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The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has issued its 2010 hurricane season forecast, predicting one of the strongest seasons on record — and reiterating fears that the Gulf oil spill may be impacted by the severe weather.
Hurricane season for the western Atlantic and the Gulf of Mexico begins June 1 and lasts through Nov. 30. That’s when about 90 percent of the storms make themselves present, and the predictions for this season are grim — which could wreak further havoc on the Gulf coast. NOAA predicts as many as 23 named storms during the Atlantic hurricane season, with 3 to 7 becoming serious enough to be classified as major hurricanes. Named storms come with top winds of 39 mph or higher. The agency worries that as many as 14 could turn into hurricanes, with winds in excess of 74 mph, and 3 to 7 could be category 3, 4, or 5 storms with winds of at least 111 mph.
For more: http://www.foxnews.com/scitech/2010/05/27/active-hurricane-seasons-record-year-say-scientists/
Here are a few links to stories about how social networking is being used to track the BP Oil Spill. The first discusses the efforts of the Louisiana Bucket Brigade a health and justice organization in New Orleans. They are asking the public to report endagered wildlife, oil on shore health impacts and more. Similar technology was used in Haiti after the earthquake and in Kenya to track violence after the 2008 presidential elections. The second link is to the oil spill crisis map. Does anyone know of additional ways this technology is being used?
For more info: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/georgianne-nienaber/social-networking-crisis_b_567585.html
Link to the oil spill crisis map: http://oilspill.labucketbrigade.org/
Life for people living in the shadow of a stratovolcano would be much simpler if eruptions were easily predicted. Earthquakes and steam-venting often signal an impending eruption, but the activity may go on for weeks or months before the eruption actually happens. The May 18, 1980, eruption of Mount St. Helens in southern Washington’s Cascade Range was preceded by almost two months of seismic activity and steam-venting. Many residents had begun to think the agencies issuing the warnings were “crying wolf,” and refused to leave homes located in the flow paths. Many others were in the scenic area hiking and camping. But the mountain did blow — and it blew with a vengeance, spawning pyroclastic flows that traveled at 50 to 80 miles per hour and sending about 520 million tons of ash eastward across the United States.
For more: http://www.popsci.com/environment/article/2009-02/shadow-redoubt
