"Nice" Winter Weather Has Its Consequences...

Every winter, it's the same complaint: "I wish Spring would get here!" or "I'm sick of the cold & snow!"  For  those living in the Colorado Front Range, it's a yearly incident.  We also have many "transplants" who have moved here from warmer climates, and understandably, hate the cold. 

For those who wanted a mild, dry winter; you got your wish!  However, this type of winter has dire consequences.  Right now, there is a 1200 acre wildfire burning NW of Golden, CO.  Luckily, this fire has not claimed any structures yet.  Sadly, the 55MPH wind gusts are of no assistance to the firefighters on the front lines.  As of the time of this post, we are still under a Red Flag Warning and any open burning (including outdoor cigarette smoking) is temporarily banned, due to the extremely dry conditions.

This wildfire is only the beginning of the problems that can arise from a dry winter.  Once the fire is out, there will be more.  Most wildfires are either caused by lightning or by an errant cigarette that was discarded from a moving vehicle.  Not only do these fires deplete the budgets of the counties they occur in, but they can destroy people's property, kill livestock, and the smoke causes unnecessary respiratory distress for those with allergies, asthma or other respiratory issues. 

Next, lets discuss another consequence of a dry winter: Drought.  Drought costs farmers and ranchers millions in lost revenue annually.  The winter wheat crop of Eastern CO and Western KS is planted in the fall and is totally reliant on the snow to provide the moisture for the seed to germinate the following spring.  Since most of the crop is on dryland fields, they are not irrigated.  Already, the wheat yields are looking weak due to the lack of moisture.  Hopefully with a weakening LaNina pattern, the rains will come soon. (Before it's too late.)

Another consequence is water supply.  Luckily, the mountains have normal to above normal snowpacks to balance the shortage on the eastern plains.  If there was not this snowpack, there would be terrible consequences for all such as water rationing and higher bills.  Farmers need the water from the rivers, municipalities need water from the reservoirs, and we all need water from Mother Nature. 

To end:  Yes, it's nice to have "nice" winter weather.  BUT, it comes with consequences that are not pleasant for anyone.  Please remember that our wintertime precipitation is needed.  So, even though it is cold and miserable for some, I'm sure the majority of people would rather deal with a few days of misery than to deal with a whole summer of drought and fires.

Spring is near... It's seedling time!

Good evening!

     It's that time of year again!  The days are getting longer, the days & nights are warmer...  Spring is indeed coming!  Are you ready?
     This is the perfect time for people in and around the Denver area to start their vegetable and flower seeds indoors.  Hold off for a couple more weeks for the melon and gourd seeds.  Usually the first two weeks of April are the most suitable for starting those indoors.  I started my tomatoes, peppers, and onions a couple weeks ago, and they are now about 2"-3" tall and seem to be enjoying their place in the sunny, south-facing window that is serving as their nursery for the time being.
     Most people tend to use Mother's Day weekend as the time to do the outdoor planting in the Colorado Front Range area.  They are correct in their thinking, as the last frost has usually occurred by then.  For most people in Zone 5, this is true. 
     The USDA has created a Hardiness Zone map to assist gardeners in determining which plants are suitable for their climate and the best time for planting. 

Now that you know your "Zone" you can read the back of any seed package to see if it is suitable for your area.  Most people may not think much of it until they have failed plantings.  Plants are much more sensitive to even the smallest changes in weather conditions than we can imagine.  Believe me, I learned the importance of knowing the "Zones" the hard way! 
     Another thing to consider when starting your seeds indoors is the quality of the potting soil being used.  In my experience, I have had alot of success using "seed starter" soil mixes.  These are rich in organic material and hold moisture well.  You want a strong, healthy plant when you transplant it to the outdoors.

I will write more on gardening in a future entry.  Have a great week and get those seeds started! 

A Lesson in Geology...

Hello all! 

     It's been a few months since I've actually had some time to create a blog entry.  This past week has been a crazy one as far as current world events are concerned.  The 8.9 magnitude earthquake in Japan has devastated the Japanese people.  Even though Japan is accustomed to living with strong earthquakes, this one still managed to be very destructive, despite all of the advances in structural engineering and other adaptive measures.
     I have found that many people have questions about if this could ever happen here in the United States.  Sadly, the answer is "Yes."  and I'm not referring to the inevitable "Big One" of California's future either.  Let's discuss two other "danger areas" of the U.S. that are not as well known:

The Pacific Northwest - Washington & Oregon : 

     About 300 miles west of the coastline lies a subduction trench (pictured below).  This same type of fault is what lies on the ocean floor east of Japan that was responsible for the recent earthquake.  All five of the strongest recorded earthquakes occurred as a result of a subduction trench
     Subduction trenches are also responsible for volcano formation, thus explaining the volcanoes in Cascadia such as Mt. St. Helens.  Unfortunately, this particular type of fault tends to create the most destructive earthquakes. 

Source:   Geist, Eric L., 1996. Relationship between the present-day stress field and plate boundary forces in the Pacific Northwest, Geophysical Research Letters, v. 23, p. 3381-3384. Via USGS website.

More can be found about the earthquake risk in the Pacific Northwest (Cascadia) from this website from the United States Geological Survey (USGS):   http://walrus.wr.usgs.gov/earthquakes/stress/implications.html

The New Madrid Seismicity Zone:

     This area of the U.S. is in the middle of the North American plate, so it shouldn't have earthquakes, right?  One would be inclined to think that, but they would be sadly mistaken.  The area of SE Missouri, W. Kentucky, W. Tennessee & NE Arkansas sits upon the most seismic area east of the Rocky Mountains.  This area is what we could call a "sleeping giant".  But why?
     The last major earthquake swarm occurred in 1811-1812.  Despite the limited population in the area of the time, the effects were felt for hundreds of miles. These quakes are estimated to have been around the 6.5 magnitude range, based upon information taken from the historical accounts from the events.  If a quake of this magnitude were to occur today, cities like Memphis and St. Louis would suffer damage similar to that of Japan, but without the tsunami (of course).
     This area lies upon an ancient network of faults that was created about 500 million years ago.  This network, called the Reelfoot Rift was stretched during this time, causing some of the bedrock to sink a few inches in places.  Now, 500 million years later, this same area is being squeezed, courtesy of plate tetonics.  This squeezing is reactivating the fault network, thus resulting in earthquakes in this otherwise stable continental area.  As you can tell from this map, this area is high risk.

Maps courtesy of USGS (website).

Here is an overall map of earthquake risk for the U.S.  Do you live in one of the high risk areas? 

If so, you may consider your emergency supplies, insurance, and have a plan in place for you and your loved ones should an event occur.  Preparation is key to surviving the aftermath of such destructive, yet natural events.

I hope you enjoyed this little lesson in geology.  Even when there's no significant weather, there's always something in our natural world that we can talk about.  Have a great week everyone and enjoy the spring-like weather!