A weak front slid into the region yesterday, kicked off a few showers and brought a little cooler, drier air into the region. The clear skies made for a lovely evening sky; the moon hanging above Scorpio and Mars, Saturn and Spica a little farther west. Lightning off to the east in the big cumulonimbus clouds completed the nighttime show. The waxing moon will be closer to Sagittarius tonight.
A couple of quakes above 6 in plate edge zones, and most of the other normal quake spots and an aftershock here in Va. - not showing on the list??? but I know that noise and rumble - in the wee hours of Saturday morning. 17 volcanoes on the list and no surprises; Popo and Sakura-Jima still most active of the lot.
The front will hang around for a couple of days increasing the chance of showers Monday and more likely Tuesday and temperatures will be close to average most of the week: lows near 70 and highs around 90.
It's not bad for July, get out and check out your planet, today on Earth.
Sunday, July 29, 2012
Wednesday, July 25, 2012
One Fine Day & Then Back to Summer
July 25 (5 months 'til xmas) is shaping up to be a lovely day; fairly cool and low humidity as a cold front clears Va. and ushers in a puff of northern air. Enjoy it today because the nasty, hot, humid air that has been baking the central US is going to push the cool air off shore and let temperatures into the upper 90's with the heat indexes into the 100's for Thursday and Friday.
Both ends of the Australian plate are shaky today, mid-6 quakes at Sumatra's western end and in the Solomon Isles but the rest of the list is pretty typical. The volcano list gets updated today.
A brief break in the clouds last night didn't happen in time to see the thin waxing crescent moon near Mars and Saturn although Venus and Jupiter were likely easy to spot this morning before sunrise for early risers. The clouds of summer will make sky viewing iffy but tonight might remain clear.
Get out and check it out, Today on Earth.
Both ends of the Australian plate are shaky today, mid-6 quakes at Sumatra's western end and in the Solomon Isles but the rest of the list is pretty typical. The volcano list gets updated today.
A brief break in the clouds last night didn't happen in time to see the thin waxing crescent moon near Mars and Saturn although Venus and Jupiter were likely easy to spot this morning before sunrise for early risers. The clouds of summer will make sky viewing iffy but tonight might remain clear.
Get out and check it out, Today on Earth.
Friday, July 20, 2012
It's July, What Did You Expect!!
The heat and showers of July continue; with a brief respite for Friday and part of Saturday as a slow moving "cool" front works it's way south through Virginia. Mid to upper 90's heat and high humidity has made for a fairly uncomfortable week but clouds today are holding temperatures down. Showers have been hit and miss (miss, so far here at the tirehouse) all week with some spots getting downpours but overall drought conditions continuing over much of Va. as well as the entire US. Fires continue out west. Most all of Va. should get some wetness over the next couple of days.
The CentVaEqZone is back on the world map with a 1.9 shake in the wee hours of Tuesday morning centered in western Hanover County. Planes mapping the rocks/faults/magnetism/geology of the zone have been flying low over the area all week. A 6.0 quake in the Kuril Islands north of Japan, south of Kamchatka is the only red on the world list (and no surprise there) that reads as a normal who's who of active plate boundaries.
All the volcanoes on the world active list (usgssivolcanoes) are usual visitors. The Ring of Fire is!
In the short, dark sky of summer, the moon was new yesterday and will slide by Mars and Saturn in the west as we get into next week. Venus and Jupiter are bright in the (clear) morning sky but you have to be up early - before the sun.
Hope for rain, our part of the planet needs it. The British Isle would like a break, they have had a "low jet stream" wet, cool summer. But, get out and check out your planet, Today on Earth.
The CentVaEqZone is back on the world map with a 1.9 shake in the wee hours of Tuesday morning centered in western Hanover County. Planes mapping the rocks/faults/magnetism/geology of the zone have been flying low over the area all week. A 6.0 quake in the Kuril Islands north of Japan, south of Kamchatka is the only red on the world list (and no surprise there) that reads as a normal who's who of active plate boundaries.
All the volcanoes on the world active list (usgssivolcanoes) are usual visitors. The Ring of Fire is!
In the short, dark sky of summer, the moon was new yesterday and will slide by Mars and Saturn in the west as we get into next week. Venus and Jupiter are bright in the (clear) morning sky but you have to be up early - before the sun.
Hope for rain, our part of the planet needs it. The British Isle would like a break, they have had a "low jet stream" wet, cool summer. But, get out and check out your planet, Today on Earth.
Friday, July 13, 2012
A Winddown To a Lovely Week
After a blast furnace start, July gives the East Coast a heat and humidity break (and lots of rain to the south) but that will change starting tomorrow. Today will be the last day with low dew points and mid-80's temps. Enjoy!!
The world is still shaking but mostly along the boundaries of its plates and nothing too wild even there. The list of EARTHQUAKES could be from most anytime, all usual suspects. The VOLCANO list is the same: Hierro, Popo, Kamchatka, Japan, Indonesia, Kilauea, the Ring of Fire and none looking ready to blow, just the usual steam and rumbles. I'd still stay a safe distance.
The waning crescent moon will have a 3 morning rendezvous with Jupiter and Venus as it slides through Taurus on its way to New next Thursday - but you'll need to be up early, there is just not that much dark with the north end of the planet tipped to the big sun. Clear skies will show Saturn and Mars low in the west at sunset with Spica (the Big Dipper's handle arcs to Arcturus and then you spike on to Spica). We are pulling away from those two planets and nightly observations will allow you to watch that show. They are clustered even tighter later in August.
Get out on the big rocky world, today on earth.
The world is still shaking but mostly along the boundaries of its plates and nothing too wild even there. The list of EARTHQUAKES could be from most anytime, all usual suspects. The VOLCANO list is the same: Hierro, Popo, Kamchatka, Japan, Indonesia, Kilauea, the Ring of Fire and none looking ready to blow, just the usual steam and rumbles. I'd still stay a safe distance.
The waning crescent moon will have a 3 morning rendezvous with Jupiter and Venus as it slides through Taurus on its way to New next Thursday - but you'll need to be up early, there is just not that much dark with the north end of the planet tipped to the big sun. Clear skies will show Saturn and Mars low in the west at sunset with Spica (the Big Dipper's handle arcs to Arcturus and then you spike on to Spica). We are pulling away from those two planets and nightly observations will allow you to watch that show. They are clustered even tighter later in August.
Get out on the big rocky world, today on earth.
Tuesday, July 10, 2012
TOE Returns!!
After an extended break TodayOnEarth returns on a cloudy, low 80's day in central Va. There is lots of rain but it's all along a stationary front hung up along the VA/NC border. Clouds are dominating but the rain is to the south. Seems to have been no aftershocks in the CentVaEqZone but the USGS will be doing low fly overs soon to try and figure out where the faults actually are; no easy find at the surface. Elsewhere, the plate boundaries are where the action is.
The volcano list is, as usual, dominated by the Ring of Fire with Kilauea and Hierro filling in the non-Ring members. Popo still spews in Mexico.
The front will remain stalled for most of this week with temps in the 80's, a welcome relief for a toasted eastern seaboard. Unfortunately, the rainfall is unlikely to spread region-wide but will hang on the border.
If the clouds break, Mars and Saturn hang with Virgo's Spica in the evening and Venus and Jupiter are in Taurus in the pre-dawn sky. The moon is last quarter tomorrow and will slide by the morning planets this weekend.
Get out and check out your planet, TOE.
The volcano list is, as usual, dominated by the Ring of Fire with Kilauea and Hierro filling in the non-Ring members. Popo still spews in Mexico.
The front will remain stalled for most of this week with temps in the 80's, a welcome relief for a toasted eastern seaboard. Unfortunately, the rainfall is unlikely to spread region-wide but will hang on the border.
If the clouds break, Mars and Saturn hang with Virgo's Spica in the evening and Venus and Jupiter are in Taurus in the pre-dawn sky. The moon is last quarter tomorrow and will slide by the morning planets this weekend.
Get out and check out your planet, TOE.
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