An undersea volcano has erupted near the Tongan capital Nuku'alofa, sending plumes of steam and smoke hundreds of metres into the air, officials say.
Tonga's head geologist, Kelepi Mafi, said there was no apparent danger to residents of Nuku'alofa and others living on the main island of Tongatapu.
The eruption, believed to be about 10 to 12 kilometres off the Tongatapu coast, was thought to have started Monday (local time), Mr Mafi said, but it was two days before Nuku'alofa residents first reported seeing the plumes.
Officials said it may be related to a quake with a magnitude of 4.4 which struck last Friday around 35 kilometres from the capital at a depth of nearly 150 kilometres.
An eruption in 2002 in the same area off the western end of Tongatapu, near two small volcanic islands, resulted in an islet appearing for several weeks afterwards.
"This eruption is bigger than in 2002, it seems there are two vents coming out, but that is yet to be confirmed," Mr Mafi said.
Earth Changes
A light earthquake struck near Melbourne, Australia, but officials say there have been no reports of injuries or damage.
Geoscience Australia says the 4.6 magnitude earthquake struck 62 miles (100 kilometers) southeast of Melbourne on Wednesday afternoon. It had a depth of 11 miles (18 kilometers).
No tsunami warning was issued by the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center.
It is the second earthquake to hit the region in two weeks. On March 6, a magnitude 4.7 tremor struck about 55 miles (90 kilometers) southeast of Melbourne, rattling buildings in Australia's second-largest city.
Geoscience Australia says the 4.6 magnitude earthquake struck 62 miles (100 kilometers) southeast of Melbourne on Wednesday afternoon. It had a depth of 11 miles (18 kilometers).
No tsunami warning was issued by the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center.
It is the second earthquake to hit the region in two weeks. On March 6, a magnitude 4.7 tremor struck about 55 miles (90 kilometers) southeast of Melbourne, rattling buildings in Australia's second-largest city.
How odd that, last Monday, none of our media global warming groupies should have bothered to report what was billed to be "the largest ever demonstration for civil disobedience over climate change". There was talk of hundreds of thousands of protestors converging on Washington to hear Jim Hansen, the scientist who talks of coal-fired power stations as "factories of death", call yet again for all coal plants to be closed. Perhaps the lack of coverage was due to the fact that, before Hansen arrived to address a forlorn group of several hundred hippies, Washington was blanketed in nearly a foot of snow.
It was generally another bad week for the warmists. The Met Office, which has been one of the chief pushers of the global warming scare for 20 years, had to admit that this has been "Britain's coldest winter for 13 years", despite its prediction last September that the winter would be "milder than average". This didn't of course stop it predicting that 2009 will be one of "the top-five warmest years on record".
It was generally another bad week for the warmists. The Met Office, which has been one of the chief pushers of the global warming scare for 20 years, had to admit that this has been "Britain's coldest winter for 13 years", despite its prediction last September that the winter would be "milder than average". This didn't of course stop it predicting that 2009 will be one of "the top-five warmest years on record".
It has been shown in many contexts and has been the icon of where things have gone wrong with the climate since the pre-industrial times. This is known as the Mann curve or 'hockey stick' curve that shows the development of the Northern Hemisphere surface temperature over the last 600 years. A new Danish study breaking foundation of the curve.
"Hockey stick curve does not," says klimaforsker Bo Christiansen from Denmark's Climate Center and add. "That does not mean that we cancel the anthropogenic greenhouse effect, but the foundation has become more nuanced."
It caused great sensation, as Michael Mann and several others in 1998 published a curve of temperature evolution over the last 600 years in the northern hemisphere. The curve shows a steady, almost constant temperature of the first five centuries, interrupted by a sharp increase after 1900. It can be interpreted as if the natural variations are small compared to the anthropogenic warming. There followed a heated debate both inside and outside professional circles - a debate that will run yet.
Researchers at DMI now shows that the mathematical methods that are used for climate reconstruction, has serious limitations.
"Hockey stick curve does not," says klimaforsker Bo Christiansen from Denmark's Climate Center and add. "That does not mean that we cancel the anthropogenic greenhouse effect, but the foundation has become more nuanced."
It caused great sensation, as Michael Mann and several others in 1998 published a curve of temperature evolution over the last 600 years in the northern hemisphere. The curve shows a steady, almost constant temperature of the first five centuries, interrupted by a sharp increase after 1900. It can be interpreted as if the natural variations are small compared to the anthropogenic warming. There followed a heated debate both inside and outside professional circles - a debate that will run yet.
Researchers at DMI now shows that the mathematical methods that are used for climate reconstruction, has serious limitations.
Windhoek - Namibia's president on Tuesday declared a state of emergency in areas hit by what he said could be some of the worst floods in recent memory.
"It is with a heavy heart that I declare an emergency for the north-central and north-eastern parts of Namibia," President Hifikepunye Pohamba told reporters.
"It is with a heavy heart that I declare an emergency for the north-central and north-eastern parts of Namibia," President Hifikepunye Pohamba told reporters.
Ireland is not known for its wildlife, as much of it was wiped out in the Ice Age. But the single species of frog that lives on the Emerald Isle apparently toughed it out during that extreme climate event while the same type of frog back on the British mainland retreated.
Research by scientists at the Zoological Society of London (ZSL) and Queen Mary, University of London, suggests that so-called common frogs (Rana temporaria) on Ireland survived by hanging out in a small ice-free refuge there, while those in Britain hit the high road.
Research by scientists at the Zoological Society of London (ZSL) and Queen Mary, University of London, suggests that so-called common frogs (Rana temporaria) on Ireland survived by hanging out in a small ice-free refuge there, while those in Britain hit the high road.
University of Wisconsin--Milwaukee Study Could Realign Climate Change Theory
The bitter cold and record snowfalls from two wicked winters are causing people to ask if the global climate is truly changing.
The climate is known to be variable and, in recent years, more scientific thought and research has been focused on the global temperature and how humanity might be influencing it.
However, a new study by the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee could turn the climate change world upside down.
Scientists at the university used a math application known as synchronized chaos and applied it to climate data taken over the past 100 years.
The bitter cold and record snowfalls from two wicked winters are causing people to ask if the global climate is truly changing.
The climate is known to be variable and, in recent years, more scientific thought and research has been focused on the global temperature and how humanity might be influencing it.
However, a new study by the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee could turn the climate change world upside down.
Scientists at the university used a math application known as synchronized chaos and applied it to climate data taken over the past 100 years.
Two earthquakes were recorded within about 20 minutes of each other early this afternoon in northwest Del City. The first quake at 12:24 p.m. rated a 2.7 on the Richter scale, the U.S. Geological Survey reported. The second quake at 12:41 p.m. rated a 2.5. The epicenters were near SE 18 between Bryant and Mansfield avenues.
Several workers at Wickline Methodist Church, about 3 miles east of the epicenter, felt the quakes. "It was just a mild vibration. The second time we heard something. It was a little bit stronger Nothing came off the walls," Judie Webb said. "The first time I barely felt it. I thought it was my imagination. The second time there was no doubt about it.
Several workers at Wickline Methodist Church, about 3 miles east of the epicenter, felt the quakes. "It was just a mild vibration. The second time we heard something. It was a little bit stronger Nothing came off the walls," Judie Webb said. "The first time I barely felt it. I thought it was my imagination. The second time there was no doubt about it.
An earthquake with magnitude of 6.4 rocked eastern parts of Indonesia on Monday evening, meteorology agency said here.
The quake struck at 21:15 Jakarta time (1415 GMT) with epicenter at 52 km southeast of Melonguane in North Sulawesi and at 26 km in depth, an official of the agency said.
Two minutes later an aftershock with magnitude of 5.3 occurred with epicenter at 72 km northeast of Melonguane and at 98 km in depth, the official said.
The quake struck at 21:15 Jakarta time (1415 GMT) with epicenter at 52 km southeast of Melonguane in North Sulawesi and at 26 km in depth, an official of the agency said.
Two minutes later an aftershock with magnitude of 5.3 occurred with epicenter at 72 km northeast of Melonguane and at 98 km in depth, the official said.
A moderate 5.0-magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of New Zealand Sunday, geologists said, but there were no reports of casualties or damage.
The US Geological Survey said the epicentre was about 148 kilometres (92 miles) northeast of Rotorua and 223 km east of Auckland.
The quake, which struck at 5:38 am (1738 GMT Saturday) was located around 184 km below sea level.
The US Geological Survey said the epicentre was about 148 kilometres (92 miles) northeast of Rotorua and 223 km east of Auckland.
The quake, which struck at 5:38 am (1738 GMT Saturday) was located around 184 km below sea level.
