RATTLE & HUM: "It Was The Loudest Explosion I've Ever Heard" - Big Early Morning Boom Shakes Arcata, California?!

Arcata, California. © Wikipedia/Marina

December 2, 2015 - CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES - Your Lost Coast Outpost woke up to reports of an ungodly loud explosion that rocked residents of the Windsong/Greenview/Coastal Grove neighborhood of Arcata this morning at about 3:40 a.m.

Another reader writes:

Hey LoCo, there was a ground shaking boom over here in Arcata, Windsong Village area. Any ideas what it was? Just happened maybe 20 minutes ago, setting off car alarms, people coming out on porches, etc. Any info?

And still another:

We just had a HUGE boom in the bottoms of arcata. Villa way and Haeger intersection. Set off car alarms everywhere. It was the loudest explosion I've ever heard.

Even an Arcata police officer patrolling near the intersection of Sunset and H heard it, as evidenced by this clip of police radio communication at 3:45 a.m., the first mention of the boom on our scanner tape.

For at least the next 15 minutes or so, officers patrolled the area and spoke with some people who were shaken from sleep. Most of the activity seemed to be centered on the Iverson/Blakeslee/Zehndner corridor near Coastal Grove Charter School. One person told the police that he believed it to be a gas explosion of some sort, as his or her heaters started acting funny right after the boom. Another person reported seeing smoke a few blocks away, at the corner of 11th and Villa.

If police cracked the case, it is not immediately apparent from the record of their communications. We'll try to get hold of someone later today. But the fire department and/or ambulance services seem never to have been notified, so we can probably cross "hash-lab explosion" off the list.

Approximate location of the boom in the map below. Did you hear it? What was your experience? - Lost Coast Outpost.

 

MASS SHOOTINGS: Deadly Shooting At San Bernardino Social Services In California - At Least 20 People Killed; Upto 3 Heavily Armed Suspects On The Loose!

© Max Whittaker / Reuters

December 2, 2015 - CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES - Police in San Bernardino, California are responding to reports of an active shooter in an office building. There are 20 victims, according to the fire department. The location is around the corner from a Planned Parenthood. The San Bernardino Sheriff’s Office is urging the public to avoid the area of Orange Show Road, South Waterman Avenue and Park Center Circle.

Police are looking for up to three shooters. SWAT teams have been deployed to the scene.

They may also be wearing body armor, Sergeant Vicki Cervantes, a spokeswoman for the San Bernardino Police Department, told reporters.

“It’s a very active scene,” Cervantes said. “It’s very fluid.”

Live feed from the location shows many injured people being helped by emergency services.

Along with San Bernardino police officers, the California Highway Patrol, FBI and agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms are on the scene.

People are leaving the building where the suspected shooter or shooters are located.

Witnesses told police that the shooters were wearing ski masks, KABC reported.People who have evacuated the building will transported away from the scene in school buses, police said on the scanner.

Firefighters are now setting up a triage center to assist the victims shot in the mass casualty incident, KNBC reported.

Scenes from the incident:

SanBernardinoPD SWAT on scene
Twitter: Doug Saunders

SanBernardinoPD and other Law Enforcement agencies are evacuating people from the Inland Regional Center
Twitter: Doug Saunders

One of several tactical units on scene--this one proved armor shield for approaching officers
Twitter: Brian Taff

#ActiveShooter scene in #SanBernardino outside of @InlandRegional
Twitter: Micah Escamilla

Shooting in San Bernardino
Twitter: NBC News

Police have found multiple “devices” in the building, according to scanner traffic.

Injured victims are being brought to Loma Linda University Medical Center. The emergency room there is in disaster mode and expecting an influx of patients, the hospital told KABC.

Arrowhead Regional Medical Center is also expecting to receive patients, KCBS reported.

Law enforcement agents are working to evacuate people from the Inland Regional Center, Doug Saunders tweeted.

There are 12 fatalities so far, sources told KABC.

Relatives of the people who are in the area have been arriving to the scene.


WATCH: Aerial - Shooting standoff in California, multiple victims.

“Someone had come in and started shooting, and they ran into the office and she’s hiding with some other people. Our daughter is in there and she’s hiding.She sent texts, " said one of the witnesses to CNN.
“She said, ‘shooting at my work, people shot, in the office waiting for cops. Pray for us. I am locked in an office.’”

20 ambulances have left shooting scene so far, with local hospitals expecting unknown number of patients.

Injured victims are being brought to Loma Linda University Medical Center. The emergency room there is in disaster mode and expecting an influx of patients, the hospital told KABC.

Loma Linda has received four adult patients and is expecting three more, the hospital confirmed to KNBC.

The San Bernardino PD’s SWAT team was training nearby when the call came in of multiple shots fired just before 11 a.m. local time, Lieutenant Richard Lawhead told KTLA. They were already suited up and “ready to roll,” allowing for a rapid response time.

“Alarms went off in the building and they were told to shelter in place. Eventually they came over the PA system and told them that they were supposed to evacuate and go to a different area, and come out with nothing in their hands, with their hands up. Now they’re being loaded up into buses to be taken somewhere else, it appears to be interviews,” the father of a worker who was in the building told KABC.

“I heard 25 to 30 automatic rounds, then there were three people coming into our building looking for shelter,” a teacher at a school for the blind at the Inland Regional Center told MSNBC. “Everyone here is safe at the school for the blind.”

Inland Regional Center is a nonprofit organization that works with individuals with developmental disabilities. It has nearly 670 staff members who provide services to more than 30,200 people with disabilities and their families in San Bernardino and Riverside Counties, its Facebook page said.

Planned Parenthood in San Bernardino, located near the site, was not targeted in the attack, its officials have confirmed to CNBC and the Huffington Post.

Last Friday a shooter killed three and injured nine people at Planned Parenthood clinic in Colorado Springs.

“We’re not allowing anyone on the golf course. We got a big helicopter sitting in the middle of the Number 1 fairway,” golf club employee Tom Brown told the Los Angeles Times. “We’re several hundred yards away from the area. We can see fire and SWAT from here, but we’re not allowed to go any farther.”

The Federal Aviation Administration has set up a temporary no-fly zone around the shooting area, and news helicopters have been ordered away as SWAT teams work to clear Inland, which has three buildings in its facility.

The Los Angeles Emergency Operations Center has been activated to Level 1 and is monitoring the situation in San Bernardino, the city of LA’s Emergency Management Department. - RT.

 

PLANETARY TREMORS: "Makes Me Feel Like The World Is Going To Break Apart,... It's Scary,..." - The USGS Says That Over 50 Small Earthquakes Have Rattled The Pacific Northwest In The Last Week! UPDATE: FEMA Is Planning For A Mega-Quake That Would Devastate The Pacific Northwest - Killing At Least 13,000 People!

Portland and other areas of the Pacific Northwest would be unrecognizable if the earthquake hits as hard as predicted. flickr/R0Ng

December 2, 2015 - PACIFIC NORTHWEST - The U.S. Geological Survey says our region has seen more than 50 small earthquakes in just the last seven days, including a magnitude 3.0 quake in Stanwood on Monday morning.

"I did not feel the one today," said Farmer's Café server Kylie Johnson. But, she said just the news of the small quake is still a bit unsettling.

"It's true that there's been more activity than usual this week," said seismologist John Vidale with the Pacific Northwest Seismic Network at the University of Washington.

In fact, Vidale said there's been more recent activity at Glacier Peak since they've been monitoring siesmic activity in that area over for the past fifty years. Recently, there was a 3.1 then a 3.5 an hour later and then aftershocks.

"We're not considering it alarming, we're certainly watching it more carefully in fact we look very carefully at that area and we could find ten little aftershocks," said Vidale.

Many of the earthquakes in the region have no relation to each other and sit on different fault lines. Scientists tell us all this activity really has no effect on the big earthquake that experts say is due anytime.

"So if we were hoping to let up the pressure that magnitude six would release, we'd need a thousand magnitude threes," said Vidale.

Despite the fact that locally it's been a busy week, geologically speaking, it gives geologists no insight into what's next.

"It makes me feel like the world is just going to break apart it's scary. It's a scary thought," said Johnson.

Farmer's Café cutomer Evelyn Harrison isn't terribly alarmed. But, she does plan to go home and prepare her earthquake kit. "I just go along for the ride but, I probably should be more concerned than that," she said.
You can monitor the most recent geological activity on the Pacific Northwest Siesmology Network website.

WATCH: Quake swarm rattles Pacific Northwest.

- KBOI2.

FEMA is planning for an earthquake that would devastate the Pacific Northwest, killing at least 13,000 people

To the north of California's famous San Andreas fault is a less known, but possibly more deadly, fault line. The Cascadia subduction zone runs some 700 miles from northern California to Vancouver.

In a deeply reported article for The New Yorker, Kathryn Schulz tells the tale of how this fault lies dormant for periods of 243 years, on average, before unleashing monstrous tremors. The Pacific Northwest is 72 years overdue for the next quake, which is expected to be between 8.0 and 9.2 in magnitude.

At the upper end of that scale, Schulz notes, we would experience "the worst natural disaster in the history of North America." (The major 2011 earthquake in Japan was a 9.0, killing more than 15,000 people.)

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) already has an emergency response plan for when this earthquake hits. Parts of FEMA's quake expectations are truly terrifying. As Schulz writes:

FEMA projects that nearly thirteen thousand people will die in the Cascadia earthquake and tsunami. Another twenty-seven thousand will be injured, and the agency expects that it will need to provide shelter for a million displaced people, and food and water for another two and a half million.

These projections are based on a scenario that has the earthquake striking at 9:41 a.m. February 6. (The agency isn't trying to predict the future or saying that the earthquake will definitely occur then, they just need a date to plan around.) The toll would be far higher on a warm day, when more people — often huge crowds of people — are at the beach or in the water.

When the quake does occur, its severe effects and the impacts of the following tsunami ("It will look like the whole ocean, elevated, overtaking land") will be felt all the way from Canada to Sacramento, in densely populated cities like Seattle and Portland.

What's more, the Pacific Northwest is not earthquake ready. Buildings aren't retrofitted properly and there aren't many effective emergency warning systems or escape plans in place.
The aftermath will be devastating. Schulz writes:

By the time the shaking has ceased and the tsunami has receded, the region will be unrecognizable. Kenneth Murphy, who directs FEMA's Region X, the division responsible for Oregon, Washington, Idaho, and Alaska, says, "Our operating assumption is that everything west of Interstate 5 will be toast."

- Business Insider.

 

PARADIGM SHIFT: BRICS Rising - China's Space Prowess Could Challenge Decades Of U.S. Dominance!

Long March-3C rocket lifts off from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center. Credit: China Space

December 2, 2015 - SPACE - The U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission (USCC) recently released its 2015 annual report to Congress, and it includes an intriguing look at the China's space and counterspace programs.

The 2015 report, released in November and provided to Inside Outer Space by the USCC, provides information on and analysis of developments in the U.S.-China security dynamic, U.S.-China bilateral trade and economic relations, and China's evolving bilateral relationships with other nations.

In an introduction to Section 2, which includes the analysis on China's space program, the report notes that China "has become one of the top space powers in the world" after decades of high prioritization and steady investment.

"China's aspirations are driven by its assessment that space power enables the country's military modernization and would allow it to challenge U.S. information superiority during a conflict," the report states.

Among other purposes, the report contends, China's space and counterspace programs are designed to support its conduct as part of its antiaccess/area denial strategy to prevent or impede U.S. intervention in a potential conflict.

China's human spaceflight program is moving forward on a multimodule space station in the 2020s. Credit: CMSE

The U.S. Department of Defense defines "antiaccess" actions as those that are intended to slow deployment of an adversary's forces into a theater or cause them to operate at distances farther from the conflict than they would prefer.

"Area denial" actions affect maneuvers within a theater, and are intended to impede an adversary's operations within areas where friendly forces cannot or will not prevent access.

Antisatellite systems

The report is rich in factoids and citations about China's aspirations in space – both for civil and military purposes, including that country's expanding deep-space exploration agenda.

As listed in the report's section focused on space, some of the conclusions are:

• Although China's space capabilities still generally lag behind those of the United States and Russia, its space program is expanding and accelerating rapidly as many other nations' programs proceed with dwindling resources and limited goals.
• China's aspirations in space are driven by its judgment that space power enables the country's military modernization, drives its economic and technologicaladvancements, allows it to challenge U.S. information superiority during a conflict, and provides the Chinese Communist Party with significant domestic legitimacy and international prestige.
• China likely has capitalized on international cooperation to acquire the bulk of the technology and expertise needed for most of its space programs. China probably will continue to pursue close cooperation with international partners to overcome specific technical challenges and to meet its research and development objectives and launch timelines.
• As China's developmental counterspace capabilities become operational, China will be able to hold at risk U.S. national security satellites in every orbital regime.
• China is testing increasingly complex co-orbital proximity capabilities. Although it may not develop or operationally deploy all of these coorbital technologies for counterspace missions, China is setting a strong foundation for future co-orbital antisatellite systems that could include jammers, robotic arms, kinetic kill vehicles, and lasers.
• Civilian projects, such as China's human spaceflight missions, directly support the development of People's Liberation Army (PLA) space, counterspace, and conventional capabilities. Moreover, Chinese civilian and commercial satellites likely contribute to the PLA's command, control, communications, computers, intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (C4ISR) efforts whenever it is technically and logistically feasible for them to be so utilized, and they would probably be directly subordinate to the PLA during a crisis or conflict. Given the PLA's central role in all of China's space activities, U.S. cooperation with China on space issues could mean supporting the PLA's space and counterspace capabilities.
• China's rise as a major space power challenges decades of U.S. dominance in space—an arena in which the United States has substantial military, civilian, and commercial interests.

Note: The full report is available at: 
http://origin.www.uscc.gov/sites/default/files/annual_reports/2015 Annual Report to Congress.PDF

- SPACE.


 

MONUMENTAL SOLAR SYSTEM ANOMALIES: Precursors To The Black Celestial Event - UNEXPECTED "WEATHER" Spotted On The Moon; Solar Wind Is Creating VORTEXES That Billow On The Dark Side Of The Lunar Surface!

The moon was thought to absorb the solar wind on the dayside, which is always exposed to the constant stream of particles thrown out by the sun, but new research suggests
some of the solar wind is reflected back into space by the surface. This is also believed to be causing weathering on the night side too. (Illustration)

December 2, 2015 - MOON - The moon has long been considered an inert place where the lunar dust is only disturbed by the occasional impact from a meteor.

But researchers have discovered that, despite not having its own atmosphere, the moon may experience 'weather' of its own.

They have found the stream of particles thrown out by the sun in solar wind appears to interact with the moon in an unexpected and surprising way.

On Earth these particles interact with the gases in the atmosphere to create colourful aurora while the planet's magnetic field concentrates it around the poles.

The moon, however, lacks both an atmosphere and a global magnetic field, and so was thought to passively absorb the solar wind without any noticeable effects.

Measurements made by India's Chandrayaan-1 lunar orbiter have now revealed this is not the case, and in fact 10 per cent of the solar wind is reflected back into space.

This creates turbulence in the solar wind streaming past the moon causing vortexes that billow onto the dark side of the moon, which should be sheltered from weathering by the solar wind.

The researchers have been able to map the areas of the lunar surface where the solar wind is reflected with areas marked in red being where the solar wind is reflected most
(pictured)

On Earth the solar wind is bent towards the poles where it interacts with the gas in the upper atmosphere to create the spectacular aurora, or Northern Lights (pictured).
The moon has no atmosphere or global magnetic field and so this does not happen there

The researchers said this could have important implications for how much water may exist on the surface.

Charles Lue, a researchers at the Swedish Institute of Space Physics at the Umea University, who conducted the work as part of his PhD, said: 'This knowledge is of great importance to the lunar space environment which is affected both on the lunar dayside and nightside surfaces.

'The effects can even be seen in the form of visible light - like bright swirls imprinted on the surface of the moon.

Charles Lue has found certain regions of the lunar crust reflect the solar wind differently depending on their magnetic field. He holds a model of the moon
(pictured) with the areas of strongest reflection marked in red

'The observations help us map and understand the variations in the lunar space environment.

'They also give us clues about the physical processes involved and the long-term effects they have on the lunar surface.'

Mr Lue, whose work is published in the journal Geophysical Research Letters, found that the reflection of the solar wind interacts with areas of localised magnetic fields on the lunar surface.

In areas with strong magnetism, caused by iron in the crust, the solar wind flow is restricted, while adjacent areas receive increased flow

This results in unusual spirals of ions streaming off the dayside of the moon, where the solar wind strikes first, to the nightside.

Mr Lue said it appears the weathering of the moon's surface by the solar wind may be less than previously predicted and this could mean there may also be less water hidden beneath the crust.

He said: 'The reduced solar wind weathering allows us to separate micro-meteorite and solar wind-induced weathering, including the effects of different solar wind species, differently well shielded.' - Daily Mail.

PLANETARY TREMORS: It's Shaking All Over - 4.6 Magnitude Earthquake Strikes Southern Alaska; Eastern Taiwan Shaken By Two Moderate Earthquakes; Tremor Of 5.0 Magnitude Recorded In Arequipa, Peru; Moderate 4.5 Temblor Strikes Near Nahrin In Afghanistan!

USGS earthquake locations of 2.5 magnitude or higher over the last day.

December 2, 2015 - EARTH - The following constitutes several of the most noteworthy earthquakes to the planet over the last 24 hours, as we continue to monitor the global seismic uptick.

Magnitude 4.6 earthquake strikes southern Alaska

USGS earthquake location.

A magnitude 4.6 earthquake has struck in southern Alaska.

The U.S. Geological Survey says the earthquake hit just after 2 a.m. local time and was centered about 48 miles (79 kilometers) northwest of Valdez and 93 miles (150 kilometers) east-northeast of Anchorage.

The survey says the quake was about 21 miles (35 kilometers) deep.

The National Tsunami Warning Center says a tsunami is not expected. - Daily Journal.

Eastern Taiwan shaken by two moderate earthquakes

© Central Weather Bureau

Two earthquakes measuring 4.7 and 4.5 on the Richter scale, respectively, hit eastern Taiwan Wednesday afternoon, according to the Central Weather Bureau.

The magnitude 4.7 earthquake took place at 1:21 p.m., with the epicenter located at sea about 37.9 kilometers east of Hualien County Hall at a depth of 5 km.

The strongest tremor, which posted an intensity of 4 on Taiwan's 7-tiered intensity scale, was felt in Hualien County's Taroko scenic area, bureau data showed.

The temblor was followed by a smaller one at 1:53 p.m., also centered at sea about 34.5 km east of Hualien County Hall at a depth of 21.9 km.

It measured an intensity of 3 in Heping Township in Hualien. - Focus Taiwan.

Earthquake of 5.0 magnitude recorded in Arequipa, Peru

The quake was registered this morning at 8:39 a.m.  © El Comercio/USI

An earthquake of magnitude 5.0 grades *on the Richter scale struck the region of *Arequipa this morning, according to a report by the Geophysical Institute of Peru (IGP).

The quake was recorded at 8:39 a.m. this morning and surprised locals with a regular intensity, reports El Comercio.

The epicenter was located 29 kilometers southeast of Arequipa, with a depth of 128 kilometers.

According to INDECI, no material damages or personal injury were caused by the earthquake. - Living in Peru.

4.5 magnitude earthquake strikes near Nahrin in Afghanistan

Google earthquake location.

A magnitude 4.5 earthquake has occurred on Wednesday, 19 kilometers (12 miles) from Nahrin in Afghanistan. The 4.5-magnitude earthquake has occurred at 14:32:15 / 2:32 pm (local time epicenter). Exact location, longitude 69.3187° East, latitude 35.9738° North, depth = 41.35 km. A tsunami warning has not been issued. Exact time and date of earthquake 02/12/15 / 2015-12-02 10:02:15 / December 2, 2015 @ 10:02 am UTC/GMT.

Epicenter of the event was 94 km (58 miles) from Kunduz (c. 161 900 pop), 58 km (36 miles) from Baghlān (c. 108 400 pop), 81 km (50 miles) from Khanabad (c. 71 500 pop), 76 km (47 miles) from Bāzārak (c. 65 000 pop), 87 km (54 miles) from Taloqan (c. 64 300 pop), 54 km (34 miles) from Pul-e Khumrī (c. 56 400 pop), 19 km (12 miles) from Nahrīn (c. 22 400 pop). Closest city/cities or villages, with min 5000 pop, to hypocenter/epicentrum was Jabal os Saraj, Kunduz, Taloqan. Close country/countries that might be effected, Afghanistan (c. 29 121 000 pop).

Earthquakes 4.0 to 5.0 are often felt, but only causes minor damage. In the past 24 hours, there have been one, in the last 10 days one, in the past 30 days five and in the last 365 days fifty-two earthquakes of magnitude 3.0 or greater that has occurred nearby. Every year there are an estimated 13,000 light earthquakes in the world. - ENT.

INFRASTRUCTURE COLLAPSE: The Effects Of Magnetic Polar Migration - The Latest Incidents Of Plane Crashes Across The Globe!

A photo from the scene of the plane crash in Denver. (Courtesy of South Metro Fire Rescue)

December 2, 2015 - EARTH - Here are the latest incidents of plane crashes across the planet over the last few days.

Small plane crashes near Centennial Airport, Denver

A small plane with two people on board crashed Monday night east of Centennial Airport, according to a South Metro Fire Rescue Authority Twitter post.

The plane crashed upside-down near the intersection of Grasslands and Upland drives, South Metro said in the 8:41 p.m. Twitter post.

The two people on board were not injured, the fire department said. - Denver Post.

3 people and a dog survive plane crash near Opa-locka airport, Miami, Florida

A small plane crashed after takeoff near Miami Opa-locka Executive Airport on Tuesday morning, landing upside down in a grassy swale next to a canal and some train tracks.

Its four passengers survived with non life-threatening injuries. Three of them were human.

The fourth: Sugar, an 11-year-old golden mixed breed, who was taken from the crash scene on a stretcher and driven to the Broward Animal Hospital by a good Samaritan.

Miami-Dade County Fire Rescue and FAA investigators inspect the aircraft that crashed shortly after takeoff east of Opa-Locka airport on Tuesday December 1, 2015. C.M. GUERRERO CMGuerrero@elNuevoHerald.com

Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/community/miami-dade/miami-gardens/article47315590.html#storylink=cpy

C.M. GUERRERO CMGuerrero@elNuevoHerald.com

“She had some injuries to her paw and a small laceration on her forehead,” Miami-Dade Fire Rescue spokeswoman Erika Benitez said of the surviving canine. Sugar was carried from the crash scene on a stretcher by fire-rescue personnel.

The three others, two men and a woman, aboard the Piper PA32 were taken to Jackson Memorial Hospital. Their identities were not released. Benitez said two of the people were airlifted, the other taken to the hospital by ambulance.

Benitez said at least one of the injured was out of the plane when fire-rescue arrived shortly after the 10:38 a.m. crash. She said none of the injuries appear to be life-threatening.

The plane went down in the 500 block of Burlington Street between a canal and train tracks.

Interim Opa-locka City Manager David Chiverton said the plane crashed inside the small city shortly after takeoff and that none of the injuries appear to be serious. He didn’t know where the single-engine plane was headed. Chiverton said the Federal Aviation Administration will investigate the accident. - Miami Herald.

Plane crashes into the Titicus Reservoir, New York killing two people

Search continues in the Titicus Reservoir in North Salem, N.Y., for debris from the Danbury-bound plane believed
to be carrying the owners of a local restaurant, Wed., Nov. 25, 2015.

A “significant” amount of human remains were recovered Friday from a Westchester County reservoir where a small plane crashed more than a week ago.

The Westchester County Medical Examiner’s Office might identify the victims as early as Monday, according to Adam Bosch, a spokesman for the New York City Department of Environmental Protection.

While authorities have yet to identify the victims, Ridgefield resident Eric Horsa has said he believes his father, Val Horsa, and stepmother, Taew Robinson, owners of a Danbury restaurant, were the two occupants of the plane that went down on Nov. 19 into the Titicus Reservoir.

Investigators from the New York State Police and DEP have been combing the reservoir for more than a week.

Bosch said the majority of the small plane has been recovered, including large portions of the wings, the cockpit and the tail. A control panel and a firewall that sits between the occupants and the engine were found on Wednesday.

Other items recovered from the plane have included clothing, seat cushions and other personal belongings, which washed up on the reservoir’s shore.

He said on Friday the only remaining piece targeted by divers was the plane’s engine.

Eric Horsa said his father and stepmother were owners of Bangkok Restaurant in Danbury and that his father had been flying for 30 years.

The South Salem, N.Y. couple was returning to Danbury Airport from a short trip to Mississippi when the plane disappeared from radar. - Newstimes.

Pilot dies in ultralight plane crash in north Queensland, Australia

A 64-year-old man was killed when his ultralight plane crashed while taking off from an air strip south of Townsville in north Queensland this morning.

The accident happened at Woodstock, about 40 kilometres south-west of Townsville, just before 7:00am.

Peter Gibson from the Civil Aviation Safety Authority said the pilot was trying to turn the aircraft around to land when it crashed and burst into flames.

A burnt-out shell is all that remains of the ultralight, which burst into flames upon impact. ABC News: Isobel Roe

"The aircraft was just taking off, it's had some difficulties and tried to turn back to the airstrip and hasn't made it," he said.

"It crashed into a wooded area quite close to the airstrip at Woodstock."

He said the pilot was the only person on board.

The airstrip is owned by Ace Aviation.

Light aircraft community 'distraught'

Sergeant Robert Nalder from the Townsville police forensic crash unit said the local aviation community was taking it hard.

"Obviously, as you can understand it's a very close-knit community, the light aircraft (community)," he said.

"They're all quite distraught over what's happened here today, so we've given them a little bit of time to compose themselves."

Mr Gibson said police are still at the scene and investigators will travel to the airfield to examine the wreckage and pinpoint the cause of the accident.

"The aircraft, being an ultralight, is registered with Recreational Aviation Australia," Mr Gibson said.

"They'll be conducting an investigation, providing a report to the Civil Aviation Safety Authority.

"We'll be reviewing that report and obviously trying to learn any safety lessons we can, so we can avoid these kinds of tragedies in the future." - ABC Australia.

Small plane crashes in backyard of Lawrenceville home, Georgia

A small plane crashed in a Lawrenceville backyard on Nov. 24, 2015(Photo: 11Alive)

Two people suffered non-life-threatening injuries after a small plane crashed into a Lawrenceville backyard on Tuesday.

The incident happened in the 1600 block Amhearst Mill Drive. According to FAA spokesperson Kathleen Bergen, the pilot was practicing takeoffs and landings in a single propeller plane when the accident occurred.

Gwinnett fire officials said the Piper PA 28 aircraft went down in the backyard of a private residence. Josh Frazier, his wife Crystal and two daughters were inside the home when it happened. He went outside and found a wing of the plane lying on the side of his house.

"My daughter's bedroom is right there," Frazier said. "The wing could have easily landed in her room while she was asleep."

Neighbor Saul Castellon said he was painting his bedroom when the house shook.

"Like a big explosion," he said. "And the ground shook."

Castellon said he was expecting the worst when he went outside, but was surprised to see both the pilot and passenger alive.

"I'm so glad because I was afraid when I walk over there to see dead people," he said. "Thank God they were alive."

Police said the pilot, male in his mid-20s from Duluth, was conscious and alert when paramedics arrived. His passenger, a teenager from Johns Creek, was semi-conscious. Both were transported to Gwinnett Medical Center in Lawrenceville for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries. Hospital officials said the pilot was in good condition Tuesday evening, but would not release the condition of the passenger because he is a minor.

Frazier's wife Crystal is an athletic trainer and trained as a first responder. She assisted the pilot and his passenger. "She believes one of them had a concussion at the time," he said. "They were both conscious, they knew their names and they knew how old they were." - 11Alive.

GLOBAL VOLCANISM: The Latest Report Of Volcanic Eruptions, Activity, Unrest And Awakenings – November 28 - December 2, 2015!

Explosion from Colima volcano on November 25 (Image: Hernando Rivera)

December 1, 2015 - EARTH - The following constitutes the new activity, unrest and ongoing reports of volcanoes across the globe, courtesy of Volcano Discovery.


Colima (Western Mexico): Intermittent explosions of small to moderate, sometimes large size continue to occur at the volcano. Attached image from 25 Nov shows a moderately large event.

WATCH: Volcanic activity at Colima - Timelapse video.

Zhupanovsky (Kamchatka, Russia): After its re-awakening 3 days ago, a strong explosion occurred from the volcano yesterday at 13:50 local time and produced a plume that rose to approx. 30,000 ft (9 km) altitude and drifted SE. It was clearly visible even from the capital Petropavlovsk.

Eruption plume from Zhupanovsky volcano yesterday (Image: Ирина Юркова / Facebook)

Whether it was a phreatic (no magma involved), or phreato-magmatic or even magmatic eruption remains unclear at the moment. The aviation color code of the volcano was raised to orange.



Momotombo (Nicaragua): Momotombo webcam image this morning It seems that the volcano continues to erupt and might have been intensifying its activity with now near-continuous explosions.

Momotombo webcam image this morning

Eruption of Momotombo volcano this morning (from TN8 Nicaragua video)

Bright glow, probably from hot ejecta, but perhaps even a lava flow can be seen be seen from the summit crater on the INETER webcam.



Fuego (Guatemala): Lava flow, only active in its upper part, and explosion early this morning The 12th paroxysmal eruptive phase of the volcano during 2015 has ended over night.

Lava fountaining from Fuego (AntiguaCulturalTV)

Pyroclastic flow (Reuters video)

Lava flow, only active in its upper part, and explosion

During its peak yesterday, lava fountaining from two summit vents fed 5 lava flows on the volcano's western, southern and eastern sides reaching lengths of 1.5-3 km. According to INSIVUMEH, this episode was the largest of the 12 eruptions in 2015 by lava output volume, but remarkably only generated smaller pyroclastic flows headed towards barranca Honda.

During the night, the volcano returned to its normal activity of intermittent strombolian-type explosions. INSIVUMEH reported them to be of small to moderate size, occurring at rates of approx. 3-5 on average per hour, with incandescent ejecta to 100-150 m above the crater and generating glowing avalanches. Ash plumes rose up to approx. 1000 m height. The lava flows were no longer, or only weakly alimented today and are now in the process of retreating and cooling:

WATCH: Volcanic activity at Fuego.

Santiaguito (Guatemala): A phase of elevated activity has started at the volcano since 29 November. The largest event so far occurred this morning at 07:07 local time, when a strong explosion produced an ash plume that rose approx. 2-3 km and (probably) a small pyroclastic flow. Ash fall occurred in nearby villages and towns including San Marcos Palajunoj, and Finca La Florida.

Explosion from Santiaguito (Image: Sismos en Guatemala ‏@SismosGuate / Twitter)

During the preceding days, several smaller, but significantly larger than average explosions occurred from the Caliente lava dome, which on average had only been producing 2-3 small explosions per day before.
The following video was made on the evening of 28 November and shows one of the explosions. Several similar ones followed during the night.

In a special report yesterday, INSIVUMEH reported a moderate explosion early yesterday morning at 01:34 that ejected incandescent bombs to 150 m above the dome. In addition, a larger incandescent avalanche occurred on the eastern flank of the Caliente dome.


WATCH: Eruption at Santiaguito.

Awu (North Sulawesi & Sangihe Islands): Last week, PVMBG raised the alert level of Indonesia's northernmost known active volcano a notch, as small signs of new unrest had been detected recently: mostly, this is an increase in shallow seismic activity since the summer and more pronounced since the middle of November.

On the other hand, gas measurements still show low values for SO2 and CO2, typical magmatic gasses of deeper origin. An eruption is currently not expected in the near future, but increased vigilance about the volcano is in place.

Seismic activity during the past year (PVMBG)

Awu's 2004 lava dome (PVMBG)

After all, Awu is one of the deadliest of Indonesia's active volcanoes, having produced over 8000 (direct) fatalities combined during its eruptions since the beginning of the 18th century.

Awu's last eruption occurred in 2004 and consisted in moderate explosive activity only, followed by the effusion of a new lava dome in its summit caldera. The volcano has also produced very powerful eruptions such as in 1812 and 1966 (ranking both VEI 4). During the 1966 eruption, the crater lake drained catastrophically and caused severe lahars that claimed almost 40 victims.

The new lava dome from the 2004 eruption grew at the site of the lake, which is a remarkably similar situation to Kelut volcano in East Java in 2007. Kelut violently exploded its dome during the sub-plinian eruption on 13 Feb 2014, which came with little warning, and this is a very possible scenario for Awu as well. If the lava dome blocking the conduit is destroyed by a very strong explosion, it could threaten thousands of people living on the slopes and at the feet of the volcano (by pyroclastic flows, lahars, ash falls, ballistic ejecta).


Turrialba (Costa Rica): A small eruption occurred from the volcano's western crater this morning at 06:38 local time.

Ash emission from Turrialba (OVSICORI-UNA)

Zao (Honshu): Signs of unrest have been reported from the volcano. According to a news article, new episodes of volcanic tremor were detected under the volcano recently, believed to be signs of increased internal fluid movements.

No volcanic earthquakes or significant deformation of the volcanic edifice have been recorded, that could suggest new magma rising, and currently, no eruption is expected to be likely in the near future. However, the volcano will now be observed with increased vigilance.



Copahue (Chile): Activity at the volcano continues to slowly increase. Over the past days, continuous explosive activity at the summit vent has been producing a plume of dark ash that reached 1-2 km height and drifted into easterly directions.

Copahue

Glow from Copahue's crater

Glow is often visible at the crater during the night:

WATCH: Volcanic activity at Copahue.

DAWN OF THE AGE OF AQUARIUS: Obama, Paradigm Shift, Symbolism, And Precursors To The End Of Christian Dominionism And The Piscean Age Of Belief - After 33 Years, "Christmas In Washington" Has Been Cancelled!

The first family, from third left to right, Malia Obama, Sasha Obama, President Obama and first lady Michelle Obama, join performers Aloe Blacc, left, Darius Rucker
and Rita Ora, right, on stage singing the Christmas carol during the taping of the 2014 Christmas in Washington presentation
at the National Building Museum in Washington, D.C., on Dec. 14, 2014. (Manuel Balce Ceneta/AP)

"In my first term, we ended the war in Iraq; in my second term, I will win the war on Christmas." - President Obama, White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner 2012.

December 2, 2015 - WASHINGTON D.C., UNITED STATES - After more than three decades and five administrations, “Christmas in Washington,” the celebrity-packed holiday special attended by the first family, won’t be returning for its 34th holiday season.

No, the Grinch didn’t have anything to do with it — at least we don’t think he did.

After last year’s show, hosted by Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, TNT announced that it would no longer broadcast the Christmas special, ending a 15-year partnership with veteran producer George Stevens Jr. and his son, Michael. The Stevenses, who had just been ousted as the producers of the Kennedy Center Honors gala, said they were in search of a new broadcast partner.

But a new network sponsor was never found, and according to the Stevens Co., the 2014 broadcast was the last.

“Christmas in Washington,” which began in 1982, was like a grade-school pageant on steroids. The night was filled with marquee musicals acts such as Earth, Wind & Fire, Tim McGraw, Gloria Estefan, Justin Bieber and Mariah Carey, who crooned Christmas classics on stage while the first family and other Washington VIPs sang along from the audience.

For the big finale everyone, including the first family, headed to the stage for hand-holding, hugging and a big singalong. It was a hot holiday ticket and decades-long tradition.

The special, which benefited the Children’s National Health System, was created by producer-writer George Stevens Jr. His son Michael signed on as a producer in 1993 and went on to direct the show from 2004 to 2014. Michael Stevens died Oct. 15 from complications caused by stomach cancer.

When asked what George Stevens, who received an honorary Oscar for lifetime achievement in 2012, was planning to do next, a representative from his company said: “Mr. Stevens always has stuff going on but nothing right now.” - Washington Post.

MONUMENTAL DELUGE: The Worst Floods In 100 YEARS - Non-Stop Torrential Rains Ravage Southern India; Streets Turned Into RIVERS; City Of Chennai Has Almost Been CUT OFF FROM THE OUTSIDE WORLD; Mass Evacuation And Displacements; At Least 188 People Killed Since The End Of November; OVER ONE MILLION PEOPLE AFFECTED; Major Transportation Disruptions; Army Deployed To Worst Affected Areas! [PHOTOS]

December 2, 2015 - CHENNAI, INDIA - Thousands of people have been evacuated and a rescue operation is under way in Southern India, which has been severely flooded after several days of non-stop torrential rains, which prompted the closure of schools and factories and flight cancelations.

The city of Chennai, capital of the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu, has been almost cut off from the outside world. According to local media, the rains have set a 100-year-old record in the city, which is home to about 6 million people."Heavy rain accompanied by strong winds may make the situation worse in Chennai," the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) said, adding that the rains may continue for at least four days.

Thousands of people have been forced to flee their homes. The authorities have already canceled all flights and the trains have also stopped running, due to water on the tracks. Chennai International Airport, the fourth busiest in India, will remain shuttered until Thursday, Indian media reported.The Indian Army, Navy and National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) have been deployed in the worst affected areas of the city.

"We have started the rescue operation but the biggest challenge is to find a way to clear the inundated airport and main roads," Anurag Gupta, a senior official at the National Disaster Management Authority in New Delhi said, as cited by Reuters.

Photos and videos of people floating in boats along streets that have turned into rivers have literally flooded social media, with residents helping each other and even rescuing pets. Hundreds of people in less-affected areas have opened their homes for those in need.

According to the local authorities, over 1 million people have been affected by the natural disaster.

"The police want to help but there are no boats. We are trying not to panic," Ramana Goda, a local resident in an affected area, told Reuters.

Heavy rains in southern India since the end of November have killed at least 188 people, Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu Jayalalithaa said.

"It was saddening to witness devastation and deaths during the festive season, but I have faith in the strength of Tamil Nadu," Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Sunday. - RT.

 

GLOBAL VOLCANISM: Nicaragua's Momotombo Volcano Erupts With FOUR EXPLOSIONS In An Hour - First Eruption In 110 YEARS As Major Planetary Transformations Continue! [VIDEO]

© Jaime Incer

December 2, 2015 - NICARAGUA - Momotombo volcano in Nicaragua reported first eruptions in the last 110 years on the morning (local time) of December 1, 2015. The eruptions produced steam and ash plumes rising up to 1 km (3 281 feet).

Four small explosions occurred at the volcano at 07:49, 08:17, 08:42 and 08:55 am (local time), Volcano Discovery reported. The last of the eruptions was the largest and sent a plume of ash and steam high above the crater.

The communities of El Papalonal and in the vicinity of the Momotombo geothermal plant situated SW of the volcano summit reported light ash fall. A team of volcanologists from the Nicaraguan Institute of Territorial Studies (INETER) surveyed the area and took samples of ash and gasses.

This is the first time the volcano showed the signs of eruptive activity since 1905, and only 16 eruptions have been recorded since 1524, most of which have been small explosions of phreatic nature. The only two larger eruptions were observed in 1605 and 1609 when large bombs and blocks were expelled to the distances of approximately 6 km (19 685 feet), in the area of the nowadays abandoned town of León Viejo.

According to the scientists the volcano explosions has not been triggered by the increased activity of the nearby Telica volcano over the last few weeks.


WATCH: Volcanic explosion at Momotombo.

Geological summary

Momotombo is a young, 1297-m-high stratovolcano that rises prominently above the NW shore of Lake Managua, forming one of Nicaragua's most familiar landmarks. Momotombo began growing about 4500 years ago at the SE end of the Marrabios Range and consists of a somma from an older edifice that is surmounted by a symmetrical younger cone with a 150 x 250 m wide summit crater. Young lava flows from Momotombo have flowed down the NW flank into the 4-km-wide Monte Galán caldera.

The youthful cone of Momotombito forms a 391-m-high island offshore in Lake Managua. Momotombo has a long record of strombolian eruptions, punctuated by occasional larger explosive activity. The latest eruption, in 1905, produced a lava flow that traveled from the summit to the lower NE base. A small black plume was seen above the crater after an April 10, 1996 earthquake, but later observations noted no significant changes in the crater. A major geothermal field is located on the southern flank of the volcano. - The Watchers.