Earthquakes

Magnitude 5+ Earthquakes – Global

6.2 earthquake hits the Carlsberg ridge.

5.1 earthquake hits Kapulauan Tanimbar, Indonesia.

5.0 earthquake hits Catamarca, Argentina.

5.0 earthquake hits the South Sandwich Islands.

Storms and Floods

Tropical Storms - Roundup of Tropical Storms:

In the Indian Ocean: Tropical cyclone (tc) 01b (Fani), located approximately 612 nm south-southwest of Calcutta, India, is tracking northwestward at 11 knots.

NewsBytes:

Mozambique - The number of people killed after Cyclone Kenneth slammed into Mozambique has jumped from five to 38, the country’s disaster management institute said on Monday. Cyclone Kenneth made landfall on Mozambique’s northern coast on Thursday, packing storm surges and wind gusts of up to 280 kilometres per hour, stretching resources in a region still recovering from Cyclone Idai, which struck further south in March. Since then it has dumped heavy rain on the region, causing floods. Rains grounded aid flights in northern Mozambique for a second day on Monday, hampering efforts to reach survivors of Cyclone Kenneth. Rescuers managed to use a brief break in the downpours to send one helicopter packed with aid to the island of Ibo, where hundreds of homes were flattened by the second cyclone to hit the country in less than six weeks. But rains started again and conditions were too dangerous for the next flight to take off, the United Nations said. Roads to rural districts further north were swamped and impassable after torrential rains on Sunday.

Global Warming

Alaska's Excelsior Glacier Is Being Replaced by a Lake 5 Times the Size of Central Park

Seventy years ago, Alaska's Excelsior Glacier stretched its cold fingers from a vast plain in the state's southern edge nearly all the way to the North Pacific Ocean. Now, the glacier is separated from the sea by a meltwater lake more than five times the size of New York City's Central Park.

In a recent blog post on the American Geophysical Union (AGU) website, glaciologist Mauri Pelto of Nichols College in Massachusetts shows how that relatively new lake — now called Big Johnstone Lake — has more than doubled in size over the last 24 years as rising global temperatures force Excelsior Glacier into a hasty retreat. The glacier has lost about 30% of its length in just 24 years.

Even if no more calving ice makes its way into Big Johnston Lake, the glacier will continue to retreat, but probably at a slower pace than the rapid melting observed over the last 25 years. A similar fate has already befallen many neighboring glaciers in Alaska and British Columbia, Pelto wrote, providing yet more examples of how climate change is rapidly redrawing the map of our world.

Disease

Ebola - DR Congo

Democratic Republic of Congo registered a one-day record of 27 new confirmed Ebola cases on Sunday, raising last week’s number of cases to 126, the biggest since the current outbreak was declared last August, the health ministry said. The previous record was 110 confirmed cases a couple of weeks ago.

The outbreak in the country’s eastern regions is now spreading at its fastest rate, due largely to a spate of attacks by militiamen and others distrustful of the international response. In the past two months, five Ebola centers have been attacked and a senior World Health Organisation official was killed by militiamen 10 days ago.

Hepatitis A - Florida, USA

Florida health officials reported an additional 70 hepatitis A cases during the past week, bringing the number of cases in 2019 to 954 and more than 1500 cases since the beginning of last year.

Earthquakes

Magnitude 5+ Earthquakes – Global

5.4 earthquake hits the northern mid-Atlantic ridge.

5.1 earthquake hits New Guinea, Papua New Guinea.

5.0 earthquake hits Vanuatu.

5.0 earthquake hits the Lombok region, Indonesia.

5.0 earthquake hits Monagas, Venezuela.

5.0 earthquake hits the Dodecanese Islands, Greece.

Storms and Floods

Tropical Storms - Roundup of Tropical Storms:

In the Southern Hemisphere - Tropical cyclone (tc) 25s (Lorna), located approximately 695 nm southwest of Cocos Island, is tracking south-southwestward at 09 knots.

In the Indian Ocean: Tropical cyclone (tc) 01b (One), located approximately 450 nm east-southeast of Chennai, India, is tracking northwestward at 10 knots.

NewsBytes:

Mozambique - Tens of thousands of people in the far north of Mozambique are bracing for violent flooding as torrential rain pushes up water levels, after the death and devastation wrought by Cyclone Kenneth. The first floods have already been seen in some parts of Pemba, the capital of Cabo Delgado province, as well as in surrounding areas, lashed by heavy rain since daybreak. Fields on the outskirts of the city that had been lush green just a day earlier were now brown with floodwater. According to a preliminary toll published Sunday by the National Institute of Disaster Management (INGC), five people have died, more than 23,000 people are without shelter and nearly 35,000 homes have been either partly or completely destroyed.

Canada - Over 6,500 people were told to quickly leave their homes near Montreal over the weekend after floodwaters breached a dike in rain-soaked eastern Canada. According to the latest government data, nearly 8,000 people have been forced from their homes in Quebec - more than in 2017, during what was then the area's worst flooding in half a century. The barrier protecting Sainte-Marthe-sur-le-Lac, just west of Montreal, gave way last Saturday night, causing a surge of water of up to 1.5m to crash through the area. Hundreds of policemen, firefighters and soldiers helped evacuate nearly 2,600 homes in the area, a provincial police spokesman said.

Indonesia - At least 17 people are dead and nine missing after days of heavy rain-triggered floods and landslides on the Indonesian island of Sumatra, authorities said Sunday. Some 12,000 people have been evacuated while hundreds of buildings, bridges and roads have been damaged by the severe weather which affected nine districts or towns across Bengkulu province. The waters have receded in some places but officials warned the full extent of the damage was not yet known and some areas were still cut off.

Wildlife

All the Babies in This Massive Penguin Colony Keep Drowning

The second-largest colony of emperor penguins (Aptenodytes forsteri) in the world appears to be collapsing, after rough seas drowned all of its babies three winters in a row.

The Halley Bay colony once accounted for 5 to 9% of the global emperor penguin population, according to the British Antarctic Survey (BAC), which reported the catastrophe. That amounted to about 15,000 to 24,000 adult breeding pairs. But in 2016, the sea-ice platform on which the colony was raising its babies collapsed during rough weather, throwing infant penguins unable to swim into the frigid water. In 2017 and 2018, the rough weather pattern repeated itself.

"For the last 60 years, the sea-ice conditions in the Halley Bay site have been stable and reliable," the BAC said in a statement. "But in 2016, after a period of abnormally stormy weather, the sea ice broke up in October, well before any emperor chicks would have fledged. This pattern was repeated in 2017 and again in 2018 and led to the death of almost all the chicks at the site each season."

The birds arrive at the site from their summer sea jaunts each April to breed; for the resulting chicks to survive, the site has to remain stable throughout the Southern Hemisphere’s winter, which lasts until December. These findings, based on satellite images and published April 25 in the journal Antarctic Science, were verified when researchers visited the region.

By 2018, a handful of adults — a "few hundred," or about 2 percent of the original population — turned up at the Halley Bay site, the researchers reported. The remaining colony appeared in disarray, with adults moving closer to the ice edge than is typical, and was difficult to count scattered among the roughened chunks of ice.

"Whether the adult birds here were failed breeders or non-breeders is difficult to assess from imagery alone," the researchers wrote.

The good news is that at least some of the colony appears to have moved, rather than died out. The Dawson-Lambton Glacier colony 34 miles (55 kilometers) to the south has significantly swelled in numbers since the devastation of Halley Bay, the BAC reported. That colony, which had hit a low of just 1,280 pairs in the 2015 season, swelled in each succeeding year. In 2016, it reached 5,315 pairs. In 2017, there were 11,117 pairs. And by 2018, a full 14,612 pairs set up camp at the site.

Those numbers are still lower than the original Halley Bay total, but suggest that a significant number of penguins have figured out that it's better to move than return to the especially dangerous site.

Earthquakes

Magnitude 5+ Earthquakes – Global

5.4 earthquake hits Hokkaido, Japan.

5.3 earthquake hits southeast of Easter Island.

5.1 earthquake hits offshore Honduras.

5.1 earthquake hits Tonga.

5.1 earthquake hits Ganshu, China.

5.1 earthquake hits southern Sumatra, Indonesia.

5.0 earthquake hits off the east coast of North Island, New Zealand.

5.0 earthquake hits Mindanao in the Philippines.

Storms and Floods

Tropical Storms - Roundup of Tropical Storms:

In the Southern Hemisphere - Tropical cyclone (tc) 25s (Lorna), located approximately 500 nm southwest of Cocos Island, is tracking south-southeastward at 11 knots.

In the Indian Ocean: Tropical cyclone (tc) 01b (Fani), located approximately 508 nm southeast of Chennai, India, is tracking northwestward at 08 knots.

NewsBytes:

Mozambique - TS Kenneth - which has now receded into a tropical depression - has damaged or destroyed 3,300 homes while about 18,000 people were housed in emergency shelters. The death toll meanwhile has risen to five amidst widespread flooding.

Jakarta - Floodwaters have inundated 37 areas across Jakarta on Saturday. The worst-hit neighborhoods were in East Jakarta with 21 areas being affected, while South and West Jakarta had 14 and two, respectively. The floods, which started on Friday, were caused after the Ciliwung, Angke and Krukut rivers overflowed following heavy rainfall in upstream areas in Bogor, West Java. The floods had killed at least two people.

Wildlife

Listing Giraffes as Endangered Species

Two giraffe subspecies have been listed as Critically Endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species for the first time.

Giraffe numbers plummeted by a staggering 40% in the last three decades, and less than 100,000 remain today. Habitat loss through expanding agriculture, human-wildlife conflict, civil unrest, and poaching for their meat, pelts, and tails, are among the reasons for the decline.

Meanwhile US Federal wildlife officials said Thursday that they would officially consider listing the giraffe as an endangered species, a move long sought by conservationists alarmed by the African mammal’s precipitous decline and a growing domestic market for giraffe products. Designating giraffes as endangered or threatened would place restrictions on their import into the United States and make federal funding available for conservation efforts.

Conservationists also hope that a listing could elevate the giraffes’ plight, which they said was often overshadowed by higher-profile initiatives to protect lions, elephants and other distinctive animals.

Disease

Hepatitis A - Sweden

The Sweden The Public Health Authority, or Folkhälsomyndigheten are reporting an outbreak of hepatitis A where the suspected source of infection is fresh dates from Iran. Of the nine cases reported since late February, eight of the cases are confirmed and have the same type of hepatitis A virus (genotype IIIA) and one case is suspected.

Dengue Fever - Reunion - Update

In a follow-up on the dengue fever epidemic on the island of Reunion, ARS Indian Ocean reports the number of cases is steadily increasing with the most active areas located in the South. However, there are outbreaks in the north and east of the island.

Officials report an additional 1200 cases during the most recent week. This brings the outbreak total to more than 7200 cases since the beginning of the year. Seven deaths have been reported with three directly related to dengue fever this year.

Earthquakes

Magnitude 5+ Earthquakes – Global

5.1 earthquake hits south of Fiji.

5.0 earthquake hits south of Panama.

5.0 earthquake hits Mindanao in the Philippines.

Storms and Floods

Tropical Storms - Roundup of Tropical Storms:

In the Southern Hemisphere - Mozambique - Cyclone Kenneth has killed at least 3 people and left a trail of destruction in northern Mozambique, destroying houses, ripping up trees and knocking out power, authorities said on Friday. The cyclone brought storm surges and wind gusts of up to 280km an hour when it made landfall on Thursday evening. Cyclone Kenneth is expected to weaken on Saturday and Sunday as it moves to southern Tanzania, still causing flooding.

Tropical cyclone (tc) 25s (Lorna), located approximately 495 nm west-southwest of Cocos Island, is tracking southward at 09 knots.

In the Indian Ocean: Tropical cyclone (tc) 01b (One), located approximately 600 nm east of Colombo, Sri Lanka, is tracking north-northwestward at 06 knots.

NewsBytes:

Canada - Montreal Mayor has declared a state of emergency as the city struggles with flooding. The Pierrefonds, Ile Bizard and Ahuntsic sectors are the most affected. The number of victims across the province is rising: 3,017 homes are currently flooded, 2,736 are isolated by water and 1,7960 residents have evacuated their homes.

Environment

Trump's Alaska drilling study slammed

The Trump administration failed to adequately consider oil spills, climate change and the welfare of polar bears in its expedited study of proposed drilling in Alaska’s Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, according to comments published by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

The unusually harsh criticism from federal wildlife regulators could deal a blow to one of the most high-profile items in President Donald Trump’s energy agenda, and reflects the pitfalls of the administration’s drive to speed up big projects with quicker, shorter environmental studies.

The Interior Department wants to hold its first lease sale of at least 400,000 acres (160,000 hectares) in ANWR, America’s largest wildlife sanctuary, later this year, but could face lawsuits if its permitting process is flawed.

Caribou in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in northeast Alaska: 

Earthquakes

Magnitude 5+ Earthquakes – Global

5.7 earthquake hits Sulawesi, Indonesia.

5.6 earthquake hits offshore Antofagasta, Chile.

Two 5.3 earthquakes hit Mindanao in the Philippines.

5.0 earthquake hits New Britain, Papua New Guinea.

Two 5.0 earthquakes hit Mindanao in the Philippines.

Storms and Floods

Tropical Storms - Roundup of Tropical Storms:

In the Southern Hemisphere - Tropical cyclone 24s (Kenneth), located approximately 594 nm north of Europa Island, is tracking west-southwestward at 07 knots.

Mozambique - Cyclone Kenneth battered northern Mozambique with sustained winds of up to 220 kilometres per hour late on Thursday after killing three people on the island nation of Comoros overnight. The regional cyclone-monitoring centre on the French island of La Reunion said Kenneth made landfall at around 1430 GMT north of the port city of Pemba and was expected to weaken as it moved inland. The storm caused storm surges of up to five metres (16.4 feet) in some areas and rains associated with it are expected to cause serious flooding, the centre said.

Tropical cyclone (tc) 25s (Lorna), located approximately 918 nm east-southeast of Diego Garcia, is tracking east-southeastward at 04 knots.

Global Warming

Fatal Warming

Global warming is wiping out twice as many marine species as land dwellers because they are more sensitive to temperatures and less able to escape the heat, new research finds.

The Rutgers-led study says this could have a major impact on humans who rely on fish and shellfish for food and livelihoods.

“The findings suggest that new conservation efforts will be needed if the ocean is going to continue supporting human well-being, nutrition and economic activity,” said lead researcher Malin Pinsky.

The study says that many land animals can hide from the heat in forests, shaded areas or underground. But this luxury is not available to many sea animals that often live on the edge of dangerously high temperatures.

Wildlife

Flamingo Freedom

Dozens of the nearly 500 flamingo chicks rescued after they were abandoned by their mothers in January are being returned to the wild by a nationwide network of South African volunteers.

The chicks, then too young to fly, had been stranded after a severe regional drought dried up their habit, leaving their mothers unable to care for them. About 100 of the birds are expected to be resettled during the first week in May.

Private pilots along with hundreds of volunteers and donors have helped in the rescue.

Environment

Extent of Plastic Pollution in Durban, South Africa after Floods - Images

Global Pollutants

Researchers using chemical-sampling wristbands have found that people on three continents are being contaminated by more than a dozen of the same environmental pollutants.

None of the wristbands returned from volunteers in the United States, Africa and South America had identical chemical exposures, but more than half had picked up the same 14 chemicals.

“Whether you are a farmworker in Senegal or a preschooler in Oregon, you might be exposed to those same 14 chemicals,” said lead researcher and environmental chemist Holly Dixon of Oregon State University.

She said some of the detected chemicals “weren’t on our radar, yet they represent an enormous exposure.”

Environment

Global Temperature Extremes

The week’s hottest temperature was 115 degrees Fahrenheit (46.1 degrees Celsius) in Matam, Senegal.

The week’s coldest temperature was minus 91.0 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 68.3 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.

Disease

Measles - California, USA

Dozens of people at two California universities have been quarantined as US health officials battle to stop the spread of a nationwide measles outbreak, authorities said Thursday. The Department of Public Health said hundreds of students and staff at the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) and California State University (Cal State) had been exposed to a measles carrier earlier this month.

UCLA said an infected student had attended campus on three days earlier this month, coming into contact with about 500 people. Around 100 had been quarantined after they couldn't provide immunization records. Cal State said 156 students and staff who may have been exposed to an infected student were quarantined.

Worldwide, measles cases rose 300 percent through the first three months of 2019 compared with the same period last year, according to the United Nations.

Volcanos

Global Volcanic Activity - Ongoing Activity for the week of 17 April - 23 April 2019

Agung | Bali (Indonesia) : PVMBG reported two explosive eruptions at Agung on 21 April. The first was recorded at 0321 and produced a dense gray ash plume that rose 2 km above the crater rim and drifted W and S. Ashfall was reported in areas downwind including Besakih (7 km SW), Rendang (12 km NW), Klungkung (~40 km S), Gianyar (20 km WSW), Bangli (17 km WNW), Tabanan (51 km WSW), and the International Gusti Ngurah Rai (IGNR) airport (60 km SW) in Denpasar. The second event was recorded at 1856 and generated a dense ash plume that rose 3 km and drifted S. Minor ashfall was reported in Besakih, Rendang, Sebudi (6 km SW), and Selat (12 km SSW). The eruptions were accompanied by a boom heard at both the Rendang and Batulompeh observation posts. Ejected incandescent material from the two events fell on the flanks in all directions within a radius of 4 km. The Alert Level remained at 3 (on a scale of 1-4) with the exclusion zone set at a 4-km radius.

Aira | Kyushu (Japan) : JMA reported that the sulfur dioxide emission rate at Minamidake crater (at Aira Caldera’s Sakurajima volcano) was somewhat high on 16 April at 1,600 tons/day. An explosion on 17 April generated a plume that rose 2 km above the crater rim and ejected material as far as 900 m. During 19-22 April plumes from two events rose as high as 1.4 km. The Alert Level remained at 3 (on a 5-level scale).

Ambrym | Vanuatu : On 24 April the Vanuatu Meteorology and Geo-Hazards Department (VMGD) reported ongoing seismic activity at Ambrym and steam emissions. The lava lakes in Benbow and Marum craters had ceased to be active on 16 December 2018, one day after a fissure eruption began in the ESE part of the summit caldera near the Lewlembwi crater, and continued to be inactive. The Alert Level remained at 2 (on a scale of 0-5); the report reminded the public to stay outside of the Permanent Danger Zone defined as a 1-km radius from Benbow Crater and a 2-km radius from Marum Crater. An additional Danger Zone was defined as a 1-km radius around the December 2018 fissures.

Dukono | Halmahera (Indonesia) : Based on satellite and wind model data, the Darwin VAAC reported that during 17-23 April ash plumes from Dukono rose as high as 2.1 km (7,000 ft) a.s.l. and drifted in multiple directions. The Alert Level remained at 2 (on a scale of 1-4), and visitors were warned to remain outside of the 2-km exclusion zone.

Ebeko | Paramushir Island (Russia) : Volcanologists in Severo-Kurilsk (Paramushir Island), about 7 km E of Ebeko, observed explosions during 12-15 April that sent ash plumes up to 3.2 km (10,500 ft) a.s.l. A thermal anomaly was identified in satellite images on 13 April. The Aviation colour Code remained at Orange (the second highest level on a four-colour scale).

Fuego | Guatemala : INSIVUMEH reported that on 18 April steaming hot lahars descended Fuego’s Ceniza (SSW) and Taniluyá (SW) drainages, carrying variously-sized material including blocks up to 2 m in diameter. The lahars were 1 m deep, 15 m wide, and had a sulfur odor. During 20-23 April there were 17-22 explosions per hour, generating ash plumes that rose almost as high as 1.1 km and drifted 15-20 km S, SW, and W. Shock waves vibrated local structures. Incandescent material was ejected 300-450 m high and caused avalanches of material that occasionally traveled long distances down Seca, Taniluyá, Ceniza, Trinidad, Las Lajas, and Honda ravines. A lava flow, 600 m long, advanced in the Seca drainage. Ashfall was reported in reported in Yepocapa (8 km N), Morelia (9 km SW), Santa Sofia (12 km SW), Sangre de Cristo (8 km WSW), and Panimache (8 km SW).

Ibu | Halmahera (Indonesia) : The Darwin VAAC reported that on 18 April an ash plume from Ibu was identified in satellite images drifting E at an altitude of 2.1 km (7,000 ft) a.s.l. The Alert Level remained at 2 (on a scale of 1-4), and the public was warned to stay at least 2 km away from the active crater, and 3.5 km away on the N side.

Karymsky | Eastern Kamchatka (Russia) : KVERT reported that a weak thermal anomaly over Karymsky was visible in satellite images during 13-14 April. The Aviation colour Code remained at Orange (the second highest level on a four-colour scale).

Krakatau | Indonesia : PVMBG reported that there were four eruptive events during 15-22 April and multiple events on 23 April recorded by Anak Krakatau’s seismic network, though no emissions were visible. The Alert Level remained at 2 (on a scale of 1-4), and residents were warned to remain outside of the 2-km radius hazard zone from the crater.

Merapi | Central Java (Indonesia) : PVMBG reported that during 15-21 April the lava dome at Merapi continued to grow slowly, with any extruded material channeled into the SE-flank Gendol River drainage. White emissions rose 70 m. Block-and-ash flows traveled as far as 1.5 km in the Gendol drainage on 21 April. The Alert Level remained at 2 (on a scale of 1-4), and residents were warned to remain outside of the 3-km exclusion zone.

Semeru | Eastern Java (Indonesia) : Based on analysis of satellite images, the Darwin VAAC reported that on 19 April an ash plume from Semeru rose to an altitude of 4 km (13,000 ft) a.s.l. and drifted NW.

Sheveluch | Central Kamchatka (Russia) : KVERT reported that a thermal anomaly over Sheveluch’s lava dome was identified daily in satellite images during 12-18 April. Ash plumes were visible on 13 and 15 April drifting 83 km SE. The Aviation colour Code remained at Orange (the second highest level on a four-colour scale).

Stromboli | Aeolian Islands (Italy) : INGV reported that during 15-21 April activity at Stromboli was characterized by ongoing Strombolian activity and degassing from multiple vents within the crater terrace, though activity intensified on 19 April. Explosions originated at a rate of 3-16 per hour mainly from two vents (N1 and N2) in Area N (north crater area, NCA) and at least four vents (including C, S1, and S2) in Area C-S (South Central crater area). Explosions from the N1 vent ejected lapilli and bombs mixed with ash no more than 150 m high. Low-intensity explosions at the N2 vent ejected tephra to heights under 80 m. Vent C produced gas emissions. Incandescent material from S1 jetted as high as 150 m above the crater. Explosions from two vents at S2 ejected tephra more than 150 m high.

Earthquakes

Magnitude 5+ Earthquakes – Global

5.3 earthquake hits Antofagasta, Chile.

5.1 earthquake hits the Molucca Sea.

5.1 earthquake hits the South Sandwich Islands.

Storms and Floods

Tropical Storms - Roundup of Tropical Storms:

In the Southern Hemisphere - Tropical cyclone 24s (Kenneth), located approximately 90 nm west of the Comoros, is tracking west-southwestward at 08 knots.

Kenneth is expected to make landfall in northern Mozambique and Tanzania on 25th April, bring heavy rains and strong winds to the area. Almost 1 million people live in the expected path of the cyclone.

Tropical cyclone (tc) 25s (Lorna), located approximately 793 nm east-southeast of Diego Garcia, is tracking eastward at 06 knots.

Environment

Up to 1 Million Species Are at Risk of Extinction

Up to 1 million species are at risk of extinction due to human activity, according to a draft of a U.N. report set to be released on May 6. Preliminary conclusions from the report were obtained by the French news agency AFP.

Human activity, such as overconsumption, illegal poaching, deforestation and fossil fuel emissions, are pushing ecosystems toward a point of no return. A quarter of known plant and animal species are already threatened — and the loss of species is tens to hundreds of times higher than it has been, on average, over the last 10 million years.

Nature is buckling under the pressure, losing clean air, potable water, pristine forests, pollinating insects, fish populations, and storm-buffering mangroves.

What's more, three-quarters of the land, almost half of marine environments and half of inland waterways have been "severely" changed by human activity, according to the report. These changes will harm humans, especially indigenous groups and those living in the poorest communities.

One-hundred and thirty nations will meet in Paris on April 29 to examine the 44-page report that summarizes a 1,800-page assessment of scientific literature conducted by the U.N.

Wildfires

Wildfires - Norway

Hundreds of people have had to leave their homes in Norway as emergency services try to extinguish forest fires raging in the south of the country. Some 148 homes were evacuated around the town of Sokndal, where fires have been burning since Tuesday.

Police say the fires are still out of control and warn that heavy winds could help them to spread. This month alone, wildfires have broken out in Sweden, Germany and the UK. April is very early for forest fires in Norway, and experts have warned of a dramatic increase across the continent.

Wildfires - Siberia

Wildfires tore through nearly 20 towns in the grasslands of southeastern Siberia between April 19-22. The fires injured at least 34 people, four of them critically, and left at least 645 people homeless in Zabaikalsky region. Some 11,800 livestock - including at least 1,277 cattle plus 489 horses - were destroyed, many of them roasted alive or killed after suffering terrible burns, according to various reports. Around 10,000 sheep are feared to have been lost. Some 120 pigs and 1,800 farm birds were burned in the wildfires.

In two cases, the wildfires truly came from China and Mongolia, The causes of two more fires were burning landfills. Two fires started because of breaks in power lines and the subsequent short circuits. In one settlement, residents threw smouldering ash from the furnace (igniting a fire).

Disease

Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) – Saudi Arabia

From 14 February through 31 March 2019, the National IHR Focal Point of Saudi Arabia reported 22 additional cases of Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) infection, including four deaths, associated with the outbreak in Wadi Aldwasir.

Measles - USA

Measles cases in the United States have surpassed the highest number on record since the disease was declared eliminated nationwide in 2000. Overall, there have been 695 measles cases across 22 states this year, according to CNN's analysis of data from state and local health departments.

Volcanos

Global Volcanic Activity - New Activity for the week of 17 April - 23 April 2019

Tengger Caldera | Eastern Java (Indonesia) : The Darwin VAAC reported that on 17 April ash plumes from Tengger Caldera’s Bromo cone rose to an altitude of 3 km (10,000 ft) a.s.l. and drifted W, based on webcam images and satellite data. On 21 April BNPB stated that ash emissions had been observed almost daily, and that tremor was recorded continuously. The Alert Level remained at 2 (on a scale of 1-4), and visitors were warned to stay outside of a 1-km radius of the crater.

Klyuchevskoy | Central Kamchatka (Russia) : KVERT reported that at 0921 and 1155 on 22 April ash plumes from Klyuchevskoy rose to altitudes of 5-5.5 km (16,400-18,000 ft) a.s.l. and drifted 130-140 km E, based on satellite and webcam data. KVERT noted that the ash content in the plumes had significantly increased compared to emissions first observed on 9 April. The Aviation colour Code was raised to Orange (the second highest level on a four-colour scale).

Asosan | Kyushu (Japan) : JMA reported that during 17-19 April white plumes from Asosan’s Nakadake Crater rose 1 km above the crater rim. A very small eruption was recorded at 0824 on 19 April, producing a plume that rose 500 m above the crater rim and drifted S. During an overflight that same day scientists observed a pool of hot water on part of the crater floor and a weak volcanic gas odor. According to the Tokyo VAAC a plume rose 500 m and drifted E at 1842. A weak volcanic gas odor was also evident. The Alert Level remained at 2 (on a scale of 1-5).

Earthquakes

Magnitude 5+ Earthquakes – Global

5.9 earthquake hits south of Fiji.

5.8 earthquake hits Arunachal Pradesh, India.

5.2 earthquake hits Mindanao in the Philippines.

5.1 earthquake hits Halmahera, Indonesia.

5.0 earthquake hits Halmahera, Indonesia.

5.0 earthquake hits the South Sandwich Islands.

Storms and Floods

Tropical Storms - Roundup of Tropical Storms:

In the Southern Hemisphere - Tropical cyclone 24s (Kenneth), located approximately 148 nm east-northeast of the Comoros, is tracking westward at 11 knots.

Tropical cyclone (tc) 25s (Lorna), located approximately 715 nm east- southeast of Diego Garcia, is tracking southeastward at 07 knots.

NewsBytes:

South Africa - At least 51 people are now confirmed dead in the flooding that hit parts of Durban and surrounding areas. Authorities say five people remain unaccounted for and hundreds more have been displaced. Meanwhile flooding caused by heavy rainfall in the Eastern Cape has claimed three lives. About 450 people have been affected by flooding in Port St Johns. Many bridges have been washed away across the district in many villages.

Global Warming

Rio Grande River Drying Up from Climate Change

For nearly 2,000 miles, the Rio Grande River winds it way from the Rocky Mountains down to the Gulf of Mexico. As one of the country's longest and most iconic rivers, it provides drinking water and irrigation for more than six million people in three U.S. states.

But climate change is threatening that vital water supply. The Colorado snowpack that melts into the Rio Grande is declining – 25 percent over the last 50 years – and University of New Mexico climatology professor David Gutzler said climate change is threatening to dry it up. He foresees dry spells getting drier, droughts getting more intense and water resources being put under extreme pressure.

Wildfires

Wildfires - UK

The UK has been hit by nearly a hundred large wildfires in 2019, making it the worst year on record already. The hot spell in February and the recent Easter heatwave have contributed to a total of 96 major wildfires of 25 hectares or larger, eclipsing the previous high of 79 across the whole of 2018.

Disease

Hepatitis A - Florida, USA

Florida state health officials reported an additional 70 hepatitis A cases last week, bringing the outbreak total to 1431 cases.

Botulism - Scotland

Scotland health officials have received at least four notifications of wound botulism cases (3 confirmed and one probable) since February. The source of the infection is believed to be heroin contaminated with Clostridium botulinum spores.

Earthquakes

Magnitude 5+ Earthquakes – Global

6.5 earthquake hits Samar in the Philippines.

6.0 earthquake hits the South Sandwich Islands.

5.4 earthquake hits off the east coast of Honshu, Japan.

5.4 earthquake hits Guerrero, Mexico.

5.2 earthquake hits Vancouver Island, Canada.

5.2 earthquake hits Tonga.

5.1 earthquake hits Salta, Argentina.

Storms and Floods

Tropical Storms - Roundup of Tropical Storms:

In the Southern Hemisphere - Tropical cyclone 24s (Twenty-four), located approximately 716 nm north-northwest of Port Louis, Mauritius, is tracking west- southwestward at 05 knots.

NewsBytes:

South Africa - Emergency rescue and medical services have worked through the night in the wake of torrential rains which have pounded parts of KwaZulu-Natal since Monday, claiming several lives and leaving devastation in its wake. The torrential downpours led to the evacuation of residents in the town of Port St Johns in the Eastern Cape on Monday evening. At least five people were confirmed dead and dozens others injured after their homes collapsed during flooding and mud slides in Durban.

Spain - The holiday hotspot of Alicante in eastern Spain has experienced some of the heaviest rainfall in its history, leading to the evacuation of more than 300 people during these Easter holidays. Heavy rainfall and storms have been ravaging the Alicante area since Thursday. As well as the flash floods, wind speeds have reached 100km/h along Spain’s central eastern coastline. In the nearby town of Jávea (Xabia) Sunday’s downpour saw 250 litres of rainfall for every square metre, flooding hundreds of homes and leaving cars floating in the streets like corn flakes in a cereal bowl. Numerous ports in the region have had to stop operations due to waves of up to three metres in height.

Canada - Spring flooding has killed one person and forced nearly 1,700 people from their homes in Canada’s Quebec province, with waters expected to continue rising on Monday due to rising temperatures and more rain forecast for the coming days.

Environment

Deforestation in Peru

Years of deforestation in Peru are visible from space, tracked in a new animation created from NASA satellite views. And the forest loss is escalating at an alarming rate.

The image series was captured by satellites Landsat 7 and Landsat 8 from 2013 to 2018. Shared on April 19 by NASA Earth Observatory, the animated sequence reveals devastating depletion in the forests of southeastern Peru's Madre de Dios region, covering approximately 1,350 square miles (3,500 square kilometers).

Madre de Dios rests near the Amazon basin and is a biodiversity hotspot, home to species that live nowhere else on Earth. But with deforestation on the rise, plants and animals that are endemic to the region face an uncertain future.

Wildlife

Bees take advantage of Wildfires

What looks like total destruction after a wildfire is actually a boon to bees.

Oregon State University researchers found 20 times as many bees in places where trees were wiped out by high-severity fire. Their study published this month is the first to show that the worse fire is for trees, the better it is for bees.

With trees gone, more sunlight hits the ground — triggering an explosion of wildflowers and blooming bushes. The smorgasbord of pollen and nectar sends bee numbers soaring. Trees damaged by wildfire also attracted insects that bore into wood. Cavity-nesting bees were able to turn those holes into homes.

Wildfires

Wildfires - Siberia

Large wildfires that have been burning in grasslands (steppe) in southern Siberia for about a week. A State of Emergency has been declared in the Transbaikal region where about 1,200 personnel are battling the blazes. The province of Khabarovsk is also affected. Satellite images show the extent of the blazes.

Disease

Mayotte - Rift Valley Fever

The circulation of Rift Valley Fever (RVF) continues in Mayotte, according to state services in Mayotte. During the past week, 12 new animal foci and 5 new human cases have been reported, for a total of 104 animal foci and 122 human cases since the first cases occurred at the end of November 2018.

Foot and Mouth Disease - Zimbabwe

Gwenhoro Commercial Farm in Shurugwi has been hit by foot-and-mouth disease, a development which is likely to adversely affect livestock movement and production in the Midlands Province. An official from the Veterinary Services in the province, yesterday said more than 50 cattle have been affected.

Earthquakes

Magnitude 5+ Earthquakes – Global

6.3 earthquake hits Luzon in the Philippines.

5.4 earthquake hits southeast of the Loyalty Islands.

5.2 earthquake hits Maule, Chile.

5.0 earthquake hits Salta, Argentina.

5.0 earthquake hits the Sumbawa region, Indonesia.

Storms and Floods

Tropical Storms - Roundup of Tropical Storms:

There are no current tropical storms.

NewsBytes:

Iran - Update - Two weeks since the storms started, relentless rain and flooding throughout Iran has left some 2 million people facing a humanitarian crisis. The deluge has swamped large swaths of the country, from the mountains in the north down to the Persian gulf in the south. Twenty-five out of 31 of Iran’s provinces have been affected. Officials say say 76 people have been killed so far, with some 150,000 homes partially or completely destroyed. Bridges across the country and miles upon miles of road have been left unusable. The country's agriculture sector, which makes up about 14 percent of Iran's GDP, has been devastated.

Space Events

Lyrid Meteor Shower

The Lyrid meteor shower marks the first significant meteor shower in more than three months. It will be visible from Sunday evening, 21 April, and will peak between 2:00 and 3:00 on Tuesday, 23 April. Lyrids meteor streams are groups of meteoroids originating from dust grains ejected from Comet Thatcher, The meteoroids (small dust grains) are distributed around the comet’s orbit. We get to see the meteors every time Earth passes through that stream of dust particles, or the debris left behind by the comet. These pieces enter the Earth’s atmosphere and burn up, creating the meteor shower, or shooting stars, as we often refer to them. The Lyrid meteor shower is known for its bright fireballs.

Disease

Dengue Fever - Reunion - Update

According to the Regional Health Agency- Indian Ocean, more than 1,000 dengue fever cases were reported in Reunion the week ending Apr.7. This brings the outbreak total on the island to more than 6,000. The southern part of the island is very active.

Pakistan - Brain-Eating Amoeba

Officials with the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre (JPMC) in Karachi, Pakistan is reporting the death of a 21-year old student from the Orangi Town area due to the “brain-eating amoeba”, Naegleria fowleri. The patient presented with a high-grade fever and other complaints. Upon suspicion of meningitis, he was transferred to the hospital ICU and died.

Cholera - Yemen - Update

Yemen Yemeni health officials reported an additional 27,840 suspected cases of cholera with 48 associated deaths during the week ending April 14. Eighteen percent of these are considered severe cases.

Earthquakes

Magnitude 5+ Earthquakes – Global

5.3 earthquake hits the Komandorskiye Ostrova region.

5.2 earthquake hits Fiji.

5.1 earthquake hits the Andreanof Islands in the Aleutian Islands.

5.0 earthquake hits Seram, Indonesia.

5.0 earthquake hits Fiji.

Storms and Floods

Tropical Storms - Roundup of Tropical Storms:

There are no current tropical storms.

NewsBytes:

Canada - Authorities remain on high alert for flooding across southern Quebec as waters continue to rise with military on the way to assist in evacuations. A least one death can be attributed to the flooding thus far. A woman was killed early Saturday morning in Pontiac, Que., about 50 kilometres west of Ottawa, when she drove into a massive hole created after floodwaters washed out a road.

Global Warming

Earth Day 2019: 10 amazing places where travelers can see a changing climate

Galapagos Islands, Ecuador - El Nino, a cyclical pattern of Pacific storms caused by warm water, has become stronger in recent years, researchers say. And that has affected the famed Ecuadorian islands known for bird, reptile and sea life. The El Nino years can be more intense. The change has even affected finches, which have evolved in just a few years to adapt to the changing environment.

Dead Sea, Israel and Jordan - The lowest place on earth is shrinking, Gunter says. In the last 40 years, the famed salt-laden sea has diminished by a third and dropped 80 feet. Much of the change is due to increased use of water for irrigation from the Jordan River. That’s the key component.

Venice, Italy - Flooding has long plagued the famed canal city, but it has intensified in recent years, with some areas regularly inundated at peak high tides. It’s a regular event, it’s not just something hypothetical that we’re anticipating. The city is developing plans to build flood walls and other barriers to keep the sea at bay.

Fairbanks, Alaska - A drunken forest may sound like something out of a "Harry Potter" book, but it’s actually a change caused by rising temperatures. As permafrost, the layer of permanently frozen ground, disappears in Alaska, trees begin to tilt. There are forests that are leaning like a hurricane blew them. They look like they’ve had too much to drink.

Antarctic Peninsula - When climate changes, not all species react the same. On the southern continent, gentoo penguins are thriving because they build pebble nests on shorelines newly exposed by melting ice. Alternatively, Adélie penguins are having trouble because they fish from floating sea ice, which is less plentiful. There are winners and losers.

Greensburg, Kansas - Although not well-known, this south-central Kansas town is an environmental survivor, Gunter says. It was nearly destroyed by a tornado in 2007, but has since rebuilt as one of the most eco-conscious places in the world. It was the first U.S. city to fully adopt LED street lights, and it gets 100% of its power from renewable energy. It also has the most buildings per capita built to LEED standards. It’s rebuilt itself stronger than before.

Acadia National Park, Maine - Scientists last year collected data in the popular Atlantic Coast park. In the future, the area’s lobster population is predicted to migrate north to seek cooler waters, as will the whales that pass by offshore. You’re seeing a shift in the types of species that exist there.

The Alps - Europe’s famous mountain range still looms over the continent, but warming temperatures are taking their toll. Not only are its glaciers receding, but its plant life is changing as lowland species gain a foothold. The Alps sit lower in elevation than the Rocky Mountains, so they’re more susceptible.

Florida Keys - Coral reefs face pressure due to warming water and a shift in the chemical composition of oceans that has bleached out color. “There’s more carbon in the water,” Gunter explains. “Some corals are more resilient than others. You’ll see parts of a reef that look really good. But in others, change is noticeable.

Glacier National Park, Montana - The glaciers that give the park its name have been in retreat for many years, peaking in the 19th century at the end of a period called the Little Ice Age. Since then the number of glaciers in the park has dropped from about 150 to several dozen today. It’s striking.

Wildfires

Wildfires - Siberia

Massive steppe wildfires, propelled by strong winds, have destroyed more than a hundred houses in the Siberian region of Trans-Baikal, leaving hundreds of local residents homeless. More than 400 people were affected by the wildfires that got out of control in the remote Russian region on the Mongolian border. At least, 111 houses in 15 villages were lost in the disaster, the governor’s office said. The people evacuated in time and there have been no fatalities related to the fires.

Wildfires - Mexico

An image from NASA Earth Observatory shows a large wildfire burning in a forest located west of Cienega de Escobar in Durango, Mexico. According to news reports, the fire is one of 95 wildfires burning in 18 Mexican states.

Wildfires - Scotland

A series of wildfires took hold on the north side of the Isle of Bute. The fire service said a large area of moorland and forestry were affected.

Disease

Chikungunya - Republic of the Congo

Reports from the Republic of the Congo show that the chikungunya epidemic that began Jan. 7 has grown to 8,000 cases. The outbreak has affected eight departments ( Kouilou, Bouenza, Pointe Noire, Plateaux, Pool and Brazaville, Niari, Lékoumu).

Measles - Ukraine - Update

With an additional 2,279 people infected with measles during the week ending April 13, the outbreak in Ukraine now stands at 39,549 including 14 fatalities, according to the Center for Public Health of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine. Fifty-four percent of cases have been reported in children.

Earthquakes

Magnitude 5+ Earthquakes – Global

5.7 earthquake hits Sulawesi, Indonesia.

5.3 earthquake hits Sulawesi, Indonesia.

5.2 earthquake hits the Solomon Islands.

5.0 earthquake hits south of Lombok, Indonesia.

5.0 earthquake hits Sulawesi, Indonesia.

5.0 earthquake hits Tarapaca, Chile.

5.0 earthquake hits offshore Guatemala.

5.0 earthquake hits southeast of Easter Island.

Wildlife

Botswana Considers Culling Elephants

People living on the outskirts of Botswana’s game parks are anxiously waiting to see if the government is going to do anything to stop roaming wildlife from killing villagers and eating and destroying their crops.

The government is in the process of debating whether to cull elephants, revoke the 2014 ban on hunting or try to keep the wildlife off villagers’ land.

Communities living on the outskirts of fence-less, state-owned parks and forest reserves say their lives are proof that wild animals cannot coexist harmoniously with human beings.

Botswana President Mokgweetsi Masisi appears to be sympathetic to the plight of these communities who are attacked and killed by wild animals and whose crops are eaten and destroyed.

Culling and hunting options have sparked widespread opposition and criticism from animal rights groups and conservationists.

In what appears to be a political crusade to justify culling and hunting as options, the Botswana government has said:

- 25 people have been killed by elephants between 2009 and this year so far;

- Botswana has an elephant population of 130 000 against its carrying capacity of 54 000;

- More than 70% of the elephant population lived outside their designated areas.

Global Warming

Melting Glaciers bring threat of Flash Floods

The Himalaya, the breathtaking consequence of the battle between two tectonic plates, is home to spectacular mountains and a family of glaciers whose waters sustain 1.65 billion people across the region. The thawing of these glaciers leaves behind a myriad of lakes, some of which can suddenly burst their banks and flood downstream.

A satellite-based assessment of 1,291 glacial lakes in the Tibetan Plateau and along the main Himalaya range found that 16 percent of them potentially threaten human settlements. Since 1935, around 40 glacial lake outburst flood disasters have taken place across the Tibetan Plateau.

Environment

Cool Roofs

A new study finds that making rooftops a light-reflective colour can reduce heat-related deaths and cool peak daytime temperatures by more than 3 degrees Celsius during heat waves.

Cities store more heat than the surrounding countryside due to the urban heat island effect. This makes cities more susceptible to the increasing number and intensity of heat waves under global warming.

New modelling by the University of Oxford found that introducing cool roofs across a city could prevent about a quarter of heat wave-related deaths and cut the need for air conditioning.

Earthquakes

Magnitude 5+ Earthquakes – Global

6.1 earthquake hits the western Indian-Antarctic ridge.

5,2 earthquake hits Mindanao in the Philippines.

Two 5.0 earthquakes hit the Nicobar Islands off India.

Wildlife

Butterfly Bonanza

Residents of Israel and Lebanon have been treated to the flutter of millions of butterflies that have appeared this spring in numbers not seen in more than 100 years.

The massive migration of Vanessa cardui butterflies from Saudi Arabia and Kuwait came after a winter that saw unusually heavy rainfall. Experts say this gave the species’ caterpillars a bumper crop of plants to thrive on.

The Israel Nature and Parks Authority says the butterflies have reached Cypress on their way to Spain and other parts of Europe for the summer.

Bleak Future for Corals

Unprecedented coral bleaching events at Australia’s Great Barrier Reef during 2016 and 2017 have left the World Heritage Site without enough juvenile coral to rebuild, scientists warn.

A report in the journal Nature says the number of “coral babies” trying to repopulate the reef has fallen by 89 percent.

While there are ongoing small-scale efforts to transplant juvenile coral to the reef, researchers say that the efforts are likely to be futile due to the high probability of more severe coral bleaching events brought on by a warming world.

Storms and Floods

Tropical Storms - Roundup of Tropical Storms:

There are no current tropical storms.

NewsBytes:

Canada - Municipalities across southern Quebec are preparing for spring flooding that could be particularly bad, and warning residents to do the same. With heavy rain in the forecast, Laval has already declared a state of emergency, and Rigaud, about an hour from Montreal, has told residents to leave their homes ahead of possible weekend flooding, which could be worse than the 2017 deluge.

Environment

Global Temperature Extremes

The week’s hottest temperature was 113 degrees Fahrenheit (45.0 degrees Celsius) in Matam, Senegal.

The week’s coldest temperature was minus 74.0 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 58.9 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.

Disease

Global measles Cases on the Rise

The World Health Organization (WHO) reports preliminary global data that shows reported cases rose by 300 percent in the first three months of 2019, compared to the same period in 2018. By region, Africa has recorded a 700% increase, the Americas 60%, Europe 300%, the Eastern Mediterranean 100%, with 40% increases in Southeast Asia and the Western Pacific.

Yellow Fever - Brazil

In the current 2018- 2019 season (July 2018 to March 2019), a total of 75 confirmed human cases, including 17 deaths (case fatality rate = 23%), have been reported in Brazil in the states of São Paulo (62), Paraná (12), and Santa Catarina (1).

Volcanos

Global Volcanic Activity - Ongoing Activity for the week of 10 April - 16 April 2019

Agung | Bali (Indonesia) : PVMBG reported that at 1847 on 11 April an explosion at Agung produced a dense gray ash plume that rose 2 km above the crater rim and drifted W. The Alert Level remained at 3 (on a scale of 1-4) with the exclusion zone set at a 4-km radius.

Aira | Kyushu (Japan) : JMA reported that incandescence from Minamidake crater (at Aira Caldera’s Sakurajima volcano) was occasionally visible during 12-15 April. Two events and one explosion generated plumes that rose a maximum of 2.2 km above the crater rim and ejected material as far as 700 m. The Alert Level remained at 3 (on a 5-level scale).

Dukono | Halmahera (Indonesia) : Based on satellite and wind model data, the Darwin VAAC reported that during 10-12 and 15-16 April ash plumes from Dukono rose as high as 2.4 km (8,000 ft) a.s.l. and drifted in multiple directions. The Alert Level remained at 2 (on a scale of 1-4), and visitors were warned to remain outside of the 2-km exclusion zone.

Ebeko | Paramushir Island (Russia) : Volcanologists in Severo-Kurilsk (Paramushir Island), about 7 km E of Ebeko, observed explosions on 9 April that sent ash plumes up to 2.2 km (7,200 ft) a.s.l. Weather clouds obscured views on the other days during 5-12 April. The Aviation colour Code remained at Orange (the second highest level on a four-colour scale).

Etna | Sicily (Italy) : INGV reported that during 8-14 April gas emissions of variable intensity rose from Etna’s summit craters. During each night webcams recorded pulsating flashes from the E vent in New Southeast Crater (NSEC) which became more intense towards the end of the week. A minor ash emission from Bocca Nuova Crater was visible at 0520 on 8 April.

Fuego | Guatemala : INSIVUMEH reported that during 10-11 April steaming lahars descended Fuego’s Las Lajas (SE), El Jute (SE), Ceniza (SSW), and Taniluyá (SW) drainages, carrying blocks up to 3 m in diameter, and branches and tree trunks. On 11 April lahars were 3 m deep and 20 m wide. During 11-15 April there were 12-22 explosions per hour, generating ash plumes that rose almost 1.1 km and drifted10-15 km N, NE, E, and W. Minor ashfall was reported in areas downwind including Alotenango, Ciudad Vieja (13.5 km NE), La Réunion, Yepocapa (8 km N), Morelia (9 km SW), Santa Sofia (12 km SW), and Panimache (8 km SW). Shock waves sometimes vibrated residential structures. Incandescent material was ejected 100-300 m high and caused avalanches of material that occasionally traveled long distances down Seca, Taniluyá, Ceniza, Trinidad, Las Lajas, and Honda ravines. A lava flow, 400-500 m long, advanced in the Seca drainage.

Ibu | Halmahera (Indonesia) : The Darwin VAAC reported that on 10 April ash plumes from Ibu were identified in satellite images drifting N at an altitude of 2.1 km (7,000 ft) a.s.l. During 15-16 April ash plumes drifted N and NE at an altitude of 2.4 km (8,000 ft) a.s.l. The Alert Level remained at 2 (on a scale of 1-4), and the public was warned to stay at least 2 km away from the active crater, and 3.5 km away on the N side.

Kadovar | Papua New Guinea : Based on satellite data and wind model data, the Darwin VAAC reported that on 10 April an ash plume from Kadovar rose to an altitude of 1.2 km (4,000 ft) a.s.l. and drifted SE and E.

Karangetang | Siau Island (Indonesia) : Based on analyses of satellite imagery and model data, the Darwin VAAC reported that on 16 April an ash emission from Karangetang rose to an altitude of 2.4 km (8,000 ft) a.s.l. and drifted W. The Alert Level remained at 2 (on a scale of 1-4).

Kerinci | Indonesia : PVMBG reported that at 1559 on 13 April and 0629 on 14 April brownish ash plumes rose 400 m above Kerinci’s crater rim and drifted E and NE, respectively, as noted by a ground-based observer. The Alert Level remained at 2 (on a scale of 1-4), and tourists were warned to remain outside of the 3-km exclusion zone.

Krakatau | Indonesia : PVMBG reported that an eruption at Anak Krakatau was recorded by the seismic network at 0932 on14 April. An ash plume drifted NE. An event was recorded at 2358 on 15 April, though no ash plume was visible. The Alert Level remained at 3 (on a scale of 1-4), and residents were warned to remain outside of the 5-km radius hazard zone from the crater.

Merapi | Central Java (Indonesia) : PVMBG reported that during 5-11 April the lava dome at Merapi continued to grow slowly, with extruded material channeled into the SE-flank Gendol River drainage. The Alert Level remained at 2 (on a scale of 1-4), and residents were warned to remain outside of the 3-km exclusion zone.

Rincon de la Vieja | Costa Rica : OVSICORI-UNA reported that an eruption at Rincón de la Vieja recorded at 0617 on 10 April produced a gas-and-steam plume that rose 1 km above the crater rim and drifted SE. At 0643 on 12 April a plume rose 500 m. Another event was detected at 0700 on 13 April, although poor weather conditions prevented visual observations. On 14 April OVSICORI-UNA noted that aerial photographs taken during an overflight showed a milky-gray acid lake at a relatively low water level with convection cells of several tens meters of diameter in the center and Eastern parts of the lake.

Ruapehu | North Island (New Zealand) : GeoNet reported that, at least for the last 10 years of continuous lake-temperature monitoring, heating cycles at Ruapehu’s summit Crater Lake have occurred over periods of about 12 months with temperatures ranging from 15 to 45 degrees Celsius. However, the temperature remained elevated at 30 degrees for a period of six months starting in September 2018. GeoNet noted that during the previous two weeks the lake temperature increased further, at a rate of around a half of a degree per day, to 42 degrees on 9 April. Tremor levels also increased. The Volcanic Alert Level remained at 1 (minor volcanic unrest) and the Aviation colour Code remained at Green.

Sheveluch | Central Kamchatka (Russia) : KVERT reported that a thermal anomaly over Sheveluch’s lava dome was identified daily in satellite images during 6-12 April. Explosions on 10 April generated ash plumes that rose to 8-9 km (26,200-29,500 ft) a.s.l. and drifted about 1,300 km SSE. The Aviation colour Code remained at Orange (the second highest level on a four-colour scale).

Earthquakes

Magnitude 5+ Earthquakes – Global

6.0 earthquake hits Taiwan.

5.6 earthquake hits offshore Coquimbo, Chile.

5.2 earthquake hits northern Peru.

5.2 earthquake hits eastern New Guinea, Papua New Guinea.

5.1 earthquake hits south of Panama.

5.0 earthquake hits the D’Entrecasteaux Islands.

Storms and Floods

Tropical Storms - Roundup of Tropical Storms:

There are no current tropical storms.

NewsBytes:

South Asia - Torrential rains followed by flash floods have killed at least 91 people in India, Pakistan and Afghanistan, officials and local media said on Wednesday. Thunderstorms in northern, central and western Indian states late on Tuesday have killed at least 47 people. The most affected state was Madhya Pradesh from where 16 deaths were reported. In neighbouring Pakistan, rains followed by flash floods have killed 39 and injured dozens in the last two days. Numerous houses were destroyed.

Global Warming

North Atlantic warming hole impacts jet stream

The North Atlantic warming hole (NAWH), a region of reduced warming located in the North Atlantic Ocean, significantly affects the North Atlantic jet stream in climate simulations of the future, according to a team of researchers.

Sea surface temperatures (SST) are projected to increase in most of the world's oceans as the result of global climate change. However, within an area of rotating ocean currents just south of Greenland an anomaly exists where colder sea-surface temperatures were documented in both global climate-model projections and in observations. It's called a hole because there is a lack of ocean warming.

This region of the ocean is a really important place for forcing the jet stream that goes across the North Atlantic Ocean. Jet streams, high altitude currents of wind flowing above the Earth, transport air masses and drive weather patterns. The relationship between climate change and jet streams is complex and understanding the potential impact of climate change on jet streams is crucial for understanding changes in weather patterns and storm tracks.

Nature - Images

Interesting Images

Living 'Balloon on a String'

The depths of the Indian Ocean are home to some bizarre creatures — including one that looks like a balloon on a string. Explorers captured a video of this gelatinous creature in a recent dive to the Java Trench, the bottommost part of the Indian Ocean.

Volcanos

Global Volcanic Activity - New Activity for the week of 10 April - 16 April 2019

Asosan | Kyushu (Japan) : JMA reported an increase in the amplitude of volcanic tremor at Asosan on 14 April, increasing the possibility of an eruption at Nakadake Crater. The Alert Level was raised to 2 (on a scale of 1-5). Tremor amplitude further increased on 15 April. A very small eruption was recorded at 1828 on 16 April, producing a plume that rose 200 m above the crater rim and drifted NW.

Tengger Caldera | Eastern Java (Indonesia) : The Darwin VAAC reported that during 10-11 and 15-16 April ash plumes from Tengger Caldera’s Bromo cone rose to an altitude of 3 km (10,000 ft) a.s.l. and drifted in multiple directions, based on webcam images and satellite data. The Alert Level remained at 2 (on a scale of 1-4), and visitors were warned to stay outside of a 1-km radius of the crater.

Villarrica | Chile : POVI reported that during 14-15 April lava fountains at Villarrica were visible rising as high as 70 m above the crater rim. Seismicity was low.

Earthquakes

Magnitude 5+ Earthquakes – Global

5.6 earthquake hits the Kermedec Islands.

5.7 earthquake hits the Kermedec Islands.

5.4 earthquake hits Santiago del Estero, Argentina.

5.4 earthquake hits south of the Kermedec Islands.

5.4 earthquake hits the South Sandwich Islands.

5.1 earthquake hits New Britain, Papua New Guinea.

5.0 earthquake hits the Kermedec Islands.

Storms and Floods

Tropical Storms - Roundup of Tropical Storms:

There are no current tropical storms.

NewsBytes:

Afghanistan - Afghan officials say at least five more people have been killed and 17 are missing as a new wave of heavy rains and flooding swept across the country's western Herat province. The country's disaster ministry says heavy rains and flooding have hit 16 of Afghanistan's 34 provinces in the past 24 hours, and that the floods have also destroyed and damaged houses and swept away livestock. Heavy snowfall across Afghanistan this winter had cut off many areas. So far this year, more than 110 people have died as heavy rains and flooding swept away their homes.

Wildlife

Wildlife bridges over highways make animals safer

Roaring traffic doesn’t stop big mammals like moose and bears from crossing highways—nor does it keep myriad smaller creatures from being squished by car tires. In just two years along one stretch of highway in Utah, 98 deer, three moose, two elk, multiple raccoons, and a cougar were killed in car collisions—a total of 106 animals. In the United States, there are 21 threatened and endangered species whose very survival is threatened by road mortalities, including Key deer in Florida, bighorn sheep in California, and red-bellied turtles in Alabama.

There’s one solution, however, that’s been remarkably effective around the world in decreasing collisions between cars and animals crossing the road: wildlife under- and overpasses. One can get reductions of 85 to 95 percent with crossings and fencing that guide animals under or over highways.

Wildlife Officers Rescue Birds Stuffed in Tiny Cages in India

Despite massive conservation efforts, the illegal wildlife trade continues around the world, putting endangered species at risk and threatening millions of vulnerable animals. In India, the trade of pet birds is a big issue. Thus, this makes the recent news of 550 protected Indian birds being rescued from an illegal pet market in Kolkata even more harrowing.

Disease

Hepatitis A - Florida, USA - Update

In a follow-up on the hepatitis A outbreak in Florida, state health officials reported 60 hepatitis A cases the week of April 7, bringing the number of outbreak cases since January to 811 and since last year to 1,359.

Earthquakes

Magnitude 5+ Earthquakes – Global

5.7 earthquake hits Tristan da Cunha.

5.3 earthquake hits the Solomon Islands.

5.2 earthquake hits offshore Atacama, Chile.

5.0 earthquake hits Acre, Brazil.

Storms and Floods

Tropical Storms - Roundup of Tropical Storms:

There are no current tropical storms.

NewsBytes:

Russia - Spring floods have currently ended in 33 Russian regions and continue in 27 regions. There are no flooded houses, the Russian Emergencies ministry reported on Monday. According to the Emergencies Ministry, 18 residential yards remain flooded in two communities, and 28 low-level bridges and four motorway sections were inundated in 11 regions. "The life of the population was not affected," the Emergencies Ministry specified. Airmobile rescue crews were deployed to control the floods and carry out preventive measures in the Chelyabinsk and Vologda Regions, as well as in the rockslide area on the Bureya River in the Khabarovsk Region.

Wildlife

World's Rarest Giant Turtle Loses Last Known Female, All But Guaranteeing Extinction

The Yangtze giant softshell turtle (Rafetus swinhoei) is considered the most critically endangered turtle in the world, with only four known individuals left on Earth. On Saturday (April 13), that population fell to three, as the species' last known female died in a zoo in Suzhou, China.

The captive turtle was more than 90 years old and died shortly after an attempt to artificially inseminate her. No complications from the insemination procedure (which was the turtle's fifth) were reported, and the cause of death is being investigated.

The rare turtle is survived by one male, who also lives in the Suzhou Zoo and is believed to be about 100 years old. Scientists had been trying to breed the pair for years, but were unsuccessful due, in part, to the male's damaged penis.

The world's final two known R. swinhoei turtles live in separate ponds in Vietnam. Their genders are unknown. The species used to be widespread in the fresh waters of China and Vietnam, but have dwindled to near-extinction due to hunting and habitat loss.

Nature - Images

Interesting Images

California's 'Superbloom'

California's "superbloom" appears in almost unbelievable color in a new aerial image from NASA. The spray of color is an annual event, made more intense by this year's wet winter in California. When the flowers are as dramatic as this year's display, they're called a "superbloom." The last drought-busting season that resulted in a superbloom in California was in 2017.

Disease

Uganda reports Crimean Congo Hemorrhagic Fever (CCHF) fatality

The Uganda Ministry of Health issued a press release Monday saying that there was one confirmed Crimean Congo Hemorrhagic Fever (CCHF) case in Wakiso District who died on Apr. 11.

Earthquakes

Magnitude 5+ Earthquakes – Global

5.5 earthquake hits the Rat Islands in the Aleutian Islands.

5.2 earthquake hits the Babuyan Islands in the Philippines.

5.0 earthquake hits the northern mid-Atlantic ridge.

5.0 earthquake hits the Myanmar-India border.

5.0 earthquake hits Hokkaido, Japan.

5.0 earthquake hits Veracruz, Mexico.

Storms and Floods

Tropical Storms - Roundup of Tropical Storms:

There are no current tropical storms.

NewsBytes:

UAE - Up to 570 people were rescued after spending overnight in rain-soaked mountains that triggered flash floods in Ras Al Khaimah on Sunday, according to RAK police. It was second day of unstable weather that brought a rush of surface runoff from the emirate's majestic peaks, causing fast-flowing torrents in wadis, and inundating houses and vehicles in some low-lying areas.

Siberia, Russia - Synchronised explosions are used to unblock the Amur River, a major waterway in the Russian Far East to protect villagers from flooding. Such explosions are common at this time of year - but not always as aesthetic. Carried out by the Russian Emergencies Ministry, the aim is to prevent walls of ice behind which the river level rises, posing a threat to remote settlements.

Wildfires

Wildfires - Ethiopia

A group of ten firefighters from Israel and an expert from the Home Front Command arrived in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia on Sunday to help with the wildfires that have been burning out of control for two weeks in the Simien Mountains in the north of the country. One member of the group is an expert in aerial firefighting techniques. The mountains are a World Heritage Site and one of the country’s main tourist attractions. The national park is home to several rare animal species including the Waliya ibex and Gelada baboon.

Disease

Measles - Philippines - Update

In a follow-up on the measles outbreak in the Philippines this year, the Department of Health (DOH) has reported 28,362 measles cases including 389 deaths through April 5. Cases have been reported from all 17 Regions of the country. A case-fatality of 1.37 percent has been reported in this outbreak.

Earthquakes

Magnitude 5+ Earthquakes – Global

5.3 earthquake hits the Nicobar Islands off India.

5.2 earthquake hits the Island of Hawaii, Hawaii.

5.2 earthquake hits the Ryukyu Islands, Japan.

5.1 earthquake hits the Nicobar Islands off India.

5.1 earthquake hits northern Xinjiang, China.

5.0 earthquake hits the Ryukyu Islands, Japan.

Storms and Floods

Tropical Storms - Roundup of Tropical Storms:

There are no current tropical storms.

NewsBytes:

Dubai - Weathermen issued a flash flood alert on Saturday due to heavy rains reported in several parts of the country. Residents in Ras Al Khaimah also reported hail. The local emergency and crisis management team in Ras Al Khaimah warned sea-goers about big waves. Meanwhile, weathermen warned that roads in some valleys may be dangerous due to the risk of flash floods.

Wildfires

Wildfires - Thailand

Forest fires have damaged more than 2.6 million rai of land in nine northern provinces, according to a satellite image report by Geo-Informatics and Space Technology Development Agency. During January 1- March 16, 2,680,634 rai of land was destroyed in wildfires (about 430 000 hectares).

Disease

Measles - Ukraine - Update

The Center for Public Health of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine reported an additional 2,250 measles cases the week ending Apr. 4, bringing the 2019 outbreak total to 37,328. The number of fatalities due to the complications of measles remain at 14.

Dengue Fever - Tahiti

Health officials in French Polynesia are reporting (computer translated) the confirmation of several autochthonous cases of dengue type 2 dengue, unrelated and scattered over several communes in Tahiti. This has prompted health officials to declare an outbreak on Wednesday. A major concern is that since dengue type 2 has not circulated in the country since the year 2000, the epidemic could be of great magnitude. People under 20 or arriving in French Polynesia after 2000 are most at risk of becoming infected.

Earthquakes

Magnitude 5+ Earthquakes – Global

5.9 earthquake hits New Britain, Papua New Guinea.

5.6 earthquake hits the Samoa Islands.

5.2 earthquake hits eastern New Guinea, Papua New Guinea.

5.2 earthquake hits New Britain, Papua New Guinea.

5.1 earthquake hits Sulawesi, Indonesia.

5.0 earthquake hits the Ryukyu Islands, Japan.

Two 5.0 earthquakes hit the Banda Sea.

Two 5.0 earthquakes hit Sulawesi, Indonesia.

5.0 earthquake hits offshore Chiapas, Mexico.

Storms and Floods

Tropical Storms - Roundup of Tropical Storms:

There are no current tropical storms.

NewsBytes:

China - Eleven people were killed in a flash flood in Shenzhen on Thursday night after a construction company failed to respond properly to weather warnings, local government officials said. The victims were workers who were cleaning drainage systems in Luohu and Futian districts that were hit by a flash flood created by the downpour.

Afghanistan - After a year of severe drought, flash floods have killed at least 77 people and destroyed thousands of homes in Afghanistan. More than 42,000 people have been displaced by the floods since the start of 2019. In all, 163,000 people in 16 provinces need urgent help.

Brazil - In the aftermath of the floods in Rio this week, firefighters dug through rubble Friday in search of survivors after two condemned buildings collapsed in Rio de Janeiro, killing at least three people, injuring 13 and leaving another 13 missing. The collapse of the four-story buildings undermines by the floodwaters underscored the shoddy infrastructure that plagues Latin America’s largest nation and put a spotlight on illegal militias that control large swaths of Rio, including the area where the buildings stood.

Wildlife

Birds vs Buildings

A new study finds that hundreds of millions of birds die by crashing into U.S. buildings each year during their migrations.

Songbirds are among the greatest victims at night because they emit chirps that signal other birds to follow and sometimes crash into the structures.

City lights and glass windows that appear as clear air to the birds are also threats. Chicago is said to be the most deadly city for bird crashes, with Houston and Dallas coming in second and third.

Researchers say that since half of migratory birds pass through a particular city during six nights in the spring and seven nights in the fall, cities could cut down on bird deaths by dimming their lights during those brief periods.

Whale Liberation

The Kremlin has intervened to free nearly 100 whales that have been held in small pens in Russia’s Far East following months of pressure from animal rights groups and Hollywood stars.

It is believed the whales were caught last year for sale to Chinese marine parks, which pay millions of dollars for them. Surveillance by Greenpeace and other groups revealed that the whales have suffered from hypothermia, skin lesions and flipper deterioration.

An international group of scientists, including the famed marine expert Jean-Michel Cousteau, announced that the whales will be released in phases under the new agreement with Moscow.

Disease

Dengue Fever - Reunion - Update

Health officials in Reunion report an additional 904 dengue fever cases during the last week of March, bringing the total to nearly 5,000 since the beginning of the year.

Earthquakes

Magnitude 5+ Earthquakes – Global

6.7 earthquake hits Sulawesi, Indonesia.

5.4 earthquake hits New Britain, Papua New Guinea.

5.3 earthquake hits southeast of the Ryukyu Islands, Japan.

5.2 earthquake hits New Britain, Papua New Guinea.

5.1 earthquake hits Antofagasta, Chile.

5.1 earthquake hits the Ryukyu Islands, Japan.

5.0 earthquake hits near the coast of central Peru.

Two 5.0 earthquakes hit New Britain, Papua New Guinea.

5.0 earthquake hits the southwest Indian ridge.

5.0 earthquake hits the southern mid-Atlantic ridge.

Global Warming

Climate change made the Arctic greener. Now parts of it are turning brown

The Chugach people of southern Alaska’s Kenai Peninsula have picked berries for generations. Tart blueberries and sweet, raspberry-like salmonberries — an Alaska favorite — are baked into pies and boiled into jams. But in the summer of 2009, the bushes stayed brown and the berries never came. For three more years, harvests failed.

The berry bushes had been ravaged by caterpillars of geometrid moths — the Bruce spanworm (Operophtera bruceata) and the autumnal moth (Epirrita autumnata). The insects had laid their eggs in the fall, and as soon as the leaf buds began growing in the spring, the eggs hatched and the inchworms nibbled the stalks bare.

At the peak of the multiyear outbreak, the caterpillars climbed from the berry bushes into trees. The pests munched through foliage from Port Graham, at the tip of the Kenai Peninsula, to Wasilla, north of Anchorage, about 300 kilometers away. In summer, thick brown-gray layers of denuded willows, alders and birches lined the mountainsides above stretches of Sitka spruce.

For more than 35 years, satellites circling the Arctic have detected a “greening” trend in Earth’s northernmost landscapes. Scientists have attributed this verdant flush to more vigorous plant growth and a longer growing season, propelled by higher temperatures that come with climate change. But recently, satellites have been picking up a decline in tundra greenness in some parts of the Arctic. Those areas appear to be “browning.”

While global warming has propelled widespread trends in tundra greening, extreme winter weather can spur local browning events. In recent years, in some parts of the Arctic, extraordinary warm winter weather, sometimes paired with rainfall, has put tundra vegetation under enormous stress and caused plants to lose freeze resistance, dry up or die — and turn brown.

Wildlife

The Impact of Plastic on Wildlife

A plastic bag or a six pack ring floating by in the ocean would cause someone to cringe. Large pieces of plastics are easy to spot, campaign around and clean up. But who cleans up the nearly invisible pieces of plastic floating around bodies of water - microplastics? The tragic effect of plastic on wildlife is often overlooked.

Island Culls

Some scientists are proposing that feral cats and dogs, rodents, pigs and goats should be culled on 169 islands to save critically endangered species.

A study published in the journal PLOS ONE argues that the invasive animals often occupy islands where the entire native population is at risk of extinction.

Most of the invasive animals were inadvertently introduced to the islands by visiting ships or brought there intentionally by humans.

Successful culls have been conducted on islands such as South Georgia, which is now rat-free for the first time in two centuries.

Environment

Global Temperature Extremes

The week’s hottest temperature was 114 degrees Fahrenheit (45.6 degrees Celsius) in N’Guigmi, Niger.

The week’s coldest temperature was minus 96.0 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 71.1 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.

Disease

Ebola - DR Congo

Today the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) recorded 18 new cases in the ongoing Ebola outbreak in North Kivu and Ituri province, the largest single-day jump since the outbreak began last August. The previous record was 16 cases, on Apr 7.

The spike in cases raises the outbreak total to 1,186, which includes 1,120 confirmed and 66 probable infections. Officials also confirmed 10 new deaths, raising the fatality count to 751. Ten of the new deaths occurred in the community, which raises the risk of disease spread.

Volcanos

Global Volcanic Activity - New Activity for the week of 3 April - 9 April 2019

Agung | Bali (Indonesia) : PVMBG reported that at 1331 on 4 April an explosion at Agung ejected incandescent material out of the crater and onto the flanks within a 2-3 km radius, mainly on the S flank. A dense gray ash plume rose 2 km above the crater rim and, based on satellite data, drifted W and S. Ashfall was reported in areas downwind including Telungbuana, Badeg, Besakih (7 km SW), Pempatan (8 km W), Teges, and Puregai. Roaring was heard at the observation post in Rendang (12 km NW). The Alert Level remained at 3 (on a scale of 1-4) with the exclusion zone set at a 4-km radius.

Aira | Kyushu (Japan) : JMA reported that incandescence from Minamidake crater (at Aira Caldera’s Sakurajima volcano) was occasionally visible during 1-8 April. Two explosions on 7 April generated plumes that rose a maximum of 1.3 km above the crater rim and ejected material as far as 1.7 km. The Alert Level remained at 3 (on a 5-level scale).

Copahue | Central Chile-Argentina border : On 5 April OVDAS-SERNAGEOMIN reported that seismicity at Copahue increased during 1-31 March, characterized by abundant volcano-tectonic earthquakes and increases in long-period and very-long-period earthquakes. In addition, the level of the lake water in El Agrio crater had dropped compared to previous months. The Alert Level was raised to Yellow (second highest level on a four-colour scale); SERNAGEOMIN recommended no entry into a restricted area within 500 m of the crater. ONEMI raised the Alert Level to Yellow (the middle level on a three-colour scale) for the municipality of Alto Biobío.

Dukono | Halmahera (Indonesia) : Based on satellite and wind model data, the Darwin VAAC reported that during 3-9 April ash plumes from Dukono rose as high as 2.1 km (7,000 ft) a.s.l. and drifted NE, E, SE, and S. The Alert Level remained at 2 (on a scale of 1-4), and visitors were warned to remain outside of the 2-km exclusion zone.

Ebeko | Paramushir Island (Russia) : Volcanologists in Severo-Kurilsk (Paramushir Island), about 7 km E of Ebeko, observed explosions during 29-31 March, 1 April, and 4 April that sent ash plumes up to 3.2 km (10,500 ft) a.s.l. Ash fell in Severo-Kurilsk on 31 March, the same day a thermal anomaly was identified in satellite images. The Aviation colour Code remained at Orange (the second highest level on a four-colour scale).

Ibu | Halmahera (Indonesia) : The Darwin VAAC reported that on 28 March multiple ash plumes from Ibu were identified in satellite images drifting SE at an altitude of 2.1 km (7,000 ft) a.s.l. The Alert Level remained at 2 (on a scale of 1-4), and the public was warned to stay at least 2 km away from the active crater, and 3.5 km away on the N side.

Kadovar | Papua New Guinea : Based on satellite data and wind model data, the Darwin VAAC reported that on 9 April an ash plume from Kadovar rose to an altitude of 1.5 km (5,000 ft) a.s.l. and drifted SE.

Karangetang | Siau Island (Indonesia) : Based on analyses of satellite imagery and model data, the Darwin VAAC reported that on 6 April a minor ash emission from Karangetang rose to an altitude of 2.1 km (7,000 ft) a.s.l. and drifted SE. The Alert Level remained at 2 (on a scale of 1-4).

Karymsky | Eastern Kamchatka (Russia) : KVERT reported that an ash plume from Karymsky was visible in satellite images on 31 March drifting about 17 km S. Weather clouds obscured views during 1-6 April. The Aviation colour Code remained at Orange (the second highest level on a four-colour scale).

Kerinci | Indonesia : PVMBG reported that at 1637 on 3 April a brownish ash plume rose 4.3 km above Kerinci’s crater rim and drifted NE, as noted by a ground-based observer. The Alert Level remained at 2 (on a scale of 1-4), and tourists were warned to remain outside of the 3-km exclusion zone.

Krakatau | Indonesia : PVMBG reported that during 1-7 April there were six explosions at Anak Krakatau detected by the seismic network. Foggy weather conditions prevented visual observations. The Alert Level remained at 3 (on a scale of 1-4), and residents were warned to remain outside of the 5-km radius hazard zone from the crater.

Merapi | Central Java (Indonesia) : PVMBG reported that by 21 March the lava dome at Merapi had grown to an estimated volume of 472,000 cubic meters, based on analyses of drone footage. It remained relatively unchanged during 1-7 April, as most of the extruded lava fell into the upper parts of the SE-flank Gendol River drainage. Two block-and-ash flows traveled as far as 1 km down the Gendol drainage. The Alert Level remained at 2 (on a scale of 1-4), and residents were warned to remain outside of the 3-km exclusion zone.

Nevados de Chillan | Chile : ONEMI and SERNAGEOMIN noted that on 5 April the pulsating, generally white, emissions from Nevados de Chillán’s Nicanor Crater were sometimes gray. Explosions was recorded at 0403 on 8 April and 0457 on 9 April, and were associated with long-period earthquake signals. A video posted on social media from the 9 April event showed incandescent material showering the flanks of the lava dome. The Alert Level remained at Orange, the second highest level on a four-colour scale, and residents were reminded not to approach the crater within 3 km. ONEMI maintained an Alert Level Yellow (the middle level on a three-colour scale) for the communities of Pinto, Coihueco, and San Fabián.

Rincon de la Vieja | Costa Rica : OVSICORI-UNA reported that continuous emissions at Rincón de la Vieja were visible during 3-4 April rising 200 m above the crater rim. A small eruption was recorded at 1437.

Sheveluch | Central Kamchatka (Russia) : KVERT reported that a thermal anomaly over Sheveluch’s lava dome was identified daily in satellite images during 29 March-6 April. Explosions on 5 April generated ash plumes that rose to 7-7.5 km (23,000-24,600 ft) a.s.l. and drifted about 550 km NW during 5-6 April. The Aviation colour Code remained at Orange (the second highest level on a four-colour scale).

Turrialba | Costa Rica : OVSICORI-UNA reported that minor ash emissions rose from Turrialba on 8 April.