Make fun of them as you will but many of the New Age type folks believe that everything that happens on this planet is linked in one way or another and even though we might make fun of the idea there just might be a link between hurricanes, typhoons and earthquakes.

Now before you go screaming from the room fearing that this lunacy will cause you to believe in climate change or some other such nonsense this information is coming not from some huckster on the prowl for gullible fools but rather from researchers at the University of Miami.

The study, lead by scientist Shimon Wdowinski, has found that there may indeed be a link between tropical storms and earthquakes. It’s results show that powerful storms may have initiated some major temblors including the ones that rocked Haiti and Taiwan to their core.

“Very wet rain events are the trigger,” said Wdowinski, associate research professor at the UM Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science. “The heavy rain induces thousands of landslides and severe erosion, which removes ground material from the Earth’s surface, releasing the stress load and encouraging movement along faults … the reduced load (can) unclamp the faults, which can promote an earthquake.”

via GizMag

What Wdowinski and his fellow researchers found was that within four years of a major tropical storm season there was an increase in the number of large earthquakes. Interestingly this follows along with another study in 2009 that found a link between the typhoons in Taiwan and “slow quakes”.

The researchers plan on taking their analysis patterns and apply them to other regions – the Philippines and Japan – to see if the link persists.

New study suggests causal link between hurricanes and earthquakes is a post from: The Inquisitr

A new satellite from NASA has been pencilled in for an October 27th launch, and will be the first dedicated to observing key aspects of both Earth’s climate and its weather

The catchily-named National Polar-Orbiting Operational Environmental Satellite System Preparatory Project (NPP) has two aims: to harvest data that will enhance short-term weather forecasts and to help develop an understanding of climate change.

The NPP satellite comes equipped with five science instruments, including four new state-of-the-art sensors. Scientists hope it will extend more than 30 key data records that have been stored for decades by a group of Earth-observing satellites. Such data would help to predict changes in global climate.

Jim Gleason, NPP project scientist at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, said:

“NPP’s observations of a wide range of interconnected Earth properties and processes will give us the big picture of how our planet changes. That will help us improve our computer models that predict future environmental conditions. Better predictions will let us make better decisions, whether it is as simple as taking an umbrella to work today or as complex as responding to a changing climate.”

Meteorologists with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) will soon be able to incorporate NPP data into their weather prediction models to produce forecasts and warnings that will help emergency responders anticipate, monitor and react to natural disasters.

The NPP will be blasted into its orbit by a Delta II rocket. Approximately the size of a minivan, it will orbit Earth 512 miles (824 kilometers) above the planet’s surface and will orbit Earth’s poles roughly 14 times a day.

NPP is set to launch from Space Launch Complex 2 at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California on October 27.

NASA’s New Satellite to Monitor Earth’s Weather and Climate is a post from: The Inquisitr

If you’ve got anywhere to go in Gotham, you’d better plan on getting there before noon on Saturday.

Ahead of the potentially “historic” Hurricane Irene landfall in the Big Apple, low-lying zones including the Financial District are being evacuated, and the city has taken the unusual step of planning suspension of subway service starting at noon tomorrow. The MTA notified news agencies via an emailed statement that subways, buses, Long Island Rail Road, Metro-North Railroad and Access-A-Ride will all begin to power down Saturday due to expectations of winds high enough to create potentially deadly situations.

New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo has declared a state of emergency in New York to hasten preparation for the rapidly approaching hurricane, and coastal areas including Fire Island have been placed under mandatory evacuation orders in preparation for Irene’s fury. In a statement, Governor Cuomo said:

“In this emergency I am activating all levels of state government to prepare for any situation that may be caused by Hurricane Irene. We are communicating with our federal and local partners to track the storm and to plan a coordinated response, and we will deploy resources as needed to the areas expected to be hit the hardest. I urge New Yorkers to personally prepare for hurricane conditions and to cooperate with emergency officials if needed. By working together, we will all be able to face this storm in a calm and organized manner.”

At winds of 39 miles per hour, MTA Transit operations enter the danger zone, but if winds go up to 60 miles per hour, the city may see bridge shutdowns as well for the Tappan Zee and the George Washington. As of now, several local branch websites for the Offices of Emergency Management are down, crippled by locals seeking information about orders and procedures in their region.

MTA Shuts NYC Transit Ahead of Irene, Effective Noon Saturday is a post from: The Inquisitr

Are weathermen ever right?

Cloudy with a chance of Jesus is a post from: The Inquisitr

The mayor of Bridgeport, Connecticut has declared a State of Emergency and ordered a curfew after 5:30 pm after what is thought to have been a tornado blew through the state’s largest city this afternoon.

The storm hit just before 2:30, with winds reaching nearly 80 mph. Almost 60,000 residents lacked power following the severe weather, and the mayor called for the curfew to assess the damage:

At 5:30 p.m. Bridgeport Mayor Bill Finch declared a state of emergency and ordered all residents to stay home until further notice as city officials worked on wrapping their arms around the damage, which appears to be in pockets all around the city.

Witnesses report a seeing a tornado, but the National Weather Service has not confirmed that the event occurred. Multiple reports of injuries were logged, but there have been no fatalities reported due to the severe weather. In addition to the downed power lines and severely damaged buildings in Connecticut, residents on Long Island also reported severe damage from the storm. Twitter user @PhillWhill512 posted a series of pictures of the post-storm chaos on Twitter.

[Image]

Bridgeport declares State of Emergency after suspected tornado hits is a post from: The Inquisitr

Illinois was hit by a 4.3 magnitude earthquake today just south of Gilberts. According to the U.S. Geological Survey, the earthquake hit at approximately 3:59:33am.

The quake was said to be experience as far as Wisconsin and Tennessee. However I live just a few hours from the epicenter and I felt nothing, not even a tiny tremor. Although I could probably sleep through a war.

According to reports coming out of DeKalb and Kane Counties  (the closest counties to the epicenter of the quake) books fell off  shelves in some homes and rattled walls.

No major damage to the area has been reported and the city of Chicago and surrounding areas were spared any injuries.

Illinois Earthquake Hits, 3.8 Magnitude Experienced is a post from: The Inquisitr

Yankee Stadium’s quiet tonight, but tomorrow night, it is on. Weather permitting.

A rainy Saturday expected to develop into thunderstorms tonight has caused tonight’s Yankees-Angels showdown to be postponed until tomorrow night. Game 6 will be Sunday at 8:20pm EST. The rescheduling was announced just two hours before the scheduled start of the game in the Bronx. If there’s a Game 7, it will happen Monday night at 7:57.

Full text of the MLB press release, below:

Game Six of the 2009 American League Championship Series between the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim and the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium in New York has been postponed due to inclement weather. Game Six of the ALCS has been rescheduled for Sunday at 8:20 p.m. (ET) / 5:20 p.m. (PT) and will be televised by FOX Sports. If a Game Seven is necessary, then it will be played on Monday at 7:57 p.m. (ET) / 4:57 p.m. (PT).

Those fans with tickets for Game Six will now be able to use them only on Sunday. Those fans with tickets for Game Seven will be able to use them form (sic) Monday’s game if a Game Seven is played. FOX Sports and ESPN Radio will provide complete coverage of the American League Championship Series games, and additional coverage will be provided by XM Radio, MLB International and MLB.com.

[Image: LA Times]

ALCS Game Six rained out is a post from: The Inquisitr

Mississippi Tornado: Magee

The first tornado hit in Magee — a small town northeast of Hattiesburg — around 1:30 a.m., emergency officials say. The twister tore through 60 homes and businesses and flattened a church, Corinth Baptist, completely. Witnesses say only the building’s sanctuary doors still stood by morning.

At least 17 people were hurt, though no deaths have been reported. Two of the injuries were serious enough to warrant air transportation to a medical center.

Mississippi Tornado: Jackson

The second storm touched down in Jackson around 4 a.m. Nine homes and a business are said to be severely damaged. No injuries have been reported.

Mississippi Tornadoes Damage Dozens of Homes is a post from: The Inquisitr