California Sues EPA

California state Attorney General Jerry Brown is suing the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for “wantonly” ignoring its duty to regulate greenhouse gas emissions.

See Main Entry:

California Sues EPA on GHG Emissions

Site of the Week!

FEWW site of the week is: TIME’S UP!

Their description page reads:

TIME’S UP! is a grassroots environmental group that uses educational outreach and direct action to promote a more sustainable, less toxic city. For more than 15 years, TIME’S UP! has worked to educate people about the environmental impacts of everyday decisions, from the food we buy to the means of transportation we use.

TIME’S UP! and other groups are spreading the word to ride together. By riding with your friend or buddy, it immediately becomes safer. By teaming up with a third person, it becomes even safer. Ride to work together and ride home together. When you see another rider, be friendly and link up. Ride to the beach together!

Enemy No. 1: The Mercenary Police

See their members in action, or rather the New York Police Department’s action against their members:

• Critical Mass Bicyclist Assaulted by NYPD [July 25, 2008 – Times Square, NYC]
  

Related Links:

• Social obstacles to change
• NYPD Investigates Cop Videotaped Throwing Cyclist Off Bike

California Fires: Not Hard to Understand!

“A Conspiracy Against the Public”: For political reasons, Google has blocked this post. [Aug 14, 2008]

Wildfires are big business. Big business is good business!

Here’s how the formula works:

1. Calif residents, instead of being discouraged (for obvious reasons), are encouraged to build their dream homes at the edge of wildlands, areas prone to wildfire. More than 1 million homes (about 61% of all new housing) built in California, Oregon and Washington between 1990 to 2000 were erected at the edge of fire-prone wildlands, a University of Wisconsin study reported.

2. Brush clearing and creation of firebreaks are frowned upon because they are regarded as “too expensive!” The “excess fuel” which is not cleared away [or allowed to burn out the previous years] increases the danger to life and property, which continue being erected on ill-situated sites. The 2003 fires which extended from the Mexican border to Los Angeles suburbs, claimed about 20 lives, including one firefighter, and about 2,750 homes and other building. Official damage estimates ranged from $1.25 to $2 billion, making the fires the most expensive in state history. Now, they’ve got everyone by the short and curlies [soon their hearts and minds will follow!]

3. Thus a mini cold hot war is declared [an “arms race” with forest fires,] and the stakes are upped each year.

4. But what ever happened to President [sic] Bush’s Healthy Forests Initiative (HFI)? Wasn’t it meant to stop the wildfires? Using the hype of the 2002 fire season, the Bush administration proposed a series of drastic administrative changes to the way our National Forests are managed. Combined, these proposals will give free reign to the timber industry across National Forests under the guise of “fuel reduction.” The President’s ill-named “Healthy Forests Initiative” will do little to protect communities and homes from forest fires, instead this sweeping initiative is concentrated on decreasing public involvement, reducing environmental protection and increasing access to our National Forests and other federal lands for timber companies.

Hiding behind the Smokescreen! President [sic] George W. Bush signs the Healthy Forests Restoration Act of 2003 at the Department of Agriculture Wednesday, December 3, 2003. White House photo by Tina Hager.

Bottom Line?

5. Wildfires are big business. You can’t afford to upset them. There must be enough fuel left in the wildlands each year for the business to remain profitable!

“In Southern California, clearing out the ‘excess fuels’ that have resulted from past fire suppression, and reconfiguring the landscape to create more firebreaks and other barriers to fire, would have been expensive but feasible,” said Robert Nelson, professor of environmental policy at the University of Maryland.

“So why didn’t government take effective management and policy action to reduce fire risks before total disaster struck?” Nelson asked. “Leaving aside the individual human tragedies, the costs [of 2003 wildfires] would certainly have been less than the $2 billion (and climbing) that is now projected in terms of fire-fighting costs and lost property values.”

Now, that wasn’t so difficult to understand, was it?

Related Links:

• California Torched by Worst Wildfires in State History
• Forest Protection & Restoration: Debunking the “Healthy Forests Initiative”
• President Bush Signs Healthy Forests Restoration Act into Law

• The War on Wildfire
• Telegraph Fire: Day 5
• What Next After The Telegraph Fire?

• Our Forecast for 2009 California Fires [Aug 14, 2008]

“A Conspiracy Against the Public”

Google Censorship is a Flagrant Violation of Our Freedom of Speech!

Freedom of speech is being able to speak freely without censorship. The United States Constitution protects opinions under inalienable 1st Amendment free speech rights.

The right to freedom of speech is also guaranteed under international law through numerous human-rights instruments, notably under Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and Article 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights.

How much longer is Google allowed to continue its censorship in violation of the United States Constitution and the international law?

“A Conspiracy Against the Public”

Haunted by Big, Bad Google

The Moderators at the Public Information Blogs listed below condemn Google Inc in the strongest possible terms for content censorship. Google search engines permanently or periodically exclude specific posts, contents or information from the blogs thereby abridging the freedom of speech, and denying the public their right to know!

Google Inc poses a clear and present danger to freedom of speech. To minimize this threat, we urge those of the lawmakers who still believe in the Constitution to break up Google into smaller, less harmful units.

• https://feww.wordpress.com/
• http://msrb.wordpress.com/
• http://edro.wordpress.com/
• http://rtsf.wordpress.com/

Deluge Across the World

Water, Water Everywhere!

“A Conspiracy Against the Public”: For reasons unknown to Moderators, Google has blocked this post.

In the past week dozens of world’s cities and regions have been flooded:

Romania: Areas north of Bucharest
Ukraine: Western Ivano-Frankivsk region
India: Western city of Ahmedabad, the plains of Asam, eastern city of Patna

People make their way along a flooded park in Xiangfan, Hubei province, China, July 23, 2008. REUTERS/Stringer. Image may be subject to copyright. See FEWW Fair use Notice!

Bangladesh: Northeastern regions
New Zealand: Various areas throughout the islands
South Korea: Seoul and the country’s central regions
UK: Shropshire, West Midlands
Mexico: City of Matamoros and nearby regions
United States: Southern Texas, New Mexico, central Alabama, northeast Missouri,
China: Provinces of Jiangsu, Hubei, Sichuan and Hualien

Related Links:

• Photo Album
• Floods in Eastern Europe Kill 26

Telegraph Fire: Day 5

“A Conspiracy Against the Public”: For reasons unknown to Moderators, Google has blocked this post.

Telegraph Fire Rages On!

The following are highlights of the Telegraph Fire which is now burning for fifth straight day!

• Nearly 4,000 firefighters have been assigned to the fire.
• Heat and bone-dry vegetation are helping the fire.
• About 30,000 acres and 25 homes have already been consumed by the fire.
• At least 4,000 homes are still threatened.
• The fire’s cost to date is more than $9 million. That is more than $300 per acre.
• About 300 people have been evacuated and another 1,000 are on standby.

Retardant from a helicopter showers down ahead of a hotspot along the Merced River as the Telegraph Fire burns out of control 10 miles out side Yosemite Valley National Park, California, USA, 29 July 2008. The Telegraph Fire has burned about 30,000 acres, destroyed 25 residents, forced the evacuations of some 300 residents, with 1,000 more on standby, and threatens another 4,000 residences. EPA/Peter DaSilva

“The Telegraph Fire is said to still pose a threat to the communities of Mariposa, Midpines, Greeley Hill, Coulterville, El Portal, Morman Bar, and Boot Jack. Mt Bullion Conservation Camp, the Mariposa Utility District water supply, as well as a 70 kv transmission line supporting Yosemite Valley, and Yosemite National Park’s numerous communication/repeater towers are also said to be threatened.” (Source)

Next >> California Fires: Not Hard to Understand!

Related Links:

• And Now, The Telegraph Fire!
• What Next After The Telegraph Fire?
• Nature Must Be Punished, Look at the Mess in California!
• California ‘Mojavefied’ by 2011?

Magnitude 5.4 Quake Hits Los Angeles Area

“A Conspiracy Against the Public”: For reasons unknown to Moderators, Google has blocked this post.

A Magnitude 5.4 Earthquake Struck Greater Los Angeles Area, California

Earthquake Details [Source: USGS]

Magnitude: 5.4
Date-Time:

• Tuesday, July 29, 2008 at 18:42:15 UTC
• Tuesday, July 29, 2008 at 11:42:15 AM at epicenter

Location: 33.955°N, 117.765°W
Depth: 13.6 km (8.5 miles)
Region: GREATER LOS ANGELES AREA, CALIFORNIA
Distances:

• 4 km (3 miles) WSW (240°) from Chino Hills, CA
• 7 km (4 miles) SE (135°) from Diamond Bar, CA
• 8 km (5 miles) NNE (16°) from Yorba Linda, CA
• 12 km (7 miles) S (184°) from Pomona, CA
• 46 km (28 miles) ESE (104°) from Los Angeles Civic Center, CA

Location Uncertainty: horizontal +/- 0.3 km (0.2 miles); depth +/- 0.6 km (0.4 miles)

Damage Reports

There are reports of a few injuries and minor damage in the area. The two nuclear plants in the area, San Onofre nuclear station, between Los Angeles and San Diego, and the Diablo Canyon plant, northeast of Los Angeles, seem to have been spared, according to utility officials.

A worker cleans up shattered glass at Pomona City Hall. July 29, 2008 – Photo (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times). Image may be subject to copyright. See FEWW Fair Use Notice!

Preliminary Earthquake Report
U.S. Geological Survey, National Earthquake Information Center
World Data Center for Seismology, Denver

Image of the Day: Primary production

Note to Google Watchers: For reasons unknown to Moderators, Google blocked this post for about 18 days [it only showed up on Google via Technorati.com and examiner.com]

Primary production is the production of biological organic compounds from inorganic materials through photosynthesis or chemosynthesis. Organisms that can create biomass in this manner (notably plants) are known as primary producers, and form the basis of the food chain. In oceanography and limnology the primary producers in aquatic environments are phytoplankton utilizing energy from sunlight. Photo credit: SeaWiFS Project, NASA

Related Links:

• Index of Human Impact on Nature (HIoN) March 2008
• Global human appropriation of net primary production (HANPP)

What Next After The Telegraph Fire?

“A Conspiracy Against the Public”: For reasons unknown to Moderators, Google has blocked this post [it only shows up via Technorati.com and examiner.com]  – Aug 14, 2008

The Telegraph Fire rages on, but what would the next fire be called, the Internet Fire?

The figures are astronomical. The frequency, magnitude, acreage and cost of wildfires are growing each year. Like the Internet statistics, the costs are clocking 9-digit figures.

Agent Orange over Vietnam? No, an air tanker dropping its load of fire retardant on the slopes of Mt Bullion near Mariposa. Photo by Michael Maloney / The Chronicle. Image may be subject to copyright. See FEWW Fair Use Notice!

Big Fires: Big Business!

In the 1990s the Forest Service spent just over $300 million a year fighting wildfires. In 2007 the cost jumped up to nearly $1.4 billion, a 4.7-fold rise (466 percent).

In California the rise was more “modest,” only 152 percent.

In the 1990s the wildfires consumed an average of about 3.6 million acres a year. Since 2000, the average was more than doubled to about 7.3 million acres. Last year, the figure nearly tripled to more than 9 million acres. The charred acreage this year is on track to break 2007 record.

Is this a thermonuclear explosion? A volcanic eruption? No, It’s a massive convection column of smoke rising above Los Padres National Forest during the $141million Zaca fire. Photo: Brian Vander Brug / Los Angeles Times. Image may be subject to copyright. See FEWW Fair Use Notice!

The Zaca Fire, which began burning northeast of Buellton in Santa Barbara County, California, started on July 4, 2007 and by August 31 it had burned about 240,210 acres (972.1 km²). The fire was declared controlled on October 29, 2007, at a cost of $141million.

Help Make Wildfires Fun (!)

Build your home at the edge of fire-prone wildlands, a million homeowners can’t be wrong! Right? More than 1 million homes (about 61% of all new housing) built in California, Oregon and Washington between 1990 to 2000 were erected at the edge of fire-prone wildlands, a University of Wisconsin study reported.

Tell You What…

Let’s uproot all the trees, shrubs and bushes, pave over the mountains and cement the wildlands … till there’s nothing more left for fire to consume!

Related New Links:

• As wildfires get wilder, the costs of fighting them are untamed
• Fire near Yosemite closes Highway 140

Related Links:

• And Now, The Telegraph Fire!

• Wildfires
  
• Stop Nature! She Is Ruining Our Lifestyles
• California Fires

• Nature Must Be Punished, Look at the Mess in California!
• California Inferno Rages On
• The problem is they don’t understand the fires in California!

• Images of the Day: California Fires
• Lightning Safety Awareness Week: June 22-28
• A Few Extreme Events Away

• 2008: Year of the Fire
• Raging Wildfires: Mother Nature ensuring the cycle of life?
• Nature’s Defense Mechanisms

• UPDATE #2 – California Fires
• UPDATE: California Fires
• Early Halloween
• Images of the Day: California Fires
• Climate-enhanced catastrophes in the US

.

Update >> Telegraph Fire: Day 5
See Also >> California Fires: Not Hard to Understand!

And Now, The Telegraph Fire!

“A Conspiracy Against the Public”: For reasons unknown to Moderators, Google has blocked this post [it only shows up via Technorati.com and examiner.com]

What Next After The Telegraph Fire?

SOS: The Telegraph Fire

An out-of-control 26,000-acre wildfire, dubbed the Telegraph Fire, about 12 miles west of Yosemite National Park has consumed 12 homes, engulfed 27 other buildings and threatens thousands more.

“There’s no fire history in the past 100 hundred years. That’s one of the reasons this fire’s been able to burn so erratically,” said a spokesman for the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.

Orange County Firefighters Tyler Johnson, left and Mike Reinhold look at fires burning across the Briceburg mountains along side the Merced River Sunday, July 27, 2008 in Briceburg, Calif. (AP Photo/Gary Kazanjian). Image may be subject to copyright. See FEWW Fair Use Notice!

Officials have ordered the evacuations of some 500 homes under immediate threat, most of which were in the town of Midpines. Hot, dry weather is expected to continue into the week.

Meanwhile, the Custer National Forest fire in Montana, had grown to about 3,000 acres by late Sunday and charred five summer homes and an outhouse in the Camp Senia area, reports said.

Jennifer and Harry Strawbridge watch their property go up in flames on the slopes of Mount Bullion. Photo by Michael Maloney / The Chronicle. Image may be subject to copyright. See FEWW Fair Use Notice!

Statewide – Fire Overview – Issued by Cal Fire

Sunday, July 27, 2008 9:00 a.m.

Current Situation: On June 20, 2008, a thunderstorm system moved over California striking over two thousand lightning sparked fires. Today over 98 percent of those fires have been contained. California’s firefighters have received assistance from firefighting agencies across the state, nation and several foreign countries. Conditions throughout California remain extremely dry and fire danger remains very high.

On Friday afternoon a new fire broke out in Mariposa County. The Telegraph Fire is burning near the community of Midpines and is threatening approximately two thousand homes. Firefighters observed extremely erratic fire behavior due to the dry conditions and the fact that the area has not burned in the past 100 years.

Statistics:

Fires: Peak Fires: 2,093
Contained: 2,067
Active: 26
Acres charred: 1,060,907
Personnel Committed: 11,793
Resources Committed:

• Engines: 660
• Crews: 267
• Dozers: 129
• Water Tenders: 216
• Helicopters: 78

Items of Interest:
Highway closures: Firefighters remind everyone to use extreme caution while driving on roads affected by fires. All major roads are now open. There may be some delays on State Highways 70, 299. Travelers are advised to seek current information on secondary road closures from local law enforcement.

Evacuations: Areas of Mariposa and Trinity counties are under evacuation orders at this time. Residents are advised to monitor their local fire situation, check with local law enforcement agencies for information, and be prepared to evacuate when necessary.

Structures:

• Threatened: 4,310 residences, 86 commercial, 1,113 outbuildings.
• Destroyed: 158 residences, 1 commercial, 139 outbuildings.

Related Links:

• Wildfires
  
• Stop Nature! She Is Ruining Our Lifestyles
• California Fires

• Nature Must Be Punished, Look at the Mess in California!
• California Inferno Rages On
• The problem is they don’t understand the fires in California!

• Images of the Day: California Fires
• Lightning Safety Awareness Week: June 22-28
• A Few Extreme Events Away

• 2008: Year of the Fire
• Raging Wildfires: Mother Nature ensuring the cycle of life?
• Nature’s Defense Mechanisms

• UPDATE #2 – California Fires
• UPDATE: California Fires
• Early Halloween
• Images of the Day: California Fires
• Climate-enhanced catastrophes in the US

Fung Wong Races Towards China

Typhoon Fung Wong Strengthens on the Way to China

Having lashed Taiwan Monday morning, Fung Wong continued to strengthen as it headed towards China coast with winds of about 153 km/h (95 mph).

Fung Wong satellite image [Source: NOAA – MTSAT Northwest Pacific Imagery]

Fung Wong is expected to make landfall between Xiapu and Jinjiang counties on the coast of China by midnight (local time) on Monday.

About 275,000 people in China’s Fujian province have been evacuated.

Fung Wong, the eighth tropical storm to strike China’s coast this year, is reportedly the strongest one to date.

Fung-Wong – Tropical Rainfall Potential (TRaP)

Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) – NOAA

Climate Change: A Quickscan

Do You Feel Lucky in 2008?

Ukraine: Worst floods in 100 years

Floods caused by 5 days of nonstop rain kill up to 20 people, mostly children. A senior government official described the floods as the worst in 100 years. More than 20,000 homes have been flooded and 7,000 people evacuated.

Ukraine's President Viktor Yushchenko (3rd L) visits a settlement affected by floods in the Ivano-Frankivsk region July 27, 2008. Floods described by a senior government official as the worst in a century have killed 13 people in western Ukraine and four in neighboring Romania, officials said on Sunday. REUTERS/Mykhailo Markiv/pool

President Viktor Yushchenko flew to the worst affected area in the Ivano-Frankivsk region after leaving early a service in Kiev marking the 1,020th anniversary of the adoption of Orthodox Christianity in the region. Reuters reported.

Romania

Up to 10,000 people from 200 villages were evacuated as 2,500 houses and 25,000 hectares of farmland were flooded. At least 4 people were killed, including a child who drowned.

“We have two critical situations, on the rivers Siret and Prut,” Romanian Prime Minister said.

“So you understand the gravity of the situation, water levels on the river Prut next to the borders with Ukraine and Moldova are higher than on the Danube.”

New Zealand: Worst weather in 50 years.

g at least three dead and as many as 100,000 homes without electricity. About 10,000 tourists were stranded. [In 2008, New Zealand has thus far experienced the worst deforestation rates,worst snow storms, worst floods, worst drought and worst storms in 50 years.]

South Korea: Worst Floods in 50 Years

Up to 20 people were killed or reported as missing as the fourth day of torrential rains lashed parts of South Korea . In the worst-hit areas of North Gyeongsang province, up to 250 mm of rain
in a 24-hour period caused landslides and flooding forcing people to evacuate their homes.

Kenya

Cholera outbreak has affected eight districts in Nyanza and Western provinces. Over 80% of cholera transmission has been attributed to lack of access to safe drinking/domestic water. About 75% of the water sources are contaminated.

Myanmar

Some three months after Cyclone Nargis struck the country inflicting immense damage, as many as 700,000 children are still in need of assistance. The cyclone destroyed or damaged about 750,000 homes, affected about 2.4 million people and destroyed three quarters of the local health facilities. “In addition, the cyclone struck a severe blow to people’s livelihoods by flooding 600,000 hectares of agricultural land, killing up to 50 per cent of livestock in the affected areas, and destroying fishing boats, food stocks and agricultural implements. According to the report, the damages and losses amount to $4 billion.” UNICEF reported.

Taiwan

Typhoon Fung-Wong with winds up to 147km/h (92 mph) struck the east coast of Taiwan today with heavy rains, forcing schools and businesses to close. In July 18, tropical storm Kalmaegi struck southern Taiwan, which left 20 people killed and 6 missing. “A Central Weather Bureau forecaster was quoted as saying the total rainfall may reach 900mm (35 inches).” BBC reported.

Oh, PLEEZE!

Not the Arctic Ocean, it’s already too crowded!

China to deploy first mooring system in the Arctic

Xinhua – China will install its first annual deep-sea subsurface mooring system in the Arctic Ocean to monitor the long-term marine changes in the Arctic ocean, members of China’s third Arctic expedition said Sunday.

The system will collect data on the temperature, salinity and speed of currents at various depth in the coming year in the Arctic Ocean, thus facilitating studies of the impacts of environmental changes in Arctic Ocean on global climate, especially on China’s climate, they said.

‘A trap, as part of the system, will catch marine lives regularly for scientific research, said the members of the expedition team aboard the Xuelong ice-breaker.’ [O RLY?]

China’s ice breaker Xuelong or “Snow Dragon” is blocked by thick ice around the Antarctica during her 25th expedition to Antarctica, on November 24, 2008. An ice detection team was formed on Tuesday to search for new routes due to the thick and condensed ice that stopped the ice breaker. [Photo: Xinhua.] Image may be subject to copyright.

Isn’t that what Japan says about catching whales?

Arctic Ocean may become ice-free for part of each year, bringing devastation to Arctic inhabitants. Photo credit: Jeanne M. Bowles

Image of the Day: Lucky Escape!

Spirit of Australia!

Australian pilot Captain John Francis Barters (R) looks at the damage to a Qantas Airways plane after it made an emergency landing at the Manila International airport July 25, 2008. REUTERS/Handout.

36 of Kuriles’ 68 Volcanic Centers Active Recently!

KURILE ISLAND VOLCANOES AND THE THREAT TO AVIATION

The remote Kurile Islands of the northwest Pacific stretch 1250 km (740 mi) from the tip of the Kamchatka Peninsula to northern Hokkaido, Japan. The Kuriles include 68 identified volcanic centers above sea level. Among them, 36 have been active in recent times and many are capable of producing sudden ash clouds that rise more than 15 km (50,000 ft) above sea level.

Some of the world’s most heavily traveled air corridors pass within a few hundred km of Kurile volcanoes. Daily, more than 200 aircraft and 25,000 people fly on these routes. Ash clouds can rise more than 1 km (3,300 ft) per minute, putting dozens of en route wide-body jets rapidly in harm’s way on a typical day in the North Pacific. Ash clouds travel with prevailing winds across hundreds or thousands of kilometers of airspace within a day. Inadvertent entry into an ash cloud can severely damage aircraft systems and, in the worst case, lead to complete engine failure. Ash fallout can also curtail ground operations at airports. (

(Excerpts and Image: KURILE VOLCANOES AND THE SAKHALIN VOLCANIC ERUPTION RESPONSE TEAM (SVERT)- AVO).

Related Links:

• Quick reference to the Active Volcanoes of the Kurile Islands: English (800 KB PDF)

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Lava Signs at Okmok Volcano

Okmok Activity – Color Code RED : Alert Level WARNING

Okmok Volcano Activity Notifications
by AVO

The eruption of Okmok Volcano continued throughout this week with persistent ash emissions rising from 15,000 to 25,000 feet. From July 19 to July 20 the color code was increased to red in response to a more vigorous eruptive episode which produced ash to 30,000 feet. Photographs and an overflight by Alaska Volcano Observatory staff on July 20 and 21 confirmed the existence of multiple vigorous vents on the caldera floor.

Photo of the Okmok eruption, July 24, 2008, taken from Ft Glenn on the east flank of Okmok Caldera. Picture Date: July 24, 2008. credit : Lonnie Kennedy – Source: AVO

Seismicity was characterized by intermittent bursts of volcanic tremor early in the week. This changed to continuous mid-level volcanic tremor on July 23, which persists to the current time. Amplitude of tremor has been generally constant since July 21.

Although there has been little change in the eruption in the past several days, stronger explosive activity could resume at any time with little or no warning.

AVO Weekly Update – 2008-07-25 12:18:38

The eruption of Okmok Volcano continued throughout this week with persistent ash emissions rising from 15,000 to 25,000 feet. From July 19 to July 20 the color code was increased to red in response to a more vigorous eruptive episode which produced ash to 30,000 feet. Photographs and an overflight by Alaska Volcano Observatory staff on July 20 and 21 confirmed the existence of multiple vigorous vents on the caldera floor.

Seismicity was characterized by intermittent bursts of volcanic tremor early in the week. This changed to continuous mid-level volcanic tremor on July 23, which persists to the current time. Amplitude of tremor has been generally constant since July 21.

Although there has been little change in the eruption in the past several days, stronger explosive activity could resume at any time with little or no warning.

Cleveland Activity – Color Code ORANGE : Alert Level WATCH

Cleveland Volcano Activity Notifications

2008-07-25 12:18:38 – Weekly Update by AVO
Based on reports from fishing boats Cleveland Volcano began erupting at approximately 12:00 AKDT (20:00 UTC) on July 21, 2008. This eruptive episode is more intense than that observed over the past several years. Pilot reports and satellite data have documented a persistent low level ash emission from 10,000 to 20,000 feet throughout the week when the volcano was visible through clouds. A large thermal anomaly suggests the presence of an ongoing active lava flow.

Related Links:

• Video by AVO/USGS geologist Tina Neal during an overflight of the eruption of Okmok Volcano and distant ash plume from Cleveland Volcano. July 21, 2008.
• Okmok Eruption, Cleveland Volcano [Update #2]
• Explosive Eruption at Okmok Volcano [Update #1]
• Volcanoes

Are You Allowed to Live Free of Toxic Pollution?

The Right to Live Free of Toxic Pollution Must Be Made A Fundamental Human Right!

Of nearly 90,000 chemical compounds in use, the majority of which have never been tested for health effects, only a fraction are registered and of those only a handful have been banned by EPA in the last thirty years. Meanwhile, about 2,000 new chemicals are introduced each year.

See Main Entry: The Right to Live Free of Toxic Pollution

Related Links:

• Top EU court backs citizen rights in air pollution
• Initial Condition No. 6. Understand your human rights!

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Whale Meat ‘n Blubber Tastier With PFCs

Bon Appétit!

Danish researchers have discovered that people in Faroe Islands [situated between Norway and Iceland] in the North Atlantic who eat whale meat have high levels of polyfluoroalkyl compounds (PFCs) in their blood. They are particularly worried that the pollutant has spread globally.

“This pollution is a new health concern for the Faroese and many populations worldwide,” said an environmental health researcher at the Harvard School of Public Health and the University of Southern Denmark.

Traditional Faroese food 1: Dried mutton and whale meat and blubber (Source: Wikipedia)

Traditional Faroese food 2: pilot whale meat (black) and blubber (middle) and dried fish (left) and potatoes, a typical meal on the Faroe Islands. (Source: Wikipedia). For licensing details click here.

“We know very little on the toxicity in humans so far, even less in regard to whales,” he told reporters, referring to PFCs, which are used as water or grease repellents for textiles, papers and fire-extinguishing foams.

In case of PFOs, a variant PFCs, “a single dinner with whale meat every two weeks is associated with an increase of 25 percent in the blood concentration,” he said.

Whaling in the Faeroe Islands. Atlantic White-sided Dolphins, on a concrete-floored dock at a small port of Hvalba, Faeroe Islands. Licensed under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation license, Version 1.2 or any later version published by the Free Software Foundation. Photo: Erik Christensen; via Wikimedia Commons.

Larger marine animals including pilot whales, caught around Faroe Islands, are at the top of the marine food chain because they consume smaller fish and other marine creatures that dewll on the ocean floor and are rich in PFCs and other chemical pollutants that end up in the oceans. A diet of marine creatures leads to the build up of PFCs [and other toxics,] especially in the whales blubber and liver and pose a serious threat to people who eat them.

In accordance with the [ tradition,] men gather on the shore to kill the whales [as women and children look on,] here in the town Vágur [on the Faroe Island of Suðuroy, Denmark] June 28, 2004. Photo: Erik Christensen, Porkeri; via Wikimedia Commons. Licensed under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation license, Version 1.2 or any later version published by the Free Software Foundation.

Previously, PFC contamination was associated with long term exposure to textiles or furniture containing PFCs. “Now we are seeing evidence that they are widespread in the environment and building up,” Grandjean said.

“The sea turns blood red.” Licensed under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation license, Version 1.2 or any later version published by the Free Software Foundation. Photo: Erik Christensen; via Wikimedia Commons.

“The study, issued online, would be in August edition of the journal Environmental Science & Technology. A separate study had also shown high levels of PFOS in polar bear livers.” Reuters reported.

“A report by the European Food Safety Authority this week said that some PFCs have produced tumors in rats but do not seem to cause cancers in humans. It said more data was needed. One study has linked PFCs to lower human birth weights.”

Related Links:

• WhaleWatch
• People who eat whales (Video)
• Stop killing whales! (Video)

Dolly’s Climaxed!

Having dumped about 12 inches of rain within hours of coming ashore as a category 2 hurricane at South Padre Island on Wednesday causing widespread flooding in S. Texas and N. Mexico, Dolly’s is finally reduced to a tropical depression.

BULLETIN
TROPICAL DEPRESSION DOLLY ADVISORY NUMBER 18
NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL AL042008
400 PM CDT THU JUL 24 2008

DOLLY WEAKENS TO A DEPRESSION – STILL DUMPING HEAVY RAINS

AT 400 PM CDT…2100Z…THE CENTER OF TROPICAL DEPRESSION DOLLY WAS
LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 28.2 NORTH…LONGITUDE 100.6 WEST OR ABOUT
35 MILES…55 KM SOUTH OF EAGLE PASS TEXAS.

THE DEPRESSION IS MOVING TOWARD THE WEST-NORTHWEST NEAR 14 MPH…23
KM/HR…AND THIS GENERAL MOTION SHOULD CONTINUE DURING THE NEXT 24
HOURS.

MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 35 MPH…55 KM/HR…WITH HIGHER
GUSTS. ADDITIONAL WEAKENING IS FORECAST AND DOLLY IS EXPECTED TO
DISSIPATE ON FRIDAY.

ESTIMATED MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE IS 1000 MB…29.53 INCHES.

DOLLY IS EXPECTED TO PRODUCE ADDITIONAL RAIN ACCUMULATIONS OF 3 TO 6
INCHES OVER PORTIONS OF SOUTH TEXAS AND NORTHEASTERN MEXICO THROUGH
FRIDAY. ISOLATED STORM TOTAL AMOUNTS OF 20 INCHES ARE POSSIBLE WITH
DOLLY. THESE RAINS ARE LIKELY TO CAUSE WIDESPREAD FLOODING.

REPEATING THE 400 PM CDT POSITION…28.2 N…100.6 W. MOVEMENT
TOWARD…WEST-NORTHWEST NEAR 14 MPH. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS…35
MPH. MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE…1000 MB.

THIS IS THE LAST PUBLIC ADVISORY ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL HURRICANE
CENTER ON DOLLY. FUTURE INFORMATION ON THIS SYSTEM CAN BE
FOUND IN PUBLIC ADVISORIES ISSUED BY THE HYDROMETEOROLOGICAL
PREDICTION CENTER…UNDER AWIPS HEADER TCPAT4 AND WMO HEADER WTNT4
KWNH…BEGINNING AT 10 PM CDT. – FORECASTER AVILA

Related Links:

• National Weather Warnings
• Thought for the Day
• 2008: Year of the Fire
• Will 2008 be year of the tornadoes, too?
• 2008: Year of the Expected Unknowns!

Magnitude 6.8 Quake Hits Japan

Magnitude 6.8 earthquake strikes Eastern Honshu, Japan about 25 km ENE of Morioka

The quake caused substantial damage to buildings, collapsed power lines and left as many as 10,000 homes and businesses without electricity.

Cars were buried in a landslide, according to local news reports, and the tremor triggered dozens of fires. Fujitsu Ltd. in Iwate reported that its “semiconductor production machines were partially damaged.”

About 130 people needed hospital treatment, thousands more trapped in stranded trains, motorways closed and train services canceled. the tremor was felt widely in southern Hokkaido and in the main island of Honshu as far south as Tokyo.

According to witness reports, the quake caused strong shaking lasting up to 40 seconds in areas near the epicenter in northern Japan.

Japan sits atop the Eurasian, Pacific, Philippine and North American tectonic plates whose movements cause numerous earthquakes. The country experiences about 20 percent of the world’s major earthquakes of magnitude 6 or greater.

People clean up the pieces of glasses shattered by a strong earthquake at an auto dealership in Karumai, Iwate prefecture Thursday, July 24, 2008. A strong earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 6.8 struck off the northern Japanese coast early Thursday, injuring at least 91 people, causing blackouts and landslides, officials said. (AP Photo/Kyodo News). Image may be subject to copyright. See FEWW Fair Use Notice!

Did you know?

With a total of 203 earthquakes measuring 6.0 Mw or greater, 1995 experienced the largest number of quakes for the period 1980 to 2007 [2007 was runner up with 195 large quakes.] With a total of 110 quakes so far [as of July 23,] 2008 could prove a record-breaking year for large tremors. [The stats are based on USGS data.]

Historic Seismicity

Major Tectonic Boundaries: Subduction Zones -purple, Ridges -red and Transform Faults -green [USGS]

Major Tectonic Boundaries: Subduction Zones -purple, Ridges -red and Transform Faults -green [USGS]

Quake Details:

– Magnitude: 6.8

– Date-Time: Wednesday, July 23, 2008 at 15:26:20 UTC [Thursday, July 24, 2008 at 12:26:20 AM at epicenter]

– Location: 39.807°N, 141.467°E

– Depth: 111 km (69.0 miles) set by location program

– Region: EASTERN HONSHU, JAPAN

– Distances:

• 30 km (20 miles) ENE of Morioka, Honshu, Japan;
• 75 km (50 miles) S of Hachinohe;
• 120 km (75 miles) E of Akita;
• 485 km (300 miles) NNE of TOKYO

– Location Uncertainty: horizontal +/- 3.8 km (2.4 miles); depth fixed by location program

The Mainshock was followed by a magnitude 5.1 aftershock almost exactly 11 hours later at 11:27:42 AM (time at epicenter).

Location of aftershock: 39.576°N, 141.385°E
Depth: 10 km (6.2 miles) set by location program
Distance: 25 km (15 miles) SE of Morioka, Honshu, Japan [455 km NNE of TOKYO]

Related Links:

• Powerful Offshore Quake Strikes Japan’s Eastern Coast [July 19, 2008 quake]
• Powerful Earthquake Strikes Honshu, Japan [June 14, 2008]

This’s Got to Be the Year of Radioactive, Chemical and Oil Spills, Too!

The Moderators have so far declared 2008 the year of fire, tornadoes and volcanic eruptions.

We were wondering whether 2008 could also be declared the year of radioactive, chemical and oil spills, too, almost certain of the knowledge that Areva, EDF and the likes would not “disappoint” us!

French Nuke Industry, Again!

Sure enough, in the third incident of uranium spillage in two weeks, it was revealed that about 100 employees at a nuclear power plant in southern France were contaminated with radiation during maintenance work at the Tricastin reactor number four.

Nuke Leaks, USA: Contaminated US site faces ‘catastrophic’ nuclear leak

More than 210 million liters of radioactive and chemical waste are stored in 177 underground tanks at Hanford in Washington State. Most are over 50 years old. Already 67 of the tanks have failed, leaking almost 4 million litres of waste into the ground. New Scientist reported.

Mississippi Oil Spill [Though Not the Largest Ever!]

Meanwhile, back home, A chemical tanker broke a fuel barge in half on the Mississippi River. About 420,000 gallons (1,589,700 liters) of fuel oil No. 6 [described as lighter than crude oil, but heavier than diesel] were spilled forcing the closure of a 58-mile (93km) stretch from New Orleans southward.

“It’s not the largest spill we’ve ever had, but it’s a large one,” said Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality spokesman Rodney Mallett. [Well, isn’t that a relief!]

Vanadium mine leak in China

Sludge from a vanadium mine in northwestern China contaminated two nearby rivers, Shuanghe River and Donghe River in Shaanxi province, when a spillway collapsed on Tuesday and sent authorities scrambling to protect drinking water supplies, Xinhua news agency said.

“The black-colored waste water with a layer of white bubbles on the top is being stopped by multiple (makeshift dams) and stored and diverted to low-laying areas,” Xinhua said.

“In April, ore tailings from another vanadium mine in Shanyang county polluted and literally blackened three rivers, state media reported at the time.” Reuters reported.

[All vanadium compounds should be considered highly toxic. Generally, the higher the oxidation state of vanadium, the more toxic the compound is. The most dangerous compound is vanadium pentoxide.]

Oil Spill in Amur River

Russia informed China of oil pollution in the Amur River On July 8. last week, the Ministry of Environmental Protection ruled out the possibility that the fuel oil pollution in Amur, or Heilongjiang River, was China.

Mystery oil spill in Patagonia: January 2008 [Don’t you just love the murder mystery spin?]

“The overall spill is made up of several slicks, two to three kilometers wide along a total extension of approximately forty kilometers,” reported the local newspaper El Chubut.

“Argentine government is analyzing recent satellite imagery to determine the cause of the spill but has yet to determine where the oil came from. According to local media reports, several corporations are suspected of causing the spill.” IFAW reported.

Penguins warm up after being affected by the oil spill in Patagonia.
© IFAW. See FEWW Fair Use Notice!

Black Sea and San Francisco Bay Oil Spills: Environmental disasters follow oil spills

“In the Black Sea and San Francisco Bay, tens of thousands of birds, countless marine creatures and a half-dozen people died following oil spills. The spills in the Black Sea were caused by ships running aground and sinking during the worst storm the region has seen in decades, while the spill in the Bay Area was caused by a lone container ship hitting a bridge in fog. Environmental groups working in both regions call the spills ecological catastrophes.” GEOTIMES wrote.

In Russia, a severe storm struck the Black Sea on Nov 11 damaging or sinking 11 ships and tankers. a total of about 1 million gallons (1,378,500 liters ) of oil was spilled into the Kerch Strait, which ends in the Black Sea, killing as many as 15,000 birds. It’s thought as many as 11 endangered species of birds inhabit the area, and many more migrate through the fragile eco-region.

San Francisco Bay oil spill. Image may be subject to copyright. See FEWW Fair Use Notice!

A container ship in San Francisco Bay struck the Bay Bridge on Nov. 7, causing substantial damage to the vessel and spilling about 60,000 gallons (~ 227,00 liters) of fuel oil into the bay. Some 2,500 birds died as a result. Experts say the region may be affected by the spill for the next 20 years.

Although the two incidents happened in November 2007, the full environmental impacts are now beginning to appear.

Norwegian oil spill raises concern about future oil plans

The second biggest oil spill in Norway occurred in December 2007, reviving concerns of the possible expansion of oil and gas exploration in Norwegian waters.

The spill of around 25,000 barrels left an oil slick 5 kilometres wide and 10 kilometres long. Fortunately the accident was mostly contained by favourable winds. The accident occurred as a tanker was loaded at energy group StatoilHydro’s Statfjord field. IceNews reported.

Norway Again: Oil spill on Draugen

The Petroleum Safety Authority Norway (PSA) has conducted an investigation of the incident that occurred on Draugen on 10 January 2008, which led to an oil spill of about 6 m3 to the sea. On the basis of our findings we have issued an order to A/S Norske Shell (Shell) and Teekay Shipping Norway AS (Teekay). The Petroleum Safety Authority Norway reported.

Oh, NO! Not Norway Again!

During oil offloading from the Statfjord A platform in the North Sea, about 4,000 cubic meters (~ 1.1 million gallons) of crude oil was spilled into the sea on the December 12 causing marine pollution. The Statfjord field is located around 200 kilometres west of Bergen, close to the border of the UK continental shelf. Statfjord was discovered by Mobil in 1974, and Statoil took over the operatorship on 01 January 1987. The field is likely to remain in production until 2019. MarineBuzz reported.

Stril Pioner and seagoing booms at Gullfaks. Imagt credit: MarineBuzz [click link for more photos.] Image may be subject to copyright. See FEWW Fair Use Notice!

Oil Spill Lebanon

“war on Lebanon brought about the biggest environmental catastrophe in the history of this small country. 15,000 tons of oil spilled from Jiyyeh power [plant] after Israeli bombardment spilling oil onto most of the Lebanese coast. ”

“A lot of oil is still on the beach, but all oil spill cleanup operations have stopped due to lack of funding. The last organization doing cleanup is ‘Bahr Loubnan’ NGO that was cleaning rocks from oil near Jiyeh using high pressure water jets. A lot of oil can still be found on shore all along the coast in Jiyeh, Beirut, Tabarja, Jbeil and Anfeh. The Ministry of Environment has issued a call for the second phase of cleanup and is looking for funding.” Oil Spill Lebanon reported.

The oil pollution on the Lebanese Coast (Rena Karanouh). Image may be subject to copyright. See FEWW Fair Use Notice!

Oil Spill Korean Style

In South Korea’s worst oil spill [December 2007,] a crane barge punched holes into Hebei Spirit tanker which spewed 10,500 tons (3.4 million gallons) of its crude oil load into the sea.

Folks, it’s time to drill the Arctics some more. There’s too much pollution out here!

Related Links:

• 2008: Year of the Fire
• Will 2008 be year of the tornadoes, too?
• 2008: Year of the Expected Unknowns!

Dolly Wreaks Havoc Across South Texas

Dolly dropped up to 12 inches (30 cm) of rain in the first few hours of making landfall

Dolly made landfall on South Padre Island, Texas, about 2 p.m. ET, tearing roofs and observation decks off homes, shattering windows and downing power lines. It flooded the streets and sent about 2,500 residents scrambling for safety from wind gusts of about 150 mph.

Texas Gov. Rick Perry declared 14 counties disaster areas prior to Dolly’s arrival. About 1,500 National Guardsmen have been deployed, according to various news bulletins.

In Northern Mexico, about 20,000 people are expected to be evacuated to government shelters according to Eugenio Hernandez, governor of Tamaulipas, Mexico.

It is unclear why the efforts of a certain “hurricane control” company failed so miserably! </sarc>

A boat is blown into the building by Hurricane Dolly in Port Isabel, Texas July 23, 2008. Hurricane Dolly moved inland after tearing into the south Texas coast on Wednesday with 95 mph (150 kph) winds, pouring torrential rain on the U.S.-Mexico border area and threatening floods. Dolly, the second hurricane of the 2008 Atlantic hurricane season, dropped up to 12 inches (30 cm) of rain in the first few hours after coming ashore at the barrier island of South Padre Island, where it ripped off roofs, bent palm trees in half and left thousands of residents without power. REUTERS/Joe Mitchell (UNITED STATES) Image may be subject to copyright. See FEWW Fair Use Notice!

HURRICANE DOLLY DISCUSSION NUMBER 14

NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL AL042008
5:00 PM EDT WED JUL 23 2008

THE EYE OF DOLLY MADE LANDFALL OVER SOUTHERN PADRE ISLAND EARLIER
TODAY AS A BORDERLINE CATEGORY ONE TO CATEGORY TWO HURRICANE ON THE
SAFFIR/SIMPSON HURRICANE SCALE. THE MINIMUM PRESSURE AT LANDFALL
REPORTED BY THE RECONNAISSANCE AIRCRAFT WAS 967 MB AND WINDS WERE
ESTIMATED BETWEEN 80 AND 85 KNOTS. THE EYE IS NOW PARTIALLY INLAND
OVER FAR SOUTH TEXAS AND BECAUSE THE CIRCULATION IS ALREADY
INTERACTING WITH LAND…A GRADUAL WEAKENING HAS BEGUN. INITIAL
INTENSITY IS ESTIMATED A 75 KNOTS AND A CONTINUED WEAKENING IS
FORECAST AS DOLLY MOVES FARTHER INLAND. THE INTENSITY FORECAST
FOLLOWS CLOSELY THE INLAND DECAY SHIPS MODEL.

DOLLY BEGAN TO MOVE ON A MORE STEADY NORTHWEST TRACK AT ABOUT 7
KNOTS. THE HURRICANE IS NOW LOCATED SOUTH OF A SUBTROPICAL RIDGE
OVER THE WESTERN UNITED STATES…THEREFORE…A GRADUAL TURN TO THE
WEST-NORTHWEST AND WEST IS ANTICIPATED UNTIL DISSIPATION IN ABOUT
48 HOURS.

DOLLY IS A LARGE SLOW MOVING SYSTEM AND CAN CONTINUE TO PRODUCE VERY
HEAVY RAINS DURING THE NEXT DAY OR TWO. – FORECASTER AVILA

Hurricane DOLLY QuickLook – Posted: 15:00 CDT 07/23/2008 – NOAA

BULLETIN
HURRICANE DOLLY ADVISORY NUMBER 14
NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL AL042008
400 PM CDT WED JUL 23 2008

DOLLY CONTINUES TO WEAKEN AS IT MOVES FARTHER INLAND

A HURRICANE WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE COAST OF TEXAS FROM
BROWNSVILLE TO JUST SOUTH OF BAFFIN BAY…AND FOR THE NORTHEASTERN
COAST OF MEXICO FROM RIO SAN FERNANDO NORTHWARD TO THE BORDER
BETWEEN MEXICO AND THE UNITED STATES. PREPARATIONS TO PROTECT LIFE
AND PROPERTY SHOULD HAVE BEEN COMPLETED.

AT 4 PM CDT…2100 UTC…THE HURRICANE WARNING FROM BAFFIN BAY
NORTHWARD TO CORPUS CHRISTI HAS BEEN REPLACED BY A TROPICAL STORM
WARNING. A TROPICAL STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM BAFFIN BAY
TO PORT O’CONNOR.

AT 4 PM CDT…2100 UTC…THE TROPICAL STORM WARNING AND HURRICANE
WATCH FROM LA PESCA TO SOUTH OF RIO SAN FERNANDO HAVE BEEN
DISCONTINUED.

FOR STORM INFORMATION SPECIFIC TO YOUR AREA…INCLUDING POSSIBLE
INLAND WATCHES AND WARNINGS…PLEASE MONITOR PRODUCTS ISSUED
BY YOUR LOCAL WEATHER OFFICE.

AT 400 PM CDT THE EYE OF HURRICANE DOLLY WAS LOCATED
NEAR LATITUDE 26.6 NORTH LONGITUDE 97.6 WEST OR ABOUT 50 MILES
80 KM NORTH OF BROWNSVILLE TEXAS.

DOLLY IS MOVING TOWARD THE NORTHWEST NEAR 8 MPH (13 KM/HR). A
GRADUAL TURN TO THE WEST-NORTHWEST AND WEST IS EXPECTED DURING THE
NEXT DAY OR SO. THIS WILL BRING DOLLY FARTHER INLAND OVER SOUTHERN
TEXAS.

MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS HAVE DECREASED TO NEAR 85 MPH (140
KM/HR) WITH HIGHER GUSTS. DOLLY IS A CATEGORY ONE HURRICANE ON
THE SAFFIR-SIMPSON SCALE. FURTHER WEAKENING IS FORECAST DURING THE
NEXT 24 HOURS.
HURRICANE FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 35 MILES (55 KM) FROM
THE CENTER AND TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 140
MILES (220 KM).

ESTIMATED MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE IS 970 MB…28.64 INCHES.

DOLLY IS EXPECTED TO PRODUCE TOTAL RAINFALL ACCUMULATIONS OF 8 TO 12
INCHES WITH ISOLATED AMOUNTS OF 20 INCHES OVER PORTIONS OF
SOUTH TEXAS AND NORTHEASTERN MEXICO OVER THE NEXT FEW DAYS.
THESE RAINS WILL LIKELY CAUSE WIDESPREAD FLOODING ACROSS PORTIONS
OF SOUTH TEXAS AND NORTHEAST MEXICO.

COASTAL STORM SURGE FLOODING UP TO 6 TO 8 FEET ABOVE NORMAL TIDE
LEVELS ALONG WITH LARGE AND DANGEROUS BATTERING WAVES WILL
CONTINUE FOR THE NEXT FEW HOURS IN AREAS OF ONSHORE FLOW BUT WILL
SUBSIDE LATER TONIGHT.

ISOLATED TORNADOES ARE POSSIBLE OVER PORTIONS OF SOUTH TEXAS TODAY
AND TONIGHT.

REPEATING THE 400 PM CDT POSITION…26.6 N…97.6 W. MOVEMENT
TOWARD…NORTHWEST NEAR 8 MPH. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS…85 MPH.
MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE…970 MB.

AN INTERMEDIATE ADVISORY WILL BE ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL HURRICANE
CENTER AT 700 PM CDT FOLLOWED BY THE NEXT COMPLETE ADVISORY AT 1000
PM CDT. – FORECASTER AVILA

Image of the Day: Elk Bath

“Elk Bath” – A wildfire in the Bitterroot National Forest in Montana, United States. Photo [dated: 2000-08-06] taken by John McColgan, Forest Service, the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Wikipedia/USDA

Dolly, Now A Hurricane, Heads Towards S. Texas

July 23 Late Update >> Dolly Moves Further Inland Over Southern Texas

This graphic shows an approximate representation of coastal areas under a hurricane warning (red), hurricane watch (pink), tropical storm warning (blue) and tropical storm watch (purple). The orange circle indicates the current position of the center of the tropical cyclone. The black line and dots show the National Hurricane Center (NHC) forecast track of the center at the times indicated. The dot indicating the forecast center location will be black if the cyclone is forecast to be tropical and will be white with a black outline if the cyclone is forecast to be extratropical. If only an L is displayed, then the system is forecast to be a remnant low. The letter inside the dot indicates the NHC’s forecast intensity for that time. (NOAA)

BULLETIN: HURRICANE DOLLY ADVISORY NUMBER 10
NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL AL042008
400 PM CDT TUE JUL 22 2008

DOLLY BECOMES A HURRICANE: THE SECOND OF THE 2008 HURRICANE SEASON

A HURRICANE WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE COAST OF TEXAS FROM
BROWNSVILLE TO CORPUS CHRISTI…AND FOR THE NORTHEAST COAST OF
MEXICO FROM RIO SAN FERNANDO NORTHWARD TO THE BORDER BETWEEN MEXICO
AND THE UNITED STATES. PREPARATIONS TO PROTECT LIFE AND PROPERTY
SHOULD BE RUSHED TO COMPLETION.

Hurricane Dolly – RGB Enhanced Satellite Image – NOAA

A TROPICAL STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM NORTH OF CORPUS
CHRISTI TO SAN LUIS PASS.

A TROPICAL STORM WARNING AND A HURRICANE WATCH IS IN EFFECT FROM LA
PESCA TO SOUTH OF RIO SAN FERNANDO.

FOR STORM INFORMATION SPECIFIC TO YOUR AREA…INCLUDING POSSIBLE
INLAND WATCHES AND WARNINGS…PLEASE MONITOR PRODUCTS ISSUED
BY YOUR LOCAL WEATHER OFFICE.

AT 400 PM CDT…2100Z…THE CENTER OF HURRICANE DOLLY WAS LOCATED
NEAR LATITUDE 24.6 NORTH…LONGITUDE 95.3 WEST OR ABOUT 165 MILES…
265 KM…EAST-SOUTHEAST OF BROWNSVILLE TEXAS.

DOLLY IS MOVING TOWARD THE NORTHWEST NEAR 10 MPH…17 KM/HR.
THIS MOTION SHOULD BRING THE CORE OF DOLLY NEAR NORTHEASTERN MEXICO
OR EXTREME SOUTHERN TEXAS ON WEDNESDAY.

MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS HAVE INCREASED TO NEAR 75 MPH…120
KM/HR…WITH HIGHER GUSTS. DOLLY IS A CATEGORY ONE HURRICANE ON
THE SAFFIR-SIMPSON SCALE. SOME STRENGTHENING IS FORECAST BEFORE
LANDFALL.

HURRICANE FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 15 MILES…30 KM…FROM
THE CENTER…AND TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 160
MILES…260 KM. TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS SHOULD BEGIN TO REACH
THE COASTS OF NORTHEAST MEXICO AND SOUTHERN TEXAS LATER TONIGHT.

MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE REPORTED BY A HURRICANE HUNTER AIRCRAFT WAS
986 MB…29.12 INCHES.

DOLLY IS EXPECTED TO PRODUCE TOTAL RAIN ACCUMULATIONS OF 6 TO 10
INCHES…WITH ISOLATED AMOUNTS OF 15 INCHES…OVER MUCH OF SOUTH
TEXAS AND NORTHEASTERN MEXICO OVER THE NEXT FEW DAYS.

COASTAL STORM SURGE FLOODING OF 4 TO 6 FEET ABOVE NORMAL TIDE
LEVELS…ALONG WITH LARGE AND DANGEROUS BATTERING WAVES…CAN BE
EXPECTED NEAR AND TO THE NORTH OF WHERE THE CENTER MAKES LANDFALL.

A FEW TORNADOES ARE POSSIBLE OVERNIGHT ACROSS THE LOWER AND MIDDLE
TEXAS COASTS.

NOAA satellite image taken on July 22, 2008. (UPI Photo/NOAA Handout)

REPEATING THE 400 PM CDT POSITION…24.6 N…95.3 W. MOVEMENT
TOWARD…NORTHWEST NEAR 10 MPH. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS…75 MPH.
MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE…986 MB.

AN INTERMEDIATE ADVISORY WILL BE ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL HURRICANE
CENTER AT 700 PM CDT FOLLOWED BY THE NEXT COMPLETE ADVISORY AT 1000
PM CDT. – FORECASTER AVILA

Related Links:

• Hurricane DOLLY Public Advisory Number 10
• UPDATE: TS DOLLY, CRISTOBAL & Hurricane Fausto
  
• Thought for the Day

.

Amazing Images: Kawah Ijen (green crater) Volcano

Kawah Ijen (green crater) Volcano in Eastern Java, Indonesia

Sulfur deposits at Kawah Ijen (green crater) Volcano in Eastern Java, Indonesia. Volcanic gases from the fumaroles in this crater not only deposit the sulfur but make the lake extremely acid — both sulfuric and hydrochloric. Photo copyright R.W. Decker. (Caption: University of Hawai‘i at Hilo). See FEWW Fair Use Notice!

Miners risk health [and life] to collect sulfur from the volcanic Kawah Ijen at Indonesia’s East Java province earning about $7 a day in a rural area where farm laborers make less than $2 a day. Photo taken June 25, 2008. REUTERS/Sigit Pamungk. Image may be subject to copyright. See FEWW Fair Use Notice!

More photos:

• WITNESS: Mining sulfur in a volcano