Antarctic Flood Forms ‘Ice Crater’

Enormous flood under Antarctica drained six billion tons of water: Report

The ice surface collapsed as the water in Cook Sub-Glacial Lake drained away, probably into the ocean, according to a new report.

3D view of the crater created using CryoSat data. The ice surface collapsed as six cubic km of water drained away from Cook SGL. The crater is located in Victoria Land, East Antarctica at about 73ºS and 156ºE. Copyright: ESA/McMillan

ESA’s CryoSat satellite has discovered a massive ‘ice crater’ in Victoria Land, East Antarctica, which researchers believe was left behind when a lake lying under about 3 km of ice suddenly drained.

“It covers an area of about 260 sq km, which is about the size of Edinburgh, and was as much as 70m deep,” said Dr Malcolm McMillan from the UK’s University of Leeds and lead author of a report in the journal Geophysical Research Letters.

“We knew from the Icesat data there had been a big elevation change, but it’s only now with Cryosat that we’ve been able to appreciate the true scale of what happened.” He told reporters.

The event occurred during an 18-month period in 2007-2008 at the Cook Sub-Glacial Lake (SGL) in the east of the continent, says the report.

The water would have been flowing away from the SGL at a rate of 160 cubic meters per second during peak discharge, the report says.

Cook is one of about 400 SGLs believed to exist on the White Continent, which is losing mass at a rate of between 50-100 billion tons a year.

ESA PAGE

Global Disasters/ Significant Events – 2 July 2013

States of Emergency declared for Cuyler and Deruyte, NY

Widespread flooding  prompted the Town Supervisors in Cuyler and Deruyte to issue states of emergency late Monday, said a report.

Flooding also forced the authorities to evacuate many homes, turn off power and gas and provide shelters for the evacuees, the report said.

Meanwhile, NWS has issued multiple Flood Warnings, Flash Flood Warnings, Flood Watches and Flood Advisories for much of the eastern U.S.

U.S. Weather Hazards Map – July 2, 2013. Source: NWS.

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State of Emergency Declared for the City of Ashtabula, Ohio

Extreme Rain Events on Thursday and Friday triggered widespread flooding in Ashtabula, inundating properties, washing out streets, and prompting City Council to declare a state of emergency, said a report.

• The worst-hit area is the Ashtabula harbor, which reportedly took the brunt of the storm.

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States of Emergency Declared for Two Minnesota Counties

Fillmore and Houston Counties in Minnesota have declared states of emergency due to the loses and damage caused extreme rain events and flooding.

“In some areas water levels are rising more than 8 feet,” said a report. “Both Houston and Fillmore counties took the brunt of the storm.”

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Air crash kills 19 people in Russia’s Sakha Republic

A Russian transport helicopter crashed into a hilltop in Siberia killing at least 19 people, including children, said the Russian authorities.

• The Polar Airlines Mi-8 helicopter crashed in a remote, mountainous terrain, about 40 miles from Deputatsky in the Sakha Republic.
• The crash has been blamed on bad weather. “The main theory at this time is difficult weather conditions,” the Interfax news agency quoted the regional police as saying.

• There were three crews and 25 passengers, including 11 children, on board the helicopter.

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M6.1 Quake Strikes Near Bireun, Indonesia 

A shallow quake measuring 6.1Mw struck  55km (34mi) S of Bireun in the Aceh Province of Indonesia [4.698°N 96.687°E] killing at least 1 person, leaving two people missing and more than a hundred others injured.

• The quake has damaged or destroyed dozens of homes near the epicenter.

Quake Details

Magnitude: 6.1Mw
Time: 2013-07-02 16:37:02 UTC+09:00
Location: 4.698°N 96.687°E
Depth: 10.0km (6.2mi)

Nearby Cities:

• 55km (34mi) S of Bireun, Indonesia
• 72km (45mi) SE of Reuleuet, Indonesia
• 74km (46mi) SW of Lhokseumawe, Indonesia
• 87km (54mi) NE of Meulaboh, Indonesia
• 581km (361mi) WNW of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Source: USGS/EQHP

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Russian Proton-M Rocket Explodes on Liftoff

More than 620 tons of extremely toxic propellants were aboard the rocket

A Russian Proton-M rocket reportedly carrying three navigation and global positioning satellites crashed soon after launch from Kazakhstan’s Baikonur Cosmodrome Tuesday morning, Russian Media reported.

The extremely toxic propellants used in the rocket were a combination of the hypergolic oxidizer, dinitrogen tetroxide, and hydrazine or its relatives monomethyl hydrazine and unsymmetrical dimethylhydrazine.

“It’s either the control system or the engine that has caused the accident. If the accident occurred in the first 10 to 20 seconds, then the engine is likely to be the cause,” an informed source in the space agency told RIA Novosty News Agency.

 

State of Emergency Declared in San Joaquin County Due To Extreme Heat

Extreme heat to last through Friday in San Joaquin County, California

Extreme heat in San Joaquin County has forced the Office of Emergency Services to declare a state of emergency. The heat is forecast to last through Friday, forecasters said.

Prolonged high heat and humidity that can be dangerous and even life-threatening is forecast for San Joaquin County, said the County Public health officials, urging the public  to take precautions that will protect them and their families.

“The Stockton Memorial Civic Auditorium has been set up as one of 11 cooling centers across San Joaquin County to provide residents a safe and cool gathering place during the week-long heat emergency,” said a report.

Stockton is the county seat of San Joaquin County with a population of about 300,000.

• In July 2012, Stockton became the most populous city in the U.S. to  file for protection under Chapter 9 of the US Bankruptcy code.
•  The city was ranked as 10th most dangerous place in America, and the 2nd most dangerous in California (violent crimes per 1000: 14.5; trailing Oakland).
• In 2013, Stockton was ranked as the 3rd least literate city in the United States.

Heat Wave Continues in Western U.S.

On Tuesday, temperatures will once again be 10 to 20 degrees above-normal for much of the Western United States. The Excessive Heat Warnings that have been in place for several days will continue through the middle of the week. Many of the same locations that broke records recently could shatter records again on Tuesday. —NWS

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