Russian scientists announced last week alarming observations about the strong earthquakes that shook the Earth. In the first decade of the 21st century there were almost as many earthquakes measuring above 6.0 on the Richter scale as there were during the entire 20th century. 14 such cases were registered in the 2001-2011 period compared to 17 strong tremors during the 20th century, the Super 19 Minuti weekly reads.
Astrologists believe that this might have something to do with entering the Age of Aquarius. By a terrifying coincidence it was on 11 March 2011 that the Fukushima disaster happened.
Earth Changes
Up to 7 million bats have been wiped out in the U.S. over the last five years by a deadly disease that is rapidly spreading across the country.
© Ralph Orlowski/Getty Images
The Pennsylvania beekeeper Dave Hackenberg was one of the first to draw attention to the problem of Colony Collapse Disorder, or C.C.D., and, as a result, he became a celebrity, at least in apian circles. I interviewed Hackenberg in the spring of 2007, and he told me he didn't believe that the culprit was a virus or a fungus or stress. Instead, he blamed a new class of pesticides called neonicotinoids. Now it looks like Hackenberg was onto something.
© Screengrab from Far East Russia Orca Project
The scientists decided to hold back on releasing photographs of Iceberg until they were able to study him further.
The scientists decided to hold back on releasing photographs of Iceberg until they were able to study him further.
A team of Russian scientists say they will embark on a quest next week to observe the only all-white, adult killer whale ever spotted -- a majestic and elusive bull they have named Iceberg.
The researchers from the universities of Moscow and Saint Petersburg first spotted the orca's towering, two-metre (about six feet) dorsal fin break the surface near the Commander Islands in the North Pacific in August 2010.
Living in a pod with 12 other family members, Iceberg was deemed to be at least 16 years old, given the size of his dorsal fin, said Erich Hoyt, co-director of the Far East Russia Orca Project (FEROP).
"This is the first time we have ever seen an all-white, mature male orca," Hoyt told AFP. "It is a breathtakingly beautiful animal."
The scientists decided to hold back on releasing photographs of Iceberg until they were able to study him further, "but we have been looking for him ever since," said Hoyt.
Orcas can travel thousands of miles.
The scientists would like to establish whether Iceberg is albino -- a genetic condition that leaves animals unable to produce melanin, a dark pigment of skin, hair and the eye's retina and iris.
© NASA/GSFC/METI/ERSDAC/JAROS, and U.S./Japan ASTER Science Team
One of the largest volcanic eruptions in the past 10,000 years occurred in approximately 1620 BC on the volcanic island of Santorini in the Aegean Sea. Following the 1620 BC eruption, much of the previous island of Santorini was destroyed or submerged; this event may have been the inspiration for the legend of the lost continent of Atlantis.
One of the largest volcanic eruptions in the past 10,000 years occurred in approximately 1620 BC on the volcanic island of Santorini in the Aegean Sea. Following the 1620 BC eruption, much of the previous island of Santorini was destroyed or submerged; this event may have been the inspiration for the legend of the lost continent of Atlantis.
The cataclysmic eruptions at the Greek isle of Santorini about 3,600 years ago that spewed forth about 9.5 to 14.3 cubic miles (40 to 60 cubic kilometers) of lava devastated the ancient seafaring Minoan civilization, potentially inspiring the legend of the lost city of Atlantis. From the air, the resulting caldera, or volcanic crater, appears as a small cluster within the larger collection of Greek islands in the Aegean Sea.
Over the next four millennia, the largely underwater caldera at Santorini has experienced a series of smaller eruptions, with five such outbursts in the past 600 years, ending most recently in 1950.
After a 60-year lull, Santorini awakened in January 2011 with a swarm of tremors, each magnitude 3.2 or less, new GPS research has revealed.
© msnbc.msn.com
"Winter storm warnings are in effect from the higher elevations of West Virginia northward to western New York," the National Weather Service stated.
Most of the snow was falling across upstate New York, West Virginia, Maryland and Pennsylvania, where the weather service was predicting the heaviest snowfall "of over an inch per hour" would occur through midday Monday.
In addition, flood watches were in effect in parts of eastern New York and northern Maine, the weather service stated.
Strong winds accompanied the storm overnight, with LaGuardia Airport in New York City recording a 54 mph gust. Winds hit 40 mph in Boston and 44 in Groton, Conn.
At a time when most of the world's glaciers are thinning at a double rate, a few Himalayan glaciers have been growing thicker for over a decade now.
New satellite images and data have proved that some glaciers on the Karakoram mountain range, a part of the Himalayas, have gained ice mass, according to a report published in the latest issue of the journal Nature Geoscience.
"Assessments of the state of health of Hindu-Kush-Karakoram-Himalaya glaciers and their contribution to regional hydrology and global sea-level rise suffer from a severe lack of observations. An anomalous gain of mass has been suggested for the Karakoram glaciers, but was not confirmed by recent estimates of mass balance," the scientists at France's National Centre for Scientific Research and the University of Grenoble noted in the report, titled "Slight mass gain of Karakoram glaciers in the early twenty-first century."
Based on the images acquired from LANDSAT TM, which provides higher resolution and highly accurate images of the Earth's surface, scientists found that a few glaciers in the region surged and advanced between 1998 and 2008.
The team found that out of the total glacier area of 5,615 sq km, about 1,460 sq km of area showed a surge in ice.
New satellite images and data have proved that some glaciers on the Karakoram mountain range, a part of the Himalayas, have gained ice mass, according to a report published in the latest issue of the journal Nature Geoscience.
"Assessments of the state of health of Hindu-Kush-Karakoram-Himalaya glaciers and their contribution to regional hydrology and global sea-level rise suffer from a severe lack of observations. An anomalous gain of mass has been suggested for the Karakoram glaciers, but was not confirmed by recent estimates of mass balance," the scientists at France's National Centre for Scientific Research and the University of Grenoble noted in the report, titled "Slight mass gain of Karakoram glaciers in the early twenty-first century."
Based on the images acquired from LANDSAT TM, which provides higher resolution and highly accurate images of the Earth's surface, scientists found that a few glaciers in the region surged and advanced between 1998 and 2008.
The team found that out of the total glacier area of 5,615 sq km, about 1,460 sq km of area showed a surge in ice.
A storm delivering needed rain to the Atlantic Seaboard will have many faces ranging from urban flooding, to strong winds, unusual cold, heavy snow and power outages into today. A strengthening storm is rolling up the Atlantic Coast with drenching rain.
For many areas, aside from spoiling outdoor plans, the rain is greatly needed with some locations from Washington, D.C. to Boston experiencing a rainfall deficit of 6 inches since March 1. The storm already has or will deliver a thorough soaking. However, the storm will bring problems as well. Enough rain can fall in urban areas to overwhelm storm drains and catch basins from the Delmarva to Maine.
For many areas, aside from spoiling outdoor plans, the rain is greatly needed with some locations from Washington, D.C. to Boston experiencing a rainfall deficit of 6 inches since March 1. The storm already has or will deliver a thorough soaking. However, the storm will bring problems as well. Enough rain can fall in urban areas to overwhelm storm drains and catch basins from the Delmarva to Maine.
© AccuWeather
© REUTERS/Olivia Harris
The Met Office forecast heavy rain today and torrential downpours and gales on Wednesday and Thursday.
There were warnings of localised flooding in the south and more than an inch of rain today, with close to an inch on Wednesday. Parts face two inches' rain, their usual total for the whole of April, in just 72 hours.
The Environment Agency will consider flood warnings, but said downpours have no impact on the drought. Experts say rain has been sucked up by thirsty plants, evaporated or run off rock-hard soil.
April, set to be the wettest since 2000, has already seen 55mm of rain - more than the 54mm average for the whole month.
