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  • From: Leslie <cayadopi AT yahoo.com>
  • To: homestead AT lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: [Homestead] volcano effects US crops
  • Date: Sun, 2 May 2010 06:14:10 -0700 (PDT)

Evelyn Browning-Garriss recent comments Iceland volcano on weather........
some excerpts......... This is her expert opinion, not mine.


Volcano eruption was not large enough - at this point - to affect world wide
weather.  It was only 6 miles high, and only that high for a short period of
time.  At that height, ash goes into the next cold front.  So far only
affecting Europe about as far as Russia.  It's too early to have a major
impact on crops.

This particular Iceland volanco has a history of erupting for 1-2 years at a
time when it does erupt.  The last time was 1821, which lasted until 1823.  
If it continues to erupt until May, currently crops most affected would be
Rape Seed/Canola Oil, that's the most vulnerable,,, but if it keeps erupting,
wheat, potatoes, and other crops in Europe will be affected.

Correlation between Iceland volanic eruptions and others and the great potato
famine 1800s.

But, unless this volcano gets bigger - i.e. 8 miles high - it will not be
affecting global crop production, or even the weather across the northern
hemisphere.


US farmers need to watch the Russian volanic eruptions because US is downwind
from Russian volcanoes.


 Iceland located where the Atlantic is splitting in two, on one side it is
heading east, the other west.  Split in middle volcanoes.  Volcano "Katla"
(SP?/phoenitic) is much bigger. There are several larger volcanoes on
Icealand.  The last time current volcano erupted, it was followed by eruption
of Katla(sp). 

Others (not her) have described Katla's effects on glaciers --- if it erupted
it would melt the nearby glaciers and the run-off (like the run off in 1755
when it went off) is the equivalent of the combined flow of the Amazon
Mississippi Nile and Yankzee rivers all together.  When it goes off it has a
tremendous global impact.  Typically goes off 10 miles high.  The last
eruption 1918 caused so much rain during WWI, the trenches built in WWI
became long swimming pools. 

Biggest dangers of the current volcano, isn't the current volcano, but the
fact that it goes off around the time that Katla(sp) erupts and that is going
to change weather throughout the northern hemisphere.

(Comment on recent program on Discovery Channel - famines during Fr.
Revolution related to Iceland volcanoes.)

Ben Franklin  was in European Court at the time Katla went off,,,, at the
time the sun had to be 20 degrees above the horizon before the sunlight was
strong enough to see the sun.  The haze was so thick, the light was filtered
out. sun couldn't get thru to the crops.

If Katla(sp) erupts and to the same historical heights i.e.10 miles,,, that
will affect the US, we will have cool summers and cold winters. 

Last year 2 large eruptions, 1 near Anchorage, 1 in Russia (pacific island) -
astronauts filmed volano blasting thru the clouds, both of them  were10 miles
high.  Kept the artic air from getting warmed up, ice expanded, followed up
by relatively cool sumer and cold winter.

(My personal thought is Garriss wasn't talking about any specific
neighborhood or region with those comments, but combined statistics from
across the entire US)


This year's hurricane season - El Nino expected to continue thru spring, end
in Jun/Jul.  El Nino's cause upper level winds to be so strong they sheer off
the tops of developing storms so not as many hurricanes.  Unfortunatly this
year, the El Nino is going to end in the earliest part of the hurricane
season, when there is usually very little activity anyway.  What we can
expect is a much busier hurricane season.  The Atlantic waters are very warm
(not right at this moment, but overall statistically).  The wind should be
just ideal for hurricane development. 

Last year winds from Africa blew a lot of dust, rising dust helped limit
hurricanes somewhat.  This year, all signs indicate African winds will be
must lighter.  We could have a very busy hurricane season.  If she were in
the oil business, she would look to 2007 to find an equivalent year (no El
Nino, no La Nina, right in between), hurricanes went off in a number of
directions........... number of strikes in the Gulf.  Closed the rigs down in
the Gulf.  She's not in the hurricane biz - but 15 name storms this year
won't surprise her.  2-3 major hurricanes - but she has to wait for more info
on water temperature changes.

(Hope the storms stay out of the Gulf,,,bad implications for that oil
spill...........4 months just to plug the leak?? puts that right at the point
where the peak part of hurricane season starts - August.... although Gulf
storms are usually in the earlier part of hurricane season, then switch more
towards Atlantic side)

Carribean volcano 2 eruptions this year, lots of dust in air.  If it erupts
again, lots of dust, help keeps storm counts down in Carribean.

.

Midwest farmers impacts ------- As long as El Nino last, it tends to be very
good for US crops.  But El Nino should only last until Jun, maybe Jul.  Lots
of corn being planted, etc.  After El Nino - extreme heat waves - Jul Aug
this year.   Roots will be shallow, heat waves will cause harsh conditions. 
Famers should have tranquilizers ready for late summer. 

There was a questions about Southern California - summer heat wave
potatential 50% based on similar weather patterns statistically.   Weather
patterns have been so weird lately, she's had to look thru tons of records to
find anything close.  She found five similar - 3 of those 5, Aug-Sep in Cal
real unpleasant heat. 

(then a comment about In Cal, high heat, associated with brown-outs, stresses
the grid as people crank up the a/c).

===============

Hope everyone is well.

Still 15-20 degrees cooler than average temps for here.   Lots of plants in. 
Expanded garden size double this year. 

About 350 potato plants in.  (Read a tip that  if in a hot area to plant them
a bit closer together so the shade from the leaves helps to keep the soil
cooler.  I had a lot of potatoes last year, small to medium size, deep ones
were large though.  Trying 8 different varieties.  The leftover potatoes from
my garden last year decided to sprout, of course, so I've planted them also. 
They all came up (yahoo - success!!!).  Must have missed some last year, as I
see 3 volunteers have come up where I planted last year.  Woke up to early
a/m freeze though yesterday.  Potatoes are up anywhere from 2" to 8", so I
hope the cold air didn't kill them off, guess I'll find out this a/m.

Trying sweet potatoes again, this time inside the garden fence so the
critters won't eat the tops.  Hope the cold didn't kill of the newly planted
slips (about 12 days ago).  I put milk jugs over them the day before because
we had 45-60 mph winds for much of the day, and early the next a/m is when
the temps dropped unexpectedly.

Trying all kinds of new to me heirloom varieties of squash, beans, melons to
see which ones can adapt to desert conditions best here.    I'm looking
forward to a lot of different varieties of dried beans this year.  All of the
beans I dried last year as seed for this year came up (another success). 
Have too many green beans canned still, so my focus this year is more on
dried.

Canned enuf pumpkin for just over a year if I remember to eat 1 qt a
week,,,,, planted lots more anyway.  Found out pumpkin can be made into
pumpkin flour.  I love the sunflower seeds I harvested, great little snack.

So far, it seems last year I grew enough veggies to last the whole year for
myself and extras for the others here, with a few exceptions.  Ran out of
onions a month or so ago.  Way too many pickles, and I have to remind myself
to eat them. 

I tried to start tomatoes indoors, and still haven't got that right.  I'm
thinking the air is so dry (10% humidity at times) that the moisture is
getting sucked right out of the starter pots even when I'm watering twice a
day.  I'm going to have to come up with a new plan more suitable.

The pecan trees are being stubborn this year, very slow to get leaves.  About
4 weeks behind last year.  I probably should go out and check one of the
native desert trees here, they will not put out buds until frost danger is
over.

Meanwhile it is WEED season.............. LOL.  Making lots of use of a large
"milk stool" I had my dad made me to make weeding easier.

Ate cactus for the first time- surprisingly delicious. 



Anyway, hope some find Garriss's comments on the volcanoes interesting.



>From waltonrp AT gmail.com Sun May 2 20:24:03 2010
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Subject: [Homestead] Cedar Rail Fences
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I'd like to put in some fencing like this one:

http://www.worldprofit.com/dealers/userfiles/cm/5230/Image/4-Rail_Fence_Icon.JPG

How would you mortise the holes for the rails?

Rob - Va



  • [Homestead] volcano effects US crops, Leslie, 05/02/2010

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