Michael Ventrice, an atmospheric scientist at The Weather Company, tweeted Monday morning, “there’s risk for a hurricane to track towards the Gulf of Mexico in 7-10 days.”
Readers may recall the 2020 Atlantic hurricane season has been extremely busy, with eleven storms so far, and the risk of two more storms developing later this week.
At the start of the hurricane season, we said: “…this hurricane season could be above average, with 13 to 19 named storms.”
The National Hurricane Center (NHC) published a new five-day tropical weather outlook showing two disturbances developing in the eastern Atlantic.
“NHC is monitoring two disturbances for possible development within the next several days. A system in the eastern Atlantic has a high chance of development and a system near the Windward Islands has a medium chance of formation,” NHC said.
The next 7-10 days could be a period of heightened activity in the Atlantic and or the Gulf of Mexico. NHC said Disturbance #1 has a 50% chance of developing, and Disturbance #2 has a 70% chance of developing by the end of the week.
Meteorologist James Spann tweeted Monday, “the Atlantic basin is about to come alive.”
New research by the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) found that a key component of the Gulf Stream– a warm Atlantic ocean current stretching to the tip of Florida– has steadily slowed and is now weaker than at any other point in the past 110 years. The connection between coastal sea level and the strength of near-shore currents was analyzed to trace the evolution of the Florida Current and come up with the conclusion.
“In the ocean, almost everything is connected,” said research author Christopher Piecuch, an assistant scientist in the Physical Oceanography Department at WHOI.
“We can use those connections to look at things in the past or far from shore, giving us a more complete view of the ocean and how it changes across space and time.”
Piecuch specializes in coastal and regional sea-level change, and he used a connection between coastal ocean level and the strength of currents near the shore to track the evolution of the Florida Current.
The Gulf Stream flows north along the South Atlantic Coast of the U.S. and eventually east into the North Atlantic, carrying properties that affect the Earth’s climate such as heat, salt, and momentum.
Because almost constant records of water level date back to more than a century along Florida’s Atlantic Coast, Piecuch was able to use mathematical models and physics to widen the reach of direct measurements of the Gulf Stream.
This led him to his conclusion that the current has weakened steadily and is weaker now than any other time in the last 110 years.
Image credit: Carol Anne Clayson, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
However, one of the biggest uncertainties in climate models is the behavior of currents leading or responding to changes in the world’s climate. One of the most significant of these is the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC)– a large system or conveyor belt of ocean currents in the Atlantic that helps balance global climate.
Piecuch’s study agrees with relationships displayed in models between the deeper branches of the AMOC and the Gulf Stream. It verifies other studies suggesting that the deeper branches of AMOC have slowed in the past years. His method also provides the potential to monitor ocean currents like the Gulf Stream from the coast, complementing moored instruments and expensive research vessels.
“If we can monitor something over the horizon by making measurements from shore, then that’s a win for science and potentially for society,” the author said.
Reference
“Likely weakening of the Florida Current during the past century revealed by sea-level observations” – Piecuch, C. G. – Nature Communications – https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-020-17761-w
Abstract
The Florida Current marks the beginning of the Gulf Stream at Florida Straits, and plays an important role in climate. Nearly continuous measurements of Florida Current transport are available at 27°N since 1982. These data are too short for assessing possible multidecadal or centennial trends. Here I reconstruct Florida Current transport during 1909–2018 using probabilistic methods and principles of ocean physics applied to the available transport data and longer coastal sea-level records. Florida Current transport likely declined steadily during the past century. Transport since 1982 has likely been weaker on average than during 1909–1981. The weakest decadal-mean transport in the last 110 y likely took place in the past two decades. Results corroborate hypotheses that the deep branch of the overturning circulation declined over the recent past, and support relationships observed in climate models between the overturning and surface western boundary current transports at multidecadal and longer timescales.
Featured image credit: Carol Anne Clayson, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
A new earthquake swarm started beneath the Salton Sea in California on August 10, 2020. The risk of a larger earthquake over the next 7 days is considerably elevated due to the swarm when compared to background levels. The southernmost section of the San Andreas Fault is capable of rupturing in large magnitude earthquakes (M7+), the last of which occurred more than 300 years ago, USGS said.
The San Andreas Fault is considered as one of the most dangerous faults in the world. It stretches around 1 200 km (750 miles) and marks the boundary between the Pacific and North American tectonic plates. There are three major cities on the fault– Los Angeles, San Francisco, and San Diego, along with other towns.
The USGS has been monitoring an ongoing earthquake activity beneath the Salton Sea near the fault, with the largest quake recorded on August 10 as M4.6.
Image credit: TW/SAM, Google
This portion of San Andreas is capable of generating tremors of M7.0 and above. The last time an earthquake of this size hit the area was over 300 years ago.
“Historically, this area has seen swarms before– most recently in 2001, 2009, and 2016. During the last swarm in 2016, there were three bursts of activity separated by relatively quiet periods before the swarm ended,” USGS wrote.
“Past swarms in this area have remained active for 1 to 20 days, with a typical duration of about a week, so this swarm may have future bursts of activity that will in turn impact the probabilities discussed below.”
The agency warned that there are three possible scenarios of what could happen from August 12 to August 19.
The first scenario has a 98 percent chance of happening: earthquakes continue but will not be greater than M5.4 within the next week. The most likely scenario is that the rate of quakes in the swarm will decrease over the coming week.
Some moderately sized earthquakes may happen, within the range of M4.5 to M5.4. This may cause localized damage, especially in weak structures. Smaller earthquakes around M3.0 may be felt by people near the epicenters.
The second scenario has about a 2 percent chance of occurring: a larger earthquake could occur, ranging from M5.5 to 6.9. Earthquakes of this size may inflict damage around the Salton Sea area and may be followed by aftershocks that would increase the number of smaller quakes each day.
Scenario Three has less than 1 percent chance of taking place: a much bigger earthquake with M7.0 or higher could occur within the next seven days.
While the scenario has a very small probability, it would have major impacts on nearby communities if such a quake were to happen. It would be followed by aftershocks that would also increase the number of smaller shakes per day.
“No one can predict the exact time or place of any earthquake, including aftershocks or events in swarms. Our earthquake forecasts give us an understanding of the chances of having more earthquakes within a given time period in the affected area. We calculate this earthquake forecast using statistical analysis based on past earthquakes,” said USGS.
“We are carefully monitoring activity throughout the region and will continue to provide information to help people stay safe and care for themselves and each other.”
Egypt bombshell: Hidden ‘code’ of Great Pyramid of Giza unlocks ‘remarkable find’
EGYPT investigators believe they have discovered “hidden numbers” in the geometry of the Great Pyramid, leading one to claim it unlocks a “remarkable” ancient secret.
The Great Pyramid of Giza is the oldest and largest of the three ancient monuments in the Giza Plateau believed to have been constructed for the Pharaoh Khufu over two decades. Among the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, it is the only one still largely intact and is estimated to weigh approximately six million tonnes. For decades, experts have known that the sides of the square base are closely aligned to the four cardinal compass points of true north in space.
But now, Gaia’s new documentary ‘The Hidden Codes of the Great Pyramids’ has revealed how a discovery over its construction proves the ancient builders had an even deeper understanding of astronomy than previously thought.
Engineer and author Christopher Dunn said: “When you start looking at the schematics of the Great Pyramid and the unusual interior design, it doesn’t represent any kind of structure or building where people would spend any time.
“Of course, in regards to the original tomb theory – there were no mummies found in the Great Pyramid, no original mummies found in any pyramids for that matter.”
The narrator explained why some believe developments in understanding the Great Pyramid are challenging history books.
Investigators believe there are hidden numbers in the geometry of the pyramid (Image: GETTY)
The Great Pyramids were built over 4,500 years ago (Image: GETTY)
He said: “Today, children are taught in school that it took builders 10 to 20 years to complete.
“Yet to achieve this timeline, one block would have had to be placed every one to two minutes.
“On top of this monumental achievement in construction, the form and position of the pyramid’s structure is also an intriguing marvel of the ancient world.
“Contrary to popular belief, the Great Pyramid is not simply a four-sided structure.
“Experts suggest a closer look at its unique shape may provide some clues to the true power and relationship to Earth’s motion.”
Some believe the builders had an advance understanding of astronomy (Image: GETTY)
Author Robert Bauval suggests a new theory.
He says that the Great Pyramid has twice as many sides as most believe, revealing a possible link between its geometry and astronomy.
He said: “Many people don’t know this, but, in fact, it’s not a four-sided pyramid.
“It has a very slight concavity on each side, making it an eight-sided pyramid.
“Now the minute you do this, it produces very bizarre geometry.
“It produces numbers, numbers keep popping up that shouldn’t be there.
“Things like the universal constant that has been known for over 100 years, the golden ratio, but we also have now strange numbers coming up in the design.”
Graham Hancock revealed just how precise the building was (Image: WIKI)
Elon Musk came under fire earlier this month for comments (Image: GETTY)
Author and investigative journalist Graham Hancock believes a minuscule discovery over the alignment of the pyramid shows just how important this positioning was to ancient Egyptians.
He thinks it proves the ancient civilisation had a better understanding of astronomy than first thought.
He claimed in July: “If you take it upon yourself the project of building a pyramid and aligning it to true north, east, south and west you wouldn’t make any error at all.
“But there is an error in the Great Pyramid – it’s tiny.
“It is 3/60th of a single degree off true north.
“This is almost eerie precision because the scale of the monument is so huge.
“This thing is 481 feet high, it has a footprint of 13 acres, it weighs six million tonnes and consists of two-and-a-half million individual blocks of stone.
“You’re taking that whole gigantic mountain of stone and you are aligning it within just 3/60th of a single degree of true north, it’s a very remarkable thing.”
For years archaeologists have tussled with conspiracy theorists, who wildly claim the advanced technology needed to build these pyramids must have come from out-of-this-world.
Earlier this month, technology tycoon Elon Musk appeared to support the claims.
He tweeted “aliens built the pyramids obv,” which quickly prompted a response from Egypt’s Minister of International Cooperation, Rania al-Mashat.
She said: “I follow your work with a lot of admiration. I invite you and SpaceX to explore the writings about how the pyramids were built and also to check out the tombs of the pyramid builders.”
He later appeared to take the claim back in a follow-up social media post linking to an article describing how the pyramids were more likely built by humans living in an Egyptian settlement.
He added: “This BBC article provides a sensible summary for how it was done,” linking to a story with the headline ‘The Private Lives of the Pyramid-builders’.
The Mount Washington Observatory in New Hampshire recorded a wind gust of 237 km/h (147 mph) at the summit on Tuesday evening, August 4, 2020, as post-tropical cyclone Isaias swept through the New England region. This is the strongest wind gust ever recorded at the mountain in the month of August, breaking the previous one set in 1954.
Mount Washington is the highest peak in the Northeastern United States at 1 916 m (6 288 feet). On average, the mountain sees gusts of about 39 km/h (24 mph) during the month of August.
Strong winds from Isaias knocked power to more than 140 000 customers in New Hampshire on Tuesday. Many wires and trees were downed, blocking scores of roads. During the height of the storm, the observatory registered 237 km/h (147 mph), which officially became the strongest gust for the month of August.
The previous record for the strongest wind gust for the month of August was during Hurricane “Carol” in 1954 at 228 km/h (142 mph).
The highest all-time wind gust on Mount Washington was 372 km/h (231 mph) set in April 1934. This was the highest wind speed ever recorded on Earth until 1996 when Tropical Cyclone “Olivia” set a new record at 407 km/h (253 mph) in Barrow Island, Australia.
Inner Earth: Scientists Discover Mountains and Plains 370 Miles Beneath Earth’s Surface
At school, we are thought that Earth is divided into three layers, which are the cortex, the mantle and the nucleus, which in turn is divided into an internal and external nucleus.
A basic and accurate scheme, but that nevertheless leaves out other subtler layers that scientists are now beginning to identify in the deep interior of our planet.
A team of geologists has detected a previously unknown layer in the middle of the Earth’s mantle, whose characteristics are reminiscent of those of the planet’s surface.
A new study published in the Journal of Science, authored by geophysicists Jessica Irving and Wenbo Wu of Princeton University, in collaboration with Sidao Ni of the Institute of Geodesy and Geophysics of China, describes how researchers used data from the seismic waves of a large earthquake in Bolivia to locate, at a depth of 660 kilometers, a new region inside the Earth, one that has left them speechless: it features a mountain range, and plains, very similar to those on the surface of our planet.
And to be able to peer deep inside the planet, researchers had to make use of the most powerful waves that exist on our planet, the seismic waves generated by massive earthquakes.
“You want a big, deep earthquake to get the whole planet to shake,” said Irving, an assistant professor of geosciences.
For this particular study, the key data were obtained from seismic waves captured after an 8.2 magnitude earthquake, the second most powerful ever recorded, which shook Bolivia in 1994.
“Earthquakes this big don’t come along very often,” Irving said.
“We’re lucky now that we have so many more seismometers than we did even 20 years ago. Seismology is a different field than it was 20 years ago, between instruments and computational resources.”
But data alone is nothing if you don’t know how to make use of it.
That’s why scientists used the group of Tiger supercomputers from Princeton University to simulate the complex behavior of scattered seismic waves in the depths of the Earth.
The technology applied for this analysis depends almost entirely on a single property of the waves: its ability to bend and bounce.
Thus, in the same way, that light waves can bounce (reflect) in a mirror or bend (refract) when they pass through a prism, seismic waves travel directly through homogeneous rocks but are reflected or refracted when finding limits or roughness.
“We know that almost all objects have surface roughness and therefore scatter light,” said Wu, the lead author on the new paper, who just completed his geosciences Ph.D. and is now a postdoctoral researcher at the California Institute of Technology.
“That’s why we can see these objects — the scattering waves carry the information about the surface’s roughness. In this study, we investigated scattered seismic waves traveling inside the Earth to constrain the roughness of the Earth’s 660-km boundary.”
Scientists were left stunned by the roughness of the boundary. As they explain, its rougher than the surface layer we live on.
“In other words, stronger topography than the Rocky Mountains or the Appalachians exist at the 660-km boundary, explained Wu.
While the new study undoubtedly describes one of the most sensational discoveries made beneath our feet, their statistical model doesn’t offer much insight that could allow precise height determinations.
Nonetheless, scientists say that there’s a chance that some of these underground mountains are larger than anything we’ve seen on the surface of the planet.
They say that the roughness wasn’t equally distributed, either. According to scientists, just as the crust’s surface has smooth ocean floors and massive mountains, the 660-km boundary beneath our feet has rough areas and smooth patches.
Ecuador’s Navy On High Alert As 260-Strong Chinese Fishing Fleet Encroaches On Protected Galapagos
Months ago we highlighted how Argentina has long sought to push a massive fleet of foreign fishing vessels, mostly Chinese, out of its Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), which are eager to at night illegally sweep up squid and other abundant fish just off the South American coast line.
Now Ecuador is dealing with the same problem, but it’s gaining increased international attention given Chinese fishing vessels are said to be encroaching around the protected and ecologically rich Galapagos Islands off Ecuador’s coast.
Galapagos Islands, via Sky News
For years these foreign vessels have been source of controversy, especially following a 2017 incident wherein a Chinese ship was caught inside the Galapagos Marine Reserve with a 300 ton load of mostly sharks, especially the extinction-threatened hammerhead.
A new FOX report describes that “A large fleet of some 260 Chinese fishing vessels has been spotted in the waters surrounding the Galápagos Islands off the coast of Ecuador, the country’s navy officials said last week.”
Like other countries which has a sprawling South American coastline, crucial for the local economy, the Ecuadorian Navy has remained on high alert for illegal fishing conducted by foreign vessels.
Via Cuenca High Life/Ecuador News: Lights from the Chinese fishing fleet illuminate the nighttime sky near the Galapagos Islands.
“We are on alert, conducting surveillance, patrolling to avoid an incident such as what happened in 2017,” Ecuador’s Defense Minister Oswaldo Jarrin announced this week.
“There is a corridor that is international waters, that’s where the fleet is located,” he added.
Via Daily Mail/MarineTraffic.com
The nine-island archipelago made famous in the 19th century by naturalist Charles Darwin’s scientific discovery travels have for decades been listed as a protected Unesco world heritage site, as well as a 188-mile radius surrounding it.
Ecuadorian reports suggest the massive Chinese fishing fleet is sitting just 12 miles off this designated boundary.
Vamos a trabajar en una postura regional para defender y proteger la Zona Económica Exclusiva alrededor de la Reserva Marina de Galápagos, una de las áreas más ricas de pesca y un semillero de vida para el planeta entero. #SOSGalápagospic.twitter.com/GzHWBZrT57
Ecuadorian officials have slammed the large fleet as “aggressive” and “a threat” to the delicate marine life ecosystem of the Galapagos
Interestingly, even US Southern Command took note and tweeted about it via its official account:marine life
WATCH: About 260 Chinese fishing boats have been detected in the ocean surrounding the #Galápagos islands off #Ecuador, according to the country’s navy. The ships, found just outside a protected zone, raise the prospect of damage to the marine ecosystem. https://t.co/OnoHFCwtFb
“Unchecked Chinese fishing just on the edge of the protected zone is ruining Ecuador’s efforts to protect marine life in the Galápagos,” former Ecuadorian environment minister, Yolanda Kakabadse, stated this week.
In response, Ecuador is leading an international push to have its exclusive economic zone expanded to include a 350-mile radius out from the islands, in order to give its navy greater authority to push foreign vessels further from Galapagos waters.
(TMU) – While most of us have only experienced jungles and their wild inhabitants through documentaries and social media, which, thankfully, has brought the wonders of nature into our homes.
Wildlife photographer Mithun, based in India, is one such person dedicated to bringing the mysteries of the jungles to life for those who may never be fortunate enough to experience the wild first-hand.
Born in the jungles of South India, Mithun grew up fascinated by wildlife and had a passion for big cats, leopards in particular.
He worked on ‘The Real Black Panther’ for Nat Geo Wild, which undoubtedly fueled his passion for the jungle and the big wild cats further. He now uses his knowledge in tracking big cats as well as leading exclusive, personalized private safaris.
Viewers were enthralled by his photograph of a leopard with a black panther standing behind her, and his post went viral quickly. The two wild cats are seemingly staring into the camera quite calmly, and was captured in a way that makes the panther appear to be the leopard’s shadow.
In an interview on social media, Mithun said: “I can still close my eyes and relive that moment every single day of my life. You don’t see that often. Probably an once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. There was certainly a lot of waiting and patience that went into it. I had waited 6 days for this in the same spot since I could hear the panther and Cleopatra mating about 100 meters away in the thick undergrowth, but could not see them due to limited visibility. They had made a large kill and would not move until it was over. That is where the knowledge and years of experience of following and tracking the panther came in handy. I just had to wait at one of his favorite paths, since that was the place he would get her, since that was the edge of his territory, and this he did after 6 days. It was a fruitful wait, though. I could wait for 6 years for a moment like this.”
He explained that the element of surprise is what he loves most about wildlife photography: ‘’You never know what you are going to encounter at the next bend. The woods are mysterious, and to unlock that is my passion. You could be waiting for days and months and years for that perfect shot. But when it happens, those few seconds are magical, and to live for after all that time. That is the beauty of wildlife photography.’’
Mithun’s life changed in 2009, when he got his first camera and captured a huge, magnificent male tiger, swimming through a flowing river. ‘’That was the moment I decided my way forward in life,” he said and continued:
“Although I love every form of wildlife and love my birds as well, big cats were always a fascination from the beginning. Leopards, in particular, were my first love. The agility, the grace of this feline on the trees just fascinated me to no end. I would spend hours watching them lazing on a tree with their little ones. Have named and followed their individual journey in Kabini for the last 12 years now. It all started with one of my favorite Leopards whom I called ‘Monk’ (a big male) and ‘Moon’ (the female), and their generation still going strong now.”
Wildlife photography is certainly not for the faint of heart. Indeed, apart from having your camera at the ready, plenty of patience is a must and having knowledge of your subject and the terrain provides a great advantage. Mithun’s advice: “It definitely has some dangers associated for sure. But if you know your limits and study animal behavior, which is the most important facet, then you have won half the battle. These beautiful creatures are generally more scared and shy than we think. Give them space and let them get comfortable with you and you realize how close and personal you can get with their world. The secret is patience and respect.”
Through his work, the photographer also became a conservationist and his mission is to support and create awareness for the conservation of leopards in particular because, he says, ‘’They are the most neglected of the big cats across the world and in danger because of conflict with humans on the edges of the forests. People need to realize the beauty and grace of this amazing feline and their very important role in the ecosystem.”
Crop yields for major crops such as apples, blueberries, and cherries across the U.S. are being limited by a lack of pollinators due to the decline of the wild bee population, according to new research, which was the most comprehensive study of its kind. Researchers noted that as most of the world’s crops depend on honeybees and wild bees for pollination; declines in both populations also raise a concern about global food security.
“We found that many crops are pollination-limited, meaning crop production would be higher if crop flowers received more pollination,” said senior author Rachael Winfree, a professor in the Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Natural Resources in the School of Environmental and Biological Sciences at Rutgers University-New Brunswick.
The research is said to be the most comprehensive study of its kind to date.
“We also found that honey bees and wild bees provided similar amounts of pollination overall,” she added.
“Managing habitat for native bee species and/or stocking more honey bees would boost pollination levels and could increase crop production.”
Pollination by wild and managed insects is crucial for most crops, including those essential for food security. In the U.S., the production of crops that depend on pollinators produces more than 50 billion dollars a year.
Recent evidence shows that European honeybees and some native wild bee species are declining. Scientists gathered data on insect pollination of crop flowers and yields at 131 farms across the U.S. and British Columbia in Canada.
Image credit: Flickr
The yields included apples, highbush blueberries, sweet cherries, tart cherries, almond, watermelon, and pumpkin. Crops that showed evidence of being limited by pollination were apples, sweet cherries, tart cherries, and blueberries, indicating that yields are lower than what they would be with full pollination. Wild bees and honey bees provided the same amount of pollinations for most crops.
The yearly production value of wild pollinators for all seven crops was approximately 1.5 billion dollars in the U.S. The value of wild bee pollination for all crops dependent on pollinator would be much greater, the researchers said.
“Our findings show that pollinator declines could translate directly into decreased yields for most of the crops studied.”
The results indicate that adopting practices that conserve wild bees– like enhancing wildflowers and using managed pollinators other than honey bees– may possibly boost yields. Meanwhile, increasing investment in honey bee colonies would be another alternative.
Reference
Crop production in the USA is frequently limited by a lack of pollinators – Reilly, J. R. et al. – Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences – DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2020.0922
Abstract
Most of the world’s crops depend on pollinators, so declines in both managed and wild bees raise concerns about food security. However, the degree to which insect pollination is actually limiting current crop production is poorly understood, as is the role of wild species (as opposed to managed honeybees) in pollinating crops, particularly in intensive production areas. We established a nationwide study to assess the extent of pollinator limitation in seven crops at 131 locations situated across major crop-producing areas of the USA. We found that five out of seven crops showed evidence of pollinator limitation. Wild bees and honeybees provided comparable amounts of pollination for most crops, even in agriculturally intensive regions. We estimated the nationwide annual production value of wild pollinators to the seven crops we studied at over $1.5 billion; the value of wild bee pollination of all pollinator-dependent crops would be much greater. Our findings show that pollinator declines could translate directly into decreased yields or production for most of the crops studied, and that wild species contribute substantially to the pollination of most study crops in major crop-producing regions.
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