Urban Regeneration

An excellent video on urban regeneration featuring Langworthy in Salford. It is not as 'ghetto' as some videos on Langworthy, with no door booting or attacking buildings with television pylons but it is good.

Landslide in Japan

Although titled as 'Californian Landslide' this event took place in Japan. A great example that shows the potentially devastating effect of landslides.
What factors could turn a landslide like this into a socio-economic disaster?

Mass Movements: Inducing a rockfall

This footage from Norway shows a helicopter inducing a rockfall. It shows how devastating a rockfall could be on humans (look at the net at the end). Thanks to Todd Hale in Y13

Natural Hazards continue to cause havoc in Asia

There has been continued flooding in Pakistan and more than 700 people have now been confirmed dead as a result from the massive landslide in China.

The Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari returned home to anger as 1500 people have been confirmed dead and 13.8 million people badly affected.

Meanwhile, in China a further 1000 people are still missing along with 700 confirmed dead as a landslide destroyed buildings and buried people. Rescuers are searching by hand in very remote areas. BBC Report and Video.

China landslide kills dozens

A huge landslide in China has killed at least 127 people in the Gansu province. (BBC Report)

Pakistan Floods

Floods hit Pakistan

Food Shortage Report

Major flooding has occurred in Pakistan killing over 1400 people. The army is struggling to get aid to people cut-off by the flooding as Monsoon rains continue in South Asia (BBC Report)

Weather in the news...

From floods in Pakistan and on the Three Gorges Dam, the hottest ever day in Russia or Peru's big freeze the weather continues to make the news (link).

New Satellite to create 3D map of the globe

A new TanDEM-X satellite has been launched into space. Mission: get the most precise 3D image of the earth's surface (bbc report)

The images will have many uses, such as helping the military's low flying aircraft and to show the worst affected areas by earthquake damage.

Goodbye Year 13

Tornado kills 5 in Oklahoma

Five people are reported to have been killed in the US state of Oklahoma after several tornadoes ripped through the Southern Plains region.
Hundreds of homes and businesses were destroyed and some highways were shut down because of wrecked cars and trucks.

BBC report with video

Icelandic Volcanoes

Volcano chaos continues...

Volcano continues to disrupt Europe air travel

Volcanic eruption halts all UK flights

A Volcano has erupted in Iceland, and has led to all flights in and out of the UK being cancelled until 18.00 GMT. The eruption has led to an enormous amount of ash entering into the atmosphere that can be potentially hazardous to aircrafts. Experts have warned that tiny particles of rock, glass and sand contained in Volcanic ash can be hazardous to aircrafts.

BBC report

Climatic Hazards: UK Snow 2010

BBC Report on the snow for the winter of 2009/10.

Mapping Data

Year 13, I stumbled upon this website which provides a database full of statistics and data that can be mapped. The link is here. The site is called 'Map mechanics' and has data on all parts of the world, not just the UK. It is designed to help businesses choose locations for there stores as it provides basic information on the socio-economic make-up of areas. It also includes census data.

Y13 Census Data

Here is the link for 2001 Census data. I have selected the 'Neighbourhood Search'. You can select any statistics that you think are relevant and compare different wards.

Website link

If you click on 'Map this data' then a choropleth map is produced for the borough, e.g Manchester, Trafford etc. You can then create graphs and charts for comparison by clicking on the tabs at teh top.

Tornado tears through Oklahoma

As I predicted, a Tornado has torn through Hammond in Oklahoma destroying buildings and tearing down power lines.

No injuries were reported, but roofs were seen to be torn from buildings sending debris flying in the air.


Tornadoes are formed when 'supercell' thunderstorms occur, usually when a cold front is created by intense low pressure and when an area of warm air moves into an area. This video (click) by storm chaser Bryan Barnes explains the formation.

8.8. Earthquake hits Chile

Tracking Hurricanes

There are no atmospheric conditions that guarantee the formation of a hurricane, however once they are formed satellites can track the path of the hurricane, providing warning for people living in a hurricanes path.

The National Hurricane Centre in Miami (website) uses satellite images to try and forecast the path of a hurricane. There are two types of satellites used:

-Geostationary: a satellite that remains over the same spot on the earth's surface

-Polar-Orbiting: satellites that pass over the earth from pole to pole

The satellites measure visible light that is naked to the human eye and shows the formation of clouds. This method is only able to work in daylight as it measures the reflected sunlight.

Infrared meters are also used, and they measure temperature of the cloud or the earth's surface. These images are available even when there is no daylight.

Reinforced aircrafts fitted with instruments fly through and over hurricanes, and weather radars can locate storms within 200 miles of the radar station.