Humanity's Longest-Lasting Legacy: Miles of Holes

By Kelly Dickerson, Staff Writer   |   August 25, 2014 01:05pm ET

Credit: Wikimedia Commons/Nikki Mahadevan View full size image

It's estimated that humans have altered over half of the planet's surface, and those changes are easy to see – the ice sheets are melting, forests are shrinking and species are going extinct.
People have changed the planet so dramatically that some geologists think the Earth has entered a new phase in its geological timeline, named the "Anthropocene." But what about the marks humans are leaving deep underground?
"Because it's not in our immediate living environment, it doesn't seem as significant," said Jan Zalasiewicz, a senior lecturer in palaeobiology at the University of Leicester, in the United Kingdom. But, as Zalasiewicz and two of his colleagues argue in a new study, human activity below the surface is permanently changing Earth, and a sprawling web of holes from mining and energy exploration provides more evidence the planet has entered the Anthropocene. [World's Weirdest Geological Formations]


Out of sight, out of mind
The distance to the center of the Earth is roughly 3,960 miles (6,373 kilometers). Animal life stops 1.2 miles (2 km) below the surface — the depth where miners discovered deep-dwelling worms in South African gold mines. All known microbial life stops at a depth of around 1.7 miles (2.7 km). But humans have left a permanent mark well beyond those depths, geologists say.
When an animal dies, it only leaves behind one skeletal record of itself, but the same animal might leave hundreds of so-called trace fossils in the form of burrows. Most animals leave behind trace fossils a few inches deep. The deepest burrowers are Nile crocodiles, which dig dens up to 39 feet (12 meters) deep. The deepest-reaching plant roots belong to the Shepherd's tree in Africa's Kalahari Desert, which can reach 223 feet (68 m) deep. Humans also leave trace fossils behind, but these typically reach as deep as 7.6 miles (12.3 km) and are permanently changing rock layers.
"No other species has penetrated to such depths in the crust, or made such extensive deep subterranean changes," the researchers wrote in a study published online July 24 in the journal Anthropocene.
Permanent changes
Humans' first underground foray came during the Bronze Age, when people began digging shallow mines in search of flint and metals. The Industrial Revolution of the 1800s sent humans even deeper below the surface. Still, many of the disturbances, like water wells, sewage systems and subway lines, were relatively shallow and extended less than 330 feet (100 m) below the surface. Only after 1950, a period referred to as the "Great Acceleration" by some geologists, did humans really plunge below 330 feet, Zalasiewicz and his colleagues explained.
Growing demand for resources led to more mining to collect coal and other minerals. In most cases, mining only extends several hundred feet deep, but gold mines in South Africa reach almost 3 miles (5 km) below the surface.

There are about 1 million boreholes in the United Kingdom, according to the National Geoscience Data Centre.
Credit: British Geological Survey © NERC 2014

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More and more boreholes have also appeared over the last several decades. Some boreholes are drilled to harvest geothermal energy. But others are used to pull out natural material from the Earth, such as hydrocarbons, natural gas and ores. The narrow borehole shafts are then filled with other materials, including mud, concrete or solid waste. If all the world's oil boreholes were stacked on top of each other, they would span over 31 million miles (50 million kilometers). That's roughly the distance between Earth and Mars, according to the researchers. Or, put another way, for every human on Earth, there are about 23 feet (7 m) of boreholes. Oil pulled from deep boreholes is often replaced with water that seeps in from neighboring rocks or with carbon dioxide that is pumped in during a process called carbon sequestration. [Top 10 Ways to Destroy Earth]
At 7.6 miles (12.3 km) long, the Kola Superdeep Borehole in Russia is the deepest hole in the Earth's surface made by humans. (It was drilled in northwestern Russia in the 1980s as part of a scientific investigation.) There are roughly 1 million boreholes in Great Britain alone, according to Zalasiewicz.
Underground nuclear tests have also left their mark, the researchers note. Test sites often contain broken-up and melted underground rocks and disturbed water tables. Huge underground caverns hold stored radioactive waste from the tests.
These human-made changes below the surface will stay there, protected from the natural erosion and weathering that happens above the surface. The web of mines and boreholes "arguably has the highest long-term preservation potential of anything made by humans," Zalasiewicz and his team of researchers wrote. The scientists estimate it will take millions of years for weathering and erosion to uncover tunnels just a few miles below the surface.
A new geological phase?
The geological time scale is a record of how the Earth's surface environment and core, mantle and crust have changed over the planet's 4.6-billion-year history. The timeline is divided into sections called epochs that each define a different age in Earth's geologic history. The epochs are separated by momentous events, such as mass extinctions and ice age melts. Right now, the Earth is in theHolocene epoch that began about 11,700 years ago, Philip Gibbard, a geologist at Cambridge University, told Live Science. The Holocene covers the entire written history of humanity and includes the influence humans have had on the Earth's ecosystems.
Some geologists think that the acceleration of human activity in recent generations is enough to mark the start of a new geological epoch, dubbed the Anthropocene. Many scientists have jumped on board and are using the term, but the epoch has no official start date and is not recognized by the International Commission on Stratigraphy – an organization that aims to provide a standard global geological time scale.
Gibbard argued that human activity is already the basis for the current Holocene epoch.
"It is characterized by the presence and activity of humans," Gibbard said. "If you accept that definition, then you can't use the same definition for the term 'Anthropocene.' You can't play the same card twice."
There's no doubt that humans are influencing geology, but what's happening now is a "logical development of what's happened in the past," Gibbard said.
Getting an epoch recognized as an official phase on the geological timeline is a complicated process, Zalasiewicz said. The idea must pass several tiers of boards of approval. Zalasiewicz and a team of researchers hope to present a case for adding the Anthropocene epoch by 2016, but they still have a ways to go.
One major problem is that scientists don't agreement on where the boundary between the Holocene and Anthropocene epochs should be drawn, Zalasiewicz said. Opinions range from 5,000 years ago to 60 years ago. But as resources become scarcer and the threat of climate change increases, Zalasiewicz said the concept of the Anthropocene could help change the way people think about the environment.
"[The] Anthropocene could help put the current changes into a deep-time context," Zalasiewicz said. "Right now, we tend to make comparisons within the human slice of history only, but what are the effects on a larger scale?"

NASA Sees Huge Hurricane Marie Slam Socorro Island

Marie (Eastern Pacific)

August 26, 2014

On Aug. 25 at 18:20 UTC (2:20 p.m. EDT) the MODIS instrument aboard NASA's Terra satellite captured Hurricane Marie's center just west of Socorro Island, Mexico in the Eastern Pacific.

Image Credit: 

NASA's Goddard MODIS Rapid Response Team

This infrared image of Hurricane Marie on Aug. 26 at 5:35 a.m. EDT from the AIRS instrument aboard NASA's Aqua satellite shows its large expanse (over 600 miles) and powerful thunderstorms (purple).

Image Credit: 

NASA JPL, Ed Olsen

NASA Sees Huge Hurricane Marie Slam Socorro Island

NASA's Terra satellite passed over Hurricane Marie when its eye was just to the west of Socorro Island in the Eastern Pacific. Marie's eye may have been near the island, but the storm extended several hundreds of miles from there.

On Aug. 25 at 18:20 UTC (2:20 p.m. EDT) the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer or MODIS instrument aboard NASA's Terra satellite captured Hurricane Marie's center just west of Socorro Island. The image showed Marie's tightly wound center and eye. A thick band of powerful thunderstorms surrounded the center of circulation, and bands of thunderstorms spiraled into the center from the west, that wrapped entirely around the outside perimeter. The image was created by the MODIS Rapid Response Team at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland.

Mexico's Socorro Island is a small volcanic island located about 600 kilometers off the country's western coast. There are about 45 people on the island including the residents of a naval station. Socorro Island was pummeled with heavy rainfall, hurricane-force winds and high, dangerous surf.

Marie is also generating dangerous surf along the western coast of mainland Mexico. Swells generated by Marie are affecting much of the Baja California peninsula and the southern Gulf of California.  The National Hurricane Center (NHC) noted that these swells are spreading northwestward and will reach the southern California later today.  Life-threatening surf and rip current conditions are likely as a result of these swells...as well as minor coastal flooding.

An infrared image of Hurricane Marie was captured on Aug. 26 at 5:35 a.m. EDT from the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) instrument aboard NASA's Aqua satellite. The AIRS image revealed very cold cloud top temperatures in powerful thunderstorms circling the eye of the storm. The National Hurricane Center noted that microwave data show that Marie continues to have a complicated inner core structure, with a remnant inner eyewall surrounded by a pair of larger concentric eyewall rings.

At 11 a.m. EDT (1500 UTC) today, August 26, Marie had been downgraded to a Category 2 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson wind scale as maximum sustained winds dropped to 100 mph (155 kph). NHC expects Marie to continue weakening and to become a tropical storm by August 27. Marie was located near 20.7 north latitude and 119.0 west longitude, about 605 miles (970 km) west-southwest of the southern tip of Baja California. Marie is moving to the west-northwest near 15 mph (24 kph) and is expected to continue in that general direction.

The MODIS image confirmed that Marie is a large hurricane. Hurricane-force winds extend out 60 miles (95 km) from the center. The total diameter of the storm is about 600 miles as tropical-storm-force winds extend 275 miles (445 km) from the center.

For the latest updates (in Spanish) from the Mexican Weather Service, please visit: http://smn.cna.gob.mx/

Text credit:  Rob Gutro
NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center

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NASA's Aqua satellite captured this visible image of Hurricane Marie of the west coast of Mexico on August 24 at 20:40 UTC (4:40 p.m. EDT).

Image Credit: 

NASA Goddard MODIS Rapid Response Team

Aug. 25, 2014 - NASA Sees Marie Become a Major Hurricane, Causing Dangerous Surf

The National Hurricane Center expected Marie to become a major hurricane (Category 3 or higher on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale) and it did. On August 24, when NASA's Aqua satellite passed overhead, Marie reached Category 4 hurricane status and maintained strength on August 25. Marie continues to cause dangerous surf along the west coast of Mexico.

The MODIS instrument (or Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer) aboard NASA's Aqua satellite  took a visible picture of Hurricane Marie as it reached Category 4 hurricane status off the west coast of Mexico on August 24 at 20:40 UTC (4:40 p.m. EDT). The image showed an eye and good formation of a mature hurricane. Bands of thunderstorms spiraled into the center from the west and the south.

Forecaster Cangialosi of the National Hurricane Center noted on August 25, "Marie has an impressive concentric eyewall structure in recent microwave images.  The inner eyewall surrounds the 15 nautical mile diameter circular eye, and the outer one extends about 40 to 50 nautical miles from the center."

The National Hurricane Center warns that swells generated by Marie are affecting the southwestern coast of Mexico. These swells will spread northwestward along the west coast of the Baja California peninsula and the southern Gulf of California during the next couple of days and are likely to cause extremely dangerous life-threatening surf and rip current conditions.

On August 24, Marie's maximum sustained winds had increased to near 135 mph (215 kph) and the estimated minimum central pressure was 944 millibars. When NASA's Aqua satellite passed overhear Marie was centered near 16.1 north and 109.9 west. That's about 420 miles (675 km) west-southwest of Manzanillo, Mexico. 

At 5 a.m. EDT (0900 UTC) on August 25, Marie's maximum sustained winds had increased to 145 mph (230 kph), and the National Hurricane Center noted that some fluctuations in strength are possible. The center of Hurricane Marie was located near latitude 17.3 north and longitude 113.9 west. That's about 465 miles (750 km) southwest of the southern tip of Baja California. Marie was moving to the west-northwest near 12 mph (19 kph) and is expected to continue in that direction.

The National Hurricane Center expects Marie to weaken below major hurricane status by Tuesday, August 26 while still bringing dangerous surf to western Mexico and Baja California.

Text credit:  Rob Gutro
NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center

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NASA's Aqua satellite captured infrared data on Aug. 21 at 20:05 UTC of Tropical Storm Marie's cloud top temperatures as it came together off of Mexico's southwestern coast.

Image Credit: 

NASA JPL, Ed Olsen

Aug. 22, 2014 - NASA's Infrared Data Shows Newborn Tropical Storm Marie Came Together

Powerful thunderstorms in newborn Tropical Storm Marie were seen stretching toward the top of the troposphere in infrared imagery from NASA's Aqua satellite.

NASA's Aqua satellite passed over Tropical Storm Marie on Aug. 21 at 20:05 UTC when it was still classified as a low pressure area. The Atmospheric Infrared Sounder or AIRS instrument aboard Aqua read cloud top temperatures in the storm, and showed cloud tops as cold as -63F/-52C around the storm's center and in bands of thunderstorms east and south of the center. AIRS data showed that Marie is located in very warm waters with surface temperatures near 30 Celsius (85 Fahrenheit), which will assist the storm in development and intensification. Sea surface temperatures of at least 26.6C (80F) are needed to maintain a tropical cyclone, while warmer sea surface temperatures can help in evaporation and thunderstorm development.

NOAA's GOES-West satellite captured Tropical Storm Karina (left), Tropical Storm Lowell (center) and Tropical Storm Marie (right) in an infrared image on Aug. 22 at 5 a.m. EDT as they moved through the Eastern Pacific Ocean. Credit:

Image Credit: 

NASA/NOAA's GOES Project

Marie came together off of Mexico's southwestern coast at 11 p.m. EDT on August 21 consolidating into Tropical Depression 13-E. By 5 a.m. EDT on August 22, the depression strengthened into Tropical Storm Marie.

Marie's maximum sustained winds increased to near 45 mph (75 kph) and the National Hurricane Center (NHC) expects rapid intensification. In fact, forecasters expect Marie to become a hurricane late in the day on August 22 and reach major hurricane status (Category 3 or greater on the Saffir-Simpson Wind Scale) by Monday, August 25.

At 5 a.m. EDT, August 22, the center of Tropical Storm Marie was located near latitude 12.8 north and longitude 101.0 west.  Marie is moving toward the west-northwest near 16 mph (26 kph) and is expected to slow as it intensifies. The estimated minimum central pressure is 1004 millibars.

The NHC noted that satellite microwave data showed that Marie has a well-defined low-level ring, which can often be a precursor to rapid intensification if environmental conditions are favorable. 

Text credit:  Rob Gutro
NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center

ΑΜΦΙΠΟΛΙΣ ΝΕΕΣ ΕΙΚΟΝΕΣ ΑΠΟ ΤΟ ΤΑΦΙΚΟ ΜΝΗΜΕΙΟ

ΥΠΑΡΧΕΙ ΑΛΛΗ ΕΣΩΤΕΡΙΚΗ ΕΙΣΟΔΟΣ ΣΠΑΣΜΕΝΗ ΚΑΙ ΑΛΛΟΙ ΔΥΟ ΧΩΡΟΙ ΠΙΟ ΜΕΣΑ ΣΤΟΝ ΤΑΦΟ ΤΗΣ ΑΜΦΙΠΟΛΗΣ! Νέα Ανακοίνωση!
ΟΛΟΦΡΕΣΚΑ ΝΕΑ ΑΠΟ ΤΟΝ ΤΑΦΟ:
1. ΔΕΝ ΥΠΑΡΧΟΥΝ ΘΥΡΕΣ ΣΤΟΝ ΠΡΟΘΑΛΑΜΟ
2. ΕΞΙ ΜΕΤΡΑ ΠΙΟ ΠΙΣΩ ΥΠΑΡΧΕΙ ΔΙΑΦΡΑΓΜΑΤΙΚΟΣ ΜΑΡΜΑΡΙΝΟΣ ΤΟΙΧΟΣ, ΟΠΟΥ ΛΕΙΠΕΙ ΤΟ ΑΝΩ ΑΡΙΣΤΕΡΟ ΚΟΜΜΑΤΙ ΤΟΥ
3. ΠΙΣΩ ΑΠΟ ΑΥΤΟΝ ΥΠΑΡΧΟΥΝ ΑΛΛΟΙ ΔΥΟ ΧΩΡΟΙ, ΠΟΥ ΛΟΓΙΚΑ ΕΙΝΑΙ ΟΙ ΤΑΦΙΚΟΙ ΘΑΛΑΜΟΙ!

ΟΛΟΚΛΗΡΗ Η ΝΕΑ ΑΝΑΚΟΙΝΩΣΗ ΤΟΥ ΥΠΟΥΡΓΕΙΟΥ
"Συνεχίζονται οι ανασκαφικές εργασίες από την ΚΗ Εφορεία Προϊστορικών και Κλασικών Αρχαιοτήτων στον Τύμβο Καστά, στην Αμφίπολη. Συνεχίστηκε η αφαίρεση των λιθόπλινθων από τον τοίχο σφράγισης και αποκαλύφθηκε σχεδόν ολόκληρη η πρόσοψη του ταφικού μνημείου, που αποτελεί μία εξαιρετικά πρωτότυπη σύνθεση για την αντίστοιχη αρχιτεκτονική του τύπου του μακεδονικού τάφου, του τελευταίου τετάρτου του 4 π.Χ αιώνα. (φωτό 1)

Η πρόσοψη έχει διάκοσμο που δεν διαφέρει από τους πλευρικούς τοίχους, με νωπογραφία που μιμείται τον ευρύτερο μαρμάρινο περίβολο. Το μέγιστο άνοιγμα ανάμεσα στις παραστάδες ανέρχεται στο 1,67μ. Η τυπολογία υποδεικνύει ότι δεν υπήρξαν θυρόφυλλα αλλά πρόκειται για απλό άνοιγμα εισόδου. (φωτό 2)

Επίσης, με την συνέχιση της αφαίρεσης των χωμάτων, στο εσωτερικό του προθαλάμου, εμφανίστηκε κάτω από το μαρμάρινο ιωνικό επιστύλιο, ένθετη μαρμάρινη επένδυση, από ορθοστάτες, καθ όλο το μήκος των πλευρικών τοίχων. (φωτό 3, 4 )

Σε απόσταση 6μ. από το άνοιγμα της εισόδου αποκαλύφθηκε το άνω μέρος μαρμάρινου διαφραγματικού τοίχου, ελλειπούς κατά τμήμα του αριστερού μέρους του (φωτό 5). Πίσω από αυτόν διακρίνονται δύο ακόμη χώροι.

Επί του διαφραγματικού τοίχου αποκαλύπτεται, επίσης, μαρμάρινο επιστύλιο με γείσο, όμοιο του αντίστοιχου του ιδίου περιβόλου. Φέρει διάκοσμο με οκτάφυλλους ανάγλυφους ρόδακες, στο ύψος του επιστυλίου των πλευρικών τοίχων (φωτό 6).

Επί του διαφραγματικού τοίχου αναμένεται να υπάρχει δεύτερη είσοδος που οδηγεί στο εσωτερικό του μνημείου. Τα χώματα του χώρου που δημιουργείται όπισθεν της θύρας, θα αφαιρεθούν στις επόμενες μέρες, εφόσον το επιτρέψουν οι εργασίες στερέωσης και συντήρησης στα σημεία, που έχουν αποκαλυφθεί"

Η παραστάδα της εξωτερικής εισόδου του προθαλάμου του Τάφου, με ιωνικό επίκρανο

Το επιστύλιο της πίσω, εσωτερικής πλευράς του προθαλάμου της εισόδου του Τάφου, με ίχνη κόκκινου και μαύρου χρώματος

Εσωτερική όψη του ιωνικού επικράνου της παραστάδας της θύρας του προθαλάμου, επιζωγραφισμένο με κόκκινο και μαύρο χρώμα

Δεξί τμήμα του επιστυλίου του εσωτερικού διαφραγματικού μαρμάρινοι τοίχου, όπου πιθανότατα υπάρχει είσοδος. Είναι διακοσμημένο με οκτάφυλλους ρόδακες

Είσοδος προθαλάμου Τάφου Αμφίπολης

Ιωνικό επιστύλιο και επίκρανο ζωγραφισμένα με γαλάζιο, κόκκινο και μαύρο χρώμα

Η εξωτερική είσοδος του προθαλάμου, χωρίς ύπαρξη θυρόφυλλων

Εσωτερικό προθαλάμου

ΤΟ ΣΠΑΣΜΕΝΟ ΚΟΜΜΑΤΙ ΤΗΣ ΕΣΩΤΕΡΙΚΗΣ ΕΙΣΟΔΟΥ! Νέα φωτογραφία, όπου διακρίνεται καθαρά το σπασμένο άνω αριστερό τμήμα του μαρμάρινου τοίχου της εσωτερικής εισόδου, έξι μέτρα πιο πίσω από την άθυρη εξωτερική είσοδο του Προθαλάμου.
Ο διαφραγματικός τοίχος ίσως έχει θυρόφυλλα, αλλά είναι καλυμμένος ακόμη με χώματα στο σημείο εκείνο.

Το αριστερό άνω τμήμα του εσωτερικού διαφραγματικού εσωτερικού τοίχου, όπου λείπει ένα κομμάτι...
Ο τοίχος αυτός που ίσως αποτελεί την κύρια είσοδο του Τάφου, βρίσκεται 6 μέτρα πίσω από την εξωτερική άθυρη είσοδο του Προθαλάμου

ΚΟΜΑΝΤΟΣ ΤΗΣ ΟΡΘΟΔΟΞΗΣ ΙΕΡΑΠΑΣΤΟΛΗΣ

Μια Ορθόδοξη ενορία στην έρημο της Τουρκάνας ( Μητρόπολη Κένυας ).An Orthodox parish in Turkana desert ( Orthodox Church of Kenya )

Την Κυριακή 22 Ιουνίου 2014, ο Σεβασμιώτατος Μητροπολίτης Κένυας κ. Μακάριος τέλεσε τα εγκαίνια ενός νέου ιερού ναού, αφιερωμένου στον Απόστολο Πέτρο, κατά επιθυμία δωρητών από την Αμερική.

Όπως είναι γνωστό, για αρκετά χρόνια τώρα στην περιοχή αυτή, που κατοικούν ως επί το πλείστον Αφρικανοί της φυλής των Τουρκάνα, η Ορθόδοξη Εκκλησία της Κένυας έχει αναλάβει ένα τεράστιο ιεραποστολικό και ευαγγελικό έργο. Ο Σεβασμιώτατος κ. Μακάριος ηγήθηκε αυτής της εκστρατείας αγάπης και ευαγγελισμού, ταξιδεύοντας δύο ολόκληρες μέρες, για να φθάσει εκεί, όπου δεσπόζει η μεγάλη λίμνη Τουρκάνα και συνορεύει με τη Σομαλία και Αιθιοπία. Τέλεσε τις πρώτες ομαδικές βαπτίσεις στη μεγάλη λίμνη και στη συνέχεια όρισε ως κατηχητές αποφοίτους της Πατριαρχικής Σχολής, οι οποίοι χειροτονήθηκαν ιερείς και σήμερα υπηρετούν σε διάφορα σημεία της περιοχής. Οι τέσσερεις ιερείς εργάζονται με μεγάλη επιτυχία, τους χαρακτηρίζει ευσέβεια, πίστη, ζήλος, ταπείνωση και ενθουσιασμός, γι’ αυτό και μπόρεσαν σ’ αυτό το χρονικό διάστημα να επιτελέσουν τόσα θαυμάσια έργα. Γι’ αυτό οι ενορίες αυξήθηκαν και οι πιστοί πολλαπλασιάστηκαν σε ολόκληρη την περιοχή Τουρκάνα.

Μετά τα εγκαίνια της Κυριακής ο Σεβασμιώτατος κ. Μακάριος έθεσε το θεμέλιο λίθο για τον τρίτο ναό, αφιερωμένο στον Άγιο Νικόλαο. Λειτουργούν δημοτικά σχολεία, νηπιαγωγεία και παρέχεται δωρεάν φαγητό στα παιδιά. Επίσης, έχουν ήδη γίνει προσπάθειες και παρέχεται από γεωτρήσεις καθαρό νερό στους κατοίκους της περιοχής. Το Ορθόδοξο Ιεραποστολικό Κέντρο της Αμερικής έχει αναλάβει με αποφασιστικότητα, εξ ολοκλήρου, την ανάπτυξη της περιοχής. Έρχονται ομάδες νέων και ιερέων που κατηχούν και βοηθούν στο έργο του ευαγγελισμού της φυλής.

Στα εγκαίνια συμμετείχαν όλοι οι ιερείς της περιοχής και άλλοι από την Αμερική και το Ναϊρόμπι. Ήταν μια ξεχωριστή μέρα για τους Τουρκάνα, αφού ο ναός χτίστηκε στο πουθενά, αλλά υπάρχουν αρκετοί που ασπάστηκαν την Ορθοδοξία, ύστερα από εμπεριστατωμένη κατήχηση.

Το μεγάλο πρόβλημα που μαστίζει όλη την περιοχή της ερήμου είναι η συνεχής ανομβρία. Όταν για πρώτη φορά ο Σεβασμιότατος επισκέφθηκε την περιοχή, για να τελέσει τις πρώτες ομαδικές βαπτίσεις, δεν το έκανε γιατί οι λίμνες και τα ποτάμια ήταν άνυδρα. Μάλιστα, μια φορά, όταν οι άνθρωποι βρισκόντουσαν σε μεγάλη απόγνωση και απελπισία από την ξηρασία, τέλεσε αγιασμό και διάβασε ειδικές ευχές. Τότε έριξε ο Θεός τόσο νερό που γέμισαν όλες οι λίμνες και τα ποτάμια και οι άνθρωποι ζητούσαν από τον Επίσκοπο να πει – να μιλήσει στον Θεό που προσευχήθηκε και τον πίστευε, αφού άκουσε τις προσευχές τους και έκανε το θαύμα Του –, να σταματήσει, γιατί πλημμύρισε ο τόπος. «Ζητήσαμε νερό αλλά όχι κι έτσι» έλεγαν, χαρακτηριστικά. Ας είναι ευλογημένο το όνομα του Κυρίου. Έτσι, η πρόσφατη επίσκεψη απέδειξε ότι οι ιερείς μας, της φυλής των Τουρκάνα, εργάζονται με παραδειγματικό ζήλο, πίστη βαθιά και απεριόριστη αφοσίωση. Το έργο του Κυρίου και της Ορθοδοξίας προάγεται και με τον τρόπο αυτό η πρωτόγονη φυλή των Τουρκάνα ευαγγελίζεται «χαράν μεγάλην».

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On Sunday, June 22, 2014, HE the Metropolitan Makarios of Kenya consecrated a new church, dedicated to Apostle Peter, according to the will of American donors.

Beyonce, Katy Perry, Jennifer Lopez Walk the MTV VMA Red Carpet

Beyonce, Katy Perry, Jennifer Lopez and Ed Sheeran were among the stars walking the red carpet at the 2014 MTV Music Video Awards on Sunday afternoon.

Most celebrities attending talked about who they were most looking forward to seeing. Others just took selfies.

"You know what I was looking forward to, Usher has his white suit on, I think, and that's just the highlight of my life, to be honest. To see the man in white himself, in real life, it's a good time," said Ashton Irwin, member of the Australian pop group 5 Seconds of Summer.

"Oh, who am I rooting for? Angel Haze, she did a feature on my record and Demi Lovato, a friend of mine, she also featured on my record. So, there's a lot of friends nominated and then, as far as performances Iggy, Ariana, Jesse J. It's going to be a fun night," said Nick Jonas.

Sam Smith, the latest British sensation, was nervous about his debut performance in the U.S. but said he would not outperform Miley Cyrus' 2013 performance.

"Hundred percent, I think that's many of the artists' aims to do that tonight. It's not mine, I will not be twerking, but I think someone will."

The 2014 MTV Video Music Awards featured performances by Beyonce, Ariana Grande and Taylor Swift, among many others.

Spectacular Spitfire Snapped By Two Spacecraft | Video

Δημοσιεύτηκε στις 25 Αυγ 2014

NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory captured the M5.6-class flare in multiple wavelengths, while the NASA/ESA Solar and Heliospheric Observatory's wide view captured some of the ensuing coronal mass ejection. The eruption emanated from sunspot AR2151 on August 24th, 2014.

STRONG VIDEO: Prisoners mutineers behead hostage in a prison in Brazil

FUERTE VIDEO: Presos amotinados decapitan rehenes en una cárcel en Brasil

Publicado: 25 ago 2014 | 15:05 GMT Última actualización: 25 ago 2014 | 15:05 GMT

© AFP

Varios presos de una cárcel en Brasil decapitaron a dos reos y lanzaron a dos vigilantes de seguridad desde lo alto del edificio de la prisión durante un motín.

Presos de una cárcel en la ciudad brasileña de Cascavel decapitaron a dos reos y lanzaron a dos agentes de seguridad del techo de uno de los edificios del centro penitenciario, según el periódico local 'Gazeta do Povo' citando fuentes policiales. 
 

Según informa la Policía, unos 700 presos han participado en el motín, que comenzó el domingo, 24 de agosto. Los medios informan de que los presos exigen una mejora en las condiciones de las instalaciones, alimentación e higiene. 
 
Los imágenes del reportaje demuestran a hombres con caras cubiertas de forma improvisada que estrangulan a los presos con cuerdas. “Los presos están utilizando la cabeza cortada de un detenido para una tortura psicológica de uno de sus rehenes”, aseguró Jairo Ferreira, abogado de la unión de agentes penitenciarios.   

Texto completo en: http://actualidad.rt.com/actualidad/view/138280-presos-matan-cuatro-personas-motin-carcel-brasil