Magnitude 5+ Earthquakes – Global
5.6 earthquake hits southern Sumatra, Indonesia.
5.5 earthquake hits north of Halamhera, Indonesia.
5.3 earthquake hits Tonga.
5.3 earthquake hits the South Sandwich Islands.
5.2 earthquake hits southwestern Sakha, Russia.
5.1 earthquake hits southern Xinjiang, China.
5.1 earthquake hits southeast of the Loyalty Islands.
Tropical Storms – Roundup of Tropical Storms:
In the Southern Hemisphere: Tropical cyclone (tc) 20s (Ferdinand), located approximately 432 nm north-northwest of Learmonth, Australia, is tracking northwestward at 05 knots.
NewsBytes:
UK – Residents in parts of East Yorkshire have been evacuated from their homes as flood water levels rise. The flooding at East Cowick came as fields in the area, holding vast quantities of water from the River Aire, began to overtop. Emergency services deployed boats to assist with evacuating residents. Heavy downpours are expected to cause further flooding to homes and businesses over the weekend, as the latest storm to hit the UK takes hold. Yellow weather warnings are in place for Storm Jorge on Friday, with the south-west and north-west of England, Wales and Northern Ireland expected to experience the worst of the deluge.
Wildfires – South Africa
A wildfire near Paarl in the Western Cape, which has destroyed nearly 6 000ha of mixed fynbos and continues to burn out of control. Firefighters continue their efforts to bring the blaze under control which is being fanned by strong winds. A second fire has started near Ceres.
COVID-19
China – Mainland China had 427 new confirmed cases of coronavirus infections on Friday, the country’s National Health Commission said on Saturday. That brings the total accumulated number of confirmed cases in mainland China so far to 79,251. The death toll from the outbreak in mainland China had reached 2,835 as of the end of Friday, up by 47 from the previous day.
South Korea – There were 219 new coronavirus cases in South Korea, bringing the country’s total infections to 3,150, according to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Iran – Iran’s health ministry has said 205 new cases of coronavirus have been confirmed in the country in the last 24 hours, with nine more deaths reported. The new numbers bring the total deaths in the country to 43 among 593 cases.
Dengue Fever – Paraguay
Through Feb. 22, health officials reported 137,423 total cases, up from 106,127 total dengue fever cases the week prior.
Magnitude 5+ Earthquakes – Global
5.6 earthquake hits Kepulauan Sangihe, Indonesia.
5.4 earthquake hits Tonga.
5.3 earthquake hits the southern mid-Atlantic ridge.
5.2 earthquake hits the southern east Pacific rise.
5.1 earthquake hits south of Fiji.
5.0 earthquake hits the Molucca Sea.
Tropical Storms – Roundup of Tropical Storms:
In the Southern Hemisphere: Tropical cyclone (tc) 20s (Ferdinand), located approximately 355 nm north of Learmonth, Australia, is tracking westward at 04 knots.
Antarctic Melt
Images from NASA satellites reveal that the record-breaking heat across parts of Antarctica in early February caused an unprecedented melting of the ice cap.
Ice covering Eagle Island, off the tip of the Antarctic Peninsula, shrank dramatically as temperatures at times became as warm as those in Los Angeles.
It was the third major melting event of the 2019-2020 southern summer. Scientists say such phenomena have become more and more frequent this century.
Global Temperature Extremes
The week’s hottest temperature was 109 degrees Fahrenheit (42.8 degrees Celsius) in Keyes, Mali.
The week’s coldest temperature was minus 69.0 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 56.1 degrees Celsius) at Vostok, 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.
COVID-19
Hopes that the coronavirus would be contained to China have vanished as the first case in sub-Saharan Africa was announced in Nigeria and stock markets took a pounding amid fears of a global recession.
China – The National Health Commission reported on Friday at least 44 new coronavirus deaths, bringing to 2,788 the number of fatalities nationwide. Coronavirus has killed more than 2,800 people and infected about 83,000 worldwide.
South Korea – South Korea reported 256 new coronavirus cases on Friday, bringing the total number of infected in the country to 2,022, the Korea Centers for Disease and Control and Prevention said..
Saudi Arabia – Saudi Arabia on Thursday suspended visas for visits to Islam’s holiest sites for the “umrah” pilgrimage, an unprecedented move triggered by coronavirus fears that raises questions over the annual hajj. The kingdom, which hosts millions of pilgrims every year in the cities of Mecca and Medina, also suspended visas for tourists from countries with reported infections as fears of a pandemic deepen.
AI Discovers New Antibiotic
Scientists at MIT say they have found one of the most powerful antibiotics ever discovered by using machine learning for the first time in such a quest.
The researchers say the new drug is able to wipe out a range of antibiotic-resistant strains of bacteria in a different way than existing treatments.
Found thanks to artificial intelligence and named after the HAL 9000 computer in the movie 2001: A Space Odyssey, the antibiotic compound halicin works by altering a bacteria’s electrochemical characteristics.
While tested successfully in mice, there is no word on when human trials of halicin will begin.
Ebola – DR Congo
From 19 to 25 February, no new confirmed cases of Ebola virus disease (EVD) were reported. This was the first time since the beginning of the response that no new confirmed cases were reported over a seven-day period.
Roundup of Global Volcanic Activity – Ongoing Activity for the Week 19 February 2020 – 25 February 2020
Aira | Kyushu (Japan) : JMA reported that during 17-25 February there were 34 explosions and 19 non-explosive eruptive events detected by the Minamidake Crater (at Aira Caldera’s Sakurajima volcano) seismic network. Ash plumes rose as high as 2.4 km above the crater rim and material was ejected 600-1,100 m away from the crater. Crater incandescence was visible every night. The sulfur dioxide emission rate was elevated at 1,900 tons/day on 20 February. 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 18-25 February ash plumes from Dukono rose to 2.1-2.4 km (7,000-8,000 ft) a.s.l. and drifted in multiple directions. The Alert Level remained at 2 (on a scale of 1-4), and the public was 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 18-19 February that sent ash plumes up to 2.3 km (7,500 ft) a.s.l. Ash plumes drifted SE. 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 18, 20, and 22 February ash plumes from Ibu rose to 1.8-2.1 km (6,000-7,000 ft) a.s.l. and drifted SE, S, and SW. PVMBG stated that at 1113 on 20 February a white-to-gray ash plume rose at least 400 m above the summit (6,800 ft a.s.l.) and drifted SE. 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 23 February an ash plume from Kadovar rose to an altitude of 1.5 km (5,000 ft) a.s.l. and drifted E and SE.
Klyuchevskoy | Central Kamchatka (Russia) : KVERT reported that Strombolian activity at Klyuchevskoy was visible during 14-21 February, and a thermal anomaly was identified in satellite images those same days. The Aviation colour Code remained at Orange.
Kuchinoerabujima | Ryukyu Islands (Japan) : JMA reported that very small eruptive events recorded at Kuchinoerabujima’s Shindake Crater during 20-21 February generated whitish plumes that rose 200 m above the crater rim. No changes were observed during field visits on those two days. Sulfur dioxide emissions were 400-600 tons per day during 20-23 February. The Alert Level remained at 3 (the middle level on a scale of 1-5).
Merapi | Central Java (Indonesia) : PVMBG reported that the volume of Merapi’s summit lava dome decreased after the 13 February eruption which produced a 2-km-tall ash plume, ejected material within 1 km, and caused ashfall within a 10-km radius. The dome volume the day before the event was estimated at 407,000 cubic meters, and afterwards (19 February) was reduced to 291,000 cubic meters. Visual observations during 17-23 February were mostly hindered due to inclement weather conditions, though on 18 February a white plume was seen rising 100 m above the summit. The Alert Level remained at 2 (on a scale of 1-4), and residents were warned to stay outside of the 3-km exclusion zone.
Nevados de Chillan | Chile : SERNAGEOMIN reported that during 18-22 February white-and-gray plumes from Nevados de Chillán’s Nicanor Crater generally rose as high as 1.9 km above the rim and drifted mainly SE. An explosion recorded at 1924 on 19 February generated an ash plume that rose 2 km. White plumes rose 100 m during 23-25 February. The volcano Alert Level remained at Orange, the second highest level on a four-colour scale. ONEMI maintained an Alert Level Yellow (the middle level on a three-colour scale) for the communities of Pinto, Coihueco, and San Fabián, and stated that the public should stay at least 3 km away from the crater on the SW flank and 5 km away on the ENE flank.
Popocatepetl | Mexico : CENAPRED reported that during an overflight of Popocatépetl on 18 February volcanologists noted no significant morphological changes at the summit crater; the inner crater was 350 m in diameter and 100-150 m deep, and the crater floor was covered with tephra. Each day during 18-25 February there were 130-263 steam-and-gas emissions from the summit crater. As many as nine low- to moderate-level explosions were recorded each day, generating gas plumes with minor amounts of ash that drifted N, NW, and SW. An explosion at 1737 on 19 February produced an ash plume that rose 1.2 km above the crater rim and drifted NW, and ejected incandescent material onto the flanks. The Alert Level remained at Yellow, Phase Two (middle level on a three-colour scale).
Reventador | Ecuador : IG reported that during 18-24 January seismic data from Reventador’s network indicated a high level of seismic activity, including explosions, long-period earthquakes, and signals indicating emissions. Daily gas-and-ash plumes rose as high as 1.3 km above the crater rim and drifted NW, W, and SW. Incandescent blocks rolled 600-700 m down the flanks during 18-21 February. Weather sometimes prevented views of the summit area.
Semeru | Eastern Java (Indonesia) : PVMBG reported that during 17-23 February eruptive events at Semeru generated ash plume that rose around 400 m above the summit. The Alert Level remained at 2 (on a scale of 1-4).
Sheveluch | Central Kamchatka (Russia) : KVERT reported that a thermal anomaly over Sheveluch was identified in satellite images during 15-21 February. The Aviation colour Code remained at Orange (the second highest level on a four-colour scale).
Suwanosejima | Ryukyu Islands (Japan) : JMA reported that during 14-21 February incandescence from Suwanosejima’s Ontake Crater was visible nightly. An eruption on 19 February produced a grayish-white ash plume that rose 1.6 km above the crater rim. Ashfall was reported in Toshima village, 4 km SSW. The Alert Level remained at 2 (on a 5-level scale).
Taal | Luzon (Philippines) : PHIVOLCS reported that during 19-24 February steam plumes rose 50-100 m above the vent and drifted SW. Sulfur dioxide emissions were below detectable limits during 19-20 February. According to the Disaster Response Operations Monitoring and Information Center (DROMIC) there were a total of 4,113 people in 15 evacuation centers, and an additional 191,451 people were staying at other locations as of 25 February. PHIVOLCS recommended no entry onto Volcano Island, the area defined as the Permanent Danger Zone.
White Island | North Island (New Zealand) : On 19 February GeoNet reported that White island remained at an elevated state of unrest, confirmed by two overflights of the island for visual observations and data collection. Results from a gas data showed a steady decline on both carbon dioxide and sulfur dioxide flux, though levels were still slightly elevated. Thermal infrared data indicated that the fumarolic gases and the five lobes of lava in the main vent remained very hot at 660 degrees Celsius. A small pond of water had formed in the vent area and small-scale jetting was occurring, similar to September-December 2019 activity. The Volcanic Alert Level remained at 2 and the Aviation colour Code remained at Yellow.
Magnitude 5+ Earthquakes – Global
5.1 earthquake hits the southern mid-Atlantic ridge.
Tropical Storms – Roundup of Tropical Storms:
In the Southern Hemisphere: Tropical cyclone (tc) 20s (Ferdinand), located approximately 342 nm north of Learmonth, Australia, is tracking west-southwestward at 02 knots.
NewsBytes:
South America – Heavy downpours have continued to batter parts of South America. Hundreds of people were evacuated from the northern provinces of Argentina last Thursday due to widespread flooding. Meanwhile, intense thunderstorms accompanied by hail and at least one tornado hit the province of Cordoba on the previous Sunday. The same system went on to affect Brazil and Paraguay, resulting in landslides and flash-flooding which caused widespread destruction.
UK – An emergency evacuation took place as rising waters on the River Severn “overwhelmed” a town’s flood defences. Buckled barriers at Ironbridge, Shropshire, meant water seeped underneath, resulting in police evacuating part of the town. Residents were earlier evacuated from their homes in Bewdley, Worcestershire. There, water came over the top of some of the town’s flood defences. The barriers in both areas have been trying to keep a swollen River Severn from residents’ doors.
Climate Change is Pushing Giant Ocean Currents Poleward
The world’s major wind-driven ocean currents are moving toward the poles at a rate of about a mile every two years, potentially depriving important coastal fishing waters of important nutrients and raising the risk of sea level rise, extreme storms and heatwaves for some adjacent land areas.
The shift was identified in a new study by researchers with the Alfred Wegener Institute at the Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research (AWI) in Bremerhaven, Germany, and published Feb. 25 in the journal Geophysical Research Letters.
The poleward shift is bad news for the East Coast of the U.S., because it makes sea level rise even worse, the researchers said. At about 40 degrees latitude north and south, where the effects of the shifting currents are most evident, sea level rise is already 8 to 12 inches more than in other regions.
On the West Coast, salmon are being pushed out of traditional fishing waters. In densely populated coastal Asia, the changes could unleash more intense rainstorms, and the shift also makes heat waves more likely in subtropical areas.
Eight major wind-driven ocean currents, known as gyres, circulate around vast areas of ocean: three in the Atlantic, three in the Pacific, and one each in the Indian and Antarctic Oceans. The rotating currents shape the weather and ocean ecosystems in coastal regions, where parts of the currents have regional names, like the Gulf Stream along the East Coast of the U.S.
Wildfires – Australia
In a post-mortem of the Australian bushfires, which raged for five months, scientists have concluded that their intensity and duration far surpassed what climate models had predicted, according to a study published yesterday in Nature Climate Change.
The bushfires were far more catastrophic than any climate crisis models out there, leading the scientists to call the devastation, “a fiery wake-up call for climate science,” as the BBC reported.
The study said that the bushfires were “unprecedented” after they burned more than one-fifth of the country’s forests.
In fact, the models were so far off target that not only did they say that fires of such magnitude could not happen this year, but they predicted that fires of this magnitude would not happen before the year 2100.
COVID-19
The coronavirus is spreading more quickly in Europe, the Middle East and other parts of the world than in China where the virus first emerged in the central city of Wuhan at the end of last year. The number of new infections inside China was for the first time overtaken by fresh cases elsewhere on Wednesday, with Italy, Iran and South Korea emerging as new hotspots for COVID-19.
The disease was also detected for the first time in Estonia, Denmark, Georgia, Brazil, Pakistan, Sweden, Norway, Greece, Romania and Algeria.
China – Mainland China reported 433 new cases of coronavirus infections on February 26. The total number of confirmed cases on mainland China has now reached 78,497, the health authority said. The number of new deaths stood at 29, the lowest daily rate since January 28, and down from 52 the previous day. A total of 2,744 people have now died as a result of the outbreak.
South Korea – South Korea reported hundreds of additional cases of the new coronavirus, raising the total tally to 1,766, the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) said.
Lassa fever – Nigeria
Nigerian health officials reported an additional 102 confirmed Lassa fever cases, bringing the total to 689 confirmed cases since the beginning of the year through Feb. 23. This is a slight decrease in cases from the prior week.
Roundup of Global Volcanic Activity – New Activity for the Week 19 February 2020 – 25 February 2020
Huaynaputina | Peru : IGP reported that during 11 and 20-21 February small- to moderate-sized lahars descended the El Volcán drainage, on the S flank of Huaynaputina, and traveled to within 500 m of Quinistaquillas, in the province of Sánchez Cerro, Moquegua region.
Reykjanes | Iceland : On 25 February IMO reported that seismic activity at Reykjanes, in an area N of the town of Grindavík, had significantly decreased during the previous few days, and inflation was not detected in GPS and InSAR data. The Aviation colour Code was lowered to Green. Preliminary data suggested a small deflation signal beginning mid-February, though further analysis was needed for confirmation. The report warned the public not to explore lava tubes in the Eldvörp area as gas measurements showed a dangerous level of oxygen depletion; there are no pre-unrest measurements existing for comparison.
San Miguel | El Salvador : SNET reported that local observers of San Miguel reported a series of rumbling noises that occurred from 1900 on 20 February to 0750 on 21 February. The report noted an increase in amplitude of microearthquakes and minor gas emissions form the main crater. Sulfur dioxide levels had also increased. Beginning at 1055 on 22 February an ash emission that lasted 10 minutes long resulted in a small gas-and-ash plume that rose 400 m above the crater rim. Minor ashfall was reported in the area of Piedra Azul, 5 km SW. RSAM peaked at 510 units during the period of emissions, above the normal values of 150, as recorded by station VSM located on the upper N flank. The number of low-amplitude tremor events increased after a quiet period of about 11 hours and were associated with gas emissions; RSAM was 33-97 units and minor gas plumes were visible rising 400 m during 23-24 February.
Semisopochnoi | United States : AVO reported that intermittent, low-level tremor was detected at Semisopochnoi during 19-25 February. Brief periods of elevated tremor were recorded during 19-20 February. The Aviation colour Code remained at Orange and the Volcano Alert Level remained at Watch.
Magnitude 5+ Earthquakes – Global
5.9 earthquake hits Kepulauan Tanimbar, Indonesia.
5.2 earthquake hits eastern Turkey.
5.2 earthquake hits the Solomon Islands.
5.1 earthquake hits Taiwan.
5.0 earthquake hits Luzon in the Philippines.
5.0 earthquake hits western Kazakhstan.
5.0 earthquake hits Himachal Pradesh, India.
Tropical Storms – Roundup of Tropical Storms:
In the Southern Hemisphere: Tropical cyclone (tc) 20s (Ferdinand), located approximately 362 nm north of Learmonth, Australia, is tracking west-southwestward at 04 knots.
NewsBytes:
Queensland, Australia – An emergency situation has been declared in Queensland’s south-west town of St George because of major flooding. Queensland police issued the warning on Tuesday morning and said St George was bracing for flooding on Tuesday and Wednesday after weekend downpours. The Balonne River may peak at 12.5 metres overnight on Wednesday. The town of Dirranbandi was also preparing for major flooding later in the week.
Jakarta, Indonesia – Floods that have crippled much of Indonesia’s capital worsened Tuesday, inundating thousands of homes and buildings, including the presidential palace, and paralyzing transport networks. Overnight rains caused more rivers to burst their banks in greater Jakarta starting Sunday, sending muddy water up to 5 feet deep into more residential and commercial areas. Floodwaters entered parts of Indonesia’s presidential palace complex Tuesday morning but the situation was brought under control with water pumps.
California’s Snowpack Shrivels
As the comparison of satellite images above shows, last year at this time California’s Sierra Nevada range was buried in snow. And even as recently as January of this year, snowpack was looking pretty good.
But since then, the jet stream has ferried storms north of California, causing the snowpack to shrivel — from about 150 percent of average last February down to just a little more than 50 percent now.
Although the Sierra Nevada covers just a quarter of California, the range provides 60 percent of the state’s fresh water, serving 23 million people. The water also is vital to the state’s agricultural production, which supplies more than a third of the fruits, vegetables, and nuts consumed in the United States.
Wildfires – Canary Islands
Strong winds of up to 120kmph (75mph) carried red sand more than 100km (62 miles) from the Sahara to the archipelago, which is popular with tourists all year round.
The gusts fanned three wildfires, forcing about 2,000 residents to flee their homes in Tenerife and Gran Canaria with whatever belongings they could grab.
The eight islands were on Monday covered in a murky red haze which could be seen from space – and which witnesses described as resembling the surface of Mars.
COVID-19
China – The UN health agency put the number of new cases in China at 411 on Tuesday and those registered outside the country stood at 427.
Italy – A 12th person has died in northern Italy of coronavirus, while the number of confirmed cases has risen to 374, an increase of more than 50 on the day before.
Iran – Iran’s state television says 19 more people were killed by the coronavirus and the total number of confirmed cases rose to 139.
Kuwait – Kuwait’s health ministry said that the number of people diagnosed with coronavirus in the country rose to 25 after 13 more cases were confirmed.
South Korea – South Korea has reported 115 new cases, bringing the total to 1,261, according to Korea’s Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC).
Magnitude 5+ Earthquakes – Global
5.2 earthquake hits Fiji.
5.2 earthquake hits near the coast of northern Peru.
5.0 earthquake hits the South Sandwich Islands.
Tropical Storms – Roundup of Tropical Storms:
In the Southern Hemisphere: Tropical cyclone (tc) 20s (Ferdinand), located approximately 436 nm north-northeast of Learmonth, Australia, is tracking southwestward at 04 knots.
NewsBytes:
Indonesia – Parts of Indonesian capital and its suburbs were flooded after two tropical cyclones off the nation’s coast triggered extremely heavy rainfall, inundating houses in low-lying areas and forcing evacuation of hundreds of residents. More than 200 spots of flooding were reported in Jakarta and the satellite cities of Bekasi and Tangerang with the water level in Ciliwung river that runs through the capital rising to dangerous level.
UK – Hundreds of schools have been forced to close across Northern England due to heavy snow and rain battering the region. The Met Office has issued several yellow warnings as wintry conditions continue across Britain in the wake of Storm Dennis and torrential rain threatens to flood more towns. The yellow warnings indicate a “danger to life”, and drivers are being advised to exercise caution while travelling.
Blinding solar storms could be the cause of whale strandings
Grey whales may be “blinded” by solar storms, according to a new study published in the journal Current Biology. The solar activity interferes with the whales’ internal magnetic navigation system, causing them to become stranded on the shore, often resulting in death.
Many species of whales have been observed undertaking mammoth seasonal migrations that take them from ocean regions rich with food to their traditional breeding grounds. Depending on the species, a whale can travel upwards of 10,000 miles (16,100 km) on a single migratory round trip, which often takes the vast marine mammals close to shorelines.
Sadly, each year seemingly healthy whales are found stranded on shorelines across the globe, where, without intervention, they inevitably die.
During a solar storm high-energy particles are ejected from our Sun’s atmosphere, and rush outward into the solar system. These particles interact with Earth’s geomagnetic field, sometimes disrupting it to such an extent that it can affect the behavior of organisms that rely on it to navigate.
The study revealed that the chance of a stranding was around twice as high on days during which spots occurred on the Sun’s surface, than on randomly selected days when they did not. This suggests that the whales rely on a form of magnetic navigation to maintain a true course during their long migrations.
The research details two ways that the solar activity could have confused the whales’ magnetic instinct.
It is possible that the whales were becoming stranded as a result of a deviation in Earth’s magnetic field brought on by an interaction with charged particles from the Sun, tricking the whales into thinking that they are in the wrong place.
Secondly, the solar particles could lead to an increase in solar radio flux, which according to the study is the “globally averaged measure of radio frequency (RF).” This radio noise has been known to interfere with several species’ magnetic navigation capabilities, and so could be “blinding” the whales’ biological sensors.
Visiting Hippo
Customers were treated to a rare sight when a big hippo dropped by a petrol garage in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa over the weekend. The animal was spotted strolling into the Engen/OK Express garage in St Lucia on the KwaZulu-Natal north coast on Sunday night and was recorded by a passerby.
COVID-19
China – China reported 508 new cases and 71 new deaths on Tuesday in an outbreak of the coronavirus that has spread to other parts of Asia, the Middle East, Africa, North America and Europe, infecting more than 80,000 globally. The updates bring mainland China’s totals to 77,658 cases and 2,663 deaths.
South Korea, which reported 144 more cases of the new virus, bringing its total to 977 with ten deaths. Meanwhile, Iran’s death toll has risen to 15 among 64 reported cases.
The Italian Ministry of Health reports 219 people are infected with the new SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus in Italy. Of these 5 people have died and one person has recovered.
Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) – Saudi Arabia
From 1 December 2019 through 31 January 2020, the National IHR Focal Point of Saudi Arabia reported 19 additional cases of MERS-CoV infection, including 8 associated deaths.
Measles – DR Congo
The measles outbreak that affected more than 300,000 people and killing more than 6,000 in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) last year continues into 2020, albeit slowing. Since the beginning of the year, 20,475 measles cases and 252 deaths have been reported.
Magnitude 5+ Earthquakes – Global
5.8 earthquake hits the Turkey-Iran border.
5.2 earthquake hits the Kuril Islands.
5.1 earthquake hits the Bonin Islands off Japan.
Tropical Storms – Roundup of Tropical Storms:
In the Southern Hemisphere: Tropical cyclone (tc) 19p (Esther), located approximately 454 nm southeast of Darwin, Australia, is tracking westward at 09 knots.
Tropical cyclone (tc) 20s (Ferdinand), located approximately 521 nm north-northeast of Learmonth, Australia, is tracking southwestward at 07 knots.
NewsBytes:
Indonesia – At least eight students have been killed and two others are missing after a flash flood hit a high school group who were hiking along a river on Indonesia’s main island of Java. About 250 students were trekking on the banks of the Sembor River in Donokerto village in Sleman, Yogyakarta on Friday when high waters pulled some students in, drowning them.
Australia’s Great Barrier Reef shows signs of new coral bleaching
The government agency tasked with monitoring the health of Australia’s Great Barrier Reef has detected signs of heat stress in several coral regions, increasing the prospects of another major bleaching event.
The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority said on Thursday that a prolonged period of warmer than usual ocean currents has led to water temperatures that are 2 to 3°C above average for February, which is already the hottest month of the year on the reef.
Climate-sensitive bird hints at global warming’s lasting impact
It’s hard to be a bird these days.
Take the black-throated blue warbler. The migration patterns of this small songbird have been slowly but steadily changing over the past 50 years, according to a study published Thursday in the journal The Auk: Ornithological Advances.
The timing of the bird’s flight patterns has been advancing, with its spring migration occurring around one day earlier per decade. While the warbler isn’t facing the same risks as some of its other feathered friends, it’s the kind of small but unignorable change that ornithologists are becoming all too familiar with.
Birds are very susceptible to changes, and they are really good indicators of what’s happening around them in their physical environment. This has made birds a particularly important part of understanding the growing impact of climate change.
COVID-19
China – China had 150 new confirmed deaths from the coronavirus on Sunday. The national health commission also confirmed 409 new infections during the current period, down from 648 reported a day earlier. The total number of confirmed coronavirus cases on the mainland is now 77,150, and 2,592 have died from the outbreak, the commission said.
South Korea’s cases continued to balloon, reaching 833 with seven confirmed deaths.
In Italy, at least 152 cases and four deaths have been reported in the country’s north, prompting emergency measures in Europe.
Meanwhile, Turkey, Pakistan and Armenia have closed their borders with Iran, as authorities reported 43 coronavirus infections and 12 deaths.
Kuwait reported three cases, while Bahrain and Iraq each confirmed one, bringing the number of countries in the Middle East with the virus, known as COVID-19, to eight.
Dengue Fever – Easter Island
On 7 February 2020, the Chile IHR National Focal Point informed the Pan American Health Organization / World Health Organization (PAHO/WHO) of the detection of three confirmed cases of autochthonous dengue fever reported on Easter Island.
Magnitude 5+ Earthquakes – Global
5.7 earthquake hits the Turkey-Iran border.
5.3 earthquake hits Mindanao in the Philippines.
Two 5.2 earthquakes hits Tonga.
5.2 earthquake hits the west Chile rise.
Two 5.1 earthquakes hit the Molucca Sea.
5.1 earthquake hits Mindanao in the Philippines.
5.0 earthquake hits Coquimbo, Chile.
5.0 earthquake hits the west Chile rise.
Tropical Storms – Roundup of Tropical Storms:
In the Southern Hemisphere: Tropical cyclone (tc) 18p (Wasi), located approximately 163 nm south of Pago Pago, American Samoa, is tracking south-southwestward at 11 knots.
NewsBytes:
UK – A third consecutive weekend of stormy weather brought further flooding to already sodden areas, and strong winds of up to 75 mph were expected to affect swathes of the northern half of the UK, as large parts of south Wales and northern and central England grappled with the impact of storms Ciara and Dennis. There was also heavy snowfall in Scotland. People have had to be rescued from their homes after the Yorkshire Dales was hit by flooding following heavy overnight rain.
Peru – Heavy rain in the mountains of Peru triggered flash flooding and deadly landslides while displacing hundreds of families from their homes in multiple districts across the country. Three people have been confirmed dead by the Ministry of Health following a landslide in Tacna, Peru. Almost two dozen more were injured in the slide with two cases being reported as serious injuries.
Dwindling Colorado River
The Colorado River — which provides water to more than 40 million people from Denver to Los Angeles — has seen its flow dwindle by 20 percent compared to the last century, and scientists have found that climate change is mainly to blame.
The researchers found that more than half of the decline in the river’s flow is connected to increasing temperatures, and as warming continues, they say the risk of “severe water shortages” for the millions that rely on it is expected to grow.
For each 1.8 degrees Fahrenheit of warming averaged across the river’s basin, the study found that its flow has decreased by nearly 10%. Over the course of the 20th and early 21st centuries, the region has already warmed by an average of roughly 1.6 degrees Fahrenheit.
The Colorado River starts high in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado and Wyoming, before snaking its way across the Southwest on its way to the Gulf of California. But by the time it arrives there, its flow is reduced to a trickle, says Brad Udall, a senior climate scientist at Colorado State University who has studied the Colorado River basin for 30 years. En route, water is diverted to supply major cities like Denver, Los Angeles, Las Vegas and San Diego, as well as farms in the US and Mexico that grow the vegetables that feed millions around the world.
Global warming is taking a severe toll on the snowpack that feeds the river, the scientists found. As temperatures increase, snow cover in the region is declining, meaning less energy from the sun is reflected back into space and more warms the ground as heat.
This triggers a vicious cycle that leads to even more evaporation and therefore, less water supply.
The river’s flow has also been diminished by a severe drought that’s spanned much of the last two decades, leaving its two main reservoirs — Lake Powell and Lake Mead — barely half full.
Wildfires – Ghana
Over 170 farmlands have been destroyed by bushfires in the Atebubu Amantin municipality of the Bono East Region, posing a serious threat to the government’s flagship agricultural policy, the Planting for Food and Jobs program.
COVID-19
China – In total, China has reported 76,936 infections and 2,442 deaths.
According to available data, the disease remains mild in 80 percent of patients and severe or critical in 20 percent. The virus has been fatal in 2 percent of reported cases.
South Korea – New coronavirus cases in the country jumped by 123 to 556 on Sunday and the death toll rose to five, according to the Korea Centers for Disease and Control and Prevention.
Magnitude 5+ Earthquakes – Global
5.2 earthquake hits the Bonin Islands off Japan.
5.2 earthquake hits the Andreanof Islands in the Aleutian Islands.
Tropical Storms – Roundup of Tropical Storms:
In the Southern Hemisphere: Tropical cyclone (tc) 17p (Vicky), located approximately 109 nm north of Niue, is tracking south-southeastward at 11 knots.
Tropical cyclone (tc) 18p (Wasi), located approximately 118 nm west of Pago Pago, American Samoa, is tracking southeastward at 10 knots.
COVID-19
China – In mainland China, the number of new infections fell significantly to 397, with another 109 people dying of the disease. The new figures bring the total number of cases in mainland China to 76,288 with 2,345 deaths.
South Korea – South Korea confirmed 52 more cases of novel coronavirus on Friday as the number of infections linked to a religious sect in Daegu spiked, making it the worst-affected country outside China. Thirty-nine of the new cases were connected to the Shincheonji Church of Jesus in the southern city of Daegu, the Korea Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) said, taking the country’s overall figure to 204.
Italy – The first European to succumb to the coronavirus has died in Italy, just hours after 10 towns were locked down following a flurry of new cases. Italian health officials reported at least 16 COVID-19 cases today.
Iran – Iranian health officials reported an additional 13 COVID-19 cases and three deaths today. Total cases stand at 28 with 4 deaths.
Yellow Fever – Uganda
From 4 November through 14 February 2020, eight laboratory confirmed cases of yellow fever in Buliisa (3), Maracha (1) and Moyo (4); including four deaths (CFR 50%), were detected through the national surveillance system.
Magnitude 5+ Earthquakes – Global
5.9 earthquake hits near the east coast of Kamchatka.
5.4 earthquake hits the Banda Sea.
5.1 earthquake hits western Xizang, China.
Tropical Storms – Roundup of Tropical Storms:
In the Southern Hemisphere: Tropical cyclone (tc) 17p (Vicky), located approximately 84 nm south of Pago Pago, is tracking southward at 09 knots.
Ice Volcanos
A phenomenon that might seem more likely on an alien world was captured by a photographer from the National Weather Service in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
A pair of ice “volcanoes” were spouting through the expanding ice shelf of Lake Michigan during a frigid blast from the north. The formations spewed water as waves on the lake passed under the ice shelf, forcing the water up through the cracks in the previously formed cones.
The spewing water froze almost instantly in the bitter chill, causing the ice volcanoes to grow even larger. Lake-goers were warned not to venture near the dangerous hollow structures.
Seafood Soup
Freakishly warm water off the northern tip of New Zealand during early February cooked up to 500,000 wild mussels alive in an event linked to climate change.
Auckland resident Brandon Ferguson discovered the dead mollusks as he waded through water choked with mussel shells. Similar die-offs have been observed in New Zealand during recent years involving clams and cockles.
“The common denominators seem to be really hot conditions with lots of sunlight and unusually calm waters for an extended period,” said Waikato University marine ecologist Chris Battershill.
Insect Invaders
Researchers say they have found different types of insects that have managed to get a foothold in Antarctica, apparently able to survive on and around the frozen continent.
It is not known if Eretmoptera murphyi, the subantarctic flightless chironomid midge, arrived by boat or plane, in the clothing of scientists or from larvae in a container of water. But scientists say it presents a potential danger to the delicate ecosystem and can’t be eradicated with insecticide.
Uruguayan polar scientists found an invasive crane fly, Trichocera maculipennis, which also threatens to expand its territory.
Global Temperature Extremes
The week’s hottest temperature was 113 degrees Fahrenheit (45.0 degrees Celsius) in Vredendal. South Africa.
The week’s coldest temperature was minus 67.0 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 55.0 degrees Celsius) at Vostok, 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.
COVID-19
China – Mainland China had 118 new deaths from the coronavirus outbreak by the end of Thursday, the national health commission reported on Friday, pushing the number of deaths nationwide to at least 2,236. Beijing also reported 1,109 new confirmed cases of the disease during the same period, sharply up from 349 cases the previous day, reversing three days of decline.
Canada – Officials in British Columbia reported on the sixth COVID-19 case in the province this week, the ninth in Canada.
Iran – Iranian health officials have reported three additional coronavirus cases, bringing the total to five.
Ebola – DR Congo
During the past week, the incidence of new Ebola virus disease (EVD) cases has remained low. From 12 to 18 February, one new confirmed case was reported.
Roundup of Global Volcanic Activity – Ongoing Activity for the Week 12 February 2020 – 18 February 2020
Aira | Kyushu (Japan) : JMA reported that during 10-17 February there were 13 explosions and seven non-explosive eruptive events detected by the Minamidake Crater (at Aira Caldera’s Sakurajima volcano) seismic network. Ash plumes rose as high as 1.4 km above the crater rim and material was ejected 600-900 m away from the crater. Crater incandescence was visible at night. The Alert Level remained at 3 (on a 5-level scale).
Asosan | Kyushu (Japan) : JMA reported that eruptive activity at Asosan was recorded during 10-17 February. Ash plumes rose 900-1,300 m above the crater rim and caused ashfall in areas downwind. The sulfur dioxide emission rate continued to be at a high level. The Alert Level remained at 2 (on a scale of 1-5).
Dukono | Halmahera (Indonesia) : Based on satellite and wind model data, the Darwin VAAC reported that during 13-17 February ash plumes from Dukono rose to 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 the public was 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 12-13 February that sent ash plumes up to 1.5 km (5,000 ft) a.s.l. Ash plumes drifted E and caused ashfall in Severo-Kurilsk. The Aviation colour Code remained at Orange (the second highest level on a four-colour scale).
Fuego | Guatemala : INSIVUMEH reported that there were 8-16 explosions per hour recorded at Fuego during 12-18 February, generating ash plumes that rose as high as 1.1 km above the crater rim and generally drifted 10-22 km SW and W. Ashfall was reported in several areas downwind including Santa Sofía (12 km SW), Morelia (9 km SW), Panimaché I and II (8 km SW), Finca Palo Verde, San Pedro Yepocapa (8 km NW), Sangre de Cristo (8 km WSW), El Porvenir (8 km ENE), Alotenángo (8 km ENE), and La Soledad (11 km N). Explosions sometimes produced shock waves that rattled houses in communities within an 8-km radius. Incandescent material was ejected 150-500 m high and caused avalanches of material that occasionally traveled long distances (reaching vegetated areas) down the Seca (W), Taniluyá (SW), Ceniza (SSW), Trinidad (S), Honda, and Las Lajas (SE) ravines. Lava flows in the Ceniza drainage were 700-800 m long during 13-17 February and lengthened to 1.2 km during 17-18 February.
Ibu | Halmahera (Indonesia) : PVMBG reported that on 16 February an ash plume from Ibu rose at least 800 m above the summit (6,800 ft a.s.l.) and drifted W. The Darwin VAAC stated that on 17 February an ash plume rose to 2.1 km (7,000 ft) a.s.l. and drifted SE. 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.
Kerinci | Indonesia : PVMBG reported that at 0600 on 16 February and at 0048 on 17 February brown ash emissions rose 400 m above Kerinci’s summit and drifted SW. The Alert Level remained at 2 (on a scale of 1-4), and the public was warned to remain outside of the 3-km exclusion zone.
Klyuchevskoy | Central Kamchatka (Russia) : KVERT reported that Strombolian activity at Klyuchevskoy was visible during 7-14 February, and a thermal anomaly was identified in satellite images those same days. The Aviation colour Code remained at Orange.
Merapi | Central Java (Indonesia) : PVMBG reported that during 7-12 February white plumes rose as high as 400 m above Merapi’s summit lava dome. The volume of the dome was an estimated 407,000 cubic meters on 12 February based on drone photos, similar to 19 November 2019 measurements. An eruption at 0516 on 13 February lasted two and a half minutes and produced an ash plume that rose about 2 km above the summit and drifted NW. Ashfall was reported in areas within a 10-km radius especially to the S, including the villages of Hargobinangun, Glagaharjo, and Kepuharjo. Video of the event showed incandescent material being ejected above the lava dome and lightning in the ash cloud. The Alert Level remained at 2 (on a scale of 1-4), and residents were warned to stay outside of the 3-km exclusion zone.
Nishinoshima | Japan : Based on satellite images and a pilot observation, the Tokyo VAAC reported that on 15 February an ash plume from Nishinoshima rose to 3 km (10,000 ft) a.s.l. and drifted E.
Sangay | Ecuador | 2.005°S, 78.341°W | Elevation 5286 m
IG reported that a permanent monitoring station located near the base of Sangay was repaired during 26 January-1 February and had begun to again transmit data in real time. The technician reported constant ash emissions during the expedition. A high level of activity persisted at Sangay during 12-18 February, though weather clouds often prevented visual confirmation. Ash, steam, and gas plumes rose 570-870 m above the summit and drifted W and SW according to Washington VAAC advisories. A webcam recorded lava blocks descending the SE flank on 17 February.
Sheveluch | Central Kamchatka (Russia) : KVERT reported that a thermal anomaly over Sheveluch was identified in satellite images during 7-14 February. The Aviation colour Code remained at Orange (the second highest level on a four-colour scale).
Suwanosejima | Ryukyu Islands (Japan) : JMA reported that during 7-14 February incandescence from Suwanosejima’s Ontake Crater was visible nightly. Very small eruptions during 9-10 February produced ash plumes that rose 700 m above the crater rim. Rumbling and ashfall was reported in a village 4 km SSW. The Alert Level remained at 2 (on a 5-level scale).
Magnitude 5+ Earthquakes – Global
5.4 earthquake hits Mindanao in the Philippines.
5.2 earthquake hits Guam.
5.1 earthquake hits the South Sandwich Islands.
5.1 earthquake hits south of the Kermedec Islands.
5.0 earthquake hits the Bouvet Islands.
Tropical Storms – Roundup of Tropical Storms:
There are no current tropical storms.
Oil and gas production is contributing even more to global warming than was thought
Among greenhouse gases, carbon dioxide is the most significant contributor to global warming and therefore, public enemy No. 1 when it comes to stopping the climate crisis.
But methane — the main component in natural gas and an even more effective heat-trapping gas — is a close second. Scientists say that atmospheric methane is now responsible for about 25 percent of the human-caused warming we see today.
Now, a new study finds that methane emissions from fossil fuels are between 25% and 40% larger than past research had estimated, revealing that oil and gas production is contributing far more to warming the planet than previously thought.
The study, published Wednesday in the scientific journal Nature, sheds new light on just how much fossil fuel production and use is changing the atmosphere — and in turn, warming the planet.
Locust Swarms Arrive in South Sudan
Swarms of locusts which are wreaking havoc across East Africa have now arrived in South Sudan, the government said on Tuesday, threatening more misery in one of the world’s most vulnerable nations.
Billions of desert locusts, some in swarms the size of Moscow, have already chomped their way through Ethiopia, Somalia, Kenya, Djibouti, Eritrea, Tanzania, Sudan and Uganda.
Their breeding has been spurred by one of the wettest rainy seasons in the region in four decades.
Experts have warned the main March-to-May cropping season is at risk. Eggs laid along the locusts’ path are due to hatch and create a second wave of the insects in key agricultural areas.
The arrival of the locusts could be catastrophic in South Sudan, where war followed by drought and floods has already left six million people – 60% of the population – facing severe hunger.
COVID-19
China – China’s National Health Commission reported on Thursday said at least 114 new deaths from the coronavirus outbreak as of the end of Wednesday, bringing to at least 2,118 the number of fatalities nationwide. The national health commission also reported 394 new confirmed cases, significantly lower than the 1,749 cases reported nationwide the previous day, bringing the total to 74,576.
South Korea – The South Korea CDC has seen the number of COVID-19 cases soar over the past 48 hours from a few dozen to more than 100 today. The latest figures show there are now 104 confirmed cases and two deaths.
Japan – Japan has reported 2 deaths from the Diamond Princess Cruise Liner.
Iran – Iranian health officials reported earlier today of the first two COVID-19 cases in the country in the city of Qom. They later confirmed that both the patients died.
Roundup of Global Volcanic Activity – New Activity for the Week 12 February 2020 – 18 February 2020
Kuchinoerabujima | Ryukyu Islands (Japan) : JMA reported that at 1211 on 13 February a very small eruption at Kuchinoerabujima’s Shindake Crater produced a grayish white plume that rose 300 m above the crater rim and drifted NE. The Alert Level remained at 3 (the middle level on a scale of 1-5).
Piton de la Fournaise | Reunion Island (France) : OVPF reported that the longest-travelling lava flow that began to effuse on 10 February from fissures on the E flank of Piton de la Fournaise’s Dolomieu Crater was no longer advancing by 13 February. The end of the longest active flow was located below Marco Crater around 1,900 m elevation, based on field an aerial observations. A cone was building over three vents and had grown to 30 m high; lava fountains from the three vents rose 10-15 m above the rim of the cone. Tremor levels rapidly decreased around 1400 on 15 February, though inclement weather conditions prevented visual confirmation of changes to the surficial activity. Observers noted no activity while aboard an overflight during 0730-0800 on 16 February, though tremor continued to be recorded. By 1412 tremor ceased, signifying the end of lava effusion.
Reykjanes | Iceland : On 15 February IMO reported that seismicity at Reykjanes, in an area N of the town of Grindavík, remained above background levels even though activity had been decreasing since the end of January. Two earthquakes larger than M 3 were detected; one of them, an M 3.1, was recorded at 0826 on 14 February. The rate of deformation had slightly increased. The Aviation Code remained at Yellow.
Semisopochnoi | United States : A series of explosions and tremor bursts at Semisopochnoi were detected by the seismic network beginning on 14 February, prompting AVO to raise the Aviation Colour Code to Orange and the Volcano Alert Level to Watch. Tremor bursts lasting from three to twelve minutes every few hours were recorded the next day. Ash plumes were not visible, though a weather cloud deck persisted between 1.5 and 4.6 km (5,000 and 15,000 ft) a.s.l. Seismic data continued to record small explosions and tremor bursts lasting from six to ten minutes every few hours on 16 February, but by 17 February there were almost no events recorded. Weather clouds continued to obscure views of the volcano.
Magnitude 5+ Earthquakes – Global
There have been no magnitude 5+ earthquakes so far today.
Tropical Storms – Roundup of Tropical Storms:
There are no current tropical storms.
NewsBytes:
Afghanistan – At least 21 people have died in avalanches in the Daykundi province in Afghanistan. Another 10 people have been injured. About 50 houses have been destroyed by the avalanches.
Indonesia – At least 422 residents of Penajam district in North Penajam Paser regency – the planned location of Indonesia’s new capital in East Kalimantan – have been affected by floods that hit the area on Tuesday morning.
Novel Coronavirus
The number of deaths from the coronavirus outbreak in mainland China rose by 136, pushing the nationwide death toll to 2,004, the country’s National Health Commission reported on Wednesday.
At least 132 of the fatalities were from Hubei province, the epicentre of the epidemic.
Nationwide, there were a further 1,749 new confirmed cases, bringing the total number of infections across the country to 74,185.
Magnitude 5+ Earthquakes – Global
5.7 earthquake hits north of Svalbard.
5.2 earthquake hits the Bonin Islands off Japan.
5.1 earthquake hits offshore Male, Chile.
Tropical Storms – Roundup of Tropical Storms:
In the Southern Hemisphere: Tropical cyclone (tc) 16s (Gabekile), located approximately 827 nm south-southeast of Diego Garcia, is tracking east-southeastward at 02 knots.
NewsBytes:
Europe – After battering the UK with force winds and flooding, Storm Dennis moved further north with strong winds and heavy rains which caused flooding, road closures and electricity outages across the Nordic and Baltic regions and forced the cancellation of several ferries between Denmark and Norway. In Denmark, the southwestern city of Kolding was flooded as gale force winds and heavy rains battered the area. In nearby Horsens, police protectively evacuated residents near Bygholm Lake out of fear that a levee would collapse.
Permafrost is thawing so fast it’s gouging holes in the Arctic
Residents of the small Alaskan town Kongiganak can no longer bury their dead. Their cemetery has become a marshy swamp, sucking graves into the once frozen ground. On the island of Sarichef near the Bering Strait, the village of Shishmaref is shrinking so fast locals are considering relocating it entirely.
Global warming has shown that permafrost is not so permanent after all. And as it begins to melt, it is reshaping the Arctic. The rapidly thawing ice layer is creating great sinkholes and hollows across the region as the ground begins to collapse in on itself. Erosion and landslides have become a problem without the ice that once held the soil together.
Permafrost – any area of land that remains frozen for at least two years – can vary from less than a metre thick to more than 1,500 metres. Some of it is tens of thousands of years old. In some areas, it is simply frozen rock. But in other parts, soils and organic matter have acted like a sponge and taken in water which has subsequently frozen. As ice, water takes up a larger volume than its liquid form, but once melted, great pits are created in the land.
Novel Coronavirus
Today, Chinese officials reported 1886 new confirmed cases and 98 new deaths (93 in Hubei, and 3 in Henan). To date, 72,436 confirmed cases have been reported in China, including 1,868 deaths.
Monkeypox – DR Congo
From the beginning of the year through January 26, 2020, 222 monkeypox cases were reported in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), according to the World Health Organization (WHO). Four deaths have been recorded.
Crimean Congo hemorrhagic fever – Uganda
he World Health Organization (WHO) is reporting a Crimean Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF) in Uganda.
Typhoid – Haiti
The Mayor of the commune of Mont-Organisé , in North-East department, said todaythat Typhoid fever is raging because of the poor quality of the water consumed by the population.
Magnitude 5+ Earthquakes – Global
5.5 earthquake hits southern Iran.
5.5 earthquake hits south of the Kermedec Islands.
5.2 earthquake hits Antofagasta, Chile.
5.2 earthquake hits the South Sandwich Islands.
Tropical Storms – Roundup of Tropical Storms:
In the Southern Hemisphere: Tropical cyclone (tc) 16s (Gabekile), located approximately 809 nm south of Diego Garcia, is tracking north-northeastward at 04 knots.
NewsBytes:
UK – Major incidents have been declared in south Wales and parts of England, as Storm Dennis batters the UK. South Wales Police has been dealing with “multiple” landslides and floods – some trapping residents. Homes have also been flooded, while police in Worcestershire are searching for a person who is feared to have been swept into the River Teme. More than 700 flood warnings and alerts are in place across the UK, as of 23:45 GMT on Sunday. There are currently eight severe flood warnings in England, which mean there is a danger to life.
Indian Ocean Dipole
Many parts of Kenya have been experiencing torrential rainfall for a couple of months now. This has resulted in floods and landslides.
The unusual weather can be attributed to the Indian Ocean Dipole. This is the difference in sea surface temperatures between the eastern and western tropical Indian Ocean.
In Kenya, when warmer sea surface temperatures are experienced heavy rainfall occurs, while hot dry conditions (conducive for wildfires) are experienced in Australia. When warmer sea surface temperatures are experienced off the West Coast of Australia, Australia is likely to experience heavy rainfall, while Kenya experiences drought conditions.
The larger the difference in temperatures between the eastern and western tropical Indian Ocean, the more severe the climatic effects will be.
This event is similar to the El Niño Southern Oscillation that occurs in the tropical Pacific Ocean.
Climate change opens up ‘frontier’ farmland
Kenya’s livestock herders planting chilli peppers, Pakistan’s mountain farmers rearing fish and tropical fruits in Sicily – farmers around the world are already shifting what they grow and breed to cope with rising temperatures and erratic weather.
In a few more decades, potatoes from the Russian tundra and corn from once-frigid areas of Canada could be added to the list as vast swathes of land previously unsuited to agriculture open up to farmers on a hotter planet.
Climate change could expand farmland globally by almost a third, a study by international researchers found this week.
They examined which new areas may become suitable for growing 12 key crops including rice, sugar, wheat, oil palm, cassava and soy.
“In a warming world, Canada’s North may become our breadbasket of the future,” the scientists wrote.
But, they warned, opening up new “agricultural frontiers” would also bring significant environmental threats, including a risk of increased planet-warming emissions from soils.
Novel Coronavirus
China’s National Health Commission has announced that the death toll from the coronavirus outbreak in mainland China reached 1,770 as of the end of Sunday, up by 105 from the previous day. At least 100 of the new deaths were from the province of Hubei, the epicentre of the epidemic, the Commission said on Monday morning. Across the country, there were 2,048 new confirmed infections, about 1,933 from Hubei alone, pushing the new total to 70,548.
Dengue Fever – Philippines
Health officials with the Philippines reported a cumulative 15,817 dengue fever cases, including 45 deaths through February 7 this year.
Magnitude 5+ Earthquakes – Global
5.5 earthquake hits Taiwan.
5.5 earthquake hits the Cream Sea, Indonesia.
5.5 earthquake hits the Kuril Islands.
5.4 earthquake hits the Molucca Sea.
5.2 earthquake hits Fiji.
5.2 earthquake hits Taiwan.
5.1 earthquake hits Taiwan.
5.0 earthquake hits the Batan Islands in the Philippines.
Tropical Storms – Roundup of Tropical Storms:
In the Southern Hemisphere: Tropical cyclone (tc) 16s (Gabekile), located approximately 689 nm south of Diego Garcia, is tracking south-southeastward at 08 knots.
NewsBytes:
UK – Storm Dennis is expected to batter the UK this weekend with winds of up to 70mph and more than a month’s rain expected to fall in just two days in some areas, with hundreds of homes at risk of flooding. With the country hit by horrendous weather for the second weekend in a row, the military is being sent to Calderdale, West Yorkshire, on Saturday to support the recovery and bolster preparations for the latest storm. More than 200 flights have been cancelled, with amber and yellow warnings for rain and wind in place across large swaths of the country from Saturday lunchtime until Sunday evening.
Zimbabwe – Heavy rains have once again hit the eastern province as flash floods damaged bypasses erected to allow for repair works on bridges destroyed by last year’s violent rains. At least two bridges have been swept away in Chimanimani, while cases of flash floods were also reported in Chipinge.
Global warming may cut lifespan of many species
Global warming could reduce the lifespan of hundreds of cold-blooded species around the world, a study by Israeli and Irish researchers has warned.
Researchers from Tel Aviv University and Queen’s University Belfast analyzed data from more than 4,100 land vertebrate species to test the long-accepted “rate of living” theory, which predicts that the faster the metabolic rate of an organism, the shorter the lifespan.
The researchers found that rates of aging in cold-blooded organisms are linked to high temperatures. Proposing an alternative hypothesis, their findings suggest that the hotter the environment is, the faster the rate of living – which in turn leads to more accelerated aging and a shorter lifespan. If increasing ambient temperatures reduces longevity, it may make these species more prone to go extinct as the climate warms.
Accordingly, global warming could reduce the lifespan of many cold-blooded species, subject to accelerated aging. The findings were published on Friday in Global Ecology and Biogeography, a bimonthly peer-reviewed scientific journal.
Busy Week for Antarctica
This week, an iceberg the size of Atlanta broke off the Pine glacier. Researchers discovered a dramatic decline in Antarctic penguin colonies. And Antarctica may have just registered its hottest temperature ever.
These events are all consistent with trends seen in Antarctica over the past few years. The Antarctic Peninsula, where the potentially record-breaking February temperatures were logged, is one of the fastest-warming regions on the planet.
The decline of the Antarctic penguin colonies provides evidence of the effects of this broader warming on the animals that inhabit these sensitive regions. The number of penguins on Elephant Island, where a recently released survey took place, is half what it was at the last survey in 1971. Climate change has removed these penguins’ primary food source, krill. Penguins, seals and whales all depend on krill, which depends on ice. So if climate change affects the ice, that impacts on everything else.
Another unusually high temperature was logged in the Antarctic Peninsula on February 9, when a weather station on Seymour Island produced a reading of almost 70 degrees.
Novel Coronavirus
France – French health officials have reported the first death due to the new coronavirus. The case is a 80-year-old Chinese tourist who has been hospitalized for some three weeks. To date, France has reported 11 confirmed COVID-19 cases- 7 men, 4 women.
China – More than 1,700 health workers in China have been infected with the new coronavirus, according to Chinese officials and six have died from the disease.
Magnitude 5+ Earthquakes – Global
5.5 earthquake hits the Pacific-Antarctic ridge.
5.1 earthquake hits the South Sandwich Islands.
5.1 earthquake hits southern Xinjiang, China.
5.0 earthquake hits offshore El Salvador.
Tropical Storms – Roundup of Tropical Storms:
In the Southern Hemisphere: Tropical cyclone (tc) 13s (Francisco), located approximately 88 nm east-southeast of Antananarivo, Madagascar, is tracking southwestward at 03 knots.
Tropical cyclone (tc) 16s (Sixteen), located approximately 564 nm south-southeast of Diego Garcia, is tracking south-southwestward at 08 knots.
NewsBytes:
Mississippi, USA – As much as 10 inches (25 centimeters) of rain pelted a wide section of Mississippi from Monday through Thursday, the National Weather Service said. Trash cans and ducks floated through a neighborhood along a rain-swollen river in Mississippi on Friday as residents packed up what they could and fled to higher ground to escape what authorities warned could be devastating weekend flooding. Nearly a foot of water surrounded dozens of mobile homes in the community. A few miles to the south, flood maps showed waters could cover streets in downtown Jackson and be within a few blocks of Mississippi’s Capitol building by Sunday.
Novel Coronavirus
The death toll from a new coronavirus epidemic in China surged past 1,500 on Saturday, a day after people returning to the capital from holidays were ordered to quarantine themselves for 14 days to try to contain the virus’s spread.
More than two dozen countries have confirmed cases and several nations have suspended trade and travel links with China in a bid to contain the spread of the virus. Three deaths have been recorded outside mainland China – one in Hong Kong one in the Philippines, and the most recent in Japan.
Magnitude 5+ Earthquakes – Global
6.9 earthquake hits the Kuril Islands.
5.2 earthquake hits the Banda Sea.
5.2 earthquake hits New Ireland, Papua New Guinea.
5.0 earthquake hits the Andreanof Islands in the Aleutian Islands.
Tropical Storms – Roundup of Tropical Storms:
In the Southern Hemisphere: Tropical cyclone (tc) 13s (Francisco), located approximately 114 nm east of Antananarivo, Madagascar, is tracking southwestward at 04 knots.
NewsBytes:
England – Stormy weather and a high tide have combined to cause flooding in coastal towns in Cornwall. Some businesses have been affected in Looe, with streets underwater, and in Fowey. Roads across Devon and Cornwall have been flooded after torrential rain battered the region overnight. Earlier, the Torpoint Ferry service – which connects the two counties – had been suspended “due to extreme flooding”.
Radiation Eating Fungus
Scientists say they have begun to experiment with a type of fungus that feeds on radiation around Ukraine’s crippled Chernobyl nuclear power plant and shows promise of protecting humans and equipment from radiation.
While Cryptococcus neoformans has been known to science for more than a century, it was only recently found to have properties that can block radiation.
The fungus contains melanin that absorbs radiation and turns it into chemical energy. It can also decompose radioactive materials such as the hot graphite debris from the Chernobyl blasts.
Astronauts aboard the International Space Station recently received samples of the melanin derived from C. neoformans and are testing to see if it can protect against radiation in space.
Climate Confusion
As one research station on the Antarctic Peninsula experienced its hottest temperature on record with a high of 64.9 degrees Fahrenheit, freak warmth in Siberia awakened badgers early from hibernation.
The animals typically remain in slumber until late February. But above-freezing temperatures 46 degrees warmer than a year ago have caused them to stir.
An unusually warm December caused similar hibernation confusion among bears in Russia and Ukraine.
Last winter, hundreds of brown bears in a southern Russian reserve didn’t hibernate at all due to the unusual warmth.
Global Temperature Extremes
The week’s hottest temperature was 109 degrees Fahrenheit (42.8 degrees Celsius) in Vredendal. South Africa.
The week’s coldest temperature was minus 62.0 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 52.2 degrees Celsius) at Verkhoyansk, 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.
Wildfires – Australia
After months of bushfires raging across the Australian coast, elated firefighters have just announced that they have managed to contain all of the fires. The news comes after a week of historic rainfall in New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory. Although there are still 24 active fires burning in the region, they are small enough for firefighters to manage accordingly.
Novel Coronavirus
Vietnam – Villages in Vietnam with 10,000 people close to the nation’s capital were placed under quarantine on Thursday after six cases of the deadly new coronavirus were discovered there, authorities said. The locking down of the commune of Son Loi, about 40 kilometres from Hanoi, is the first mass quarantine outside of China since the virus emerged from a central Chinese city late last year.
Japan – Japan has announced its first death from the ongoing coronavirus outbreak, taking the global total to 1,710.
Lassa fever – Nigeria
Nigerian National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) on Thursday reported that the death toll from an outbreak of Lassa fever has risen to 70, and 472 confirmed cases have also shot up.
Ebola – DR Congo
This week, the case incidence continued to be low in the Ebola virus disease (EVD) outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (Figure 1). From 5 to 11 February, three new confirmed cases were reported in Beni Health Zone, North Kivu Province.
Roundup of Global Volcanic Activity – Ongoing Activity for the Week 5 February 2020 – 11 February 2020
Aira | Kyushu (Japan) : JMA reported that during 3-7 February there were 16 explosions and 21 non-explosive eruptive events detected by the Minamidake Crater (at Aira Caldera’s Sakurajima volcano) seismic network. Ash plumes rose as high as 2.2 km above the crater rim and material was ejected 1,000-1,300 m away from the crater. Crater incandescence was visible at night. An explosion at 0126 on 10 February produced an ash plume that rose 1.4 km and ejected material as far as 1.8 km away from the crater. 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 5-11 February ash plumes from Dukono rose to 2.1-2.4 km (7,000-8,000 ft) a.s.l. and drifted in multiple directions. The Alert Level remained at 2 (on a scale of 1-4), and the public was 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 1-7 February that sent ash plumes up to 3 km (10,000 ft) a.s.l.; ash plumes drifted E and S. The Aviation colour Code remained at Orange (the second highest level on a four-colour scale).
Ibu | Halmahera (Indonesia) : The Darwin VAAC reported that during 5-6 February multiple discrete ash plumes from Ibu, identified in satellite images, rose to 1.8-2.1 km (6,000-7,000 ft) a.s.l. and drifted SE and E. An ongoing thermal anomaly was also visible. 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 : RVO reported that the eruption at Kadovar continued during 1 January-7 February with frequent (hours to days) Vulcanian explosions from Main Vent at the summit. The explosions ejected rocks and ash plumes that rose 300-400 m above the vent and drifted NE and E. Residents on Blup Blup (15 km N) reported rumbling and nighttime summit incandescence. Volcanic plumes were sometimes observable in Wewak (105 km W). The Darwin VAAC stated that on 6 February an ash plume rose to 2.1 km (7,000 ft) a.s.l. and drifted SE.
Klyuchevskoy | Central Kamchatka (Russia) : KVERT reported that Strombolian activity at Klyuchevskoy was visible during 31 January-7 February, and a thermal anomaly was identified those same days in satellite images. Vulcanian activity was recorded on 31 January and 4 February; explosions generated ash plumes that rose to 5.5 km (18,000 ft) a.s.l. and drifted 145 km E. The Aviation colour Code remained at Orange.
Krakatau | Indonesia : PVMBG reported that during 6-10 February a series of eruptive events at Anak Krakatau generated ash plumes that rose as high as 1 km above the summit. The Alert Level remained at 2 (on a scale of 1-4), and the public was warned to remain outside of the 2-km-radius hazard zone from the crater.
Popocatepetl | Mexico : CENAPRED reported that each day during 5-11 February there were 57-154 steam-and-gas emissions from Popocatépetl, some of which contained minor amounts of ash. An explosion at 1754 on 5 February produced an ash plume that rose 1.5 km above the crater rim and drifted NNE. A minor explosion at 0029 on 9 February ejected incandescent material onto the flanks. An explosion at 0233 on 10 February produced an ash plume that rose 1 km and drifted NE, and ejected incandescent material as far as 500 m down the flanks. The Alert Level remained at Yellow, Phase Two (middle level on a three-colour scale).
Sheveluch | Central Kamchatka (Russia) : KVERT reported that a thermal anomaly over Sheveluch was identified in satellite images during 1-7 February. The Aviation colour Code remained at Orange (the second highest level on a four-colour scale).
Shishaldin | Fox Islands (USA) : On 6 February AVO reported that seismicity at Shishaldin decreased during the previous week (though remained slightly above background levels), along with the surface temperatures at the summit identified in satellite data. AVO lowered the Aviation colour Code to Yellow and the Volcano Alert Level to Advisory since the eruption appeared to have paused or ceased.
Magnitude 5+ Earthquakes – Global
5.3 earthquake hits Fiji.
5.1 earthquake hits Vanuatu.
5.1 earthquake hits the Gulf of California.
5.0 earthquake hits offshore Tarapaca, Chile.
5.0 earthquake hits near the coast of southern Peru.
Tropical Storms – Roundup of Tropical Storms:
In the Southern Hemisphere: Tropical cyclone (tc) 15p (Uesi), located approximately 430 nm east of Brisbane, Australia, is tracking south-southwestward at 19 knots.
NewsBytes:
Southern States, USA – A Tennessee hillside collapsed, roads were flooded and rivers were rising across the Southeast on Tuesday after a day of heavy rains that once again threatened a Mississippi lake where a dam previously was in danger of failing. The National Weather Service said minor to moderate flooding was expected from central Mississippi to north Georgia following downpours. The Tennessee River was predicted to crest about 7 feet above flood level at Perryville, Tennessee, on Sunday. Near Great Smoky Mountains National Park in eastern Tennessee, tons of rock and soil slid off a 70-foot high hillside. Multiple roads were covered with water or washed out because of rainfall that exceeded 5 inches in spots across central Alabama.
Wildfires – Corsica
Strong winds from Storm Ciara have fanned a wildfire on the island of Corsica. Several hundred firefighters are battling the blaze which has consumed more than 450 hectares to date.
Novel Coronavirus
USA – The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported Wednesday evening on an additional infection with 2019 novel coronavirus (COVID-19) in the United States in California, bring the case total to 14.
China – Some 242 deaths from the new coronavirus were recorded in the Chinese province of Hubei on Wednesday – the deadliest day of the outbreak. There was also a huge increase in the number of cases, with 14,840 people diagnosed with Covid-19. Hubei has started using a broader definition to diagnose people – which accounts for most of the rise in cases. The new cases and deaths in the province have pushed the national death toll above 1,350 – with almost 60,000 infections in total.
Polio – Africa Travel Notice
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) renewed their polio travel notice for Africa Tuesday. There are polio outbreaks in several countries in Africa. The following 15 countries have been reporting outbreaks: Angola, Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Ghana, Mozambique, Niger, Nigeria, Somalia, Togo and Zambia.
Roundup of Global Volcanic Activity – New Activity for the Week 5 February 2020 – 11 February 2020
Kuchinoerabujima | Ryukyu Islands (Japan) : JMA reported that after the 3 February eruption at Kuchinoerabujima’s Shindake Crater the number of volcanic earthquakes decreased, and very small eruptive events occurred intermittently though 5 February and on 9 February. A large amount of ashfall (including lapilli up to 2 cm in diameter) was confirmed on the SE flank during field observations on 3 and 6 February. Thermal image observations revealed 5-km-long pyroclastic flow deposits on the SW flank. The number of volcanic earthquakes began increasing on 9 February and continued to be elevated the next day. A large-amplitude volcanic tremor event was accompanied by fluctuating tilt at 1318 on 11 February. The Alert Level remained at 3 (the middle level on a scale of 1-5).
Piton de la Fournaise | Reunion Island (France) : OVPF reported that a seismic crisis at Piton de la Fournaise began at 1027 on 10 February, accompanied by rapid deformation. Volcanic tremor began just 23 minutes later, at 1050, heralding the start of a new eruption. During an overflight conducted during 1300-1330 in partly cloudy weather, observers noted that several fissures had opened on the E flank of Dolomieu Crater, between the crater rim and 2,000 m elevation. The fissures all were at least 1 km long and produced lava fountains that were no higher than 10 m. Lava flows had traveled E to 1,700 m elevation by 1315. In the evening mapping of the lava flows based on satellite data revealed a larger flow field that what was visually observed during the overflight hours before. Lava flows spanned from the E to the S, with the farthest flow traveling E to 1,400 m elevation. The data showed that the fissures at the highest elevation had opened in the same area as those from the 18 February and 11 June 2019 eruptions.
Reykjanes | Iceland : On 7 February IMO reported that data collected during the previous week indicated that a magma body was located 3-5 km beneath Reykjanes. Earthquake activity had decreased during the previous two days, though inflation was ongoing, reaching 5 cm. The Aviation Code remained at Yellow.
Semeru | Eastern Java (Indonesia) : The Darwin VAAC reported that on 5 February an ash plume from Semeru rose to an altitude of 4.3 km (14,000 ft) a.s.l., or 400 m above the crater rim, and drifted SE based on satellite images and weather models. PVMBG noted that on 7 February a gray ash plume rose 400 m and drifted S. The Alert Level remained at 2 (on a scale of 1-4).
Taal | Luzon (Philippines) : PHIVOLCS reported that whitish steam plumes rose as high as 300 m above Taal’s main vent during 5-11 February and drifted SW. Sulfur dioxide emissions ranged from values below detectable limits to a high of 116 tonnes per day (on 8 February). Weak steaming (plumes 10-20 m high) from ground cracks was visible along the Daang Kastila trail which connects the N part of Volcano Island to the N part of the main crater. According to the Disaster Response Operations Monitoring and Information Center (DROMIC) there were a total of 17,088 people in 110 evacuation centers, and an additional 211,729 people were staying at other locations as of 10 February. The Alert Level remained at 3 (on a scale of 0-5) and PHIVOLCS recommended no entry onto Volcano Island and Taal Lake, nor into towns W of the island within a 7-km radius.
