Continent-Building in Action

Most people don't realize, but Iceland's largest volcanic eruption in the past few centuries has been taking place.  It's gone mostly unnoticed due to its remote location and that its really an effusive eruption - massive volumes of lava.

Bardarbunga Eruption

The Wasp

Later on this year we'll learn about how hurricanes have an effect on the world ocean and vice versa. Here's some pretty amazing images of Typhoon Vongfong...

Here's a picture of Typhoon Vongfong from the ISS.  Vongfong translates into English as, "The Wasp."  It's been wreaking havoc in the Mariana Islands and Okinawa.  Mainland Japan is next.

Typhoon Vongfong

Video from the ISS of Supertyphoon Vongfong

Here Come the Glorious Colors of Autumn!

Autumn Foliage - Reading, VT
Image Credit - Reading Government

I know this isn't oceanography, but I couldn't resist...autumn is my favorite season.  The colors and the crisp weather have a lot to do with that.

Here's a great article from NOAA on the 'true colors' of autumn.

NOAA Article - Autumn Foliage Colors

Wetness

Water Drop
Image Credit - Wikipedia

Very cool article here from ScienceDaily.com on why 'wet' feels 'wet.'

Science Daily - Wetness

Colorful Sand

Green Sand (Olivine) Beach

I think many Long Islanders just assume that every place in the world has fabulous wide quartz sand beaches just like our home island's ocean beaches.  While Long Island has been blessed with some of the most beautiful sandy beaches in the world along our Atlantic beaches, there isn't a huge variety of color in them.  Lots of that cream/white color of quartz.  The black of some magnetite and hornblende.  The red of garnet and some iron oxide concretions.  Along our bluffs we have some brilliantly colored clays.  Yes, we have been blessed with great beaches.

But in other parts of the world, there are some really colorful beaches.  Smithsonian Magazine showcases a few for us in this great article...
Smithsonian - Colorful Beaches

A Resumption of Whaling?

Image Courtesy of Animal Planet

I just saw this article on the Environmental News Service news feed.  Too bad.  Although I'm sure it's only for "scientific" purposes.

Japan's Resumption of Whaling

Australian Shark Attack

A shark attack left one man dead in Australia.  Australia's relatively large number of annual shark attacks led the government to undertake a shark hunt last year, despite the fact that so many shark populations are crashing and that we are the ones invading sharks' "turf" (not vice cersa).

Here's the link to the BBC:
BBC - Australia