Earth Changes
Some experts are starting to support the theory that the fall of a giant meteorite some 2 billion years ago may have created the Czech basin, surrounded by mountain ranges, reminding of a crater and easily detectable from high altitudes, writes the weekly Tyden out today.
Two strong earthquakes, one of magnitude 6.2, struck near Sakhalin Island in eastern Russia today, the U.S. Geological Survey said. Two people were killed and Japan's government said a small tsunami hit Hokkaido.
The first, stronger quake struck 81 kilometers (50 miles) west of Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk on Sakhalin and 205 kilometers north of Wakkanai in Hokkaido at 1:37 p.m. local time, the USGS said on its Web site. The quake's depth was 5 kilometers. The second quake, of magnitude 6.1, occurred at 4:22 p.m. eastern Russian time in the same area with a depth of 21 kilometers.
The first, stronger quake struck 81 kilometers (50 miles) west of Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk on Sakhalin and 205 kilometers north of Wakkanai in Hokkaido at 1:37 p.m. local time, the USGS said on its Web site. The quake's depth was 5 kilometers. The second quake, of magnitude 6.1, occurred at 4:22 p.m. eastern Russian time in the same area with a depth of 21 kilometers.
Chantal's quick two-step with eastern Newfoundland Wednesday likely caused millions of dollars in damages, officials say.
Post-tropical storm Chantal dumped up to 150 millimetres of rain in places on the eastern third of the Island, flooding towns and and washing out dozens of roads.
Post-tropical storm Chantal dumped up to 150 millimetres of rain in places on the eastern third of the Island, flooding towns and and washing out dozens of roads.
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| ©Tom O'Keefe/CanWest News Service |
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| ©Tom O'Keefe/CanWest News Service |
| Onlookers survey the damage in Dunville, Newfoundland. |
A 7.2-magnitude earthquake struck in the South Pacific 30 miles (45 km) southeast of Santo, Vanuatu, the U.S. Geological Survey says.
On average, said senior government climatologist David Phillips, Toronto gets four 30-plus days every August; this year, we appear to be getting two of them in the month's first two days.
The return of oxygen-depleted water off the Oregon coast is a sign of a warming climate, which could have ill effect on populations of sea creatures, scientists said Monday.
It's the sixth year the water, known as a dead zone, has formed.
''It does, indeed, appear to be the new normal,'' said Jane Lubchenco, professor of marine biology at Oregon State University. ''The fact that we are seeing six in a row now tells us that something pretty fundamental has changed about conditions off of our coast.''
It's the sixth year the water, known as a dead zone, has formed.
''It does, indeed, appear to be the new normal,'' said Jane Lubchenco, professor of marine biology at Oregon State University. ''The fact that we are seeing six in a row now tells us that something pretty fundamental has changed about conditions off of our coast.''
In Central Siberia alone, fires have destroyed 38 000 km2 in the extreme fire year of 2003. In that year the smoke plumes were so huge that they caused air pollution as far as in the United States. An international team of scientists believes that Siberian fires are influenced by climate change. The study was led by the Professor Heiko Balzter of the Department of Geography at the University of Leicester.
Professor Balzter said "Last century a typical forest in Siberia had about 100 years after a fire to recover before it burned again. But new observations by Russian scientist Dr Kharuk have shown that fire now returns more frequently, about every 65 years. At the same time annual temperatures in Siberia have risen by almost two degrees Celsius, about twice as fast as the global average. And since 1990 the warming of Siberia has become even faster than before."
Professor Balzter said "Last century a typical forest in Siberia had about 100 years after a fire to recover before it burned again. But new observations by Russian scientist Dr Kharuk have shown that fire now returns more frequently, about every 65 years. At the same time annual temperatures in Siberia have risen by almost two degrees Celsius, about twice as fast as the global average. And since 1990 the warming of Siberia has become even faster than before."
Millions of people were forced to flee their homes in northeast India as the death toll rose from raging floods triggered by heavy monsoon rains, a minister said.
'The situation has turned devastating overnight, drowning five more people in separate incidents and displacing another three million in 15 districts,' Bhumidhar Barman, relief and rehabilitation minister of Assam state, told Agence France-Presse.
'The situation has turned devastating overnight, drowning five more people in separate incidents and displacing another three million in 15 districts,' Bhumidhar Barman, relief and rehabilitation minister of Assam state, told Agence France-Presse.
Southern and central Manitoba are in the grips of the second heat wave in as many weeks, with temperatures in the high 30s and humidex advisories across the regions.
Temperatures were forecast to reach as high as 38 C in Manitoba Monday, with humidex values in the mid-40s.
Temperatures were forecast to reach as high as 38 C in Manitoba Monday, with humidex values in the mid-40s.
More than a month's worth of rain has fallen on Stewart Island in the past five days, causing flooding and widespread slips which have left some residents with no access to their homes.
MetService readings show a record 177mm has pelted the island at the South West Cape since Wednesday, while further north in Oban, 118mm has fallen.
High winds and heavy seas also played havoc, pulling roads into the sea and causing landslips 30m wide.
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| ©stuff.co.nz |
| Motorists drive through floodwater on State Highway 1 in southern New Zealand. |
MetService readings show a record 177mm has pelted the island at the South West Cape since Wednesday, while further north in Oban, 118mm has fallen.
High winds and heavy seas also played havoc, pulling roads into the sea and causing landslips 30m wide.
