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Caution
Technical information and scientific data from the US Government agencies (NASA, EPA…) are subject to variation due to political expediency.
This caution also extends to the UN organizations (e.g., FAO, WHO…).
As of August 2011, FIRE-EARTH will no longer reprint photos from NASA, due to the agency's wanton crimes against nature.
The shock was the largest of a cluster of about a dozen tremors which have struck the area in the last couple of weeks. The quake struck at a depth of about 4km some 59 km (37 miles) north of Little Rock, AR.
Earthquake Details
Region: Arkansas
Time: 2011-02-28 05:00:50.2 UTC
Magnitude: 5.3
Epicenter: 92.34°W 35.43°N
Depth: 5 km
Status: Automatic [NOT confirmed by a geologist]
Source: GFZ Potsdam – Earthquake Bulletin
Map Centered at 35°N, 92°W
EQ Location Map. Source ANSS via USGS. Map enhanced by FIRE-EARTH.
Earthquake Details [USGS]
Magnitude: 4.7
Date-Time:
Monday, February 28, 2011 at 05:00:50 UTC
Sunday, February 27, 2011 at 11:00:50 PM at epicenter
Location: 35.265°N, 92.344°W
Depth: 3.8 km (2.4 miles)
Region: ARKANSAS
Distances:
6 km (4 miles) NE (46°) from Greenbrier, AR
7 km (4 miles) S (187°) from Guy, AR
9 km (6 miles) SE (128°) from Twin Groves, AR
22 km (14 miles) NNE (27°) from Conway, AR
59 km (37 miles) N (359°) from Little Rock, AR
Location Uncertainty : horizontal +/- 0.6 km (0.4 miles); depth +/- 0.7 km (0.4 miles)
“…On the third day of December last, a singular noise was heard here. It has been differently described by those who heard it as like a blast in a wall, the explosion of a meteor, or a single distant clap of heavy thunder. So far as ascertained, the nearer the center or place of explosion, there was a rumbling and a sensible vibration of the earth.
“Much speculation was had as to its cause. It was not probable that it was thunder, for it was mid-winter and the sky was clear; nor blasting in a well, for people do not work in wells in the wet and wintry season. Upon inquiry we found that the explosion had been heard as far as Fort Gibson, and generally in a circle whose diameter is two hundred miles and expected to find some notice of it in the papers of your city. The other day, Col. Logan, of Scott County, visited our city and gave us an apparent solution of the mystery. “It appears, from his statement, that Mr. Wm. Gipson, while bear hunting on Christmas day, attempted to cross Dry Creek, situated in T 5 N, R. 26 W., but found the mountain to be on fire. Gipson describes it as sending forth smoke at the top which at night time has a ruddy glare and is visible for miles…The ground is heated, and the sides of the mountain are numerous fissures, through which vapor is constantly escaping…” [Excerpts from an article printed by the Arkansas Gazette, January 15, 1856.]
‘SOMALI PIRATES’ EYING ‘BOAT’ CARRYING INTERNATIONAL DONATIONS FOR CHRISTCHURCH QUAKE VICTIMS
“The devastation in Christchurch is as bad as the destruction caused by an earthquake in Haiti last year, former New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark says.”
Helen Clark visits Christchurch with Labour leader Phil Goff . Twitpic/Phil Goffvia Apartheid New Zealand
Ms Clark who now heads the United Nations development program, reportedly flew into Christchurch today and visited the central city to view the CTV and PGC building sites.
“Total devastation, and my heart goes out to everybody. So many people no longer with us. Grieving families. People with terrible injuries. People’s livelihoods destroyed … that’s the devastating scene.” She said.
“The devastation in Christchurch is as bad as the destruction caused by an earthquake in Haiti last year, former New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark says.” Local media reported.
Interesting how the establishment agents have such short memories. After the Christchurch earthquake 2010, they said the buildings there were much more quake-resistant than Haiti’s, in an attempt to explain why no one was killed in NZ. [The international charity mafia still claims that more than 300,000 people were killed—sic—and about 316,000 injured—sic— as a result of the Haiti 2010 quake.]
Keep an eye on the donation figures and see how the hundreds of millions of dollars poured in would be hijacked by the ‘Somali Pirates.’ At least they might now moralize the grand larceny by using excuses like: ‘Why rebuild in the same place where nature has destroyed twice already.’
[SEISMIC HAZARD WARNING: Areas in and around the Golden Bay, the Tasman Bay, the region north and south of the Cook Strait, the entire northern seaboard of North Island, especially the Hauraki Gulf area, as well as the western and eastern seaboards of the NI are believed to be among NZ’s potential disaster hotpots. FIRE-EARTH]
Earthquake Update Feb 27, 2011
The Mass Exodus
“Authorities in Nelson are working hard to accommodate fleeing Christchurch residents amid reports that [thousands] have escaped to the region following Tuesday’s earthquake.” Source
“It is difficult to gauge the number of arrivals, however, anecdotal estimates have people arriving from Christchurch over the weekend numbering many hundreds,” spokesman for Tasman Emergency Management said.
“There had been reports that some were looking to shift to the Nelson-Tasman area long term, with some enrolling in schools.” The report said.
The Amazing Vanishing Act of the Dead
Previously:
Fatalities : 145 Dead (at least 95 percent had already been identified)
Missing: Between 200 to 300
Presumed total of the dead and missing: Between 345 and 445.
Today:
Superintendent Dave Cliff confirmed the death toll in Christchurch had increased to 147.
He said there are still more than 200 people missing, including a New Zealand police officer.
“We know many – if not all – of the confirmed dead will be on that list,” Mr Cliff said this evening.
“So there are still over 50 unaccounted for.” Source
NZ PM John Key’s Revealing Comment about the Fatalities:
“This may be New Zealand’s single-most tragic event,” he said (See below).
[NOTE: In New Zealand’s previous worst ever disaster, the 1931 Hawkes Bay earthquake, 256 people perished.]
Faces of the lost [This page includes names and photos of twenty of the earthquake victims. YET the “reviled” New Zealand police have only named 6 of the dead, as of posting.]
FIRE-EARTH Blog has been posting specific quake warning for New Zealand Region since 2008, all of which have been buried by New Zealand govt and Google. [See links below.]
The following report written by the Press Association is included for reference:
New Zealand disaster ‘worst ever’
[UKPA] Saturday February 26 2011
New Zealand’s prime minister said the Christchurch quake may be the country’s worst disaster ever, as officials warned that a third of the city centre’s buildings may have to be destroyed.
Engineers and planners said the city’s decimated central area may be completely unusable for months to come and that at least a third of the buildings must be demolished and rebuilt after last Tuesday’s 6.3-magnitude quake. The casualty toll stands at 145 dead and more than 200 missing.
John Key said the government would announce an aid package on Monday for an estimated 50,000 people who will be out of work for months due to the closure of the city centre. Mr Key, who spent some time talking to families who lost loved ones in the disaster, called for two minutes of silence next Tuesday to remember both the victims and the ordeal of the survivors.
“This may be New Zealand’s single-most tragic event,” he said.
Christchurch mayor Bob Parker assured relatives of the missing – including people from several countries who have converged on this southern New Zealand city of 350,000 – that every effort was being made to locate any remaining survivors of Tuesday’s 6.3-magnitude quake.
No-one was found alive overnight as a multi-national team of more than 600 rescuers continued scouring the city’s central business district, although a paramedic reported hearing voices in one destroyed building early on Saturday, Police Supt Russel Gibson said.
Police have said up to 120 bodies may be entombed in the ruins of the CTV building alone, where dozens of foreign students from an international school were believed to be trapped. Still, Supt Gibson said rescuers were not completely ruling out good news. “I talked to experts who say we’ve worked on buildings like this overseas and we get miracles. New Zealand deserves a few miracles,” he said.
The King’s Education language school released a list of missing people presumed in the building: nine teachers and 51 students – 26 Japanese, 14 Chinese, six Filipinos, three Thais, one South Korean and one Czech. An additional 20 students were listed with “status unknown”.
The death toll rose on Saturday to 145, Police Supt David Cliff said, adding that: “We do expect that number to rise.” Some 226 people remained missing. At Christchurch’s cathedral, workers had just begun work on its ruined bell tower late on Friday when fresh aftershocks sent more masonry tumbling from the building.
The city’s central business district will take several months to recover, Earthquake Recovery Minister Gerry Brownlee said, adding that “most of the services, in fact all of the services that are offered in the CBD will need to relocate elsewhere”.
“Mount Adams, one of the largest volcanoes in the Cascade Range, dominates the Mount Adams volcanic field in Skamania, Yakima, Klickitat, and Lewis counties and the Yakima Indian Reservation of south-central Washington. The nearby Indian Heaven and Simcoe Mountains volcanic fields lie west and southeast, respectively, of the 1,250 square kilometers (500 square miles) Adams field. Even though Mount Adams has been less active during the past few thousand years than neighboring Mounts St. Helens, Rainier, and Hood, it assuredly will erupt again. Future eruptions will probably occur more frequently from vents on the summit and upper flanks of Mount Adams than from vents scattered in the volcanic fields beyond. Large landslides and lahars that need not be related to eruptions probably pose the most destructive, far- reaching hazard of Mount Adams. The purpose of these maps and booklet is to (1) describe the kinds of hazardous geologic events that will likely occur in the future at Mount Adams and at other volcanoes in the region, (2) outline the areas that will most likely be affected by these events, and (3) recommend actions that individuals and government agencies can take to protect lives and property. — Scott, et.al., 1995″ Source:Volcano Hazards in the Mount Adams Region, Washington
SP Crater, The San Francisco Volcanic Field, N Arizona
The San Francisco Volcanic Field, home to about 600 volcanoes, lies in northern Arizona covering about 4,700 km². This photo-like image of the volcanic field featuring SP Crater and lava flows was acquired byALI on NASA’s EO-1 satellite on April 17, 2010. “Forming a paisley pattern, the dark volcanic rocks north of SP Crater result from lava flows. (This image has been rotated and north is at right.) The hardened lava extends some 4 miles (6 kilometers) from the cinder cone, and is about 100 feet (30 meters) thick. Different dating techniques have placed the age of this lava between 4,000 and 71,000 years old.” Source: NASA-EO. Click image to enlarge. Download large image (4 MB, JPEG)
Secrecy, Police Control and Political Manipulation Continue in the Quake Aftermath
Confirmed death toll from the Christchurch earthquake has risen to 145, as of posting, with 200+ listed as missing, the Canterbury Region police chief has said.
Despite the mounting death toll, NZ police have only released the names of six victims.
Police refusal to release the list of those missing remains an even bigger mystery.
The Cathedral ‘God’ Despised
Demolition workers are lowered by crane onto the top of the Christchurch Cathedral. About 22 people, mostly foreign tourists, are said to be entombed inside the 130-year old building. Photo credit: AP. Image may be subject to copyright.
Other deatails:
There was no live rescue today, just recovery.
Rescue operations have been abandoned in several areas.
About 150,000 tons of sand, surfaced as a result of the liquefaction, will have to be removed from Christchurch’s eastern suburbs, reports say. Only about a fifth of that amount (30,000 tons of sand) was removed after the September 4, 2010 earthquake, NZ’s civil defense has said.
More than a third of Christchurch workforce will be out of work for months/years because of the closure of downtown.
About 65,000 people remain without water
More than 100,000 have no sewerage service.
At least 1,000 homes and business have been assessed as “unsafe,” with many more rated as “requiring further assessment.”
About one-third of the buildings in central Christchurch would have to be demolished, according to one estimate.
About 200 elderly residents from the worst-affected areas have been transferred out of Christchurch area.
At least a quarter of Christchurch buildings are still without power.
“More than 500 competitors from 30 different countries were taking part in the ITF World Seniors Championships in Christchurch when the quake hit the 6.3 magnitude quake hit on Tuesday.” Said a report.
Noteworthy Points for Collapse Scholars:
Racketeering. Many businesses in Christchurch are reportedly hiking up their prices to maximize profit in the wake of the fatal earthquake, Newstalk ZB said.
Food Security. at least 50,000 of Christchurch workforce will be out of work for months, possibly years because of the devastation caused by the earthquake.
The Police State. Some 324 police personnel have been imported from Australia and sworn to secrecy.
The Exodus. The rush to get out of Christchurch is accelerating, reports say. “Some of those leaving are going for good, even some who have nowhere else to go.” Said a report. The exodus from Christchurch to Picton and Wellington has begun.
The Domino Effect. The city of Nelson, and towns of Blenheim and Picton (and others in the Marlborough region), have reportedly run out of accommodation for the elderly, after many were relocated from Christchurch following Tuesday’s earthquake.
[NOTE: Areas in and around the Golden Bay, the Tasman Bay and the region north and south of the Cook Strait are believed to be among NZ’s potential disaster hotpots. FIRE-EARTH]
Faces of the lost [This page includes names and photos of twenty of the earthquake victims. YET the “reviled” New Zealand police have only named 6 of the dead, as of posting.]
FIRE-EARTH Blog has been posting specific quake warning for New Zealand Region since 2008, all of which have been buried by New Zealand govt and Google. [See links below.]
NZ Police Names Two More Victims, as 228 Others Remain Missing
Terrestrial meteor scores a direct hit
A hole created by a giant boulder which crashed through a house during Tuesday’s earthquake, is seen near Lyttelton in this image by AP Photo’s Mark Baker, via News.com.au. Image may be subject to copyright.
Unbelievable Larceny
Police have made at least a dozen arrests for looting, including two people who stole vital rescue equipment and generators.
“Worst Type of News”
NZ Foreign Minister has warned families of foreign visitors and overseas students who are still missing in the rubble of Tuesday’s deadly Christchurch earthquake to prepare for the “worst type of news.”
Of the 113 people confirmed dead so far, at least 20 are said to be foreigners, while many of the missing hundreds are also from overseas.
Pathetic Police Comment
“Police have corrected the age of one of the deceased identified yesterday. Jayden Harris was 8 months old when he died in the earthquake, not 9 months as first reported. Police regret any distress caused by this error.” Source.
Faces of the lost [This page includes names and photos of twenty of the earthquake victims. YET the “reviled” New Zealand police have only named 6 of the dead, as of posting.]
The NWS Storm Prediction Center has issued a moderate risk for severe thunderstorms for today over parts of the lower Mississippi and lower Tennessee Valleys. The areas most likely to experience this activity include much of Arkansas, western Kentucky, northern Mississippi, and western and middle Tennessee. The storms will have the potential to grow into one or more long-lived bands that could produce a few strong tornadoes in addition to swaths of damaging wind and hail. Details…
Mark Flanner of University of Michigan and his colleagues have reportedly been measuring the impact of climate forcing using satellite data collected over the last 30 years. “On average, the Northern Hemisphere now absorbs about 100 PetaWatts [10^17 Watts] more solar energy because of changes in snow and ice cover,” according to Flanner. [FIRE-EARTH cannot confirm the accuracy of Flanner’s calculations. Moderator]
“The left image shows how much energy the Northern Hemisphere’s snow and ice—called the cryosphere—reflected on average between 1979 and 2008. Dark blue indicates more reflected energy, and thus more cooling. The Greenland ice sheet reflects more energy than any other single location in the Northern Hemisphere. The second-largest contributor to cooling is the cap of sea ice over the Arctic Ocean. The right image shows how the energy being reflected from the cryosphere has changed between 1979 and 2008. ” Source: NASA-EO
Of the 340 watts per square meter of solar energy that falls on the Earth, 29% is reflected back into space, primarily by clouds, but also by other bright surfaces and the atmosphere itself. About 23% of incoming energy is absorbed in the atmosphere by atmospheric gases, dust, and other particles. The remaining 48% is absorbed at the surface. (NASA illustration by Robert Simmon. Astronaut photograph ISS013-E-8948.)
The atmosphere radiates the equivalent of 59% of incoming sunlight back to space as thermal infrared energy, or heat. Where does the atmosphere get its energy? The atmosphere directly absorbs about 23% of incoming sunlight, and the remaining energy is transferred from the Earth’s surface by evaporation (25%), convection (5%), and thermal infrared radiation (a net of 5-6%). The remaining thermal infrared energy from the surface (12%) passes through the atmosphere and escapes to space. (NASA illustration by Robert Simmon. Astronaut photograph ISS017-E-13859.)
On average, 340 watts per square meter of solar energy arrives at the top of the atmosphere. Earth returns an equal amount of energy back to space by reflecting some incoming light and by radiating heat (thermal infrared energy). Most solar energy is absorbed at the surface, while most heat is radiated back to space by the atmosphere. Earth’s average surface temperature is maintained by two large, opposing energy fluxes between the atmosphere and the ground (right)—the greenhouse effect. NASA illustration by Robert Simmon, adapted from Trenberth et al. 2009, using CERES flux estimates provided by Norman Loeb.)
Any changes to the Earth’s climate system that affect how much energy enters or leaves the system alters Earth’s radiative equilibrium and can force temperatures to rise or fall. These destabilizing influences are called climate forcings. Natural climate forcings include changes in the Sun’s brightness, Milankovitch cycles (small variations in the shape of Earth’s orbit and its axis of rotation that occur over thousands of years), and large volcanic eruptions that inject light-reflecting particles as high as the stratosphere. Manmade forcings include particle pollution (aerosols), which absorb and reflect incoming sunlight; deforestation, which changes how the surface reflects and absorbs sunlight; and the rising concentration of atmospheric carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases, which decrease heat radiated to space. A forcing can trigger feedbacks that intensify or weaken the original forcing. The loss of ice at the poles, which makes them less reflective, is an example of a feedback.
“[TC ATU] is currently undergoing extra-tropical transition (ET) and is expected to complete ET by [February 24 at 06:00UTC] as it continues to accelerate along the southwestern periphery of a subtropical steering ridge into the mid-latitude westerlies.” JTWC said.
Christchurch quakes calve a 27-million ton chunk of ice from Tasman Glacier
The iceberg measured 1,200m long, 300m high and 75m wide; it broke off the face of Tasman Glacier, in Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park, and plunged into Tasman Lake shortly after the earthquake struck Christchurch yesterday, local reports say.
The large icebergs reportedly broke up upon impact with water, forming several smaller chunks of ice, with the largest measuring about 250m long.
The event created tsunamis up to 3.5m high. Some 16 tourists and two guides out on an “adventure tour” were lucky to escape unhurt.
A 27-million ton iceberg calved from Tasman Glacier after Tuesday’s earthquake and plunged into the Tasman Lake, 200km (124 miles) southeast of Christchurch. Image credit: Reuters/Denis Callesen/Handout
The iceberg is said to be the third largest calving to have occurred in the Tasman Lake since 1970.Image credit as above.
New Zealand Earthquake Update
The authorities have raised the death toll to at least 75, with 20 bodies unidentified, some believed to be foreign tourists.
The New Zealand region is about to experience significant climatological events and large-scale geological and tectonic activity. Would be visitors are advised to stay out of the area for the foreseeable future.
The following WARNING was first posted on MAY 9, 2009 at NewZeelend Blog. FEWW is re-posting the WARNING with renewed urgency:
Seismic, Volcanic and Climatological Warning!
The New Zealand region is undergoing large-scale tectonic [seismological and volcanic] activities and significant climatological events. Would be visitors are well advised to stay clear of the area for the foreseeable future.
Here’s a New, SPECIFIC WARNING to New Zealand
FIRE-EARTH believes large earthquakes could destroy Christchurch and several other cities in New Zealand. The bulk of Christchurch could literally vanish as a result of ensuing geophysical activity, possibly by as early as 2015.
In the Short Term
More powerful shocks could strike Christchurch [also Auckland, Wellington and elsewhere in New Zealand] anytime.
Large scale volcanic activity in the country could occur this year [high probability.]
FIRE-EARTH has identified a number of potential seismic ‘Ground Zeros,’ areas prone to devastation, in the New Zealand Region, some of which coincide with population centers.
New Zealand government has a moral responsibility [we won’t hold our breath] and a legal duty to relocate New Zealanders from the DANGER ZONES. [Would you trust a government which hides earthquake warnings from its people?]
China is World No. 1 CO2 Polluter; the US follows closely. Report
China’s Air Pollution Deadliest in World, Report Says.
Pollution kills 750,000 [2.5million] people in China every year. Report
According to the World bank statistics, China has 16 of the 20 most polluted cities on earth!
Thick smog covered the North China Plain on February 20, 2011. “The featureless gray-brown haze is so thick that the ground is not visible in parts of this photo-like image taken at 11:35 a.m. by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Terra satellite. At that time, a weather station at Beijing’s airport reported visibility of 1.9 miles (3.1 kilometers). Visibility dropped as low as 1.1 miles (1.8 km) later in the afternoon.” Source: NASA-EO. Click image to enlarge.Download larger image (2 MB, JPEG)
Haze over eastern China
Haze shrouded eastern China in mid-February 2011. MODIS on NASA’s Terra satellite captured this photo-like image on February 17, 2011. Source: NASA-EO. Click image to enlarge.Download larger image (4 MB, JPEG)
Why Did New Zealand Govt and Google Bury Specific Quake Warnings?
FIRE-EARTH Blog has been posting specific quake warning for New Zealand Region since 2008, all of which have been buried by New Zealand govt and Google. [See links below.]
NZ’s Prime Minister John Key has confirmed at least 65 deaths in the Christchurch as a result of today’s earthquakes.“We may be witnessing New Zealand’s darkest day,” he told TVNZ.
Mayor Bob Parker has said the death toll could quite possibly double.
Many foreign tourists may be among the casualties.
It’s unlikely that the secretive government would ever reveal the exact number of fatalities and casualties.
Christchurch Mayor Bob Parker said up to 200 people are trapped in buildings across the city.
Many people are still reported as missing.
The power is cut off and phone lines are down throughout Christchurch, as the authorities evacuate the central areas of the city because of the widespread damage to buildings, roads and other infrastructure.
Water supplies have been cut-off/disrupted throughout most of the city
Many roads have been severely damaged and there are reports of widespread liquefaction and flooding.
The epicenter was close to the town of Lyttelton (population: 3,000), about 12km SE of Christchurch and described as “unlivable” by a TV reporter.
Sixty percent of buildings in Lyttelton’s main street were destroyed, the chief fire officer has reported.
In the central suburb of Waltham, as well as several other areas, the ground was “completely liquefied” following the quakes.
The quakes have had a knock-on effect on air travel, with all commercial flights throughout New Zealand grounded.
Today’s earthquakes, so far, were the second deadliest wave to strike New Zealand since a 1931 M7.8 earthquake killed 256 people in city of Napier, Hawke’s Bay region.
Three significant shocks have struck the area, as of posting, with the most recent one registering 5.5Mw at 01:50UTC.
Technically, larger shocks could strike anytime, FIRE-EARTH believes.
FIRE-EARTH has identified a number of potential seismic ‘Ground Zeros,’ areas prone to devastation, in the New Zealand Region, some of which coincide with population centers. New Zealand government has a moral responsibility and legal duty to relocate their people from those areas.
Christchurch could become unlivable in the near future.
Strong Foreshocks Measuring 6.4 and 5.7Mw Rattle Christchurch, NZ: Report
The following are preliminary details of the shocks as recorded by GFZ Potsdam Earthquake Bulletin
The first shock measuring 6.4Mw was followed by a less powerful event measuring 5.7Mw about 11 minutes later. Both events occurred at a depth of about 5km, the report indicates.
The quakes occurred about 10km SE of Christchurch [ in the middle of the Lyttelton harbor,] NZ’s second largest city.
Event No. 1
GFZ Potsdam – Earthquake Bulletin
Region: South Island, New Zealand
Time: 2011-02-21 23:51:44.5 UTC
Magnitude: 6.4
Epicenter: 172.83°E 43.40°S
Depth: 5 km
Status: automatic
GFZ Potsdam – Earthquake Bulletin
Region: South Island, New Zealand
Time: 2011-02-22 00:04:20.8 UTC
Magnitude: 5.7
Epicenter: 172.68°E 43.52°S
Depth: 5 km
Status: automatic
There are reports of buildings collapsing with possible fatalities, media reported. The Christchurch Hospital is being evacuated.
“But Twitter users have reported feeling the quake as far as Wellington and Dunedin, with the violent episode lasting at least a minute and rocking buildings,” a report said.
A photo posted by gavb online showing damage at Sumner. Photo credit: Twitpic (via Herald Sun)
Christchurch Cathedral didn’t make it this time. (twitpic.com/42dzk8: Tess Woolcock)
USGS reported the shocks as measuring 6.3Mw and 5.6Mw, and listed the following details:
Event #1
Magnitude: 6.3
Date-Time:
Monday, February 21, 2011 at 23:51:42 UTC
Tuesday, February 22, 2011 at 12:51:42 PM at epicenter
Location: 43.513°S, 172.638°E (Later revised to 43.600°S, 172.710°E)
Depth: 4 km (2.5 miles)
Region: SOUTH ISLAND OF NEW ZEALAND
Distances (NEAR Christchurch, New Zealand)
215 km (135 miles) SSE of Westport, New Zealand
305 km (190 miles) SW of WELLINGTON, New Zealand
315 km (195 miles) NNE of Dunedin, New Zealand
Location Uncertainty: horizontal +/- 13.9 km (8.6 miles); depth +/- 0.5 km (0.3 miles)
Source: USGS NEIC (WDCS-D)
Event ID: usb0001igm
Event #2
Magnitude: 5.6
Date-Time: Tuesday, February 22, 2011 at 00:04:18 UTC
Location: 43.580°S, 172.798°E
Depth: 6.7 km (4.2 miles)
Distances: 10 km (5 miles) ESE of Christchurch, New Zealand
Location Uncertainty: horizontal +/- 13 km (8.1 miles); depth +/- 0.2 km (0.1 miles)
FIRE-EARTH has previously posted specific advice concerning the threat of seismic hazards to New Zealand. [Ask NZ Govt and Google why they buried the information.]
“The Christchurch police central police station has been evacuated, the airport has been closed and there are reports of collapses of many buildings, including a church in the central city.” Source
“Damage in the city is severe. There are reports of bodies being pulled from a bus in Columbo Street.” Source
“Multiple fatalities have been reported at several locations in the central city, including two buses crushed by falling buildings,” the police website said.
Major earthquake in Christchurch
22 February, 2011 – 13:55
A major earthquake in Christchurch at 12.51pm has caused widespread damage and injury.
The central city is currently being evacuated as reports are received of widespread damage to buildings and infrastructure.
Multiple fatalities have been reported at several locations in the central city, including two buses crushed by falling buildings. A doctor and emergency services are attending.
Other reports include multiple building collapses, fires in buildings in the central and persons reported trapped in buildings.
All available police staff are assisting with evacuations and emergency responses.
Christchurch Hospital is not evacuated and is in operation. No injuries reported at Christchurch Airport.
Defence forces have been called in to assist.
IMPORTANT MESSAGES:
Triage centres have been established for people with injuries at:
– Latimer Square, Central City
– Spotlight Mall, Sydenham
– Sanitarium, Papanui
Police advise that people who have evacuated their homes or buildings should report to their nearest Civil Defence sector post – usually schools.
Further updates will be issued as available.
A media briefing will be advised as soon as possible later today. ENDS
Stephen Hill, Police District Communications Manager
Mob. 027 4363701 — MEDIA PLEASE NOTE: Cellphone services may be unavailable.
Philippines Mt Bulusan volcano erupted again Monday at 01:12UTC showering at least three towns with large quantities of ash.
The ash explosion as seen from the town of Irosin, about 600km SE of Manila, Philippines. Bulusan Volcano is located in Sorsogon province in Bicol region. Credit AP. Image may be subject to copyright.
A massive ash plume from the 1,560-m volcano drifted south covering the town of Irosin (population: 46,000), according to a civil defense operations official.
“There’s zero visibility at Irosin at the moment, and we can’t get in touch with officials there,” he told AFP.
A state volcanologist told AFP that explosion sounds were followed by an ash column that rose by up to 2.5km (1.6 miles) above the crater.
Map of the Philippines Volcanoes. Click image to enlarge.
“The huge plume of grayish smoke shot up to more than a mile (2 kilometers) toward the blue sky, with the ash drifting southwest toward four farming towns in Sorsogon province, where about 1,200 villagers fled to emergency shelters and houses of relatives, said Benito Ramos, who heads the government’s disaster-response agency.” AP reported.
“Volcanic ash has fallen in the towns of Casiguran and Juban, located at the foot of the volcano. Philippine troops will be evacuating some 1,000 residents from these two towns,” Xinhua quoted an official as saying.
The explosion at Bulusan volcano lasted for 19 minutes, starting at 09:12 local time (01:12UTC) and has since affected at least 100,000 people in 3 towns and 41 villages in the surrounding areas, the National Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council said.
Deepwater Horizon oil leak “devastated” life on and near the seafloor: Marine scientist
A research submersible discovered a 10cm thick layer of dead animals and oil in places, said Samantha Joye, a marine scientist at the University of Georgia.
It’s implausible that the Gulf of Mexico will recover by the end of 2012, she said disputing BP’s assessment, a report said.
“Knocking these animals out of the food chain will, in time, affect species relevant to fisheries.”
Professor Joye told the American Association for the Advancement of Science conference in Washington that it may be a decade before the full effects on the Gulf are apparent.
She said they concluded the layers had been deposited between June and September 2010 after it was discovered that no sign of sealife from samples taken in May remained.
Professor Joye and her team, using the Alvin submersible, examined the bottom-most layer of the water close to the well head, known as the benthos.
“The impact on the benthos was devastating,” she told BBC News.
“Filter-feeding organisms, invertebrate worms, corals, sea fans – all of those were substantially impacted – and by impacted, I mean essentially killed.
“Another critical point is that detrital feeders like sea cucumbers, brittle stars that wander around the bottom, I didn’t see a living (sea cucumber) around on any of the wellhead dives. They’re typically everywhere, and we saw none.” More…
TROPICAL CYCLONE ATU (TC 17P), was located about 830km west of NADI, FIJI, at 12:00UTC (position: near 17.2ºS 170.1ºE), moving ESE at about 7kmph. ATU has sustained winds of about 170kmph, with wind gusts of up to 200kmph.
A Winter Storm is expected to affect Upper Midwest during the long Washington Birthday weekend. A surface low pressure system will take shape near the Four Corners region tonight and trek into central Nebraska and Kansas by Sunday morning, bringing heavy snowfall across much of the region Saturday night through Monday morning. Strong winds will also bring blowing and drifting snow across the region Sunday afternoon into early Monday. Near blizzard conditions are expected in open areas from west central to south central Minnesota. (Source: NWS)
A major winter storm is taking aim on the Northern Plains. Snow will move into the western and central part of South Dakota tonight, then spread across the rest of the area tomorrow morning. Northerly winds will increase and become quite gusty, creating widespread blowing and drifting snow. 6 to 12 inches will be common, with a more heavier band setting up over portions of central and eastern South Dakota, into Minnesota where amounts will be closer to a foot or perhaps more. (Source: NWS)
The next in a series of winter storms will bring significant snow accumulations to most mountains of eastern Utah and western Colorado this weekend. An associated cold front will pass this evening changing valley rain and snow to all snow tonight. Isolated thunderstorms are possible ahead and along the cold front this afternoon and evening. Snow accumulations of at least a foot of snow are likely in most mountain locales, with up to 2 feet in the southwest San Juan Mountains. The storm exits to the east Sunday night with quieter weather conditions expected Monday and Tuesday. (Source: NWS)
A winter storm will move across the region Sunday and Sunday night. Snow is expected to develop across central Wisconsin Sunday morning, then spread into northeast and north central Wisconsin Sunday morning into Sunday afternoon. The snow may be heavy at times Sunday afternoon. A heavy band of snow with accumulations of 8 to 13 inches is expected along and south of Highway 29. Along with the heavy snow, northeast winds are expected to increase Sunday afternoon and then continue Sunday night. Areas of blowing and drifting snow are expected across central and north central Wisconsin. Along and east of Highway 41, strong northeast winds gusting up to around 45 mph will create significant blowing and drifting of the snow and create near blizzard conditions late Sunday afternoon and into Sunday night. The snow will taper off early Monday morning, but considerable blowing and drifting snow will continue across northeast Wisconsin Monday morning. (Source: NWS)
Cloudy skies this afternoon as conditions deteriorate across Wyoming. Snow will develop by mid-afternoon over central portions, becoming more widespread during the evening hours. This activity will continue throughout the nighttime hours toward daybreak. Snow will begin to decrease by late Sunday morning before finally ending by the afternoon. Winter storm Warnings and Advisories have been issued for much of the state. Please refer to individual areas for specific details as well as the Top News Story on the Homepage. …IMPACTS OUTLOOK… TONIGHT… Lows tonight will drop into the single digits and teens across most locations with areas to the south in the 20s. These cold readings, coupled with winds of 20 to 30 mph, will drag wind chill values into the -0s to -20s. Blowing and drifting snow will be a concern as well, as snowfall rates approach 1 inch per hour, greatly reducing visiblities. TOMORROW… Snow activity will be winding down by noon on Sunday. Any remaining snow will be reduced to flurries. Highs will be in the teens across north-central and eastern Wyoming, while the rest of the state slowly climbs into the 20s. A few locations to the south may reach the lower 30s. Breezy conditions will remain across the western mountains as well as the Lower Green River Basin. MONDAY…Minimal Impact Expected. (Source: NWS)
Warm and windy weather will develop once again across the Panhandles on Sunday. With dry conditions continuing, fire weather concerns will increase across the area. A Red Flag Warning is in effect for all of the Texas and Oklahoma Panhandles on Sunday. Southwest winds of 25-35 mph with gusts approaching 45 mph are expected. In addition, unseasonably warm afternoon highs are also anticipated with temperatures ranging from near 60 across the northwestern Panhandles to the mid 70s in the far southeast Texas Panhandle. (Source: NWS)
Click images to enlarge. For additional Weather Stories go to SOURCE.
The wettest, coldest, driest, hottest, severest… could get even worse this year
Extremes of temperature, precipitation, drought and other climatic and weather events would continue to intensify throughout 2011, FIRE-EARTH forecasts.
It has, and it’s continuing to shatter more records …
United States
Dulles International Airport set a new record of 75 degrees, 2 degrees higher than previous record of 1981, said a report.
And “77 degrees at Reagan National Airport. That made Friday the warmest Feb. 18 recorded in Washington.”
Boston reported a high of 60 degrees.
A new record high temperature of 80ºF was set at Oklahoma’s Will Rogers World Airport on Thursday, The National Weather Service said.
In North Carolina a record new high was set as mercury rose to 78 degrees at Raleigh-Durham International Airport, 23 degrees higher than normal for the date. The previous record stood at 75 degrees and remained unbroken since 1948, a report said.
Finland
“The record low temperature for this winter inched down a degree or so last night. Between Thursday and Friday a new record low for 2010-2011 of -41.3°C was measured in Salla’s village of Naruska in southeastern Lapland, the Finnish Meteorological Institute reports.”
Russia
Moscow region’s temperature fell to as low as minus 33.4 degrees Celsius in Klin, a 60-year record low for the region, a report said.
2011-2012: Record Shattering Period
Since January, many new rain and snowfall records have also been set, the latest of which was in Down Under.
Darwin, Australia recorded a total of 339.6mm of rain during the 24 hours ending at 9am Wednesday—an all time 24 hour rainfall record for the city.
Japan’s War on Nature Continues Despite Apparently Losing One Battle
“Obstruction by a hardline anti-whaling group has forced Japan to cut short its Antarctic whale hunt, the fisheries minister said on Friday,” media reported.
Sea Shepherd Conservation Society has been instrumental in forcing the Japanese fleet to turn back. However, Japan remains one of only three countries—along with Norway and Iceland—still hunting whales. Japanese government insists that hunting whales is an important cultural tradition.
The whales question the blood culture!
Japanese whaling fleet vessel Yushin Maru No. 3 sprays water cannons at Sea Shepherd activists in a dinghy boat during their clashes in the Southern Ocean in this February 4, 2011 file photo. Obstruction by hardline anti-whaling group the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society has forced Japan to cut short its Antarctic whale hunt, the fisheries minister said on Friday, the first time the fleet is heading home early due to clashes with activists. Credit: Gary Stokes/Sea Shepherd/via Reuters.
“It has become difficult to secure the fleet’s safety,” Fisheries Minister Michihiko Kano told a news conference. “We have no choice but to cut short our research.”
Sea Shepherd considers the early return of the whaling fleet “as a victory for whales” and that “the movement was proving increasingly effective at disrupting the Japanese fleet’s operations.” Reuters reported.
“We didn’t do much differently, but got there early and intercepted them and disrupted them early before they could really begin,” Jeff Hansen, Sea Shepherd’s Australian director, said by telephone.
“Each year we’re costing them more and more money. It’s a heavily subsidized hunt and they’re spending and losing millions so we’re very much hurting them in the pocket.
“We’ll stay down there in the Southern Ocean, and if they return next season, we’ll be there to escort them northward.”
Threats and Intimidation by Japan
The Japanese government described the obstruction by Sea Shepherd as “unforgivable” and has “vowed to continue its whaling activities from next year.” Said the report.
“Sabotage like this is a dangerous, unlawful act that threatens the lives and property of the crew, who were engaging in legal research activities on the high seas, and the safety of sea traffic,” Foreign Minister Seiji Maehara told a news conference. “This is totally unforgivable.”
“The Foreign Ministry summoned ambassadors from the Netherlands, Australia and New Zealand—the Sea Shepherd vessels’ flag states or port call states—to express regret and ask them to take effective measures to prevent obstruction by the Sea Shepherd happening again.” Reuters said.
“From next year, we will not give this up. We plan to discuss across the government how whaling can be conducted safely,” Japan’s Chief Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano said.
What about Renewable Energy?
Japanese establishment’s brutality against nature doesn’t end at viciously killing defenseless whales and dolphins at sea. The country is also one of the least environmentally conscious members of the so-called developed nations.
About 81 percent of Japan’s primary energy comes from hydrocarbon sources: Oil, coal and natural gas.
The nuclear energy mafia supplies just under 15 percent through 53 nuclear reactors (2009), third after U-S and France.
Just over 0.5 percent of the land of Rising Sun’s primary energy comes from solar and wind sources.
Japan’s renewable power generation by type and by proportion of total power generated (FY 2008}. Source
WE’LL LET NATURE HAVE THE LAST WORDS!
As for Norway and Iceland …
“Oil from an Icelandic container ship that ran aground Thursday night has come ashore on the coast of southern Norway near the country’s only marine national park, Norwegian authorities said Friday.”
Melting in Greenland lasted 50 days longer than average in 2010
Click image to enlarge. Image acquired January 1, 2010 – December 31, 2010
“This image was assembled from microwave data from the Special Sensor Microwave/Imager (SSM/I) of the Defense Meteorological Satellites Program. Snow and ice emit microwaves, but the signal is different for wet, melting snow than for dry. Marco Tedesco, a professor at the City College of New York, uses this difference to chart the number of days that snow is melting every year. This image above shows 2010 compared to the average number of melt days per year between 1979 and 2009.” Source: NASA-EO
Greenland Melting – Short Movie
A short movie of videos and stills from Greenland collected by Marco Tedesco and his team in their 2009 and 2010 expeditions. “The theme is: meltwater. You will see canyons through which water flows, supraglacial lakes and ice cracks routing surface water to the bottom of the ice sheet. The vocal background at the beginning is a Shaman Inuit Chant.”
Severe, country-wide drought in Somalia threatens a third of the population: UN Official
UN relief chief warns of humanitarian disaster as drought ravages Somalia and Kenya
Severe drought in Somalia is worsening the humanitarian crisis in the country (Population: 7.2 million) causing more people to become internally displaced. As food and water scarcity worsen, many are moving into refugee camps across the border in Kenya, according to the UN under secretary general for humanitarian affairs, Valerie Amos.
Somali rural society is largely based upon pastoralism – drought has bitten deep into Somali rural society in recent years. Source: SAACID-ORG
“Somalia… is on the brink of a much larger disaster due to the threat of a country-wide drought,” said Amos.
“Malnutrition has increased in the last six months in Southern Somalia and 2.4 million, 32 percent of the population, remain in crisis.”
Current estimated food security conditions, rural areas, January 2010
Image Source:FSAU and FEWS NET via SAACID
“As we speak, there are significant urban population movements from [Somalia’s] Hiran and Middle Shabelle regions to Kenya,” Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Valerie Amos, who visited Somalia and Kenya earlier this month, told reporters at UN Headquarters.
“People are moving due to the deteriorating living conditions and a lack of a way to make a living. Families are said to be selling their assets, including houses and land, to get by and to facilitate their movement to the refugee camps in Kenya,” she said.
“Families are set to start selling their assets, including their houses and land to get by… our actions in the next few months is critical.”
“I cannot stress enough the importance in Somalia of finding a political solution. Only that would enable people to live in peace and dignity.” She said.
Somalia plunged into factional warfare in 1991 when the regime of Muhammad Siad Barre was toppled.
About 431,000 refugees have moved to Kenya, most of whom are from Somalia. About 300,000 of the refugees live in the Dadaab camps, close to Kenya’s border with Somalia.
Three solar eruptions from the Sun to reach Earth Thursday through Friday
The coronal mass ejections (CMEs) will smash into the Earth’s magnetic shield and could cause disruptions in power grids, telecommunication and satellite navigation systems.
“The calm before the storm. Three CMEs are enroute, all a part of the Radio Blackout events on February 13, 14, and 15 (UTC). The last of the three seems to be the fastest and may catch both of the forerunners about mid to late day tomorrow, February 17. Watch this space for updates on the impending — G2, possibly periods of G3 — geomagnetic storming. Watch Today’s Space Weather for the most recent activity.” NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center said.
Latest GOES Solar X-ray Image. Click image to enlarge.
Solar Activity Forecast: Solar activity is expected to be moderate with a chance for an isolated major flare for the next three days (17-19 February). Region 1158 is expected to produce more M-class flares and still has the potential for producing an M5 or greater x-ray event. There is a chance for isolated M-class activity from Region 1161.
Geophysical Activity Forecast: The geomagnetic field is expected to be predominately quiet on day one (February 17). An increase to unsettled to active conditions, with a chance for minor storm periods is expected late on day one into day two (18 February). The increased activity is forecast due to the expected arrival of the CME associated with the X2 flare that occurred on 15/0156Z. Day three (19 February) is expected to be quiet to active as the disturbance subsides.
Some 2,500 people living near Shinmoedake volcano on Japan’s Kyushu island were advised earlier today to evacuate their homes after heavy rain threatened lahar avalanches, reports say.
VoW: Mount St. Helens
Mount St. Helens and Spirit Lake, as seen from Bear Cove. Image Source: U.S. Forest Service via USGS/CVO.
Phreatic eruption of Mount St. Helens, March 28, 1980, as seen from the north. Image by C.Dan Miller, USGS/CVO
Mount St. Helens, Washington Ash Plume Path May 18, 1980
Click image to enlarge.
Mount St. Helens Volcano
Position: 46°12′ N 122°10’48” W,
Summit Elevation: 2,549 m (8,363 ft )
Current Volcano Alert Level: NORMAL
Current Aviation Color Code: GREEN
Source: USGS/CVO
Recent observations:
An M4.3 earthquake struck the Mount St. Helens region this morning, 14 February 2011, at 10:35 a.m. PST (18:35 UTC) and was felt widely through southwestern Washington and Northwestern Oregon (http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/dyfi/events/uw/02141835/us/index.html). Its exact magnitude may change by a few tenths from this value as records are further analyzed. The earthquake was followed by several aftershocks up to M2.8 over the next few hours (http://www.pnsn.org/recenteqs/latest.htm), the three largest of which were also reported felt. All of the earthquakes are located in an area about 8 kilometers (5 miles) north of the crater of Mount St. Helens, near the Johnston Ridge Observatory, at a depth of about 4 to 6 kilometers (2.5 to 4 miles).
Today’s earthquakes are in the same place as a small swarm that took place about two weeks earlier, on 29 January. These earthquakes are reminiscent of a swarm that took place about 30 years ago, when a swarm of small earthquakes began in August 1980, a few miles northwest of today’s activity. The 1980-1981 sequence climaxed with an M5.5 earthquake on 14 February 1981. Analysis of the 1981 events suggested that they occurred along existing faults in the Mount St. Helens seismic zone, a northwest to southeast trending system of faults in which Mount St. Helens lies. The Mount St. Helens seismic zone exhibits strike-slip motion, with the southwestern rocks slipping horizontally northwest relative to the rocks northeast of the fault zone. The fault zone likely exerts control on the location of Mount St. Helens volcano. Studies following the 1980 eruption suggested that the magma removed during the May 1980 eruption and subsequent lava-dome building caused faults along the seismic zone to slip in response to the magma withdrawal. Similar interaction of volcanic activity and tectonic fault movement is possible in the case of today’s earthquakes, but at present there appears to be no signs of unrest in the volcanic system. USGS/Cascades Volcano Observatory, Vancouver, Washington
Fire Earth 
