Earthweek: A Diary of the Planet (June 14, 2013)

A Dustier West
The American West's reputation for being a wild and dusty place has been enhanced over the past few decades by an increase in the amount of dust being blown around the region.  Scientists say it's being caused by a variety of factors, such as more frequent windstorms and droughts, as well as the way the land is being used.  Researchers from the University of Colorado Boulder say the dust clouds can reduce air quality and visibility, and in the worst cases, force highways to be shut down.  Redistributed dust is also changing the chemical makeup of the soil across a wide area.  Older people who have grown up in the West have long complained that dust storms are becoming more frequent than decades ago.  But there had been no direct scientific evidence to prove it until recently. While dust has never been systematically measured, calcium in rainwater at 116 of 175 monitoring stations.   The increase was especially focused in locations across Colorado, Wyoming and Utah.
Kamchatka Eruption
Far East Russia's Shiveluch volcano spewed ash nearly 30,000 feet into the sky above the Kamchatka Peninsula, Russia's northernmost active volcano wasn't a direct threat to residents in the remote region, but it did prompt an alert for trans-Pacific flights between North America and Asia.
Tropical Storm
Some parts of Japan were drenched by the spiraling bands of Tropical Storm Yagi as the distrubance passed 200 miles south of Tokyo.  It was a threat mainly to shipping.
Greenhouse Quandary
Earth's atmosphere received a record amount of manmade carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions during 2012, even as the level of the greenhouse gas produced in the United States and Europe fell.  China's booming industries were mainly responsible for a 1.4 percent rise in worldwide emissions, according to the International Energy Agency.  Because world leaders have failed to bring about any reduction in overall CO2 emissions, the agency warns that the planet is now likely to warm by 6.5 to 9.5 degrees Fahrenheit.  The rise is being amplified by the recent boom in natural gas extraction that has resulted in large amounts of the even stronger greenhouse gas methane spewing into the atmosphere.  A new report by the Center for Climate and Energy Solutions says the biggest sources of the leaks are at well sites and compressor stations and along gas pipelines.  Methane is up to 105 times more potent than carbon dioxide as a greenhouse gas on a 20-year timescale.  But the increased use of cheaper natural gas has allowed the retirement of a number of old, highly polluting coal-fired power plants, the report adds.
Pollution Drought
Decades of drought across parts of Africa have been caused in part by air pollution generated continents away, scientists say.  Researchers from the University of Washington found that sulfur-laden particles in the air from coal-burning factories in the Northern Hemisphere from the 1960s through the 1980s strongly contributed to the arid conditions.  The particles slowed warming north of the equator, forcing tropical rain bands to shift southward, away from the Sahel region during the 1970s and 1980s.  This eventually brought a protracted period of drought that forced millions into hunger and even famine.  It was initially thought the droughts were due to poor farming practices in the affected region.  Writing in the journal Geo-physical Research Letters, the researchers say that steps taken in the U.S. and Europe in the 1960s and 1970s to reduce air pollution emissions improved air quality and caused the African tropical rain band to shift back to the north, ending the droughts.
Earthquakes
A remote Aboriginal community in the heart of the Australian outback was jolted by a rare and unusually strong quake that cracked pavement but otherwise caused no significant damage.
*   Earth movements were also felt in northeastern New Zealand and central Oklahoma.
Harmful Imposters
Birdwatchers who play back birdsongs on their smartphones to attract wild birds can stop the winged creatures from performing important tasks like feeding their young, experts warn.  The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) says it is receiving more reports of people playing birdsong recordings so they can photograph birds or observe them up close.  "It is selfish and shows no respect to the bird.  People should never use playback to attract a species during its breeding season," said southern Wales RSPB spokesman Tony Whitehead.  Bird expert Chris Thain told the BBC that people would be "devasted" if they realized how much harm the use of the apps can cause to wildlife.