Part of Russian spacecraft found on beach in Bahamas.

A spherical metal tank, believed to have come from a Russian spacecraft, has been found on a beach in the Bahamas. The object, a spherical metal ball, was found projecting from the white sand of a beach on Harbour Island on Wednesday 24 February, by British woman Manon Clarke, who was walking on the beach with her family. The ball bears an inscription in Russian which states that has an operating temperature range of between -170°C and -190°C, and capacity of 43 litres, a maximum weight of 41 kg, and was manufactured in 1998. This is typical of a hydrazine propellant tank, typically used in unmanned spacecraft, with Mark Morabito of Virgin Galactic, stating that he is 99% certain that this is what the object is.

 

A titanium tank with a Russian inscription found on a beach in the Bahamas this week. Manon Clarke/The Independent.

Spacecraft tend to contain a lot of thick-walled spherical tanks, which is the most stable shape for a tank containing liquids under pressure in a changing gravity field. Unfortunately this is also a good shape for surviving re-entry into the Earth's atmosphere, so as the amount of space junk orbiting the Earth increases, so does the number of metal spheres falling from the sky. As yet there have been no reported cases of death or serious injury caused by space junk, but it does seem to be an increasing hazard on Earth as well as in orbit, with several reports of damage to property now coming in each year.

 

The basic design of a hydrazine bladder tank, thought to be the type object found on a Bahamas beach this week. The tank comprises a tough, protective, outer shell, typically made of titanium, with a flexible bladder inside, which shrinks as the gas inside is expelled, maintaining a constant pressure. Ariane Orbital Propulsion Centre.

Exactly how the tank came to be on a beach in the Bahamas is less clear. No falling debris (which would resemble a meteorite to people on the ground) has been observed in the Bahamas recently, although it could have fallen at night and not been seen, or buried by the sand on the beach for several years. Alternatively, it could have fallen in the sea somewhere in the Atlantic or Caribbean and simply floated to its current position. Sarah Hudspith of the University of Leeds has suggested that it may have originated from Cuba, a Cold War ally of the Soviet Union, although the manufacture date, 1998, several years after the break up of the Soviet Union, would seem to make this less likely.

 

Local residents excavating a metal object found on a beach in the Bahamas this week. Manon Clarke/The Independent.

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Tropical Storm Isias kills at least twelve in Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, the Bahamas, and the United States.

Tropical Storm Isias has killed at least twelve people as it swept across the Caribbean and the Eastern Seaboard of the United States. The storm reached hurricane strength in the Caribbean, sweeping to the south of Puerto Rico, where it caused high winds and flooding, and led to three known deaths. Chiche Peguero, 53, of Río San Juan in María Trinidad Sánchez Province, who was electrocuted by a falling power line, a woman drowned after being swept into a river in Rincón Province, and a five-year-old boy who was killed by a falling tree at Altamira in Puerto Plata Province. Across the island about 448 000 people were left without electricity, and many roads were flooded. severley hampering travel and communication. The storm swept across the Dominican Republic, causing widespread flooding, and causing the death of a horse and its rider who were again hit by a falling power line. The storm reached the Bahamas on 31 July 2020, causing widespread flooding and wind-damage, before moving towards the coast of the United States.

Workers clearing debris left by Hurricane Isias in the Dominican Republic. Erika Santelices/AFP.

The passed to the east of Florida on 1 August 2020, causing some flooding and power outages, but few serious problems, however as it made landfall in North Carolina it caused more severe flooding, and triggered a series of tornadoes, one of which struck a trailer park in Bertie County, killing at least two people, with around twenty injured and three more still missing. From here it passed northward through Virginia, Maryland and Delaware, causing widespread flooding, wind damage and power-outages, with one person killed in Milford, Delaware, when her vehicle was struck by a falling tree. The storm caused further flooding in Pennsylvania, where it claimed another life as a 44-year-old woman and her car were swept away by floodwaters in Lehigh County.

Damage to boats at Southport Marina in Brunswick County, North Carolina, following the passage of Hurricane Isias. Ken Blevins/Star News.

Further north the storm caused flooding and tornadoes in New Jersey, causing damage to a number of homes and businesses, and the collapse of a church steeple in Ocean City. A 21-year-old man drowned off the coast of Cape May in New Jersey, another person was killed when a falling tree hit their car in Queens, New York, and a third death was also caused by a falling tree in New Haven County, Connecticut.

Damage to hourses in Cape May County, New Jersey, caused by Tropical Storm Isias. NCB10.

Tropical storms are caused by solar energy heating the air above the oceans, which causes the air to rise leading to an inrush of air. If this happens over a large enough area the inrushing air will start to circulate, as the rotation of the Earth causes the winds closer to the equator to move eastwards compared to those further away (the Coriolis Effect). This leads to tropical storms rotating clockwise in the southern hemisphere and anticlockwise in the northern hemisphere. These storms tend to grow in strength as they move across the ocean and lose it as they pass over land (this is not completely true: many tropical storms peter out without reaching land due to wider atmospheric patterns), since the land tends to absorb solar energy while the sea reflects it.

The path and strength of Tropical Storm Isias. Thick line indicates the past path of the storm (till 9.00 am GMT on Wednesday 5 August 2020), while the thin line indicates the predicted future path of the storm, and the dotted circles the margin of error at nine and twenty one, hours ahead. Colour indicated the severity of the storm. Tropical Storm Risk.

Despite the obvious danger of winds of this speed, which can physically blow people, and other large objects, away as well as damaging buildings and uprooting trees, the real danger from these storms comes from the flooding they bring. Each drop millibar drop in air-pressure leads to an approximate 1 cm rise in sea level, with big tropical storms capable of causing a storm surge of several meters. This is always accompanied by heavy rainfall, since warm air over the ocean leads to evaporation of sea water, which is then carried with the storm. These combined often lead to catastrophic flooding in areas hit by tropical storms.

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Hurricane Dorian confirmed to have killed seven in the Bahamas and one in North Carolina.

Eight people have now been confirmed dead as Hurricane Dorian passed over the Bahamas and up the east coast of the United States. The hurricane swept past several Caribbean island nations between 25 and 30 August 2019, prompting evacuations and curfews, but causing little actual damage. However, over this period it was steadily gaining in strength, so that when it finally made landfall on Elbow Cay in the Bahamas it was a Category Five storm, with sustained winds in excess of 250 km per hour and gusts considerably stronger, and the strongest storm ever recorded to have made landfall from the Atlantic. The storm caused widespread devastation across the Abaco Islands and Grand Bahama, destroying thousands of homes causing widespread flooding and killing at least seven people - though this number is likely to be a severe underestimate due to the damage the storm has caused to the nation's infrastructure. Following this the storm has swept northward up the east coast of the United States, past Florida, Georgia, and South and North Carolina. The storm has brought flooding and high winds to these areas, with storm surges in excess of two metres and one confirmed death in North Carolina, but has been losing strength as it moves north and is now only a Category Two storm.

Flooding and damaged buildings in the Abaco Islands in the wake of Hurricane Dorian. Latrae Rahming.

Tropical storms are caused by the warming effect of the Sun over tropical seas. As the air warms it expands, causing a drop in air pressure, and rises, causing air from outside the area to rush in to replace it. If this happens over a sufficiently wide area then the inrushing winds will be affected by centrifugal forces caused by the Earth's rotation (the Coriolis effect). This means that winds will be deflected clockwise in the northern hemisphere and anti-clockwise in the southern hemisphere, eventually creating a large, rotating Tropical Storm. They have different names in different parts of the world, with those in the northwest Atlantic being referred to as hurricanes.

 The path and strength of Hurricane Dorian. Thick line indicates the past path of the storm (till 3.00 pm GMT on Tuesday 4 September 2019), while the thin line indicates the predicted future path of the storm, and the dotted circles the margin of error at nine, twenty one, thirty three, forty five, sixty nine, ninety three and one hundred and seventeen hours ahead. Colour indicated the severity of the storm. Tropical Storm Risk.

Despite the obvious danger of winds of this speed, which can physically blow people, and other large objects, away as well as damaging buildings and uprooting trees, the real danger from these storms comes from the flooding they bring. Each drop millibar drop in air-pressure leads to an approximate 1 cm rise in sea level, with big tropical storms capable of causing a storm surge of several meters. This is always accompanied by heavy rainfall, since warm air over the ocean leads to evaporation of sea water, which is then carried with the storm. These combined often lead to catastrophic flooding in areas hit by tropical storms. 

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American tourist killed in Shark attack in the Bahamas.

An American student has died after being attacked by three Tiger Sharks, Galeocerdo cuvier, while holidaying in the Bahamas. Californian Jordan Lindsay, 21, was snorkeling of Rose Island, when she was attacked by three Sharks, which bit her on the legs and buttocks as well as removing her right arm. Such attacks are extremely rare (the Bahamas only recorded four Shark attacks in the period 2007-2016, including a single fatality), and experts in the region are trying to work out what triggered the incident.

Jordan Lindsay, 21, of Torrence, California, killed in a Shark attack in the Bahamas. Evening Standard.

Despite their fearsome reputation, attacks by Sharks are relatively rare and most attacks on Humans by Sharks are thought to be mistakes. Tiger Sharks have a diverse diet, including invertebrates, Fish, Birds, Marine Reptiles and Marine Mammals, which we superficially resemble when we enter the water. Marine Mammals are attacked principally for their thick adipose (fat) layers, which are a nutritious high-energy food, but which we lack. Due to this, when Sharks do attack Humans these attacks are often broken off without the victim being consumed. Such attacks frequently result in severe injuries, but are seldom immediately fatal, and victims are likely to survive if they receive immediate medical attention.

A Tiger Shark in the Bahamas. Albert Kok/Wikimedia Commons.

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Edinburgh schoolboy attacked by Shark in Bahamas.

An Edinburgh schoolboy is recovering after being attacked by a Shark in a harbour on Bimini Island in the Bahamas on Thursday 5 April 2018. Shane McConnell, 12, was visiting the island with his family when he slipped and fell into the water close to the animal, believed to have been a Bull Shark, Carcharhinus leucas, about two metres in length, which bit him once on the feet before retreating. McConnell was able to pull himself out of the water using a ladder on the side of the harbour, and received treatment in a local hospital. It is thought that his injuries were minimised by the tough neoprene diving shoes he was wearing, though these did not survive the attack.

Shane McConnell, 12, from Edinburgh, being treated in a Bahamas hospital after being bitten by a Bull Shark. 7News.

Despite their fearsome reputation, attacks by Sharks are relatively rare. Most attacks on Humans by Sharks are thought to be mistakes, made by species that feed principally on Marine Mammals (which we superficially resemble when we enter the water), gaining the majority of their nutrition from the thick adipose (fat) layers of these animals (which we lack). Due to this, when Sharks do attack Humans these attacks are often broken off without the victim being consumed. Such attacks frequently result in severe injuries, but are seldom immediately fatal, with victims likely to survive if they receive immediate medical attention.

Damage to Shane McConnell's foot received in a Shark attack on Bimini Island on 5 April 2018. The damage is thought to have been minimised by the tough neoprene shoes he was wearing. Edinburgh Evening News.

Bull Sharks, Carcharhinus leucas, are a form of Requiem Shark, Carcharhinidae, reaching about four metres in length at their largest. They have a reputation for aggressive behaviour, and are one of the species most prone to attacking Humans, though this is not because they are more hostile towards us than other Shark species, but because they inhabit environments where they are more likely to encounter us, favouring shallow inshore waters, and sometimes entering freshwater systems, which most Sharks shun (Bull Sharks have been encountered in the Mississippi River as far inland as southern Illinois). These Sharks are also territorial, and may lash out if they feel their territory is being invaded.

 

A Bull Shark, Carcharhinus leucas. Sharkopedia/Discovery.

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Shane McConnell

Read more at: https://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/our-region/edinburgh/edinburgh-boy-survives-jaws-style-shark-attack-thanks-to-rubber-shoes-1-4724151

Shane McConnell

Read more at: https://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/our-region/edinburgh/edinburgh-boy-survives-jaws-style-shark-attack-thanks-to-rubber-shoes-1-4724151

Shane McConnell

Read more at: https://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/our-region/edinburgh/edinburgh-boy-survives-jaws-style-shark-attack-thanks-to-rubber-shoes-1-4724151

Shane McConnell

Read more at: https://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/our-region/edinburgh/edinburgh-boy-survives-jaws-style-shark-attack-thanks-to-rubber-shoes-1-4724151

Shane McConnell

Read more at: https://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/our-region/edinburgh/edinburgh-boy-survives-jaws-style-shark-attack-thanks-to-rubber-shoes-1-4724151

Hurricane Irma leaves widespread devastation across the Caribbean and causes at least ten deaths.

Ten people have now been confirmed dead on Caribbean islands hit by Hurricane Irma this week, with it likely that many more deaths are yet to be reported due to the extensive damage the storm has caused. Eight people are known to have died on the French half of the Island of St Martin, where the storm is reported to have levelled 95 % of all buildings. On the island of Barbuda about 90% of buildings have been flattened and a two-year-old child has been reported dead, while one death has been confirmed on the British island of Anguilla.

Damage left by Hurricane Irma on the Dutch part of the island of St Martin. Gerben Van Es/AFP/Getty Images.

Hurricane Irma was a Category 5 storm when it passed over the islands, with sustained winds in excess of 250 km per hour and gusts considerably stronger.  After passing over Barbuda, St Martin and Anguilla the storm swept across the British and US Virgin Islands, where it is likely to have caused further, as yet unreported, fatalities, then to the north of Peurto Rico, the Dominican Republic and Haiti, and is currently heading towards the Bahamas and Florida, where authorities have organised mass evacuations.

The path and strength of Hurricane Irma. Thick line indicates the past path of the storm (till 3.00 pm GMT on Thursday 7 September 2017), while the thin line indicates the predicted future path of the storm, and the dotted circles the margin of error at six and twelve hours ahead. Colour indicated the severity of the storm. Tropical Storm Risk.

Tropical storms are caused by the warming effect of the Sun over tropical seas. As the air warms it expands, causing a drop in air pressure, and rises, causing air from outside the area to rush in to replace it. If this happens over a sufficiently wide area then the inrushing winds will be affected by centrifugal forces caused by the Earth's rotation (the Coriolis effect). This means that winds will be deflected clockwise in the northern hemisphere and anti-clockwise in the southern hemisphere, eventually creating a large, rotating Tropical Storm. They have different names in different parts of the world, with those in the northwest Atlantic being referred to as hurricanes.

 Damage caused by Hurricane Irma on the French part of the island of St Martin. Rinsy Xing/AFP/Getty Images.

Despite the obvious danger of winds of this speed, which can physically blow people, and other large objects, away as well as damaging buildings and uprooting trees, the real danger from these storms comes from the flooding they bring. Each drop millibar drop in air-pressure leads to an approximate 1 cm rise in sea level, with big tropical storms capable of causing a storm surge of several meters. This is always accompanied by heavy rainfall, since warm air over the ocean leads to evaporation of sea water, which is then carried with the storm. These combined often lead to catastrophic flooding in areas hit by tropical storms.

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