eat less, chew more;
whine less, breathe more;
talk less, say more;
hate less, love more;
and all good things are yours.
Swedish Proverb
LARGEST QUAKES -
This morning -
5.7 MAURITIUS - REUNION REGION
Yesterday -
8/15/10 -
6.2 NEW BRITAIN REGION, P.N.G.
5.0 NEW BRITAIN REGION, P.N.G.
5.0 MARIANA ISLANDS REGION
5.0 MARIANA ISLANDS REGION
5.2 MARIANA ISLANDS REGION
5.0 MARIANA ISLANDS REGION
5.3 MARIANA ISLANDS REGION
5.1 TONGA
5.1 NEUQUEN, ARGENTINA
5.6 NEAR EAST COAST OF KAMCHATKA
VOLCANOES -
NEW ZEALAND - Scientists say the collapse of a massive undersea volcano off the coast of the North Island shows New Zealand could be at a high risk of tsunami. Marine geologists from the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research have confirmed a major eruption about 200km northwest of Auckland occured some time in the last two years.
The Rumble 3 volcano, which is larger than Mount Ruapehu, has lost about 120 metres in height. The undersea mapping shows the seabed is more active than was previously known. "We don't want to be scaremongering here, but definitely any large displacement of (the) seafloor will pull the water down. At the surface it will also generate a wave, and this collapse, we know because we've mapped it, this collapse is looking south-west, which is directly toward the New Zealand coast."
TROPICAL STORMS -
No current tropical cyclones.
Remains of Tropical Depression 5 to drift into Gulf, threaten Louisiana again today and Tuesday - The National Weather Service is warning that the low pressure system remains of Tropical Depression 5 will move back out into the Gulf of Mexico along the Florida panhandle coast early Monday and then will move west towards the Louisiana coast.
Forecasters warn that the system will be moving over warm water in the Gulf, where satellite readings indicate water temperatures are about 88 degrees, which could help turn the low back into a tropical cyclone. The National Hurricane Center has increased to 50 percent the chance of the low becoming a tropical cyclone, which means a depression or tropical storm. If it reaches tropical storm strength, with winds of at least 39 mph, the system would be named Danielle.
HEAVY RAINS, SEVERE STORMS, FLOODING, LANDSLIDES -
NIGER - Drought-stricken Niger has been struck by devastating flooding. Crop failure combined with a severe drought had already thrust tens of thousands of people into a perilous state in Niger and neighbouring Chad in the Sahel region of central North Africa. But now severe flooding is making the situation even worse. Heavy rainfall since the end of July has inundated six regions of Niger, affecting more than 58,000 people. Houses have collapsed and rotting animal carcasses are contaminating flood water, spreading disease. The region of Zinder in the south of the country has been hit hardest, with 28,000 people affected. More than 37,000 animals have drowned in the floodwaters. Zinder is also one of the regions suffering most from the current food crisis. "Children in Zinder are already incredibly vulnerable as they have been without enough food for months and their immune systems are already desperately weak."
EXTREME HEAT / WILDFIRES / DROUGHT / CLIMATE CHANGE -
INDIA - Sunday the entire Bihar was declared as drought-hit and the government was taking various measure to provide relief to the affected farmers. "Bihar is facing natural calamity for the fourth year in succession ... While the state faced devastating floods in 2007 and 2008, drought has hit the state for the second year in succession." The government had on August 3 declared 28 out of the 38 districts in Bihar as drought hit.
SPACE WEATHER -
Sun's 'quiet period' explained - The Sun's conveyor transports plasma across its surface to the pole, where it sinks before rising at the equator Solar physicists may have discovered why the Sun recently experienced a prolonged period of weak activity. The most recent so-called "solar minimum" occurred in December 2008. Its drawn-out nature extended the total length of the last solar cycle - the repeating cycle of the Sun's activity - to 12.6 years, making it THE LONGEST IN ALMOST 200 YEARS.
During a solar minimum the Sun is less active, producing fewer sunspots and flares. The new research suggests that the longer-than-expected period of weak activity may have been linked to changes in the way a hot soup of charged particles called plasma circulated in the Sun. The Sun's activity strengthens and weakens on a cycle that typically lasts 10.7 years. Since accurate records began in 1755, there have been 24 such solar cycles.
The 23rd cycle, which ended in December 2008, was both longer than average and had THE SMALLEST NUMBER OF SUNSPSOTS FOR A CENTURY.
The new research suggests that one reason for the prolonged period of weak activity could be changes in the Sun's "conveyor belt". Similar to the Earth's ocean currents, the Sun's conveyor transports plasma across its surface to the pole. Here, the plasma sinks into the heart of the Sun before rising again at the equator. During the 23rd cycle, these currents of fire extended all the way to the poles, while in earlier cycles they only extended about two thirds of the way. The increased length of the conveyor and its slower rate of return flow explain the prolonged 23rd cycle.
However, a solar physicist from Nasa's Marshall Space Flight Center who was not involved in the latest study, argued that it was the speed and not the extent of the conveyor that was of real importance. The conveyor has been running at RECORD-HIGH SPEEDS for over five years. "I believe this could explain the unusually deep solar minimum."
