Saturday, April 25, 2015

Earth Changes


It's all changing and there's no going back as the cycles of time evolve out of existence.




Earthquakes



Strong aftershocks -- 400 tourists trapped in Kathmandu Dharahara tower, avalanche in the Himalayas, temples destroyed - this is a land of earthquakes - many people waiting for 'the big one' - a theme found in many regions of the Pacific Ring of Fire.


  Nepal earthquake: Hundreds die, many feared trapped   BBC - April 25, 2015
Tremors were felt across the region, as far afield as Pakistan, Bangladesh and neighboring India. A Nepali minister said there had been "massive damage" at the epicentre.

7.9 magnitude earthquake slams Nepal, more than 150 dead, authorities say   CNN - April 25, 2015
Kathmandu, Nepal (CNN)A massive 7.9 magnitude earthquake centered less than 50 miles from Kathmandu rocked Nepal with devastating force early Saturday, killing more than 150 people in Nepal's capital city, authorities said. The injured were being treated outside hospitals in chaotic scenes. Residents, terrorized by a series of strong aftershocks, huddled outdoors. Historic buildings in Kathmandu lay in rubble on the ground. The death toll was reported by Nepal's Ministry of Home Affairs. Given that the rescue effort is still in its early stages and that people in outlying areas may well have been affected, as well, it seems possible the number could rise.




Washington Earthquake's Mysterious Source Discovered   Live Science - April 23, 2015
Geologists have finally solved a 142-year-old earthquake mystery in central Washington state. Until now, no one knew the source of a powerful earthquake that rattled windows from Washington to Montana on Dec. 14, 1872. The quake's size, based on historical accounts, was magnitude 6.8. At the time, newspapers put the epicenter in several areas, from underneath the Puget Sound north to Vancouver, British Columbia. But Washington's eyewitness reports, slower to arrive in the sparsely populated state, centered the most intense damage east of the Cascades, near Wenatchee, where a giant landslide temporarily dammed the Columbia River.




Enhancing earthquake early warning in the Pacific Northwest   PhysOrg - April 23, 2015
Earthquake Early Warning (EEW) systems depend on speed and accuracy in delivering seismic monitoring data to areas at risk from a quake or volcanic eruption. Paul Bodin of the University of Washington and colleagues have been testing models of EEW systems within the Pacific Northwest Seismic Network (PNSN) in Washington State and Oregon to learn more about what factors could be improved to provide the most timely warnings for their region. For instance, what's priorities are important for getting a speedy warning to those at risk: the placement of seismic monitoring stations, or the number of stations, or the speed at which data can be transmitted between stations and notification centers?




Volcanoes


Titanic Blob of Magma Found Beneath Yellowstone Supervolcano   Live Science - April 23, 2015
A giant blob-shaped reservoir of searing-hot rock has been discovered far below the supervolcano underneath Yellowstone National Park - one that could fill the Grand Canyon more than 11 times over, researchers say. The discovery doesn't raise the risk of future eruptions at Yellowstone, the study authors said. However, a better understanding of the Yellowstone supervolcano's plumbing could shed light on any hazards it might pose, scientists added. The newfound blob-shaped magma reservoir lies in the lower crust. The molten rock extends from about 12 to 28 miles (19 to 45 kilometers) deep, and measures about 30 miles (48 km) long northwest to southeast and 44 miles (70 km) long southwest to northeast. This magma reservoir is about 11,200 cubic miles (46,700 cubic km) in size. Video 1





Chile's Calbuco Volcano Disrupts International Travel Amid Ash, Smoke   WSJ - April 24, 2015
The eruption of a volcano in Chile's southern Andes disrupted international travel Friday as flights were canceled or delayed in three South American capital cities. American Airlines, Delta, and Chilean airline LAN canceled flights to Santiago from the U.S., while a number of other flights were delayed due to ash and smoke that traveled hundreds of miles north to the Chilean capital after being shot into the air by the Calbuco Volcano. The ash can affect visibility and also damage airplanes. In Argentina, American Airlines, United Airlines, Air France, Delta and Air Canada canceled international flights to Buenos Aires' Ezeiza airport, while airports in the towns of Bariloche, near Chile's southern border, and Neuquen were closed.


  Watch Stunning Time Lapse Video of Chile Volcano Eruption   NBC - April 23, 2015


  The epic volcano eruption that led to the 'Year Without a Summer'   Washington Post - April 24, 2015
On Wednesday evening, Chileƕs Calbuco volcano erupted for the first time in over 40 years, hurling ash six miles into the sky. The explosions were so powerful that they sent waves rolling through the atmosphere above South America. While the Calbuco eruption was the largest in recent memory, scientists suspect it will not have a detectable impact on climate. But 200 years ago this month, a much larger volcanic eruption rocked the globe, and left the Earth with a Year Without a Summer.


  Chile Volcano Eruption: Inside a Ghost Town as Volcanic Ash Rains Down   ABC - April 24, 2015
An earthquake that created its own weather and more ...




Global Warming


High mountains warming faster than expected   PhysOrg - April 23, 2015
High elevation environments around the world may be warming much faster than previously thought, according to members of an international research team including Raymond Bradley, director of the Climate System Research Center at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. They call for more aggressive monitoring of temperature changes in mountain regions and more attention to the potential consequences of warming.