Thousands of Octopuses wash up on Portugal Beach....

BBC ^ | Jan 3rd, 2010

[TaraP]

Thousands of dead octopuses have washed up on a beach in northern Portugal, in what is being called an environmental disaster.

They cover a 5-mile stretch of Vila Nova de Gaia beach - no reason has yet been found for their appearance.

The authorities have warned the public not to eat them.

MEANWHILE: WELLINGTON: More than 120 whales died over 48 hours in two separate beachings in New Zealand, the Department of Conservation said on Monday.

More than 20 pilot whales will be buried by Coromandel Maori on Monday after dying when they became stranded on Sunday.

Sixty-three whales, mostly cows with calves, beached themselves at Colville Bay, north of Coromandel township in North Island.

The 3-4 meter whales were seen by fishermen struggling about 300 meters offshore around 6 a.m. and they called emergency services

[P.O.E.]

Paging Dr Octopus

[lowbridge]

Is that a picture of a beached whale?

Dont be silly. Its not beached. Cant you tell?

[GSP.FAN]

Thank you that is the funniest thing i have read all day..Luckily i did not have a mouthful of beer in my mouth or i would be cleaning laptop now...
I do not own a boat but i have been known to “showing her the layout” tactic, ahem,wink wink ,nudge nudge
Slainte..

[SnarlinCubBear]

Main Entry: oc·to·pus Pronunciation: \ˈäk-tə-pəs, -ˌpu̇s\ Function: noun Inflected Form(s): plural oc·to·pus·es or oc·to·pi \-ˌpī\ Etymology: New Latin Octopod-, Octopus, from Greek oktōpous

From Merriam Webster - and I'm SHOCKED - I would have bet $$ on octopi

[dasboot]

octopodae

[Hot Tabasco]

"thousands of octopi" washed up in a limited area such as this appears to me to be an over population of the species. If so, some virus common to the octopi is most likely the culprit. This is nature's way of controlling the species.

I only mention this because I witnessed a similar phenomenon many years ago amongst the local raccoon population at a nearby metro park. Raccoons all over the place wandering around aimlessly in the daylight suffering from canine distemper.

This is cyclical and only occurs when the population grows out of control.

[GGpaX4DumpedTea]

“North Magnetic Pole Moving Due to Core Flux”

I have solder with core flux - and it is non-magnetic...

[Errant]

Mine too. :) The earths's core is suppose to be solid and mostly of iron and rotating so it generates a magnetic flux field.

[Foolsgold]

I thought the movie with Tom Cruise was AustinPussey, sorry I guess it was GoldMember

[Foolsgold]

And algore said the core is millions of degrees

[Errant]

For the last 400 thousand years, the earth has enjoyed the warmth we see today approximately once every 100,000 years for a period of about 12,000 years during each warming episode.

We are poised to take the plunge back to our normal ice age pattern. Even though we can't be sure exactly when it will begin in earnest, it is just around the corner in geological time frames and maybe literally if the sun stays quiet like it has been.

History will not treat Al gore and his ilk kindly.

[Iron Munro]

She also said they used to have dung beatles but they are all gone.

I heard they all relocated last January to Washington, DC In anticipation of a bumper crop when the Obamas hit town.

[Iron Munro]

Another item of interest: North Magnetic Pole Moving Due to Core Flux

Also, consider this: Earth Magnetic Field Reversal

"Scientists have been observing changes in the direction of earth's magnetic field which took place recently as well as in the distant past. NASA’s website features a map showing the gradual northward migration of the north magnetic pole in the past century and a half.

See: Earth's Inconstant Magnetic Field

Since more than double the time interval has elapsed since the last reversal, compared to the time lapse between the previous two pole reversals, some believe we may be overdue for the next north-south flip. However, though the interval between reversals of the Earth’s magnetic field can be as short as 5,000 years, it can also be as long as 50 million years. There does not seem to be any logic or rule governing the planet’s behavior."

[Foolsgold]

This pretty much tells the story only 800-900 years ago Greenland History from the Smithsonian Natural History Museum

[Errant]

I like their chart of the magnetic pole changes.

[Errant]

One has to ask why the changes... If the magnetic field is generated by the spin of the inner core then does this mean it's spin alignment with the rotation of the earth's crust and mantle is changing? If so, what are the effects and why now?

Imagine the spin of a solid iron ball becoming erratic and this iron ball which is hundreds of miles in diameter starts bouncing around from mantle to mantel under the Earth's crust and our feet. :)

[21twelve]

“..he was below deck with his date ‘showing her the layout’... saw the biggest fattest Sea Lion he’d ever seen sitting on the engine cover. Coast Guard said they’d have to wait it out.”

How did your buddy train the sea lion to do that?!

[Errant]

Magnetic Reversals and Glaciation

There is evidence that glaciation can occur in as little as 20 years and that magnetic reversals in many instances coincides with glaciation.

Here again, one has to wonder why and how magnetic pole reversal could possibly effect climate unless there is some underlying factor such as massive volcanism that occurs during these periods or other surface changes for as yet unknown events.

[FourPeas]

Sounds like a good omen for the Red Wings....

[BenLurkin]

Vulgar Barbarian.

That’ll be a great screen name!