In Ethiopia's arid Afar region eruptions and earthquakes have created an open-air laboratory
The nomads were terrified. For a week the ground had shuddered violently. Cracks opened up in the soil swallowing goats and camels. Sulphur-laced smoke rose out of the dark slits. After retreating to the hills, the nomads saw chunks of obsidian rock burst through the Earth's crust "like huge black birds" and fly 30 metres into the air.A mushroom cloud of ash dimmed the sun for three days. At night the new crater breathed flashes of fire.
"They had experienced earthquakes before but never anything like this," said Atalay Ayele, a seismologist at Addis Ababa University, who interviewed the Afar tribespeople soon after the volcanic eruption 13 months ago in this remote corner of north-eastern Ethiopia. "They said that Allah must have been angry with them."
Earth Changes
The world's target for stopping global warming should be based on the point at which the melting of the great Greenland ice sheet becomes irreversible, says the Government's chief scientific adviser, Sir David King.
The loss of Greenland's ice would be a global catastrophe, raising sea levels by more than 20ft, swamping vast regions of low-lying land from East Anglia to Bangladesh.
The international community must limit the atmospheric level of the principal greenhouse gas, carbon dioxide (C02), to below the point where the Greenland ice begins to melt in a runaway manner, Sir David said. This figure is not yet precisely known - but much scientific effort is being expended on finding it out.
The loss of Greenland's ice would be a global catastrophe, raising sea levels by more than 20ft, swamping vast regions of low-lying land from East Anglia to Bangladesh.
The international community must limit the atmospheric level of the principal greenhouse gas, carbon dioxide (C02), to below the point where the Greenland ice begins to melt in a runaway manner, Sir David said. This figure is not yet precisely known - but much scientific effort is being expended on finding it out.
LONDON - Ignoring climate change could lead to economic upheaval on the scale of the 1930s Depression, underlining the need for urgent action to combat global warming, a British report on the costs of climate change said.
The report by chief British government economist Nicholas Stern, a 27-page summary of which was obtained by Reuters, says the benefits of determined worldwide steps to tackle climate change would greatly outweigh the costs.
The report by chief British government economist Nicholas Stern, a 27-page summary of which was obtained by Reuters, says the benefits of determined worldwide steps to tackle climate change would greatly outweigh the costs.
U.S. scientists say species are becoming extinct thousands of times faster than they have historically, and that is posing problems for humanity.
An earthquake swarm - a steady drumbeat of moderate, related seismic events - over hours or days, often can be observed near a volcano such as Mount St. Helens in Washington state or in a geothermal region such as Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming. New research led by a University of Washington seismologist shows, however, that such swarms can occur anywhere that is seismically active, not just near volcanoes or geothermal regions.
"In our research we saw swarms everywhere and we could see the broad characteristics of how they behaved," said John Vidale, a UW professor of Earth and space sciences and director of the Pacific Northwest Seismograph Network.
"In our research we saw swarms everywhere and we could see the broad characteristics of how they behaved," said John Vidale, a UW professor of Earth and space sciences and director of the Pacific Northwest Seismograph Network.
Australia's worst drought in recorded history will cut its wheat crop to its lowest level in 12 years and cut economic growth by around 0.7 percent, an official forecast said Friday.
Research from Met Office (UK) scientists shows that an additional quarter of the earth's land surface could be affected by drought by the end of this century.
NEW YORK -- A UN rights advocate said that millions more of the world's poor suffered malnutrition last year.
The advocated also charged that the trade practices of wealthy nations and desert encroachment aggravated the problem.
The advocated also charged that the trade practices of wealthy nations and desert encroachment aggravated the problem.
A MAN was missing last night after an open canoe capsized on a loch.
The horror unfolded as the worst storms in 70 years lashed northern Scotland. Hundreds fled their homes as flooding caused mayhem.
The horror unfolded as the worst storms in 70 years lashed northern Scotland. Hundreds fled their homes as flooding caused mayhem.
Reports of a loud explosion on the north Cornwall and Devon border are being investigated.
A number of residents reported hearing a loud bang between 1130 and 1200 BST around the Bude and Holsworthy area. Others said their homes were damaged.
A number of residents reported hearing a loud bang between 1130 and 1200 BST around the Bude and Holsworthy area. Others said their homes were damaged.
Comment: Comment: There are a couple of reports of similar incidents in different locations here, and if interested in this topic there is the Signs Supplement: Sonic or "Mystery" Booms.
Comment: It's the "tipping point" alright, but for entirely different reasons than the global warmists are telling you:
Fire and Ice: The Day After Tomorrow