“National Shame of America”

“Land of the free and the home of the brave?”

The following are excerpts from a note sent to a colleague by his former associate who challenged us to publish it:

[Name removed]

“Re: Edward Snowden and his former employer, The National Shame of  America (NSA)”

“[…] you really make me laugh when you call your country land of the free and the home of the brave !!!”

“You chase your bravest out of the country and compel him to seek asylum from a quintessence of a ‘repressive’ country […] Land of the free and the home of the brave?”

“Bro, I hate to find out what you put in your apple pies […]”

Cheers
[Name removed]

Deadly July Heat

July heat shattered tens of thousands of temperature records, killed scores of people worldwide

United States

A total of 649 U.S. Daily Highest Max Temperature Records were set (404 broken, and 245 tied) in July this year, according to the data provided by the National Climatic Data Center (NCDC).

Additionally, 9 All-Time Highest Max Temperature Records were set in the United States (1 broken, 8 tied).

July 2013 was both the warmest July and the warmest month on record in Elko, NV since records began in 1888, said NWS.

The average temperature in Elko during July 2013 was 76.8 degrees. This is the warmest july average temperature, and the warmest calendar month average temperature, ever recorded in Elko. The previous record was 75.9 degrees in July 1985.

U.S. Daily Highest Max Temperature Records set in July 2013: 404 (Broken) + 245 (Tied) = 649 Total.  NOT included on this map are 11 locations in Hawaii and Alaska.

July heat helped wildfires in 13 states scorch up to  2,000 square miles, destroy hundreds of homes, and kill at least 22 people including 20 fire crews.

The latest fatality occurred when a tree fell on contract tree fellers who were trying to contain a lightning-sparked fire in the Deschutes National Forest in Oregon, killing one person and injuring another.

CONTINUED…

Drought Worsens in the U.S. West

Drought intensifies in Nevada, Oregon, Utah and the Dakotas

Drought intensified in the U.S. West over the past week.

D0-D4 drought levels generally persisted in California, Colorado, Idaho, Louisiana, Montana, Nebraska, Wyoming, Arizona, Alaska and Hawaii, but eased slightly in Texas and New Mexico.

Drought conditions improved more significantly in Oklahoma, covering 52.77 percent of the state, down from 75.08 percent previously. In Arkansas, D0 – D2 drought areas were 71.01 percent, down from 90.94 percent last period. Kansas down to 87.80 percent, compared with 100 percent a week ago.

As of July 30, 2013, drought levels in the lower 48 improved slightly covering 57.23 percent of contiguous U.S., down from 58.30 percent previously.

Dry conditions in Iowa covered 70.18 percent of the land, up from 62.92 percent earlier.

As of July 31, 2013 some 1,295 U.S. counties across 28 states were designated as drought disaster areas by USDA. [The figure includes both primary and contiguous disaster designations.]

Related Links

• Disaster Declared for 98 Counties in 9 States August 1, 2013
• 2013 U.S. Drought Disaster Map August 1, 2013
• U.S. Drought Expands for 6th Consecutive Week July 26, 2013
• Drought Disaster 2013 [Index Page]

Spectacular Steamboat Geyser Erupts

YNP’s Steamboat Geyser Erupts

Yellowstone National Park’s Steamboat Geyser, the world’s tallest active geyser, erupted for the first time since 2004.

Steamboat ejected steaming hot water up to 300 feet in the air during a 9-minute eruption Wednesday night, said the Park geologist.

The world’s tallest active geyser, Steamboat can erupt to more than 300 feet (90m), showering viewers with its mineral-rich waters. For hours following its rare 3 to 40 minute major eruptions, Steamboat thunders with powerful jets of steam. As befitting such an awesome event, full eruptions are entirely unpredictable. In recent years, Steamboat has had several major eruptions. More commonly, Steamboat has minor eruptions and ejects water in frequent bursts of 10 to 40 feet. Source: National Park Service/Yellowstone.

Unlike Old Faithful, which faithfully spews steam every 90 minutes, Steamboat has no predictable eruption frequency.

Steamboat is one of more than 300 geysers at Yellowstone (YNP has more than 10,000 hydrothermal features,), and erupted a record 29 times in 1964, though it’s previously gone as long as 50 years without any significant activity.

Cistern Spring

Cistern Spring and Steamboat Geyser are linked underground. During a major eruption of Steamboat, the water in Cistern Spring’s pool drains. Normally, Cistern is a beautiful blue pool from which water continually overflows. It is quite creative, depositing as much as 1/2 inch (12mm) of grayish sinter each year. By comparison, Old Faithful Geyser and many other thermal features may build at the rate of only 1/2 to 1 inch (12 – 25mm) per century. Cistern Spring’s influence expands throughout the lodgepole pine forest below. This forest has been slowly flooded with silica rich water since 1965. The pioneering lodgepole pine forest at Norris is in constant flux, retreating here and in other areas of increasing heat while advancing in places of diminished thermal activity.  Source: National Park Service/Yellowstone.