Hydraulic Fracturing Being Blamed for Increasing Frequency of Earthquakes

Youngstown, Ohio is not the first place you think of when the word earthquake is mentioned, and yet, this small town experienced two small quakes this past March, and then seven more in the next eight months. Never in recorded history has this region been connected to seismic activity, and now there have been 9 earthquakes in a year. This is not something people just overlook, or chalk up to nature.

When they plotted the epicenters of the earthquakes they were very surprised to see that they all fell in line with an industrial well along the Mahoning River. This well is 9,000 feet deep and used by a company to dispose of millions of gallons of waste products such as brine, from natural gas wells near by. To harness natural gas, companies employ a process called hydraulic fracturing, which unlocks the gas from shale rock, along with this comes those millions of gallons of liquid waste.

Simply pouring liquid waste into the well might sound like a cop out in the disposal end of the deal, and it might be, but the way fracking is related to the earthquakes is hypothesized to be when the pressure pushes those liquids from the well into deeper rocks and consequently unlocks ancient faults permitting them to slide. Although the chances that this will cause earthquakes around every disposal well and natural gas mine are slim, the increase in natural gas wells is worrisome to many.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=73mv-Wl5cgg&feature=player_embedded#!
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/13/science/some-blame-hydraulic-fracturing-for-earthquake-epidemic.html?_r=2

Alaskan Storm Surge

Earlier in November of this year a storm riped up the Alaskan coast line. The storm brought sustained wind speeds of 60 mph and gusts of 89 mph. The storm surge on the Chukchi Coast was 6 feet high. Storms of this magnitude are rare in Alaska and it couldn't have come at worse time. In recent years Alaska has been hit hard by global warming affects because it is so far north and is rapidly warming much faster than the rest of the world. Because of this, the sea ice that is usually a buffer between the coast of Alaska and many Bering Sea storms is taking longer to form in the fall, which means its not there when the fall storms set in.

A small village called Shishmaref lies on a barrier Island off the coast and, like the rest of the state, has experienced severe erosion in recent years from higher ocean tides and stronger storms. These effects are appropriately traced back to global warming. The problem the Shishmaref people are facing is an inevitable one, their village is so flat and small, the highest point lies only 10 miles above sea level. If storms like this are to increase in frequency their village will disappear. They are currently raising funds to move their residents from the place they've lived for 4,000 years. Some residents are so angered and frustrated by the issues they are facing have filed a law suit against ExxonMobil and other corporations that have been blamed for polluting the atmosphere and thus accelerating global warming.




http://www.climatecentral.org/blogs/dangerous-storm-threatens-coastal-villages-of-alaska/
http://www.climatecentral.org/blogs/alaska-storm-slamming-already-vulnerable-communities/

Windstorm on the West Coast

Winds have finally subsided out west where a major windstorm has left widespread damage across the region. The windstorm started from a rare combination of a high pressure system in Seattle and a low pressure front in the Southwest that was funneled through the mountains. Wind strengths of up to 167 miles per hour were allegidley recorded in south California near Henniger Flats. This is more than 20 miles per hour stronger than a category four hurricane. Obvious consequences were of toppeled trees, powerlines, and roofs.

There is no deffinate answer as to why thsi rare and epic difference in pressures occured. I find it interesting thought that they do think this traces back to the backbone of what seems to be of many recent natural disasters - Global Warming. A super hazard at its finest, global warming seems to be at work again by altering the time of the year they are at their peak, from fall to winter.



http://www.climatecentral.org/blogs/freak-gusts-during-western-wind-storm/

Fukushima Nuclear Disaster Blamed for Contaminated Baby Formula

The Fukushima power plant in Japan experienced Japan's worst nuclear disaster since Chernobyl, on March 11, 2011 after the 9.0 earthquake and subsequent tsunami tore through the country. The power plant was hit hard and ultimately sent plumes of radio active toxins across the country, along with other radioactive waste that may have leaked from the buildings broken structures.

Months later this disaster is being blamed for heightened amounts of cesium found in batches of baby formula. Developing children are particularly sensitive to mutagens especially the effects from radiation. Although the amount of cesium found during these tests was well below the governments safety regulations, a parent isn't going to care about that stipulation.

Media outlets are frequently reporting on the problems Japan's food sector now face because of the March, 11 disasters. Since then there have been heightened traces amounts of radioactive elements in many Japaneses products that were produced within proximity of the Fukushima power plant. Although most of the bans on Japanese food products have been lifted the stigma still continues and so does the number of products being found effected.

The Japanese government  is working to develop technologies to reverse the effects on the surrounding land. A project to be fully launched in January, is working to basically decontaminate the soils within the 12 mile evacuation zone surrounding Fukushima. This will include an attempt to replace all of the top soil in an area roughly the size of Connecticut. Its too early to say whether the tens of thousands of people displaced will be able to return at the completion of this project, or the amount of those people who would want to.

http://globalspin.blogs.time.com/2011/12/07/irradiated-baby-food-spotlights-ongoing-woes-for-japans-food-sector/

Japan's Devestating Tsunami is Named the First "Meged Tsunami"

We all remember the catastrophic earthquake and tsunami that occurred on March 11, 2011, that devastated Japan, with a death toll of up to 16,000 people and entire towns wiped off the map. These events also led to a nuclear disaster at the Fukushima power plant.

Obviously a 9.0 magnitude earthquake followed by a tsunami would tear apart anything in its path, but Ohio state and NASA scientists have recently come out with evidence that explains how the power of these disasters were extraordinary, in the worst possible way. Satellite images were able to capture the tsunami as it began and they show that two massive wave fronts were created by the earthquake, not a single wave as usually occurs. These two waves were pushed together as they hurtled towards shore by underwater ridges and mountains. This phenomenon doubled the size and power of the tsunami and ultimately the devastation it brought to Japan.

Although scientists have suspected an event like this was very possible for decades, they didn't have any hard evidence until now. Three separate satellites happened to be in the right place at the right time to capture the images of the tsunami. From these findings scientists will now be able to better predict, where, when, and at what severity a tsunami will hit, ultimately enabling them to speed up warnings. Although Japan has one of the best tsunami warning systems in the world, less developed countries that are prone to tsunamis can greatly utilize this breakthrough.

http://timethemoment.files.wordpress.com/2011/11/atokata_03.jpg?w=735

 http://ecocentric.blogs.time.com/2011/12/06/tsunami-revelations-scientists-discover-that-the-japanese-tidal-wave-was-a-merged-tsunami-the-first-ever-observed/#ixzz1gUAUg7Dd

 

Leak at Fukushima

 A 45 metric ton leak of radioactive water was discovered at the Fukushima nuclear plant in Japan on Sunday. Workers discovered the stagnate body of water inside a barrier adjacent to a mechanism that is used to purify sea water that is used to cool the reactors that were damaged in the catastrophic earthquake and consequential tsunami in March. This particular water isn't suppose to be released into the Pacific Ocean but crews are still working on figuring out if any cesium 137 contaminated water reached the sea.

This leak was ultimately caused by the dual disasters that struck Japan on March 11, a 9.0 magnitude earthquake and a subsequent tsunami, that killed 15,000 people. These also caused major damage to the Fukushima nuclear plant and caused worry throughout the country that a major technological disaster would be created, and it was. It was deemed a level-7 nuclear disaster event, but for a long while the plant seemed to be under control. This is one of the few recent events related to that major technological disaster and hopefully it's the last.

http://www.cnn.com/2011/12/05/world/asia/japan-radioactive-water-leak/index.html?hpt=hp_t2

Chevron Oil Spill Of the Coast of Brazil

On November 7th a crude oil platform belonging to the Chevron Corporation, off the coast of Brazil near Rio de Janeiro began leaking oil into the Atlantic. The Chevron Co. was not quick to admit the extent of the spill and attempted to make it seem less extreme than it really was. This may contribute to the lack of air time given that was given to this environmental disaster in mainstream media.

Throughout the duration of the leakage the corporation was attempting to prevent a lawsuit by saying the leak was merely "infrequent droplets". This statement is undoubtedly false, especially after you consider that at the end of the spill the surface water contained 5,000 to 8,000 barrels of crude oil, with more that may still be rising to the surface.

This spill, and many more like it, are cases of incompetence and could have easily been avoided with careful safety inspections that are suppose to be in place already. Brazil is currently attempting to sue the Chevron Corporation for $28 million if its apparent that the spill was a result of incompetence in execution of its emergency plan. Brazil's Federal Police are also investigating the spill, and say those responsible for the spill could face up to 5 years in jail.



http://globalvoicesonline.org/2011/11/23/brazil-chevron-oil-spill/
http://www.cnn.com/2011/11/21/world/americas/brazil-oil-spill/index.html?iref=allsearch