Washington -- In Canada's Fraser River, a mysterious illness has killed millions of Pacific salmon, and scientists have a new hypothesis about why: The wild salmon are suffering from viral infections similar to those linked to some forms of leukemia and lymphoma.
For 60 years before the early 1990s, an average of nearly 8 million wild salmon returned from the Pacific Ocean to the Fraser River each year to spawn.
Now the salmon industry is in a state of collapse, with mortality rates ranging from 40 percent to 95 percent.
The salmon run has been highly variable: The worst year came in 2009, with 1.5 million salmon, followed by the best year in 2010, with 30 million salmon. But the overall trend is downward.
Earth Changes
© National Weather Service Forecast Office
This image, courtesy of the National Weather Service Forecast Office in San Diego, Calif., shows tornado reports April 14-16, 2011 as of 12:00 p.m. EDT Sunday April 17, 2011.
This image, courtesy of the National Weather Service Forecast Office in San Diego, Calif., shows tornado reports April 14-16, 2011 as of 12:00 p.m. EDT Sunday April 17, 2011.
The tornado outbreak led to a total of 241 tornado reports in 14 states over the three-day period. This will likely rank this tornado outbreak among the largest in history.
Tragically, the death toll has risen to 39 people so far with dozens of others injured. The number of fatalities could rise as investigations continue. This tornado outbreak already ranks as the most deadly outbreak since the 2008 Super Tuesday tornado outbreak.
In North Carolina alone, close to two dozen people were killed on Saturday, while seven people were killed in Alabama on Friday.
One of the reasons for the deadly outcome of this tornado outbreak is likely due to the highly populated areas of the nation that were hit. The weather pattern can explain why these highly populates areas were struck.
© AP Photo/Sergey Ponomarev
A Japanese worker gets on his earthmover in the area devastated by the March 11 earthquake and tsunami in the town of Ishinomaki, Miyagi Prefecture, Japan, Friday, April 15, 2011.
A Japanese worker gets on his earthmover in the area devastated by the March 11 earthquake and tsunami in the town of Ishinomaki, Miyagi Prefecture, Japan, Friday, April 15, 2011.
Brian Blake, earthquake program coordinator with the Central U.S. Earthquake Consortium, said the earthquake drill will have 1.9 million people participating in 11 states - about 100,000 Illinoisans have pledged to participate. He said anyone can participate in the self-guided drill by taking a couple of minutes to Drop, Cover and Hold On - the recommended action to protect yourself during an earthquake. At the designated time April 28, participants practice what their reaction would be if an earthquake struck.
© Associated Press
The remains of a wooden swing dangles in a tornado damaged neighborhood of Clinton, Mississippi, Friday, April 15, 2011. The state was hit by a line of severe storms that spawned at least one tornado causing extensive damage and multiple injuries.
The remains of a wooden swing dangles in a tornado damaged neighborhood of Clinton, Mississippi, Friday, April 15, 2011. The state was hit by a line of severe storms that spawned at least one tornado causing extensive damage and multiple injuries.
Emergency crews searched for victims in hard-hit swaths of North Carolina, where 62 tornadoes were reported from the worst spring storm in two decades to hit the state. At least a half dozen people died just in the Carolinas and Virginia and authorities warned the toll was likely to rise further Sunday as searchers probed shattered homes and businesses.
Authorities said at least five people were killed in North Carolina and at least three more in neighboring Virginia during the storm's passage Saturday before the sprawling, potent storm bands moved eastward over the Atlantic.
© Agence France-Presse
Water in the crater of Taal is reportedly heating up while the volcano's emissions of carbon dioxide have risen
Water in the crater of Taal is reportedly heating up while the volcano's emissions of carbon dioxide have risen
Alert 2 status means present activities could eventually lead to an eruption, according to Phivolcs.
Phivolcs said there was a noticeable increase in seismic activity of the volcano. Water temperature at the Main Crater Lake also slightly increased from 29.8°C to 30.1°C.
Phivolcs advised the public to keep away from the Main Crater, Daang Kastila Trail and Mt. Tabaro because sudden hazardous steam-driven explosions may occur and high concentrations of toxic gases may accumulate.
As wheat harvesting picks up in Punjab and Haryana, recent rain and windy weather has left farmers in the states worried.
Hailstorm lashed Jalandhar yesterday, while Amritsar, Phagwara, Nawanshahr and Balachaur received showers, which was accompanied by strong winds. Showers also lashed isolated places in Haryana, while windy weather prevailed in Chandigarh.
The Meteorological Department has forecast light to moderate rains or thunder showers are likely to occur in parts of Punjab and Haryana over the next two days.
Hailstorm lashed Jalandhar yesterday, while Amritsar, Phagwara, Nawanshahr and Balachaur received showers, which was accompanied by strong winds. Showers also lashed isolated places in Haryana, while windy weather prevailed in Chandigarh.
The Meteorological Department has forecast light to moderate rains or thunder showers are likely to occur in parts of Punjab and Haryana over the next two days.
Nevada Seismologists are keeping a close eye on an area southwest of Hawthorne, Nevada where hundreds of earthquakes have been detected since Sunday.
" It's a little bit concerning in a sense.. The largest earthquakes in these sequences are pretty large in size." Graham Kent is Director of Nevada Seismological Laboratory at the University of Nevada Reno. He says there have been hundreds of earthquakes southwest of Hawthorne over the past few days. The largest-- recorded at a 4.4 in size.
"These are the biggest in a sequence we've seen at least in the last couple of years." Kent says unlike the 2008 quakes in Somersett that damaged so many homes, these earthquakes are fortunately not underneath a community.
" It's a little bit concerning in a sense.. The largest earthquakes in these sequences are pretty large in size." Graham Kent is Director of Nevada Seismological Laboratory at the University of Nevada Reno. He says there have been hundreds of earthquakes southwest of Hawthorne over the past few days. The largest-- recorded at a 4.4 in size.
"These are the biggest in a sequence we've seen at least in the last couple of years." Kent says unlike the 2008 quakes in Somersett that damaged so many homes, these earthquakes are fortunately not underneath a community.
© wcax
Quite a sight along the shores of Lake Champlain-- there's been a massive fish kill.
Alewives have washed ashore at the sandbar in Milton.
Vermont Fish and Wildlife biologists estimate that tens of thousands of the nonnative species have died due to stress caused by frigid temperatures.
Ice fishermen have been noticing Alewives popping through the ice in recent months. Now that the ice is melting, they're washing ashore. They've also been spotted in Georgia, Vt.
Powerful storms that have ripped across the Southeast killed more than 40 people over the past three days, according to the National Weather Service and reports from several states.
A CNN meteorologist called the storms' impact on North Carolina "epic."
Among the worst hit areas was Bertie County, North Carolina, a rural area in the northeast part of the state. The weather service reported 14 deaths in the county. Zee Lamb, county manager, said there were 11 fatalities.
A CNN meteorologist called the storms' impact on North Carolina "epic."
Among the worst hit areas was Bertie County, North Carolina, a rural area in the northeast part of the state. The weather service reported 14 deaths in the county. Zee Lamb, county manager, said there were 11 fatalities.
© Reuters: Vincent Kessler
There have been several aftershocks with one registering a magnitude 4
There have been several aftershocks with one registering a magnitude 4
The quake, one of the largest to hit the state in many years, was recorded 60 kilometres west of Bowen just after 3.30pm (AEST) Saturday.
The rumblings were felt in several towns throughout the region, but police say there are no reports of damage or injuries.
There have been several aftershocks, with one registering a magnitude 4.
