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Burning Man Attendees Confront Extreme Weather Conditions

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Las Vegas – This year’s Burning Man festival attendees have not had much cooperation from Mother Nature.

Amid fierce sandstorms, high temperatures, and humidity over the weekend, there’s a looming threat of rain and potential flooding in the coming days, marking a chaotic start to the annual event in Nevada’s Black Rock Desert.

A powerful sandstorm with winds reaching 50 mph swept through Black Rock City on Saturday, creating disorder at campsites and causing significant travel delays in the area. The National Weather Service issued a Dust Storm Advisory, citing a “blowing dust wall” heading north that evening.

According to a Burning Man spokesperson, NBC News reported four minor injuries related to the wind and dust.

The storm caused traffic disruptions due to strong winds and reduced visibility, leading to the closure of Black Rock City gates. For those already inside, swirling dust overturned many campsites and scattered personal belongings.

“If you’re in Black Rock City, secure your camp and refrain from driving,” warned the official Burning Man account monitoring conditions both inside and outside Black Rock City. This was shared on x on Saturday.

Participants described the winds as relentless for over an hour, remarking, “The desert is always trying to kill you.” They expressed that it was “arguably the most frightening experience” at Burning Man. This sentiment was shared on Facebook.

Around 70,000 individuals are expected to attend the festival, which continues until September 1st.

On the festival’s first day, northern Nevada experienced humidity levels nearing 100°F, with about 57% humidity. Another dust advisory was issued that evening by the National Weather Service, predicting 50 mph winds and visibility under a mile across parts of central Nevada.

There were also possibilities of rain and thunderstorms that temporarily halted vehicle traffic by locking the gates in Black Rock City.

“The current travel time for vehicles on Gate Road is estimated at seven hours when the gates reopen,” noted a festival official. This was updated on x Sunday night.

Cleanup efforts are in progress, but the volatile weather conditions persist.

Rain and thunderstorms are forecast for Monday and beyond. The dusty lake beds are prone to flooding, and excessive rainfall could transform the playa into muddy terrain.

In 2023, torrential rains trapped thousands of Burning Man participants in thick mud. Attendees were advised to “evacuate to shelter,” leading to a report of one fatality by the Pershing County Sheriff’s Office.

Source: www.nbcnews.com

Turkmenistan’s “Gate of Hell” Crater: Burning for 40 Years Without Explanation

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Fires typically consume fuel over hours, days, or even weeks. However, certain underground fossil fuel deposits can sustain a blaze for decades.

The gas crater in Darvaza, famously known as the “Gate of Hell,” has been burning for a remarkable 40 years within a 60-meter-wide (196 feet) pit located in Turkmenistan’s Karakham Desert.

The crater’s origin is a topic of debate. Some claim it resulted from an unauthorized Soviet gas drilling operation in the 1970s that inadvertently trapped an underground pocket of natural gas; others believe it was formed naturally in the 1960s.

Regardless of its origins, geologists detected methane leaking from the crater and attempted to ignite the gas to prevent environmental disasters. They expected it to extinguish within weeks, yet it has continued to burn for decades.

The Darvaza gas Crater is a 60m (196 feet) pit in the Karakham Desert in Turkmenistan. – Photo Credit: Getty Images

This crater sits atop extensive oil and gas fields that traverse Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan, likely linked to a vast underground reservoir of methane, which fuels the fire almost indefinitely.

In 2013, Canadian explorer George Crunis embarked on an expedition to study the crater. Dressed in a heat-resistant suit, he descended to the crater’s depths to collect soil samples and found simple organisms capable of surviving in the extreme conditions at the bottom.

While the Gate of Hell may be the most famous fire, it is not the oldest. Underground coal seams can sustain fires for centuries.

One coal fire beneath Mount Wingen in Australia has been ablaze for over 5,000 years. Such fires might continue indefinitely until the vast underground fuel supply is depleted.

This article addresses the question posed by Dennis McCann of Derby: “What are the Gates of Hell, and why do they keep burning?”

Please email us your questions at Question@sciencefocus.com or message us on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram (remember to include your name and location).

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Source: www.sciencefocus.com

Ancient Ice Age civilizations constructed elaborate fireplaces primarily fueled by wood burning

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Archaeologists discovered and analyzed three hearths at the Upper Paleolithic site of Korman ‘9 (45,000-10,000 years ago) on the right bank of the Dniester River in Ukraine. Their findings show that ice age humans built different types of hearths, using mostly wood, but perhaps using bones and fat to burn fire.

Murphy et al. Provides a high-resolution Earth Character Study on three combustion features related to the profession of Epigravet on the Kolman 9 site in Ukraine, with age dropping to the last glacial maximum.

It is widely assumed that an important tool for human survival, especially in cold weather, is the ability to create, maintain and use fires.

Many literature provides data on the benefits of fire use regarding human evolution and its fundamental function in everyday life.

More recent research also shows the labor-intensive nature of using fireworks. The implication of fire use was not only an essential survival tool, but also played an important role in the way hunter-gatherer groups organize themselves.

This includes how hunter-gatherers acquire resources such as wooden fuel, how to initiate and maintain a fire if they store or cache fuel materials for future use, or how sites and activities are organized around the combustion function.

“The fire didn’t just keep it warm. It was also essential for cooking, making tools and social gatherings,” said Dr. Philip R. Nigust, an archaeologist at the University of Vienna.

“We know that fires have spread around this period, but there is little evidence from the height of the ice age,” added Dr. William Murfrey, an archaeologist at the University of Algarve.

In the current study, the researchers focused on the archaeological site of Komann 9 in Ukraine.

“Korman ‘9 is an Upper Paleolithic site on a north facing terrace on the right bank of the Dniester River in Ukraine,” they said.

“This site was discovered in 2012 while researching a site along the Dniester River.”

Through microstratigraphic analysis, microtransfer and colorimetric analysis, scientists have identified three flat wood furnaces.

One interesting discovery to come is that these fires have reached temperatures above 600 degrees Celsius, demonstrating a sophisticated mastery of fireworks even in the face of extreme environmental stresses.

The analysis also shows that humans use wood as the main fuel during peak ice ages, and charcoal analysis indicates spruce wood. However, other fuels such as bones and fat may be used.

“Some of the animal bones found on the site were burned in the fire at temperatures above 650 degrees Celsius,” said Dr. Majolaine D. Bosch, a museum of the University of Vienna zoo physician, Austrian Academy of Sciences and the Museum of Natural History.

“We are currently investigating whether they are being used as fuel or if they were accidentally burned.”

All three fireplaces are open and flat. However, the new results suggest that fire use was refined as it is likely that fireplaces were constructed and used in different ways each season.

One of the three fireplaces is large and thick, suggesting that a higher temperature was achieved here.

“People had full control over the fire and knew how to use it in a variety of ways depending on the purpose of the fire,” Dr. Nigust said.

“However, our results also show that these hunter-gatherers used the same location at different times of the year during their annual migration.”

Survey results Published in the journal Geography.

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William Chase Murfrey et al. 2025. The use of fires during the last Glacier largest era: evidence from the epigravet of Kolmann 9 in the Middle Donierster Valley in Ukraine. Geography 40(2): E70006; doi: 10.1002/gea.70006

Source: www.sci.news

UK Zone Electricity Pricing Benefits High-tech Companies Burning AI Data Centres

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High-tech companies are urging the UK government to support the growth of AI data centers in remote areas of the UK by offering the lowest electricity prices in Europe.

A report commissioned by high-tech companies Amazon and Openai calls on the government to reform the UK electricity market by implementing zonal pricing, where prices vary based on different zones to incentivize investment in areas with lower electricity costs.

This zonal pricing model, according to a report by SMF Think Tank, highlights Scotland as a hotspot for AI data centers due to its abundant wind farms and population density.

Political leader Keir Starmer has emphasized the importance of artificial intelligence in positioning the UK as a global technology leader.

However, concerns have been raised about hosting data centers in the UK due to high industrial electricity prices and ambitious targets to phase out fossil fuels from the electricity system.

The SMF report suggests that zonal pricing could significantly reduce electricity costs for data centers, making Scotland’s electricity prices the lowest in Europe.

Support for zonal pricing has been recommended by cross-party Think Tanks to expedite the deployment of AI data centers by connecting more low-carbon electricity to the grid and addressing planning delays.

The report also backs the government’s plan to build small modular reactors outside traditional nuclear areas to facilitate the development of Data Centre Hubs in England and Wales.

According to Sam Robinson of SMF, urgent action is needed to address rising energy costs and planning delays to maintain the UK’s position as a global innovation leader.

Zone pricing alignment has garnered support from SMF clients and tech companies in government consultations on the future of electricity markets.

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The proposed zoning system aims to attract high-energy users to regions with lower electricity prices, creating new job opportunities outside of southeastern England while balancing demand on the local grid.

However, concerns have been raised that changes in energy pricing may impact profitability of remote clean energy projects, potentially hindering investment in green energy.

The government is expected to make a decision on the future of the electricity market in the coming months.

Source: www.theguardian.com

The reason behind the burning up of Hayabusa’s lunar lander in Earth’s atmosphere.

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Launch of the Peregrine Lunar Module on a Vulcan rocket on January 8th

APFootage / Alamy Stock Photo

The mission of the Hayabusa lander is over. The American company that built Astrobotic, a lunar lander whose plans failed, was unable to complete its trip to the moon due to a fuel leak, so it was brought back and burned in Earth's atmosphere.

What was wrong with the Hayabusa lander?

Just seven hours after launching on a Vulcan rocket on January 8, engineers noticed that Peregrine wasn't facing the right direction and its solar panels weren't charging the batteries that power its electronics. Shortly afterward, it was discovered that fuel was leaking from the aircraft. It was eventually determined that the oxidizer tank had ruptured, probably due to a stuck valve, and that the leak had generated a small amount of thrust, causing the probe to change direction. By the time everything was figured out, Peregrine had already lost too much fuel to reach the moon, let alone perform the maneuvers needed to land gently on the moon.

The peregrine falcon was in space for days, but what was it doing all that time?

Astrobotic's engineers were able to correct Peregrine's orientation, and once the solar panels were oriented in the correct direction, the battery was charged. This will allow Peregrine operators to perform a quick test ignition of the main engine and power on the onboard spacecraft, allowing them to better understand the spacecraft's operation in space and determine what went wrong. Helpful. They also remotely switched on some scientific instruments and made measurements of radiation in interplanetary space that could provide useful scientific insights. By operating the spacecraft for several days, Astrobotic will also be able to decide whether to extend its mission in space by changing from its planned moon landing, or continue on its way back to Earth. I was given time to do it.

Why did it have to be brought back to Earth rather than left in space?

Although the peregrine falcon could have survived a little longer in Earth orbit, there were some risks to leaving it there. Eventually, the spacecraft will run out of fuel completely and become essentially a cannonball flying uncontrollably around the Earth. This type of space debris can cause significant damage to operating satellites.a statement The Astrobotic article says: “Ultimately, we have to balance the risk of a damaged spacecraft causing problems with our own desire to extend Peregrine's life, operate the payload, and learn more about the spacecraft. .”

Wouldn't it be dangerous to bring it back to Earth?

It's actually much safer to return the spacecraft to Earth. Satellites are regularly deorbited in this way, usually burning up in the incredible heat they experience as they plummet through the atmosphere. The falcon was also carefully targeted towards the Pacific Ocean just east of Australia to minimize the risk of any surviving debris hitting populated areas.

What about the other things Peregrine was carrying?

In addition to scientific instruments, the spacecraft also carried two controversial payloads sent into space by a company called Celestis, which provides what is called a “commemorative spaceflight.” These two vessels of hers contained cremated human remains. Star Trek Creator Gene Roddenberry and actors James Doohan and Nichelle Nichols. It is unclear whether the capsule survived Earth's atmosphere and ended up in the ocean.

Why do missions to the moon continue to fail?

Indeed, this is the third mission to land on the moon that has failed in the last year, but that's only partially due to the difficulty of sending a probe into space and making a soft landing hundreds of thousands of kilometers away. Lunar landing attempts have also increased significantly, many using new equipment and protocols that have not yet been tested. While there are understandably some growing pains, more moon landings are planned in the future, and Astrobotic executives are already discussing plans to try again.

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Source: www.newscientist.com