Flood maps reveal long-lost Roman roads across England.

Aerial flood maps have uncovered long-lost Roman roads across the UK.

Aircraft equipped with laser scanners have revealed several ancient tracks – including an 11-mile road connecting Ribchester and Lancaster.

Amateur archaeologists used special maps provided by the Environment Agency, which show areas at risk of flooding, to find the tracks which went unseen by the naked eye for hundreds of years.

The agency has been mapping the English landscape with lidar, light detection and ranging technology, for almost two decades – but the data was only made publicly available in 2013.

The lasers measure the exact distance between the aircraft and the ground, and is precise enough to show height differences of as little as five centimetres.

Flood maps reveal long-lost Roman roads across England.

Aerial flood maps have uncovered long-lost Roman roads across the UK.

Aircraft equipped with laser scanners have revealed several ancient tracks – including an 11-mile road connecting Ribchester and Lancaster.

Amateur archaeologists used special maps provided by the Environment Agency, which show areas at risk of flooding, to find the tracks which went unseen by the naked eye for hundreds of years.

The agency has been mapping the English landscape with lidar, light detection and ranging technology, for almost two decades – but the data was only made publicly available in 2013.

The lasers measure the exact distance between the aircraft and the ground, and is precise enough to show height differences of as little as five centimetres.

Record-Breaking 2015 Temperatures Connected To Ongoing Fish Kill on Mississippi Beaches

Cleanup crews were dispatched to beaches in Hancock County, Mississippi, on December 27th to remove over a thousand dead fish and the remains of other animals.

Scientists attributed the fish kill to a “red tide” algae bloom that took hold in early December. It won’t go away until temperatures drop and fresh water from the north spilling out from the Mississippi moves through the area. 

”Red tides produce neurotoxins that affect not only marine life, but humans who can breathe it in when it is aerosolized by wave action,” Jennifer Hecker, director of natural resource policy for the Conservancy of Southwest Florida, wrote on a social media post about the fish kill. “Some scientists believe exposure can contribute to human nervous disorders such as Parkinson’s…not just an eyesore.” 

Although red tides are a natural occurrence along the Gulf Coast, they don’t occur in the winter. The record-breaking temperatures and less than average rainfall have created favorable conditions for the red tide.

Read more - http://www.desmogblog.com/2015/12/31/record-breaking-2015-temperatures-connected-ongoing-fish-kill-mississippi-beaches

Record-Breaking 2015 Temperatures Connected To Ongoing Fish Kill on Mississippi Beaches

Cleanup crews were dispatched to beaches in Hancock County, Mississippi, on December 27th to remove over a thousand dead fish and the remains of other animals.

Scientists attributed the fish kill to a “red tide” algae bloom that took hold in early December. It won’t go away until temperatures drop and fresh water from the north spilling out from the Mississippi moves through the area. 

”Red tides produce neurotoxins that affect not only marine life, but humans who can breathe it in when it is aerosolized by wave action,” Jennifer Hecker, director of natural resource policy for the Conservancy of Southwest Florida, wrote on a social media post about the fish kill. “Some scientists believe exposure can contribute to human nervous disorders such as Parkinson’s…not just an eyesore.” 

Although red tides are a natural occurrence along the Gulf Coast, they don’t occur in the winter. The record-breaking temperatures and less than average rainfall have created favorable conditions for the red tide.

Read more - http://www.desmogblog.com/2015/12/31/record-breaking-2015-temperatures-connected-ongoing-fish-kill-mississippi-beaches

Powerful Cyclone Storm system to brush Fiji in next 3 days

Fiji is located at the Green circle

1st January 

2nd January

3rd Jnuary

Powerful Cyclone Storm system to brush Fiji in next 3 days

Fiji is located at the Green circle

1st January 

2nd January

3rd Jnuary

Southsea promenade flood defence wall crack 'bigger'

A large crack in a flood defence wall in Portsmouth is getting bigger, the leader of the council has warned.

A section of promenade has been cordoned off after the crack appeared behind the Pyramids Centre in Southsea, some time between 25 and 26 December.

Portsmouth City Council's Donna Jones tweeted that it had "eroded more overnight with the hole getting bigger. The next 24 hours are key."

The council begins rebuilding the wall on Wednesday at 07:00 GMT.

It said it was the earliest the repair work could begin "due to the high tides and strong winds, as well as the availability of machinery and materials". Work will take place over two weeks as the hole is filled and 2,000 tonnes of rock delivered.

The crack will cost £250,000 to repair, with the funding expected to come from the Environment Agency.

Rob New, cabinet member for environment and community safety, said: "Everyone should be aware this area of the esplanade is a very dangerous place at the moment as the defences are structurally unsafe.

"We have put barriers in place to block access to the part of the esplanade affected but we are unable to prevent access via the beach due to the tides."

Ms Jones said the authority had already been working on a multimillion-pound replacement scheme of old sea defences, including this section.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-hampshire-35193237