Monthly report of solar, earthquake and volcanic activity
covering period
of the grand alignment 28th April - 28th May 2000.
Today in our region of Space -- 1 Jun 2000
Solar Wind: High speed solar wind particles from a coronal hole are blowing
past our planet for the second straight day. NOAA forecasters estimate a
10% chance of minor geomagnetic storms at mid-latitudes during the next 24
hr. Solar Wind velocity: 548.0 km/s density:2.0
protons/cc. Sunspot
Number: 110
The month past;
May 8, 2000 The solar activity ranged from low to moderate levels. A few
filament disappearances were observed, associated with a partial halo CME.
Isolated M-flares were observed during the second half of the week.
Geomagnetic activity quiet to unsettled through 11 May, then active to
minor storm levels.
May 10, 2000 a weak interstellar shock wave resulting from
a partial halo
coronal mass ejection may have passed Earth just before 1700 UT
on May
13.
May 11, 2000 -- In early April 2000, the Boulder sunspot number
soared
above 300 -- the Sun was literally peppered with spots. It
seemed like a
fitting prelude to the solar maximum, which experts predict
will arrive
in mid-June. Now, a little more than a month later, the Sun's visible
disk
is almost featureless, sporting just a few diminutive spots.
May 12th a massive CME occurred
May 15, 2000 material from a full halo coronal mass ejection
may have
passed by Earth early on May 18. NASA's ACE spacecraft recorded an
increase in the solar wind velocity that peaked around 0300 UT. The
interplanetary magnetic field in the vicinity of Earth did not develop
a
strong southward component. As a result, our planet's magnetosphere served
as an effective shield against the disturbance.
May 15, 2000 The Boulder sunspot number has soared above
300 and the
visible disk of the Sun is peppered with large spots. Together, active
regions 8996, 8998, and 9002 cover 2500 millionths of the Sun's
disk!
May 17, 2000 Jupiter and Venus were separated by just 42 arc seconds
May 18, 2000 0320 UT Solar Wind velocity:
464.9 km/s density:4.8
protons/cc Highest spot count so far this "mega cycle" :
Sunspot
Number: 342
May 19, 2000 Conjunctions continue as Mercury passes Mars with
a minimum
true angular separation of 1.1° at 9:04 (as determined by Voyager
II).
They are 12° from the sun and possibly visible.
May 19 and 20, 2000 Pictured http://www.spaceweather.com/
is an eruptive
solar prominence observed by the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory
Prominences are dense clouds of material suspended above the surface of the
Sun by loops of magnetic field. At its greatest extent, the prominence in
this picture was about 30 times larger than our planet. This site
shows
activity from 11.18am 19th to 11.18am on 20th UT>
May 19, 2000 Friday NZST approx 4pm, incoming radiation
observed through
physical symptoms, three highly tuned people one mountain top location,
further person same symptoms 30 kms away on flat, Canterbury Plains in
Christchurch New Zealand.
May 23, 2000 Solar Wind velocity: 580.2
km/s density:13.5
protons/cc. Sunspot Number: 207 Solar Activity: All of the
large spots
now visible on the Sun's disk are quiescent or decaying. The largest
active region is 9002, covering 600 millionths of the visible
disk.
May 27 - 29, 2000 Over Memorial Day weekend, the Sun was a
prolific
producer of coronal mass ejections. One animation (right) captured by the
SOHO wide field coronagraph includes the planet Venus, two star clusters --
the Hyades and Pleiades -- and a pair of CMEs in quick succession.
Animations: May 27-28 (362 kb); May 29-30 (666 kb).
May 30, 2000 Solar Wind: The high speed wind
from a coronal hole began
blowing past our planet on May 29 . A sudden drop in the density of the
solar wind coupled with an erratic southward-turning interplanetary
magnetic field triggered geomagnetic unrest between 1800 UT and 2400 UT
on
May 29. Aurora may have been visible around local midnight
in northern
Europe. Solar Wind velocity: 621.8 km/s density:3.4
protons/cc.
Sunspot Number: 189
May 22-28, 2000 A category G3 (strong) geomagnetic storm occurred
from 6:00
p.m. to midnight MDT on 23 May (2000 May 24 0000 - 0600UT). The storm was
the result of a coronal mass ejection passage at Earth. Category G3 storms
adversely affect various ground-based, space-based, and other types of
systems. Space-based system effects include surface charging on satellite
components, increased atmospheric drag on satellites, and satellite
orientation problems that require corrective actions.
Ground-based system, i.e. electrical power grid, effects include
high "gas
in oil" transformer readings, voltage corrections required, and false
alarms triggered
on protection systems. Other G3 storm effects include intermittent
satellite and low-frequency navigation problems, intermittent HF radio
reception, and aurora seen as low as the middle latitudes.
Two category R1 (minor) radio blackouts occurred on 24 May
due to solar
flares, which resulted in the following effects on the sunlit side of
Earth: weak degradation of HF radio communications with occasional loss of
radio contact for mariners and en route aviators, and low-frequency
navigation signals degraded for brief intervals affecting maritime and
general aviation positioning.
May 31, 2000 Solar Cycle Expands Earth's Atmosphere ;
Per nasa something
similar happens to Earth's atmosphere every 11 years when the sunspot cycle
nears maximum. As solar activity increases, extreme ultraviolet
radiation (EUV) heats our planet's gaseous envelope, causing it to swell and
reach farther into space than normal; vexes satellite operators with orbit
decay.
The space shuttle orbits in the thermosphere, a tenuous layer
of our
atmosphere that gets hotter and expands during solar maximum. The puffed-up
thermosphere increases drag on Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellites.
Full Story: http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2000/ast30may_1m.htm?list
Photon: (level until Apr 1) Apr 2 - 7.9 Apr 5 - 8.9 Apr
9 - 9.2 Apr 14 -
8.9 Apr 17 - 8.6 Apr 21 - 9.1 Apr 25 - 3.4 (reverse spike) Apr 28 - 7.9
Apr 30 - 6.2 May 2 - 1.9 May 5 - 7.8
May 7 - 3.0, May 0 - 3.5, May 11 - 1.5, (end of 14 day window) May 14
-
4.2, May 16 - 5.5, May 21 - 4.1 (nice stream of energy from preceding
erratic energy) May 24 - 6.0, May 30 - 4.4
Volcanic Activity
May 9, 2000 White Island, New Zealand
37.52S, 177.18E it was
observed that White Island was continuing to erupt a fine ash to
1,000-1,300 m asl. A thin coating of ash, up to a centimetre thick now
covers much of the island. There was no evidence of block ejection. Seismic
activity is unusually high for the relatively minor eruption, and may be
caused by gases being forced through a small diameter vent.
May 14, 2000 a scientists on the CSIRO research vessel Franklin
arrived at
the Kavachi
Seamount location and were able to document a new phase of island building
eruptive activity. On this date, eruptions ejected ash and incandescent
blocks of lava up to 70 m above sea level, and sulphurous steam plumes
mushroomed to 500 m. The Kavachi Seamount had been dormant for 9 years.
Located in the Solomon Island chain of volcanoes, the Kavachi Seamount is
only 30 km from the boundary of the Indian and Australian tectonic plates.
A roughly conical feature rising from a seafloor depth of 1100 m, it is
about eight kilometers in diameter at its base and has produced ephemeral
islands at least twice in the past century. The peak of the volcano is
forming a sandy ashen beach two meters below sea level.
May 17-18, 2000 the White Island ash and gas plume rose to
~1,000 m, and
the volcano continues its minor ash eruptions. The sulphur dioxide
emissions are about 650 tons per day. White Island remains at Alert Level
2.
May 12-19, 2000 Soufriere Hills, Montserrat, West Indies 16.7N, 62.2N
May 13, 2000 several lahars occurred at the San Cristobal Volcano.
The
largest lahar came down the southern flank and extended as far as 15 km
from the volcano. The deposited material consisted partly of new volcanic
ash that has accumulated since the beginning of the ongoing eruption of San
Cristobal (November 1999). On 17 May, after hours of intense rain, another
strong lahar occurred. Civil Defence and local authorities have maintained
a yellow alert level for the San Cristobal area since the beginning of the
rainy season.
Shishaldin, Unimak Island, Alaska May 15, 2000
54.75N, 163.96W
May 18, 2000 Etna, Sicily, Italy 37.7N, 15.0E
May 20, 2000 Tungurahua, Ecuador 1.467S, 78.44W
May 23, 2000 an eruption occurred the the Popocatepetl Volcano.
Smoke rose
three miles into the sky, and ash rained on nine nearby communities.
Officials warned residents of eastern Mexico City to avoid outdoor
activities. A yellow alert was issued, and it was recommended staying at
least four and a half miles away from the volcano.
These are all volcanic eruptions posted to date, this site
has become very
slow at updating. I fully expect there has been more activity since 23rd
especially considering solar activty.
Global Earthquakes above magnitude 5 for month of may
00/05/26 00:30: 5.30 W. CAROLINE ISLANDS, MICRONESIA MW 5.9
00/05/24 05:40:38.01 CENTRAL MEDITERRANEAN
SEA MW 5.8
00/05/22 13:15:10.26 PERU-ECUADOR BORDER
REGION MW 5.8
00/05/21 19:58:47.67 JAN MAYEN ISLAND REGION
MW 6.0
00/05/19 20:34:26.96 SOUTHERN ALASKA MW
5.9
00/05/14 20:08:34.97 BANDA SEA MW 6.2
00/05/14 10:47:43.31 SULAWESI, INDONESIA
MW 5.7
00/05/12 23:10:29.30 HINDU KUSH REGION,
AFGHANISTAN MW 6.3
00/05/12 18:43:20.35 JUJUY PROVINCE, ARGENTINA
MW 7.1
00/05/08 21:35:39.35 KERMADEC ISLANDS REGION
MW 5.7
00/05/08 12:29:59.79 SOUTHWEST OF SUMATERA,
INDONESIAMW 5.9
00/05/07 08:47:41.99 SAMOA ISLANDS REGION
MW 5.7
00/05/08 10:28:24.89 BISMARCK SEA MW 6.1
00/05/06 13:44:16.71 SANTA CRUZ ISLANDS
MW 6.3
00/05/04 20:36:32.37 FIJI ISLANDS REGION
MW 6.4
00/05/04 14:24:25.03 ANDREANOF ISLANDS,
ALEUTIAN IS. MW 5.6
00/05/04 04:21:17.65 MINAHASSA PENINSULA,
SULAWESI (REVISED)MW 7.4
00/05/02 15:03:34.89 MARIANA ISLANDS REGION
MW 5.9
00/05/02 09:58:33.57 FIJI ISLANDS REGION
MW 5.7
00/05/30 06:39:00
63.64S 173.01E 10.0 5.6Ms B BALLENY ISLANDS
REGION - note south east of New Zealand
New Zealand Earthquakes
2000 May 31 - 20 km south-west of Balclutha (3.4)
2000 May 31 - 20 km west of Wellington (3.5)
2000 May 30 - 30 km south of Wanganui (3.5)
2000 May 27 - 10 km north-west of Whakatane (3.2)
2000 May 23 - 30 km east of Nelson (4.1)
2000 May 21 - 20 km north-west of Taupo (3.0)
2000 May 19 - 20 km north-east of Picton (3.7)
2000 May 17 - Within 5 km of Ngongotaha (2.9)
2000 May 17 - 10 km west of Edgecumbe (5.4)
2000 May 16 - 30 km west of Wanganui (5.6)
2000 May 14 - 80 km west of Wanganui (4.5)
2000 May 12 - 30 km south-east of Wellington (3.5)
2000 May 9 - 260 km south of Raoul Island (6.0)
2000 May 8 - 320 km south-west of Raoul Island (6.0)
2000 May 8 - 10 km south-west of Wanganui (4.2)
2000 May 5 - 70 km south-west of Wanganui (4.3)
2000 May 3 - 20 km south-west of Wanganui (4.2)
2000 May 2 - 30 km south-east of Dannevirke (4.0)
Planetary movements
Venus is in superior conjunction with the sun on June 11 (and
literally
behind it), by which time both Jupiter and Saturn have become visible in
the morning sky, where they rise 2° apart.
Venus passes 0.2° from Mars at 17:04 on June 21 (both
are far too close
to the sun to see).
Another interesting massing comes on July 1 and 2 when,
for 11 hours, the
moon, sun, Mercury, Venus, and Mars fit within a circle 8° in diameter.
Alignments Summary
planets date UT
time
true separation
Venus-Mercury March 15 22:44
2.1°
Mars-Jupiter April 6
6:24
1.0°
Mars-Saturn April 15 14:24
2.2°
Mercury-Venus April 28 14:56
0.3°
Mercury-Jupiter May 8 18:08
0.8°
Venus-Jupiter May 17 10:30
0.01°
Mercury-Mars May 19
9:04
1.1°
Jupiter-Saturn May 27 13:20
1.1°
Venus-Mars June 21
17:04
References
http://www.earthchangesTV.com>http://www.earthchangesTV.com
http://www.astro.oma.be/SIDC/
http://www.gphs.vuw.ac.nz/seismology/igns_backlog.html
http://volcano.und.nodak.edu/vwdocs/current_volcs/current.html
http://www.griffithobs.org/SkyAlignments.html
http://volcano.und.nodak.edu/vwdocs/volc_images/southeast_asia/kavachi.html
m
http://wwwneic.cr.usgs.gov/neis/FM/qmom.html
Denise R Prichard
mailto:creators@es.co.nz