A hydrothermal explosion in the Biscuit Basin thermal area of Yellowstone National Park that sent visitors running has been captured on video. The area has been temporarily closed, and damaged boardwalks need repair, but no injuries have been reported. More importantly, the explosion is unlikely to be a forerunner of anything bigger, with other activity at normal levels. Those hankering for the entire Yellowstone supervolcano to erupt in an event that would block the Sun around the planet will have to wait a little longer.Yellowstone is one of America’s most popular tourist attractions in large part for the geyser eruptions. Along with these spurts of water up to 90 meters (300 feet into the air), it contains a supervolcano 70 by 45 kilometers wide (43 by 28 miles) that has blown up roughly every 700,000 years, covering half of North America in ash. The geysers are harmless for anyone who stays on the boardwalk, but in between these two extremes of risk assessments are hydrothermal explosions.“On Tuesday, July 23, at about 10:19 a.m., a localized hydrothermal explosion occurred near Sapphire Pool in Biscuit Basin, located just north of Old Faithful,” the National Park Service confirmed in a statement. “Biscuit Basin, including the parking lot and boardwalks, are temporarily closed for safety reasons.”         The dramatic footage was shot by Steve and Vlada March and shows the eruption, steam, and subsequent damage to the boardwalk by rocks caught in the blast. The United States Geological Survey (USGS) has been keeping its Facebook page updated on the event. “The Biscuit Basin area is closed temporarily as the Yellowstone National Park staff assess conditions,” the page notes, adding “In Yellowstone, hydrothermal explosions are violent and dramatic events that can occur with little to no warning. They occur in shallow reservoirs of fluids are at or near the boiling point. The fluids can flash to steam if the pressure suddenly drops, hurling boiling water, steam, mud, and rock fragments into the air.”Lisa Morgan, a research geologist with the USGS described these explosions as “One of the most important and least understood geologic hazards in Yellowstone,” in an article for the Yellowstone Caldera Chronicles, a USGS publication. They’re not to be confused with the more familiar magmatic eruptions that have laid waste to cities and caused global famines. The USGS notes “The deeper magmatic system appears to be unaffected by these spectacular explosions within the hydrothermal system.”“Hydrothermal explosions require a sudden drop in pressure, which causes rapid expansion of high-temperature fluids, fragmentation, ejection of debris, and crater formation,” Morgan wrote. “The northern Yellowstone Lake area is a locus of numerous past hydrothermal explosions and is an ideal natural laboratory for detailed research into the timing and triggering mechanisms of these poorly understood hazards.”Being less dangerous than magmatic eruptions does not mean hydrothermal explosions are risk-free, as the video demonstrates. The park's Mary Bay explosion crater is 2.5 kilometers (1.6 miles) across, the largest crater attributed to a hydrothermal explosion anywhere on the planet. The consequences of being anywhere in the vicinity 13,000 years ago when it was formed can be guessed.  Yellowstone has three other large craters from hydrothermal events in the same area, the most recent of which was produced by an eruption 2,900 years ago.The largest hydrothermal explosion of which we have recorded witnesses came from the late 19th century, leaving rocks the size of houses high in the air.Clearly, yesterday's event was not on the same scale. Nevertheless, the steam from the eruption could easily kill anyone too close by. Had some of those seen fleeing the event paused, or simply been unable to run, debris falling from the heights shown could also be lethal.Smaller hydrothermal explosions happen almost every year somewhere in Yellowstone, but usually not somewhere that attracts as many tourists as the Sapphire Pool, where this occurred, nor at such a peak time.Consequently, there is a known risk with getting this close to the geysers, even if it is not on the scale of driving into one of Yellowstone’s hot acidic lakes. Even if staying in designated areas does not keep you completely safe, stepping outside them is more dangerous still, which sadly has not stopped some people, including those who seem to think their fame protects them.Morgan’s research has revealed a variety of triggers for hydrothermal explosions. One of the largest eruptions occurred when an earthquake ruptured a hydrothermal dome. The other followed a sudden dramatic drop in the level of a lake at the surface, although that too could have had seismic activity as its ultimate cause. The change in pressure increased steam production, with disastrous results.Given that variation, identifying the cause of today’s event may take some time.

When on a stroll or a drive, you may have wondered why some trees are painted with strange markings, and some are painted white at the bottom. These are painted for different reasons, with the markings largely for loggers, and the white paint for the protection of the trees themselves.What do the markings you sometimes see on trees mean?Markings can be anything from orange lines on top of each other to ominous red crosses and enigmatic Roman numerals. These aren't the work of woodland creatures, but are used for a number of reasons in forestry management, as well as logging. So what do they mean?While there is no standardized meaning for the symbols used across the world, different organizations of course use and understand them when they do so. In the USA, the most common markings you'll see are orange stripes. These marks are placed on trees that are due to be harvested, and have been marked for use in timber, while blue markings indicate the edge of a boundary. As well as a visual aid for loggers and tree surgeons to identify trees to be used for timber, they help forest managers keep an eye on logging activity."Stump paint is used to help foresters confirm that trees were properly harvested. Stumps without paint raise a red flag, especially if there are too many," Michigan State University Extension Forestry explains. "Sometimes, an adjacent unmarked tree needs to be cut in order to get at a marked tree. Foresters take this into account when marking a stand, but sometimes leave access a bit tough for a logger."        Alternatively, when a large area of forest is to be cut down, trees that are to be left alone may be marked, sometimes in a blue-green color, or a boundary may be marked in yellow.Roman numerals are used in the UK on trees that have been measured for their height."These are called volume sample trees," Forestry England explains. "These trees are important for estimating the total volume, and are marked using Roman numerals to identify them."Other trees may be marked with letters like "PL" to indicate that they are near a power line, which will need to be shut off before the tree is felled, while red crosses are another way of indicating that a tree is to be cut down. Trees that are not for timber but are diseased may be marked in the same way.Why some trees are painted white at the bottomWhen trees are painted white at the bottom, this is not a sign for loggers, but to prevent damage to the tree during variable winter temperatures."Sunscald is a winter occurrence, more common on young fruit trees such as apple, pear, cherryplum, cherry, apricot and plum," the University of Saskatchewan explains in a post. "The south sides of the tree are usually affected, because of sun reflected by the snow, which warms the frozen bark and cause it to thaw too quickly. This will cause the bark to crack which, in severe cases, can lead to structural damage to the tree."As the trees mature, they become more resistant to sunscald, the result of thickening bark. But in the interim, people protect trees by painting them white at the base. This reflects away more light, preventing the tree from overheating.

Vincent Tolman from the UK made an incredible journey into the afterlife after doctors declared him dead. It all started when Tolman took an excessively high dose of a bodybuilding supplement, which led to a critical condition. Within 45 minutes, he showed no signs of life, and paramedics were preparing to take him to the morgue. Vincent claims doctors tried unsuccessfully to resuscitate him, then placed him in a body bag and took him to the hospital. Vincent said he watched everything happen as if it were a movie. All the while, he could hear the thoughts of the people who witnessed his death, focusing particularly on one paramedic who had just started working and did not want anyone to die in his arms during his first week on the job. This paramedic suddenly opened Vincent’s body bag again and proceeded to perform life-saving measures, at which point Vincent began to respond, and other paramedics immediately joined in the attempt to bring him back to life. According to the Daily Star, despite the extremely unfavorable prognosis of doctors, Tolman returned to life thanks to the decisive actions of the medical staff. He began breathing again and fell into a medically induced coma for three days. After that, he woke up. Vincent says he was led on his journey by a friendly presence named Drake: “I see this gentleman and I had this thought ‘You must be God,’ and without him moving his mouth he said ‘No son, I’m not God I’m your guide’.” In heaven, he said, he was able to see his life through the eyes of other people and realize its true value. Vincent says his spirit guide took him to heaven and showed him all the bad things he had done in his life, as well as all the good things. Fortunately, Vincent says that he “actually did far more good than bad,” which allowed him to enter the spiritual realm where he learned the fundamental meaning of life. “Earth is just a school, it’s always been just a classroom and it’s never been a courtroom,” he noted, emphasizing that the main lesson he learned was the meaning of love. Vincent’s spirit guide telepathically explained to him how the universe worked, but he said, “it’s so hard to explain because everything was non-verbal – it was just a direct understanding.” Tolman shared his amazing experience on his YouTube channel, Coming Home, where he talked about meeting Drake, the new knowledge he gained about the universe, and the choice between returning to his family or staying in heaven. Vincent’s story leaves many questions about the nature of death and the afterlife, which medicine and philosophy have been trying to unravel for centuries. The post Man was declared dead and claims he was shown the afterlife appeared first on Anomalien.com.

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Govee makes tons of different smart home products. But some might say that Govee is best known for all the different smart lighting solutions it offers. One of my favorite examples is the awesome new Govee Curtain Lights wall backdrop, and playing with this thing is way more fun than it has any right being. I've spent plenty of time with the company's smart LED wall lights that were released last year. Govee Curtain Lights will add a totally unique and fun smart lighting element to any room, and you can get one for $85.99 instead of $130 right now, thanks to a clippable coupon. Govee Curtain Lights, Smart LED Curtain Lights, Color Changing Wall Lights, Dynamic DIY Curtain… Price: $85.99 You Save: $44.00 (34%) Buy Now Dubbed Govee Curtain Lights, this awesome setup consists of many strands of LED lights connected by one main strip across the top. There are 520 LED bulbs in total, and they combine to create a wall of lights you can hang just about anywhere. The curtain of LEDs ends up being 5 feet wide and 6.6 feet long, though you can cut the strip on top to make it narrower if you need to. Or, you can always get multiple Curtain Lights to hang side-by-side. This way, you can cover an entire wall or even the whole room if you want to. Govee Curtain Lights cover the wall with 520 individual LEDs. Image source: Maren Estrada for BGR Once it's installed, the Govee Curtain Lights come with around 90 dynamic scenes, an "Enhanced Music Mode" that flashes and changes along to the beat of your music, and a DIY canvas so you can make your own images. The DIY feature was definitely my favorite part, even though I'm not much of an artist. Thankfully, Govee knows that not everyone has artistic talent. That's why you can even upload GIFs and watch the animation play on your Curtain Lights. I can't tell you how much fun I've had while uploading all sorts of different GIFs to check them out. Govee Curtain Lights, Smart LED Curtain Lights, Color Changing Wall Lights, Dynamic DIY Curtain… Price: $85.99 You Save: $44.00 (34%) Buy Now I had a blast playing with the Govee Curtain Lights, which retail for $130. Considering you get a full wall of 520 LED lights for that price, it's definitely a bargain. Right now, however, you can save some money and get yours for just $85.99. I actually just ordered another one for myself since this is the lowest price I've seen since before the holidays last year. Don't Miss: Today’s deals: $249 iPad, $299 HP 14-inch laptop, $20 Bluetooth speaker, $600 Hisense 75-inch TV, more The post I’m having way too much fun playing with Govee Curtain Lights appeared first on BGR. Today's Top Deals eufy Smart Lock C33 is the lock I’ve been searching for, and it’s $99.99 ahead of Prime Day Today’s deals: $100 eufy smart lock, Nintendo Switch game sale, 20% off Dreo ChefMaker, $4 smart plugs, more Tuesday’s top Prime Day deals: $169 AirPods Pro 2, free Robux, LG OLED TVs, laptops, Dyson, Bose, more Best Apple deals for July 2024

Ukraine's top diplomat told Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi during talks in the city of Guangzhou on Wednesday that Kyiv was open to negotiating with Russia if Moscow was ready to do so in good faith, something Kyiv saw no evidence of currently. Foreign Minister Dmytro...

FBI Director Christopher Wray will face questions from Congress on Wednesday over the attempted assassination of Donald Trump, but seems likely to escape the withering bipartisan criticism that preceded Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle's resignation.

Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump is planning to stop holding his signature outdoor rallies such as the one in Butler, Pennsylvania, where a shooter attempted to assassinate him earlier this month, sources are saying.

With just a few weeks to pick a replacement for President Joe Biden, Democratic Party delegates rapidly rallied en masse behind Kamala Harris, saying the circumstances require a quick and practical choice.