Hurricane Gonzalo Strengthens to Category 4

Oct 15, 2014

Hurricane Gonzalo Strengthens to Category 4


Hurricane Gonzalo becomes the first Category 4 hurricane in the Atlantic basin since Ophelia in 2011. Gonzalo should turn northward by early Thursday and north-northeastward Thursday night and Friday, likely bringing Gonzalo near Bermuda in about two days. This image was taken by GOES West at 1200Z on October 15, 2014.

000
WTNT43 KNHC 152045
TCDAT3

HURRICANE GONZALO DISCUSSION NUMBER  14
NWS NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL       AL082014
500 PM AST WED OCT 15 2014

Gonzalo is not quite as well organized as it was this morning.
Satellite images show that the eye of the hurricane appears less
distinct than it was earlier today, and radar images from a NOAA
hurricane hunter aircraft earlier today suggested than the inner
eyewall could be eroding.  The initial wind speed is lowered
to 110 kt based on the slightly degraded appearance of the
storm.  Another Air Force reconnaissance aircraft is scheduled to
investigate Gonzalo this evening and should provide a better
assessment of its intensity and structure.

The hurricane remains on track and is moving northwestward at about
9 kt.  Water vapor images show a large trough over the eastern
United States.  This trough is expected to move eastward during the
next couple of days, which should cause Gonzalo to make a turn
toward the north on Thursday and north-northeast on Friday, likely
bringing Gonzalo near Bermuda in about 2 days.  After that time, a
faster northeastward and then east-northeastward motion is
predicted over the North Atlantic Ocean.  The track model guidance,
in general, is a little slower than it was at 1200 UTC and the
official forecast has been adjusted accordingly.  The guidance is
also not quite as tightly clustered as it has been, as the ECMWF
has shifted a bit west of the rest of the primary objective aids.

The large scale environmental conditions are expected to remain
favorable during the next day or so, and the intensity of Gonzalo
will likely fluctuate due to eyewall replacement cycles.  In
about 48 hours, the hurricane is expected to be moving into an
atmosphere of increasing southwesterly shear and drier air, and over
sharply colder waters.  These conditions should cause weakening and
post-tropical transition in 3 to 4 days.

NOAA buoy 41046 recently reported a pressure of 955 mb, and was
quite useful in estimating Gonzalo's minimum pressure.

FORECAST POSITIONS AND MAX WINDS

INIT  15/2100Z 24.1N  68.6W  110 KT 125 MPH
 12H  16/0600Z 25.3N  68.9W  110 KT 125 MPH
 24H  16/1800Z 27.2N  68.6W  105 KT 120 MPH
 36H  17/0600Z 29.7N  67.2W  105 KT 120 MPH
 48H  17/1800Z 32.9N  65.3W  100 KT 115 MPH
 72H  18/1800Z 41.8N  58.4W   80 KT  90 MPH
 96H  19/1800Z 51.0N  42.0W   55 KT  65 MPH...POST-TROP/EXTRATROP
120H  20/1800Z 54.0N  20.0W   40 KT  45 MPH...POST-TROP/EXTRATROP

$$
Forecaster Cangialosi

Robot Teams Practice for Japan Volcano Monitoring

Robot Teams Practice for Japan Volcano MonitoringBy Evan Ackerman

Posted 14 Oct 2014 | 14:30 GMT

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Image: Tohoku University/YouTube

When Mount Ontake erupted in Japan a few weeks ago, it was completely unexpected. No significant earthquakes, no steam or gas releases, nothing. Usually, some warning does exist, and the best that we can to is to monitor active volcanoes as carefully as we can to try and spot whatever warning signs that are there. This is especially problematic with volcanoes that are undergoing frequent periods of activity, where it’s not safe to get close to them to determine when a minor eruption might turn into a major one. Not safe, you say? There’s a solution for that: send in the robots.

Keiji Nagatani, a professor at Tohoku University in Japan, has spent the last half decade developing robotic systems for volcano exploration. For the last few years, he’s been working on ways of exploring remote, potentially dangerous volcanic areas using UAVs in collaboration with ground robots. Here’s a video from a test last month on Japan’s Mount Asama:

The ground robot is called Clover, and the UAV is called Zion. The robots were controlled over a 3G connection from about 3 kilometers away. Since 3G can be unreliable and is vulnerable to terrain-induced blind spots, the researchers have developed a system to use more conveniently placed robots as signal relays. 

Clover robots could be equipped with small sensor packages, like a gas sensor, but it’s also important to be able to analyze rock samples directly. Strawberry is a robotic claw that hangs from the bottom of Zion and can be used to collect rocks or soil or stuffed alien toys or whatever else a claw dangling from the sky is good for picking up. If you watch closely, in addition to a claw device, there’s also an actuated roller that helps to scoop up smaller rocks and dust:

As far as I’ve been able to tell, none of these robots have yet been tested on an active volcano, but hopefully the Japanese researchers are getting close to doing that. Because one thing we’ve learned from previous disasters is that robots can be a huge help, so the more we test and improve them under real-world conditions, the better they’ll be when we really need them. 

Stunning Mosaic Floor Revealed in Amphipolis Tomb

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Archaeologists have publicized photos of a stunning mosaic floor recently excavated within the ancient tomb of Amphipolis in northern Greece.

According to the Greek Ministry of Culture, the beautiful mosaic was discovered in the second chamber of the tomb, the site of the Caryatids‘ discovery. The colorful floor was laid with white, black, grey, blue, red and yellow pebbles and depicts a chariot in motion. Hermes, the messenger of the gods, is pictured in front of the chariot.

“The central theme is a chariot in motion, pulled by two white horses and driven by a bearded man, crowned with a laurel wreath,” the Ministry said in a statement.

The mosaic showcases the artist’s ability to portray the figures, horses and colors in exquisite detail.
According to a Culture Ministry announcement, Hermes is depicted here as the conductor of souls to the afterlife.

The stunning artwork, which has yet to be fully uncovered, spans the entire floor of the second chamber. It currently measures 4.5 meters in width and 3 meters in length. The central scene is surrounded by a decorative frame, 0.60 meters in width, featuring a double meander, squares and a wave-curl design.

According to archaeologists, a section of the mosaic floor has been destroyed. The Amphipolis team was able to recover the disturbed pebbles during the excavation process, however, and plans on being able to eventually piece the mosaic back together.

The ministry says that archaeologists have dated the mosaic to the last quarter of 4th century B.C. (325-300 B.C.), consistent with their belief the grave contains the remains of a contemporary of Alexander the Great, the ancient Greek King of Macedonia, who conquered the Persian Empire and reached present-day India, Afghanistan and Uzbekistan in a whirlwind campaign, from 334 to 323 B.C. The grave may be that of a relative or general of Alexander’s, archaeologists have speculated.

Alexander himself, who died in Babylon in present-day Iraq at age 32, in 323 BC, is believed to have been buried in Egypt.

VOLVO OCEAN RACE Leg 1, Day 2: Staying north TEAM SCA

Δημοσιεύτηκε στις 13 Οκτ 2014

SCA made a bold move on Day 2, they stayed north for the final approach to the Gibraltar Straits, while the rest of the fleet went south, the gamble paid off and SCA was the first boat to exit into the Atlantic. It's been a fantastic start for the crew on this first leg of the race and the first 48 hours has already brought the beauty of this race to the crew of SCA as they were joined for hours by a pod of Pilot Whales

“It’s day two, and we’re not even out of the Mediterranean Sea yet, we haven’t even really started. Wow, it’s a long way around,” Sophie said.

On day two of sailing around the world, we’ve been a part of an incredible drag race to the Gibraltar Straits with the rest of the Volvo 65s. As we sailed West along the Spanish coast, we were all neck and neck with the other boats, watching and waiting for various sail changes and wind shifts. Watching other boats is essential because often wind shifts happen unexpectedly to leaders and therefore we can be prepared for them.

Day two wasn’t special only because we were sailing with the rest of the fleet, we also had a rare visit from a pod of Pilot whales. During a particularly light wind moment, seven (or more!) whales came to say hello and play with our bow much like dolphins do. They came so close, Stacey reckons she could have touched them.  “I’ve never seen anything like this,” Stacey said in shock, as the whales swam along side for a good five minutes.

60 Minutes:FEMALE STATE (Kurdish Female Warriors On The Front Lines)

Leg 1 Start Replay | Volvo Ocean Race 2014-15

Δημοσιεύτηκε στις 11 Οκτ 2014

Watch the full broadcast as the fleet departs Alicante, Spain - next stop: Cape Town.

The Devil Tried to Divide Us: War in the Central African Republic (Full Length)

March 26, 2014 | 2:43 am

The Central African Republic's capital of Bangui has seen its Muslim population drop from 130,000 to under 1000 over the past few months. Over the past year, thousands across CAR have been killed and nearly a million have been displaced. The United Nations recently stated that the entire Western half of the country has now been cleansed of Muslims.

CAR has never fully recovered from France's colonial rule, and it has only known ten years of a civilian government - from 1993 to 2003 - since achieving independence in 1960. Coup after coup, often with French military involvement, has led many to refer to the country as a phantom state. The current conflict has now completely erased the rule of law and order, and left the UN and international community looking confused and impotent.

In March 2013, the Séléka, a mostly Muslim rebel alliance, rose up and overthrew the corrupt government of François Bozizé, while bringing terror and chaos across the country - pillaging, killing and raping with impunity. In response, mostly Christian self-defense forces, called the anti-balaka, formed to defend CAR against Séléka attacks.

Clashes grew more frequent throughout 2013 as the Séléka grew more ruthless. In December 2013, French and African troops went in to disarm the Séléka and staunch the bloodshed. The anti-balaka, seizing on a weakened Séléka, then went on the offensive.

CAR had no real history of religious violence, and the current conflict is not based on any religious ideology. The fighting, however, turned increasingly sectarian in the fall of 2013, with revenge killings becoming the norm. And as the Séléka's power waned, the anti-balaka fed their need for revenge by brutalizing Muslim civilians.

"Too few peacekeepers were deployed too late; the challenge of disarming the Séléka, containing the anti-balaka, and protecting the Muslim minority was underestimated," Human Rights Watch said in a recent statement.

The bloodshed has not stopped. The UN is still debating whether or not to send peacekeepers. Even if a peacekeeping operation is approved, it will take six months for troops to be assembled.

Tiny Horse: Cute Steed Suffers From Dwarfism

This Tiny Horse's Owner Refused To Put Him Down. But Wait Till You See How This Horse Lives Today.

Born at only 22 inches, Acer the Aquinas was far too small to even be referred to as a miniature horse. In fact, miniature horses are usually around 34 to 38 inches, depending on the breed registry that is involved in designating this type of horse.

So, then, what is Acer? Well, the little guy actually has a very rare type of horse dwarfism. Surprisingly, both his mother and his father had the gene for dwarfism, even though they were both full-sized horses.

Horses that suffer from dwarfism might be awfully cute, but, unfortunately, they often have to deal with significant health issues. Therefore, breeding stock registries often will avoid accepting horses affected by dwarfism to their registration of miniature horses.