Author Archives: marcia

Coronal Hole Ejections

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CORONAL HOLE: A dark hole in the sun’s atmosphere (a ‘coronal hole’) is spewing a stream of solar wind toward Earth. The impact of the stream, expected on May 9-11, could add to the effect of the incoming CMEs, boosting the chances of strong geomagnetic activity later this week. NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory took this picture of the opening on May 8th:

Coronal holes are places where the sun’s global magnetic field opens up and allows some of the sun’s atmosphere to escape. The outflow of gas is the solar wind. NOAA forecasters estimate a 40% chance of geomagnetic activity on May 9-10 when the stream arrives (along with the CMEs of May 7th).

from:    spaceweather.com

New CME’s Incoming

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TWO INCOMING CMEs: A pair of solar eruptions on May 7th hurled coronal masss ejections (CMEs) toward Earth. Forecast tracks prepared by analysts at the Goddard Space Weather Lab suggests that clouds with arrive in succession on May 9th at 13:40 UT and May 10th at 07:54 UT (+/- 7 hours). The double impact could spark moderate geomagnetic storms. High-latitude sky watchers should be alert for auroras.

from; spaceweather.com

Volcano Updates – Mexico, Japan, Indonesia, Alaska

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Eruption Update for May 7, 2012: Popocatépetl, Iliamna, Lokon-Empung and a Pair of Japanese Volcanoes

The plume from Popocatépetl in Mexico seen on May 6, 2012. Webcam capture by Eruptions reader Kirby.

 

Quick updates on current activity at a number of volcanoes while I am mired in grading jail:

Popocatépetl: The Mexican volcano is still churning away (see above). Thus far, most of the activity has been subplinian plumes from the crater area as the new magma rises and fragments, but Mexican officials are not taking any chances. They will be distributing almost half a million dust masks to people living near the volcano if/when a larger explosive eruption occurs that could drop significant ash across much of the area. You can see what is going on at Popocatépetl on the CENAPRED webcams for the volcano.

 

Iliamna: We haven’t heard much from Iliamna in the past month or so after the volcano was downgraded to Yellow Alert status by AVO after a period of increased seismicity and degassing. The seismicity was reported to be back on the upswing at the end of last week according to the Alaska Dispatch (who looks to be getting into the game of webicorder watching). However, this blip (if real) didn’t cause AVO to change the status of Iliamna as the latest update just mentions seismicity at the volcano is “slightly above background”. Iliamna has a webcam as well as a webicorder so you can follow along at home.

Lokon-Empung: Another volcano that has been quite active is Lokon-Empung in Indonesia. Thevolcano had an explosive eruption earlier last week, producing a 2.5 km / 8,200 foot plume. Although evacuations have not been called yet, the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) has begun to set up evacuation centers in case the activity increases. Seismicity has been increasing at Lokon-Empung since last week’s eruption, but the alert status (Level III) is unchanged.

Iwo Jima (Ioto): I haven’t been able to find too much in the news about the activity at Japan’s Iwo Jima (Ioto), however Eruptions reader Sherine did find some images of the activity at Iwo Jima, along with images of potential submarine activity at Fukutoku-Okanoba (see below or the top two rows of images on the previous link). As for descriptions, last week’s Global Volcanism Program Weekly Volcanic Activity Report mentions that a new fumarole has opened at Iwo Jima as well.

Slight discoloration of the sea at Fukutoku-Okanoba (bottom right) may suggest eruptive activity. Image taken April 19, 2012 by the Japanese Coast Guard.

from:   http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2012/05/eruption-update-for-may-7-2012/#more-109484

Zaqatala Azerbaijan Earthquake

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Earthquakes in Zaqatala Azerbaijan (border Georgia and Dagestan) : damage video – tens of houses damaged and at least 23 people slightly injured

Last update: May 7, 2012 at 11:03 pm by By 

Most important Earthquake Data:
Magnitude : Mb 5.6
UTC Time : Monday, May 07, 2012 at 04:40:29 UTC
Local time at epicenter : Monday, May 07, 2012 at 09:40:29 AM at epicenter
Depth (Hypocenter) : 23.3 km
Geo-location(s) :
14 km (8 miles) SE of Zaqatala (Zakataly), Azerbaijan
101 km (62 miles) NNE of Ganca (Kirovabad), Azerbaijan
114 km (70 miles) ESE of T’elavi, Georgia
291 km (180 miles) WNW of BAKU, Azerbaijan


Update 18:17 UTC : Video from a local TV station showing the damage and interviews with a military responsible inspecting the damaged area and earthquake victims (Language Azerbaijan)

Update 17:34 UTC : 35 minutes ago a new M4.9 moderate aftershock struck the area. This is the 3th strongest today.

Update 17:28 UTC : The authorities have decided to supply tents to the homeless in Zaqatala, probably too late as the night has almost fallen.

Update 17:13 UTC : The damage and destruction are looking to be bigger than previously reported. In Zaqatala, at least 60 houses are seriously damaged. Most of them have collapsed walls. People are too afraid to return to their houses and will probably spend the night in the streets or in the fields.  We have heard no news of tents to give shelter to those living in the damaged houses or those wanting to stay away from their house. Most older buildings in the area are made of brick and are not earthquake resistant which increases the chance of damage or even destruction. For those who are not convinced that the damage is considerable, please take a look at the pictures of this Azerbaijan website.

Update 16:53 UTC : 2 people have been rescued by SAR teams from a seriously damaged  house in Gulbarax, this after the latest strong aftershock. Some injured have been taken for treatment to hospitals, but none of them was seriously injured. The strong aftershock is responsible for damage to some buildings in Zaqatala (Zagatala).

Zagatala, Azerbaijan, very close to the epicenter – image Panoramio

Update 15:20 UTC : Aftershocks are continuing to strike the area. Most of these aftershocks are only felt in the direct area of the epicenter. The weather outlook in the area can be called mixed. Temperatures are 11 (min) to 222 (max), but rain has been forecast for today and tomorrow.

This morning earthquake damage : 3 villages were the hardest hit with many older houses seriously damaged. The 3 villages are all located in the Zagatala area. From earlier reports we know that they are : Azar, Zayam and Gymyr. Luckily no fatalities though.

Update 15:16 UTC : Azerbaijan media are talking about a M5.3 earthquake with an intensity of MMI 6 to 6.5 (local scale which is comparable with the MMI scale). Both USGS and EMSC are reporting a 5.5 or 5.6 earthquake at a depth of approx. 11 km. Both agencies are locating the epicenter at 10 km from Zagatalaversus 17 km this morning. Reports from our readers living in the greater earthquake area are somewhat conflicting. Some are talking about a short shaking which was considerably weaker than this morning, others are reporting higher “Felt it” values. We reiterate that Zagatala is an important regional city with 18,277 inhabitants.  A gas pipeline is crossing the area.

Update 15:02 UTC : 68,000 people are reported to have experienced a very strong shaking.  Earthquake-report.com does not think on many injured or fatalities because most people will have been staying on the streets as the area has been struck by tens of aftershocks since this morning. Potential damage is likely to have happened.
145,000 people will have felt a strong shaking. This mornings earthquake was reported as a max.  MMI VI (strong shaking) versus MMI VII this afternoon. As older houses were already damaged this morning, some unstable walls may have succumbed under the shaking.

Important Update 14:57 UTC : Another powerful earthquake (aftershock) occurred at 14:15 UTC. We are currently collecting more information. This earthquake looks even more dangerous than the first one as the epicenter is closer to Zagatala (preliminary data from USGS).

Example of the destruction during this earthquake – image courtesy APA

Update 13:25 UTC : From the time of the mainshock until this update, the epicenter area has been shaken by at least 80 aftershocks, a lot of them only recorded by instruments and not felt by the population.  The south side of the Caucasus ( including the Zagatala area) is known as a seismically active zone. The last massive earthquake in this area dates from 1936 when a Magnitude 7 earthquake struck the area

Update 10:55 UTC : Azerbaijan news agency APA reports that no problem was detected in the delivery of power, water, gas and communication in Zagatala. Roads in or near Zagatala were not disrupted. The International Bus Terminal told that buses move in direction of Zagatala in accordance with the schedule, no closures of any part of the motor way was recorded so far: ‘No problem is observed in arrival and departure of vehicles’.
Nearly 20 persons arrived at the hospital with different injuries, but none of them were operated or placed at the resuscitation ward. They were given first aid and sent home.
We remind our readers that this report focuses on Zagatala, very close to the epicenter, but not above the epicenter. We will need 4 to 8 hours more for a final update of the direct epicenter area.
More pictures of the damage can be found here.

Update 09:59 UTC :   According to the Seismological Service of the National Academy of Sciences of Azerbaijan, the Magnitude of the earthquake was 5.7 at a depth of 11 km. Following the same agency, the epicenter was located at 17 km from Zagatala (below also called Zaqatala). The gas pipeline linking Baku – Tbilisi and Ceyhan have not been affected by the earthquake

Update 09:15 UTC : From the Azerbaijani side of the border, there are reports of destroyed houses and at least 15 people have been treated for injuries so far, mainly due to panic while fleeing the houses. The hardest hit villages at the Azerbaijani side are Azar, Zayam and Gymyr

Update 09:06 UTC : Earthquake-Report.com also fears for damage and possibly injuries in the smaller mountain villages of the area, especially rockfall and landslides. These villages are only visited many hours after the earthquake.  Nobody has reported yet on the conditions right at the epicenter, as this area is populated too! It looks like farming soil with a couple of hundred houses (prevailing the preliminary epicenter location is right)

Update 08:43 UTC :  As we have feared, this earthquake tends to be more dangerous than the numbers would make out.  Local Georgia and Azerbaijani press reports are reporting not only damage in houses and schools (merely cracks) but also injured people. In the meantime aftershocks are terrorizing the local Caucasus population with so far at least 3 aftershocks above M4.

Yellow area : strong shaking) – greenish area : moderate shaking

Update 07:43 UTC :  Earthquake-Report.com fears that the damage as a result of this earthquake may be bigger than initially expected. In Georgia alone (EMSC and USGS are maintaining the epicenter in Azerbaijan) many houses have slight damage.  We expect more detailed news within 2 to 4 hours.
We will start an in-depth article as the results of this earthquake will be probably beyond the scope of this page.

Update 06:41 UTC :  Russian authorities are reporting a Magnitude of 5.8. The earthquake was also felt in Dagestan . People in the epicenter area have fled on the streets and remain there until further notice out of fear for aftershocks.

Update 05:41 UTC : Following other sources, the epicenter should be at the Georgian side of the border, 1 km from the village of Zemo Kedi and 22 kilometers from the city Dedoplistskaro (Kakheti region). 2 aftershocks are felt so far. The aftershocks are in the 4 to 5 range, enough to frighten the people from the epicenter area even more

Zaqatala epicenter area (Caucasus) – image courtesy Sabit Tagiyev

154,000 people may have experienced a strong shaking, enough to create a damaging earthquake. Similar magnitude earthquakes had few fatalities, but we would not be surprised that damage is inflicted.
Closest communities are Zaqatala (pop. 18,277) and Cinarly (pop. 6,508).
EMSC reports a Magnitude of 5.5 at a depth of 10 km.
296,000 people have experienced a moderate shaking and nearly 3 million people a light shaking.
Cities who have experienced a strong shaking are : Aliabad (9000 people), Zaqatala (18277 people) and Qax (12000 people).
The area where the earthquake happened was a 3-country area. The epicenter is close to Russia andGeorgia. Armenia is at a considerable distance
WAPMERR, an organization specialized in theoretical calculation of possible casualties reports, expects 5 to 40 people to be injured and 0 to 5 people to be killed. WAPMERR’s calculations are based on present and past data.

for more information and updates, go to:    http://earthquake-report.com/2012/05/07/dangerous-earthquake-in-the-azerbaijan-georgia-and-russia-dagestan-border-area-houses-damaged-and-people-injured/

Amazing Garlic

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Scientists: Garlic Fights Common Illness Better than Antibiotics

7th May 2012

By Anthony Gucciardi

Contributing Writer for Wake Up World

Scientists at Washington State University are now confirming once again what natural health experts have known for years — garlic fights one of the most common food-borne illnesses much more effectively than antibiotics. Garlic has built a strong reputation in fighting infections, a benefit that is but one of many.

Campylobacter bacterium, the name for the common bacteria that often results in intestinal illness, affects around 2.4 million Americans per year and is often treated with illness-linked antibiotics, but maybe not anymore.

 

According to the researchers, the information ‘opens the door’ to the many benefits of garlic when it comes to preventing and fighting infections. This means treating certain food items, cleaning, and use as a healing food substance. Once again, however, these mainstream scientists are simply re-discovering what many cultures have known (and have been utilizing) for centuries! It’s no secret that garlic is really a nutritional powerhouse, a superfood that can boost overall immunity and combat diseases — even superviruses that have the medical community in a frenzy.

Even Greek athletes used garlic to boost their physical performance in the arena due to the deep knowledge of the food’s empowering properties. Leading expert Dr. David Kraus explains:

“People have known garlic was important and has health benefits for centuries,” said Dr. David W. Kraus, associate professor of environmental science and biology at the University of Alabama. “Even the Greeks would feed garlic to their athletes before they competed in the Olympic games.”

Garlic even has a role in the prevention of cancer — the disease that is currently ravaging the population. In fact, it is a role that is quite notorious among cultures who have been using garlic in their dishes for countless years. Scientists believe that the role of garlic in cancer prevention quite possibly has to do with the way that garlic boosts the production of something known as hydrogen sulfide. It is this very substance that also protects the heart. Researchers at Albert Einstein College of Medicine found that directly injecting hydrogen sulfide into mice almost completely stopped damage to heart muscles as a result of heart attack.

The benefits of garlic are many, and the mainstream scientific community is just catching on to how important of a role garlic plays in the diet

from:    http://wakeup-world.com/2012/05/07/scientists-garlic-fights-common-illness-better-than-antibiotics/

Sacred White Buffalo Calf Murdered

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White buffalo sacred to Lakota Sioux found mutilated

 

View more videos at: http://nbcdfw.com.

By Frank Heinz, NBCDFW.com

Lightning Medicine Cloud, a rare white buffalo born in 2011, and his mother were found dead at the Lakota Buffalo Ranch in Texas this week just weeks after the calf’s father was fatally struck by lightning.

The rare animal, sacred to the Lakota Sioux, was about to celebrate its first birthday during a powwow on May 12.

NBC 5 has learned the calf was found mutilated and skinned on the ranch northeast of Dallas. The next day, the calf’s mother was found dead as well.

Read the original report at NBCDFW.com

Hunt County Sheriff Randy Meeks has opened a criminal investigation into the livestock deaths, although Meeks said they have not yet classified the crime. The Texas Rangers and other state agencies are assisting.

“I feel very confident we’ll work together with a renewed vigilance to find whoever this is that perpetrated this heinous act,” Judge John Horn said during a news conference at the ranch Friday.

Arby Little Soldier, the owner of the ranch, would not comment on the specifics of the white calf or his mother.

Lm Otero / AP

A rare white buffalo walks in a corral in Greenville, Texas, in June 2011. The calf and its mother were found dead this week.

“I will not say what has happened to this animal,” he said. “I will not say what has happened to the mother. Ben, the dad that protected this calf was struck by lighting April 3 when we had the tornado when it hit Lancaster. Lightning … struck Ben, and I seen him go down. My people, my brothers, my sisters are hurt by what has happened here on this ranch. You don’t think things like this are going to happen to such a sacred animal, a sacred family.”

Little Soldier said Lightning Medicine Cloud’s legacy will carry on and that the powwow scheduled for May 11-12 will go on as planned — only now, they will memorialize the rare animal as well.

“The powwow will continue on. I welcome you all to come grieve with us, mourn with us and celebrate with us,” Little Soldier said. “Ecclesiastes said, ‘There is a time for life and a time for death.’ My little boy went on home. His mother went on home. His dad went on home. They’re all together, and God bless them. This legend will go on forever.”

Little Soldier said there is a reward of $5,000 leading to an arrest and capture of the person responsible for the deaths of Lighting Medicine Cloud and his mother.

Anyone with information is asked to call the Hunt County Sheriff’s Department at             903-453-6800      and ask for either Sheriff Randy Meeks or Lt. Tommy Grandfield.

 

http://usnews.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/05/06/11560167-white-buffalo-sacred-to-lakota-sioux-found-mutilated?litefrom:

“Trance-Formation” Flick by Max Egan

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Interesting Video.  Take a look.  Make your own decisions.  Do the research:

“TRANCE – FORMATION” – a feature length film from Max Egan

A few days before our May deadline our good friend Cynthia sent us a link to this film; it came with a note that said: “YOU HAVE TO POST THIS!” After checking it out we understood why Cynthia was so insistent. “Trance Formation” addresses issues and questions that have to do with how our perceptions have been transformed to the point where it is now next to impossible for the average human being to know or understand the truth. All of us have been unwittingly programmed to believe everything we are told. As the secrets behind this state of affairs begin to unravel we are not just waking up to the way things really are, we are being transformed in the process. If you’re interested in taking an in depth look at why and how life on planet Earth, and the simple task of being human got so totally complicated, Max Egan’s “Trance Formation” will not only open your eyes to the facts, it will give you a clear sense of how important it is for us to change our tune.

 

May 6-12

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Non-Attachment.  That is the theme for this week.  There will be much coming your way that you will need to understand in terms of what is truly important for you.  This involves moving on from stuff that you have kept, admired, felt was necessary for so long.  There is sorrow attached to this, but also relief.  It is time for your makeover.  :Perhaps a spiritual or etheric makeover.  You have the tools right now.,  The decision is yours.  This week also, you will find that your perceptions are changing, some of them in a crazy manner.  What seemed near is far, and what seemed far is right there.  This an lead to a bit of uncertainty as to what is going on, perhaps a bout of vertigo.  It is not you, rather it is the energies as things are falling into a new alignment.  This week will bring much uncertainty,  but it is part of the greater picture.  On a different note, it is of utmost importance at this time to nourish your physicalities with the most healthful, organic, and clean products available.  The advantages of this will more than pay for themselves as time goes by.

On the larger scale, expect weather anomalies, Earth events out of scale, weird animal sightings, breakdowns in relations political, international, economic, etc.  Along with all of this there can be a number of blips in the energies being emitted by the Sun which can lead to problems with electronics.  There are going to be a number of troubling pronouncements from the media that will come and go and come back again.  All of this will lead to a lessening of confidence in many areas, particularly financial.  Expect the Stock Market to have some inexplicable movements.  Trust your intuition where finances are concerned.  There are going to be some interesting developments in the job market.  Also there will be something new coming out on the electronic horizon that will be touted as the best ever, a replacement for tablets, etc.  Be aware that much of this is mere marketing.  There is a slow down happening in the area of ingenuity.  This is temporary.

Sunday, May 6:    Dark Grey

As the energy of the Super Moon enters the atmosphere, rather than clarifying, it is causing more obfuscation.  Take time today to look into what is happening around you.  Look into what you are thinking and perceiving.  Feel how all of that feels to you.  Things are changing around you, and this will be obvious in how people are acting, speaking, reacting.  You need to go within and center.  Be the observer today.  There is light behind the shadow of what is going on, but you must take the time to know the shadow for what it is.  Then the light will turn on for you.  That can be a real revelation.  The evening is a time for honoring what you have done and what you have seen.  This was a day for lessons.

Crystal Vibe:    Colorado Sunset—-The energy of this stone works to ground while, at the same time, giving one the strength to move forward in confidence to deal with life issues, particularly as related to long term goals.  Resonates with the Root and Solar Plexus Chakras.

Monday, May 7:    Yellow Orange

Emotions will be close to the surface today.  There are things out there that are going to make you want to scream.  Take time before reacting.  Step back and think.  A lot of the stuff that used to push your buttons before does not really matter any more.  You are shifting.  You can find yourself taking a look around you today and wondering why you ever held onto certain things you have.  This can apply also to friendships and loyalties.  Your first priority must be yourself and anything or anyone who does not agree and/or further that is working against you.  There can be some ah-ha moments today.  Some might be painful, but it is part of the process of catharsis.

Crystal Vibe:    Chrome Diopside—-The energy of this mineral resonates with the heart and its essential calm.  Resonates with the Heart and Ninth Chakras.

Tuesday, May 8:    Fire Red

There are surprises in the air today, and a lot of them are good.  Issues that have been hanging about can be worked out and conversations that were put on hold can be completed.  Th key to all of this is how you will be dealing with these things.  There can be joy and laughter or pain and sorrow or anger and confrontation.  You are in change of all of this.  There is a sense throughout the day that someone or something is lurking there in the shadows.  You will not be able to understand this until the evening.  Spend a moment with the events of the day, and you will understand that you had both participated and observed.  There are lessons you learned.  Honor them.  Change is in the air.

Crystal Vibe:    Witherite—-The energy of this mineral assists one in moving beyond planning to action, oftentimes effortlessly and without planning.  Resonates with the Third Eye and Eleventh Chakras.

Wednesday, May 9:    Yellow Green

Things that you had planned for today may not unfold as you had thought.  And this, actually, is a good thing.  There is novelty in the air.  It is not that of the Trickster but that of new horizons and discoveries.  Take everything in stride and look at it from many different angles.  Perspectives are changing and messages come in unusual formats.  The changes that you have been awaiting are happening.  It is time to understand what they mean and to know that what you have been wishing for is not necessarily coalescing in ways that you would have thought. But the energies of the day carry a surprise and a joy that will cap off all else that has occurred.

Crystal Vibe:    Albite—-The energy of this stone works with the element of water to bring about immersion on new levels.  Resonates with the Heart and Throat Chakras.

Thursday, May 10:    Bright Blue

This is a day for ups and downs.  Be ready for anything, but also be aware that you can be blinded by the light.  It is important that you take hold of any questionable situation that you are in.  Your voice has power, and it is time to use it now.  People are not used to hearing speak your truth, talk your talk.  You can do it today, and it will feel really good.  Do not worry, the emotions that come about as a result of this will dissipate as you begin to see that you are changing into that which you truly are.  Your WHO you are.  Horton, are you listening.  There are friends and support everywhere.  It is time to accept that fact and be open.  What you have been waiting for is in front of you.  It is time to see it.

Crystal Vibe:    Hematite—-Grounding and breathing.  These are the foundations for true perspective.  Resonates with the Root Chakra.

Friday, May 11:    Yellow Red

Do not expect too much from people today.  Do not expect too much from yourself.  There is an illusion that is making itself felt in the energies which can cause confusion, uncertainty, unhappiness, even fear and anger.  This is a day for going within, for knowing what it is that you truly are wishing to create in your life.  It is a day for truth —- for seeing what you have done and taking it for what it is.  Knowing that if there is more that you were looking for, it is time to go for that.  The past is past.  Today opens a new chapter.  There can be tears.  There can be laughter.  But if you are open to all that is going on within the levels of reality, there will definitely be realization and release.

Crystal Vibe;    Pigeon Blood Jasper—-The energy of this stone assists with issues around nurturing, the mother, and acceptance of one’s creative.  Resonates with the Solar Plexus Chakra.

Saturday, May 12:    Light Lime Green

Ups and downs are in the works today.  This is not a time to take things too seriously, rather step bakl and see where things are fitting into the greater pattern.  There are questions that need to be asked.  There are those who are willing to answer and those who will turn away.  All of that will give you clues as to which way to turn.  You have some needs that have not been met, and you need some direction in relation to the,.  You can find it today if you are willing to see through the illusion.  And there is assistance available.  Look for the signs.

Crystal Vibe:    Golden Apatite—-This mineral assists with moving forward when  youare feeling stuck or tired.  Resonates with the Third Eye Chakra.

 

 

 

 

 

Jeff Masters on Climate Change & Extreme Weather

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Connecting the dots between climate change and extreme weather
Posted by: JeffMasters, 3:15 PM GMT on May 04, 2012 +39
Connecting the dots between human-caused climate change and extreme weather events is fraught with difficulty and uncertainty. One the one hand, the underlying physics is clear–the huge amounts of heat-trapping gases like carbon dioxide humans have pumped into the atmosphere must be already causing significant changes to the weather. But the weather has huge natural variations on its own, without climate change. So, communicators of the links between climate change and extreme weather need to emphasize how climate change shifts the odds. We’ve loaded the dice towards some types of extreme weather events, by heating the atmosphere to add more heat and moisture. This can bring more extreme weather events like heat waves, heavy downpours, and intense droughts. What’s more, the added heat and moisture can change atmospheric circulation patterns, causing meanders in the jet stream capable of bringing longer-lasting periods of extreme weather. As I wrote in my post this January, Where is the climate headed?, “The natural weather rhythms I’ve grown to used to during my 30 years as a meteorologist have become significantly disrupted over the past few years. Many of Earth’s major atmospheric circulation patterns have seen significant shifts and unprecedented behavior; new patterns that were unknown have emerged, and extreme weather events were incredibly intense and numerous during 2010 – 2011. It boggles my mind that in 2011, the U.S. saw 14 – 17 billion-dollar weather disasters, three of which matched or exceeded some of the most iconic and destructive weather events in U.S. history.”


Figure 1. Women who work on a tea farm in Assam, India hold up a dot in honor of Climate Impacts Day (May 5, 2012), to urge people to connect the dots between climate change and the threat to their livelihood. Chai is one of the most consumed beverages in India, but a prolonged dry spell and extreme heat has affected tea plantations in Assam and Bengal with production dropping by 60% as compared to the same period in 2011. Image credit: 350.org.

May 5: Climate Impacts Day
On Saturday, May 5 (Cinco de Mayo!), the activist group 350.org, founded by Bill McKibben, is launching a new effort to “connect the dots between climate change and extreme weather.” They’ve declared May 5 Climate Impacts Day, and have coordinated an impressive global effort of nearly 1,000 events in 100 countries to draw attention to the links between climate change and extreme weather. Their new climatedots.org website aims to get people involved to “protest, educate, document and volunteer along with thousands of people around the world to support the communities on the front lines of the climate crisis.” Some of the events planned for Saturday: firefighters in New Mexico will hold posters with dots in a forest ravaged by wildfires; divers in the Marshall Islands take a dot underwater to their dying coral reefs; climbers on glaciers in the Alps, Andes, and Sierras will unfurl dots on melting glaciers with the simple message: “Melting”; villagers in Northeastern Kenya will create dots to show how ongoing drought is killing their crops; in San Francisco, California, aerial artist Daniel Dancer and the Center for Biological Diversity will work with hundreds of people to form a giant, moving blue dot to represent the threat of sea level rise and ocean acidification; and city-dwellers in Rio de Janeiro hold dots where mudslides from unusually heavy rains wiped out part of their neighborhood. I think its a great way to draw attention to the links between climate change and extreme weather, since the mainstream media coverage of climate change has been almost nil the past few years. A report by Media Matters for America found out that nightly news coverage about climate change on the major networks decreased 72% between 2009 and 2011. On the Sunday shows, 97% of the stories mentioning climate change were about politics in Washington D.C. or on the campaign trail, not about extreme weather or recent scientific reports. You can check out what Climate Impacts Day events may be happening in your area at the climatedots.org website.


Figure 2. Front Street Bridge on the Susquehanna River in Vestal, NY, immediately following the flood of September 8, 2011. Image credit: USGS, New York. In my post, Tropical Storm Lee’s flood in Binghamton: was global warming the final straw? I argue that during September 8, 2011 flood, the Susquehanna River rose twenty feet in 24 hours and topped the flood walls in Binghamton by 8.5 inches, so just a 6% reduction in the flood height would have led to no overtopping of the flood walls and a huge decrease in damage. Extra moisture in the air due to global warming could have easily contributed this 6% of extra flood height.

Also of interest
Anti-coal activists, led by climate scientist Dr. James Hansen of NASA, are acting on Saturday to block Warren Buffett’s coal trains in British Columbia from delivering coal to Pacific ports for shipment overseas. Dave Roberts of Grist explains how this may be an effective strategy to reduce coal use, in his post, “Fighting coal export terminals: It matters”.

The creator of wunderground’s new Climate Change Center, atmospheric scientist Angela Fritz, has a blog post on Friday’s unveiling of the new Heartland Institute billboards linking mass murderers like Charles Manson and Osama Bin Laden to belief in global warming. In Heartland’s description of the billboard campaign, they say, “The people who still believe in man-made global warming are mostly on the radical fringe of society. This is why the most prominent advocates of global warming aren’t scientists. They are murderers, tyrants, and madmen.” The Heartland Institute neglected to mention that the Pope and the Dalai Lama are prominent advocates of addressing the dangers of human-caused climate change.

Jeff Masters

Khalilov on Sounds Heard in The Sky

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As always, posted FYI.  Draw your own conclusions, but do the research

STRANGE SOUNDS IN THE SKY EXPLAINED BY SCIENTISTS

First published 1/28/2012 at geochangemag.org

Mr. Khalilov, what is the nature of the unusual very low-pitched sounds reported by a great number of people in different parts of the planet since the summer of 2011? Many call them “The Sound of the Apocalypse”. Information about that comes from all over the world: US, UK, Costa Rica, Russia, Czech Republic, Australia, etc.

We have analyzed records of these sounds and found that most of their spectrum lies within the infrasound range, i.e. is not audible to humans. What people hear is only a small fraction of the actual power of these sounds. They are low-frequency acoustic emissions in the range between 20 and 100 Hz modulated by ultra-low infrasonic waves from 0.1 to 15 Hz. In geophysics, they are called acoustic-gravity waves; they are formed in the upper atmosphere, at the atmosphere-ionosphere boundary in particular. There can be quite a lot of causes why those waves are generated: earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, hurricanes, storms, tsunamis, etc. However, the scale of the observed humming sound in terms of both the area covered and its power far exceeds those that can be generated by the above-mentioned phenomena.

In that case, what could be causing this humming in the sky?

In our opinion, the source of such powerful and immense manifestation of acoustic-gravity waves must be very large-scale energy processes. These processes include powerful solar flares and huge energy flows generated by them, rushing towards Earth’s surface and destabilizing the magnetosphere, ionosphere and upper atmosphere. Thus, the effects of powerful solar flares: the impact of shock waves in the solar wind, streams of corpuscles and bursts of electromagnetic radiation are the main causes of generation of acoustic-gravitation waves following increased solar activity.

Given the surge in solar activity as manifested itself in the higher number and energy of solar flares since mid-2011, we can assume that there is a high probability of impact of the substantial increase in solar activity on the generation of the unusual humming coming from the sky. It should be pointed out that solar activity began to rise sharply since early 2011, with its amplitude significantly higher than all forecasts given by a number of influential scientific institutions in 2010 and 2011. Meanwhile, the observed increase in solar activity is fully consistent with the forecast of the International Committee GEOCHANGE published in the Committee’s Report in June 2010. If this growth rate of solar activity continues, its amplitude by the end of 2012 will be higher than the amplitude of 23rd solar cycle, and in 2013-2014 the solar activity will reach its peak the amplitude of which was predicted by us to be 1.5 – 1.7 times higher than the amplitude of the 23rd cycle.

But you said that the cause of the “sky hum” can lie within Earth’s core as well, what does it mean?

There is one more possible cause of these sounds and it may lie at the Earth’s core. The fact is that the acceleration of the drift of the Earth’s north magnetic pole which increased more than fivefold between 1998 and 2003 and is at the same level today points to intensification of energy processes in the Earth’s core, since it is processes in the inner and outer core that form the Earth’s geomagnetic field. Meanwhile, as we have already reported, on November 15, 2011 all ATROPATENA geophysical stations which record three-dimensional variations of the Earth’s gravitational field almost simultaneously registered a powerful gravitational impulse. The stations are deployed in Istanbul, Kiev, Baku, Islamabad and Yogyakarta, with the first and last one being separated by a distance of about 10,000 km. Such a phenomenon is only possible if the source of this emanation is at the Earth’s core level. That huge energy release from the Earth’s core at the end of the last year was some kind of a start signal indicating the transition of the Earth’s internal energy into a new active phase.

Intensification of the energy processes in the Earth’s core can modulate the geomagnetic field which, through a chain of physical processes at the ionosphere – atmosphere boundary level, generates acoustic-gravity waves the audible range of which has been heard by people in the form of a frightening low-frequency sound in different parts of our planet.

In both cases, even though the causes of acoustic-gravity waves are of a quite understandable geophysical nature, they are indicative of the expected significant increase in solar activity and the geodynamic activity of our planet. There is no doubt that processes in the core rule the internal energy of our planet, therefore, we should expect by the end of 2012 a sharp rise in strong earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, tsunamis and extreme weather events with peak levels in 2013 – 2014.

Thank you for your answers.

WOSCO International News Agency

www.wosco.org

from:    http://www.spiritofmaat.com/may12/strange_sounds_in_sky_explained.html

 

 

See also a video about the strange sounds at Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M0BvIySscEY