**Life is like a library owned by the author. In it are a few books which he wrote himself, but most of them were written for him.**
Harry Emerson Fosdick
LARGEST QUAKES so far today -
5.8 KYUSHU, JAPAN
5.1 GUATEMALA
5.4 ICELAND
5.4 KEPULAUAN BARAT DAYA, INDONESIA
Yesterday, 8/27/14 -
5.9 VANUATU
5.6 FIJI REGION
5.0 GULF OF ALASKA
5.4 HOKKAIDO, JAPAN REGION
5.4 ICELAND
5.1 ICELAND
8/26/14 -
5.3 TONGA
5.0 NEAR EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN
5.4 ICELAND
After Napa quake, warnings that a big aftershock could loom - The earthquake that rocked California's wine country on Sunday was followed by moderate aftershock Tuesday morning, as authorities continue to warn that a larger aftershock remains possible.
VOLCANOES -
Scientists in Iceland are examining several 'cauldrons' found near Bardarbunga volcano, which could potentially be a sign of an eruption. The cauldrons, depressions in the volcano's surface, each between 10-15m (49 ft) deep and 1km (0.6 miles) wide, were seen during a flight on Wednesday. Iceland's Met Office said they were formed "as a result of melting, possibly a sub-glacial eruption."
Bardarbunga volcano has been hit by several recent tremors. The area experienced a magnitude 5.7 earthquake on Tuesday. Experts say these earthquakes are caused as magma flows beneath the ground, cracking the rocks as it moves. The Met Office has kept its aviation warning level - indicating the potential threat of volcanic activity to air travel - at orange, its second-highest.
Scientists discovered the new cauldrons south of the Bardarbunga volcano during a surveillance flight over the Vatnajokull ice cap - Europe's largest - on Wednesday night. It is not clear when they were formed, and the data is still being examined. Bardarbunga is part of a large volcano system hidden beneath the 500m-thick (1,600ft) Vatnajokull ice cap in central Iceland. The authorities said on Saturday that a small eruption had taken place under the Dyngjujokull glacier, but that there were no signs that gases or ash had broken through the ice.
The region, located more than 300km (190 miles) from the capital Reykjavik, has no permanent residents but sits within a national park popular with tourists. Officials have previously warned that any eruption could result in flooding north of the glacier. Iceland's Eyjafjallajokull volcano erupted in 2010, producing ash that disrupted air travel across Europe.
TROPICAL STORMS -
* In the Atlantic Ocean -
Hurricane Cristobal strengthens a little while it races toward the North Atlantic located about 435 mi...700 km SSE of Halifax, Nova Scotia.
* In the Eastern Pacific -
Tropical storm Marie is located about 920 mi...1480 km WSW of San Diego, California.
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Cristobal Headed Towards Iceland ; 98L Moving Inland Over Texas. Hurricane Cristobal continues to churn northeastwards over the Atlantic towards Iceland. Cristobal will merge with a frontal zone on Friday and transition to a powerful extratropical storm that will likely bring tropical storm-force winds and heavy rain to Iceland on Sunday night.
Tropical Storm Marie still generating huge waves in Eastern Pacific - The Eastern Pacific's Hurricane Marie was downgraded to a tropical storm on Wednesday, had top sustained winds of just 45 mph at 11 am EDT on Thursday, but was still generating huge swells that will pound the coast of Southern California and Mexico's Baja Peninsula through Friday. A High Surf Advisory is in effect for Los Angeles, where maximum waves of 10 - 15 feet with a few sets up to 20 feet high will potentially cause structural damage to piers and beachside property as well as significant beach erosion.
The powerful surf will be accompanied by strong rip currents and long-shore currents, making for very hazardous swimming and surfing conditions through Friday. Marie's high surf event is THE MOST SIGNIFICANT SOUTHERLY SWELL (swell only) EVER SINCE JULY 25, 1996 in Southern California. The storm is over waters cooler than 22°C (72°F) and will steadily degenerate into a remnant low by Friday.
A weak area of low pressure (Invest 98L) was centered near the coast at the Texas/Mexico border on Thursday morning. Satellite loops and images from the Brownsville, Texas radar showed the low was generating a few areas of heavy thunderstorms that were slowly growing more organized. Wind shear was a moderate 10 - 20 knots and ocean temperature were a very warm 29°C, which favor development, but 98L should move inland over South Texas on Thursday afternoon, before development into a tropical depression can occur.
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