© Dr. Boris Behncke
Strombolian activity at Etna as seen on July 5, 2011.
Strombolian activity at Etna as seen on July 5, 2011.
Earth Changes
© New Zealand Herald
Half of the pod of pilots whales stranded at Golden Bay have died, according to DoC.
Half of the pod of pilots whales stranded at Golden Bay have died, according to DoC.
Half of a pod of sixty-five pilot whales stranded on Farewell Spit in Golden Bay have died.
The surviving 34 are stuck in shallow water, between two and three kilometres offshore.
Department of Conservation (DOC) Golden Bay area manager John Mason said there was nothing that could be done for them, other than to hope they manage to swim away on the next high tide.
"They're in a very remote location and they're in a very dangerous location to try and rescue them because to rescue a whale you have to stay with it until it can swim and to do that the water level is usually between your waste and your chest.
Once you've let the whale go you then have to head back to the beach yourself, which in this case would be two to three kilometres away, so we don't rescue them in those situations.
"All we can do is monitor them. I'm not optimistic that they're going to get back to sea but we certainly wish them well and hope that they make it.''
© Corbis
Southern resident killer whales, which live off the coast of Washington State and British Columbia, are one of the most critically endangered groups of marine mammals in American waters.
Southern resident killer whales, which live off the coast of Washington State and British Columbia, are one of the most critically endangered groups of marine mammals in American waters.
Both killer whales and Chinook salmon are endangered in the Pacific Northwest. And one of the biggest problems facing both animals is that one eats the other.
According to a new study, a single small and vulnerable group of whales may eat close to a quarter of the salmon run in British Columbia's Fraser River -- and that's just in the summertime.
The findings emphasize the importance, when trying to save one creature, of looking out for everything that hunts and is hunted by it. In this case, whales can't rebound unless the fish bounces back, also. But saving both of them is not that simple.
"This is a case where one endangered species is eating another endangered species," said Rob Williams, a marine conservation biologist now at the University of St. Andrews in the United Kingdom. "We're not going to get anywhere if we have single-species management that doesn't recognize that what is good for one species may be bad for another."
Southern resident killer whales, which live off the coast of Washington State and British Columbia, are one of the most critically endangered groups of marine mammals living in American waters. At last count, the population consisted of just 87 whales.
It seems that this past year has been filled with all types of strange weather patterns all across the nation.Between droughts,flooding, tornadoes and rare earthquakes many located in regions not known for seismic activity for 50-150 years.This past week alone reports have been flowing in from worried residents throughout Oklahoma,Georgia,Tennessee,& Texas.The residents reported they heard loud booming sounds while the earth beneath them rattled around .Radar tracking captured birds or bugs fleeing on as the tremors occured.Are these tremors the result caused by seismic waves ? You ask what are seismic waves ?
Seismic waves are waves of energy that travel through the earth, and are a result of an earthquake, explosion, or a volcano that imparts low-frequency acoustic energy. Many other natural and anthropogenic sources create low amplitude waves commonly referred to as ambient vibrations. Seismic waves are studied by seismologists and geophysicists. Seismic wave fields are measured by a seismograph, geophone, hydrophone (in water), or accelerometer.
The propagation velocity of the waves depends on density and elasticity of the medium. Velocity tends to increase with depth, and ranges from approximately 2 to 8 km/s in the Earth's crust up to 13 km/s in the deep mantle.
Seismic waves are waves of energy that travel through the earth, and are a result of an earthquake, explosion, or a volcano that imparts low-frequency acoustic energy. Many other natural and anthropogenic sources create low amplitude waves commonly referred to as ambient vibrations. Seismic waves are studied by seismologists and geophysicists. Seismic wave fields are measured by a seismograph, geophone, hydrophone (in water), or accelerometer.
The propagation velocity of the waves depends on density and elasticity of the medium. Velocity tends to increase with depth, and ranges from approximately 2 to 8 km/s in the Earth's crust up to 13 km/s in the deep mantle.
The sky above this Singapore hotel seems perfectly normal...but then something weird starts happening in the clouds. They suddenly change shapes, brighten and dim, and seem to pulsate for no apparent reason. This strange phenomenon has baffled scientists...until now.
Videos capturing these strange, rapid light changes in clouds have popped up a lot in recent years, and they defied immediate explanation. But after what NASA rather charmingly calls some "inspection and contemplation", we now have a rather nifty explanation for just what's going on here:
Videos capturing these strange, rapid light changes in clouds have popped up a lot in recent years, and they defied immediate explanation. But after what NASA rather charmingly calls some "inspection and contemplation", we now have a rather nifty explanation for just what's going on here:
In sum, this hypothesis holds that a lightning discharge in a thundercloud can temporarily change the electric field above the cloud where charged ice crystals were reflecting sunlight. The new electric field quickly re-orients the geometric crystals to a new orientation that reflects sunlight differently. In other words, a lightning discharge can cause a sundog to jump. Soon, the old electric field may be restored, causing the ice crystals to return to their original orientation.
© Michael Penn / Juneau Empire
Snow piles up on top of a downtown business totem on Monday. The 10.7 inches of snow Monday exceeded the previous record of 5.6 inches for Nov. 14.
Snow piles up on top of a downtown business totem on Monday. The 10.7 inches of snow Monday exceeded the previous record of 5.6 inches for Nov. 14.
The National Weather Service issued a winter storm warning for Juneau and other parts of southeast Alaska until 5 a.m. today. Six to 10 inches of new snow are possible for Juneau, Petersburg and Wrangell, with slightly lesser amounts in places like Hoonah and Angoon.
Juneau public schools were closed Monday. Eaglecrest Ski Area reminded outdoor enthusiasts it is closed and had no ski patrol or avalanche control onsite.
Several city commission meetings were canceled, as was a lecture sponsored by the Sealaska Heritage Institute. City buses went on winter routes in areas where the city deems it unsafe to operate buses during heavy snow and ice.
Meteorologist Geri Swanson said Monday afternoon the 10.7 inches that had fallen at weather service offices since midnight broke a record for snow falling on Nov. 14. The previous record was 5.6 inches in 2006.
© USGS
Monday, November 14, 2011 at 22:08:15 UTC
Tuesday, November 15, 2011 at 12:08:15 AM at epicenter
Location:
8.664°N, 43.099°E
Depth:
10 km (6.2 miles)
Region:
EASTERN TURKEY
Distances:
31 km (19 miles) NW (307°) from Van, Turkey
119 km (74 miles) S (178°) from Karakose (Agri), Turkey
131 km (82 miles) NNW (335°) from Hakkari, Turkey
207 km (129 miles) SW (216°) from YEREVAN, Armenia
While D.C. is having a grand ol' weather day, a swatch of land stretching from Illinois through Indiana to Ohio to three other states has fallen under tornado watches and warnings. What's causing this discontent in the atmosphere? Blame it on a disturbed jet stream, a river of wind that can scream along at up to 450 m.p.h. several miles above in the sky.
The jet stream typically flows in a single thick band traveling west to east. But around this time during La Nina years, the stream can become split, with one vein coursing through the north part of the country and the other through the south. A split jet stream is a harbinger of severe weather; look above and you'll see why.
The blue in NOAA's map from today represents wind speed at a height of about 3.5 miles, with the darkest blue/purple areas indicating places where gusts top 100 m.p.h. The fast winds denote the location of the jet stream. The stream begins to split in the Pacific Northwest: One branch loops down into Mexico while the other stays the course at the top of the U.S. Where they rejoin is where the problems start. The northern stream is holding a load of frigid air that it carried in from Canada, whereas the southern one is damp and warm thanks to a nice vacation in the Gulf of Mexico. The combination of these disparate atmospheric conditions forms the recipe for severe storms, and is the reason that one tornado and quarter-sized hail have already been reported in Champaign County, Ill.
© NOAA
Tornadic weather over the Midwest on Monday, Nov. 14, 2011, can be blamed on a seasonal split in the jet stream.
Tornadic weather over the Midwest on Monday, Nov. 14, 2011, can be blamed on a seasonal split in the jet stream.
The blue in NOAA's map from today represents wind speed at a height of about 3.5 miles, with the darkest blue/purple areas indicating places where gusts top 100 m.p.h. The fast winds denote the location of the jet stream. The stream begins to split in the Pacific Northwest: One branch loops down into Mexico while the other stays the course at the top of the U.S. Where they rejoin is where the problems start. The northern stream is holding a load of frigid air that it carried in from Canada, whereas the southern one is damp and warm thanks to a nice vacation in the Gulf of Mexico. The combination of these disparate atmospheric conditions forms the recipe for severe storms, and is the reason that one tornado and quarter-sized hail have already been reported in Champaign County, Ill.
© Hawaiian Volcano Observatory
A large "skylight" in the Puu Oo lava field permits a view of a tube supplying lava to surface flows north of Royal Gardens subdivision. The tube, which heads southeast, is marked by the line of fume sources in the upper-right portion of the image.
A large "skylight" in the Puu Oo lava field permits a view of a tube supplying lava to surface flows north of Royal Gardens subdivision. The tube, which heads southeast, is marked by the line of fume sources in the upper-right portion of the image.
But that seismic shaking was actually below normal levels, they said.
The strongest quake was a magnitude 3.3 at 2:16 a.m. Sunday.
At Puu Oo, meanwhile, a "skylight" in the pahoehoe (smooth, ropy lava) field showed a tube transporting lava on the southeast flank to active flows about three miles to the south.
The active lava flows are within the Kahauale'a Natural Area Reserve, which remains closed to the public because of various hazards - including potentially lethal concentrations of sulfur dioxide - so they are visible only from the air.
But the glow from the vents and flows can be seen from the Hawaii County viewing area at Kalapana if weather conditions are right, said scientists with the U.S. Geological Survey.
© iStockphoto.com / cstar55
QUAKE CAUSE?: Oklahoma recently experienced its strongest earthquake ever and some suggest drilling for oil and gas may have played a role.
QUAKE CAUSE?: Oklahoma recently experienced its strongest earthquake ever and some suggest drilling for oil and gas may have played a role.
The biggest earthquake ever recorded in Oklahoma struck on November 5, a magnitude 5.6 temblor that buckled a highway and ruptured water pipes. This quake is part of a skyrocketing rise in seismic activity the state has seen in the past three years, leading many to wonder - and worry - about its cause. Might the practice of fracking, a controversial method of drilling into rock for natural gas, be to blame?
The earthquake struck around 10 P.M. local time about 50 kilometers east of Oklahoma City, and was felt from Saint Louis to Dallas. Until then, the state's largest temblor was a magnitude 5.5 event near the town of El Reno in 1952.
Overall, only minor injuries and damage were reported after last weekend's earthquake. A magnitude 4.7 foreshock preceded the quake by about 20 hours, and dozens of aftershocks were detected as well. These all apparently happened on the well-mapped Wilzetta Fault. "It seems the east side of the fault moved a bit southward," says seismologist Randy Keller, director of the Oklahoma Geological Survey (OGS).
Comment: From "A brief guide to Corrupted Science":
Whenever NASA (or other corrupted institution) says that they have done some "inspection and contemplation", what it really means, that they took some time to fabricate data or invent a ridiculous and fraudulent explanation in order to conceal the truth.