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Archive for March 26th, 2010

NE U.S. Blizzard, Rainstorm GOES Movies

Posted by feww on March 26, 2010

Late winter rainstorms pummeled  NE U.S.

And the severe weather season hasn’t even begun yet!

The northeastern U.S. was pummeled by blizzards, swamped by heavy flooding, and battered by late winter storms. Two movies of the events were captured by NASA Satellite GOES-12 between February 1 and 16, and March 8 and 16, 2010.


This is a still image of the well-developed storm on March 15, 2010 at 2115 UTC (4:15 p.m. ET) the New England coast. Source: NASA GOES Project

“Following the Nor’easter ‘parade of blizzards’ in February this year, another week-long parade of storms flooded the upper Midwest and Northeastern U.S. in March,” said a NASA GOES Project official. “The merge of three storms in the Midwest was unusual, where the normal pattern is a series of spring storms carried by the prevailing westerlies (winds).”

“The movie was created by overlaying the clouds observed several times per hour by NOAA’s GOES Imager onto a true-color map previously derived from NASA’s Moderate Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) land-mapping instrument. The infrared channels on GOES detect clouds day and night, which are portrayed as grey for low clouds and white for high clouds. The movie compresses nine days into two minutes. It illustrates how continental-scale land/sea/air phenomena come together to make large late winter storms.” NASA Website said.

“Heavy rains that hit the northeast cause flooding, fatalities, power outages and damages. Downed trees from rain-soaked roots toppled power lines. Outages were reported in Connecticut, Maine, New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania. Literally thousands of trees were reported felled in Connecticut and New York. Flooding forced evacuations and put roadways under water. As far north as Maine, parts of the state received more than eight inches of rain. ”

Total rainfall for the first 19 days of March:

  • Boston: 7.45″
  • Bridgeport, Conn: 4.02″
  • Newark, NJ: 5.24″
  • New York City: 4.72″
  • Portland, Maine: 3.57″ of rain.

Most of that rainfall was caused by the storms.

The link to the movies: (Unfortunately, the movie were available only in one format, MP4, as of posting.)

  1. GOES Movie of the Northeastern US Floods
  2. GOES Blizzard movie

    Note: The second movie linked to above, is a 2-minute movie compressed from GOES satellite data recorded February 1-16, 2010, capturing two blizzards which hit the Baltimore, Md. and Washington areas.

    During the first two weeks of February, Washington, DC,  was put out of action by two blizzards which dumped heavy wet snow as follows:

    • 5 inches fell on February 3
    • 24 inches fell on February 6
    • 12 inches on February 10.
    • A second, back-to-back storm followed on February 16 dumping 10 inches on Philadelphia and New York, but spared Washington and Baltimor.

    “These storms are called Nor’easters because the counter-clockwise circulation around a low pressure system on the Atlantic coast pushes moist sea air from the north-east into arctic air over the land. This windy mixture creates a very efficient snow-making machine from Boston to Washington. ‘The GOES movie illustrates how succeeding storms form along the Gulf coast, travel up the Atlantic coast, pause over the mid-Atlantic states, and finally slide out to sea,’ said a NASA official with GOES Project.” Source: NASA/EO website.

    Related Links:

    Posted in flooding, GOES satellite, NE rainstorm, Rainstorm, US blizzard | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

    Philadelphia: Public Health Prevails Over Private Wealth

    Posted by feww on March 26, 2010

    NO MORE FRACKING!

    Philadelphia urges ban on hydraulic fracturing technique, or ‘fracking’

    Philadelphia officials asked the Delaware River Basin Commission on Thursday to stop prospectors using the hydraulic fracture (fracking) shale gas extractions in the City’s watershed, until a full environmental impact assessment is conducted.

    The commission, which comprises of representatives from Delaware, New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania, as well as federal officials, is responsible for protecting the Delaware River Basin over 360 miles from its headwaters all the way to the Delaware Bay.


    Map Of Shale Gas Basins In The United States. Click image to enlarge.


    The Middle Delaware River above Walpack Bend. Credit: NPS/George Ratliff

    Background: Natural Gas Drilling in the Delaware River Basin

    Much of the new drilling interest taking place in northeastern Pennsylvania and southern New York is targeted at reaching the natural gas found in the Marcellus Shale formation, which underlies about 36 percent of the Delaware River Basin.  Because Marcellus Shale is considered a tight geologic formation, natural gas deposits were not previously thought to be practically and economically mineable using traditional techniques.  New horizontal drilling and extraction methods, coupled with higher energy costs, have given energy companies reason to take a new interest in mining the natural gas deposits within the Marcellus Shale.

    However, these new extraction methods require large amounts of fresh water to fracture the formation to release the natural gas.  A significant amount of water used in the extraction process is recovered, but this “frac water” includes natural gas and chemicals added to facilitate the extraction process, as well as brine and other contaminants released from the formation. —DRBC

    The City Council, in a unanimous resolution, has formally asked the Commission to stop all fracking operations in the watershed and deny a drilling permit to Stone Energy Corp, a Louisiana-based energy company prospecting for natural gas, and all others that propose to use fracking to extract shale gas in the Basin which  supplies drinking water to more than 15 million people, including 2 million plus in the Philadelphia metro area.

    “Stone Energy began operations in a protected area of the river basin without the necessary approvals, and now has applied for permits to drill for gas, extracting water it needs from a tributary of the river, the council said.” Reuters reported.

    “We call on the Delaware River Basin Commission to halt Stone Energy’s operations, and not approve their application, or any other applications, until a full environmental impact assessment of fracking in the Delaware River Basin has been conducted,” the council said in a unanimous resolution.


    A glass of water taken from a residential well after the start of natural gas drilling in Dimock, Pennsylvania, March 7, 2009. Dimock is one of hundreds of sites in Pennsylvania where energy companies are now racing to tap the massive Marcellus Shale natural gas formation. But some residents say the drilling has clouded their drinking water, sickened people and animals and made their wells flammable. REUTERS/Tim Shaffer. Image may be subject to copyright.

    Stone Energy

    Stone Energy spokesperson, Tim O’Leary, was reported as saying that fracking posed no danger to the drinking water in the region.

    “Stone Energy believes that hydraulic fracturing technologies are a safe and proven method of accessing ample domestic sources of clean natural gas needed by the United States,” O’Leary said.

    “Concern about possible ground water contamination from hydraulic fracturing, or ‘fracking,’ has led New York City to call on state authorities to prevent drilling in the city watershed. U.S. Congress members have introduced a bill that would require energy companies to disclose chemicals they use in fracking.” The report said.

    “The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, which has expressed ‘serious reservations’ about the prospect of fracking in the New York City watershed, said on March 18 it will conduct a national study of the process.”

    “I knew the responsible thing to do was to send a strong message that drilling should not occur without an environmental impact statement,” said Philadelphia City Councilwoman Blondell Reynolds Brown, who sponsored the resolution.

    “Energy companies exploiting vast reserves of shale gas in Pennsylvania and other states say there has never been a proven case of water contamination from fracking, and that the toxic chemicals are injected through layers of steel and concrete thousands of feet below drinking-water aquifers.” The report added.

    The energy companies clearly aren’t telling the truth!

    ‘Diarrhea water’

    Fire Earth had earlier noted that

    In Dimock, Pennsylvania, drilling for natural gas has clouded the drinking water, sickened people and animals and made their wells flammable.

    EPA admits water contaminated near gas-drilling sites

    Now, for the first time ever, EPA scientists have revealed that drinking water wells  near natural gas [and oil] drilling operations contain chemical contaminants. They found dangerous chemicals in the water from 11 of 39 wells tested near the Wyoming town of Pavillion in March and May 2009.  Unfortunately, their report  falls shy of concluding what causes the contamination, though it admits the gas drilling is a potential source.

    Kudos to Residents of Dimock, Pennsylvania

    Residents of Dimock, a small rural Pennsylvania town, have sued Cabot Oil & Gas Corp, claiming the company’s natural-gas drilling has contaminated their wells with deadly chemicals, causing sickness and reducing their property values

    Related Links:

    Posted in Delaware River Basin, fracking, hydraulic fracturing, shale gas, watershed | Tagged: , , , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

    Big Oil Hires Top Environmental Assassins

    Posted by feww on March 26, 2010

    John Kerry, Lindsey Graham and Joe Lieberman Hired by Drillers

    Oil companies and industry groups have summoned the three Senators to instruct them on how to re-write the long-awaited climate and energy bill.

    ConocoPhillips, BP and Shell Oil Co are demanding that states, rather than federal government, regulate shale gas drilling methods because they know it’s cheaper to buy state officials. States are known to be more lenient on allowing hydraulic fracturing, or “fracking,” which pollutes the water.

    The big oil want a bill their way and they want it now.

    “Within a couple weeks after the Easter break we hope to unveil a bill,” said the ever-complying Graham.

    Lieberman, on the other hand, wants to dress the bill as even more environmental-friendly as the Big Oil have you believe.  He is aiming to have the bill introduced on the 40th anniversary of Earth Day, April 22. He gets a kick out of that sort of things!

    “The longer we’ve talked about it, the more momentum we’ve gotten, but that won’t last forever, so we need to bring this thing to a conclusion,” Graham said.


    Water Contamination from Shale Gas Drilling. Source. Image may be subject to copyright.
    The major concern with shale gas drilling is the chemicals used in the process. Because the federal Energy Policy Act of 2005 exempted hydraulic fracturing from regulation under the Safe Drinking Water Act, shale gas drillers don’t have to disclose what chemicals they use.”  Gas drilling companies maintain that the gas drilling technique they use, called hydraulic fracturing, or “fracking,” is safe. However, based on observation of the drinking water in numerous drilling areas, and the fate of many people who live near the drilling rigs, who are afflicted with serious health conditions, we know that fracking contaminates groundwater with dangerous chemicals.

    Meanwhile, ten Senators from coastal states issued a statement Thursday saying they won’t support a climate and energy bill if it permits a large expansion of offshore oil and natural gas drilling. [How large is a little expansion?]

    “Kerry, the lead proponent of the bill, needs every vote he can get as it will likely face opposition from lawmakers in states whose economies depend heavily on fossil fuels.” Reuters said.

    The oil companies are demanding that information concerning the chemical composition of fracking fluids should be kept secret and  revealed  to doctors or health officials only when necessary to save human life.

    Further, the oil industry is pushing for large scale expansions in offshore drilling in the bill.

    “Bruce Josten, a vice president at the Chamber of Commerce, told reporters he understood that the offshore oil part of the bill would set up two levels for states to say whether they want to participate in expanded oil drilling.” Reuters reported.

    “The first would give states the opportunity to say whether they wanted to have new offshore oil drilling from their coasts up to 35 miles out.”

    “A second level would let them veto drilling from 35 to 75 miles out, but Josten said this was still in discussion stages and he has not seen specific legislative language on any proposals.”

    The House of Representatives passed a climate bill in June 2009, which heavily relies on the doomed carbon emissions trade system, however the bill has little support to pass in the Senate.

    Related Links:

    Posted in Diarrhea water, Energy bill, fracking, offshore Drilling, shale gas | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment »

    Cyclone ULUI Rainfall Map

    Posted by feww on March 26, 2010

    ULUI dumped more than 180 mm of rain along its path


    TRMM’s rainfall estimates for the 1-week period March 15 to 22, 2010 for the central east coast of Queensland, Australia show that ULUI dumped more than 180 mm (~7 inches) of rain along its path. Source: SSAI/NASA. Click image to enlarge.

    Cyclone ULUI was formed near Vanuatu in the South Pacific and reached a Category 5 strength with sustained winds of about 260 km/hr as it moved south of Solomon Islands. ULUI struck Whitsunday Islands, off the Australian coast, on March 21, 2010 at about 1:30 am local time with Category 3A hurricane strength (see FEWW New Hurricane Scale).

    Related Links:

    Posted in Cyclone ULUI, Flood Map of Queensland, rainfall australia, TRMM ULUI, ULUI rainfall | Tagged: , , , , | Leave a Comment »

    Eyjafjöll Eruption – LATEST

    Posted by feww on March 26, 2010

    Latest available images of Eyjafjöll eruption

    The following images pertain to Iceland’s 0.5-km long volcanic fissure on the northern side of Fimmvörðuháls, east of the Eyjafjallajökull ice cap, which began erupting on March 20, 2010.

    Background:


    Lava flow map 1, March 22, 2010. For credit see inset. Click image to enlarge.


    Lava flow map 2, March 24, 2010. For credit see inset. Click image to enlarge.


    Aerial photo of Fimmvörðuháls on Eyjafjallajökull, 22nd March 2010, between 8 and 9 o’clock. Steam is caused by lava melting snow. © Ólafur Sigurjónsson


    From Heljarkambur, looking down into Hrunagil, 22nd March 2010 at 16:00. Lava flows into the gully. The snow is covered with ash. Photo: Einar Kjartansson. Image may be subject to copyright. Source: Icelandic Met Office


    Hrunagil 15th July 2007, just south of Heljarkambur. Mudcovered ice at the bottom of the gully. Photo: Einar Kjartansson.  Image may be subject to copyright. Source: Icelandic Met Office.


    The new mountain rises behind the crater. Photo by Páll Stefánsson. (Undated, but cover story published on March 26, 2010.) Source: Iceland Review. Image may be subject to copyright.


    Automatic Earthquake Location Map of Iceland.  Most of the recent seismic activity has occurred near the  Eyjafjallajokull Glacier, with a few shock occurring close to the position of Katla, which is buried under the Myrdalsjökull icecap.  ©The Icelandic Meteorological Office

    Videos:

    More Detailed Information:

    Related Links:

    Iceland Review (Online Publication in English)

    Related Icelandic Institution

    Posted in Eyjafjöll, Eyjafjöll volcano, volcanism, volcano, volcano eruprted | Tagged: , , , , , , , , | 8 Comments »