Jennifer Marohasy

a forum for the discussion of issues concerning the natural environment

Archives for March 2011

Moon above Tokyo at time of Earthquake

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JUPITER and Saturn are currently straddling the earth and the moon was over Tokyo and closer to the earth than usual at about the time of the massive earthquake.  Standing on the moon it would have looked something like this (see image).  Those who take an interest in such issues would say that the gravitational pulls on that part of the Earth would have been considerable at the time of the earthquake. 

From Ken Ring:

“The planets very much affect the earth, indirectly, by having an effect on the Sun. Some planets are very large. If the Sun was a basketball the gas giants Jupiter and Saturn would be the size of grapeftuits, and the Earth would be, on that scale, the size of a peppercorn.

“Jupiter and Saturn cause extra tides on the Sun when they get on either side of the Sun (as with Moon – Earth-Sun when the moon is full) and when these gas giants get on the same side as the Sun, (as with Earth -Moon – Sun when the moon is new). These greater solar tides become sunspot activity and solar flares and can be understood as akin to the increase in tides caused by the Moon when it too gets alongside Earth or opposite Earth.

“At the moment we have Jupiter and Saturn on either side of the Sun and creating a tug of war with Earth in the middle. That started last September.”

http://www.predictweather.co.nz/

And

http://eprints.usq.edu.au/4795/1/Wilson_Carter_Waite_Author’s_version.pdf

[Images via Alan Siddons – thanks Alan.]

UPDATE …  More from Alan Siddons

If the moon were directly overhead in Tokyo, for instance, the two positions would be the same. As it is, you can see that the moon was several degrees south and east at the moment. Here’s a more concrete demonstration, then.

This fish eye depiction is of Toyko’s view-point at the time (click on image for a larger view). I removed the atmosphere so you could see other planets. The spot where all the lines converge is zenith, 90°, so the moon was nearly overhead — at 66° 10’, to be more precise.

Recycling of Heat in the Atmosphere is Impossible: A Note from Nasif S. Nahle

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Introduction

Key diagrams on the Earth’s energy budget depicts an exchange of energy between the surface and the atmosphere and their subsystems considering each system as if they were blackbodies with emissivities and absorptivities of 100% 1, 2.

This kind of analyses shows a strange “multiplication” of the heat transferred from the surface to the atmosphere and from the atmosphere to the surface which is unexplainable from a scientific viewpoint. The authors of those diagrams adduce that such increase of energy in the atmosphere obeys to a “recycling” of the heat coming from the surface by the atmosphere 1, 2, as if the atmosphere-surface were a furnace or a thermos and the heat was a substance.

Such “recycling” of heat by the atmosphere does not occur in the real world for the reasons that I will expose later in this note.

[Read more…] about Recycling of Heat in the Atmosphere is Impossible: A Note from Nasif S. Nahle

Can Earthquakes Be Forecast?

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A very strong 8.9 magnitude earthquake has hit Japan and tsunami warnings have been issued across the Pacific.

New Zealander, Ken Ring, forecast the recent devastating earthquake in Christchurch and forecast an increased likelihood of earthquakes between September 2010 and May 2011 because of the increased gravitational pull on the earth given the current alignment of Jupiter and Saturn.

I would link to Mr Ring’s website but it appears to be down tonight.

Black Water Kills Tens of Thousands of Murray Cod

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Yesterday, Wakool farmer John Lolicato told me about recent fish kills in the southern Riverina.   Click here to listen to our conversation: WS450079   

The fish kills were caused by black water with tens of thousands of Murray Cod dying over the last four years.  

The enormous (1.4 metre long) Murray Cod being held up by two farmers is just one of many large fish found floating in the Lower Wakool River following a black water event last year.

The Wakool is an anabranch of the Murray, click on the map for a better and larger view.

Rice Suits the Murray Darling Basin

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 MANY environmentalists don’t believe we should be growing rice in Australia.   I disagree.   Rice suits a land of drought or flooding rains.  Unlike almonds, grapes and other perennial crops, rice doesn’t need water every year.  It’s an annual crop that can be planted only when there is an excess of water.

I visited Wakool rice farmer John Lolicato today and he showed me his rice crop. 

John is a third generation rice grower in the Wakool District.  His grandfather began growing tomatoes, later they tried millet, tobacco and even cotton.  

The family has found that the climate and heavy clay soils suit rice.   

John didn’t grow rice during the recent drought because while he had a water licence, he didn’t have a water allocation.  

The extreme variability of rainfall at Wakool is managed by government issuing irrigation licenses which are subject to seasonal allocations.  When water is short, allocations are minimal or zero. 

While it is fashionable to claim there is “over-allocation” in the Murray Darling Basin the reality is that when water is scarce during drought, government limits the amount of water for agriculture.

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More photographs here of John and my good friend Catherine amongst the rice.