Hurricane Paloma

The development of a hurricane requires warm ocean water, a hot, humid environment and light, upper-level winds. During the peak of the Atlantic Hurricane Season, which extends from June through mid November, most storms develop from tropical waves that move westward off the coast of Africa. However, early and late in the season, these storms usually form over the warm waters of the Caribbean Sea or Gulf of Mexico; Hurricane Paloma offers a classic example.

After developing in the western Caribbean, Paloma began to drift to the northeast under the influence of an approaching cold front. Moving across open waters and beneath a calm upper atmosphere, the storm strengthened to a Category 4 Hurricane as it ravaged the Cayman Islands and headed for Cuba. Fortunately, just off the southern coast of Cuba, the storm encountered the strong upper level winds of the advancing front; combined with the effects of the island's mountainous terrain, these shearing winds disrupted the storm's crucial symmetry and it rapidly weakened to a minor, Category 1 Hurricane.

Paloma is expected to emerge from the north coast of Cuba as a tropical storm and to move off rapidly to the northeast. Of course, any slowing of its forward motion could allow the storm to redevelop but, as of now, the strong upper-level winds will likely prevent any strengthening and Paloma will die in the open Atlantic.

Winter Songsters

Once the summer residents head south and cold, gray weather invades the Heartland, the sound of birdsong nearly disappears until late February. Peeps and twitters rise from the thickets, the raucous calls of jays, crows and woodpeckers ring through the woodlands, the yank of nuthatches echo through our yards, the hoot of owls greet the dusk and the clamour of geese stirs the soul. But only a few birds bring a cheerful tune to our bleak winter days.

Chickadees, undaunted by the cold and snow, sing their way through the season, keeping hope alive for the rest of us. White-throated sparrows, having summered in Canada, are perfectly comfortable in our winter weather; though their distinctive tune is shorter and less intense than it will be next spring, they refuse to spend the season in silence. Finally, the Carolina wren, while looking out of place in the snowy landscape, is feisty enough to sing any time he wants: winter be damned!

Pinwheel on the Plains

A potent winter storm has been lumbering across the Northern Plains over the past two days. Like a giant pinwheel, the central low pressure is surrounded by strong, counter-clockwise winds; pulling in warm, moist air ahead of the front, these winds force the air to rise and cool as it moves west, dropping heavy snow across the Dakotas. On the west side of the storm, which is now centered along the Minnesota-Wisconsin border, strong, north winds are dragging frigid air down from Canada and, combined with the heavy snow, are producing blizzard conditions across the northern High Plains.

Here in Missouri, on the south edge of the storm, the winds are from the west, ushering in cool, cloudy weather and occasional showers. As the storm moves into the Great Lakes, our clouds will disperse but a steady, northwest wind will augment the chill for the next few days. It is, after all, November and winter is gaining control.

The Nature of Racism

Man evolved in East Africa about 125,000 years ago and, for the first 70,000 years of our existence, virtually all humans were dark-skinned; this trait offered protection from the intense, tropical sun, which characterized their habitat across Africa, southern Asia and Australia. About 50,000 years ago, man began to spread northward, entering temperate regions where solar radiation was reduced by the seasonal change of the sun angle. As has occured in other species, variability in skin pigmentation began to develop among human populations, reflecting an adaptation to the environment via the process of natural selection. Today, a spectrum of skin coloration characterizes our species and further variation will occur due to gene mixing through inter-racial marriages.

Unfortunately, this single human trait, though totally unrelated to other human features and capabilities, has become a rationale for discrimination and persecution. Rooted in ignorance, such beliefs are ingrained in children at a young age and fostered by one's political, cultural and religious environment. Uneducated humans, exposed to the influence of religious fundamentalists and other hate groups, develop racist views; this process is especially common in social groups where science is discredited. By accepting creationism and rejecting evolution, such groups find it easy to buy into the concept of racial distinctions; God surely designed a superior race in his own image!

Hopefully, the election of President Obama will put another nail in the coffin of racism. But until we evolve beyond the ignorance of our ancestors, this ugly mindset will remain a part of human society.

Nature and the Election

As an Independent, I am a social liberal and a fiscal conservative. But, as an environmentalist, I usually support the Democrats and, in this election, there's too much at stake not to do so once again.

Of course, both political parties claim to be concerned about the environment but, in my experience, their reasons and solutions differ dramatically. Conservative Republicans view conservation in the context of outdoor recreation. Favoring industry, development and personal freedom over the protection of natural ecosystems, they often minimize the impact of human culture on the environment. They favor access over wilderness, new roads over mass transit and exploitation over conservation. To them, concerns about global warming, endangered species and habitat destruction reflect the bias of a liberal media. Governed by capitalist principles and a religious mindset, they view the natural world as God's gift to man, his chosen species and the pinnacle of his creation.

After eight years of enduring the Bush Administration, nature and the civilized world are in desperate need of a change. Let's hope the majority agree.

Mid Plate Earthquakes

Most earthquakes originate along the edge of the tectonic plates where compression, friction or subduction occur. Other common sites are along rift valleys or mountain ranges where buried fault lines are especially numerous.

But, on occasion, earthquakes strike in areas where there is little surface evidence of past or recent tectonic activity. Tremors may strike vast plains, rolling farmlands or flat lake country. In such cases, the quake originates deep below the surface, in the basement rock of the tectonic plate, and usually reflects the presence of an old suture line or aborted rift zone. Since covered by thick layers of sedimentary rock and surface deposits, these deep faults, often quiescent for thousands or millions of years, suddenly shift due to pressure change within the plate.

Almost all of western North America was pieced together by small plates and exotic terrains that were welded to the primary North American Plate. These numerous suture lines remain a common source of earthquakes and, as the Great Basin continues to stretch, the rifting of these old margins will intensify the tectonic activity. Other, more stable regions of the Continents once formed and reformed in a similar fashion and their long-dormant sutures are prone to an occasional rupture.

While the risk for earthquakes varies widely across the globe, no region is immune. We all live in earthquake zones!

Smithville Lake

Smithville Lake is a large reservoir north of Kansas City, Missouri. Stretching north to south above the east wall of the Missouri River Valley, the Lake and its surrounding wetlands are a magnet for migratory waterfowl and early November is an excellent time to visit. Access to the area is via U.S. 169 (north of I-435), on the west side of the Lake, or from Missouri 92 which passes south of the reservoir; the Visitor Center is adjacent to the Dam on Route DD, which loops between the above highways.

Migrant ducks are peaking by November; rafts of diving ducks (redheads, ring-necks, scaup, common goldeneyes, buffleheads, ruddys, canvasbacks and mergansers) gather on deeper waters near the dam while surface feeders (mallards, wigeon, gadwall, shovelers and coot) favor the backwater shallows; the former are often joined by a variety of loons, grebes, gulls and terns though pied-billed grebes prefer the shallower waters. Bald eagles are common here throughout the colder months, peregrine falcons follow the migrant waterfowl and ospreys fish on the lake during their spring and fall migrations. Large flocks of double-crested cormorants are also attracted to the reservoir and often roost in drowned trees north of the Route W bridge.

American white pelicans rest and feed along the shorelines and, as autumn progresses, large flocks of Canada and snow geese visit the reservoir. In addition, birders will find an excellent variety of raptors, game birds and upland songbirds in the woodlands, wetlands and fields that surround the lake.

November in Missouri

Despite its reputation for cold, gray, blustery days, November offers its fair share of pleasant weather in Missouri. In most years, the warm afternoons and cool nights of October spill into the first half of the month and persistent cold is unlikely to develop until December.

Beyond the fair conditions, November offers some significant attractions for naturalists. Though the autumn colors are fading, the crisp air and dry trails make conditions ideal for hiking. Yet, perhaps in anticipation of the coming winter, the crowds begin to diminish and the opportunity for solitude increases through the month. At the same time, wildlife, stirred by the autumn chill, become more active (and watchable) and the migration of waterfowl is peaking across the State.

For all of these reasons, November is a great month for outdoor exploration in Missouri. Then again, the other eleven are as well!