Earth ChangesS


Snowflake Cold

Arctic air to invade most of U.S. this week

Kristina Pydynowski
Accuweather
Mon, 05 Dec 2016 15:17 UTC
man in snow
The coldest and most widespread blast of arctic air so far this season will spread across the majority of the United States this week.

Frigid air from the depths of the Arctic will plunge into the United States as the jet stream (a fast-river of air along which storms travel) drops southward.

The coldest days of next week will yield highs and lows generally 10-20 degrees Fahrenheit below normal from the Northwest to the Gulf and East coasts.

Departures from normal highs will even approach 30 degrees in Billings, Montana, and Denver, Colorado.

The arctic blast will first began to chill the Northwest this weekend, where pockets of snow and freezing conditions made some roads slippery.

The northern Rockies and northern Plains will face multiple days of highs in the single digits and teens. Subfreezing highs will then spread to the central Plains, Great Lakes and interior Northeast.

"Afternoon high temperatures in cities like Kansas City and St. Louis will only be in the 20s late in the week, while some places in the Dakotas may have a day or two where the temperature does not even get above zero," AccuWeather Meteorologist Brian Thompson said.
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Arrow Down

Rare sinkhole swallows two cars in San Antonio, one dead

Chris Shadrock
ksat.com
Sun, 04 Dec 2016 12:01 UTC
Emergency crews are on the scene of a massive sink hole on the Southwest Side Sunday night.
© SBG San AntonioEmergency crews are on the scene of a massive sink hole on the Southwest Side Sunday night.
Multiple San Antonio firefighters engaged in a high water rescue operation in the 8400 block of Quintana Road on San Antonio's Southwest Side after multiple cars got trapped in a sinkhole.

The rescue occurred near the intersection with Leon Creek. Initial calls for help came in just after 5:30 p.m. Sunday.

At least two vehicles were submerged by water -- including one that was flipped onto its roof.

Emergency responders believe the sinkhole could be 10 feet deep.

A man in his 60s was rescued by bystanders, both the man and one of the bystanders were taken to a hospital for treatment. SAFD is unsure if there are people in the other submerged vehicle, but said they fear the worse. Crews will have to wait until Monday morning to see if there are any victims in the second car.



Comment: According to Dr. Yongli Gao, a geological sciences professor at the University of Texas at San Antonio, sinkholes in that area of the city are rare:
According to Dr. Gao, sink holes are nothing new to the area but are usually seen on the city's north side closer to the Edwards Aquifer, which is why he's surprised to see one so far south.

When asked if a sinkhole like the one seen Sunday could happen anywhere throughout San Antonio, Dr. Gao said, "Yeah it's possible, but I would say the probability is pretty low."

Dr. Gao said one major reason sinkholes are rare in the southern part of San Antonio is because the bed rock is usually pretty far down beneath the ground surface.
NBC news also reports that a woman was killed in the incident.

See also: Sinkholes: The groundbreaking truth

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Seismograph

Magnitude 6.0 undersea earthquake strikes eastern Indonesia, no tsunami alert

Samhati Bhattacharjya
International Business Times, Singapore Edition
Mon, 05 Dec 2016 06:31 UTC
Underwater quake off Indonesia
© USGS Indonesia’s disaster agency said officials were checking to see if the quake had any impact.
A strong earthquake of 6.0 magnitude has hit the coast of eastern Indonesia on Monday morning, according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS) seismologists.

USGS experts said the undersea quake struck at about 190 km north-east of Maumere, a holiday destination in Flores, at a depth of 522 km. The quake occurred at 9.13 am local time (9.1 3am Singapore time).

Indonesia's disaster agency said the officials were checking to see if the quake had any impact as there were no immediate reports of any casualties or damage. The authorities also said the quake did not trigger any tsunami alert.

Indonesia is positioned on the highly seismically active zone "Pacific Ring of Fire", which is known for collisions of tectonic plates, and hence it experiences frequent earthquakes.
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Snowflake

First-of-season snowfall record smashed in Chicago

Tom Skilling
Chicago Tribune
Sun, 04 Dec 2016 20:56 UTC
record snow in Chicago
© WLSOn Sunday, the first snowfall of the season blanketed Chicago, with it receiving at least six inches of snow in some areas.
As of 6 p.m. Sunday, Chicago's O'Hare International Airport had recorded 6.1 inches of snow. That was the greatest first-of-the-season daily snowfall on record dating back to 1884 — the old record of 4.8 inches was set back on Nov. 15, 1940.

The snowstorm began midmorning and ended from the west during the evening. The Chicago area was almost perfectly positioned to receive the greatest snowfall with this low pressure system as it moved through the Midwest — falling almost uniformly with most totals in the 5- to 8-inch range. The greatest snowfall of 9 inches was measured in far western Amboy in Lee County.

A rain/snow mix is possible Tuesday, as a cold front moves through from the west. Readings will bottom out Thursday and Friday with daytime highs in the 20s.
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Cloud Precipitation

Flash floods kill one woman and bring chaos in southern Spain; worst rainfall in nearly 30 years


Euronews
Sun, 04 Dec 2016 19:06 UTC
A bus is half-submerged by the muddy floodwaters. Many people have had to abandon their cars in the streets, unable to finish their journeys
A bus is half-submerged by the muddy floodwaters. Many people have had to abandon their cars in the streets, unable to finish their journeys
Severe flash flooding in southern Spain has has left one woman dead and forced authorities to issue a ''red alert'', the country's highest public safety warning.

Around 100 cubic metres of rain are estimated to have fallen within 28 hours.

The 26-year old victim is said to have been in the basement of a nightclub during the deluge.

A woman and a young child look out from their balcony at the street below which is buried under floodwaters. Police in Spain said this is worst flood for nearly 30 years
A woman and a young child look out from their balcony at the street below which is buried under floodwaters. Police in Spain said this is worst flood for nearly 30 years


The Spanish Metrological Office (AEMET) reported that they were expecting 100 cubic metres to fall between 8pm on Saturday and midnight on Sunday
The Spanish Metrological Office (AEMET) reported that they were expecting 100 cubic metres to fall between 8pm on Saturday and midnight on Sunday
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Cloud Lightning

Increased activity of ethereal sprites over Spain during recent thunderstorms


Strange Sounds
Tue, 29 Nov 2016 00:00 UTC
sprite spain
In the last 10 days, an enhanced sprite activity is reported in the sky from Spain due to strong lightning storms.

Fire in the sky!

Thunderstorms are ferocious natural phenomena. Crackles of lightning and booms of thunder reign over the surface of the Earth. However, something else occasionally floats ethereally above the storm clouds: a short-lived sprite.

Comment: Further reading:

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Seismograph

New Zealand rocked by 'severe' shallow earthquake of magnitude 5.5

Riley Morgan
Daily Mail
Sun, 04 Dec 2016 18:46 UTC
The earthquake was at a depth of 12km and was centred 10km east of Seddon
The earthquake was at a depth of 12km and was centred 10km east of Seddon
New Zealand has been struck with another large magnitude 5.5 earthquake.

Just three weeks after the mammoth earthquake that shook central New Zealand, an earthquake has rocked South Island and lower North Island of New Zealand but fortunately hasn't done any damage.

It was at a depth of 12km and was centred 10km east of Seddon.

Marlborough District Council mayor John Leggett told AAP he was at a Christmas parade when the quake occurred.

'We were down on the foreshore and we definitely felt it. It was pretty significant,' he said.

Wellington City Council spokesman Richard McLean said, 'emergency controllers have been talking to each other' but there are no reports of damage in the capital.
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Question

Hundreds of migratory birds found dead at lake in Odisha, India


Orissa Post
Sat, 03 Dec 2016 18:25 UTC
Birds at Chilika Lake
Birds at Chilika Lake
Carcasses of hundreds of migratory birds have been floating over last two days in Chilika lake under local tehsil area in Puri district, according to a report.

Surprisingly, wildlife officials have no knowledge about the development even as nearby villagers are on a collection spree of dead birds for consumption purpose. Some people are even selling these birds to some restaurant owners at Satapada, it was learnt.

A large number of birds flock to Chilika, Asia's largest brackish water lake, flying across thousands of miles during November. A special department has also been formed to ensure the safety of birds who stay here till February. Though a number of squads have been formed for their protection, ignorance of the department is baffling over the massive death of the winged guests.

It is suspected that the birds are dying after suffering from bird flu in the region.

According to reports, nearly three lakh feathered guests have come to Chilika lake this year which is spread across three districts - Ganjam, Puri and Khurda. It is feared that none of the visitors would survive unless the concerned department diagnoses the reason of death after collecting the samples. The carcasses were spotted near Tichhini, Gurubai, Sipia, Nuapada villages, locals said.
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Wolf

6-year-old boy dies after pit bull terrier attack in Huntington, West Virginia

Bishop Nash
The Herald Dispatch
Sun, 04 Dec 2016 18:03 UTC
Dog attack
A 6-year-old boy has died from injuries suffered when he was mauled by a pit bull Friday night, Huntington Police Chief Joe Ciccarelli confirmed Saturday.

The attack happened just after 9 p.m. Friday in the 2600 block of 9th Avenue. Scanner traffic at the time indicated the boy had suffered severe injuries to his neck and head, and that the dog remained aggressive as first responders arrived.

The boy was rushed to Cabell Huntington Hospital, where he died of his injuries later Friday night. His name has not been released.

Huntington police are conferring with Cabell County prosecuting attorneys to determine if any criminal charges will be filed, Ciccarelli said. The dog and the boy were living in the same household.
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Attention

Dead whale shark found on beach in Odisha, India


NDTV
Sun, 04 Dec 2016 14:14 UTC
A post-mortem examination report is awaited to know the cause of death.
A post-mortem examination report is awaited to know the cause of death.
A 42-foot-long and 28-foot-wide carcass of a whale was found at Baidhara Pentha beach in Puri district of Odisha, an official said today.

The forest officials recovered the dead marine species on getting information from the local people.

"It's a rare whale shark mostly seen in the Pacific Ocean. Cause of death can be ascertained after the post-mortem examination," said Satapada Forest Ranger Achyutananda Das.

He said the veterinary college doctors have been requested to conduct an autopsy to establish the reason of death.
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