Science
A Volcano In Iceland Is Erupting Again, Spewing Lava And Cutting Heat And Hot Water Supplies
GRINDAVIK, Iceland — A volcano in southwestern Iceland erupted for the third time since December on Thursday, spewing lava into the sky, forcing the evacuation of the famed Blue Lagoon geothermal spa and cutting off heat and hot water to thousands of people.
The eruption occurred around 0600 GMT (1 a.m. EST) along a three-kilometre (nearly two-mile) fissure northeast of Mount Sýlingarfell, according to Iceland’s Meteorological Office. A lava flood overtook a supply conduit, cutting off heat and hot water to several settlements on the Reykjanes Peninsula.
The Met Office said that the eruption’s severity had diminished by mid-afternoon, but lava continued to spew from parts of the fissure, and a massive plume of steam rose over a segment of the breach where magma mingled with groundwater.
The eruption site is around 4 kilometres (2½ miles) northeast of Grindavik, a seaside village of 3,800 people evacuated before the previous eruption on December 18. The Meteorological Office stated there was no immediate threat to the town on Thursday.
A Volcano In Iceland Is Erupting Again, Spewing Lava And Cutting Heat And Hot Water Supplies
Civil defence officials said no one was believed to be in Grindavik during the latest eruption. “They weren’t meant to be, and we don’t know about any,” Iceland’s Civil Defence head, Víðir Reynisson, said to national television RUV.
According to the Civil Defence agency, lava entered a pipeline from the Svartsengi geothermal power station that delivers hot water to many villages on the Reykjanes Peninsula for home heating. Authorities urged families to use hot water and power sparingly as workmen raced to install an underground water conduit as a backup. Schools, gymnasiums, and swimming pools were closed due to a lack of heat and water.
The Blue Lagoon thermal spa, constructed using excess water from the power plant, was closed when the eruption began, and all tourists were safely evacuated, according to RUV. A stream of steaming lava later flowed across the spa’s exit road.
There were no reported flight problems at Iceland’s largest airport, Keflavik, although hot water was turned off, according to airport operator Isavia.
A Volcano In Iceland Is Erupting Again, Spewing Lava And Cutting Heat And Hot Water Supplies
The Icelandic Met Office warned earlier this week that an eruption was possible after three weeks of monitoring a buildup of magma, or semi-molten rock, below ground. Hundreds of minor earthquakes had been recorded in the vicinity since Friday, culminating in a burst of severe seismic activity around 30 minutes before the latest eruption began.
The Icelandic coast guard released a dramatic video showing lava fountains leaping over 50 metres (165 feet) into the darkening air. A vapour plume rose around 3 kilometres (1½ miles) above the volcano.
Iceland, which sits above a volcanic hotspot in the North Atlantic, experiences an eruption every four to five years. The most recent disruption was the 2010 eruption of the Eyjafjallajokull volcano, which blasted massive ash clouds into the stratosphere and resulted in widespread airspace closures across Europe.
Dave McGarvie, a volcanologist who has studied extensively in Iceland, said the “gentle, effusive” eruption is unlikely to hinder aviation because such volcanoes create very little ash.
Grindavik, located about 50 kilometres (30 miles) southwest of Iceland’s capital, Reykjavik, was evacuated in November after the Svartsengi volcanic system erupted after nearly 800 years with a series of earthquakes that produced enormous breaches in the ground north of the town.
The volcano eventually erupted on December 18, spewing lava away from Grindavik. A second eruption, which began on January 14, drove lava towards the settlement. The town’s ground has sunk by up to 1½ metres (4½ feet) due to magma movement, despite defensive walls that had been strengthened since the previous eruption.
No definite deaths have been reported, although a worker is missing after sliding into a rift created by the volcano.
Both prior eruptions lasted only a few days but heralded “a daunting period of upheaval” on Iceland’s Reykjanes Peninsula, one of its most densely populated areas.
McGarvie said it is unknown whether Grindavik inhabitants can return permanently.
A Volcano In Iceland Is Erupting Again, Spewing Lava And Cutting Heat And Hot Water Supplies
“I think at the moment there is the resignation, the stoical resignation, that, for the foreseeable future, the town is basically uninhabitable,” he said.
After centuries of silence, “people thought this area was fairly safe.”
“It’s been a bit of a shock that it has come back to life,” he said. “Evidence that we gathered only quite recently is that eruptions could go on for decades, if not centuries, sporadically in this particular peninsula.”
SOURCE – (AP)
Science
NASA Cuts 2 From Next SpaceX Flight To Make Room For Astronauts Stuck At Space Station
NASA withdrew two astronauts from the next crew on Friday to create room on the return voyage for the two stuck at the International Space Station.
NASA Cuts 2 From Next SpaceX Flight To Make Room For Astronauts Stuck At Space Station
NASA’s Nick Hague and Russian Aleksandr Gorbunov will launch the orbiting laboratory in September using a SpaceX rocket. In February, the duo will reunite with Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore. NASA felt it was too unsafe for Williams and Wilmore to return home in their Boeing Starliner spacecraft, which had propulsion issues and helium leaks.
NASA astronauts Zena Cardman and Stephanie Wilson were bumped from their SpaceX flight. NASA stated that they could fly on future missions.
The space agency considered spaceflight experience and other considerations while choosing.
After the shuttles were retired, the United States relied on Russia to transport crews to the space station until SpaceX began carrying humans in 2020. The two countries continue to exchange seats. Next month, NASA’s Don Pettit will launch to the space station, while NASA’s Tracy Dyson will return to Earth via a Russian capsule.
NASA Cuts 2 From Next SpaceX Flight To Make Room For Astronauts Stuck At Space Station
NASA turned to commercial enterprises a decade ago, seeking two competing US companies to transport humans in the post-shuttle era.
In June, Boeing’s first crew, Williams and Wilmore, arrived at the space station for a planned week-long stay. Their capsule will return empty as early as next Friday, aiming to land in the New Mexico desert.
SOURCE | AP
Science
Scientists Discover Doughnut-Shaped Structure Deep in Earth’s Outer Core
In a groundbreaking study recently published in *Science Advances*, scientists have revealed an astonishing new feature within the Earth’s outer core.
Using seismic waves from large earthquakes, researchers have uncovered a doughnut-like, or torus-shaped, structure buried deep beneath the planet’s surface.
This discovery provides fresh insights into the complex dynamics of Earth’s internal composition.
The research team, led by Professor Hrvoje Tkalcic, a geophysicist from the Australian National University, analyzed seismic waves that travel through Earth’s outer core.
These waves, generated by significant seismic events, offer valuable information about the core’s structure and composition.
Professor Tkalcic explained that the team focused on the slowing down of seismic waves as they passed through a specific area of the outer core near its boundary with the mantle.
“By understanding the paths of those waves and their travel times, we reconstructed their journey through the Earth’s outer core,” Tkalcic said.
The slowdown in wave velocity indicated the presence of a torus-shaped region within the outer core, oriented parallel to the equator. This discovery adds a new layer of complexity to our understanding of Earth’s interior.
New Study Reveals Low-Velocity Torus in Earth’s Outer Core
The study’s authors noted, “Thermochemical inhomogeneities in the outer core that enhance our understanding of the geodynamo have been elusive.
Seismic constraints on such inhomogeneities would provide clues on the amount and distribution of light elements in the core apart from iron and nickel.”
The researchers employed global coda correlation wavefield analysis to present evidence of a low-velocity volume within the outer core.
Their findings indicate that seismic waves travel more slowly in this equatorial torus compared to other regions Through waveform modeling, they determined that this torus has a velocity approximately 2% lower than the surrounding liquid outer core.
The study proposes that this low-velocity structure is likely of thermochemical origin, offering crucial insights into the dynamical processes of the Earth’s outer core.
This discovery represents a significant advancement in our understanding of planet’s internal dynamics and could have far-reaching implications for the study of geodynamics and the geodynamo.
Science
FAA Grounds SpaceX After Rocket Falls Over In Flames At Landing
SpaceX’s launches are on hold after a booster rocket caught fire while landing on Wednesday.
Following the early morning mishap off the Florida coast, the Federal Aviation Administration suspended the company’s Falcon 9 rockets and demanded an investigation. There were no reports of injuries or public damage.
FAA Grounds SpaceX After Rocket Falls Over In Flames At Landing
It’s too early to say how much this may affect SpaceX’s planned crew trips, one private and one for NASA. A billionaire’s chartered flight was delayed only a few hours earlier due to a poor weather forecast.
The rocket launched from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, delivering all 21 Starlink internet satellites to orbit. However, the first-stage booster exploded in a fireball shortly after landing on an ocean platform, marking the first such disaster in years. This was SpaceX’s 23rd launch of this specific rocket, setting a recycling record.
The FAA stated that before SpaceX can resume Falcon 9 launches, it must accept its accident findings and corrective action. Following the accident, a launch from California with more Starlinks was canceled immediately.
SpaceX’s vice president, Jon Edwards, said the business is working “ASAP” to determine what went wrong.
“The loss of a booster is always heartbreaking. Each of them has its own past and personality. “Fortunately, this does not happen very often,” Edwards wrote on X.
Aside from the private spaceflight awaiting liftoff from Florida’s Kennedy Space Centre, the compnany is scheduled to send two astronauts for NASA late next month. Two seats will be reserved for the two astronauts who launched in June aboard Boeing’s new Starliner capsule and were declared dangerous by NASA for their return.
SOURCE | AP
-
Business4 weeks ago
Are You A Cash App User? You May Be Eligible For A Piece Of This $15 Million Settlement
-
Celebrity4 weeks ago
Liza Minnelli Is ‘Mad As Hell’ And Writing New Memoir
-
Business4 weeks ago
Susan Wojcicki, Former YouTube CEO And Longtime Google Executive, Has Died At 56
-
News4 weeks ago
Travis Scott Is Arrested At A Paris Hotel After Altercation With A Security Guard, Prosecutors Say
-
Sports4 weeks ago
Lydia Ko Finally Gets Her Olympic Gold. It Puts Her Into The LPGA Hall Of Fame
-
Business4 weeks ago
After A Rash Of Stolen Cars, Hyundai And Kia’s New Anti-Theft Software Is Showing Results