No matter how much
one may love the world as a whole,
one can live fully in it
only by living responsibly in some small part of it.
Where we live and who we live there with
define the terms of our relationship
to the world and to humanity.
Wendell Berry,
LARGEST QUAKES -
Live Seismograms - Worldwide (update every 30 minutes)
This morning -
5.6 ANTARCTICA
Yesterday -
5/31/12 -
5.5 NEAR N COAST OF PAPUA, INDONESIA
The death toll from the 5.8-magnitude earthquake in northern Italy rose to 17 after the discovery of another body on Wednesday, as questions were asked about why factory buildings collapsed.
VOLCANOES -
Volcano Webcams
Preventive alert declared for three Costa Rican volcanoes - The National Emergency Commission on Wednesday declared a preventive “green alert” due to recent seismic activity at three volcanoes: Rincón de la Vieja, in the northwestern province of Guanacaste, Poás, northwest of San José in the province of Alajuela, and Turrialba, in the eastern province of Cartago. "The volcanoes are in constant activity." Turrialba Volcano, 70 kilometers east of the capital, has seen significant volcanic and seismic activity in recent months, prompting the National Seismological Network to upgraded its own color threat level to yellow. Emissions of gas at Poás Volcano are expected to increase, and Rincón de la Vieja Volcano has also seen significant volcanic activity. Despite the warning, access to the volcanoes will remain open to the public, but visitors must follow guidelines issued at each national park’s entrance.
A volcano in Russia's Far East spewed ash up to 5 km into the sky on Monday and the cloud of ash has since moved more than 500 km southwest of Mt. Shiveluch. An orange code alert is out banning aircraft from flying in the affected area.
TROPICAL STORMS -
In the Pacific -
Tropical depression 04w was located approximately 290 nm east of Manila, Philippines.
The 2012 Atlantic hurricane season begins today - Today marks the beginning of the Atlantic hurricane season, and the Carolina coast has already seen two named tropical storms. The last time that happened? Not since meteorologists began giving storms names in 1950 have two storms jumped the gun. That year the first tropical cyclone developed in the eastern Caribbean on March 6th and the second developed over the southern Bahamas on May 24th. The only other year that two storms developed so early in the year was in 1887.
Hurricane season off to a fast start - Tropical Storm Beryl struck Jacksonville this week as THE STRONGEST PRE-SEASON STORM RECORDED IN THE U.S., with 70 mph winds topping 1972's 60 mph subtropical Storm Alpha, which hit almost the same spot.
Tropical Storm Beryl became THE STRONGEST MAY CYCLONE ON RECORD IN ONE HUNDRED YEARS when it took aim at Florida's northeast coast this Memorial Day weekend. Beryl made landfall in Florida early Monday near Jacksonville Beach. Beryl was the strongest May tropical cyclone to hit the US since a hurricane that hit the Outer Banks of North Carolina with winds of 75 mph on May 29, 1908.
SEVERE RAIN STORMS, FLOODING, LANDSLIDES -
Quieter tornado season tied to jet stream - January and February of this year saw 70 and 55 tornadoes, respectively — more tornadoes than typically form in those months. Thank the jet stream, weather experts say, that the trend did not continue in March and April..
HEALTH THREATS -
Poultry-linked Salmonella outbreak lasted 8 years - A nationwide Salmonella outbreak linked to one US poultry hatchery has continued for 8 years, illustrating both the risk that chicks can pose to children and the difficulty of ridding hatcheries of the pathogen.
