Earth ChangesS


Bizarro Earth

Villagers flee volcano eruption in Chile


Associated Press
Wed, 02 Jan 2008 17:36 UTC


©EPA
A view of the Llaima volcano in the La Araucania region of southern Chile.

Hundreds of residents fled their homes and spent the night out in the open after a volcano in southern Chile erupted, spewing lava and ash.

The director of the government's emergency bureau, Carmen Fernandez, today said that a state of alert remained in the area of the Llaima volcano 650km (400 miles) south of Santiago, but that no mass evacuation was yet necessary.
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Fish

Pacific Salmon Invading Atlantic, Threatening Penguins

James Owen
National Geographic News
Wed, 02 Jan 2008 01:07 UTC
Ocean-swapping Pacific salmon are moving into Atlantic waters, scientists say.

©Miguel Pascual, Centro Nacional Patagónico
A researcher displays a chinook salmon found in the headwaters of the Santa Cruz River in Argentina. A new study has found that the invasive salmon, native to the North Pacific, are invading the South Atlantic, posing a threat to penguins and sea mammals that compete with the fish for food.
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Snowman

New Year's Snowstorm Hits Michigan Hard

Jim Irwin
Associated Press
Tue, 01 Jan 2008 19:37 UTC
DETROIT - A fast-moving New Year's Day storm dumped more than a foot of snow on southeastern Michigan, a record blast that made driving hazardous, snarled the flight home for holiday travelers and threatened to do the same in New England.
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Evil Rays

Earthquake measuring 6 pts on Richter scale occurs in Kyrgyzstan


Itar-Tass
Tue, 01 Jan 2008 14:41 UTC
An earthquake measuring 6.0 points on the open-ended Richter scale was registered in southern Kyrgyzstan in the small hours of Tuesday, January 1, spokespeople for the press service of Kyrgyzstani Ministry for Emergency Situations told Itar-Tass.

There have been no reports on victims.
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Frog

Big Rat, Tiny Possum Found in Rainforest


Associated Press
Tue, 01 Jan 2008 14:16 UTC
Researchers in a remote jungle in Indonesia have discovered a giant rat and a tiny possum that are apparently new to science, underscoring the stunning biodiversity of the Southeast Asian nation, scientists said Monday.

Unearthing new species of mammals in the 21st century is considered very rare. The discoveries by a team of American and Indonesian scientists are being studied further to confirm their status.

©Unknown

The animals were found in the Foja mountains rainforest in eastern Papua province in a June expedition, said U.S.-based Conservation Inter­national, which organized the trip along with the Indonesian Institute of Science.
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Snowman

Colorado: Avalanche Threat Strands Travelers

George Merritt
Associated Press
Mon, 31 Dec 2007 23:44 UTC
DENVER - Wind-whipped snow and avalanche danger closed the main highway through the Colorado mountains for most of Monday, stranding thousands of travelers as they headed to New Year's Eve celebrations.

Portions of a 60-mile stretch of Interstate 70 the main route between Denver and some of the state's biggest ski resorts were shut down in both directions from around 5 p.m. Sunday until about 4 p.m. Monday.
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Bug

Bedbug epidemic attacks New York City

Douglas Feiden
Daily News
Sun, 30 Dec 2007 22:31 UTC
A bedbug epidemic has exploded in every corner of New York City - striking even upper East Side luxury apartments owned by Gov. Spitzer's father, the Daily News has learned.

©Daily News
Unfed bugs are 1/4 to 3/4 inch long. They are brown or red-brown in color and the upper surface of the body appears crinkled. Recently fed, they are engorged with blood, dull red in color.
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People

Hundreds Stung by Jellyfish in Brazil


Associated Press
Sun, 30 Dec 2007 13:23 UTC
SAO PAULO, Brazil - Swarms of jellyfish stung nearly 300 swimmers looking to cool off from a heat wave in a southeastern beach city, Brazilian media reported Sunday.

At least 15 people including children and teenagers were treated in Praia Grande for severe stings, doctor Adriano Bechara told the Tribuna newspaper, though their lives were not in danger.
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Better Earth

Greek island of Zakynthos rattled by 5.2 magnitude quake; no damage or injuries reported


PR-inside.com/Associated Press
Sat, 29 Dec 2007 10:59 UTC
Athens, Greece - A magnitude 5.2 earthquake struck the western island of Zakynthos early Sunday, causing no injuries or damage, authorities said.
The Athens Geodynamic Institute said Saturday's undersea quake occurred at 8:42 a.m. (0642 GMT), about 250 kilometers (150 miles) west of Athens. The epicenter was south of Zakynthos, the Institute said.
Locals were somewhat concerned by the duration of the earthquake, authorities said, but there was no widespread panic as the area produces frequent strong earthquakes.
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Snowman

U.S. Midwest Storm to Bring Blustery Conditions East

Kelly Riddell
Bloombert.com
Sun, 30 Dec 2007 00:56 UTC
Northern New England may get as much as a half-foot of snow in the next two days as a wave a low pressure and cold air blows in from the U.S. Midwest and Plains.

The storm yesterday dumped 8 inches (20 centimeters) of snow in Farwell, Michigan, said AccuWeather on its Web site. Farwell is 90 miles (145 kilometers) north of Lansing, Michigan.

''Southern New England and the mid-Atlantic region will escape with nothing but rain this time,'' said John Kocet, an AccuWeather meteorologist. ''Just like the snow up north, the rain will come and go over a six- to eight-hour period.''
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