authority always screams out that morality has been affronted.
It makes no difference if this idea is that the world is round
or that women should vote or that
the workers should control industry.**
Mary Heaton Vorse
LARGEST QUAKES -
Live Seismograms - Worldwide (update every 30 minutes)
This morning -
5.0 OFF THE COAST OF BAJA CALIFORNIA SUR
(4.2 and 4.2 OFF THE COAST OF BAJA CALIFORNIA SUR)
Yesterday -
5/2/12 -
5.0 NICOBAR ISLANDS, INDIA REGION
5.1 SOUTHEAST OF EASTER ISLAND
5.8 WEST OF MACQUARIE ISLAND
5.2 SOUTH OF TONGA
5.0 SOUTHEAST OF LOYALTY ISLANDS
(2.6 and 3.3 BAJA CALIFORNIA, MEXICO)
(4.4 and 4.1 OFFSHORE CHIAPAS, MEXICO)
Mexico - Several earthquakes rattled Mexico on Tuesday, but there were no reports of injuries or damage as the country celebrated a national holiday. The first quake shook near the northwest, off the coast of Baja California, just before 9 a.m. local time and there were no reports of damage. That quake registered a 5.0 magnitude at a depth of 6 miles. The second tremor, in the central state of Michoacan, struck before noon and shook Mexico City, although the epicenter was more than 100 miles away. Traffic and street life in the capital continued as normal just moments after the tremor, witnesses said. The quake that hit Michoacan had a magnitude of 5.7 and was recorded at a depth of 56 miles. The magnitude was revised from 5.5 The epicenter was 128 miles southwest of the Mexican capital. The third quake, a magnitude 6.0, struck off the coast of southwest Mexico near the Guatemalan border. The quake hit 51 miles west-southwest of Suchiate, Chiapas, at a depth of 27 miles. Mexico has felt several strong earthquakes in recent weeks, including a 7.4 magnitude tremor in late March, none causing serious damage. [ Additional quakes on Tuesday OFFSHORE CHIAPAS, MEXICO included a 4.5, 4.3, 4.3, 4.7, 4.6 and 4.4] [ There was also a 3.2 in BAJA CALIFORNIA, MEXICO & a 5.0 OFF THE COAST OF BAJA CALIFORNIA SUR on Tuesday.]
MYSTERY BOOMS-
Oklahoma - Seismic Testing Probable Cause of Carter County "Booms". People in Carter County have been hearing some mysterious booms lately. They're apparently the result of seismic testing being performed within the area. A company called Geokinetics is making the booms with electronic charges which make a fair amount of noise. The charges are used to create a digital image that helps the company pinpoint the best places to drill for oil. Testing is expected to continue for at least the next month. Geokinetics was granted a 30 day permit on Monday night.
VOLCANOES -
Eruption Spotted at Mt. Curry in the South Sandwich Islands - The NASA Aqua satellite spotted an eruption going on at Mt. Curry in the South Sandwich Islands. The South Sandwich Islands are located to the southeast of South America in an odd subduction zone where the Sandwich microplate is subducting under South America. Not much is known about Mt. Curry on Zavodovski Island – it is a basaltic stratovolcano (typical in island arcs) and it is thought to have last erupted in 1819, although the Global Volcanism Program lists a number of unconfirmed small eruptions as recently as 1930. The volcano does produce minor plumes, so this could be more of a strong steam-and-ash plume than a new eruption. However, confirmation will be difficult as few people live in the South Sandwich Islands and Zavodovski Island is uninhabited, so we’ll likely be relying on remote sensing to track this eruption. This eruption has some shades of Nabro – remote, not well known and spotted by satellite first. A lot of news sources are referring to the volcano as Mt. Asphyxia, but according to the GVP, the volcano is called Mt. Curry. (photo)
The Surprising Threat from Mexico's Awakened Volcano - Popocatépetl volcano continues to produce ash and steam eruptions several times a day, that generate plumes rising up to 1-2 km above the crater. Big eruptions of Mexico's massive Popocatépetl volcano are "few and far between," as one geologist says. Yet even without any dramatic fireworks, "Popo" has the power to wreak havoc. Popo and, in fact, many other volcanoes around the world harbor a means of destruction that many people may not associate with volcanoes: mudflows. "And they don't even require an eruption, so they are less predictable." Popocatépetl lies about 40 miles (70 kilometers) southeast of Mexico City. The mountain reawakened in December 1994 after five decades of silence. Yet in the nearly 20 years since, the volcano has rarely exhibited the kind of vigorous activity that began the week of April 12. Minor earthquakes have rocked the mountain, it has spewed out plumes of gas and ash, and multiple explosions have shot glowing rocks from the summit. The mountain has the potential to erupt magnificently once every 2,000 or 3,000 years. "It has big eruptions, but they are so few and far between. But they have been pretty big. So that is the scary part." Mudflows, also called debris flows and lahars (an Indonesian word), occur when water suddenly mixes with volcanic ash near a volcano's summit. The water can come from a multitude of sources — an explosive eruption that melts a mountaintop glacier, a sudden deluge of rain — with equally devastating results. They are a big ongoing hazard. "Thinking about them as mud is technically accurate, but conceptually it's more like a wall of cement flowing, and it destroys pretty much everything in its path." As a flow rushes down a mountainside, it typically picks up large boulders and anything else that lies in its way. Debris flows from snow-topped Popo could affect surrounding population centers. Popocatépetl's current activity has triggered a few small debris flows, but it isn't likely to produce any large ones, however, it has done so in the past. In one large eruption about 11,000 years ago, Popocatépetl produced mudflows that inundated surrounding valleys, wiping out towns and villages.
Indonesia - North Sulawesi Airport Should Be Closed After Volcano Eruption, Expert Says. North Sulawesi's Sam Ratulangi Airport should be temporarily closed as the Mount Lokon volcano erupted again on Tuesday, Indonesia's top volcanologist said. The volcano, located in Tomohon — about 10 kilometers south of Manado, erupted at 11:55 a.m. on Tuesday, spraying volcanic ash across an area 2.5 kilometers from Mount Lokon's Tompaluan crater. The eruption was bigger than last week's. “I cannot force Sam Ratulangi Airport to be closed, but I’ve recommended the closing." He also urged the government to prepare alternative ways to connect Manado and Tomohon, stating that past eruptions had left the town isolated. Anyone living within 2.5 kilometer radius from the mountain’s crater should be evacuated. The National Disaster Mitigation Agency sent disaster aid, including dozens of relief tents and food packages to Tomohon. No casualties or injuries were reported following Tuesday's eruption, and it remains unclear how many people have been evacuated from the area around the volcano.
TROPICAL STORMS -
No current tropical storms.
EXTREME HEAT & DROUGHT / WILDFIRES -
The rising mercury set off an eruption of brush fires around southern Finland. - Specialist helicopters may be used to fight flames. A rash of minor wildfires has caused headaches for rescue workers this May Day holiday. While no serious damage has been reported, emergency officials have issued warnings for people to be careful using fire, especially near dry hay. In Laukaa, near Jyväskylä, a hay fire engulfed several hundred square metres of fallow land. Meanwhile trash burning in Saarijärvi, also near Jyväskylä, sparked a blaze that spread over a 100 square metres of land. Brush fires were also reported on Monday in the towns of Forssa (Hämeenlinna), Asikkala (Häme), Akaa (Pirkanmaa) and Eura in southwestern Finland.
HEALTH THREATS -
RECALLS & ALERTS:
-Smiling Hara of Asheville is voluntarily recalling 12-ounce packages of unpasteurized soybean tempeh because of possible contamination with salmonella. Smiling Hara Tempeh has announced that the company was initiating a voluntary recall of all Smiling Hara products out of an abundance of caution.
-Henry's Farm is expanding the recall of its Soybean Sprouts, to include Natto Soybean Sprouts, because they may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes.
-Kaytee Pet Products is recalling a single manufacturing batch of Kaytee Forti-Diet Pro Health Mouse, Rat and Hamster due to possible contamination with Salmonella. -Diamond Pet Foods is expanding a voluntary recall to include Diamond Puppy Formula dry dog food. The company took this precautionary measure because sampling revealed Salmonella in the product.
