Archive for August, 2009
Posted by feww on August 11, 2009
Magnitude 7.6 Quake Strikes Near Andaman Islands, India Region
Earthquake Location Map. Source: USGS
Earthquake Details
- Magnitude: 7.6
- Date-Time
- Monday, August 10, 2009 at 19:55:39 UTC
- Tuesday, August 11, 2009 at 01:55:39 AM at epicenter
- Location: 14.013°N, 92.923°E
- Depth: 33.1 km (20.6 miles)
- Region: ANDAMAN ISLANDS, INDIA REGION
- Distances:
- 260 km (160 miles) N of Port Blair, Andaman Islands, India
- 365 km (225 miles) SSW of Pathein (Bassein), Myanmar
- 825 km (510 miles) W of BANGKOK, Thailand
- 2295 km (1420 miles) SE of NEW DELHI, Delhi, India
- Location Uncertainty: horizontal +/- 9.8 km (6.1 miles); depth +/- 5.7 km (3.5 miles)
- Parameters: NST= 64, Nph= 64, Dmin=833.8 km, Rmss=0.86 sec, Gp= 72°, M-type=(unknown type), Version=6
- Source: USGS NEIC (WDCS-D)
- Event ID: us2009kdb2
Seismic Hazard Map [USGS]
Major Tectonic Boundaries: Subduction Zones -purple, Ridges -red and Transform Faults -green
Historic Seismicity
Major Tectonic Boundaries: Subduction Zones -purple, Ridges -red and Transform Faults -green
Source: USGS
Tsunami Evaluation:
SEA LEVEL READINGS INDICATE THAT A SIGNIFICANT TSUNAMI WAS NOT
GENERATED. THEREFORE THE TSUNAMI WATCH ISSUED BY THIS CENTER
IS NOW CANCELED.
Related Links:
Posted in earthquake forecast, eathquakes, seismic event report, Seismic Hazard, Tsunami Evaluation | Tagged: Andaman Island quake | Leave a Comment »
Posted by feww on August 10, 2009
Typhoon Etau Monday pummeled the coast of Honshu, Japan, bringing torrential rains, which caused floods and landslides, and killing at least 13 people, with a dozen more missing.
The town of Sayō in Hyōgo prefecture was reportedly inundated after torrential rains dumped a record 326 mm of rain in just 24 hours, disrupting air and rail links, Japan’s NHK reported the police as saying.
The Paths of typhoons Morakot and Etau. Image Source: Pacific Disaster Center. Image may be subject to copyright.
Diagrammatic representation of the above image. Source: Pacific Disaster Center/via BBC. Image may be subject to copyright.
“Brown waters engulfed the town, ripping through the walls of buildings, toppling trees and flushing cars and furniture through the streets, television images showed from Sayo in Hyōgo prefecture on Honshu island.” AFP reported.
“It was so scary, the water came surging with a roar,” a resident told japan’s NHK. “I’ve lived here for 60 or 70 years, but I’ve never seen a scene like this before.”
Hyōgo and Okayama prefectures were the hardest hit by floods and landslides caused by record rainfall, Xinhua reported.
In Hyōgo prefecture, Japan, more than 100 troops were deployed as a river burst its banks and inundated about 480 houses. AFP Photo. Image may be subject to copyright.
The town of SAYO sumo-wrestled to the geound by Etau. Original caption: A man walks by a light truck turned over on its side in a street following a nearby river floods caused by a torrential rain in Sayo, western Japan, Monday, Aug. 10, 2009. Typhoon Etau slams into Japan causing floods and landslides. (AP Photo/Kyodo News). Image may be subject to copyright.
Storm Toll
In the past three days, at least 55 people have been killed in SE Asia as a result of the storms, with twice as many hurt and hundreds missing.
Reuters reported the farm-related losses in Taiwan and China which were caused typhoon Morakot at about $500million. The news agency quoted local officials in Taiwan as saying that large numbers of houses were buried in mudslides, and that they had lost contact with up to 600 villagers.
A collapsed hotel building is seen in floods after Typhoon Morakot hit Taitung county, eastern Taiwan August 9, 2009. REUTERS/Stringer. Image may be subject to copyright.
Related Links:
Posted in floods, landslides, mudslides, Okayama prefecture, town of Sayō, Typhoon Morakot, typhoon season | Tagged: Coast of Honshu, Japan, Japan typhoon, Typhoon Etau | Leave a Comment »
Posted by feww on August 9, 2009
The Shrinking World Will Never Be the Same!
Typhoon Morakot leaves a legacy of deluge and destruction in the Philippines and Taiwan before churning over China
Morakot made landfall on Xiapu, in the eastern province of Fujian, SE coast of China, where more than a million people had been evacuated.
Morakot’s clocked winds of about 118 kilometers per hour on landfall, Xinhua said.
The agency also reported one death: A 4-year-old boy who was buried in debris, which the rescue workers were unable to save him.
Xinhua reported the damge to property as as folows
- More than 300 homes collapsed
- About 16,000 hectares (39,500 acres) of land were flooded
- At least 56 roads were inundated
The typhoon had earlier dumped 2,500mm of rain on Taiwan , more than 2,000mm on Friday and Saturday alone, as it lashed the before heading for China. Taiwan authorities said the flooding was the worst in living memory. At least two people were killed and 15 injured, with 29 others reported as missing.
An 8-story hotel in Chihpen, in the south of Taiwan, collapsed after flood waters washed off its foundations, BBC reported.
About 25 people were reportedly killed in the Philippines after Morakot caused extensive flooding and landslides in the northern part of the country. About 200,000 people in the island of Luzon were affected by flooding and landslides caused by Kiko (Typhoon Morakot).
MTSAT Images of Morakot
MTSAT - Avn Color – Still Frame/ IR CH4 – Date and time as shown
MTSAT - Avn Color Near Real-Time - IR CH4 – Date and time as shown
Still frame dated August 9, 2009 at 12:30UTC. NOAA.
Typhoon Morakot – EO/ NASA
Typhoon Morakot bore down on the island of Taiwan on August 7, 2009. When the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Aqua satellite captured this image at 1:25 p.m. local time (5:25 UTC), the center of the storm was just beginning to reach the shoreline. Morakot was a Category 2 storm with winds of about 160 kilometers per hour (100 miles per hour or 85 knots) and was moving slowly northwest over Taiwan. The Joint Typhoon Warning Center forecast that the storm would pass directly over Taipei, Taiwan’s capital, inundating the city with heavy rain. As a Category 2 storm, Morakot does not possess a distinctive eye. The storm is large, however. Its spiraling clouds stretch from the Philippines to Japan’s southern islands. NASA image by Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Rapid Response Team, Goddard Space Flight Center.
Dozens were reported missing, feared dead, after flooding in Taiwan. Photo: AP. Image may be subject to copyright.
Filipino villagers are left stranded after fast moving floodwater cut off a section of highway. Photo: AFP. Image may be subject to copyright.
Posted in flooding, Kiko, landslides, mudslides, typhoon season | Tagged: hotel in Chihpen, Taiwan, the Philippines, Typhoon Morakot, Xiapu | Leave a Comment »
Posted by feww on August 9, 2009
Magnitude 7.1 Quake Occurs Near Izu Islands, Japan Region
A powerful earthquake measuring 7.1Mw occurred about 165km W of Hachijo-jima, Izu Islands, Japan, USGS reported, striking at a depth of 303.1km at 10:55:56 UTC.
Japan’s Meteorological agency said there was NO tsunami threat caused by this earthquake.
According to Reuters News Agency, quoting the national broadcaster, NHK, some high-speed train services were briefly suspended, while the tracks were checked, but no damage was reported.
This event raises the probability of FEWW forecast for Tokyo region to about 0.9 (86%).
Earthquake details:
- Magnitude: 7.1
- Date-Time
- Sunday, August 09, 2009 at 10:55:56 UTC
- Sunday, August 09, 2009 at 07:55:56 PM at epicenter
- Location: 33.144°N, 138.040°E
- Depth: 303.1 km (188.3 miles)
- Region: IZU ISLANDS, JAPAN REGION
- Distances
- 165 km (100 miles) W of Hachijo-jima, Izu Islands, Japan
- 175 km (110 miles) S of Hamamatsu, Honshu, Japan
- 205 km (130 miles) S of Shizuoka, Honshu, Japan
- 320 km (200 miles) SSW of TOKYO, Japan
- Location Uncertainty: horizontal +/- 5 km (3.1 miles); depth +/- 8.9 km (5.5 miles)
- Parameters: NST=201, Nph=201, Dmin=668.8 km, Rmss=0.85 sec, Gp= 29°, M-type=teleseismic moment magnitude (Mw), Version=7
- Source: USGS NEIC (WDCS-D)
- Event ID: us2009kcaz
10-degree Map Centered at 35°N,140°E
Earthquake Location Map. Source: USGS
Earthquake Location. [USGS.]
Major Tectonic Boundaries: Subduction Zones -purple, Ridges -red and Transform Faults -green.
For additional location maps click here.
Historic Seismicity [Source: USGS]
Major Tectonic Boundaries: Subduction Zones -purple, Ridges -red and Transform Faults -green
Seismic Hazard Map [Source: USGS]
Major Tectonic Boundaries: Subduction Zones -purple, Ridges -red and Transform Faults -green
Related Links:
Posted in Honshu quake, seismic event report, Seismic Hazard, Shizuoka, tokyo quake, tsunami threat | Tagged: earthquake forecast, Earthquakes, Hachijo-jima, Izu Islands quake, IZU quake, japan earthquake | 3 Comments »
Posted by feww on August 8, 2009
There’s an irony behind every oil spill!
A fractured pipeline spills 4million liters of crude oil into French nature reserve
Four million liters of crude oil [4,000 cubic meters, or 25,160 barrels, weighing approximately 3,500 metric tons] has spewed from a fractured pipeline into a nature reserve adjacent to the Camargue national park, in southern France.
More than 2 hectares [5 acres] of Coussouls de Crau nature reserve is covered in crude oil. The reserve which is close to the town of Saint-Martin-de-Crau, in the south of France, was created in 2001 and is home to tens of thousands of birds. Photo: AFP (dated August 8, 2009). Image may be subject to copyright.
Owned by the usual gang of big polluters including France’s Total, U.S. giant ExxonMobil and Britain’s BP, the pipeline was operated by the Societe du Pipeline Sud-Europeen (SPSE), which supplies oil refineries and a petrochemical plants in France, Germany and Switzerland.
The 40-year-old fractured underground pipe was a meter wide and buried 80 cm under the ground.
“This is a real ecological disaster,” junior environmental minister Chantal Jouanno told reporters after visiting the area in the far south of France. Reuters reported.
She held the pipeline operator, SPSE responsible for the disaster, and added: “We will have to draw the consequences for all the pipelines in France.”
Crude spill location map: Coussouls de Crau nature reserve, near the town of Saint-Martin-de-Crau, in south of France. Map: Google. Original map may be subject to copyright.
The leak which occurred at about 8.30 am (06:30 UCT) has reportedly covered more than 2 hectares of the Coussouls de Crau nature reserve close to the town of Saint-Martin-de-Crau, south of France.
“The site lies at the entrance to the Camargue park, a vast expanse of plains and marshland, famous for its wild horses and bulls, that [borders] the Mediterranean Sea.” Reuters reported.
Related Links:
Posted in BP, ExxonMobil, Saint-Martin-de-Crau, SPSE, Total | Tagged: Camargue national park, Coussouls de Crau nature reserve, Mediterranean Sea, oil spill, southern France oil spill | 1 Comment »
Posted by feww on August 7, 2009
Climate Change is Forcing Glaciers to Retreat
USGS Fact Sheet 2009–3046
Fifty-Year Record of Glacier Change Reveals Shifting Climate in the Pacific Northwest and Alaska, USA
U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) 50-year research on glacier change shows recent dramatic shrinkage of glaciers in three climatic regions of the United States. These long periods of record provide clues to the climate shifts that may be driving glacier change.
The USGS Benchmark Glacier Program which began began in 1957 , collected data annually at three glaciers that represent three climatic regions in the United States:
- South Cascade Glacier in the Cascade Mountains of Washington State
- Wolverine Glacier on the Kenai Peninsula near Anchorage, Alaska
- and Gulkana Glacier in the interior of Alaska
“These are the three glaciers in North America that have the longest record of mass change,” said Shad O’Neel, a USGS glaciologist and one of the report authors. “All three of them have a different climate from the other two, yet all three are showing a similar pattern of behavior, and that behavior is mass loss.”
Fig 1. USGS Benchmark Glaciers
Glaciers respond to climate changes by thickening and advancing down-valley towards warmer lower altitudes or by thinning and retreating up-valley to higher altitudes. Glaciers average changes in climate over space and time and provide a picture of climate trends in remote mountainous regions. A qualitative method for observing these changes is through repeat photography—taking photographs from the same position through time (fig. 2).
The most direct way to quantitatively observe changes in a glacier is to measure its mass balance: the difference between the amount of snowfall, or accumulation, on the glacier, and the amount of snow and ice that melts and runs off or is lost as icebergs or water vapor, collectively termed ablation (fig. 3).
Positive mass balance occurs when accumulation is greater than ablation and if maintained over long periods results in glacier growth. Conversely, sustained periods of negative mass balance, where accumulation is less than ablation, results in glacier shrinkage. A shrinking glacier thins faster near the terminus (the lowest part of the glacier) than near the head (the highest part of the glacier), which is why the terminus retreats up-valley while the glacier head remains in place (fig. 2). The net balance is the average mass balance over the entire glacier for one glaciological year, the time between the end of the summer ablation season from one year to the next.
Figure 2. Retreat of South Cascade Glacier, Washington, during the 20th Century and the beginning of the 21st Century.
“[The study] certainly says that the place where these glaciers are, the climate is not supportive of healthy glaciers anymore,” O’Neel said.
Figure 3. Diagram of a glacier showing components of mass balance.
Ed Josberger, a USGS hydrologist, and the report coordinator, said the results from the Gulkana, South Cascade and Wolverine glaciers represent global trends.
“There is no doubt that most mountain glaciers are shrinking worldwide in response to a warming climate,” He said.
Full report is available at USGS.
Map showing Gulkana Glacier and other major glaciers of the central and eastern Alaska Range . Click on Gulkana Glacier to go to map of Gulkana Glacier basin. USGS
Gulkana Glacier, Oct. 5, 2003. Photo by Rod March. USGS
Regional Map of South Central Alaska showing location Gulkana and Wolverine Glaciers. USGS
Wolverine Glacier, Sept. 10, 2003. Photo by Rod March. USGS.
South Cascade Glacier, Oct. 5, 2000. Photo by Bob Krimmel. USGS
Related Links
Posted in accumulation, Glaciers retreating, Kenai Peninsula, mass balance, summer ablation season | Tagged: Glacier Change, Gulkana Glacier, South Cascade Glacier, US glaciers shrinking, Wolverine Glacier | 2 Comments »
Posted by feww on August 7, 2009
Submitted by an Australian blogger
Airline Food Can Kill YOU!
Before Virgin Blue served Listeria Chicken in our skies, air passengers’ sole fear of flying was the plane crashes!
Virgin Blue Airliner. “Silence of the Lamb in Fox Red Clothing!” Photo: GRAHAMUK, English Wikipedia
Premature births may be linked to Virgin chicken wraps
By Emma Pollard, ABC Australia
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/08/07/2648635.htm?section=business
7 August 2009
Queensland [Australia] Health says the premature births of two babies could be linked to contaminated chicken wraps served on Virgin Blue flights.
Virgin Blue says it stopped serving the wraps after complaints from customers.
The airline has confirmed flights from Brisbane and Coolangatta, and to New Zealand and Bali, in May and June this year were affected.
Queensland Health spokesman Dr Aaron Groves says five listeria cases in Queensland have been linked to the airline, including the premature births of two babies.
“There are lots of reasons why people can have premature babies but it’s most likely that’s from listeria,” he said.
Meanwhile, passenger Wayne Loughnan says he became seriously ill after eating a chicken wrap on a Virgin Blue flight in June.
“I wouldn’t wish that on my worst enemy what I went through,” he said.
Listeria has an incubation period of up to 70 days. © 2009 ABC
Richard Branson has declared war on Qantas and other rival airlines with the launch of his new fleet of V Australia passenger jets to fly the Australia-US route. His chicken wrap has already caused a sensation in Australia.Photo: AP. Image may be subject to copyright.
What about compensation?
Mark O’Connor, a compensation expert with Bennett and Philp Lawyers in Brisbane says Virgin Blue may be liable for food contamination claims even if the supplier was the source of potentially deadly Listeria bacteria which infected the chicken wraps.
Mr O’Connor said whatever or not Virgin Blue was responsible for causing the contamination, they provided the meals as part of the passenger services, which makes the airline liable for damages.
“The airline in turn would have to make a claim against the supplier of the food but for passengers, it’s the airline that is liable,” he was quoted as saying by AAP.
AAP said:
Listeriosis symptoms include fever, headache, tiredness, aches and pains, diarrhoea, nausea and abdominal cramps.
More severe cases may lead to meningitis or septicaemia.
According to the Victorian government website, Listeria has a fatality rate as high as 30 per cent among at-risk people, who include the elderly, pregnant woman, babies and those with weakened immune systems.
Queensland Health deputy director-general warned pregnant women who may have been infected by the potentially deadly bacteria to see their doctor without delay because of Listeria infection’s 70-day incubation period.
His advice comes amid the discovery that two of the five Listeria cases from Virgin Blue were pregnant women who both gave premature births.
“The babies were born earlier than they should have been and we are quite confident that was because of Listeria,” he said.
Related Links:
Posted in Bennett and Philp Lawyers, Coolangatta flights, meningitis, Queensland Health, septicaemia | Tagged: Coolangatta flights, infected Virgin chicken wraps, listeria infection, Virgin Blue, Virgin chicken wraps | 6 Comments »
Posted by feww on August 7, 2009
Magnitude 4.1 Quake Strikes Near Lubin Copper Mine NW of Wroclaw, Poland
The earthquake struck at a depth of 5km close to Poland’s Lubin underground copper [and silver mine] about 85km NW of Wroclaw, Poland.
In June 2008, an earthquake measuring 4.7Mw, the largest of a swarm that has hit the mining area since 1990 [see Historic Seismicity below,] occurred at an identical depth of 5km.
10-degree Map Centered at 50°N,20°E
Earthquake location map. Source: USGS
Earthquake Details
- Magnitude: 4.1
- Date-Time:
- Friday, August 07, 2009 at 03:33:18 UTC
- Friday, August 07, 2009 at 05:33:18 AM at epicenter
- Location: 51.623°N, 16.151°E
- Depth: 5 km (3.1 miles) set by location program
- Region: POLAND
- Distances
- 85 km (50 miles) NW of Wroclaw, Poland
- 100 km (65 miles) SSW of Poznan, Poland
- 125 km (80 miles) E of Cottbus, Germany
- 340 km (210 miles) W of WARSAW, Poland
- Location Uncertainty: horizontal +/- 5.5 km (3.4 miles); depth fixed by location program
- Parameters: NST= 25, Nph= 25, Dmin=142.4 km, Rmss=0.84 sec, Gp= 40°, M-type=body wave magnitude (Mb), Version=7
- Source: USGS NEIC (WDCS-D)
- Event ID: us2009kaaf
Historic Seismicity
Major Tectonic Boundaries: Subduction Zones -purple, Ridges -red and Transform Faults -green. Source: USGS
Note: the swarm in the center of image relates to the mining activity in the Lubin area. The second swarm of quakes in the image seen on the right [SE of Wroclaw, Poland, ] relates to the coal mining activity in the coal-rich region which extends from the Ostrava coal field in the Czech Republic to the south all the way to the Wujek coal field in Poland to the NW of the region.
Major Tectonic Boundaries: Subduction Zones -purple, Ridges -red and Transform Faults -green. Source: USGS
Related Links:
Posted in Earthquakes, Lubin quake, Poland, Wroclaw, Wujek coal mine | Tagged: Earthquakes, lubin earthquake, minig earthquake, mining related earthquake, poland earthquake | 6 Comments »
Posted by feww on August 7, 2009
NZ Mass Deaths on Auckland Beaches
“Mysterious” Death Claims Hundreds of Animals on New Zealand Beaches, including dolphins, penguins, pilchards and local dogs
Local health officials had originally suspected foul play, however, they now say they can’t rule anything out. Among possible causes, toxic algae poisoning, death from ingesting toxic chemicals, and ingesting rodenticides like 1080 [Sodium fluoroacetate] and Brodifacoum, have been cited.
However, due to extensive sewage contamination in New Zealand coastal waters, which spurs growth of potentially deadly algal blooms [cyanobacteria, also known as blue-green algae, or Cyanophyta,] toxic algae poisoning may well prove to be the main cause of the animal deaths.
For more of this Breaking News see:
Related Links:
Posted in algal blooms, auckland beaches, cyanobacteria, dead dolphins on auckland beaches, dead peguins on NZ beaches, death from toxic poisoning, nz animals killed en mass, toxic algae poisoning | Tagged: 1080, Brodifacoum, Mysterious Death, New Zealand Beaches, rodenticides, Sodium fluoroacetate | 8 Comments »
Posted by feww on August 6, 2009
Volcanic Activity Report: 29 July – 4 August 2009
VOW: Kizimen
55°08’ N, 160°20’ E, summit elevation 2,375 m
Kizimen volcano is a Holocene edifice situated in Shchapina graben, on the southeastern edge of the Central Kamchatka Depression. The volcano is cut by NE-strking faults and deep gullies, which expose the whole suite of its rocks. The only historic eruption of the volcano (“fire flames and black smoke”) was reported by local hunters in 1928, however, it should have been a weak one since no deposits of this age are seen at the foot of the volcano. Copyrighted photo by Vikto Dvigalo. Caption: Holocene Kamchataka volcanoes; http://www.kscnet.ru/ivs/volcanoes/holocene/main/main.htm
Kizimen is an isolated, conical stratovolcano that is morphologically similar to Mount St. Helens prior to its 1980 eruption. The summit of Kizimen consists of overlapping lava domes, and blocky lava flows descend the flanks of the volcano, which is the westernmost of a volcanic chain north of Kronotsky volcano. The 2376-m-high Kizimen was formed during four eruptive cycles beginning about 12,000 years ago and lasting 2000-3500 years. The largest eruptions took place about 10,000 and 8300-8400 years ago, and three periods of long-term lava dome growth have occurred. The latest eruptive cycle began about 3000 years ago with a large explosion and was followed by lava dome growth lasting intermittently about 1000 years. An explosive eruption about 1100 years ago produced a lateral blast and created a 1.0 x 0.7 km wide crater breached to the NE, inside which a small lava dome (the fourth at Kizimen) has grown. A single explosive eruption, during 1927-28, has been recorded in historical time. USGS
New activity/unrest:
Source: Global Volcanism Program (GVP) – SI/USGS Weekly Volcanic Activity Report
Notes:
On 2 August, KVERT reported that seismic activity from Kliuchevskoi had gradually increased since 30 July, and continuous seismic tremor was detected. A strong thermal anomaly was seen in satellite imagery at night.
On 31 July, KVERT reported that seismic activity from Kizimen had increased since 11 July. Several tens of shallow earthquakes per day were detected. (Source: GVP)
Ongoing Activity:
- Batu Tara, Komba Island (Indonesia)
- Chaitén, Southern Chile
- Colima, México
- Ebeko, Paramushir Island
- Fuego, Guatemala
- Galeras, Colombia
- Kilauea, Hawaii (USA)
- Nevado del Huila, Colombia
- Pacaya, Guatemala
- Rabaul, New Britain
- Sakura-jima, Kyushu
- Santa María, Guatemala
- Shiveluch, Central Kamchatka (Russia)
- Suwanose-jima, Ryukyu Islands (Japan)
Recent Kilauea Status Reports, Updates, and Information Releases
HAWAIIAN VOLCANO OBSERVATORY DAILY UPDATE Wednesday, August 5, 2009 7:39 AM HST (Wednesday, August 5, 2009 17:39 UTC)
KILAUEA VOLCANO (CAVW #1302-01-)
19°25’16″ N 155°17’13″ W, Summit Elevation 4091 ft (1247 m)
Current Aviation Color Code: ORANGE
Current Volcano Alert Level: WATCH
Activity Summary for past 24 hours: The Halema`uma`u Overlook vent remained dark; sulfur dioxide emission rates from Halema`uma`u and east rift zone vents were elevated; lava from the TEB vent, on the east rift zone, flows through tubes to the Waikupanaha ocean entry west of Kalapana; surface flows are active on the pali.
Past 24 hours at Kilauea summit: No lava or glow has been visible within the Halema`uma`u Overlook vent since the July 4 DI event. This morning, the plume is white and opaque and is blowing toward the southwest. Tephra production by the vent has been very low over the past several weeks, mostly characterized by ash-sized rock dust from small wall collapses in the vent. No rock falls or gas rushing sounds were heard at the vent during this morning’s ash collection. (HVO)
Related Links:
FEWW Links:
Global Volcanism, Volcanic Activity Report, Volcano Hazard, VolcanoWatch, volcanism, volcanoes. Tagged: Batu Tara, Kīlauea, Sakura-jima, Sarychev Peak, Suwanose-jima.
Posted in Batu Tara, Chaiten, volcanism, volcanoes | Tagged: Kamchatka volcanoes, Kizimen, Kliuchevskoi, Volcanic Activity Report, Volcano Hazard, VolcanoWatch | Leave a Comment »
Posted by feww on August 6, 2009
Airbus Engine Catches Fire in Orly, Paris
Eight people were injured when 165 passengers on an Airbus 310 stampeded toward the emergency exists after an engine suddenly caught fire as the plane prepared for takeoff.
Vueling Flight 9127, was preparing to take off from Orly Airport in Paris, France, heading toward Alicante in southeastern Spain when the engine caught fire at 10:36 am, on Wednesday.
“Before getting out, everybody was panicking inside the plane. When people heard about the incident, everybody was pushing each other to get out and eventually everybody went down the emergency slides,” a passenger told Associated Press.
“Jose Luis Casado, a representative of the Spanish carrier Iberia, which owns nearly half of Vueling, said that a ground employee spotted liquid leaking from one of the engines as it was starting. The employee sounded an alert, but the fire broke out soon after.”
The management decided to use the emergency slides to evacuate the passengers, Casado said.
“Of course, it is a very spectacular procedure because we use the emergency slides, we make the usual announcements, asking people to take off their shoes and leave their luggage on board the plane. It’s quite a traumatic experience for the passengers.”
For a list of most recent air crashes and Airbus near misses click on the link below.
Related Links:
Posted in air disaster, air new zealand, air travel, airbus safety record, airline safety | Tagged: af 447, air france airbus, Airbus near misses, Alicante flight, Iberia, Vueling Flight 9127, Yemenia Airbus | Leave a Comment »
Posted by feww on August 6, 2009
A powerful earthquake could strike Alaska anytime
Based on the FEWW ‘EarthModel’ simulations, Moderators believe a powerful earthquake may strike Alaska anytime [probability of 0.8]
Previous FEWW Forecast
FEWW Forecast: An area within approximately 300-km radius of Anchorage would be one of the seismic zones in Alaska to experience continued intense seismic activity this year possibly including a magnitude MW 7.9 or larger quake close to Anchorage (south of the city, north of Rugged Island).
FEWW Alaska Earthquake Forecast. Approximate location. Source of original map: Google Earth. Map may be subject to copyright.
Related Links:
Posted in Anchorage, anchorage quake forecast, Rugged Island quake forecast, seismic activity, seismic hazard warning | Tagged: Alaska Earthquake forecast, Alaska Earthquake Warning, Earthquake forecasts | 2 Comments »
Posted by feww on August 6, 2009
submitted by a reader
Psychologists may be right!
Nothing short of a cluster of large scale disasters would wake people up—and keep them on their toes!
“Psychological barriers like uncertainty, mistrust and denial keep most Americans from acting to fight climate change, a task force of the American Psychological Association said on Wednesday.” Reuters reported in Psychological barriers hobble climate action.
What wasn’t addressed by the task force of the American Psychological Association, however, are the issue of mind control and culpability:
- How many of those factors introduced into the human experience nexus are INTENTIONALLY added.
- Which of their members are responsible for the mind control operations?
- Which private/government organizations, special interest groups, corporate bodies foot the bill?
The Reuters report continues:
Policymakers, scientists and marketers should look at these factors to figure out what might prod people take action, the task force reported at the association’s annual convention in Toronto.
Did you have the feeling what was about to follow? The solution to the problem is one that must be [and can be] found by policymakers, scientists and marketers [sic] within the existing framework of global economy [sic.]
While most Americans — 75 percent to 80 percent in a Pew Research Center poll — said climate change is an important issue, it still ranked last in a list of 20 compelling issues such as the economy or terrorism, the task force said.
Any wonder why “economy” and “terrorism” are manipulated to the extent they are to keep the real issue, climate change [also depletion of resources and ecosystem collapse—ecocide] way down at the bottom of the pile?
Despite warnings from scientists that humans need to make changes now if they want to avoid the worst effects of climate change, “people don’t feel a sense of urgency,” the association said in a statement.
Don’t worry, they will! A few sobering shocks may be around the corner.
Numerous psychological barriers are to blame, the task force found, including: uncertainty over climate change, mistrust of the messages about risk from scientists or government officials, denial that climate change is occurring or that it is related to human activity.
In a little while, all of the above could turn out to be academic. There are those forces of nature that are beyond the spinpower of Rand Corporation and the likes.
Other factors include undervaluing the risk. Even though an international study showed many people believe environmental conditions will worsen in 25 years, that could lead some to conclude that they don’t have to make changes now.
Do you smell FEAR? These psychologists have a very low fear threshold.
Some people believe anything they do would make little difference and they therefore choose to do nothing.
They may well be right. However, the difference is a “quantum” one. The observer action, regardless of the observer’s certainty in the perceived outcome, will determine her fate.
Habit is the most important obstacle to pro-environment behavior, the task force found.
Do consumption junkies stand a chance?
But habits can be changed, especially if changing saves money and people are quickly made aware of it. People are more likely to use energy-efficient appliances if they get immediate energy-use feedback, the task force said.
Do ethanol junkies stand a chance?
It identified other areas where psychology can help limit the effects of climate change, such as developing environmental regulations, economic incentives, better energy-efficient technology and communication methods.
So the whole thing is yet another spin. The “mother of all spins,” as it were, created by the shrinks because it’s packed with subliminal conditioning, laced with oxymoron like “economic incentives,” and shrouded in the vagueness of phrases like “better energy-efficient.”
If you thought lawyers were bad, you probably didn’t know the evil some shrinks get up to—and not just in their spare time.
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Posted in Climate Change, depletion of resources, ecocide, ecosystems collapse, human activity, Pew Research Center poll, psychological barriers, shrinks, smell of FEAR | Tagged: American Psychological Association, climate change uncertainty, denialists, human experience nexus, mind control, mistrust of scientific community | Leave a Comment »
Posted by feww on August 5, 2009
Another strong aftershock Strikes Gulf of California
A strong aftershock measuring 5.5Mw struck the Gulf of California on Wednesday, August 5, at 09:13:13 UTC, USGS reported.
The latest aftershock was the third one reported by USGS, which had earlier upgraded a previous aftershock, the largest to date, to a magnitude 6.2 [from 5.9 Mw.]
A powerful mainshock measuring 6.9 shook the Gulf of California on Monday.
10-degree Map Centered at 30°N,115°W
Earthquake Location Map. USGS
Location: 29.615°N, 113.850°W
Depth: 10km
Event ID: us2009jwbr
A powerful aftershock strikes off west coast of the South Island, NZ
Meanwhile, a much stronger aftershock measuring 6.1Mw struck off west coast of the South Island, New Zealand.
Location: 45.472°S, 166.336°E
Depth: 10km
Event ID: us2009jyaw
Click on the link for details of the mainshock:
Powerful 7.8 M Quake Strikes New Zealand Region
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Posted in Kermadec trench, Mt Ruapehu Eruption Alert, Plate Tectonics, Seismic Hazard | Tagged: California earthquake, earthquake forecast, Earthquake Forecast 2009, NZ earthquake, South Island earthquake | Leave a Comment »
Posted by feww on August 5, 2009
A Magnitude 6.4 Earthquake Struck Southwestern RyuKyu Islands, Japan
A strong earthquake measuring 6.4 Mw struck southwestern RyuKyu Islands, Japan, Wednesday, August 05, 2009, at 00:18 UTC, USGS reported.
So far, there have been no reports of aftershocks, which might follow later. There has continual seismic activity in the area in the past weeks.
Japan Meterological Agency (JMA) posted no No tsunami warning, however, it advised that slight sea level changes may occur.
Earthquake Details
- Date-Time:
- Wednesday, August 05, 2009 at 00:18:00 UTC
- Wednesday, August 05, 2009 at 09:18:00 AM at epicenter
- Location: 24.232°N, 125.007°E
10-degree Map Centered at 25°N,125°E
Earthquake Location Map. USGS
- Depth: 35 km (21.7 miles) set by location program
- Region: Southwestern RyuKyu Islands, Japan
- Distances:
- 84 km (52 miles) ESE (103°) from Ishigaki-jima, Ryukyu Islands, Japan
- 322 km (200 miles) E (97°) from Su-ao, Taiwan
- 343 km (213 miles) SW (232°) from Naha, Okinawa, Japan
- 1150 km (714 miles) NNE (21°) from MANILA, Philippines
- Location Uncertainty: horizontal +/- 5.1 km (3.2 miles); depth fixed by location program
Parameters NST=159, Nph=159, Dmin=366 km, Rmss=0.9 sec, Gp= 40°, M-type=teleseismic moment magnitude (Mw), Version=6
- Source: USGS NEIC (WDCS-D)
- Event ID: us2009jyab
Historic Seismicity Magnitude 7 and Greater Earthquakes Since 1900
[Source: USGS]
Seismic Hazard Map [Source: USGS]
Major Tectonic Boundaries: Subduction Zones -purple, Ridges -red and Transform Faults -green
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Posted in Okinawa Islands, Plate Tectonics, Seismic Hazard, Su-ao, tsunami warning | Tagged: earthquake forecast, Earthquakes, Ishigaki-jima, japan earthquake, Japan quake, Ryukyu Islands | 1 Comment »
