February 18, 2015 - SPACE
- The conceit that human production of carbon dioxide is capable of
driving the earth’s climate is running smack into the sun. CO2 accounts
for a mere 0.039% of the atmosphere,
while the sun accounts for 99.86% of all of the mass in our entire
solar system. And Ol’ Sol is not taking the insult lightly. Vencore Weather reports:
For
the past 5 days, solar activity has been very low and one measure of
solar activity – its X-ray output – has basically flatlined in recent
days (plot below courtesy NOAA/Space Weather Prediction Center). Not
since cycle 14 peaked in February 1906 has there been a solar cycle with
fewer sunspots.
We
are currently more than six years into Solar Cycle 24 and today the sun
is virtually spotless despite the fact that we are still in what is
considered to be its solar maximum phase. Solar cycle 24 began after an
unusually deep solar minimum that lasted from 2007 to 2009 which
included more spotless days on the sun compared to any minimum in almost
a century.
There are several possible consequences to the solar quiet. The first is counterintuitive:
By
all Earth-based measures of geomagnetic and geoeffective solar
activity, this cycle has been extremely quiet. However, while a weak
solar cycle does suggest strong solar storms will occur less often than
during stronger and more active cycles, it does not rule them out
entirely. In fact, the famous Carrington Event of 1859 occurred during a
weak solar cycle (#10) [http://thesiweather.com/2014/09/02/300-pm-the-carrington-event-of-1859-a-solar-superstorm-that-took-places-155-years-ago/].
In addition, there is some evidence that most large events such as
strong solar flares and significant geomagnetic storms tend to occur in
the declining phase of the solar cycle. In other words, there is still a
chance for significant solar activity in the months and years ahead.
Our
dependence on electronic devices is such that extreme solar events
could have serious consequences. However, it is the likely impact on
atmospheric temperatures that threatens the “consensus” on global
warming:
…if
history is a guide, it is safe to say that weak solar activity for a
prolonged period of time can have a negative impact on global
temperatures in the troposphere which is the bottom-most layer of
Earth’s atmosphere - and where we all live. There have been two notable
historical periods with decades-long episodes of low solar activity. The
first period is known as the “Maunder Minimum”, named after the solar
astronomer Edward Maunder, and it lasted from around 1645 to 1715. The
second one is referred to as the “Dalton Minimum”, named for the English
meteorologist John Dalton, and it lasted from about 1790 to 1830. Both
of these historical periods coincided with below-normal global
temperatures in an era now referred to by many as the “Little Ice Age”.
In addition, research studies in just the past couple of decades have
found a complicated relationship between solar activity, cosmic rays,
and clouds on Earth. This research suggests that in times of low solar
activity where solar winds are typically weak; more cosmic rays reach
the Earth’s atmosphere which, in turn, has been found to lead to an
increase in certain types of clouds that can act to cool the Earth.
It
is common sense to believe that the sun has more influence on global
temperatures than a trace gas. With a 17 year “pause” in the predicted
outcomes of an increase in atmospheric CO2, warmists face more and more
awkward questions. If temperatures actually decline as a result of an
expected decrease in solar activity, at some point the game will be up,
and the billions of dollars a year squandered on climate modeling that
doesn’t predict what happens will have to dry up.
Kate Matrosova, 32, apparently died of exposure to the extreme temperatures, officials said. Kate Matrosova/Facebook
February 18, 2015 - NEW HAMPSHIRE, UNITED STATES - A New
York City adventure junkie who worked as a financial analyst was found
dead Monday after she hiked alone into treacherous conditions high atop
New Hampshire’s rugged backcountry.
The body of Kate Matrosova was
located Monday afternoon — 24 hours after she activated an emergency
beacon — between Mount Madison and Mount Adams, the state’s Fish and
Game Department said.
Facing blistering winds exceeding 100 mph
and temperatures about 30 degrees below zero, Matrosova died of exposure
in the extreme temperatures, authorities said.
“Unfortunately, a
lot of the coordinates that we received over the night were all over the
place within a mile circumference,” Fish and Game Lt.Jim Goss told WMUR.
Matrosova, a 32-year-old from Omsk, Russia, worked as a credit trader at BNP Paribas, according to LinkedIn.
Matrosova activated an emergency beacon between Mount Madison and Mount Adams, according to the Fish and Game Department.
Matrosova’s
Facebook page shows a life lived in pursuit of the extreme: Paintball,
white-water rafting, boating, rock climbing and mountaineering.
Husband
Charlie Farhoodi, a vice president at J.P. Morgan, reportedly dropped
off Matrosova early Sunday morning at the base of the mountains.
She
was alone and planned to hike to the top of Mount Madison, WMUR said,
before heading through Mount Adams, Mount Jefferson and Mount
Washington, which at about 6,300 feet is the highest peak in the
Northeast.
“I guess if you are gonna hike in this type of weather
you need to be in a more sheltered area, not up on an open exposed
ridgeline,” Goss said. “There’s just no room for error in a place like
that.”
Search and rescue crews couldn’t reach the area overnight
because of extreme weather. A National Guard crew flew over the area
with a helicopter on Monday morning but couldn’t see anything because of
blowing snow and had to turn back.
A
team made up of Fish and Game officers, Mountain Rescue Services
members and Androscoggin Valley Search and Rescue members braved 108 mph
winds and frigid temperatures to reach the area. - NY Daily News.
February 18, 2015 - CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES - A large explosion was reported Wednesday morning at an ExxonMobil oil refinery in the southern California city of Torrance.
Law
enforcement officials in Torrance, southwest of Los Angeles, described
the incident to the LA Times as a “second-alarm fire explosion” that
occurred at around 8:50 a.m. local time early Wednesday, according to
the refinery’s own account.
A local NBC News affiliate said there
have been reports of two individuals suffering from minor injuries as of
10:30 a.m. PST. Some area schools have ordered people to “shelter in
place” as the cause of the explosion is investigated, according to local
media reports.
WATCH: Burn off after the refinery explosion in Torrance.
"Emergency procedures have been activated to
address the incident, and employees are working with the appropriate
agencies," a public affairs official with ExxonMobil said in a statement
given to NBC News on Wednesday morning. "Our main concern is for the
safety of our employees and our neighbors. We are accounting for all
personnel and still evaluating the cause of the incident, or the
occurrence or amount on any damages."
Torrance Refinery (Photo from exxonmobil.com)
According to local news
network KTLA, the ExxonMobil refinery encompasses roughly 750 acres in
Torrance, CA and processes upwards of 155,000 barrels of crude oil each
day.
Details are still developing, but the Torrance Police
Department told reporters at the LA Times that there is no evidence of
any air quality issues. Witnesses claim the explosion caused the ground
to shake similar to the effects of an earthquake, however, and said they
saw ash falling from the sky, according to the paper.
WATCH: ExxonMobil Refinery Blast, Explosion and Fire in Torrance.
"I thought
it was an earthquake, like someone hit the back of my car," resident
Drew Magtoto told NBC News after the initial explosion. "There's still
smoke coming out, but it wasn't as bad as earlier."
Another resident, according to the network, said he could feel the explosion from around seven miles away. - RT.
A light plane had a "heavy landing" at Archerfield Airport on Wednesday, February 18. Photo: Penny Dahl, Australian Traffic Network.
February 18, 2015 - QUEENSLAND, AUSTRALIA - A pilot walked away from a rough landing at Archerfield Airport that left a light plane on its side on Wednesday morning.
Archerfield Airport Corporation spokeswoman Kerry Reeves said the pilot of the plane, a Cessna 162, was not injured.
"The main runway of the airport is open to aircraft," she said.
"AAC has notified appropriate authorities and they will investigate the incident, which occurred before the control tower began operating at 7am.
"The aircraft left the runway and clipped a fence, and is extensively damaged."
It is understood a student pilot was at the plane's controls when it landed about 6am.
A Queensland Ambulance Service spokeswoman said paramedics were not called to attend the incident. - SMH.
February 18, 2015 - CHICAGO, UNITED STATES -
The brutal cold is back. An arctic front brings high temperatures in the
single digits and wind chills below zero to the Chicago area on
Wednesday.
The average high for February 18 is 36 degrees. Today,
the thermometer will only reach 9 or 10 degrees, ABC7 Meteorologist
Tracy Butler said. Wind gusts will be between 10 and 20 mph and there
could be snow flurries.
Health experts advise people to dress in
layers and avoid being outside for too long. Frost bite can set in and
lead to hypothermia within minutes during extreme cold.
"It's bone-chilling. But as long as you're not out too long, it's not too bad," Kory Zasadzinski said.
Mary Solomon walks the Adams Street Bridge from Union Station to her office every workday.
"It's terrible," she said.
WATCH: Record-breaking cold expected in Chicago.
James Futrell lives in the Loop and normally rides his bike to work.
"It's definitely cold. I feel bad for people who have to stay out here for sure," Futrell said.
Chicago commuters are advised to dress in layers whether they're driving or taking public transportation.
"My
main concern is sometimes the Amtrak freezes up. I come all the way
down here and then have to go back home. So as long as everything's
running, I'm OK," said Stan Lee, who takes the train to work.
The
Illinois Tollway activated 24-hour road patrols Tuesday. Patrol teams
will scour roadways for stranded drivers. If a motorist runs out of gas,
gets a flat or needs any other kind of help, they should call *999. RECORD-BREAKING COLD EXPECTED THURSDAY
Record-breaking
cold could be on the way Thursday, Butler said. Low temperatures for
tomorrow are expected to be -8 or -9, which would oust the current
record-low of -7 set in 1936. Tomorrow's high temperature will hover
around 2 degrees.
The National Weather Service said a Wind Chill
Advisory will be in effect from 6 p.m. Wednesday to noon on Thursday for
the entire Chicago area. Wind chill values are expected to be between
-15 and -30 degrees.
ICE BOULDERS ALONG LAKE MICHIGAN
The cold weather caused a big, icy mess along Chicago's lakefront.
Chicago
Park District officials closed the Lakefront Trail from Oak Street to
North Avenue, a 3-mile stretch, because of large ice boulders covering
it.
That portion of the path will stay closed until crews are able to clear the trail. - ABC7News.
February 18, 2015 - CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES
- A water main break sent 100,000 gallons of water flooding into the
Hollywood Hills neighborhood of Los Angeles early Wednesday morning,
engulfing cars and destroying property.
Marty Adams, water systems
manager for the LA Department of Water & Power, described the break
as “unfortunate but not a disaster.”
Still from vine video/Sarah Parvini
Still from vine video/Sarah Parvini
Still from vine video/Sarah Parvini
He told the LA Times the cast-iron
pipe that broke was installed in 1926, and had not leaked for the past
10 years.
DWP
officials said last year that water main leaks and breaks occurred on
average three times a day across Los Angeles. Hollywood Hills has had 48
pipe leaks between January 2010 and December 2014.
WATCH: Vine video/Sarah Parvini.
Damage
has been localized, but it could take up to 15 hours to stop the leak,
said Adams. “This is an indication of what’s going on in an aging city.”
- RT.
February 18, 2015 - 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.
Fish with 2 mouths caught in Australian lake
The South Australian fisherman uncovered the double mouthed bream on Monday
A string of rare and freakish fish have been emerging from Australian seas of late.
In the wake of the discovery of Goblin shark in New South Wales and
prehistoric frill shark in Victoria, another rare and unusual fish has
been uncovered in South Australia.
On Monday afternoon, a Riverland fisherman was taken aback when he netted a bony bream with two mouths.
Garry Warrick, of Barmera in South Australia, told Daily Mail Australia that after 30 years of fishing in the area he had never come across a double mouthed bream.
'It was very unusual. I have been fishing here for 30 years, and I have
come across a few deformed fish, but never anything quite like this.'
'The two mouths are actually joined together. The top one opens and
closes while the bottom one stays closed. It's amazing it was alive.'
He said he once caught a fish that had a dolphin shaped head.
Warrick usually stores packs packs the deformed fish away for
fertiliser, but this time he put it in the freezer and took some images
which his wife uploaded online. - Daily Mail.
12 dolphins trapped in Maldives lagoon die, 22 others freed
The pod of dolphins trapped in Nadella island's lagoon.
22
out of the pod of dolphins trapped inside Nadella Island's lagoon have
been freed and released into the ocean but 12 had died, the island's
council said on Saturday.
Faisal Najeeb, the island council's
chair said that 38 dolphins had accidentally wandered in to the island's
- located in Gaafu Dhaalu atoll - lagoon. He added that there were
about four dolphins left to free.
"We caught the dolphins on a net and released them into the ocean" Najeeb said "12 of them died in this process".
"Catching them with nets was the only option we had" he continued.
Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF) officers and islanders noticed
the trapped dolphins and began work to free them on Thursday.
Faisal said that two dolphins were saved on the first day, 16 on Friday, and two have been freed thus far on Saturday.
"The remaining four dolphins will be freed today" Najeeb added.
He also said that the dolphins were each about 8 feet in length.
The Environment Protection Agency (EPA) had said that this is first case where so many dolphins were found trapped.
Say What?! Weird animal behaviour: Residents claim hippo killed and 'ate' 3 goats in Kenya
Hippo charging
Residents
have called on the Kenya Wildlife Service to remove a hippo that has
been terrorizing them. They said it killed and ate three goats on Sunday
(Hippos are herbivourous and can not eat meat). Francis Ndwiga, who
works at a firm in Gachuriri village, said the hippo ate the goats and dragged one to River Thiba. He said he woke up when he heard the goats bleating. Assistant chief David Njagi said residents are living in fear. - All Africa.
Chemical contaminants suspect in mystery of Alaska chickadee and other bird beak deformities
When black-capped chickadees and some other birds in the Anchorage area began turning up in the late 1990s with elongated, weirdly curved or twisted beaks, biologists and bird lovers began to worry.
The deformities range from slight to gross and can have severe
consequences for the birds if they are unable to use their beaks to pick
up food or groom feathers so their bodies retain heat.
"People, a lot of times when they first see them, think the bird is
carrying a twig in its beak," said Colleen Handel, a U.S. Geological
Survey biologist who has devoted several years to studying the problem.
The tiny black-capped chickadees are the most afflicted, with 7 percent of Alaska adults developing deformed beaks. The deformities are also showing up in other birds, including ravens and crows,though not as frequently, Handel said.
Now
the beak-deformity outbreak has spread north to Fairbanks, south to the
Puget Sound region and -- for an unknown reason -- across the globe to
Great Britain, where it is showing up among starlings, tits and other
species,Handel said.
"It looks like it might be a global problem and not strictly located in Alaska," she said.
Scientists still do not know the cause. But new research by Handel and Caroline Van Hemert, another USGS biologist, suggests
that environmental contaminants -- specifically, organochloride
compounds -- might be linked to the deformities. It's a broad category
of contaminants that includes pesticides like DDT and related chemical
formulas, PCBs, chemical compounds used in fire retardants and numerous
substancesthat are no longer used or targeted for phase-out under the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants.
Handel and Van Hemert analyzed data collected over several years. They
and fellow scientists took blood samples from the chickadees in
Anchorage. They tested unhatched eggs left behind in nest boxes after
the parents and newborn chicks had departed. They tested tissues of
several euthanized birds.
They found that several organochloride compounds were "ubiquitous in chickadee tissues at all life stages," in the words of their study, but that levels were very low.
Two specific contaminants -- heptachlor epoxide and PCB-123 -- were
significantly associated with the birds that had beak deformities, but
they have not been known in the past to be linked to such deformities.
Aside from those results, nothing obvious about contaminant levels
jumped out, but there was one key difference between deformed-beak birds
and normal birds: The
birds with deformed beaks had higher incidences of chromosomal damage
of a type associated with toxic substances introduced into the
environment.
But if contaminants are the
problem, what is their source? Even though Southcentral Alaska is the
most densely populated and developed region, it is still not heavily
industrialized, Handel notes.
"There's no smoking gun in this study, which is frustrating," she said.
Possible contaminant sources might be old wastes from the area's
military bases and training sites, pesticides used to combat the
region's spruce-bark beetle infestation or compounds to quell wildfires,
her study said. Also possibly involved is far-away pollution that is
transported in global atmospheric currents to the cold north, Handel
said.
Some possible causes of the beak deformities appear to be ruled out, or on the verge of being ruled out.
The
problem is not something encountered in southern wintering grounds
because black-capped chickadees and the other affected birds are
year-round residents. "So whatever is happening to these guys is
happening in Alaska," Handel said.
It is not
something in the sunflower seeds that are shipped up from the Lower 48
and placed by local bird lovers in outdoor feeders. The new study
considered the possibility that commercial birdseed holds dangerous
levels of contaminants, but tested samples did not back up that theory.
It is not selenium from agricultural drainage, which was identified as
the cause of beak deformities suffered by birds in the 1980s in
California's San Joaquin Valley.
It is not the collection of
contaminants that birds ingested in the Great Lakes region in the 1970s
and 1980s, when beak deformities were among a suite of physical
impairments showing up in the region's birds. Those problems were blamed
on various types of industrial pollution, including PCBs and
hydrocarbon contaminants. Birds with deformed beaks included terns, herons and cormorants --
birds that acquired environmental contaminants from the fish they ate
and then passed on those contaminants to the eggs they laid.
In
the California and Great Lakes cases, chicks with deformed beaks were
emerging from their eggs. That is not the case in Alaska, where the only
birds with the deformed beaks are adults, Handel said.
"It seems to be something that's happening to them as adults, and not when they're in the egg," she said.
The search for a cause of the beak deformities continues. There is
likely to be a more precise examination of the possible role of
contaminants, and even viruses are being studied as a possible cause,
Handel said.
After
a gap of almost 66 years, Bean Goose was spotted at Sariska wildlife
sanctuary between February 1 to 11. Last time this rare bird was seen in
Bikaner in the year 1948.
Bean geese are found in the arctic
tundra region but migrate from there during winters. Out of three, two
species, bar-headed goose and grey leg goose have visited Sariska in the
past. They have been often spotted at Mansarovar lake and Kankwadi
lake. But Bean Goose has come after long time and now Sarsika holds the
record of hosting all three species.
"There was only one Bean
Goose that came and was spotted from February 1 to 11. It was seen along
with the grey leg goose," said RS Shekhawat, field director, Sariska.
He added, "Sariska has become the first place in the country where all
three of them have visited".
After 1948, Bean Goose was never spotted in Rajasthan.
According to experts, geese are spotted very rarely. Earlier they were
seen at Hari Barage in Punjab in 2003, Saikhowa National Park in
Dibhugarh, Assam in 2007 and at Jim Corbett in 2011.
Two children attacked by family dog in Glendale, Arizona
Two people, a teenager and a child under 10, were bitten Tuesday by a family dog in Glendale
Glendale Police are investigating a dog bite that sent two children to the hospital.
According to Glendale Police they got a call of a dog bite from the
family dog around 1:22 p.m. Monday. Officer Breeden with the Glendale
Police Department described the dog as a pit bull.
It all happened near 67th Avenue and Mountain View Road.
8-year-old Xavier was passing by the home and heard the screaming, he ran over to the home and called 911.
"I heard somebody yelling animal and hurt," said Xavier.
The dog bit an 8-year-old boy on the arm and leg and a 13-year-old girl was bitten in her lower extremities.
Paramedics rushed both of the children to area hospitals in serious but
non life-threatening condition. The 8-year-old was flown to Phoenix
Children's Hospital.
Neighbors that live nearby say they know of the dog.
WATCH: Two children bit in family dog attack.
"My
son and his daughter and I were walking their dog, and the dog
literally came out of the house and attacked the dog and my son. And
after that we're kind of leery about the dog because he's so out of
control, you don't know what he is going to do," said a neighbor.
They now call Xavier a hero for calling 911.
"I told them something is going on at this house, and because everybody
is yelling animal and somebody is hurt, and I want police and at least
animal control here," he said.
Maricopa County Rabies and
Animal Control are responding to the scene and plan to euthanize the pit
bull immediately at the request of the family. - Fox10Phoenix.
A
sperm whale that had been stranded near a coastal village in the town
of Calauag, Quezon province, died yesterday, an environment official of
the province said.
Manny Calayag, community coordinator of the
Quezon-Environment and Natural Resources Office, said the sperm whale,
one of the world's largest animals, died around 7:30 a.m. in the shallow
portion of the waters off Lamon Bay near the coast of Bangkorohan
village.
The whale was found by fishermen a kilometer away from
the shore on Tuesday, said Senior Insp. Noel Divino, Calauag police
chief.
He said the whale, measuring 40 feet long and 10 feet tall, was found with a wound on the right part of the belly.
"The whale is almost as long as a bus," Divino said in a phone interview.
Local policemen secured the whale until authorities from the municipal veterinary office arrived.
Calayag said experts from the provincial veterinary office and the
Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) traveled to Calauag at
dawn yesterday to help in the rescue operation.
The whale, unfortunately, was already dead when the group reached Calauag yesterday morning.
Calayag said he recommended a necropsy of the whale to determine the
cause of death. The whale's gender has yet to be determined.
According to the website of the Oceanic Research Group, sperm whales are
the largest toothed whales in the world and perhaps the most abundant
of great whales. - Philippine Daily Inquirer.
Spike in sick and dying bats 'sparks concern' in Broome, Australia
Photo: Broome wildlife carer Jan Martin puts sick and dead
bats in her freezer for a post-mortem. (ABC News: Erin Parke )
A spike in cases of a deadly bat virus in some parts of Australia's north has sparked concern, with dying animals being found in the streets close to schools and childcare centres.
Australian bat lyssavirus is similar to rabies, causing a rapid death if passed from an animal to a human.
In recent months, it has been detected in 11 bats in the West Australian town of Broome in the Kimberley region.
Prior to that, there had been only two cases identified in Western Australia in a decade.
There has also been an increase in sick bats being found in Queensland.
Senior Public Health Nurse Ashley Eastwood is based in Broome and has been monitoring the numbers.
"In 2014, we became aware that something was happening in the bat colony with these cases popping up," he said.
"We don't know exactly what's caused it.
"There are investigations going on through the Department of Parks and Wildlife, and the Department of Agriculture, wondering what's actually going on in the colony.
"There's been speculation perhaps lots of fires around last year, there's a particularly hot season, and that could be disturbing that colony."
Human infections occurred in Australia in 1996, 1998, and 2013 and proved fatal in all three cases.
Mr Eastwood said the concern in Broome was that the dying bats had been located right in the middle of 'Old Broome', on thoroughfares used by children to get to school each day.
He said the Health Department was running an education campaign targeting local schools.
"We have 'children and bats' posters and flyers in schools, just providing children with some education around bats," he said
"It's saying to children that if you find an injured or orphaned flying bat or dead bat, not to handle it, but to let an adult know who will notify parks and wildlife, or a wildlife carer."
People are being urged not to touch a bat they find sick or injured on the ground and try to avoid being swooped.
If someone is scratched or bitten, they are advised to wash the wound thoroughly for at least five minutes with warm soapy water, and seek medical attention immediately. Freezing bats for science
Wildlife carer Jan Martin is the on the frontline of virus detection in the Kimberley.
Every time she is given a sick or dying bat, she freezes it in her backyard in Broome, to ensure it can be tested.
"I'll pass it on to the Department of Agriculture so they can organise a proper post-mortem," she said.
"They usually dissect the brain to see if the animal's got the virus or not."
Ms Martin said she was worried about the number of sick animals being found.
"We used to get the odd one now and then, but this year's been absolutely horrific, the number turning up sick," she said.
"It's just been strange - Australia-wide they're just gob-smacked about it, because it's never heard of, having so many at the same time." - ABC Australia.
Hundreds of fish 'suddenly die' in Georges River, 'reason unknown' in NSW, Australia
A
fisherman called the Environmental Protection Authority after noticing
the river surface was clogged with dead fish, leading to a snap
investigation of the site.
There have been suggestions a chemical spill caused the fish deaths but authorities are still unsure as to what happened.
An EPA spokeswoman said early tests of the water found the pH, conductivity and oxygen levels were normal.
Liverpool Council was notified and, due to the enormity of the task, emergency services were called in to help clean up.
St Andrews Fire Station duty commander Rob Jansen said four boats were required to set up boom nets and collect the dead fish over the weekend.
Carp, bass, mullet, yellow bellies and eels were all found floating in the river.
Hundreds of dead fish were found floating in the Georges River on Saturday.
Boom nets were set in place to contain the dead fish.
The dead fish clogged the Georges River on the weekend.
Firefighters and SES volunteers were brought in for assistance.
“We have absolutely no idea what caused it, it depends on the findings of the EPA,” Mr Jansen said.
“The full set of test results are due back to the EPA in the next couple of days and this should give us an idea of the type of pollution present, whether there is pesticide or metals impacting fish, for example,” the EPA spokeswoman said.
The latest incident follows Sydney Water Corporation agreeing to pay $100,000 to Liverpool Council after a pollution incident at the Glenfield Water Recycling Plant in Macquarie Fields in November 2013.In that incident, the equivalent of 153 Olympic swimming pools of sewage wastewater was discharged into Bunbury Curran Creek, which flows into the Georges River. - Daily Telegraph.
The report noted: "The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) confirmed that
dozens of dead mullet fish were seen floating in Manila Bay near the
breakwater."
WATCH: Fish kill in Manila Bay.
BFAR found out that the dissolved oxygen levels
from three sampling stations were at 1.2. That is, as the report
indicated, "way below the normal oxygen level of 5 or more" to be able
to sustain marine life.
The PCG likewise added, "Apparently,
the water quality in the Manila Yacht Club breakwater is polluted due to
stagnation, hence the cause of the fish kill."
The PCG also pointed out that "there had been no chemical or oil spills that could cause the fish kill." - Manila Coconuts.
Hundreds of dead fish found in a dam in Castelo Branco, Portugal
Hundreds of dead fish were found in the dam Taleigueira, near the south exit of Castelo Branco, said source of local GNR.
The
same source said the GNR is to ascertain the cause of fish death in
that reservoir which is near the industrial area of Castelo Branco.
"A patrol Protection Agency of Nature and Environment (SEPNA) Castelo Branco went to the site and confirmed the situation [fish kills]. Water samples were collected and some fish, which followed for analysis," said the captain Miguel Silva .
The White Castle GNR also produced an official report that went to the prosecutor.
"We have a survey of the dam and tributaries that converge there and it's all being evaluated," said Miguel Silva. According to this official, this time "is premature and unwise to proceed with any causes" for the death of fish in that reservoir. - JN.
Major fish kill found in a creek in Haute-Saone, France
According
to the first elements of the investigation by the police of Jussey, the
fish kill may have been caused by the accidental release of ammonia
nitrogen in the Rigotte up on a farm in the town of La Rochelle. This
Monday, February 16, the water police (ONEMA) was on hand in the
morning: the mayors of surrounding municipalities and the ARS (Regional
Health Agency) have been prevented. Samples are being analyzed at a laboratory in Vesoul. Haute-Saône Fishing Federation complained on Sunday late afternoon. - France-Comte. [Translated]
February 18, 2015 - TURKEY
- Barely a week after the last snowstorm pounded Turkey, another is
bringing snow across much of the country as a trough of low pressure
digs southward.
Moisture being pulled to the north from the
Mediterranean Sea will combine with cold air from Russia to produce a
widespread and long-lived snowstorm.
While western Turkey was
hit hard by the previous storm, the worst of this snowstorm is expected
to occur across central and east-central Turkey.
The higher
terrain of northwestern Turkey can still get a significant snowfall,
while Istanbul experiences rounds of snow squalls.
Additional
accumulating snowfall is expected in Istanbul Tuesday night through
Thursday. Rain will mix with the snow at times, especially during the
afternoon hours and when light precipitation falls, but snow will be the
primary problem.
Snow totals will vary greatly across the
Istanbul area; however, the hardest hit areas could get total snowfall
of 15-25 cm (6-10 inches) through Thursday. The period of heaviest
snowfall is expected on Wednesday when low visibility and snow-covered
roadways are expected.
Snow
began on Monday across many areas in central and eastern Turkey, but
the heaviest snow will fall into Wednesday in areas such as Erzincan and
Erzurum. Occasional snow may even continue to fall into Thursday in
some places.
Snow accumulations of 13-25 cm (5-10 inches) are
expected to be widespread in central Turkey with local amounts in excess
of 30 cm (12 inches). In the highest terrain, total accumulations could
near 60 cm (24 inches), which is great news for the many ski resorts
scattered across the region, but bad news for travelers.
Due to the long duration of the snow that is expected in central Turkey, residents that live in smaller towns and villages could be isolated for several days
until the snow ends and roads and cleared. Even travel in larger cities
will be difficult with schools and some businesses likely to close.
This storm system will have long-lasting and far-reaching effects on
the region through the week. While snow falls in Turkey, rounds of
showers will move into areas from Syria to Israel during the course of
the week. As cold air sinks to the south, snow is expected to fall in
the mountains from western Syria to northern Israel Thursday into
Friday.
It may not be until the weekend that the region has significantly drier conditions.
February 18, 2015 - EARTH - The following list constitutes the latest reports of high tides, heavy rainfall, flash floods, widespread flooding, sea level rise and catastrophic storms.
Over 320 mm of Rain in 12 Hours – 6 Killed in Floods in Córdoba, Argentina
Streets were turned into raging torrents after a particularly severe rainstorm
Local media in Argentina are reporting that heavy rain has caused deadly flooding in the province of Córdoba, central Argentina.
La Nacion say overflowing rivers caused flooding that has left 6 people dead, 4 missing and forced 400 to evacuate.
La Nacion say that as much as 320 mm of rain fell in just 12 hours in some areas. WMO report that 79 mm of rain fell at Cordoba Airport in 24 hours from 14 to 15 February 2015.
Flooding in Cordoba
The severe weather has affected several part of the province, including the city of Córdoba, where authorities have declared an “alert and climate emergency” for 72 hours. Power has been cut off to prevent electrocution.
Evacuations have been carried out in Córdoba City, Punilla and Sierras Chicas.
According to Buenos Aires Herald, other affected areas include Ascochinga, Jesús MarÃa, Juárez Celman, RÃo Ceballos, Unquillo and Mendiolaza.
WATCH: Inundación (Flood) en Villa Allende, Cordoba, Argentina.
1 Missing in Floods in Corsica, France, after 190 mm of Rain in 24 Hours
ECHO report that heavy rainfall affected north-eastern Corsica, France, on 16 February, with more than 190mm of rain falling in Campile and Ghisoni, Haute-Corse, in a 24 hour period.
Corse Matin report 89 mm in Pietralba, 84.7 mm in Oletta, and 70.4 mm Lugo-di-Nazza.
Media and French Civil Protection reported one person missing in Biguglia after she was swept away in her vehicle by raging flood waters of an overflowing river on Monday 16 February 2015..
Firefighters and divers were all searching for the woman. Search and rescue teams have also used a helicopter to help find the missing woman.
Searches were called off on Monday after more bad weather, but resumed again Tuesday 17 February 2015.
February 18, 2015 - NEW BRUNSWICK, CANADA-
One New Brunswick man made it his mission to prove the East Coast has
it worst than the rest of the country by uploading a YouTube video
documenting just how much snow they've received.
It worked. You win, East Coast. We concede.
Kevin McGrath, a resident of Dieppe, probably wasn't expecting his home
video showing off the amount of snow congregating around his house to
hit almost 84,000 views on YouTube in two days but that's precisely what
happened.
WATCH: Stormageddon 2015 in New Brunswick.
In the video, McGrath starts off by showing the "9-foot" snow bank that has built up in front of his door. He tries to dig his way out of it, but after about 30 seconds admits defeat and moves to another potential exit point.
In the garage, the situation is a little less dire, but not by much.
McGrath is able to see the top half of his car and figures he and his
wife can jump and squeeze their way out of the house.
With a perfect amount of dad jokes and cussing thrown in for a soundtrack, the video is a terrifying hoot. - Toronto Sun.
The meteor was seen at 4:45 a.m. from parts of Pennsylvania, Ohio and New York, according to a NASA blog.
The bright fireball was seen on NASA cameras and posted to YouTube by
the meteor society. The video below comes from the Allegheny Observatory
near Pittsburgh, the NASA blog says.
