Archive | May 5, 2015
YELLOWSTONE REGION MAGNITUDE 2.2 LIMA MONTANA, USA
http://www.seis.utah.edu/req2webdir/recenteqs/Quakes/mb31330.html
Subject To Change
Depth: 0.1 km
Distances: Lima, MT – 19 km (12 miles) ENE (66 degrees)
Spencer, ID – 40 km (25 miles) NNW (339 degrees)
Dubois, ID – 60 km (37 miles) N (349 degrees)
Dillon, MT – 60 km (37 miles) SSE (160 degrees)
Boise, ID – 331 km (206 miles) ENE (67 degrees)
Severe Sandstorms Cause Havoc At Refugee Camp In Iraq
Severe sand and dust storms swept through parts of Iraq on May 5, tearing down tents at a camp for displaced people west of Baghdad.
Courtesy of rferl.org
Volcanic Eruption Shuts Down Main Airport in Costa Rica

Source: OVSICORI
Civil aviation and airport officials in Costa Rica decided to suspend flight operations at the Juan Santamaria International Airport (SJO), located in the province of Alajuela, after a powerful afternoon eruption at the Turrialba volcano, located in the province of Cartago.
Geologists from the National University’s Observatory on Volcanology and Seismology of Costa Rica (Spanish acronym: OVSICORI) reported two eruptions on Monday, May 4th: The first one occurred early in the morning and produced a plume of volcanic ash that reached about 500 meters; the second one started at 3:25 pm and lasted for more than 20 minutes.
The Directorate of Civil Aviation resolved to cease flight operations at SJO, Costa Rica’s busiest international airport, after sundown. The preliminary report stated that the temporary closure would last six hours, and an advisory would be issued hours later. As of 9:20 pm, incoming flights from Managua and Houston were delayed. The status of later flights from Panama City, Mexico City and Frankfurt was “canceled.”
This is the third time in recent months that volcanic activity from the Turrialba has shut down SJO. OVSICORI scientists also reported that the latest eruption expelled rocks with great velocity, ultimately damaging solar panels and a park ranger’s booth. Needless to say, this volcano is off-limits to visitors.
Although not too much incandescence was observed during the second eruption, the ash and smoke column reached extended two kilometers in the air and began coating the capital city of San Jose during the evening. Volcanologists warned the population about the abrasiveness of the ash; it could be harmful to the eyes should they be rubbed on contact, and it may also scratch auto windshields should the wipers be activated. The best course of action is to rinse with lots of water.
Courtesy of news.co.cr
Volcanic warning at Japanese hot springs resort

Japan’s meteorological agency on Tuesday issued a warning to limit access to the popular hot springs resort of Hakone after a nearby volcano became active and began belching steaming gas.
Two minor quakes measuring magnitude 2.0 and 2.4 were recorded Tuesday morning at the volcano, southwest of Tokyo, the agency reported.
“Activity at Hakone… is in a state of uncertainty,” the agency said in an advisory.
“There is a possibility that a minor eruption may suddenly occur,” it said. “Please do not enter dangerous zones.”
The warning, which comes in the middle of the nation’s “Golden Week” spring holidays, was expected to affect tourism there as some 20 million people, including foreign tourists, visit Hakone, one of the most famous hot spring resorts in Japan, every year.
The agency issues restraint advisories when a volcano becomes sufficiently active to spew lava, ash, hot steam and toxic gas as well as rocks and ash.
Japan sits on the Pacific “Ring of Fire”, where earthquakes and volcanic eruptions are relatively commonplace.
Last September, a volcano violently erupted in Mount Ontake, central Japan, leaving 57 people dead and six others still missing in the nation’s deadliest eruption for almost 90 years.
Courtesy of au.news.yahoo.com
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