Sun leaves Earth wide open to cosmic rays

The sun protects us from cosmic rays and dust from beyond the solar system by enveloping us in the heliosphere - a bubble of solar wind that extends past Pluto. These cosmic rays would damage the ozone layer, and interstellar dust could dim sunlight and trigger an ice age. However, when the solar system passes through very dense gas and dust clouds, the heliosphere can shrink until its edge is inside Earth's orbit.

Saudi Arabia evacuates 5 villages in volcano scare - 5.6 earthquake

RIYADH (Reuters) - Saudi authorities evacuated five western villages on Monday after tremors hit a volcanic region in the past weeks raising concerns of possible eruptions.

"There was a large quake, the largest so far," Ahmed al-Attas, vice president of the Saudi Geological Survey (SGS), told Reuters after civil defence officials evacuated the villages near the town of al-Ais.

Attas was referring to a 4.68 earthquake, which hit the region on Sunday. Al-Ais, 150 km (100 miles) northeast of the Yanbu on the Red Sea, is not close to the world's top oil exporter's oil and petrochemicals facilities.

The region lies on a fault line, according to SGS, which declined to comment on current magma levels, but newspapers reported that in the past few days magma levels had risen to 4 km (2.5 miles) below the surface from 8 km.

Fears of an eruption in dormant volcanoes in al-Ais have sent panic stricken residents voluntarily fleeing to the holy city of Medina and Yanbu last week.

The population of al-Ais, an ancient resting place for caravans travelling between the western and southern cities of the Arabian Peninsula and Syria, is estimated at around 60,000 people.

SOHO-LASCO C3 - 01.05.09

MAGIC Telescope - Time Lapse

MAGIC Telescope - Time Lapse from Michael Rissi on Vimeo.

2009-04-10 07:30__3.1_ PORTUGAL

USGS records hybrid seismic event at Kilauea volcano

March 26, 2009 - Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, Hawaii
VIDEO: USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory

USGS video still: robust brown plume associated with a hybrid seismic event at 11:03 am

The Hawaiian Volcano Observatory on the Big Island of Hawaii has released video of a robust brown plume associated with a "hybrid seismic event" on the summit of Kilauea at 11:03 am.

The HVO website says brown plumes like this one have appeared occasionally throughout the past year of eruptive activity at the summit, and are often associated with rockfalls.

According to the HVO daily update, Wednesday's activity started with at least two more dusty plumes followed by a larger collapse at 11:03 am and a large, dense, brown plume; there were several more brown plumes over the next two hours before settling to a white plume moving southwest from the crater.

Shock Dynamics

A new geology theory featuring impact-powered rapid
continental drift as an alternative to plate tectonics.

Geologists spot steam plume over Redoubt

ANCHORAGE, Alaska — Alaska's Mount Redoubt is again drawing attention because of its potential for an explosive volcano.
Geologists at the Alaska Volcano Observatory say there's a steam plume rising about 1,000 feet above the mountain roughly 100 miles southwest of Anchorage. No explosive or ash activity such as occurred last Sunday has been identified and the observatory has not raised the warning level for the mountain.

Quake Triggers Pacific Tsunami Alert

A tsunami alert issued after a major 7.9 magnitude earthquake struck off the Tonga islands region has been cancelled.
Tsunami alert triggered following earthquake and volcano eruption
The quake occured about 130 miles southeast of Nuku'alofa, Tonga, the US National Weather Service's Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre said.
A tsunami warning was issued for Tonga, Niue, Kermadec Islands, American Samoa and Fiji.
"Sea level readings indicate a tsunami was generated," the centre said in a bulletin.

Another magnetosphere spike - 10th March 2009

3.3 quake in Viana do Alentejo, Portugal (20090309)

What is this object near Ursa Major?

Mr. Teles, from Serra dos Candeeiros (Portugal) send me this photograph taken last monday (2009 - 2rd March).
Near 23:00 PM, at zenital position, this glowing object stays in that position for several minutes. I looked for some nightsky charts from that day and didn't find anything. The Big Dipper (Ursa Major) is under the object. Could be comet Lulin in those coordinates?