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POPSGIANT crack in Africa will create a new ocean
"We know that seafloor ridges are created by a similar intrusion of magma into a rift, but we never knew that a huge length of the ridge could break open at once like this," said Cindy Ebinger, professor of earth and environmental sciences at the University of Rochester and co-author of the study. The result shows that highly active volcanic boundaries along the edges of tectonic ocean plates may suddenly break apart in large sections, instead of in bits, as the leading theory held. And such sudden large-scale events on land pose a much more serious hazard to populations living near the rift than would several smaller events, Ebinger said. "The whole point of this study is to learn whether what is happening in Ethiopia is like what is happening at the bottom of the ocean where it's almost impossible for us to go," says Ebinger. "We knew that if we could establish that, then Ethiopia would essentially be a unique and superb ocean-ridge laboratory for us. Because of the unprecedent
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POPSMore facts on mud volcanoes In 2001, an eruption of a large underwater mud volcano off Baku created a new island, which is now almost one sq. km in size. Another volcano not far from Baku have erupted at least ten times since 1980, with flames reaching 300 m (1000') height.
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POPSBBC opens world's biggest online zoo more: Starting with 370 animals, including four octopuses and a solitary starfish, the databank of clips and still pictures will be reinforced on a daily basis. BBC staff are combing through hundreds of wildlife programmes, from spectaculars such as Planet Earth to regional TV news items, to create an unprecedented collection. Early stars in terms of hits online include Darwin's frog, a tiny resident of forests in Chile, which gives birth through the mouth of the male. The process is repeated in slow motion – another feature of the archive's ability to spy on Earth's wild creatures to an unprecedented extent.
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POPSUp to 4,000 buried in Indonesian quake rubble "Aftershocks can be just as devastating as the initial quake," said Adjie Fachrurrazi, emergency response coordinator in Indonesia for the CARE aid organization, in a statement. "After an earthquake of this size, we know the immediate needs are going to be getting safe water, food and emergency supplies to the survivors. The question now is: How bad is it? We're hoping for the best, but the information so far is not looking good."
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POPSChapel built on top of lava plug more: In prehistoric times, a dolmen was built on top of the rock, a single-chamber tomb made of three upright stones and a large, flat, horizontal one on top. The Romans dedicated the rock to Mercury, the messenger god with the winged shoes. When the area was Christianised, the rock needle was consecrated to the archangel Saint Michael (Saint Michel).
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POPSMount Bosavi - Habitat for 40 Newly Discovered Species "The villagers first encountered westerners in the 1950s but were still cut off from television and the cash economy; elders could recall a childhood of stone tools and the arrival of the first metal axe in the village. With the help of a translator (the local language, Kasua, is spoken by fewer than 1,000 people),"
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POPSLost land of the volcano There are videos at both the BBC links. And more images here http://news.bbc.co.uk/earth/hi/earth_news/newsid_8241000/8241536.stm
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