Snapshot from embedded video showing the boiling lava lake at the vent in Holuhraun
December 4, 2014 - EARTH - The following constitutes the new activity, unrest and ongoing reports of volcanoes across the globe.
Bardarbunga (Iceland)
The
eruption continues with little changes. While most of the lava now
remains on top of the already emplaced lava field, more than 75 square
km large, several lateral outbreaks are active as well.
The most active one, to the north, has advanced more than 450 m in a single day.
Thermal image from 1 Dec. shows considerable magmatic activity in the lava and in just over 24 hours it has stretched about 450 m to NNA through the new
extrusion at the northeastern margin. West of the lava lake, the lava river now branches towards north. The southern margin is also active; a new extrusion
seems to be forming due south from the lava lake and something similar is taking place just east of that. On this image, the plume appears like a brownish
cloud over the middle part of the lava field and pillows of steam still seem to hover over the eastern part. Contrarily, the green effects
are simply artefacts and tricks of light. (Image: Institute of Earth Sciences)
Landsat-8 image of the area of the eruption (NASA)
Seismic
activity remains high under the volcano - yesterday, 2 earthquakes
above magnitude 2 occurred under Bárðarbunga.
No significant earthquake
activity occurs under the erupting dyke, suggesting the situation is
stable.
The
intensity of the eruption has strongly decreased, and the lava flows
that have been destroying Portela seems to have at least temporarily
stopped.
The situation remains critical inside the Cha caldera. The erupted lava
collects in rapidly growing flows that destroy roads and houses near
the caldera. The northern lava flow branch enter the village of Portela
and destroyed and/or damaged several buildings, including the
headquarters of the Fogo Nature Park.
Map of the lava flow field (Source: INGT / facebook)
Lava flow in Portela village
Destruction of houses in Portela this morning. (Fogo News)
The eruptive vents at Fogo this morning (MuzikaTV)
Screenshot of eruption video showing the two active vents at Fogo
Explosive activity at the eruptive vents of Fogo (MuzikaTV)
Lava flows at Fogo (credit: Landsat image on Google Earth / Peter Webley)
Nishino-shima (Volcano Islands, Japan)
The
eruption continues and has been going for more than a year now.
Steam plume from Nishinoshima on 27 Nov 2014 (Landsat 8 image / NASA Earth Observatory)
Comparison of Nishinoshima from shortly after the birth of the new
island (image 21 Nov 2013, lt), the merging with the old island (25 Dec,
rt), formation of
extensive lava deltas (7 April 2014, lb), and the
disappearance of the old island under new lava (13 Nov 2014, rb)
(Source. Asahi.com)
It has
enlarged the island to 1.89 square km (0.73 square miles). The highest
point is now approx. 100 m above sea level.
Ruapehu (North Island)
Recent
measurements by NZ scientists indicate that the volcano's crater lake
is currently in a cooling trend.
At 15 deg C, it has the lowest
temperature recorded since April 2010.
According to GeoNet, the current cycle is part of the normal behavior of the lake.
It
does not exclude the possibility of a sudden eruption, although makes
it less likely. Heat flow and chemistry indicate the vents are not
sealed from the lake.
"Most eruptions from Crater Lake occur when
it is hot, however some have also occurred from a cool lake.
To put this
in context, since 1965 there have been 35 eruptions through Crater Lake
that have affected the wider summit area of Mt Ruapehu, only three of
those came from cooler lakes (December 1979, December 1988 and September
2007). Hence it is very unlikely (9%) that an eruption of Mt Ruapehu
affecting the wider summit area will occur while the lake temperature is
less than 22°C."
Kilauea (Hawai'i)
The new lava lobe continues to advance and widen. As of this morning,
it was only 4.3 km (2.7 miles) from Highway 130. A surge in lava supply
resulted in an advance rate of 400 m per day!
At this rate it
could reach Pahoa again by 12 December, if it follows the current flow
path along the steepest slope to the north-northeast. If it follows
another possible path, it could hit Ainaloa instead. It might even
follow both paths, but it is too early to predict this.
Shishaldin (United States, Aleutian Islands)
Seismic activity remains elevated. According to the Alaska Volcano
Observatory, "a low-level lava eruption is probably still occurring",
although cloud cover prevents visual confirmation by satellite.
Cerro Negro de Mayasquer (Colombia)
The volcano's alert level was decreased to Yellow. Seismic remains above background, but has decreased significantly recently.
Copahue (Chile/Argentina)
A recent video by Robin Campion (Univ. Mexico) shows that the activity
at the volcano is now magmatic in nature, i.e. fresh magma is being
erupted as a small jet of mostly finely fragmented incandescent ash:
WATCH: Copahue volcano erupts.
Piton de la Fournaise (La Réunion)
A
new eruption could be under way at the volcano. An increase in seismic
activity, inflation of the volcanic edifice, and SO2 gas mixed into the
degassing plume, typical for a fresh magma intrusion at shallow depth
have been detected by the volcano observatory (OVPF).
The prefecture raised the alert for the volcano again to "Vigilance", after it had been lowered on 1 Dec only.
The
changed status means that police, civil protection and other
authorities are on standby to react quickly if an eruption occurs.
Access to Enclos Fouque is not yet closed to public, but hikers must
stay on marked trails.
December 4, 2014 - MONTANA, UNITED STATES -
Just three weeks after a pair of rare earthquakes rattled windows and
bookshelves, two more seismic events were reported in the Flathead
Valley and scientists say this could be an indication that a seismic "swarm" has begun in the area.
On Dec. 1 at 5:40 a.m., a 3.0 magnitude earthquake shook the McGregor
Lake area, almost the exact same area impacted by the 4.0 quake on Nov.
11. The epicenter of the earthquake was 3.6 miles beneath the surface.
Less than three hours later at 8:13 a.m., a 3.5 magnitude earthquake 5.3
miles below the surface shook the same exact area.
Mike Stickney, director of the Montana Bureau of Mines and Geology's Earthquake Studies Office, said there were a number of reports from local residents who said they felt the second quake.
Earthquakes are rare but not unheard of in Northwest Montana and
Stickney said the series of shakes could indicate that a seismic "swarm"
is beginning.
An earthquake swarm is a series of minor to
moderate earthquakes in a single area that can last for months. They are
common in places with lots of volcanic activity, such as Yellowstone
National Park, but also happen in places with little volcanic connections, such as Northwest Montana.
"Swarms of earthquakes can last anywhere from a few hours to a few months," Stickney said. "They're not well understood."
Stickney said the 3.9 earthquake on Nov. 14 that shook the Whitefish
area was most likely not related to the McGregor Lake swarm.
"It can be frightening for people to feel repeated earthquakes and you
may start wondering what's going on with the earth but as of right now
we have no indication that this activity is leading up to a major
seismic event," Stickney said.
Stickney said Northwest Montana
has a history of earthquake swarms, most notably in the Polson area from
1969 until 1971. In April 1969, a 4.7 magnitude quake caused damage in
Big Arm, Dayton, Lake Mary Ronan and Polson. There were at least 21
aftershocks felt during the following month and 325 minor aftershocks
were reportedly felt from May 1969 until December 1971. In 1995, another
swarm of earthquakes impacted the Kila area for months.
The
largest earthquake to ever hit Montana in recorded history was near
Hebgen Lake, near Yellowstone National Park, in 1959. The 7.3 magnitude
quake resulted in 28 fatalities and $11 million in damage.
Stickney said that earthquakes are hard to predict but that this recent
swarm of quakes in Northwest Montana are a subtle reminder that the
state is "earthquake country" and prone to seismic activity. - Flathead Beacon.
December 4, 2014 - CHICAGO, UNITED STATES
- This year has not only been one of the coldest in Chicago, it is also
one of the few places on the entire planet that was colder than average
this year.
In fact, none of us have never experienced a year as cold as 2014.
The last time the average annual year-to-date temperature was this cold was back in 1904.
According
to the Gerontology research group, there is nobody from Illinois born
before 1904 that is still living. Nationwide, there are 18 people older
than 110 years old.
The Chicago area was one of only three or four
places on Earth that had colder than normal temperatures for 2014,
according to the the National Climatic Data Center.
The other
“cold pockets” were mostly in the middle of nowhere, making Chicago
easily the most populous area to experience extreme cold.
In fact, temperatures globally between January and October were the warmest on record, according to the NCDC.
There
is one bit of good news for those who loathe the cold. This week,
temperatures should stay at or above normal, while the extended outlook
calls for slightly warmer than average temperatures for the first half
of December.
However, the National Weather Service is forecasting a
good chance that temps could drop to below average for most of this
winter season. - CBS Chicago.
December 4, 2014 - SPACE - Here are several of the latest developments in space.
Strong Solar Flare Observed
A
noteworthy solar flare measuring M6.1 was observed around region 2222
peaking at 18:25 UTC. This resulted in a short lived R2 level radio
blackout on the sunlit side of Earth. The active region is still in a
decent position for Earth directed coronal mass ejections. More updates
later today should a CME be associated.
ALERT: X-Ray Flux exceeded M5
Threshold Reached: 2014 Dec 04 1821 UTC
NOAA Scale: R2 - Moderate
Potential
Impacts: Area of impact centered on sub-solar point on the sunlit side
of Earth. Extent of blackout of HF (high frequency) radio communication
dependent upon current X-ray Flux intensity. For real-time information
on affected area and expected duration please see http://www.swpc.noaa.gov/drap.
Solar activity during the
past 24 hours reached moderate levels. Prior to the M6.1 flare, region
2222 produced an M1.3 solar flare at 08:10 UTC. The active region was
also responsible for a number of low to mid level C-Flares.
In
addition, minor C-Flares were observed around region 2226 and off the
southeast limb. All other visible numbered regions were either stable or
in a state of decay. Region 2222 will remain a threat for another
M-Flare during the next few days. The region has an unstable
"beta-gamma" magnetic field that harbors energy for moderately-strong
explosions. NOAA forecasters estimate a 40% chance of M-class flares on
December 4th. No Earth directed coronal mass ejections were detected
during the past 24 hours.
Watch Out For Moon Halos
This
week the Moon is waxing full, which means now is the time to watch out
for Moon halos. Bright moonlight shining through ice crystals in the air
can create a luminous network of arcs, pillars and 'dogs around the
lunar disk. James Helmericks photographed this example on Dec. 3rd from
the Colville River Delta in northern Alaska:
"At 3 o'clock in the
morning in northern Alaska, I went out to film the Moon," says
Helmericks. "At first, the Moon was surrounded by little more than a
slight corona. After a while, though, all the thicker clouds departed,
leaving behind a layer of high icy clouds, and we were also engulfed in
thin freezing mist. When this happened a whole new set of phenomena
appeared, and I snapped the picture above."
The produce such a
complex display, the clouds and mist must have contained a variety of
ice crystals, with many shapes and orientations. Atmospheric optics
expert Les Cowley was also amazed by the brightness of the halos:
"This
ice halo display would stand out if made by the sun. Made by the very
much dimmer Moon 'as black as coal' it is truly remarkable," Cowley
says. "The parselenic circle crossing through the Moon (only the sun
makes parhelic circles) is hugely bright. Moondogs to the left and right
of the Moon are intense, too. Because everything is so bright, we can
see many halos that often go unnoticced. An upper tangent arc sits atop
the familiar 22 degree halo. There is an outer more rare 46 degree
halo. We know it is that rather than the more common supralateral arc
because it does not quite touch the circumzenithal arc at the picture's
top."
"The temperature was -7F with 10 knots of wind, so one
needed to be bundled up to enjoy the view," adds Helmericks. That's why
they call them "ice halos."
The Return of the Evening Star
For
the past two months Venus has been passing behind the sun. Now the
second planet is emerging from the glare, setting the stage for The
Return of the Evening Star. Yesterday in Spain, the astrophotography
group Project Nightflight spotted the silvery light of Venus beaming
through the Atlantic sunset:
"Venus is beginning a new evening
apparition," says Project Nightflight. "After sunset it is very low in
the sky and sets quickly. To catch a glimpse of the Evening Star, you
will need crisp skies and an unobstructed view of the western horizon. A
pair of binoculars will help spot it."
"Visibility will improve
during the weeks ahead," they add. "By the end of December, Venus should
be plainly visible even from mid northern latitudes."
A date of
particular interest is Dec. 22nd when a super-slender 2% crescent Moon
will pass Venus in the evening twilight. Astrophotographers, ready your
cameras!
Electric-Blue Clouds Spreading Over Antarctica
Noctilucent
clouds (NLCs) around the south pole are spreading and brightening. The
latest preliminary image from NASA's AIM spacecraft shows more than 4
times the coverage of just a few days ago:
The season for southern
hemisphere noctilucent clouds (NLCs) began on Nov. 22nd with just a few
puffy clouds over the frozen continent. Once NLCs first appear, AIM has
shown that they rapidly multiply. Indeed, this is happening now, and
much of Antarctica soon could be blanketed in electric blue.
Earlier
this year, AIM researchers announced a surprising teleconnection: The
apparition of NLCs in the southern hemisphere is linked to cold air
temperatures thousands of miles away in the northern hemisphere."For
example, we found that the winter air temperature in Indianapolis,
Indiana, is well correlated with the frequency of noctilucent clouds
over Antarctica," says Cora Randall, AIM science team member and Chair
of the Dept. of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences at the University of
Colorado. Other US cities were similarly correlated.
Data from
previous seasons show a 2-week time lag between cold outbreaks in the
north and changes to NLCs in the south. However, because the 2014-2015
season is less than two weeks old, the correlation is not yet obvious.
"I don't expect the northern hemisphere (NH) teleconnection signal to
have significant effects on the onset of the southern hemisphere (SH)
season for noctilucent clouds," says Randall. "But once planetary wave
activity in the SH stratosphere is quiet (should be soon), then I would
expect the connections with the NH winter to become more evident."
Randall
and a group of colleagues led by Laura Holt of NorthWest Research
Associates have just submitted a paper to the Geophysical Research
Letters detailing the link between northern winter and southern NLCs. If
you have a GRL subscription, keep an eye out for theirfuture article
entitled "Summertime polar mesospheric clouds linked to wintertime
surface cold air outbreaks."
Fireballs
Every
night, a network of NASA all-sky cameras scans the skies above the
United States for meteoritic fireballs. Automated software maintained by
NASA's Meteoroid Environment Office calculates their orbits, velocity,
penetration depth in Earth's atmosphere and many other characteristics.
Daily results are presented here on Spaceweather.com.
On December 4, 2014, the network reported 7 fireballs.
In this
diagram of the inner solar system, all of the fireball orbits intersect
at a single point--Earth. The orbits are color-coded by velocity, from
slow (red) to fast (blue).
December 4, 2014 - CHINA - Hang on to your hats, America.
And throw away that big, fat styrofoam finger while you’re about it.
There’s
no easy way to say this, so I’ll just say it: We’re no longer No. 1.
Today, we’re No. 2. Yes, it’s official. The Chinese economy just
overtook the United States economy to become the largest in the world.
For the first time since Ulysses S. Grant was president, America is not
the leading economic power on the planet.
It just happened — and almost nobody noticed.
The International Monetary Fund recently released the latest numbers for
the world economy. And when you measure national economic output in
“real” terms of goods and services, China will this year produce $17.6
trillion — compared with $17.4 trillion for the U.S.A.
As recently as 2000, we produced nearly three times as much as the Chinese.
To
put the numbers slightly differently, China now accounts for 16.5% of
the global economy when measured in real purchasing-power terms,
compared with 16.3% for the U.S.
This latest economic earthquake
follows the development last year when China surpassed the U.S. for the
first time in terms of global trade.
I reported on this looming
development over two years ago, but the moment came sooner than I or
anyone else had predicted. China’s recent decision to bring gross
domestic product calculations in line with international standards has
revealed activity that had previously gone uncounted.
These
calculations are based on a well-established and widely used economic
measure known as purchasing-power parity (or PPP), which measures the
actual output as opposed to fluctuations in exchange rates. So a
Starbucks venti Frappucino served in Beijing counts the same as a venti
Frappucino served in Minneapolis, regardless of what happens to be going
on among foreign-exchange traders.
Make no mistake. This is a geopolitical earthquake with a high reading on the Richter scale.
PPP
is the real way of comparing economies. It is one reported by the IMF
and was, for example, the one used by McKinsey & Co. consultants
back in the 1990s when they undertook a study of economic productivity
on behalf of the British government.
Yes, when you look at mere
international exchange rates, the U.S. economy remains bigger than that
of China, allegedly by almost 70%. But such measures, although they are
widely followed, are largely meaningless. Does the U.S. economy really
shrink if the dollar falls 10% on international currency markets?
Does
the recent plunge in the yen mean the Japanese economy is vanishing
before our eyes?
Back in 2012, when I first reported on these
figures, the IMF tried to challenge the importance of PPP. I was not
surprised. It is not in anyone’s interest at the IMF that people in the
Western world start focusing too much on the sheer extent of China’s
power. But the PPP data come from the IMF, not from me. And it is
noteworthy that when the IMF’s official World Economic Outlook compares
countries by their share of world output, it does so using PPP.
Yes,
all statistics are open to various quibbles. It is perfectly possible
China’s latest numbers overstate output — or understate them. That may
also be true of U.S. GDP figures. But the IMF data are the best we have.
Make
no mistake: This is a geopolitical earthquake with a high reading on
the Richter scale. Throughout history, political and military power have
always depended on economic power. Britain was the workshop of the
world before she ruled the waves. And it was Britain’s relative economic
decline that preceded the collapse of her power. And it was a similar
story with previous hegemonic powers such as France and Spain.
This
will not change anything tomorrow or next week, but it will change
almost everything in the longer term.
We have lived in a world dominated
by the U.S. since at least 1945 and, in many ways, since the late 19th
century. And we have lived for 200 years — since the Battle of Waterloo
in 1815 — in a world dominated by two reasonably democratic,
constitutional countries in Great Britain and the U.S.A. For all their
flaws, the two countries have been in the vanguard worldwide in terms of
civil liberties, democratic processes and constitutional rights. - Market Watch.
December 4, 2014 - THE PHILIPPINES
- The scenario of a strengthening Hagupit, locally known as Ruby,
bringing life-threatening dangers to the Philippines appears highly
likely.
Hagupit strengthened into a typhoon early Tuesday night
PHT (Tuesday morning EST), but strengthening continued from Wednesday
into Thursday.
According to the Joint Typhoon Warning Center,
Hagupit reached Super Typhoon status with sustained winds near 240 kph
(150 mph) and gusts close to 300 kph (185 mph) Wednesday afternoon EST.
Hagupit encountered increased wind shear on Thursday which caused the cyclone to weaken slightly, but remained a super typhoon.
AccuWeather.com
meteorologists have identified two scenarios for Hagupit. Both involve
Hagupit being a very powerful and dangerous typhoon. However, the extent
of the impacts on the Philippines will depend on the track Hagupit
takes later this week.
The first scenario would be a westerly
track, bringing the typhoon into the central Philippines this weekend
and in contact with a much more significant population.
"If
the storm takes the track into the Philippines, the impacts will be
potentially very severe with widespread flooding, damaging winds,
mudslides, storm surge and pounding surf," stated AccuWeather.com
Meteorologist Anthony Sagliani.
The danger for flooding would
become extreme and more life-threatening if Hagupit slows its forward
movement and crawls through the Philippines, unloading inundating
amounts of rain.
This animated GIF shows Hagupit tracking across the Philippine Sea. (NOAA/Satellite)
Much of the
Philippines would be spared the worst of this cyclone if the second
scenario of Hagupit unfolds.
In this scenario, the typhoon turns
northward through the Philippine Sea just east of the Philippines, then
northeastward in the Northwest Pacific Ocean.
If the cyclone turns east of the Philippines, the outer bands could bring torrential rainfall to eastern Luzon this weekend.
Hagupit
could stall before making much northward progress, which would keep
seas violently stirred up for a prolonged period of time across the
Philippine Sea.
Manila will likely be spared the worst of this
cyclone; however, if it tracks west across the Philippines, downpours
could still result in flooding as early as Sunday.
Depending
on how sharp of a northeastward turn Hagupit takes, the Volcano Islands
could be threatened or impacts could be felt along the southern coast
of Japan next week.
All interests from the Philippines to Japan should closely monitor the progress of what will become a dangerous typhoon. - AccuWeather.
December 4, 2014 - LOUISIANA, UNITED STATES
- The Area to the east of Grand Bayou along Highway 70 that was part of
the Mandatory Evacuation Order from the Bayou Corne Sinkhole has been
re-designated to a Voluntary Evacuation Area.
The area is believed
to be depleted of gas and continued investigation will confirm that the
gas is depleted from this area before Evacuation is removed from this
area.
Attached is a map to identify the area that is now under a Voluntary Evacuation Area:
December 4, 2014 - EARTH
- The following reports constitute some of the latest incidents of
global cooling, as we continue to track planet Earth's rapid plunge into
a new Mini-Ice Age.
Mad blizzard swallows cars, streets, buildings in Far East Russia
Winter
has come with a vengeance: Russia's snow-and-ice-bound Far East regions
have declared states of emergency. Traffic chaos is rife, with cars
stuck or sliding uncontrollably. Residents are trying to push cars, and
also stop them with their bodies.
The cold and snowy season
began in Russia's Far East - including the cities of Vladivostok and
Khabarovsk - on Dec. 1, the first day of winter proper according to the
calendar. Yet municipal services were not ready to deal with weather
conditions, people on social networks complained.
Snowfall in
Khabarovsk - reportedly the heaviest in decades - forced the city
authorities to announce the state of emergency and call in military to
aid with the storm's aftermath.
Harsh weather conditions caused
traffic to come to a standstill, with people being unable to use either
public transport or their own cars.
WATCH: Deep snow in Russia's Far East.
Challenged
to not only find and then dig their cars out from under the snow,
drivers also had to push their vehicles when they were stuck on snow and
ice-covered roads, as well as stopping them from moving uncontrollably.
In Vladivostok, cars were sliding down the road, crashing into
other vehicles, with drivers trying to stop cars, including a truck,
with their bodies. A YouTube video showed a dozen cars being damaged in
an icy frenzy.
The large-scale cyclone brought a
month-and-a-half of snowfall in just one day in Khabarovsk, where
uncleared roads caused bread shortages in local shops, which were
inaccessible to delivery trucks. The situation was made worse by
abandoned vehicles on the roads, left by their owners, unable to deal
with the snow.
WATCH:Freak Russian blizzard - Mad snow storm swallows cities in Far East.
Power cutoffs were reported in several areas, due to broken wires.
Some 10,000 people, rescuers included, were dealing with the storm,
having helped over 1,100 cars, 44 buses and 40 heavy trucks, the local
Emergencies Ministry reported.
Thousands
of kilometers to the west, the first winter snow - a much lighter one -
was more welcome in Moscow, the Russian capital. It helped clear the
air of pollution, Tass news agency reported, with worrying air
contamination being caused by several emission releases over the past
month. - RT.
Ice storm with deep snow in Serbia: People experiencing mental breakdown after 48 hours without electricity, water and heating
"48 hours of agony in Majdanpek, people mentally break!" says headline.
Put on your coat and hat and get under a blanket and wait to pass this
evil, say angry residents of Majdanpeka. At night it is very cold.
The
city is bound by snow and ice, without electricity, water and heating,
and the torture is far from over. The fourth attempt to connect pokidna
transmission network, this afternoon failed. It's agony.
Business is great, joked a shop owner: he has sold burners for gas.
These gadgets over the past two days in Majdanpeku have become worth
gold, because it is only on them that food can be prepared.
To
make matters even worse, in this city of skyscrapers, the architects
omitted chimneys, says Mirko Kobe. He lives in in the center of town
with his wife and two sons, one of whom is chronically ill and requires
constant care.
He adds that heating is only available in the
hospital, which has a generator. "The hospital only has heating, and has
currently one baby who was born on Monday night and 26 patients, of
which I think are two pregnant women.
A
different resident, Milan, says that the transmission lines that have
fallen were wrapped in ice 4-centimeters thick. Workers cut branches
that have fallen around power lines, and progress is slow. More bizarre
is that no one has physically visited the power plant, it is controlled
by a computer in Belgrade.
The situation is cataclysmic,
explains Milan. It's freezing cold. The home is cooler than outside!
People are very angry, enraged, angry ... Everything is extremely
difficult, residents are outraged, helpless! - Ice Age Now.
US: Lake Erie temperature at end of November coldest since 1976
Lake Erie's water temperature at the end of November fell to 40
degrees. That's the coldest Nov. 30 reading in Buffalo since 1976, when
the lake temperature was 38 degrees. Anyone old enough to remember
November 1976 needs no further reminder of what happened the following
January.
The lake froze, and sustained winds during the
Blizzard of '77 blew 3 feet of accumulated snow off the ice and dumped
it across the Niagara Frontier. Great Lakes scientists say it's too
early to tell if the lake's present condition will lead to that kind of
snow catastrophe this winter.
Until the lake freezes, there's
always a chance for lake-effect snow. But as the water turns colder,
there's less chance for a repeat of the heavy lake-effect snowfall that
hit the area a couple of weeks ago. "It really depends on what happens
now and over the next few weeks or month," said Eric J. Anderson, a
forecaster at the Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory in Ann
Arbor, Mich.
Anderson said the cooling of the lake was speeded
up by to the polar blast that recently dumped more than 7 feet of snow
recently in some communities. "The lake is primed," Anderson said. "If
the air temperature drops, the lake is ready to freeze." But could that
spell trouble, too?
Buffalonians know as well as anyone that a
frozen lake can be a blessing - there's no more lake-effect snow. "Once
you seal it - once the water is not liquid - that cuts the evaporation"
and with it the lake-effect snow, said George A. Leshkevich, a Great
Lakes ice scientist for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration.
Signs of ice
"It's the earliest our office has on record for ice," Anderson said. Anderson called the early onset of ice "symptomatic" of a "cold year" over the Great Lakes.
A brutally cold winter, the late arrival of spring and a cool summer
over the region kept lake temperatures - including Lake Erie - lower
than usual this year. A warm autumn tempered those readings, at least
until the arctic blast last month.
Last winter, ice covered 92.5 percent of the Great Lakes - the most
since 1979. As of the middle of November, ice was already forming in
some of the northern bays of Lake Superior.
"Water temperatures on Lake Erie right now are very similar to what they were a year ago today," Anderson said.
Last year, the Nov. 30 water temperature of Lake Erie in Buffalo was 41
degrees, and ice began forming on the lake during the second week in
December. By Dec. 12 - after an arctic blast and round of lake-effect
snow - about 10 percent of Lake Erie was already covered in ice.
Forecasters expect the same conditions could occur this month and continue through the winter.
"The ice cover in Lake Erie will be similar to last year," said Jia
Wang, an ice and climate forecaster at the Great Lakes laboratory.
As of Tuesday, there was no sign of ice on the lake. When it does
appear, it will likely show up first near Toledo and along the Canadian
shore near Long Point, Ont.
"The shallow areas are going to get that formation first," Anderson said.
Temperatures vary
The Buffalo office of the National Weather Service takes Lake Erie's
daily temperature at a 30-foot depth at the city's water treatment
plant, near where the lake spills into the Niagara River.
Tuesday's reading remained at 40 degrees, but there's a 14-degree spread
on the thermometer between the western part of the lake and its deepest
point between Long Point, Ont., and Erie, Pa.
Scientists said
the temperature was at a lake-low 34 degrees in shallow areas near
Toledo and 38 degrees near the islands off of Ohio's shore. Surface
temperatures on the deeper eastern end of the lake near Buffalo ranged
from 42 degrees to 44 degrees with the lake's deepest waters still at 46
degrees to 48 degrees.
So, there's still a ways to go before
the lake freezes, ending the lake-effect threat. "The lake freezing is
what would end it," said Jeff Wood, a National Weather Service
meteorologist in Buffalo. Anderson said, "Even if you start now, you're
really not going to start to shut the system down for another three
weeks or so." Over the last 30 years, the average date when the lake
freezes is Jan. 21, the weather service said.
Lake effects
If warmer water is the key to lake-effect snow, will the colder water
knock down the ferocity of any more lake-effect storms? The simple
answer is yes. Scientists said the wider the spread between the
temperatures of the air and the water, the more evaporation occurs and
thus greater lake-effect snow. "As the water temperature falls, then the
difference between the two is lessened," Leshkevich said. "The
possibility of evaporation is going to be reduced."
On Nov. 18 -
well into the first of the two big lake-effect storms last month - Lake
Erie's temperature was 48 degrees, according to the National Weather
Service. The air temperature at the surface of the water then was about
24 degrees. At 5,000 feet above the lake, it was 5 degrees. At 20,000
feet it was minus 44. Mix in the west wind, and it all turned into
snowfall rates of up to 5 inches an hour.
"The lake was still quite warm and you had an awfully cold air mass aloft," Wood said. - Buffalo News.
Dramatic evacuation of Hohe Wande because of ice storm in Austria
The
Hohe Wande mountain ridge in the district of Wiener Neustadt was the
scene of dramatic evacuations on Wednesday as the state of emergency
continued in Lower Austria, caused by five days of ice storms.
In the last few hours on Wednesday afternoon,all access to the Hohe Wand was cut off by ice-covered boulders and broken tree branches, as a result of the ice storm.
Police and fire departments were busy all morning visiting residents
living in the area to ask them to leave their homes, many of which are
threatened by falling trees.
Some residents left voluntarily,
while others refused to leave. Some elderly residents had to be
evacuated for medical reasons.
100,000 Czech railway travelers stranded due to freezing cold weather
Around 100,000 passengers are stranded across the Czech Republic due to the disruption of the railway system
Around
100,000 passengers have been stranded across the Czech Republic due to
the disruption of the railway service as a result of freezing cold
weather.
"Several hundred passenger trains were cancelled or delayed,"Czech Railways said on its website on Tuesday. Czech
railways authority said the disruption occurred after ice encased
overhead power lines and brought railway traffic to a halt.
According to the officials, the freezing began on Monday and continued into Tuesday.
They added that people were forced to spend the night, when
temperatures dropped to a low of minus 7.3 Celsius (19.4 Fahrenheit), in
cold trains and at railway stations.
Czech Railways called on people to defer their trips to the time when the situation is normal.
The cold also caused power cuts and many road accidents across the country.
According to the authorities, flights at Prague's main Vaclav Havel airport were not disrupted by the cold weather.
The arctic weather also cancelled the departure of a group of soldiers
heading for Afghanistan after their plane failed to take off from
Prague-Kbely military airport. - Press TV.
Another Round of Icy Travel to Affect U.S. Interior Northeast
Another round of ice and some snow over the interior Northeast may slow down some early weekend travelers.
While
this icy mix will not be as extensive or as long-lasting in most areas
as that of this past Tuesday and Tuesday night, it can affect parts of
Pennsylvania, New York state and part of New England with slippery
travel.
A light mix of rain and sleet will develop Thursday night
into Friday morning in part of the Maryland Panhandle, the eastern
panhandle of West Virginia and northwestern Virginia. Near-freezing
temperatures in this area can make for icy patches on I-68 and I-70.
Later Friday, spotty rain and sleet are likely to develop in the I-80 and I-81 corridors of Pennsylvania.
This
area will then expand and lift northward Friday evening into early
Saturday morning and can affect portions of the New York Thruway, the
Massachusetts Turnpike and I-91, while transitioning to a mixture of wet
snow and ice.
The rain from northwestern Virginia to interior New
England can freeze on colder, elevated surfaces, especially on
untreated bridges and overpasses. Areas that do not receive warmth from
the direct rays of the sun could also be icy, such as gaps in the
mountains and heavily wooded areas.
Just like the event from Tuesday, mostly rain will fall in the I-95 corridor from Washington, D.C., to New York City and Boston.
Roads
in most northern and western suburbs from Washington, D.C., to New York
City will be wet as well.
However, some roads in parts of northern
Connecticut, central Massachusetts and southern New Hampshire may be
slippery Saturday morning, since cold air may linger a while longer in
this area.
Additional
wintry mix events are possible into next week in parts of the Northeast
as the pattern of weak, brief pushes of cold air continue to sneak in.
After a frigid start to the week in the Chicago, cold air will linger for most of the week in the city.
Temperatures will hover around freezing through Friday as a blast of arctic air stretches across the Plains and Midwest.
Fans
attending the matchup between the Chicago Bears and Dallas Cowboys at
Soldier Field on Thursday will want to dress warmly with a hat and
gloves. RealFeel temperatures in the evening could dip into the 20s.
By Friday, the coldest air will retreat but highs will still be kept to within a few degrees of 40 F.
By early next week, the chance for snow showers will return.
Durum Wheat and Soft Winter Red Wheat are two different and separate wheat crop species that are grown in late fall and winter months. This year both have been damaged in the USA, Russia and Eurasia. Lower yields are now slowly trickling in to corroborate the effects of cold temperatures on the worlds wheat crops.
WATCH: Intense cold and global food crisis.
Hidden and Mis-Reported Cold Temperature Records in the Media
Many of the temperature cold records being reported are being compared with the last most recent records, not the 100-140 year range to make it appear as the cooling in in the 30-50 year range. Data is also not being updated in national and state record low temperature archives and databases. This video shows a few examples and explains the hodgepodge and year mis-matches in such data.
December 4, 2014 - EARTH -
The following constitutes the latest reports of unusual and symbolic
animal behavior, mass die-offs, beaching and stranding of mammals, and
the appearance of rare creatures.
40 TONS of dead fish found in the Tiete River, Brazil
On Saturday morning (29), stream was covered with dead fish. (Photo: Personal Archive / Paul Conti)
After two days of work, employees jumping Prefecture (SP) removed 40 tons of dead fish stream Helper. A backhoe to clean the tributary was necessary, which flows into the River Tietê and, last week, was taken by a "black water" . Thousands of dead fish were removed from the stream on Saturday (29) and Sunday (30) and taken to the landfill of the city. Now, the Department of the Environment will make a detailed account of all the damage caused to the city and report. According
to the secretary of the folder, John Conti Neto, with the document an
investigation into the death of fish in the river Tietê is required.
"I will ask a deadline to deliver a detailed report, gathering all the
data that we can to base and that is as complete as possible. Along with
the prosecution, we want to find a solution to the case and charge, not
only the value of the operation [cleaning], but mainly the
environmental damage that occurred, "he said. The Society of Environmental Sanitation Technology (CETESB) says that
the phenomenon of black water was caused by waste that were in the soil
and in the river bed, brought up with the rains that hit the region.
In an attempt to get oxygen in clean water, the fish migrated into the
stream Helper, a tributary of the Tietê River, approximately one
kilometer long, but did not survive. Revolt The situation caught the attention of environmental activists who went to the helper stream monitor the spring cleaning. A group of Campinas (SP) expressed outrage over the killing of animals.
"It's a whole chain who died, are not only those fish that were in
spawning [playing time], who were coming back. It's all the result,"
said the activist Eliete Ferrari. The residents of neighborhoods near the stream also accompanied
cleaning this weekend, as the stench became a big problem for those who
live near the site. "At home is closed
day and night, because of the smell. We called all the fans and even
then the smell still comes in," says Mason Mark Vicente Soares. Trying to breathe According to the lathe Paul Conti, resident Heels , fish fled to the tributary to try to survive. Conti reported on Thursday (27), on video, hundreds of fish trying to breathe in the stream (see the video on the side). "I caught him they dying, trying to breathe. It is sad. A situation is unfortunate that in the city. " Also according to Conti, that the Tietê River region there are several
species of fish such as mandi, tetra, catfish and corimba. "The corimba have size up to 50 cm and weighing more than a pound each," he says. Black water, brown and foam Netizens sent photos and videos to the wording of G1 on Thursday showing that the water in the river Tietê stretch in Salto was black. According to the netizen Rafaela Paes, a resident of the region, the shock was great. "The water was like tar, melted asphalt. Very ugly situation," he says. According to environmentalists, the river got dark during the day and evening on a stretch of 100 km. In the early evening, a dense foam river took account of what passes for jumping. Already on Friday morning, the color of the water was brown . According to the Department of the City environment, a sign that the water quality had improved. Natural phenomenon
Through note, Cetesb reported that technical toured many of the Tietê
river stretches throughout the day and found that the change in color of
the water is due to a natural phenomenon. The heavy rain of recent days have loaded tributaries of soil and waste from the river itself. Also according to the company, this is a common phenomenon occurs when heavy rain, especially after long periods of drought. Cetesb also said that during the latest survey, already in the afternoon, the water was less cloudy. - Globo. [Translated]
1,000 dead turtles: Vietnam prevents record haul of endangered reptiles to China
loggerhead sea turtle (Reuters/Santiago Ferrero)
Over
1,000 endangered sea turtles have been intercepted by Vietnamese
environmental police, a local official has confirmed. All of the turtles
uncovered in the bust were dead and part of an illegal shipment to
China for handicrafts.
The bust, reported by local media this
week, happened last Wednesday in Nha Trang – a resort town located on
the south-central coast. “The turtles were all dead,” an official of the Ministry of Public Security’s environmental police department, Le Hong Thai, said. “They were meant to be processed into handicrafts for export to China,” he added. “The case is under investigation, so we cannot reveal the number of detainees or any other details,” he said.
Vietnamese law protects five native marine turtles, making it a criminal offense to hunt, trade, or store them.
Local
environmental groups spoke in support of the raids, calling for
appropriate legal punishments for those involved in smuggling.
Courts “need to send the message that Vietnam is serious about prosecuting and punishing”
crimes related to endangered species, the director of conservation
group Education for Nature-Vietnam, Nguyen Phuong Dung, told AFP.
It
is common for Vietnamese authorities to come across illegal shipments
of rhino horn, ivory, and various exotic species such as tigers.
However, local conservation groups state that many illegal trades still go undetected. - RT.
An 85-year-old woman mauled by stray dogs dies, Louisiana
An 85-year-old woman who was mauled by stray dogs has died, five days after the attack.
Grant Parish Sheriff Steve McCain confirmed the death of Bobbie
Cheveallier Monday evening, after it was posted on social media.
Dogs attacked Cheveallier on Wednesday as she took out the trash from her home near Pollock.
McCain says deputies have caught 15 stray dogs for testing since the attack.
Cheveallier's son Randy Cheveallier says her legs had to be amputated.
He says nobody saw the attack.
Cheveallier says a neighbor's boyfriend saw three dogs in his mother's
yard Wednesday afternoon, went over to see what was going on, and found
her on the ground, unconscious.
18,000 birds have died due to avian flu in British Columbia, Canada
A colourized transmission electron micrograph of Avian influenza A H5N1 viruses (seen in gold) grown in MDCK cells (seen in green)
are shown in this 1997 image. (CDC - Cynthia Goldsmith, Jackie Katz, Sharif Zaki)
Two
poultry farms in British Columbia have been placed under quarantine
after the Canadian Food Inspection Agency confirmed Tuesday an avian flu
outbreak.
At a turkey farm in Abbotsford, B.C., half of the
barn’s 11,000 birds have already died from the disease, according to
Jane Pritchard, B.C.’s chief veterinary officer. At a second farm about
eight kilometres away in Chilliwack, B.C., 1,000 of the farm’s 7,000
birds have died.
Pritchard told reporters Tuesday the remaining
birds would be euthanized using carbon dioxide gas, then “composted” in
the barn so the disease would not escape the building or go airborne.
The CFIA will also oversee the disinfection of the barns, vehicles and
tools once the infected animals are disposed of.
Canada’s Chief
Veterinary Officer Harpreet Kochhar told reporters the virus strain was
H5, but that it was too early to determine the subtype of the virus.
The H5N1 virus killed a Canadian in January who had recently travelled to China.
There
are currently no new cases of human infection in Canada, and Kochhar
said that human-to-human transmission of the virus is rare. He added
that even the meat of an infected bird doesn’t pose a health threat if
prepared properly.
Kochhar said more information would become
available within days as further tests are carried out, and that
“enhanced biosecurity practices” would be put in place.
Kochhar also said it was protocol to inform the country’s trading partners in these sorts of situations.
“I
have reached out to the chief veterinary officer, my counterpart out
there, in the U.S.,” he said. “We have shared whatever information we
have at this point.”
Pritchard said the connection between the two
barns had yet to be established, and it was unclear how two farms in
different cities saw simultaneous outbreaks.
Though Pritchard declined to name the farms in question, she did say grocery stores might take a hit during the holiday season.
“The turkeys were 83 days of age, so they would have been targeted for the Christmas market.” - CTV News.
Finding Nemo monster is real: Rare black seadevil caught on video
Still from YouTube video/MBARI
A
nightmare-inducing sea creature made famous in ‘Finding Nemo’ was
caught on video in the depths of the ocean for the first time.
Scientists believe global warming is affecting its environment, bringing
the rare anglerfish species to shallower waters.
As shown in
Pixar’s famous fish film, anglers get their name from the built-in
fishing rod attached to their foreheads. The black seadevil (scientific
name Melanocetus) lives in the pitch-black depths of Monterey Canyon off
California’s coast, and uses its luminescent orb to attract prey. “In
the darkness of deep water, they flash the light to attract prey and
draw them near the angler's mouth. When a fish or a squid swims up, it
is quickly inhaled by the angler's huge mouth and trapped by its long,
sharp teeth,” senior scientist Bruce Robison said in a video of the
seadevil released by the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute
(MBARI).
MBARI scientists spotted the secretive species 2,000 feet (600m) below Monterey Bay’s surface, but it also lives in the “freezing, crushing water four times deeper,” the San Jose Mercury News reported.
WATCH:The anglerfish - The original approach to deep-sea fishing.
The
footage captured at this depth by MBARI’s remotely operated vehicle,
ROV Doc Ricketts, is believed to be the first video ever made of this
species alive and at such a depth, the institute said in the video
description. Fewer than half a dozen encounters with any type of
deep-sea anglerfish have ever been recorded by deep-diving research
vehicles, MBARI noted in a statement.
The ROV located the fish during a “midwater transect”
last Monday, institute spokeswoman Kim Fulton-Bennett told CNN. "This
means we 'fly' the robot through the water at a series of different
depths (10 minutes at each depth), and count all the different types of
animals we see."
The female seadevil is recognizable from ‘Finding
Nemo,’ where it snuck up on fish Dory and Marlin as they search for
Nemo. As scary as the anglerfish might be, it is only 9 cm (3.5 in)
long. The male is even smaller, “like a tiny little baby,” a video called ‘True Facts about the Angler Fish’ says. “He attaches himself to the female by biting her, and then digesting part of his face so he fuses with her flesh,” the description continues. “He
then atrophies, losing his digestive organs, brain, heart and eyes, and
winds up nothing more than a pair of gonads, which release sperm when
needed.”
WATCH: Angler Fish Scene (Finding Nemo).
Finding a female ‒ no matter how ugly she may appear‒ is imperative for the male. "If they don't find a female, they drown," Ted Pietsch, professor at the University of Washington and expert on the deep-sea anglerfish, told the Mercury News. "They're not even properly equipped to eat."
Females
also collect males throughout their lifetimes. Robison told KSBW that
he has seen up to 11 males attached to a single female.
Not much else is known about the elusive seadevil, however. "A video would tell us a lot about how it moves, swims, orients to gravity," Pietsch noted.
Robison
and his international team of researchers didn’t just capture video of
the angler; it captured the black seadevil to study. Unfortunately, they
do not know how long it will survive.
WATCH: True facts about the angler fish.
The
team is studying the possible impacts of rising water temperatures on
deep-sea animals. Robison told KSBW the fish discovery was thanks to the
mid-water rest barometer, the only one of its kind. "What
we're trying to do experimentally with instruments that we take down
into the ocean is to learn what the range of capabilities of these
animals are," he said. "Now that the temperature is rising, many species may not have the ability to adjust to the rising temperatures."
The temperature increase, he told the Mercury News, is "probably
because of global warming. If the temperature continues to rise and the
amount of oxygen continues to decrease, things are going to change."
The
problem the black seadevil and other deep-sea creatures face from
global warming is that oxygen ‒ which is already scarce at those depths ‒
will decrease even more. "Animals that live in the oxygen minim zones are adapted to low oxygen, but they might be close to their limit,"
Brad Seibel, an assistant professor of marine biology at the University
of Rhode Island, told the Mercury News. That could lead to stunted
development, and possibly force the animals to head to shallower waters.
And
animals near the surface would have to swim to colder waters. These
mass migrations would alter ecosystems as food and predators might not
shift in the same way, Seibel said. - RT.
4-year old boy savaged by family's rottweiler in New Port Richey, Florida
The dog is currently under a 10-day rabies quarantine.
Kathryn
Monroe is still trying to come to grips with what happened to her great
grandson on Sunday. "I know we're all heartbroken. We're in tears."
Said Monroe."He's fighting for his life. That's all I can say. His one ear was severed, it's horrible."
Pasco County Sheriff's Deputies say 4-year old Jasper Debow Bridgeman
was bitten by the family's Rottweiler at his grandmother's home at 9136
Suffolk Lane in New Port Richey shortly after 4pm on Sunday. Paramedics
airlifted the boy to St. Joseph's hospital where he is recovering from
his injuries. Pasco Animal Control took the dog to the shelter in Land
O' Lakes.
The dog is currently under a 10-day rabies
quarantine. Once the quarantine is completed, the dog's owners will then
have an opportunity to determine if they want to keep the dog.
WATCH: Shovel used to fight of dog attacking child.
Mike Shumate is the manager at Pasco Animal Services and says it's not
clear what, if anything, prompted the attack. "The dog was tethered
outside, the child was playing outside by the dog, the child got up to
go into the house and at that point the dog attacked the child." Said
Shumate, who said animal bite cases are quite common. "Believe it or
not, we (Pasco County) average about 100-140 bite cases a month. "A lot
of those are reported from hospitals, clinics, things like that."
Monroe and other family members say all they can do is pray for
Jasper's speedy recovery. "All I know is the dog got behind him and
attacked him. That's all I know." Said Monroe. "It was horrible. All I
know is the little guy isn't be the same as when he left here." - WFLA.
Thousands of fish 'die suddenly' in Sragen Regency, Indonesia
Thousands of dead fish in Kedung Ombo, District Sumberlawang, Sragen. Doc. Timlo.net/Agung
Thousands
of fish cages owned by farmers in Kedung Ombo (WKO) Ngargotirto
Village, District Sumberlawang, Sragen again died suddenly. Earlier in September 2014 and it had occurred sudden fish death. It is not certain because the fish was dead, but provisional estimates due to lack of oxygen. Village Head Ngargotirto, Sumberlawang, Daryono revealed, dozens of
tons of fish belonging to farmers in a village hamlet Ngargotirto died
suddenly that most types of tilapia and tombro. While catfish can still survive. As a result of these events is estimated tens of fish farmers lose hundreds of millions of dollars. "My neighbor who had cages in WKO already told me, but so far there has been no detailed reports. I also have not had time to check the field, "he said, Tuesday (2/12). Daryono tell from the recognition of a fish farmer, conditions WKO fetid water before the fish died.
He said the fish farmers spread in several hamlets, including Hamlet
Ngasinan, Canyons Gandul, Spring Bulus, Ngargorejo and Kowang. However, the number of fish farmers most in Hamlet Ngasinan. While the Head of Department of Animal Husbandry and Fisheries Sragen,
Agus Purwanto, claimed to have received a report related to the death of
fish in WKO. He claims to have issued a circular (SE) to the fish farmers to immediately harvest of large fish. Agus explained death of fish in WKO events regularly occur in August and December. The cause is suspected because of the lack of availability of oxygen in the waters. "It's also because of the very cold temperature changes. Usually these fish die midnight.
Occurs vertical vortex of water that raised the mud at the bottom of
the reservoir to the surface of the water, so that the oxygen depleted,
"said Agus. - TIMLO. [Translated]
Denison, Texas woman attacked and severely injured by dog pack
A
Denison woman attacked and severely injured by a pack of dogs last week
is speaking out just a day after being released from the hospital.
Lois Woodall, 34, says she is still in a lot of pain, but she is in
good spirits. The bruises on her arms, gashes on her head and scars on
her legs will permanently remind Woodall what happened to her the night
of November 25th.
She went out to get medicine for her sick
daughter and was walking home along the railroad tracks at East Sears
and North Travis Avenue when a pack of dogs knocked her to the ground, tearing into her clothes and skin.
"They
were pulling my legs, pulling me down and that's when they really start
tearing me up, my legs and everything else," Woodall said. "Every time I
tried to get up they just got me. One of them just chewed my head up,
just pulling my hair, pulling my head real hard."
Fully aware she could die, she prayed to see her family again.
"I was thinking about my children, my husband and my family and I said I
got to go on. I said God is going to get me through this," Woodall
said.
Moments later, two people driving by heard Woodall's
screams. A man in the vehicle ran over with his flashlight and scared
the dogs off.
"I'm just thankful for what he done because I could have been dead and gone," Woodall said.
Woodall's husband, Jeffery, says he's grateful he can still hold his wife's hand today.
"God I love her. Even if she looked worse than this I'd still love her for who she is."
Denison Police say they used tranquilizer guns to catch four of the
dogs that attacked Woodall and the one believed to be most aggressive is
in quarantine. Woodall says she hopes more will be done to keep stray
dogs from wandering the streets.
"I'm just blessed it was me and not no kids."
Denison Police say they have two animal patrol units who pick up animals when they are notified.
Detectives say the owner of the dogs could face felony charges. They
are working on a case to hand over to the District Attorney. A hearing
will be held soon to determine what will be done with the dogs. - KXII.
Hundreds of dead fish found in a creek in Queensland, Australia
Residents
have been warned to avoid a creek near a Cairns school while health
authorities probe the discovery of hundreds of dead fish.
Director
of Tropical Public Health Services Dr Richard Gair says reports
children are jumping into Saltwater Creek near Edge Hill State School to
catch the dead or dying fish are concerning.
"Until we know what
we are dealing with, it is important that people exercise caution and my
advice is to avoid contact with Saltwater Creek and fish in Saltwater
Creek," he said in a statement.
He says no one should remove or consume the fish.
The
discovery of the fish floating in the creek at the weekend sparked an
investigation by the Department of Environment and Heritage Protection.
Local
farmer Andrew Herrington said the fish deaths may be caused by vehicle
run-off washed into the creek during recent rain after a long dry spell
in the far north.
"The rubber compounds from the tyres, all the
oil that drips off people's dirty old cars and so on, washes off into
the creeks so you have that oil-slick type rainbow on top of the water,"
he told the ABC. - 9NEWS.
50,000 more birds to be killed due to avian flu in Zoeterwoude, Netherlands
People in protective gear walk by the poultry farm where a new outbreak of bird flu was found today in Zoeterwoude, Photo: AFP
Dutch
authorities on Monday ordered the preventative cull of 50,000 poultry
after a bird flu outbreak on a nearby farm was confirmed as the highly
pathogenic H5N8 strain.
The move came after authorities on Sunday
identified bird flu at a poultry farm at Zoeterwoude outside The Hague,
where 28,000 birds needed to be culled.
"There is another poultry farm within one kilometre of the affected farm," the economics ministry said in a statement.
"Now that H5N8 has been confirmed, the birds on that farm will now be culled. There are around 50,000 birds."
Two
other farms within a 10-kilometre radius have been given the all clear,
and another farm is under investigation, the ministry said.
The
highly-infectious H5N8 strain of bird flu was discovered in the
Netherlands two weeks ago, where authorities suspect it might have been
brought in by birds migrating from Asia.
Some strains of avian
influenza are fatal for chickens, and pose a health threat to humans,
who can fall sick after handling infected poultry.
Dutch authorities have said human infection can only occur following "intense and direct contact" with infected birds.
The
H5N1 strain of bird flu has killed more than 400 people, mainly in
Southeast Asia, since first appearing in 2003. Another strain of bird
flu, H7N9, has claimed more than 170 lives since emerging in 2013.
The
latest outbreak lies about 35 kilometres northwest of Hekendorp, where
the first outbreak was detected in mid-November, leading to around
150,000 birds being destroyed.
Bird flu has been detected in at
least three other locations in the Netherlands. Germany and Britain have
also reported similar strains of the virus.
The H7N7 strain of
avian flu severely hit the Netherlands in 2003 with health authorities
destroying some 30 million birds in an effort to quash an outbreak.
There
are some 95 million chickens on Dutch poultry farms and egg exports
totalled some 10.6 billion euros in 2011, according to the latest Dutch
statistics. - WORT.
400,000 salmon have died in fish farms in Puerto Natales, Chile
An alarming mortality of farmed salmon to date is recorded in the center Quiet Bay 1, Puerto Natales. During the week the company announced Acuimag SA increased from Tuesday, from 10,000 to 400,000 dead fish, approximately.
Sernapesca unable to enter the center by bad weather in the area, even
though after necropsy infectious diseases were discarded. As
explained by the Business Unit Manager Services Aquaculture Farm
Acuimag SA, Oscar Garay, the cause of death could be explained by a
micro algae bloom, which is also called red tide or tidal coffee,
natural phenomena, in Here influenced by climatic factors such as El
Niño phenomenon changing climate and water temperature.
"We are taking contingency measures but not much to do except remove
the mortality as quickly as possible with all available means and in
coordination and knowledge of the authorities. The losses are still unquantifiable because it is an evolving phenomenon, "he said. According
to reports Sernapesca, samples of the dead to the analysis, results
will be announced at the Instituto de Fomento Pesquero (Ifop) Punta
Arenas fish will. Meanwhile, a second
center in the same area also began to be affected, corresponding to the
center of Bay Quiet II, so it is evaluating emergency measures in other
centers in the area. So
far, priority has been given authorization management and removal of
mortalities in different ways (cremated, silage and transfer to reducing
plants inside and outside the region), all under biosafety conditions
supervised by the service and attentive to new cases and research on
microalgae, reportedly from Sernapesca. - La Prensa Austral. [Translated]
Thousands of dead fish appear in a pond in Bangkok, Thailand
Dead fish, mostly tilapia, float on the surface of Burachat Chaiyakan pond in the Makkasan area. City Hall officials say an inspection of the pond
following complaints by locals found the dissolved oxygen level in the water was zero. PATTARAPONG CHATPATTARASILL
City
Hall plans to siphon water from a pond in the Makkasan area after
thousands of fish were found dead. Drainage and Sewerage Department
deputy chief Kangwan Deesuwan yesterday said the fish, mostly tilapia,
were found dead in Burachat Chaiyakan pond.
Mr Kangwan said
officials discovered the dissolved oxygen level in the pond water had
fallen to zero. He said the fish had been dead for about three days.
The
officials inspected the pond after a group of residents complained. The
pond is located in property managed by the State Railway of Thailand
but the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration decided to take action after
receiving the complaints.
Mr Kangwan said City Hall would drain
the water out of the pond and then refill it with water from the nearby
Khlong Saen Saep. The deputy chief rejected rumours that some people had
poisoned the fish so they could sell them.
Nonn Panitwong, a
water ecology adviser at Green World Foundation, said the fish deaths
were likely caused by low dissolved oxygen levels, and this could be
seen by the dark colour of the water. He said the pond had not been
siphoned after the rainy season and waste under water became more
concentrated, resulting in lower levels of dissolved oxygen.
Mr
Nonn said tilapia are known to be one of the toughest species of fish
and can endure low levels of dissolved oxygen. The deaths of the tilapia
indicated the poor condition of the water, he said.
To
completely clean the pond, he said, the muddy soil at the bottom of the
pond had to be removed and oxygen had to be added back into the water.
Hyacinth can also help absorb waste in water, he said, adding that
littering also had to be prohibited. - Bangkok Post.
