Volcanodiscovery.com - 5/24/13

Currently erupting:

Ambrym (Vanuatu): active lava lakes in several craters (updated 2 May 2013)
Bagana (Bougainville Island, Papua New Guinea): ash explosions (updated 6 May 2013)
Batu Tara (Sunda Islands, Indonesia): strombolian explosions, ash plumes up to 500 m, extrusion of a small lava dome with rockfalls (updated 6 May 2013)
Cleveland (Aleutian Islands, Alaska): continuous small eruptions (updated 6 May 2013)
Colima (Western Mexico): frequent explosions from growing lava dome, glowing rockfalls and small pyroclastic flows (updated 25 Apr 2013)
Dukono (Halmahera): thermal anomaly, probably small explosive activity in summit crater (updated 2 May 2013)
Erebus (Antarctica): active lava lake in summit crater (updated 21 Jan 2012)
Erta Ale (Ethiopia): active lava lake in northern pit crater, active hornito with intermittend flow in southern crater (updated 11 Jan 2013)

Earthsky.org - 5/23/13, Bruce McClure

What’s a supermoon? We confess: before a few years ago, we in astronomy had never heard that term. To the best of our knowledge, the term supermoon was coined by the astrologer Richard Nolle over 30 years ago. The term is only now coming into popular usage. Nolle has defined a supermoon as:

… a new or full moon which occurs with the moon at or near (within 90% of) its closest approach to Earth in a given orbit.

That’s a pretty generous definition and allows for many supermoons. The first “super” full moon – for 2013 – is coming up on the night of May 24-25.

Link: Earthsky.org

Volcano Discovery Wednesday May 22, 2013 19:04 PM

Ash emissions from Turrialba volcano (OVSICORI webcam)

Turrialba (Costa Rica): New ash emissions occurred yesterday and produced light ash falls in the outskirts of San José, in the areas of Guadalupe, Tres Ríos, Curridabat, and Ipis (at about 30 km distance).
The relatively strong ash emissions occurred from about 08:50 until 10h30 local time and were produced from two vents at the volcano. At the moment, it is not yet clear whether some of the ash is from new magma or if it is only pulverized older rock (i.e. the product of phreatic activity). Analysis of ash samples will probably tell this very soon. The volcano has in the recent past occasionally emitted ash, such as last in Jan 2012, but had otherwise only been in a state of strong degassing recently. It is known for high SO2 emissions that damage vegetation around the crater and at nearby plantations.

The Australian News, 5/22/13

MORE than 3500 lightning strikes have lit up New Zealand's skies in just 12 hours, as a complex weather system brings wind, rain and thunderstorms to the country.

At 6pm (1600 AEST) on Wednesday, the MetService had clocked 3600 lightning strikes caused by the low pressure system, with most activity occurring earlier in the day.

For more on this story please see The Australian News.

AccuWeather May 21, 2013; 11:08 AM

The beginnings of Monday's (May 20) disastrous tornado in Oklahoma were caught from space by a weather satellite in orbit.

The GOES-13 satellite, which is operated by NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), imaged the movement of storm systems in the south-central United States between May 19 and 20, including the storm that sparked a tornado in Moore, Okla., estimated to be an EF-4 in strength, on Monday at 2:56 p.m. CDT (3:56 p.m. EDT, or 1956 GMT).

Read More: http://www.accuweather.com