Earth ChangesS


Telescope

'Microcosmos' Brings Microscopic Life To Light

Graham Smith
The Daily Mail, UK
Fri, 08 Oct 2010 08:01 UTC
Quite what this industrious little wood ant is planning to do with this microchip is not known, but how appropriate it is that he appears to have a scientific interest.

Because the insect features in a stunning new book featuring the art of the coloured scanning electron micrograph - in the case of this chap magnified 22 times.

Microcosmos takes readers into a secret world of extreme close-ups. Some subjects have been magnified by as much as 22million times.

Detailed descriptions of the subjets are contained within. The wood ant, for example, is a social creature, and acts as a slave for the blood-red ant Formica sanguinea.
Image
© Science Photo Library/BarcroftHolding steady: The wood or heathland ant holding a microchip in its toothed (serrated) mandibles. The wood ant is social, and acts as a slave for the blood-red ant Formica sanguine
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Better Earth

UK To Be Hit By Severe Winter - Blizzards and -20 Degrees C


The Daily Mail, UK
Fri, 08 Oct 2010 20:10 UTC
Image
© Press AssociationA local UK council has offered shovels to residents and told them to 'dig themselves out'
Council chiefs have sparked outrage after proposing residents dig themselves out of the snow as Britain braces itself for another winter of Arctic conditions.

As long-range forecasts suggest the country will be hit by blizzards and temperatures plummeting to -20c, bosses at Camden Council prepared to hand out spades.

But their solution to the bitter weather has been slammed by those who remember the headache of last year's gritting crisis which brought widespread disruption and left people trapped in their homes.

The north London council's proposal involves a 'self-help' scheme in which people can ring and request a shovel.
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Radar

Hurricane Otto forms in the Atlantic


chron.com
Fri, 08 Oct 2010 10:47 UTC
Otto has reached hurricane strength over the Atlantic on a path that's expected to take it farther out to sea.

Hurricane Otto has maximum sustained winds Friday near 75 mph (120 kph). The U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami says some additional strengthening is expected but Otto is forecast to weaken by late Saturday.

A day earlier, raging floodwaters from then-Tropical Storm Otto overturned cars, toppled power lines and washed out roads in the northeastern Caribbean.
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Binoculars

British Racing Pigeon Ends Up 5200 Miles Away in Panama "After Getting Lost"

Andrew Hough
The Telegraph, UK
Fri, 08 Oct 2010 03:30 UTC
Image
© AlamyBritish racing pigeon Houdini ended up in Panama City.
A British racing pigeon called Houdini got lost on her first race and ended up thousands of miles away in Panama City.

The 10 month-old bird had been undertaking a six hour race from Guernsey to Dudley, West Midlands more than five weeks ago.

But it failed to arrive and its owner Darren Cubberly, 45, had give up hope the bird would return from the 224 mile trip.

He was surprised to get a phone call this week from Panama City, where the bird had ended up.

He was told the bird was alive and healthy despite making the more than 5200 mile trip. It is thought she landed on a ship travelling to the area.
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Bizarro Earth

Indonesia: Earthquake Magnitude 6.3 - Halmahera


USGS
Fri, 08 Oct 2010 01:44 UTC
Indon Quake_081010
© USGSEarthquake Location
Date-Time:
Friday, October 08, 2010 at 05:43:10 UTC

Friday, October 08, 2010 at 02:43:10 PM at epicenter

Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones

Location:
2.754°N, 128.198°E

Depth:
144.9 km (90.0 miles)

Region:
HALMAHERA, INDONESIA

Distances:
235 km (145 miles) NNE of Ternate, Moluccas, Indonesia

400 km (245 miles) ENE of Manado, Sulawesi, Indonesia

1530 km (950 miles) SSE of MANILA, Philippines

2565 km (1600 miles) ENE of JAKARTA, Java, Indonesia
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Bizarro Earth

Alaska: Earthquake Magnitude 6.1 - Andreanof Islands, Aleutian Island


USGS
Thu, 07 Oct 2010 23:34 UTC
Alaska Quake2_081010
© USGSEarthquake Location
Date-Time:
Friday, October 08, 2010 at 03:49:11 UTC

Thursday, October 07, 2010 at 06:49:11 PM at epicenter

Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones

Location:
51.499°N, 175.261°W

Depth:
35 km (21.7 miles) set by location program

Region:
ANDREANOF ISLANDS, ALEUTIAN IS., ALASKA

Distances:
105 km (65 miles) ESE of Adak, Alaska

105 km (65 miles) SW of Atka, Alaska

1890 km (1170 miles) WSW of Anchorage, Alaska

2685 km (1670 miles) W of JUNEAU, Alaska
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Binoculars

Malaysia: Monkey Steals Baby from Living Room


The Telegraph, UK
Thu, 07 Oct 2010 00:00 UTC
Image
© Rex FeaturesMalaysian authorities have battled a booming macaque population in cities.
A newborn baby girl has died after being snatched from her family's living room by a monkey.

The four-day-old infant has been left alone for just a few minutes when she disappeared.

Her body was found shortly later outside the home in central Negri Sembilan state, Malaysia's Star and the New Straits Times newspaper reported.

The baby, who was found by her mother and grandmother, had bite marks on her neck and face.

Her father was quoted as saying a macaque monkey had been seen roaming near the house in recent weeks.

The baby's grandmother said that she was in the kitchen when the infant, who had not yet been named by her parents, was snatched.
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Bizarro Earth

Hungary: Toxic red sludge has reached the Danube

Pablo Gorondi
Associated Press
Thu, 07 Oct 2010 16:10 UTC
toxic red sludge
© AP

Kolontar, Hungary - The toxic red sludge that burst out of a Hungarian factory's reservoir reached the mighty Danube on Thursday after wreaking havoc on smaller rivers and creeks, and downstream nations rushed to test their waters.

The European Union and environmental officials fear an environmental catastrophe affecting half a dozen nations if the red sludge, a waste product of making aluminum, contaminates the Danube, Europe's second-longest river.

Officials from Croatia, Serbia and Romania were taking river samples every few hours Thursday but hoping that the Danube's huge water volume would blunt the impact of the spill.
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Bizarro Earth

Large crevice confuses Michigan residents

Beth Jones
Uppermichigansource.com
Wed, 06 Oct 2010 12:16 UTC
A large crevice, stretching almost two football fields, suddenly appeared in the woods near Birch Creek

Menominee Township -- It's a geological phenomenon that has both authorities and Menominee Township residents scratching their heads. A large crevice, stretching almost two football fields, suddenly appeared in the woods near Birch Creek earlier this week.

"I don't know really. It just looks like a giant crack in the ground," said young spectator and local resident, Ashley Armbrust. "I don't know what happened."

The 150-yard crevice is puzzling local residents. Some areas are up to five feet deep and a few feet across. The ground even rose up several feet in some areas around the crevice, causing trees to lean on both sides. Like the spectators, property owners feel the whole thing is just confusing.

"I told the kids we had an earthquake and they laughed at me, then after they looked at it, they say I don't know," said property owner, Eileen Heider.
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Binoculars

Three Men Rescued After Boat "Sunk by Whale"


The Telegraph, UK
Wed, 06 Oct 2010 01:00 UTC
Image
© AP PhotoEach year whales migrate up the coast of Western Australia to give birth in warm tropical waters before returning to Antarctica at the end of spring
Three men have been rescued from the sea off Western Australia after their boat sunk when it struck a whale.

The trio, aged 24, 48 and 50, sent out a mayday in the middle of the night after their 46-foot timber vessel started taking on water.

Moments later they were forced to abandon the boat. The group, one of whom could not swim, spent four hours clinging to an ice box in choppy seas before they were rescued.

"They hit something hard, solid, they suspect it's a whale," senior sergeant Greg Trew of WA Water Police told the Australian Associated Press.

The men, who were wearing life-jackets, set off an emergency beacon, which helped an oil rig crew that had come to their rescue spot them in heavy seas.
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