It is April Fool's tomorrow, but this is the real surface forecast. Can you say a foot of snow? - HLG
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Spring Time in the NE USA?
It is April Fool's tomorrow, but this is the real surface forecast. Can you say a foot of snow? - HLG
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Monday, March 28, 2011
"Global Blowing"?
The world has gotten stormier over the past two decades—and the reason is a mystery, a new study says.
In the past 20 years, winds have picked up around 5 percent on average.
Extremely strong winds caused by storms have increased even faster, jumping 10 percent over 20 years, according to the new analysis of global satellite data.
The study, the first to look at wind speeds across such a large swath of the planet, bolsters some earlier findings, according to study leader Ian Young, of the Swinburne University of Technology in Melbourne, Australia.
"Some regional studies had found similar results, so we suspected there may be an increasing trend," Young said.
(See "Extreme Ocean Storms on the Rise, Tremors Show.")
Bat-Like Sonar Tracks Wind Speeds
With the development of satellite and radar technology, the planet's temperature and rainfall have been tracked like never before.
Other aspects of the climate, however, haven't gotten as much attention.
To create a record of wind measurements around the world, Young and colleagues assembled global satellite measurements dating back to 1985.
The team drew on records from satellites that used radar altimeters, which work similarly to bats' echolocation, or natural radar.
The orbiting satellites shoot radio waves at Earth and listen for the echoes that bounce back into space.
When winds are blowing hard, the radar echoes are fainter, giving a measure of how strong the wind is blowing over the oceans.
Windy Trend Linked to Global Warming?
It's not yet clear whether the windier trend is due to global warming, or if it's part of a cyclical pattern, said Young, whose research appeared Friday in the journal Science.
(Also see "Extreme Storms and Floods Concretely Linked to Climate Change?")
"If this is related to global warming—and this is speculation—it indicates that either the intensity of storms is increasing or the frequency of storms is increasing," he said.
If the winds keep up, they could impact "engineering design of coastal and offshore structures, coastal erosion, and marine ecosystems.
Mason Inman
for National Geographic News
Published March 28, 2011
Partly Cloudy with 30 Percent Change of Getting Irradiated!
Associated Press
Posted date: March 28, 2011
BOSTON—Health officials said Sunday that one sample of Massachusetts rainwater has registered very low concentrations of radiation, most likely from the Japanese nuclear power plant damaged earlier this month by an earthquake and tsunami.John Auerbach, the Massachusetts commissioner of public health, said that the radioactive isotope iodine-131 found in the sample — one of more than 100 that have been taken around the country — has a short life of only eight days. He said the drinking water supply in the state was unaffected and officials do not expect any health concerns.
Nevada, California, Hawaii, Colorado and Washington state have also reported tiny amounts of radiation from the Japan accident. Officials have said those levels presented no health risks.The Massachusetts Department of Public Health said the in-state sample was taken in the past week, but they did not say where. The testing is part of a US Environmental Protection Agency network that monitors for radioactivity.State officials said similar testing was done in California, Pennsylvania, Washington state and other states, and showed comparable levels of I-131 in rain.Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Richard K. Sullivan Jr. directed the Department of Environmental Protection to collect additional samples for testing from several water bodies across Massachusetts. Results will be available over the next several days.In Nevada, extremely small amounts of the radioactive isotopes iodine-131 and xenon-133 reached a monitoring station by Las Vegas' Atomic Testing Museum this week, said Ted Hartwell, manager of the Desert Research Institute's Community Environmental Monitoring Program.
Posted date: March 28, 2011
BOSTON—Health officials said Sunday that one sample of Massachusetts rainwater has registered very low concentrations of radiation, most likely from the Japanese nuclear power plant damaged earlier this month by an earthquake and tsunami.John Auerbach, the Massachusetts commissioner of public health, said that the radioactive isotope iodine-131 found in the sample — one of more than 100 that have been taken around the country — has a short life of only eight days. He said the drinking water supply in the state was unaffected and officials do not expect any health concerns.
Nevada, California, Hawaii, Colorado and Washington state have also reported tiny amounts of radiation from the Japan accident. Officials have said those levels presented no health risks.The Massachusetts Department of Public Health said the in-state sample was taken in the past week, but they did not say where. The testing is part of a US Environmental Protection Agency network that monitors for radioactivity.State officials said similar testing was done in California, Pennsylvania, Washington state and other states, and showed comparable levels of I-131 in rain.Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Richard K. Sullivan Jr. directed the Department of Environmental Protection to collect additional samples for testing from several water bodies across Massachusetts. Results will be available over the next several days.In Nevada, extremely small amounts of the radioactive isotopes iodine-131 and xenon-133 reached a monitoring station by Las Vegas' Atomic Testing Museum this week, said Ted Hartwell, manager of the Desert Research Institute's Community Environmental Monitoring Program.
Saturday, March 26, 2011
Classify Old Weather Data
Very cool use of the inter-web, and may actually help with the shortage-of-data problem in all climate modeling, which uses only very recent data for baseline. You can play for free. Tell a teacher, and maybe get the kids involved. - HLG
http://www.oldweather.org/
http://www.oldweather.org/
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Another Chapter of Fun with Flying!
FAA Investigates Report of Air Traffic Controller Falling Asleep On The JobPublished March 23, 2011
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AP
The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating whether an air traffic controller fell asleep on the job and allowed two planes to land at Reagan Washington National Airport without clearance.
An American Airlines flight was on final approach to the airport at 12:10 a.m. Wednesday and abandoned the descent when the tower was unresponsive, according to the National Transportation Safety Board. A United Airlines flight faced the same experience fifteen minutes later.
National Transportation Safety Board spokesman Peter Knudson said the pilots were able to communicate with a regional air traffic control facility. Both planes landed safely using “uncontrolled airport” procedures.
An aviation official, who spoke to the Associated Press on condition of anonymity, said the single controller -- a supervisor -- was scheduled for duty in the tower at that time but had fallen asleep.
The NTSB board is gathering facts to determine whether a full-fledged investigation is needed and Reagan National has a cut-off on flight departures at 11 p.m., according to an NTSB official.
The name of the controller wasn't available.
The FAA is looking into staffing issues and whether existing procedures were followed appropriately.
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AP
The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating whether an air traffic controller fell asleep on the job and allowed two planes to land at Reagan Washington National Airport without clearance.
An American Airlines flight was on final approach to the airport at 12:10 a.m. Wednesday and abandoned the descent when the tower was unresponsive, according to the National Transportation Safety Board. A United Airlines flight faced the same experience fifteen minutes later.
National Transportation Safety Board spokesman Peter Knudson said the pilots were able to communicate with a regional air traffic control facility. Both planes landed safely using “uncontrolled airport” procedures.
An aviation official, who spoke to the Associated Press on condition of anonymity, said the single controller -- a supervisor -- was scheduled for duty in the tower at that time but had fallen asleep.
The NTSB board is gathering facts to determine whether a full-fledged investigation is needed and Reagan National has a cut-off on flight departures at 11 p.m., according to an NTSB official.
The name of the controller wasn't available.
The FAA is looking into staffing issues and whether existing procedures were followed appropriately.
Tokyo Winds of Fate II
As the nuke crisis continues in Japan (I just read today that the "plutonium reactor" at Fukushima main be the one in the worst state, oh my!), the vagaries of the winds continue to insure that this disaster will remain hard to predict. The longer it goes on, especially a this season of shifting winds, it is almost a guarantee that a much larger area will be effected to one degree or another. - HLG
Richard Wakeford, a public health radiologist at the University of Manchester in Britain, blamed the spike in radiation on a shift in winds from the nuclear plant toward Tokyo. He predicted lower levels in coming days once the wind shifts back to normal patterns.
"I imagine that bottled water is now quite popular in Tokyo," he said.
Convenience stores around Tokyo began selling out of water soon after the news broke. At one downtown supermarket, clerk Toru Kikutaka said water purchases were limited to two, two-liter bottles per person, but the store still sold out almost immediately.
AP
Richard Wakeford, a public health radiologist at the University of Manchester in Britain, blamed the spike in radiation on a shift in winds from the nuclear plant toward Tokyo. He predicted lower levels in coming days once the wind shifts back to normal patterns.
"I imagine that bottled water is now quite popular in Tokyo," he said.
Convenience stores around Tokyo began selling out of water soon after the news broke. At one downtown supermarket, clerk Toru Kikutaka said water purchases were limited to two, two-liter bottles per person, but the store still sold out almost immediately.
AP
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
New Implications of the Advancing Ice Age
Christine Dell'Amore
National Geographic News
Published March 22, 2011
The resulting zone of low-ozone air could drift as far south as New York, according to experts who warn of increased skin-cancer risk.
The stratosphere's global blanket of ozone—about 12 miles (20 kilometers) above Earth—blocks most of the sun's high-frequency ultraviolet (UV) rays from hitting Earth's surface, largely preventing sunburn and skin cancer.
But a continuing high-altitude freeze over the Arctic may have already reduced ozone to half its normal concentrations—and "an end is not in sight," said research leader Markus Rex, a physicist for the Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research in Bremerhaven, Germany.
Preliminary data from 30 ozone-monitoring stations throughout the Arctic show the degree of ozone loss was larger this winter than ever before, Rex said.
Before spring is out, "we may even get the first Arctic ozone hole ... which would be a dramatic development—one which would make it into coming history books," he said.
"It's too early to call, but stay tuned."
Atmospheric chemist Simone Tilmes, who wasn't part of the study, agreed.
"We do not know at the moment how large the ozone hole in the Arctic will grow, because the thinning of the ozone layer is happening right now," said Tilmes, of the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) in Boulder, Colorado.
Full confirmation may require computer simulations and satellite measurements, which study leader Rex said would "be very useful to provide an independent view of the ozone loss this year."
An ozone hole is an area of the ozone layer that is seasonally depleted of the protective gas—such as the well-known hole over Antarctica.
(See "Whatever Happened to the Ozone Hole?")
"Beautiful" Clouds Harbor Ozone-Fighting Chemicals
In the 1980s scientists realized chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and other ozone-depleting chemicals—then widely used in aerosol hairsprays and refrigerants, for example—were degrading the ozone layer.
The 1987 Montreal Protocol initiated a global phase-out of CFCs, replacing them with alternatives that don't destroy ozone. However, CFCs can persist for decades in the stratosphere—the Antarctic ozone hole is still there, though it's expected to grow smaller in coming decades.
Once in the upper atmosphere, CFCs break down into chlorine atoms, which, when activated by sunlight, destroy ozone molecules.
Cold temperatures speed up this process through polar stratospheric clouds (see picture), "beautiful" and still little understood formations that occur once stratospheric temperatures drop to at least -108 degrees Fahrenheit (-78 degrees Celsius), Rex noted.
The clouds provide "reservoirs" for inactivated byproducts of chlorine. On the surface of the cloud, these byproducts react with each other and release "aggressive" chlorine atoms that attack ozone molecules.
The whole process stops as soon as it gets warmer and the so-called Arctic polar vortex breaks up, Tilmes said.
At about 6 million square miles (15 million square kilometers), or 40 times the size of Germany, the Arctic polar vortex is a frigid air mass that circles the North Pole in winter.
Warming Link to High-Altitude Cold Snap?
The cold snap is no coincidence, research leader Rex added.
"This is the continuation of a long-term tendency that the cold Arctic winters have become colder," Rex said.
And global warming may drive this trend, he added. As greenhouse gases trap heat in the lower levels of the atmosphere, the higher levels tend to cool, he said.
Of course, the "process is more complicated than this simple explanation"—there may be many ways in which greenhouse gases influence high-altitude temperatures, he added.
Low-Ozone Air to Fly South for Spring?
Any spike in UV radiation can impact both the Arctic ecosystem and human health, research leader Rex noted. For instance, more sunlight can slow the growth of certain species of ocean algae that provide food for larger organisms—and whose absence can have reverberations up the food chain.
(See "'Crazy Green' Algae Pools Seen in Antarctic Sea.")
More worrisome, Rex said, is that ozone-depleted air can catch a ride south to more highly populated areas with the Arctic polar vortex.
Low-ozone air is often pushed southward to 40 or 45 degrees latitude by natural atmospheric disturbances, Rex said.
A low-ozone air mass's southern "excursions" can take it as far as northern Italy in Europe or New York or San Francisco in the United States, he said.
The rapidly shifting vortex might last into April, when people are starting to spend more time outside, NCAR's Tilmes noted.
"A good message for people [is] to just be aware that this is a year where ozone will be likely thinner this spring.
"You should watch out for your skin and put on your sunscreen."
Rex noted that, however, that since the mass is constantly moving, low-ozone episodes would only last a few days in a given region.
Rex also said this winter's decline in ozone doesn't mean that the Montreal Protocol isn't doing its job.
"People could mistake that and say we have banned CFCs and [it] doesn't seem to work," he said.
"That's not the case. It's just the timescale—CFCs take so long to disappear from the atmosphere."
Monday, March 21, 2011
USS George Washington Leaves Yokosuka, Japan
The official Navy press release claims the unscheduled departure (retreat?) from just south of Tokyo was only for the purposes of "Readiness". Could it be the smoldering reactors just to the north? Hmmmm. HLG
Friday, March 18, 2011
Earthquake Moon on Saturday
"Supermoon": Biggest Full Moon in 18 Years Saturday
"Beautiful" moon will be bigger and brighter than regular full moon, expert says.
Main Content
N
Andrew Fazekas
for National Geographic News
Published March 17, 2011
It may not be faster than a speeding bullet, but tomorrow the moon will make its closest approach to Earth in 18 years—making the so-called supermoon the biggest full moon in years.
And despite Internet rumors, the impending phenomenon had no influence on the March 11 Japan earthquake and tsunami (see pictures).
The monthly full moon always looks like a big disk, but because its orbit is egg-shaped, there are times when the moon is at perigee—its shortest distance from Earth in the roughly monthlong lunar cycle—or at apogee, its farthest distance from Earth.
Likewise, because the size of the moon's orbit varies slightly, each perigee is not always the same distance away from Earth. Friday's supermoon will be just 221,566 miles (356,577 kilometers) away from Earth. The last time the full moon approached so close to Earth was in 1993, according to NASA.
The March 19 supermoon, as it's called, will be visible "pretty much any time during the night," said Geza Gyuk, astronomer at the Adler Planetarium in Chicago.
"Look for the full moon as it rises above the eastern horizon as the sun sets below the western horizon—it will be a beautiful and inspiring sight," he said via email.
(See "Year's Biggest Full Moon, Mars Create Sky Show [2010].")
Though the supermoon will be about 20 percent brighter and 15 percent bigger than a regular full moon, the visual effect may be subtle, added Anthony Cook, astronomical observer for the Griffith Observatory in Los Angeles.
"I doubt that most people will notice anything unusual about this full moon," Cook said.
"Because the total amount of light is a little greater, the biggest effect will be on the illumination of the ground—but not enough to be very noticeable to the casual observer."
Japan Earthquake Not Linked to Supermoon
Such a lunar close encounter can cause slightly higher than normal ocean tides and localized flooding—especially if there is already a storm surge, astronomers say.
A supermoon may even have some impact on seismic activity because of the stronger gravitational interaction between the moon, the sun, and Earth.
Even so, there is no clear evidence that any of these phenomena influenced the Japan earthquake and tsunami.
(Read more: "Can the Moon Cause Earthquakes?")
"The earthquake in Japan happened when the moon was close to its average distance to Earth—there was nothing extreme about its position or phase," Cook said.
"While some earthquakes seem to have tidal connections, this isn't one of them."
(Take a moon myths and mysteries quiz.)
There's no need to get worked up over a supermoon, Adler Planetarium's Gyuk added.
"We survived 2008 [an almost supermoon year] and 1993 just fine," he said by email.
"Just keep in mind even this 'extreme' supermoon is not really that extreme!
"Beautiful" moon will be bigger and brighter than regular full moon, expert says.
Main Content
N
Andrew Fazekas
for National Geographic News
Published March 17, 2011
It may not be faster than a speeding bullet, but tomorrow the moon will make its closest approach to Earth in 18 years—making the so-called supermoon the biggest full moon in years.
And despite Internet rumors, the impending phenomenon had no influence on the March 11 Japan earthquake and tsunami (see pictures).
The monthly full moon always looks like a big disk, but because its orbit is egg-shaped, there are times when the moon is at perigee—its shortest distance from Earth in the roughly monthlong lunar cycle—or at apogee, its farthest distance from Earth.
Likewise, because the size of the moon's orbit varies slightly, each perigee is not always the same distance away from Earth. Friday's supermoon will be just 221,566 miles (356,577 kilometers) away from Earth. The last time the full moon approached so close to Earth was in 1993, according to NASA.
The March 19 supermoon, as it's called, will be visible "pretty much any time during the night," said Geza Gyuk, astronomer at the Adler Planetarium in Chicago.
"Look for the full moon as it rises above the eastern horizon as the sun sets below the western horizon—it will be a beautiful and inspiring sight," he said via email.
(See "Year's Biggest Full Moon, Mars Create Sky Show [2010].")
Though the supermoon will be about 20 percent brighter and 15 percent bigger than a regular full moon, the visual effect may be subtle, added Anthony Cook, astronomical observer for the Griffith Observatory in Los Angeles.
"I doubt that most people will notice anything unusual about this full moon," Cook said.
"Because the total amount of light is a little greater, the biggest effect will be on the illumination of the ground—but not enough to be very noticeable to the casual observer."
Japan Earthquake Not Linked to Supermoon
Such a lunar close encounter can cause slightly higher than normal ocean tides and localized flooding—especially if there is already a storm surge, astronomers say.
A supermoon may even have some impact on seismic activity because of the stronger gravitational interaction between the moon, the sun, and Earth.
Even so, there is no clear evidence that any of these phenomena influenced the Japan earthquake and tsunami.
(Read more: "Can the Moon Cause Earthquakes?")
"The earthquake in Japan happened when the moon was close to its average distance to Earth—there was nothing extreme about its position or phase," Cook said.
"While some earthquakes seem to have tidal connections, this isn't one of them."
(Take a moon myths and mysteries quiz.)
There's no need to get worked up over a supermoon, Adler Planetarium's Gyuk added.
"We survived 2008 [an almost supermoon year] and 1993 just fine," he said by email.
"Just keep in mind even this 'extreme' supermoon is not really that extreme!
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Interactive Japan Winds Map
Appears to animate, but the controls are in Japanese, but the wind-graphics are completely "international". Current winds in Tokyo are metro are northerly, and one, two, or maybe three nuclear reactors are melting down to the northeast of Tokyo, depending on who you believe. - HLG
http://www.weather-report.jp/com/home/kishomap/fusoku/japan.html
http://www.weather-report.jp/com/home/kishomap/fusoku/japan.html
IAEA and "No-fly" Zones
Apparently the IAEA has the power (and balls?) to issue no-fly zones, but the EU, NATO, and the USA don't have the same for the Libyan Murdere Qaddafi! - HLG
Nuclear Officials May Spray Japanese Power Plant With Water by Helicopter
Published March 15, 2011
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AP
March 15: People carry heat blankets as they leave a radiation emergency scanning center in the raun in Koriyama, Fukushima Prefecture, Japan, four days after a giant quake and tsunami struck the country's northeastern coast.
Nuclear officials say they may seek U.S. and Japanese military help to spray water from helicopters into an overheating spent fuel storage pool at the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear plant.
Tokyo Electric Power says it may use helicopters because of the risk of radiation contamination from approaching the pool directly. Air drops may also be more effective.
The International Atomic Energy Agency says a 19-mile no-fly zone has been placed around the troubled plant.
Nuclear Officials May Spray Japanese Power Plant With Water by Helicopter
Published March 15, 2011
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AP
March 15: People carry heat blankets as they leave a radiation emergency scanning center in the raun in Koriyama, Fukushima Prefecture, Japan, four days after a giant quake and tsunami struck the country's northeastern coast.
Nuclear officials say they may seek U.S. and Japanese military help to spray water from helicopters into an overheating spent fuel storage pool at the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear plant.
Tokyo Electric Power says it may use helicopters because of the risk of radiation contamination from approaching the pool directly. Air drops may also be more effective.
The International Atomic Energy Agency says a 19-mile no-fly zone has been placed around the troubled plant.
Our Russian "Friends"
As America nears its final two space shuttle flights, and will be without the ability to put men in space for the next decade or so, if ever, our Russian Commie Buddies are bending us over the barrel. - HLG
Russia Hikes Price of Rocket Rides for U.S. Astronauts to $63 Million
Published March 14, 2011
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NASA, already committed to paying Russia millions of dollars to hitch rides into space, had some expensive news to announce Monday: Russia plan to start charging even more.
With the United States phasing out the shuttle program, the new way for U.S. astronauts to get to the International Space Station will be to catch a ride with the Russians, and NASA's existing contract for that transport priced each rocket ride at just under $56 million.
Now, Russia is hiking the price for each rocket ride to nearly $63 million in 2014. The contract extension with the Russian Space Agency totals $753 million, which covers trips for a dozen astronauts from 2014 through 2016.
Why such a price hike? NASA officials chalk it up to inflation.
NASA chief Charles Bolden says it's critical for U.S. companies to take over this transportation job. The space shuttles used to do that job are being retired this summer.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Russia Hikes Price of Rocket Rides for U.S. Astronauts to $63 Million
Published March 14, 2011
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NASA, already committed to paying Russia millions of dollars to hitch rides into space, had some expensive news to announce Monday: Russia plan to start charging even more.
With the United States phasing out the shuttle program, the new way for U.S. astronauts to get to the International Space Station will be to catch a ride with the Russians, and NASA's existing contract for that transport priced each rocket ride at just under $56 million.
Now, Russia is hiking the price for each rocket ride to nearly $63 million in 2014. The contract extension with the Russian Space Agency totals $753 million, which covers trips for a dozen astronauts from 2014 through 2016.
Why such a price hike? NASA officials chalk it up to inflation.
NASA chief Charles Bolden says it's critical for U.S. companies to take over this transportation job. The space shuttles used to do that job are being retired this summer.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Morons at UN "Weather" Central
The U.N. weather agency said Tuesday that winds are currently blowing radioactive material toward the ocean, and that there were "no implications" for Japan or countries nearby.
"All the meteorological conditions are offshore, there are no implications inshore for Japan or other countries near Japan," Maryam Golnaraghi, who heads the weather agency's disaster risk reduction program, said.
Unreal! As if the wind directions won't change over the next few days, weeks, months? - HLG
"All the meteorological conditions are offshore, there are no implications inshore for Japan or other countries near Japan," Maryam Golnaraghi, who heads the weather agency's disaster risk reduction program, said.
Unreal! As if the wind directions won't change over the next few days, weeks, months? - HLG
Monday, March 14, 2011
Grisly Tide in Japan
AP Report, 14 March, 2011
On the coastline of Miyagi prefecture, which took the full force of the tsunami, a Japanese police official said 1,000 bodies were found scattered across the coastline. Kyodo, the Japanese news agency, reported that 2,000 bodies washed up on two shorelines in Miyagi.
In one town in a neighbouring prefecture, the crematorium was unable to handle the large number of bodies being brought in for funerals.
“We have already begun cremations, but we can only handle 18 bodies a day. We are overwhelmed and are asking other cites to help us deal with bodies. We only have one crematorium in town,” Katsuhiko Abe, an official in Soma, told the Associated Press.
While the official death toll rose to nearly 1,900, the discovery of the washed-up bodies and other reports of deaths suggest the true number is much higher. In Miyagi, the police chief has said 10,000 people are estimated to have died in his province alone
On the coastline of Miyagi prefecture, which took the full force of the tsunami, a Japanese police official said 1,000 bodies were found scattered across the coastline. Kyodo, the Japanese news agency, reported that 2,000 bodies washed up on two shorelines in Miyagi.
In one town in a neighbouring prefecture, the crematorium was unable to handle the large number of bodies being brought in for funerals.
“We have already begun cremations, but we can only handle 18 bodies a day. We are overwhelmed and are asking other cites to help us deal with bodies. We only have one crematorium in town,” Katsuhiko Abe, an official in Soma, told the Associated Press.
While the official death toll rose to nearly 1,900, the discovery of the washed-up bodies and other reports of deaths suggest the true number is much higher. In Miyagi, the police chief has said 10,000 people are estimated to have died in his province alone
Nuclear Plant Melt-down and Winds from the North
This is very bad news breaking from Japan. The third reactor to suffer an explosion appears to be the first which may be in a major melt-down. The winds in the Tokyo area are more northerly now, than the first few days of the quake. This could be very bad if radioactive particulate matter is now escaping from the reactor explosion, if there is a full melt-down going on. - HLG
Sunday, March 13, 2011
Major Radiation Event Coming for North America?
As news "leaks" out of Japan today that up to 8 nuclear reactors are in some level of crisis mode, will the idiots in Washington be ready to deal with this crisis for the US? Any major radiation release will easily get into the mid-levels of the atmosphere, and ride the jet right towards the US, just as the Japanese (who discovered the Jet Stream) sent balloons with fire-bombs to start forest fires upon is in WWII? Do we never learn anything?
Meanwhile MODIS shows to major, out-of-control fires in Japan today. The first fires are north of Tokyo (bottom of image), and are white-grey smoke of structural fires, etc. The big black plume near the top of the image is an out-of-control refinery fire, with the tell-tale color of an oil fire. - HLG
Very Cold and Deep Snow Pack in Northern Japan
All of the commentators on the ground in Japan seem to have been surprised how cold it is at night. Well, it is still meteorological winter, and as you can see, lot's of snow-pack in the high mountains. Usually a good sign that it is cold. This image is from today, March, 13, 2011. - HLG
Saturday, March 12, 2011
Now It's Up to the Winds of Fate
The red star is approx where the main reactor that Japan says has "partially" melted-down, whatever that means. The red pentagon is approx where 20 million people of metro Tokyo are. The winds have been blowing off-shore for the most part, since the tsunami. If the turn from the NE to SW the next few days, AND any major radiation leaks from the partial-melt-down get worse, could be very, very bad news for Tokyo. - HLG
Friday, March 11, 2011
Gulf Oil Spill Leads to Fresh Insite into AIR Polution!
Gulf Oil Spill Helps Explain Air Pollution Mystery
Source of harmful aerosols identified based on spill studies..
for National Geographic News
Published March 10, 2011
The Gulf oil spill may have helped crack an air-pollution mystery, according to a new study that shows how unexpected compounds can contribute to poor air quality.
While the air pollution produced by the spill itself was regional and relatively small, the study authors note, the secrets unlocked by studying it could have ramifications far beyond the Gulf.
Much of the fresh oil that ended up on the Gulf of Mexico's surface evaporated into the atmosphere and got broken down by sunlight.
(Read more about how nature can help clean up an oil spill.)
But the evaporating oil also created tiny particles known as aerosols, which don't disappear so quickly.
Aerosols can impact human health, including lung and heart function. The particles can even influence climate by scattering incoming solar radiation—thus cooling Earth—and can promote water-vapor condensation and cloud formation.
Worldwide, many of these pollutant particles have mysterious origins, scientists say.
"In polluted urban air, a very large fraction of these aerosols are organic—more than half. But where they come from is very poorly understood," said study co-author Joost de Gouw, an atmospheric scientist at the Earth System Research Laboratory in Boulder, Colorado.
Now, thanks to the disastrous BP spill, de Gouw and colleagues may have found at least part of the answer.
Strange Pollution Plume Spotted
In June 2010 the scientists flew above the oil spill in a "hurricane hunter" research plane, taking measurements of the gases and aerosols in the air above the spill site. (See aerial views of the Gulf oil spill from late April.)
The team found a narrow air pollution plume extending downwind from the spill that contained particles made from the lightest hydrocarbons, so-called volatile organics that evaporate quickly. These hydrocarbons are known to contribute to air pollution.
But a strange, wider plume also appeared—one that was caused by heavier hydrocarbons, which evaporate slowly. These compounds had never been a proven contributor to aerosol pollution when emitted by cars or other sources, according to de Gouw.
Surprisingly, the heavier compounds contributed most to the downwind aerosol pollution from the Gulf spill, he said.
"What we saw was that the first 30 percent of the oil—the most volatile fraction that surfaced—evaporated within something like ten hours," he said.
"The next 10 to 20 percent evaporated on timescales of several days, and those were the compounds that formed this aerosol."
Gulf Oil Spill an Aerosol Experiment
Because water and wind spread out the oil over a large area, the various compounds could be detected as they evaporated over different time periods.
This created a kind of atmospheric map of which compounds contributed particle pollutants, when it happened, and in what quantities, according to the study, published tomorrow in the journal Science.
"Clearly what Joost and his group managed to do is serendipitously come upon an almost perfect natural experiment that spread out this volatility over the sea surface," said Hugh Coe of the U.K.'s University of Manchester.
"Essentially what happens most of the time, with vehicles for example, is that the very volatile material is co-emitted with the less volatile materials," said Coe, who was not involved in the research but who wrote a review of the paper also published in Science.
Because both are emitted at the same time and place, Coe added, "it's very hard to measure the differences between these different organic compounds."
(Related: "Mystery Ingredient Cleaning Earth's Atmosphere.")
Oil-Spill Study Could Improve Air Quality?
Most air-quality monitoring programs don't detect heavier compounds like those identified as Gulf pollutants, the scientists said.
Likewise, researchers have only recently theorized that heavier compounds could play a role in producing organic aerosol particles.
The new study suggests scientists may be closer to understanding where mysterious organic aerosols in the atmosphere originate worldwide. Such a discovery could eventually help people breathe a bit easier, de Gouw noted.
"The fuels we put into our vehicles—gasoline and diesel—are refined oil, and they contain many of the same compounds that were spilled in the Gulf of Mexico," de Gouw said.
(See "Plane Exhaust Kills More People Than Plane Crashes.")
"If further research confirms that these [less volatile hydrocarbon] compounds are important in the formation of aerosols, there may be things we can do to limit their presence in our fuels, as we've done with other harmful compounds
Source of harmful aerosols identified based on spill studies..
for National Geographic News
Published March 10, 2011
The Gulf oil spill may have helped crack an air-pollution mystery, according to a new study that shows how unexpected compounds can contribute to poor air quality.
While the air pollution produced by the spill itself was regional and relatively small, the study authors note, the secrets unlocked by studying it could have ramifications far beyond the Gulf.
Much of the fresh oil that ended up on the Gulf of Mexico's surface evaporated into the atmosphere and got broken down by sunlight.
(Read more about how nature can help clean up an oil spill.)
But the evaporating oil also created tiny particles known as aerosols, which don't disappear so quickly.
Aerosols can impact human health, including lung and heart function. The particles can even influence climate by scattering incoming solar radiation—thus cooling Earth—and can promote water-vapor condensation and cloud formation.
Worldwide, many of these pollutant particles have mysterious origins, scientists say.
"In polluted urban air, a very large fraction of these aerosols are organic—more than half. But where they come from is very poorly understood," said study co-author Joost de Gouw, an atmospheric scientist at the Earth System Research Laboratory in Boulder, Colorado.
Now, thanks to the disastrous BP spill, de Gouw and colleagues may have found at least part of the answer.
Strange Pollution Plume Spotted
In June 2010 the scientists flew above the oil spill in a "hurricane hunter" research plane, taking measurements of the gases and aerosols in the air above the spill site. (See aerial views of the Gulf oil spill from late April.)
The team found a narrow air pollution plume extending downwind from the spill that contained particles made from the lightest hydrocarbons, so-called volatile organics that evaporate quickly. These hydrocarbons are known to contribute to air pollution.
But a strange, wider plume also appeared—one that was caused by heavier hydrocarbons, which evaporate slowly. These compounds had never been a proven contributor to aerosol pollution when emitted by cars or other sources, according to de Gouw.
Surprisingly, the heavier compounds contributed most to the downwind aerosol pollution from the Gulf spill, he said.
"What we saw was that the first 30 percent of the oil—the most volatile fraction that surfaced—evaporated within something like ten hours," he said.
"The next 10 to 20 percent evaporated on timescales of several days, and those were the compounds that formed this aerosol."
Gulf Oil Spill an Aerosol Experiment
Because water and wind spread out the oil over a large area, the various compounds could be detected as they evaporated over different time periods.
This created a kind of atmospheric map of which compounds contributed particle pollutants, when it happened, and in what quantities, according to the study, published tomorrow in the journal Science.
"Clearly what Joost and his group managed to do is serendipitously come upon an almost perfect natural experiment that spread out this volatility over the sea surface," said Hugh Coe of the U.K.'s University of Manchester.
"Essentially what happens most of the time, with vehicles for example, is that the very volatile material is co-emitted with the less volatile materials," said Coe, who was not involved in the research but who wrote a review of the paper also published in Science.
Because both are emitted at the same time and place, Coe added, "it's very hard to measure the differences between these different organic compounds."
(Related: "Mystery Ingredient Cleaning Earth's Atmosphere.")
Oil-Spill Study Could Improve Air Quality?
Most air-quality monitoring programs don't detect heavier compounds like those identified as Gulf pollutants, the scientists said.
Likewise, researchers have only recently theorized that heavier compounds could play a role in producing organic aerosol particles.
The new study suggests scientists may be closer to understanding where mysterious organic aerosols in the atmosphere originate worldwide. Such a discovery could eventually help people breathe a bit easier, de Gouw noted.
"The fuels we put into our vehicles—gasoline and diesel—are refined oil, and they contain many of the same compounds that were spilled in the Gulf of Mexico," de Gouw said.
(See "Plane Exhaust Kills More People Than Plane Crashes.")
"If further research confirms that these [less volatile hydrocarbon] compounds are important in the formation of aerosols, there may be things we can do to limit their presence in our fuels, as we've done with other harmful compounds
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
Watches and Warnings all Over the Eastern US
Not sure I have ever seen so many flood watch and warning areas at one time, all over the eastern USA. All of the greens are either watches or warnings for flooding! - HLG
Mardi Gras is OFFICIALLY Over (Three tornadoes reported in Metro NOLA)
3 Tornadoes Reported in Metro New Orleans, Louisiana
Published March 09, 2011
| Associated Press
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BUSH, La. -- A line of severe weather moving across the Southeast spawned three tornadoes Wednesday in the New Orleans area and dumped as much as seven inches of rain in parts of Mississippi.
The Louisiana tornadoes touched down early in the morning on the heels of the Mardi Gras season, which ended Tuesday night.
The New Orleans metropolitan area was under a flash flood warning as downpours ranging from 1 to 3 inches flooded some streets.
Forecaster Mike Shields said one tornado touched down about 10 miles southwest of Bush in St. Tammany Parish around 5:20 a.m. -- injuring one person, damaging a house, destroying a trailer and knocking down trees.
Emergency officials said the woman suffered a cut on her head.
Firefighters in Lacombe reported a twister that took the roof off a house just before 5 a.m. And the weather service said a meteorologist reported a tornado on the north side of Kenner near Lake Pontchartrain shortly after 6 a.m. No damage was reported.
In Tangipahoa, authorities evacuated about 50 families from a mobile home park after heavy rains caused a creek to overflow.
Kentwood police dispatcher Garrett Herrington said boats from several law enforcement agencies were used Tuesday night and early Wednesday to rescue the residents from water that surrounded their trailers. The evacuees were then taken to a nearby shelter, Herrington said.
Strong winds accompanying thunderstorms in eastern Tennessee ripped part of the roof off a school. A section of roof was torn from Camp Creek Elementary School on Wednesday morning, The Greeneville Sun reported. No injuries were reported and there were no children at the school yet.
In Mississippi, reports of damage were sporadic but no deaths or injuries were immediately reported Wednesday by the Highway Patrol or emergency officials.
Daniel Lamb, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Jackson, said there had been reports of tornadoes around the state. He said weather service storm survey teams would be out later Wednesday to assess the damage.
Forecasters were also expecting a day of rough weather in Alabama. The National Weather Service said winds gusting to 50 mph were possible across a wide section of the state along with torrential rains. Morning commuters struggled to open doors in Montgomery as whistling winds buffeted the area.
Published March 09, 2011
| Associated Press
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BUSH, La. -- A line of severe weather moving across the Southeast spawned three tornadoes Wednesday in the New Orleans area and dumped as much as seven inches of rain in parts of Mississippi.
The Louisiana tornadoes touched down early in the morning on the heels of the Mardi Gras season, which ended Tuesday night.
The New Orleans metropolitan area was under a flash flood warning as downpours ranging from 1 to 3 inches flooded some streets.
Forecaster Mike Shields said one tornado touched down about 10 miles southwest of Bush in St. Tammany Parish around 5:20 a.m. -- injuring one person, damaging a house, destroying a trailer and knocking down trees.
Emergency officials said the woman suffered a cut on her head.
Firefighters in Lacombe reported a twister that took the roof off a house just before 5 a.m. And the weather service said a meteorologist reported a tornado on the north side of Kenner near Lake Pontchartrain shortly after 6 a.m. No damage was reported.
In Tangipahoa, authorities evacuated about 50 families from a mobile home park after heavy rains caused a creek to overflow.
Kentwood police dispatcher Garrett Herrington said boats from several law enforcement agencies were used Tuesday night and early Wednesday to rescue the residents from water that surrounded their trailers. The evacuees were then taken to a nearby shelter, Herrington said.
Strong winds accompanying thunderstorms in eastern Tennessee ripped part of the roof off a school. A section of roof was torn from Camp Creek Elementary School on Wednesday morning, The Greeneville Sun reported. No injuries were reported and there were no children at the school yet.
In Mississippi, reports of damage were sporadic but no deaths or injuries were immediately reported Wednesday by the Highway Patrol or emergency officials.
Daniel Lamb, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Jackson, said there had been reports of tornadoes around the state. He said weather service storm survey teams would be out later Wednesday to assess the damage.
Forecasters were also expecting a day of rough weather in Alabama. The National Weather Service said winds gusting to 50 mph were possible across a wide section of the state along with torrential rains. Morning commuters struggled to open doors in Montgomery as whistling winds buffeted the area.
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
More Flooding for Eastern Seaboard
Looks like Gulf Coast will get douched as well, but this is not good news for the NE USA. Flooding could be very bad in light of recent flooding, with more rain after this system. Yuk! - HLG
Monday, March 7, 2011
Amazing Photo of Shuttle Approaching the Space Station
This amazing photo of Space Shuttle Discovery approaching the ISS was taken from the ground, by an amateur astronomer in England, during a brief clearing of cloudy skies! - HLG
Sunday, March 6, 2011
Image of Largest Solar Flare in Past 5 Years
The amazing giant solar flare in February was imaged for the first time by the new generation of solar observing satellites. This one in the extreme ultraviolet was a scene from a high-def animation of the entire eruption. - HLG
Severe Weather Set-up for Mid-week?
Southern Plains, then Ohio Valley. Complex east-coast storm then forms by late week. Looks like an exciting spring, weather-wise. - HLG
Remember the loss of the Global Carbon Observatory Mission in February 09?
Amazingly, the failure of the most important climate monitoring mission from two years ago was lost on the exact same rocket, which apparently was the same failure of the second-stage cowling to separate. Strange coincidence, or complete failure to learn?
Steve Cole
Headquarters, Washington
202-657-2194
Stephen.e.cole@nasa.gov
George Diller
Kennedy Space Center, Fla.
805-605-3051
George.h.diller@nasa.gov
Alan Buis
Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif.
818-653-8339
Alan.buis@jpl.nasa.gov
Feb. 24, 2009
RELEASE : 09-039
NASA's Launch Of Carbon-Seeking Satellite is Unsuccessful
WASHINGTON -- NASA's Orbiting Carbon Observatory satellite failed to reach orbit after its 4:55 a.m. EST liftoff Tuesday from California's Vandenberg Air Force Base.
Preliminary indications are that the fairing on the Taurus XL launch vehicle failed to separate. The fairing is a clamshell structure that encapsulates the satellite as it travels through the atmosphere.
A Mishap Investigation Board will be immediately convened to determine the cause of the launch failure.
For more information, vis
Steve Cole
Headquarters, Washington
202-657-2194
Stephen.e.cole@nasa.gov
George Diller
Kennedy Space Center, Fla.
805-605-3051
George.h.diller@nasa.gov
Alan Buis
Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif.
818-653-8339
Alan.buis@jpl.nasa.gov
Feb. 24, 2009
RELEASE : 09-039
NASA's Launch Of Carbon-Seeking Satellite is Unsuccessful
WASHINGTON -- NASA's Orbiting Carbon Observatory satellite failed to reach orbit after its 4:55 a.m. EST liftoff Tuesday from California's Vandenberg Air Force Base.
Preliminary indications are that the fairing on the Taurus XL launch vehicle failed to separate. The fairing is a clamshell structure that encapsulates the satellite as it travels through the atmosphere.
A Mishap Investigation Board will be immediately convened to determine the cause of the launch failure.
For more information, vis
Saturday, March 5, 2011
Confirmed Tornado in Acadiana Saturday
Same storm that strengthened all the way towards New Orleans, and the Gulf Coast.
Authorities say a tornado has hit the southwestern town Louisiana of Rayne, injuring at least nine people.
View full sizeWeather Underground, via The Associated PressThis NOAA satellite image taken Saturday at 1:45 a.m. shows clouds moving into the East associated with a strong storm that will provide widespread rain and a few thunderstorms. March 5 2011
State police say the twister hit the northwestern section of the Acadia Parish town about 10 a.m. Saturday.
Trooper Stephen Hammons says several houses have been destroyed and damaged -- and the area has been evacuated because of natural gas leaks.
Acadian Ambulance supervisor Troy Guidry says trees and power lines also have been knocked down. He says nine people have been transported to area hospitals -- one with serious injuries and eight with minor injuries.
The tornado hit as a front of violent thunderstorms moved through the area.
Friday, March 4, 2011
NASA GLORY Mission Fails
The much anticipated mission of GLORY to collect unprecedented global data on aeresol distribution in the atmosphere failed upon launch this morning. Looks like it will be many more years before we get this much needed data, possibly the most important in understanding atmospheric forcing/climate-change feedback mechanisms. - HLG ;(
Taurus XL Rocket Failure Results in Unsuccessful Launch of Glory Mission
At a news conference following the unsuccessful attempt to place the Glory spacecraft in orbit, a team from NASA and Orbital Sciences Corporation, maker of the Taurus XL rocket, discussed the failure of the rocket's fairing to separate. The fairing, which covers and protects the spacecraft during launch and ascent, underwent a redesign of its separation system after a similar failure two years ago. The new system has been successfully used on another Orbital launch vehicle several times.
NASA Launch Director Omar Baez said the countdown and launch went smoothly until the point at which they should have received data indicating that the fairing had separated from the vehicle.
Once more data is analyzed, the teams hope to have a better understanding of what went wrong and where in the South Pacific the spacecraft may have landed.
The new Earth-observing satellite was intended to improve our understanding of how the sun and tiny atmospheric particles called aerosols affect Earth's climate.
Project management for Glory is the responsibility of NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md. The launch management for the mission is the responsibility of NASA's Launch Services Program at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Orbital Sciences Corp. of Dulles, Va., is the launch service provider to Kennedy of the four-stage Taurus XL rocket and is also builder of the Glory satellite for Goddard.
Taurus XL Rocket Failure Results in Unsuccessful Launch of Glory Mission
At a news conference following the unsuccessful attempt to place the Glory spacecraft in orbit, a team from NASA and Orbital Sciences Corporation, maker of the Taurus XL rocket, discussed the failure of the rocket's fairing to separate. The fairing, which covers and protects the spacecraft during launch and ascent, underwent a redesign of its separation system after a similar failure two years ago. The new system has been successfully used on another Orbital launch vehicle several times.
NASA Launch Director Omar Baez said the countdown and launch went smoothly until the point at which they should have received data indicating that the fairing had separated from the vehicle.
Once more data is analyzed, the teams hope to have a better understanding of what went wrong and where in the South Pacific the spacecraft may have landed.
The new Earth-observing satellite was intended to improve our understanding of how the sun and tiny atmospheric particles called aerosols affect Earth's climate.
Project management for Glory is the responsibility of NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md. The launch management for the mission is the responsibility of NASA's Launch Services Program at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Orbital Sciences Corp. of Dulles, Va., is the launch service provider to Kennedy of the four-stage Taurus XL rocket and is also builder of the Glory satellite for Goddard.
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
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