Things are Splitting

Harrat Lunayyir Volcanic Field

A recent swarm of 30,000 earthquakes and rifting alert geologists that Harrat Lunayyir is still active.

Harrat Lunayyir: Location and Description:

The Harrat Lunayyir Volcanic Area is located in the desert of northwestern Saudi Arabia, immediately east of the Red Sea port of Umm Lajj. It is an area of extensive basaltic lava flows and about fifty small volcanic cones (see photo below).

The center of the volcanic field is about thirty miles inland from the Red Sea. Individual lava flows radiate out in all directions from the center of the field. They follow stream valleys through the desert. Two of the flows have reached the Red Sea but they are now covered by sand along the coast.

Recent Activity at Harrat Lunayyir:

East Africa Rift Synthetic Diamonds Teaching Plate Tectonics with Drawings Mineral Rights

The youngest lava flows at Harrat Lunayyir were produced by eruptions that occurred about 1000 years ago. Until 2009 the field was considered to be inactive because no evidence of recent activity had been identified.

Then, between April and June of 2009, a swarm of over 30,000 earthquakes occurred beneath the volcanic field and a fissure about five miles long opened to a width of about three feet (see photo at right).

The enormous number of earthquakes was a cause for concern. About twenty earthquakes were over magnitude 4 and a magnitude 5.4 earthquake on May 19th, 2010 damaged buildings in the town of Al Ays. These stronger earthquakes prompted the Saudi Arabian government to order evacuations and 40,000 people left their homes. They were allowed to return to their homes in August, two months after the earthquake activity subsided.

Why Is This Area Active?

Harrat Lunayyir Volcanic Area is located along the Red Sea Rift where active rifting still occurs – the Arabian Peninsula and Africa are still moving away from one another. A chain of active volcanoes runs down the center of the Red Sea. These are fed by rising magma from below. Intrusions of magma occasionally occur along the flanks of this active rift. These intrusions can cause rifting, earthquake activity and occasional volcanic eruptions. The earthquake activity and rifting of 2009 is believed to be a result of intrusions of magma into the Harrat Lunayyir area.

A Little Bit of Sarcastic Humor

A man sitting in a container converted from a refrigerator, travels through flood waters with the help of other residents after rains in Soyapango, outside the capital of San Salvador September 29, 2010. The Civil Protection Directorate of El Salvador has declared an orange alert around the country and extended a red alert in 11 municipalities as a result of rains from the remnants of Tropical Storm Matthew, according to local media. REUTERS/Luis Galdamez (EL SALVADOR - Tags: ENVIRONMENT DISASTER)

The Associated Press: At least 20 missing in Colombian mountain mudslide

The Associated Press: At least 20 missing in Colombian mountain mudslide: "At least 20 missing in Colombian mountain mudslide
(AP) – 16 hours ago
BOGOTA, Colombia — A mudslide swept over people changing from one bus to another because an earlier slide was blocking a mountain road Monday, and at least 20 people were buried, authorities said.
John Freddy Rendon, director of the regional disaster response office, said the accident happened in northwestern Colombia, on the road between the towns of Giraldo and Canasgordas, 200 miles (320 kilometers) from the capital, Bogota.
He said passengers had gotten off one bus and were crossing the blocked portion of the road to board a second bus that had been sent to pick them up because of the earlier landslide when another mudslide cascaded down the mountain.
The slide also destroyed four or five homes, he said.
'At this point we have between 20 and 30 people missing in the rubble,' Rendon said in a telephone interview.
He said about 100 workers began digging looking for the missing but the effort had to be suspended because of dangers conditions caused by rain and poor visibility. The work would resume early Tuesday, he said.
A strong rainy season in recent weeks has caused flooding and made roads unusable across Colombia, authorities have reported."

Flooding in Portage, WI

Wis. neighborhood becomes island as levee weakens

By TODD RICHMOND Associated Press Writer © 2010 The Associated Press

Sept. 27, 2010, 5:30PM

PORTAGE, Wis. — Flood waters from the burgeoning Wisconsin River turned a rural neighborhood into a virtual island Monday, cutting off dozens of homes from the outside world.

The river was seeping through and surging around a levee protecting the Blackhawk Park neighborhood in the town of Caledonia just southeast of Portage. The only road in was covered by nearly a foot of rust-colored water.
A few homes in the neighborhood's low-lying areas were surrounded by water, but most of the houses stood on high ground and remained untouched Monday afternoon.
Emergency workers asked people to leave on Sunday as the river began to rise after last week's heavy rains overwhelmed rivers. Some 300 people live in the neighborhood, and Columbia County Emergency Management director Pat Beghin said about 25 homes remained occupied.
Beghin said the worst-case scenario was water could wash away the access road, stranding those residents for up to a week.
A century-old earthen dike, part of a 14-mile berm, separates Portage and the neighborhood from the river. But the river rose so high and so forcefully it surged around the dike and poured into the bottom lands around the neighborhood, said Steve Miller, director of the state Department of Natural Resources Bureau of Facilities and Lands.
The rising water chipped away at portions of the berm system Monday afternoon. Much of the levee protects forest and farmland, but a breach in the Blackhawk Park portion could make matters far worse for the neighborhood by potentially washing away the access road.
DNR workers patrolled the length of the berm Monday, using sandbags to control the seepage. Spokesman Greg Matthews said the effort seemed to be working, although he had no estimate on how long the levee might hold.
The woods around Forrest Travis' fishing camp were a bog on Monday. Water rushed across the gravel service road a few steps from his camp, but Travis, a 53-year-old part-time construction worker, said he spent Sunday night at the camp and didn't have any plans to go anywhere.
"I'm not worried about it," Travis said. "It would have to get a lot higher to get where we're standing."
Diana O'Neill, 56, a retired De Forest police officer, evacuated on Sunday. On Monday, she inched her truck along the access road, creating a wake, to get back to her house.
Her place was still dry when she arrived. She grabbed three dozen eggs and her Chicago Bears shirt for the big Green Bay Packers-Chicago Bears game on Monday Night Football and inched her way back out. The water was easily an inch higher than when she drove in.
"I'm kind of a risk-taker," she said. "If it wasn't for the road being overrun I would have stayed here. I've got stuff to get done."
The Wisconsin River runs along the outskirts of Portage, a city of about 10,000 people some 40 miles north of Madison that touts itself as "Where the North Begins." The river had overflowed its banks by dozens of feet, pouring onto low-lying roads.
Residents ventured to the water's edge to watch as the river surged by.
Staring at the churning water, Shawn Schweitzer, 39, of Portage, said that usually at this time of the year the water is so low you can nearly drive across the river bottom.
"Now it would be bye, bye," he said as he watched the current swirl and eddy. "I've never seen it move this fast."
In Blackhawk Park, Kevin and Lindsay Remus chose to bundle their 17-month-old daughter, Amanda, and leave Sunday.
Kevin Remus told the Portage Daily Register they decided to leave because the road could soon become impassible. The family went to the American Red Cross reception center at St. John the Baptist Episcopal Church in Portage.
State and local officials were so concerned about the integrity of the 14-mile levee system home owners built in the 1890s, a group was established to study it.
The group recommended in 2007 that because the levee was so unsafe and unable to protect against flooding, property owners should be offered incentives to move.
Community leaders said they needed time to digest the study's findings, and very little has been done to make any changes since the report came out, Miller said.
Beghin says authorities are monitoring other towns along the river where minor flooding has occurred.
National Weather Service hydrologist Bryan Hahn says the Wisconsin River reached a record level of 20.59 feet Monday at 6 a.m. That breaks a previous record of 20.50 set back in 1938.
The river was expected to hold steady through Tuesday, Hahn said, then slowly decline over the next seven days. Forecasters expect the weather to remain dry in the area for the rest of the week, although a flood warning remains in effect in Columbia County.
Water levels in the storm-bloated Big Sioux River in South Dakota were stable Monday after up to 4 inches of rain last week pushed the waterway over its banks along a 50-mile stretch from Brookings to Sioux Falls.
About two dozen homes in Renner, the worst-hit town, were affected by the rare autumnal flood, Renner Fire Chief Mike Schmitz said.
Mike Gillispie, a hydrologist with the National Weather Service, said water levels across Minnehaha County would stay level then start to drop in 24 hours.
Separately, Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty reached an agreement with legislators on a special one-day session next month to approve relief money for people affected by floods in that state.
Heavy rain last week caused serious flooding in parts of southern Minnesota. The small towns of Zumbro Falls and Hammond were among the hardest hit.
___
Associated Press Writer Scott Bauer in Madison, Wis., contributed to this report.

I first heard about this story on NPR this morning and was blown away.  It really reminds me of the movie Evan Almighty when their dam burst.  This is a really scary situation considering the scale of things here. With such an old structure that is getting chipped away at, who knows how much more water pressure it will be able to hold? Also it's tough to tell how sound the structure is on the inside of the dam.  I would be out of the area ASAP if my home was in danger.  If abnormal floods are really increasing (due to global warming, agriculture practices, urbanization or what have you), this problem will only continue to get worse. I would recomend that authorities take what whatever precautions necessary to reduce flooding (and thus pressure) in the area before the dam.  Below is a picture of the dam as well as a video of recent flooding in the area.

Synopsis of Eau Claire Flooding

Since Thursday I have been keeping very careful tabs on the flooding in Eau Claire.  Even though this event produced no serious damage, it was still quite the spectacle to see around town.  Strolling through Owen park, people were scattered everywhere to see their well know recreation area completely covered with water.  If this wasn't enough to catch one's eye, the normally bone dry bike path had a new rushing current all its own.  And if one was still unfazed, all they had to do is stand on one of the many foot bridges and feel the power of the surging water to get a sensation of being "swept away". Law enforcement started placing sandbags on First St. Friday night, especially around the man holes, and on Saturday it was apparent why; for a good block of the street was covered in water.  To make things more interesting, smoking choked up cars, which had attempted to drive through the deep standing water, along the side of the road added a nice back drop to the already abnormal scene. What I have provided here is a step by step guide to the events as of Thursday.  Even though some of these pictures are quite blurry (and I apologize!), I have provided the time and place of each picture along with a brief explanation of what is going on. Enjoy!

This is me standing on the bike trail right behind Hass Arts Building.  I took this picture Thursday evening right when things were starting to flood.  The bike path was completely clear of water at this time, but rising rapidly closer by the hour.

This is another view from the bike path on Thursday. As you can see, it looks more like I'm in Florida rather than Wisconsin in September. This picture was taken a little further down river, closer to Racy's Cafe.

This is taken from the old train bridge that connects Menominee to Clairmont on Thursday night as well.  This is the supposed "island" that had floated into the bridge.  Having run this path many times for a couple years now, I know that there are many small islands and peninsulas that jetty out just up river from this site.  This isn't so much of an island as it is a tree that had broken loose along with some sediment and shifted down river.  As you can see, it's not putting any pressure on the bridge like officials were worrying about, but would still be good to keep an eye on to be sure it doesn't interfere with the pipe going across.

This is the same tree from the river view.  It's a little harder to see, but it's more clear how easily part of the land could have gotten loose from all the small islands just up stream. Even though this was a rare occasion due to high water, this slightly seems like a natural process. I know that for small stream life, the more fallen trees and debris, the healthier the stream. Well wouldn't it be the same for rivers then? It seems only natural that trees break loose every once in a while to add shelter for organisms and break up the current.  It is unusual that the entire tree remained upright while it moved (which is probably due to high rain fall) and I'm sure that's what caught the public attention.

The next three pictures were taken on Thursday evening as well.  I show them not as evidence for how high the water was or unusual events that occurred, but rather a visual documentation of how an already saturated ground can pour the water almost directly into the river.  Let me explain.  For a good week and a half we had been getting a serious amount of rain fall in the area.  This combined with some quite chilly temperatures signaled the plants to not take in as much water.  With the soil already saturated, the Wednesday/ Thursday rains went directly into the Chippewa River.  This picture is taken right past the lumbar yard over by where Menominee crosses Clairmont. The water was literally seeping right through the ground.

There were little waterfalls everywhere where this water was going straight into the river.

This is Owen park on Thursday night before water even rose to cover the park.  This is just water sitting on top of the ground (it was still partially raining) which goes further to show how completely saturated the ground was.

More pictures of Owen park Thursday night.

Owen Park Thursday evening.

This is Pheonix park Thursday evening.  The normal layout usually goes far past the vegetation shown in this picture.

Pheonix Park again on Thursday night.

Alright, so a couple days have passed and it is now Saturday afternoon.  This is Putnam Park leading out to Putnam Rock. 

This was taken Saturday afternoon right before the river peaked and is a tree just to the right of Putnam rock.

This is another picture taken at the same time and location as the previous.  The current was so strong it was knocking trees over left and right which is evident by this photograph.

Even though this is hard to see, the water mark is at 776.  This was taken Saturday evening right before dark.  The River peaked around 11 pm so this is one of the highest levels the river rose to.  As you can also see, there is a dock submerged in the water that has caught some additional debris. 

Saturday evening looking at the Water St. bridge.  Water level 776.

Here is our wonderful bike trail looking down from the foot bridge.  It had such a strong current of it's own it would be very dangerous to swim in!

Here is Owen Park right before dusk on Saturday night.

Owen Park again with a good view of the tennis courts.

Owen Park again on Saturday night.

Owen Park on Saturday night.

First Street on Saturday night.  Sand bags were already in place for estimated "peakage" was predicted to be within 6 hours from when this picture was taken, but didn't get much higher than this

First Street again on Saturday night.  The corner the bottom right is the edge of the parking lot across Water St. from Hass. The water proceeded to run down Chippewa St. for about 3 houses.

This picture was taken of Owen Park on Sunday. As you can see, the water levels had already receded greatly.

Owen Park on Sunday once again.

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Arcadia in state of emergency; severe flooding possible

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• Related: River Flooding Projections

Posted: Thursday, September 23, 2010 7:43 am | Updated: 7:51 am, Fri Sep 24, 2010.

By Leader-Telegram staff and news services | 0 comments

Heavy rain and flooding in western Wisconsin is causing evacuations and road closures, and the National Weather Service has isssued  flood warning for Eau Claire, Pepin, Pierce and Dunn counties.
Governor Doyle has declared a state of emergency for Trempealeau County as a result of flooding in the Arcadia area. The State Emergency Operations Center is activated and is in contact with county and tribal emergency management offices.

The National Weather Service reports that more severe weather with heavy rains and strong winds will continue throughout the day. Some areas are reporting more than 4 inches of rain has fall, with another 2 to 4 inches possible. The weather service is forecasting flooding of "major severity" for the Chippewa and Eau Claire rivers Eau Claire County and flooding of possible "record severity" for the Chippewa River at Durand affecting Buffalo and Pepin Counties.
In Eau Claire an apparent mudslide closed for a short time one lane on northbound U.S. 53 near Melby Road. Earlier reports of an island pushing against the North Crossing bridge proved false.
The Trempealeau Sheriff's Department says the city of Arcadia is dealing with some major flooding. Highway 95 leading into the city are flooded and closed. A detour has been established: Eastbound traffic should take Highway A left and follow that around Arcadia to Highway 93. Take Highway 93 to the right to reconnect with 95. Westbound traffic should reverse these directions.
Highway 93 was closed for a time but has reoponed. The Wisconsin State Patrol reports Highway 88 is closed from Highway 35 to Highway 0.
The state Department of Transportation is assessing the flooding, and long-term detours may be implemented in Trempealeau and Buffalo counties.
The National Weather Service has increased the severity of flooding expected on the Eau Claire and Chippewa rivers from minor to moderate. The Chippewa River at Eau Claire is predicted to crest Saturday evening at 775.6 feet. Flood stage is 773 feet and the river measured 762.55 feet at 7 a.m. Thursday.
And the Eau Claire River near Fall Creek, which measured 2.56 feet at 5 a.m. today, is expected to crest at 16.9 feet by 7 a.m. Saturday, just short of major flood stage of 17 feet.
The Arcadia mayor has declared a state of emergency. Deputies say the downtown area is flooded and officials have ordered a mandatory evacuation of Cleveland Street. As many as 1,500 residents have been evacuated. Arcadia’s park and recreation director Eva Anderson estimated 100 homes in the city of 2,500 could be affected by flooding.
The entire Arcadia downtown area is under 1 to 3 feet of water. The Red Cross shelter has been moved to the National Guard Armory at 1350 Wilson Ave. Responders are rescuing flood victims with boats. The National Guard has deployed three 5-ton trucks at the request of local authorities to assist the incident commander with evacuations as needed.
Flooding is also reported in Clark County.
Arcadia schools are closed for the day.
The weather service reported at 7 a.m. today that Eau Claire had received 1.47 inches of rain from the storm system so far with more rain expected throughout the day. Areas just south of Eau Claire received more than 4 inches.

India floods kill 63 people in two days - CNN.com

India floods kill 63 people in two days - CNN.com: "Flooding, landslides kill dozens in IndiaSTORY HIGHLIGHTS
Flooding and landslides began in northern India on Saturday
About 5,000 people have been evacuated to safety
Officials fear death toll could rise
RELATED TOPICS
India
Floods
Natural Disasters
New Delhi, India (CNN) -- At least 63 people have been killed from flooding and landslides in northern India since Saturday, officials said Sunday."

India floods kill 63 people in two daysBy Harmeet Shah Singh, CNNSeptember 19, 2010 3:01 p.m. EDT

Flooding, landslides kill dozens in IndiaSTORY HIGHLIGHTS
Flooding and landslides began in northern India on Saturday
About 5,000 people have been evacuated to safety
Officials fear death toll could rise



New Delhi, India (CNN) -- At least 63 people have been killed from flooding and landslides in northern India since Saturday, officials said Sunday.

Authorities have evacuated about 5,000 people to safety from one of the three worst-hit districts of Uttarakhand state, its disaster-management secretary, Rakesh Kumar, told CNN.

Flooding from heavy rains has blocked state highways, cutting off communication links, he said. Uttarakhand's major rivers, Kumar added, also flowed above their danger levels.

The state government has called in the army and federal emergency crews for rescue, according to officials.

All schools and colleges in the state have been ordered to remain closed for the next three days, Kumar said.

Most of the 63 deaths recorded since Saturday have been caused by collapsed houses, landslides and drowning cases, he said. Officials fear the toll may rise.

India's main weather office has forecast heavy rains in parts of Uttarakhand and the neighboring Uttar Pradesh state during the next 24 hours.

Flooding from seasonal monsoon rains kills hundreds of people every year in India.

More than 800 rain-related deaths have been reported from across the country since June this year, according to a federal home ministry update issued Thursday.

Igor visits Bermuda

Igor nears Bermuda as Category 1 hurricane

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AP – High winds pushes water over the closed causeway leading to Wade International Airport as Hurricane Igor …

• Slideshow:Tropical Storms and Hurricanes
• Play Video Video:Igor powers ashore in Bermuda AP

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^GSPC	1,125.59	+0.93
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By JASON BRONIS, Associated Press Writer Jason Bronis, Associated Press Writer – 36 mins ago

HAMILTON, Bermuda – Fierce waves pounded Bermuda's breakwaters and shores Sunday night, straining yacht moorings and battering oceanfront hotels as a weakened Hurricane Igor lashed the wealthy British enclave.
Bermudians battened down their homes in pelting rain to wait out Igor, which was barely a Category 1 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 75 mph (120 kph) as it swirled close to the island after dark. The wind whipsawed trees and flagpoles in downtown Hamilton. Power failed in many spots, but there were no early reports of major damage,
Earlier in the day, some storm-seasoned islanders ventured outside to gawk at the 15-foot (5-meter) surf or to triple-tie boat moorings even as officials warned them to stay indoors.
"We are urging residents to please go home and stay in until it is all over," said government spokeswoman Beverle Lottimore.
Those who did venture outside were met with howling winds, and gusts of hurricane force were reported by midday. Flooding was reported in low-lying areas and streets in downtown Hamilton, the capital, were covered in several inches of water and littered with tree branches and other debris.
Igor's eye was expected to pass over or very close to Bermuda, according to the U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami. With hurricane-force winds extending up to 90 miles (150 kilometers) from the storm's eye, even a near-miss could cause substantial damage.
The storm was expected to veer northeast — away from the United States — after passing Bermuda. But forecasters said it would continue causing high surf and strong rip currents along the U.S. eastern seaboard.
Most tourists hopped on flights home before the airport closed Saturday afternoon, but Elaine and Brian LaFleur of New Bedford, Massachusetts, said they actually changed the date of their flight so they would make it to Bermuda in advance of Igor. They wanted a new experience for their 28th trip to the island.
"We've done everything else on this island, but we've never experienced a hurricane," said Elaine LaFleur, 62.
The couple's original itinerary had them arriving Sunday but they flew in Friday.
Brian LeFleur, 66, said the couple was staying busy indoors playing games on their iPad. He had hoped to watch Sunday football but the cable television at their hotel in downtown Hamilton lost its signal.
Bermuda's power utility reported that roughly 19,500 customers were without electricity by Sunday evening on the British territory of 68,000 inhabitants.
Some Bermudians were optimistic that the weakened Igor, which was downgraded from a Category 2 hurricane overnight, would spare the Atlantic territory serious damage.
"We prayed that the storm would be downgraded, and it looks like our prayers have been answered," said Fred Swan, a 52-year-old teacher.
But as the hurricane bore down, most islanders hunkered down in their homes and listened to the howling winds and cracking thunder outside.
School principal Marion Dyer, 47, said she holed up with her 8-year-old daughter and two others after losing power around dawn, when Igor's outer bands began severely whipping Bermuda.
"Now and again we get bursts of wild wind which sends the rain in all directions," Dyer wrote in an e-mail to an AP reporter. "We have heard several rolls of thunder which are becoming more frequent."
Premier Ewart Brown said islanders "have been forced to recognize that the ocean is not so vast and Bermuda not so unique as to be separated from the awesome power of nature."
Some islanders checked into resorts to ride out the storm. At the Fairmont Hamilton Princess hotel near the capital's downtown, about half of the 410 rooms were occupied, said Jonathan Crellin, the hotel's general manager.
"The hotel is locked down tight and ready to take Igor when he arrives in full," Crellin said from the hotel, which like most buildings in the territory is built of solid concrete.
High surf kicked up by the storm has already swept two people out to sea in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, far to the south.
Forecasters said the storm could drop 6 to 9 inches (15 to 23 centimeters) of rain over Bermuda and cause significant coastal flooding.
Steve Gibbons and five relatives ventured out on foot to Somerset Bridge, where high winds whipped the sea over the bridge and made it difficult to stand up straight.
"Later on, we'll be inside hunkered down," Gibbons said while bracing himself against the gusting wind.
Hotel cancellations were reported across Bermuda, popular with tourists for its pink sand beaches and with businesspeople as an offshore financial haven.
A causeway linking the main island with St. George's parish was closed, along with the L.F. Wade International Airport. Officials said schools would be closed Monday and Tuesday, and a local newspaper canceled its Monday edition.
Bermuda's building codes specify that homes must be built with walls at least eight inches thick, and be able to withstand 150 mph (241 kph) gusts and sustained winds of 110 mph (177 kph). Some power and phone lines are underground.
In Mexico on Sunday, officials raised to 12 the death toll from Hurricane Karl, which made landfall on Mexico's Gulf Coast on Friday and soaked Veracruz, Puebla and Tabasco states in the south-central part of the country.
At least 30,000 people were displaced by flooding and landslides in Veracruz alone, according to a report from the Civil Protection agency.
Gov. Fidel Herrera said 125 municipalities were in a state of emergency.
Far out in the Atlantic, Tropical Storm Julia was weakening and not expected to threaten land.
___
Associated Press writers Elizabeth Roberts in Hamilton, Bermuda, and Miguel Angel Hernandez in Veracruz, Mexico, contributed to this report.