Earth Changes
Jakarta -- An earthquake measuring 5.1 on the Richter scale shook eastern Indonesian province of Maluku on Thursday morning, there was no casualties and material losses.
Athens, Greece -- The Athens Geodynamic Institute says an earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 5.3 has struck near the Greek island of Rhodes. No injuries or damage have been reported.
Antarctic worms, sea spiders, urchins and other marine creatures living in near-shore shallow habitats are regularly pounded by icebergs. New data suggests this environment along the Antarctic Peninsula is going to get hit more frequently. This is due to an increase in the number of icebergs scouring the seabed as a result of shrinking winter sea ice.
Scientists from the British Antarctic Survey (BAS) show how the rate of iceberg scouring on the West Antarctic Peninsula seabed is affected by the duration of winter sea ice, which has dramatically declined (in space and time) in the region over the last few decades due to climate warming. This increase in iceberg disturbance on the seabed, where the majority of all Antarctic life occurs (80%), could have severe effects on the marine creatures living as deep as 500m underwater.
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| ©British Antarctic Survey |
| A British Antarctic Survey marine biologist encounters a giant sponge nearly 20m below the surface. |
Scientists from the British Antarctic Survey (BAS) show how the rate of iceberg scouring on the West Antarctic Peninsula seabed is affected by the duration of winter sea ice, which has dramatically declined (in space and time) in the region over the last few decades due to climate warming. This increase in iceberg disturbance on the seabed, where the majority of all Antarctic life occurs (80%), could have severe effects on the marine creatures living as deep as 500m underwater.
With most households now having their water supplies reduced by a third to try to tackle the shortage, Cypriots can be forgiven for believing that this is the worst drought the island has ever experienced. Well, think again.
Three people, including two teenagers, were killed and five injured, when they were struck by lightning in the Russian Volga Republic of Bashkortostan, a local emergencies spokesman said on Thursday.
Re-seeding programmes on over 50 reefs are securing the survival of the giant clam for at least another generation, according to World Wildlife Fund-Philippines.
The clams, the world's largest bivalve mollusks and the star of lurid but mostly imaginary literary and cinematic depictions of trapped divers, can live for over a century. They have been known to exceed 1.4 metres in length and weigh in at over 260 kilograms.
Once common throughout Philippine reefs, excessive hunting for the food, pet and curio trade all but depleted the wild giant clam population by the mid-1980s, prompting the IUCN to classify them as vulnerable.
An attempt to restore natural clam populations is now being spearheaded by Dr. Suzanne Mingoa-Licuanan of the University of the Philippines Marine Science Institute in partnership with World Wildlife Fund-Philippines.
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| ©Kurt Domingo |
| The true giant clam (Tridacna gigas), 40 of which were transplanted last month to a new home in Batangas province, Philippines. |
The clams, the world's largest bivalve mollusks and the star of lurid but mostly imaginary literary and cinematic depictions of trapped divers, can live for over a century. They have been known to exceed 1.4 metres in length and weigh in at over 260 kilograms.
Once common throughout Philippine reefs, excessive hunting for the food, pet and curio trade all but depleted the wild giant clam population by the mid-1980s, prompting the IUCN to classify them as vulnerable.
An attempt to restore natural clam populations is now being spearheaded by Dr. Suzanne Mingoa-Licuanan of the University of the Philippines Marine Science Institute in partnership with World Wildlife Fund-Philippines.
MEXICO CITY - Tropical storm Fausto formed off the Mexican resort city of Acapulco on Wednesday, while Elida strengthened to a Category 2 hurricane far away from Baja California's coast.
Neither storm was expected to threaten land. Fausto was moving west away from land at 26 km/h, according to the National Hurricane Center in Miami. It was located about 625 kilometres south of Acapulco with winds reaching 65 km/h.
Neither storm was expected to threaten land. Fausto was moving west away from land at 26 km/h, according to the National Hurricane Center in Miami. It was located about 625 kilometres south of Acapulco with winds reaching 65 km/h.
For the first time, researchers have taken a detailed look at what lies beneath all of Iceland's volcanoes - and found a world far more complex than they ever imagined.
They mapped an elaborate maze of magma chambers - work that could one day help scientists better understand how earthquakes and volcanic eruptions occur in Iceland and elsewhere in the world.
Knowing where magma chambers are located is a key first step to understanding the chemical composition of the molten rock that is flowing within them - and of the gases that are released when a volcano erupts, explained Daniel Kelley, doctoral student in earth sciences at Ohio State University.
They mapped an elaborate maze of magma chambers - work that could one day help scientists better understand how earthquakes and volcanic eruptions occur in Iceland and elsewhere in the world.
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| ©Unknown |
| Formed by an eruption from Askja in 1875, Lake Öskjuvatn is the deepest lake in Iceland at 735 feet (224 meters). |
Knowing where magma chambers are located is a key first step to understanding the chemical composition of the molten rock that is flowing within them - and of the gases that are released when a volcano erupts, explained Daniel Kelley, doctoral student in earth sciences at Ohio State University.
A group of scientists has used deep ocean-floor drilling and experiments to show that volcanic rocks off the West Coast and elsewhere might be used to securely imprison huge amounts of globe-warming carbon dioxide captured from power plants or other sources.
In particular, they say that natural chemical reactions under 78,000 square kilometers (30,000 square miles) of ocean floor off California, Oregon, Washington and British Columbia could lock in as much as 150 years of U.S. CO2 production. The findings are published today in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Interest in so-called carbon sequestration is growing worldwide. However, no large-scale projects are yet off the ground, and other geological settings could be problematic. For instance, the petroleum industry has been pumping CO2 into voids left by old oil wells on a small scale, but some fear that these might eventually leak, putting gas back into the air and possibly endangering people nearby.
In particular, they say that natural chemical reactions under 78,000 square kilometers (30,000 square miles) of ocean floor off California, Oregon, Washington and British Columbia could lock in as much as 150 years of U.S. CO2 production. The findings are published today in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
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| ©Goldberg et al. |
| Deep-sea basalt region for CO2 burial. Red outline shows where water depth exceeds 2,700 meters and sediment thickness exceeds 200 meters; hatched areas show where sediment thickness exceeds 300 meters. Seamounts and areas near plate boundaries or continental shelf are excluded. |
Interest in so-called carbon sequestration is growing worldwide. However, no large-scale projects are yet off the ground, and other geological settings could be problematic. For instance, the petroleum industry has been pumping CO2 into voids left by old oil wells on a small scale, but some fear that these might eventually leak, putting gas back into the air and possibly endangering people nearby.
Storm Kalmaegi has gained momentum as it approaches Taiwan, threatening the island's east, the Central Weather Bureau said Wednesday.
The edge of the storm may hit eastern Taiwan and unleash downpours in the east and north, an official at the bureau said.
"Ships sailing on the Bashih Channel and waters east of Taiwan must heighten their vigilance," the official said.
The storm was 370 kilometres (222 miles) southeast of Oluanpi, the island's southernmost tip, at 5:00 pm (0900 GMT).
The edge of the storm may hit eastern Taiwan and unleash downpours in the east and north, an official at the bureau said.
"Ships sailing on the Bashih Channel and waters east of Taiwan must heighten their vigilance," the official said.
The storm was 370 kilometres (222 miles) southeast of Oluanpi, the island's southernmost tip, at 5:00 pm (0900 GMT).
Comment: Seems like in the old days the people of Cyprus were much better planned and prepare to deal with the always present drought problem, than they are today.