Earthquakes

RSOE EDIS

Date/Time (UTC)	Magnitude	Area	Country	State/Prov./Gov.	Location	Risk	Source	Details
01.09.2012 07:45:20	2.9	Europe	Greece	West Greece	Neochorion		EMSC
01.09.2012 07:45:44	2.5	Asia	Turkey	Bal?kesir	Marmara		EMSC
01.09.2012 07:30:28	5.1	South America	Colombia	Santander	Cepita		USGS-RSOE
01.09.2012 06:20:26	2.1	North America	United States	California	Coalinga		USGS-RSOE
01.09.2012 06:45:19	2.2	Europe	Greece	East Macedonia and Thrace	Kamariotissa		EMSC
01.09.2012 06:45:47	2.0	Europe	Italy	Calabria	Salerni		EMSC
01.09.2012 06:46:11	2.8	Europe	Poland	Lower Silesian Voivodeship	Jerzmanowa		EMSC
01.09.2012 06:00:33	2.0	North America	United States	Alaska	Lake Minchumina		USGS-RSOE
01.09.2012 06:46:33	2.5	Asia	Turkey	Mu?la	Sarigerme		EMSC
01.09.2012 06:10:47	3.4	Pacific Ocean	New Zealand	Hawke’s Bay	Takapau		GEONET
01.09.2012 06:46:54	2.7	Europe	Bosnia and Herzegovina	Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina	Zenica		EMSC
01.09.2012 05:45:24	3.3	Europe	Greece	Peloponnese	Marathopolis		EMSC
01.09.2012 05:46:20	3.1	Asia	Turkey	Mu?la	Sarigerme		EMSC
01.09.2012 05:46:48	2.2	Asia	Turkey	Van	Toyga		EMSC
01.09.2012 05:47:15	2.1	Europe	Italy	Sicily	Panarea		EMSC
01.09.2012 05:11:16	5.5	Pacific Ocean	New Zealand		Mamaku		GEONET
01.09.2012 05:47:37	2.0	Europe	Greece	South Aegean	Olymbos		EMSC
01.09.2012 04:15:26	2.0	North America	United States	Alaska	Livengood		USGS-RSOE
01.09.2012 04:00:41	2.2	North America	United States	California	Brawley		USGS-RSOE
01.09.2012 04:25:29	4.6	Middle America	El Salvador	Usulután	Puerto El Triunfo		USGS-RSOE
01.09.2012 04:45:20	4.6	Middle-America	El Salvador	Usulután	Puerto El Triunfo		EMSC
01.09.2012 03:50:26	2.4	North America	United States	California	Brawley		USGS-RSOE
01.09.2012 03:35:51	2.4	North America	United States	California	Imperial		USGS-RSOE
01.09.2012 03:36:15	2.5	North America	United States	California	Seeley		USGS-RSOE
01.09.2012 03:40:21	5.3	Pacific Ocean – West	Philippines	Eastern Visayas	Sulangan		EMSC
01.09.2012 03:43:20	5.3	Pacific Ocean – West	Philippines	Eastern Visayas	Sulangan		USGS-RSOE
01.09.2012 03:40:45	2.6	Europe	Italy	Calabria	Salerni		EMSC
01.09.2012 03:41:03	5.4	Pacific Ocean – West	Philippines	Eastern Visayas	Sulangan		EMSC
01.09.2012 03:43:38	5.4	Pacific Ocean – West	Philippines	Caraga	Libas		USGS-RSOE
01.09.2012 03:41:21	2.0	Asia	Turkey	Siirt	Uzyum		EMSC
01.09.2012 03:41:39	2.0	Asia	Turkey	Siirt	Uzyum		EMSC
01.09.2012 03:42:02	2.9	Europe	Greece	Crete	Platanos		EMSC
01.09.2012 03:42:20	2.2	Asia	Turkey	Siirt	Uzyum		EMSC
01.09.2012 03:42:39	5.2	Pacific Ocean – West	Philippines	Caraga	Libas		EMSC
01.09.2012 02:50:25	5.3	Pacific Ocean – West	Philippines	Caraga	Libas		USGS-RSOE
01.09.2012 02:35:18	2.6	Europe	Greece	Central Greece	Kastrakion		EMSC
01.09.2012 02:25:26	3.2	North America	United States	Alaska	Beaver		USGS-RSOE
01.09.2012 02:30:28	4.9	Pacific Ocean – West	New Caledonia		Tadine		USGS-RSOE
01.09.2012 02:35:41	4.9	Pacific Ocean – West	New Caledonia		Tadine		EMSC
01.09.2012 02:35:59	2.6	Europe	Greece	Peloponnese	Meligalas		EMSC
01.09.2012 02:36:17	5.7	Pacific Ocean – West	Philippines	Caraga	Union		EMSC
01.09.2012 02:36:35	3.1	Asia	Turkey	Kütahya	Dumlupinar		EMSC
01.09.2012 01:30:26	2.2	Europe	Poland	Silesian Voivodeship	Gorzyczki		EMSC
01.09.2012 01:30:45	3.0	Europe	Italy	Tuscany	Santa Mama		EMSC
01.09.2012 00:30:26	2.1	Europe	Italy	The Marches	Cartoceto		EMSC
01.09.2012 00:30:52	5.1	Pacific Ocean – West	Philippines	Eastern Visayas	Sulangan		EMSC
31.08.2012 23:55:29	2.7	North America	United States	California	Arbuckle		USGS-RSOE
31.08.2012 23:56:15	3.5	North America	United States	California	Coalinga		USGS-RSOE
31.08.2012 23:45:39	2.3	North America	United States	California	Brawley		USGS-RSOE
31.08.2012 23:35:30	2.8	North America	United States	California	Arbuckle		USGS-RSOE

………………………………………….

7.9 Mwp – PHILIPPINE ISLANDS REGION

Preliminary Earthquake Report
Magnitude	7.9 Mwp
Date-Time	31 Aug 2012 12:47:34 UTC 31 Aug 2012 20:47:34 near epicenter 31 Aug 2012 06:47:34 standard time in your timezone
Location	10.828N 126.677E
Depth	34 km
Distances	106 km (66 miles) ESE (102 degrees) of Guiuan, Samar, Philippines 175 km (109 miles) NE (48 degrees) of Surigao, Mindanao, Philippines 187 km (116 miles) ESE (104 degrees) of Tacloban, Leyte, Philippines 749 km (465 miles) SE (124 degrees) of MANILA, Philippines
Location Uncertainty	Horizontal: 13.7 km; Vertical 5.8 km
Parameters	Nph = 486; Dmin = 432.9 km; Rmss = 1.00 seconds; Gp = 13° M-type = Mwp; Version = 9
Event ID	us c000cc5m

For updates, maps, and technical information, see:
Event Page
or
USGS Earthquake Hazards Program

National Earthquake Information Center
U.S. Geological Survey
http://neic.usgs.gov/

Summary

Location and Magnitude contributed by: USGS, NEIC, Golden, Colorado (and predecessors)

General

100 km

50 mi

10.839°N, 126.704°E
Depth: 34.9km (21.7mi)

Event Time

2012-08-31 12:47:34 UTC
2012-08-31 20:47:34 UTC+08:00 at epicenter
2012-08-31 07:47:34 UTC-05:00 system time

Nearby Cities

96km (60mi) E of Sulangan, Philippines
109km (68mi) ESE of Guiuan, Philippines
162km (101mi) ESE of Borongan, Philippines
176km (109mi) NE of Surigao, Philippines
747km (464mi) ESE of Manila, Philippines

Tectonic Summary

The August 31, 2012 M 7.6 earthquake off the east coast of the Philippines occurred as a result of reverse faulting within the oceanic lithosphere of the Philippines Sea plate. The preliminary location of the earthquake indicates this is an intraplate event, 50 or more kilometers to the east of the subduction zone plate boundary between the Philippine Sea and Sunda plates. At the latitude of the earthquake, the Philippine Sea plate moves west-northwest at a velocity of approximately 100 mm/yr.

While this region of the Philippines experiences moderate-to-large earthquakes fairly frequently – there have been approximately 40 events of M6 and above over the past 40 years, within 250 km of the August 31 2012 earthquake – large events outboard of the subduction zone are unusual. While several moderate-sized events have occurred in this intraplate region, most have been the result of normal faulting within the shallower oceanic lithosphere, rather than deeper reverse faulting like August 31 2012 event. The largest nearby event regardless of mechanism was the October 1975 M 7.6 earthquake, approximately 200 km to the north of the August 31 2012 event.

For information on aftershocks within the region of this earthquake, see this map.

Seismotectonics of the Philippine Sea and Vicinity

The Philippine Sea plate is bordered by the larger Pacific and Eurasia plates and the smaller Sunda plate. The Philippine Sea plate is unusual in that its borders are nearly all zones of plate convergence. The Pacific plate is subducted into the mantle, south of Japan, beneath the Izu-Bonin and Mariana island arcs, which extend more than 3,000 km along the eastern margin of the Philippine Sea plate. This subduction zone is characterized by rapid plate convergence and high-level seismicity extending to depths of over 600 km. In spite of this extensive zone of plate convergence, the plate interface has been associated with few great (M>8.0) ‘megathrust’ earthquakes. This low seismic energy release is thought to result from weak coupling along the plate interface (Scholz and Campos, 1995). These convergent plate margins are also associated with unusual zones of back-arc extension (along with resulting seismic activity) that decouple the volcanic island arcs from the remainder of the Philippine Sea Plate (Karig et al., 1978; Klaus et al., 1992).

South of the Mariana arc, the Pacific plate is subducted beneath the Yap Islands along the Yap trench. The long zone of Pacific plate subduction at the eastern margin of the Philippine Sea Plate is responsible for the generation of the deep Izu-Bonin, Mariana, and Yap trenches as well as parallel chains of islands and volcanoes, typical of circum-pacific island arcs. Similarly, the northwestern margin of the Philippine Sea plate is subducting beneath the Eurasia plate along a convergent zone, extending from southern Honshu to the northeastern coast of Taiwan, manifested by the Ryukyu Islands and the Nansei-Shoto (Ryukyu) trench. The Ryukyu Subduction Zone is associated with a similar zone of back-arc extension, the Okinawa Trough. At Taiwan, the plate boundary is characterized by a zone of arc-continent collision, whereby the northern end of the Luzon island arc is colliding with the buoyant crust of the Eurasia continental margin offshore China.

Along its western margin, the Philippine Sea plate is associated with a zone of oblique convergence with the Sunda Plate. This highly active convergent plate boundary extends along both sides the Philippine Islands, from Luzon in the north to the Celebes Islands in the south. The tectonic setting of the Philippines is unusual in several respects: it is characterized by opposite-facing subduction systems on its east and west sides; the archipelago is cut by a major transform fault, the Philippine Fault; and the arc complex itself is marked by active volcanism, faulting, and high seismic activity. Subduction of the Philippine Sea Plate occurs at the eastern margin of the archipelago along the Philippine Trench and its northern extension, the East Luzon Trough. The East Luzon Trough is thought to be an unusual example of a subduction zone in the process of formation, as the Philippine Trench system gradually extends northward (Hamburger et al., 1983). On the west side of Luzon, the Sunda Plate subducts eastward along a series of trenches, including the Manila Trench in the north, the smaller less well-developed Negros Trench in the central Philippines, and the Sulu and Cotabato trenches in the south (Cardwell et al., 1980). At its northern and southern terminations, subduction at the Manila Trench is interrupted by arc-continent collision, between the northern Philippine arc and the Eurasian continental margin at Taiwan and between the Sulu-Borneo Block and Luzon at the island of Mindoro. The Philippine fault, which extends over 1,200 km within the Philippine arc, is seismically active. The fault has been associated with major historical earthquakes, including the destructive M7.6 Luzon earthquake of 1990 (Yoshida and Abe, 1992). A number of other active intra-arc fault systems are associated with high seismic activity, including the Cotabato Fault and the Verde Passage–Sibuyan Sea Fault (Galgana et al., 2007).

Relative plate motion vectors near the Philippines (about 80 mm/yr) is oblique to the plate boundary along the two plate margins of central Luzon, where it is partitioned into orthogonal plate convergence along the trenches and nearly pure translational motion along the Philippine Fault (Barrier et al., 1991). Profiles B and C reveal evidence of opposing inclined seismic zones at intermediate depths (roughly 70-300 km) and complex tectonics at the surface along the Philippine Fault.

Several relevant tectonic elements, plate boundaries and active volcanoes, provide a context for the seismicity presented on the main map. The plate boundaries are most accurate along the axis of the trenches and more diffuse or speculative in the South China Sea and Lesser Sunda Islands. The active volcanic arcs (Siebert and Simkin, 2002) follow the Izu, Volcano, Mariana, and Ryukyu island chains and the main Philippine islands parallel to the Manila, Negros, Cotabato, and Philippine trenches.

Seismic activity along the boundaries of the Philippine Sea Plate (Allen et al., 2009) has produced 7 great (M>8.0) earthquakes and 250 large (M>7) events. Among the most destructive events were the 1923 Kanto, the 1948 Fukui and the 1995 Kobe (Japan) earthquakes (99,000, 5,100, and 6,400 casualties, respectively), the 1935 and the 1999 Chi-Chi (Taiwan) earthquakes (3,300 and 2,500 casualties, respectively), and the 1976 M7.6 Moro Gulf and 1990 M7.6 Luzon (Philippines) earthquakes (7,100 and 2,400 casualties, respectively). There have also been a number of tsunami-generating events in the region, including the Moro Gulf earthquake, whose tsunami resulted in more than 5000 deaths.

More information on regional seismicity and tectonics

Additional Data Contributors

7.6 Mww – PHILIPPINE ISLANDS REGION

Preliminary Earthquake Report
Magnitude	7.6 Mww
Date-Time	31 Aug 2012 12:47:34 UTC 31 Aug 2012 20:47:34 near epicenter 31 Aug 2012 06:47:34 standard time in your timezone
Location	10.838N 126.704E
Depth	34 km
Distances	108 km (67 miles) E (101 degrees) of Guiuan, Samar, Philippines 178 km (110 miles) NE (49 degrees) of Surigao, Mindanao, Philippines 190 km (118 miles) ESE (104 degrees) of Tacloban, Leyte, Philippines 751 km (466 miles) ESE (123 degrees) of MANILA, Philippines
Location Uncertainty	Horizontal: 13.3 km; Vertical 2.8 km
Parameters	Nph = 688; Dmin = 435.1 km; Rmss = 0.98 seconds; Gp = 11° M-type = Mww; Version = A
Event ID	us c000cc5m ***This event has been revised.

For updates, maps, and technical information, see:
Event Page
or
USGS Earthquake Hazards Program

National Earthquake Information Center
U.S. Geological Survey
http://neic.usgs.gov/

Summary

Location and Magnitude contributed by: USGS, NEIC, Golden, Colorado (and predecessors)

General

50 km

20 mi

10.839°N, 126.704°E
Depth: 34.9km (21.7mi)

Event Time

2012-08-31 12:47:34 UTC
2012-08-31 20:47:34 UTC+08:00 at epicenter
2012-08-31 07:47:34 UTC-05:00 system time

Nearby Cities

96km (60mi) E of Sulangan, Philippines
109km (68mi) ESE of Guiuan, Philippines
162km (101mi) ESE of Borongan, Philippines
176km (109mi) NE of Surigao, Philippines
747km (464mi) ESE of Manila, Philippines

Tectonic Summary

For information on aftershocks within the region of this earthquake, see this map.

Seismotectonics of the Philippine Sea and Vicinity

More information on regional seismicity and tectonics

Additional Data Contributors

Today

Earthquake

Philippines

Eastern Visayas, [Coastal Region]

Earthquake in Philippines on Saturday, 01 September, 2012 at 02:26 (02:26 AM) UTC.

Description

A 7.6 earthquake struck off the Philippine coast on Friday, triggering landslides that killed at least one person and a small tsunami that hit the eastern part of the archipelago, authorities said. The quake struck at a depth of 34 kilometres (21 miles) in the Pacific Ocean about 140 kilometres from the Philippines, leading to tsunami warnings across its east coast and as far away as Indonesia, Japan and Papua New Guinea. A series of small waves ranging from 16-centimetres (six-inch) to 50 centimetres hit the eastern Philippines about two hours after the quake, according to local authorities, but there were no reports of major damage. The US Pacific Tsunami Warning Center shortly afterwards lifted its tsunami warnings for the Philippines and Indonesia. It had earlier cancelled similar warnings for Japan, Taiwan and several Pacific islands. The warnings led to a burst of terror for residents along the east coast of the Philippines, many of whom were without electricity because power lines had been cut during the earthquake that hit at 8:47 pm (1247 GMT). Leticia Amos, 35, a government employee, said hundreds of families on Samar island rushed to a hillside area, carrying their belongings as soon as the alert was raised.”It is very dark, there is no electricity and everyove is panicking,” she said. “Our place is on a hilly portion along the highway, and hundreds of people from low lying bayside areas rushed here.” The quake shook large areas of the east, and one person was confirmed killed when a landslide engulfed her home in Cagayan de Oro City. “There’s a 60-year-old woman who died and a five-year-old girl who was injured. There was a small landslide,” civil defence chief Benito Ramos said on DZMM radio. “The quake occurred amid strong rain, so the earth shook loose and there was a landslide.” Paula Daza, the governor of northern Samar province, one of the areas closest to where the quake struck, said there were reports of damage to infrastructure. “Some cracks appeared on concrete roads, and at the base of at least one bridge,” he said. Sol Matugas, the governor of another eastern region, Surigao del Norte, said on DZMM radio that the quake had severely shaken homes. “We were rather frightened. For the first time, we saw objects falling out of our cabinets,” he said. The USGS had initially reported the quake as having a magnitude of 7.9, but revised it to 7.6.

………………………………………..

8.1 Earthquake Philippines – Aug 31, 2012

Published on Aug 31, 2012 by Suspicious0bservers

2MIN News Aug 31: http://youtu.be/3h_YWsuDb5k

BUOYs: http://www.ndbc.noaa.gov/
USGS: http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/recenteqsww/Quakes/quakes_all.html
Global Quakes: http://quakes.globalincidentmap.com/

7.9 quake hits Eastern Samar

CEBU CITY (3rd Update) — A magnitude 7.9 earthquake shook some parts of the Visayas, particularly Eastern Samar,

The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) reported in its website that the quake’s epicenter was located at 112 kilometers east of Guiuan, Eastern Samar.

Source: http://www.usgs.gov

The quake’s origin is tectonic and it has a depth of 10 kilometers.

It was also located at 175 kilometers northeast of Surigao, 187 kilometers east southeast of Tacloban, Leyte and 749 kilometers southeast of Manila, the US Geological Survey said in its latest bulletin.

The USGS issued a tsunami warning in the Philippines, as well as in Indonesia, Taiwan, Japan and Guam.

Phivolcs Director Renato Solidum advised residents in Surigao del Norte, Eastern Samar, Southern Leyte and Bicol to be on alert for possible aftershocks.

He also advised those living in coastal villages in these areas to evacuate due to the tsunami warning.

Southern Leyte Governor Damian Mercado said in a radio interview that he told all town mayors in the province to evacuate all families living in coastal areas. Evacuation is also ongoing in Eastern Samar and Surigao.

No damage has been reported as of this posting Friday. (Sunnex)

LISS – Live Internet Seismic Server

GSN Stations

These data update automatically every 30 minutes. Last update: September 1, 2012 04:49:32 UTC

Seismograms may take several moments to load. Click on a plot to see larger image.

CU/ANWB, Willy Bob, Antigua and Barbuda

CU/BBGH, Gun Hill, Barbados

CU/BCIP, Isla Barro Colorado, Panama

CU/GRGR, Grenville, Grenada

CU/GTBY, Guantanamo Bay, Cuba

CU/MTDJ, Mount Denham, Jamaica

CU/TGUH, Tegucigalpa, Honduras

IC/BJT, Baijiatuan, Beijing, China

IC/ENH, Enshi, China

IC/HIA, Hailar, Neimenggu Province, China

IC/LSA, Lhasa, China

IC/MDJ, Mudanjiang, China

IC/QIZ, Qiongzhong, Guangduong Province, China

IU/ADK, Aleutian Islands, Alaska, USA

IU/AFI, Afiamalu, Samoa

IU/ANMO, Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA

IU/ANTO, Ankara, Turkey

IU/BBSR, Bermuda

IU/CASY, Casey, Antarctica

IU/CCM, Cathedral Cave, Missouri, USA

IU/CHTO, Chiang Mai, Thailand

IU/COLA, College Outpost, Alaska, USA

IU/COR, Corvallis, Oregon, USA

IU/CTAO, Charters Towers, Australia

IU/DAV,Davao, Philippines

IU/DWPF,Disney Wilderness Preserve, Florida, USA

IU/FUNA,Funafuti, Tuvalu

IU/GNI, Garni, Armenia

IU/GRFO, Grafenberg, Germany

IU/GUMO, Guam, Mariana Islands

IU/HKT, Hockley, Texas, USA

IU/HNR, Honiara, Solomon Islands

IU/HRV, Adam Dziewonski Observatory (Oak Ridge), Massachusetts, USA

IU/INCN, Inchon, Republic of Korea

IU/JOHN, Johnston Island, Pacific Ocean

IU/KBS, Ny-Alesund, Spitzbergen, Norway

IU/KEV, Kevo, Finland

IU/KIEV, Kiev, Ukraine

IU/KIP, Kipapa, Hawaii, USA

IU/KMBO, Kilima Mbogo, Kenya

IU/KNTN, Kanton Island, Kiribati

IU/KONO, Kongsberg, Norway

IU/KOWA, Kowa, Mali

IU/LCO, Las Campanas Astronomical Observatory, Chile

IU/LSZ, Lusaka, Zambia

IU/LVC, Limon Verde, Chile

IU/MA2, Magadan, Russia

IU/MAJO, Matsushiro, Japan

IU/MAKZ,Makanchi, Kazakhstan

IU/MBWA, Marble Bar, Western Australia

IU/MIDW, Midway Island, Pacific Ocean, USA

IU/NWAO, Narrogin, Australia

IU/OTAV, Otavalo, Ecuador

IU/PAB, San Pablo, Spain

IU/PAYG Puerto Ayora, Galapagos Islands

IU/PET, Petropavlovsk, Russia

IU/PMG, Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea

IU/PMSA, Palmer Station, Antarctica

IU/POHA, Pohakaloa, Hawaii

IU/PTCN, Pitcairn Island, South Pacific

IU/PTGA, Pitinga, Brazil

IU/QSPA, South Pole, Antarctica

IU/RAO, Raoul, Kermadec Islands

IU/RAR, Rarotonga, Cook Islands

IU/RCBR, Riachuelo, Brazil

IU/RSSD, Black Hills, South Dakota, USA

IU/SAML, Samuel, Brazil

IU/SBA, Scott Base, Antarctica

IU/SDV, Santo Domingo, Venezuela

IU/SFJD, Sondre Stromfjord, Greenland

IU/SJG, San Juan, Puerto Rico

IU/SLBS, Sierra la Laguna Baja California Sur, Mexico

IU/SNZO, South Karori, New Zealand

IU/SSPA, Standing Stone, Pennsylvania USA

IU/TARA, Tarawa Island, Republic of Kiribati

IU/TEIG, Tepich, Yucatan, Mexico

IU/TIXI, Tiksi, Russia

IU/TRIS, Tristan da Cunha, Atlantic Ocean

IU/TRQA, Tornquist, Argentina

IU/TSUM, Tsumeb, Namibia

IU/TUC, Tucson, Arizona

IU/ULN, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia

IU/WAKE, Wake Island, Pacific Ocean

IU/WCI, Wyandotte Cave, Indiana, USA

IU/WVT, Waverly, Tennessee, USA

IU/XMAS, Kiritimati Island, Republic of Kiribati

IU/YSS, Yuzhno Sakhalinsk, Russia

Tsunami Information

Pacific Ocean Region
Date/Time (UTC)	Message	Location	Magnitude	Depth	Status	Details
31.08.2012 14:54 PM	Fixed Regional Tsunami Warning Cancellation	Philippine Islands Region	7.6	33 km

Fixed Regional Tsunami Warning Cancellation in Philippine Islands Region, Pacific Ocean

GuID:	pacific.TSUPAC.2012.08.31.1454
Date/Time:	2012-08-31 14:54:01
Source:	PTWC
Area:	Pacific Ocean
Location:	Philippine Islands Region
Magnitude:	M 7.6
Depth:	33 km
Tsunami observed:	Yes, tsunami wave has been observed.

Fixed Regional Tsunami Warning Cancellation in Philippine Islands Region, Pacific Ocean

000
WEPA40 PHEB 311454
TSUPAC

TSUNAMI BULLETIN NUMBER 004
PACIFIC TSUNAMI WARNING CENTER/NOAA/NWS
ISSUED AT 1454Z 31 AUG 2012

THIS BULLETIN APPLIES TO AREAS WITHIN AND BORDERING THE PACIFIC
OCEAN AND ADJACENT SEAS...EXCEPT ALASKA...BRITISH COLUMBIA...
WASHINGTON...OREGON AND CALIFORNIA.

ADDITIONAL SEA LEVEL READINGS INCLUDED. WARNING IS CANCELLED.

... TSUNAMI WARNING CANCELLATION ...

THE TSUNAMI WARNING AND/OR WATCH ISSUED BY THE PACIFIC TSUNAMI
WARNING CENTER IS NOW CANCELLED FOR

 INDONESIA / PHILIPPINES / BELAU

THIS BULLETIN IS ISSUED AS ADVICE TO GOVERNMENT AGENCIES.  ONLY
NATIONAL AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT AGENCIES HAVE THE AUTHORITY TO MAKE
DECISIONS REGARDING THE OFFICIAL STATE OF ALERT IN THEIR AREA AND
ANY ACTIONS TO BE TAKEN IN RESPONSE.

AN EARTHQUAKE HAS OCCURRED WITH THESE PRELIMINARY PARAMETERS

 ORIGIN TIME -  1248Z 31 AUG 2012
 COORDINATES -  10.9 NORTH  127.1 EAST
 DEPTH       -   33 KM
 LOCATION    -  PHILIPPINE ISLANDS REGION
 MAGNITUDE   -  7.6

MEASUREMENTS OR REPORTS OF TSUNAMI WAVE ACTIVITY

 GAUGE LOCATION        LAT   LON    TIME        AMPL         PER
 -------------------  ----- ------  -----  ---------------  -----
 MALAKAL KOROR PW      7.3N 134.5E  1447Z   0.01M /  0.0FT  10MIN
 DART 52404           20.9N 132.3E  1418Z   0.01M /  0.0FT  10MIN
 DAVAO PH              7.1N 125.6E  1350Z   0.03M /  0.1FT  32MIN
 DART 52405           12.9N 132.3E  1333Z   0.03M /  0.1FT  10MIN
 LEGASPI PH           13.1N 123.8E  1343Z   0.03M /  0.1FT  14MIN

 LAT  - LATITUDE (N-NORTH, S-SOUTH)
 LON  - LONGITUDE (E-EAST, W-WEST)
 TIME - TIME OF THE MEASUREMENT (Z IS UTC IS GREENWICH TIME)
 AMPL - TSUNAMI AMPLITUDE MEASURED RELATIVE TO NORMAL SEA LEVEL.
        IT IS ...NOT... CREST-TO-TROUGH WAVE HEIGHT.
        VALUES ARE GIVEN IN BOTH METERS(M) AND FEET(FT).
 PER  - PERIOD OF TIME IN MINUTES(MIN) FROM ONE WAVE TO THE NEXT.

 NOTE - DART MEASUREMENTS ARE FROM THE DEEP OCEAN AND THEY
        ARE GENERALLY MUCH SMALLER THAN WOULD BE COASTAL
         MEASUREMENTS AT SIMILAR LOCATIONS.

EVALUATION

 SEA LEVEL READINGS INDICATE A TSUNAMI WAS GENERATED. IT MAY HAVE
 BEEN DESTRUCTIVE ALONG COASTS NEAR THE EARTHQUAKE EPICENTER. FOR
 THOSE AREAS - WHEN NO MAJOR WAVES ARE OBSERVED FOR TWO HOURS
 AFTER THE ESTIMATED TIME OF ARRIVAL OR DAMAGING WAVES HAVE NOT
 OCCURRED FOR AT LEAST TWO HOURS THEN LOCAL AUTHORITIES CAN ASSUME
 THE THREAT IS PASSED. DANGER TO BOATS AND COASTAL STRUCTURES CAN
 CONTINUE FOR SEVERAL HOURS DUE TO RAPID CURRENTS. AS LOCAL
 CONDITIONS CAN CAUSE A WIDE VARIATION IN TSUNAMI WAVE ACTION THE
 ALL CLEAR DETERMINATION MUST BE MADE BY LOCAL AUTHORITIES.

 NO TSUNAMI THREAT EXISTS FOR OTHER COASTAL AREAS IN THE PACIFIC
 ALTHOUGH SOME OTHER AREAS MAY EXPERIENCE SMALL SEA LEVEL CHANGES.
 THE TSUNAMI WARNING IS NOW CANCELLED FOR ALL AREAS COVERED BY
 THIS CENTER.

THIS WILL BE THE FINAL BULLETIN ISSUED FOR THIS EVENT UNLESS
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION BECOMES AVAILABLE.

THE JAPAN METEOROLOGICAL AGENCY MAY ALSO ISSUE TSUNAMI MESSAGES
FOR THIS EVENT TO COUNTRIES IN THE NORTHWEST PACIFIC AND SOUTH
CHINA SEA REGION.  IN CASE OF CONFLICTING INFORMATION... THE
MORE CONSERVATIVE INFORMATION SHOULD BE USED FOR SAFETY.

THE WEST COAST/ALASKA TSUNAMI WARNING CENTER WILL ISSUE PRODUCTS
FOR ALASKA...BRITISH COLUMBIA...WASHINGTON...OREGON...CALIFORNIA.

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Volcanic Activity & Discoveries

Reclus volcano (Patagonia, Chile): increased number of earthquakes as sign of reawakening

Volcano Discovery

BY: T

Some unrest is going on at Reclus volcano in southern Chile, located between Aguilera and Monte Burney in Patagonia, the Eruptions Blog writes:
“Over the summer, earthquakes began to be felt in towns in the region of the volcano and a potential for new activity from the Reclus has prompted geologists to visit the volcano later this spring (southern hemisphere). Interestingly, one article mentions that an overflight of the volcano in 2008 spotted cracks on the glaciers that cover the volcano along with traces of ash. However, the direct connection between the seismicity in Patagonia and Reclus is still tenuous, so further observations of the remote volcano will need to be done.”
Reclus has had at least 4 historical eruptions around, 1908, 1879, and in 1869. Although these were small, the volcano has produced larger explosive eruptions in the past and should be closely monitored.

All news about: Reclus volcano
Information about: Reclus volcano

—
Links / Sources:

Three Rumbling Volcanoes: Little Sitkin, Reclus and Tangkubanparahu (Eruptions Blog)

Elevated Volcanic Activity and Information Releases

Friday, Aug 31, 2012 at 20:30:59 PDT.

The following U.S. volcanoes are known to be above normal background (elevated unrest or eruptions) or have shown activity that warranted an Information Release (for example, an earthquake swarm).
Times are local to the volcano and in military format.
Volcano Alert Levels & Aviation Color Codes defined at http://volcanoes.usgs.gov/activity/alertsystem.

Little Sitkin Alert Level=ADVISORY. Aviation Color Code=YELLOW. As of Aug 31, 2012, 15:35 AKDT
Anomalous seismicity that began on August 29 gradually decreases since 06:00 AKDT (14:00 UTC) August 31, 2012.
(Change to current status occurred on Aug 30, 2012 04:23 AKDT from Alert Level UNASSIGNED and Aviation Color Code UNASSIGNED )
For more information see http://volcanoes.usgs.gov/activity/archiveupdate.php?noticeid=7691
Iliamna Alert Level=ADVISORY. Aviation Color Code=YELLOW. As of Aug 31, 2012, 15:35 AKDT
Clouds obscured satellite and webcam view of Iliamna during the past 24 hours. Seismicity remains slightly above background.
(Change to current status occurred on Mar 9, 2012 13:07 AKDT from Alert Level NORMAL and Aviation Color Code GREEN )
For more information see http://volcanoes.usgs.gov/activity/archiveupdate.php?noticeid=7690
Cleveland Alert Level=WATCH. Aviation Color Code=ORANGE. As of Aug 31, 2012, 15:35 AKDT
Satellite imagery indicates that as of August 27, 2012, the summit crater of Cleveland is a tephra-covered funnel surrounding a central vent containing no dome.
(Change to current status occurred on Jun 19, 2012 15:06 AKDT from Alert Level ADVISORY and Aviation Color Code YELLOW )
For more information see http://volcanoes.usgs.gov/activity/archiveupdate.php?noticeid=7689
Pagan Alert Level=ADVISORY. Aviation Color Code=YELLOW. As of Aug 31, 2012, 10:09 ChST
Low-level unrest. YELLOW/ADVISORY. Persistent steam/gas plume.
(Change to current status occurred on Oct 6, 2011 14:21 ChST from Alert Level UNASSIGNED and Aviation Color Code UNASSIGNED )
For more information see http://volcanoes.usgs.gov/activity/archiveupdate.php?noticeid=7686
Kilauea Alert Level=WATCH. Aviation Color Code=ORANGE. As of Aug 31, 2012, 08:16 HST
DI deflation and lava lake dropping slowed; new pit craters in Pu`u `O`o Crater and barely active lava flows to the SE; no ocean entry; gas emissions elevated.
(Change to current status occurred on Mar 9, 2011 19:45 HST from Alert Level WARNING and Aviation Color Code RED )
For more information see http://volcanoes.usgs.gov/activity/archiveupdate.php?noticeid=7688

Hong Kong Discovers 140 Million Year-Old Supervolcano

WSJ

: Reuters; People stand on large hexagonal columns of volcanic rock, southeast of Hong Kong in this handout photo released August 30, 2012.

Some 140 million years after it erupted and then toppled into the sea, an ancient supervolcano in Hong Kong is making headlines.

The government announced Thursday that it had located the supervolcano—the first discovery of its kind in southeastern China—while surveying in the area in southeastern Hong Kong. The volcano is now extinct and poses no threat to Hong Kong.

What makes the volcano super? When it last exploded 140 million years ago, it would have darkened the sky with 312 cubic miles of ash, enough to blanket all of Hong Kong, said Denise Tang of the government’s civil engineering & development department, which discovered the volcano. About 50 other such supervolcanos are known to exist around the world, she said.

The original base of Hong Kong’s supervolcano would have measured about 11 miles in diameter, and the vista of vaulting, hexagonal rock columns and small islands it left behind remain gorgeous reminders of its dramatic geologic past. They can be toured by boat, but Ms. Tang was quick to warn any would-be tourists to use caution before making any expeditions.

“Although it’s very beautiful,” she said, “there’s no facilities, no pier facilities, so we actually do not recommend people try to land on the island.”

Click here for more images.

– Te-Ping Chen. Follow her on Twitter @tepingchen

Ancient volcano discovered in Hong Kong

01.07.2012 Китай Гонконг город Азия вода река

Hong Kong. Photo: EPA

Remnants of an ancient super volcano have been discovered near Hong Kong.

According to experts, the last eruption of the volcano occurred in the Mesozoic Era at the turn of the Jurassic and Cretaceous Periods about 140 million years ago.

The diameter of the gigantic crater spans 18 kilometers.

Scientists have confirmed the earlier hypothesis that the volcano settled down many years ago and assured Hong Kong residents that it won’t erupt again.

TASS

31.08.2012

Volcano Activity

USA

State of Alaska, [Little Sitkin Volcano]

Volcano Activity in USA on Friday, 31 August, 2012 at 02:27 (02:27 AM) UTC.

Description

Seismologists say a cluster of earthquakes has been detected at a remote volcano in Alaska’s western Aleutian Islands. The Alaska Volcano Observatory says the quakes began Wednesday evening at Little Sitkin Volcano and are continuing as of Thursday morning. No eruption has been detected. Scientist in charge John Power says there is no direct link to the swarm of earthquakes at Little Sitkin and a cluster of quakes that shook California’s Imperial County earlier this week. Powers says Little Sitkin is located on an uninhabited island and is far from any populated areas. He says the seismic activity is unusual for Little Sitkin, whose last eruption possibly in the early 1900s is questionable. Powers says the concern about an eruption would be the possible threat posed to aircraft.

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Extreme Temperatures/ Weather

01.09.2012

Forest / Wild Fire

Spain

Andalusia, [Marbella Region]

Forest / Wild Fire in Spain on Friday, 31 August, 2012 at 10:16 (10:16 AM) UTC.

Description

A huge wildfire is approaching the wealthy resort of Marbella on Spain’s Costa del Sol, where the authorities have evacuated thousands of people. Flames reached the Elviria area on the edge of Marbella early on Friday. About 1,000 people have been evacuated from the edge of Marbella, about 3,300 from Ojen and others from a camp site at Alpujata, Spanish media report. They include at least 300 British expats sent to evacuation centres, the UK embassy said. Marbella is famous for its up-market hotels and villas – it is a favourite haunt of wealthy foreigners. Overnight the fire spread rapidly through a 12km (eight-mile) coastal strip, not far from holiday resorts. Two people have suffered serious burns and some homes have been engulfed by the fire. The Costa del Sol is one of Spain’s most popular holiday destinations and home to a large British expatriate community. The British embassy says it is working closely with the Spanish authorities and consular staff have been deployed to assist those affected.

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Storms/ Flooding / Landslide

Active tropical storm system(s)

Name of storm system	Location	Formed	Last update	Last category	Course	Wind Speed	Gust	Wave	Source	Details
Ileana (EP09)	Pacific Ocean – East	28.08.2012	01.09.2012	Hurricane I	300 °	102 km/h	120 km/h	5.18 m	NOAA NHC

Tropical Storm data

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Storm name:	Ileana (EP09)
Area:	Pacific Ocean – East
Start up location:	N 15° 30.000, W 107° 42.000
Start up:	28th August 2012
Status:	Active
Track long:	764.48 km
Top category.:
Report by:	NOAA NHC

Useful links:

Past track
Date	Time	Position	Speed km/h	Wind km/h	Gust km/h	Category	Course	Wave	Pressure	Source
28th Aug 2012	04:45:33	N 15° 30.000, W 107° 42.000	19	74	93	Tropical Storm	290	15	1000 MB	NOAA NHC
29th Aug 2012	04:37:35	N 17° 0.000, W 111° 6.000	17	93	111	Tropical Storm	305	11	997 MB	NOAA NHC
30th Aug 2012	05:06:37	N 19° 6.000, W 113° 6.000	15	120	148	Hurricane I.	320	17	987 MB	NOAA NHC
31st Aug 2012	04:54:30	N 21° 12.000, W 114° 12.000	9	139	167	Hurricane I.	335	10	976 MB	NOAA NHC

Current position
Date	Time	Position	Speed km/h	Wind km/h	Gust km/h	Category	Course	Wave feet	Pressure	Source
01st Sep 2012	05:06:50	N 22° 36.000, W 116° 42.000	13	102	120	Hurricane I	300 °	17	991 MB	NOAA NHC

Forecast track
Date	Time	Position	Category	Wind km/h	Gust km/h	Source
02nd Sep 2012	12:00:00	N 23° 30.000, W 121° 24.000	Tropical Depression	56	74	NOAA NHC
02nd Sep 2012	00:00:00	N 23° 18.000, W 119° 36.000	Tropical Depression	65	83	NOAA NHC
03rd Sep 2012	00:00:00	N 23° 36.000, W 123° 0.000	Tropical Depression	46	65	NOAA NHC
04th Sep 2012	00:00:00	N 23° 42.000, W 126° 0.000	Tropical Depression	37	56	NOAA NHC
05th Sep 2012	00:00:00	N 23° 30.000, W 129° 0.000	Tropical Depression	37	56	NOAA NHC
06th Sep 2012	00:00:00	N 23° 0.000, W 133° 30.000	Tropical Depression	37	56	NOAA NHC

Kirk (AL02)

Atlantic Ocean

29.08.2012

01.09.2012

Hurricane II

15 °

130 km/h

157 km/h

4.27 m

NOAA NHC

Tropical Storm data

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Storm name:	Kirk (AL02)
Area:	Atlantic Ocean
Start up location:	N 23° 54.000, W 45° 0.000
Start up:	29th August 2012
Status:	Active
Track long:	741.98 km
Top category.:
Report by:	NOAA NHC

Useful links:

Past track
Date	Time	Position	Speed km/h	Wind km/h	Gust km/h	Category	Course	Wave	Pressure	Source
29th Aug 2012	04:44:17	N 23° 54.000, W 45° 0.000	19	74	93	Tropical Storm	280	15	1007 MB	NOAA NHC
30th Aug 2012	05:13:04	N 25° 54.000, W 48° 18.000	15	93	111	Tropical Storm	300	18	1002 MB	NOAA NHC
31st Aug 2012	04:48:39	N 29° 0.000, W 50° 42.000	19	157	194	Hurricane II.	335	18	980 MB	NOAA NHC

Current position
Date	Time	Position	Speed km/h	Wind km/h	Gust km/h	Category	Course	Wave feet	Pressure	Source
01st Sep 2012	05:01:53	N 33° 54.000, W 49° 30.000	26	130	157	Hurricane II	15 °	14	988 MB	NOAA NHC

Forecast track
Date	Time	Position	Category	Wind km/h	Gust km/h	Source
02nd Sep 2012	12:00:00	N 43° 42.000, W 39° 36.000	Hurricane I	111	139	NOAA NHC
02nd Sep 2012	00:00:00	N 39° 24.000, W 44° 24.000	Hurricane I	120	148	NOAA NHC
03rd Sep 2012	00:00:00	N 48° 6.000, W 33° 42.000	Hurricane I	102	120	NOAA NHC

Leslie (AL12)

Atlantic Ocean

30.08.2012

01.09.2012

Hurricane I

295 °

102 km/h

120 km/h

5.79 m

NOAA NHC

Tropical Storm data

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Storm name:	Leslie (AL12)
Area:	Atlantic Ocean
Start up location:	N 14° 6.000, W 43° 24.000
Start up:	30th August 2012
Status:	Active
Track long:	664.99 km
Top category.:
Report by:	NOAA NHC

Useful links:

Past track
Date	Time	Position	Speed km/h	Wind km/h	Gust km/h	Category	Course	Wave	Pressure	Source
31st Aug 2012	04:48:01	N 14° 42.000, W 46° 48.000	30	83	102	Tropical Storm	280	12	1002 MB	NOAA NHC

Current position
Date	Time	Position	Speed km/h	Wind km/h	Gust km/h	Category	Course	Wave feet	Pressure	Source
01st Sep 2012	05:02:48	N 17° 24.000, W 52° 48.000	33	102	120	Hurricane I	295 °	19	999 MB	NOAA NHC

Forecast track
Date	Time	Position	Category	Wind km/h	Gust km/h	Source
02nd Sep 2012	12:00:00	N 21° 6.000, W 59° 24.000	Hurricane I	120	148	NOAA NHC
02nd Sep 2012	00:00:00	N 19° 42.000, W 57° 24.000	Hurricane I	111	139	NOAA NHC
03rd Sep 2012	00:00:00	N 22° 36.000, W 60° 54.000	Hurricane II	130	157	NOAA NHC
04th Sep 2012	00:00:00	N 25° 0.000, W 62° 0.000	Hurricane II	130	157	NOAA NHC
05th Sep 2012	00:00:00	N 26° 30.000, W 62° 30.000	Hurricane II	130	157	NOAA NHC
06th Sep 2012	00:00:00	N 28° 0.000, W 62° 30.000	Hurricane II	139	167	NOAA NHC

……………………………………

31.08.2012

Technological Disaster

USA

State of Louisiana, [Lake Tangipahoa region]

Technological Disaster in USA on Friday, 31 August, 2012 at 04:46 (04:46 AM) UTC.

Description

Lake Tangipahoa, a 450 to 500-acre lake at Percy Quinn State Park just north of the Mississippi state line, was swollen from Isaac’s rain, undermining a dam that, if it failed, would release the body of water into the Tangipahoa River that meanders down the parish’s length to Lake Pontchartrain. “That’s going to inundate an already flooded river,” said National Guard Col. Rodney Painting, the incoming commander of the Guard’s 225th Engineer Brigade who started his day helping oversee the evacuation of flooded areas in LaPlace and would end it in his native Tangipahoa helping oversee what appears to be the largest such effort in the state since Isaac made landfall Tuesday. Authorities in Mississippi tried to ease the pressure by releasing some of the water, an effort said to be working. Louisiana officials are taking no chances.State and parish officials called a mandatory evacuation for communities from Kentwood to Robert. If the dam breaks, the National Guard will go into the affected communities with high-water vehicles and small boats, “that we can get through the flooded woods or streets if we have to,” said Painter, who during the Isaac state of emergency has helped coordinate evacuation sites at Zephyr Field in Metairie and in Slidell before moving to Laplace and Amite. In the “controlled release” using spillways, the water from the lake flooded out into a sparsely inhabited area of Mississippi on Thursday afternoon, relieving pressure on a dam scoured by Hurricane Isaac that threatened to push water levels in the Tangipahoa River up to 17 feet in Louisiana. Officials believe the controlled release of waters through emergency spillways will allow the water level to stabilize and lessen pressure on the dam until crews can breach the edge of Tangipahoa Lake near McComb and drain another 8 feet of water.While the release is expected to protect communities on the north shore, officials in Mississippi said about 20 homes on their side of the state line will be flooded out and emergency crews conducted a door-to-door effort to warn residents to leave their homes. Meanwhile, a more massive effort was occurring miles downriver, as National Guard units and other state assets attempted to get 40,000 to 60,000 people out of their homes. Though the water level in the lake was dropping and Mississippi officials downplayed the seriousness of the dam’s condition, Gov. Bobby Jindal continued to urge residents to leave potential flood zones in Tangipahoa Parish Thursday night. “The worse thing that could happen is that people get a false sense of confidence and then if there be a breach overnight it would be a lot harder for people to evacuate,” Jindal said. From the Florida Parishes Arena, troops drove school buses to collection points, where they’re driving evacuees to evacuation shelters set up at schools. School buses have been brought in from as far as Avoylles Parish and Terrebonne Parish, each driven by soldiers. “I’ve already got buses on the road full of people,” said Lt. Col. Vincent Tallo.

About 200 coaches and school buses are being rushed to Tangipahoa, said First Sgt. Rufus Jones of 3rd Battalion, 156th Infantry Regiment, a Guard combat unit whose soldiers, all armed with M4 rifles, waited in the arena for missions that would likely would include security details. By Thursday night, Tallo said he expected 300 National Guard troops in the parish, assisting the evacuation. The National Guard received the mission at 10 a.m., Thursday, said Maj. Scott Slaven, who commands the 205th Engineer Battalion in Bogalusa. Troops and equipment are staged on both sides of the Tangipahoa River, Slaven said. At Pontchatoula High School, Darryl Holliday of Kajun Kettle Foods Inc., which has a state contract to feed evacuees, was told to brace for 2,000 people. At 6:30 p.m., none of the evacuees had reached the school on Louisiana 22. Holliday said he was told that 40 people were en route. Painter said the plan calls for keeping evacuees in Tangipahoa Parish. At the Florida Parishes Arena, employees of the state Department of Children and Family Services prepared to account for the evacuees with forms, in part designed to identify families.

The damage to dam prompted Parish President Gordon Burgess to order mandatory evacuations along the Tangipahoa River, which were carried out with the assistance of the state and National Guard units. The first reports of problems with the dam came into emergency operations officials at 8 a.m., when crews noticed two “sloughs” where dirt was sliding down the sides of the earthen structure, said Greg Flynn, spokesman for the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency. Those sloughs are the first sign of a problem with the integrity of a dam, Flynn said. The damage was caused by rain from Hurricane Isaac, which raised the water level of the recreational fishing lake by several feet, said Richard Coghlan, Emergency Coordinator for Pike County. “The dam appears very stable at this time,” Coghlan said. Mississippi officials stressed that reports Thursday that the waters had breached or overtopped the dam were incorrect. Opening the spillways will bring the water level back to normal but could cause flooding in a wide, sparsely populated stretch of Mississippi. Coghlan said residents had been warned and were planning on leaving for at least a night.

Those homes would also have been flooded in the event that the dam failed, he said. Once the water level drops back to normal, a process that could take days, crews will dig a trench out of the lake with the intention of causing a more serious drop in the water levels, Coghlan said. That will allow maintenance crews to go in and repair the dam, he said. Louisiana state officials estimated that between 40,000 and 60,000 homes would take on some water should the river flood. Many of those were outside the mandatory evacuation zone, which extended one mile on either side of the Tangipahoa River from Kentwood to Robert. It was unclear on Thursday exactly how many people lived in that area or how many were evacuated by the end of the day.

………………………………………

US Flooded: Video of Isaac aftermath, houses in water up to roofs

Published on Aug 31, 2012 by RussiaToday

The area south of New Orleans has been plagued by flooding since Isaac sloshed ashore as a hurricane on Tuesday evening and pushed water over the 18-mile levee.
Aerial video footage shows dozens of homes surrounded by water up their rafters. The flood also unearthed caskets and uprooted trees at a local cemetery. The storm Isaac has been downgraded to a tropical depression, and the extent of the damage is becoming clearer. Crews set out in air boats in LaPlace and saw heavy mud and dirty water caking homes, street signs and trailers. They worked to save cows and other livestock from the debris. Evacuees from that town continue to be ferried by buses to various shelters. Many of them lost everything they owned except what they were able to carrying with them in the minutes before evacuating.

RT LIVE http://rt.com/on-air

Today

Landslide

Philippines

Davao Oriental , Mati City

Landslide in Philippines on Saturday, 01 September, 2012 at 02:37 (02:37 AM) UTC.

Description

At least seven people are believed to have been killed after a landslide struck a gold-rush mountain community in the southern Philippines, the mayor of a nearby city said yesterday. Three days of heavy rains spawned the landslide on Thursday, which covered makeshift mining tunnels in a mountain area in Mindanao island, said Mati City Mayor Michelle Rabat. She said that a village chief in the isolated area told her by telephone that seven bodies had been recovered from the tunnels and the miners were digging to find more people believed buried. Other miners who descended from the mountains gave similar accounts, Rabat said. “Before the landslide, (a survivor) shouted to the people inside the tunnels to vacate the area. He saw three people running for their lives but it was too late. They were buried by the mudflow,” the mayor said. The gold-rich area has attracted thousands of small miners who tunnel into the side of the mountain despite the constant danger posed by landslides, quakes and collapsing tunnels, said Rabat. The area is so remote that it can only be reached through a lengthy motorcycle ride followed by an hour of hiking, making it difficult to determine the extent of the damage, she added. Military officials said soldiers had been dispatched to the affected area but they could not yet confirm any fatalities.

31.08.2012

Landslide

China

Province of Sichuan, [Liangshan prefecture]

Landslide in China on Friday, 31 August, 2012 at 15:35 (03:35 PM) UTC.

Description

Ten people are dead and 14 others missing after a landslide hit a hydropower station in southwest China. Rescue work was under way at the site in Sichuan province’s Liangshan prefecture. Mud and stones began crashing down onto the station late Wednesday night and continued to fall into Thursday morning. The report did not say if anyone had survived the landslide and provincial officials could not immediately be reached for comment. Liangshan prefecture lies about 1,750 kilometers (1,100 miles) southwest of China’s capital Beijing.

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Radiation / Nuclear

Fukushima reactors briefly did not get enough coolant water: TEPCO

TOKYO , Kyodo

The operator of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant said Thursday that the amount of water injected into the crippled Nos. 1 to 3 reactors temporarily dropped below the level regarded as necessary to keep the fuel inside cool.

Tokyo Electric Power Co. said the drop in the volume of the water did not affect the temperature of the reactor pressure vessels, while adding that the company is investigating the cause of the incident.

The utility known as TEPCO noticed that the three reactors were not getting enough water injection at 3 p.m. Thursday. Workers took measures to increase the water volume and they confirmed at about 4:30 p.m. that it recovered to the necessary level.

#Radioactive Japan: Head of The Ecosystem Conservation Society of Japan Says “People in Fukushima, Part of Kanto Including Tokyo, Should Not Marry” Because of Radiation Exposure

At a gathering of politicians from prefectural and municipal governments in Japan, the veterinarian head of a non-profit organization called “Ecosystem Conservation Society of Japan” told the audience, quite off-handedly,

People in Fukushima, Tochigi, Saitama, Tokyo, Kanagawa where the radioactive plume went by, should not marry because the deformity rate of their offspring will skyrocket.

To the outraged delegation from Fukushima City, he says,

Tough. They misquoted me on purpose, I was just talking generalities.

Generalities. So these days in Japan, citing specific locales and predicting specific events like deformity of babies is talking generalities.

So far, only the delegation from Fukushima City is outraged. The reactions from the rest of Japan are two types:

Oh someone finally spoke the truth, and he is the head of some non-profit organization (that must mean his intentions are good), so we should take it seriously; or
(Silence)

From Asahi Shinbun (8/29/2012; part):

福島市議会の佐藤一好議員らは２９日、記者会見し、公益財団法人・日本生態系協会の池谷奉文会長が東京電力福島第一原発事故の影響について話した７月の講演で「不適切な差別発言をし、容認できない」として、訂正を要求することを明らかにした。

Fukushima City Assemblymen including Mr. Kazuyoshi Sato held a press conference on August 29, and announced that they would demand the correction of the remark by Mr. Hobun Ikeya, head of a public interest incorporated foundation called “Ecosystem Conservation Society of Japan” during the lecture in July on the effect of the Fukushima I Nuclear Power Plant accident as “inappropriate and discriminatory, and cannot be tolerated”.

佐藤市議らによると、池谷会長は講演で「福島の人とは結婚しない方がいい」「福島では発がん率が上がり、奇形児が生まれる懸念がある」と述べたという。

According to Assemblyman Sato and others, Mr. Ikeha said in the lecture, “You’d better not marry anyone from Fukushima”, and “Cancer rate may rise in Fukushima, and deformed babies may be born”.

協会側の説明や記者が確認した録音によると、池谷会長は、福島のほか原発事故で一定の放射能汚染を受けた関東地方の県名をあげ、地域の地図を示しながら「放射能雲の通った地域にいた方々は極力結婚しない方がいいだろう」と発言。「結婚して子どもを産むと、奇形発生率がドーンと上がる」などと話した。

According to the explanation by the Society and the recording that our reporter listened to, Mr. Ikeya also mentioned several prefectures in Kanto region that have had certain levels of radiation contamination because of the nuclear accident. He pointed out to the map of the region, and said, “People who live in the areas where the radioactive plume went by should avoid marrying at all costs.” He further said “If they marry and have children, the rate of deformity in babies will skyrocket.”

池谷会長は朝日新聞の取材に、「被曝（ひばく）で遺伝子損傷と奇形児出産のリスクが高まることを訴えた」と説明。「一般論として私の見解を話した。差別する意図はなかった」と話した。

Mr. Ikeya responded to Asahi Shinbun and explained, “I wanted to emphasize the heightened risk of DNA damage and deformed babies due to radiation exposure. I discussed generalities, and had no intention of discrimination.”

講演は同協会が主催し、７月９日に東京で開催。全国の自治体議員らが参加し、福島市議会からは佐藤氏ら４市議が参加した。

The lecture was sponsored by the Ecosystem Conservation Society of Japan and held in Tokyo on July 9. Assemblypersons from municipalities throughout Japan participated, and four assemblymen including Mr. Sato from the Fukushima City Assembly participated.

More from Fukushima Minpo (8/30/2012; part):

日本生態系協会の池谷奉文会長（７０）が東京で開かれた講演会で、東京電力福島第一原発事故を受け「福島の人とは結婚しない方がいい」などと不適切な発言をしたとされる問題で、池谷会長は２９日、報道機関に対して講演記録の一部を公表した。

Regarding the remarks that have been condemned as inappropriate by Mr. Hobun Ikeya (age 70) of the Ecosystem Conservation Society of Japan in a lecture in Tokyo, Mr. Ikeya released part of the transcript of the lecture to the press on August 29.

文書には「福島ばかりじゃございませんで栃木だとか、埼玉、東京、神奈川あたり、あそこにいた方々はこれから極力、結婚をしない方がいいだろう」「結婚をして子どもを産むとですね、奇形発生率がどーんと上がることになる」とある。

According to the transcript, he said, “It’s not just Fukushima, you know, people in Tochigi, Saitama, Tokyo, Kanagawa, people who were there should not marry at all costs”, and “If they get married and have children, the rate of deformity in babies will skyrocket.”

協会によると、録音を書き起こした内容で、県内の各報道機関に送った。

According to the Society, the document is a transcript from the recording, and it has been sent to news organizations in Fukushima Prefecture.

福島民報社の取材に対し、池谷会長は発言内容を認めた上で「福島の人を差別するようなことは思っていない」と反論。これまでの取材に一貫して「発言していない」としていたことについては「差別発言ではないという意味だ」と答えた。

To Fukushima Minpo, Mr. Ikeya admitted that he had made these remarks, and argued, “I don’t think it’s discriminatory against people in Fukushima.” As to his insistence in the past that he hadn’t said anything like that, he answered, “I meant I hadn’t said anything discriminatory.”

池谷会長は現職の獣医師。「政策塾」は平成１５年から年一回ほどのペースで開き、今回が１２回目。毎回８０人から１００人程度の地方議員や議員を目指す市民らが参加しているという。昨年は東日本大震災の影響で中止となり、今回が震災後初の講演だった。

Mr. Ikeya is a practicing veterinarian. The “Policy” lecture has been given once a year or so since 2003, and it was the 12th this year. 80 to 100 politicians from municipalities and citizens who aspire to become politicians participate. Last year’s lecture was canceled due to the March 11 disaster, and this year’s lecture was the first since the disaster.

Accusation that Mr. Ikeya is discriminating against Fukushima is not really true, as Mr. Ikeya is saying the same for four other prefectures in Kanto.

Well at least Mr. Ikeya is a veterinarian, remotely qualified (I suppose) to comment on something medical. The only (human) medical experts who expressed outrage are so-called “government experts” (including Professor Noboru Takamura of Nagasaki University and Fukushima Prefecture Radiation Health Risk Management Advisor who spoke soothing words to Iitate-mura villagers right after the accident, and Professor Masahiro Fukushi of Tokyo Metropolitan University who measured radiation levels in meals with faulty germanium semiconductor detector for NHK program), which is taken by many net citizens on Twitter to mean Mr. Ikeya must be telling the truth.

Never mind that Mr. Ikeya’s expertise is with sick animals.

The Japanese government and government institutions and its experts have only themselves to blame for the deep distrust of anything that has to do with the government for an off-hand remark by a veterinarian to be taken seriously as the truth.

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Epidemic Hazards/ Diseases

New ‘Heartland’ Virus Discovered in Sick Missouri Farmers

Rachael Rettner, MyHealthNewsDaily Staff Writer

CREDIT: Tickvia Shutterstock

View full size image

Two men in Missouri who became severely ill after sustaining tick bites were found to be infected with a new type of virus, according to a study from the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Both men were admitted to hospitals after experiencing high fevers, fatigue, diarrhea and loss of appetite. They were originally thought to be suffering from a bacterial infection, but doubts arose when they didn’t improve after being treated with antibiotics.

Further tests revealed their blood contained a new virus, which the researchers dubbed the Heartland virus. It belongs to a group called phleboviruses, which are carried by flies, mosquitoes or ticks, and can cause disease in humans.

CDC says 10,000 at risk of hantavirus in Yosemite outbreak

A visitor takes in the view of Upper Yosemite Falls in Yosemite National Park, California May 17, 2009. REUTERS-Robert Galbraith

In this undated handout from the Centers for Disease Control image library, this transmission electron micrograph (TEM) reveals the ultrastructural appearance of a number of virus particles, or “virions”, of a hantavirus known as the Sin Nombre virus (SNV). REUTERS-Cynthia Goldsmith-CDC-Handout

By Dan Whitcomb and Ronnie Cohen

LOS ANGELES/SAN FRANCISCO

(Reuters) – Some 10,000 people who stayed in tent cabins at Yosemite National Park this summer may be at risk for the deadly rodent-borne hantavirus, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said on Friday.

The CDC urged lab testing of patients who exhibit symptoms consistent with the lung disease, hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, after a stay at the California park between June and August and recommended that doctors notify state health departments when it is found.

Two men have died from hantavirus linked to the Yosemite outbreak and four others were sickened but survived, while the CDC said additional suspected cases were being investigated from “multiple health jurisdictions.”

Most of the victims were believed to have been infected while staying in one of 91 “Signature” tent-style cabins in Yosemite’s popular Curry Village camping area.

“An estimated 10,000 persons stayed in the ‘Signature Tent Cabins’ from June 10 through August 24, 2012,” the CDC said. “People who stayed in the tents between June 10 and August 24 may be at risk of developing HPS in the next six weeks.”

Yosemite officials earlier this week shut down all 91 of the insulated tent cabins after finding deer mice, which carry the disease and can burrow through holes the size of pencil erasers, nesting between the double walls.

Park authorities said on Friday that they had contacted approximately 3,000 parties of visitors who stayed in the tent cabins since mid-June, advising them to seek immediate medical attention if they have symptoms of hantavirus.

Nearly 4 million people visit Yosemite, one of the nation’s most popular national parks, each year, attracted to the its dramatic scenery and hiking trails. Roughly 70 percent of those visitors congregate in Yosemite Valley, where Curry Village is located.

YOSEMITE LOGS 1,500 CALLS

The virus starts out causing flu-like symptoms, including headache, fever, muscle ache, shortness of breath and cough, and can lead to severe breathing difficulties and death.

The incubation period for the virus is typically two to four weeks after exposure, the CDC said, with a range between a few days and six weeks. Just over a third of cases are fatal.

“Providers are reminded to consider the diagnosis of HPS in all persons presenting with clinically compatible illness and to ask about potential rodent exposure or if they had recently visited Yosemite National Park,” the CDC said.

Although there is no cure for hantavirus, which has never been known to be transmitted between humans, treatment after early detection through blood tests can save lives.

“Early medical attention and diagnosis of hantavirus are critical,” Yosemite superintendent Don Neubacher said in a statement. “We urge anyone who may have been exposed to the infection to see their doctor at the first sign of symptoms and to advise them of the potential of hantavirus.”

Yosemite spokeswoman Kari Cobb said rangers have answered some 1,500 phone calls from park visitors and others concerned about the disease. But she said the outbreak had not triggered a wave of cancellations

“Right now it’s normal numbers for Friday,” she said. “There have been cancellations, but it would be grossly overstated to say they’re cancelling en masse. There’s quite a bit of people out there still. It’s still summer and a holiday weekend. It’s still the summer crowds.”

A national park service officials has said that public health officials warned the park twice before about hantavirus after it struck visitors. But it was not until this week that the hiding place for the deer mice carrying the virus was found.

Hantavirus is carried in rodent feces, urine and saliva, which dries out and mixes with dust that can be inhaled by humans, especially in small, confined spaces with poor ventilation.

People can also be infected by eating contaminated food, touching contaminated surfaces or being bitten by infected rodents.

(Editing by Cynthia Johnston, Todd Eastham and Lisa Shumaker)

Epidemic Hazard in USA on Wednesday, 29 August, 2012 at 15:48 (03:48 PM) UTC.

Description
In the first confirmed case of bubonic plague in Colorado since 2006, an Archuleta County resident has tested positive for the disease. The last human case in Archuleta County, which borders on New Mexico, was in 1998. It is believed that the person contracted the plague during a family outing in the Cimarrona Campground northwest of Pagosa Springs, but the investigation is ongoing, according to a news release from the San Juan Basin Health Department. The gender and age of the victim were not released, the paper reported. In 2006, Colorado had four cases of plague, all in La Plata County, Joe Fowler, a disease-control nurse with the San Juan Basin Health Department said. Most human cases of plague tend to occur in rural areas in two regions — northern Arizona and New Mexico and southern Colorado or in California, southern Oregon and western Nevada. One human case has been reported in New Mexico so far this year – in a 78-year-old Torrance County man who contracted the disease in May, in what state health officials called the nation’s first human plague case of the yea
Biohazard name:	Plague
Biohazard level:	4/4 Hazardous
Biohazard desc.:	Viruses and bacteria that cause severe to fatal disease in humans, and for which vaccines or other treatments are not available, such as Bolivian and Argentine hemorrhagic fevers, H5N1(bird flu), Dengue hemorrhagic fever, Marburg virus, Ebola virus, hantaviruses, Lassa fever, Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever, and other hemorrhagic or unidentified diseases. When dealing with biological hazards at this level the use of a Hazmat suit and a self-contained oxygen supply is mandatory. The entrance and exit of a Level Four biolab will contain multiple showers, a vacuum room, an ultraviolet light room, autonomous detection system, and other safety precautions designed to destroy all traces of the biohazard. Multiple airlocks are employed and are electronically secured to prevent both doors opening at the same time. All air and water service going to and coming from a Biosafety Level 4 (P4) lab will undergo similar decontamination procedures to eliminate the possibility of an accidental release.
Symptoms:
Status:	confirmed

Today

Epidemic Hazard

USA

State of California, San Francisco [SF State]

Epidemic Hazard in USA on Saturday, 01 September, 2012 at 02:34 (02:34 AM) UTC.

Description
A case of adult chicken pox has emerged at SF State. A school-wide email was sent out by Alastair K. Smith, MD to SF State students Aug. 31, saying that there is a student with a case of the chickenpox. Though the student infected does not live on campus, they were on campus August 27 and 29, visiting the Creative Arts building, Humanities building, Science building, Business building, Burk Hall and Bookstore during their infected stage. Varicella, commonly known as chickenpox, is a virus which symptoms include fever, tiredness, headaches and a rash that turns into itchy, fluid-filled blisters that scab after several days. Chickenpox is a condition that is spread by airborne particles, sweat and skin-to-skin contact. Scott Hongsweet, junior at SF State, had chickenpox when he was 4 years old, but is not concerned about the recent developments. “I’ve had chickenpox and it was like having bug bites all over your body,” said Hongsweet. “Though it was super itchy, I wouldn’t be weary of going to school if there was a person with chickenpox there, because the chances of me getting it are very slim.”The incubation period for chickenpox is 14 to 16 days and is infectious until five or six days after the onset of the rash, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Protection. Varicella carries the most complications for people over 15 years of age and under one year of age. Overall, it is estimated that adults account for 5 percent for reported cases of varicella but may carry the most risk, according to the CDC. SF State isn’t the only university in the bay area that has experienced a health scare among the student body. The University of California at Berkeley had a mumps scare during October where seven students were infected. Pregnant and immune-compromised people are at a high risk for infection, and persons who are not immune are suggested to get a dose of the varicella vaccine within three to five days of exposure. Smith addressed in the email to the school: “We are monitoring the situation carefully, and given that most persons have immunity through childhood exposure or vaccination, we do not expect a major outbreak on campus.” Beth Cross, junior at SF State, isn’t the least bit worried about chickenpox at her school. “I am not worried about the disease on campus…I am sure there are way worse diseases on campus,” said Cross.
Biohazard name:	Chickenpox
Biohazard level:	3/4 Hight
Biohazard desc.:	Bacteria and viruses that can cause severe to fatal disease in humans, but for which vaccines or other treatments exist, such as anthrax, West Nile virus, Venezuelan equine encephalitis, SARS virus, variola virus (smallpox), tuberculosis, typhus, Rift Valley fever, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, yellow fever, and malaria. Among parasites Plasmodium falciparum, which causes Malaria, and Trypanosoma cruzi, which causes trypanosomiasis, also come under this level.
Symptoms:
Status:	confirmed

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Climate Change

Shading Earth: Delivering Solar Geoengineering Materials to Combat Global Warming May Be Feasible and Affordable

ScienceDaily (Aug. 29, 2012) — A cost analysis of the technologies needed to transport materials into the stratosphere to reduce the amount of sunlight hitting Earth and therefore reduce the effects of global climate change has shown that they are both feasible and affordable.

A cost analysis of the technologies needed to transport materials into the stratosphere to reduce the amount of sunlight hitting Earth and therefore reduce the effects of global climate change has shown that they are both feasible and affordable. (Credit: © mozZz / Fotolia)

Published August 31, 2012, in IOP Publishing’s journal Environmental Research Letters, the study has shown that the basic technology currently exists and could be assembled and implemented in a number of different forms for less than USD $5 billion a year.

Put into context, the cost of reducing carbon dioxide emissions is currently estimated to be between 0.2 and 2.5 per cent of GDP in the year 2030, which is equivalent to roughly USD $200 to $2000 billion.

Solar radiation management (SRM) looks to induce the effects similar to those observed after volcanic eruptions; however, the authors state that it is not a preferred strategy and that such a claim could only be made after the thorough investigation of the implications, risks and costs associated with these issues.

The authors caution that reducing incident sunlight does nothing at all to reduce greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere, nor the resulting increase in the acid content of the oceans. They note that other research has shown that the effects of solar radiation management are not uniform, and would cause different temperature and precipitation changes in different countries.

Co-author of the study, Professor Jay Apt, said: “As economists are beginning to explore the role of several types of geoengineering, it is important that a cost analysis of SRM is carried out. The basic feasibility of SRM with current technology is still being disputed and some political scientists and policy makers are concerned about unilateral action.”

In the study, the researchers, from Aurora Flight Sciences, Harvard University and Carnegie Mellon University, performed an engineering cost analysis on six systems capable of delivering 1-5 million metric tonnes of material to altitudes of 18-30 km: existing aircraft, a new airplane designed to perform at altitudes up to 30 km, a new hybrid airship, rockets, guns and suspended pipes carrying gas or slurry to inject the particles into the atmosphere.

Based on existing research into solar radiation management, the researchers performed their cost analyses for systems that could deliver around one million tonnes of aerosols each year at an altitude between 18 and 25 km and between a latitude range of 30°N and 30°S.

The study concluded that using aircraft is easily within the current capabilities of aerospace engineering, manufacturing and operations. The development of new, specialized aircraft appeared to be the cheapest option, with costs of around $1 to $2 billion a year; existing aircraft would be more expensive as they are not optimized for high altitudes and would need considerable and expensive modifications to do so.

Guns and rockets appeared to be capable of delivering materials at high altitudes but the costs associated with these are much higher than those of airplanes and airships due to their lack of reusability.

Although completely theoretical at this point in time, a large gas pipe, rising to 20 km in the sky and suspended by helium-filled floating platforms, would offer the lowest recurring cost-per-kilogram of particles delivered but the costs of research into the materials required, the development of the pipe and the testing to ensure safety, would be high; the whole system carries a large uncertainty.

Professor Apt continued: “We hope our study will help other scientists looking at more novel methods for dispersing particles and help them to explore methods with increased efficiency and reduced environmental risk.”

The researchers make it clear that they have not sought to address the science of aerosols in the stratosphere, nor issues of risk, effectiveness or governance that will add to the costs of solar radiation management geoengineering.

Reference

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Solar Activity

2MIN News August 31. 2012: Quakes North and South. Sunspots

Published on Aug 31, 2012 by Suspicious0bservers

TODAY’S LINKS
China Supervolcano: http://www.china.org.cn/environment/2012-08/30/content_26383998.htm
Mississippi Flows Backwards: http://www.usgs.gov/newsroom/article.asp?ID=3387#.UD-M2HP1uH8
England Rain: http://news.sky.com/story/978880/washout-wettest-summer-in-100-years
Isaac Threatens Dam: http://in.reuters.com/article/2012/08/30/us-storm-isaac-idINBRE87L0PH20120830
Moonwater: http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/LRO/news/shackleton-ice.html

REPEAT LINKS
Spaceweather: http://spaceweather.com/ [Look on the left at the X-ray Flux and Solar Wind Speed/Density]

HAARP: http://www.haarp.alaska.edu/haarp/data.html [Click online data, and have a little fun]

SDO: http://sdo.gsfc.nasa.gov/data/ [Place to find Solar Images and Videos - as seen from earth]

SOHO: http://sohodata.nascom.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/soho_movie_theater [SOHO; Lasco and EIT - as seen from earth]

Stereo: http://stereo.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/images [Stereo; Cor, EUVI, HI - as seen from the side]

SunAEON:http://www.sunaeon.com/#/solarsystem/ [Just click it... trust me]

SOLARIMG: http://solarimg.org/artis/ [All purpose data viewing site]

iSWA: http://iswa.gsfc.nasa.gov/iswa/iSWA.html [Free Application; for advanced sun watchers]

NASA ENLIL SPIRAL: http://iswa.gsfc.nasa.gov:8080/IswaSystemWebApp/iSWACygnetStreamer?timestamp=…
NOAA ENLIL SPIRAL: http://www.swpc.noaa.gov/wsa-enlil/

NOAA Bouys: http://www.ndbc.noaa.gov/

NOAA Environmental Visualization Laboratory: http://www.nnvl.noaa.gov/Default.php

RSOE: http://hisz.rsoe.hu/alertmap/index2.php [That cool alert map I use]

JAPAN Radiation Map: http://jciv.iidj.net/map/

LISS: http://earthquake.usgs.gov/monitoring/operations/heliplots_gsn.php

Gamma Ray Bursts: http://grb.sonoma.edu/ [Really? You can't figure out what this one is for?]

BARTOL Cosmic Rays: http://neutronm.bartol.udel.edu//spaceweather/welcome.html [Top left box, look for BIG blue circles]

TORCON: http://www.weather.com/news/tornado-torcon-index [Tornado Forecast for the day]

GOES Weather: http://rsd.gsfc.nasa.gov/goes/ [Clouds over America]

RAIN RECORDS: http://www.cocorahs.org/ViewData/ListIntensePrecipReports.aspx

EL DORADO WORLD WEATHER MAP: http://www.eldoradocountyweather.com/satellite/ssec/world/world-composite-ir-…

PRESSURE MAP: http://www.woweather.com/cgi-bin/expertcharts?LANG=us&MENU=0000000000&…

HURRICANE TRACKER: http://www.weather.com/weather/hurricanecentral/tracker

INTELLICAST: http://www.intellicast.com/ [Weather site used by many youtubers]

NASA News: http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/

PHYSORG: http://phys.org/ [GREAT News Site!]

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Space

Blue Moon Alert: See August’s 2nd Full Moon

OurAmazingPlanet Staff

Nearly full moon photographed by space station astronauts

Inspired by the nearly-full moon, space station astronauts used an 800 mm lens to study the craters and mare in this picture taken on Oct. 5, 2001.
CREDIT: NASA

View full size image

The night skies this week have been very bright thanks to the moon, and they’ll get brighter still on Friday as a blue moon rises above the horizon.

The moon won’t literally be blue-colored, of course; the name refers to the second full moon to occur in a single month.

Blue moons happen because our calendar months don’t line up exactly with the moon’s orbit. It takes the moon 29.5 days to wax and wane from full to new to full again. With the exception of February, months are longer than that, meaning that every so often the timing works out so there are two full moons in one month.

The first full moon of August 2012 graced night skies on Aug. 1; for most of the world, the second just squeezes in at the end of the month, with the moon becoming full at exactly 9:58 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time (6:58 a.m. Pacific Standard Time).

Though a blue moon looks the same as any other full moon, the moon can actually appear to be colored under particular atmospheric conditions: Forest fires and volcanic eruptions can pump smoke and ash into the atmosphere, which can make the moon appear a bluish hue to those standing on the Earth’s surface.

This week’s blue moon will be the last until 2015, so take a look while you can!

For more skywatching information, check out sister site SPACE.com‘s Night Sky page.

Earth approaching objects (objects that are known in the next 30 days)

Object Name

Apporach Date

Left

AU Distance

LD Distance

Estimated Diameter*

Relative Velocity

(2012 LU7)

02nd September 2012

1 day(s)

0.1200

46.7

440 m – 990 m

8.16 km/s

29376 km/h

(2012 FS35)

02nd September 2012

1 day(s)

0.1545

60.1

2.3 m – 5.2 m

2.87 km/s

10332 km/h

(2012 HG31)

03rd September 2012

2 day(s)

0.0716

27.9

440 m – 990 m

10.33 km/s

37188 km/h

(2012 PX)

04th September 2012

3 day(s)

0.0452

17.6

61 m – 140 m

9.94 km/s

35784 km/h

(2012 EH5)

05th September 2012

4 day(s)

0.1613

62.8

38 m – 84 m

9.75 km/s

35100 km/h

(2011 EO11)

05th September 2012

4 day(s)

0.1034

40.2

9.0 m – 20 m

8.81 km/s

31716 km/h

(2007 PS25)

06th September 2012

5 day(s)

0.0497

19.3

23 m – 52 m

8.50 km/s

30600 km/h

329520 (2002 SV)

08th September 2012

7 day(s)

0.1076

41.9

300 m – 670 m

9.17 km/s

33012 km/h

(2011 ES4)

10th September 2012

9 day(s)

0.1792

69.8

20 m – 44 m

12.96 km/s

46656 km/h

(2008 CO)

11th September 2012

10 day(s)

0.1847

71.9

74 m – 160 m

4.10 km/s

14760 km/h

(2007 PB8)

14th September 2012

13 day(s)

0.1682

65.5

150 m – 340 m

14.51 km/s

52236 km/h

226514 (2003 UX34)

14th September 2012

13 day(s)

0.1882

73.2

260 m – 590 m

25.74 km/s

92664 km/h

(1998 QC1)

14th September 2012

13 day(s)

0.1642

63.9

310 m – 700 m

17.11 km/s

61596 km/h

(2002 EM6)

15th September 2012

14 day(s)

0.1833

71.3

270 m – 590 m

18.56 km/s

66816 km/h

(2002 RP137)

16th September 2012

15 day(s)

0.1624

63.2

67 m – 150 m

7.31 km/s

26316 km/h

(2009 RX4)

16th September 2012

15 day(s)

0.1701

66.2

15 m – 35 m

8.35 km/s

30060 km/h

(2005 UC)

17th September 2012

16 day(s)

0.1992

77.5

280 m – 640 m

7.55 km/s

27180 km/h

(2012 FC71)

18th September 2012

17 day(s)

0.1074

41.8

24 m – 53 m

3.51 km/s

12636 km/h

(1998 FF14)

19th September 2012

18 day(s)

0.0928

36.1

210 m – 480 m

21.40 km/s

77040 km/h

331990 (2005 FD)

19th September 2012

18 day(s)

0.1914

74.5

320 m – 710 m

15.92 km/s

57312 km/h

(2009 SH2)

24th September 2012

23 day(s)

0.1462

56.9

28 m – 62 m

7.52 km/s

27072 km/h

333578 (2006 KM103)

25th September 2012

24 day(s)

0.0626

24.4

250 m – 560 m

8.54 km/s

30744 km/h

(2002 EZ2)

26th September 2012

25 day(s)

0.1922

74.8

270 m – 610 m

6.76 km/s

24336 km/h

(2009 SB170)

29th September 2012

28 day(s)

0.1789

69.6

200 m – 440 m

32.39 km/s

116604 km/h

(2011 OJ45)

29th September 2012

28 day(s)

0.1339

52.1

18 m – 39 m

4.24 km/s

15264 km/h

(2012 JS11)

30th September 2012

29 day(s)

0.0712

27.7

270 m – 600 m

12.60 km/s

45360 km/h

1 AU = ~150 million kilometers,1 LD = Lunar Distance = ~384,000 kilometers

Source: NASA-NEO

……………………………………….

Effects of Einstein’s Elusive Gravity Waves Observed

Universe Today

by Jason Major

Two white dwarfs similar to those in the system SDSS J065133.338+284423.37 spiral together in this illustration from NASA. Credit: D. Berry/NASA GSFC

Locked in a spiraling orbital embrace, the super-dense remains of two dead stars are giving astronomers the evidence needed to confirm one of Einstein’s predictions about the Universe.

A binary system located about 3,000 light-years away, SDSS J065133.338+284423.37 (J0651 for short) contains two white dwarfs orbiting each other rapidly — once every 12.75 minutes. The system was discovered in April 2011, and since then astronomers have had their eyes — and four separate telescopes in locations around the world — on it to see if gravitational effects first predicted by Einstein could be seen.

According to Einstein, space-time is a structure in itself, in which all cosmic objects — planets, stars, galaxies — reside. Every object with mass puts a “dent” in this structure in all dimensions; the more massive an object, the “deeper” the dent. Light energy travels in a straight line, but when it encounters these dents it can dip in and veer off-course, an effect we see from Earth as gravitational lensing.

Einstein also predicted that exceptionally massive, rapidly rotating objects — such as a white dwarf binary pair — would create outwardly-expanding ripples in space-time that would ultimately “steal” kinetic energy from the objects themselves. These gravitational waves would be very subtle, yet in theory, observable.

Read: Astronomy Without a Telescope: Gravitational Waves

What researchers led by a team at The University of Texas at Austin have found is optical evidence of gravitational waves slowing down the stars in J0651. Originally observed in 2011 eclipsing each other (as seen from Earth) once every six minutes, the stars now eclipse six seconds sooner. This equates to a predicted orbital period reduction of about 0.25 milliseconds each year.*

“These compact stars are orbiting each other so closely that we have been able to observe the usually negligible influence of gravitational waves using a relatively simple camera on a 75-year-old telescope in just 13 months,” said study lead author J.J. Hermes, a graduate student at The University of Texas at Austin.

Based on these measurements, by April 2013 the stars will be eclipsing each other 20 seconds sooner than first observed. Eventually they will merge together entirely.

Although this isn’t “direct” observation of gravitational waves, it is evidence inferred by their predicted effects… akin to watching a floating lantern in a dark pond at night moving up and down and deducing that there are waves present.

“It’s exciting to confirm predictions Einstein made nearly a century ago by watching two stars bobbing in the wake caused by their sheer mass,” said Hermes.

As of early last year NASA and ESA had a proposed mission called LISA (Laser Interferometer Space Antenna) that would have put a series of 3 detectors into space 5 million km apart, connected by lasers. This arrangement of precision-positioned spacecraft could have detected any passing gravitational waves in the local space-time neighborhood, making direct observation possible. Sadly this mission was canceled due to FY2012 budget cuts for NASA, but ESA is moving ahead with developments for its own gravitational wave mission, called eLISA/NGO — the first “pathfinder” portion of which is slated to launch in 2014.

The study was submitted to Astrophysical Journal Letters on August 24. Read more on the McDonald Observatory news release here.

Inset image: simulation of binary black holes causing gravitational waves – C. Reisswig, L. Rezzolla (AEI); Scientific visualization – M. Koppitz (AEI & Zuse Institute Berlin)

*The difference in the eclipse time is noted as six seconds even though the orbital period decay of the two stars is only .25 milliseconds/year because of a pile-up effect of all the eclipses observed since April 2011. The measurements made by the research team takes into consideration the phase change in the J0651 system, which experiences a piling effect — similar to an out-of-sync watch — that increases relative to time^2 and is therefore a larger and easier number to detect and work with. Once that was measured, the actual orbital period decay could be figured out.

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Mysterious Booms / Rumblings

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Biological Hazards / Wildlife

Deer disease outbreak suspected in C. Ind. county

GREENCASTLE, Ind. (AP) — Residents of a central Indiana county have reported nearly 100 dead deer in what wildlife officials believe might be a disease outbreak.

An Indiana Department of Natural Resources biologist says most of those dead deer have been found in southern Putnam County.

Biologist Dean Zimmerman tells the Banner Graphic ( ) that 17 counties around the state have had suspected cases of epizootic hemorrhagic disease among deer, although Putnam County seems to have a large outbreak.

The illness is a viral disease transmitted by small flies that typically occurs during late summer and early fall. It doesn’t affect humans.

Zimmerman says the flies that carry the disease reproduce more successfully in dry weather and that it will take a killing frost to end the outbreak.

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Information from: (Greencastle) Banner Graphic,

31.08.2012

Biological Hazard

Kyrgyzstan

[The area was not defined.]

Biological Hazard in Kyrgyzstan on Friday, 31 August, 2012 at 15:37 (03:37 PM) UTC.

Description
The Kyrgyz Health Ministry said Friday five people had tested positive for anthrax. The five were among nine people who had been hospitalized in the central Asian country for anthrax-like symptoms in the past month, a health ministry spokesman said. Quarantine authorities had adopted counter-epidemic measures in the infectious disease-hit areas, where people as well as livestock had been given a vaccination against the bacteria, the spokesman said.
Biohazard name:	Anthrax
Biohazard level:	4/4 Hazardous
Biohazard desc.:	Viruses and bacteria that cause severe to fatal disease in humans, and for which vaccines or other treatments are not available, such as Bolivian and Argentine hemorrhagic fevers, H5N1(bird flu), Dengue hemorrhagic fever, Marburg virus, Ebola virus, hantaviruses, Lassa fever, Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever, and other hemorrhagic or unidentified diseases. When dealing with biological hazards at this level the use of a Hazmat suit and a self-contained oxygen supply is mandatory. The entrance and exit of a Level Four biolab will contain multiple showers, a vacuum room, an ultraviolet light room, autonomous detection system, and other safety precautions designed to destroy all traces of the biohazard. Multiple airlocks are employed and are electronically secured to prevent both doors opening at the same time. All air and water service going to and coming from a Biosafety Level 4 (P4) lab will undergo similar decontamination procedures to eliminate the possibility of an accidental release.
Symptoms:
Status:	confirmed

31.08.2012

Biological Hazard

Portugal

Municipality of Almada, [Costa da Caparica beaces]

Biological Hazard in Portugal on Friday, 31 August, 2012 at 08:51 (08:51 AM) UTC.

Description
Three beaches in Costa da Caparica just south of Lisbon were closed to bathers over the weekend due to an abundance of Portuguese Man-of-War jellyfish like looking creatures in the sea after a child was stung, the Maritime Police (MP) said. Red flags were raised to warn beach-goers not to enter the water and any people who do not obey the prohibition may be fined by the authorities. According to Wikipedia, despite its outward appearance the Man of War is not a jellyfish, but a siphonophore, which differs from jellyfish in that it is not actually a single creature, but a colonial organism made up of many minute individuals called zooids. Its long tentacles are poisonous enough nevertheless and well kept away from. This follows the release of a video on sites such as Youtube and Sapo showing a large shark off the coast near Lisbon. According to the Coast Guard, there is no reason to be alarmed, as it was just a Basking Shark that eats plankton and krill. Basking sharks, as their name suggests, like to bask in the sun on the surface of the water and are quite inoffensive to humans. Élio Vicente from Zoomarine in the Algarve said Basking Sharks and Whale Sharks are common round the coast of Portugal, but offer no risk to swimmers. “The hot weather heats the deep water creating more algae drawing in more ‘vegetarian sharks’” he said. These creatures have been here for thousands of years without harming anyone, he added, they just get a bad reputation from the term ‘shark’.
Biohazard name:	Portuguese Man-of-War jellyfish invasion
Biohazard level:	0/4 —
Biohazard desc.:	This does not included biological hazard category.
Symptoms:
Status:	confirmed

31.08.2012

Biological Hazard

Ukraine

Mykolaiv Oblast, Voznesensk [Zaporizhia region]

Biological Hazard in Ukraine on Friday, 31 August, 2012 at 08:17 (08:17 AM) UTC.

Description
Out of the 36 patients, who underwent prophylactic treatment after identification of the anthrax hot bed in Zaporizhia region, currently two of them are remaining under supervision of physicians. “Today we can say that everything is fine with the people: out of 36 people, who received preventive treatment, only two are under the supervision of doctors now. They are a man and a woman from Voznesenka village, who had contacted the infected animal and were hospitalized immediately after the accident. Currently, they have no manifestations of disease, but to make sure that the health condition of these people is good, we should get the results of laboratory tests and withstand a certain period,” chief medical officer of Zaporizhia region Anatoly Sevalnev said. According to the deputy head of the Main Department for Veterinary Medicine in Zaporizhia region Serhit Dehtiarenko, the quarantine measures will continue until September 5.
Biohazard name:	Anthrax
Biohazard level:	4/4 Hazardous
Biohazard desc.:	Viruses and bacteria that cause severe to fatal disease in humans, and for which vaccines or other treatments are not available, such as Bolivian and Argentine hemorrhagic fevers, H5N1(bird flu), Dengue hemorrhagic fever, Marburg virus, Ebola virus, hantaviruses, Lassa fever, Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever, and other hemorrhagic or unidentified diseases. When dealing with biological hazards at this level the use of a Hazmat suit and a self-contained oxygen supply is mandatory. The entrance and exit of a Level Four biolab will contain multiple showers, a vacuum room, an ultraviolet light room, autonomous detection system, and other safety precautions designed to destroy all traces of the biohazard. Multiple airlocks are employed and are electronically secured to prevent both doors opening at the same time. All air and water service going to and coming from a Biosafety Level 4 (P4) lab will undergo similar decontamination procedures to eliminate the possibility of an accidental release.
Symptoms:
Status:	confirmed

31.08.2012

Biological Hazard

USA

State of New York, [Noyack Bay]

Biological Hazard in USA on Friday, 31 August, 2012 at 05:38 (05:38 AM) UTC.

Description
Streaks of red tide – a toxic algal bloom that threatens both marine life – were clearly visible in Noyac Bay during a flyover on Thursday. Aerial photographer Jeff Cully captured images of red tide lining the shore at Long Beach. Red tide has appeared in Long Island waters every summer since 2004, Chris Gobler, Ph.D., told Patch earlier this month, when the algal bloom made its first showing of the year. Gobler, a Stony Brook Southampton School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences professor, said red tide typically appears in late August, but this summer it was detected in late July. The early arrival could be attributed to high temperatures this summer, he said. “This red tide is caused by the dinoflagellate, cochlodinium,” Gobler explained. “Cochlodinium is not a human health threat but is highly toxic to marine life. Fish exposed to dense cochlodinium blooms cannot survive more than one to six hours, depending on their size. We have had fish die at the Southampton marine lab when our intake system brought in red tide water.” After patches of red tide have passed through, pound net fisherman have found that catches have died off, he added. The School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences, thanks to $3 million in grants, announced Monday a plan to restore the health of another local bay, Shinnecock, by seeding eelgrass and shellfish beds in strategic areas where they are most likely to thrive. Shellfish filter algae from water, but their populations in Long Island waters have declined in recent decades, a trend marine sciences hope to turn around. If the effort proves successful, it could be implemented in other distressed bodies of water, both locally and around the world. Research demonstrates that algal blooms are made worse by an increased flow of nitrogen into the bays, from sources such as cesspools and fertilizers, Gobler said.
Biohazard name:	Red Tide
Biohazard level:	0/4 —
Biohazard desc.:	This does not included biological hazard category.
Symptoms:
Status:

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