February 19, 2016 - SPACE - The following constitutes several of the latest reports of fireballs, seen in the skies, across the globe.
Australian catches close-up footage of meteor-fireball
A man testing out his body camera at a Victoria, Australia, beach captured video of a suspected meteor falling to earth nearby.
The video, posted to YouTube (see below) by Overwatch Security, features
body camera footage filmed by a worker for the firm as he walked on a
Victoria beach on a stormy day.
The man faces out toward the water as the suspected meteor lights up the sky and streaks down toward the water.
The lights are quickly followed by the sound of the object passing through the air toward the water.
The video's time-stamp indicates it was filmed just after 8 p.m. Jan. 27.
"While testing one of our Body Cameras on a stormy day a meteor
hit the bay directly in front of me just as I sat down. The sound was
insanely loud but only lasted for a second or two. Scary stuff, I was
literally lost for words. Hopefully no boats were hit!" the man wrote in
the video's description.
Cool video I captured with my dashcam of a really close meteor. I witnessed a similar incident higher up in the sky 2 days before this... Interesting happening, glad I was driving by at the right moment. This was on 183 Westbound in the Euless area.
Meteorites recovered in Osceola County, Florida, following last month's overhead meteor explosion
A portion of a ‘heat map’ – showing location of
witnesses or observers, and ground trajectory – of January 24, 2016,
daylight meteor via the American Meteor Society.
You may remember hearing about a fireball meteor that streaked across
the daytime sky in Florida late last month. Fragments of that meteorite
have been tracked down and recovered by a group of meteorite
enthusiasts, according to Earthsky.com.
Mike Hankey, Larry Atkins, Laura Atkins, Brendan Fallon and Josh Adkins
searched for days in pine forests and swamplands across Florida in
search of the space rock. The zone where the meteorites were found
matched up perfectly with the trajectory that the meteor took during the
January 24th fireball event. According to the American Meteor Society,
there are now almost 130 reports that a bright meteor streaked over the
southeast U.S. on January 24th and 10:25 A.M. ET.
The reason that people search for meteorites is that they are typically
ancient objects that formed during the birth of our solar system and can
hold many secrets about it. One of the fragments is currently being
studied Alan Rubin, a meteorite expert and researcher at UCLA. He is
currently working to determine the classification of what is now being
called the Osceola meteorite.
- Tucson News Now.
Meteor fireball observed over Morocco
Fireball observed over Morocco on February 19, 2016. The
event was recorded by several meteor observing stations operated by the
University of Huelva in Spain.
February 18, 2016 - AUSTRALIA - Walls of tumbleweed from neglected farmland are causing havoc in the
Australian city of Wangaratta, encircling homes and threatening
livestock.
It might sound like the unlikely plot of a 1950s B-movie, but the weed -
also known as hairy panic grass or witchgrass - has blown into a
residential neighborhood. The invasion has prompted local authorities to
hold an emergency summit, reports ABC News.
Images from the area show bundles of the bristly tumbleweed blocking
front doors to homes and forming barriers outside driveways.
The toxic weed originated in nearby farmland among neglected hay crops,
and was not prevented from spreading into local neighborhoods.
An information pamphlet about animal health,
produced by Australia's Department of Primary Industries, explains that
the grass contains toxins which can cause serious liver damage,
photosensitivity and jaundice in sheep.
Signs of poisoning include swelling of the head or sunburn on the nose and ears of sheep.
The Department warns the golden, spindly grass is "most toxic when
it is young, lush and growing rapidly", but it is not dangerous to
humans.
Wangaratta resident Jason Perna described to ABC News how he woke to find six meters of tumbleweed outside his home.
February 16, 2016 - AUSTRALIA - Landholders in Queensland are calling on the State Government to find the cause of methane gas bubbling in a major river, which they say has intensified in recent months.
The so-called methane seeps in the Condamine River near Chinchilla were reported in 2012, triggering a series of investigations.
But the Government has told the ABC that it does not have sufficient information to identify the cause of the seeps.
Professor Damian Barrett, the CSIRO's lead researcher into unconventional gas, has been monitoring the Condamine gas seeps.
He confirmed to the ABC that the bubbling had intensified.
"There have been changes in the flux of methane through the river over the past 12 months," he said.
WATCH: Scientists unsure cause of methane bubble.
ABC visited the most prominent methane seep in the river about six
kilometres west of the Chinchilla weir, observing large, concentrated
bubbles rising to the water's surface.
"From what I've visually seen since the first videos back when
they were originally found, they were just minor bubbles in particular
locations," Helen Bender, whose family owns two properties near the
Condamine, said.
"In terms of the number of bubbles along the river, both upstream and downstream, [it] is increasing."
A 2013 report by scientific analysis firm Norwest Corporation outlined
several "scenarios" which could be contributing to the bubbling in the
river.
These included natural events such as drought and the recharging of aquifers after floods.
Human activity such as coal seam gas (CSG) operations and water bore drilling were other possible contributing factors.
"We know that methane is coming to the surface along a fault
line, a very small fault line that occurs and intersects with the
river," said Professor Barrett, who is also the director of the Gas
Industry Social and Environmental Research Alliance,a partnership between the CSIRO and the CSG industry.
"We know that the methane that is bubbling in that river is varying in
time and the reason for that — while it is unknown — could be perfectly
natural."
Origin Energy, which operates CSG wells in the district, is monitoring the bubbling in the Condamine.
"I have to question if Origin is doing the ongoing monitoring, why isn't
more of an independent person doing the ongoing monitoring so that
there's some real transparency with what's actually happening?" Ms
Bender said.
Western Darling Downs landholder and anti-coal seam gas activist John
Jenkyn said the bubbling had worsened since the arrival of the CSG
industry.
"I think [it's] the de-watering. As [the CSG companies] take all the
water out of the wells I presume the gas has found the easiest route out
of the ground, which happens to be in the river. So up she comes," he
said.
A Queensland Government report released in December 2012 found that the
cause of the bubbles was "unlikely to be determined in the short-term,
and that a long-term approach to find more science-based answers to the
phenomenon was needed".
"I think there's a lot missing in those [methane seep] reports which we
need to know the answers to now, because the bubbles are getting worse
as the CSG activities continue," Ms Bender said.
A spokesman for Queensland's Department of Natural Resources and Mines
confirmed that there was "currently insufficient information to identify
the cause of the gas seeps" and that further investigation was
warranted.
"Geological complexity and the requirement to gather and analyse surface
and subsurface data make this a long-term investigation," the spokesman
said. - ABC Australia.
MYSTERY SOLVED: A pike eel photographed near the Swansea boat ramp sent ripples through social media. Picture: Robert Tyndall.
February 16, 2016 - 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.
Odd Australian creature washed up identified as pike eel
Giant eel, "messed up crocodile" or unidentified lake monster?
A creature apparently photographed at Swansea has confused and slightly
frightened locals since it washed up on social media on Monday.
Ethan Tippa, who posted the photo on Facebook, typified the general response.
"What the f--- is it?"
The answer, said marine biologist Julian Pepperell, is that it's a pike eel.
The angle of the photo made it difficult to judge the creature's length, but it seems longer than the species' average maximum of 1.8 metres.
"I think it's definitely a pike eel. The head is very indicative of that species," Dr Pepperell said.
"It's hard from the photo to get an idea of the scale."
The nocturnal pike eel is common in NSW waters, but surprisingly little is known about it.
Dr Pepperell said the species is frequently caught by fishers at night
who get "the fight of their lives" when they reel in a powerful,
thrashing predator with a nasty bite.
"There are certainly people who are bitten by them in boats," he said.
"They have incredibly strong muscle and their teeth are geared towards inflicting slashing wounds."
An old fishers' adage goes that a tinnie has room for a fisherman or a pike eel, but not both.
The photo of the long, sharp-toothed and clearly dead creature has been
shared thousands of times on social media, with many identifying it as a
pike eel.
It was probably "relatively old", Dr Pepperell said, and could have died
from a net entanglement, been hit by a boat or died of old age.
Some questioned whether the image was Photoshopped, or whether it had really been seen at Swansea.
Dougie Boyd, of the Commercial Fishermen's Co-Operative, thought it was genuine.
"I don't think it's been Photoshopped," Mr Boyd said.
"I've seen some monsters, but none that big."
Pike eels are not poisonous to eat, and are frequently sold in the market of Southeast Asia.
There are thousands of migrating sharks swarming just off Florida's
coastline, which in 2015 became the "shark attack capitol" of the US.
This new aerial footage has revealed the sheer scale of the predator
population.
The blacktip sharks are teaming up just several hundred feet away from
the shore near Palm Beach and up some 20 miles to Jupiter Beach.
In a video from Friday, Florida Atlantic University biological sciences
professor Stephen Kajiura showed off the scene as part of the aerial
blacktip shark migration surveys he and his team are conducting.
"There are literally tens of thousands of sharks a stone's throw away
from our shoreline. You could throw a pebble and literally strike a
shark. They are that close," Kajiura told CBS12.
While migration is normal for blacktip sharks this time of the year,seeing such an enormous population and at this particular location is not usual. Typically, the sharks go further south, but this year they have stayed near Palm Beach, north to the Jupiter Inlet.
He is now working to find out why sharks decided to stay in the area
rather than traveling further south along the Florida coast.
"One of the ideas may be that as they are getting south, if they are in a
suitable habitat, then why not stay," Kajiura told ABC.
WATCH: Thousands of sharks teem off Florida beaches.
Part of his survey is tagging sharks. He wants to tag 60 sharks to see
where they would be going next and study their migration patterns.
Thousands of sharks have not scared away beach-goers, though, and the coastline remains open.
"These sharks are pretty skittish," Kajiura said, explaining that it is
due to clear water in the Palm Beach area that they can differentiate
between humans and prey like fish. "So when they see a human, they swim
away."
He says that "if you look historically", very few people have
been bitten by blacktips in this area and most of the cases are usually
registered further north in Daytona. - RT.
Whale carcass removed from Bantry Bay, South Africa
The City of Cape Town successfully removed the carcass of a whale that beached in Bantry Bay.
Authorities believed that dead marine mammal posed a risk to the public.
Decomposing whales could attract sharks, and they also create an awful stench.
WATCH: Beached whale at Bantry Bay.
Samples will now be taken for research purposes, and the carcass buried in a landfill site.
Gregg Oelofse from the City of Cape Town said before the removal, "It's
going to be difficult. But the particular location of this animal means
we're going to have to take it off by towing it back out to sea."
"We're quite lucky because it's a small whale, a calf, about 6 metres in length so it makes it easier for us." - ENCA.
Dolphin found dead on east coast - days after whales died in Lincolnshire, UK
A Hornsea Coastguard officer with the dolphin. Picture: Hornsea Coastguard
A dolphin washed up dead on the east coast, just days after a number of whales were stranded along the Lincolnshire coastline.
Hornsea Coastguard was called out to the beach in East Yorkshire at
about 3pm on Friday afternoon after reports of a whale or porpoise on
the beach.
It was later identified as a white beaked dolphin, and details were passed to the Natural History Museum to arrange collection.
A spokesman for Hornsea Coastguard said: "Team paged by CGOC Humber to a
report of a whale/porpoise on the beach north of Hornsea.
"The team responded and after a short beach search located the
mammal on the beach. The mammal was identified to be a white-beaked
dolphin which was unfortunately deceased.
"A description, grid reference and measurements were recorded and passed
to CGOC Humber who will notify and pass the details on to the Natural
History Museum and arrange collection." - Grimsby Telegraph.
Migrant birds confused by hot-and-cold winter as hundreds stay in their Dehli homelands, India
Delhi's bird watchers have noticed significant changes in the behaviour of migratory birds this season
While the Capital's citizens missed out on the trademark Delhi chill
over the winter months, the flip-flop winter seems to have baffled its
winged guests as well.
Some species of migratory ducks, which used to arrive in their thousands, have trickled down to hundreds.
Experts said the arrival of these birds was also delayed, and this is
being attributed to the lack of snow in their homelands in Europe and
central Asia.
Some of the migratory birds that did arrive this season, apparently, are ready to leave.
Adding to all the 'confusion', a few birds that breed only in
summer are nesting and pairing up in January, a phenomenon usually
witnessed in April, say experts.
However, it may be too soon to press the climate change alarm, some
birders caution, adding that any change in migratory behaviour could
have resulted from the disturbed habitats in the city.
Dr Sumit Dookia, Assistant Professor at the Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University, says: "We
have barely seen 250-300 Bar-headed geese at the Najafgarh Lake this
fall. Traditionally we would get to see 1,500 plus. They also came in
pretty late, only around the last week of November.."
Bar-headed geese
Dookia
also reported 'confused behaviour among the birds' saying that they
were 'frequently flying out to nearby wetlands of Basai and Sultanpur'.
"When it snows heavily in China and Siberia, they escape to
India. However, they need constant warm temperatures to stay put. We
assume that since both the geological regions displayed unusual winters
this time, significant changes in bird behaviour are visible," he
explained.
Bird watcher Wing Commander Vijay Sethi noted a surprising find of Ruffs
already gathering in thousands at the Dhanauri Kalan wetland in Greater
Noida, a sign that they are about to leave.
"Otherwise, they stay scattered across the waters," he said.
JNU zoologist Dr Surya Prakash echoed this view.
"We have, indeed, seen lesser number of the winter bird Red-crested
pochard at the Yamuna Jagatpur Khadar" Prakash told Mail Today.
"On the other hand, some summer birds like the Indian Courser, a local
migrant, can already be spotted at the Sultanpur flats. Coppersmith
Barbets, which otherwise mate in April, can already be heard making
courtship calls at the JNU campus, Bhati mines etc. The case of the
Common Hawk Cuckoo is also the same," he added.
Faiyaz A Khudsar, scientist in charge at Yamuna Biodiversity Park (YBP), however, has different views.
He said: "A few species may be up or down in number, but the usual bird
diversity is visible. We have had a large number of Garganeys and Common
Teals at YBP. This goes against any argument of weather-related change
in bird behaviour. Also, this is a subject of 'phenology' which is
studied over at least 30-50 years and cannot be analysed over only a
year's observation."
Another avid birder KB Singh attributed altered bird activity to troubled bird habitats in the city.
He said: "Najafgarh is a beautiful site for birds, but thanks to its
location close to the upcoming Dwarka Expressway, it is highly
disturbed. This is the case in the Basai wetlands as well." - Daily Mail.
February 13, 2016 - CHRISTCHURCH, NEW ZEALAND - A "severe" magnitude 5.8 earthquake has hit the New Zealand city of Christchurch almost five years after a deadly tremor devastated the region.
GeoNet Science, the official New Zealand earthquake monitoring service, warned of aftershocks following the "severe intensity" quake.
A police spokesman said there were no reports of damage or major injuries, although the tremor did cause "some major rocks to be dislodged into the sea" near Sumner.
Several buildings were evacuated in Christchurch as a precaution.
Jenny Krex, the manager of a coffee shop in the seaside suburb of Sumner, told the New Zealand Herald items broke in her shop after the quake struck.
USGS shakemap intensity.
"Everyone got a big fright, we had everyone running out," she said.
"I made sure everyone was OK, it was quite a big shock. It's crazy out here at the moment."
She said that with such tremors: "People and animals are alarmed, and many run outside. Walking steadily is difficult ... objects fall from walls and shelves."
New Zealand is on the boundary of the Australian and Pacific tectonic plates, which form part of the so-called "Ring of Fire".
The country experiences up to 15,000 tremors a year. - ABC Australia.
Seismotectonics of the Eastern Margin of the Australia Plate
The eastern margin of the Australia plate is one of the most sesimically active areas of the world due to high rates of convergence between the Australia and Pacific plates. In the region of New Zealand, the 3000 km long Australia-Pacific plate boundary extends from south of Macquarie Island to the southern Kermadec Island chain. It includes an oceanic transform (the Macquarie Ridge), two oppositely verging subduction zones (Puysegur and Hikurangi), and a transpressive continental transform, the Alpine Fault through South Island, New Zealand.
USGS plate tectonics for the region.
Since 1900 there have been 15 M7.5+ earthquakes recorded near New Zealand. Nine of these, and the four largest, occurred along or near the Macquarie Ridge, including the 1989 M8.2 event on the ridge itself, and the 2004 M8.1 event 200 km to the west of the plate boundary, reflecting intraplate deformation. The largest recorded earthquake in New Zealand itself was the 1931 M7.8 Hawke's Bay earthquake, which killed 256 people. The last M7.5+ earthquake along the Alpine Fault was 170 years ago; studies of the faults' strain accumulation suggest that similar events are likely to occur again.
North of New Zealand, the Australia-Pacific boundary stretches east of Tonga and Fiji to 250 km south of Samoa. For 2,200 km the trench is approximately linear, and includes two segments where old (greater than 120 Myr) Pacific oceanic lithosphere rapidly subducts westward (Kermadec and Tonga). At the northern end of the Tonga trench, the boundary curves sharply westward and changes along a 700 km-long segment from trench-normal subduction, to oblique subduction, to a left lateral transform-like structure.
Australia-Pacific convergence rates increase northward from 60 mm/yr at the southern Kermadec trench to 90 mm/yr at the northern Tonga trench; however, significant back arc extension (or equivalently, slab rollback) causes the consumption rate of subducting Pacific lithosphere to be much faster. The spreading rate in the Havre trough, west of the Kermadec trench, increases northward from 8 to 20 mm/yr. The southern tip of this spreading center is propagating into the North Island of New Zealand, rifting it apart. In the southern Lau Basin, west of the Tonga trench, the spreading rate increases northward from 60 to 90 mm/yr, and in the northern Lau Basin, multiple spreading centers result in an extension rate as high as 160 mm/yr. The overall subduction velocity of the Pacific plate is the vector sum of Australia-Pacific velocity and back arc spreading velocity: thus it increases northward along the Kermadec trench from 70 to 100 mm/yr, and along the Tonga trench from 150 to 240 mm/yr.
The Kermadec-Tonga subduction zone generates many large earthquakes on the interface between the descending Pacific and overriding Australia plates, within the two plates themselves and, less frequently, near the outer rise of the Pacific plate east of the trench. Since 1900, 40 M7.5+ earthquakes have been recorded, mostly north of 30°S. However, it is unclear whether any of the few historic M8+ events that have occurred close to the plate boundary were underthrusting events on the plate interface, or were intraplate earthquakes. On September 29, 2009, one of the largest normal fault (outer rise) earthquakes ever recorded (M8.1) occurred south of Samoa, 40 km east of the Tonga trench, generating a tsunami that killed at least 180 people.
Across the North Fiji Basin and to the west of the Vanuatu Islands, the Australia plate again subducts eastwards beneath the Pacific, at the North New Hebrides trench. At the southern end of this trench, east of the Loyalty Islands, the plate boundary curves east into an oceanic transform-like structure analogous to the one north of Tonga.
Australia-Pacific convergence rates increase northward from 80 to 90 mm/yr along the North New Hebrides trench, but the Australia plate consumption rate is increased by extension in the back arc and in the North Fiji Basin. Back arc spreading occurs at a rate of 50 mm/yr along most of the subduction zone, except near ~15°S, where the D'Entrecasteaux ridge intersects the trench and causes localized compression of 50 mm/yr in the back arc. Therefore, the Australia plate subduction velocity ranges from 120 mm/yr at the southern end of the North New Hebrides trench, to 40 mm/yr at the D'Entrecasteaux ridge-trench intersection, to 170 mm/yr at the northern end of the trench.
Large earthquakes are common along the North New Hebrides trench and have mechanisms associated with subduction tectonics, though occasional strike slip earthquakes occur near the subduction of the D'Entrecasteaux ridge. Within the subduction zone 34 M7.5+ earthquakes have been recorded since 1900. On October 7, 2009, a large interplate thrust fault earthquake (M7.6) in the northern North New Hebrides subduction zone was followed 15 minutes later by an even larger interplate event (M7.8) 60 km to the north. It is likely that the first event triggered the second of the so-called earthquake "doublet".
February 13, 2016 - QUEENSLAND, AUSTRALIA - People from across Queensland have taken to social media to describe
what they say was a bright light accompanied by a boom sound. "Was
rumbling for a good five minutes before I went outside," said
Bundaberg's Jamie-lee Doorey.
"Was walking back from shed, heard something from the sky as I looked up
something seemed to have exploded, sparks went in three different
directions. "I've seen plenty shooting stars, this was not one,
or it was huge. The rumbling continued for a couple of minutes, nothing
since."
Margie Ryan, also from Bundaberg, said she was left puzzled by the sighting. "Was inside. Saw bright flash outside. About one minute later, heard a loud bang like a clap of thunder which shook the house a bit," she said.
"Checked the BoM, no storm, clear sky, so posted on Facebook."
Gladstone's Rory Henricks said he thought he saw a plane in the sky
"shooting fireworks out of its rear". He said at 9.20pm on Tuesday, he
was riding from town to Calliope and about halfway saw the object for a
second.
"Nothing, then several circular firework explosions in a line behind it,
then nothing again," he said. "I flipped my visor up to have a look
around, I saw some pilot lights but lost track of it. Was moving really
fast and appeared to have jet engines under each wing. "I'm pretty
cynical but if it wasn't a UFO it seems like someone was trying to
appear like one."
Charlene Kelly Maree said she heard people had seen the object in
Gladstone, while Carissa Less Hansen said she witnessed it. "Saw it in
Maryborough, Queensland, but didn't hear the noise," she said. Dell Holdings said she saw a flash but thought it was lightening. "It woke me from my sleep, no noise," she said.
Alyssa Gilbert said she saw a massive flash that was as quick as
a flash on a camera. "I jumped up and ran to the window thinking
someone was in my yard," she said. However, Peter Hurn believed it
probably wasn't anything from another world.
"From what it sounds like it might have been a jet using flares," he said.
Kylie Campbell disagreed. "There's no way it was a jet unless it
exploded, it was a crazy site to see!" she said. "I was actually out at
Bucca, sitting on a rock in front of my car and my initial
thought was someone had stolen my car; the light from it was blinding it
was like someone turned my car lights on! Lit up everything!
"It was huge, it was breaking off into pieces as it was flying, you
could see smaller debris light up behind it. "Never seen anything like
it before!" Chanelle Bamblett said she thought it looked like a flare.
Jason Mccallum said he saw strange things in the sky last week."I
didn't see last night's but on Wednesday I seen a bright white light go
upwards in the sky and seconds later a green light going across the sky
with what looked to be sparks coming off it and was much larger than
the white light," he said.
Rachel Linda Beris Petersen took to Bundaberg Forum to ask if anyone
heard loud bangs around West Bundaberg about 2am Wednesday. "(They)
sounded like gunshot noises," she said. Tracy Simpson said she heard
similar bangs early in the morning at Kepnock the night before - though
it's not sure if these sounds were related to the boom.
Update:
Bundaberg Astronomy Society member Mark Sugars said he didn't see the
light but from what had been described it sounded like it could have
been a meteorite. "It would be a rational answer to say it was a
meteorite," he said.
He confirmed it was possible for people to have seen it from a wide area
following reports of sightings from Rockhampton down to Gympie. "They
can travel that distance in a second so it is definitely possible," Mr
Sugars said.
He said meteorites can be seen differently depending on the location of
the viewer. "Meteorites can present differently - as they burn up they
produce different colours," he said.
"It could have been coming in at a side view for someone viewing it from
Gympie and a different colour for someone at Rockhampton." - News Mail.
February 11, 2016 - SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE - Three tropical cyclones formed almost simultaneously in the Southern Hemisphere.
Daya was born in the Indian Ocean, whereas Eleven and Tatiana formed in the Pacific Ocean.
The tropical cyclone Dayaformed east of Madagascar in
the Indian Ocean and is moving in a south-easterly direction.
In the eye
of the storm, wind speeds were measured at 72 km / h, with gusts
reaching 97 km / h.
Tropical cyclone Daya.
Tropical Cyclone 11is still nameless. It
formed to the east of the islands of Vanuatu in the Pacific Ocean.
The
wind speed at the epicenter is 72 km / h, with gusts up to 97 km / h.
Tropical cyclone 11.
The cyclone is moving in a southeasterly direction and could grow
significantly worse in the near future.
The tropical cyclone Tatiana formed east of Australia
and to the west of the islands of Vanuatu in the Pacific Ocean.
Tropical cyclone Tatiana.
It is
currently moving in a south-easterly direction.
The wind speed at the
epicenter is 80 km / h, with gusts up to 105 km / h.
Hopefully they will not sweep through residential areas. - Strange Sounds.
A south Sydney man's fly catcher from Bunnings almost filled up to the top in under a day.
February 6, 2016 - AUSTRALIA - A man has been left in awe after he purchased a fly catcher which filled up after just one day.
Myles Farrawell, from Sydney, posted the photo of his full contraption to Facebook which left social media users stunned.
'So I bought a fly trap from Bunnings yesterday and put it out yesterday
afternoon and just came home to find this wow !!!! Flys for dinner lol
[sic],' Mr Farrawell wrote. Flies are often a massive pest for
Australian's during the hot summer period, due to their attraction to
heat when mating.
Flies are commonly known to come out in massive numbers during the summer
Bryce Peters, General Manager for the Faculty of Science at University
of Technology Sydney, said the hot temperatures this summer could be a
direct link to the large amount of flies in Sydney's CBD. It could also
be the reason as to why this man caught so many flies in a day.
'When the weather gets warmer and more humid the flies are more active,'
Mr Peters said. Mr Peters, who is also from the Sutherland Shire, said
it is highly likely the flies are bush flies. 'Bush flies tend to breed
out in the west (Western Sydney) before being blown over to the city due
to the westerly winds'.
Australian Museum naturalist Martyn Robinson told the Daily Telegrapha combination of heavy rain and heat has caused a 'build up' of more flies over spring last year and summer this year. - Daily Mail.
February 4, 2016 - QUEENSLAND, AUSTRALIA - More flooding hit Queensland earlier today, 03 February, this time in
the the state's remote north west. Last week, one man died and several
were rescued after floods in the Bundaberg area on 31 January.
More heavy rain this week affected communities in the Mount Isa area.
On February 3, Urandangi recorded 162mm of rain in 24 hours, with most of
it falling in around 3 hours. This is just short of its highest ever of
164mm, recorded in December 1984. Surrounding areas also received large
amounts of rain.
Local police reported that flooding in the township of Dajarra has led
to several people being evacuated from homes this morning.
Police also
reported that a number of vehicles in the area have been impacted by
flood waters.
At least person had to be rescued after he was stranded in
his car by floodwater. Several roads across the region were closed.
Search for 8 Missing
Eight people who were feared missing in floodwaters have been found safe
and well.
The group were traveling between Urandangi and Mount Isa and
were thought to have been caught up in the flooding affecting the area.
Poor weather conditions prevented police from carrying our an aerial
search.
However, late on 03 February, Mount Isa police reported they had
located one of the vehicles and that, following investigations and
enquiries with the occupants of that vehicle and other Mount Isa
residents, police are satisfied that both vehicles and all occupants
have arrived safely in Mount Isa. - Floodlist.
February 4, 2016 - AUSTRALIA - Australia's only two active volcanoes have both erupted - and
scientists on board a ship conducting research nearby caught the rare
event on film. The Big Ben volcano
on remote Heard Island in sub-Antarctica, almost 1800 kilometres north
of Australia's Antarctic base at Davis Station, erupted a combination of
poisonous gases and red-hot lava.
It was the first time it had done so in decades.
We witnessed the lava descending Big Ben interacting dramatically with the snow and ice cover of the mountain.
Richard Arculus, ANU volcanologist
The other volcano, on the neighbouring McDonald islands, erupted gas only. Scientists on board the CSIRO's RV Investigator were visiting the islands to conduct research into the concentration of iron in Antarctic waters.
"We witnessed the lava descending Big Ben as it interacted dramatically
with the snow and ice cover of the mountain," said ANU volcanologist
Professor Richard Arculus, who witnessed the eruption first hand.
"It is possible that a quenched carapace of glass is formed over
the lava allowing the flow to descend considerable distances downhill,
forming lava tubes."
Big Ben volcano is one of the most active in the world. Changes in
appearance of the lava flows on the summit of Big Ben during successive
days indicate active eruptions have been taking place over the past
week, Professor Arculus said.
Volcanoes erupt when the Earth's magma, which is lighter than
surrounding rock, rises and collects in subterranean chambers.
Eventually some of the magma pushes through vents and fissures and
erupts as lava on the surface.
"The lava types erupting from Big Ben are the end-products of extensive
processes of selective crystal withdrawal from alkali-rich basalts
within crustal magma chambers," he explained.
The end-product of this process is a lava type characteristic of other
hot-spot volcanoes like Mt Erebus, Kilimanjaro and Gran Canaria.
"The eruptions were once-in-a-lifetime events for scientists on board," said Monash University geologist Associate Professor Steven Micklethwaite.
"Although it was difficult to do much more than watch and observe, the
insights gained into the eruption behaviour of such a furiously remote
volcano are important.
"Monitoring these types of eruptions tells us about how lava interacts
with ice, which can be quite spectacular," Associate Professor
Micklethwaite said.
WATCH: Big Ben erupts.
Expeditioner Jodi Fox, whose doctoral thesis is on Heard Island
volcanism, said observing lava flowing down the flank of Big Ben over a
glacier was incredible.
"Given persistent cloud cover and generally foul weather, I didn't think
we'd observe much of the volcano on this voyage," she said.
The team spotted the eruption while circling the islands to map the sea
floor to identify hydrothermal systems driven by underwater volcanoes.
Scientists believe these are driving the Southern Ocean ecosystem from the bottom-up.
They are testing the hypothesis that hydrothermal systems release iron, a
fertiliser for planktonic blooms, which create half of the planet's
oxygen.
The research sheds light on global fluctuations in nutrients. It will
also help determine the merits of artificially seeding the oceans with
iron in order to increase the uptake of atmospheric carbon dioxide, the
main driver of climate change. - Brisbane Times.
February 3, 2016 - EARTH - The following constitutes the new activity, unrest and ongoing reports of volcanoes across the globe.
Popocatepetl (Mexico): In the last 24 hours the Popocatepetl had nine explosions and 35 exhalations of low intensity, according to the monitoring system of the volcano, reported Cenapred.
In its latest report, the body of the Ministry of the Interior explained that four of the nine explosions occurred yesterday at 15:33, 20:19, 21:22 22:48 hours and five on Tuesday.
Also said that since Tuesday morning has been a slight emission of water vapor and gas that winds have scattered to the east-northeast.
Photo: CENAPRED.
He recalled that the light of volcanic alert remains at yellow phase two level at which it is contemplated that the explosive activity continues at a low level, falling ash and even possibility of pyroclastic flows and mudflows.
So the Cenapred urged people not to approach the volcano by the danger of falling ballistic fragments and suggested the public be alert to warnings authorities disseminate Civil Protection.
WATCH: Live streaming Popocatepetl volcano.
Copahue (Chile): Ash plume from Copahue yesterday During the past weeks, the El Agrio crater has continued to emit weak, but near-continuous emissions of fine gray ash.
Incandescence remains visible at night.
Ash plume from Copahue
According to SERNAGEOMIN, this current activity, mainly phreatic, is caused by interaction of a small body of new magma interacting with the hydrothermal system at shallow depth.
Seismic activity, although above background, is relatively low as are other monitored parameters (e.g. deformation, SO2 output etc). No larger eruption is expected for the near future.
Barren Island (India): Minor eruptive activity (possibly strombolian) seems to continue on the remote island, at least intermittently.
Steam / ash plume and thermal hot spot at Barren Island on February 1, 2016 (MODIS / VIIRS NASA imagery)
Yesterday and the day before, a weak steam and possibly ash plume was visible on satellite imagery as well as a thermal hot spot.
Turrialba (Costa Rica): Weak, passive ash venting occurred yesterday at the western pit crater, showing that volcanic unrest continues.
Ash plume from Costa Rica's Turrialba volcano yesterday
Karymsky (Kamchatka): Several ash plumes reaching estimated 13-16,000 ft (4-5 km) altitude have been reported by Tokyo VAAC during the past days, suggesting that the volcano's intermittent explosions are currently more frequent and relatively intense.
Masaya (Nicaragua):
INETER reported ongoing strong seismic and surface activity.
There here
are currently two small lava lakes active contained in two pits inside
the Santiago crater. Access to Masaya's crater rim, a very popular
tourist destination, was closed to the public on Saturday.
An
earthquake of magnitude 3 on Friday, felt by many residents, probably
accompanied the opening of the second vent in the NE section of the
crater.
A third vent is in the process of forming in the SE section of
the crater, the latest INETER report stated.
Nevados de Chillán (Central Chile):
A series of new explosions with small to moderate ash emissions
occurred at the volcano during the end of last week.
This activity
formed a second new crater, approx. 25x30 m wide and located 50 m
beneath the northeast flank of Arrau crater, as SERNAGEOMIN staff
observed on an overflight on 30 January.
Aerial view of Nevados de Chillán volcano's Arrau crater on January 30, 2016 (SERNAGEOMIN)
According to Chilean
scientists, the activity is caused by phreatic (steam-driven) explosions
in the shallow hydrotermal disturbances, not by fresh magma.
Temperatures in the crater areas were found to be relatively low (approx
120 deg C), which supports this interpretation as well.
It is likely
that more explosions occur in the near future and an exclusion zone of 2
km around the crater was put in place.
Heard (Australia, Southern Indian Ocean):
An eruption was observed by crew on board the CSIRO research vessel
Investigator in late January.
WATCH: A lava flow was seen descending the NW flank of Mawson Peak.
Weak
thermal anomalies were also detected on satellite data at the end of
January. Whether the activity is still going on or not is impossible to
determine - most of the days, the volcano is hidden beneath thick clouds
preventing satellite observations.
February 3, 2016 - TASMANIA, AUSTRALIA - A refuge has been set up at the Triabunna council chambers for those stranded in the area.
The Tasman Highway between Buckland and Orford has been closed
due to flooding and landslides, as has the highway a kilometre north of
Triabunna.
One holiday-maker, who asked not to be named, said he and his young
family were stuck on the other side of the Orford Rivulet, which was now
a torrent.
He had been forced to walk into town for supplies, crossing the river via the beach.
"I spoke to the police and they said just to sit tight — the road south
is closed and they don't know how long that will be the case for, " he
said.
"They told me there was no point trying to get out at his stage."
WATCH: Floods and fires in Tasmania.
UPDATE: TASMANIA Police are urging motorists to drive to the conditions as flood waters continue to cause more road closures.
Inspector Doug Rossiter, of the South-East Division, said that there
were a number of road closures currently in place, including the Tasman
Highway between Orford and Runnymede and the Tasman Highway at Bicheno
just north of Apsley River. The Tasman Highway north of Swansea at
Meredith River is expected to open soon for four-wheel drive vehicles
only.
"Please check road closures before you set out and avoid any roads that are flooded or affected by water," he said.
2PM UPDATE:Residents on the East
Coast have battened down as they prepare for more storms, which have
closed the highway between Hobart and Orford.
Glamorgan Spring Bay Mayor Michael Kent, who has taken refuge at the
Gateway Cafe with other Orford locals and tourists, said Tasmania Police
had just closed the Tasman Highway at Orford because of a rockfall.
Businesses such as the Orford pub and golf club and the Triabunna IGA
have closed due to flooding damage and the road to Spring Beach is also
closed.
The East Coast will continue to be hammered with torrential rain, winds and thunder and lightning over the next two days.
"Two weeks ago we were screaming for water and now we've got that much we don't know what to do with it," Cr Kent said.
Gray resident Michelle Kaal said she and daughter Brittany were woken up at 3.30am this morning when their house was shaking.
"The thunder and lightning was really right on top of the house - it
was literally shaking with it and there were a couple of lots of
lightning that lit up the whole house," she said.
Gray, located just south of St Marys, had around 362mm of rain
in just over 48 hours to 9am today and is one of many East Coast towns
suffering through record rainfalls.
"We might have to blow up the dinghy in the shed and get some oars to go into town today," Mrs Kaal said.
"Once the rain actually stops, usually the bulk of it disappears within 24 hours."
TasNetworks said lightning strikes and fallen power lines had caused widespread power outages across the state, with around 1500 people currently without power.
For all current outages and estimated restoration times visit: www.tasnetworks.com.au/current-power-outages
Bureau of Meteorology spokesman Malcolm Riley said about30 daily records were broken yesterday for rainfall in January, mostly in the north and along the east coast.
He said the event was far from over.
"Every year or two we get a decent east coast rain event and this is a
premier league sort of situation and it's got a long way to run so it
may be one very much of note," he said.
"This is just the way things tend to happen on the East Coast — every now and then they get an
absolute dumping of rain.
"Our forecasts have backed off a bit for tomorrow but have increased for Sunday.
Flooding at Orford on the East Coast.The Orford Bowls Club under water.
"The sea temperatures off our east and north coast are about two degrees
above normal so that's actually providing a bit of extra energy to this
system."
Mr Riley said Launceston, Westbury Meander, Strath Bridge,
Friendly Beaches and Cressy all recorded their highest daily rainfall
total for all time yesterday.
The town of Gray, just south of St Marys, had around 362mm of rain in just over 48 hours to 9am today.
St Marys Hotel barman Rodney Spilsbury said flooding in the town this morning reached about three meters deep.
"The main street above the hotel going out towards St Mary's pass was in full flood," he said.
"All the street and the vicinity which they call 'the flat' was one
sheet of water, but it's all dropped now. It happened quickly, but they
reckon there's more on the way so we're just waiting."
Meanwhile bushfire ravaged Temma in the northwest was isolated after the fire damaged the only bridge into the area.
Without the bridge, residents of Temma and Couta Rocks remain cut off from the rest of the state.
Currently, the only way out of the area is by boat.
Bureau of Meteorology spokesman Malcolm Riley said the heaviest areas of
rainfalls were in the northwest away from the northeast fire front.
"Unfortunately not a lot got into the fire area — only about 1mm or so," he said late yesterday.
WATER RESTRICTIONS Despite the downpours, Mole Creek is the latest town to be placed on water restrictions today.
TasWater regional services department manager Mark McConnon said the
impact of prolonged dry conditions continued to have an impact on the
North West town despite rain in the past 24 hours.
"Recent bushfires in the area saw an increase in consumption over the
last week and the inflow into the weir has not been able to keep up with
demand," Mr McConnon said.
Mole Creek joins Campbell Town/Ross, Triabunna, Orford and Launceston on stage one restrictions.
Bridport, Swansea, Colebrook, Currie and Whitemark remain on stage two water restrictions.
Thunderstorms and heavy rain, which may lead to flash flooding, are forecast for the same areas today and over the weekend.
Rainfall totals of 50-100mm were expected in the North East today, with
rain also increasing on the East Coast this morning and a flood watch
continuing for all North and Eastern river basins. Higher rain totals
are possible around elevated areas.
Meanwhile, firefighters and drought-stricken farmers could take heart
from the latest Bureau of Meteorology outlook for the February to April
period issued yesterday.
The Climate Outlook Overview indicates that rainfall is likely to be
above average in central and southern Australia and drier than average
in the far north.
- SeeMoreRocks.
