© Unknown
Geologists have long puzzled over anecdotal reports of strange atmospheric phenomena in the days before big earthquakes. But good data to back up these stories has been hard to come by.
In recent years, however, various teams have set up atmospheric monitoring stations in earthquake zones and a number of satellites are capable of sending back data about the state of the upper atmosphere and the ionosphere during an earthquake.
Last year, we looked at some fascinating data from the DEMETER spacecraft showing a significant increase in ultra-low frequency radio signals before the magnitude 7 Haiti earthquake in January 2010
Today, Dimitar Ouzounov at the NASA Goddard Space Flight Centre in Maryland and a few buddies present the data from the Great Tohoku earthquake which devastated Japan on 11 March. Their results, although preliminary, are eye-opening.
They say that before the M9 earthquake, the total electron content of the ionosphere increased dramatically over the epicentre, reaching a maximum three days before the quake struck.
Earth Changes
MIT's Technology Review notes today:
Funnel cloud spotted over Galway on Tuesday. Image Kit O Sullivan
Kit O'Sullivan from Ardrahan in the south of the county emailed pix@irishweatheronline.com with her shot of the weather feature forming from a storm cell on Tuesday evening (5.15-5.20P.M.)
Kit said the funnel cloud was located between Kilcolgan and Kinvara. She decribed the feature "growing quite long", but could not determine if it touched the ground, and consequently becoming a confirmed tornado.
For a while late Tuesday afternoon, it seemed as though Central Minnesota was either going to sink or float away.
A line of storms dumped more than 2 inches of water on St. Cloud in a couple of hours before the drops finally stopped about 6 p.m.
And your umbrella might not dry out for the next couple of days.
Forecasts call for 1-3 inches of rain through Thursday, according to Bob Weisman, St. Cloud State University meteorologist.
That could bring about a repeat of flash flooding that occurred Tuesday, bringing cars to a halt on some streets and washing out the St. Cloud River Bats' game.
According to Weisman, a St. Cloud State rain gauge recorded 2.33 inches of precipitation between 4 and 5 p.m. Tuesday.
Low-lying areas, including several intersections in St. Cloud, filled with several feet of water. That caused St. Cloud police to divert traffic and, at least along Veterans Drive just west of 33rd Avenue North, assist drivers whose cars stalled in water that was over the wheel wells.
Other problem areas included Ninth Avenue South and Minnesota Highway 23, 25th Avenue North and Fourth Street, and a section of 18th Street South in the 10th-12th Street area, according to St. Cloud Fire Capt. Pat Ellering.
"We had several intersections closed and several cars stranded," Ellering said. "It was a lot of rain in a short amount of time and the system wasn't able to handle it."
A line of storms dumped more than 2 inches of water on St. Cloud in a couple of hours before the drops finally stopped about 6 p.m.
And your umbrella might not dry out for the next couple of days.
Forecasts call for 1-3 inches of rain through Thursday, according to Bob Weisman, St. Cloud State University meteorologist.
That could bring about a repeat of flash flooding that occurred Tuesday, bringing cars to a halt on some streets and washing out the St. Cloud River Bats' game.
According to Weisman, a St. Cloud State rain gauge recorded 2.33 inches of precipitation between 4 and 5 p.m. Tuesday.
Low-lying areas, including several intersections in St. Cloud, filled with several feet of water. That caused St. Cloud police to divert traffic and, at least along Veterans Drive just west of 33rd Avenue North, assist drivers whose cars stalled in water that was over the wheel wells.
Other problem areas included Ninth Avenue South and Minnesota Highway 23, 25th Avenue North and Fourth Street, and a section of 18th Street South in the 10th-12th Street area, according to St. Cloud Fire Capt. Pat Ellering.
"We had several intersections closed and several cars stranded," Ellering said. "It was a lot of rain in a short amount of time and the system wasn't able to handle it."
Nabro continued to erupt Wednesday as this MODIS image shows
Eritrean TV (Eri.TV) today broadcast images of the volcano which erupted for the first time in its history on Sunday 12 June last. The volcano continued to erupt Wednesday sending ash northwestards toward Sudan.
Meanwhile, the eruption of the stratovolcano has created a new landmass, according to the director general of Mines at the Ministry of Energy and Mines, Mr. Alem Kibreab.
Mr. Alem said that the ash and lava emitted from the Southern Red Sea region volcano has created a new land mass measuring hundreds of square metres. The director general also disclosed that a team composed of geological and volcanic experts is conducting studies in the area.
Meanwhile, according to reports, 7 people have died while 3 people have sustained injuries due to the eruption. The Ministry confirmed that inhabitants of the area have been moved to safer locations while at the same time they are being given basic provisions.
Tokyo - An earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 6.7 struck off the Pacific coast of northern Japan early Thursday, Japanese and U.S. seismologists reported.
The Japan Meteorological Agency warned that a tsunami about one-half meter (19.5 inches) could be generated by the temblor, but there was no immediate report of damage or injuries.
The quake struck shortly before 7 a.m. (6 p.m. Wednesday ET) and was centered 530 kilometers (330 miles) north-northeast of Tokyo. The epicenter was off the northern prefecture of Iwate, about 175 kilometers (109 miles) north of where the magnitude 9 quake that devastated northern Japan struck in March.
The Japan Meteorological Agency warned that a tsunami about one-half meter (19.5 inches) could be generated by the temblor, but there was no immediate report of damage or injuries.
The quake struck shortly before 7 a.m. (6 p.m. Wednesday ET) and was centered 530 kilometers (330 miles) north-northeast of Tokyo. The epicenter was off the northern prefecture of Iwate, about 175 kilometers (109 miles) north of where the magnitude 9 quake that devastated northern Japan struck in March.
North Dakota residents advised to leave - Due to expected flooding, North Dakota residents were asked to evacuate ahead of worsening conditions. About 12,000 people from Minot, N.D., the fourth largest city in the state, left their homes due to the overflowing Souris River that runs through the city.
© Credit: AP Photo/ The Forum, Teri Finneman
Tina Collom, 82, stands outside her Minot, N.D., home shortly before leaving it.
Tina Collom, 82, stands outside her Minot, N.D., home shortly before leaving it.
© Reuters
Devastation caused by the 2010 floods in Pakistan.
Devastation caused by the 2010 floods in Pakistan.
Monsoon floods began roaring through Pakistan in late July last year, leaving one-fifth of the country - an area the size of Italy - underwater, disrupting the lives of more than 18 million people.
The government and aid organisations were criticised for being too slow to respond while the military, seen as a far more efficient institution, took the lead in relief operations.
As Pakistan braces itself again for its annual monsoon season - which runs from late June to early September - the UN says authorities and the aid community have learnt lessons and are better prepared - even for the worst case scenario.
"Since the beginning of March, we have been in close contact with the government to make sure response is up and running and that we are better prepared this year," said Manuel Bessler, head of the UN emergencies office (OCHA) in Pakistan.
© Justin Sullivan/Getty Images
Utility Workers
Utility Workers
The storm, which hit after 7 p.m. and prompted numerous tornado warnings throughout the area, according to the National Weather Service. By 9:30 p.m., the most severe portion of the storms passed to the northeast.
The downed trees and power lines have Commonwealth Edison crews scrambling to restore power and Metra working to removed downed trees and branches from the tracks.
As of 12:30 p.m. Wednesday, approximately 239,000 ComEd customers across the area were without power, according to spokesman Derrick Clifton. Since the storms hit, 175,000 ComEd customers have had power restored.
ComEd has had approximately 400 crews out since the storm blew through the area, working to restore power to hundreds of thousands of customers who were left in the dark.
© China News
Fishing vessels anchor at Xingang Port to take shelter from the approaching tropical storm in Haikou, capital of south China's Hainan Province, June 22, 2011. A new tropical storm, the fourth this year, formed early Tuesday morning and is expected to land in Guangdong from Wednesday night to Thursday morning. The National Meteorological Center has issued a typhoon alarm. (Xinhua/Pan Qinghua)
Fishing vessels anchor at Xingang Port to take shelter from the approaching tropical storm in Haikou, capital of south China's Hainan Province, June 22, 2011. A new tropical storm, the fourth this year, formed early Tuesday morning and is expected to land in Guangdong from Wednesday night to Thursday morning. The National Meteorological Center has issued a typhoon alarm. (Xinhua/Pan Qinghua)
Qiongzhou Strait is located between the southern provinces of Guangdong and Hainan.
Wu Qiang, deputy manager of Xiuying Passenger Ferry Company under the port affairs administration of Haikou, capital city of Hainan Province, said the temporarily suspended service has stranded about 100 travelers and vehicles.
"The port of Haikou has opened two spare parking lots and is ready to offer relevant services," Wu said.
© Chase McNulty
At Northwestern University in Evanston, Ill., 42 buildings were reported to be without electricity, the Chicago Tribune said. There was no word on when the lights would be back on.
In the north and west suburbs, crews armed with chainsaws worked to remove downed trees and branches from the streets. Delays were reported for suburban commuter trains and the city's mass transit system.
The storms moved through northern Illinois Tuesday night. Hundreds of flights were canceled at Chicago airports, subway passengers were stranded and at least 300,000 homes and businesses lost power. Commonwealth Edison said repairing the damage could take days.
Comment: The idea of solar activity leading to earthquakes as set forth by Mitch Battros is not crazy. In fact, we've noted similar ideas here on SOTT:
Cyclones, Earthquakes, Volcanoes And Other Electrical Phenomena