Earth Changes

Kanlaon Volcano spews ash cloud in the Philippines

ABS CBN News
Fri, 11 Dec 2015 04:49 UTC

An ash eruption occurred at Kanlaon Volcano early morning on Friday, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) said.

In a bulletin posted 8 a.m., Phivolcs said in the past 24 hours, four volcanic earthquakes were recorded, two of which were accompanied by a low-energy ash eruption.

The ash eruption occurred at 5:13 a.m. and lasted for a minute based on visual observation.

"This produced a grayish to dirty-white cloud of ash reaching a height of 600 [meters] which then drifted southwest," Phivolcs said.

Traces of ash were observed on the southwest slope of the volcano along San Jose, La Castellana, it added.

Alert Level 1 is still hoisted over Kanlaon Volcano, as it remains in an abnormal condition and is in a period of current unrest.

The Phivolcs reminded local government units (LGUs) and the public that entry into the 4-kilometer radius Permanent Danger Zone is strictly prohibited "due to the further possibilities of sudden and hazardous steam-driven or phreatic eruptions."

It said civil aviation authorities should also advise pilots to avoid flying close to the volcano's summit, warning that airborne ash from a sudden eruption can be hazardous to aircraft.

Comment: The rate of volcanic activity continues to increase, as the number of volcanoes erupting right now is greater than the 20th century's YEARLY average.

Incredible sun halo captured over Jackson Hole, Wyoming

Strange Sounds
Wed, 09 Dec 2015 21:00 UTC

It looks like a giant eye had suddenly appeared in the sky of Wyoming on December 3, 2015.

These eerie ice halos were captured by Stephen Lyons while skiing on 3rd December 2015 and comprise ultra-rare Parry infralaterals and Lowitz arcs.

The Jackson Hole ice halos came from them ski-slope snow blowers.

The Lowitz arcs are unusual in ski-slope diamond dust. Also, the helic, 46° Parry arcs are rarities that were only seen in exceptional displays at the South Pole before snow blowers.

It looks like something on Earth is changing even at the ice crystal and halo scale.

Violent storm hits Iceland, strongest in 25 years

Eric Chanry
Weather Wunderground
Tue, 08 Dec 2015 11:38 UTC

Iceland saw its worst storm in 25 years Monday as a severe polar low hit the island, bringing with it rain, snow and massive wind gusts.

The East Iceland weather station of Hallormsstaðaháls picked up a wind-speed reading of more than 160 mph, reports the Iceland Monitor. At Bolungarvík on the Westfjords peninsula, a personal weather station recorded a wind gust of 96 mph, with sustained maximum wind speeds of more than 60 mph.

Icelandic authorities raised the country's severe-weather preparedness level to "hazard" Monday in preparation for the storm, the Iceland Monitor reports, and 700 rescue workers fielded around 350 calls Monday, and are still working in the northern part of the country.

There were no reports of severe injuries to people as a result of the storm, said the Iceland Review, and the Iceland Department of Civil Protection in Iceland thanked the public for heeding warnings, which, it says, no doubt saved people from injuries. But here were numerous reports of property damage.

The worst weather affected populated areas by Eyjafjöll, South Iceland, and Vestmannaeyjar (the Westman Islands), where several roofs came loose and one of them landed in the neighbor's yard, Vísir reports.

Two boats sank in Reykjavík Harbor, the Iceland Review reports, and a bus shelter in town was torn to pieces by the wind. In Kópavogur, near Reykjavík, a windowpane blew out of an apartment building in one piece, and many old window panes in Reykjavík shattered. Domestic flights in Iceland were still grounded as of Tuesday morning, the Iceland Monitor reported. The Icelandic Road and Coastal Administration was still reporting numerous roads closed throughout the country due to hazardous conditions.

On second thought. Think I'll just stay in. #storm pic.twitter.com/YsgHA5I10l
— Jon Gretar (@JonGretar) December 7, 2015

Heavy rains cause giant sinkhole to open in Gresham, Oregon

KGW News
Tue, 08 Dec 2015 16:50 UTC

After heavy rains pounded the Portland metro area, a sinkhole near Mount Hood Community College emerged, gutting two lanes of Northeast Kane Drive in Gresham.

The sinkhole was located at Northeast Kane Drive and 23rd Avenue. The road was barricaded off between Division Street and Stark Street.

Nearby Mount Hood Community College was closed Monday night and Tuesday. The school will reopen Wednesday even though Kane Road remains closed.

The road will be closed for several weeks for major repairs. Drivers should find an alternate route.

Officials were working to determine exactly what caused the sinkhole.

Great white shark washes up on Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina

wect.com
Mon, 07 Dec 2015 19:54 UTC

Officials at UNCW released the findings from the necropsy performed Tuesday of a female great white shark that washed up on Wrightsville Beach Monday morning.

The five-hour necropsy began by photo documenting the 10-foot, 687-pound juvenile animal for matching against images of known great white sharks in the North Atlantic.

The animal had multiple shark bites along the flank and ventrum, and was missing the left flipper. Samples were collected to determine if these wounds occurred pre- or post- mortem. There was one deep linear laceration on the right side that was in the process of healing and was not implicated in the death of the shark.

Officials then began the internal exam by opening the right abdomen and removing the large left and right lobes of the liver, which represented 15 percent of the shark's weight.

Sinkhole closes highway in northwest Oregon

KEZI 9 News
Tue, 08 Dec 2015 19:57 UTC

Highway 22 in Yamhill County remains closed after heavy rain eroded the highway and created a sinkhole.

The highway is closed about 2.5 miles east of Dolph Junction in Yamhill County.

The sinkhole stretches across the highway and is believed to be five feet deep.

Engineers for the Oregon Department of Transportation are assessing the roadway damage in an effort to expedite repairs. An emergency contract may be awarded in the next several days and repairs could be underway late this week.

In addition, a hazardous materials crew will need to remove diesel that spilled from the ruptured fuel tank of a semi that went into the sinkhole earlier this morning. Until the roadway is repaired, travelers should plan on using or 18 as an alternate route.

25 dead peacocks and other birds found in Khurda Forest, India

Busta Sebetseba
News Tonight Africa
Thu, 10 Dec 2015 19:44 UTC

© Express News Service
A forest staffer carries dead peacocks to the OUAT Veterinary College in Bhubaneswar from Madhupur near Khurda

There are concerns about a possible spread of bird flu after 25 peacocks and a large number of other birds were found dead at Madhapur village forest under Khurda Forest Division on Tuesday morning.

The villagers found a large number of birds including pigeons, crows and cranes dead in the area. The birds were found near a water body at Madhupur village forest under Khurda Forest Division. After finding the birds, the villagers immediately informed the Forest officials of Khurda and Chandaka divisions, who recovered the dead birds in the area.

Chandaka DFO Manoj Mohapatra said, "Some carcasses have been sent to OUAT for the preliminary examination. Samples would be sent to Animal Disease Research Institute (ADRI) of State Veterinary Department and National Institute of High-Security Animal Diseases (NIHSD), Bhopal, for determining the nature of deaths".

Two suns appear during sunset in Indonesia

Strange Sounds
Wed, 09 Dec 2015 18:11 UTC

Have you ever seen two suns setting in the night sky?

A double sun was photographed in the sky of Indonesia last Friday between 17:49:28 and 17:50:46.

This strange, otherworldly sight could just be a hoax, but similar optical illusions have been seen before. Lately in Canada on November 2, 2015.

This is not a common optical phenomenon that we're seeing here. The appearance of a second sun is caused by optical refraction, as atmospheric particles bend light in unusual ways, creating mirages.

I'm asking myself if this is an artifact of the lens. Or a fake? But I don't think so.

I assume this incredible atmospheric phenomenon is created by particles of ice or something in the atmosphere aligned in such a way that they would refract the sunlight at that very small angle, but only in one direction, like a mirror. It would require some fairly peculiar characteristics.

Could this be a giant sundog appearing just on one side of the 'real' sun? A king of collection of the glow creating this haunting orb that makes us think there is an additional sun.

2 deaths, many rescues after latest storm pummels the Pacific Northwest

Daily Mail,UK
Thu, 10 Dec 2015 05:36 UTC

© AP Photo/Steve Dipaola
A large fir tree fell on a house overnight and killed an 60-year-old woman in Portland, Ore., Wednesday, Dec. 9, 2015, as the Pacific Northwest was soaked by another night of heavy rain. More than 5 inches of rain have fallen on Portland since Sunday, and strong winds have uprooted trees from the saturated ground.

Torrential rains pummeled parts of the Pacific Northwest early Wednesday causing mudslides and flooding roads, leaving two women dead in Oregon and sweeping seven people into a Washington river, where they were rescued.

A large Douglas fir tree crashed into a Portland home early Wednesday, killing a 60-year-old woman who was in bed.

The tree, roughly 30 inches in diameter, was uprooted and sliced through the house, pinning the woman underneath.

Next door neighbor Sam Choumxay said he watched in horror as the tree fell onto his neighbor's house with a thud. The tree top slammed into two cars in Choumxay's driveway.

Choumxay said he ran outside, made it around the tree, and raced to his neighbors' front door.

"Is anybody hurt? Is anybody hurt? I just kept calling to them," he said.

On Wednesday afternoon, a woman drowned after her car became submerged on a flooded road about 60 miles northwest of Portland in Clatskanie, Oregon, The Oregonian reported.

Firefighters rescued a man they found standing on top of a car in knee-to-waist deep water. They said the man drove himself and the woman into high water where the road was closed near U.S. Highway 30 and Lost Creek Road. The car then sank.

Responders found the woman dead at the scene.

Comment: Recently the Pacific Northwest region has also experienced more than 50 small earthquakes in a week as well as an exploding meteor lighting up the night skies.