Earth ChangesS


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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

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© 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

Heart

60-Year-Old Albatross 'Wisdom' Raising Chick

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© John Klavitter, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service A Laysan albatross named Wisdom, is at least 60 years old and was spotted in February 2011 raising a chick at the Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge in the Pacific Islands. The bird has sported and worn out 5 bird bands since she was first banded by U.S. Geological Survey scientist Chandler Robbins in 1956 as she incubated an egg. Robbins estimated Wisdom to be at least 5 years old then since this is the earliest age at which these birds breed, though they more typically breed at 8 or 9 after an involved courtship lasting several years. This means, of course, that Wisdom is more likely to be in her early sixties.
A Laysan albatross at least six decades into her life has stumped federal biologists by raising another chick.

U.S. Geological Survey and Fish and Wildlife Service scientists said the chick turned up in a February survey at the Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge in the Pacific Islands.

The bird, also known as Wisdom, "has sported and worn out 5 bird bands since she was first banded by USGS scientist Chandler Robbins in 1956 as she incubated an egg," says a statement.

"Just the idea of a bird 60 years old or more still bearing young is amazing," Bruce Peterjohn of the USGS Patuxent Wildlife Research Center in Laurel, Md., told USA Today.

Only one other wild bird is known to have lived to 61. Peterjohn said that Wisdom will tie that bird's record if she lives another year.

"Most Laysan albatrosses live to 30 or 40, just to make it to 60 is pretty incredible."

U.S. and Canadian scientists have banded about 64.5 million birds since 1920 and recovered bands from about 4.5 million of them.

Bizarro Earth

US: Millions of Dead Fish in California: Volunteers Needed to Help Clean up Redondo Beach Dead Fish

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© KTLA-TVMillions of dead fish coat the water's surface in King Harbor in Redondo Beach, March 8, 2011.
Officials say the fish died from oxygen deprivation in the marina.

Heal the Bay, one of Southern California's leading ocean advocates, is looking for volunteers to help clean up millions of dead fish that washed up in King Harbor near Redondo Beach on Tuesday.

City public works crews cleaned up 35 tons of fish with skimmers and bulldozers on Tuesday, but much more work remains to be done.

The dead fish, mostly sardines along with anchovies and mackerel, floated up to the surface from the ocean floor.

About 200 city workers and 75 volunteers are working to get the fish out of the harbor. Redondo Beach officials estimate that the clean-up will cost at least $100,000.

Volunteers are working daily from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.. "No experience or supplies are required -- only enthusiasm," Heal the Bay said in a statement on their website Wednesday.

Heal the Bay also said they are analyzing ocean conditions along with the Redondo Beach SEA Laboratory and the University of Southern California.

Sun

Powerful X-Class Solar Flare

March 9th ended with a powerful solar flare. Earth-orbiting satellites detected an X1.5-class explosion from behemoth sunspot 1166 around 2323 UT. A movie from NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory shows a bright flash of UV radiation plus some material being hurled away from the blast site:



After four years without any X-flares, the sun has produced two of the powerful blasts in less than one month: Feb. 15th and March 9th. This continues the recent trend of increasing solar activity, and shows that Solar Cycle 24 is heating up. NOAA forecasters estimate a 5% chance of more X-flares during the next 24 hours.

Cloud Lightning

US: Northeast next after twisters, floods hit South

Alabama, Louisiana declare emergencies; N.J. expects 'significant event'

Alabama and Louisiana on Wednesday declared states of emergency after twisters hit some areas, while floods submerged others - all part of a severe storm system making its way to the Northeast, where significant flooding was expected Thursday.

In New Jersey, Gov. Chris Christie late Wednesday declared a state of emergency for areas along the Passaic and Delaware rivers and flood-prone Bound Brook in Somerset County.

In the South earlier Wednesday, winds tore roofs off buildings, overturned cars and injured several people. A woman died in a house fire in Mississippi that authorities believe was caused by lightning.

Two apparent tornadoes damaged buildings near Mobile in southwest Alabama, hours after several tornadoes were reported to the west near New Orleans, La.

Several tornadoes also touched down in southern Mississippi damaging some mobile homes, according to the police department in Biloxi.


Bizarro Earth

Papua New Guinea: Earthquake Magnitude 6.5 - New Britain Region

PNG Quake_090311
© USGSEarthquake Location
Date-Time:
Wednesday, March 09, 2011 at 21:24:51 UTC

Thursday, March 10, 2011 at 07:24:51 AM at epicenter

Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones

Location:
6.022°S, 149.659°E

Depth:
29 km (18.0 miles)

Region:
NEW BRITAIN REGION, PAPUA NEW GUINEA

Distances:
27 km (17 miles) NNE (31°) from Kandrian, New Britain, PNG

305 km (189 miles) ENE (75°) from Lae, New Guinea, PNG

341 km (212 miles) NNE (27°) from Popondetta, New Guinea, PNG

469 km (292 miles) NE (35°) from PORT MORESBY, Papua New Guinea

Bizarro Earth

Japan: Earthquake Magnitude 6.1 - Near The East Coast of Honshu

Honshu Quake4_090311
© USGSEarthquake Location
Date-Time:
Wednesday, March 09, 2011 at 21:22:18 UTC

Thursday, March 10, 2011 at 06:22:18 AM at epicenter

Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones

Location:
38.385°N, 142.642°E

Depth:
23 km (14.3 miles)

Region:
NEAR THE EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN

Distances:
154 km (95 miles) E of Sendai, Honshu, Japan

194 km (120 miles) SE of Morioka, Honshu, Japan

201 km (124 miles) E of Yamagata, Honshu, Japan

395 km (245 miles) NE of TOKYO, Japan