Occurring on Saturday, March 26th, an event called Earth Hour will take place at 8:30 p.m. local time. Earth Hour is an event where hundreds of millions of people around the world join together to take action on climate change. This is done by performing one very simple action — turning off our lights for one hour. Earth Hour provides a way for all of us to join together to have a positive impact in the fight to protect our future from the impacts of climate change.
Earth Hour first began in Sydney, Australia, and quickly grew into a worldwide occurrence. In 2008, 50 million individuals, 371 cities in 35 countries participated. In 2009, nearly one billion people participated along with 4,000 cities and 88 countries.
But Earth Hour isn’t just for big cities — anyone can participate.
Make the commitment and turn off all your lights for just one hour. We hope that during this hour it will help save energy, spread awareness, and allow time to think about things you can do in your daily life that will benefit this planet. There is only one Earth, so we must do what we can to help save it. Our actions add up; Earth Hour is a first step!
It is only an hour...
Join the movement to help save our climate, raise awareness and to honor Mother Earth...just take a look around at what she has given us.
Friday, March 25, 2011
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Battle of the Seasons
Spring has arrived but Old Man Winter is not quite ready to give up his post for the season. I have been saying for the past month or so: " Mr. Winter, please give us at least 10 more inches of snow!"
Well, portions of the U.S. will have a bit more then that as a rather complex and major storm is forecasted to drop around a foot of snow for the Northern Plains and any where from a dusting to near 10 inches for parts of the Tri-state. Although it may officially be the Spring season, we do need to remember that we need to allow a few weeks of transitioning weather in order for the season to get into the swing of things.
Back to the main event! The winter storm in in discussion is developing over the Central Plains and will move towards the Ohio Valley through Wednesday and off the East Coast by Thursday. Although there may be sunny skies and mild temperatures well into Tuesday evening for much of the Tri-State, the increasing clouds is indicative of the system to come. The high pressure over the area Tuesday will move to the North. This high pressure will reinforce colder air down across New York and Pennsylvania. This cold air will also tap into moisture that will be over this cold air which could end up bringing down banding of heavy and potentially significant snowfall. With that said, Winter Storm Warnings have been posted for Northeast Pennsylvania, Southern New York, and portions of Northwest New Jersey. In these locations, anywhere from 5-10 inches of snow could fall. Considering how much snow was squeezed out of this past storm on Sunday (just about 5 inches of snow in the Poconos), it would not be too surprising if the higher elevations received higher amounts. This snow is going to be the heavy wet snow at that, with the potential for rather high snow ratios.
Central NJ could be issued a Winter Storm Advisory if temperatures tap into the cooler air and evaporative cooling occurs is allowed; a wintry mix and a short amount of time for snow is possible. For the near term for Tuesday evening, rain is likely the p.type to fall. The models are forecasting isentropic lift (Lifting air along an upward sloping isentropic surface, the physical process of the air lifting due to erroneous overrunning) and deep convergence (both together signify intensification, the presence of strong precipitation, and convection). This could allow for a quick change over from rain to snow, that will run well into the southern NJ and PA. The only thing that will make this snow easier to handle is that the surface temperatures will still be on the warm side, so accumulation on roadways will not be much, if any thing a slushy mix.
Once the 'burst' of precipitation (snow) happens in the morning Wednesday, there is a forecasted lull in the system. There is still the question of how much will fall and how much will stick. The solar angle, believe it or not, does play in a factor. The higher sun angle and increased solar radiation will allow for temperatures to rise, especially at the surface and allow for this p.type to change over to a sleet/freezing rain mix. Again, this mixing will allow for the snow in NJ/PA and further South and East to be more wet and heavy. The further North and West, the snow will become more fluffy (due to the colder temperatures and less rain mixing).
Much will be the same for the most part Thursday. Just be aware of slick roads. Total snow accumulations are are posted above. Clearing through the day Thursday, the snow/rain will begin to taper off. The pattern for the next week does seem to be a little on the cold side and will also result in rather stormy.
The battle of the seasons continues...
~ V.S.
Well, portions of the U.S. will have a bit more then that as a rather complex and major storm is forecasted to drop around a foot of snow for the Northern Plains and any where from a dusting to near 10 inches for parts of the Tri-state. Although it may officially be the Spring season, we do need to remember that we need to allow a few weeks of transitioning weather in order for the season to get into the swing of things.
Back to the main event! The winter storm in in discussion is developing over the Central Plains and will move towards the Ohio Valley through Wednesday and off the East Coast by Thursday. Although there may be sunny skies and mild temperatures well into Tuesday evening for much of the Tri-State, the increasing clouds is indicative of the system to come. The high pressure over the area Tuesday will move to the North. This high pressure will reinforce colder air down across New York and Pennsylvania. This cold air will also tap into moisture that will be over this cold air which could end up bringing down banding of heavy and potentially significant snowfall. With that said, Winter Storm Warnings have been posted for Northeast Pennsylvania, Southern New York, and portions of Northwest New Jersey. In these locations, anywhere from 5-10 inches of snow could fall. Considering how much snow was squeezed out of this past storm on Sunday (just about 5 inches of snow in the Poconos), it would not be too surprising if the higher elevations received higher amounts. This snow is going to be the heavy wet snow at that, with the potential for rather high snow ratios.
Central NJ could be issued a Winter Storm Advisory if temperatures tap into the cooler air and evaporative cooling occurs is allowed; a wintry mix and a short amount of time for snow is possible. For the near term for Tuesday evening, rain is likely the p.type to fall. The models are forecasting isentropic lift (Lifting air along an upward sloping isentropic surface, the physical process of the air lifting due to erroneous overrunning) and deep convergence (both together signify intensification, the presence of strong precipitation, and convection). This could allow for a quick change over from rain to snow, that will run well into the southern NJ and PA. The only thing that will make this snow easier to handle is that the surface temperatures will still be on the warm side, so accumulation on roadways will not be much, if any thing a slushy mix.
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| March 22, 2011 Forecast Courtesy of ACCUWEATHER |
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| Storm Snowfall Totals Courtesy of NOAA/NWS |
The battle of the seasons continues...
~ V.S.
Friday, March 11, 2011
Breaking News: Magnitude 8.9 Earthquake Outside of Japan
Magnitude 8.9 earthquake hit Japan; the most powerful earthquake for Japan in at least 100 years, Friday at 5:46:23 UTC (which was 2:46:23 P.M. local time at the epicenter). The distance of the epicenter is:
80 miles East of Sendai, Honshu, Japan (one of the hardest hit cities from the the tsunami)
110 miles East of Yamogata, Honshu, Japan
231 miles NE of Tokyo Japan
This massive quake was a result of thrust faulting near the subduction zone interface plate boundary between the Pacific and North America plates.
According to the U.S. Geologic Survey (USGS), the Pacific plate moves westward (subducts) with respect to the North American plate at a velocity of 88mm per year. Granted this number seems insignificant, but when pressure builds between the plates from the movement a significant earthquake can release, much like what happened in Japan Friday. The Pacific plate thrusts under Japan along the Japan Trench. The earthquake that was unleashed as trust faulting occurred along the subduction plate boundary.
80 miles East of Sendai, Honshu, Japan (one of the hardest hit cities from the the tsunami)
110 miles East of Yamogata, Honshu, Japan
231 miles NE of Tokyo Japan
This massive quake was a result of thrust faulting near the subduction zone interface plate boundary between the Pacific and North America plates.
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| Subduction Zone of Pacific and North America Tectonic Plates |
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| Pacific Ring of Fire |
Now, referring to the image above, the subduction zone is a process of one plate pushing downward beneath another plate into the underlying mantle when the plates move toward each other. The plate that is denser will slide under the thicker less dense plate.
The earthquake is one issue, the next is the tsunami that followed. Below is a video of a whirlpool that was formed from the earthquake. Absolutely fascinating.
The video and images from this event is breathtakingly heart wrenching and absolutely astonishing. Writing about it will not do any justice. Watching The Today Show Friday morning, I could not help but be speechless to the events that were unavailing on the other side of the globe.
The breakdown of a tsunami is as follows:
A tsunami is a series of water waves caused by a displacement of a large volume of water. Just a note, tsunami is a Japanese word meaning 'harbor' or 'wave.' In the case of Friday, the water above the earthquake area was displaced from its equilibrium position. As prior mentioned, this was a thrust fault earthquake. The abrupt movement of the plates created the vertical motion of the water.
earthquake beneath the water along the ocean floor.
Tsunamis have small amplitude (wave heights). All the energy is accumulated under the water surface. Tsunamis have very long wavelengths that are often hundreds of kilometers long, which is why they can go unnoticed while at sea...typically when there is enough warning time for a tsunami, boats will travel away from the coast and harbors to further out to sea in order to not be affected. Once the wave reaches shallower water and the Continental Shelf, the wave height grown. This is when the tsunami can grow to up to be 30 foot wall of a wave! These waves travel at nearly 600 miles per hour. The footage of the tsunami moving along the shores of Sendai, Japan show just how fast the water came onto shore. People can't outrun the force and speed of this water.
The breakdown of a tsunami is as follows:
A tsunami is a series of water waves caused by a displacement of a large volume of water. Just a note, tsunami is a Japanese word meaning 'harbor' or 'wave.' In the case of Friday, the water above the earthquake area was displaced from its equilibrium position. As prior mentioned, this was a thrust fault earthquake. The abrupt movement of the plates created the vertical motion of the water.
earthquake beneath the water along the ocean floor.
Tsunamis have small amplitude (wave heights). All the energy is accumulated under the water surface. Tsunamis have very long wavelengths that are often hundreds of kilometers long, which is why they can go unnoticed while at sea...typically when there is enough warning time for a tsunami, boats will travel away from the coast and harbors to further out to sea in order to not be affected. Once the wave reaches shallower water and the Continental Shelf, the wave height grown. This is when the tsunami can grow to up to be 30 foot wall of a wave! These waves travel at nearly 600 miles per hour. The footage of the tsunami moving along the shores of Sendai, Japan show just how fast the water came onto shore. People can't outrun the force and speed of this water.
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| Formation of a tsunami approaching the coast |
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| How to predicting a tsunami |
The Western coast line will be under a low tide during the projected time the tsunami is supposed to touch the shore of the West Coast. Mother Nature is fortunately working in our favor in that respect. However, low or high tide, a tsunami can still do damage to coastal areas. It just depends of the geography of the coastal land. San Andres Fault, along the California coast is especially vulnerable during times like this when there is such a massive quake a few thousand miles away across the Pacific Ocean. The plates are in always in constant motion. Earthquakes occur everyday. Fingers crossed that isn't the beginning of a chain of events that triggers more significant earthquakes along the Ring of Fire. An event like this is an unnerving reminder that California is due for a significant earthquake.
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
Severe Weather Awareness Week: Thunderstorms
If there is one thing I am more passionate about than an amazing cup of coffee, that would be Thunderstorm awareness.
In just 2010 alone, 28 lives were taken and 238 people were injured by lightning strikes in the United States. This is too many people. With proper awareness and education, these numbers can go down.
Now to the basics…
Thunder will not hurt you. It is the lightning that will do the damage. Within every thunderstorm, there will be lightning.
This lightning occurs when the air within the storm is rising and descending separating positive and negative charges. Water and ice particles (which is what makes up clouds along with other particulates), affect the electrical charge distribution. The strongest of these negative charges are concentrated near the base of the clouds and the strongest of the positive changes are concentrated down near the Earth’s surface. While this is occurring, a positive net charge is formed on the surface. Physics tells us that ‘like’ charges repel each other and opposite charges will attract. The separation between the surface and the clouds sets the stage for an electrical charge to occur between the two. The air starts to break into a pathway that the electrical charges can travel through. This pathway is formed when the air becomes ionized between the cloud and Earth (positive ions will want to travel up to towards the cloud to become neutralized). This pathway is lightning! You would think that this ‘pathway’ would be a straight line in nature, fact is that ‘air’ is made up of other particles, dust, and such that will interfere and will break down quickly creating the usual jagged lines of the lightning.
Fun Fact: The average lightning strike is hundreds to thousands of degrees, even hotter than the surface of the sun!
The resulting thunder that you hear is essentially a shock wave that is a result of the very rapid heating and cooling of air near that lightning pathway.
Lightning is indeed very neat, and there is SO much more to discuss but let’s not let our excitement get us off topic! I will cover lightning in another posting at a later time.
Imagine getting zapped and fried by hundreds of watts of energy and having your heart stop. In a split second your heart goes in to cardiac arrest and you’re dead. I was blessed to have met and done some work with a lightning strike survivor. His story is something amazing….you can check it out on: (insert link). In fact, I highly suggest you check this out. Ever since I met him, I have also been on a mission to spread the word on thunderstorm/lightning safety awareness. Long story short, two things helped save his life: 1.) The sweat and moisture on his body, and 2.) A fellow golfer who knew CPR.
Learn how to safe a life: Learn More About CPR
Speaking of Physics, this video clip from struckbylightning.org is fascinating!
How are thunderstorms formed?
A few key ingredients are a necessary:
1.) Unstable air; convection, warm air rising rapidly and cold air sinking
2.) Moisture to form clouds and precipitation
3.) Lift: air in fronts(frontal storms), sea breezes (airmass storms), mountain ranges (orographic storms). Any kind of lifting mechanism.
If the warmer surface air continues to be forced to rise and colder air sinks, convection will occur. This is such a key element when Meteorologists look for thunderstorm formation.
Supercell thunderstorms are some of the most strongest microscale storms (as well as some of my favorite weather). This occurs when there is a super strong updrafts and downdrafts. The updrafts allow for rapid intensification of the storm. The downdrafts can typically allow for the intense momentum of the storm. As the updrafted air, sometimes traveling at upwards of 90 mph plus, cools, water vapor condenses and forms cumulus clouds, cumulonimbus clouds in this case. When this condensation occurs, heat (latent heat energy) is released and adds to further growth of the thunderstorm. The downdrafts will allow for precipitation to fall in the form of rain or ice (hail) as well as potentially very strong winds in excess of 60 mph!
How to protect yourself:
Thunderstorms can occur in any season (yes, even in the Winter). They are more prominent during the Spring and Summer months. When you see the clouds beginning to billow and dark skies are moving in, it is time to seek shelter.
Note: You can have blue sunny skies about you and you can still be struck by lightning by a storm that is 5-20 miles away!
If you hear a clap of thunder, you are already too close to be struck. Seek shelter in a building or an enclosed vehicle. Please, do not hide under a tree or small sheds! When inside, stay away from water; showers (the metal pipes are conductors of electricity, and anything that carries an electrical current (that is wired into the wall) such as a computer, telephone, video games and such. It is also a good idea to stay away from windows and doors as you can get struck by lightning there as well.
If you are caught outside, remember this rule: lightning will strike anything that is tall and isolated. That means you! Be sure to find a low spot that is away from poles, fences, and trees. **If you begin to feel your skin start to tingle (aside from nerves), squat low to the ground on the balls of your feet…you want to make yourself the smallest target as possible making yourself take up the smallest space as possible to minimize your contact with the ground.
Now you know a little more about thunder storms. It is not something to take lightly…Spread the word!
Monday, March 7, 2011
Severe Weather Awareness Week: Flash Flooding
Flash flooding is the #1 weather-related killer in the U.S.!
More people are killed by flash flooding than by other storm-related weather hazards. In just 6 inches of fast-moving flood water can knock you off your feel! Most cars will float in just 16-18 inches of water but in the depth of just 2 feet of swift moving water will float your car! Never, ever drive, swim, or walk through swift flood waters. Stop, turn around and find an alternate route!
Two key elements factor for Flash Flooding. The first is the intensity and duration of the rainfall. The second is the topography: ground cover and soil conditions. Flash flooding can occur in just a few minutes (hence the word ‘flash’) or over a few hours of excessive rainfall (levee or dam failure, or a sudden release of water held by an ice jam).
What should you do in an event of flash flooding?
- Protect yourself by seeking higher ground immediately if you are near a flooding waterway.
- Watch the rising water and have a plan of action to evacuate if needed.
- Do not drive, swim, walk through water covered roadways.
One such Flash Flooding event: On June 14th, 1990 in Shadyside, Ohio, 4 inches of rain fell in less than 2 hours which produced a 30-foot high wall of water leaving around $7million in damages and 26 dead.
August 1st, 1985 in Cheyenne, Wyoming, 6 inches of rain fell in 3 hours leaving $61 million in damages and 12 people dead.
When a Flash Flood Warning is issued, take proper precautions for a flooding situation to occur or will occur in a few hours.
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