Since the first confirmed detection of an exoplanet orbiting a main-sequence star was made in 1995, over 490 such planets have now been detected. As technology advances at an alarming rate, new discoveries and a greater understanding of our universe grows almost daily.

Back in 2008, the first multi-planet system of extrasolar planets was imaged. Using the Keck Observatory, scientists are now able to not only image these far flung planets but also obtain detailed analysis of these planets, their structure and chemical composition.

One such extrasolar planet is HR 8799 b that orbits a young star 130 light years from Earth with 2 other companion planets in the constellation Pegasus. Experts say that the properties of this world’s atmosphere can’t be explained by current theoretical models as it is far warmer and has much more cloud than it should have at the distance it orbits its host star.

Another interesting body that has the scientific world buzzing is one of Saturn’s moons, Titan. Although Titan is classified as a moon, it is bigger than the planets Mercury and Pluto.

With its orange atmosphere, Titan in some ways resembles an early Earth, with thick clouds, winds and lightning. During the 2004 descent through Titan’s atmosphere, the Huygens Probe imaged surface features that included mountains, lakes, rivers and oceans of methane, plus indications that Titan’s surface had been shaped by weather as on Earth.

Although the study of these far away worlds is gaining pace by the day, the greatest hurdle to visiting far away planets remains distance. With conventional rocket technology, even our nearest star, Proxima Centauri at around 4.3 light years would take around 75,000 years to reach.

With this is mind, even the most astute weather forecasters would have trouble predicting if it’s going to be fine or cloudy when mankind eventually sets out to visit newly discovered worlds.

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History of monsoon

The initiation of the Southwest monsoon as the prime weather system is often connected to the uplift of the Tibetan Plateau and the Himalayas after the collision of the Indian sub-continent and Eurasia around 50 million years ago. Geologists believe the monsoon first became strong around 8 million years ago based on records from the Arabian Sea and wind-blown dust in the Loess Plateau of China.

What is monsoon?

The Southwest monsoon is largely a four-month period when massive convective thunderstorms dominate India’s weather. The weather system is essentially caused by heating up of Northwest India, creating a low pressure over the region. This hot low pressure belt works as bait for cooler winds blowing in from the Indian Ocean. The moisture laden winds from the great water body cause rain and thundershowers across the Indian sub-continent.

The monsoon breezes in over the sub-continent via the Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea branches. The monsoon first arrives at the Andaman and Nicobar Islands by around 25th May. The Indian mainland is hit by monsoon around 1st June at coastal Kerala. The Southwest monsoon’s typical date for reaching Mumbai is 10th of June.

Meteorology dawns in India

The observations about the surface climate of India were started in the beginning of the 19th Century by the individual attempts of an officer of the East India Company. Between 1850 and 1860 efforts were being made to establish the provincial meteorological system in the Presidencies of Bengal, Punjab, Northwest India and Uttar Pradesh, Central India and Mumbai. But the need was felt to establish the meteorological system in a uniform fashion under a central authority.

The India Meteorological Department was established in January 1875 as result of these efforts. Most of the weather services in the world like USA, UK, France and Germany were established in the period 1865 to 1875. India was part of the same effort and it became a member of the International meteorological system from inception. Between 1875 and 1900, the major effort was to establish a uniform system of instrumentation, time of observations, procedures of scrutiny and storage of this data for climatological uses. Daily weather reports as collected in Shimla, the then headquarters of the India Meteorological Department were being published based on telegraphics messages from 1880′s onwards. The daily weather charts were also being prepared from about the same period. So in a way, the weather forecasting and documentation of information began from 1880′s onwards, i.e. 130 years before the present date.

During the Second World War, the radio sonde system was introduced by which the information about temperature, pressure, humidity and winds is telemetered to a ground station in real time and the data are used for weather analysis in three dimensions that is East, North and vertical. At a regular interval of time, this data was used for weather forecasting, 1 to 3 days in advance by empirical methods as well as dynamical methods. Dynamical methods were introduced in 1960 onwards in the advanced countries and 1980 onwards in India.

The system of forecast 1 to 3 days in advance based on initial observed conditions is known as short range prediction and if the dynamical models are used they are called numerical weather prediction for short range. From 1980 onward, medium range forecasting i.e. 3 to 10 days in advance using global models was introduced in Europe and USA and in India from 1992 onwards. For this, global models are used based on initially observed conditions. The forecast could differ in detail from model to model because of the initial conditions (data receipt, the model resolution-horizontal vertical) and the physical parameterization for the sub-grid scales. India today uses, high resolution mesoscale models for sub-regional prediction, high resolution global models for short to medium range predictions. Since models may differ in detailed forecast on rainfall, India also uses ensemble prediction system for getting a better forecast by judiciously combining the forecast of different models.

There is another scale of forecasting called long range forecast on monthly to seasonal scale. Such forecast began in India in 1884 for the monsoon season and was made more quantitative by applying statistical models from 1904 to 1920 by Sir Gilbert Walker by using surface meteorological data alone from all over the world that had significant statistical correlation with the seasonal rainfall of India. The methods gave mixed results and were continuously improved between 1930 and 1980 by introduction of upper air data and introducing parameters that are found to be significantly related and rejecting those parameters which lost correlation with the monsoon rainfall. After the drought of 1987, a concerted effort was made to introduce a 16 parameter model using non linear statistical regression equations. As no screening of the parameters was made, this model showed mixed results during the period 1988 to 2002 and failed to predict the excess rain in the year of 1994 and the major drought of 2002.

The model was revised in 2003 with only 8 parameters. This model also failed to predict the drought of 2004. In fact, right from the inception of long range forecasting from 1884 to 2009, no drought or excess year has been predicted successfully by any statistical model introduced at different times. In 2006, another modification was made and that to did not succeed in predicting the drought of 2009.

Monsoon facts

• The Arabian Sea branch of Southwest monsoon is 3 times stronger than the Bay of Bengal branch.

• Northeast India receives the most precipitation during the reign of the Southwest monsoon.

• 80% of all rain received by the country is during the four months of monsoon i.e. June to September.

• The Indian Southwest monsoon is planet Earth’s most productive wet season.

• The United States of America also receives rain and thundershowers from its very own Southwest monsoon also known as the Arizona monsoon. The moisture influx in this case is from the Gulf of Mexico.

 

This storm is predicted to adeptness cyclone courage in the next 48 hours.Aural the next two canicule added should be accustomed about the storm.A abutting draft has a low accountability center, about which it turns.The 2010 Abutting Storm Danielle has become Draft aural two days, which is the 2nd draft in the Atlantic this season.A abutting storm is aswell characterized by ascetic rains and thunderstorms.As of 11pm ET the draft Danielle is melancholia with up to 20 distant per hour and has affiliated wind speeds of 85 mph, with academy dispatch admission arise by The National Draft Center.A Draft is a abutting draft with wind speeds amidst 75 and 156 distant per hour.

 Presently the storm is far away from the US and it is not yet a Hurricane.

This storm is predicted to adeptness cyclone adventuresomeness in the next 48 hours.A abutting abstract has a low accountability center, about which it turns.A abutting storm is aswell characterized by abstinent rains and thunderstorms.

Aural the next two canicule added should be acclimatized about the storm.The 2010 Abutting Storm Danielle has become Abstract aural two days, which is the 2nd abstract in the Atlantic this season.Presently the storm is far abroad from the US and it is not yet a Hurricane.As of 11pm ET the abstract Danielle is abasement with up to 20 abroad per hour and has affiliated wind speeds of 85 mph, with academy celerity acceptance appear by The National Abstract Center.A Abstract is a abutting abstract with wind speeds amidst 75 and 156 abroad per hour.

Presently the storm is far abroad from the US and it is not yet a Hurricane.

This storm is predicted to adeptness cyclone adventuresomeness in the next 48 hours.A abutting abstruse has a low accountability center, about which it turns.A abutting storm is aswell characterized by abstinent rains and thunderstorms.

Hooked on National Geographic Channel provides a hunting zone for the marine creatures, specially fishes. New Zealand’s Matt Watson along with a team of expert anglers and Scientists trap, catch and release fish of extra ordinary proportions. Each episodes exhibits the man traveling to the fishing hubs across the globe, struggling against the giant fishes and conserving live species.eatured Show: Alaska State Troopers Telecast Time: Every Wednesday at 10:00 am( Eastern and Pacific Time) & 9:00 pm( Central Time) Theme:National Geographic Channel schedules the popular Alaska State Troopers, that is being filmed over 10 months. The reel captures a fusion of raw environment and criminal activities, carried out in the wild area and remote villages of Alaska. The show carries two sharp divisions, namely, the “blue shirt” Alaska State Troopers, who focus on the towns and villages and the “brown shirt” Alaska Wildlife Troopers, who administrate fish and game regulations for both sports and commercial purpose.Featured Show: Dog Whisperer Telecast Time: Every Friday 8 pm Theme:Most recently, Dog Whisperer is being nominated for the 2010 People’s Choice Awards. The show is all about understanding dogs, their type, style and behavior with Cesar Millan. He provides you some best way to raise the perfect doggy at home and surroundings. Further, the show talks a lot about the interaction of a human-beings and other living creature with dogs.Featured Show: Wild Theme:Watch wild roar of tiger, lions and dangerous predators in the sea only on ‘Wild’ telecast on National Geographic Channel. The program locate some core wild harbors, which are home to exotic flora and fauna. All episodes bring before the spectators an array of extra ordinary incidents between men and animal

The economic cost is expected to be huge. Preliminary information indicates that direct damage from floods is greatest in the housing (current estimates are that 723,000 houses have either been destroyed or damaged), roads, irrigation and agriculture sectors. Crop loss is estimated at $1 billion. However, the full impact on soil erosion and agriculture can only be assessed when the water recedes, by mid-September.

How We’re Helping

The Government of Pakistan has requested around $900 million of financial support from the World Bank, which we have committed to provide
- The funding will come from the Bank’s Fund for the Poorest (the International Development Association, IDA) through reprogramming of currently planned projects and reallocation of undisbursed funds from ongoing projects.
- On August 11, the Government asked the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) to undertake a Damages and Needs Assessment in the flood-hit areas, and the United Nations (UN) the Early Recovery Needs Assessment. The World Bank, ADB and UN will collaborate through participation and sharing of information on their respective assessments, and will also regularly coordinate with key donors.
- The Bank and ADB have mobilized staff and a Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery (GFDRR) rapid response team arrived in Islamabad on Friday, August 13 to help launch the assessment.
- If there is no fresh wave of flooding, the assessment can be completed by October 15, 2010.
- A grant of US$1.3 million has also been made available by the GFDRR to support the Damage Needs Assessment, rescue and relief efforts, and to strengthen disaster management and longer term disaster risk reduction.
- We used some of this grant to purchase Rescue Boats, delivered to the government on Friday, August 13.
- With the support of donors, we are also prepared to use the newly operational Multi-Donor Trust Fund (MDTF) for the northwest border region to finance recovery, reconstruction and rehabilitation.
- We are working with the Government to re-prioritize our planned projects and review ongoing projects for possible reallocation to reconstruction activities. Some immediate priorities we have agreed with the government are:
- Reallocating $10 million of existing undisbursed funds to the National Disaster Management Agency providing fast-disbursing additional funds to retroactively finance imports needed for early recovery, reconstruction and rehabilitation, such as fuel, steel, cement and related goods and services.
- Accelerating delivery and expansion of a planned Emergency Operation for the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP)/Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) to include flood-affected districts.
- Working with the government to help ensure that disaster funds are spent for their intended purpose.
- The Bank financed the rehabilitation of the Taunsa Barrage (an artificial obstruction to reduce the risks of tidal flooding) in Punjab Province, which may have helped this barrage withstand the unprecedented flood that came downriver over the past week.
- Going forward, in addition to the needs assessment and subsequent assistance with long-term reconstruction, the Bank will be making other contributions to the repair and rehabilitation of critical infrastructure on the Indus River to help with future flood prevention.
- The Bank’s Board approved financing for the rehabilitation of the Jinnah Barrage on July 01, 2010.
- The Bank is also financing the design consultancies for the rehabilitation of two other barrages in Sindh.
Contact: Saskia Stegeman, (202) 473-4227, sstegeman@worldbank.org
About the World Bank “Flash” note:
The World Bank’s News Bureau would like to introduce you to the World Bank “Flash” note. These notes contain background information and state the bank’s position and our action plans on topical issues.
PAKISTAN: 3.5 MILLION CHILDREN AT RISK OF DEADLY DISEASES(New York / Geneva / Islamabad: 16 August 2010): As many as three and a half million children in floodaffected Pakistan may be at risk of contracting deadly diseases carried through contaminated water and insects, according to the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).
“As in any disaster situation, children are among the most vulnerable”, said Martin Mogwanja, Humanitarian Coordinator for Pakistan. “We cannot allow this catastrophe to inflict such a heavy toll on our next generation”.
The waterborne illnesses of greatest concern are several types of diarrheal diseases, such as acute watery diarrhoea — which may in some cases be cholera — and dysentery, which can kill through dehydration. Hepatitis A and E, as well as typhoid fever, are also a significant risk. Additionally, stagnating water is breeding ground for mosquitoes, and this is bound to lead to an increased threat of diseases like malaria and dengue.

 

Ecological Exaggeration

 

It seems that the world will end tomorrow! The global heating due to the greenhouse effect is happening over trillions of years, and it is not alone due to the carbon dioxide (CO2) but the steam of water and other gasses that do not depend on the man’s activity also competes.

It is already known those gas can increase the greenhouse effect due to the multiple industrial activities that burn fossil fuels, and the fearsome burning of the forests. What is the greenhouse effect? The solar rays are partially reflected by the superior layers of the atmosphere; the remaining is absorbed by the earth that heats up it and emits heat in the form of infrared radiation that is reflected by the carbon dioxide molecules, the steam of water and the other gasses. That radiation is retained under the cloud layers increasing the temperature of the planet. Something similar happens in the planet Venus that has a temperature near of 400oC, as it was measured for the spaceship Mariner in its trip to that planet in the beginning of the decade of 1960.

The scientists’ opinions are controversial in relation to that supposed increase of the temperature in the planet Earth due the man’s industrial activities. It is known, yes, that the carbon dioxide contributes to the heating of any closed system, but there is also no conclusive scientific proof of the relationships of the gasses of the greenhouse effect produced by the men’s activities and the global heating. That is what defends Richard Lindzen, of MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology). For him that is an exaggeration. It can be!

The Yugoslavian climatologist A. Milankovich sketched a theory according to which the glaciations are the result of deformations of the orbit of the Earth around the Sun mainly due the gravitational attraction of the planets Jupiter and Saturn. This does that the elliptic orbit of the Earth is periodically more or less elongated, and lean in one and in other direction in relation to the plan of the ecliptic. Those movements alter the amount of solar energy received by the several parts of the surface of the Earth, and according their calculations can determine a variation of about 10oC in the medium temperature of the planet in hundreds of thousands of years, because those alterations of the terrestrial orbit are extremely slow. That would explain the periodic glaciations that the Earth has been suffering, and the recess of them indicates a temperature increase in the environment. It is what is happening to the great platforms of ice of the South Pole, discovered by the glaciologist Howard Conway and his team, of the University of Washington, and according him that thaw is happening since 10.000 years when the man was in the era of the chipped stone, and whose tax is close to 142 meters a year. That shows that the greenhouse effect due to industrialization is not the preponderant phenomenon for the melting of glaciers. The geological data confirm the calculations of Milankovich.

It can be considered too that the climate of the Earth can exhibit variations due others movements, as, per exemple, its rotation axis varies of some degrees in relation to equator due the gravitational intensity of the other planet. The same axis rotate as a top due the gravitational atraction of the Sun and Moon, changing the orientation of the planet in relation to the Sun, and, therefore, altering the quantity of solar energy over it surface. That happens in thousand of years! So, it´s not expected so much transformation on the climate of the Earth in too short period of time as some alarmists proclaim.

However it´s better does not abuse of the Nature in exponential scale, because in the long of time the damages could be against the men and their environment;  it is what is already happening now in different latitudes of the planet with the occurrence of severe hurricanes, unexpected  flooding rivers, landslides due to deforestation caused by fires, torrential rain, changes in seasons, prolonged droughts, and, the worse, the loss of thousands of lives
We must never forget that  it seems  we are alone in the Universe known so far, without no biological and technological possibility to run away to another planet; so we should preserve as much the nature of this’ blue planet ‘, and not fall into the trap of fancy ´self-sustaining ‘ designs, devised by people who only seeks profits.

 

 

 

 

Flooded roadways nevertheless an issue in components of Iowa – Iowa DOT assisting with flood relief effortsSome Iowa roadways continue to be impacted by flooding, according to the Iowa Department of Transportation (DOT). Flood and flash flood warnings in effectNational Climate Service flash flood and/or flood warnings remain in effect for that following counties: Boone, Buena Vista, Calhoun, Cherokee, Clay, Dallas, Des Moines, Fremont, Greene, Guthrie, Henry, Jasper, Keokuk, Lee, Mahaska, Marion, Marshall, O’Brien, Plymouth, Pocahontas, Polk, Poweshiek, Sac, Sioux, Story, Tama, Van Buren, Wapello, Warren, and Webster. Emergency response and recovery missionsThe Iowa DOT has accepted several crisis response and recuperation missions received through the Iowa Department of Public Defense’s Iowa Homeland Security and Crisis Management Division pertaining towards the current storms and flooding. The Iowa DOT is:

Delivering trucks, front finish loaders and chippers for debris elimination in Albert City, Alta, Lakeside, and Storm Lake in Buena Vista State. Work in this area will begin Wednesday, Aug. 11, and is believed to consider approximately 1 week. Providing trucks and front end loaders to Blencoe in Monona County for home flood debris removal starting Aug. 16. The function is estimated to consider three to four days.Hauling pumps from the Corps of Engineers in Rock Island to Eddyville today.Providing a dump truck to Whiting in Monona State to help with debris removal.Transporting 100,000 empty sandbags and rolls of plastic in the Corps of Engineers in Rock Island to Oskaloosa these days to aid guard the city’s wastewater treatment plant.Pumping drinking water and hauling it away in tanks from Luther in Boone State.Iowans are urged to continue to closely monitor problems and in no way enter a water-covered roadway. When encountering a flooded region, turn close to and discover an option route. Turn around – don’t drown.
For climate along with other crisis info, remain tuned to NOAA weather radio or your nearby radio and Television stations.

Roadways currently closed or restrictedHeavy rains overnight and today are creating flash flooding to happen and waters to recede fairly quickly. Due to the dynamic nature of this scenario, motorists should remain alert all through the day in all counties below watches or warnings. • Iowa 2 in Fremont State – The right, eastbound lane is sealed between Interstate 29 and also the Nebraska state line.• (UPDATE) Iowa 44 in Dallas State – The roadway in between Dallas State Road R-22 and Iowa 144 (near Grimes) is now limited to one lane. It had previously been sealed.• Iowa 92 in Mahaska State – The roadway between Mahaska State Street T-25 and Iowa 163 (close to Beacon) is now closed in each directions.• Iowa 117 in Jasper State – The roadway in between Jasper County Road F-48 and Interstate 80 close to Colfax is sealed.

flood torrents are the main hit Sukkur fire, threatening to further inundate large areas of Sindh. Upper Sindh is already under water, and two million people have fled the province as industrial river threatening to burst it.

The water level at Guddu barrage reduced from 1.148 million to 1.087 million cusecs cusecs, while a 40 – foot crack in Nara Canal near the village Khuda Bakhsh floods resulted in three villages and many acres of land. Ten houses collapsed due to flood water.

Five other villages were inundated following a breach in the canal and canal Member Kandhkot near Allahabad Musa.

Meanwhile, the flow of water in Sukkur barrage reached 1,130,959 cusecs while the current flow is the outflow was 1,108,795 cusecs.

Army on alert in Sindh to deal with any emergency situation in the wake of the flood warning.

Mirpur Khas, Khairpur, Nawabshah, Sanghar, Tandon Alhiyar, Omar Kot and Thar Parkar are under threat following the publication of 27,000 cusecs of water from Nara Canal of Sukkur barrage. Residents of these areas are moving to safer places.

Meanwhile, Kotri barrage Irrigation Control Room reported that the water level has not increased in last 24 hours.

Navy carries out rescue work

Pakistan Navy has saved up to 7000 people from the area in Sindh Kacha Interior. Navy spokesman said the rescue operations are currently underway in interior Sindh and thousands of people are being shifted to safer places with the help of helicopters.

Relief work is being carried out by 60 boats, 60 motor boats, the seven helicopters and two planes. Meanwhile, the Navy has requested additional helicopters to help in the work of aid.

Flooding Punjab

Floodwater continues to hit Muzaffargarh, thousands of waters affected by queuing up outside the relief camps for food and other goods.

Torrent River flood Sindh is currently going through the western areas of the county.

Meanwhile, some 800,000 cusecs of water originating from the chief is going to Muzaffargarh Chashma and is likely to reach the area in the next 48 hours.

The locals are complaining about the inadequacy of relief activities and a lack of food and water, while five persons including two engineers of Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited are feared to have been killed by floods in the rain a torrent flow of mountains Taunsa Sharif.

A torrent that gushed Rod Kohi flooding in the area also killed two engineers and Hameed Abdul Atta ur Rehman. Only one body has been taken so far.

Recent rains have also triggered a flood in the rain flows Suleman Mountain range. More than five hundred people are still trapped and Noor Ahmed Wali Khad Bazdar areas.

Punjab CM asks for relief

Chief of Punjab Shahbaz Sharif has asked the federal government to distribute foreign aid to flood affectees on the destruction caused in the respective provinces.

Speaking at the airport Rahim yar Khan, Shahbaz said that the Rs25 billion requested by the federal government will only cover emergency relief and trillions will be needed to rehabilitate the flood affectees.

Chief Minister urged the country’s wealth and resources that had been appropriated by many to be taken from them and distributed among the flood victims.

Shahbaz said that if Prime Minister Gilani arrived to do this, his name will be written in the annals of history.

Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa recovery

DCO Charsadda, said Tuesday that 53 people were killed and 500,000 people have been affected by devastating floods in the district.

Relief activities have been accelerated as the weather has become clear. Peshawar Corps Commander Asif Yasin Malik visited the flood affected areas in the district today.

Malik said the agreements will be made to victims of floods for the first 10 days of Ramazan. Water filtration plants are also being installed.

He said that all organizations are engaged in rehabilitation efforts. But locals said the relief goods are not being distributed in remote areas.

Floods in Balochistan

In Balochistan, water flood has destroyed a security barrier that was built to preserve the city Suhbatpur Jaffarabad district.

The city is now under threat as water is moving towards it and people are trying to divert the flow of water to them, while floods have destroyed about 300 houses and 170 shops in the district of Harnai.

Flood victims surrounded the Deputy Commissioner’s office and protested the administration’s failure to provide assistance.

http://articles.ex-youtube.com/2010/08/move-as-flooding-threatens-millions-sindh

Make no mistake about it, the Al Gore crowd is on their way back!

We’re now coming out of the minimal part of the eleven year sun cycle and we’re now on our way to the the maximum part of the eleven year sun cycle- in cycle #24. The lack of sun spots over the past two years definitely cooled things down; however, it was nothing like the Maunder Minimum. For more details you can go to- http://www.2012finalfantasy.com/2008/maunder-minimum.php 

The increase in earth quakes, sun spots, and overall increased HEATING isn’t about too many people smoking cigars, too many cars on the road, or cow flatulence. 

It’s the SUN baby! It’s been a long time since I’ve seen FOUR sun spots facing the earth at the same time; however, 1092-1095 are right there, sending out heat waves and other potentially disruptive electromagnetic stuff our way. Can you say coronal mass ejections? Solar activity is picking up and that gives some astronomers reason to wake up in the morning. “Ah the dawn of a new day… and what a day it was!” says Wouter Verhesen of the Netherlands. It’s hard to imagine that we would become “sun watchers”, and not sun worshippers. 

Who would have guessed fifty years ago that we would be seeing so much information being transmitted back from the sun on an hourly basis as that which is available to us now? 

Thank you SOHO! 

Additionally, the Perseids show is on the way!” Bill Cooke of the Marshall Space Flight Center writes,  ”Although the peak of the Perseids shower show is almost a week away, we saw five Perseid fireballs last night (Aug. 5-6). It’s a good sign that this year’s shower will be a good one.” In fact, we’re in for a LOT of stuff before this year is out, and let us pray that it will be mostly good! 

As for me here in Houston, I can’t wait to get August out of the way. How about you? 

It’s a first, or so they say.

Thanks to SOHO, NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory, we know a lot more about the sun and thus our life on the third rock from the sun. On Sunday, few people were aware that we kicked off August with a very unusual event that’s now being called a SOLAR TSUNAMI. We know about sun spots, but what’s a SOLAR TSUNAMI?

It’s potentially not a good thing for us humans.

A solar eruption, called a coronal mass ejection, was spotted by NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory which captures high-definition views of the sun at a variety of wavelengths. SDO was launched in February and peers deep into the layers of the sun, investigating the mysteries of its inner workings. And even when we do that we don’t know what we’re looking at or why!

Over at Space Weather dot.com they reported, “On August 1st, the entire Earth-facing side of the sun erupted in a tumult of activity. There was a C3-class solar flare, a solar tsunami, multiple filaments of magnetism lifting off the stellar surface, large-scale shaking of the solar corona, radio bursts, a coronal mass ejection and more. Click on the image to view just a fraction of the action.”

What’s it all mean Alfie?

Well, for one we’re seeing all kind of tremors around the globe. There are lots of 5 and 6 magnitude earthquakes going off. Here in the good old USofA we’re registering way too many California and Alaska 3-4.3 magnitude quakes. In other words, there’s a whole lotta shaking going on. How far will it go, we may not know until Friday.

Wednesday through Friday could be interesting!

Seeing the sun erupt on such a global scale has galvanized the international community of solar physicists. Researchers are still sorting out the complex sequence of events and trying to understand why they all happened at once. This “all at once” phrase is what we’re not so sure of. So, hang on as it might be a wild ride over the next 48 hours.