaxies, will be able to conclusively determine if this is actually from the dark matter.”

Nonluminous and not directly detectable, dark matter is thought to account for 85 percent of the universe’s mass. Its existence can only be inferred from its gravitational effects on other, visible matter. The UCI researchers’ findings could support its presumed presence at the center of galaxies.

The prevailing hypothesis is that dark matter is composed of weakly interacting massive particles, or WIMPs. When two WIMPs meet, they annihilate each other to produce more familiar particles – including gamma rays.

Although the data interpretation seems to be consistent with dark-matter theory, the gamma rays could be coming from a source other than WIMP destruction, Kaplinghat noted.

“The signal we see is also consistent with photons emitted by pulsars,” he said, “or from high-energy particles interacting with gas in the galactic center.”

UC Irvine astrophysicists submitted their research to the American Physical Society journal Physical Review D.

MessageToEagle.com

See also:
Venus And Jupiter Show With Special Guests Aurora Borealis And The Moon

 

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Biological Hazards / Wildlife

Today Biological Hazard Australia State of Victoria, Tooradin Damage level Details

Biological Hazard in Australia on Wednesday, 15 August, 2012 at 05:00 (05:00 AM) UTC.

Description
Casey Council will not install warning signs after a man reported being stung by a box jellyfish at Tooradin. Devon Meadows’ Tony Jenner said he was swimming when stung by a jellyfish with “six-foot long” tentacles. “It felt like I got bitten by two or three bees,” Mr Jenner said. “I came home and put vinegar on it and I didn’t feel too bad then but through the night I could feel my throat getting tight and it was hard to breathe.” In April, Cr Geoff Ablett called for an investigation into the “life-threatening situation” and whether warning signs should be posted to notify swimmers of the risks. However, in her report to councillors last week, community safety manager Caroline Bell said the incident was isolated and signs were not required. Joanna Browne, of Museums Victoria, said there was a species of box jellyfish in Victoria, but it was smaller and less harmful than those in the tropics.
Biohazard name: Jellyfish Invasion (Box)
Biohazard level: 0/4 —
Biohazard desc.: This does not included biological hazard category.
Symptoms:
Status: confirmed
Today Biological Hazard USA State of Texas, [Dallas County] Damage level Details

Biological Hazard in USA on Wednesday, 15 August, 2012 at 03:14 (03:14 AM) UTC.

Description
Nine people have died from a West Nile virus outbreak that infected 175 people in Dallas County, Texas, prompting officials to declare a state of emergency. The emergency was declared on Friday by Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins, the county’s director of homeland security and emergency management. “This declaration will expand our avenues DisasterNew assistance in our ongoing battle with West Nile virus,” Jenkins said. “While we are busy doing everything we can to keep residents well informed and as protected as possible, we need your help.” Jenkins also said that planes would be spraying insecticide over areas most effected by the virus, which is spread by mosquitoes. He assured citizens that the insecticide is safe and that the planes will be precise in their spraying. Tarrant County has also received 146 reported cases of West Nile in the last few weeks. The county has not declared a state of emergency, though. Houston officials are warning residents of an increased threat of the virus. “Houston can definitely expect an increase in West Nile disease,” said Kristy Murray, an infectious disease specialist at the Baylor College of Medicine’s National School of Tropical Medicine, DisasterNews reports. “From mid-August through September is the big season here.”
Biohazard name: West Nile virus outbreak
Biohazard level: 2/4 Medium
Biohazard desc.: Bacteria and viruses that cause only mild disease to humans, or are difficult to contract via aerosol in a lab setting, such as hepatitis A, B, and C, influenza A, Lyme disease, salmonella, mumps, measles, scrapie, dengue fever, and HIV. “Routine diagnostic work with clinical specimens can be done safely at Biosafety Level 2, using Biosafety Level 2 practices and procedures. Research work (including co-cultivation, virus replication studies, or manipulations involving concentrated virus) can be done in a BSL-2 (P2) facility, using BSL-3 practices and procedures. Virus production activities, including virus concentrations, require a BSL-3 (P3) facility and use of BSL-3 practices and procedures”, see Recommended Biosafety Levels for Infectious Agents.
Symptoms:
Status: confirmed

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Articles of Interest

Today Explosion USA State of New York, Brentwood [Long Island] Damage level Details

Explosion in USA on Wednesday, 15 August, 2012 at 03:11 (03:11 AM) UTC.

Description
A baby was killed and 14 other people were injured when a Long Island house was reduced to rubble in an explosion Tuesday morning. Six people, including the 18-month-old boy, were inside the Brentwood home when it exploded shortly before noon, said John Meehan, deputy chief of the Suffolk County Police. The five surviving adults were transported to local hospitals, three with serious injuries, he said. Five police officers responding to the scene suffered respiratory problems, one firefighter suffered chest pains and another firefighter suffered a sprained ankle, Meehan said, while a neighbor and a pedestrian were also injured. Authorities have declined to identify any victims and are not saying how many were residents of the home. Investigators are trying to determine if gas caused the explosion, said Robert Kuehn, an inspector for the Brentwood Fire Department. The house was not heated by natural gas, but there were two, 200-pound propane tanks on the property, Meehan said. The explosion leveled the home on Prospect Avenue, leaving no walls standing and covering the small yard in debris. On Tuesday afternoon, firefighters were digging through piles of lumber and sheetrock where the house stood on the wooded suburban street. Clothing was strewn in nearby trees, and adjacent houses sustained broken windows and other damage, authorities said. Neighbors described hearing a loud noise and then walking outside to see only clouds of dust and piles of debris where the house stood moments earlier. “The mother of the baby that came out, she was bloody, crying,” said Anthony Acevedo, 16 year old, who lives across the street. “She kept screaming, ‘My baby’s in there, my baby’s in there.’ They finally got the baby out, but the baby wasn’t moving.”

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Saharan Dust Reaches the Americas

Saharan Dust Reaches the Americas

acquired July 15, 2012 download large image (400 KB, JPEG, 1440×960)

Saharan Dust Reaches the Americas

acquired July 7, 1994 download large image (688 KB, JPEG, 1000×1016)

Weather satellites frequently document dust palls blowing westward from Africa’s Sahara Desert across the tropical Atlantic Ocean. Astronauts see these Saharan dust masses as widespread atmospheric haze. The dust can be transported right across the Atlantic Ocean, taking about a week to reach North America (in northern hemisphere summer) or South America (in northern hemisphere winter). This puts the Caribbean Sea on the receiving end of many of these events.

In the top image, the margin of hazy air reaches the island of Hispaniola (Haiti and Dominican Republic) and the Turks and Caicos Islands, though the eastern tip of Cuba (foreground) remains clear. This image—taken by astronauts on the International Space Station (ISS) in July 2012—attracted the interest of scientists at NASA’s Johnson Space Center because the margin between dust haze and clear atmosphere lies in almost the same location as it appeared in another astronaut image in July 1994. When astronauts aboard the Space Shuttle Columbia captured the lower image (rotated from the 2012 view), few scientists had considered the possibility of trans-Atlantic dust transport.

The Columbia image also shows the brilliant blues of the shallow banks surrounding the Caicos Island in the Bahamas. The mountainous spine of Haiti lies further away, partly obscured by dust. Closer to the foreground—about 26 degrees north latitude—the skies are clear.

The dust in the images is almost 8,000 kilometers from its likely source in northern Mali, although data from sensors such as the Total Ozone Mapping Spectrometer and Ozone Monitoring Instrument have suggested that some dust traveling across the Atlantic may originate even further east in Chad or Sudan. Once airborne, Saharan dust has been known to travel west all the way into the Pacific Ocean, crossing Mexico at the narrow Isthmus of Tehuantepec.

We now know that African dust reaches the western hemisphere every month of the year, though not necessarily in as visible a form as in these images. Researchers have linked Saharan dust to coral disease, allergies in humans, and harmful algal blooms (“red tides”). There is also evidence that some of this African dust serves as a source of airborne nutrients for Amazon rainforest vegetation.

Astronaut photograph ISS032-E-8976 was acquired on July 15, 2012, with a Nikon D3S digital camera using a 28 mm lens, and is provided by the ISS Crew Earth Observations experiment and Image Science & Analysis Laboratory, Johnson Space Center. The image was taken by the Expedition 32 crew. Astronaut photograph STS065-75-47 was acquired on July 7, 1994, with a Hasselblad Camera using a 100 mm lens and Kodak Lumiere film. Both images have been cropped and enhanced to improve contrast, and lens artifacts have been removed. The International Space Station Program supports the laboratory as part of the ISS National Lab to help astronauts take pictures of Earth that will be of the greatest value to scientists and the public, and to make those images freely available on the Internet. Additional images taken by astronauts and cosmonauts can be viewed at the NASA/JSC Gateway to Astronaut Photography of Earth. Caption by M. Justin Wilkinson, Jacobs/ESCG at NASA-JSC.

Instrument: 
ISS – Digital Camera

Sea Ice Retreats in the Northwest Passage

Sea Ice Retreats in the Northwest Passage

acquired July 17, 2012 download large image (5 MB, JPEG, 6000×4000)

Sea Ice Retreats in the Northwest Passage

acquired August 3, 2012 download large image (5 MB, JPEG, 6000×4000)

Ice retreated rapidly in the Parry Channel—part of the famous and elusive Northwest Passage—between mid-July and early August 2012.

These images, acquired by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Terra satellite, show significant changes over two weeks. The top image shows Parry Channel on July 17, 2012, when ice filled the channel. The bottom image shows the same region on August 3, when some ice was still clinging to the shores of Victoria and Melville Islands but open water otherwise dominated the region.

The Canadian Ice Service reported that ice cover in Parry Channel began to fall below the 1981–2010 median after July 16, 2012, and the loss accelerated over the following two weeks. On July 23, the percentage of ice cover in the channel was roughly 67 percent, compared to the median of 80 percent. On July 30, ice cover was roughly 33 percent, compared a median of 79 percent.

These photo-like images show widespread open water in early August, though patches of ice linger south of Melville Island. Walt Meier of the National Snow and Ice Data Center cautioned, however, that while the Parry Channel appeared almost entirely free of ice, it was not necessarily open for navigational purposes. Sea ice can be thin enough to avoid detection by satellite sensors such as MODIS yet still thick enough to impede ships.

Whether or not ships can easily pass, recent studies have suggested that certain organisms have begun to take advantage of the open water. The Northwest Passage opened in 2007, a year when there was record-low sea ice in the Arctic. A 2007 study on Neodenticula seminae—a type of plankton historically found in the Pacific Ocean—concluded that the species had turned up in the North Atlantic. The research suggested that the plankton’s route included the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. A 2012 study on bowhead whales, which tracked individuals with satellite transmitters, indicated that Pacific and Atlantic populations had begun to overlap in the Northwest Passage in August 2010.

Attempts to identify a shortcut between Europe and Asia across the Arctic date back to the late fifteenth century, just several years after Columbus journeyed to the Americas. For centuries, attempts to find the route were stymied by unfamiliar geography and unforgiving ice. The Northwest Passage was first successfully navigated by the Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen between 1903 and 1906. He used the southern route through the Northwest Passage; Parry Channel is part of the northern or “preferred” route.

Wider views of the Northwest Passage, acquired on August 2, 2012, are available from the NASA Ocean Color Web and the Earth Observatory.

  1. References

  2. Canadian Ice Service. (2012, August 6) Animated map of the last 10 days and Weekly ice coverage for the season 2012: Northwest Passage, Parry Channel. Accessed August 6, 2012.
  3. Heide-Jørgensen, M.P., Laidre, K.L., Quakenbush, L.T., Citta, J.J. (2012) The Northwest Passage opens for bowhead whales. Biology Letters, 8(2), 270–273.
  4. NASA Goddard Space Flight Center. Ocean Color Web. Accessed August 7, 2012.
  5. Princeton University Library. Of Maps and Men: In Pursuit of a Northwest Passage. Accessed August 6, 2012.
  6. Reid, P.C., Johns, D.G., Edwards, M., Starr, M., Poulin, M., Snoeijs, P. (2007) A biological consequence of reducing Arctic ice cover: arrival of the Pacific diatom Neodenticula seminae in the North Atlantic for the first time in 800 000 years. Global Change Biology, 13(9), 1910–1921.
  7. Roach, J. (2007, September 17) Arctic melt opens Northwest Passage. Accessed August 6, 2012.

NASA Earth Observatory images by Jesse Allen, using data from the Land Atmosphere Near real-time Capability for EOS (LANCE). Caption by Michon Scott, with information from Walt Meier, National Snow and Ice Data Center.

Instrument: 
Terra – MODIS

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