Thailand and India Sinking: Coastal Erosion of Thai Coasts 26% of Thai, 40% of Indian Coast Subjected to Erosion

Jul 28, 2014

BANGKOK, July 28 -- Thailand's coastal erosion problem is considered severe in 44 locations in 19 provinces along the Gulf of Thailand, with the destruction resulting from both natural and manmade causes.

The Department of Marine and Coastal Resources reports that the erosion occurred along 830 kilometers of Thai coasts and that account for 26 per cent of all the country's coasts.

The problem occurs mainly along the Gulf of Thailand, over a distance of 730 kilometres.

Severe and quick erosion happens in 44 locations in 19 provinces with a combined seaside distance of 169 kilometres.

Source

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Aug 6, 2014

The government today said a study has revealed that on an average around 40 per cent of Indian coast is subjected to coastal erosion.

"The study has revealed that on an average around 40 per cent of the Indian coast is subjected to coastal erosion (either high, medium or low). According to the study, erosion occurred in 46.30 per cent of coastal length in Gujarat," Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar told the Lok Sabha in a written reply.

Source

MONUMENTAL EARTH CHANGES: Last Month Was The Hottest May In Recorded History - The 4 Of The 5 Warmest Mays On Record Have Occurred In The Past Five Years; "I Don't Think We've Seen Anything Like This Before"!

June 24, 2014 - EARTH -   This past May was a scorcher. According to a new report, it was the hottest May in recorded history.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration announced Monday that combined average May temperatures on land and sea surfaces were at 1.33 degrees Fahrenheit above the 20th-century average of 58.6 degrees. 

"Four of the five warmest Mays on record have occurred in the past five years," the NOAA also wrote in its report. The previous hottest May on record was in 2010.

The warmest regions last month were reportedly eastern Kazakhstan, central and northwestern Australia and parts of Indonesia, according to The Washington Post. 

Scientists believe the higher temperatures are likely a sign of an impending El Niño, a periodic warming of Pacific Ocean waters which brings heavy rainfall but could also be beneficial to parts of the globe experiencing droughts. 

The Climate Prediction Center says there is a 70 percent chance of El Niño returning this summer, increasing to an 80 percent chance by fall. The last major El Niño occurred in 1997, resulting in billions of dollars of damage around the world. 

Kevin Trenberth, a climate scientist at the National Center for Atmospheric Research who's been monitoring sea levels, told Science magazine a forthcoming El Niño later this year could likely rival the one in '97. “I don’t think we’ve seen anything like this before,” he said. - Huffington Post. 

DISASTER PRECURSORS: The Latest Incidents Of Strange Animal Behavior And Warnings From the Nature - Mass Bees Die-Offs In Portland Area, Oregon And Mass Die-Off Of Fish And Crabs "Panics Fishermen" In Paradip, India; Dad & Son In ICU After Wasp Attack In Altamonte Springs, Florida, United States; 20 Dogs Die From Arizona Heat; Alien Trap-Jaw Ants Spread Along Gulf Coast! [PHOTOS+VIDEOS]

June 24, 2014 - EARTH - The following constitutes the latest reports of unusual and symbolic animal behavior, mass die-offs, beaching and stranding of mammals, and the appearance of rare creatures.

Mass Bees Die-Offs Reported In Portland Area, Oregon

Department of Agriculture inspector Isaac Stapleton examines the honeybee hives of Jon Beaty in Estacada after
they have recently suffered mass bee die off. (Photo: Thomas Patterson / Statesman Journal)

The Oregon Department of Agriculture is investigating at least three Portland-area mass bee die-offs that appear to be linked to pesticides.

Beekeepers in several locations have reported entire colonies dying suddenly.

Estacada beekeeper Jon Beaty checked his hives Wednesday night.

"I noticed that there were hundreds of bees lying on the ground in front of the hives dead, which was shocking to me," Beaty said.

Sandy beekeeper Dena Rash Guzman noticed tens of thousands of dead bees in and around two of her eight hives Wednesday.

"I live in the middle of nowhere on a 60-acre sustainable farm," she said. "We've had beehives here for four years and never have had this happen."

Guzman called expert Matt Reed, owner of Portland's Bee Thinking beekeeper supply store, who came out to take a look.

"When a honeybee colony dies en masse like that, usually it is pesticides," Reed said. "A lot of them were dropping off the combs as I inspected them."

Reed said he's seen a rash of similar reports on Portland-area beekeeping Facebook forums this week.

Beaty and Guzman suspect aerial spraying of nearby nurseries and Christmas tree farms.

An ODA pesticide investigator took samples at the hives Friday morning, ODA spokesman Bruce Pokarney said.

(Photo: Thomas Patterson / Statesman Journal)

(Photo: Thomas Patterson / Statesman Journal)

Eugene pesticide operator has license suspended

The state has suspended a Eugene pesticide operator's licensefollowing an incident this week that left about 1,000 bees dead.

The Oregon Department of Agriculture found that an employee of Glass Tree Care and Spray Service sprayed the neonicotinoid pesticide imidacloprid on 17 flowering linden trees at an apartment complex Tuesday.

Neonicotinoids can harm bees if used improperly.

It's the same situation that caused a highly publicized die-off of 50,000 bumblebees at a Wilsonville Target a year ago.

That incident led to the formation of a legislative task force on pollinator health that will begin meeting this month.

It also led Oregon to require that neonicotinoid pesticides imidacloprid and dinotefuran sold in the state be labeled with instructions prohibiting use on linden trees and other tilia species.

Glass Tree Care was using a product with an old label on it, ODA said. But older labels state the pesticides cannot be used when the trees are in bloom.


WATCH: Mass bee die-offs reported in Portland area.

By law, pesticide applicators must follow label instructions.

Most of the pollinators impacted were bumblebees, ODA spokesman Bruce Pokarney said. Some honeybees also were found dead and dying.

As a condition of license reinstatement, Glass Tree Care and Spray Service must have the applicator retake and pass examinations required for a commercial pesticide applicator; the company must cooperate with ODA, to the department's satisfaction, in preventing or mitigating further harm from incident; and the company must provide to ODA a written plan describing how it will set in place policies or protocols to prevent recurrences of incidents involving pesticide applications to plants in bloom.

ODA is considering additional enforcement action, Pokarney said.

"We've given information to all of our pesticide licensees. We've made a great effort to talk about pollinator protection," Pokarney said. "They should have known better." - Statesman Journal. 

Mass Die-Off Of Fish And Crabs "Panics Fishermen" In Paradip, India

A group of people fishing at Puri Canal in Bhubaneswar on Friday.  (Express photo)

Large scale death of marine species including fish and crabs for the last couple of days on Santra Creek here has spread panic among local fishermen. Scientists of State Pollution Control Board (SPCB) have rushed to the spot to collect water samples to ascertain the cause of the mass death of marine species.

The fishermen alleged that discharge of chemical effluents from the proposed Paradip refinery project of IOCL is the main cause of the fish death.

Though the refinery project is yet to be commissioned, IOCL authorities have pressed several contractual agencies for the project’s construction work. The agencies have been discharging chemical effluents into Santra creek and Kadua river leading to the mass death, alleged the fishermen.

Farmers in Paradip area also complained that prawn and other marine species have perished in nearly 11 gheris causing loss to the tune of `4 crore. Prawn farmer Susant Pradhan said marine fishes in a three-acre gheri have died due to release of chemical effluents from the refinery project. The loss is estimated to be around `35 lakh, he added.

Fishermen Madhu Parida, Lalu Patra, Gobind Samal and others said they had cultivated prawn and marine fish by availing loans from private financiers. After the death of the marine species, it is an uphill task to repay the loans, they rued.

On the other hand, a senior officer of the IOCL refuted the allegation of the death of marine fish due to discharge of chemical waste from the refinery project. The project has not yet been commissioned and so there is no question of chemical waste being discharged into Santra creek. Moreover, IOCL collected water samples for testing and found the allegation baseless from the report, he added.

Senior scientist of SPCB Prasant Kar, who visited the spot, said, “Our team has collected water samples which would be tested at the central laboratory in Bhubaneswar. The cause of the death of marine fishes is yet to be ascertained as we are awaiting the laboratory report. Fishes and crabs in around 10 prawn gheris on Santra creek have perished,” he added. - New Indian Express. 

Dad, Son In ICU After Wasp In Altamonte Springs, Florida, United States

Neighbors, beekeeper help pair survive

A father and son from Altamonte Springs are both in intensive care units at two separate hospitals after being attacked by a massive swarm of wasps.

David Alvarez and his 7-year-old son, Jordan, were on a walk with their dog last Wednesday evening in a wooded area along the Little Wekiva River near Mahogany Lane when one of them, or the dog, stepped on a yellow jacket nest, disturbing thousands of the wasps.

The pests relentlessly attacked Alvarez and his son.

“Just to see them like that and so swollen and so many marks on them, it's just horrible,” said Jennifer Jones, the man's wife and boy's mother.

Jones has been going back and forth between Florida Hospital Altamonte and Orlando, visiting her husband and son, who are struggling to recover from the attack. She said her husband's grandmother lives in the neighborhood they were in and that he's gone for walks in the same area for the past 30 years.

When the yellow jackets attacked, Jones said her son led his dad, who is allergic to them, out of the wooded area and onto the road, where they flagged down help.

“I was driving down the street and I saw a man and a boy stumbling out of the woods and stumbled across the road covered in bees,” said Brien Schou.

Schou said he rolled down his window to see what they needed and wasps immediately flew into his vehicle. Schou called 911 while other neighbors ran out to help.

“I know he wanted to quit because he said, 'I just wanted to give up because it hurt so bad, but I had to keep going because I seen daddy laying there on the ground.' I just can't believe how strong he is,” said Jones of her 7-year-old son.

To Jones' amazement, a beekeeper who lives nearby also heard people screaming for help. Jim Kunze jumped in his truck and drove around the block, where he found the two suffering.

“It was pretty bad. It was chicken pox times five, at least,” said Kunze.

Kunze threw on his bee outfit, put Jordan in his truck to get some air conditioning and immediately went to work, pulling off and killing the yellow jackets that were still attacking Alvarez.


WATCH: Father, son in ICU after being attacked by wasps in Altamonte Springs.

Kunze said he believes the family's dog was walking ahead of the father and son and may have stepped on the nest.

“They've got guards at their entrance, and once the first one stings, it puts out a pheromone, it alerts the rest and the rest go to that point,” said Kunze.

Alvarez has developed pneumonia and a blood clot. He is still unconscious and heavily sedated. His son was taken out of ICU but was re-admitted Monday due to some difficulty breathing.

“They will be lucky to survive this. They were attacked that viciously,” said Kunze.

Jones said her husband was alert enough to give her phone number to paramedics, who called her to tell her what happened. She said when she got there,  a yellow jacket was crawling out of her son's ear.

The family's dog was also stung and started to have liver failure. She was taken to a veterinarian and seems to be recovering well.

Jones said she's thankful for the first responders and the beekeeper who helped her family.

With kids out of school for summer and playing outside, Jones said she just wants other parents to be aware of what happened to her family.

“It's so nerve-racking because it's kind of by a school and it is summer time and kids go and explore and the main thing is, I don't want this to happen to another kid,” said Jones.

Friends of the family have started a GoFundMe account to raise money for their medical bills. Click here for more information. - Click Orlando.

20 Dogs Die In Arizona Heat

Heat. There's been plenty of it to go around in Arizona these first days of summer -- literally and politically -- after the air conditioning went out at a dog kennel.  Sheriff's deputies found 20 dead dogs piled up in a shed on Friday at Green Acres Dog Boarding Facility in Gilbert. The public shock over their deaths led a U.S. senator to issue a public statement on Monday.  As fate would have it, Republican Sen. Jeff Flake's son, Austin, was minding the kennel, when the dogs died.  Green Acres is owned and operated by two of Flake's relatives, Jesse and Maleisa Hughes, the Maricopa County Sheriff's office said.  The couple was out of town, leaving Austin Flake to dogsit, when a dog apparently chewed through the electric wiring connected to the air conditioning, said Sheriff Joe Arpaio.  He called it an accident, but at the same time cast doubt on the kennel owners' account of how the dogs died.

Kennel owners: It was an accident  
"It was a tragic accident," Hughes told CNN. "We are heartbroken, and we're devastated." She doesn't believe anyone could have predicted or stopped what happened.  The air conditioning unit kicked out in the middle of the night, Hughes said.  Austin Flake and his wife slept at the east end of the house, while the temperature climbed to seething heights in the kennel on the west end, Maleisa Hughes said.  The dogs sleep there at night in a large, cooled room, she said.  The two sides of the house have separate air conditioning units, so the Flakes couldn't feel the suffocating heat.  During the day in Gilbert, the mercury has blasted up to over 100 degrees F, easily making it hard to find relief, perhaps even after temperatures dip back down to under 80 at night.  By the time the Flakes discovered the dogs at 5:30 a.m., the temperature was over 100 degrees, Hughes said.  The gnawed wire was still sputtering off sparks.  "It could have burned down our whole house," Hughes said. "My whole house could have burned down and all my children could have died, and then it would have been a tragedy."  One of the dogs that perished was her own.  The Flakes turned a hose and ice on the overheated dogs to try to save them, the sheriff's office said. "But failed to call for emergency assistance before the dogs died."

Sheriff: Story "seems unreasonable"  
Sheriff Arpaio said that his office is investigating and that parts of Hughes' story seems suspicious. "It seems unreasonable that dogs could be healthy at 11 p.m. at night and dead by 5:30 a.m. the next morning as the owners suggest," he said.  A veterinarian he conferred with has corroborated his doubts, Arpaio said.  Deputies arrived to find some of the dogs' owners at Green Acres. A couple cried and hugged, as deputies used a wheel barrow to cart off dogs' carcasses wrapped in cloth.  Pet owners told Arpaio that the Hughes misled them about the number of dogs kept at the kennel.  The Hughes have not been arrested or charged, CNN affiliate KPNX reported. - CNN.

Alien Trap-Jaw Ants Spread Along Gulf Coast

This species of trap-jaw ant, Odontomachus relictus, is only found in Florida. It is a cousin of O. haematodus,
a South American species that has recently taken hold along the Gulf Coast.Magdalena Sorger

An aggressive type of trap-jaw ant with a mighty bite is gaining ground in the U.S. southeast, new research finds.

The species, Odontomachus haematodus, is native to South America, but it seems to have spread recently along the Gulf Coast without attracting much attention until now. 

"The fact that some of these species are spreading is interesting, in part because these giant ants have managed to expand their territory without anyone noticing," Magdalena Sorger, a doctoral student at North Carolina State University, said in a statement. "We know very little about these ants, including how they interact with native ant species in the areas they're invading." [See Amazing Photos of the World's Ants] 

O. haematodus may have been hiding in the United States unnoticed for more than five decades. The earliest example of the species in the country comes from insect specimens kept in the Smithsonian National Collection: O. haematodus samples were picked up in Alabama in 1956. 

Often mistaken for its North American cousins, O. haematodus, when in small groups, likely blended in across the Southeast over the next several decades, but now the population is too big to ignore. Today, the species is common along the Gulf Coast, from the New Orleans area of Louisiana east to Pensacola, Florida, Sorger and colleagues wrote in their study published in the journal Zootaxa. 

The ants have a shiny body ranging from yellow to black in color, and they have taken root in a variety of habitats. Their nests have been found in rotting logs in forests as well as in building foundations in urban areas, the researchers wrote. 

Trap-jaw ants of the genus Odontomachus are remarkable for their strong set of mandibles. The creatures' spring-loaded jaws open 180 degrees and quickly snap shut to grab prey or propel the ant into the air to escape predators. (The insects had previously been called "leaping ants.") In 2006, researchers at the University of California, Berkeley, clocked the jaw-snapping speed of Odontomachus bauri and found this species closes its mandibles at 78 to 145 mph. 

While native trap-jaw ants found in the United States do not usually sting humans unless handled, O. haematodus are more aggressive. In defense of their turf, ants of this species will immediately sting intruders who so much as place a hand in the leaf litter near their nests. According to anecdotal reports, the insect sting is painful but doesn't last long, Sorger and colleagues wrote. 

The team hopes their research paper will help scientists identify which species of trap-jaw ants they encounter in the future. - FOX News. 

A Year Without Spring - Record Number Of Days At Zero Or Below In Chicago, The Coldest Winter Ever; Lake Michigan 90% Covered In Ice, Highest Ever Recorded; Washington D.C. Sets 141-Year Record Low Temperature; New Orleans Endures One Of The Coldest Mardi Gras Ever; Low Temperature From 1884 Among Shattered State Record In Iowa; And Atlantic City, New Jersey Registers Coldest March Temperature Since 1874!

UNITED STATES - Based on the following stories, 2014 is on track to be the coldest winter ever in the United States. Low temperatures have not been measured since the 1800s. In January, Chicago registered 37 hours of uninterrupted subzero temperatures and nearly a week of school closures. Is subzero temperatures the new normal? It certainly feels that way.

Record Number Of Days At Zero Or Below In Chicago, The Coldest Winter Ever

Ice forms along the shore of Lake Michigan as temperatures hovered around -10 degrees on January 28, 2014
in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images)

The unrelenting, bitter winter of 2013-14 is by one measure the coldest season in the history of Chicago.

This winter, there have been 26 days in which the low temperature was zero or below.

There were 25 subzero days in 1884-85, but no days at zero. In 2013-14, the low has dipped below zero 23 times, including 16 below on Jan 6, which set a record for that day.

The total below zero days ranks No. 4 all-time. There were two seasons–1935-36 and 1962-63–that had 24 below zero days.

The chances of seeing another day below zero in the next seven days is unlikely.

There have been a few days in mid- to late-March that have been sub-zero, but historically they are rare.

The average temperature for this season is near 19 degrees, the third coldest since records have been kept, starting in the 1800s.

The record is 18.3 degrees set in 1904.

A total of 90 percent of Lake Michigan is covered in ice, equaling the highest level ever. - CBS Chicago.

Lake Michigan 90% Covered In Ice, Highest Ever Recorded

(Credit: NOAA)

After having a meltdown early last week, Lake Michigan is now just over 90 percent covered in ice, which equals the highest levels ever recorded.

The lake was also just over 90 percent frozen in 1976, 1979 and 1994, according to the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration. 

The unyielding cold weather has caused the ice on Lake Michigan to continue to expand the last several days.

(Credit: NOAA)

The below high-resolution visible satellite image from March 2 shows widespread ice cover over central Lake Michigan.

A small area of open water remained on the eastern side of the lake, well away from the Michigan shore.

After reaching 80 percent coverage in mid-February, the lake melted during the brief warm up two weeks ago and was down to 40 percent as seen in this Feb. 26 image:

Satellite image of ice coverage on Lake Michigan on Feb. 26, 2014. (Credit: NOAA)

Last week, forecasters predicted the past several days of cold weather would increase coverage by around 15 percent.

Instead, it was more like 50 percent.

The record ice coverage for all five lakes was set in 1979 at nearly 95 percent.

In mid-February, the Great Lakes were nearly 90 percent covered in ice.

Last year, Lake Michigan was only 20 percent covered.

The average ice coverage is around 40 percent. 

- CBS Chicago.

Washington D.C. Sets 141-Year Record Low Temperature

The seemingly endless winter dumped a half a foot snow on the ground in parts of the South, Mid-Atlantic and Northeast, and many areas Tuesday morning saw something even more unusual in March: a blast of arctic air that sent temperatures plummeting into the single digits.

Baltimore-Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport broke a 141-year-old record low temperature, reaching 4 degrees. The National Weather Service said the low reached early Tuesday broke a 5-degree record set on the day in 1873. It was also a record low for the month of March. Dulles International Airport - also outside Washington - tied a 1993 record for the month at -1 degree.

Both airports broke record lows two days in a row.

Schools and government offices along the East Coast were closed Tuesday or delayed opening. Virginia State Police said slickened roads were factors in three traffic deaths. And authorities in Maryland's Prince George's County said a 60-year-old woman died after shoveling snow there.

Blame it on a return of the "polar vortex."

"That is the buzzword this winter, the polar vortex. That cold air just kind of migrates around the poles and the extreme northern latitudes all the time," said Jim Lee, meteorologist in charge at the National Weather Service in Sterling, Va. "The jet stream enables that colder air to move down the East Coast."

Monday's snowstorm followed a pattern that's become routine. Schools and government offices were closed. Federal workers stayed home - the fourth weather-related shutdown this season. Young adults gathered on the sloppy, slushy National Mall for a semi-organized, afternoon snowball fight.

Tourists, who flock to the nation's capital 365 days a year, were seeking out whatever activities they could find.

The National Air and Space Museum was the only Smithsonian institution open, and it drew a crowd. Among the visitors were Russ Watters, 60, of St. Louis, and his 14-year-old son, Seth, who was touring Washington with his 8th-grade class.

"We're trying to find stuff that's open, so this is open," Watters said.

The storm had a major effect south of the Mason-Dixon line. Governors declared states of emergency in Virginia and Tennessee, where there were hundreds of traffic accidents and tens of thousands of power outages. Nearly 3,000 flights were canceled Monday.

In Falls Church, Va., daredevils took advantage of another snow day by sledding down a steep hill behind an elementary school. Maya Luera, 11, said she wouldn't be so happy in June, when the school year will be extended because there's been so much snow.

"I'm more of a summer person, so I'd rather have more free time in the summer than the winter," she said. - MyFoxDC.

New Orleans Endures One Of The Coldest Mardi Gras Ever

It was a cold, wet day for Mardi Gras participants in New Orleans Tuesday.

The high temperature hit 40 degrees for the Big Easy, more than 20 degrees below the date's average temperature of 69 degrees. It rests one degree above the coldest high temperature on record for a Mardi Gras, which was 39 degrees on Feb. 14, 1899.

In past years when Fat Tuesday fell on March 4, the temperature was typically in the 60s or even high 70s. The previous coldest high for the celebrations on this date was 56 degrees in 1939.

After a cold front brought a few showers and colder weather to New Orleans on Monday, rain made a quick return just in time for Mardi Gras celebrations.

Rain moved throughout the area Tuesday, starting off as some morning showers followed by a steadier rain in the afternoon.

This rain will continue into the evening before tapering off overnight, making for a wet day.

Not only did people in New Orleans have to endure the rainy weather, but also the chilly weather brought by the passage of Monday's cold front.

The rain looks to clear the area on Wednesday for those heading home or staying to celebrate an extra day with temperatures rebounding to near 60. - AccuWeather.

Low Temperature From 1884 Among Shattered State Record In Iowa

The temperature may not have dropped as low as the minus-12 degrees predicted Monday morning, but it fell far enough to break records set in 1884. Des Moines recorded a low of minus-7 early Monday, just barely beating the previous record low of minus-6 degrees, set on March 3, 1884.

Some other Iowa cities didn’t cut it so close. Waterloo plummeted to minus-19 degrees, down from a 1978 low of minus-6. Ottumwa hit minus-9 degrees. Its previous record low was minus-4, set in 2002.

Temperatures quickly started ticking up after the record-setting morning, and Des Moines is expected to be on the upper end of a 45-degree swing in temperature by Friday, according to the National Weather Service.

Des Moines is expected to hit 28 degrees today, although wind chill values could drop as low as 0.

Central Iowa could also see snow late this afternoon and into the evening. Des Moines is expected to get less than one-half inch but other areas, including Mason City and Waterloo, could see up to 2 inches. - DesMoinesRegister.

Atlantic City, New Jersey Registers Coldest March Temperature Since 1874

The low temperature of 2 degrees above zero (-16.7c) at 1133 pm Monday evening March 3rd was a record not only for the date but also the entire month of March.

The previous record low for March 3 was 5 above zero (-15c) in 2009.

The previous all time low for the month of March was 3 above set on March 4 2009.

Official records for the Atlantic City area date back to 1874.

Also a record low daily minimum for Wilmington, Delaware…

The low temperature of 8 degrees (-13.3c)at 1120 pm Monday evening March 3rd was a new record for March 3rd.

The previous record for that date was 9 in 2009 and 1925.

Official records date back to 1894.

http://nws.noaa.gov/view/validprods.php?prod=rer&node=kphi 


- Ice Age Now.

POLE SHIFT: More Signs Of Earth's Magnetic Polar Migration - Most Unusual BLUE Auroras Seen Over Norway?!

Northern Lights are usually green, and sometimes red. Those are the colors produced by oxygen when it is excited by electrons raining down from space. On Feb. 22nd, Micha Bäuml of Straumfjord, Norway, witnessed an appariton of aurora-blue: 

"All of a sudden the sky exploded," says Micha. "The aurora looked like a giant flame." 

In auroras, blue is a sign of nitrogen. Energetic particles striking ionized molecular nitrogen (N₂⁺) at very high altitudes produces a cold azure glow of the type captured in Micha's photo. Why it overwhelmed the usual hues of oxygen on Feb 22nd is unknown. Auroras still have the capacity to surprise. 

Any auroras tonight, blue or otherwise, will be a bit of a surprise. Geomagnetic conditions are quiet. NOAA forecasters estimate a scant 5% chance of polar geomagnetic storms on March 3rd. - Space Weather.