Six seismologists and a government official were found guilty of manslaughter and sentenced to six years in prison. The court found that they had not adequately warned the public about the potential of a dangerous earthquake. L'Aquila, Italy, was rocked by a 6.3 magnitude earthquake on April 6, 2009 that killed 309 people.
For more information about this ruling, visit Earth magazine online.
In a recent report in Earth and Planetary Science Letters, researchers from the GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences found that around 41,000 years ago there was an abrupt and complete reversal of the Earth's dipole field which lasted only 440 years. During this period, the Earth's magnetic field was significantly weaker, with only 5% of the current field intensity, which would significantly reduce the protection provided the surface from radiation exposure.
A meteorite found in Morocco last summer was recently found to be from Mars, ejected from the surface 700,000 years ago, and subsequently traveling to Earth. The meteorite includes obsidian glass which contains noble gas inclusions. The meteorite was observed to fall to Earth near the village of Tissint in the Moroccan desert.
For more information, see the article in Science.
An Earth-sized planet has been discovered orbiting Alpha Centauri B. The Alpha Centauri system, which includes three stars, is the star system nearest Earth - only 4.4 light years away. The discovery was made by a team of European astronomers. The planet is likely to be a rocky planet, but is not habitable, with surface temperatures of 1,200 degrees.
At least 10 tornadoes were reported overnight in the mid-west of the United States, hitting towns in the states of Kansas, Missouri, Illinois, and Kentucky. Storms are moving east, and the tornado threat continues. For more information, visit the Weather Channel.
Every four years, we have an extra day in the month of February. Why?
Images of a martian landscape offer evidence that the Red Planet’s surface not only can shake like the surface of Earth, but has done so relatively recently. According to scientists from the University of London, the Open University, and the Geological Survey of Italy reporting their analysis of High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) imagery, if mars quakes do indeed take place, Mars may still have active volcanism, which could help create conditions for liquid water.
We're in for a treat this weekend!
On Saturday and Sunday, the Moon, Jupiter, and Venus will be lining up in the western sky. The two planets are approaching 10 degrees apart in the sky by the end of the month. You can see all three at twilight, when the crescent Moon is also visible. For more information, see http://www.weather.com/outlook/weather-news/news/articles/venus-jupiter-moon-offer-night-show_2012-02-24.
The heat wave that struck western Russia in summer 2010, killed 55,000 people, broke July temperatures records and caused $15 billion in damage. A new study concludes the devastating heat wave had human and natural causes. Soaring temperatures were found to be within the natural range for a Russian summer, but due to human-induced climate change, the chance of such an extreme heat wave has tripled over the past several decades. For more details, see the AGU Press Release from February 21st, 2012.
Scientists studying air pollution produced by excavation of oil sands have found elevated levels of the pollutants nitrogen dioxide and sulfur dioxide within 50 km of the mines in Alberta, Canada. For more information, see the AGU Press Release from February 22, 2012.
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During the week of May 13th, the CO2 level at the Mauna Loa Observatory in Hawaii topped 400 ppm repeatedly. Daily levels of CO2 can vary due to weather, and there are seasonal trends as well.
The week of May 19 brings dozens of tornadoes to Tornado Alley in the states of Oklahoma, Kansas, Iowa, Illinois and Missouri.
A bill has been introduced in the Kansas legislature this week that would prohibit the promotion of sustainability.
Here is a link to the one-page bill:
