Today's morning radar and satellite analysis: notice the pronounced cirrus clouds outflow across the SW quadrant of the cyclone, as well as interesting behaviour of the convective bands around the sistem.
Earth Changes
Today's morning radar and satellite analysis: notice the pronounced cirrus clouds outflow across the SW quadrant of the cyclone, as well as interesting behaviour of the convective bands around the sistem.
© Jared Chism
Flames shot out of this hole near Midway, Arkansas, early Monday morning. No one yet knows what caused it.
Flames shot out of this hole near Midway, Arkansas, early Monday morning. No one yet knows what caused it.
A volleyball-sized hole was burning, with flames shooting out of it off Highway 5 South in Midway.
Fire Chief Don Tucker said, "A fire was burning roughly two feet in diameter, eight feet tall. And it burned for approximately 40 minutes."
The homeowner who lives nearby said he came outside Monday morning to flames shooting from the hole up to the man's nose on this billboard.
Now county leaders are trying to figure out how the phenomenon started.
Baxter County Judge Mickey Pendergrass said, "We don't believe that the devil showed up, or the meteorites landed, or the big booms happened."
But the burning question is what caused the hole and the flames?
Pendergrass said, "We have contacted every utility company that is in the area. And we know for a fact now that they have lost no service they have nothing there. So there's nothing to do with utilities, which would be our first inclination to believe something was there."
No one knows where the hole ends.
Comment: Jim Sierzchula, Baxter County's emergency management coordinator and the fire chief for Grover township, said he thinks methane may have been the fuel, but he doesn't know what sparked the ignition.
"The thing is it was a clean burn," Siezchula said. "It was a very low-hydrocarbon fuel, let's put it that way. It really wasn't getting the right amount of oxygen because the burn was orange instead of blue."
Here's a small sample we've collected at sott.net of other recent natural outgassing related events:
- Researchers discover 900 new methane seeps off the Oregon coast near the Cascadia Subduction Zone
- Scientists find new, strange 'methane bubbles' in field on Russian island
- Methane outgassing from Arctic lakes faster than ever
- 20 foot high flames spew continuously from borehole in Madhya Pradesh, India
- Mysterious burning crack in the earth releases gas in Chimborazo, Ecuador
- Condamine River's mysterious bubbling methane intensifying in Queensland, Australia
- Frozen methane bubbles trapped under Canadian lake ignited with a match
SOTT Exclusive: The growing threat of underground fires and explosions
The Katla volcano, hidden beneath the ice cap of Mýrdalsjökull glacier in Iceland, has historically erupted violently once every 40-80 years. In-as-much as it's last such eruption took place one hundred years ago, in 1918, Katla's next eruption is long overdue.
An eruption in Katla would dwarf the 2010 Eyjafjallajökull eruption, scientists have warned.
© Fréttablaðið
AN ICE CAULDRON IN MÝRDALSJÖKULL Geothermal activity in the volcano’s caldera melts the glacier, creating cauldrons in the ice.
AN ICE CAULDRON IN MÝRDALSJÖKULL Geothermal activity in the volcano’s caldera melts the glacier, creating cauldrons in the ice.
© Fox8
According to Cleveland State University research astronomer Jay Reynolds, sun dogs happen when the sun is 22 degrees above the horizon.
For some, it appeared to look like an upside-down rainbow; for others, it was a bright spot.
© Jay Reynolds
© Rodrigo Gutierrez / Reuters
Farms flooded after the passing of Hurricane Florence in North Carolina
Farms flooded after the passing of Hurricane Florence in North Carolina
An estimated 3.4 million chickens and turkeys, as well as 5,500 pigs, have been lost as a result of the flooding, according to a preliminary report by the North Carolina Department of Agriculture. There were no estimates of crop losses.
North Carolina is one of the top states in the nation producing pork and poultry. The storm dumped more than 8 trillion gallons of water on the state over a five-day period.
© Smith Collection / Gado / Getty Images
If the threat of climate change took the form of a high-pitched whine just behind U.S. politicians' ears, we would already have the policies in place to stop it. Instead, it's the consequences of climate change, not the threat, that have more of us cringing away from the dopplered song of a bloodsucker: "eeeeeeeEEEEEeeeee!"
Invasive mosquitoes of the Aedes genus - Aedes aegyptai and Aedes albopictus, which thrive throughout tropical regions - are moving farther and farther north into California, according to the Los Angeles Times.
As Susanne Kluh, a public disease-control officer, told the paper: "They are spreading like wildfire. Our phones are exploding."
Comment: See also:
- Zika freakout redux: Mosquitos that can carry the virus reportedly in 129 California cities
- Score for Oxitec! FDA approves release of GM mosquitos to combat Zika in Florida
- The ovillanta: A safe, non-toxic way to trap mosquitos
- What could go wrong? UN nuclear agency suggests using radiation to fight Zika mosquitos
- Why mosquitos attack some, but leave others alone
- Florida residents infected with chikungunya virus from domestic mosquitos
© Giannis Giannakopoulos / YouTube
The breathtaking scenery of clear blue Mediterranean Sea waters in Aitoliko has been spoiled by a massive spiderweb, which has sprung up next to a lagoon on the shores of the town. Footage of the phenomenon shows endless layers of mesh covering the trees, the ground and all the objects in the immediate vicinity of the beach.
Locals blame Tetragnatha spiders - and their quest to create large nests for mating - for spoiling the majestic scenery. Humidity and the spread of mosquitoes, providing excessive nutrition to the eight-legged creature population, may also have contributed to the unusual cobwebs smothering the plateau and its flora.
© THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO-Instagram-Mary Schidlowsky
BC Wildfire Service crews encounter a "fire whirl" while fighting a wildfire near Vanderhoof, B.C. on Aug. 19.
BC Wildfire Service crews encounter a "fire whirl" while fighting a wildfire near Vanderhoof, B.C. on Aug. 19.
Video captured and posted to social media shows firefighters dealing with a huge blaze near Vanderhoof on Aug. 19, including a fire whirl or fire tornado.
The firefighters were battling the Chutanli Lake wildfire, currently estimated at 20,813 hectares. It is now 95 per cent contained.
The video, posted on Instagram, was shot by a wildland firefighter, who is part of the Mackenzie Unit Crew.
"Fire tornado destroyed our line," she writes. "It threw burning logs across our guard for 45 minutes and pulled our hose 100-plus [feet] in the air before melting it. That's definitely a first."
In the video, a firefighter can be seen grabbing their hose, which is being pulled high into the air by the fire. A second firefighter rushes in to help.
Comment: Also in British Columbia, Canada this week, according to reports and footage sent to Environment Canada, there is a possibility that an extremely rare tornado formed near Hayward Lake in Lower Mainland, B.C. on September 16. If confirmed, this will be the 5th tornado in British Columbia over the past 15 years.
An increasing number of waterspouts, 'firenados' and dust-devils also made their appearance around the world this August. Once a rare phenomenon, waterspouts are increasingly common these days in some areas. At the same time, vortexes of water, fire and dust are appearing in very unusual places.SOTT Earth Changes Summary - August 2018: Extreme Weather, Planetary Upheaval, Meteor Fireballs
Waves hit the seafront in Porthcawl, Wales
Travel disruption, power cuts and damage to buildings are expected as forecasters predict a very windy spell of weather
The Met Office has warned of a danger to life as Storm Ali brings winds up to 80mph to parts of the UK today.
Forecasters are predicting a very windy spell of weather, with travel disruption, power cuts and damage to buildings expected.
Severe amber weather warnings have been issued for the North of England, Scotland and Northern Ireland, which are in place until 5pm on Wednesday.
"Flying debris is likely and could lead to injuries or danger to life," a Met Office spokesman said.
Commuters have been told to expect longer journey times and cancellations, with road, rail and air travel likely to be affected.
The strong winds may blow tiles from roofs and cause damage to properties from falling trees, the Met Office said.
There is also a risk of power cuts, which could affect mobile phone coverage, it added.
A less severe yellow warning for wind has been issued for the whole of Scotland, northern England, north Wales and Northern Ireland until 10pm.
Comment:
UPDATE: The Independent on 20th Sept. reports:
Woman thrown from cliff in caravan and man killed by falling tree as raging winds batter country
Two people have been killed after Storm Ali swept across the UK and Ireland, bringing torrential rain and winds of more than 100mph.
A woman died after a caravan was blown off a cliff on Ireland's west coast as she slept inside.
A workman was also killed by a falling tree in a country park. The man in his 20s, was a contractor for Northern Ireland Water.
His colleague, a man in his 40s, was also injured after the tree was torn from ground in Slieve Gullion Park in County Armagh.
The Health and Safety Executive has launched an investigation.
The body of the woman in her 50s was found during a search of a beach on Ireland's west coast.
Police said the caravan was lifted by strong winds and blown down a 15ft cliff at Claddaghduff village, near Clifden in County Galway. Pictures showed the caravan smashed to pieces on the rocks below.
The fatalities came as raging winds battered much of the UK, leaving tens of thousands of homes without power and causing widespread travel disruption.
Authorities in Dumfries and Galloway, southwest Scotland, declared a "major incident" and warned of a "serious risk to life".
Schoolchildren were stopped from walking home after several people were injured by flying debris. Teachers stayed late to supervise pupils after school buses were suspended due to hazardous roads.
More than 70,000 homes were left without power across Scotland, while 250,000 properties in Ireland suffered electricity outages as lines toppled.© PA
Pictured is a bus that was carrying students of Dundee University that was hit by a falling tree in Fife during storm Ali.
Rail, roads, flights and ferry services were all severely affected by the storm in Scotland and Ireland.
Gusts of 102.2mph hit Dundee's Tay Road Bridge, forcing its complete closure to traffic. Restrictions were also put in place on the Forth Road Bridge, Clackmannanshire Bridge and Queensferry Crossing.
Elsewhere, tug boats were called to a cruise ship which slipped its berth in Greenock. Strong winds caused the Nautica vessel - which had 478 passengers and 26 crew - leave the dock after its mooring lines parted. There were no reports of injuries.
In Crewe, Cheshire, a woman was seriously injured after a tree fell on her car, trapping her inside.
Rescue teams winched a man out of a ravine after he was thrown out of a digger during high winds in Rogart, the Highlands.
North Yorkshire Police said it had dealt with an incident on the roads every three minutes on Wednesday afternoon. The 81 call-outs between noon and 4pm include roads being blocked by fallen trees and storm-related car crashes.
A Met Office amber warning was in place across Scotland, Northern Ireland, north England and northwest Wales throughout the day.
The alert warned that flying debris was likely and could lead to injuries or danger to life. It was downgraded to a yellow warning on Wednesday night as Storm Ali edged away from the UK.
Ali was the first named storm of the season. The name was drawn from a list compiled by the Met Office and Met Eireann using public submissions.
© Finn Byrum/Ritzau Scanpix
File photo: Mors from the air.
File photo: Mors from the air.
The quake was registered at 10:57am local time. Its epicentre was just outside the town of Hobro, the Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland (GEUS) confirmed.
Comment: There seems to be an error in the reporting. While it is true there is a town called Hobro, there is also one called Holstebro located 70 km to the south-west of Hobro. According to the geologists, the small earth quake occured near Holstebro.
"On a global scale, this is a small earthquake, and many of this magnitude occur every day. But for Denmark, this is one of the larger earthquakes. We don't often see earthquakes of this size here," GEUS seismologist and senior researcher Trine Dahl-Jensen said.
An earthquake measuring 3.4 Richter magnitude can cause "noticeable" shaking of indoor objects but very rarely causes damage, according to the scale.
Sunday's tremor is the strongest in Denmark since 2012, when an earthquake reaching 4.3 Richter magnitude was recorded.
GEUS confirmed a quake had occurred after people living in the area reported noticing the tremor on Sunday.
"We noticed briefly that the whole building where we are located was shaking. It's actually a solid building," Central and West Jutland Police duty officer Carsten Henriksen told Ritzau.
Comment: While the US recovers from devastating Hurricane Florence, and parts of Asia recover from the extreme Typhoon Mangkhut, and while the UK and Ireland brace themselves for Storm Bronagh, merely 24 hours after Storm Ali passed, it seems the Mediterranean is up next.
See:
- Storm Ali: Two dead after 100mph winds lash UK and Ireland - UPDATE
- 'Nightmare' Hurricane Florence bearing down on Carolinas; could be worst natural disaster in recorded history for Carolinas and Virginia
- Watch as Super-typhoon Mangkhut wreaks havoc in Philippines, Hong Kong and southern China
(July 2017) Eight tropical cyclones spinning simultaneously in the north Pacific Ocean for first time since 1974(Nov 2017) Storm Numa may become a rare 'medicane' in the Mediterranean Sea