Earthquakes

Magnitude 5+ Earthquakes – Global

No magnitude 5+ Quakes reported today.

Wildlife

Bats vs. Turbines

A new study estimates that more than 600,000 bats are killed each year by the rotation of wind turbines in the continental United States.

Wildlife experts say those deaths are in addition to the large numbers of the flying mammals that are being killed by white-nose syndrome, which is caused by a fungus that has spread rapidly to bat caves and mines across North America.

Writing in the journal BioScience, University of Colorado researcher Mark Hays notes that the actual number of bat deaths from the turbines could be much higher than the conservative estimate of 600,000.

The majority of bat species produce only one young per year, meaning that their populations are slow to recover.

Most bats don’t die from actual contact with the turbines since their sonar allows them to avoid the blades.

But subtle changes in barometric pressure created by the rotating blades cause the bats’ capillaries to burst, resulting in deadly internal hemorrhaging.

Birds’ circulatory systems are different from that of bats, keeping them from being victims of such “barotrauma.”

Most bat deaths occur when winds are relatively light because bats can’t fly in high winds. And since most turbines shut down when winds go below about 9 mph anyway, experts say increasing the “cut-in speed” to 11 mph would reduce bat deaths by at least 44 percent.

As much as 93 percent of bat fatalities due to turbine barotrauma could be avoided if the cut-in speed was lifted to 15.6 mph, experts say.

Disease

New Flu Strain Jumps from Birds to a Human in Asia

A young woman in Taiwan has contracted a new strain of influenza A, which is very similar in structure to the H7N9 bird flu that killed 45 people and infected 139 other in China last year. The H6N1 strain is believed to have come from infected poultry and reacts to the same drugs that combat other strains of bird flu, like Tamiflu and Relenza, according to Taiwan’s Centres for Disease Control.

Researchers there say H6N1 is widespread in poultry but no reported cases of transmission to humans have been found.

The Taiwanese patient fully recovered, and no trace of the virus was found in the 36 people with whom the woman had close contact.

Volcanos

Roundup of Global Volcanic Activity:

Etna (Sicily, Italy): The New SE crater has calmed down. Only very occasionally, a weak glow appeared from the summit vent at night, suggesting deep-seated activity still occurs from time to time.

Klyuchevskoy (Kamchatka): Activity has generally decreased over the past days. VAAC Tokyo reported a possible eruption early today, producing a small ash plume rising to 17,000 ft (5.1 km), i.e. a few hundred meters tall. Webcam images at that time are cloudy, but otherwise show the volcano is mostly quiet.

Sakurajima (Kyushu, Japan): Activity seems to increase and decrease in cycles of approximately a week's length. After the series of stronger explosions on 24-25 Nov, the past days have been calmer with fewer and less intense explosions (1-2 per day, ash plumes to 8,000 ft).

Sinabung (Sumatra, Indonesia): Visual activity has decreased. Ash emissions have become less intense and less frequent. However, this could be only a pause, and the risk of larger explosions that can occur unexpectedly remains high.

Dukono (Halmahera): A dense SO2 plume is visible on the latest NOAA satellite data, suggesting that (the ongoing) activity (weak to moderate strombolian explosions) is elevated at the moment.

Popocatépetl (Central Mexico): CENAPRED reports no changes in activity. The number of explosive emissions of gas/steam and minor amounts of ash is very low (less than 10 per day). Weak glow remains visible at night and SO2 emissions elevated.

A volcano-tectonic quake of magnitude 2.2 was recorded yesterday at 04:33 local time.

Santa María / Santiaguito (Guatemala): Activity has been mainly effusive during the past days; no or few explosions occurred yesterday. The volcano observatory reports abundant avalanches from the active lava flows mainly on the NE side of the Caliente lava dome.

Pacaya (Guatemala): INSIVUMEH reports continuing weak strombolian activity. Small ash plumes at altitudes of 2.5-2.7 km drift up to approx. 10 km mainly to the SE.

Fuego (Guatemala): No significant changes in activity have occurred. The volcano produces small to moderate strombolian-type explosions with ash plumes rising up to about 800 m. The lava flows are no longer active.

Earthquakes

Magnitude 5+ Earthquakes – Global

5.6 Earthquake hits southern Iran.

5.5 Earthquake hits the Anatahan region, North Mariana Islands.

5.3 Earthquake hits south of Panama.

5.2 Earthquake hits south of Fiji.

5.2 Earthquake hits the Hindu Kush, Afghanistan.

5.1 Earthquake hits the Santa Cruz Islands.

5.1 Earthquake hits Arunachal Pradesh, India.

5.1 Earthquake hits the Nias region, Indonesia.

5.0 Earthquake hits neat the east coast of Honshu, Japan.

5.0 Earthquake hits the Indian Ocean Triple Junction.

5.0 Earthquake hits south of Fiji.

Storms and Floods

Tropical Storms

There are no active storms or areas of interest in the eastern Pacific or the Atlantic.

The 2013 Atlantic hurricane season comes to a close on 30 November and was the least active season so far this century, and among the quietest on record since 1950.

Space Events

Comet ISON Gets Roasted by Sun and Vanishes - Update

Call it a cosmic holiday miracle. The much-anticipated Comet ISON appeared to disintegrate during its Thanksgiving Day slingshot around the sun Thursday, but something — it seems — may have survived.

A NASA update released early Friday (Nov. 29) confirmed the sighting of what appears to be Comet ISON.

The question remains whether it is merely debris from the comet, or if some portion of the comet's nucleus survived, but late-night analysis from scientists with NASA's Comet ISON Observing Campaign suggest that there is at least a small nucleus intact.

Disease

Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) - update

On 27 November, 2013, the National IHR Focal Point of Qatar notified WHO that the Supreme Council for Health and the Ministry of Environment, in collaboration with the National Institute of Public Health and Environment (RIVM) of the Ministry of Health and the Erasmus Medical Centre in the Netherlands, have detected Middle East Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) in a herd of camels in a barn linked to two confirmed human infections infections.

Volcanos

Roundup of Global Volcanic Activity:

Etna (Sicily, Italy): Although the paroxysmal phase of the eruption ended at night, tremor has remained elevated and strombolian explosions continue to occur from the summit vent of the NSEC.

Earthquakes

Magnitude 5+ Earthquakes – Global

5.1 Earthquake hits the Indian Ocean Triple Junction.

5.0 Earthquake hits Yunnan, China.

5.0 Earthquake hits Hokkaido, Japan.

5.0 Earthquake hits the Mid-Indian ridge.

Storms and Floods

Tropical Storms

In the North Indian Ocean:

Tropical cyclone Lehar is located approximately 215 nm east-northeast of Chennai, India.

The very severe cyclonic storm Lehar weakened to a cyclonic storm Wednesday, as wind speed fell to 90 kmph from 180 kmph, hours before landfall expected on Thursday. It changed direction and may now make landfall as a cyclonic storm between Machilipatnam and Nellore, India.

NewsBytes:

Winter storm Boreas - Heavy snow piled up Wednesday in parts of the Northeast and Appalachians while rain drenched locations closer to the coast as a winter storm disrupted millions of travellers heading out for Thanksgiving. Nationwide, nearly 475 flights had been canceled and more than 3,600 had been delayed as of late afternoon. Some of the worst delays were at Philadelphia and the three New York City area airports. Although the storm will be long gone by Thursday morning, howling winds in its wake could spell trouble for some of the big balloons at the Macy's Thanksgiving Parade in New York City. Snow fell in the Appalachians and portions of the interior Northeast. Snow was reported falling as far south as Atlanta. The city picked up 0.4 inch of snow, which was only the third time measurable snow fell there in November since 1930. Winter storm warnings and winter weather advisories remained in effect as of late afternoon Wednesday in the central and southern Appalachians, portions of northeast Ohio and northwest Pennsylvania, upstate New York and northern Maine. More lake-effect snow was forecast to fly on Thursday around the Great Lakes. Flood watches also remained in effect for drenched eastern portions of the Northeast. Earlier Wednesday, the weather service confirmed that an EF-2 tornado hit Atlantic Beach, North Carolina, injuring two people. This was the same storm that blitzed the Southwest earlier in the week, killing at least 12 people in traffic accidents. More than 43 million people were expected to travel over the long holiday weekend.

A landslide at an open pit coal mine in north China's Shanxi Province has claimed lives of at least three people and buried four others.

Rainfall swept across Trinidad for most of yesterday, causing floods in Monkey Town, Barrackpore, Ste Madeleine, Debe, Penal, Otaheite and Cross Crossing.

Two people suffered minor injuries when the roof blew off their condominium in Atlantic Beach along the North Carolina coast in what the National Weather Service confirmed Wednesday as a tornado.

Space Events

Ison: Comet of the Century

Comet Ison came from the Oort Cloud, a mysterious, icy region at the furthest reaches of our Solar System.

It has been hurtling towards the Earth, travelling at more than a million kilometres an hour.

Now it is entering the most perilous stage of its epic journey. It will pass the Sun at a distance of just 1.2 million km, effectively grazing its surface.

It will be getting exposed to more and more intense solar heat, and that will start to sublimate the ices (turning them into gas) at an increasing rate.

The Sun's intense gravitational field produces tidal forces that will also have a major effect on the comet.

Scientists fear it could follow the path of Comet Lovejoy, which broke apart after it passed near the Sun in 2011. Or it could run out of fuel and fizzle out. It is hoped Ison's large size could protect it.

Volcanos

Roundup of Global Volcanic Activity:

Etna (Sicily, Italy): No significant changes have occurred. The New SE crater remains restless with some occasional weak activity, visible from time to time as faint glow on the webcam at night. Tremor is currently low.

Suwanose-jima (Ryukyu Islands): Explosive activity has resumed at the remote volcano in the Tokara Island chain. VAAC Tokyo reported explosions yesterday and this morning, with ash plumes rising to 4,000-6,000 ft (1.2-1.8 km) altitude.

Sinabung (Sumatra, Indonesia): The volcano continues to produce near-constant ash venting. The emissions produce a plume rising to estimated 18,000 ft (5.7 km) altitude. It seems that the more powerful discrete explosions during the past days have somewhat cleared the conduit, allowing for a more constant (and less violent) eruption of magma. The risk of sudden, more powerful explosions remains however high, because the magma involved (likely dacite) is very viscous

Earthquakes

Magnitude 5+ Earthquakes – Global

5.3 Earthquake hits New Britain, Papua New Guinea.

Storms and Floods

Tropical Storms

Weak 2013 Atlantic hurricane season draws to close November 30th.

In the North Indian Ocean:

Tropical cyclone Lehar is located approximately 390 nm southeast of Visakhapatnam, India.

Dangerous Category 1 Cyclone Lehar is slowly intensifying as it heads west-northwest at 10 mph towards India's Bay of Bengal coast. Lehar has not been able to form a prominent eye, and is likely having problems getting organized in the face of moderate wind shear. Ocean temperatures are a very warm 28 - 29°C, and Lehar should be able to attain Category 2 strength before landfall Thursday. Cooler waters near shore and an increase in wind shear as the storm nears landfall will likely mean that Lehar will be weakening as it comes ashore.

Wildfires

South Australia bushfires contained

About 20 scrub fires and grassfires have been contained throughout South Australia as extreme weather conditions caused problems for fire crews.

The worst incidents were at Auldana, in the Adelaide Hills and at Roseworthy, north of the city, where the Country Fire Service on Wednesday urged residents to activate their bushfire survival plans.

Two fires threatened homes in the area before being controlled.

Weather conditions across SA were expected to become moderate by Thursday, with temperatures falling back from the high 30s into the low 20s.

Disease

2009 Swine-Flu Death Toll 10 Times Higher Than Thought

The swine-flu pandemic of 2009 may have killed up to 203,000 people worldwide—10 times higher than the first estimates based on the number of cases confirmed by lab tests, according to a new analysis by an international group of scientists.

The researchers also found almost 20-fold higher rates of respiratory deaths in some countries in the Americas than in Europe. Looking only at deaths from pneumonia that may have been caused by the flu, they found that Mexico, Argentina and Brazil had the highest death rates from the pandemic in the world. The toll was far lower in New Zealand, Australia and most parts of Europe, according to the study, published today (Nov. 26) in the journal PLOS Medicine.

Volcanos

Roundup of Global Volcanic Activity:

Etna (Sicily, Italy): No changes in activity have occurred since yesterday. Very occasionally, glow from the summit vent at the NSEC and from a vent at its southern base is visible, suggesting ongoing sporadic deep-seated explosions inside the cone. Tremor is low at the moment.

Ulawun (New Britain, Papua New Guinea): Activity continues. Darwin VAAC reported a small gas and perhaps ash plume at 12,000 ft (3.6 km) altitude this morning.

Sinabung (Sumatra, Indonesia): Ash emissions and explosions continue. So far, about 18,000 people have been evacuated from the most endangered zones in a radius of 5 km around the volcano.

Merapi (Central Java): Particular vigilance should be maintained to monitor the volcano. A large crack, about 230 m long and 50 m wide, has appeared in the lava dome that had been emplaced in the summit crater at the end of the 2010 eruption. It increases the current risk of sudden collapse of the dome, resulting in rock avalanches and dangerous pyroclastic flows. Even a smaller phreatic explosion than the one from 18 Nov could trigger this.

Popocatépetl (Central Mexico): No significant changes in activity have occurred. Only 8 weak emissions / explosions were recorded by CENAPRED during the latest 24 hr observation interval. The attached picture shows the largest of these events.

Santa María / Santiaguito (Guatemala): The INSIVUMEH observatory reports weak to moderate explosions with ash plumes up to 700 m height and constant block avalanches from the rims of the Caliente lava dome, sign that effusive activity has increased somewhat.

Pacaya (Guatemala): Strombolian activity continues, but has been weak over the past days.

Fuego (Guatemala): The lava flow on the upper southern slope was no longer active this morning (while it was still 100 m long yesterday). The volcano is back to its typical mild explosive activity from the summit crater with strombolian bursts generating ash plumes up to about 600 m high, sometimes accompanied by loud shock waves.

Jebel Zubair (Red Sea): Satellite images show signs of ongoing activity (steam plume, discolored water) at the new island at least until 20 November. A satellite image from 24 November shows no such signs any more, suggesting that the activity has stopped or paused.

Seven Volcanoes in Six Countries Erupt within Hours - But no Sign of Doomsday

The recent eruptions of seven volcanoes in six countries within the space of just a few hours sparked doomsday prophecies and claims that Armageddon was coming.

But the End of Days is not nigh, experts have said. The high incidence of eruptions over a short period of time was a natural occurrence, they said.

The volcanoes were Indonesia's Mount Sinabung and Mount Merapi, Italy's Mount Etna, the Colima volcano in Mexico, Guatemala's Fire Mountain and Vanuatu's Yasur volcano, while an undersea volcano off the Japanese coast formed a new island.

Earthquakes

Magnitude 5+ Earthquakes – Global

5.5 Earthquake hits near the coast of central Peru.

5.2 Earthquake hits the Andreanof Islands in the Aleutian Islands.

5.0 Earthquake hits near the coast of Ecuador.

5.0 Earthquake hits near the east coast of Honshu, Japan.

Storms and Floods

Tropical Storms

In the North Indian Ocean:

Category 1 Tropical cyclone Lehar is located approximately 565 nm southeast of Visakhapatnam, India.

Cyclone Lehar is intensifying as it heads west-northwest at 8 mph towards India's Bay of Bengal coast. Lehar is expected to continue to intensify to a major Category 3 storm until just before landfall, which is expected to occur near 03 UTC Thursday, November 28 in the Andhra Pradesh state of India. This is the same portion of the coast that Cyclone Helen hit on Friday as a tropical storm with 40 mph winds.

Disease

Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) - update

WHO has been informed of an additional three laboratory-confirmed cases of infection with Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) in Saudi Arabia.

Cholera in Mexico – update

The Ministry of Health in Mexico has reported an additional four cases of infection with Vibrio cholerae O1 Ogawa. Of these, three are from the state of Veracruz and one from the state of Hidalgo.

Polio in the Syrian Arab Republic - update

A total of 17 cases due to wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1) have been confirmed in the Syrian Arab Republic. In addition to 15 cases confirmed in Deir Al Zour province, two additional cases have been confirmed, one each in rural Damascus and Aleppo, confirming widespread circulation of the virus. The case with most recent onset developed paralysis on 8 October 2013.

Wildfires

Wildfires - New Jersey, USA

Several wildfires broke out across New Jersey Sunday as exceptionally dry air, parched brush and fast-moving winds combined to make for dangerous conditions.

Volcanos

Roundup of Global Volcanic Activity:

Etna (Sicily, Italy): The New SE crater is restless. Occasional glow from the summit vent suggest that deep-seated strombolian activity continues. At the same time when this activity was visible, a glowing spot at the southern base was present as well. This could be a small effusive vent that is activated briefly during phases the magma column rises high enough inside the conduit. Also today, the volcano produces nice steam rings. Tremor is currently low.

Klyuchevskoy (Kamchatka): Activity continues at moderate levels. KVERT reports an explosion this morning and continuous ash emissions reaching 20,000 ft (6 km) altitude and drifting east.

Shiveluch (Kamchatka): Explosive and effusive activity continue. Occasional clear weather webcam images show strong steaming (with some ash?) and warm or hot pyroclastic deposits from recent block avalanches from the growing lava dome. A possible explosion this morning produced an ash plume reported to flight level 170 (17,000 ft / 5 km) altitude and extending SE. (VAAC Tokyo)

Sinabung (Sumatra, Indonesia): More explosions of moderate size have occurred today. The volcano has also been venting ash in a near constant way between single explosions. Ash plumes have reached altitudes of 15-25,000 ft (4.5-7.5 km) and drifted eastwards.

Llaima (Central Chile and Argentina): VAAC Buenos Aires received a pilot report of a light ash plume between 10,000 and 25,000 ft altitude from the volcano this afternoon. However, this seems to be a false eruption report. There are no other indications of an eruption and no ash could be seen on webcam and satellite imagery. Local press (who would pick up quickly on activity at one of Chile's most prominent volcanoes) nor SERNAGEOMIN have reported any unusual new activity. It is possible that wind has picked up dust (ash) from the volcano or that a weather cloud was mistaken for an ash plume.

Earthquakes

Magnitude 5+ Earthquakes – Global

7.0 Earthquake hits the South Atlantic Ocean.

6.1 Earthquake hits the Kuril Islands.

5.6 Earthquake hits the Iran-Iraq border region.

5.5 Earthquake hits the Falkland Islands.

5.4 Earthquake hits the South Atlantic Ocean.

5.3 Earthquake hits Sakhalin, Russia.

5.2 Earthquake hits the Falkland Islands.

5.2 Earthquake hits Fiji.

5.0 Earthquake hits the Indian Ocean triple Junction.

5.0 Earthquake hits the Solomon Islands.

5.0 Earthquake hits near the east coast of Kamchatka, Russia.

5.0 Earthquake hits Java, Indonesia.

5.0 Earthquake hits offshore Guatemala.

Storms and Floods

Tropical Storms

In the South Indian Ocean:

Alessia has been downgraded to below cyclone strength, but strong winds and heavy rain are still lashing the Top End. Ex-Tropical Cyclone Alessia was about 110km south of Darwin overnight Saturday, with winds near the centre below gale force, but still packing a punch at about 95km/h. The storm weakened after making landfall 6.30pm (CST) on Sunday.

In the North Indian Ocean:

Tropical cyclone Five (Lehar) is located approximately 695 nm east-southeast of Visakhapatnam, India. Forecast to strike India as a severe cyclonic storm on November 28.

NewsBytes:

An avalanche on Mt Masago in Japan has claimed the lives of at least seven people. An estimated 30 metres wide and 600 metres long avalanche hit the western slope of Mt Masago.

Winter storm kills 13 in Oklahoma, Texas, California, Arizona and New Mexico, USA.

Global Warming

Twice as Much Methane Escaping Arctic Seafloor

The Arctic methane time bomb is bigger than scientists once thought, according to a new study. About 17 teragrams of methane escapes each year from a broad, shallow underwater platform called the East Siberian Arctic Shelf.

Volcanos

Roundup of Global Volcanic Activity:

Sinabung (Sumatra, Indonesia): The volcano erupted and spewed rocks and red-hot ash five miles into the air. Indonesia's Mount Sinabung erupted eight times in just a matter of hours yesterday resulting in thousands of people fleeing their homes.

Earthquakes

Magnitude 5+ Earthquakes – Global

5.6 Earthquake hits south of Fiji.

5.2 Earthquake hits the Iran-Iraq border region.

5.1 Earthquake hits the Scotia Sea.

5.1 Earthquake hits the Xinjiang-Xizang border Region.

5.0 Earthquake hits Sakhalin, Russia.

5.0 Earthquake hits Hokkaido, Japan.

Storms and Floods

Tropical Storms

In the South Indian Ocean:

Tropical cyclone Alessia will hit Australia today.

The path of Tropical Cyclone Alessia takes it to the waters of the Timor Sea, then near the far northern tip of Western Australia's Kimberley region Saturday night local time and into the Northern Territory later Sunday. While weakening would occur as it crosses the Northern Territory, the window for it to strengthen could open again next week if it tracks over the warm waters of the Gulf of Carpentaria. However, it is looking more likely that the storm may turn southward and remain over land, preventing additional strengthening.

In the North Indian Ocean:

Tropical cyclone Five is located approximately 840 nm east-southeast of Visakhapatnam, India. It is forecast to strike India as a severe cyclonic storm on November 28.

USA:

Winter Storm Boreas is likely to become the season's first Nor'easter on Thanksgiving Eve. A potent winter storm (Boreas) is bringing snow and difficult travel conditions to Arizona, and will spread a variety of dangerous winter weather across Texas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Kansas, Colorado, and Utah over the weekend. On Monday and Tuesday, the storm will dump heavy rains over the Southeast U.S., before emerging over the coastal waters of the Mid-Atlantic on Wednesday morning. The models are in fair agreement that Boreas will then intensify into the season's first significant Nor'easter on Wednesday afternoon, bringing heavy rain to coastal New England and the Mid-Atlantic, snow farther inland at higher elevations, and minor coastal flooding due to strong winds.

NewsBytes:

A powerful storm system has caused hundreds of accidents across the Western U.S. and it has marched eastward with predictions of widespread snow, freezing temperatures and gusty winds. The fierce weather has caused at least eight deaths, including one in New Mexico, and prompted advisories Saturday afternoon in New Mexico and Texas.

Heavy storm in Rhodes in southeastern Greece has claimed the lives of at least two people and left another missing.

Eight provinces in southern Thailand are still suffering from floods, with Narathiwat the hardest hit, while strong waves are buffeting the tourist island of Koh.

Global Warming

Deals at Climate Meeting Advance Global Effort - Warsaw

Two weeks of United Nations climate talks ended Saturday with a pair of last-minute deals keeping alive the hope that a global effort can ward off a ruinous rise in temperatures.

Delegates agreed to the broad outlines of a proposed system for pledging emissions cuts and gave their support for a new treaty mechanism to tackle the human cost of rising seas, floods, stronger storms and other expected effects of global warming.

The measures added momentum to the talks as United Nations members look toward a 2015 conference in Paris to replace the moribund Kyoto Protocol.

Drought

Australia

Drought returns to haunt farmers in north-west New South Wales. The rain stopped coming 18 months ago and families face a grim daily battle.

USA - California

Winter is expected to offer little drought relief in California - Even a normal season wouldn't be enough to end the state's drought and pull the state out of its persistent drought, according to a top U.S. climate official.

Disease

Zambia: Anthrax Outbreak

An outbreak of the serious bacterial disease, anthrax, has decimated three herds of cattle and sickened at least nine people in the Luampa district of Western Province in Zambia.

The nine individuals, who presented localized symptoms of swelling of upper lips, legs, face and heads, were admitted to a local hospital, treated and are recovering from their infections, likely cutaneous anthrax.

It is likely the infected individuals contracted the anthrax bacillus through the consumption of infected meat.

Volcanos

Roundup of Global Volcanic Activity:

Sakurajima (Kyushu, Japan): After a short phase of weaker activity, the volcano began to erupt more violently yesterday with a series of powerful explosions that sent ash plumes up to 15,000 ft (4,5 km). Near-constant ash emissions have been taking place from the Showa crater.

Sinabung (Sumatra, Indonesia): The activity of the volcano continues to increase. More vulcanian-type explosions have occurred over the past days. Since yesterday evening alone, at least 8 explosions have been registered, the biggest one being probably one this morning that produced an ash plume rising to 25,000 ft (7.5 km) and drifting 60 nautical miles to the NW. The frequent eruptions have been causing severe ash fall in villages nearby where lapilli of up to 0.5-1 cm in size have fallen. In Medan city 50 km to the NE, ash fall caused disruptions of traffic as visibility was reduced to 20 meters. The aviation colour code (red) and alert status (4 out of 1-4) of the volcano are now on their highest levels. The exclusion zone was extended from 3 to 5 km, which implies that about 10,000 additional people should be evacuated.

Colima (Western Mexico): Lava avalanches and flows continue to spill down the upper flanks.

Popocatépetl (Central Mexico): The rate of emissions has dropped to less than 10 per day. Glow remains visible from the summit crater at night, indicating that magma continues to arrive (slowly). A small volcanic-tectonic quake of magnitude 2.0 occurred yesterday morning (CENAPRED).

Santa María / Santiaguito (Guatemala): No significant changes in activity occurred. Explosions generate ash plumes as high as 900 m above the dome and effusive activity continues to produce small lava avalanches mainly from the NE flank of the dome. A felt earthquake occurred yesterday night at 00:32 local time.

Pacaya (Guatemala): INSIVUMEH reports ongoing, but relatively weak strombolian activity.

Fuego (Guatemala): Activity has returned to normal levels, with weak explosions (ash plumes of 500-600 m height drifting W and NW). The lava flow towards the Ceniza canyon remains weakly alimented and had a length of 200 m yesterday.

Earthquakes

Magnitude 5+ Earthquakes – Global

6.5 Earthquake hits Fiji.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre did not issue a warning, explaining that the quake was centred too far underground.

5.5 Earthquake hits Jilin, China.

5.5 Earthquake hits off the west coast of northern Sumatra, Indonesia.

5.4 Earthquake hits New Ireland, Papua New Guinea.

5.3 Earthquake hits the Iran-Iraq border region.

5.3 Earthquake hits the eastern Sea of Japan.

5.2 Earthquake hits the South Sandwich Islands.

5.1 Earthquake hits Kyrgyzstan.

5.0 Earthquake hits Jilin, China.

5.0 Earthquake hits offshore Chiapas, Mexico.

5.0 Earthquake hits east of North Island, New Zealand.

Storms and Floods

Tropical Storms

There are no active storms or areas of interest in the eastern Pacific or the Atlantic.

NewsBytes:

Cyclone Helen has claimed lives of at least seven people and left others 20 fisherman missing in coastal area of Andhra Pradesh, India.

Global Warming

Mass Walk-Out at UN Climate Talks Protests Lack of Progress

A massive walk-out of 800 delegates from non-governmental organisations characterised the second-last day of the 19th Conference of the Parties (COP19) to the Kyoto Protocol in Warsaw, Poland, on Thursday. The delegates were protesting against the low ambition of the conference, the influence of dirty energy and the lack of new financing.

Many of the 800 people involved are members of national delegations and are an important part of pushing the negotiations to a successful conclusion.

The groups concerned, some of them—like ActionAid, Oxfam and World Wildlife Fund—normally considered moderate, issued a joint statement saying that the climate talks here were set to “achieve virtually nothing.”

The statement said:

The actions of many rich countries here in Warsaw are directly undermining the Climate Change Convention itself, which is an important multilateral process that must succeed if we are to fix the global climate crisis.

The Warsaw Conference has put the interests of dirty energy industries over that of global citizens—with a Coal & Climate Summit being held in conjunction; corporate sponsorship from big polluters plastered all over the venue; and a presidency (Poland) that is beholden to the coal and fracking industry.

When Japan announced that it was following Canada and backtracking on emission cuts commitments previously made, and Australia gave multiple signals that it was utterly unwilling to take the UN climate process seriously, the integrity of the talks was further jeopardised.

Wildlife

Butterflies in danger of global warming

Research by a University of B.C. student on 48,000 individual butterflies through more than a century of records found global warming causes them to emerge from hibernation earlier.

Heather Kharouba said Wednesday butterflies that wake from hibernation too quickly could run into sudden cold snaps or — if their feeding plants aren’t in bloom — die from lack of food. Her research examined samples of butterflies from 1880 to now, comparing the creatures with weather station data over the course of 130 years.

She found that every time the mercury rises one degree Celsius, butterflies take flight 2.4 days earlier — an accelerating trend in recent years.

“They could hit an early frost and just get killed,” Kharouba said. “Or their host plants might not come out yet and they might not have food and they might starve.”

Her research was published Tuesday in the Journal of Global Change Biology. She said the next steps include determining if the food plants are blooming faster with the temperature rise.

One problem is the lack of butterfly data in Canada, she said, adding websites such as bcbutterflyatlas.ca are attempting to engage the community by getting the public to snap photos of butterflies and record where they’re found.

Disease

MERS Update

The deadly MERS respiratory virus that has killed at least 65 people, mainly in the Middle East, often goes undetected among those infected, according to a new study. European re- searchers estimate that for each of the roughly 155 confirmed cases of the respiratory disease, five to 10 may have been infected and gone unidentified. World Health Organisation MERS expert Anthony Mounts says his agency has been told Saudi health officials are focusing their testing on people with MERS-like symptoms who are gravely ill. This possibly leads to many other sufferers remaining un- der the radar. The scientists say they still aren’t able to rule out that person- to-person infection is spreading the disease in addition to contact with infected animals. Camels around Saudi Arabia have been found to be infected with the flulike virus.

Volcanos

Roundup of Global Volcanic Activity:

Etna (Sicily, Italy): The latest paroxysm (number 17 in 2013) at the New SE crater started this morning, just less than one week after the previous one.
Strombolian explosions increased quickly earlier during the night and are now merging into lava fountains. The tremor is steeply rising.

Earthquakes

Magnitude 5+ Earthquakes – Global

5.3 Earthquake hits the Iran-Iraq Border region.

5.3 Earthquake hits the Kuril Islands.

5.1 Earthquake hits Jilin, China.

5.1 Earthquake hits Sulawesi, Indonesia.

Storms and Floods

Tropical Storms

In the Atlantic:

Post-tropical storm Melissa is located about 265 mi (425 km) NNW of the Azores. Gale-force winds still possible over portions of the Azores, but the last advisory has been issued on this system. Melissa has lost tropical characteristics because of cooler waters and its fast forward progress.

In the North Indian Ocean :

Tropical cyclone 04b (Helen) is located approximately 120 nm south of Visakhapatnam, India.

According to the Indian Meteorological Department, cyclone 'Helen' will cross the Andhra Pradesh coast between Nellore and Machillipatnam. People are being evacuated from low-lying areas. Severe cyclonic storm 'Helen' over the West Central Bay of Bengal is likely to trigger heavy rains together with strong surface wind in some places. Thousands of people have been evacuated from coastal areas in eastern India, as the strong cyclone approaches. Cyclone Helen is generating wind speeds of up to 120kmh (75mph).

Australia - Darwin to get first cyclone of the season. The Northern Territory looks set to experience its first cyclone of the season this weekend. A tropical low system forming south-east of Bali is moving eastwards towards the Kimberley and Top End coast, and it's likely to become a category one cyclone at some point on Friday afternoon.

NewsBytes:

Heavy flooding in Baghdad, Iraq has claimed the lives of at least 11 people.

A landslide at a goldmine in northeastern Guinea has claimed lives of at least 25 people and left 11 others missing.

Bolivia floods: A military cadet and a soldier drowned in Bolivia on Tuesday after being swept away in a flooded river while trying to rescue a vehicle belonging to an military chief that had been dragged by the fast flowing waters. Local media reported their bodies were recovered 9.94 miles from where they entered the Quirpinchaca river, which had swollen after heavy rains.

Environment

Global Temperature Extremes

The week's hottest temperature was 112.1 degrees Fahrenheit (44.5 degrees Celsius) at Matam, Senegal.

The week's coldest temperature was minus 55.5 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 48.6 degrees Celsius) at Rabbit Kettle Hot Spring, Northwest Territory, Canada.

Temperatures were tabulated from the more than 10,000 worldwide synoptic weather stations. The United Nations World Meteorological Organisation sets the standards for weather observations, and provides a global telecommunications circuit for data distribution.

Drought

Drought - USA

California's drought is the worst since 2007 - In the Drought Monitor map released on Nov. 21, one-third of the nation is in moderate or worse drought, with the worst of the drought in the west. Plagued for years with a lack of water, growers across California are now facing a new kind of drought - a labor shortage in the fields

Drought likely to persist or develop in the Southwest, Southeastern U. S. - Winter is likely to offer little relief to the drought-stricken U.S. Southwest, and drought is likely to develop across parts of the Southeast.

Drought in Tanzania

Hundreds of thousands of wildebeest that migrated to the Serengeti plains in Tanzania from Maasai Mara Game Reserve two months ago have returned.

The abnormal occurrence, ecologists say, has been necessitated by a drought that has affected many parts of Tanzania including the Serengeti National Park.

“The drought has forced them to return to Mara where there is enough pasture for them. The grass, which was depleted when they were in the reserve, regenerated after the short rains set in,” said Nick Murero, the Mara-Serengeti Ecosystem Co-ordinator for the Lake Victoria Basin.

Disease

Mass Vaccinations in the Philippines

WHO and the Philippine Department of Health have launched a vaccination campaign to prevent outbreaks of measles and polio among survivors of Typhoon Haiyan (Yolanda).

Wild poliovirus in Cameroon

Wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1) has been confirmed in Cameroon, the first wild poliovirus in the country since 2009. Wild poliovirus was isolated from two acute flaccid paralysis (AFP) cases from West Region. The patients developed paralysis on 1 October and 19 October 2013. Genetic sequencing indicates that these viruses are linked to wild poliovirus last detected in Chad in 2011.

Volcanos

Roundup of Global Volcanic Activity:

Etna (Sicily, Italy): The New SE crater has remained calm, although tremor is still slightly elevated and shows a weak rising tendency. Will the volcano maintain its "habit" to produce another show over the weekend?

Askja (Central Iceland): A small swarm of earthquakes has occurred today under the eastern caldera rim. Another minor swarm took place yesterday under Þórðarhyrna volcano 20 km to the NE.

Earthquakes

Magnitude 5+ Earthquakes – Global

5.2 Earthquake hits near the east coast of Honshu, Japan.

Storms and Floods

Tropical Storms

In the Atlantic:

Subtropical storm Melissa is racing east-northeastward over the northeastern Atlantic Ocean about 980 mi (1575 km) W of the Azores.

Melissa has transitioned into a mainly warm-air system and is, for now, a full-fledged tropical storm. However, its peak wind speeds have decreased.

In the North India Ocean :

Tropical cyclone 04b (Helen) is located approximately 128 nm south-southeast of Vvisakhapatnam, India.

Cyclone Helen is expected to hit South India today. India's southern coast is likely to be hit by a cyclone packing winds of 100-120 kilometres an hour Thursday evening. A month after facing cyclone Phailin, Andhra Pradesh is gearing up for the new storm.

Italy

Emergency services sifted through the devastation left by a cyclone that tore through the island of Sardinia as storms and floods continued to batter southern Italy on Wednesday. 16 people have been confirmed killed by Cyclone Cleopatra, revising an earlier death toll of 18, as extreme rainfall inundated houses, swept away cars and caused rivers to burst their banks late on Monday night. One person was still missing. The bad weather moved across to mainland Italy overnight, with storms pummelling Rome and flooding vast areas of the southern province of Crotone, closing roads and railway lines. Residents of Olbia, a town of 50,000 people that was among the worst hit areas of Sardinia, said the cyclone had left them with nothing, and that help was not coming fast enough. Some roads collapsed in the storm, which uprooted trees and swept away bridges and left streets blocked with debris.

NewsBytes:

China has been battling the first blizzard of the winter for a third day, with deaths reported on dangerous, icy roads.The blizzard swept through the northeast Chinese provinces of Jilin, Heilongjiang and Liaoning since Saturday, leaving many highways and schools closed, and flights and trains delayed on Monday.

Global Warming

Just 90 companies caused two-thirds of man-made global warming emissions

The climate crisis of the 21st century has been caused largely by just 90 companies, which between them produced nearly two-thirds of the greenhouse gas emissions generated since the dawning of the industrial age, new research suggests.

The companies range from investor-owned firms – household names such as Chevron, Exxon and BP – to state-owned and government-run firms.

The analysis found that the vast majority of the firms were in the business of producing oil, gas or coal, found the analysis, which has been accepted for publication in the journal Climatic Change.

"There are thousands of oil, gas and coal producers in the world," climate researcher and author Richard Heede at the Climate Accountability Institute in Colorado said. "But the decision makers, the CEOs, or the ministers of coal and oil if you narrow it down to just one person, they could all fit on a Greyhound bus or two."

Half of the estimated emissions were produced just in the past 25 years – well past the date when governments and corporations became aware that rising greenhouse gas emissions from the burning of coal and oil were causing dangerous climate change.

Many of the same companies are also sitting on substantial reserves of fossil fuel which – if they are burned – puts the world at even greater risk of dangerous climate change.

Climate change experts said the data set was the most ambitious effort so far to hold individual carbon producers, rather than governments, to account.

The United Nations climate change panel, the IPCC, warned in September that at current rates the world stood within 30 years of exhausting its "carbon budget" – the amount of carbon dioxide it could emit without going into the danger zone above 2C warming. The former US vice-president and environmental champion, Al Gore, said the new carbon accounting could re-set the debate about allocating blame for the climate crisis.

Leaders meeting in Warsaw for the UN climate talks this week clashed repeatedly over which countries bore the burden for solving the climate crisis – historic emitters such as America or Europe or the rising economies of India and China.

Between them, the 90 companies on the list of top emitters produced 63% of the cumulative global emissions of industrial carbon dioxide and methane between 1751 to 2010, amounting to about 914 gigatonne CO2 emissions, according to the research. All but seven of the 90 were energy companies producing oil, gas and coal. The remaining seven were cement manufacturers.

The list of 90 companies included 50 investor-owned firms – mainly oil companies with widely recognised names such as Chevron, Exxon, BP , and Royal Dutch Shell and coal producers such as British Coal Corp, Peabody Energy and BHP Billiton.

Some 31 of the companies that made the list were state-owned companies such as Saudi Arabia's Saudi Aramco, Russia's Gazprom and Norway's Statoil.

Nine were government run industries, producing mainly coal in countries such as China, the former Soviet Union, North Korea and Poland, the host of this week's talks.

Experts familiar with Heede's research and the politics of climate change said they hoped the analysis could help break the deadlock in international climate talks.

Others were less optimistic that a more comprehensive accounting of the sources of greenhouse gas emissions would make it easier to achieve the emissions reductions needed to avoid catastrophic climate change.

Meanwhile, Oreskes, who has written extensively about corporate-funded climate denial, noted that several of the top companies on the list had funded the climate denial movement.

"For me one of the most interesting things to think about was the overlap of large scale producers and the funding of disinformation campaigns, and how that has delayed action," she said.

The data represents eight years of exhaustive research into carbon emissions over time, as well as the ownership history of the major emitters.

The companies' operations spanned the globe, with company headquarters in 43 different countries. "These entities extract resources from every oil, natural gas and coal province in the world, and process the fuels into marketable products that are sold to consumers on every nation on Earth," Heede writes in the paper.

The largest of the investor-owned companies were responsible for an outsized share of emissions. Nearly 30% of emissions were produced just by the top 20 companies, the research found.

By Heede's calculation, government-run oil and coal companies in the former Soviet Union produced more greenhouse gas emissions than any other entity – just under 8.9% of the total produced over time. China came a close second with its government-run entities accounting for 8.6% of total global emissions.

ChevronTexaco was the leading emitter among investor-owned companies, causing 3.5% of greenhouse gas emissions to date, with Exxon not far behind at 3.2%. In third place, BP caused 2.5% of global emissions to date.

The historic emissions record was constructed using public records and data from the US department of energy's Carbon Dioxide Information and Analysis Centre, and took account of emissions all along the supply chain.

The centre put global industrial emissions since 1751 at 1,450 gigatonnes.

Volcanos

Roundup of Global Volcanic Activity:

Nishino-shima (Volcano Islands): A new island was born today in the Pacific Ocean in Japan's Izu (or Volcano) island chain. It is produced by a new submarine eruption which is currently taking place about 500 m southeast of Nishino-Shima island. The eruption was first spotted by Japanese navy this morning at 10:20 (local time) who documented surtseyan activity at the eruption site (explosive interaction of sea-water and lava, generating violent jets of steam and ash). It appears that the eruption has already built an island of about 200 m diameter in size, which suggests that the vent was already located in very shallow waters. A small steam and ash plume rising to about 2000 ft (600 m) was reported by VAAC Tokyo. The last known eruption of the volcano occurred in 1973.

Earthquakes

Magnitude 5+ Earthquakes – Global

6.3 Earthquake hits Halmahera, Indonesia.

6.0 Earthquake hits the Pagan region in the North Mariana Islands.

5.8 Earthquake hits the State of Yap in Micronesia.

5.3 Earthquake hits the Andaman Islands off India.

5.2 Earthquake hits the Pacific-Antarctic ridge.

5.1 Earthquake hits the Pacific-Antarctic ridge.

5.0 Earthquake hits the Nias region, Indonesia.

5.0 Earthquake hits the State of Yap, Micronesia.

Storms and Floods

Tropical Storms

In the Atlantic:

Subtropical storm Melissa is located about 725 mi. (1165 km) E of Bermuda. Melissa, the 13th Atlantic named storm of 2013, is slowly transitioning to a tropical storm as it heads north over the Central North Atlantic, far from land. Ocean temperatures are near 25°C, which is barely warm enough to support a tropical storm, but wind shear is a moderate 10 - 20 knots, which may allow Melissa to become fully tropical by Wednesday morning. Conditions should cause Melissa to rapidly deteriorate on Wednesday. Satellite loops show that Melissa has a large circulation, but only limited heavy thunderstorm activity near the centre. Melissa will not be a threat to any land areas.

In the North India Ocean :

Tropical cyclone 04b is located approximately 240 nm east-northeast Chennai, India. The fourth tropical cyclone of the Northern Indian Ocean season has formed and is headed for landfall in India. Tropical storm Four is forecast to strike India at about 06:00 GMT on Thursday, November 21.

Tornadoes Plough Through Illinois, Indiana

at least 14 tornadoes struck Illinois and northwest Indiana on Sunday, as Gov. Pat Quinn declared six more counties as state disaster areas, including Will.

The weather service determined that three EF-2 tornadoes, packing winds of 111 to 135 mph, hit Coal City, Diamond, Manhattan and Frankfort. The hardest hit was Coal City and Diamond, where top winds were estimated at 122 mph.

Four weaker EF-0 and EF-1 tornadoes, with winds topping at 110 mph, struck areas from southeast Iroquois County to near Rensselaer, Ind.

The strongest of the tornadoes to hit Illinois slammed into the town of Washington near Peoria, where one person was killed, 120 others injured and as many as 500 homes damaged. The tornado was rated an EF-4, one shy of the strongest on the charts, with winds of 190 mph and a path of destruction that stretched for more than 46 miles through Tazewell and Woodford counties, according to the weather service.

Two other tornadoes were reported in central Illinois.

NewsBytes:

The worst snowstorm in 50 years has hit Harbin, capital of northeast China's Heilongjiang Province for 60 hours claiming the lives of at least four people.

Global Warming

2013 Global Carbon Emissions to Reach Record Level

The world is on track to emit record levels of carbon dioxide this year, according to a new report announced yesterday (Nov. 18).

The study, to be published in a forthcoming issue of the journal Earth System Science Data Discussions, found that the world is set to emit nearly 40 billion tons (36 billion metric tons) of carbon dioxide by the end of 2013.

The estimate represents a 2.1 percent increase over last year's emissions levels, and a 61 percent increase over 1990 levels.

The researchers found that China was the biggest contributor to emissions in 2012, followed by the United States, the European Union and India. But China and India, developing nations with rapidly growing economies, showed the biggest increase in their carbon emissions.

Some of those carbon emissions are outsourced from wealthier nations that have moved manufacturing centres to poorer countries.

U.S. carbon-dioxide emissions decreased by 3.7 percent in 2012, in part because the economy has been in a slump for several years and the country has shifted from producing coal-fired power to energy fuelled by burning natural gas, which emits less carbon dioxide. Cars have also been getting more fuel-efficient.

Still, the United States has the largest per capita emissions in the world: Each person in the United States has a carbon footprint of 17.6 tons (16 metric tons), compared to just 2 tons (1.8 metric tons) for people in India, the study found. U.S. carbon-dioxide emissions from January through July of this year were at 3.13 trillion tons, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, up slightly from the 3.064 trillion tons emitted during the same period in 2012.

In 2012, about 43 percent of the global carbon emissions came from burning coal, and 33 percent came from oil. Another 18 percent came from natural gas, and deforestation was responsible for another 8 percent of the emissions.

Wildfires

Wildfire - North Carolina, USA

Crews worked Tuesday to build containment lines along the south side of a wildfire that has burned 2,275 acres in the Pisgah National Forest in Burke County.

U.S. Forest Service officials said the fire’s size remained the same Tuesday, but they are concerned about the possibility of the blaze spreading along the south side.

The fire, which started Nov. 11, is burning near Table Rock Mountain, in the central part of the forest between Spruce Pine and Morganton. Crews were able to build containment lines around all but the south side of the blaze last weekend.

Nearly 200 people are working to battle the blaze. The fire has closed a number of roads and trails in the area, according to U.S. Forest Service officials.

Disease

Health authorities caution against syphilis outbreak - Canada

A Vancouver Coastal Health (VCH) and the B. C. Centre for Disease Control (BCCDC) is running a campaign to warn gay and bisexual men of a recent outbreak of syphilis.

The VCH and BCCDC also recommend that men who share sexual intimacy with other men should get tested every three to six months.

VCH restorative health officer Dr. Réka Gustafson in a discharge said that Syphilis rates are at plague extents in the Lower Mainland.

A total of 371 cases were accounted for in B. C. in the year 2013 and a majority are gay and androgynous men. This is the largest number of cases recorded in 30 years.

Cholera in Nigeria - Update

The death toll from the cholera outbreak in Benue State has hit 30. Residents of Otukpo local government area have appealed for urgent government intervention on the cholera outbreak in the area, while the Commissioner of Health has denied the seriousness of the outbreak.

Space Events

Space Weather

The sun shot out a powerful solar flare early Tuesday (Nov. 19) morning. Though the flare was not pointed directly at Earth, it did cause a radio blackout at 5:26 a.m. EST (1026 GMT).

The solar flare ranked as an X1-class event, one of the strongest types of storms the sun can have. It erupted from an active sunspot region called 1893, and space weather experts suspect it may have produced a coronal mass ejection (CME) — an explosion of solar plasma freed during a flare.

Volcanos

Roundup of Global Volcanic Activity:

Etna (Sicily, Italy): (19 Nov) Weak explosive (sporadic small strombolian eruptions) and effusive activity (weakly alimented lava flow from eastern fissure vent) continues at a decreasing trend. There are interesting small surges of activity at rhythmic intervals of 3-4 hours (visible as the smaller peaks in the tremor signal).

Klyuchevskoy (Kamchatka): Eruptive activity remains high with ongoing mild to strong explosions at the summit. A particularly intense phase yesterday produced a plume rising to 10-12 km altitude that extended SE. Today, activity has decreased, but plumes continue to reach 5-6 km altitude and drift N and NE.

Sinabung (Sumatra, Indonesia): A new explosion was reported this morning (around 7:30 UTC), sending an ash plume to estimated 30,000 ft (9 km) altitude.

Yasur (Tanna Island, Vanuatu): Geohazards reports that the volcano continues to produce near-continuous ash emissions while explosions are relatively weak. This phase of ash emissions began on 3 November and are likely to continue into the coming days and weeks. Yasur Alert Level is still maintained at Level 1. Villages and communities located close and far away from the volcano, especially those in the prevailing trade winds direction (NW) are likely to receive ash falls.

Santa María / Santiaguito (Guatemala): No significant changes in activity have occurred over the past days. INSIVUMEH reports weak explosions and continuing incandescent block avalanches from the active lava flow on the NE side of the Caliente dome.

Pacaya (Guatemala): INSIVUMEH reports ongoing mild to moderate strombolian activity with ejections of lava to up to 75 meters. Intervals between bursts are 20 seconds to one minute.

Fuego (Guatemala): Two lava flows are active on the upper slopes of the volcano at the moment, to the Taniluya (south) and Ceniza canyon (SE). The effusive activity started on 11 Nov and increased on 18 November, reaching a length of 600 m. Constant avalanches detach from the flow fronts. At the same time, explosive activity at the summit crater remained at low to moderate levels, with strombolian explosions that produce ash plumes of up to 800 m height and incandescent jets visible from distance. Some of the explosions generate shock waves that can be felt and heard in up to 15 km distance, causing roofs, doors and windows of houses to rattle. Fine ash fall occurred in Panimaché, Morelia abd Sangre de Cristo.

Earthquakes

Magnitude 5+ Earthquakes – Global

5.7 Earthquake hits near the south coast of Honshu, Japan.

5.2 Earthquake hits Timor, Indonesia.

5.2 Earthquake hits the Scotia sea.

5.2 Earthquake hits the Kermedec Islands.

Storms and Floods

Tropical Storms

In the Atlantic:

After a long lull, an area of low pressure that originated along a frontal boundary has separated from the front to become Subtropical Storm Melissa, the 13th named storm of the Atlantic hurricane season.

Melissa is a large storm, with tropical storm force winds extending 230 miles from the centre. The storm is expected to move slowly northwestward and eventually northward before accelerating northeastward and out to sea by mid-week. Melissa could strengthen or briefly attain full tropical storm status as it remains over ocean waters in the mid to upper 70s but will quickly transition to an extratropical storm by late week as accelerates toward much cooler waters. Melissa is no threat to the U.S. or any other land areas.

NewsBytes:

Sardinia: Island hit by deadly storm and floods. Emergency crews worked to reach remote parts of flood-ravaged Sardinia on Tuesday after a torrential rainstorm killed at least 16 people, downed bridges and swept cars away. The toll of 16 may still rise as crews reach isolated areas in the countryside where some homes are submerged. The island, famed for its Costa Smeralda beaches of crystal clear water and dry Mediterranean climate, received more than 400 millimeters (17 inches) of water in 24 hours.

Volcanos

Roundup of Global Volcanic Activity:

Sinabung (Sumatra, Indonesia): Another explosion occurred this morning, sending an ash plume to about 30,000 ft (9 km) altitude according to Darwin VAAC, that drifted westward. The aviation alert level was raised to red immediately.

Merapi (Central Java): A relatively strong explosion occurred yesterday morning (4-6 am local time), producing a large ash plume of about 2 km height and accompanied by loud rumblings. Ash fell to the south and east sides of the volcano, as far as Solo (30 km distance). According to local press, many people spontaneously evacuated their homes in several villages near the volcano.

Earthquakes

Magnitude 5+ Earthquakes – Global

5.5 Earthquake hits Ascension Island.

5.3 Earthquake hits the Scotia Sea.

5.2 Earthquake hits the Scotia Sea.

5.2 Earthquake hits the Scotia Sea.

5.1 Earthquake hits the Santa Cruz Islands.

5.1 Earthquake hits the Scotia Sea.

5.0 Earthquake hits the Scotia Sea.

5.0 Earthquake hits the Scotia Sea.

5.0 Earthquake hits the Scotia Sea.

Unusual 4.0 moderate earthquake shakes Johannesburg, South Africa today. According to the Council for Geoscience, the quake's epicentre was located near the University of Johannesburg. No reports of damage or injuries.

Storms and Floods

Tropical Storms

No current tropical storms.

The death toll from flooding by Typhoon Podul in Vietnam has risen to 28 since Friday, with nearly 80 000 people displaced.

NewsBytes:

Flooding in the Saudi Arabian capital of Riyadh has claimed the life of a 26-year-old Yemeni woman. Such floods are extremely rare for the kingdom, which is dominated by desert. At least three people are missing.

At least five people have died and 37 injured by tornadoes that hit central and southern Illinois and Washington, USA. The tornadoes caused extreme damage.

Disease

Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) - update

WHO has been informed of an additional two laboratory-confirmed cases of infection with Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV). These include one laboratory-confirmed case from the United Arab Emirates and one laboratory-confirmed case in Qatar.

WHO has also been informed of an additional two laboratory-confirmed cases of infection with Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) from Kuwait.

Earthquakes

Magnitude 5+ Earthquakes – Global

7.6 Earthquake hits the Scotia Sea.

5.7 Earthquake hits the Scotia Sea.

5.3 Earthquake hits the Scotia Sea.

5.2 Earthquake hits the Scotia Sea.

5.1 Earthquake hits the Scotia Sea.

5.1 Earthquake hits the Scotia Sea.

5.0 Earthquake hits the Scotia Sea.

Storms and Floods

Tropical Storms

No current tropical storms.

Tropical storm Thirty struck India at about 06:00 GMT on Saturday, November 16.

Storm Podul weakens into tropical depression, killing 5 in Vietnam - Typhoon Podul, after moving towards the offshore of Vietnam's central provinces from Phu Yen to Binh Thuan, weakened into a tropical depression on Friday, killing at least five people and inundating thousands of houses.

On Friday, the depression had wind speeds of about 40- 60 kph and gusts of up to 90 kph, causing high flood in the region. As of Friday afternoon, the centre of the depression was over the sea of central Khanh Hoa and Binh Thuan provinces over 1,100 km south of capita Hanoi, with winds of between 50-61 kph.

NewsBytes:

Australia - Sunshine Coast residents were pelted with hail the size of tennis balls on Saturday as dangerous thunderstorms hit south-east Queensland. A line of hail storms battered region during the afternoon causing widespread damage in Brisbane, the Gold and Sunshine coasts.

The State Emergency Service (SES) responded to hundreds of calls for help on the Sunshine Coast with damage to homes, cars and buildings. One person was taken to hospital with serious head injuries after he was struck by a large piece of hail. SES workers were out in force repairing damage to roofs and broken windows. Authorities say the worst hit areas were Maroochydore and Mooloolaba.

Widespread flooding after heavy rain in South Africa has affected over 18,000 people in the Western Cape, mainly in the area’s informal settlements. One person has died and another is missing.

Space Events

Leonid meteor shower will peak this weekend

The peak of the Leonid meteor shower, an annual mid-November event will be visible both Saturday and Sunday nights, according to EarthSky magazine. Unfortunately, the full moon (known as the "Beaver" moon) comes Sunday, which will wash out all but the very brightest meteors from view.

At its peak, you'll probably be able to see about 10-15 meteors each hour. The best viewing time is typically between midnight and dawn, but according to Universe Today, the peak time is expected at about 5 a.m. ET Sunday.

The Leonids appear to be coming from the constellation Leo the Lion (hence their name) in the east, but they should be visible all the way across the sky.

Disease

Meningitis Outbreak at Princeton University, USA

The state declared that there was an outbreak at the school after a male student developed symptoms of meningococcal disease on November 9. The case was later confirmed, making it the seventh case since the spring.

Meningococcal disease can be spread from person to person. The bacteria are spread by exchanging respiratory and throat secretions during close contact (for example, coughing or kissing) or lengthy contact, especially if people are living in the same dorm or household. Many people carry the bacteria in their throats without getting meningococcal disease. Since so many people carry the bacteria, most cases of meningococcal disease appear to be random and aren’t linked to other cases. Although anyone can get meningococcal disease, adolescents and college freshmen who live in dormitories are at an increased risk. The bacteria that cause meningococcal disease are less infectious than the viruses that cause the flu.

The Centres for Disease Control and Prevention has agreed to import Bexsero, a vaccine licensed in Europe and Australia that protects against meningitis B, a strain this is not covered by the shots given to college students in the U.S. Bexsero will be approved for use only in the Princeton community because of the seriousness of the outbreak.

The trustees of Princeton University are slated to discuss the issue this weekend and then the school will make a decision about whether to use the vaccine.

Volcanos

Roundup of Global Volcanic Activity:

Etna (Sicily, Italy): As expected, another paroxysmal eruption took place at the New SE crater over night. This marks the 16th such event in 2013. The main phase lasted about 5 hours between midnight and shortly before dawn. It consisted of violent pulsating lava fountains reaching 300-600 m height, thundering explosions of giant magma bubbles that ejected large glowing, liquid spatter to hundreds of meters distance in radial directions, and the effusion of several lava flows. The first lava flow was erupted from the fissure vent between the old and new SE crater and traveled to the south as far as the former Torre del Filosofo area, on top of the much larger flow from last week (11 Nov). A second flow was active from the eastern fissure of the cone, traveled east and bent NE at the 2008 vents and a few 100 m or so into Valle del Bove. The third flow was erupted to the NE towards the Valle del Leone, similar as during the previous paroxysm. In comparison, lava flow output was much less than during the past eruptive phase 6 days ago.

Earthquakes

Magnitude 5+ Earthquakes – Global

6.8 Earthquake hits the Scotia Sea in the far southern Atlantic Ocean.

5.5 Earthquake hits the Volcano islands off Japan.

5.4 Earthquake hits near the east coast of Honshu, Japan.

5.4 Earthquake hits off the west coast of northern Sumatra, Indonesia.

5.3 Earthquake hits the Scotia Sea.

5.3 Earthquake hits the Ryukyu Islands off Japan.

5.3 Earthquake hits the Scotia Sea.

5.2 Earthquake hits the Scotia Sea.

5.1 Earthquake hits the Scotia Sea.

5.1 Earthquake hits northern Sumatra, Indonesia.

5.1 Earthquake hits the Scotia Sea.

5.1 Earthquake hits off the coast of southern Peru.

5.0 Earthquake hits Pakistan.

5.0 Earthquake hits near the east coast of Honshu, Japan.

5.0 Earthquake hits eastern Honshu, Japan.

5.0 Earthquake hits Taiwan.

Storms and Floods

Tropical Storms

An area of low pressure is expected to form along a stalled cold front in the central Atlantic by late weekend into early next week. Some tropical or subtropical development is possible as it moves northward but the system will remain at sea and poses no threat to the U.S.

A broad area of low pressure in the eastern Pacific has been designated Invest 98E. Upper winds are only somewhat conducive for development before it moves inland over Mexico late Saturday into Sunday. Regardless of development, locally heavy rainfall is possible across northwestern Mexico this weekend.

NewsBytes:

Floods and landslides triggered by heavy rains have claimed the lives of at least five people and forced 69,000 from their homes in central Vietnam.

Environment

Japan Scales Back Greenhouse Gas Reduction Goals

Japan is slashing its greenhouse gas reduction goals in the wake of the Fukushima nuclear accident, which has caused the country to replace its nuclear power with coal, natural gas and other greenhouse-gas emitting forms of energy.

Instead of reducing greenhouse gases by 25 percent from their 1990 levels, Japan's goals will aim for a 3 percent rise over those levels, which is a 3.8 percent reduction from 2005 levels. All of the country's nuclear power plants are currently idle for scheduled maintenance checks, and the new estimates rely on no nuclear power in the future.

Volcanos

Roundup of Global Volcanic Activity:

Etna (Sicily, Italy): Weak explosions continue at the New SE crater, and often produce steam rings. This morning, tremor has started to rise, which could indicate the start of yet another paroxysm.

Klyuchevskoy (Kamchatka): Explosive activity at the summit crater has intensified. The volcano produces a near constant steam and ash plume of fluctuating size. The ash plume reaches about 21,000 ft (6.3 km) altitude drifting east.

Sakurajima (Kyushu, Japan): VAAC Tokyo reports continuous ash emissions and some relatively large explosions with plumes reaching 12,000 ft (3.6 km) altitude last evening.

Bagana (Bougainville Island, Papua New Guinea): An explosion this morning produced an ash plume to 9,000 ft (2.7 km) altitude this morning, VAAC Darwin reported.

Sinabung (Sumatra, Indonesia): Explosions continue to become gradually stronger. Two powerful vulcanian explosions occurred on 14 Nov producing ash plumes rising to about 12,000 ft (3.6 km) and causing small pyroclastic flows. More than 5000 people have been evacuated so far.

Colima (Western Mexico): Activity has increased recently, judging from recent pcitures of the volcano. Abundant rockfalls and lava flows descend the flank of the steep cone. It appears that growth of the lava dome has resumed in speed and overflows the rims of the crater.

Copahue (Chile/Argentina): New ash emissions started yesterday shortly before noon (local time) and have been more or less continuous since then. The low-level ash plume is drifting NW. SERNAGEOMIN mentions that seismic activity has remained above background, with a total of 18684 recorded earthquakes during October, most of them at depths less than 10 km.

Earthquakes

Magnitude 5+ Earthquakes – Global

5.7 Earthquake hits the Andreanof Islands in the Aleutian Islands.

5.5 Earthquake hits Mendoza, Argentina.

5.5 Earthquake hits central Peru.

5.2 Earthquake hits Hokkaido, Japan.

5.0 Earthquake hits the Mariana Islands.

5.0 Earthquake hits the Bougainville region, Papua New Guinea.

Storms and Floods

Tropical Storms

In the Western Pacific:

Tropical depression 32w (Podul) is located approximately 213 nm east-northeast of Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Current forecast calls for it to cross all the way over to other side and eventually approach India.

NewsBytes:

Storm leaves trail of damage in western Alaska coastal villages: A storm that battered western Alaska over the weekend destroyed water lines in Kotlik and Unalakleet and left a trail of damage along the Bering Sea coast.

Environment

Amazon deforestation in Brazil rose 28% in a year

Brazil says the rate of deforestation in the Amazon increased by 28% between August 2012 and last July, after years of decline.

The government is working to reverse this "crime", Environment Minister Izabella Teixeira said.

Activists have blamed the increase in destruction on a controversial reform to Brazil's forest protection law.

Last year Brazil reported the lowest rate of deforestation in the Amazon since monitoring began.

The provisional statistics from August 2012 to last July suggest that the area suffering deforestation was 5,843 sq km (2,255 sq miles), compared to 4,571 sq km (1,765 sq miles) in the previous 12 months.

Despite the interruption of the decline sequence started in 2009, the latest deforested area still remains the second lowest ever recorded.

The result frustrated the government's expectations, but several scientific institutions had suggested increases in their monthly deforestation reports.

Environmentalists say the controversial reform of the forest protection law in 2012 is to blame for the upwards trend.

The changes reduced protected areas in farms and declared an amnesty for areas destroyed before 2008.

The reform, a long-standing demand of the country's farmers' lobby, known as the ruralists, was passed after several vetoes by President Dilma Rousseff.

Agriculture accounts for more than 5% of the Brazilian GDP.

"If you sleep with the ruralist lobby, you wake up with deforestation," Amazon expert Paulo Adario from Greenpeace wrote on Twitter.

Ms Teixeira said the destruction rate was "unacceptable" but denied President Dilma Rousseff's administration was to blame.

"This swing is not related to any federal government fund cuts for law enforcement," she told reporters, adding that around 4,000 criminal actions have been taken against deforesters in the past year.

As soon as she returns from Poland, where she is representing Brazil at the United Nations summit on climate change, Ms Teixeira said she would set up a meeting with local governors and mayors of the worst hit areas to discuss strategies to revert the trend.

The majority of Brazil's greenhouse gas emissions, believed to be one of the main causes of global warming, stem from deforestation.

The Brazilian government made a commitment in 2009 to reduce deforestation in the Amazon by 80% by the year 2020, in relation to the average between 1996 and 2005.

Nature - Images

Interesting Images:

Roll Cloud Spotted in Texas:

Wildlife

Deadly Dolphin Virus Now Killing Whales

The measles-like virus that has killed hundreds of dolphins as it spread down the U.S. Atlantic coast over the past few months has now begun infecting whales.

The dolphin morbillivirus has killed more than 750 dolphins since June, when it first emerged off beaches from Long Island to Virginia.

The southward migration of the marine mammals since then has spread the disease all the way to Florida.

Resident Florida bottlenose dolphins are now at risk of catching the virus, which spreads through close contact.

And the U.S. environment agency NOAA says the virus is also the cause of death of two pygmy sperm whales and three humpback whales found dead or dying along the Atlantic coast.

The outbreak of the virus is the worst on record and has killed more than 10 times the number of dolphins that would normally turn up dead along the Atlantic seaboard during the period.

And wildlife officials say that if the current outbreak is anything like the previous record 1987-1988 die-off, it’s only halfway through, and fatalities will go much higher.

Environment

Global Temperature Extremes

The week's hottest temperature was 110.1 degrees Fahrenheit (43.4 degrees Celsius) at Curtin AFB, Western Australia.

The week's coldest temperature was minus 56.4 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 49.1 degrees Celsius) at Russia's Vostok Antarctic research station.

Temperatures were tabulated from the more than 10,000 worldwide synoptic weather stations. The United Nations World Meteorological Organisation sets the standards for weather observations, and provides a global telecommunications circuit for data distribution.

Disease

French Polynesia reports Zika virus outbreak

The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control was notified by Public Health Authorities in French Polynesia on Nov. 6 that an outbreak of sub-febrile and eruptive syndrome due to Zika virus infection has emerged.

More than 400 cases of Zika virus infection were reported between the onset of the outbreak and October 30. The cases are isolated in three archipelagos of French Polynesia, which include the Tuamotu, Society and Marquesas islands. All cases that have been reported to date are mild.

Infection was confirmed through sequencing the virus from three early cases. The infection is said to be spreading quickly; all age groups and genders are affected.

Zika virus infections cause mild and short-term febrile illness in its victims. Infected persons may experience conjunctivitis and a macula-papular rash, with no hemorrhagic symptoms.

Treatment is purely symptomatic. It is believed that the zika virus is carried by Aedes mosquitoes.

Volcanos

Roundup of Global Volcanic Activity:

Klyuchevskoy (Kamchatka): The volcano remains active. It produces a variable but often intense steam plume with possibly some ash. On webcam images, there are sporadic small explosions visible, suggesting that weak strombolian activity continues at the summit. A large steam ring was produced this morning.

Aso (Kyushu): The Japan Meteorological Agency reported in its latest activity summary (for September 2013) a seismic crisis that started on 23 September evening. An survey of SO2 emissions 2 days later showed an increase of gas release as well, suggesting a magmatic intrusion was taking place. No eruption has taken place since then. Japanese volcanologists immediately raised the alert level from 1 to 2, as there is a possibility of sudden explosions that could throw blocks to distances of perhaps as far as 1 km. The new alert level means that the active Nakadake 1 crater is currently closed for access. In late September seismicity remained high, but with a declining trend. No other information was given in the report.

Sakurajima (Kyushu, Japan): The volcano has picked up activity again. Over the past days, the Showa crater has been producing near-constant ash emissions and several vulcanian explosions with ash plumes rising up to 14,000 ft (4.2 km) altitude.

Bagana (Bougainville Island, Papua New Guinea): Explosions continue. An ash plume was spotted this morning at 9,000 ft (2,7 km) altitude extending 60 nautical miles to the west.

Sinabung (Sumatra, Indonesia): Eruptions seem to increase. Over the past days, ash explosions have occurred at rates of 1-2 per day. Ash plumes rose to 10,000-12,000 ft (3-3.6 km) altitude. At least one pyroclastic flow occurred on 11 Nov, reaching about 1 km length. Several 1000 people have been evacuated from nearby villages at the foot of the volcano and a (dangerously small) 3 km exclusion zone around the volcano is in place.

Popocatépetl (Central Mexico): Activity has remained stable at low levels. CENAPRED reported 61 weak emissions of mostly steam, gas and only occasionally minor amounts of ash during the 24 hour observation interval between 12-13 Nov.

Reventador (Ecuador): The activity consisting of sporadic small to moderate explosions continues but has decreased after 2 November. On that day, a small pyroclastic flow descended on the west flank of the active cone, reaching a length of 300-400 m. Explosions produced plumes of up to about 2 km height and light ash fall occurred in San Rafael village located 8 km east of the volcano.

Jebel Zubair (Red Sea): Signs of weak continuing or renewed activity could be spotted again on recent satellite data after few weeks with no evidence of activity. The MODIS / Terra satellite image from 11 Nov shows a gas plume drifting NE from the new island as well as a discoloured water plume extending south. The discoloured sea water is likely caused by dissolved volcanic gasses (H2S in particular). The absence of steam suggests that there is no lava entering the sea and no submarine effusive activity.

Heard (Australia, Southern Indian Ocean): A thermal hot spot was visible on satellite data from 9 Nov, suggesting that some activity continues or has resumed at the remote volcano.

Earthquakes

Magnitude 5+ Earthquakes – Global

6.1 Earthquake hits the Scotia Sea.

5.2 Earthquake hits the Kuril Islands.

Storms and Floods

Tropical Storms

No current tropical storms.

Ocean Temperatures and Typhoon Haiyan

A remarkable warming of the sub-surface Pacific waters east of the Philippines in recent decades, due to a shift in atmospheric circulation patterns and ocean currents that began in the early 1990s, could be responsible for the rapid intensification of Super Typhoon Haiyan. Hurricanes are heat engines, which means they take heat energy out of the ocean, and convert it to kinetic energy in the form of wind.

It's well-known that tropical cyclones need surface water temperatures of at least 26.5°C (80°F) to maintain themselves, and that the warmer the water, and the deeper the warm water is, the stronger the storm can get. Deep warm water is important, since as a tropical cyclone tracks over the ocean, it stirs up cooler water from the depths, potentially reducing the intensity of the storm.

When both Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Rita exploded into Category 5 hurricanes as they crossed over a warm eddy in the Gulf of Mexico with a lot of deep, warm water, the concept of the total heat energy available to fuel a hurricane - the Tropical Cyclone Heat Potential (TCHP) - became one that gained wide recognition. The Pacific Ocean east of the Philippines has the largest area of deep, warm water of anywhere on Earth, and these waters have historically fueled the highest incidence of Category 5 storms of anywhere on the planet.

Super Typhoon Haiyan tracked over surface waters that were of near-average warmth, 29.5 - 30.5°C (85 - 87°F.) However, the waters at a depth of 100 meters (328 feet) beneath Haiyan during its rapid intensification phase were a huge 4 - 5°C (7 - 9°F) above average. As the typhoon stirred this UNUSUALLY WARM WATER to the surface, the storm was able to feed off the heat, allowing Haiyan to intensify into one of the strongest tropical cyclones ever observed.

The warm-up is due to an increase in the surface winds blowing across the region - the trade winds - which have caused a southward migration and strengthening of the North Equatorial Current (NEC) and the North Equatorial Counter Current (NECC). The strong trade winds have pushed a large amount of water up against the east coast of the Philippines in the past twenty years, resulting in a rate of sea level rise of 10 mm per year - more than triple the global average of 3.1 mm/yr.

This extra sea level rise contributed to the storm surge damage from Super Typhoon Haiyan. Sea level rise data from Legaspi in the Eastern Philippines shows a rise of about 305 mm (12 inches) since 1949. For comparison, global average sea level rose 7.5" (190 mm) since 1901. Part of the rise along the eastern Philippine coast is from tectonic processes - the subsidence of the Philippine plate under the Eurasian plate - but most of it is due to the stronger trade winds piling up warm water along the coast, and the fact that warmer waters expand, raising sea level.

There may also be a greater chance of super typhoons and higher storm surges affecting the Philippines, due to the warmer sub-surface waters and re-arranged ocean currents.

Drought

Drought - Indonesia

Drought damages rice crops. This year's drought has taken a toll on rice crops as hundreds of hectares of paddy fields in 13 districts in Cirebon regency, West Java, have been damaged.

Australia

The continuing drought is making the planting of sorghum a struggle. Continued dry conditions in cropping areas of Queensland and northern New South Wales have prevented farmers getting sorghum crops planted.

Texas, USA

Experts fear the drought in Texas is hurting monarch butterfly migration - Fewer monarch butterflies could be flying through Texas while migrating to Mexico due to the lingering drought and lack of food along their migration path.

Disease

Cholera in Mexico – update

The Ministry of Health in Mexico has reported an additional four cases of infection with Vibrio cholerae O1 Ogawa. Of these, two are from the state of Hidalgo and two from the state of Veracruz.

New 'H6N1' Bird Flu Reported in Taiwan

nA 20-year-old woman in Taiwan is the first person known to be infected with a strain of bird flu called H6N1, according to a latest report.

Volcanos

Roundup of Global Volcanic Activity:

Santa María / Santiaguito (Guatemala): Activity has been elevated. The effusion rate of the Caliente dome is high enough to produce constant block avalanches from the eastern rim. Explosive activity has been weak with ash plumes reaching 500-700 m height drifting into southerly directions.

Pacaya (Guatemala): Strombolian activity from the Mackenney crater continued during the past days with fluctuating intensity. Ejections of bombs reached about 50 m above the crater yesterday, INSIVUMEH reports.

Fuego (Guatemala): A new lava flow towards the Taniluya canyon (S side) started on 11 Nov and reached a length of 500 m this morning. Explosive activity at the summit has remained stable with occasional weak to moderate explosions ejecting ash plumes to up to 700 m height and producing sometimes loud shock waves.

Earthquakes

Magnitude 5+ Earthquakes – Global

6.1 Earthquake hits the Andreanof Islands in the Aleutian Islands.

5.3 Earthquake hits off the west coast of northern Sumatra, Indonesia.

5.3 Earthquake hits the northern Mid-Atlantic ridge.

5.1 Earthquake hits the Solomon Islands.

5.1 Earthquake hits the northern Mid-Atlantic ridge.

5.1 Earthquake hits near the east coast of Kamchatka, Russia.

5.0 Earthquake hits Tajikistan.

5.0 Earthquake hits the northern Mid-Atlantic ridge.

5.0 Earthquake hits the northern Mid-Atlantic ridge.

Storms and Floods

Tropical Storms

No current tropical storms.

Super Typhoon Haiyan is gone, but not before adding China to its list of ravaged nations in Asia. Haiyan made landfall on the northern Vietnam coast near the Chinese border as a Category 1 storm with 75 mph winds on Sunday, and spread torrential rains into southern China of up to 38 centimetres (15 inches) over some parts of Guangxi province, which caused up to $700 million in damage to agricultural, forestry, poultry and fishing industries there. Seven people were killed in China on hard-hit Hainan Island, with three others missing. In Vietnam, at least 13 people died and 81 were injured from the storm. In Taiwan, huge 26-foot waves from Haiyan swept 16 people out to sea on Sunday, killing 8 of them.

Before and After Images: Several hours before Typhoon Haiyan made landfall in the Philippines on Nov. 7, DigitalGlobe activated FirstLook, an online service that provides satellite imagery of large scale disasters. Their satellites collected more than 7,300 square miles of imagery in the areas hardest hit by the typhoon.

The death toll from Friday's typhoon may be lower than first thought. The number of 10,000 killed is said to be "too high" and the figure is more likely up to 2,500. But more than 11 million people are believed to have been affected and some 673,000 displaced.

The quest for clean water has become a life-or-death ordeal in the Philippines after Typhoon Haiyan's massive storm surge and high winds devastated the country and quick action needs to be taken to prevent further disease and dehydration. International health officials rushed Tuesday to help the estimated 9.6 million people affected by the record storm that struck the region Saturday, wrecking the already-fragile water system and raising the risk of water-borne diseases such as dysentery, cholera and typhoid fever.

Environment

Vast Antarctic iceberg 'could threaten shipping'

UK researchers have been awarded an emergency grant to track a vast iceberg in Antarctica that could enter shipping lanes.

Latest images show several kilometres of water between the iceberg, estimated to be about 700 sq km (270 sq miles), and the glacier that spawned the block.

The icy giant broke away from the Pine Island Glacier (PIG) in July.

in the last couple of days, it has begun to break away and now a kilometre or two of clear water has developed between it and the glacier.

It often takes a while for bergs from this area to get out of Pine Island Bay but once they do that they can either go eastwards along the coast or they can circle out into the main part of the Southern Ocean.

Disease

Syphilis outbreak sparks concern in Oklahoma, USA

An outbreak of the sexually transmitted disease syphilis in Enid, Okla., has sparked concerns among public health officials and residents alike. There have been nearly double the amount of reported cases of syphilis this year compared to last year in the city.

In 2012, there were only 10 reported cases of the disease in Enid, but there have been 18 so far in the city.

Syphilis symptoms

Early syphilis infections can be difficult to track because the symptoms are minimal. Generally, early infections cause a small, painless sore in the affected area, which can be the genitals, mouth or anus. This sore is what allows the infection to spread during sexual contact. After this, patents often develop rashes on their hands and feet, which are usually painless. Some infected with the STD may also experience swelling of the lymph nodes.

In its early stages, syphilis is relatively easy to cure with antibiotics. If left untreated, the disease can wreak havoc on the central nervous system and potentially cause brain damage, among other complications. Lab tests done early can make sure that the disease is treated so that these potentially deadly effects can be avoided.

Volcanos

Roundup of Global Volcanic Activity:

Etna (Sicily, Italy): Strombolian activity at New SE crater.

Marapi (Western Sumatra, Indonesia): A small eruption occurred this morning (9 am local time), producing an ash plume that rose about 350 m according to local news. Marapi has been showing increased activity since August 2011. VSI keeps the volcano at level 2 alert (out of 4) and recommends not to approach the summit within a radius of 3 km, as stronger eruptions could occur any time.

Earthquakes

Magnitude 5+ Earthquakes – Global

6.6 Earthquake hits near the east coast of Kamchatka, Russia.

5.5 Earthquake hits the Santa Cruz Islands.

5.1 Earthquake hits New Ireland, Papua New Guinea.

5.0 Earthquake hits the Molucca Sea.

Storms and Floods

Tropical Storms

No current tropical storms.

In the North Arabian Sea

The tropical cyclone that hit the north-eastern Somali region of Puntland over the weekend killed up to 150 people. Thousands of livestock also died and hundreds of homes have been destroyed. The semi-autonomous region was hit by strong winds, heavy rains and flash floods on Saturday and Sunday. Some fishermen have also been reported missing.

NewsBytes:

Flooding caused by heavy rainfall during the past four days in Baghdad, Iraq, has forced the Iraqi government to declare an emergency public holiday on Monday.

How Typhoon Haiyan Compares to the 2004 Tsunami

Super Typhoon Haiyan ravaged the central Philippines on Friday (Nov. 8), affecting millions and displacing hundreds of thousands.

The tropical cyclone (the blanket term for hurricanes and typhoons) packed sustained winds of up 190 mph (305 km/h) in the hours before it made landfall, according to some accounts. It will likely go down as one of the five strongest storms in the last 50 years, even though estimates of the storm's strength vary, said Brian McNoldy, a tropical storm expert at the University of Miami. Estimates vary because there were no airplanes in the area to drop recording instruments into the storm (the typical way of making such measurements). Jeff Weber, a researcher at the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research in Boulder, Colo., put Haiyan in the top three strongest storms, as measured by wind speed at landfall.

Some compared the storm's devastation to the mayhem caused by the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, which resulted from a magnitude-9.1 earthquake that struck west of the island of Sumatra on Dec. 26 of that year.

"The last time I saw something of this scale was in the aftermath of the Indian Ocean tsunami," said Sebastian Rhodes Stampa, the head of a United Nations disaster assessment team that visited the area on Saturday, according to The New York Times. "This is destruction on a massive scale. There are cars thrown like tumbleweed."

In particular, scenes of walls of water moving across coastal villages seemed to connect the two events in people's minds.

"In a way, they're similar in that water quickly rose to amazing heights… and inundated low-lying, poverty-stricken areas," McNoldy told LiveScience. "Of course, they're caused by very different things, and a typhoon also comes with destructive winds, while a tsunami is only the water component."

Here's a look at some other measures of the two disasters.

People displaced and killed

· Indian Ocean tsunami: In total, the earthquake and subsequent tsunami killed about 230,000 people and displaced 1.7 million people in 14 countries in South Asia and East Africa, according to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS).

· Typhoon Haiyan: Local estimates put the death toll at 10,000 in just one city in the Philippines, with more casualties in Vietnam after Haiyan hit there today. "The overall number is expected to increase as aid workers reach more affected communities," the United Nations reported. The storm has displaced another 660,000 people, according to the United Nations.

Height of waves

· The tsunami produced only small waves in the open ocean, but these traveled hundreds of miles per hour and pushed large masses of water inland, swamping low-lying areas. In some regions, these masses of water reached heights of up to 100 feet (30 meters) above sea level, according to the USGS. As shock waves from the tsunami rattled around the Indian Ocean, some areas — particularly in Indonesia — were hit with multiple waves.

· Haiyan's storm surge, the name for the wall of water pushed ashore by the strong winds of typhoons and hurricanes, did not cause the same level of inundation as the 2004 tsunami. But Haiyan's surge was still impressive (and deadly), reaching up to 20 feet (6 m) in parts of the central Philippines, according to news reports.

Warning time

· Most people affected by the 2004 tsunami had virtually no warning, thanks to the speed of the tsunami's waves. Experts at the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center in Honolulu didn't even know immediately that the earthquake had set off a giant wave, until they heard reports of a tsunami hitting Sri Lanka, according to news stories at the time.

· Philippine authorities gave residents several days warning about Haiyan, McNoldy said. Indeed, about 800,000 people were moved to storm shelters. But Philippine officials didn't expect or prepare for the 20-foot storm surge, said Weather.com meteorologist Nick Wiltgen. The surge took many by surprise, in some instances swamping shelters, according to news reports.

Economic impact

· The tsunami caused more than U.S. $10 billion in damages, according to various estimates.

· It's quite early to put a dollar figure on Haiyan, but Jonathan Adams, a senior analyst at Bloomberg Industries, said the storm's impact may reach U.S. $14 billion.

Area impacted

· The 2004 tsunami hit low-lying areas in 14 countries, as far apart as Australia and Kenya.

· Haiyan primarily affected the central Philippines, but inflicted damage even at higher elevations away from the coast, due to the storm's strong winds.