An earthquake measuring 4.3 on the Richter scale jolted the town of Zarand in Kerman province, southeastern Iran, on Saturday.
The Seismological center of Kerman province affiliated to the Geophysics Institute of Tehran University registered the quake at 10:17 hours local time (0647 GMT).
The epicenter of the quake was located in an area 56.75 degrees in longitude and 30.90 degrees in latitude.
There are yet no reports on the number of possible casualties or damage to properties by the quake.
Iran is criss-crossed with fault lines and is regularly hit by earthquakes, experiencing at least one slight tremor every day on average.
The worst in recent times hit Bam in southeastern Kerman province in December 2003, killing 31,000 people - about a quarter of its population - and destroying the city's ancient mud-built citadel.
Earth Changes
© NOAA
Due to the recent cold spell and below normal temperatures for much of the winter of 2008-2009, ice covers nearly all of Lake Superior. Only small areas of open water remain. This image was taken on Tuesday, March 3rd.
Due to the recent cold spell and below normal temperatures for much of the winter of 2008-2009, ice covers nearly all of Lake Superior. Only small areas of open water remain. This image was taken on Tuesday, March 3rd.
Hancock - There hasn't been much snowfall in the Houghton/Hancock area recently, and according to Steve Fleegel, that's due in large part to the condition of Lake Superior.
"It's pretty much frozen over," said Fleegel, who is a meteorologist at the National Weather Service office in Negaunee Township. "There's a few little breaks here and there."
Because the lake is frozen, Fleegel said when cold air passes over it, lake effect snow isn't created as when the relatively warmer water is open.
Despite the colder-than-normal December and January, Fleegel said there was an area of open water east of Marquette. After the colder-than-normal temperatures in the last week of February and so far in March, that area finally froze over.
"(December and January) kind of set the stage," Fleegel said.
The eastern half of the country is experiencing warmer than normal temperatures, and there will not be any snow the next 24-36 hours east of the Mississippi River. The exception is northern New England where there can be just a few snow showers Friday night.
© AccuWeather
The big ticket items early next week will be a powerful winter storm over the Central states and all the bitter cold air coming down on the western side of that disturbance. It will be a wild scene for sure. And let's not forget the potential for a large outbreak of severe thunderstorms through the Mississippi River Valley.
The big ticket items early next week will be a powerful winter storm over the Central states and all the bitter cold air coming down on the western side of that disturbance. It will be a wild scene for sure. And let's not forget the potential for a large outbreak of severe thunderstorms through the Mississippi River Valley.
© SWNS
The scene on Dartmoor today. The snowfall caught out forecasters and commuters.
The scene on Dartmoor today. The snowfall caught out forecasters and commuters.
A worse-than-predicted shower of snow left motorists stranded in parts of South West England today, while heavy frost caused commuter chaos in the South.
Forecasters admitted being caught unawares after up to 3in (8cm) of snow landed overnight near Okehampton, in Devon, while parts of Somerset and West Dorset also experienced heavy flurries.
However, the travel chaos spread beyond the areas affected by snow this morning, with several train services from the south coast to London being suspended, disrupted or cancelled due after heavy frost froze power lines.
In the West, forecasters admitted being taken by surprise by the suddenness of the snowfalls affecting the region, which led to drivers being stranded for an hour near Okehampton while the main A30 road was cleared, and other parts of Somerset - in particular Taunton - and West Dorset also being hit.
© US Geological Survey
Date-Time Friday, March 06, 2009 at 10:50:29 UTC
Friday, March 06, 2009 at 10:50:29 AM at epicenter
Location 80.297°N, 2.046°W
Depth 10 km (6.2 miles) set by location program
Distances 315 km (195 miles) ESE of Nord, Greenland
990 km (610 miles) ENE of Alert, Nunavut, Canada
1320 km (820 miles) NNW of Tromso, Norway
2325 km (1450 miles) NNE of NUUK (GODTHAB), Greenland
© US Geological Survey
Date-Time Friday, March 06, 2009 at 11:29:54 UTC
Friday, March 06, 2009 at 04:29:54 AM at epicenter
Location 45.703°N, 112.128°W
Depth 11.7 km (7.3 miles) set by location program
Distances 19 km (12 miles) S (187°) from Whitehall, MT
22 km (14 miles) SW (216°) from Cardwell, MT
24 km (15 miles) NE (42°) from Twin Bridges, MT
399 km (248 miles) NE (53°) from Boise, ID
551 km (342 miles) N (358°) from Salt Lake City, UT
The tallest volcano on Indonesia's Java island erupted on Friday, spewing smoke and ash high into the sky and coating a nearby town in black dust, an official said.
The 3,676-metre Mount Semeru burst into life shortly after midnight but officials said it posed no danger to people living in the area, 35 kilometres southeast of Lumajang.
'We recorded that it erupted after midnight on Friday but luckily we have had rains so the ash isn't causing serious respiration problems for the residents,' volcanologist Agus Budianto told AFP.
The 3,676-metre Mount Semeru burst into life shortly after midnight but officials said it posed no danger to people living in the area, 35 kilometres southeast of Lumajang.
'We recorded that it erupted after midnight on Friday but luckily we have had rains so the ash isn't causing serious respiration problems for the residents,' volcanologist Agus Budianto told AFP.
Residents across Melbourne have been rattled by an earth tremor that struck about 100km south-east of the city.
The United States Geological Survey reported on its website the tremor measured 4.7 on the Richter scale, about 96 kilometres from Melbourne, and Geoscience Australia says the tremor was centred near Korumburra.
There have been no reports of injury and police are urging people not to call 000 unless they have been injured or suffered property damage.
Victoria Police and the State Emergency Service also say there has been an earth tremor but said there are no reports of any damage so far.
The United States Geological Survey reported on its website the tremor measured 4.7 on the Richter scale, about 96 kilometres from Melbourne, and Geoscience Australia says the tremor was centred near Korumburra.
There have been no reports of injury and police are urging people not to call 000 unless they have been injured or suffered property damage.
Victoria Police and the State Emergency Service also say there has been an earth tremor but said there are no reports of any damage so far.
An earthquake was felt on Cobb Mountain Thursday afternoon.
The quake, measuring 3.1 on the Richter scale, occurred at 3:06 p.m., according to the US Geological Survey.
It was centered two miles north northeast of The Geysers, three miles west of Cobb and six miles northwest of Anderson Springs, the US Geological Survey reported. It occurred at a depth of three-tenths of a mile.
Residents of Cobb, Middletown and even distant Fresno reported to the US Geological Survey that they felt the quake.
The quake, measuring 3.1 on the Richter scale, occurred at 3:06 p.m., according to the US Geological Survey.
It was centered two miles north northeast of The Geysers, three miles west of Cobb and six miles northwest of Anderson Springs, the US Geological Survey reported. It occurred at a depth of three-tenths of a mile.
Residents of Cobb, Middletown and even distant Fresno reported to the US Geological Survey that they felt the quake.
The Atacama desert lies on the western edge of South America, covering much of northern Chile and parts of Argentina. It is the closest one can get to Mars while remaining grounded on Earth. High atop the Socompa volcano on the Eastern edge of the Atacama desert, the atmosphere is thin, the ultraviolet radiation is intense, and the climate is dry. Nevertheless, the improbable has been found: life. Near the rim of the 19,850-foot-high Socompa volcano, researchers from the University of Colorado at Boulder's Alpine Microbial Observatory found a thriving, complex microbial community that appears to be supported by gases emanating from volcanic vents around the rim.
Comment: Three of the Great Lakes are frozen over. While this happens once or twice a decade it is still shows the strength of this current winter's severe cold.
Graphics of the Great Lakes ice coverage can be seen here:
West Composite March 05, 2009
East Composite March 05, 2009