16 January 2022

The volcano erupted for several days. This photo was taken a day before the eruption that caused the tsunami

New Zealand (click here) has sent a plane to Tonga to assess the damage after a huge volcanic eruption triggered a tsunami.

The eruption has covered the Pacific islands in ash, cut power and severed communications.

Up to 80,000 people there could be affected, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) told the BBC.

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said the tsunami had wreaked "significant damage".

No deaths have been reported so far.

Information remains scarce, however, and New Zealand and Australia are sending surveillance flights to assess the extent of the damage....

January 26, 2022

Western Union Waives Transfer Fees for Money Transfers into Tonga Through February, 28, 2022; Western Union Foundation Pledges a Donation and Kicks Off a Fundraising Appeal with Agents and Employees

Singapore - The Western Union Company, (click here) a global leader in cros-border, cross-currency money movement and payments, today announced business and foundation support for communities impacted by the devastating volcanic eruption and tsunami in Tonga....

I remind, the Hawaiian hotspot shifted. The plate has been moving a lot in recent years.

"Morning Papers"

The Rooster

"Okeydoke"

View (click here) of the Three Sisters from nearby Mount Scott

February 1, 2022
By Ally Osborne

If you’ve been around Central Oregon for a while(click here), you’ll probably recall the magma bulge found near South Sister in the 1990s.

Now, the United States Geological Survey discovered another 12-mile bulge in the same area after reviewing data from June 2020 until August 2021.

“Data from satellite radar images show an uplift of about 0.9 inches or 2.2 cm (about the width of an adult’s thumb) occurred between the summer of 2020 and August 2021 across an area 12-mile (20-km) in diameter,” according to the Cascades Volcano Observatory.

The volcano is still in the green zone, meaning an eruption is very unlikely, but the event is still leaving scientists fascinated.

“And why is it so exciting?” I asked Hal Wershow, an Assistant Professor of Geology at Central Oregon Community College.

“Oh man,” said Wershow, after bursting into laughter.

He said he didn’t know where to start.

“The Earth is inflating upwards,” Wershow said, “It’s a very small amount, we’re talking an order of inches. There’s no way a human being would be able to detect it.”

The lift suggests that magma around 4 miles deep is shifting, causing the ground to rise and fall over the years....

February 2, 2022

By Joelle Jones

Portland, Oregon - The Pacific Northwest (click here) is well known for its stunning summits and plentiful peaks, but are the mountains moving?

In a USGS Hazard Notification statement Monday, Cascades Volcano Observatory announced their scientists have tracked an increased rate of ground uplift in the Three Sisters volcanic region.

Using satellite radar images and GPS units, USGS scientists have tracked an increased rate of uplift for a 12-mile diameter region, 3 miles west of the South Sister volcano. According to USGS, the data suggests the ground rose 0.9 inches (2.2 cm) from June 2020 to August 2021....

February 7, 2022

By Cascades Valcano Observatory

Data from satellite radar images (click here) show an uplift of about 0.9 inches or 2.2 cm (about the width of an adult’s thumb) occurred between the summer of 2020 and August 2021 across an area 12-mile (20-km) in diameter. GPS data from a volcano monitoring station near the center of uplift measured at least 0.2 inches (0.5 cm) of uplift since August 2021.

Additionally, seismologists observed brief bursts of small earthquakes in October 2021, December 2021, and January 2022. Most of these shallow earthquakes are too small to locate precisely; those located are inside the uplifted area....

"Good Night, Moon"

The waxing crescent

6.0 day old moon

35.7 percent lit

February 6, 2022
By Tara Holley

For any fellow sky gazers like me, (click here) make a note somewhere or ask Siri to remind you. You don't want to miss beholding the February "Snow Moon" this year. It's set to be at peak illumination in our night skies on February 16 this year....