Earth ChangesS


Better Earth

Researchers Find New Deep Water Coral

HONOLULU - Researchers have discovered what they believe is a new deep water coral and sponge beds found several thousands of feet below the ocean surface, officials said Monday.

©AP Photo/Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument
This photo released by Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument shows what is believed to be a lemon-yellow bamboo coral tree.

Bizarro Earth

US: Ice Storm Causes Blackouts, 15 Deaths

OKLAHOMA CITY - A wintry storm caked the center of the nation with a thick layer of ice Monday, blacking out more than 600,000 homes and businesses, and more icy weather was on the way. At least 15 deaths in Oklahoma and Missouri were blamed on the conditions, with 13 of them killed on slick highways.

Cloud Lightning

No hurricane, but still a monster

Pacific Northwest, USA
The West Coast seems to have all kinds of disasters: Wildfires. Earthquakes. Volcanoes. Landslides.

One thing the West Coast doesn't have, though, is hurricanes.

The reason is simple. The primary ocean currents off the West Coast come from the north, bringing cold water down from Alaska. Any tropical systems that move northward from the Mexican coast lose energy as they move into colder and colder water.

Once in a great while, a tropical storm can make it close to San Diego, but none on record has made it farther north. But this past week, the Pacific Northwest experienced a storm that caused more destruction, death and hardship than many hurricanes have.

Question

Mysterious mammal caught on film



©Unknown
Long-eared Jerboa

(Click here to see video)

An "extraordinary" desert creature has been caught on camera for what scientists believe is the first time.

Cloud Lightning

US: Ice Storm Coats Much of Nation's Middle

An ice storm slickened roads and sidewalks, grounded flights, and cut power to tens of thousands Sunday in a swath from the Southern Plains to the Great Lakes as even colder weather threatened.

The wintry weather was expected to continue through midweek, and ice storm warnings stretched from Texas to Pennsylvania.

Bell

Earthquake 7.6 rocks Pacific Ocean south of Fiji

A large earthquake has struck in the Pacific Ocean tonight.

The quake measured 7.6 on the Richter scale and was centred about 900 kilometres northeast of New Zealand and several hundred kilometres southwest of Tonga.

©USGS

Eye 2

Record-size spitting cobra found in Kenya



©REUTERS/WildlifeDirect/Handout
Naja Ashei, a newly discovered giant spitting cobra measuring nearly nine feet and carrying enough venom to kill at least 15 people, is seen in this picture released by WildlifeDirect December 7, 2007.

A giant spitting cobra, measuring nearly nine feet and carrying enough venom to kill at least 15 people, has been discovered in Kenya, a conservation group said on Friday.

Cloud Lightning

UK: Warning issued of severe weather

Flood watches are in place across England and forecasters are warning of severe gales and more snow.

Winds are predicted to be strong enough to damage properties and even bring down trees in some areas.

Devon and Cornwall are expected to be the worst hit with winds up to 80mph (129 kmh) building up overnight.

Attention

Amazon Still Faces Threats Old and New

MANAUS, Brazil - In the 1980s, scientists sounded the alarm: The Amazon was burning and would be gone by the end of the century.

Cloud Lightning

Fierce storm hits Southern California

LOS ANGELES - Rain began pelting parts of Southern California early Friday as a fierce winter storm from the Pacific Northwest moved in ahead of schedule, triggering fears that recent wildfires may gave left the region susceptible to flash flooding.