Weekly Weird News for 5 Aug 2022
Don't kill the spiders, mmmkay?
Hi, everyone. It was a tough week for me so I apologize if I missed a really juicy story. Please send current interesting news items directly to me through this site or via Twitter.
Now for the news.
Update on Lake Mead remains
Authorities are releasing more details about the bodies found in Lake Mead. One, found in a barrel, was killed by a gunshot wound. They have determined that was clearly a homicide. The second set, also in barrel, did not have an obvious cause of death but clearly was connected to something nefarious. The latest remains are only partial and will be the most difficult to examine for clues. There is speculation that the deaths are related to organized crime. Samples were taken for DNA analysis but they also utilize X-rays, fingerprints and dental records to try to sort out the identities. https://www.cnn.com/2022/08/03/us/lake-mead-remains-homicide-investigation-autopsies/index.html
Panic from strange noises in Turkey
Strange underground sounds around Meydandere, Turkey accompanied by tremors have made the locals very nervous. Authorities are investigating if it’s related to underground water movements or something more mysterious. I really am dumbfounded by this story, though. This area of Turkey experiences dozens of earthquakes every month. Clearly, these are small tremors that are translated into a disturbing rumbling sound that panics people, especially at night. Looking at the latest quakes within 100 km of Meydandere in the past 30 days shows 75 quakes, with almost all at magnitude 2 or less. My best guess is that these are earthquake sounds. It appears that this town is experiencing a swarm of tiny, shallow quakes that manifest as noise. https://www.dailysabah.com/turkey/mysterious-noise-from-below-disturbs-turkish-village/news
For more on a similar phenomenon, see my piece on Moodus Noises.
Sinkhole in Chile
A huge sinkhole opened up near a village in Chile that is also home to a massive copper mine. It’s not clear if the sinkhole is related to the mine. The hole is over 600 feet deep. There are well-developed salt caves here. With the groundwater 650 feet below the surface, possibly drawn down from the copper mine, which appears to be at least that deep, it's feasible to think that this is a salt cavern collapse due to dissolution. Because it's so deep, it ends up looking perfectly round when it collapses the ground surface. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/aug/02/sinkhole-25-metres-wide-prompts-investigation-near-chilean-copper-mine
I’ll be watching for more updates on this one. It’s impossible to find anything worthwhile in the news reports that just repeat the same stuff.
For more on how sinkholes form, head over to Spooky Geology.
Grocery gross-out
A Virginia woman found a snake inside an Utz popcorn bag while at the grocery store. The rat snake was likely a local. Judging from the rest of her description of the store, which was horrid, it’s shocking how the store is still open. She is suggesting the store had mice. Maybe the mice came for the popcorn. And the snake came for the mice. The bigger issue is that the woman is afraid the store will shut down due to the complaints. But it’s the only grocery store in the small town. https://www.wtvr.com/news/local-news/virginia-grocery-store-snake-july-29-2022
Mystery monkey
A monkey was seen in a neighborhood in Florida. The animal, about 2 feet tall and resembling a capuchin, was spotted in a yard in Cape Coral. https://nbc-2.com/news/local/2022/08/02/monkey-spotted-roaming-around-cape-coral/
Tortoise on the tracks
An escaped tortoise halted trains in the UK. The 110 lb African spur-thighed tortoise had gone missing from a pet shop enclosure and had been injured when one train passed over top of him and clipped his shell. The next train halted for the animal that was still on the tracks. “Clyde” was rescued and is doing ok back with his keepers. https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-norfolk-62377928 and https://reptilesmagazine.com/sulcata-tortoise-stops-train-service-in-england/
Ancient people-tracks
A trackway from adults and children who walked on a riverbed in Utah some 12,000 years ago was found on a military test site. The surprise find by archaeologists stunned the researchers who hope more traces can be found. The prints are subtle and might be easily overlooked. https://www.nytimes.com/2022/08/03/science/utah-footprints-tracks.html
Fossil fish head
A spectacular three-dimensional fossil of a fish was found in Stroud, Gloucestershire, U.K. The Jurassic-aged fish is Pachycormus and was found by fossil hunters searching the rich fossil seam of limestone nodules. Many other fantastic finds were documented here. https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-62336876
Stowaways without a passport to be deported
A woman traveling from Croatia home to Austria found a family of scorpions stowed away in her bag. The mother and 17 babies were captured and turned into an animal rescue service, noting that they will be returned home. https://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2022/08/01/austria-vacationer-scorpions-rescued-Croatia-Austria/5221659365155/
Leave the spiders be!
Some horrid dude attempted to kill a spider with his lighter while hiking in Utah, but instead started a wildfire. He’s been arrested for the reckless behavior. I’ve got nothing but bad thoughts for this guy, so I’ll leave it there. https://apnews.com/article/wildfires-fires-marijuana-utah-salt-lake-city-36ec46aa4be2db7d5724d67281d84d74
The day went by so fast!
June 29 was 1.59 milliseconds shorter than it should have been. Scientists researching the issue suspect that the “Chandler wobble” effect may be to blame. The wobble is a periodic movement caused by internal conditions of the earth or from external factors like tides. https://www.sciencealert.com/earth-just-set-a-new-record-for-the-shortest-day-all-thanks-to-a-wobble
A tire-d and bad idea
Once upon a time, people thought old tires would make a good artificial reef. Until a storm comes through and messes up that plan. Restoration plans for Wrightsville Beach in North Carolina hit the skids when the US Army Corps of Engineers uncovered 300,000 old tires in the sand. The tires, placed offshore from the 1970s to 1983, break down and cause pollution. Officials are trying to formulate a mitigation plan. https://www.wral.com/wrightsville-beach-renourishment-project-uncovers-hundreds-of-thousands-of-tires-in-the-ocean/20400638/
Drowning in seaweed
A huge amount of seaweed is fouling shorelines in the Caribbean. It’s not clear why the bloom of sargassum is blanketing beaches and messing up tourist activities. Suspected causes are climate change and excessive nutrients flowing to the sea from runoff. The huge amount of algae also upsets the ecosystem balance. The conditions are so bad that health warnings have been issued in some areas and the material clogs intakes and affects animal nesting, as well as stinking to high heaven. This has become a typical occurrence. https://apnews.com/article/travel-health-caribbean-6efc338cdfed7282300ea0d752b6d9fb
Red River valley
Red food dye was improperly released into Pennsauken Creek in Southern New Jersey by a beverage company. It’s not hazardous but it’s upsetting to see, and still a violation of clean water laws. https://www.nj.com/news/2022/08/portion-of-nj-creek-turns-red-after-company-dumps-food-dye.htm
I'm sorry to hear you had a rough week. I hope all the rest are perfect!