What's this white stuff then?
Earth Changes
What's this white stuff then?
© IANS
Rainfall that resulted in last month's flood crisis across the Australian state of New South Wales (NSW) was more than double the average, making it the second-wettest March on record, the Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) said on Thursday.
Extensive areas of flooding resulted from the torrential rain, killing one person and forcing thousands to evacuate their homes, dpa news agency reported.
The disaster is estimated to have caused A$2 billion ($1.5 billion) in damage, according to the Australian Financial Review.
The tremor is the latest in a a series of 34 in the region in the last day, the USGS has said. It struck at a depth of 6.2 miles. There is currently no tsunami alert in force - but a series of quakes did trigger one earlier this month.
Seismic activity is commonplace in the region, located within the so-called Ring of Fire which stretches around the Pacific Basin.
On Monday, the American Geophysical Union tweeted: "An M8.1 #earthquake off the coast of #NewZealand triggered an estimated 300 #landslides on #RaoulIsland, the largest of the #Kermadec Islands.
© Mike Frialde/INQUIRER.net
Taal Volcano (taken October 26, 2020).
Taal Volcano (taken October 26, 2020).
Based on the Taal Volcano Network (TVN), 212 quakes, including 168 tremors with durations one to 20 minutes, and 44 low frequency volcanic earthquakes were recorded.
Some 1, 229 tons of sulfur dioxide were emitted by the volcano in Batangas province in the past 24 hours, according to Phivolcs chief Renato Solidum.
Solidum said with the volcano under Alert Level 2, an increased unrest may lead to an eruption and advised "all concerned to remain vigilant".
"The fact that we have volcanic tremors and prolonged background tremor recorded, higher than normal sulfur dioxide emission rate of 923 tons per day, slow but steady inflation of the volcano still indicates magmatic activity at shallow depth beneath the volcano," he said.
© YouTube/Ruptly (screen capture)
While Vail Mountain's decision to close a few lifts on Monday caught some by surprise, the preserved runs turned out to be welcome stash spots after Tuesday's snow event.
Vail reported 8 inches of fresh snow at 5 a.m., and snow continued to fall on the mountain's high-elevation runs throughout the morning.
Temperatures in the single digits greeted skiers when the lifts started turning at 8:30 a.m. and parts of the mountain remained in the 20s into the afternoon hours.
Vail, Breckenridge and Winter Park all reported 8 inches of snow at 5 a.m.; the three ski areas were tied for the highest totals reported of any in the country on Tuesday. Beaver Creek reported 7 inches.
© Tim Rhode
Eureka Peak in north-central B.C.
Eureka Peak in north-central B.C.
Williams Lake RCMP explain it took place Monday afternoon (March 29) on Eureka Peak, west of Mt. Perseus and Wells Gray Provincial Park.
However, South Cariboo Search and Rescue (SCSAR) has yet to visit the site of the avalanche and recover the body as it's been deemed unsafe after a helicopter was unable to set down when called at 4 p.m. yesterday.
According to police, the man was with a snowmobiling group when the avalanche occurred.
© PA/SCIENCE20
Scientists say they have confirmed the existence of space hurricanes after analysing a 1,000km-wide swirling mass of plasma spotted hundreds of kilometres above the North Pole.
Scientists say they have confirmed the existence of space hurricanes after analysing a 1,000km-wide swirling mass of plasma spotted hundreds of kilometres above the North Pole.
Comment: More signs that a dramatic shift is occurring in our atmosphere - and in those of other planets in our solar system:
- Astonishing discovery: First-ever 'space hurricane' was observed in upper atmosphere above North Pole in 2014
- Super-cold thunderstorm sets temperature record, scientists note increase in last 20 years
- Cosmic climate change: 'Space plasma hurricane' observed in ionosphere above North Pole!
- Huge uptick in lightning over the Arctic in past decade
- Newnan tornado was only 10th rare EF4 twister in seven decades for Georgia
- Novel atmosphere phenomenon 'STEVE' makes ANOTHER appearance over Finland
- Pluto's strange atmosphere appears to have collapsed
- Astronomers have spotted a new type of storm on Saturn
- Rare green flash above Jupiter captured by astrophotographer
© Behrouz Mehri/AFP/Getty Images
Cherry blossom in Japan reached peak bloom earlier than ever this year.
Cherry blossom in Japan reached peak bloom earlier than ever this year.
The peak bloom arrived on 26 March in Kyoto, the earliest since 27 March 1409, while in Tokyo they reached full bloom on 22 March - the second-earliest date since 1953.
Traditionally, cherry blossom season starts in early to mid-April with residents in Kyoto holding "hanami" celebrations underneath trees to watch the flowers bloom.
The full bloom, or Sakura in Japanese, historically occurs on 17 April - but in more recent times, warmer and earlier springs have meant earlier blooms, according to climate change experts.
Comment: Plants blooming 20 days earlier over last 30 years
What we're seeing, at least in part, is a meandering jet stream causing extremes of weather; unseasonable warmth often followed by record cold.
This year is a good example: See also:
© LiveScience
Wormnado in New Jersey.
Wormnado in New Jersey.
A resident of Hoboken, New Jersey was out for a morning walk in a park near the Hudson River on March 25, when she spotted hundreds of worms spread along the walkway. The woman, who asked not to be identified, told Live Science that after her initial surprise she noticed something even more bizarre — a number of the worms had formed a cyclone-like shape, creating a spiral where the edge of the grass met the concrete.
The woman took photographs and sent them to Tiffanie Fisher, a member of the Hoboken City Council, who shared the images of the "tornado of worms" on Facebook. "Clearly worms come out after it rains but this is something I've never seen!" Fisher wrote in the post.
Comment: It was recently discovered that numerous marine creatures also exhibit an as yet unexplained circling motion when traveling: Enigmatic circling behavior observed in numerous marine animals
For more unusual vortex action in nature, see:
- Huge 'tornado' of mosquitoes filmed in Argentina
- Cosmic climate change: 'Space plasma hurricane' observed in ionosphere above North Pole!
- Our cooling atmosphere: Curious circular clouds appear over Swiss Alps alongside an iridescent cloud
- Spinning ice disc filmed on river near Houghton Lake, Michigan
Comment: One dead in Alaska avalanche - 36th such death for US this season