Yellowstone supervolcano fed by bigger plume

The underground volcanic plume at Yellowstone in the US may be bigger than previously thought, according to a new study by geologists.

The volcanic hotspot below Yellowstone feeds the hot springs, mud pots and geysers that bring millions of visitors to the US national park each year.

But the Yellowstone "supervolcano" has erupted violently in the distant past and could do so again at some point.

The new study is set to be published in Geophysical Research Letters journal.

In 2009, researchers used seismic waves from earthquakes to build up an image of the hotspot beneath Yellowstone, which straddles the US states of Wyoming, Montana and Idaho.

The authors of the latest work used variations in the electrical conductivity of rocks to produce a new picture of the plume.

This conductivity is a property of the molten silicate rocks and the hot briny water that is naturally present in them.

"It's like comparing ultrasound and MRI in the human body; they are different imaging technologies," says co-author Michael Zhdanov, a professor of geophysics at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City.

* News * World news * Brazil Rio school shooting: official says 13 people dead

Witnesses tell how gunman opened fire on pupils at Tasso da Silveira primary school in Rio de Janeiro

At least 13 people have died after a gunman opened fire in a school in western Rio de Janeiro.

Some 20 people, including children, were wounded in the shooting at the school for students aged 10 to 15, the Associated Press reported.

The vice-mayor of western Rio said 13 people had died in the shooting at Tasso da Silveira school, although it was not clear if that figure was accurate or included the attacker. Edmar Teixeira said the gunman was a 24-year-old former student who pretended to be giving a speech to students before opening fire with two handguns. When police appeared at the scene the gunman shot himself dead, Teixeira said. He left behind a letter outlining his motives.

One witness told the Guardian he had seen between 15 and 20 children dead or seriously wounded.

"It is a massacre, a true massacre," said Roni de Macedo, a fireman who arrived on the scene shortly after the shooting began and dragged eight seriously injured children from the school.

"There is blood on the walls, blood on the chairs. There are 15 to 20 dead I think," said De Macedo, who was covered in blood. "I've never seen anything like this. It's like something in the United States."

Witnesses said the shooting began outside the school at around 8.30am when a man opened fire on two boys, shooting one in the head and one in the arm with what was said to be handgun.

He is said to have continued through the metal gates and up to a packed classroom on the second floor, opening fire on children aged between 11 and 13.

Hercilei Antunes, 44, a postman who lives opposite the school and has a daughter there, said: "I saw a load of injured kids, bleeding kids. I saw a dead guy inside. I heard more than 30 shots.

"I heard shots, shots, shots and more shots. I tried to go in but he shot more and I am not made of steel."

With police helicopters hovering overhead Yvonette Fernandes, 51, wept as she looked for her 12-year-old niece along with scores of other desperate family members. "Where is she? I want to know where she is."

Terrified parents rushed to the school and television images showed them crying and screaming for information about their children. Helicopters landed on a sports field next to the school to ferry the wounded to nearby hospitals.

The shooting began about 8:30am local time (12.30pm BST). Witnesses said police responded quickly and traded fire with the gunman.

Brazil Rejects Panel’s Request to Stop Dam

SÃO PAULO — Brazil’s government emphatically refused on Tuesday to suspend work on a huge hydroelectric dam in the Amazon, despite pleas that the project could displace tens of thousands of indigenous people and cause environmental harm.

The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, part of the Organization of American States, ’had asked Brazil on Friday to halt construction of the Belo Monte dam, slated to be the world’s third largest, until it complied with its legal obligations to consult with indigenous groups.

The commission said the consultations needed to be “free, prior, informed, of good faith and culturally appropriate.” Among its requests were measures to prevent the spread of diseases that could result from the population flow during construction.

But on Tuesday Brazil’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs ’called the demands “premature and unjustified,” saying the government had complied with its obligations under Brazilian law.

The dispute is the latest in the long battle between the government, which is determined to construct the dam to keep up with rising energy demand, and an array of environmental and human rights advocates, including Hollywood titans and former President Bill Clinton.

The $17 billion dam would divert the flow of the Xingu River along a 62-mile stretch in Pará state. Environmental groups say it would flood more than 120,000 acres of rain forest and local settlements, displacing 20,000 to 40,000 people and releasing large quantities of methane. Brazil says the number of displaced would be much lower.

President Dilma Rousseff, who was chief of staff and energy minister under her predecessor, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, has expressed an unwavering commitment to Belo Monte despite her stated desire to be more sensitive to human rights.

Brazil uses hydroelectric power for more than 80 percent of its energy, and David Fleischer, a political science professor at Brasilia University, said the government “is going to move forward with the Belo Monte project regardless of any complaints or protests.”

Higher federal courts have rejected legal challenges to the project, which is nearing a final decision by Ibama, Brazil’s environmental protection agency.

A president of Ibama, Roberto Messias Franco, resigned last April, reportedly over government pressure to approve environmental licenses for Belo Monte. His successor, Abelardo Bayma Azevedo, asked to leave for “personal reasons” days after Ms. Rousseff became president in January.

Meanwhile, groups allied against Belo Monte have continued the fight. The director James Cameron has traveled to the Xingu region three times to meet with indigenous leaders; last month he was accompanied by former Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger of California.

At a sustainability conference in Manaus last month, Mr. Clinton called on Brazil to show leadership in finding alternative energy solutions.

Noting that he was “naturally sympathetic with indigenous peoples,” he added, “I want you to lead the rest of the world into the 21st century on this.”

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What prompts a student to do this? Education has to be taken more seriously.

Pato, king of the derby. Inter fall 5 points behind

AC Milan won 3-0 at the San Siro thanks to a brace from the Brazilian and a penalty from Cassano. Van Bommel hit the crossbar in the first half and Eto'o missed a huge chance from one meter out. The second half began with the Chivu's expulsion and the Rossoneri dominated until the end.

MILAN, April 2, 2011 – A very bitter pill to swallow for "Judas" Leonardo (as he was portrayed in the gigantic Last Supper banner by Rossoneri fans). Inter failed in their plans of jumping to the top of the standings when they lost 3-0 to an angry AC Milan, and now they remain 5 points behind them in the standings. Pato was the hero of the evening with his historic double and the icing on the cake was provided by a penalty from Cassano, who then disastrously got himself sent off for a second yellow card. But all of the Rossoneri players celebrated in the most important evening of the season as they prevented Inter, penalized by Chivu's second-half sending off for a professional foul as the last man, from playing their game.

suddenly pato — Just forty-six seconds to release the tension; not even a full minute for Pato's goal to set off the powder keg start to the match as he lashed home after the ball had popped loose following Julio Cesar's save on Robinho's close-range shot. It was a cold shower for Inter, who Leonardo fielded with four attacking players; Sneijder behind a trident consisting of Pandev, Pazzini and Eto'o. AC Milan, with Van Bommel holding in midfield and Seedorf as the creator, played a high pressing game, for which Inter needed nearly 20 minutes to come to grips with. After 9 minutes Maicon handled a fireball from Seedorf in the box, but referee Rizzoli judged it to be involuntary. Inter's lucky escape had the effect of compacting them, however, and in the 19th minute they wasted their first big chance of the evening when Pazzini received a dangerous ball in the box but, somehow hypnotized, shot straight at Abbiati. But his attacks shook up Leonardo's formation and inevitably left it unbalanced and prone to counter-attacks. Pato was the clear point of reference, and it was extraordinary to watch his duels with Zanetti who, despite his 37 years, was shutting down spaces with the speed of a player 15 years his junior. In the 37th minute Van Bommel unleashed a long-range effort that deflected off Chivu and finished by smashing against the crossbar. But Inter was pushing more and spreading the play to the flanks, mostly on the one belonging to Maicon.

West Ham 2 - 4 Man Utd PREMIER LEAGUE

Wayne Rooney's hat-trick inspired Premier League leaders Manchester United to fight back from two goals down to beat West Ham.

A Patrice Evra handball and Nemanja Vidic foul on Carlton Cole allowed Mark Noble to twice score from the spot for the relegation-battling Hammers.

Vidic escaped a red card for a foul on Demba Ba before Rooney curled in a free-kick and powered in a shot.

A Rooney penalty put the visitors ahead and Javier Hernandez poked in a fourth.

West Ham will point to the decision not to send off Vidic and Rooney's penalty being awarded courtesy of a harsh handball against Matthew Upson as key decisions against them.

The visitors, on the other hand, again showed the resilience and resolve that will let their title rivals know they will not be knocked off the top of the league without a battle.

With depleted resources and under challenging circumstances, Sir Alex Ferguson's side proved that although they might not have the flamboyance of United sides of the past they make up for it with their fighting qualities.

Upton Park has proved the scene of some difficult memories for the Red Devils, who had been limited to six wins at the east London ground in their last 17 visits before the game.

Most recently, United had their unbeaten start to the season ended by an emphatic 4-0 loss in the Carling Cup at West Ham in November and, along with a revitalised home side breathing new life into their attempts to beat the drop, the visitors had cause to be wary.

Injuries, suspensions and with half an eye on their Champions League last-eight tie at Chelsea on Wednesday only increased the size of a task United ultimately passed, despite the scare provided by the Hammers.

Ferguson, watching from the stands as he served the second of a five-match touchline ban, had opted to start with a 4-5-1 formation.

The attacking threat of Nani, Dimitar Berbatov and Hernandez had been left on the bench and, despite a promising opening, United's afternoon quickly began to disintegrate.

West Ham launched a counter-attack with Thomas Hitzlsperger's long ball out of defence releasing striker Cole and he earned a penalty when an attempted chip over left-back Evra was handled by the defender.

Noble stepped up to confidently send keeper Tomasz Kusczsak the wrong way with the resultant penalty before another Hammers break gave him another chance to score from the spot.

This time Cole's nifty footwork deceived Vidic, who tripped the striker before suggesting that the offence took place marginally outside of the area.

Referee Lee Mason disagreed as he awarded another penalty for the home side which Noble again unerringly sent in as he went for power rather than placement.

The visitors had seen plenty of the ball as they were caught out by two counter-attacks but found their probing nullified by a determined West Ham defence.

When the Red Devils did get a sight of goal keeper Robert Green responded by palming a ferocious Park Ji-Sung shot over his goal.

Manchester United's defence was looking shaky and, when Vidic hauled down Ba to deny the Hammers forward what might have been a clear goalscoring opportunity, the Red Devils centre-back escaped with a yellow card just before half-time.

The Premier League leaders were stumbling but, having salvaged a draw at Aston Villa and win at Blackpool from similar positions, they are a side you cannot write off and so it proved.

Ferguson brought Hernandez on at the break before Berbatov also came of the bench as his side manufactured another comeback as they dominated the second half and were rewarded through the finishing prowess of Rooney.

The England striker brilliantly curled in a 25-yard free-kick before he controlled a pass, which took two defenders out of the game, and powered a drive past the despairing dive of Green.

Upson's handball from a Fabio Da Silva cross gave Rooney the opportunity to slot in a penalty for a 14-minute hat-trick as the Hammers, who would have at-least temporarily moved 13th with victory, capitulated to ensure they would close the day in the bottom three.

Hernandez also got in on the scoring for Ferguson's side as they completed only a fifth away win in 16 league games this season.