Video of Volcanic Eruption in Grimsvotn, Iceland

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From the videographer's Vimeo page:> Volcanic eruption in Vatnajokull. Shot for Helicopter.is - Helicopter Service of Iceland.

Haven't really had time to watch the video. Volcano season keeps me pretty busy. I cut it on board the helicopter on the way back from the eruption. Threw some music from the fantastic composer Veigar Margeirsson (veigar.com) on it and posted it here. It took us 90 minutes to fly to Grimsvotn with a strong wind against us. The eruption looked magnificent in the sunset. Once we landed 5 miles away from the crater the cold glacier air hit us like a truck. We tried to work outside but I only lasted for a couple of minutes. Pilot Reynir Petursson also didn’t want to stay on the ground for too long since it was very windy and the ash fall was unpredictable. The light was also disappearing and he needs visual reference which is difficult on a white glacier. Once we got off the ground again we had to stay low because there were so many lightnings all around the eruption. Getting hit by a lightning in that strong wind, extreme frost and next to a live volcano was not desirable. We made it back to Reykjavik at 2am. Now the airspace has been closed in a 20 nautical miles radius because of ash.

Japan Earthquake Swarm Google Earth Animation

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I saw this posted over on Capital Weather Gang:

The YouTube video below shows a time lapse of all of the earthquakes that occurred between March 9 and March 14 off the coast of Japan. The action begins to increase after about 15 seconds and the “big one” occurs at one minute and 17 seconds into the animation. After that, the map lights up with activity through the end of the animation. The tectonic flurry is jaw-dropping.

Horrifying First Person Footage in HD of Tsunami Hitting

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I first saw this video posted on Saturday, March 12. This video made the rounds on sites like Reddit & Twitter due to is spectacular nature. Apparently the author managed to get access to a good internet connection since then and post an HD version of the video. This video illustrates just how powerful the Tsunami was and how quick it struck. As you can see, this town went from dry to almost completely destroyed in less than 5 minutes time.

Hilarious Videos of Seattle Residents Who Have Never Driven In Snow Before

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Cars sliding down a snowy Seattle hill: crashing steel Ice Capades:

From BoingBoing.net:

Here's a brief, excruciating video of cars losing traction on Seattle's Capitol Hill during this week's snowstorm and caroming downwards, out of control (the clincher is a city bus, and what appears to be the same white SUV that just keeps on trying to make it, as though the owner can't believe that his giant ride can't contend with puny black ice).

As someone who's been in a couple of high-speed, freeway ice-accidents (including a childhood trauma in which I was thrown from the car!) this was nearly too painful to watch -- though, as the closing credits remind us, no one was actually hurt on Capitol Hill that day. Which, I suppose, makes this into a kind of crashing steel Ice Capades.

Another video posted yesterday from their apartment balcony of some similar crashes from earlier in the day.