The End of the World As We Know It

An unexpected, thick layer of solar particles inside Earth's magnetic field suggests there are huge breaches in our planet's solar defenses, scientists said.These breaches indicate that during the next period of high solar activity, due to start in 2012, Earth will experience some of the worst solar storms seen in decades.

read more | digg story

Massive solar storm coming in 2012

The last time we had a solar storm this big (1958), northern lights were seen in Mexico! One expert says 2012, another says 2010 or 2011. It's a three-year old post, but I've found nothing to contradict it. Read on...

March 10, 2006: It's official: Solar minimum has arrived. Sunspots have all but vanished. Solar flares are nonexistent. The sun is utterly quiet.

Like the quiet before a storm.

This week researchers announced that a storm is coming--the most intense solar maximum in fifty years. The prediction comes from a team led by Mausumi Dikpati of the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR). "The next sunspot cycle will be 30% to 50% stronger than the previous one," she says. If correct, the years ahead could produce a burst of solar activity second only to the historic Solar Max of 1958.

read more | digg story

Fires kill at least 49 across Greece

Fires kill at least 49 across Greece - Europe - MSNBC.com

ZAHARO, Greece - Fires pushed by gale-force winds tore through more parched
forests, swallowed villages and scorched the edges of Athens on Saturday with
ashes raining onto the Acropolis. The death toll rose to at least 49 as the
government declared a nationwide state of emergency.

Hurricane Dean Is One of the Most Powerful Ever Recorded

Hurricane Dean's devastation: Tuesday from Guardian Unlimited: News blog: "Hurricane Dean is the ninth most intense hurricane ever recorded. Eric Berger, of the Houston Chronicle points out that five of the top 10 hurricanes have occured in the past three years."