Stories tagged natural disaster
The scream: The reddish sky in the background of this famous painting was possibly caused by the 1883 Krakatoa eruption. The ash that was ejected from the volcano left the sky tinted red in most of Europe and Asia from November 1883 to February 1884.
Courtesy Edvard MunchOn August 26 - 27, 1883 Krakatau, a stratovolcano that lies in the Sunda Strait between Java and Sumatra, erupted in what was one of the most violent volcanic events in modern times. It erupted with the force of 200 megatons of TNT and was heard as far away as Australia. The tsunamis generated by the eruption reached heights of 140 feet above sea level and washed away 165 coastal villages on Java and Sumatra, killing 36,000 people.
Tags : Flash flood: Rafters, hikers stranded or missing in Grand Canyon's side canyons
High and dry: Earlier this summer, hikers meandered along a trail high above Havasu Creek along the Grand Canyon. High rains this weekend flooded the side canyon, sending hikers and rafters high up the canyon walls to safety.
Courtesy ladydog22Arizona isn't known as a wet place, but a surge of rain (3 to 6 inches) in northern Arizona has recreationers in side canyons of the Grand Canyon scrambling to deal with flash floods that have washed away their boats and supplies. Here's a link to more details and photos.
Emissions from Kilauea vent.: Rainbow and sulfur dioxide emissions from the Halema`uma`u vent, Kīlauea.
Courtesy Mila ZinkovaEver heard of vog? I hadn’t until this morning.
Vog is short for volcanic smog, which is formed when the gases (such as sulfur dioxide) from a volcano mix with moisture, oxygen and sunlight. The result is smog, but smog from a natural source, a volcano.
Yesterday the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture gave the Hawaiian Island of Hawai’i (known as Big Island) a Secretarial Disaster Designation as the crops being grown on this volcanic island are being damaged by vog generated by the Kilauea volcano. Lawmakers in the House of Representatives say that vog should be considered a natural disaster much like a hurricane or tsunami.
The risk to individuals from the vog is unknown at this point, but the Centers for Disease Control will assist in assessing the health risk of the vog to Big Island residents.
The volcano has been erupting since 1983 but the vog only became an issue this past March when a small explosion created a new vent on the volcano.
Kilauea is a shield volcano that has been Hawaii’s most active volcano during historical time, and is one of five shield volcanoes that together make up Big Island.
Here's the USGS data on the earthquake, and CNN's developing story.
Non Erupting Image of Chaiten: This is a nice picture of Chaiten. But the really cool ones of the volcano erupting and volcanic lightning are in the links in the story. Check 'em out.
Courtesy NASAThe image here is a boring image of Chaiten. The images here are awesome images taken from the May eruption. (Though I suspect if you live nearby like the town on the top of the photo to the right, the boring images are more preferable.) Scientists think that volcanic lighting is caused within volcanic ash clouds by particles rubbing together generating static electricity.
Okmok in eruption, 7/21/2008: Aerial overflight courtesy of Air Station Kodiak, US Coast Guard, photographer Tina Neal.
Courtesy AVO/USGSTwo volcanoes in the Alaskan Aleutian Islands have been erupting since last week – the first time in over 30 years two volcanoes in the region have had simultaneous eruptions.
Scientists from the Alaskan Volcano Observatory were first aware of the eruption of Mount Okmok, a shield volcano on Umnak Island. The eruption began on July 12 with no advance warning and has continued erupting since. The latest update (July 27) indicates that, “The amplitude and duration of seismic activity has increased over the past 11 hours. Satellite data indicate a possible thermal anomaly that may be due to solar reflection of the plume. The most recent satellite images show the potential Okmok plume at less than 10,000'. Stronger explosive activity could resume at any time with little or no warning.”
Astronaut photo of ash cloud from Mount Cleveland, May 23, 2006: Image of Mount Cleveland from a 2006 eruption.
Courtesy NASAWhile studying the eruption of Mount Okmok scientists at the Alaskan Volcano Observatory then noticed that Mount Cleveland, a stratovolcano on Chuginadak Island was also erupting. Reports from fishing boats indicate that the eruption began on July 21 and the most recent update (July 27) says that, “Thermal anomalies seen in satellite views suggest the presence of lava on the surface near Cleveland's summit. Satellite images also indicate a possible ash cloud traveling SE from the volcano at less than 20,000 feet.” Cleveland is a more active volcano than Okmok having last erupted in 2005.
Both volcanoes are at alert level orange, the second highest alert level. The National Weather Service issues a 24-hour ash fall advisory for Umnak Island and the southwest portion of Unalaska Island.
The Alaskan Volcano Observatory has lots of great resources on these eruptions, including a web cam of Mount Cleveland and they have lots of other webcams of other volcanoes too. They monitor seismic activity in real time for 30 volcanoes in Alaska and analyze satellite images of all the Alaskan volcanoes for evidence of eruption. Another great source of information if you are into learning more about volcanoes is the Smithsonian’s Global Volcanism Program.
Lightning strikes again: More electrifying stories from summer storm survivors
Shocking stories of lightning: Read all about these people's encounters with nature's electronic forces.
Courtesy andrewomerknapp.A few weeks ago we posted a link to a story about a guy who got hit in the head with a lightning bolt and lives to tell about it. Here are more lightning strike survivor stories. And the real interesting tidbit of information near the top of the story, 89 percent of people struck by lightning are men. Can you figure out why that would be? Hint: It has nothing to do with the storm scene from the movie "Caddyshack."
Tornado damage: Garage doors may be a key to how severely a house collapses
It's still at the observational stage, but investigators are looking at the link between strength of garage doors and the amount of damage a home incurs from a passing tornado. After reading this Star-Tribune story, it sounds like a case of the general public connecting the dots before the scientific community.
He was hit in the head by lightning and is still talking about it
Think fast: Would you be able to duck quick enough to avoid a lightning bolt aimed at your head?
Courtesy andrewomerknappWhat would you say after getting struck in the head by a bolt of lightning. "Ouch" just doesn't seem expressive enough. Read this to hear what a man in Mora, Minn., has to say after getting hit in the head by lightning. And check out the picture of what it did to his ball cap. DISCLAIMER: Science Buzz does not encourage anyone to intentionally try to get struck in the head by lightning. Don't try this at home or anywhere else.
To Burn or not to Burn...
in The Water Cycle, Weather and Climate, Interdependence of Life, and Forces of Nature
Scene from Watsonville fire in California
Courtesy alexthompsonThat is the question. Controlled burning is a technique where by intentional fires are set to clear forests of debris. Fires sparked by lighting have always been a part of the life cycle of forests. Though it seems counterintuitive, fire can actually be a very healthy thing. It clears the forest floor strengthening older trees by giving them more access to soil nutrients while also acting as a kind of natural recycling. Regular burning (burning that mimics what formerly naturally occurred in forests) can actually reduce the severity of fires such as the one burning in northern California.
Sounds great! But, what if you live near a forest scheduled to burn? Though it is called a “controlled burn” I would certainly be skittish about the combination of control and burn. Fires can be extremely dangerous, but scientists utilize many tools for tracking weather and wind patterns prior to burning. They have extensive topographical information that allows them to track the path of the fire. There are also many resources available for homeowners.
Do the risks of controlled burning outweigh the risk of uncontrollable wildfires? Ultimately nature has the power to override any hesitations I may have about whether I want a fire in my backyard. So I have to ask, what is my role in fire and forest ecology?
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