The vast majority of the rare earths on the market—96 percent—come from China. About half come from Bayan Obo (41 ° 47’N, 109 ° 55’E), the mine shown above in the Nei Mongol Autonomous Region. Such an intensive mining operation has a definite impact on the
Shiveluch is one of the most active volcanoes on Earth. During the first three weeks of April 2012, brief bursts of volcanic activity left radial streaks of ash on the surrounding snow. Explosive-extrusive-effusive eruption of the volcano continues. Ash explosions is
A long-lasting Geomagnetic Storm that reached very close to the Strong G3 Level (Kp =6) took place Monday night and early Tuesday morning. Ham Radio operators were able to make numerous contacts via the Aurora on the 6 meter (50mhz) amateur radio band. This storm was
Located about 40 miles (70 km) southeast of Mexico City, Popocatépetl is one of Mexico’s most active volcanoes. Popocatépetl has been erupting since January 2005, with near constant venting from fumaroles punctuated by minor steam, gas, and ash emissions.Activity
Seventy-six types of unregulated micro-organisms have been detected on the International Space Station (ISS). Though many are harmless, some are already capable of causing severe damage. These organisms corrode metals and polymers and can cause equipment to fail…
Dhaka, Bangladesh capital requires 2.2 billion litres a day, but can only produce 1.9 to 2 billion, the city’s Water Supply and Sewerage Authority (WASA) reported. WASA runs 600 deep tube wells in the city to extract water, and there are also 2,000 private tube
A large amount of empty drug capsules are discarded into a sewage gutter, forming a colorful layer stretching for over 300 meters on the side of Zhengshang road near Ligang village, Zhengzhou city, Central China’s Henan province, April 21, 2012. The capsules with
An intense dust storm formed over Western China’s Taklimakan Desert on April 23, 2012. Sitting inside the Tarim Basin, the Taklimakan Desert is the warmest, driest, largest desert in China, and it ranks among the world’s largest shifting-sand deserts. Sand dunes
A Minor Geomagnetic Storm (Kp=5) is now in progress at high latitudes. This is due to a south tilting component of the Interplanetary Magnetic Field (IMF) combined with an elevated solar wind speed. An incoming CME shock swept past our planet at 03:25 UTC. A
On Sunday morning, April 22, 2013 the loud explosion rattled homes from central California to Reno, Nevada, and beyond. A spectacular fireball exploded over California's Sierra Nevada mountain range. Some people reported seeing a brilliant light streak across the sk
