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David Rankin @asteroiddave.bsky.social · 10/10/2026

Don't see that every day. 2% tornado from SPC for SW AZ on Saturday/Sunday as Tropical Storm Rachel moves by. #azwx

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David Rankin @asteroiddave.bsky.social · 09/10/2026

Crazy low frequency energy picked up in Tucson on my Güralp CMG-3T

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David Rankin @asteroiddave.bsky.social · 09/10/2026

Large M6.6 aftershock. Low energy waves moving through Tucson

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David Rankin @asteroiddave.bsky.social · 09/10/2026

Mondo 7.7 #Earthquake in Panama, picked up in Tucson on my DIY Guralp long period seismometer. Some very serious energy pushed out in the 10-100s range. 0.01 0.1hz.

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David Rankin @asteroiddave.bsky.social · 09/10/2026

Some nice low frequency waves picked up on the DIY Guralp project from the mag 6.3 in Vanuatu yesterday. #earthquake

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David Rankin @asteroiddave.bsky.social · 08/10/2026

Some feathery friends. Pygmy Nuthatch and Clark's Nutcracker. Clark's is a rare bird for this region - might be an irruption year for them. #birds #birding #wildlife #photography #arizona 📷🪶

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David Rankin @asteroiddave.bsky.social · 06/10/2026

Very nice bolide/fireball north of Tucson AZ a few minutes ago. Be surprised if fragments of this one didn't reach the ground. #astronomy #meteor #fireball #bolide #tucson #arizona 🔭🧪

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David Rankin @asteroiddave.bsky.social · 04/10/2026

Here it is picking up the global oceanic microseism, around 3-6s signal. Plotting interface plots 3 x 3 traces and spectrograms or any combination you'd like. N/E/Z

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David Rankin @asteroiddave.bsky.social · 04/10/2026

Here is a new DIY control system and digitizer for a USGS class CMG-3T Guralp 120s 50hz seismometer that runs from a raspberry pi. 3 channel, 24bit ADCs, streaming to a PC, dynamic only the fly plotting options. Ability lock/unlock/center masses. 🧪 #earthquake github.com/rankinstudio...

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David Rankin @asteroiddave.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

Major flood event unfolding around Tucson right now. NWS warnings are saying 1.5" down with 1-3" more possible. Deep slow moving jet of moisture from Polo passing by. #azwx

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David Rankin @asteroiddave.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

Confidence is growing in a curve off to the NE with Polo, resulting in a major influx of moisture into Arizona.

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David Rankin @asteroiddave.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

As of late Sep 23, models showing about a 50/50 split with hurricane Polo moving up into Sonora around the 30th. Depends on the timing of the trough digging into the west coast. Looks some moisture at minimum, a lot more possible.

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David Rankin @asteroiddave.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

Still a lot of uncertainty with the track of hurricane #polo. Some models have it moving up into the southwest.

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David Rankin @asteroiddave.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

Working on a fun new project at the survey. Picked up a new TNO. 🔭

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David Rankin @asteroiddave.bsky.social · 08/09/2026

A second lifer warbler today. Hermit Warbler. Mount Bigelow AZ #birds #birding #photography #arizona 🪶📷 1/2

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David Rankin @asteroiddave.bsky.social · 08/09/2026

Got a new feathery friend today. Townsend Warbler. Mount Bigelow AZ #birds #birding #photography #arizona 🪶📷

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David Rankin @asteroiddave.bsky.social · 04/09/2026

This is what abject failure looks like Karen.

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David Rankin @asteroiddave.bsky.social · 04/09/2026

Remember folks, weather models have a lot of uncertainty. Here is the current ensemble for Lowell. Most members have it missing well to the west.

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David Rankin @asteroiddave.bsky.social · 02/09/2026

Few recent shots from Mount Lemmon AZ. Red Crossbill, Hairy Woodpecker, and some sort of baby chipmunk climbing a tree. #birds #birding #wildlife #photography 📷🪶

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David Rankin @asteroiddave.bsky.social · 01/09/2026

NWS is saying the 2:40p cell hitting Bright Angel caused the floods. Not sure I buy it. The gauges were wiped out at 2:40p. This indicates floods coming down from earlier rain off the burn scars. Takes a bit for the heavy rain to gather up into a sizeable flood, it's not instant.

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David Rankin @asteroiddave.bsky.social · 31/08/2026

Still unpacking this event. There were actually two large floods. One heading down Bright Angel and one heading down Phantom Creek. Both river gauges were wiped out around 3pm from the floods.

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David Rankin @asteroiddave.bsky.social · 31/08/2026

One complicating factor for NWS is the fact this entire area is in a massive radar hole. The storms are so far away from both of the nearest radar sites. It can make assessing storm strength / rainfall totals harder. It's clear they issued a warning after seeing the river gauge get wiped out.

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David Rankin @asteroiddave.bsky.social · 31/08/2026

Looks like NWS issued a warning at 2:42PM. This was far too late, as the flood was likely already in the lower reaches of the canyon. This is also around the time the upper gauge was wiped out.

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David Rankin @asteroiddave.bsky.social · 31/08/2026

Looks like a warning was issued at 2:42pm. The flood had already arrived in the lower reaches of the canyon by then. Far too late.

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David Rankin @asteroiddave.bsky.social · 31/08/2026

You can see the portion of the upper basin / catchment that suffered serious burn from the Dragon Bravo (2025) here in this graphic. The storms moved across this area multiple times moving NE across it. Typical motion this time of year with the jet stream interacting with deep monsoon moisture.

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David Rankin @asteroiddave.bsky.social · 31/08/2026

The storms that triggered the floods in Grand Canyon on the 29th directly hit the Dragon Bravo burn scar multiple times in the Bright Angel basin. These were strong, training thunderstorms starting around 8:30am and lasting through 11am. That lines up with a 2:40pm arrival in Phantom Ranch. #azwx 🧪

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David Rankin @asteroiddave.bsky.social · 31/08/2026

A gauge a few miles up Bright Angel Creek registered a ~6ft wall of water before being knocked offline / destroyed around 2:40pm Aug 29th. The actual jump was probably larger. This was a big flood. I'm guessing over 6000cfs. #azwx #monsoon #grandcanyon #flashflood

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David Rankin @asteroiddave.bsky.social · 31/08/2026

09402500 is up-stream from the confluence ~0.3 miles. I don't think it caught the flood coming out of Bright Angel. The last reading from Phantom Ranch was also around 2:30pm. The last reading from the upper one was 2:40pm. It's also possible a flood came out Phantom creek first.

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David Rankin @asteroiddave.bsky.social · 30/08/2026

I wrote this article over a year ago detailing the flood risks that the Dragon Bravo fire posed to the Grand Canyon from 2025 past 2026. It appears that a worst case scenario has unfolded in the basin I called out for being the highest risk. A massive flash flood has hit Bright Angel Canyon.

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David Rankin @asteroiddave.bsky.social · 28/08/2026

Really nice show from Mount Lemmon yesterday evening. Looking north from the mountain near Catalina AZ. #azwx #monsoon #photography #lightning #arizona 📷

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David Rankin @asteroiddave.bsky.social · 28/08/2026

Shooting lightning with a 200-800mm lens isn't usually recommended because it's very hard to get a bolt on frame. When you do get one on frame thought... wow. Shot from the top of Mount Lemmon AZ looking north. #azwx #monsoon #lightning #photography 📷

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David Rankin @asteroiddave.bsky.social · 27/08/2026

Nice #meteor south of Tucson last night. 🧪🔭

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David Rankin @asteroiddave.bsky.social · 26/08/2026

The alternative is to wait for the facts before correcting subject matter experts? I'm not sure why he moused over that other glacier, but it's clear from the seismic data and USGS this was not a GLOF. This glacier is in incredibly steep terrain and fell ~4000ft.

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David Rankin @asteroiddave.bsky.social · 25/08/2026

Couple of beautiful tiger rattlesnakes on our walk tonight. One very dark. #tucson #arizona #rattlesnake

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David Rankin @asteroiddave.bsky.social · 20/08/2026

Half inch hail on the east side of Tucson #azwx

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David Rankin @asteroiddave.bsky.social · 15/08/2026

Nice bright and quick meteor south of Tucson last night around midnight. Probably a Perseid. 🔭🧪

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David Rankin @asteroiddave.bsky.social · 15/08/2026

Big #earthquake in Indonesia earlier. Easily registered in Tucson on my #raspberryshake

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David Rankin @asteroiddave.bsky.social · 13/08/2026

The storms at my house all summer.

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David Rankin @asteroiddave.bsky.social · 13/08/2026

Not likely tonight. Lots of rain out there.

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David Rankin @asteroiddave.bsky.social · 11/08/2026

The problem with magical thinking is that it's hard to remain objective when you choose to engage with it. Not everyone can compartmentalize a figurative sky daddy from a literal sky daddy.

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David Rankin @asteroiddave.bsky.social · 11/08/2026

40% is pretty fuckin close to half.

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David Rankin @asteroiddave.bsky.social · 11/08/2026

Calling 40% a minority is true. It's pretty fuckin misleading tho. There are tens of millions of Americans that believe this stupid shit.

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David Rankin @asteroiddave.bsky.social · 10/08/2026

Few more shots from the storms SE of #Tucson last night. Great light show. 📷 #lightning #photography #arizona #azwx #monsoon

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