Earthweek: A diary of the Planets (June 7, 2013)

Radioactive but 'Safe'
Scientists studying fish contaminated by radiation that came from Japan's 2011 Fukushima nuclear power plant disaster say the radioactivity is far too low to cause any health concerns for seafood lovers.  An earlier study by the same scientists that showed elevated levels of radioactive cesium isotope in fish caused "a lot of anxiety," conceded Nick Fisher of Stony Brook University.  Writing in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, he and colleagues say that even if Japanese citizens were to eat their average annual diet of tuna, contaminated by the Fukushima reactor meltdowns, they would be exposed to only the same amount of radiation one would get from cosmic rays during a single trans-continental flight.  Recent research reveals that plankton contaminated from the disaster is being eaten by marine life across a wide stretch of the Pacific, causing cesium to accumulate in the larger species.
Deep Noise Pollution
The underwater buzzing, whirling and thumping noises generated by maritime traffic have been modeled for the first time on a global scale.  Mathematician Michael Porter and geologist Laurel Henderson, who mapped the noise, say they hope a better understanding of the ocean's "soundscape" will be used to help find ways to reduce its impact on marine life.  Ocean noise pollution caused by commerical and military ships is considered a threat to whales, dolphins, fish and squid, which use sound to navigate, feed and avoid predators.  Because sound waves can travel much farther underwater than through the air, the loud chop of a single propeller can confuse and even physically harm animals hundreds of miles away.
Record Twister
A deadly tornado that struck just west of Oklahoma City on May 31 was the widest ever recorded in the United States, and was the most powerful on the five-point enhanced Fujita (EF) scale.  The 2.6-mile-wide twister struck at rush hour, killing three storm chasers, who died when the massive whirlwind destroyed their vehicle.  Officials say 19 people died in the storm and accompanying flash floods.  Maximum wind speeds reached 295 mph, according to the U.S. National Weather Service, it was the second deadly EF5 twister to strike the Oklahoma City area in less than two weeks, and fortunately passed over a mainly rural area when it was at its peak.  But some motorists in its path were sucked out of their vehicles or were tossed off the roadway.
Late Birds
Some migrating songbirds are going a little hungry because they have not adjusted their long-distance springtime journeys back north in response to climate change, a Canadian scientist warns, Kevin Fraser of York University says he found that purple martins, which migrate from the Amazon Basin to North America, arrived too late to enjoy the abundant food that accompanied the earliest and hottest spring on record in 2012.  He points out that there are no hints of what spring will be like a hemisphere away in Brazil.  The birds don't get their first clues until they reach the U.S. Gulf Coast.  Fraser says that, at least in 2012, they "missed out on peak food they need to be productive breeders."  He warns that the lack of adjustment to climate change may be contributing to the decline in migratory songbird populations.  This is especially a problem for species that migrate very long distances, Fraser says.
Earthquakes
Four people died when a 6.3 magnitude quake struck the heart of Taiwan.  The victims were killed by rockslides or falling rocks unleashed by the shaking.
*   Ten people were injured in the southern Philippines by a 5.6 magnitude quake that damaged buildings on Mindanao Island.
*   Earth movements were also felt in the Indian city of Kolkata, the Sinai Peninsula, the Greek capital of Athens and the southern Hawaiian Islands.
Tropical Cyclone
Tropical Storm Andrea spawned small twisters, waterspouts and flash flooding as it spun off of Florida's Gulf Coast.  It later made landfall in a remote area north of Tampa with maximum winds about 60 mph.  Andrea was the first named storm of the 2013 Atlantic hurricane season.
Sore Losers
Just like all too many humans, chimpanzees and bonobos are prone to throwing tantrums, pouting and generally acting like poor sports when they don't get what they want, a new study has shown.  Monitoring the two species of large apes in the Republic of the Congo, researchers from Yale and Duke universities were able to observe how the animals responded after winning or losing two decision-making games.  According to the study, when the primates got stuck with the less-favored food reward during either game, they would often make their displeasure known by huffing, moaning, scratching and banging their fists.