Saturday, August 31, 2013

Re: [Geology2] Geologists track small earthquakes near Mount St. Helens | Local News | The Seattle Times

Hmm... sounds like the arteries are just staying unplugged and all's well at the site. You know, it's Rainier that worries me. One day...

On Sat, Aug 31, 2013 at 9:47 PM, Vic.Healey <vic.healey@gmail.com> wrote:

http://seattletimes.com/html/localnews/2021731057_smallearthquakesxml.html

Geologists track small earthquakes near Mount St. Helens

It's not anything to panic about, but geologists have tracked an interesting cluster of small earthquakes near Mount St. Helens through the month of August.

The cluster, which included 3.7, 3.4 and 3.1 magnitude quakes on Aug. 23, started on Aug. 2 with a 3.1 magnitude quake, said Seth Moran, a seismologist with the Cascades Volcano Observatory.

"These earthquakes are occurring at about 12 miles northwest of Mount St. Helens at a depth of about 10 miles," Moran said. "We had (quakes lower than magnitude 3) occurring as often as a couple a day for a few weeks."

The observatory reported about 120 earthquakes in total since the swarm began on Aug. 2.

People in Battle Ground, Clark County, reported feeling the 3.7 on Aug. 23, but since then things have tapered off. The last measurable quake was a 0.6 magnitude on Tuesday, Moran said.

The quakes are related to faults in the Earth's crust and not to the volcano. There are many small fractures in the crust related to plate tectonics and the Cascadia subduction zone, where the Juan de Fuca plate is sliding beneath the North America plate.

"The context for this is that earthquakes have occurred in that area for centuries," Moran said. "But the thing about these that's a little unusual is the sequence of earthquakes. Usually the largest one is first, but this time the largest one came a few weeks after the first one."

That phenomenon is unusual but not unprecedented.

"It's just the Earth around us is moving and patches of rock are bumping and grinding against each other," Moran said.

Magma movement in Mount St. Helens appears to cause seismic activity only up to about 5 miles away from the mountain, and usually it's only within a mile or so, he added.

Similar activity has been recorded on the south side of Mount Hood this past week, with 16 small earthquakes in the Government Camp and Barlow Pass areas. The largest was a magnitude 2.0 quake on Monday, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

The August cluster of earthquakes near Mount St. Helens appear to be mostly finished, Moran said.

"For the time being it's looking like its tapering off," Moran said. "With these sequences, once they're done usually they don't start up again for a long time. That could be what we're seeing in this micro-zone."

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[Geology2] Geologists track small earthquakes near Mount St. Helens | Local News | The Seattle Times

http://seattletimes.com/html/localnews/2021731057_smallearthquakesxml.html

Geologists track small earthquakes near Mount St. Helens

It's not anything to panic about, but geologists have tracked an interesting cluster of small earthquakes near Mount St. Helens through the month of August.

The cluster, which included 3.7, 3.4 and 3.1 magnitude quakes on Aug. 23, started on Aug. 2 with a 3.1 magnitude quake, said Seth Moran, a seismologist with the Cascades Volcano Observatory.

"These earthquakes are occurring at about 12 miles northwest of Mount St. Helens at a depth of about 10 miles," Moran said. "We had (quakes lower than magnitude 3) occurring as often as a couple a day for a few weeks."

The observatory reported about 120 earthquakes in total since the swarm began on Aug. 2.

People in Battle Ground, Clark County, reported feeling the 3.7 on Aug. 23, but since then things have tapered off. The last measurable quake was a 0.6 magnitude on Tuesday, Moran said.

The quakes are related to faults in the Earth's crust and not to the volcano. There are many small fractures in the crust related to plate tectonics and the Cascadia subduction zone, where the Juan de Fuca plate is sliding beneath the North America plate.

"The context for this is that earthquakes have occurred in that area for centuries," Moran said. "But the thing about these that's a little unusual is the sequence of earthquakes. Usually the largest one is first, but this time the largest one came a few weeks after the first one."

That phenomenon is unusual but not unprecedented.

"It's just the Earth around us is moving and patches of rock are bumping and grinding against each other," Moran said.

Magma movement in Mount St. Helens appears to cause seismic activity only up to about 5 miles away from the mountain, and usually it's only within a mile or so, he added.

Similar activity has been recorded on the south side of Mount Hood this past week, with 16 small earthquakes in the Government Camp and Barlow Pass areas. The largest was a magnitude 2.0 quake on Monday, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

The August cluster of earthquakes near Mount St. Helens appear to be mostly finished, Moran said.

"For the time being it's looking like its tapering off," Moran said. "With these sequences, once they're done usually they don't start up again for a long time. That could be what we're seeing in this micro-zone."

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[californiadisasters] Jumbo Jets Lead Air Attack Against Rim Fire

Jumbo Jets Lead Air Attack Against Rim Fire

Download audio (MP3)

Grace Rubenstein/KQED

A DC-10 jumbojet loads up with fuel and fire retardant at Castle Airport outside Merced, preparing to make its sixth run of the day to the Rim Fire.

Reporter: Grace Rubenstein

A small army of firefighters continues to make slow progress against the Rim Fire burning in and on the western edge of Yosemite National Park. Fire officials say the fire has burned about 202,000 acres. That's a little larger than the area of all of New York City or almost two-thirds the size of the city of Los Angeles. The fire's just one-third contained. But officials also say the situation would be worse without the help of the biggest weapon in the firefighting arsenal: a pair of refitted airliners that wildfire crews call the "Big Boys."

The two DC-10 jumbo jets — the kind of passenger airliners you might once have ridden to London — swoop down at strategic moments over the firefighters on the ground. Each plane can dump 100,000 pounds of iron-red fire retardant, or "mud." That's at least four times more than a standard air tanker.

"It's kind of the difference between a Dixie cup and a Big Gulp," says U.S. Forest Service spokesman Mike Martin.

Grace Rubenstein/KQED

Rick Hatton, CEO of 10 Tanker Air Carrier, stands next to a DC-10 jumbo jet.

The three-engine jets are owned and flown by the firm 10 Tanker Air Carrier. Owners say they're the only two retrofitted firefighting DC-10s in the world. And both are being used in the battle against the Rim Fire.

"We've taken all the people out, all the cargo out, all the seats out," says Rick Hatton, 10 Tanker's CEO. "In its place we've put this 100,000-pound external (tank) on the belly, and then we've light-loaded it with fuel because we're never going more than four or five hundred miles instead of going all the way to Europe."

The Big Boys are flying their missions out of Castle Airport, a former Air Force base outside Merced, in the San Joaquin Valley. As a crew fuels one of the jets for its next mission, a smoky haze hangs over the Sierra Nevada, with a white plume rising over the mountains.

"It looks like a mushroom cloud!" Hatton says.

Grace Rubenstein/KQED

Rick Hatton, CEO of 10 Tanker Air Carrier, demonstrates that fire retardant is mild enough stuff to touch.

When the DC-10s reach the fire zone, they come in at precisely 150 knots (about 165 mph) and just 200 feet above the treetops. Then the jet drops a ribbon of retardant up to three-quarters of a mile long and 60 feet wide. Customized software controls the tank doors to release the red liquid -- a mixture of water and a nitrogen-based powder similar to fertilizer -- at a constant rate of flow. To the non-aviator, the planes look surprisingly maneuverable.

"You don't tend to think of airplanes like this turning steeply because when you ride in them from L.A. to New York, they don't turn steeply," Hatton says. "But they can."

The massive retardant drops are designed to slow down fires long enough to give ground crews a chance to cut fire breaks, using bulldozers, picks and shovels.

At the main Rim Fire base camp, about 50 miles from Castle, Forest Service spokesman Lee Bentley says this is the first time he's seen two of the giant tankers used on the same fire. He says their impact is "tremendous."

The big planes cost more than conventional air tankers. Actual costs can vary by day, but officials on the Rim Fire are budgeting $12,500 an hour for the DC-10s, compared with $8,700 an hour for their smaller cousins.

Grace Rubenstein/KQED

The Nevada company 10 Tanker Air Carrier debuted its second retrofitted DC-10 fire plane last year. Sometimes the two jets fight separate blazes, but the Rim Fire is using both.

Hatton argues that considering how much more "mud" the DC-10s drop per flight, it's actually a significant cost savings. He's hoping the Forest Service finds the Big Boys valuable enough to have him build more.

"We'd like to build a fleet. We think the nation needs six or seven or eight of these aircraft," he says.

Back at the airfield, pilot Kevin Hopf sits at a table in the cavernous, empty body of the plane, doing paperwork. He's already made five runs today. He says he's been fighting fires from above for years, and the Rim Fire is a big one.

"I think everyone's in for a long haul here, unless Mother Nature cooperates and dumps some rain on us," he says.

Minutes later, the call comes for another flight.

- See more at: http://www.californiareport.org/archive/R201308301630/b#sthash.YrPvsTaf.dpuf

Source: http://www.californiareport.org/archive/R201308301630/b

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[californiadisasters] Rim Fire Update #24 (8/31/13-6:30AM)

RIM FIRE INFORMATION

Update #24

Release for Saturday, August 31, 2013/Time: 6:30 AM

Incident Statics

Acres Burned: 219,277 (343 square miles) Structures Threatened: 4,500

Containment: 35% Residences Destroyed: 11

Fire Start Date: August 17, 2013 Commercial Property Destroyed: 3

Fire Cause: Under Investigation Outbuildings Destroyed: 97

Cost to date: $54.8 million Injuries: 4

Total Personnel: 4,995

Fire Update

Last night a spot fire crossed Old Yosemite Road, prompting an expansion of the Mandatory Evacuation in Mariposa County. Crews burned south from Hetch Hetchy toward Harden Lake on the eastern flank. Crews continued structure defense in the Highway 108 and 120 corridors, and around Cherry Lake. Today's operations will included actions to control the spot fire south of Old Yosemite Road. Crews will also begin a burning operation from Duckwall Mountain north to Fahey Meadow along Forest Road 3N07and will continue a burning operation in Yosemite National Park near Harden Lake and south to White Wolf and to Tioga Road. Aircraft will continue to support burning operations.

Park and Forest Closures

Yosemite National Park has closed Tamarack Flat and Yosemite Creek Campgrounds, both located along Tioga Road. White Wolf Campground and White Wolf Lodge remain closed. The Stanislaus National Forest has issued an area closure for the entire Groveland Ranger District and for the Mi-Wok Ranger District east of Highway 108. Additional details are available from the Stanislaus Forest Supervisor's Office, 209-532-3671; Mi-Wok Ranger Station, (209) 586-3234; Summit Ranger Station, 209-965-3434; and Groveland Ranger Station, 209-962-7825.

Road Closures

Highway 120 remains closed from Buck Meadows to 1 ½ miles east of White Wolf. Highway 120 east/Tioga Road remains open from 1 ½ miles east of White Wolf to the Tioga Pass entrance. Cherry Lake Road is closed at Highway 120. Evergreen Road and Old Yosemite Road are also closed. Highway 120 from Ferretti Road to Buck Meadows remains open for local residents and businesses only.

Evacuations and Advisories

The Mariposa County Sherriff has expanded the Mandatory Evacuation along Old Yosemite Road to include areas North and South of Bull Creek Road to Little Grizzly Mountain. The Tuolumne County Sheriff's Department on Thursday lifted the evacuation advisory for Tuolumne City, Soulsbyville and Willow Springs. The evacuation advisory remains in effect for Ponderosa Hills and areas east, along the south side of Highway 108 up to Pinecrest. An Evacuation Warning has been issued for all residences of Bondurant Mine Road, Texas Hill Road, and Wampum Hill. Highway 120 at the Yosemite National Park boundary west to Buck Meadows has been evacuated. Evacuation centers are at the Mother Lode Fairgrounds in Sonora and at the Greeley Hill Community Center.

For more information or if you have questions, please contact the Rim Fire at 805-727-4775 or 805-727-4746 and Tuolumne City Rim Fire Information at 209-928-1059. If you have questions about Yosemite National Park call 209-372-0327 or 209-372-0329.Updated information is also available at http://www.inciweb.org/incident/3660/. All media are requested to report to the Incident Command Post to check in with the Public Information Officers.

Source: http://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/article/3660/21098/

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[californiadisasters] South Ops News & Notes Update (8/31/13-7:15AM)

Date

Time

News and Notes

08/31

0715

CA-STF Rim Fire

Wilkins NC IMT1, continued unified command with CAL FIRE (Lawshe)

219,277 acres, 35% contained

CA-SQF Fish Fire

Reidy, NM IMT 2

2,060 acres 60% contained

CA-KNP Windy Peak
Suarez, Type 4 IC

640 acres, 50% contained

Source: http://gacc.nifc.gov/oscc/predictive/intelligence/news_notes/index.htm

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[californiadisasters] 1986 Cerritos Air Disaster, 8/31/2013, 12:00 pm

Reminder from:		californiadisasters Yahoo! Group

Title:		1986 Cerritos Air Disaster

Date:		Saturday August 31, 2013
Time:		12:00 pm - 12:00 pm (GMT-08.00) Pacific Time (US & Canada)
Location:		Los Angeles County
Notes:		At about this time in 1986 a small private aircraft (Piper) collided with a DC-9 commuter aircraft (Aeromexico Flight 498) decapitating all three people aboard the smaller aircraft and removing the vertical stabilizer aboard the passenger jet. Aeromexico 498 plunged into the neighborhood at Holmes Avenue and Reva Circle in Cerritos. All 67 aboard her were killed along with 15 people on the ground. Eight people on the ground were injured with five homes destroyed and seven damaged.

Get reminders on your mobile, Yahoo! Messenger, and email. Edit reminder options

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[californiadisasters] On This Date In California Weather History (August 31)

2007: A severe thunderstorm in Lake Elsinore produced severe winds, which downed trees, power lines and caused roof damage.
Another heavy thunderstorm hit Wrightwood and produced a debris flow that damaged roads along Sheep Creek and trapped motorists.
This was the first of 3 consecutive days (also 9.1 and 9.2) of flash flooding in Wrightwood.
Other thunderstorms dropped a blanket of hail over vast areas between Big Bear Lake and the San Gorgonio Wilderness.
A significant accumulation of small hail was seen for many days at the top of Mt. San Gorgonio.

1998: Yuma sets their all time record warm low temperature at 94°.

1998: Strong thunderstorms developed each day starting on 8.29 and ending on this day.
1.5" of rain fell at Apple Valley, 0.77" fell in only 45 minutes at Wrightwood, and 0.68" fell in only 30 minutes at Forest Falls.
Homes and roads were flooded with 4'-6' of water in Hesperia and Apple Valley.
Rock slides occurred in Mill Creek.
Roads were flooded in Sugarloaf and Forest Falls.
Flash flooding was also recorded in Hemet.
Severe thunderstorm wind gusts of 86 mph hit Sage (south of Hemet).
Gusts of 50 mph were recorded at Rialto and gusts of 45 mph hit San Marcos.
Trees and power lines were downed. Fires were started by lightning near Barona Ranch.
Record heat occurred near the coast as well on these same days.
Temperatures hit 112° in Yorba Linda, 110° in Hemet and Riverside, and over 100° in most of Orange County.
It was 114° in Dulzura on 8.29.

1987: Thunderstorms moved into the southern portion of the San Joaquin Valley in Kern County from the Tehachapis.
Straight line wind damage occurred to several farm buildings.
5 dairy cows were killed and 7 injured.
Bakersfield recorded a wind gust of 49 mph from the south.

1977: The wettest August on record in San Diego ended on this day with 2.13".

1972: Hurricane Hyacinth moved as far west as 125 West before recurving to the northeast.
The remnants made landfall between Los Angeles and San Diego on 9.3 with winds of 25 mph and rainfall of up to one inch in the mountains from 8.29 to 9.6.
This tropical cyclone holds the distinction of traveling the farthest west before recurving and making landfall in Southern California.
This occurred during the El Niño of 1972-73.
Only 0.44" was measured in San Diego.

1967: Hurricane Katrina crossed the southern tip of Baja California, then traversed almost the entire length of the Gulf of California before making landfall again and rapidly weakening.
More than 2" of rain fell on 8.30 and on this day.
2" fell at La Quinta and the city was cut off for several hours.
150 homes were damaged by floods in Palm Desert and Indian Wells.
Numerous roads were washed out in the Coachella Valley.
The Fort Irwin road north of Barstow was flooded, isolating the army base on 8.30.

1964: Fresno received 0.25" of rain, making it the wettest August day ever.
Hanford also had its wettest day ever in August with 0.34" of rain.

1955: A prolonged heat wave started on this day and ended on 9.7.
It was 110° in LA on 9.1, an all time record.
It was 98° in San Diego and 103° in Santa Ana on this day, both highest temperatures on record for August.

1950: The high temperature at Lovelock, NV was 102°.

1939: Sea surface temperatures off the coast for the month of August were in the upper 70s, with some reports near San Diego of 80°.
This occurred ahead of the tropical storms of the following month of 9.1939.

1928: It was 42° in Escondido, the lowest temperature on record for August.

1889: LA recorded its greatest 24 hour rainfall amount for August at 0.61".

1887: Fresno had a record low of 50°.
This is the oldest temperature record for Fresno still in the books.

Source: NWS Hanford, Reno, Phoenix, & San Diego

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VOLCANO MADNESS

Saturday, August 31, 2013

Re: [Geology2] Geologists track small earthquakes near Mount St. Helens | Local News | The Seattle Times

Geologists track small earthquakes near Mount St. Helens

[Geology2] Geologists track small earthquakes near Mount St. Helens | Local News | The Seattle Times

Geologists track small earthquakes near Mount St. Helens

[californiadisasters] Jumbo Jets Lead Air Attack Against Rim Fire

Jumbo Jets Lead Air Attack Against Rim Fire

[californiadisasters] Rim Fire Update #24 (8/31/13-6:30AM)

[californiadisasters] South Ops News & Notes Update (8/31/13-7:15AM)

[californiadisasters] 1986 Cerritos Air Disaster, 8/31/2013, 12:00 pm

[californiadisasters] On This Date In California Weather History (August 31)

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