The Watchers.com - 5/18/13, Chillymanjaro

32,4 million people were forced to flee their homes last year due to natural disasters such as floods, storms and earthquakes, according to a report released by Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre on May 13, 2013. According to the report, 98% of those uprooted were displaced by climate- and weather-related events. Climate change is believed to play an increasingly significant role in global disasters. 2012 Special Report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change stated that, "disasters associated with climate extremes influence population mobility and relocation, affecting host and origin communities."

For more on this story please see TheWatchers.com

Space.com - 6/27/13, Miriam Kramer

The image drawn in this black charcoal pictograph found in a Tennessee cave is also found on prehistoric, religious artifacts.
CREDIT: Jan Simek, Alan Cressler, Nicholas Herrmann and Sarah Sherwood / Antiquity Publications LTD.
 

Some of the oldest art in the United States maps humanity's place in the cosmos, as aligned with an ancient religion.

A team of scientists has uncovered a series of engravings and drawings strategically placed in open air and within caves by prehistoric groups of Native American settlers that depict their cosmological understanding of the world around them.

Link: Space.com

Accuweather.com - 6/30/13

New June record highs were already set or equaled in Salt Lake City, Utah, Needles, Calif., and Kingman, Ariz., on Friday. More records were set on Saturday in Phoenix, Ariz., Elko, Nev., and Palm Springs, Calif.

An atmospheric blast furnace is at full throttle this weekend over the interior West with heat reaching dangerous levels, challenging records and elevating the wildfire threat.

While many folks over the interior West are accustomed to and expect hot weather during the summer, this pattern is taking the heat to the extreme. In some cities, record highs for any date throughout the year could be equaled or breached.

Link: Accuweather.com

Thewatchers-Chiffre June 29,2013

Explosive-extrusive-effusive eruption of Shiveluch volcano, Kamchatka continues. An episode of intense, but short, activity was recorded at Shiveluch volcano, Kamchatka, Russia on June 26/27, 2013. The event was most likely a partial collapse of the existing dome with possible explosions, since the ash emitted was mostly red (indicating it originated from old, altered lava).

Because of the lack of visibility experts at Tokyo VAAC estimated the height of the ash plume at about 10 to 12 km, using the seismic record from the volcano. KVERT reported ashfall SW of the volcano reaching villages Klyuchi (2mm of ash measured) and Lazo (1mm of ash). Ash plumes were extending to the south-east and south-west of the volcano. Two more ash explosions occurred at 17:06 and 22:01 UTC on June 27, 2013. Ash plumes rose up to 7 and 6 km a.s.l., respectively.

Read More: http://thewatchers.adorraeli.com/2013/06/29/intense-episode-with-large-ash-emissions-at-shiveluch-volcano-kamchatka/

The Watchers, 6/29/13, Chillmanjaro

Interior US West will experience heat reaching dangerous levels, challenging records and elevating the wildfire threat. The developing pattern will take the heat to the extreme levels with record highs. Temperatures will soar above 120 °F (48.8 °C) into early next week. The extreme heat is expected to impact Las Vegas, Phoenix, Salt Lake City, Denver, Boise, Idaho, Rawlins, Medford and Fresno. The worst of the heat will hold up just inland over California.

For more on this story please see The Watchers.com