August 26, Arctic sea ice extent broke the record low set in 2007, and it has continued to decline since, dropping below 1.5 million square miles. That represents a 45 percent reduction in the area covered by sea ice compared to the 1980s and 1990s, according to the National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC), and may be unprecedented in human history. The extent of sea ice that melted so far this year is equivalent to the size of Canada and Alaska combined. Read More and access links to original study.
NASA Seeks Extreme Weather Photographs
NASA has announced a competition to select the best user-submitted pictures of extreme weather to
display on its mission websites. The best pictures of thunderstorms, tornadoes and other extreme
weather condition will be featured on the NASA Precipitation Measurement Missions websites at
pmm.nasa.gov and www.nasa.gov/GPM, the space agency said.
Images should be in JPEG (.jpg) format in as high a resolution as possible with as much accompanying data as the user is comfortable providing, NASA said, including possibly name, affiliation (school, community group, etc.), location where the photo was taken and any other interesting details about the photo. More Details.
5 Costliest Hurricanes In U.S. History
Isaac might be the most destructive storm of the 2012 hurricane season,
but it doesn't compare to the deadliest storms in U.S. history. The National Hurricane Center publishes a record of the costliest hurricanes going back to 1851. Four of the five deadliest storms formed since 2004. Read more to find out which Hurricane ranked as most costiest.
Click here for more on Hurricanes and a Free eBook on Hurricane Preparedenss
Shifting sands from Isaac reveal 1923 shipwreck
GULF SHORES, Ala. (AP) — The pounding surf and currents from Hurricane Isaac on a remote spit of Alabama shoreline has again revealed the wreckage of a schooner that ran aground in 1923, delighting curious tourists and locals.
The schooner Rachel and her eight-man crew ran aground near historic Fort Morgan on Oct. 17, 1923, during a tropical storm. The men were headed to Mobile after a stop in Cuba. While the men aboard the Rachel survived, others on nearby schooners weren't so lucky. Read More.
This is just Gross!
Officials have begun cleanup efforts on Mississippi beaches littered with thousands of nutria rats,
killed and swept onshore by Hurricane Isaac.
Officials with the Hancock County Emergency Management Agency say that parts of Beach Boulevard from Lakeshore Road to Washington Street in Bay St. Louis have been closed while workers in hazardous materials suits try and pick up the carcasses.
Hancock County EMA officials estimate more than 15,000 swamp rats were killed
by Isaac's storm surge and washed up on the beaches. This is a significant increase
from the estimated 5,000 earlier reported. Read more and view photos.
Potential Mississippi Dam Break
The excessive rainfall drenching Mississippi from Tropical Storm Isaac has prompted a flash flood emergency and the evacuation of thousands ahead of a potential dam break.
The river is forecast to rise rapidly to nearly one foot above its record flood stage of 18.7 feet by Friday afternoon. NWS says the river could hit 19.4 feet. Officials believe this will likely cause the 700-acre Lake Tangipahoa earthen dam, also known as the Percy quin dam to break, causing widespread and significant flooding downstream of the river. Read more.
Drought Sunken Mississippi River
The prolonged drought across the Mid-South and Upper Midwest has lowered the Mississippi River to its lowest levels since 1988, halting traffic along an 11-mile stretch of the river near Greenville, Miss.
The Mississippi River at Greenville had fallen to a stage of only 7.75 feet as of early Tuesday.
This is the lowest river level here on the river since 1988, when the river dipped to 7.30 feet. It is forecast to continue to fall, reaching the 1988 low mark over the weekend, tying it with 1981
for the 4th lowest river level at Greenville on record. Click here to read more and see photos.
A steamboat trip for hun