Pentagon releases footage of hundreds of 'highly concerning' aircraft intercepts by Chinese planes
The Pentagon has released footage of some of the more than 180 intercepts of U.S. warplanes by Chinese aircraft that have occurred in the last two years โ more than the total amount over the previous decade and part of a trend U.S. military officials called concerning.
Operator: Impact from release of Fukushima water minimal
The operator of the tsunami-wrecked Fukushima nuclear power plant says a data simulation of its planned release of treated radioactive water into the sea suggests it would have an extremely small impact on the environment, marine life and humans.
Pumice pileup from undersea volcano causing damage in Japan
Massive amounts of volcanic pumice pebbles spewed from an undersea volcano in the Pacific Ocean have been piling up on southern Japanese coasts, damaging ports and fishing boats, and prompting the central government to establish a task force to deal with the unwanted arrivals as a natural disaster, officials said.
UN team: Unclear if Fukushima cleanup can finish by 2051
The head of a U.N. team reviewing progress in the cleanup of the wrecked Fukushima nuclear power plant says too little is known about melted fuel inside the damaged reactors, even a decade after the disaster, to be able to tell if its decommissioning can be finished by 2051 as planned.
Japan to announce Fukushima water release into sea soon
The Japanese government has decided to dispose of massive amounts of treated but still radioactive water stored in tanks at the wrecked Fukushima nuclear plant by releasing it into the Pacific Ocean, local media say, a conclusion widely expected but delayed for years amid protests and safety concerns.
Biden halts border wall building after Trump's final surge
Biden on Wednesday ordered a โpauseโ on all wall construction within a week, one of 17 executive orders issued on his first day in office, including six dealing with immigration. The full amount under contract would have extended Trumpโs wall to 664 miles (1,069 kilometers). Trump said the border wall would be โvirtually impenetrableโ and paid for by Mexico, which never happened. Company spokeswoman Liz Rogers said work at Friendship Park is separate and done by another company. ___This story has been corrected to show that border wall contractor SLSCO Ltd. says another company is doing the work at Friendship Park in San Diego.
Fake US leg band gets pigeon a reprieve in Australia
A racing pigeon sits on a rooftop Tuesday, Jan. 12, 2021, in Melbourne, Australia, The racing pigeon, first spotted in late Dec. 2020, appears to have made an extraordinary 13,000-kilometer (8,000-mile) Pacific Ocean crossing from the United States to Australia. (Kevin Celli-Bird via AP)CANBERRA โ A pigeon that Australia declared a biosecurity risk has received a reprieve after a U.S. bird organization declared its identifying leg band was fake. But Deone Roberts, sport development manager for the Oklahoma-based American Racing Pigeon Union, said on Friday the band was fake. The band number belongs to a blue bar pigeon in the United States which is not the bird pictured in Australia, she said. Celli-Bird had contacted the American Racing Pigeon Union to find the birdโs owner based on the number on the leg band.
What La Nia means for Michigan winter
Youve likely heard the terms El Nio and La Nia, but in case you dont know, heres a quick breakdown of what they are:El Nio and La Nia are the warm and cool phases of a recurring climate pattern across the tropical Pacificthe El Nio-Southern Oscillation, or ENSO for short. El Nio & La Nia (El Nio-Southern Oscillation) (NOAA)The pattern can shift back and forth irregularly every two to seven years, and each phase triggers predictable disruptions of temperature, precipitation, and winds. This year, we could have a La Nia: A cooling of the ocean surface, or below-average sea surface temperatures (SST), in the central and eastern tropical Pacific Ocean. During a La Nia winter, the arctic jet moves south and typically brings above-average precipitation to our region. La Nia watch continues.
Strong quake jolts central Philippines, some damage seen
In this photo provided by the Philippine Red Cross, a toppled house is seen after a quake struck in Cataingan, Masbate province, central Philippines on Tuesday Aug. 18, 2020. A powerful and shallow earthquake struck a central Philippine region Tuesday, prompting people to dash out of homes and offices but there were no immediate reports of injuries or major damage. (John Mark Lalaguna/Philippine National Red Cross via AP)MANILA A powerful and shallow earthquake struck a central Philippine region Tuesday, prompting people to dash out of homes and offices for safety. Fallen bricks and other scattered damage was apparent in a coastal town near the epicenter, but there were no reports yet of serious injuries. A magnitude 7.7 quake killed nearly 2,000 people in the northern Philippines in 1990.
3 men rescued from Pacific island after writing SOS in sand
The men were missing in the Micronesia archipelago east of the Philippines for nearly three days when their "SOS" sign was spotted by searchers on Australian and U.S. aircraft, the Australian defense department said. (Australian Defence Force via AP)WELLINGTON Three men have been rescued from a tiny Pacific island after writing a giant SOS sign in the sand that was spotted from above, authorities say. The men were found about 190 kilometers (118 miles) from where they had set out. The men were found in good condition, and an Australian military helicopter was able to land on the beach and give them food and water. SOS is an internationally recognized distress signal that originates from Morse code.
US conducts test flight of unarmed Minuteman 3 missile
VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. An unarmed Minuteman 3 intercontinental ballistic missile was launched from California early Tuesday on a test flight to a target in the Pacific Ocean, the Air Force Global Strike Command said. The missile blasted off at 12:21 a.m. from Vandenberg Air Force Base and its three reentry vehicles traveled 4,200 miles (6,759 kilometers) to the Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands as part of a developmental test, the command said from Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana. Test launches are essential to sustaining the aging Minuteman 3 nuclear weapon system, Col. Omar Colbert, the 576th Flight Test Squadron commander, said in a statement. The Air Force said test launches are not a reaction to world events. The launch calendars are developed three to five years in advance, and planning for individual launches takes six months to a year.
Crew makes ocean trip to recover deceased Paralympian's boat
HONOLULU A sailing crew embarked from Honolulu on a mission to locate and recover the boat of Paralympian who died during a solo attempt to row from California to Hawaii. The U.S. Coast Guard located her body June 22, two days after Madsen sent a message saying she planned to enter the water to make a repair. Madsens boat, Row of Life, carried two transmitters that sent a final location Friday before becoming caught in Hurricane Douglas. The crew expects to spend about five days aboard Johnsons sailboat, Blue Moon, before reaching the spot where Madsen's boat is likely to be. One of the primary goals is to recover personal items remaining on Row of Life, including a video diary of the journey.
Dutch inventor unveils device to scoop plastic out of rivers
ROTTERDAM Dutch inventor Boyan Slat is widening his effort to clean up floating plastic from the Pacific Ocean by moving into rivers, too, using a new floating device to catch garbage before it reaches the seas. The 25-year-old university dropout founded The Ocean Cleanup to develop and deploy a system he invented when he was 18 that catches plastic waste floating in the ocean. On Saturday he unveiled the next step in his fight: A floating solar-powered device that he calls the "Interceptor" that scoops plastic out of rivers as it drifts past. Slat's organization has in the past drawn criticism for focusing only on the plastic trash already floating in the world's oceans. Experts say that some 9 million tons (8 million metric tons) of plastic waste, including plastic bottles, bags, toys and other items, flow annually into the ocean from beaches, rivers and creeks.
Floating device cleans up plastic from ocean
The Ocean Cleanup's System 001/B collects and holds plastic until a ship can collect it. ROTTERDAM, Netherlands - A huge trash-collecting system designed to clean up plastic floating in the Pacific Ocean is finally picking up plastic, its inventor announced Wednesday. "Today, I am very proud to share with you that we are now catching plastics," Ocean Cleanup founder and CEO Boyan Slat said at a news conference in Rotterdam. The Ocean Cleanup system is a U-shaped barrier with a net-like skirt that hangs below the surface of the water. Ocean Cleanup plans to build a fleet of these devices, and predicts it will be able to reduce the size of the patch by half every five years.
6.3-magnitude earthquake strikes off coast of Oregon
Google Maps(CNN) - An earthquake with a magnitude of 6.3 was recorded Thursday morning in the Pacific Ocean near Oregon, the US Geological Survey reported. There were no immediate reports of damage or injuries. ET about 175 miles west-northwest of the coastal city of Bandon, the agency reported. The-CNN-Wire & 2019 Cable News Network, Inc., a Time Warner Company. All rights reserved.
Pilot Documents Rescue From the Ocean After Crash: Today on Inside Edition
After a small plane crashed into the Pacific Ocean, the pilot documented his wait for help while treading water. David Lesh and his fellow passenger were stung by jellyfish as they bobbed in the ocean. There's backlash over Sean Spicer's addition to "Dancing With the Stars" from the show's own co-host, Tom Bergeron. What you can do to keep a dog alive after it's been trapped in a scorching vehicle. For more Inside Edition stories, tune in to today's show.
Jellyfish Descend on Pilot and Passenger Who Crashed in Ocean
Video shows a plane crashing into the Pacific Ocean Tuesday during an aerial photo shoot involving two aircraft. Miraculously the pilot, David Lesh, and his passenger make it out alive. The couple was adrift in the ocean for about 40 minutes and were being attacked by jellyfish. Above them, Owen Leipelt, the pilot of the other plane, circled, sending out mayday calls to the U.S. Coast Guard. RELATED STORIESAward-Winning TV Anchor Dies in Plane Crash While Covering Story on PilotThis Pilot Survived a Plane Crash, Then Documented What He Did to Survive in the ForestSinger Gabriel Diniz Dies in Plane Crash En Route to Girlfriend's Birthday: Reports
Erick, Flossie get closer to Hawaii with threats of high surf
Here is a recent longwave infrared satellite image of Erick in the eastern Pacific Ocean between Baja Californina and Hawaii. HONOLULU, Hawaii - Hurricane Erick and Tropical Storm Flossie churned closer to Hawaii on Thursday as forecasters warned of high surf and flooding threats. A high surf warning has been issued for the eastern coast of the Big Island. Flossie remains a tropical storm with sustained winds of 65 mph and little change in strength is forecast over the next 36 hours, Brink said. Rain and high surf are also possibilities with Flossie.
Erick graduates from tropical storm to hurricane
Here is a recent longwave infrared satellite image of Erick in the eastern Pacific Ocean between Baja Californina and Hawaii. Erick has grown in strength from a tropical storm to a hurricane in the eastern Pacific Ocean, according to the National Hurricane Center. Hurricane Erick is the fifth storm to make its way into the eastern Pacific Ocean so far this season. Tropical Storm Flossie is not far behind Erick, building strength further east before it's expected to follow a similar track south of Hawaii. NOAA says it anticipates Flossie will become a hurricane by Tuesday while Hurricane Erick should exit Hawaiian waters by Saturday.
Coast Guard nabs $350 million in cocaine
Justin Sullivan/Getty Images(CNN) - The Coast Guard seized 26,000 pounds of cocaine worth $350 million in several operations in the eastern Pacific Ocean, including one involving a high-speed chase at sea with suspected drug smugglers. In one of the hauls, footage released by the Coast Guard showed suspected drug smugglers tossing out containers of cocaine overboard as their boat sped through the water on July 18. "The crewmembers apprehended the suspected smugglers and seized approximately 2,300 pounds of cocaine from the vessel," the Coast Guard said in a statement Friday. The total amount of contraband came from six suspected drug smuggling vessel operations along with the discovery of floating cocaine bales between late June and mid-July, the Coast Guard said. It unloaded all the seized cocaine Friday.
Marshall Islands a bit more radioactive
From 1946 to 1958, the US government conducted 67 nuclear tests on several small islands -- called atolls -- in the Marshall Islands. Analyzing soil samples, researchers found concentrations of Am-241, Cs-137, Pu-238, and Pu-239,240 on 11 islands across the four northern atolls. The population of the Marshall Islands is relatively small, with just over 75,000 people living on the chains as of July 2018. It is a combination of islands and atolls, which are usually circular islands ringing a wide lagoon or coral reef. In Rongelap atoll, researchers found that northern Naen island had the highest levels of external gamma radiation of all islands examined in the study -- well above the legal exposure limit agreed between the Republic of the Marshall Islands and the US.
World War II veteran crosses country on foot for second time
Over the course of two years and 10 months, over 2,631 miles, he crossed the country on foot, running from California to Georgia. At age 95, the World War II veteran has decided to do it again. He's clocked 175 miles into his second coast-to-coast trek, which he began in March when he left from Georgia's St. Simons Island. He hopes to run 13 miles a week through grueling heat or freezing cold for as long as he can. As he runs, the Navy veteran is raising funds to sail a restored World War II tanker to Normandy for a D-Day anniversary, a feat that he says will cost millions.
More than 40 tons of trash removed from Pacific barely makes a dent
The crew from Ocean Voyages Institute collected large fishing nets like this one among the plastic debris. (CNN) - Environmentalists have removed more than 40 tons of plastic from the Pacific Ocean. The group, Ocean Voyages Institute, said the cleanup mission was the "largest and most successful ocean cleanup to date" in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. They also collected fishing gear called "ghost nets," with one weighing 5 tons and another weighing 8 tons. "Ghost nets" are massive nets of nylon or polypropylene that drift and accumulate plastic debris.