Earth ChangesS


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Experts scramble to keep an eye on long-dormant volcano in Iceland

ORAEFI, Iceland Volcano
At the summit of one of Iceland's most dangerous volcanoes, a 72-foot (22-meter) depression in the snow is the only visible sign of an alarming development.

The Oraefajokull (err-IVER'-yer-kuhl) volcano, dormant since its last eruption in 1727-1728, has seen a recent increase in seismic activity and geothermal water leakage that has worried scientists. With the snow hole on Iceland's highest peak deepening 18 inches (45 centimeters) each day, authorities have raised the volcano's alert safety code to yellow.

Experts at Iceland's Meteorological Office have detected 160 earthquakes in the region in the past week alone as they step up their monitoring of the volcano. The earthquakes are mostly small but their sheer number is exceptionally high.

"Oraefajokull is one of the most dangerous volcanos in Iceland. It's a volcano for which we need to be very careful," said Sara Barsotti, Coordinator for Volcanic Hazards at the Icelandic Meteorological Office.

Comment: See also: and if that's not interesting enough, the following are just some of the volcanoes currently being watched from around the world:


Info

Grand Solar Minimum report: San Diego firestorm - Agung plume - Mexico and Texas snow (VIDEO)

Thousands flee as winds whip California fires
Thousands flee as winds whip California fires
San Diego fire weather is so extreme, purple is the new red.


Sources

Snowflake

Record snow covers Houston and Texas - UPDATE (PHOTOS, VIDEO)

snow
Say it ain't snow. It's not a dream or nightmare but reality: one of the biggest snowfalls in history just walloped the Texas gulf coast and has brought Houston to a crawl.

Mother Nature brought blockbuster amounts of snow to areas that only see it a few times per century - where even half melted flurries are enough to drive kids out of their minds with excitement. I'm not talking Dallas or Amarillo or Lubbock. As of this entry, it is snowing and snowing heavily in, of all places, Brownsville, marking only the third time since 1895 they have received accumulating snowfall.

Not to be outdone, Corpus Christi got their first snowfall in 13 years and recorded between five and seven inches of snow. What's more absurd than that? They reported a thunderstorm with heavy snow; in Corpus Christi! That is extremely rare --- in Buffalo. To have it happen not once but twice would make even the Jim Cantore breathe into a bag.


Snowflake

Will Florida's Panhandle see snow this weekend?

beach snowman
Let's talk snow.

A day after parts of Texas - which rarely see flurries - were dusted with snow, Floridians were starting to ask, "So, could we see some flakes?"

Well, to be blunt: Probably not. But there is a chance if you live in the Panhandle.

The Sunshine State has an approaching cold snap, but the National Weather Service offices closest to Pensacola - Tallahassee and Mobile, Ala. - are mentioning just a slight possibility of snow.

Tallahassee forecasters were careful with their words:

"Will need to monitor ... for the possibility of a few snow flurries mixed with the rain late tonight," forecasters wrote in their report at 6:22 a.m. on Friday. "Chances are low at this time, but cannot be ruled out."

Snowflake

Atmospheric compression snow event in Alaska and earliest ever snow in Texas

Snow filled roads Wednesday in Valdez, Alaska.
© Alaska Department of Transportation and Public FacilitiesSnow filled roads Wednesday in Valdez, Alaska.
What can only be described as an atmospheric compression snow event has just occurred in Alaska. The most snow fell ever recorded in 90 minutes. Even in the snowiest city in the USA , they termed this event as extreme. Super cooled ice bows in Finland, atmospheric compression event in Australia with record floods in Victoria. Earliest snow on record in Texas that knocked out power to 88,000 homes with record cold in Mexico.


Sources

Comment: See also: Alaska records one of the most extreme snowfall rates on record, 10 inches per hour; highway near Valdez under 20 foot of snow


Question

Strange trumpeting noises heard in Alabama

Strange sound in the sky
It was in November 9, 2017 Something bigger chiming and we still we don't know. Some strange noise from the sky - really great experience for any one hearing......


Comment: Coincidentally, there have been a spate of 'strange sounds' heard in Alabama recently. On November 14th, a mysterious loud 'boom' was heard across North Alabama. On November 24th and 26th, more booms were heard and recorded: Another unexplained boom heard in Alabama (Update).


Megaphone

'Weird horn noise' heard coming from the sky

Weird horn noises
© YouTube/Hayley Freeman
It lasted for like 2 hours and originally I thought it was a plane but then at 11:11 a.m. it stopped, with no fade. Just went completely silent.


Wolf

Woman killed by pack of pit bull terriers in Jackson County, Alabama; second such attack in the state in 10 days

PIT BULL ATTACK
Officials have confirmed that one woman was killed in a dog attack this morning while another woman was injured. Deputies say they found 24-year-old Emily Mae Colvin dead on arrival.

The Jackson County Sheriff's office said they received a call around 9:00 a.m. on Thursday about a dog attack at County Road 121 in Jackson County; right outside of Section

Officials said that the dog tried to attack a deputy and was shot. Scottsboro Animal Control along with deputies and Section Police rounded up another four dogs involved. All five dogs have been described by authorities as pitbulls.

Another woman was found injured and has been treated for her injuries and released according to authorities.The Jackson County Sheriff's Office says that Colvin had been in contact with the dogs before and they had never received a call or had a problem with those particular dogs.


Comment: The is the second fatality caused by this particular type of dog within the same state in 10 days: Pack of 4 pit bull terriers kill woman in Guntersville, Alabama; seriously injure another


Bizarro Earth

Magnitude 6.6 earthquake strikes Micronesia (UPDATE)

Micronesia Earthquake
© USGS
A strong earthquake with a magnitude of 6.6 struck east-northeast of Yap in Micronesia in the Pacific Ocean on Friday, the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center (PTWC) said, but there was no tsunami threat.

The quake, initially measured with a magnitude of 6.8 by the Alaska Tsunami Warning Center but later scaled down, was at depth of 46 km (28 miles), the Hawaii-based PTWC said.

Comment: The above event was followed by an earthquake of 6.4 magnitude at the same locality about 9 hours later:
6.4 magnitude earthquake 50 km from Fais, Yap, Micronesia

2017-12-08 09:51:10 UTC

USGS page: M 6.4 - 50km WNW of Fais, Micronesia
USGS status: Reviewed by a seismologist
Reports from the public: 0 people



Seismograph

Shallow 6.2 earthquake recorded off New Zealand's Kermadec Islands

chart
A magnitude 6.2 earthquake occurred off the coast of New Zealand's remote Kermadec Islands in the South Pacific Ocean on Friday, the US Geological Survey reported.

The earthquake occurred at 3.09pm local time, at a shallow depth of 10 kilometres, roughly 74km north-northeast of L'Esperance Rock, one of several uninhabited islets in the Kermadec Islands, which are roughly 900km northeast of the North Island.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center in Hawaii has not issued a tsunami warning.