Earth ChangesS


Attention

Two different seal species from the Arctic turn up in south-west Ireland


BirdGuides
Mon, 06 Jan 2020 13:46 UTC
The male Hooded Seal was first seen at Toormore, Co Cork, on New Year's Day
© Helen Tilson/Schull Sea SafariThe male Hooded Seal was first seen at Toormore, Co Cork, on New Year's Day
Two extremely rare visitors from the Arctic paid visits to beaches on the westerly coasts of Cos Cork and Kerry last week.

The first of these was a male Hooded Seal, which appeared at Toormore beach, west of Schull, on New Year's Day. Apparently in good health, the animal measured more than 2 metres in length and was estimated to weigh around 300 kg.

Sexed as a male due to the distinctive, elastic balloon-like nasal cavity on the top of its head, which only males possess, the seal was observed (and filmed) inflating this sack on a few occasions.

It stayed on the beach for the remainder of the day, where it was monitored by volunteers to ensure its rest was undisturbed by onlookers, before swimming off from Toormore the following day (2nd) - it hasn't returned there or been seen anywhere else since.

While principally an Arctic species, Hooded Seal spends much of its life well away from land and has been seen as far south as the Mediterranean Sea. There are six previous Irish records: two historical occurrences are cited from Co Mayo in 1836 and Co Galway in 1898, with more recent sightings involving juveniles in Co Wexford in September 2001, Co Waterford in October 2006, Co Dublin in July 2012 and Co Donegal in 2016.



Comment: There was another unusual marine mammal migration from the Arctic region just last month: Killer whales migrate from Iceland to Italy for the first time in recorded history

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Attention

Portugese Man O' War wash ashore in unprecedented numbers along the beaches on Trinidad


Stabroek News
Mon, 06 Jan 2020 13:11 UTC
These were found on the east coast.
These were found on the east coast.
The Portugese Man O' War, a marine animal that resembles a jelly fish, continue to wash ashore in unprecedented numbers along the beaches on Trinidad east and north coasts.

These organisms classified by the Institute of Marine Affairs as a dangerous marine creature, are known as siphonophore.

There differences between jellyfish and the Portugese Man O' War.

Doctor Judith Gobin a clinical ecologist and Lecturer at the University of the West Indies St. Augustine told the Express yesterday: "The Portuguese man o' war is often called a jellyfish as it looks like one. It is easily recognized by its balloon-like float, which may be blue, violet, or pink and reaches to about six inches above the water. It is actually a species of siphonophore, another group of animals that is closely related to jellyfish."

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Snowflake Cold

Stratospheric polar vortex reaches coldest temperature in 40 years

Andrej Flis
Severe Weather
Sun, 05 Jan 2020 12:00 UTC
polar vortex
The graph shows the lowest temperature across the Northern Hemisphere, from 50-90°N latitude, where the coldest area of the polar vortex usually is.
The polar vortex has been gaining strength and has reached its peak climatological strength. It is set to be connected with the lower levels, pushing its influence on the weather patterns.

On January 3rd, a radiosonde has made measurements of the mid-stratospheric layers. Measuring over Reykjavik, Iceland, it has recorded the lowest temperature in the stratosphere in the past 40 years, at -96°C (-141°F). The image and data below from the Universtiy of Wyoming, shows the direct measurements made, where we can see the temperature line disappearing below -90°C near the 20mb level. The raw data shows the temperature and altitude, where we can see the -96°C being reached at 17.2mb level, which was around 25.6 km altitude.

Comment: See also: And check out SOTT radio's:


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Cloud Precipitation

Two die in flooded elevator in Tel Aviv after record rainfall hits central Israel


Yahoo News UK
Sat, 04 Jan 2020 07:07 UTC
Cars submerged on a Jaffa street after central Israel is battered by downpour, January 4, 2020
© Screen grab via Ruthi Lerer via Channel 13Cars submerged on a Jaffa street after central Israel is battered by downpour, January 4, 2020
The Israeli city of Tel Aviv was severely flooded on Saturday (January 4th) after record rainfall.

A video showed severely flooded streets in the city centre and one restaurant in which staff were wading through water.

According to the Ynet news site, 71 millimetres of rain fell in Tel Aviv over the course of a two-hour period.

One person was killed in a parking garage after becoming trapped in a flooded elevator, according to local media.


Comment: The Times of Israel reports that a man and a woman were killed in the basement level of a residential building in the south of Tel Aviv on Saturday, after becoming trapped in a flooded elevator during heavy storms. The two apparently drowned.

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Rainbow

Brocken spectre: Rare weather phenomenon captured on film by walker in Wales


BBC
Wed, 01 Jan 2020 09:25 UTC
brocken spectre
© BBCScreenshot: Capturing a rare weather effect on New Year's Day
A walker has captured images of a rare weather phenomenon called Brocken spectre on New Year's Day.

Rhys Pleming was climbing Snowdon, Gwynedd, with his friend and they made it to the summit at about 08:15 GMT for the sunrise.

Mr Pleming said the clouds began to cover the summit and another walker spotted the rare weather effect.

The Met Office says the Brocken spectre appears when a large shadow of an observer is cast on to cloud or mist.

Comment: For more recent wondrous sights, check out:

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Ice Cube

Ice builds along the rushing Missouri River in Bismarck, North Dakota


MSN
Sat, 04 Jan 2020 19:10 UTC
ice river
North Dakota resident Mike Odegaard captured video of an ice jam that formed through Hoge Island on the Bismarck side of the Missouri River on New Year's Day.

The video shows ice sheets piling on the shores of the river bank.

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Nebula

'Strongest colors ever seen': Iridescent clouds make another spectacular appearance above skies in South Iceland

Vala Hafstað
Iceland Monitor
Fri, 03 Jan 2020 09:54 UTC
iridescent clouds
© Mbl.is/Jónas ErlendssonThe sky above Vík í Mýrdal Friday morning.
Spectacular iridescent clouds formed in the sky above South Iceland Friday morning. As the sun came up, the sky was filled with rainbow colors.

Mbl.is reporter Jónas Erlendsson took the photo above east of Vík í Mýrdal between the hours of 9 and 10 am Friday. He states these are the strongest-colored iridescent clouds he has ever seen.

Another photo, sent to mbl.is , was taken in Hornafjörður, Southeast Iceland the same morning. It appears Nature took out its palette and brushes to create the most beautiful sight.

Comment: Recent reports of iridescent clouds (also known as Nacreous or Polar Stratospheric Clouds) have included comments such as that from residents who have lived in the area for 70 years stating that they were "once in a lifetime" events. Taken together with the numerous other sights in our skies, and other Earth Changes phenomena, it's clear that there are great changes afoot on our planet: Also check out SOTT radio's: And SOTTs monthly report documenting these events:



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Attention

Fatal shark attack near Esperance, Western Australia claims diver's life

James Carmody and Jacob Kagi
abc.net.au
Sun, 05 Jan 2020 13:14 UTC
shark
A man has died after being attacked by a shark while diving off the coast of Esperance in Western Australia's south-east.

Police believe the man was diving from a boat in the area off West Beach when he was attacked.

"Esperance Police and Marine Rescue WA volunteers deployed to the area on board marine rescue vessels. They are still searching the ocean for the victim," police said a statement.

"A woman who was on board the boat at the time of the incident has been returned to shore, and has been taken by St John Ambulance to hospital. She is suffering from shock.

"Police Air Wing and specialist divers from Water Police are assisting with the search."

Local Glenn Quinlivan raced to the scene on boat after hearing the mayday call.

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Seismograph

Magnitude 6.5 earthquake hits Oaxaca, Mexico


Sputniknews.com
Sun, 05 Jan 2020 06:23 UTC
Mexico earthquake map
A magnitude 6.5 earthquake shook southern Mexico on Saturday night; the authorities were not immediately able to estimate the number of casualties or extent of damage.

The epicentre was located at a depth of 10 km, 38 km southeast of Union Hidalgo in the southern state of Oaxaca on the nation's Pacific coast, Mexico's Seismology Service reported in its Twitter account.

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Arrow Up

Smoke and deception blanket Australia

Kirye & P Gosselin
NoTricksZone
Fri, 03 Jan 2020 20:49 UTC
We've been hearing much fake news about the Australian bush fires supposedly having been caused by man-made climate change. Yet it has emerged that Australian authorities were warned years ago that poor land management practices were in fact escalating the risk of devastating fires, according to an expert.

Forest fuel level highest in 1000 years

In 2015, bush fire scientist David Packham warned of a "huge blaze threat" and urged an "increase in fuel reduction burns".

"Forest fuel levels had climbed to their most dangerous level in thousands of years," wrote Darren Gray here in 2015. Today the public is being misled by climate alarmists and the media on the real causes of the devastating bush fires now taking place.

In fact NASA data shows that the area burned by global wildfires dropped by 25% since 2003, according to the Global Warming Policy Forum (GWPF)

Temperature Trends Australia
© NASA GISS
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