Friday, June 7, 2013
The Blood Rains
Suspicious0bservers on YouTube forecasted today that this area of the
World would most likely be getting some blood rain soon. NASA has an
entry here, http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/IOTD/view.php?id=81276, with a bit of history and a few facts around this phenomenon.
Here it is below as well.
* * *
European history is sprinkled with references to episodes when rain or
snow turned brown, yellow, and even dark red. So-called “blood rains”
are mentioned by Cicero, Geoffrey of Monmouth, and writers throughout
the Middle Ages. The events were often taken as dreadful omens that
human suffering was imminent. When red rain drenched the Roman Senate in
191 B.C., Roman historian Livy described the response: “Being disturbed
by these prodigies, the Fathers decreed that the consuls should
sacrifice full-grown victims to whatever gods it seemed proper.”
Thousands of years later, red rains still occur periodically in Europe,
though with less dramatic effect. They generally receive no more than a
brief mention by a news outlet or a meteorologist because we now
understand what causes them: strong storms picking up Saharan dust and
lofting it toward Europe. Colored rain (or snow) occurs when dust plumes
and storm systems meet, though only when raindrops fall through a dust
plume beneath the level of the clouds.
Dust storms are common throughout the Sahara Desert. On May 29, 2013,
the Ozone Mapping Profiler Suite (OMPS) on the Suomi NPP satellite
captured this view of an expansive dust event in Africa and southern
Europe. Plumes of dust stretched over Turkey, Greece, Albania,
Montenegro, Serbia, and part of Bosnia-Herzegovina. Aerosol
concentrations in the air are represented by a quantity known as the
aerosol index, with the highest concentrations in deep red and the
lowest in light yellow. The heaviest loads of dust appear to be
emanating from near the Bodele Depression in Chad.
Dust storms that reach Europe are fueled by cyclones with marked
seasonal cycles. The most intense dust events to affect the Eastern
Mediterranean region usually occur in spring and early summer; by the
end of summer, a low-pressure system often emerges over the Balearic
Islands and pushes plumes toward the Western Mediterranean.
As seen above, not all of the dust kicked up in Saharan dust storms
moves north. About 60 percent flows west toward the Atlantic, often
drifting all the way to South America. Previous research has shown that
about half the mineral dust that fertilizes Amazon soil originates in
the Bodele Depression.
While dust can have severe impacts on air quality close to the source,
dust from the Sahara is usually soaring at about 3 kilometers (2 miles)
above the surface by the time it reaches Europe, explained NASA
atmospheric scientist Colin Seftor. “It’s up so high that people on the
ground aren’t really affected, though if they look up they may notice
the sky looks a bit milky or opaque.”
However, what goes up must eventually come down. Gravity pulls dust
earthward, and rain and snow accelerates the process. Colored rains
occur when raindrops fall through dust plumes. Heavier rainstorms
usually wash dust away before it is readily apparent, but brief, light
showers can leave noticeable color across the landscape. Red rains only
occur if dust particles contain enough iron oxide.
Dusty rains occurs throughout Europe, but they are most common along the
shores of the Mediterranean Sea. Red rains are the rarest, but they
still occur regularly. University of Arizona researchers have compiled a
database with details of more than 500 events that have occurred since
1900. A few weeks before OMPS acquired this data, the Balkan Chronicle
reported red rain in Bosnia-Herzegovina.
Related Posts
By
Laron
at
3:00 PM
Thanks to: http://www.transients.info
The Blood Rains
Suspicious0bservers on YouTube forecasted today that this area of the
World would most likely be getting some blood rain soon. NASA has an
entry here, http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/IOTD/view.php?id=81276, with a bit of history and a few facts around this phenomenon.
Here it is below as well.
* * *
European history is sprinkled with references to episodes when rain or
snow turned brown, yellow, and even dark red. So-called “blood rains”
are mentioned by Cicero, Geoffrey of Monmouth, and writers throughout
the Middle Ages. The events were often taken as dreadful omens that
human suffering was imminent. When red rain drenched the Roman Senate in
191 B.C., Roman historian Livy described the response: “Being disturbed
by these prodigies, the Fathers decreed that the consuls should
sacrifice full-grown victims to whatever gods it seemed proper.”
Thousands of years later, red rains still occur periodically in Europe,
though with less dramatic effect. They generally receive no more than a
brief mention by a news outlet or a meteorologist because we now
understand what causes them: strong storms picking up Saharan dust and
lofting it toward Europe. Colored rain (or snow) occurs when dust plumes
and storm systems meet, though only when raindrops fall through a dust
plume beneath the level of the clouds.
Dust storms are common throughout the Sahara Desert. On May 29, 2013,
the Ozone Mapping Profiler Suite (OMPS) on the Suomi NPP satellite
captured this view of an expansive dust event in Africa and southern
Europe. Plumes of dust stretched over Turkey, Greece, Albania,
Montenegro, Serbia, and part of Bosnia-Herzegovina. Aerosol
concentrations in the air are represented by a quantity known as the
aerosol index, with the highest concentrations in deep red and the
lowest in light yellow. The heaviest loads of dust appear to be
emanating from near the Bodele Depression in Chad.
Dust storms that reach Europe are fueled by cyclones with marked
seasonal cycles. The most intense dust events to affect the Eastern
Mediterranean region usually occur in spring and early summer; by the
end of summer, a low-pressure system often emerges over the Balearic
Islands and pushes plumes toward the Western Mediterranean.
As seen above, not all of the dust kicked up in Saharan dust storms
moves north. About 60 percent flows west toward the Atlantic, often
drifting all the way to South America. Previous research has shown that
about half the mineral dust that fertilizes Amazon soil originates in
the Bodele Depression.
While dust can have severe impacts on air quality close to the source,
dust from the Sahara is usually soaring at about 3 kilometers (2 miles)
above the surface by the time it reaches Europe, explained NASA
atmospheric scientist Colin Seftor. “It’s up so high that people on the
ground aren’t really affected, though if they look up they may notice
the sky looks a bit milky or opaque.”
However, what goes up must eventually come down. Gravity pulls dust
earthward, and rain and snow accelerates the process. Colored rains
occur when raindrops fall through dust plumes. Heavier rainstorms
usually wash dust away before it is readily apparent, but brief, light
showers can leave noticeable color across the landscape. Red rains only
occur if dust particles contain enough iron oxide.
Dusty rains occurs throughout Europe, but they are most common along the
shores of the Mediterranean Sea. Red rains are the rarest, but they
still occur regularly. University of Arizona researchers have compiled a
database with details of more than 500 events that have occurred since
1900. A few weeks before OMPS acquired this data, the Balkan Chronicle
reported red rain in Bosnia-Herzegovina.
Related Posts
- The Blood Rains
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- A cosmic collision between two Galaxies
- The Milky Trail - NASA Astronomy picture of the day
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By
Laron
at
3:00 PM
Thanks to: http://www.transients.info