Secret document: US nearly detonated atomic bomb over North Carolina
A secret document, published in declassified form for the first time by the Guardian today, reveals that the US Air Force came dramatically close to detonating an atom bomb over North Carolina that would have been 260 times more powerful than the device that devastated Hiroshima.
The document, obtained by the investigative journalist Eric Schlosser under the Freedom of Information Act, gives the first conclusive evidence that the US was narrowly spared a disaster of monumental proportions when two Mark 39 hydrogen bombs were accidentally dropped over Goldsboro, North Carolina on 23 January 1961. The bombs fell to earth after a B-52 bomber broke up in mid-air, and one of the devices behaved precisely as a nuclear weapon was designed to behave in warfare: its parachute opened, its trigger mechanisms engaged, and only one low-voltage switch prevented untold carnage.
Each bomb carried a payload of 4 megatons – the equivalent of 4 million tons of TNT explosive. Had the device detonated, lethal fallout could have been deposited over Washington, Baltimore, Philadelphia and as far north as New York city – putting millions of lives at risk.
Though there has been persistent speculation about how narrow the Goldsboro escape was, the US government has repeatedly publicly denied that its nuclear arsenal has ever put Americans' lives in jeopardy through safety flaws. But in the newly-published document, a senior engineer in the Sandia national laboratories responsible for the mechanical safety of nuclear weapons concludes that "one simple, dynamo-technology, low voltage switch stood between the United States and a major catastrophe".
Writing eight years after the accident, Parker F Jones found that the bombs that dropped over North Carolina, just three days after John F Kennedy made his inaugural address as president, were inadequate in their safety controls and that the final switch that prevented disaster could easily have been shorted by an electrical jolt, leading to a nuclear burst. "It would have been bad news – in spades," he wrote.
Jones dryly entitled his secret report "Goldsboro Revisited or: How I learned to Mistrust the H-Bomb" – a quip on Stanley Kubrick's 1964 satirical film about nuclear holocaust, Dr Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb.
The accident happened when a B-52 bomber got into trouble, having embarked from Seymour Johnson Air Force base in Goldsboro for a routine flight along the East Coast. As it went into a tailspin, the hydrogen bombs it was carrying became separated. One fell into a field near Faro, North Carolina, its parachute draped in the branches of a tree; the other plummeted into a meadow off Big Daddy's Road.
Jones found that of the four safety mechanisms in the Faro bomb, designed to prevent unintended detonation, three failed to operate properly. When the bomb hit the ground, a firing signal was sent to the nuclear core of the device, and it was only that final, highly vulnerable switch that averted calamity. "The MK 39 Mod 2 bomb did not possess adequate safety for the airborne alert role in the B-52," Jones concludes.
The document was uncovered by Schlosser as part of his research into his new book on the nuclear arms race, Command and Control. Using freedom of information, he discovered that at least 700 "significant" accidents and incidents involving 1,250 nuclear weapons were recorded between 1950 and 1968 alone.
"The US government has consistently tried to withhold information from the American people in order to prevent questions being asked about our nuclear weapons policy," he said. "We were told there was no possibility of these weapons accidentally detonating, yet here's one that very nearly did." - The Guardian
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Earthquake Swarm Rocks Yellowstone
It was recently reported that a very rare triple swarm of earthquakes rocked Yellowstone National Park.
In fact, Bob Smith, a geophysics professor out of the University of Utah, says he has never seen even two swarms occur together before in all the 53 years that he has been monitoring seismic activity. Now, he he’s seen three.
An earthquake swarm, seismologists say, is an event where a sequence of earthquakes occurs in a limited geographic area over a short period of time.
Speaking about the event, Smith called it “remarkable,” asking, “How does one swarm relate to another? Can one swarm trigger another and vice versa?”
No answers are available to Smith’s questions, however, because simultaneous swarms haven’t been detected before.
Smith says he believes that at least two of the swarms are probably related to each other though.
The three swarms hit in the following areas: Lewis Lake, the Lower Geyser Basin and the northwest part of Norris Geyser Basin.
Earlier this month, on September 15, the largest earthquake to rock Yellowstone in over a year occurred about six miles north of the Old Faithful Geyser. Its magnitude was about 3.6 at its epicenter. It takes a magnitude of about 3.0 for people to feel it, a Yellowstone representative named Al Nash told the Jackson Hole News & Guide.
The recent swarms of earthquakes began on September 10 and finished up on September 16.
The University of Utah put out a statement saying that altogether 130 earthquakes with magnitudes ranging from 0.6 to 3.6 occurred in the area, with most of them being located in the Lower Geyser Basin. But, including many smaller events which were not detected, there were many more quakes than this.
The recent swarms produced four earthquakes which, although they were not large, were significant enough in size to be felt.
The first, which had a magnitude of 3.5, happened on September 13, about 17 miles northeast of West Yellowstone, Montana. The next two tremblors to be felt occurred early on the morning of September 15 with magnitudes of 3.2 and 3.4 respectively. These two occurred in rapid succession, with one being detected at 5:10 AM and the other at 5:11 AM. The quakes happened about 15 miles southeast of West Yellowstone. The largest earthquake recording during the swarm, a 3.6, was measured nearby about 4 1/2 hours later.
According to Nash, a strong enough earthquake, like the 7.3-7.5 quake that shook the Hebgen Lake area in 1959, has the potential to change the activity of the geysers in the area. And, in fact the 1959 quake did. It caused nearly 300 features to erupt, included 160 where there were no previous records of geysers. None of the current earthquakes were powerful enough to create these types of changes, however.
Smith says he believes that the current swarms of earthquakes may, in fact, be related to the 1959 earthquake. “We think that much of the seismicity is still aftershocks from that event in 1959. It can go on for hundreds of years.”
Usually only about half a dozen earthquakes occur each year in Yellowstone, Smith noted, so it is quite unusual for this level of swarm activity to rock the park. - Guardian LV
Yellowstone Super Volcano... Remnants Of A Celestial Impact: Evidence so compelling and powerful it will turn the scientific community on it's head! (Volume 1)
Super Volcano: The Ticking Time Bomb Beneath Yellowstone National Park
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Working With Crystals: Auralite / Thunder Bay Amethyst
by Lon Strickler
If you're a crystal / stone enthusiast and use these tools for healing or psychic connection, then you know the importance of finding those pieces that create a nexus with you. An effective combination of your energy and the mineral's frequency is vital. So...instead of listing multitudes of descriptions and metaphysical properties, I've decided to concentrate on specific minerals that I have found to be exceptionally useful. Like I stated previously, I suggest novices to crystals / stones read up on the subject...then decide what direction you wish to travel. Most crystals / stones that are preferred for psychic connection and energy work are also popular for personal renewal and Reiki healing.
Several years ago, a new mineral compound from the Thunder Bay region of Ontario, Canada started to hit the market. The first pieces offered for sale were described as the 'New Super Seven' and branded as 'Genesis.' Most of these beautiful violet, gel white and red-capped pieces had an elestial form and a variety of striations ('recordkeeper'), somewhat similar to Lemurian Quartz. I was immediately drawn to these crystals, so I found a connection who had a few exceptional pieces for purchase. After I opened the first shipment, I instantly merged with a few of the specimens. I have employed these pieces in my work ever since that day.
These crystals are currently dubbed Auralite, Auralite 23, Thunder Bay Amethyst, Red Amethyst, Canadian Red Cap, Kindred Spirit Stone, 24 Genesis and Super 23. There are a few variations, but for the most part, it is basically an Amethyst with these inclusions: Titanite, Cacoxenite, Lepidocrosite, Ajoite, Hematite (which gives Auralite its red coloring), Magnetite, Pyrite, Goethite, Pyrolusite, Gold, Silver, Platinum, Nickel, Copper, Iron, Limonite, Sphalerite, Covellite, Chalcopyrite, Gialite, Epidote, Bornite and Rutile. It is said that Auralite contains upward of 23 elements, but many contain at least seventeen. Because of the different inclusion minerals, the vibration will vary per piece.
The author of Love is in the Earth: A Kaleidoscope of Crystals - The Reference Book Describing the Metaphysical Properties of the Mineral Kingdom
describes the crystal, or specifically, Auralite “...it assists in unimpeded positive intellectual/spiritual/mental/physical growth, study of geometry/dimensional space, heal rifts in groups/families, disagreements, love-thyself, grid for Earth Stabilization, enhance aura/aura-sight, weight loss, disorders of dizziness, fevers.”
Physical and Metaphysical Properties for Thunder Bay Amethyst / Auralite
Primary Chakra: All
Crystal System: Trigonal
Chemical Composition: Ca and K, Mg, Aluminosilicate of Fe
Astrological Sign: Leo
Numerical Vibration: 2
Color: Purple
Location: Canada
Rarity: Fairly Common
Pronunciation: Or-uh-lite
Mineral Class: Silicates
Issues and Ailments (Physical): Dizziness, Fever, Weight Loss
Issues and Ailments (Emotional): Decision Making, Forgiveness, Happiness, Motivation, Self Control
Issues and Ailments (Spiritual): Clear/Balance/Protect Aura, Communication with Spirit Guardians, Past Life Recall
Category: Natural Crystals & Minerals
The Crystal Bible
Crystal Bible 2
Crystal Bible 3
Crystal Healing
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The phantom big black cat is back
The black cat is back - the state government is again investigating sightings of the elusive Penrith panther.
The Daily Telegraph can reveal the Department of Primary Industries is holding an independent inquiry into "large free-ranging cats", following representations by Hawkesbury MP Ray Williams, the parliamentary secretary for Western Sydney.
Mr Williams, who was cynical about the big cat's existence, confirmed he saw it one night while driving with his wife.
There have been more than 600 sightings of the fanged beast over the past two decades.
Under Former Premier Nathan Rees in 2008, a comprehensive inquiry into panther sightings found: "It seems more likely than not on available evidence that such animals do exist in NSW."
Mr Williams said he has heard of big cat sightings around his local area for 30 years, including landowners who have seen sheep and deer ripped apart.
''There is no animal in this country that does this type of thing,'' Mr Williams said.
''We don't want people to go and hunt them down, what we want is some signage in remote areas to remind parents to keep an eye on their kids.''
Mr Williams came face to face with the cat in 2009, when he and his wife Wendy were driving home from a Rural Fire Service ball at the Colo River.
''We turned a corner and there was a big black cat with a long tail that disappeared through a fence,'' he said.
Cryptozoologist Rex Gilroy said there was significant evidence of a "marsupial cat" population in NSW, and it is about time it was classified.
"We need to identify the creature, and know its habits. There are populations of this marsupial species all over Australia. The government should pay for an investigation,'' Mr Gilroy said.
A Department of Primary Industries spokesman said the independent investigation would report back by the end of the year.
''An independent desktop evaluation of evidence is underway including identification of large cat species,'' the spokesman said.
``This involves looking at past evidence to assess the likelihood of the presence of large free-ranging cats.''
A departmental policy document released in March advised staff of what to do when the public reports "large feline sightings".
Staff are told to call the police "where the public are concerned for their safety," or to advise the appropriate land manager for further investigation.
Attacks on livestock are to be referred to the Livestock Health and Pest Authority for investigation.
The description of "large felines" in the policy document includes lions, tigers, leopards, pumas and cougars.
Staff are advised they could also be referred to as "alien big cats", "phantom cats" or the Blue Mountains, Emmaville, Lithgow or Richmond Panther. - Daily Telegraph
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