Archive for April, 2010
Scientists Study ‘Glaciovolcanoes,’ Mountains of Fire and Ice
Science Daily (Apr. 28, 2010) — Glaciovolcanoes, they’re called, these rumbling mountains where the orange-red fire of magma meets the frozen blue of glaciers. Iceland’s Eyjafjallajökull volcano, which erupted recently, is but one of these volcanoes. Others, such as Katla, Hekla and Askja in Iceland; Edziza in British Columbia, Canada; and Mount Rainier and Mount Redoubt in the U.S., are also glaciovolcanoes: volcanoes covered by ice. Read more →
Cleanup, April 2010
Our volunteer cleanup day for April 2010 took place on Saturday the 24th in Bukhansan National Park. The team followed the trail circuit starting at the south Wonhyobong trailhead. A total of 100 litres of trash and recyclables was located, removed, and properly disposed of. Of particular interest was a large cache of buried trash. The cache was discovered by KMPL campaign director, Kyle Tapper, downslope from the main route. Packaging dates on cans indicate that the trash has been leeching into the soil since circa 1990. Read more →
Topography of Mountains Could Complicate Rates of Global Warming
Science Daily (Apr. 25, 2010) — A new study concludes that the future effects of global warming could be significantly changed over very small distances by local air movements in complex or mountainous terrain — perhaps doubling or even tripling the temperature increases in some situations. In an article to be published in the International Journal of Climatology, researchers from Oregon State University used the unique historical data provided by Oregon’s H.J. Andrews Experimental Forest to study potential variations in temperature caused by steep hills and valleys. Read more →
Heavy Snowfall Over Himalayas Makes Drought Over India More Likely
ScienceDaily (Apr. 23, 2010) — Scientists from the Walker Institute at the University of Reading have helped to explain why heavy snowfall over the Himalayas in winter and spring can lead to drought over India, especially in the early part of the summer monsoon. This work forms part of the Climate Programme of the National Centre for Atmospheric Science (NCAS). As far back as the 1880s scientists have known that increased snow over the Himalayas can be linked with weaker summer monsoon rains over India. However, the mechanisms explaining this link have never been properly understood. Read more →
Oil Rig Sinks, Gulf of Mexico
Guardian, with files from the Associated Press (Apr. 23, 2010) - A deepwater oil platform that burned for more than a day after an explosion has sunk in the Gulf of Mexico as hopes faded of finding 11 missing workers. The sinking of the Deepwater Horizon could release more than 1,135,600 litres of crude oil a day into the water. The environmental hazards would be greatest if the spill were to reach the Louisiana coast, about 50 miles (80km) away. Read more →
Good News for Earth Day
KMPL (Apr. 22, 2010) – In 1970, a United States senator chose April 22nd as the day to hold a seminar to discuss environmental issues. Since then, April 22nd has been celebrated globally as a day of action and a reminder of the fragility of ecological systems. Senator Nelson died in 2005, but the legacy of environmentalism he came to represent becomes stronger with each passing year. Today, in 2010 (which is also the International Year of Biodiversity) we mark 40 years of Earth Day. This Earth Day, and this Saturday’s cleanup, also marks the 5th anniversary of the Korean Mountain Preservation League. Read more →