Earth ChangesS


Snowflake

After 63 feet of snow, California's northern Sierra Nevada breaks record for wettest water year

Jason Samenow
Washington Post
Thu, 13 Apr 2017 15:46 UTC
sierra nevada wet record broken
© National Weather Service
A mind-boggling 751 inches of snow have pummeled the Sugar Bowl ski area near Lake Tahoe this winter. It's emblematic of a record season for precipitation in California's northern Sierra Nevada mountain range, and the abrupt end to a historic drought.

As of Thursday morning, the northern Sierra had achieved its wettest water year in recorded history, the National Weather Service office in Sacramento announced.

At eight representative weather stations in the northern Sierra, the average precipitation reached 89.7 inches (combining rain and melted snow), passing the previous record of 88.5 inches set in 1982-1983. And there's plenty of time to add to this record, as the water year, which began Oct. 1, continues until Sept. 30.

The precipitation has come practically nonstop since October. Every single month except November produced above-average amounts.

Ryan Maue, a meteorologist for WeatherBell Analytics, calculated that the state of California has received the equivalent of 90-trillion gallons of water since October, the greatest volume on record.

In a tweet Wednesday, the Western Regional Climate Center documented more than a dozen individual locations, mostly in the Northern Sierra, having their wettest water years:
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Seismograph

5.7 magnitude earthquake filmed underwater off the Philippines

Harry Pettit
Daily Mail
Fri, 14 Apr 2017 19:24 UTC
Ocean plantlife can be seen shaking erratically as the ocean floor shifts beneath it. The divers were planning on a deep training dive when they were caught unaware by the earthquake on their descent
Ocean plantlife can be seen shaking erratically as the ocean floor shifts beneath it. The divers were planning on a deep training dive when they were caught unaware by the earthquake on their descent
Stunning footage of divers caught in the middle of a terrifying underwater earthquake has emerged.

The divers were 18 metres (60 feet) deep as they explored the ocean floor near Mabini in the Philippines - known as the country's diving capital.

The footage, shot on April 8, shows sand lifting into the water as a chilling deep noise blares in the background.

Ocean plantlife can be seen shaking erratically as the ocean floor shifts beneath it.

The divers were planning on a deep training trip when they were caught unawares by the earthquake during their descent.

'It felt like there was a huge propeller of a big boat turning around directly above us,' the diver told Newsflare.


Comment: See also: Philippines: 5.9 magnitude earthquake rocks near Talaga, south of Manila

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Tornado1

Flooding, landslides and power outages: Cyclone Cook wreaks havoc in New Zealand


RT
Fri, 14 Apr 2017 17:03 UTC
New Zealand flooding
© Nik Given / YouTube
Residents in New Zealand have begun a major clean-up operation after being hit by a powerful cyclone which caused rivers to burst their banks, bringing widespread flooding, landslides, road closures and power outages.

According to the New Zealand Herald, Cyclone Cook made landfall at around 6:30pm local time on Thursday on the North Island, before tracking along the east coast and moving down to the South Island.

Two people were hospitalized after the car in which they were travelling was hit by a falling tree. The cyclone also left numerous homes flooded and around 10,000 households without electricity.
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Tornado2

Rare 'snownado' filmed at Lake Louise Ski Resort in Alberta

Alixandra Caole Vila
Nature World News
Thu, 13 Apr 2017 16:45 UTC
Because it requires a certain condition, snownadoes are rare. Only six of those have ever been captured on camera.
© Spencer PlattBecause it requires a certain condition, snownadoes are rare. Only six of those have ever been captured on camera.
A snowboarding daredevil, Justin Buss, attempted to make his way through a rare "snownado" at the Lake Louise Ski Resort in Alberta.

The moment was captured by Brett Soderholm, his meteorologist companion, and the video was uploaded on YouTube. The clip went viral as soon as it was posted, with some lauding Buss for the stunt. The clip showed Buss walking into the fierce wind formation then disappearing as soon he got close.

CTV news spoke with Soderholm who shared that he also followed his friend right after disappearing in the rare snownado. Soderholm said he did not want to miss the rare opportunity. Soderholm described the experience as "painful."

"There were fierce winds swirling around me with little pieces of ice chucked up against my face," he said.

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Attention

Diver killed by shark off the coast of South Africa


IOL
Wed, 12 Apr 2017 13:00 UTC
Shark attacks
NSRI Shelley Beach, NSRI Port Edward and Police Search and Rescue were activated following reports of a scuba diver missing during a dive at the Northern Pinnacle, Protea Banks on the South Coast.

The body of a man, believed to have been bitten by a shark, was later recovered.

According to fellow divers among a group on a charter scuba dive, they had been surfacing from a dive when they realised one of their group had disappeared.

NSRI spokesperson Craig Lambinon said the NSRI Shelly Beach sea rescue craft Caltex Challenger and Spirit of Dawn, the NSRI Port Edward sea rescue craft Wild Coast Sun Rescuer and a Police Search and Rescue boat launched to join a search operation already underway by multiple private boats.

"On arrival on the scene a co-ordinated search, assisted also by the Transnet National Ports Authority, Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre, NSRI Durban and Telkom Maritime Radio Services, continued."
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Attention

Researchers to study dead right whale found in Cape Cod Bay

Jason Kolnos and Mary Ann Bragg
Cape Cod Times
Fri, 14 Apr 2017 09:19 UTC
dead whale
A day after a new record sighting of North Atlantic right whales was recorded in Cape Cod Bay, a female whale was found dead in the area Thursday, striking another blow to the endangered species.

"We lost one today," said Charles "Stormy" Mayo, right whale habitat expert at the Center for Coastal Studies in Provincetown.

For much of the day, researchers believed the dead animal was a right whale calf. Only four North Atlantic right whale calves have been documented in this winter's calving season. By early evening, however, the size of the cetacean indicated she was likely an adult.

"It looks too big to be a calf," Mayo said in a phone interview after the whale had been removed from the water at Northside Marina in Sesuit Harbor. "I'm inclined to think it's not a calf."

Since there are only 524 North Atlantic right whales in the world, the death of any member of this species is concerning for researchers, Mayo said. That this one was a female is particularly worrisome, he said.
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Attention

Elephant kills mahout in Tamil Nadu, India


The Hindu
Wed, 12 Apr 2017 08:39 UTC
Charging elephant
© GettyCharging elephant
An elephant trampled its mahout to death near Marthandam on Tuesday.

Police said the mahout, Prasanth (22) of Ananthamangalam, was returning home with the elephant being reared by an individual from Unnamalaikadai near Marthandam after participating in a temple festival at Nattalam.

When they were crossing Nallikulam, the pachyderm suddenly got agitated, dislodged Prasanth from its back and trampled him.

Prasanth, who sustained serious injuries, was rushed to a hospital, but he died on the way.

The body was sent to Kuzhithurai Government Hospital for a post-mortem.

Marthandam police have registered a case.
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Ice Cube

Proof cosmic rays are changing Earth's weather: Mini Ice Age 2015-2035

Adapt 2030
You Tube
Fri, 14 Apr 2017 08:33 UTC
Snow
© KTVL/Libby Dowsett
Svensmark's research into increasing cosmic rays and low cloud layer formation dovetails perfectly with the increase of the Grand Solar Minimum as our Sun enters a weakened activity state in its 400 year cycle. So if this is coming to fruition we should see record floods, snows and unusual out of season precipitation events intensifying globally. These are the six examples from last week.


Sources
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Fish

Thousands of dead perch found in Lake Michigan

Kris Millgate
Fox News
Wed, 12 Apr 2017 19:35 UTC
The perch in Lake Michigan may have died from a phenomenon known as
© Illinois Department of Natural Resources The perch in Lake Michigan may have died from a phenomenon known as "upwelling."
Thousands of dead perch in Lake Michigan raised alarm among fishermen last week.

CBS Chicago reports that anglers found the dead fish at an old dock, a popular local fishing spot. Photos of the scene were then passed on to the Illinois Department of Natural Resources for investigation. Meanwhile, gulls and fish-eating ducks quickly devoured the perch, cleaning up the mess.

But though the fish may be gone, the mystery of their deaths remains.

According to WGN, authorities believe a phenomenon known as upwelling, or turnover, may be to blame for the die-off. Upwelling occurs when deep, cold water rises to the surface, displacing the warmer, nutrient-depleted water above. As the cold water ascends, fish are often drawn upward as well, which may explain why the perch surfaced.
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Arrow Down

Massive sinkhole leads to closing of part of Highway 25 in Lanaudière, Quebec


Montreal Gazette.
Thu, 13 Apr 2017 19:00 UTC
Sinkhole alongside Highway 25 in Lanaudière
© Pascal RobidasSinkhole alongside Highway 25 in Lanaudière
A large hole - nine meters in diameter and seven meters deep - has opened up next to Highway 25 in the Lanaudière region.

Transport Quebec has closed the highway in both directions around exit 44 near Saint-Roch-de-l'Achigan, about 50 kilometres north of Montreal.

Drivers detoured onto side roads caused significant traffic congestion Thursday morning.

The southbound portion of the highway has been closed since the cave-in was discovered on Friday morning. The northbound section was closed late Thursday night, said Transport Quebec spokesperson Sarah Bensadoun.
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