Read + Write + Report
Home | Start a blog | About Orble | FAQ | Blogs | Writers | Paid | My Orble | Login

The Eruption of Mt St. Helens

June 4th 2010 03:41
Mount St. Helens is an active stratovolcano located in Skamania County, Washington, in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is 96 miles (154 km) south of Seattle and 50 miles (80 km) northeast of Portland, Oregon.

Mount St. Helens is most famous for its catastrophic eruption on May 18, 1980, at 8:32 am PDT which was the deadliest and most economically destructive volcanic event in the history of the United States. Fifty-seven people were killed; 250 homes, 47 bridges, 15 miles (24 km) of railways, and 185 miles (298 km) of highway were destroyed. The eruption caused a massive debris avalanche, reducing the elevation of the mountain's summit from 9,677 ft (2,950 m) to 8,365 ft (2,550 m) and replacing it with a 1 mile (1.6 km) wide horseshoe-shaped crater. The debris avalanche was up to 0.7 cubic miles (2.9 km3) in volume. The Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument was created to preserve the volcano and allow for its aftermath to be scientifically studied.


Images below sourced from this article at Boston.com.


Mt St Helens before the eruption
Mount St. Helens on the day before the eruption, May 17, 1980, as viewed from what came to be known as Johnston Ridge, about six miles from the volcano.



the eruption of Mt St Helens
Mount St. Helens in eruption on May 18, 1980 showing the violence of the eruption in contrast with the apparently quiet countryside, Mount Adams in background, right.


st helens horse rescuers
Bob Brown (right), John Brown and two other unidentified people are shown May 19, 1980 climbing onto a railroad car and heading down the train. The would-be horse rescuers gave up their efforts as they fled for their lives as flood waters from the Toutle River begin a sudden rise. All four people reached safety but the horses were presumed to have drowned.


Mount Saint Helens Blast Zone
An aerial view of blowdown and Fawn Lake, inside the blast zone on October 28, 1980 (note Mount St. Helens in the background). Note also the USGS scientists in a small boat in the middle of the lake taking water samples.


mud slide mt st helens 1980
A mudflow deposit covers Washington State Highway 504 near the town of Toutle, northwest of Mount St. Helens, to a depth of 2m (6 ft).


aftermath of the st helens eruption
wrecked logging truck and crawler tractor are shown amidst ash and downed trees near Mount St. Helens on May 20, 1980, two days after the explosive eruption.


Mt St Helens after the eruption
3,000 ft (1 km) steam plume on May 19, 1982, two years after its major eruption.








*This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia page for Mount St. Helens.
154
Vote
   


Gulf Oil Spill

May 17th 2010 01:49
oil slick on surface of ocean
Crude oil floats on the surface of the water


The Deepwater Horizon oil spill (also known as the BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill or Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill) is a massive oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico that started on April 20, 2010. The spill followed a blowout that caused an explosion on the Deepwater Horizon offshore drilling rig, which then sank off the coast of Louisiana. Eleven rig workers are missing and presumed dead; the explosion also injured 17 others.
gulf oil fire
Anchor handling tugs combat the fire on the Deepwater Horizon while the United States Coast Guard searches for missing crew.

The oil spill covers a surface area of at least 2,500 square miles (6,500 km2). The oil spill, originating from a deepwater oil well 5,000 feet (1,500 m) below sea level, is discharging an estimated 5–25 thousand barrels (210,000–1,100,000 US gallons; 790,000–4,000,000 litres) of crude oil daily. The spill is expected to eclipse the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill as the worst US oil disaster in history. Experts fear that it will result in an environmental disaster as the oil from the well site reaches the Gulf coast, damaging the Gulf of Mexico fishing industry, tourism industry, and habitat of hundreds of bird species.


The info-graphic indicates what's happening beneath the ocean's surface at the oil spill site.
BP gulf oil spill information
click to enlarge

*source


BP oil slick control
Floating barriers called booms are being strategically placed in an effort to contain the spill and protect sensitive areas of coastline.


*These images and information sourced from this article on Newsweek.

Crude oil on the surface
Crude oil on the surface
crude oil spill ocean


*Above aerial images source.



*This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the WIkipedia page for Deepwater Horizon oil spill.
138
Vote
   


Earthquake in Chile

March 23rd 2010 01:42
earthquake in chile
A resident observes the San Francisco de Curico church after it was damaged in a major earthquake in Curico, Chile on March 1, 2010.



The 2010 Chilean earthquake occurred off the coast of the Maule Region of Chile on February 27, 2010, at 03:34 local time, rating a magnitude of 8.8 on the moment magnitude scale and lasting about three minutes. An aftershock of 6.2 was recorded 20 minutes after the initial quake. Two more aftershocks of magnitudes 5.4 and 5.6 followed within an hour of the initial quake. By March 6, more than one hundred thirty aftershocks had been registered, including thirteen above magnitude 6.0. The cities experiencing the strongest shaking—IX (Ruinous) on the Mercalli intensity scale—were Talcahuano, Arauco, Lota, Chiguayante, Cañete, Talca, Concepcion, and San Antonio. The earthquake was felt in the capital Santiago at Mercalli intensity scale VIII (Destructive). Tremors were felt in many Argentine cities, including Buenos Aires, Córdoba, Mendoza and La Rioja. Tremors were felt as far north as the city of Ica in southern Peru. Tsunami warnings were issued in 53 countries, and a tsunami was recorded, with amplitude of up to 2.6 m (8 ft 6 in) high, at Valparaíso. President Michelle Bachelet declared a "state of catastrophe".


Destruction by earthquake
A boat lies marooned on a street in Talcahuano, Chile, Monday, March 1, 2010. An 8.8-magnitude earthquake struck central Chile early Saturday triggering a tsunami that hit coastal communities.



Seismologists estimate that the earthquake was so powerful that it may have shortened the length of the day by 1.26 microseconds and moved the Earth's figure axis by 8 cm or 2.7 milliarcseconds. It also moved the entire city of Concepción 10 feet to the west. The capital Santiago, moved 11 inches west, and even Buenos Aires, nearly 800 miles from the epicenter, shifted an inch.


Chilean earthquake of 2010
An armed man stands guard on his rooftop in Talcahunao, Chile on March 1, 2010, as civil unrest and mass looting has led to a curfew being imposed.



In Chile, at least 500,000 homes are estimated to be damaged. At least 500 people were reported killed.


Earthquake rescue workers
Rescuers carry a puppy found alive inside a destroyed house in Constitucion, Chile, Monday, March 1 , 2010.



The images in this post sourced from the Big Picture. Read the full article here.


Earthquake damage in Chile
A woman stands inside a destroyed house in Talca, Chile on March 1, 2010.


*This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia page for 2010 Chile earthquake.
36
Vote
   


Saint Patrick's Day

March 17th 2010 00:48
Saint Patrick's Day is a national holiday of Ireland, normally celebrated on March 17th. It is a bank holiday in Northern Ireland and a public holiday in the Republic of Ireland. It is also widely celebrated in Great Britain, the United States, Argentina, Australia, New Zealand and Canada. There are also celebrations in other major cities throughout the world. The day is often celebrated by marching, feasting and the colour green. The city of Chicago, for example, dies its river green for the day.
Thanks to the Chicago Tribune, here are some images of St Patrick's Day celebrations the world over. View the full article here.


st patricks day parade
New York City St. Patrick's Day Parade


st patricks day in ireland
Belfast, Northern Ireland St. Patrick's Day Concert


st patricks day picture
Pittsburgh St. Patrick's Day Parade


st patricks day date
Auckland, New Zealand St. Patrick's Day Parade


st patricks day costumes
Tokyo St. Patrick's Day Parade

31
Vote
   


Valentine's Day By The Numbers

March 1st 2010 02:24

The origins of Valentine's day probably date back to 270 A.D. when St Valentine was executed for secretly marrying couples. It has become the day on which lovers express their love for each other by presenting various gifts.
Valentine's Day has also become a very sweet day for retailers across the globe with massive profits made on flowers, cards, chocolate, teddy bears and many other items.
The info-graphic below sourced from Bill Shrink offers a detailed insight into what St Valentine's Day really means to the modern world.


Valentine’s Day
Click to open the full sized infographic in a new window.

56
Vote
   


The 2010 Haiti earthquake was a catastrophic magnitude 7.0. Its epicentre was approximately 25 km (16 miles) west of Port-au-Prince, the capital of Haiti. The earthquake occurred on Tuesday, 12 January 2010. The United States Geological Survey recorded a series of at least 33 aftershocks, fourteen of them between magnitudes 5.0 and 5.9. It is estimated that about three million people were affected by the quake, and that up to 200,000 have died as a result of the disaster. Several prominent public figures are among the dead.

The earthquake caused major damage to Port-au-Prince. Most major landmarks were significantly damaged or destroyed, including the Presidential Palace, the National Assembly building, the Port-au-Prince Cathedral, and the main jail. Compounding the tragedy, most hospitals in the area were destroyed. Because the organizational structures in Haiti had been destroyed, it has been called the worst disaster the UN had ever been confronted with


[ Click here to read more ]
47
Vote
   


Oktoberfest

October 12th 2009 23:53
Oktoberfest is a sixteen-day festival held each year in Munich, Germany during late September (and running to early October). It is one of the most famous events in Germany and the world's largest fair, with some six million people attending every year, and is an important part of Bavarian culture. Other cities across the world also hold Oktoberfest celebrations, modelled after the Munich event.

The Munich Oktoberfest, traditionally, takes place during the sixteen days up to and including the first Sunday in October. In 1994, the schedule was modified in response to German reunification so that if the first Sunday in October falls on the 1st or 2nd, then the festival will go on until October 3 (German Unity Day). Thus, the festival is now 17 days when the 1st Sunday is October 2 and 18 days when it is October 1. The festival is held on an area named the Theresienwiese (field, or meadow, of Therese), often called d’ Wiesn for short


[ Click here to read more ]
27
Vote
   


Valentine's Day

February 14th 2009 06:56
Valentine's Day has become the traditional day on which lovers express their love for each other. Modern symbols Valentine's Day include doves, Cupid, and most importantly the heart shape. Here are some hearts found in different places.


[ Click here to read more ]
58
Vote
   


4th of July Over Lake Austin

July 23rd 2008 02:32
Beautiful picture of 4th of July celebrations over Lake Austin in Texas.

4th of july fireworks - Lake Austin Texas

[ Click here to read more ]
74
Vote
   


New Year's Eve Around the World

December 31st 2007 00:39
As today is New Year's Eve, the biggest parties ever will be taking place all over the world.
Let's take a look at what you can expect to see in some major cities around the globe.

[ Click here to read more ]
76
Vote
   


Christmas Wallpapers

December 10th 2007 11:27
Here is a collection of fantastic Christmas themed wallpapers for your desktop. Click on each image to open up a larger version to download.
If you like these, you can find many more here.

[ Click here to read more ]
48
Vote
   


A bonfire is a large controlled outdoor fire. The word is believed to be a corruption of "bone fire" (from Old English bān-fyr, literally "bone fire". The tradition is believed to derive from the Celtic festival of Samhain when animal bones were burnt to ward off evil spirits. It remains a Halloween tradition in the United States. In Great Britain, bonfires are particularly associated with Guy Fawkes Night (also known as fireworks night or bonfire night), an annual commemoration of the discovery of the Gunpowder Plot on 5 November 1605. In Sussex they are particularly associated with the execution of Protestant martyrs. In Northern Ireland, they are associated with celebrations on the anniversary of the Battle of the Boyne, which took place on 12 July 1690. Along with the Maypole, it is an important component of the Wiccan and Neopagan celebration of Beltaine, also known as May Day. In the United States, a bonfire is often held at the end of a Homecoming rally.

On Christmas Eve in Southern Louisiana, bonfires are built along the Mississippi River levees to light the way for Santa Claus as he moves along the river with his skiff pulled by eight alligators. This tradition is an annual event in St. James Parish, Louisiana


[ Click here to read more ]
52
Vote
   


Endangered Animals

October 8th 2007 11:52
The conservation status of a species is an indicator of the likelihood of that endangered species not living. Many factors are taken into account when assessing the conservation status of a species; not simply the number remaining, but the overall increase or decrease in the population over time, breeding success rates, known threats, and so on.
An endangered species is a population of an organism which is at risk of becoming extinct because it is either few in number, or threatened by changing environmental or predation parameters.
Below are pictures of some of the more well known critically endangered species of the planet. Only a few of the many species at risk of extinction actually make it to these sorts of lists and obtain legal protection. Many more species become extinct, or potentially will become extinct, without gaining public notice


[ Click here to read more ]
55
Vote
   


Carnival of Venice

October 13th 2006 03:36
The carnival of Venice was first recorded in 1268. The subversive nature of the festival is reflected in the many laws created over the centuries in Italy attempting to restrict celebrations and often banning the wearing of masks.

Masks have always been a central feature of the Venetian carnival; traditionally people were allowed to wear them between the festival of Santo Stefano (St. Stephen's Day, December 26) at the start of the carnival season and midnight of Shrove Tuesday. The Carnival of Venice itself starts on February 2nd and ends on Shrove Tuesday


[ Click here to read more ]
68
Vote
   


Ian's Blogs

54432 Vote(s)
1459 Comment(s)
763 Post(s)
0 Vote(s)
0 Comment(s)
0 Post(s)
0 Vote(s)
0 Comment(s)
0 Post(s)
53001 Vote(s)
431 Comment(s)
776 Post(s)
48375 Vote(s)
193 Comment(s)
763 Post(s)
Jay's Blog (Member)
3021 Vote(s)
54 Comment(s)
39 Post(s)
Moderated by Ian
Copyright © 2006 2007 2008 On Topic Media PTY LTD. All Rights Reserved. Design by Vimu.com.
On Topic Media ZPages: Sydney |  Melbourne |  Brisbane |  London |  Birmingham |  Leeds     [ Advertise ] [ Contact Us ] [ Privacy Policy ]