Magnitude 5+ Earthquakes – Global
5.5 Earthquake hits near the east coast of Honshu, Japan.
5.3 Earthquake hits the Rat Islands in the Aleutian Islands.
5.3 Earthquake hits the Kermedec Islands.
5.0 Earthquake hits off the east coast of Kamchatka, Russia.
5.0 Earthquake hits New Ireland, Papua New Guinea.
5.0 Earthquake hits the Mariana Islands.
Tropical Storms - Roundup of Tropical Storms:
No current tropical storms.
Newsbytes:
Tornadoes, USA - The National Weather Service (NWS) in Hastings has confirmed two more tornadoes in Nebraska that occurred on Christmas Day. This is in addition to the tornadoes near Funk and Alton, Kansas. On 29 December an EF-1 tornado touched down northeast of Atlanta, Georgia.
Roundup of Global Volcanic Activity - New Activity
Bogoslof (United States, Aleutian Islands): Another (the 6th) large explosion seems to be occurring this morning at the volcano. The Alaska Volcano Observatory reported detecting a strong seismic signal (captured on neighboring islands) and a swarm of lightnings typical for large eruption ash plumes near the volcano and extending north (as the ash plume drifts in this direction). Weather cloud tops at 30,000 ft prevent visual and other satellite conformation (so far) of the likely ash plume which could have reached similar altitudes. The eruption started presumably at 22:30 local time (07:30 UTC Dec 29) and is continuing at the time of writing.
Ongoing Activity for the week of 21 December-27 December 2016
Bagana | Bougainville (Papua New Guinea) : Based on analyses of satellite imagery and model data, the Darwin VAAC reported that during 22 and 25-27 December ash plumes from Bagana rose to altitudes of 2.1-2.4 km (7,000-8,000 ft) a.s.l. and drifted 45-85 km S, SW, and WSW.
Copahue | Central Chile-Argentina border : Based on satellite and webcam images, the Buenos Aires VAAC reported that during 21-23 December gas-and-ash plumes from Copahue rose to altitudes of 3.6-3.9 km (12,000-13,000 ft) a.s.l. and drifted SE and ESE.
Dukono | Halmahera (Indonesia) : Based on analyses of satellite imagery and model data, the Darwin VAAC reported that during 21-26 December ash plumes from Dukono rose to altitudes of 2.1-2.4 km (7,000-8,000 ft) a.s.l. and drifted as far as 185 km NE, ENE, E, and SE.
Fuego | Guatemala : In a special bulletin from 21 December, INSIVUMEH reported the beginning of the 16th Strombolian episode in 2016 at Fuego. Ash plumes rose 1.5 km above the crater and drifted 18 km S, SW, W, and NW, and ashfall was reported in nearby areas including Morelia (9 km SW), Santa Sofía (12 km SW), Panimaché I and II (8 km SW), and Sangre de Cristo (8 km WSW). Lava fountains rose 200-300 m above the crater and fed three lava flows: the first traveled 2.5 km W down the Santa Teresa drainage, the second traveled 2 km SW down the Taniluyá Canyon, and the last traveled 1.8 km SE down the Las Lajas drainage. Shock waves from explosions rattled structures within a 12-km radius. During 24-27 December weak explosions generated ash plumes that rose 450-750 m and drifted 5-10 km W and SW.
Magnitude 5+ Earthquakes – Global
6.2 Earthquake hits the Sambawa region, Indonesia.
5.2 Earthquake hits southeast of the Loyalty islands.
5.0 Earthquake hits the Molucca Sea.
5.0 Earthquake hits south of the Kermedec Islands.
Tropical Storms - Roundup of Tropical Storms:
No current tropical storms.
Newsbytes:
Turkey - Heavy snowfall and rains along with cold weather across Turkey paralyzed ordinary life for people while precipitating deadly floods in the southern part of the country and suspending education at many schools in central and northern provinces due to snow. Two people were killed in the southern province of Mersin on Dec. 29 due to a flood that was caused by heavy rains in the region. With many trapped inside their vehicles, the municipality issued a warning statement calling on people to stay at home throughout the day if possible. While the rainfall affected life negatively in Mersin, heavy snowfall also halted life in central and northern Anatolia. Authorities in 21 provinces, mostly in central Turkey but also in northern Anatolia, said schools had been closed for the day due to heavy snow and icy conditions that were expected to follow.
Climate Change Killing the World's Oldest Trees
These ancients were around when ancient Sumerians scratched their cuneiform on clay tablets, and they were standing when Alexander the Great swept across Asia. They bore witness to both the rise and fall of the Roman Empire, survived Columbus' colonization of the New World, and saw the birth and expansion of the United States.
But now, because of climate change, the oldest trees on the planet may be facing their eventual extinction, a new study suggests.
Ancient bristlecone pines (Pinus longaeva), which thrive in the upper reaches of the White Mountains in California, could be supplanted by younger trees from an upstart species as temperatures warm and baby trees begin to grow higher on the mountain.
The world's oldest genetically unique trees reside just below the tree line, where the scant rainfall, frigid air, and rocky limestone soil eliminates all but the hardiest of species. From about 9,500 to 11,500 feet (2,900 to 3,500 meters), bristlecone pines dominate the landscape. In the few patches with sandier, more granite-like soils, native limber pine trees (Pinus flexilis) cluster, according to the statement.
The oldest individual tree in the world is a 5,062-year-old P. longaeva in the White Mountains, and the second-oldest tree, dubbed Methuselah, is also a Great Basin bristlecone pine living nearby.
Above the tree line, temperatures are too cold to support trees, but global warming has shifted the tree line higher up the mountain. Because temperature typically governs where trees live, that would ordinarily mean that trees such as the bristlecone pine would simply start growing at higher altitudes.
Most of the baby trees colonizing the higher altitudes above the tree line appear to be limber pines, the researchers found. It turns out that limber pines got an assist from the Clark's nutcracker, a local bird that munches on and disperses the trees' seeds. This process speeds up how quickly limber pines can colonize new locations, the study found.
Global Temperature Extremes
The week's hottest temperature was 126.0 degrees Fahrenheit (52.2 degrees Celsius) in Death Valley, Californiaa.
The week's coldest temperature was minus 115.0 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 81.6 degrees Celsius) at Russia’s Vostok Base, Antarctica.
Temperatures were tabulated from the more than 10,000 worldwide synoptic weather stations. The United Nations World Meteorological Organization sets the standards for weather observations, and provides a global telecommunications circuit for data distribution.
Wildfire - Switzerland
A month without precipitation in southern Switzerland has led to several wildfires breaking out on the south side of the Alps. Three military Super Puma helicopters are assisting the firefighters on the ground.
Roundup of Global Volcanic Activity - New Activity for the week of 21 December-27 December 2016
Bezymianny | Central Kamchatka (Russia) : KVERT reported strong gas-and-steam emissions at Bezymianny during 16-23 December; a gas-and-steam plume drifted about 60 km SW on 18 December. A daily thermal anomaly was detected over the volcano. The Aviation Colour Code remained at Orange.
Bogoslof | Fox Islands (USA) : AVO reported that the explosive eruption at Bogoslof, which was reported by several pilots around 1530 on 20 December and produced an ash plume that rose to 10.3 km (34,000 ft) a.s.l., lasted about 30 minutes. The ash plume detached and dispersed S. AVO had raised the Aviation Colour Code (ACC) to Red and the Volcano Alert Level (VAL) to Warning, but since no further activity was detected or observed the ACC was lowered to Orange and the VAL was lowered to Watch. On 21 December periods of discrete earthquakes and continuous seismic tremor were recorded by instruments on nearby volcanoes. At 1610 an explosive eruption detected in satellite data and by seismic instruments on nearby islands again lasted about 30 minutes. An ash plume rose to an altitude of 10.7 km (35,000 ft) a.s.l. and drifted N. The ACC and VAL were raised to Red and Warning, respectively. Seismicity declined rapidly afterward and remained low; the ACC was lowered to Orange and the VAL was lowered to Watch. Strong continuous seismic activity started abruptly at about 1340 on 22 December.
AVO noted that the eruption had dramatically changed the island. Satellite images showed that a small new island had formed just offshore of the NE end of the main island, the previous shore and much of the NE side of Bogoslof Island adjacent to the new island had been mostly removed (and was likely the site of the new, underwater vent), and deposition of material had occurred on the W side of the island.
An explosion occurred at 0930 on 23 December. A Coast Guard ship in the vicinity reported ash emissions, lightning, and ejected lava and fragmented material. The ash plume rose to an altitude below 9.1 km (30,000 ft) a.s.l. Coast Guard observers noted that ash emission subsided around 1037. The ACC/VAL were raised to Red/Warning. On 24 December seismic unrest was periodically detected by nearby island networks, but levels were generally low. The ACC was lowered to Orange and the VAL was lowered to Watch. A period of tremor detected in the evening on 25 December may have been associated with a minor, low-level ash emission (below 3 km or 10,000 ft a.s.l.); several lightning strikes in the area were recorded. Lightning strikes, seismic data, and satellite images indicated a continuing eruption that began at 1405 on 26 December. An ash plume rose to an altitude of 9.1 km (30,000 ft) a.s.l. and drifted WSW. The ACC/VAL were again raised to Red/Warning.
Ebeko | Paramushir Island (Russia) : KVERT reported that, according to observers in Severo-Kurilsk (Paramushir Island) about 7 km E, gas-and-steam plumes containing a small amount of ash rose from Ebeko to an altitude of 1.5 km (4,900 ft) a.s.l. and drifted 8 km N and NE on 17 and 20 December. Minor amounts of ash fell in Severo-Kurilsk during 18-22 December. Ash plumes rose as high as 2 km (6,600 ft) a.s.l. on 27 December. The Aviation Colour Code was raised to Orange (the second highest level on a four-colour scale).
Klyuchevskoy | Central Kamchatka (Russia) : On 26 December KVERT reported that a weak thermal anomaly over Klyuchevskoy had been detected after the April-November eruption. Gas-and-steam plumes sometimes contained small amounts of ash. The Aviation Colour Code was raised to Yellow (the second lowest on a four-colour scale).
Langila | New Britain (Papua New Guinea) : Based on analyses of satellite imagery and wind data, the Darwin VAAC reported that during 21-24 December ash plumes from Langila rose to an altitude of 2.4 km (8,000 ft) a.s.l. and drifted N, NW, S, and SE.
Magnitude 5+ Earthquakes – Global
5.8 Earthquake hits near the east coast of Honshu, Japan.
5.3 Earthquake hits New Guinea, Papua New Guinea.
5.1 Earthquake hits near the east coast of Honshu, Japan.
5.1 Earthquake hits offshore Chiapas, Mexico.
5.1 Earthquake hits the Cook Strait, New Zealand.
Tropical Storms - Roundup of Tropical Storms:
No current tropical storms.
Newsbytes:
DR Congo - Flooding this week in the Democratic Republic of Congo port city of Boma killed at least 50 people and left another 10,000 homeless, authorities told Reuters on Wednesday. Torrential rain on Monday night caused the Kalamu River to overflow, flooding two districts of the southwestern city, said Therese-Louise Mambu, health minister for Kongo Central province. "The damage is very serious," she said. "We continue to look for other bodies."
Bolivia - Parts of Bolivia go on ‘orange alert’ after massive flooding kills eight people following heavy rains. At least eight people are dead after torrential rains swept through the country causing massive flooding. Bolivia's national weather service has issued an orange alert for five areas in the west of the country. The flooding stranded drivers and pedestrians alike in Cochabamba. The heavy rains come in the wake of Bolivia's worst drought in 25 years.
Philippines - Floods triggered by heavy rains have inundated cornfields, roads and a major bridge, which affected traffic in Tuguegarao City, Cagayan. Rains have been pounding this city since Tuesday (Dec. 27), prompting operators of the Magat Dam to release water when its reservoir level reached 192.50 meters above sea level.
Climate change driving birds to migrate early
Migrating birds are responding to the effects of climate change by arriving at their breeding grounds earlier as global temperatures rise, research has found.
The University of Edinburgh study, which looked at hundreds of species across five continents, found that birds are reaching their summer breeding grounds on average about one day earlier per degree of increasing global temperature.
The main reason birds take flight is changing seasonal temperatures and food availability. The time they reach their summer breeding grounds is significant, because arriving at the wrong time, even by a few days, may cause them to miss out on vital resources such as food and nesting places. This in turn affects the timing of offspring hatching and their chances of survival.
The research included species that travel huge distances, such as the swallow and pied flycatcher, as well as those with shorter migrations, such as the lapwing and pied wagtail. British swallows fly through western France, across the Pyrenees, down eastern Spain into Morocco, and across the Sahara, to spend their winter in South Africa from around September or October.
Migrating swallows can cover 200 miles a day at speeds of 17-22 miles per hour, with a maximum flight speed of 35mph.
The study, published in the Journal of Animal Ecology and supported by the Natural Environment Research Council, will help scientists better predict how different species will respond to environmental changes. Long-distance migrants, which are shown to be less responsive to rising temperatures, may suffer most as other birds gain advantage by arriving at breeding grounds ahead of them.
Wildfire - South Africa
A large vegetation fire near Grabouw in the Western Cape appears to be spreading. Firefighters are battling the blaze on the mountain slopes.
City of Cape Town Fire and Rescue Service spokesperson Theo Layne says: “This fire came over from the Grabouw area towards Sir Lowry’s Pass Village area. It’s still quite high on the mountain slopes. There is no immediate danger to any property, but the fire is being fanned by a very strong southeaster in that area.”
Magnitude 5+ Earthquakes – Global
5.8 Earthquake hits Nevada, USA.
5.7 Earthquake hits Nevada, USA
5.6 Earthquake hits the South Sandwich Islands.
5.3 Earthquake hits Fiji.
5.3 Earthquake hits Nevada, USA.
5.2 Earthquake hits Romania.
5.1 Earthquake hits New Ireland, Papua New Guinea.
5.1 Earthquake hits Colombia.
5.0 Earthquake hits New Ireland, Papua New Guinea.
Tropical Storms - Roundup of Tropical Storms:
In the western Pacific: Tropical Depression 30w (Nock-Ten), located approximately Located approximately 407 nm east-northeast of Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, and it is forecast to move west-southwestward at 15 knots.
Canada reports first human case of H3N2v influenza - Swine Flu
On Dec. 16, WHO was notified of a confirmed human case of influenza A(H3N2) variant virus in Canada.
Typhoid in Zimbabwe - Again
A suspected typhoid outbreak is feared to have hit Harare amid reports that one person has died so far, while nine others have been hospitalised. Thirty more people have been treated and discharged.
Magnitude 5+ Earthquakes – Global
5.6 Earthquake hits offshore Los lagos, Chile.
5.5 Earthquake hits the central east Pacific rise.
5.4 Earthquake hits the Solomon Islands.
5.1 Earthquake hits the Sichuan-Chongqing border region, China.
5.0 Earthquake hits northern Sumatra, Indonesia.
Tropical Storms - Roundup of Tropical Storms:
In the western Pacific:
Typhoon 30w (Nock-Ten), located approximately Located approximately 296 nm west of Manila, Philippines and it is forecast to move west-southwestward at 05 knots.
Nock-Ten continues to barely hang onto Category 1-equivalent typhoon status and is pretty much done with the Philippines, heading into the South China Sea, according to the Joint Typhoon Warning Centre.
Newsbytes:
Argentina - At least 650 people have been evacuated from their homes and two are missing amid flooding in eastern and central Argentina. The weekend's flooding is affecting areas in the provinces of Santa Fe, Cordoba and Buenos Aires. In Santa Fe, the two most critical situations are in the towns of Maria Teresa and Alvarez.
Angola: Yellow fever epidemic declared over
Angolan Health Minister Luís Gomes Sambo declared Friday in Luanda the end of the yellow fever epidemic in the country, six months after the confirmation of the last case of this disease and an active epidemiological surveillance at the national level. Angola had notified the last confirmed case of yellow fever on June 23, 2016, in the Provinces of Cunene and Cuanza Norte.
According to the final report presented this Friday, from December 2015 to June 2016, Angola reported a total of 884 confirmed cases and 381 deaths from yellow fever in 16 of its 18 provinces. Luanda, Benguela, Huambo and Huíla were the provinces most affected, and the lethality rate across the country was 8.6%. Health authorities and partners say they have immunized 18 million people in mass vaccination campaigns against yellow fever in 85 high-risk municipalities, representing 70% of the target population estimated at 25.7 million people.
Bird Flu Outbreak in Iran
Iran has killed hundreds of thousands of birds in recent weeks as avian flu spreads across seven provinces of the country, officials have reported.
More than 1,000 wild birds, mostly geese, have been found dead in the Mighan wetland in central Iran, the environmental protection organization told state news agency IRNA on Monday.
IRNA said 63,000 chickens, along with 800,000 fertilized eggs and day-old chicks, were culled at a farm in Qazvin province in recent days after an outbreak of the deadly H1N8 and H1N5 strains of the disease.
That adds to the 725,000 birds destroyed since mid-November across the country following nine flu outbreaks, according to a report from the World Organization for Animal Health released last week.
Magnitude 5+ Earthquakes – Global
7.6 Earthquake hits the Gulf of Corcovado, Los Lagos, Chile.
A major 7.6 magnitude earthquake jolted southern Chile on Sunday, prompting thousands to evacuate coastal areas, but no fatalities or major damage were reported in the tourism and salmon farming region. Officials had issued a tsunami warning earlier for areas within 1,000 km (621 miles) of the epicentre, just 39 km (24.5 miles) southwest of Quellon, off the coast. But the warning was downgraded to a tsunami watch. Eight mostly small ports in the area were closed, Chile's Navy said.
5.2 Earthquake hits Isla Chiloe, Los Lagos, Chile.
5.2 Earthquake hits the Babuyan Islands in the Philippines.
5.1 Earthquake hits Tarapaca, Chile.
5.0 Earthquake hits new Ireland, Papua New Guinea.
5.0 Earthquake hits the southwest Indian ridge.
Tropical Storms - Roundup of Tropical Storms:
In the western Pacific: Typhoon 30w (Nock-Ten), located approximately Located approximately 73 nm west-southwest of Manila, Philippines and it is forecast to move west-northwestward at 16 knots.
The typhoon has killed at least four people in the Philippines before passing over the capital Manila. The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said that as of 8 a.m local time on Monday, 77,560 families -- 383,097 people -- were in evacuation centers in Calabarzon, Mimaropa, Bicol and Easter Visayas. Nock-ten is weakening as it passes over the Philippines, but is still packing maximum sustained winds of 240 kph (149 mph) with gusts up to 296 kph (184 mph). Some 11,476 passengers, more than 1,000 cargo ships and over a dozen other vessels were stranded in various ports in the region.
Newsbytes:
Australia - A massive Christmas night storm and heavy rain that has sparked damaging flash floods in Central Australia is being described as a once-in-a-half-century weather event by the Bureau of Meteorology (BOM). A quarter of the community of Kintore was evacuated after it was drenched by 232mm of rain in the 24 hours since 9:00am yesterday — taking the December total to a record 373.4mm. Northern Territory police said it had caused significant flash flooding woes for the 400 people living in Kintore, which is located about 520km west of Alice Springs near the Western Australia border.
Malaysia - Continuous rain, sometimes heavy, in the Cameron Highlands since Sunday (Dec 25) morning caused flooding in several areas in Tanah Rata, including the police quarters at Jalan Masjid. The heavy rain also caused a landslide and fallen trees at Jalan Tapah-Tanah Rata near Bharat Tea Baru.
Magnitude 5+ Earthquakes – Global
5.3 Earthquake hits the Maug Islands in the North Mariana Islands.
5.2 Earthquake hits the Maug Islands in the North Mariana Islands.
5.0 Earthquake hits New Britain, Papua New Guinea.
5.0 Earthquake hits New Ireland, Papua New Guinea.
Tropical Storms - Roundup of Tropical Storms:
In the western Pacific: Super Typhoon 30w (Nock-Ten), located approximately 100 kilometers (62 miles) east of Catanduanes in the Philippines and it is forecast to move west at 15 kph (9 mph).
Newsbytes:
Indonesia - According to the Jakarta Globe media outlet, the National Disaster Mitigation Agency registered 105,758 residents affected by the floods, while 104,378 of them remain at the agency's evacuation posts. On Wednesday, central Indonesian districts were hit by a heavy flood, with thousands of houses and infrastructure seriously damaged. The authorities introduced a state of emergency on Thursday, which will reportedly last till January 4. There were no reports about casualties among residents.
South Africa - Two Electricity Utility employees died after they were swept away in a car during flash floods in the uMzinyathi District, in the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands, the provincial cooperative governance and traditional affairs department said on Friday.
Guyana - Guyana is bracing for more rains and floods with the National Weather Watch Centre predicting heavy rainfall over the next seven days. The rains begun on Friday causing widespread flooding.
Singapore - Heavy rain resulted in flash floods around Singapore on Christmas eve (Dec 24). Flash flood alerts were issued for a few areas in central Singapore, including Newton Circus, Balmoral Road, Cairnhill Road and the Pan-Island Expressway near Stevens Road, according to the Land Transport Authority.
Climate Central did an exhaustive analysis of 1,730 weather stations in the Lower 48 and found that just two percent are having a colder than average year. Yes, that means 98 percent of the country’s thermometers are running above average in 2016. Incredibly, “10 percent of those are having their hottest year on record”.
Measles in Los Angeles, California
Two years after a large Measles outbreak broke out at Disneyland in Southern California and spread internationally, an outbreak of the disease is back with nine confirmed cases in Los Angeles County.
The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health (DOPH) announced Friday that they are investigating the nine cases as part of an outbreak in the county.
Magnitude 5+ Earthquakes – Global
5.9 Earthquake hits New Ireland, Papua New Guinea.
5.7 Earthquake hits New Ireland, Papua New Guinea.
5.4 Earthquake hits off the east coast of Honshu, Japan.
5.1 Earthquake hits Vanuatu.
5.0 Earthquake hits the Bougainville region, Papua New Guinea.
Two 5.0 Earthquakes hit New Britain, Papua New Guinea.
5.0 Earthquake hits the Molucca Sea.
5.0 Earthquake hits Mindanao in the Philippines.
5.0 Earthquake hits new Ireland, Papua New Guinea.
Tropical Storms - Roundup of Tropical Storms:
In the western Pacific: Super Typhoon 30w (Nock-Ten), located approximately 1,330 kilometres southeast of Eluanbi, the southernmost tip of Taiwan is tracking west-northwest at 08 knots.
Evacuation centres in the provinces of Catanduanes, Camarines Sur, and Camarines Norte in the Bicol region have been opened to people fleeing their homes in preparation for the onslaught of Typhoon Nina (Nock-Ten), which is forecast to make landfall in Catanduanes early Sunday evening. With a radius of 180 km, the storm was carrying maximum sustained winds of about 184 kph, with gusts of up to 227 kph, according to bureau data.
In the South Indian Ocean: Tropical cyclone 02s (Yvette), located approximately 324 nm northwest of Broome, Australia, is tracking eastward at 11 knots.
Newsbytes:
Scotland - Storm Barbara hits with floods, power cuts and road closures as 120mph winds spark alerts across Scotland. Some routes have already closed today with snow gates being shut on key routes in the north and a number of bumps and collisions on main roads further south. Dozens of ferries have been cancelled with flights at risk as the storm reaches its peak. Ferries to the Northern and Western Isles have already been cancelled along with some train services. Waves over 50ft high – the height of a five-storey building – were forecast off Scotland’s north coast, with 30ft waves on Scotland’s west coast.
Human infection with avian influenza A(H7N9) virus – China
On 20 December 2016, the Department of Health (DOH), Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR) notified WHO of a case of laboratory-confirmed human infection with avian influenza A(H7N9) virus.
Roundup of Global Volcanic Activity - Ongoing Activity for the week of 14 December-20 December 2016
Bogoslof (United States, Aleutian Islands): Another explosive eruption occurred at the volcano a few hours ago (at around 09:30 AKST local time), the Alaska Volcano Observatory reported. The alert level of Bogoslof was raised back to red. "A Coast Guard ship in the vicinity reported ash emission as well as ejection of lava and fragmental material. The eruption cloud did not penetrate the regional cloud tops at 30,000 ft and winds are to the north-northeast. According to the Coast Guard, ash emission subsided at about 10:37 AKST (19:37 UTC). On the basis of this information, the Aviation Colour Code is raised to RED and the Alert Level to WARNING." (AVO)
Suwanosejima | Ryukyu Islands (Japan) : Based on JMA notices and satellite-image analyses, the Tokyo VAAC reported that during 17-18 December ash plumes from Suwanosejima rose to an altitude of 1.8 km (6,000 ft) a.s.l. and drifted SE and SW.
Sinabung | Indonesia : Based on PVMBG observations, webcam views, and satellite images, the Darwin VAAC reported that on 15, 17, and 19 December ash plumes from Sinabung rose 3-5.8 km (10,000-19,000 ft) a.s.l. and drifted E and S.
Sheveluch | Central Kamchatka (Russia) : KVERT reported that during 10-16 December lava-dome extrusion onto Sheveluch’s N flank was accompanied by strong fumarolic activity, dome incandescence, ash explosions, and hot avalanches. Satellite images showed a daily thermal anomaly over the dome. The Aviation Color Code remained at Orange.
Sabancaya | Peru : IGP's OVS reported that during 12-18 December seismicity at Sabancaya continued to be dominated by long-period earthquakes; hybrid earthquakes decreased from 14 events per day to 6. Gas-and-ash plumes rose as high as 3.5 km above the crater and drifted more than 35 km NW, E, SE, and S.
Based on webcam and satellite views, the Buenos Aires VAAC reported that during 14-20 December gas-and-water-vapor emissions and sporadic ash puffs rose 6.4-8.2 km (21,000-27,000 ft) a.s.l. (2.3 km above the crater) and drifted SW, WSW, W, and NW.
Nevados de Chillan | Chile : According to ONEMI on 16 December, OVDAS-SERNAGEOMIN reported that in recent days there had been sporadic explosions at craters formed at Nevados de Chillán in 2016. The Alert Level remained at Yellow, the middle level on a three-colour scale, and the public was reminded not to approach the craters within a 3-km radius.
Kilauea | Hawaiian Islands (USA) :During 14-20 December HVO reported that the lava lake continued to rise and fall, circulate, and spatter in Kilauea’s Overlook vent; the lake level rose as high as 13 m below the Halema’uma’u floor. Webcams recorded incandescence from long-active sources within Pu'u 'O'o Crater and from a vent high on the NE flank of the cone. The 61G lava flow, originating from a vent on Pu'u 'O'o Crater's E flank, continued to enter the ocean near Kamokuna at the easternmost lava delta. An active branch of 61G remained active E of Pu'u 'O'o and advanced slowly E at a rate of only a few tens of meters per day.
Magnitude 5+ Earthquakes – Global
5.2 Earthquake hits the Komandorskiye Ostrova region, Russia.
5.0 Earthquake hits near the west coast of Colombia.
Tropical Storms - Roundup of Tropical Storms:
In the western Pacific: Tropical Storm 30w (Nock-Ten), located approximately 790 kilometres (490 miles) east of Guiuan town in the eastern Philippines is tracking northeastward at 08 knots.
In the South Indian Ocean: Tropical cyclone 02s (Yvette), located approximately 4365 nm north-northwest of Port Hedland, Australia, is tracking east-southeastward at 09 knots.
Newsbytes:
Indonesia - A 10-year-old boy, resident of Kodo Village, Bima City, West Nusa Tenggara, has been reported missing in floods that hit the city. Bima has been stricken by flash floods in the last couple of days. The flood has caused public facilities, such as bridges to collapse. Houses and private cars have been swept away by floods. Thousands have been displaced.
Ammonia Detected in Earth's Atmosphere for First Time
In an unexpected first, researchers have discovered ammonia in Earth's lowest atmospheric layer, a new study said.
The detected ammonia was most concentrated in the upper layer of the troposphere above India and China, countries that have experienced population and economic booms in recent years. The gas (NH3) is most likely coming from livestock farming and fertilization in those countries, the researchers said.
Plants and crops need ammonia to grow, but too much of it can harm the environment and human health. However, the newly detected ammonia may have an unexpected silver lining: The gas is involved in cloud formation, so it may act as a cooling agent and help compensate for the human-caused greenhouse gas effect, the researchers said.
Oldest Water
Scientists from the University of Toronto say they have found the planet’s oldest water, which is about 2 billion years old, deep in a Canadian mine.
Researchers had earlier found water that was about 500 million years less ancient and not quite as deep in the same Ontario mine.
“It won’t kill you if you drink it, but it would taste absolutely disgusting,” said lead researcher Barbara Sherwood Lollar.
Global Temperature Extremes
The week's hottest temperature was 109.0 degrees Fahrenheit (42.8 degrees Celsius) in Twee Riviere, South Africa.
The week's coldest temperature was minus 58.0 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 50.0 degrees Celsius) in Topolinoye, Siberia.
Temperatures were tabulated from the more than 10,000 worldwide synoptic weather stations. The United Nations World Meteorological Organization sets the standards for weather observations, and provides a global telecommunications circuit for data distribution.
Roundup of Global Volcanic Activity - Ongoing Activity for the week of 14 December-20 December 2016
Bagana | Bougainville (Papua New Guinea) : Based on analyses of satellite imagery and model data, the Darwin VAAC reported that during 16-17 December ash plumes from Bagana rose to an altitude of 2.1 km (7,000 ft) a.s.l. and drifted E and NE.
Cayambe | Ecuador : IG reported that a seismic swarm detected at Cayambe on 5 June was characterized by an increase in the number of volcano-tectonic events. The swarm occurred near an active fault system, NE of the volcano. The seismic activity progressively declined to baseline levels during August. A minor increase was again observed in September, with events migrating to locations underneath the volcano, and then became more pronounced in November. Anomalously large-magnitude earthquakes occurred on 14 November (M 3.3) and on 27 November (M 3.6). Another swarm was also detected on 27 November. Seismicity continued above baseline levels through 2 December. In addition, climbers reported an increase in a sulphur odour.
On 13 December IG noted that during the previous week there was an average of 68 earthquakes/day, mainly volcano-tectonic events and some long-period signals. A M3 event located at a depth of 7 km below the summit was recorded on 8 December. Climbers continued to report an increase in a sulfur odor, and also the presence of new cracks in the glacier near the summit.
Cerro Hudson | Chile : Based on an OVDAS-SERNAGEOMIN notice, ONEMI reported that seismicity at Cerro Hudson had become more stable during 1-15 December, after an increase in the magnitude of the highest energy events had been detected the previous month. The volcano Alert Level remained at Yellow (second highest level on a four-colour scale), and ONEMI noted that the Alert Level remained at Yellow (the middle level on a three-colour scale) for the communities of Aysén, Río Ibáñez, and Chile Chico.
Dukono | Halmahera (Indonesia) : PVMBG reported that during 1 January-19 December white-and-gray plumes rose as high as 1.2 km above the rim of Dukono's Malupang Warirang crater, and were accompanied by roaring heard at the Dukono observation post 11 km away. The eruption plume height generally fluctuated though was higher during periods in May and from late November into December; ashfall increased during the periods of higher plume heights, and was noted in villages within 11 km N, NE, and SW. Seismcity at Dukono remained high. The Alert Level remained at 2 (on a scale of 1-4). Residents and tourists were advised not to approach the crater within a radius of 2 km.
Etna (Sicily, Italy): After several days of very bad weather, Etna is again free of clouds. This morning, the "saddle vent" of Etna's Southeast Crater (between the old and new SE crater) could be seen emitting small ash plumes. Tremor is currently low.
Magnitude 5+ Earthquakes – Global
5.9 Earthquake hits the Mariana Islands.
5.3 Earthquake hits south of the Kermedec Islands.
5.1 Earthquake hits the Loyalty Islands.
5.0 Earthquake hits central Peru.
5.0 Earthquake hits Samar in the Philippines.
Two 5.0 Earthquakes hit New Ire4land, Papua New Guinea.
Earthquake forms the Great Wall of New Zealand
In last month’s M7.8 Kaikoura, New Zealand earthquake, at least 9 separate faults ruptured in the largest quake in New Zealand since the 1855 M8.2-8.3 Wairarapa earthquake. In a matter of seconds the New Zealand landscape changed forever. Shore platforms along the coast were uplifted, landslides blocked rivers and roads, and large intermittent surface ruptures extended for over 120 km. At this site, the amount of vertical uplift exceeded 3 m, while lateral offset was approximately 1.8 m.
Tropical Storms - Roundup of Tropical Storms:
In the western Pacific:
Tropical Storm 30w (Nock-Ten), located approximately 1,380 kilometres east of Mindanao, in the Philippines is tracking west-northwestward towards Luzon at 12 knots.
In the South Indian Ocean:
Tropical cyclone 02s (Yvette), located approximately 441 nm northwest of Port Hedland, Australia, is tracking eastward at 01 knots.
Interesting Images
Snow in the Sahara
Amateur photographer Karim Bouchetata says he took the incredible pictures of snow covering the sand in the small Saharan desert town of Ain Sefra, Algeria, on December 19. The unforgiving red dunes looked pristine and picturesque.
Reports suggest that it is only the second time in living memory that snow has fallen on this desert. The last record is for February 18, 1979, when the snow storm lasted just half an hour.
California Forests Failing to Regrow After Intense Wildfires
There are warning signs that some forests in the western U.S. may have a hard time recovering from the large and intense wildfires that have become more common as the climate warms.
After studying 14 burned areas across 10 national forests in California, scientists from UC Davis and the U.S. Forest Service said recent fires have killed so many mature, seed-producing trees across such large areas that the forests can't re-seed themselves. And because of increasingly warm temperatures, burned areas are quickly overgrown by shrubs, which can prevent trees from taking root.
Historically, severe fires were uncommon in the forests covered by the study, largely made up of yellow pines and mixed conifers, but extended drought and heatwaves have exacerbated fire conditions across the West. The changing climate is also seen as a factor in recent wildfires in the Southeast, which is also mired in drought.
Mumps cases top 5,000 in the US
The mumps outbreak in the United States has eclipsed 5,000 cases with two weeks left in 2016, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and state health departments.
CDC data shows that through Dec. 17, 4,915 cumulative provisional cases have been reported from 46 states and Washington DC. However, the CDC numbers do not reflect the most up-to-date numbers provided by the states.
For example, CDC shows that Arkansas, the state with the most cases, has 1,900; however, the Arkansas Department of Health (ADH) puts the total at 2,270 through Dec. 20. This alone puts the national total well over 5,000.
A number of colleges and universities have been through and are currently experiencing outbreaks of mumps. At the University of Missouri, one of the most active college outbreaks currently, school health officials put the total at 265 cases since the beginning of the Fall semester.
India - Acute diarrhoeal disease outbreak
As many as 150 people have fallen sick so far after the outbreak of an acute diarrhoeal disease (ADD) in Taramani, Chennai allegedly due to water contamination. They have been admitted to the local hospital since December 15-20.
Roundup of Global Volcanic Activity - New Activity for the week of 14 December-20 December 2016
Bezymianny | Central Kamchatka (Russia) : KVERT reported that lava-dome extrusion likely continued at Bezymianny during 14-16 December. A gas-and-steam plume containing a small amount of ash drifted about 118 km W on 15 December. The Tokyo VAAC noted that ash plumes rose as high as 6.1 km (20,000 ft) a.s.l. that same day. The Aviation Colour Code remained at Orange.
Bogoslof | Fox Islands (USA) : AVO reported that a short-lived explosive eruption at Bogoslof, observed and reported by several pilots around 1600 on 20 December, produced an ash plume that rose to 10.3 km (34,000 ft) a.s.l. A subsequent pilot report made 50 minutes later indicated that activity had decreased. Satellite data showed a discrete, short-lived explosion just prior to 1600, and a detached plume that drifted S. AVO raised the Aviation Colour Code to Red and the Volcano Alert Level to Warning.
Colima | Mexico : Based on information from the National Civil Protection coordinator, news articles reported that an explosion at Colima occurred at 0943 on 16 December, generating an ash plume that rose 2.3 km above the crater rim and drifted NNW. At 0807 on 17 December an explosion sent an ash plume 1 km above the crater that then drifted NE. Later that day at 2058 a strong explosion (the strongest registered within the past 16 months) ejected incandescent material onto the flanks and ash plumes as high as 2 km. Lava flows and rolling incandescent material traveled as far as 1.7 km down the flanks. Explosions on 18 December produced ash plumes that again rose as high as 2 km above the crater.
Copahue | Central Chile-Argentina border : According to ONEMI, OVDAS-SERNAGEOMIN reported that during the first two weeks of December activity at Copahue continued to be dominated by weak Strombolian explosions, likely from a pyroclastic cone forming on the floor of El Agrio crater. The Alert Level remained at Yellow (second highest level on a four-colour scale); SERNAGEOMIN recommended no entry into a restricted area within 1.5 km of the crater. ONEMI maintained an Alert Level Yellow (the middle level on a three-colour scale) for the municipality of Alto Biobío. Based on satellite and webcam images, the Buenos Aires VAAC reported that during 13-20 December gas-and-ash plumes from Copahue rose to altitudes of 3-3.9 km (10,000-13,000 ft) a.s.l. and drifted NE, ENE, E, and SE.
Fuego (Guatemala): (21 Dec) The 16th paroxysm of the volcano (violent episode with lava fountaining and lava flow emission) in 2016 has started. Activity gradually increased during the past days and new lava flows have started to descend the SE and SW flanks. Collapsing parts of the lava emplaced on the upper slopes has generated pyroclastic flows that were about 300 m wide and reached up to approx. 3500 m length, generating dense ash plumes of 1-2 km height.
Magnitude 5+ Earthquakes – Global
6.7 Earthquake hits Kepulauan Barat Daya, Indonesia.
5.8 Earthquake hits the Solomon Islands.
5.6 Earthquake hits southern Xinjiang, China.
5.3 Earthquake hits the Solomon islands.
5.1 Earthquake hits the Solomon Islands.
5.0 Earthquake hits offshore El Salvador.
5.0 Earthquake hits New Ireland, Papua New Guinea.
Two 5.0 Earthquakes hit Luzon in the Philippines.
5.0 Earthquake hits near the coast of Ecuador.
5.0 Earthquake hits Kepulauan Talud, Indonesia.
Tropical Storms - Roundup of Tropical Storms:
In the western Pacific: Tropical Depression 30w (Thirty), located approximately 276 nm southeast of Yap, is tracking west-northwestward at 12 knots.
In the South Indian Ocean: Tropical cyclone 02s (Yvette), located approximately 486 nm north of Learmonth, Australia, is tracking northward at 01 knots.
Newsbytes:
Fiji - Thousands of Fijians sheltered in evacuation centres and tents on Tuesday as heavy rain and floods cut roads, covered sugarcane fields and caused landslides, said the South Pacific nation’s disaster office. Across the archipelago nation 1,716 people sought refuge in 46 evacuation centres and another 1,817 were living in tents. There are no reports of fatalities or serious injuries.
Climate change is wreaking havoc on indigenous people in Alaska
The extreme warmth of 2016 has changed so much for the people of the Arctic that even their language is becoming unmoored from the conditions in which they now live.
The Yupik, an indigenous people of western Alaska, have dozens of words for the vagaries of sea ice, which is not surprising given the crucial role it plays in subsistence hunting and transportation. But researchers have noted that some of these words, such as “tagneghneq” (thick, dark, weathered ice), are becoming obsolete.
After thousands of years of use, words are vanishing as quickly as the ice they describe due to climate change. The native inhabitants are also in peril – there are 31 Alaskan towns and cities at imminent risk from the melting ice and coastal erosion. Many will have to relocate or somehow adapt.
In remote Alaskan communities, the stores sell goods priced to reflect their journey – $20 for a pizza, $15 for a gallon of milk. If you can’t butcher a 1,000-pound walrus because there is no sea ice to support both of you, then you might well be left hungry.
The window of opportunity for hunting continues to shrink. The communities are worried about this because food insecurity is something we are now having to tackle every single day.
St Lawrence island, a far-flung piece of the US that sits just 36 miles from Russia in the Bering Sea. The island is thought to be one of the last exposed fragments of a land bridge that connected North America to Asia during the last ice age.
In 2013, the island’s two main communities managed to catch just a third of the walruses they normally do. Last year, Gambell, the largest settlement, snared just 36 – down from the 600 it could expect just a few years ago.
Sea ice is further out from land than it once was and is becoming treacherously thin for hunters to traverse. Walruses, which require sea ice for resting and giving birth, often have to resort to heaving themselves on to crowded strips of land. These grand tusked beasts can trample each other to death in such conditions.
Frost locked deep in the soils is melting, causing buildings to subside. Communities are seeing their coastlines erode and are increasingly exposed to lashing storms without the protective barrier of sea ice.
Several Alaskan towns and villages are wrestling over whether to fight these changes or retreat to relative safety. Two coastal villages, Shishmaref and Kivalina, have voted to relocate while a third, Newtok, has taken the first tentative steps to do so.
Arctic lakes melting earlier each year
Arctic lakes, covered with ice during the winter months, are melting one day earlier each year, according to researchers, including one of Indian origin, who monitored 13,300 lakes using satellite imagery.
Scientists from the University of Southampton in the UK showed that due to warming temperatures ice is breaking earlier each spring, based on a 14-year period between 2000 and 2013.
Researchers discovered that all five study areas in the Arctic — Alaska, Northeast Siberia, Central Siberia, Northeast Canada and Northern Europe - showed significant trends of early ice break-up in the spring, but to varying degrees.
Central Siberia demonstrated the strongest trend, with ice starting to break-up an average of 1.4 days earlier each year.
Northern Europe showed the lowest change of ice break-up at 0.84 days earlier per year. They found a strong relationship between decreasing ice cover and an increasingly early spring temperature rise.
Less ice means a longer season for lake biology, which together with warmer temperatures will affect processes such as Carbon dioxide (CO2) and Methane (CH4) emissions.
Puerto Rico Zika tally nears 36,000
Puerto Rican health officials reported an additional 512 confirmed Zika virus cases the week ending Dec. 3, bringing the island total to 35,648 since the first local case was reported in late in 2015. The number of cases in pregnant women infected with the mosquito borne virus now stands at 2,864, while more than 300 people required hospitalization.
Magnitude 5+ Earthquakes – Global
6.3 Earthquake hits the Solomon Islands.
5.5 Earthquake hits the Dodecanese Islands, Greece.
5.5 Earthquake hits the Solomon Islands.
5.5 Earthquake hits near the east coast of Honshu, Japan.
5.4 Earthquake hits Leyte in the Philippines.
5.4 Earthquake hits New Ireland, Papua New Guinea.
5.2 Earthquake hits New Ireland, Papua New Guinea.
Two 5.1 Earthquakes hit New Ireland, Papua New Guinea.
5.1 Earthquake hits the Solomon Islands.
5.1 Earthquake hits Vanuatu.
5.1 Earthquake hits Coquimbo, Chile.
5.0 Earthquake hits the Banda Sea.
5.0 Earthquake hits New Britain, Papua New Guinea.
5.0 Earthquake hits southern Xinjiang, China.
5.0 Earthquake hits Guatemala.
Ecuador - Three people have been killed and at least 47 injured after the 5.7-magnitude earthquake hit Ecuador’s Pacific coast early on Monday morning. All three victims apparently suffered heart attacks. More than 700 families were forced to evacuate their homes as emergency services moved in to deal with the incident. There were around 15 aftershocks too which caused further damage to the affected resort towns, with the largest measuring 4.2 on the Richter scale.
Tropical Storms - Roundup of Tropical Storms:
In the South Indian Ocean:
Tropical cyclone 02s Two), located approximately 480 nm north of Learmonth, Australia, is tracking northeastward at 10 knots.
Newsbytes:
Vietnam -= At least 24 people died in central Vietnam due to further flooding caused by torrential rainfall. The highest number of fatalities has been reported from Coastal Binh Dinh province where 16 people have been killed. More rains are expected.
Spain - Provinces in southern Spain anticipated heavy rainfall for a third day on Monday after torrential downpours left roads and buildings flooded in several towns. According to local media, a 40-year-old man drowned on Monday morning in a small town in the southern region of Murcia after flood waters swept him away into a swimming pool.
Earth's smallest rhino in Sumatra's jungles
The Sumatran rhino, one of the rarest large mammals on earth, at the Rhino Sanctuary at Way Kambas National Park in eastern Sumatra. There are no more than 100 left on the entire planet.
Sumatran rhinos are the smallest of all rhinos, and the only Asian variety with two horns. Unlike their better-known cousins in Africa, Sumatran rhinos are born covered in shaggy, reddish-brown fur, earning them the nickname “hairy rhino”. Their woolly covering fades to black or disappears almost entirely over their lifetimes, which span 35 to 40 years.
They once roamed the vast, dense forests of Sumatra, Borneo and Malaysia but land-clearing and poaching have devastated their numbers. In 2015, the species was declared extinct in the wild in Malaysia, leaving just tiny herds of two to five rhinos scattered across Sumatra and Indonesian Borneo.
In Sumatra there are also small clusters in the west and the island's northern Leuser ecosystem -- the last place on Earth where wild rhinos, orangutans, tigers and elephants roam together.
Sumatran rhinos are notoriously difficult to breed in captivity. Females are only fertile for a small window each cycle, and need male contact to ovulate. Even then, intercourse does not guarantee conception. To make matters worse, Sumatran rhinos are solitary by nature and often clash upon interaction. In one hundred years the Sanctuary had just seven babies.
Human infection with avian influenza A(H7N9) virus – China
On 12 December 2016, the National Health and Family Planning Commission (NHFPC) of China notified WHO of six (6) additional cases of laboratory-confirmed human infection with avian influenza A(H7N9) virus.
On 14 December 2016, the Health Bureau, Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR) (China) confirmed a case of human infection with avian influenza A(H7N9) virus affecting a 58-year old male.
Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) – Saudi Arabia
Between 27 November and 5 December 2016, the National IHR Focal Point of Saudi Arabia reported twelve (12) additional cases of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS). Two (2) deaths among previously reported MERS cases were also reported.
Between 6 and 13 December 2016 the National IHR Focal Point of Saudi Arabia reported ten (10) additional cases of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) including two (2) fatal cases. Three (3) deaths among previously reported MERS cases were also reported.
Magnitude 5+ Earthquakes – Global
7.9 Earthquake hits New Ireland, Papua New Guinea.
The magnitude-7.9 quake struck 46 kilometres east of Taron in Papua New Guinea, the US Geological Survey said. The quake was deep, at 103 kilometres. Deeper earthquakes tend to cause less damage than shallow ones.
The USGS initially said the quake’s magnitude was 8.0, but later downgraded the strength.
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre said there was a threat of a tsunami in Papua New Guinea and nearby areas. A tsunami measuring less than 1 metre hit the coast of the island of New Ireland shortly after the earthquake. There were no immediate reports of damage from the tsunami or the quake, though officials were still working to contact people on the island, he said.
The quake knocked items off shelves and caused a blackout in the town of Kokopo in northeastern Papua New Guinea, Taranu said.
6.0 Earthquake hits New Ireland, Papua New Guinea.
6.0 Earthquake hits the Solomon Islands.
5.8 Earthquake hits the Bougainville region, Papua New Guinea.
5.7 Earthquake hits the Bougainville region, Papua New Guinea.
5.7 Earthquake hits the State of Yap, Micronesia.
5.6 Earthquake hits the Peru-Brazil border region.
5.5 Earthquake hits New Ireland, Papua New Guinea.
5.5 Earthquake hits the Bougainville region, Papua New Guinea.
5.4 Earthquake hits Tonga.
5.4 Earthquake hits south of Fiji.
5.3 Earthquake hits near the coast of Ecuador.
5.3 Earthquake hits New Ireland, Papua New Guinea.
5.3 Earthquake hits the Santa Cruz Islands.
5.2 Earthquake hits the Bougainville region, Papua New Guinea.
Two 5.2 Earthquakes hit Tonga.
Five 5.1 Earthquakes hit New Ireland, Papua New Guinea.
Four 5.1 Earthquakes hit the Bougainville region, Papua New Guinea.
5.1 Earthquake hits southeast6 of the Loyalty Islands.
5.1 Earthquake hits the Solomon Islands.
5.1 Earthquake hits the southern east Pacific rise.
5.1 Earthquake hits the Anatahan region in the Mariana Islands.
5.1 Earthquake hits the southwest Indian ridge.
Two 5.0 Earthquakes hit New Ireland, Papua New Guinea.
Four 5.0 Earthquakes hit the Bougainville region, Papua New Guinea.
5.0 Earthquake hits the Rat Islands in the Aleutian Islands.
5.0 Earthquake hits Chiapas, Mexico.
5.0 Earthquake hits New Britain, Papua New Guinea.
5.0 Earthquake hits northern Sumatra, Indonesia.
5.0 Earthquake hits eastern Kazakhstan.
5.0 Earthquake hits the southwest Indian ridge.
Tropical Storms - Roundup of Tropical Storms:
No current tropical storms.
Newsbytes:
Spain - Rain and strong winds continue to beset the Costa Blanca and has caused widespread chaos and destruction in addition to the previously reported deaths of two individuals. With reports of heavy flooding across most of the region, emergency services have been busy to ensure the safety of residents and have closed roads where they consider that the flooding is too dangerous to allow traffic to pass.
Philippines - A farmer was killed while at least 1,600 families were affected on Saturday when floods hit 11 villages in eastern Samar following incessant rains. The weather bureau had reported that the downpour in the province dumped 300 mm of rain, which was equivalent to half a month of rain in December but was delivered in one day, resulting to heavy flooding.
Fiji - Residents of Korovou Town in Tailevu have been stranded due to heavy flooding. The area, has been without electricity since yesterday.
Interesting Images
Mysterious ghost shark captured on camera for the first time. The pointy-nosed blue chimaera, or ghost shark, was filmed alive for the first time ever off the coasts of Hawaii and California. The deep-sea fish was previously known only from specimens caught in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. Dwelling in the depths of the ocean, its eyes are pale and seemingly dead. Where teeth should be, the ghost shark uses tooth plates instead to grind food. Their heads are lined with cryptic dots, like the remnant scars of ancient stitches. Male chimaeras have retractable sex organs — on their foreheads. The pointy-nosed blue chimaera was first discovered by researcher Dominique Didier Dagit in 2002, in the deep waters around Australia, New Zealand and New Caledonia.
Chikungunya in Karachi, Pakistan
A mosquito-borne disease has reared its head in Karachi, affecting hundreds of people in the Malir, Saudabad and Shah Faisal neighbourhoods of the city. World Health Organization (WHO) says it’s Chikungunya virus that can become epidemic in the country. More than a thousand cases have been reported in an area that normally sees 30 to 40 cases a year.
Bird Flu Spreads to England
The Department of Agriculture is advising poultry farmers to be vigilant after an outbreak of bird flu was confirmed in a turkey flock in England.
An outbreak of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza H5N8 (bird flu) has been confirmed in a turkey flock near the coast in Lincolnshire, England. The H5N8 subtype of avian influenza has been responsible for a number of outbreaks of disease in both wild birds and poultry in several European countries since the end of October this year, the Department explained in a statement.
Magnitude 5+ Earthquakes – Global
5.4 Earthquake hits Guatemala.
5.3 Earthquake hits south of Fiji.
5.1 Earthquake hits papua, Indonesia.
5.1 Earthquake hits near the coast of central Peru.
5.0 Earthquake hits Coquimbo, Chile.
5.0 Earthquake hits the Ryukyu Islands off Japan.
Tropical Storms - Roundup of Tropical Storms:
No current tropical storms.
Newsbytes:
Vietnam - Floods from torrential rains have killed eight people and left four others missing in central Vietnam with more downpours forecast in the region. The report says a cold spell from the north is expected to extend heavy rains until Saturday. The floods damaged the region's infrastructure, agriculture and livestock.
San Francisco, California, USA - King tides created exceptionally high waves in the Bay Area and caused some flooding and standing water near the Embarcadero in San Francisco.
Wildfires - Colorado, USA
Two fires over the last two days in Colorado have burned a total of almost 2,200 acres.
The largest fire started Thursday night when very strong winds blew over a truck which then skidded along the road, creating sparks. The blaze, now contained, burned about 2,000 acres near Interstate 25 south of Walsenburg, Colorado.
A fire near Loveland, Colorado also started Thursday night. Loveland Fire and Rescue reports that they have it contained at 189 acres.
Roundup of Global Volcanic Activity - Ongoing Activity for the week of 7 December-13 December 2016
Kilauea | Hawaiian Islands (USA) : During 7-13 December HVO reported that the lava lake continued to rise and fall, circulate, and spatter in Kilauea’s Overlook vent; the lake level rose as high as 9 m below the Halema’uma’u floor. Webcams recorded incandescence from long-active sources within Pu'u 'O'o Crater and from a vent high on the NE flank of the cone. The 61G lava flow, originating from a vent on Pu'u 'O'o Crater's E flank, continued to enter the ocean near Kamokuna at the easternmost lava delta. An active branch of 61G remained active E of Pu'u 'O'o and advanced slowly E at a rate of only a few tens of meters per day.
Nevado del Ruiz | Colombia : Servicio Geológico Colombiano’s (SGC) Observatorio Vulcanológico y Sismológico de Manizales reported that during 6-12 December seismicity at Nevado del Ruiz was characterized by a decrease in the number and magnitude of earthquakes compared to the previous week. Significant amounts of water vapor and gas rose from the crater. On 7 December a low-energy thermal anomaly near Arenas Crater was detected by the MIROVA system. On 9 December gas and water vapour plumes sometimes containing ash rose 2 km above the crater rim and drifted between SW and NW directions. The Alert Level remained at III (Yellow; the second lowest level on a four-colour scale).
Sabancaya | Peru : Although weather clouds often prevented webcam and satellite views of Sabancaya, the Buenos Aires VAAC noted that some clear observations during 7-13 December revealed continuous gas-and-water-vapour emissions with sporadic ash puffs which rose to variable heights. Plumes drifted SW, SE, and ENE.
Suwanosejima | Ryukyu Islands (Japan) : Based on JMA notices, pilot observations, and satellite-image analyses, the Tokyo VAAC reported that explosions at Suwanosejima on 13 December generated ash plumes that rose to an altitude of 4 km (13,000 ft) a.s.l. and drifted NE.
Turrialba | Costa Rica : OVSICORI-UNA reported that after three days of continuous ash emissions at Turrialba activity decreased during the morning of 8 December. Weak and sporadic emissions rising no higher than 200 m above the vent were observed in the afternoon. Events at 0919 and 0934 on 9 December produced ash plumes that rose 500 m and drifted NW. Weak and sporadic ash emissions the rest of the day rose no higher than 500 m. Passive ash emissions on 12 December did not exceed 500 m and drifted NW.
Magnitude 5+ Earthquakes – Global
5.2 Earthquake hits Taiwan.
5.1 Earthquake hits the Solomon Islands.
Volcanic Seismic Swarm
Washington’s infamous Mount St. Helens shook more than 100 times during a single week with what volcanologists describe as signs the mountain is recharging toward an eventual eruption. The seismic swarm occurred between 1 and 2 miles below the surface and was too weak to be felt.
“Each of these little earthquakes is a clue and a reminder we are marching toward an eruption someday,” said U.S. Geological Survey seismologist Weston Thelen.
Tropical Storms - Roundup of Tropical Storms:
No current tropical storms.
Newsbytes:
Queensland, Australia - Torrential overnight rain has caused extensive flash flooding across Mount Isa and surrounding areas in the state's north-west. Many local roads had gone under as well as all of the city's small bridges. The highest fall was recorded at the Mt Isa mine, where 97.6 millimetres fell in the 24 hours to 9:00am.
California, USA - Flash flood warnings and advisories were issued for parts of the North Bay Thursday as a potent storm front slammed into the San Francisco Bay Area, bringing with it heavy rains and strong winds. The heavy precipitation from the storm system prompted numerous warnings over the course of the day.
Ant Supercolony Threat
A species of ant living in ancient forests of Ethiopia has begun exhibiting signs of supercolony formation, a development experts say could lead to the insects invading other parts of the world.
Supercolony formation is rare in ants, but Ethiopia’s Lepisiota canescens have formed one colony that stretches for 24 miles, according to researchers with the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences. They warn the ants could hitch a ride in plant material or even in the luggage of tourists to wind up ravaging the ecology of other parts of the world.
“All it takes is one pregnant queen,” said researcher D. Magdalena Sorger. “That’s how fire ants started!”
Shrinking Reindeer
While Santa now has a greater number of reindeer to choose from for his Christmas Eve travels, with populations of the animals having increased over the past two decades, the average weight of the iconic grazers is declining under the influence of climate change.
Scientists from Scotland’s James Hutton Institute found that the weight of adult reindeer in Norway’s Svalbard Arctic archipelago dropped by 12 percent since 1994.
Warmer winters are bringing more rainfall, which falls on snow and freezes so thick that the reindeer can’t reach their main winter diet of lichen on the ground below.
Global Temperature Extremes
The week's hottest temperature was 108.0 degrees Fahrenheit (42.2 degrees Celsius) in Ceduna, South Australia..
The week's coldest temperature was minus 60.0 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 50.0 degrees Celsius) in Oimyakon,Siberia.
Temperatures were tabulated from the more than 10,000 worldwide synoptic weather stations. The United Nations World Meteorological Organization sets the standards for weather observations, and provides a global telecommunications circuit for data distribution.
Roundup of Global Volcanic Activity - Ongoing Activity for the week of 7 December-13 December 2016
Bagana | Bougainville (Papua New Guinea) : Based on analyses of satellite imagery and model data, the Darwin VAAC reported that during 8-13 December ash plumes from Bagana rose to an altitude of 2.1 km (7,000 ft) a.s.l. and drifted W, SW, S, and NE.
Colima | Mexico : Based on webcam and satellite images, and information from the Mexico City MWO, the Washington VAAC reported that ash plumes from Colima rose to altitudes of 4.6-7.3 km (15,000-24,000 ft) a.s.l. during 7-11 December and drifted almost 170 km in multiple directions.
Dukono | Halmahera (Indonesia) : Based on analyses of satellite imagery, VONAs issued by the Dukono Volcano Observatory, and model data, the Darwin VAAC reported that during 7-13 December ash plumes from Dukono rose as high as 3 km (10,000 ft) a.s.l. and drifted as far as 305 km NE, E, and SE.
Fuego | Guatemala : INSIVUMEH reported that during 6-7 December the number of explosions at Fuego increased to 3-5 per hour. Ash plumes rose 1 km above the crater and drifted 12 km W and SW, causing ashfall in areas downwind including Morelia (9 km SW), Santa Sofía (12 km SW), Panimaché I and II (8 km SW), El Porvenir (8 km ENE), and San Pedro Yepocapa (8 km N). Incandescent block avalanches reached vegetated areas. Activity continued at the same level through 12 December, although 4-6 explosions per hour were detected during 12-13 December. Ash plumes from explosions during 8-12 December rose as high as 1.1 km and drifted 12-15 km W, SW and S. Ash fell in the same areas downwind. During 8-9 and 11-12 December incandescent material was ejected 200 m above the crater, causing avalanches of material in the crater and towards the main ravines.
Katmai | United States : According to NASA's Earth Observatory, a Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) satellite image acquired on 2 December of the Katmai area showed a plume of re-suspended ash which had been deposited during the 1912 eruption.
Magnitude 5+ Earthquakes – Global
5.3 Earthquake hits the southwest Indian ridge.
5.3 Earthquake hits the Mariana Islands.
5.3 Earthquake hits the Solomon Islands.
5.3 Earthquake hits Tonga.
5.2 Earthquake hits Tonga.
5.1 Earthquake hits the Philippines.
5.0 Earthquake hits northern California.
Tropical Storms - Roundup of Tropical Storms:
No current tropical storms.
Newsbytes:
Zimbabwe - The Zimbabwean government has urged villagers to evacuate from low-lying areas after flooding swept away more than 30 people and destroyed homes and schools in parts of the country. About 400 homesteads and 13 schools were swept away following the heavy downpours in areas such as Bulilima, Mangwe and Nkayi in the south and the northern Guruve.
2016 ‘Arctic Report Card’ Gives Grim Evaluation
The average surface air temperature for the year ending September 2016 is by far the highest since 1900, and new monthly record highs were recorded for January, February, October and November 2016.
In 37 years of Greenland ice sheet observations, only one year had earlier onset of spring melting than 2016.
After only modest changes from 2013-2015, minimum sea ice extent at the end of summer 2016 tied with 2007 for the second lowest in the satellite record, which started in 1979.
The Arctic Ocean is especially prone to ocean acidification, due to water temperatures that are colder than those further south. The short Arctic food chain leaves Arctic marine ecosystems vulnerable to ocean acidification events.
Spring snow cover extent in the North American Arctic was the lowest in the satellite record, which started in 1967.
Thawing permafrost releases carbon into the atmosphere, whereas greening tundra absorbs atmospheric carbon. Overall, tundra is presently releasing net carbon into the atmosphere.
Small Arctic mammals, such as shrews, and their parasites, serve as indicators for present and historical environmental variability. Newly acquired parasites indicate northward shifts of sub-Arctic species and increases in Arctic biodiversity.
Vietnam dengue fever and Zika virus - updates
The number of dengue fever cases in Vietnam are up 23 percent during the first nine months of 2016, compared to the same period last year, according to WHO data released this week. From Jan. 1 through Sep. 30, there were 79,204 cases of dengue including 27 deaths, reported in 44 out of 63 provinces in Viet Nam.
Concerning Zika virus infection in Vietnam, news reports note that the case tally has reached 136 confirmed cases nationally through Monday. Eighty-eight percent (119) of the cases in the country were reported in Ho Chi Minh City. Zika infection has been reported from 10 provinces since the virus was first reported in April.
South Korea - Bird Flu
South Korea's agriculture ministry raised the country's bird flu alert status to the highest level for the first time on Thursday as the disease has spread quickly nationwide.
The heightened alarm status comes as the country grapples with an outbreak of the highly pathogenic H5N6 bird flu that started a month ago. Since then, South Korea, Asia's fourth-largest economy, has culled over 12 percent of its poultry population to contain the spread of the virus.
The ministry had already ramped up quarantine measures to tackle the spread of the H5N6 virus including issuing a temporary nationwide movement ban as an increasing number of farms have reported outbreaks.
There have been 53 cases of the virus confirmed since mid-November, with another 21 cases being tested, according to the ministry statement.
Outbreaks of avian influenza have been reported in Japan and several European countries including France, which raised its bird flu risk level to high last week.
Cases of human infections from the H5N6 virus have been previously reported elsewhere including China, where it killed 10 people, but no cases of human infections have been detected in South Korea.
Roundup of Global Volcanic Activity - New Activity for the week of 7 December-13 December 2016
Bezymianny | Central Kamchatka (Russia) : Based on KBGS RAS (Kamchatka Branch of Geophysical Services, Russian Academy of Sciences) data, KVERT noted that seismicity at Bezymianny began to increase on 18 November. The temperature of a thermal anomaly detected in satellite images increased on 5 December, and then significantly increased on 13 December, which was likely caused by lava-dome extrusion. The Aviation Color Code was raised to Orange.
Copahue | Central Chile-Argentina border : Based on satellite and webcam images, the Buenos Aires VAAC reported that during 7-9 and 11 December diffuse gas, water vapor, and ash plumes from Copahue rose to altitudes of 3-3.3 km (10,000-11,000 ft) a.s.l. and drifted NE, E, ESE, and SW. Inclement weather mostly prevented observations on 10 December.
Ebeko | Paramushir Island (Russia) : KVERT reported that, according to observers in Severo-Kurilsk (Paramushir Island) about 7 km E, a gas-and-steam plume containing a small amount of ash rose from Ebeko to an altitude of 1.5 km (4,900 ft) a.s.l., and drifted 6 km N during 8-9 December. The Aviation Color Code was raised to Yellow (the second lowest on a four-color scale). During 9-10 December gas-and-steam plumes with minor amounts of ash rose from two vents, in Sredniy Crater (middle part) and Severny Crater (N part), to altitudes of 1.8-1.9 km (4,900 ft) a.s.l. and drifted 4-5 km NW.
Langila | New Britian (Papua New Guinea) : Based on analyses of satellite imagery and wind data, the Darwin VAAC reported that during 8-9, 11, and 13 December ash plumes from Langila rose to altitudes of 1.8-2.4 km (6,000-8,000 ft) a.s.l. and drifted over 110 km W, WNW, and N.
Sheveluch | Central Kamchatka (Russia) : KVERT reported that during 2-9 December lava-dome extrusion onto Sheveluch’s N flank was accompanied by strong fumarolic activity, dome incandescence, ash explosions, and hot avalanches. Satellite images showed a thermal anomaly over the dome on clear days, and ash plumes drifting 60 km NW on 8 December.
On 10 December explosions generated ash plumes observed in satellite images that rose to altitudes of 10-11 km (32,800-36,000 ft) a.s.l. and drifted 320 km NNE and N. The Aviation Color Code was raised to Red. Satellite images later that day showed a thermal anomaly over the volcano but no ash emissions; the leading edge of the ash plume released earlier was 910 km NNE, drifting at an altitude of 11 km (36,000 ft). The Aviation Color Code was lowered to Orange.
Magnitude 5+ Earthquakes – Global
5.8 Earthquake hits the Mariana Islands.
5.3 Earthquake hits the Solomon Islands.
5.2 Earthquake hits Tonga.
Four 5.0 Earthquakes hit the Solomon Islands.
5.0 Earthquake hits the Kermedec Islands.
5.0 Earthquake hits the Xinjiang-Qinghai border region, China.
Tropical Storms - Roundup of Tropical Storms:
No current tropical storms.
Newsbytes:
India - The remnants of cyclone Vardah continue to bring heavy rain across India particularly in Andhra and northern Tamil Nadu Pradesh. Significant flooding could unfold for communities and along streams and small rivers.
Global Warming Takes A Toll On Antarctica: Ice Sheet Is Melting From Surface Down
East Antarctica's massive ice sheet may be more exposed to global warming than previously thought, a new study suggests.
In 2014, scientists were left baffled when they found a huge, 2-mile-wide circle over an Antarctic ice shelf. Some speculated that a meteorite may have caused it. Now, a new study by researchers from Belgium and Netherlands revealed that strong warm winds can erode the ice shelf in the eastern peninsula of Antarctica.
Published in the journal Nature Climate Change, the researchers visited the circle on foot for the first time and they found a deep depression with raised edges. In the centre, there were three moulins, which are vertical well-like shafts in the ice, which drains two melt water streams.
They drilled through the ice and found what they called "englacial" lakes, which is water sandwiched between the ice's surface and its base, Washington Post reports. In fact, the researchers discovered 55 lakes on or in the ice shelf.
The research team combined climate models, satellite data and on-site measurements. They concluded that strong winds carrying warm air were blowing away reflective snow, paving way for the rays of the Sun to be absorbed into the ice, rather than bouncing back into space.
These winds, which often blow in one direction over the ice sheet, erode the surface snow, exposing the blue ice underneath. Usually, the erosion is compensated by the formation of fresh snow and ice from above. However, oceans are absorbing excess heat generated by global warming, increasing the global air temperatures by 1 degree Celsius.
The frightening part of the discovery shows that even though the Antarctic ice sheet is a sold mass of ice, it has vulnerabilities and weaknesses in some of its parts. There is a greater potential of collapse, and when this happens, the glacial ice behind it flows more quickly to the ocean, increasing sea levels.
Sweden no longer rabies free
Researchers from Folkhälsomyndigheten (Sweden’s Public Health) and Uppsala University are reporting that rabid bats are present in the southern areas of the country, saying Sweden is no longer rabies free. They studied and analyzed saliva and blood samples from bats over six years and found that of the 450+ bats tested, 14 had rabies specific antibodies in their blood.
H7N9 avian influenza: China
The Chinese National Health and Family Planning Commission reported five additional human cases of avian influenza A(H7N9) on the Mainland
Wildfires - Australia
Fire crews are battling around 50 bushfires burning across NSW which are being fuelled by strong winds and scorching temperatures. Firefighters are working to contain two bushfires burning in bushland north of Patonga where about 100 properties are at risk. More than a dozen crews are on the scene, including some brought in from Hornsby.
Magnitude 5+ Earthquakes – Global
5.4 Earthquake hits the Solomon Islands.
5.1 Earthquake hits Papua, Indonesia.
5.1 Earthquake hits the Solomon Islands.
5.1 Earthquake hits Fiji.
5.0 Earthquake hits Tonga.
5.0 Earthquake hits near the coast of Ecuador.
Global warming is responsible for melting mountain glaciers: study
Since glaciers respond slowly to climate change and are susceptible to yearly weather changes, there has been some debate in the scientific community about whether climate change was entirely to blame for their ice melt.
For instance, the last report from the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change concluded only that it was "likely" that a "substantial" part of mountain glacier retreat is due to human-induced climate change.
The latest study in Nature Geoscience uses statistical techniques to analyze 37 mountain glaciers around the world.
For most of them the observed retreat is more than 99 percent likely due to climate change, said the report, meaning scientists are "virtually certain" of this cause-and-effect over the past century.
"Because of their decades-long response times, we found that glaciers are actually among the purest signals of climate change," said co-author Gerard Roe, a University of Washington professor of Earth and Space Sciences.
For instance, researchers determined that the Hintereisferner Glacier in Austria has retreated 1.75 miles (2.8 kilometres) since 1880, and that climate change is extremely likely to be responsible, with the probability that the changes are natural variations being less than 0.001 percent, or one in 100,000.
For the well-known Franz Josef Glacier in New Zealand, there is a less than one percent chance that natural variations could explain the overall two-mile retreat in the last 130 years, it said.
Among the glaciers with the least certainty that global warming is to blame were Rabots Glacier in northern Sweden and South Cascade Glacier in the US northwestern state of Washington.
For those the probability that their retreats might be due to natural variability in weather patterns ranged between six and 11 percent.
World's Oldest Wild Breeding Bird Is Expecting
Forget about the stork — it's the albatross that should be in charge of baby delivery. The world's oldest wild breeding bird mother, a 66-year-old albatross named Wisdom, is incubating another egg, likely her 41st one, experts say.
Wildfires - Australia
Fire officials believe the two ferocious bushfires that are raging across New South Wales putting scores of homes under threat may have been started deliberately.
Firefighters are tackling the blazes in Abermain and neighbouring Neath, north west of Newcastle, where two huge fires merged shortly after 2pm on Tuesday. More than 100 firefighters are battling the blazes on the ground while water bombing helicopters are also being used. Flames as high as 25m came within metres of people's homes, forcing people to grab their children, pets and prized possessions before fleeing in the nick of time. Other residents were told it was too late to escape and instructed to take refuge inside their homes as firemen tried to control the inferno.
Queensland prawn farmers face white spot disease outbreak
Authorities are scrambling to contain an outbreak of white spot disease in Queensland as prawn farmers and fishermen face devastating losses in the pre-Christmas period.
Wild prawns taken from the Logan river, south of Brisbane, have tested positive, as have prawns at three of the eight land-based farms in the region.
The virus, which can stop prawns and crabs from growing but poses no risk to humans, was not previously known to be in Australia, and has sparked a ban on prawn and crab fishing in the river while eradication efforts continue.
The Queensland government has ruled out compensation for land-based prawn farmers and commercial fisherman hit by the closure of the river’s prawn and crab fisheries.
Magnitude 5+ Earthquakes – Global
5.4 Earthquake hits the central east Pacific rise.
5.3 Earthquake hits the Solomon Islands.
5.2 Earthquake hits Coquimbo, Chile.
5.1 Earthquake hits west of Macquarie Island.
5.0 Earthquake hits San Juan, Argentina.
5.0 Earthquake hits off the east coast of Honshu, Japan.
Tropical Storms - Roundup of Tropical Storms:
In the North Indian Ocean: Tropical cyclone (tc) 05b (Vardah), located approximately 180 km east-northeast of Chennai and 250 km east-southeast of Nellore and is tracking west-southwestward at 08 knots.
At least two people died after Cyclone Vardah lashed close to Tamil Nadu capital Chennai. Over 7,000 people have been evacuated from near the sea in Tamil Nadu and more than 9,000 in Andhra Pradesh. Chennai has recorded 7.5cm of rain since midnight till 9.30am on Monday. All schools and colleges have closed today in Chennai, Kancheepuram and Tiruvallur areas.
Newsbytes:
Jamaica - A technical team from the National Works Agency (NWA) is today expected to travel to north-western St Ann to determine the extent of damage to several roadways in the area after heavy rains pounded the parish yesterday, causing massive flooding, breakaways and landslides.
Puerto Rico declares influenza epidemic
Puerto Rican Health Department Secretary Ana Ríus declared a influenza epidemic on the island last week due to the island experiencing a rapid increase in cases nearing 10,000, according to a Yahoo Noticias report. To date, 9,591 cases have been reported this season.
Florida declares end to Zika outbreak
Florida declared its crisis with local transmission of Zika over for the season Friday in a welcome announcement ahead of peak tourism months, but health authorities warned that travellers would continue bringing the disease into the state.
Starting in late July, state health officials had identified four zones in the Miami area where the virus was spreading through local mosquitoes — the first such transmissions in the continental U.S. — and launched aggressive efforts to control the insects. One by one, the zones were deemed clear of continuing infections, and Gov. Rick Scott announced Friday that the last one — a 1.5-square-mile area in touristy South Beach — also was cleared.
Magnitude 5+ Earthquakes – Global
6.1 Earthquake hits the Bougainville region, Papua New Guinea.
5.1 Earthquake hits the Solomon Islands.
Three 5.0 Earthquakes hit the Solomon Islands.
Tropical Storms - Roundup of Tropical Storms:
In the North Indian Ocean: Tropical cyclone (tc) 05b (Vardah), located approximately 710 km east southeast of Nellore and 660 km east of Chennai is tracking west-northwestward at 09 knots.
Magnitude 5+ Earthquakes – Global
6.9 Earthquake hits the Solomon Islands.
6.1 Earthquake hits the Solomon Islands.
5.6 Earthquake hits the Solomon Islands.
Three 5.5 Earthquakes hit the Solomon Islands.
5.3 Earthquake hits the Solomon Islands.
Two 5.2 Earthquakes hit the Solomon Islands.
Five 5.1 Earthquakes hit the Solomon Islands.
Four 5.0 Earthquakes hit the Solomon Islands.
5.0 Earthquake hits near the east coast of Honshu, Japan.
Tropical Storms - Roundup of Tropical Storms:
In the North Indian Ocean: Tropical cyclone (tc) 05b (Vardah), located approximately 880 km SE of Nellore is tracking west-northwestward at 06 knots.
Cyclone Vardah is intensifying and is expected to cross the Bay of Bengal in the next two days, the Tamil Nadu Meteorological Department has predicted that it will make a landfall between Nellore and Machilipatnam on the evening of December 12.
Cholera in Yemen - Update
The number of cholera cases in Yemen has grown by more than 1200 cases in the past week, bringing the total suspected cases of cholera to 8975, including 89 deaths, according to The Ministry of Public Health and Population Thursday.
Arkansas mumps outbreak tops 2000
The country’s largest statewide mumps outbreak just continues to grow and The Arkansas Department of Health (ADH) reports as of today, 2,042 suspected and lab confirmed cases.
The outbreak is currently affecting 50 workplaces, 33 schools in 3 school districts, 5 colleges/vocational schools, and 1 private school, according to the ADH.
Roundup of Global Volcanic Activity - Ongoing Activity for the week of 30 November-6 December 2016
Turrialba | Costa Rica : OVSICORI-UNA reported that at 1130 on 6 December an event at Turrialba generated a diffuse ash plume that rose 400 m above the crater and drifted W
Sinabung | Indonesia : Based on satellite images, wind data, and the Jakarta MWO, the Darwin VAAC reported that on 30 November an ash plume from Sinabung rose to an altitude of 4.2 km (14,000 ft) a.s.l. and drifted SE. The report noted that the eruption had ceased and that the ash plume was expected to dissipate in the next hours.
Sheveluch | Central Kamchatka (Russia) : KVERT reported that during 25 November-2 December lava-dome extrusion onto Sheveluch’s N flank was accompanied by strong fumarolic activity, dome incandescence, ash explosions, and hot avalanches. Satellite images showed a daily thermal anomaly over the dome and ash plumes drifting 375 km SE and S on 26 November and 1 December. The Aviation Color Code remained at Orange.
Reventador | Ecuador : During 30 November-6 December IG reported a high level of seismic activity including explosions, long-period earthquakes, harmonic tremor, and signals indicating emissions at Reventador; cloud cover sometimes prevented visual observations. Incandescent blocks were observed rolling as far as 1.6 km down the flanks. Gas, water vapor, and ash plumes were observed on most days rising as high as 1.5 km and drifted SW, W, NW, and NE.
Colima (Western Mexico): The activity of the volcano is picking up: in particular, explosions have become more frequent and gradually larger in size. While the active lava flow continues to creep down the southern flank along with incandescent rockfalls, alimented by the growing lava dome in the summit crater, vulcanian-type explosions of small to moderate size occur at rates of 1-3 per hour, producing ash plumes that rise up to approx. 3000 m and throw out many incandescent blocks onto the upper flanks of the volcano.
Magnitude 5+ Earthquakes – Global
8.0 Earthquake hits the Solomon Islands.
Hundreds of people in remote parts of the Solomon Islands have had their homes damaged or destroyed by a powerful magnitude 8.0 earthquake that struck Friday. There have been no deaths reported from the quake, which also caused some small tsunami waves in the Solomon Islands and other Pacific islands.
There are some initial reports that 3,000 people have been affected. Many of the structures are traditional houses that are on stilts, and made with vegetation. The quake also caused some power failures throughout the country.
Tsunami warnings for several Pacific islands, including Hawaii, were canceled Friday after authorities determined the earthquake didn't pose a broad tsunami threat.
6.8 Earthquake hits off the coast of northern California.
6.1 Earthquake hits the Solomon Islands.
5.7 Earthquake hits the Solomon Islands.
Two 5.5 Earthquakes hit the Solomon Islands.
5.4 Earthquake hits the Solomon Islands.
Three 5.3 Earthquakes hit the Solomon Islands.
5.2 Earthquake hits offshore Coquimbo, Chile.
Four 5.2 Earthquakes hit the Solomon Islands.
5.1 Earthquake hits off the coast of El Salvador.
Seven 5.1 Earthquakes hit the Solomon Islands.
Four 5.0 Earthquakes hit the Solomon Islands.
5.0 Earthquake hits off the coast of northern California.
