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By Jay, on November 5th, 2011% Sunday November 6th, 2011 at 0200 hours [that's 2:00 a.m. to most], your clocks will have to “fall back” one hour. So 2 becomes 1. It would probably work just the same to set them back one hour before you go to bed Saturday night [tonight].
Now is an excellent time to check your smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors, as well as other household battery-powered emergency alarm systems.
Finally, be sure to update the clocks in your automobiles. Be safe driving until you adjust to the light conditions, and enjoy sleeping in Sunday morning!
By Jay, on October 8th, 2011% 
The predecessor post to this one below lays out the story of the mystery fragment of copper I found at Kure Beach, North Carolina near Fort Fisher. So I gathered up some photographs and sent them along to the Underwater Archaeology Branch of the North Carolina Office of State Archaeology. Here is the reply verbatim:
It looks to me like an expansion ring from a 40mm Bofors machine gun/cannon projectile. The projectile was steel but the copper expansion ring was designed to catch the rifling in the barrel and often broke away when fired. The grooves that are visible in the “lighted relief” photo look like rifling marks. In the attached photo you can see one that remained on the projectile after firing–this one was found on Kure Beach also.
Kure Beach 40mm Bofors Round – photo by UAB of NC Office of State Archaeology, 2011
Anyway, that’s my best guess. We see dozens of those things every summer when people are out beachcombing. Kure Beach was an artillery training camp during WWII, focusing on anti-aircraft weapons practice. Evidence of this activity is all over the beach, primarily the result of beach renourishment where a dredge boat removes sediments . . . → Read More: Copper Fragment Update!
By Jay, on October 2nd, 2011% 
Earlier in the Summer on a trip to Kure Beach, North Carolina, I just happened to find a small piece of copper in the Coquina Rocks. In a nutshell, the Coquina Rocks are essentially a partially submerged outcrop of sedimentary rocks found near the southern end of Kure Beach near the Fort Fisher Recreational Area. More on Coquina Rocks later…
I was walking along, carefully maneuvering through the Coquina Rocks during during Maximum Ebb Tide this one day. Many people apparently scout the micro-lagoons formed in the cracks and crevasses of the rocks during Low Tide looking for sharks teeth. I really don’t care for sharks, let alone their teeth but these people do. I looked down and saw a gold-red glint with a hint of bright green. Below are some photographs of what I found:
The rule is for scale. It is a standard engineer rule with 1/10th-inch graduations. What is the green stuff? Well that would be considered a marine concretion. First, the environment here is [or has been] oxygenated enough that copper and copper alloys would corrode and oxidize. Chemically unweathered copper is a golden, reddish-brown in most cases. An oxidized copper surface is usually black . . . → Read More: Marine Concretion on a Copper Fragment
By Jay, on August 27th, 2011% The NC price gouging law is in effect. If you see gas, hotel or other prices inflated for the storm [Hurricane Irene], call 1-877-5-NO-SCAM toll-free within North Carolina or fill out the complaint form at www.ncdoj.gov
Reference: www.wral.com
By Jay, on August 26th, 2011% 
The first outer rain band reached central North Carolina at approximately 1645 hours EDT today. It rolled through quickly before stalling. The band settled over the area and then began moving lengthwise across the region in the rotational flow field.
Here is a photograph of the rain:
Heavy rain from first outer rain bands – photo by J. Sents, 2011
More to follow pending power interruption…
By Jay, on August 23rd, 2011% I felt that one. I’ll give it a III-IV on the Modified Mercalli Intensity Scale. My refrigerator would concur. Here are the preliminary technical details from the United States Geological Survey. Sheesh. Hurricanes. Earthquakes. The End is Nigh!
More to follow…
By Jay, on August 22nd, 2011% 
For those of you in the Wake County and surrounding areas of central North Carolina, I began making preparations for the possibility that Hurricane Irene may affect this region.
The first thing I did was grab a couple of gallons of distilled water from the supermarket. I opened them, poured about 10-15% of the volume of water into a large glass, and the placed them into the freezer with the lids back on. Ice expands about 11-12% by volume when it freezes. The rest went to the cat bowl and the plants. I had a glass too!
The next thing I did was check the stash of batteries I have. I’m good for a couple days on AA- and D-sized batteries for flash lights.
Third, I cleaned out the food cooler. My ice jug blocks will go in there. The food won’t mix with melted water that generally accumulates in the bottom of the cooler with bagged ice. If the power goes out, my food will stay cold for a couple of days, and as the jug ice melts, I have clean drinking water.
Finally, I checked propane and other basic camping supplies. For example, if I have to go . . . → Read More: Hurricane Irene – 1
By Jay, on June 1st, 2011% The National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration [NOAA] released a 2011 Hurricane Prediction on May 19, 2011 for the Atlantic Basin. This prediction calls for:
12-18 named Tropical Cyclones; 6-10 Hurricanes; and 3-6 Major Hurricanes [NOAA,2011].
Read the full Press Release.
By Jay, on April 21st, 2011% 
I’ll have a really exciting announcement on May 2. It’s in the realm of environmental geology, hydrogeology, data management, GIS, and my all-time most favorite subject, three-dimensional data visualization and numerical computer modeling. So cool. Stay tuned!
By Jay, on April 20th, 2011% 
Today is my friend Keely’s birthday. She asked for one thing: tell my friends that she is going to walk 60 miles [96.6 km] over 3 days. Why? The Susan G. Komen 3-Day for the Cure fund-raising event for breast cancer research and patient support programs. She’s going to do the walk but she needs to raise an entry goal set at $2,300 [U.S. Dollars]. Her training has already begun. Her 3-Day begins on November 4, 2011. She is hoping to raise $5,000 [or more] in total.
The whole Komen foundation is a big deal. Back when I was in Syracuse it was just sort of catching on but it has exploded in popularity as a charity since then to one of the most respected and trusted non-profit organizations world-wide. More on that in a second. There are many international cities that host Komen events. In fact, a good friend just had her city’s event last weekend. It is truly a world-wide, world-class organization, spanning the globe in 50 some odd countries. Keely will train really hard for the November 3-Day event. 60 miles in 3 days is no easy task, even on pavement. You can read about her thoughts . . . → Read More: 60 Miles, 3 Days, and a Birthday Wish
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