Thursday, December 15, 2011

Scientists may have a home remedy for preventing hurricanes

Scientists have developed a method they say could reduce the severity of many hurricanes brewing up in our worlds oceans. Seeding clouds with various chemicals or natural solutions has been around for many years. Most have heard of it because it's been under the radar, however things like this indirectly affect our lives. China for instance used this technique in order to lure clouds and rainy weather away from the 2008 Olympics in Beijing. Researchers such as John Latham of the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research in Boulder, CO are adapting this same seeding technique for use on hurricanes. The idea is to inject marine clouds with tiny sea-spray particles by the equator. This would increase the clouds reflectivity and the suns rays would bounce right back off of them. This would ultimately and in theory cool the earth by limiting the amount of solar rays coming to earth. From a hurricane perspective this would cool ocean temperatures which are the main source of energy for churning hurricanes. This idea is also elaborated on with regard to Global Warming. Scientists argue that it would slow the pace of global warming and allow for regions such as the poles to maintain their current ice content...This idea may be a little far fetched but it is something to think about when politics are involved with the governments. My biggest question is how is it the United States right to pump things into our atmosphere in order to change mother nature?

To gain further understanding of this topic I encourage you to visit this articles source at
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/45676775/ns/technology_and_science-science/

Wednesday, December 7, 2011

Icelandic Volcano Starts to Show Activity

Katla Volcano
An Icelandic volcano named Katla is starting to be detected by seismic graphs throughout Iceland. Over 500 tremors have been reported within the last month. The last major eruption that Katla experienced was in 1918. Based on historical data this volcano tends to erupt approximately every 40-80 years. Although experts say they don't know exactly when it will erupt they are sure of the impact it could have on the rest of the world. This volcano has a crater 6.2 miles wide and if it does erupt it would be the largest eruption that Iceland has ever seen. With the eruption comes the melting of millions of tons of water into the Atlantic Ocean. Not only would it raise ocean levels but the amount of smog and dust it could create will dwarf that of what occurred earlier this year with Iceland's Eyjafjallajökull volcano blocking European Airways.



Photo source:
http://www.flutrackers.com/forum/showthread.php?p=357553
Source: http://www.news.com.au/world/katla-volcano-threatens-eruption-capable-of-disrupting-air-traffic/story-e6frfkyi-1226212906913

Tuesday, December 6, 2011

Winds in California Continue

I like this article because it gets into disaster relief and how much certain states are allowed. States that contribute to the economy more are allowed more disaster relief in order to rebuild what they supposedly have going. A place such as Florida or Georgia barely get aid when even a hurricane comes and whips out their cities. But California with it's economic prestige is applying and most likely will get disaster aid. This also comes with the event in which causes the disaster. Here we have a high wind situation that knocked out power to millions of people and caused millions in damage. At the end of the article the interviewed people and asked what they were doing as a result of the damage. Many reported their so bored they go to bed at 6:30pm. REALLY. I guess California needs to be without power for much longer in order to re-instate some sanity. Quote from the article "many are just bored without their computers and TVs." Great, instead of giving aid to people who truly need it, now it's going towards putting the power back on in California.

Source: http://usnews.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/12/06/9252329-calif-officials-seek-disaster-declaration-as-winds-continue