Earth ChangesS


Bizarro Earth

After Fires, Calif. Mudslide Threat

Santa Ana, Calif. - Southern California's weather turned from dangerously dry to extremely wet Friday as storms brought the threat of mudslides and flash floods to areas burned by recent wildfires, causing evacuation orders.

Question

Mysterious lake swells and shrinks 3 times a day

Longchao Lake, a mysterious lake located in southwest China's Chongqing Municipality, swells and shrinks three times a day!

With no ditch or other lakes nearby, how does the lake come up with three regular one-hour swells-and-shrinks at 8 am, 12 am and 4 pm respectively every day?

Chongqing Economic Times reported that the lake's mysterious moves have finally prompted a latest scientific investigation of the lake organized by Chongqing Exploitation Association and local hydrology and geology experts. The two-day investigation starts on Friday.

©CRI
Mysterious Longchao Lake located in Southwest China's Chongqing Municipality.

Question

Mysterious Helium Leak Detected in Nevada

Strange mixtures of helium gas have been discovered leaking from the ground in Nevada. To the surprise of geologists, helium-3 and other gases, which are normally associated volcanoes, are seeping up through non-volcanic ground there.

The discovery could reveal some secrets about how hot fluids deep in the crust control earthquakes as well as lead to new geothermal energy sources.

©BLM
Scientists detected excess helium-3 at the Dixie Valley geothermal plant in central Nevada, shown here.

Bell

Strong earthquake 6.2 hits Indonesia's Sumatra

An earthquake measuring a magnitude of 6.2 hit Indonesia's Sumatra Island on Saturday morning, but there have been no immediate reports of damage or casualties, the U.S. Geological Survey said.

Info

Agency introduces activity warnings for 7 volcanoes

The Japan Meteorological Agency on Saturday started issuing volcanic activity warnings for areas centering around seven active volcanoes including one which is undersea in line with a revised meteorological business law, noting that there has been no change in the levels of activity themselves.

Laptop

New Research Discredits 100 Billion Dollar Global Warming Fix

Scientists have revealed an important discovery that raises doubts concerning the viability of plans to fertilize the ocean to solve global warming, a projected $100 billion venture. Research performed at Stanford and Oregon State Universities, published in the Journal of Geophysical Research, suggests that ocean fertilization may not be an effective method of reducing carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, a major contributor to global warming.

Bizarro Earth

Red Tide Blamed for Calif. Bird Deaths

SAN FRANCISCO - Hundreds of dead or injured seabirds have washed up on the shores of Monterey Bay in recent weeks, and scientists believe a red tide of marine algae is to blame.

Cloud Lightning

Algeria flood toll rises to 11



©AFP
Algerian officials and rescuers check a collapsed bridge.

Flooding from five days of heavy rains in northern Algeria has claimed 11 lives and three more people are missing feared dead, officials said Wednesday.

Four people died in the northwestern Mediterranean city of Oran when their old houses collapsed on Tuesday and Wednesday, head of civil protection Houari Saadaoui told public television.

Their deaths brought to 11 the number of people confirmed to have died in weather-related incidents since the heavy rains began to sweep across northern Algeria on Saturday.

Cloud Lightning

Rising Sea Floods Indonesian Capital



©AP Photo/Irwin Fedriansyah
Indonesians wade through a flooded street in North Jakarta.

Jakarta, Indonesia - Indonesia's environment minister said Tuesday that global warming was to blame after the capital of Jakarta was partially flooded, forcing thousands of people to flee homes and cutting off a highway to the international airport.

Authorities used pumps to lower water levels, which reached six feet in the worst-hit areas and washed more than a mile inland Monday, said Iskandar, an official at Jakarta's flood crisis center. At least 2,200 houses were inundated, some with chest-deep water.

People

Asian nations face "unprecedented" water crisis: Report

Developing countries in Asia could face an "unprecedented" water crisis within a decade due to mismanagement of water resources, the Asian Development Bank said in a report on Thursday.

The effects of climate change, rapid industrialisation and population growth on water resources could lead to health and social issues that could cost billions of dollars annually, it said.

"If the present unsatisfactory trends continue, in one or two decades, Asian developing countries are likely to face and cope with a crisis on water quality management that is unprecedented in human history," Ajit Biswas wrote in the report.