Earth ChangesS


Attention

Massive 8.9-magnitude quake hits Japan - Eastern coastline inundated by multiple tsunamis

CNN's Ivan Cabrera reports as a powerful earthquake triggers tsunami waves off the coast of Japan.


Comment: Japanese state TV footage of the tsunami washing way inland:

Japanese Earthquake / Tsunami TV Coverage March 11, 2011





Whistle

Massive Earthquake Causes Tsunami Warning for Pacific Coast

Tokyo -- The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center in Hawaii says a tsunami warning is in effect for a large swath of the Pacific after a magnitude 8.8 earthquake hit Japan.

A tsunami warning was in effect for Japan, Russia, Marcus Island and the Northern Marianas. A tsunami watch has been issued for Guam, Taiwan, the Philippines, Indonesia and U.S. state of Hawaii.

Japan's NHK says a small tsunami hit the shore near the epicenter around 3 p.m local time.

Japan's meteorological agency warns that a tsunami as high as 20 feet (6 meters) could strike the coast near Miyagi prefecture, closest to the epicenter.

The agency says the quake struck at 2:46 p.m. Friday at a depth of 6 miles (10 kilometers), about 80 miles (125 kilometers) off the eastern coast.

Bizarro Earth

US: Mold Mystery Surrounds San Francisco Bird Deaths

Dead Sea Gulls
© Richard DrechslerDead sea gulls collected over 2 weeks at Pier 94.

Western gulls have been dying at an alarming rate over the past decade at San Francisco's industrial Pier 94, and preliminary results of a state investigation that found deadly mold inside the bird's lungs are only deepening the mystery surrounding the carnage.

Bird rescuers who recover sick and dying gulls every other day or so from a small industrial patch of waterfront land have long blamed a Darling International-run rendering operation for the deaths.

But, in new findings that are disputed by the bird rescuers, a preliminary California Department of Fish and Game investigation cleared the facility of responsibility for most of the deaths.

The department found 15 to 20 dead or dying gulls monthly, according to California Fish and Game Warden William O'Brien. It performed autopsies on a number of dead gulls and found that growing inside their lungs was a mold called aspergillus, which suffocated the birds.

Bizarro Earth

Japan: Earthquake Magnitude 8.9 - Near The Coast of Honshu

Honshu Quake_110311
© USGSEarthquake Location
Date-Time:
Friday, March 11, 2011 at 05:46:23 UTC

Friday, March 11, 2011 at 02:46:23 PM at epicenter

Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones

Location:
38.322°N, 142.369°E

Depth:
24.4 km (15.2 miles) set by location program

Region:
NEAR THE EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN

Distances:
130 km (80 miles) E of Sendai, Honshu, Japan

178 km (110 miles) E of Yamagata, Honshu, Japan

178 km (110 miles) ENE of Fukushima, Honshu, Japan

373 km (231 miles) NE of TOKYO, Japan

Bizarro Earth

NASA and Other Satellites Keeping Busy With This Week's Severe Weather

US Severe Weather_1
© NOAA/NASA GOES Project On March 9 at 1445 UTC (10:45 a.m. EST), the GOES-13 satellite captured a visible image of the massive storm system that covers about one-third of the U.S.

Satellites have been busy this week covering severe weather across the U.S. Today, the GOES-13 satellite and NASA's Aqua satellite captured an image of the huge stretch of clouds associated with a huge and soggy cold front as it continues its slow march eastward. Earlier this week, NASA's Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission satellite captured images of severe weather that generated tornadoes over Louisiana.

Today the eastern third of the U.S. is being buffered by a large storm that stretches from southeastern Minnesota east to Wisconsin and Michigan, then south through the Ohio Valley and all the way down to eastern Louisiana. That massive storm system was captured in an image by the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite called GOES-13.

GOES satellites are operated by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and NASA's GOES Project, located at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md. creates some of the GOES satellite images and animations.

Bizarro Earth

China Earthquake: Deadly Temblor Kills at Least 22

An earthquake struck China's southwest region today, destroying buildings and causing at least 22 deaths.

Chinese officials said the temblor, which hit while many people were taking their customary afternoon rest, had a magnitude of 5.8 and was centered on Yunnan province's Yingjiang county. (The U.S. Geological Survey, however, reported that it was a 5.4-magnitude quake.)

Here's a short news report:

X

Australia: Mystery horse disease in Victoria

Image
© Jennifer Ingall
The Victorian Department of Primary Industries wants local vets to help identify a mystery horse disease.

Horses living along the Murray River and near Ballarat have become sick with a virus believed to be spread by mosquitoes.

Acting chief veterinary officer Andrew Cameron says he wants local vets to send samples from any sick horses to the DPI.

"I believe the most common symptom is sort of ataxia or wobbliness, more or less drunken horse like staggering about," he said.

Cow Skull

Flashback 50 swans killed by mystery virus in Cork, Ireland

Image
© Unknown
A mystery virus has killed around 50 swans in The Lough area of Cork City over the past few days.

Cork City Council has yet to say how long it has been aware of the problem, but it has been removing the dead swans for the past few days.

The virus is understood to have been introduced by migratory ducks that have settled in the area.

Officials say the illness only affects fowl species and poses no threat to humans.

X

Dublin, Ireland: Swans stricken with mystery illness

swans
© Unknown
Sixteen swans have died in the last 10 days and up to 10 more are seriously ill after they contracted a mysterious infection on the Grand Canal in Dublin.

Tests are being carried out on the corpses of the birds by the Department of Agriculture at the State laboratory.

As of yesterday avian flu had been ruled out, but the cause of the bird deaths remained unknown last night.

A spokeswoman for the Dublin Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, which is caring for the sick swans, said they appeared to have contracted a bacterial infection which was possibly botulism.

Bizarro Earth

Indonesia: Earthquake Magnitude 6.5 - Bali Sea

Bali Sea Quake_100311
© USGSEarthquake Location
Date-Time:
Thursday, March 10, 2011 at 17:08:36 UTC

Friday, March 11, 2011 at 01:08:36 AM at epicenter

Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones

Location:
6.895°S, 116.787°E

Depth:
510 km (316.9 miles)

Region:
BALI SEA

Distances:
200 km (124 miles) NNE of Mataram, Lombok, Indonesia

259 km (160 miles) NE of Denpasar, Bali, Indonesia

986 km (612 miles) W of DILI, Timor-Leste

1105 km (686 miles) E of JAKARTA, Java, Indonesia