Natural Disasters

Satellites capture images of Antarctica ice shelf breaking apart from Japanese tsunami

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Before (left) and after (right) photos of the Sulzberger Ice Shelf illustrate the calving event associated with the Japan earthquake and resulting tsunami that occurred on March 11, 2011. The icebergs have just begun to separate in the left image.
Before (left) and after (right) photos of the Sulzberger Ice Shelf illustrate the calving event associated with the Japan earthquake and resulting tsunami that occurred on March 11, 2011. The icebergs have just begun to separate in the left image. Click the image for a larger view.

Nearly 8,000 miles away the power of the tsunami caused by the March 11, 2011 Tohoku earthquake was felt in a resounding fashion. New satellite imagery released by NASA shows 50 square miles of ice from the Sulzberger Ice Shelf on the coast of Antarctica being broken off due to the waves.

Scientists have speculated that a tsunami could cause flexing of ice and result in pieces breaking off.  The quake and resultant tsunami in Japan have now proven that theory.

NASA researchers utilized imagery from the European Space Agency’s Envisat satellite.  The before and after pictures clearly show numerous icebergs having been calved from the shelf.

18 hours after the quake, the tsunami reached Antarctica.  Imagery taken just prior to the waves reaching the Sulzberger Ice Shelf show it complete intact.  Five days later, imagery shows massive icebergs floating away from the shelf.

The tsunami is estimated to have been only one foot high when it reached the Earth’s southernmost continent.  However the stress was enough to break apart the 260 foot thick shelf and calve an area of ice equal to the size of Manhattan Island in New York.

Douglas MacAyeal of the University of Chicago and one of the researchers who made the discovery said the event shows how connected the planet’s systems are.

“This is an example not only of the way in which events are connected across great ranges of oceanic distance, but also how events in one kind of Earth system, i.e., the plate tectonic system, can connect with another kind of seemingly unrelated event: the calving of icebergs from Antarctica’s ice sheet,” MacAyeal said in a statement.

Satellite imagery from governments and private industry has been useful to scientists and the public in analyzing the disaster.  NASA has trained its eyes in the sky on the disaster struck region and Google has released stunning imagery from its partners.

This story was originally posted on Examiner.com for the Natural Disasters Examiner.  Be sure to check there for the latest natural disasters news.

Weather History

August 14 to August 20 – This Week in Denver Weather History

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August 14 to August 20 - This Week in Denver Weather History
August 14 to August 20 - This Week in Denver Weather History

Severe weather is a fact of life in Colorado during the summer months and while August is historically relatively calm, that isn’t always the case. In our look back at this week in Denver weather history we see the dangers of lightning, incidents of large hail and flooding rains and even a tornado.

From the National Weather Service:

14

In 1960…a bolt of lightning struck a man in Henderson… Causing serious burns.

In 1962…the temperature climbed to a high of 100 degrees at Stapleton Airport.

In 1968…a young man on a golf course in Denver was injured when lightning struck a tree under which he was standing. Lightning caused minor damage to a house in Denver. Heavy thunderstorm rain caused local street flooding. One inch diameter hail fell at Jefferson County Airport near Broomfield.

In 1973…winds as high as 85 mph damaged 20 aircraft at the Arapahoe County airport…now centennial airport.

In 1977…three tornadoes were sighted in Bennett. A man suffered a broken leg when hit by a flying board. He was outside his camper home…which was destroyed. All windows were broken in a near-by farmhouse where some shingles were ripped off and a 2 car garage was knocked down. Several vehicles were damaged and a cat…some rabbits…and chickens were killed. A broken oar from a boat was driven into the side of a house. A mobile home was overturned. One old barn was destroyed. Half a dozen homes and several agricultural buildings were damaged just west of State Highway 79.

In 1978…high winds produced much blowing dust…causing many traffic accidents in the Denver-Boulder area. Winds gusts of 70 to 101 mph were recorded. Northwest winds gusted to 44 mph at Stapleton International Airport.

In 1980…lightning hit two power poles in Littleton…causing 400 dollars in damage. Rainfall of 1.23 inches in a short time caused minor flooding…which included damage to a ground floor apartment and partially submerging a few vehicles in water. Thunderstorm rainfall totaled 0.98 inch at Stapleton International Airport.

In 1983…2.10 inches of rain drenched Golden in an hour with similar amounts in Lakewood and Boulder. Over ten thousand dollars worth of plants were washed away at a nursery in Lakewood.

In 1997…twelve motorists were injured in a multi-car accident when strong microburst winds estimated to 50 mph blew blinding dust across I-70 near Bennett.

In 1998…lightning struck a hydro-electric plant in Nederland… Causing a power outage. Residents in the foothills west of Boulder…including Nederland…Ward…Eldora…Jamestown… And Gold Hill…were without power for about an hour.

In 2006…heavy thunderstorm rainfall near Deckers washed away some the banks along State Highway 67 between Deckers and Westcreek. Several driveways on both sides of the highway were also damaged.

15

In 1899…a thunderstorm produced southwest sustained winds to 43 mph with gusts to 46 mph.

In 1972…a pilot reported a funnel cloud briefly touching the ground in open fields…17 miles east-northeast of Stapleton International Airport.

In 1980…thunderstorm winds gusted to 55 mph in Boulder.

In 1982…brief heavy rain and winds estimated as high as 70 mph occurred in the conifer-Evergreen area. No damage was reported.

In 1990…lightning triggered a small attic fire in a house near Sedalia…20 miles south of Denver. A furious lightning storm caused widespread power outages across southern sections of metro Denver. One lightning bolt knocked out an electrical substation…causing a 90-minute blackout in southeast Denver affecting nearly 10 thousand homes and businesses.

In 2007…severe thunderstorms produced large hail…up to 2 inches in diameter…near larkspur. Extensive damage to vehicles in the area was reported.

In Parker…lightning struck a residence. The ensuing fire damaged the attic and top floor; causing $100000 in property damage.

In 2008…at least three homes were hit by lightning during the early morning hours in Arapahoe County. Lightning also struck two homes in Castle Rock…damaging the roofs.

Continue reading August 14 to August 20 – This Week in Denver Weather History →

Climate Change

Al Gore says climate change dissenters full of [expletive]

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Former Vice President Al Gore launched an attack against those that disagree with the manmade climate change theory saying their arguments were "Bulls--t!" (JD Lasica, http://socialmedia.biz)
Former Vice President Al Gore launched an attack against those that disagree with the manmade climate change theory saying their arguments were "Bulls--t!" (JD Lasica, http://socialmedia.biz)

The passion of Al Gore for the manmade climate change theory is unquestionable.  Since leaving public office he has become the self-appointed spokesman for the movement.  At a forum in Aspen last week the former vice president launched into a profanity filled tirade against those who disagree with him.

The Climate Change Examiner reports that at an event held by the Aspen Institute, Gore called “Bulls–t” to arguments that seek to refute the anthropogenic global warming theory.  Listen to the audio here.

“Gore said that just as the tobacco industry prevented health regulations, so too have corporate interests stopped the advancement of potentially job-killing rules such as Cap and Trade,” the Examiner writes.

More than that, Gore goes on to say:

The model they innovated in that effort was transported whole cloth into the climate debate. And some of the exact same people — by name, I can go down a list of their names — are involved in this. And so what do they do? They pay pseudo-scientists, to pretend to be scientists, to put out the message: “This climate thing, it’s nonsense. Man-made CO2 doesn’t trap heat. It may be volcanoes.” Bulls–t! “It may be sun spots.” Bulls–t! “It’s not getting warmer.” Bulls–t!

And there are about 10 other memes that are out there, and when you go and talk to any audience about climate, you hear them washing back at you. The same crap, over and over and over again … There is no longer a shared reality on an issue like climate even though the very existence of our civilization is threatened. People have no idea! And yet our ability to actually come to a shared reality that emphasizes the best evidence … It’s no longer acceptable in mixed company, meaning bipartisan company, to use the goddamn word “climate.”

That is quite a mouthful from the former VP.

Head on over to the Climate Change Examiner for the complete story include audio of Gore’s rant.

Weather History

August 7 to August 13 – This Week in Denver Weather History

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August 7 to August 13 - This Week in Denver Weather History
August 7 to August 13 - This Week in Denver Weather History

As we get further into the month of August severe weather is less common. It can however still strike as we see in our look at this week in Denver weather history. Everything from torrential rains to massive hail and even a tornado have been reported.

From the National Weather Service:

7

In 1948…a brief west moving tornado was sighted 3 miles north-northeast of Stapleton Airport. The white funnel silhouetted against a gray cloud background was very narrow…nearly vertical…and estimated at nearly 5 thousand feet high. A dust cloud formed on the ground around the funnel. No damage was reported.

In 1952…a thunderstorm wind gust to 52 mph was recorded at Stapleton Airport.

8

In 1874…swarms of grasshoppers invaded the city. Millions of them were seen cruising through the air. The insects were apparently picked up by a thunderstorm gust front and carried into the city. The grasshoppers had ravaged crops in surrounding counties for the last month.

In 1878…the highest temperature ever recorded in Denver…105 degrees…occurred at 3:20 pm. This temperature was equaled on July 20th in 2005.

In 1969…the temperature reached 100 degrees at Stapleton International Airport.

In 1976…in Thornton…a 13 year old boy riding a bicycle was struck and killed by lightning.

In 2000…lightning struck three homes in central Arapahoe County east of Denver. Damage was estimated at 47 thousand dollars.

In 2003…hail to 1 inch in diameter pelted Denver. Hail to 7/8 inch was measured in Boulder.

In 2008…heavy rain also caused flash flooding over south Denver and its nearby suburbs. Heavy rain…from 2.5 to 4 inches…fell in less than 90 minutes. Firefighters rescued 20 people as the water quickly rose along creeks…flooded roadways…and stranded motorists. Three people had to be rescued along Cherry Creek when the bike path flooded.

In Evergreen…a man suffered minor injuries when he was struck by lightning. It entered his finger…traveled down his body… And exited his foot.

8-10

In 1979…heavy thunderstorm rains on each of three consecutive days dumped a total of 2.22 inches of rain at Stapleton International Airport. The heaviest rain… 0.95 inches…fell on the 9th. Small hail to 1/8 inch diameter fell on the 8th.

8-13

In 1875…clouds of grasshoppers were seen flying through the air on the prevailing winds during each day.

Continue reading August 7 to August 13 – This Week in Denver Weather History →

Climatology, Thornton Weather

July 2011 weather recap – Month ends wetter, warmer than normal

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Thornton's July Weather Recap
July 2011 was much wetter and slightly warmer than normal. (ThorntonWeather.com)

Historically July is a pretty busy month in terms of weather as thunderstorms are very common.  July 2011 lived up to the month’s reputation as the middle of the month saw a seemingly endless stream of heavy, wet thunderstorms.  This was followed by a string of 90 degree and warmer days that approached record setting territory.

The big story for the month was the precipitation as there was a lot of it.  DIA saw sixteen thunderstorms during July, five more than normal.  The official Denver monitoring at the airport recorded 3.41 inches of rain which was well above the normal of 2.16 inches.  The measurement fell just shy of making the list of top 10 wettest July’s on record.

The station at DIA however lived up to its reputation as under-reporting rainfall as compared to locations closer to downtown.  In fact, a station the old Stapleton site recorded 6.54 inches.  Here in Thornton 5.51 inches fell into our rain bucket.

One precipitation record was set during the month when 1.03 inches of rain fell on the 13th.  This easily bested the previous 24 hour record for the date of 0.45 inch set in 1993.

Temperatures for the month were considerably above normal but fell short of ‘top 10’ status.  The average temperature for the month, as recorded at DIA, was 75.9 degrees.  This was 2.5 degrees above the normal of 73.4.

The warmest temperature of the month occurred on the Fourth of July when the mercury climbed to 99 degrees.  On the opposite end, 56 degrees on the 1st of the month was the coldest reading.

In all, 20 days saw temperatures at or above 90 degrees during July 2011; five more than normal.  July 15th started a string of 18 consecutive days of 90 degree or warmer high temperatures.  That streak will go into the books as tying for the second longest in history.

Thornton, like most other places in the metro area, was not near as warm.  Our average temperature was 73.8 degrees, right near normal.  Our warmest temperature occurred on the 4th as well and matched Denver’s mark of 99 degrees.  The mercury dipped to 53.6 degrees on the 1st and was our coldest temperature.

Click here to view Thornton’s July 2011 climate summary

...THE DENVER CO CLIMATE SUMMARY FOR THE MONTH OF JULY 2011...

CLIMATE NORMAL PERIOD 1971 TO 2000
CLIMATE RECORD PERIOD 1872 TO 2011

WEATHER         OBSERVED          NORMAL  DEPART  LAST YEAR'S
                 VALUE   DATE(S)  VALUE   FROM    VALUE  DATE(S)
                                          NORMAL
................................................................
TEMPERATURE (F)
RECORD
 HIGH             105   07/20/2005
 LOW               42   07/04/1903
                        07/31/1873
HIGHEST            99   07/31       105      -6      102  07/17
                        07/04
LOWEST             56   07/01        42      14       53  07/09
                                                          07/05
                                                          07/04
AVG. MAXIMUM     91.1              88.0     3.1     89.3
AVG. MINIMUM     60.7              58.7     2.0     59.5
MEAN             75.9              73.4     2.5     74.4
DAYS MAX >= 90     20              15.0     5.0       18
DAYS MAX <= 32      0               0.0     0.0        0
DAYS MIN <= 32      0               0.0     0.0        0
DAYS MIN <= 0       0               0.0     0.0        0
PRECIPITATION (INCHES)
RECORD
  MAXIMUM         6.41   1965
  MINIMUM         0.01   1901
TOTALS           3.41              2.16    1.25     3.70
DAILY AVG.       0.11              0.07    0.04     0.12
DAYS >= .01        11               9.3     1.7       13
DAYS >= .10         7                MM      MM        5
DAYS >= .50         2                MM      MM        2
DAYS >= 1.00        2                MM      MM        2
GREATEST
 24 HR. TOTAL    1.08  07/12 TO 07/13  1.84 07/04/10 TO 07/04/10       

SNOWFALL (INCHES)
RECORDS
 TOTAL            0.0   NONE EVER RECORDED IN JULY
TOTALS            0.0                0.0                              

DEGREE_DAYS
HEATING TOTAL       0                 1      -1        3
 SINCE 7/1          0                 1      -1        3
COOLING TOTAL     346               261      85      303
 SINCE 1/1        481               422      59      482              

FREEZE DATES
RECORD
 EARLIEST     09/08/1962
 LATEST       06/08/2007
EARLIEST                        10/07
LATEST                          05/05
......................................................

WIND (MPH)
AVERAGE WIND SPEED              9.5                  9.1
RESULTANT WIND SPEED/DIRECTION   3/181               MM
HIGHEST WIND SPEED/DIRECTION    51/210 DATE  07/13  41 07/30/10
HIGHEST GUST SPEED/DIRECTION    68/300 DATE  07/14  48 07/30/10

SKY COVER
POSSIBLE SUNSHINE (PERCENT)   MM
AVERAGE SKY COVER           0.50
NUMBER OF DAYS FAIR            6
NUMBER OF DAYS PC             22
NUMBER OF DAYS CLOUDY          3

AVERAGE RH (PERCENT)     50

WEATHER CONDITIONS. NUMBER OF DAYS WITH
THUNDERSTORM              0     MIXED PRECIP               0
HEAVY RAIN                4     RAIN                       6
LIGHT RAIN               17     FREEZING RAIN              0
LT FREEZING RAIN          0     HAIL                       4
HEAVY SNOW                0     SNOW                       0
LIGHT SNOW                0     SLEET                      0
FOG                       5     FOG W/VIS <= 1/4 MILE      0
HAZE                      4                                           

-  INDICATES NEGATIVE NUMBERS.
R  INDICATES RECORD WAS SET OR TIED.
MM INDICATES DATA IS MISSING.
T  INDICATES TRACE AMOUNT.
Climate Change, Climatology, Thornton Weather

Questions arise about use of DIA weather station; Location far from city invalidates historical comparisons

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Hot or cold: Denver's problematic weather records
Hot or cold: Denver's problematic weather records. (Denver Weather Examiner)

Does a move of 12 miles make a difference in what type of weather is seen in Colorado?  Longtime residents know that our weather can vary greatly over short distances and this has many questioning the placement of Denver’s official weather monitoring station.

From 1871 to 1949 Denver’s weather was recorded at the National Weather Service’s office in downtown Denver.  In January 1950 a move was made to Stapleton International Airport.

As that facility aged Denver opened Denver International Airport on the plains northeast of Denver in 1995.  The weather service followed suit and moved the Mile High City’s official weather station the 12 miles to DIA.

Since that time, many weather watchers have noticed problems – DIA is consistently warmer and drier than the old site at Stapleton.  Further, its remote location gives conditions far from where most people in Denver live and thus doesn’t accurately represent what they are experiencing.

Even bigger issues arise when comparing weather data taken today with measurements previously recorded at Stapleton or downtown.  The different microclimates of the sites are so different that it becomes much like comparing apples and oranges.

This was recently made evident with the string of 90 degree or warmer days we put together.  If you went by the station at DIA, the streak lasted 18 days putting in a three way tie for the second longest streak in Denver history.  However, no monitoring station closer to the city was as warm.

Further, while July was certainly a wet month, DIA’s precipitation measurements fell far short of most other locations.

Amid concerns about a warming climate, can we trust the measurements at DIA?  How is it possible to compare the weather today with historical weather when there is such a large discrepancy?

We recently tackled this topic on the Denver Weather Examiner and the conclusion is obvious – It simply is impossible to correlate current weather records with Denver’s historical ones.  Further, the National Weather Service seems intent on ignoring the issue.

Get the complete store here.

Weather History

July 31 to August 6 – This Week in Denver Weather History

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July 31 to August 6 - This Week in Denver Weather History
July 31 to August 6 - This Week in Denver Weather History

How does 42 degrees sound right about now? That mark is one of the highlights of this week in Denver weather history. It was the low temperature recorded twice in our past and the coldest July temperature on record. Many more notable events have also occurred.

13-5

In 2008…a streak of 24 consecutive days of 90 degrees shattered the previous record of 18 consecutive days established in 1901 and 1874. Ironically…no new single day record high temperatures were set in the month of July. In August however…a record of 104 degrees was set on the 1st…and another record of 103 degrees was set on the 2nd. In addition…a record low min of 70 degrees was set on August 2nd.

18-2

In 1987…a streak of 16 consecutive days of 90 degrees ranked 4th on the list of hot streaks. The record of 24 consecutive days was established in the summer of 2008.

27-31

In 1956…96 percent of the total precipitation for the month of July occurred over the last five days of the month. Heavy thunderstorms produced 4.00 inches of rainfall at Stapleton Airport. This amount of precipitation in 5 days or less had been exceeded only 3 times in previous record. The last time had been in December of 1913 as snow. Considerable property damage occurred across metro Denver from flooding.

31

In 1873…the all-time lowest recorded temperature in July… 42 degrees…occurred. The same temperature also occurred on July 4…1903.

In 1874…during the late afternoon rain and hail fell for 5 minutes followed by brief heavy rain. Pieces of solid ice of irregular shape fell upon the roof of the station. The hail stones measured 1 1/2 inches in diameter. Precipitation (rain and melted hail) was only 0.16 inch.

In 1889…the high temperature climbed to 100 degrees in downtown Denver.

In 1919…heavy thunderstorm rainfall totaled 2.59 inches in downtown Denver during the evening. Rainfall was 1.90 inches in an hour…a new record at that time.

In 1961…over an inch of rain in a short period of time caused flooding of streets and basements in Denver. Rainfall totaled 1.30 inches at 11th and Lincoln in central Denver.

In 1964…the temperature reached 91 degrees in Denver…making this the 27th day of the month that the temperature reached 90 degrees or more. This is the all time record for 90 degree days in a month in Denver.

In 1972…one inch diameter hail fell in Hudson northeast of Denver.

In 1976…during the evening hours extremely heavy thunderstorm rains produced flash flooding in Big Thompson Canyon which killed 144 people between Estes Park and Loveland. No significant weather occurred in metro Denver at the time.

In 1987…1 inch diameter hail fell in Lakewood and 3/4 inch hail fell near Louisville. Southeast Boulder County was drenched with 1.25 inches of rain in just 20 minutes.

In 1993…thunderstorm winds damaged a chimney of a home near Parker.

In 1996…a weak tornado (f0) was sighted 12 miles east of Denver International Airport. No damage was reported.

In 1998…heavy monsoonal thunderstorm rain triggered a mud slide in Blackhawk. The mudslide blocked Main St. and caused an estimated half million dollars in damage to a casino. Heavy thunderstorm rain…up to 3 inches in an hour…caused a flash flood along Buffalo Creek. Portions of County Road 126 just south of the town of Buffalo Creek were washed out. The flood waters nearly washed away the bridge as mud and debris slammed into the structure. Hail to 1 3/4 inches in diameter fell near Idaho Springs.

In 2004…severe thunderstorm winds toppled a 65-foot blue spruce tree in Parker. The tree landed on a home damaging the roof and gutters. The downed tree poked dozens of holes into the shingles.

Continue reading July 31 to August 6 – This Week in Denver Weather History →

Astronomy

ISS crew captures stunning imagery of Atlantis’ return to Earth

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When the Space Shuttle Atlantis came to a slow stop on the runway at Kennedy Space Center on July 21, it was the end of an era of spaceflight.  Astronauts aboard the International Space Station captured amazing imagery of Atlantis’ last descent through the atmosphere.

It was a sad day for many Americans when the space shuttle era came to a close with the last shuttle mission.  Shifting priorities, lack of direction and leadership and politics have all wreaked havoc with the United States’ space program.

As Atlantis is prepared for retirement as a museum piece along with her sister ships, NASA is left without a way of its own to put a human in space.  Meanwhile, cash-strapped Russia manages to forge ahead with its Soyuz program and an emerging space power in China threatens our nation’s leadership in space.

Astronauts aboard the International Space Station captured this image of Space Shuttle Atlantis as it returned to the Earth on July 21, 2011. (NASA)
Astronauts aboard the International Space Station captured this image of Space Shuttle Atlantis as it returned to the Earth on July 21, 2011. (NASA)

From NASA:

Like a comet streaking across the atmosphere, the Space Shuttle Atlantis left space for the final time on July 21, 2011, descending to a smooth landing at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. This astronaut photograph, taken from the vantage of the International Space Station (ISS), shows the streak of an ionized plasma plume created by the shuttle’s descent through the atmosphere.

At the time of the image, the ISS was positioned northwest of the Galapagos Islands, while Atlantis was roughly 2,200 kilometers (1,367 miles) to the northeast, off the east coast of the Yucatan Peninsula. The maximum angle of the shuttle’s descent was roughly 20 degrees, though it appears much steeper in the photo because of the oblique viewing angle from ISS. Parts of the space station are visible in the upper right corner of the image.

In the background of the image, airglow hovers over the limb of the Earth. Airglow occurs as atoms and molecules high in the atmosphere (above 80 kilometers, or 50 miles altitude) release energy at night after being excited by sunlight (particularly ultraviolet) during the day. Much of the green glow can be attributed to oxygen molecules.

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