Unprecedented glacier melting

Europian Geosciences Union released this news item with the above picture and entitled "Unprecedented glacier melting in the Andes blamed on climate change" along with this introduction:

Glaciers in the tropical Andes have been retreating at increasing rate since the 1970s, scientists write in the most comprehensive review to date of Andean glacier observations. The researchers blame the melting on rising temperatures as the region has warmed about 0.7°C over the past 50 years (1950-1994). This unprecedented retreat could affect water supply to Andean populations in the near future. These conclusions are published today in The Cryosphere, an Open Access journal of the European Geosciences Union (EGU).

O.K. for a lay person like me I have only one stupid question: If there is such thing as "rising temperatures" why are we still having the kind of cold winter we have.  Where is global warming?

Sound of Russian meteorite

PopSci posted this interesting article in their website yesterday entitled "What the Russian Meteor Explosion sounded like" wtitten by Kelsey D. Atherton.  Here's my captured segment of sound record when the meteor hit from the video:

and here is the video:



I always thought some of the noisy freaque waves can be captured by sound recording, that should be a hugely interesting research project. But where? how? by who? with what?  It'll remain the pipe dream of a retired old man!

Mount Etna Eruption

Here's  the latest post from the website of Our Amazing Planet two days ago on the eruption of Italy's Mount Etna that took place on the morning of February 19, 2013. The dramatic scene was captured in a video by Klaus Dorschfeldt, a videographer and webmaster at Italy's National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology. :

The article was written by Becky Oskin as

Mount Etna, one of the world's most active volcanoes, had emitted signs of an imminent paroxysm in recent weeks. On Jan. 22, lava and strong flashes in the volcano's New Southeast Crater were clearly visible from the Sicilian foothills; these often herald a new paroxysm: short, violent eruptive bursts.

Dorschfeldt said he knew Mount Etna's recent signals could precede new activity.  "[I've] followed the activity of Etna for many years, and with time you learn to know it as if it were your friend," he said in an email interview. "Following it constantly [you] learn to be a keen observer and a minor change can lead to something important," he told OurAmazingPlanet.

The tallest volcano in Europe, Mount Etna is almost constantly spewing gas or lava. Its Bocca Nuova crater also erupted earlier this year, from Jan. 10 to Jan. 20. In 2011, Etna's violent bursts were spotted from space.

I got it from Sigma Xi's Science Smart Brief this morning.

Super Winter Storm Nemo 2013

Here is a satellite picture of the recent super winter storm Nemo hit the Northeast New England area with mega snows:

and here's a video of on shore waves during the same winter storm



The video was taken on Feb 9, 2013 as Nemo sends huge waves crashing along the Massachusetts coastline at high tide.  The video was filmed by Jim Edds of ExtremeStorm.com. The video is also available in Youtube here.

Now here is a picture of snow fall in Billerica, Massachusetts as posted in Wikipedia:

So we have seen the main effects of the Super Winter Storm Nemo of 2013. The storm was well predicted and people were prepared for it. Hopefully the damages were all minimized.  At least this kind of winter storm will not happen very often, even though it is part of the nature we all have to face some time!  

Surfing the coastal waves on skis!

O.K. we all have seen surfing on nearshore big waves, and we all have seen ski on snowy mountain slopes.  But how about ski on big waves nearshore? Well, seeing is believing, take a look at the following YouTube:



Here's the article from the TNT Magazine with this desceiption:

Daredevil Chuck Patterson found a novel way to tackle the waves off the coast of Hawaii – on skis! 

It looks like another big wave riding hero but look a little closer and you can see that the man at bottom of the wall of water is not on a board but skis. Look a little closer still and the mental wave rider has two ski poles in his hands as well.

Chuck is a ‘driven by his passion for snow’. He grew up skiing in Lake Tahoe California as a young man but has made the transition to water, now.

He obviously gets a little snow-sick for the slopes though and decided to give himself a little reminder as his ski-surf YouTube video above shows.

Surfing the wave on skis! Hmm, I never thought that can be done. Now how about ski with a surfing board?  Why not?  Anything is possible!!!

Clearing snow tips!

Here are 8 tips for clearing snow in winter which I found from the Accuweather site here which is provided by the Snow & Ice Management Association (SIMA):

1. The first step that SIMA recommends is not letting snow build up for long. If you regularly go out when there are a few inches of snow on the ground versus waiting until 2 feet have piled up, you'll be working with more manageable weights.

2. Their second tip is to wear breathable layers. Your body can still heat up quickly doing manual work outside in the cold. Layering is important to help you keep from overheating in your warm winter clothes. You could end up dehydrated if you get too hot and start to sweat. Opt for fabrics made from cotton or silk that allow more evaporation than wool or man-made materials.

3. You should also wear good boots. Good snow boots will be warm, waterproof and have good traction. Slipping on snow and ice can lead to a lot of unnecessary injuries, so be sure to move carefully and wear the right gear for your feet.

4. Like any other strenuous physical activity, you should take the time to properly stretchbefore you head outside to shovel. This is especially important considering you will be "working out" in cold weather. This will help prevent pulled muscles.

5. You'll put less stress on your body if you focus on pushing and not lifting snow out of the way. This will use less energy to help you stave off fatigue and will also be easier on your back and shoulders.

6. Staying hydrated is essential for preventing dehydration. Take water breaks, as you would if you were working out in a gym or playing a sport.

7. Working on driveways and sidewalks can put you dangerously close to traffic, so be sure topay attention to your surroundings. Cars can lose control on snowy roads and end up leaving the pavement. Be aware of the traffic around you when you are near the street.

8. Finally, you should be sure to have your phone on you in case something does go wrong. Being able to call for help at the first sign of an emergency could make a big difference.

Have a wonderful winter, enjoy snow!

Mark Beaumont's boat -- lost and found!

Here's a news published in The Sun about a year ago by Kenny Angove on Feb. 24, 2012 : 

ACTION man Mark Beaumont last night described the terrifying moment his tiny rowing boat was flipped over by a massive wave.

Mark, 29, and five crewmates came close to death when their vessel capsized in the Atlantic last month.

The Scot told how he he was left trapped upside down in the boat.

He said: “It pitched up without warning. I was upside down and fighting to get my shoes out of the rowing straps. They were stuck.

“I managed to pull my feet free and kicked for the surface.”

The crew were trying to break the 30-day record for rowing across the Atlantic. They were 520 miles from the finish in Barbados on day 27.

Mark, from Newburgh, Fife, added: “We survived so ultimately the expedition was a success.”

Now this morning in this Scotsman news has this story published, Tuesday 5 February 2013 09:49: 

SCOTS ADVENTURER Mark Beaumont’s ill-fated record attempt boat has been salvaged after floating at sea for a full year, he revealed today.

• Boat found with currency and equipment still on board

• Vessel ran aground on the Florida shoreline

• ‘Sarah G’ was adrift at sea for a year

The £70,000 vessel capsized after being hit by a massive wave during the the trans-Atlantic mission, forcing the six-strong British and Irish crew to escape into a lifecraft.

Mark made several dives into the depths of the freezing ocean to retrieve vital life-saving equipment but the rest of the cargo of the 36ft fibreglass craft, named Sara G, was thought to be lost.

The Perthshire 30-year-old, who has just returned from a cycling trip in Malaysia, said the boat’s recovery was “incredible”.

It had been spotted drifting in the Carribean several times in the past 12 months by the US coastguard but it had been deemed too expensive and complicated to recover.

However it finally ran aground on the Florida shoreline at the weekend.

It still contains wallets, food and hundreds of dollars and pounds abandoned when the men had to flee for their safety.

US salvage expert Mark Hutchings, owner of TowBoatUS on Key Largo, Florida, told how he spied upturned The Sara G which is covered in what looks like bullet holes.

He said: “We salvage boats every few days but this one is unique. I’ve never seen one like it.

“Sitting there, it looked like an upside down sailboat.

“I’ve seen some boats come apart after just a few days on the water. This was was out there for a year so its a pretty substantial boat. Some stuff on board was destroyed but other things were totally intact.”

He added: “It still smells pretty bad in there.”

He said personal items would be returned to the rowers as soon as possible.

The boat itself has suffered substantial damage, including several suspected gun shot holes where people have tried to sink it, fearing it was a shipping hazard.

The state-of-the-art craft was on-course to break the 32-day east to west cross-Atlantic rowing record in January last year.

Mark and his crew, rowing in two-hour shifts, had covered more than 2,000 miles in 27 days when the freak waves picked the boat up by the stern, rotated it and capsized it.

The men endured a terrifying three-hour wait on the lifecraft before being picked up by a passing ship and brought to safety.

Another Perthshire adventurer, Benno Rawlinson from Abernethy is now trying to smash the rowing record.

He and his team have so-far rowed almost 1,500 miles after setting off from Gran Canaria on January 18.

Mark Beaumont became famous in 2008 after breaking the record for cycling around the world - completing his 18,297 miles in 194 days and 17 hours

So it's a story with a happy ending after all!  And the mighty ocean is certainly not grasping or greedy like some government we know!!!

A freaque wave occurrence in Sanremo, Italy

The daytime television show called 'Right this minute" just broadcast this program  called "rogue-wave-takes-out-cars-and-motorcyclist" which you can find it from their website www.rightthisminute.com with this video and

This is a clear cut case of wrong place, wrong time. A motorcyclist was riding along the docks of a harbor wave in Portosole, Sanremo, Italy. A security camera on a yacht happened to catch this intense moment. A rogue wave came over the wall and was so strong it took out not only the motorcyclist, but also the cars that were parked near there. 

They have a nice video of freaque wave occurrence, go take a look of it!

Gaelic Blessing for you!

Deep peace of the running wave to you!