Pacific NW News Service Since 1992

December 27, 2014

Summary and References
EARTH & SUN DIGEST of 2014/12/25

Earthquakes 6M+: one 6.3M earthquake in Molucca Sea, Indonesia, on 12/21
Deep Quakes >300 km with 4M+ quake: Six in Fiji Area on 12/19(5.1M),20,2224(5.1M),25(2); one in Banda Sea, Indonesia, on 12/23, one in Celebes Sea, Indonesia, on 12/24, nearly one in E Sea of Japan (285 km) on 12/25
Volcanic Ash over 8 km: Nevado del Ruiz, Colombia, on 12/19 with VA to 9 km. Bardabunga volcano, Iceland, lava field over 79.8 sq km.

Reference Web Sites

California/Nevada Map
http://www.data.scec.org/recenteqs/

Daily Geomagnetic Data
http://www.swpc.noaa.gov/ftpdir/latest/DGD.txt

Daily Solar Data
http://www.swpc.noaa.gov/produ...-and-27-day-forecast
http://www.spaceweather.com

Volcanic ash eruptions of 8+ km
http://www.volcano.si.edu/reports_weekly.cfm
http://www.bom.gov.au/products/Volc_ash_recent.shtml

World Earthquakes
http://www.emsc-csem.org/Earthquake/ (Tap on mag>4 to limit entries)
http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/map/

MOON PROJECTIONS
from Stephen on PINPOINT NEWSLETTER
Far Point (apogee), Near Point (perigee), and Milestones between
http://www.fourmilab.ch/earthview/pacalc.html

Event Day & Time UTC
 December 2014
Apogee      12 23:04
Equator NS  14 19:36
Mid AP      16 20:42
Max AP      18 22:30 2 min
S Limit     21 18:23
Solstice    21 23:03
New Moon    22 01:36
Perigee     24 16:44 (Christmas Eve)
Equator SN  27 23:59
Mid PA      29 22:08
Max PA      31 01:17 13 min  
 January 2015
N Limit    03 17:51
Perihelion 04 07:??
Full Moon  05 04:54
Apogee     09 18:18
Equator NS 11 04:59
Mid AP     13 14:57
Max AP     16 12:34 8 min
S Limit    18 06:16
New Moon   20 13:15
Perigee    21 20:07
Equator SN 24 08:20
Mid PA     26 10:53
Max PA     26 23:47 19 min
N Limit    31 01:00

Donald

"We were out delivering Christmas gifts and just had to stop a bit ... 5 minutes became 5 hours. Merry Christmas everyone!" The show's not over. NOAA forecasters estimate a 35% chance of polar geomagnetic storms on Dec. 25th as the solar wind continues to blow. Browse the gallery for latest images from around the Arctic Circle. 

 Christmas Eve service is about to start at a very full Mendocino Presbyterian Church.

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#356 - Experience the natural beauty of the Lake Roosevelt National Recreation Area. Formed by the waters of the Columbia River behind the Grand Coulee Dam, this 150 mile long lake is known for its wilderness like setting and remote shorelines. (Photo by J. Foster Fanning Photography)

 John Foster

 The Christmas Car

Sister Carla K. is currently spending her days chasing around a three-year old. Some days, it can be two children ranging from newborn to age four. For the past 12 years, Sister Carla’s ministry has been as a stay-at-home foster mother in Detroit, Michigan.

Through her foster care ministry and work with at-risk families, Sister Carla has developed relationships with the children and families that transcend her formal role. She continues to keep in touch and does what she can to provide resources and support to some families for years after her official association with them has ended.

 Ron Rattray

One foster family that Sister Carla has kept in touch with over the years is Heidi and her four daughters. She first met Heidi when she began caring for Heidi’s then one- and two-year-old children. Over the course of weekly supervised visits, Sister Carla and Heidi got to know one another. Heidi said, “Sister Carla is an angel. She’s devoted to the kids. She saves kids’ lives.” Heidi told Sister Carla that because she knew her girls were in good care, she could begin working on herself. A friendship developed that continued after Heidi regained custody of her children, even though she has moved from Detroit.
http://www.sistersofmercy.org/blog/2014/12/24/the-christmas-car/?utm_source=fb&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=advent-2014

 bobshannon.org

The Eight Best Things To Happen To Renewable Energy In 2014

2014 brought us plenty of news to be unhappy about. The year had barely begun when a major chemical spill poisoned the water of 300,000 West Virginians, a disaster that left residents worried about the safety of their water for months. Not even a month after the spill, tens of thousands of tons of coal ash spewed into a river in North Carolina, the toxic waste product piling as high as five feet in some places. 2014 saw crippling drought in California, devastating flooding in India, and climatic changes that threw many members of the animal world into disarray. To top it all off, 2014 could very well turn out to be the hottest year on record. 

George H.W. Bush taken to hospital by ambulance
Former President George H.W. Bush was taken by ambulance to a Houston hospital Tuesday night after experiencing shortness of breath, according to a spokesman.

In a brief statement, Jim McGrath, a spokesman for the 41st president, said that Bush, 90, will be held for observation as a precaution at Houston’s Methodist Hospital.

LONG LAKE, Wash. -

Spokane County sheriff deputies are investigating a fatal crash in the 27000 block of W. Long Lake Road.
A neighbor claimed to have heard the crash around 2 a.m. but the vehicle involved wasn't discovered until 6:50 a.m.
A 40 year-old man was found deceased inside a 2004 Nissan Maxima.
Officials say it looks like the driver failed to negotiate a curve, struck a tree and the car rolled over onto its top.
The man was wearing his seatbelt and the airbags had been deployed.
Alcohol containers were found inside the vehicle, as well as a syringe inside a backpack, though the cause of the crash has yet to be determined.
The investigation is ongoing and the man's next of kin has been notified.

Grand Canyon National Park

Rick Price