Earthquakes

Magnitude 5+ Earthquakes – Global

5.2 earthquake hits the Savu Sea.

5.0 earthquake hits central Peru.

5.0 earthquake hits the southern east Pacific rise.

from WordPress https://ift.tt/pG80ZSEqV

Storms and Floods

Tropical Storms – Roundup of Tropical Storms:

In the Southern Hemisphere: Tropical cyclone 08s (Batsirai), located approximately 466 nm east-northeast of Port Louis, Mauritius, is tracking westward at 07 knots.

NewsBytes:

Brazil – Landslides and flooding from heavy rains in Sao Paulo state in and around the greater Sao Paulo area have killed at least 19 people since Friday, including seven children, public safety officials said on Sunday. According to São Paulo state authorities, nine other people were injured in the rains and four more were missing, while some 500 families were left homeless across the state.

Australia – Heavy rain has drenched WA’s northwest – hitting Broome the hardest. 66 millimetres of rain fell in just 30 minutes today with reports a tornado also ripped through the region.

from WordPress https://ift.tt/W7Z1ir8cO

Disease

Covid-19

The countries with the 10 greatest number of Covid-19 cases:

Lassa fever – Nigeria

In a follow-up on the Lassa fever outbreak in Nigeria, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) reported an additional 74 confirmed cases during the third week on the year. This brings the total year-to date to 170 confirmed Lassa cases through January 23.

Dengue Fever – Timor-Leste

The island country of Timor-Leste, located in Southeast Asia, has recorded a huge spike in dengue fever during the month of January 2022, according to data from the Ministry of Health. The country has recorded 1198 total dengue fever cases during January 2022.

from WordPress https://ift.tt/CQf1ql3GU

Earthquakes

Magnitude 5+ Earthquakes – Global

5.1 earthquake hits Tobago, Trinidad-Tobago.

5.0 earthquake hits the Philippine Islands.

from WordPress https://ift.tt/qNwz9h5Yn

Storms and Floods

Tropical Storms – Roundup of Tropical Storms:

In the Southern Hemisphere: Tropical cyclone 08s (Batsirai), located approximately 637 nm east-north-east of Port Louis, Mauritius, is tracking west-northwestward at 09 knots.

NewsBytes:

USA – A nor’easter with hurricane-force wind gusts battered much of the East Coast on Saturday, flinging heavy snow that made travel treacherous or impossible, flooding coastlines, and threatening to leave bitter cold in its wake. The storm thrashed parts of 10 states, with blizzard warnings that stretched from Virginia to Maine. Philadelphia and New York saw plenty of wind and snow, but Boston was in the crosshairs. The city tied its record for biggest single-day snowfall, with 23.6 inches (60 centimeters), the National Weather Service said.

from WordPress https://ift.tt/5GoZ0tLPf

Disease

Covid-19

The countries with the 10 greatest number of Covid-19 cases:

Malaria – Nicaragua

Nicaragua closed the year 2021 with the second highest number of malaria cases in the last two decades. According to the Epidemiological Bulletin 46, through the last week of November 2021, there were 21,030 cases in the country.

from WordPress https://ift.tt/DxSB2nJ7m

Earthquakes

Magnitude 5+ Earthquakes – Global

6.2 earthquake hits the Kermedec Islands.

5.9 earthquake hits south of Panama.

5.4 earthquake hits the Kermedec Islands.

Two 5.3 earthquakes hit the Kermedec Islands.

Two 5.1 earthquakes hit the Kermedec Islands.

5.0 earthquake hits the Kermedec Islands.

5.0 earthquake hits Tarapaca, Chile.

5.0 earthquake hits the South Sandwich Islands.

from WordPress https://bit.ly/3GbYMtx

Storms and Floods

Tropical Storms – Roundup of Tropical Storms:

In the Southern Hemisphere: Tropical cyclone 08s (Batsirai), located approximately 670 nm south of Diego Garcia, is tracking westward at 11 knots.

NewsBytes:

Colombia – At least 2 people have died, one was injured and dozens of homes and roads were damaged after heavy rain caused flooding and landslides in Tolima Department in central Colombia. Heavy rain from 24 January 2022 caused landslides and flooding in the municipalities of Palocabildo, Fresno, Falan, Armero Guayabal, Herveo and Casabianca in Tolima Department. Two young people died when a landslide destroyed a house in Palocabildo, where a further 25 homes were damaged and gas supply interrupted. One person was hospitalized after being rescued from a landslide in Falan. Several roads were blocked or damaged in affected areas, including the important road between Falan and Palocabildo, leaving communities isolated.

Australia – South Australia has made a major emergency declaration to deal with vast areas of flooding in the state’s north and west. Houses have been destroyed and major freight routes cut off following high rains and storms in recent days. Western Australian and Northern Territory supermarkets are facing shortages due to damaged road and rail networks.

from WordPress https://bit.ly/34iEv8i

Global Warming

Global warming will cause massive declines in tree growth

By combining tree-ring data with U.S. Forest Service inventory data on Arizona’s ponderosa pines, a recent study led by the University of Arizona has investigated the possible future effects of climate change on tree growth. The results suggest that global warming may cause a 56 to 91 percent decline in individual tree growth.

Forests remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, thus offsetting greenhouse gas emissions and helping to mitigate climate change.

The causes of tree size decline are complex and varied, but the main one seems to be global warming. Since trees have to work against gravity to get water to their top, if temperatures rise, the water-transport system will be under increasing pressure and most likely become damaged. Warming will make trees more drought stressed, and reduce their growth.

Although drought seems to make taller trees more vulnerable due to high temperatures, the scientists found that small trees will also suffer due to lack of water. Since their roots are smaller, they will need to struggle more to extract moisture from the soil. Moreover, denser forests will likely fare worse during hotter and drier conditions, since there will be more competition between trees for increasingly rare resources such as water and nutrients.

from WordPress https://bit.ly/34inWta

Disease

Covid-19

The countries with the 10 greatest number of Covid-19 cases:

from WordPress https://bit.ly/3HgH0Xu

Earthquakes

Magnitude 5+ Earthquakes – Global

5.6 earthquake hits the Balleny Islands.

5.3 earthquake hits Tarapaca, Chile.

5.1 earthquake hits Java, Indonesia.

Storms and Floods

Tropical Storms - Roundup of Tropical Storms:

In the Southern Hemisphere: Tropical cyclone 08s (Batsirai), located approximately 721 nm south-southeast of Diego Garcia, is tracking westward at 17 knots.

NewsBytes:

Australia - Flash flooding has hit North Queensland, drenched in nearly 400mm of rain which fell incredibly fast. Sandbags are out, rivers are swollen and Townsville is on edge, bracing for a second night of monsoonal downpours. Homes have been destroyed and trees stripped of leaves by a severe storm that tore through parts of South Australia's Eyre Peninsula just days after flooding rains. The storm on Wednesday evening caused the most damage in an area of the central Eyre Peninsula around Cummins, Yeelanna and Kapinnie. The Bureau of Meteorology recorded almost 50 millimetres of rainfall at the Port Lincoln airport, to the south, in about five hours on Wednesday night.

Environment

A Toxic World

A new study suggests chemical pollution has become so pervasive that it has pushed Earth outside the relatively stable environment of the past 10,000 years.

Beyond the widespread use of plastics, researchers say they are also highly concerned about 350,000 synthetic chemicals, including pesticides, industrial compounds and antibiotics. “There has been a fifty-fold increase in the production of chemicals since 1950 and this is projected to triple again by 2050,” said research team member Patricia Villarrubia-Gómez of Sweden’s Stockholm Resilience Center. “Shifting to a circular economy is really important. That means changing materials and products so they can be reused, not wasted,” Villarrubia-Gómez added.

Wildlife

Pollination Stress

Bees, butterflies and other pollinators exposed to common air pollution are significantly impaired in their ability to sniff out the plants that depend upon them, according to new field research.

British scientists say the pollution, combined with land use changes, are also responsible for an up to 70% drop in the number of pollinating insects. Writing in the journal Environmental Pollution, the team said they exposed a test field to levels of pollution commonly found near highways and observed up to 90% fewer flower visits by the pollinators. They believe the pollution changes the scents of flowers, making them harder to find.

from WordPress https://ift.tt/3raLWaY

Environment

Global Temperature Extremes

The week’s hottest temperature was 46.1 degrees Celsius (115 degrees F) at Robertson, South Africa.

The week’s coldest temperature was minus 54.4 degrees Celsius (-66 degrees F) at Oimyakon, Siberia.

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

from WordPress https://ift.tt/3G5NvLj

Wildfires

Wildfires – South Africa

South Africa’s Western Cape Province on Thursday said over 10 million South African rands have been spent on 14 major wildfires and dozens of smaller fires in the province during this summer’s fire season. The most prominent fire affected 5,372 hectares of land and most of the major wildfires happened last week throughout the province.

from WordPress https://ift.tt/3KNLLKi

Disease

Covid-19

The countries with the 10 greatest number of Covid-19 cases:

from WordPress https://ift.tt/3r7xa4q

Volcanos

Record Blast

The explosive force of the massive volcanic blast off Tonga earlier this month appears to have far exceeded that of the biggest nuclear detonation ever conducted. The global network of 53 seismic, underwater acoustic and surface infrasound detectors used by the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test Ban Treaty Organization measured the low-frequency boom, which was heard as far away as Alaska, 6,200 miles to the north. Those measurements show it was more powerful than the Soviet Union’s 1961 Tsar Bomba.

Roundup of Global Volcanic Activity – Ongoing Activity for the week 19 January – 25 January 2022

Aira – Kyushu (Japan) : JMA reported that incandescence from Minamidake Crater (at Aira Caldera’s Sakurajima volcano) was visible at night during 17-24 January. Sulfur dioxide emissions were somewhat high on 17 January at 1,000 tons per day. Two explosions on 18 January produced ash plumes that rose as high as 2 km above the crater rim and ejected ballistics 1-1.3 km away from the crater.

Great Sitkin – Andreanof Islands (USA) : AVO reported that slow lava effusion at Great Sitkin likely continued during 18-25 January, and seismicity remained at very low levels. Elevated surface temperatures were identified in satellite data during 19-22 January.

Kanlaon – Philippines : PHIVOLCS issued a special notice for Kanlaon on 21 January, noting that a total of 18 volcanic earthquakes were recorded in the past day. Four of those events were classified as shallow “tornillo” signals indicating gas movement along shallow fractures in the upper part of the volcano. Ground deformation data from continuous GPS and tilt measurements indicated slight inflation of the volcano since mid-October 2021. The seismic activity and ground deformation was likely caused by shallow hydrothermal processes and could generate phreatic events.

Karymsky – Eastern Kamchatka (Russia) : KVERT reported that on 15 and 17 January explosions at Karymsky produced ash plumes that rose as high as 7 km (23,000 ft) a.s.l. and drifted 172 km W. A thermal anomaly was visible in satellite images on 16 January.

Kilauea – Hawaiian Islands (USA) : HVO reported that lava effusion resumed at the vent in the lower W wall of Kilauea’s Halema`uma`u Crater at around 1045 on 18 January. By 1630 the level of the lava lake had risen 12 m, slightly surpassing the high recorded on 12 January, but then slightly dropped within 30 minutes. The W part of the lake was active. The sulfur dioxide emission rate was about 2,100 tonnes per day the next day. During 19-20 January lava oozed out along the SE and NW margins of the lake, though by the afternoon of the 20th the active portion of the lake was small and located N of the cone. Just after 0400 on 21 January the effusion rate increased and the W half of the lake was again active. Notable overflows of lava later that evening sent flows NW, SW, and SE. The lake level dropped 9 m during the morning of 22 January, and again only a small portion of the lake was active. Lava oozed out from the E and NW lake margins. Lava input into the small lake became intermittent starting at around 1500 on 23 January, though lava oozed out along the NW and S margins. The effusion rate increased at 0552 on 25 January and lava flowed W and N along the crater margins. By 0820 the lava lake had risen 11 m.

Merapi – Central Java (Indonesia) : BPPTKG reported no significant morphological changes at Merapi’s lava domes, located just below the SW rim and in the summit crater, during 14-20 January. Seismicity remained at high levels. As many as 91 lava avalanches traveled a maximum of 2 km SW down the Bebeng drainage, and one pyroclastic flow traveled 2 km SW.

Pavlof – United States : AVO reported that the eruption at Pavlof was ongoing during 18-25 January, with periods of elevated tremor. Small daily explosions were recorded on local and regional infrasound sensors during 18-22 January. A satellite image from 19 January showed that the lava flow on the E flank was 1.3 km long, and a lahar on the same flank was 4.4 km long. Elevated surface temperatures consistent with the active lava flow persisted through 25 January.

Reventador – Ecuador : IG reported that a high level of activity continued at Reventador during 18-25 January. Gas-and-ash plumes, often observed multiple times a day with the webcam or reported by the Washington VAAC, sometimes rose higher than 1 km above the summit crater and drifted mainly NW, W, and SW. Crater incandescence was visible at night during 19-20 January. Cloudy weather sometimes prevented visual observation during 21-23 January. Lava flows on the E and NE flanks were visible during 23-25 January and continued to advance.

Rincon de la Vieja – Costa Rica : OVSICORI-UNA reported that two eruptions were recorded at Rincón de la Vieja, at 2227 on 20 January and 0225 on 23 January, though weather conditions prevented visual confirmation of plumes. Each event was 1-2 minutes long. At 1139 on 25 January an eruption produced a plume that rose 500-1,000 m.

Santa Maria – Guatemala : INSIVUMEH reported that the eruption at Santa María’s Santiaguito lava-dome complex continued during 19-25 January. Crater incandescence was visible at night. Avalanches generated by both lava effusion at the W and SW part of Caliente dome and collapsing material descended the W, SW, and SE flanks, often reaching the base of the dome. Periodically the avalanches produced curtains of ash along their paths that dissipated near the volcano. Almost daily explosions produced ash plumes that rose 700-900 m above the summit and drifted 10-15 km W and SW; ashfall was reported in areas downwind during 21-23 January including in San Marcos Palajunoj (8 km SW) and Loma Linda (6 km WSW). Lava flows on the W and SW flanks were 500 and 700 m long, respectively.

Semeru – Eastern Java (Indonesia) : PVMBG reported that an eruptive event at 0911 on 21 January produced an ash plume that rose 200 m above Semeru’s summit and drifted N. A second event, recorded at 0741 on 25 January, generated an ash plume that rose 200 m and drifted SE. The Alert Level remained at 3 (on a scale of 1-4). The public was warned to stay at least 500 m away from Kobokan drainages within 17 km of the summit, along with other drainages originating on Semeru, including the Bang, Kembar, and Sat, due to lahar, avalanche, and pyroclastic flow hazards.

Semisopochnoi – Aleutian Islands (USA) : AVO reported that low-level eruptive activity at Semisopochnoi’s North Cerberus cone continued during 18-25 January. Seismicity was elevated, characterized by periods of tremor and low-frequency earthquakes. Steam emissions were periodically visible in webcam images during 18-19 January and minor explosions were recorded by local seismic and infrasound sensors on 19 January. Steam and low-level ash emissions were visible in webcam and satellite images during 20-25 January. Daily explosions were recorded during 21-25 January, and elevated surface temperatures were identified in satellite data during 22-23 January.

Sheveluch – Central Kamchatka (Russia) : KVERT reported that a thermal anomaly over Sheveluch was identified in satellite images during 14-21 January. Intense steam-and-gas emissions with ash were visible during 15-16 January; plumes rose as high as 6.5 km (21,300 ft) a.s.l. and drifted 77 km W.

Stromboli – Aeolian Islands (Italy) : INGV reported that during 17-23 January activity at Stromboli was characterized by ongoing explosions from five vents in Area N (North Crater area) and two vents in Area C-S (South-Central Crater area). Explosions from Area N vents (N1 and N2) averaged 7-14 events per hour; explosions from two vents in the N1 vent ejected lapilli and bombs 80 m high and those at three N2 vents ejected material less than 80 m high. Spattering at N2 had been intense the week before, depositing material onto the upper part of the Sciara del Fuoco that then rolled down the flank to the coastline on 16 January; spattering was again intense on 22 January. No explosions occurred at the S1 and C vents in Area C-S; explosions at the two S2 vents occurred at a rate of 3-4 per hour and ejected coarse material mixed with fine ash higher than 80 m.

Suwanosejima – Ryukyu Islands (Japan) : JMA reported that incandescence at Suwanosejima’s Ontake Crater was visible nightly during 17-24 January. There were 46 explosions recorded, producing ash plumes that rose at least 1.8 km above the crater rim and ejected material up to 1 km away from the crater. Rumbling sounds and ashfall were reported in Toshima village (3.5 km SSW).

Taal – Luzon (Philippines) : PHIVOLCS reported that unrest at Taal continued during 18-25 January. Low-level background tremor persisted; one volcanic earthquake was recorded during 18-19 January. Hot volcanic fluids were upwelling in the crater lake, and daily gas-and-steam plumes rose 0.6-2.4 km above the lake and drifted SW. Sulfur dioxide emissions continued to be elevated, averaging 10,986 and 11,228 tonnes/day on 20 and 23 January, respectively.

Turrialba – Costa Rica : OVSICORI-UNA reported that periodic eruptive events, lasting 1-2 minutes each, were recorded at Turrialba’s West Crater during 19-24 January. At 0546 on 19 January an eruption produced an ash plume that rose 200 m above the summit and drifted W. A small eruption at 1052 generated a plume that rose 50 m and drifted NW. At 0706 on 24 January an event generated a plume that rose 100 m and drifted SW. Two points of incandescence on the internal SW crater wall were also visible.

from WordPress https://ift.tt/32FsVnx

Earthquakes

Magnitude 5+ Earthquakes – Global

6.0 earthquake hits Fiji.

5.2 earthquake hits New Ireland, Papua New Guinea.

5.2 earthquake hits Fiji.

5.1 earthquake hits Kepulauan Talaud, Indonesia.

5.0 earthquake hits Tonga.

from WordPress https://ift.tt/3Hn0lXf

Storms and Floods

Tropical Storms – Roundup of Tropical Storms:

In the Southern Hemisphere: Tropical cyclone 08s (eight), located approximately 862 nm southeast of Diego Garcia, is tracking west-southwestward at 16 knots.

NewsBytes:

Madagascar, Mozambique and Malawi – At least 70 people have now died after as a result of floods and severe weather in Madagascar, Mozambique and Malawi over the last few days. Flooding began after heavy rain in Madagascar on 17 January, and worsened after heavy rain brought by Tropical Storm Ana which passed over the countries from 22 January 2022. In Madagascar around 10,000 houses have been damaged and as of 26 January, 71,781 people had been displaced from their homes, including 55,859 in Analamanga. In Mozambique as many as 2,756 houses have been completely destroyed and 7,315 houses damaged. At least 99 people have been injured with more than 45 000 people displaced. In Malawi at least 11 people have died and 107 injured as a result of the storm. About 210 000 people have been affected.

from WordPress https://ift.tt/347LnFD

Disease

Covid-19

The countries with the 10 greatest number of Covid-19 cases:

Cholera – Benin

The World Health Organization (WHO) reported Tuesday that Benin reported its first epidemic wave of cholera between March and April, in the commune of So-Ava, Atlantique Department, with 103 cases including three laboratory-confirmed cases and no deaths. A second epidemic wave began in September 2021, with 1430 cases and 20 deaths from 1 September 2021 to 16 January 2022.

from WordPress https://ift.tt/33WUTvp

Volcanos

Roundup of Global Volcanic Activity – New Activity for the week 19 January – 25 January 2022

Ambrym – Vanuatu : On 25 January the Vanuatu Meteorology and Geo-Hazards Department (VMGD) raised the Alert Level for Ambrym to 2 (on a scale of 0-5) due to a significant increase in activity beginning at around 0400. Steam emissions rose from Marum Crater, and at 0515 a steam, gas, and ash plume rose from Benbow Crater. Satellite data recorded increased sulfur dioxide emissions from Benbow, and residents of Ambrym and surrounding islands reported seeing incandescence from crater overnight.

Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai – Tonga Islands : No additional eruptive events were detected at Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai after the large and explosive eruption on 15 January. The gas, steam, and ash plume produced during that eruption rose into the stratosphere and drifted W. Based on volcanic ash advisories issued by the Wellington VAAC and then by the Darwin VAAC, the horizontal extent of the plume grew from 18,000 square kilometers at 1739 on 15 January to 12 million square kilometers by 1300 on 19 January. The plume narrowed and lengthened along an E-W axis, moving W over Australia. The Aviation Color Code was lowered to Green on 19 January. According to the Darwin VAAC the plume continued to drift W at altitudes between 12.8 and 19.2 km (42,000 and 63,000 ft) a.s.l. during 19-22 January; the ash was diffuse and difficult to distinguish from meteorological clouds, though the sulfur dioxide signal was stronger. By 22 January the leading-edge of the plume had reached the E coast of Africa. By 2150 the Darwin VAAC noted that ash was no longer detectable. Tsunami waves generated by the 15 January eruption caused an oil spill near at the La Pampilla refinery along Peru’s coast, affecting a 38-km-stretch of beach from Ventanilla to Peralvillo Beach in Chancay, according to Peru’s Agency for Environmental Assessment and Enforcement (OEFA). An estimated 6,000 barrels of oil were spilled, significantly impacting an estimated 180 hectares of beach, almost 715 hectares of ocean, and local fisherman. In a media release on 21 January, the Government of Tonga reported that ashfall and tsunami had damaged all islands. International humanitarian aid had reached the islands the day before, five days after the eruption ceased. Inter-island and international communication remained challenging though was partially restored; a relief flight from New Zealand brought telecommunication equipment and a repair vessel was en-route to the damaged seafloor fiber-optic cable. Floating debris, likely including pumice, hindered sea transportation. Domestic flights remained suspended, though international flights carrying relief supplies were able to land and aerial surveys of damage were conducted. According to a social media post from 23 January residents swept ash off of a Salote Pilolevu Airport runway in Ha’apai. News reports shared stories of survivors and showed images of damage around the islands. Dozens of earthquakes, M 4.5-5, were centered in the vicinity of the volcano after the eruption, at least through 24 January. The type of earthquake signal was unknown, though they likely represented post-eruption movement along existing faults and not magma movement.

Wolf – Isla Isabela (Ecuador) : IG reported that the eruption at Wolf continued during 18-25 January. Daily thermal alerts counts were in the hundreds, centered over the advancing lava flows on the SE flank. Diffuse gas emissions were visible drifting SW during 18-20 January. Activity levels were stable during the beginning of the week then began to trend downward by 21 January.

from WordPress https://ift.tt/3G5qQ1U

Earthquakes

Magnitude 5+ Earthquakes – Global

5.6 earthquake hits the South Sandwich Islands.

5.0 earthquake hits Taiwan.

5.0 earthquake hits the Chagos Archipelago.

5.0 earthquake hits the DR Congo.

from WordPress https://ift.tt/3G37I4k

Storms and Floods

Tropical Storms – Roundup of Tropical Storms:

There are no current tropical storms.

NewsBytes:

Malawi – Officials in Malawi say that tropical storm Ana has caused widespread flooding, power outages and killed at least one person in Malawi.

from WordPress https://ift.tt/3IFBduY

Global Warming

Putting a Cost on Climate Change

Led by the deadly and costly Hurricane Ida and massive flooding in Europe, the world racked up $329 billion in economic losses linked to severe weather last year, and only 38% of that bill was covered by insurance. Total economic losses tallied $343 billion, Aon said, $329 billion of which resulted from weather and climate-related events such as hurricanes, flooding, wildfires, tsunamis and drought. That left 2021 as the third costliest year on record after adjusting for inflation.

“There’s no question that the finger prints of climate change are already here today, more intense weather, impacting more things in harm’s way,” Steve Bowen, meteorologist and head of catastrophe insight at Aon.

from WordPress https://ift.tt/3AAv6VG

Environment

Iceberg dumped nearly 1 trillion tons of freshwater in the ocean.

What was once the biggest iceberg in the world released more than 167 billion tons of freshwater in three months and nearly 1 trillion tons in its lifespan, which could have profound effects on wildlife, scientists say.

The A68A iceberg was part of the Larsen-C Ice Shelf on the Antarctica peninsula before it broke off in July 2017. At the time, it was the biggest iceberg on Earth at 2,208 square miles, larger than the state of Delaware.

When the iceberg broke off, it began to drift across the Southern Ocean. In December 2020, the iceberg began to approach South Georgia island, about 1,300 miles off the Argentina coast. The island is home to wildlife including penguins and seals. Fortunately the iceberg broke up before hitting the seabed around the island.

The cold freshwater drifts with the oceans currents, so the mixture with the salty warm waters will release nutrients into the waters. Scientists believe that will change or produce new plankton in the area, which affects the local food chain. What that means for the environment in the long term is not known.

from WordPress https://ift.tt/3AwfdQp

Disease

Covid-19

The countries with the 10 greatest number of Covid-19 cases:

Malaria – South Africa

South African health authorities have issues a malaria alert. Despite South Africa entering its peak malaria season, many malaria cases are being misdiagnosed as COVID-19. Both malaria and COVID-19 have similar non-specific early symptoms including fever, chills, headaches, fatigue and muscle pain. Undiagnosed and untreated malaria rapidly progresses to severe illness, with a potentially fatal outcome.

from WordPress https://ift.tt/3rTsoGV

Earthquakes

Magnitude 5+ Earthquakes – Global

6.0 earthquake hits the South Sandwich Islands.

5.6 earthquake hits Haiti.

5.4 earthquake hits east of Trinidad.

5.2 earthquake hits Haiti.

5.2 earthquake hits east of North Island, New Zealand.

5.1 earthquake hits the South Sandwich Islands.

5.1 earthquake hits the northern mid-Atlantic ridge.

Two 5.0 earthquakes hit Tonga.

from WordPress https://ift.tt/3rLO9Zf

Storms and Floods

Tropical Storms – Roundup of Tropical Storms:

In the Southern Hemisphere: Tropical cyclone 07s (Ana), located approximately 153 nm southwest of Nacala, Mozambique, is tracking westward at 16 knots.

NewsBytes:

Uganda – At least 9 people have died and more are feared missing after heavy rain caused flash floods and mudslides in Kisoro District in the Western Region of Uganda. Heavy rain on the slopes of Mount Muhavura on 24 January 2022 sent floods, mud, boulders and debris crashing through parts of Kisoro District, destroying homes, roads and infrastructure. The affected Sub-Counties include Nyarusiza, Muramba and Bunagana.

Madagascar and Mozambique – More severe flooding has struck in Madagascar after Tropical Storm Ana passed over the country from 22 to 23 January 2022. Two people died in floods in Mozambique after heavy rain in Zambezia Province. Heavy rain and some flooding was also reported in Malawi and Zimbabwe. The region of Analamanga in Madagascar, including the capital Antananarivo, had already experienced deadly flooding and landslides after heavy rainfall from 17 January. According to the national disaster agency, 10 people died and hundreds were displaced. The storm has been raging in the central and northern regions since 24 January 2022. According to preliminary data, 2 people died and 49 were injured in the province of Zambezia, where the districts of Mocuba and Mocubela were the worst affected.

Wildlife

Newly Discovered Penguin Colony Cause for Concern

Scientists have discovered a previously unknown colony of gentoo penguins in one of the southernmost spots these waddling birds have ever been spotted. The discovery is a cause for concern, according to the researchers, who say that climate change is expanding the range of this temperate, non-ice-loving species of penguin.

In addition to this gentoo penguin (Pygoscelis papua) colony with 75 nests on Andersson Island, gentoo penguins have also been sighted on an unexplored archipelago off the Antarctic Peninsula’s northern tip. Both are among the first records of the species breeding so far south on the eastern side of the Antarctic Peninsula.

Previously, these areas were too icy for gentoo penguins, which prefer temperate climes where they can raise their chicks. These penguins, the third-largest living penguin species, are native to warmer sub-Antarctic islands, such as the Falkland Islands off Argentina; and they usually live in ice-free areas, such as flat, rocky beaches and low-lying cliffs where large colonies can gather.

These penguin colonies indicate how how far climate change has gone in terms of turning the Antarctic Peninsula into a more sub-Antarctic or more temperate climate.

from WordPress https://ift.tt/3g2wB5z

Global Warming

Climate change is making it harder for plants to spread seeds via animals

The loss of biodiversity of birds and mammals from human-induced climate change has reduced the ability of plants to spread their seeds via animals, according to a new study.

Published in Science earlier this month, the study uses data from more than 400 networks of seed dispersal interactions between plants, birds and mammals to track the changes being seen by declines in animal populations due to climate change.

Half of all plant species rely on animals to disperse their seeds, either through their feces or hitching a ride on feathers, wings and fur, and seed dispersal networks lost or created in new ways to make up for biodiversity loss can influence how plants can adapt to climate change through migration, the study states.

The American and Dutch researchers estimate that mammal and bird losses have reduced the capacity of plants to adapt to climate change by 60 per cent across the globe.

from WordPress https://ift.tt/3fXO6E8

Wildfires

Wildfires – South Australia

A bushfire burning in South Australia’s southeast, which claimed the life of a volunteer last week, has been reduced to hotspots as fire crews begin to return control of the area to local landowners. The blaze destroyed more than 3800 hectares of bluegum plantation, scrub and grassland near Lucindale. On Friday, Country Fire Service volunteer Louise Hincks was killed when she was hit by a burning branch. At the same time, a 62-year-old man was also hit and was taken to hospital with serious injuries.

from WordPress https://ift.tt/3Iz2fEb

Disease

Covid-19

The countries with the 10 greatest number of Covid-19 cases:

from WordPress https://ift.tt/33PWOC3

Earthquakes

Magnitude 5+ Earthquakes – Global

5.2 earthquake hits the Hindu Kush, Afghanistan.

5.0 earthquake hits the Fox Islands in the Aleutian Islands.

Storms and Floods

Tropical Storms - Roundup of Tropical Storms:

In the Southern Hemisphere: Tropical cyclone 07s (Ana), located approximately 361 nm west-northwest of Antananarivo, Madagascar, is tracking westward at 12 knots.

NewsBytes:

Australia - Entire towns in the state's Far North are cut off after record-breaking rain. The SES has been flat out responding to hundreds of calls for help, as the heavens opened, destroying roads and inundating homes.

Pakistan - Disaster authorities in Pakistan report that heavy rain has caused damage to homes and triggered landslides in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Province from 20 January 2022. At least 8 people have lost their lives as a result. Heavy rain caused damage to homes and buildings across several districts during the following days, while heavy snowfall was reported in higher elevations. Three people, including 2 children, died in building collapses in Charsadda, Dera Ismail Khan and Hangu districts. Rain damage was also reported in the districts of Peshawar, Khyber, Buner, Tank, Karak and Swat. Around 20 homes have been severely damaged and 12 people injured.

Disease

Covid-19

The countries with the 10 greatest number of Covid-19 cases:

Dengue Fever - Paraguay.

More than 300 dengue fever cases have been reported weekly in Paraguay in 2022 so far. To date, Paraguay has reported 630 total cases. Fifty-eight percent of cases have been reported in Central department and in Asunción.

Lassa fever - Nigeria

For the second week in a row, Nigerian health officials reported 48 confirmed Lassa fever cases in the country, bringing to total confirmed cases to 96 through January 16.

Earthquakes

Magnitude 5+ Earthquakes – Global

5/3 earthquake hits northern Qinghai, China.

5.3 earthquake hits the west Chile rise.

5.1 earthquake hits the Philippine Islands.

5.1 earthquake hits Vanuatu.

5.1 earthquake hits Ascension Island.

5.0 earthquake hits the Philippine Islands.

Storms and Floods

Tropical Storms – Roundup of Tropical Storms:

There are no current tropical storms.

NewsBytes:

Peru – The Peruvian town of Machu Picchu, located near the world-renowned archeological site, has seen hundreds of tourists evacuated due to severe flooding that caused a mudslide. No damage to the Incan citadel has been reported.

from WordPress https://ift.tt/32pvAS9

Wildlife

Can nonhuman animals drive other animals to extinction?

Imagine looking up at a sky so full of birds, they block out light from the sun. Passenger pigeons (Ectopistes migratorius) used to fly in flocks of hundreds of millions, maybe even billions, of birds that took hours to pass overhead. Then, we started shooting them.

Humans began commercially hunting passenger pigeons in the 19th century, and by 1914, they were extinct, according to Audubon magazine. These birds are a prime example of how quickly and efficiently humans can wipe out even the most common species. But is it just us, or can nonhuman animals drive other animals to extinction?

Sort of, but humans are usually involved. Some animals are capable of interspecies decimation if humans put them in the wrong place and they become invasive — species that cause ecological or economic damage to their non-native environment.

For example, Burmese pythons (Python bivittatus) from Asia are gobbling up anything that moves in the Florida Everglades. The domestic cat is another example. “They have contributed to the extinction of dozens of species of bird,” he said — the Stephens Island wren (Traversia lyalli) in New Zealand, which went extinct in 1895, is one example. Cats are the leading direct human cause of bird mortality in the U.S. and Canada, according to the American Bird Conservancy. In other words, American birds are under greater threat from pet cats than from guns.

from WordPress https://ift.tt/3GWGVbc

Wildfires

Wildfires – California, USA

Firefighters on Saturday were battling a wildfire that broke out in the rugged mountains along Big Sur, forcing hundreds of residents on this precarious stretch of the California coast to evacuate and authorities to shut its main roadway.

The fire started Friday night in a steep canyon and quickly spread toward the sea, fanned by strong winds up to 50 mph. The blaze burned at least 2.3 square miles of brush and redwood trees.

from WordPress https://ift.tt/340s3tI

Disease

Covid-19

The countries with the 10 greatest number of Covid-19 cases:

from WordPress https://ift.tt/3FTDGQv

Earthquakes

Magnitude 5+ Earthquakes – Global

6.5 earthquake hits Shikoku, Japan.

6.2 earthquake hits the Fox Islands in the Aleutian Islands.

6.1 earthquake hits Kepulauan Talaud, Indonesia.

5.6 earthquake hits Mindanao in the Philippines.

5.2 earthquake hits the Kermedec Islands.

5.1 earthquake hits the South Sandwich Islands.

5.0 earthquake hits the Gulf of California.

from WordPress https://ift.tt/3FSSwa7

Storms and Floods

Tropical Storms – Roundup of Tropical Storms:

There are no current tropical storms.

from WordPress https://ift.tt/3rJ63Mn

Environment

Pollution

Smog and smoke clouds that now frequently plague California and other parts of the West are making breathing more dangerous for residents of the region, according to a new study.

Researcher Deepti Singh of Washington State University, Vancouver and colleagues found that exposure to ground-level ozone and the fine-particle pollution from more frequent wildfires has increased by 25 million “person days” from 2001 to 2020.

Short-term effects from the pollution include breathing difficulties and worsening heart and lung diseases, such as asthma. Exposure to both types of pollution at the same time compounds the health risks, and long-term exposure can have even far more serious consequences. The study found that in August 2020, 86% of the western U.S. was blanketed by extreme amounts of both.

from WordPress https://ift.tt/3ApFJdT

Wildfires

Wildfires – Australia

One firefighter working on the Coles Fire in South Australia has been killed and another hospitalized in a falling tree incident, the state’s Country Fire Service announced on Friday. The Coles Fire, first reported January 19, has burned 3,835 ha (9,476 a) about 28 km (17 miles) west-northwest of Coonawarra in southeast South Australia.

from WordPress https://ift.tt/33ZPALj

Disease

Covid-19

The countries with the 10 greatest number of Covid-19 cases:

from WordPress https://ift.tt/3qPKCd4

Wildlife

Manatee Deaths

A record number of Florida’s protected manatees died during 2021, with the 1,101 deaths more than double the five-year average. Most were along the state’s eastern coast, where pollution-fed algae blooms were the main cause. The blooms are responsible for wiping out thousands of acres of seagrass in the Indian River Lagoon, a major feeding area for manatees.

Pristine Coral Reef Discovered

Scientists have discovered a vast, pristine reef of giant rose-shaped corals off the coast of Tahiti apparently unharmed by the bleaching effects of the warming ocean due to climate change, UNESCO announced Thursday.

Mapping approximately 3 kilometers (1.8 miles) long and up to 65 meters (213 feet) wide, UNESCO said it was “one of the most extensive healthy coral reefs on record.”

The United Nations heritage agency said it was “highly unusual” to find healthy coral in cooler waters between 30 and 65 meters deep and that it could suggest that there are more reefs in that ocean depth range that are safer from the impacts of warming waters.

Fish-Breeding Seabed

Scientists say they have discovered the world’s largest fish-breeding area, located in the south of Antarctica’s Weddell Sea.

Trolling with underwater cameras, they captured images of thousands of Jonah’s icefish nests on the seabed, with a density of about one nest per 30 square feet, which suggests about 60 million breeding sites blanket the seabed. “I went on an expedition to this region about 25 years ago, and one of the big questions then was where do these icefish breed,” said British Antarctic Survey scientist Katrin Linse. “Finding an assemblage on this scale is just mind-blowing to me.”

from WordPress https://ift.tt/3rw7VYI

Global Warming

No Quick Fix for Global Warming in Greenland

The warming that humans cause today may have ripple effects far into the future, scientists warned in a study yesterday that finds the vast Greenland ice sheet could continue melting for centuries after greenhouse gases are stabilized. Greenland has a delayed response to changes in the Earth’s climate, and even if the planet stopped warming tomorrow, Greenland may continue losing ice for hundreds or even thousands of years.

During periods of natural cooling, for instance, the ice sheet has begun to grow—and then it continued to grow for some time even after the climate starts warming again. Eventually, the ice sheet flips and starts to shrink again. Then it continues shrinking even after temperatures stop rising.

That’s because the Greenland ice sheet is such a large, complex system. The ice sheet is so large that once it starts losing ice at faster and faster speeds, it can take a long time to slow back down again.

from WordPress https://ift.tt/3tIUast

Environment

Mass Extinction

Earth’s sixth mass extinction is currently accelerating, and a new study points out that it is the only one in the planet’s history to be caused by human activity.

“Drastically increased rates of species extinctions and declining abundances of many animal and plant populations are well documented, yet some deny that these phenomena amount to mass extinction,” said lead researcher Robert Cowie. Writing in the journal Biological Reviews, he and his colleagues estimate that between 7.5% and 13% of Earth’s 2 million known species may already be lost. Some critics of the alarm over the man-made “biological annihilation” of wildlife say this it merely a new and natural trend, with humans just playing the dominant role in Earth’s evolutionary history.

from WordPress https://ift.tt/3FJiSep

Environment

Global Temperature Extremes

The week’s hottest temperature was 46.7 degrees Celsius (116 degrees F) at Oodnadatta, South Australia.

The week’s coldest temperature was minus 51.7 degrees Celsius (-61 degrees F) at Oimyakon, Siberia.

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

from WordPress https://ift.tt/3FI7oIg

Wildfires

Wildfires – Australia

For the past two weeks, pastoralists, including Tim and Chris Higham, in Western Australia’s Gascoyne region have been battling ferocious bushfires that have destroyed property and livestock. When lightning struck on January 6, three fires broke out in the area, plus another further north. Combined with strong winds and a significant fuel load, two of the fires joined together to form one mammoth blaze.

More than 340,000 hectares have been burnt across the Gascoyne Complex fires, according to DFES incident controller Peter Norman. Although the fires have now been brought under control, firefighters remain cautious about possible flare-ups.

from WordPress https://ift.tt/3KpPRbr

Disease

Covid-19

The countries with the 10 greatest number of Covid-19 cases:

Dengue Fever – Brazil

Health officials in Minas Gerais, Brazil are reporting 814 probable and 178 confirmed dengue fever cases through January 20. No deaths from dengue have been confirmed to date.

DR Congo

Monkeypox – Health authorities reported an additional 189 total monkeypox cases. including two deaths in the past two weeks, bringing the country total for 2021 to 3,087 cases with 83 deaths (CFR 2.7%) through December 26.

Plague – Eight additional human plague cases were reported in the DRC since the last update two weeks prior. This year through December 26, 138 suspected pneumonic plague cases including 14 deaths (CFR: 10.1%) were reported in eight health zones in Ituri province.

Polio – The World Health Organization reports two additional circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus type 2 (cVDPV2) cases, bringing the total for 2021 to 19 confirmed.

from WordPress https://ift.tt/3tMNEkv

Volcanos

Roundup of Global Volcanic Activity – Ongoing Activity for the week 12 January – 18 January 2022

Aira – Kyushu (Japan) : JMA reported that incandescence from Minamidake Crater (at Aira Caldera’s Sakurajima volcano) was visible at night during 10-17 January. Seismic data showed a decreasing number of volcanic earthquakes.

Fuego – Guatemala : INSIVUMEH reported that 6-13 explosions per hour were recorded at Fuego during 12-18 January, generating ash plumes that rose as high as 1.1 km above the crater rim. The ash plumes mainly drifted 10-20 km S and SW causing almost daily ashfall in areas downwind including Morelia (9 km SW), Panimaché I and II (8 km SW), Santa Sofía (12 km SW), El Porvenir (8 km ENE), Sangre de Cristo (8 km WSW), and La Rochela. Ash plumes drifted as far as 20 km E and NE during 14-16 January. Daily, periodic shock waves rattled structures in communities around the volcano. Block avalanches descended the flanks in all directions, but most commonly were visible in the Ceniza (SSW), Seca (W), Trinidad (S), Taniluyá (SW), Honda, and Las Lajas (SE) drainages, often reaching vegetated areas. Explosions ejected incandescent material up to 150-350 m above the summit during 12-16 January.

Great Sitkin – Andreanof Islands (USA) : AVO reported that slow lava effusion at Great Sitkin continued during 12-18 January, though cloudy conditions prevented satellite and webcam confirmation. Seismicity was very low and small events were occasionally recorded. Steam emissions were observed in webcam views during 14-15 January.

Karymsky – Eastern Kamchatka (Russia) : KVERT reported increased explosive activity at Karymsky and a thermal anomaly visible in satellite images during 7-8 and 11-12 January. Explosions during 11-13 January produced ash plumes that drifted almost 130 km in various directions.

Kilauea – Hawaiian Islands (USA) : HVO reported that lava effusion resumed at the vent in the lower W wall of Kilauea’s Halema`uma`u Crater at around 1840 on 11 January. The level of the lava lake had increased 13 m by about 0300 on 12 January, slightly surpassing the level prior to the pause that began on 10 January; the lake has risen a total of 70 m since the beginning of the eruption. During 12-14 January the lake was active and lava oozed out along the crusted-over E margins. A surge in lava effusion at the vent was recorded at 0545 on 15 January, coincident with a peak in summit inflation. Effusion had paused by the afternoon, though minor activity at the vent on the N side of the spatter cone, minor overturns of the lake, and small oozes of lava at the lake’s margins persisted. The lake level dropped 10 m by the morning of 16 January. Small overturns of the crusted lake were visible during 16-17 January. By 18 January the lake was completely crusted over and a small wispy plume rose from the vent.

Lewotolok – Lembata Island (Indonesia) : PVMBG reported that the eruption at Lewotolok continued during 11-16 January. Ash plumes rose as high as 700 m above the summit and drifted E, SE, and W during 11-14 January. Incandescent material ejected up to 300-700 m SE from the vent was accompanied by rumbling and banging noises. Eruption noises persisted through 16 January but weather prevented visual confirmation of activity during 15-16 January.

Merapi – Central Java (Indonesia) : BPPTKG reported no significant morphological changes at Merapi’s lava domes, located just below the SW rim and in the summit crater, during 6-13 January. The intensity of the seismic signals remained at high levels. As many as 123 lava avalanches traveled a maximum of 2.2 km SW down the Bebeng drainage, and four pyroclastic flows traveled a maximum of 2.5 km SW.

Pavlof – United States : AVO reported that elevated seismicity at Pavlof during 12-18 January was characterized by daily periods of tremor. Elevated surface temperatures consistent with lava effusion near the vent and the active lava flow on the SE flank were identified in satellite images almost daily; weather clouds prevented views for periods of time during 12-13 January.

Rincon de la Vieja – Costa Rica : OVSICORI-UNA reported that at 0024 on 13 January a two-minute eruption was recorded at Rincón de la Vieja, though weather clouds prevented visual confirmation. Residents to the N heard the eruption and felt vibrations, and lahars were seen in the Rio Azul. Small eruptive events were recorded at 1153 on 15 January and 1243 on 18 January, but plumes were not visible due to weather clouds.

Semeru – Eastern Java (Indonesia) : PVMBG reported that the eruption at Semeru continued during 12-17 January. White steam plumes that were sometimes dense rose as high as 1 km above the summit almost daily, and crater incandescence was visible nightly. Incandescent avalanches traveled as far as 500 m down the Kobokan drainage on the SE flank during 11-12 January. White-and-gray ash plumes rose 300 m during 14-15 January. At 1020 on 16 January a collapse from the end of the active lava flow in the Kobokan drainage produced a pyroclastic flow, and an ash plume that rose 1.5 km and drifted N. An eruptive event at 0534 on 17 January generated an ash plume that a ground observer reported rising 400 m.

Semisopochnoi – Aleutian Islands (USA) : AVO reported that low-level eruptive activity and elevated seismicity at Semisopochnoi’s North Cerberus cone continued during 12-18 January. A small explosion was recorded by local seismic and infrasound sensors during 12-13 January. The weather was mostly cloudy, though low-level ash clouds were occasionally visible in webcam images during 12-15 January. Steam emissions were visible in 15-16 January webcam images.

Sheveluch – Central Kamchatka (Russia) : KVERT reported that a thermal anomaly over Sheveluch was identified in satellite images during 8-14 January. Intense steam-and-gas emissions with ash were visible during 6-7 and 9-11 January; plumes rose as high as 5 km (16,400 ft) a.s.l. and drifted 175 km W.

Suwanosejima – Ryukyu Islands (Japan) : JMA reported that incandescence at Suwanosejima’s Ontake Crater was visible nightly during 10-17 January. There were 157 explosions recorded, producing ash plumes that rose as high as 2 km above the crater rim and ejected material up to 800 m away from the crater. Eruption sounds were heard in Toshima village (4 km SSW). Volcanologists observed ash-and-steam plumes rising from the crater during an overflight on 17 January.

Turrialba – Costa Rica : OVSICORI-UNA reported that incandescence from Turrialba’s West Crater was visible overnight during 15-16 January. Eruptive events were recorded at 2126 and 2132 on 17 January; the second event was stronger and produced an ash-and-gas plume that rose 1 km above the crater. Ashfall and a sulfur odor were reported by residents in Coronado, Tres Rios (30 km SW), Alajuela (50 km W), and Santa Ana (46 km WSW). At 1115 on 18 January an eruptive event produced a plume that rose 300 m and drifted SW.

Whakaari/White Island – North Island (New Zealand) : On 18 January GeoNet reported results from an overflight of Whakaari/White Island the week before, noting a significant decrease of temperatures at the active vent area and a small decrease in gas emissions. Temperatures in the main vent area were as high as 191 degrees Celsius, a decrease from a high value of 516 measured in December. Gas emissions had slightly decreased since December; both sulfur dioxide and carbon dioxide gas emission rates were slightly below the 10-year average. Both the gas-emission and temperature data were consistent with a degassing magma body below the surface. Very minor ash emissions continued to be visible with deposits only extending around the active vents. The water in the lake had receded likely due to recent dry weather conditions.

Yasur – Vanuatu : The Wellington VAAC reported that on 15 January intermittent low-level ash plumes from Yasur rose 1.5 km (5,000 ft) a.s.l. and drifted SE. Ashfall was reported in nearby villages. A Sentinel satellite image acquired that same day showed a strip of ash deposits in areas to the NW. Continuous, low-level ash plumes were visible in satellite and webcam images on 17 and 18 January rising to 1.5 km a.s.l. and drifting SE and W, respectively.

from WordPress https://ift.tt/3FO34qQ

Earthquakes

Magnitude 5+ Earthquakes – Global

5.9 earthquake hits the South Sandwich Islands.

5.7 earthquake hits Seram, Indonesia.

5.0 earthquake hits near the coast of Nicaragua.

5.0 earthquake hits the southwest Indian ridge.

from WordPress https://ift.tt/3AkdPQO

Storms and Floods

Tropical Storms – Roundup of Tropical Storms:

There are no current tropical storms.

from WordPress https://ift.tt/3FKyMFz

Wildfires

Wildfires – Texas, USA

A wildfire in a Central Texas state park forced the evacuation of dozens of homes Tuesday in the city of Bastrop and officials said a prescribed burn may be to blame. The fire started in Bastrop State Park as wind gusts of up to 20 mph (32 kph) spread the flames. About 640 acres (249 hectares) have burned.

from WordPress https://ift.tt/3tJ3EUp

Disease

Covid-19

The countries with the 10 greatest number of Covid-19 cases:+

Botulism – Ukraine

The Ukraine Ministry of Health reported 88 outbreaks of botulism in 2021, as a result of which 98 people became ill, including three children. Ten cases were fatal.

Syphilis – Japan

Health officials in Japan reported 7,873 syphilis cases in 2021, the highest number of cases in years.

from WordPress https://ift.tt/357FSr3

Volcanos

Roundup of Global Volcanic Activity – New Activity for the week 12 January – 18 January 2022

Barren Island – Andaman Islands (India) : The Darwin VAAC reported that during 1700-2200 on 8 January and 1200-1700 on 9 January ash plumes from Barren Island rose to 1.2 km (4,000 ft) a.s.l. and drifted W and WSW.

Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai – Tonga Islands : Large eruptions at Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai on both 14 and 15 January produced plumes that reached the stratosphere and caused significant regional effects. Activity on the 14th apparently removed approximately the middle third of the island that had been expanded over the previous few weeks, revealed by a Planet Lab image acquired at 1525 on 15 January. About two hours after that image was taken an even stronger eruption activity produced a stratospheric plume seen in satellite images, sent pressure waves across the atmosphere, and caused tsunami that traversed the Pacific. Following these explosions, a Sentinel image acquired on 17 January showed that most of the previous combined island had been destroyed, leaving only small parts of the NE island of Hunga Tonga (200 m long) and the SW island of Hunga Ha’apai (700 m long) above the ocean surface.

A sub-aerial eruption that began at 0420 on 14 January produced mushroom-shaped ash, steam, and gas plumes that rose as high as 20 km (65,600 ft) a.s.l., into the stratosphere, and expanded radially at the top of the plume to 240 m in diameter, according to the Tonga Geological Services (TGS). Geologists observing from a boat around 1700-1830 in the afternoon noted that the plume was about 5 km wide at its base, with Surtseyan pulses ejecting dark dense material into the air, and pyroclastic flows expanding over the ocean. The eruption plume drifted over the island groups of Tongatapu, ‘Eua, Ha’apai, and Vava’u, carrying an estimated sulfur dioxide mass of 0.05 Tg (50,000 tonnes) based on satellite data. Sulfur odors were reported in Tongatapu (70 km S), near the capital on Motutapu Island, and on ‘Eua (106 km SSE). Ashfall was reported on many islands, including Fonoi and Mango (75 km ENE). The Tonga Meteorological Services (TMS) issued tsunami warnings for areas including ‘otu Mu’omu’a in Ha’apai (Nomuka, Mango, Fonoifua), ‘Atataa, ‘Eueiki, and Tongatapu mo ‘Eua. At 2000 on 14 January a tsunami with a height of 20 cm was recorded by the Nuku’olofa tide gauge. TMS warned residents to stay away from low-lying coastal areas, beaches, and harbors. The Wellington VAAC noted that the eruption was intermittent during 0043-0604 on 15 January; plumes rose to altitudes of 14 km (45,900 ft) a.s.l. The Global Lightning Detection Network (GLD360) ground-based network detected 191,309 lightning events during a 21-hour period (0334 on 14 January-0134 on 15 January), or up to 30,000 events per hour; for comparison, during 22-28 December 2018 the partial collapse eruption of Krakatau generated 337,000 events. TGS noted that at 0720 on 15 January an eruption lasting 10-15 minutes sent an ash plume to 14 km (45,900 ft) a.s.l. that drifted E.

A larger, submarine eruption began at 1700 on 15 January. According to news reports and social media posts, residents in Nuku’alofa (65 km S) heard multiple loud booms and saw a large expanding eruption plume that eventually covered all of the Tongan islands. According to the Wellington VAAC the plume had risen to 15.2 km (50,000 ft) a.s.l. by 1819; the top of the plume as seen in satellite images was at least 600 km in diameter by 1903. During 1719-2300 there were almost 400,000 lightning events recorded in the plume by the GLD360 network, with 200,000 of those during 1800-1900. By 0343 on 16 January the plume had risen to 19.2 km (63,000 ft) a.s.l. Analysis of other satellite datasets suggested that the plume may have risen to 30 km (98,400) a.s.l. The sulfur dioxide mass of the plume was 0.4 Tg (400,000 tonnes) derived from satellite-based estimates; the cloud drifted W consistent with stratospheric winds. Significant ashfall was reported on populated islands of Tonga, 70-100 km E. News articles noted that some residents had difficulty breathing from the ash in the air.

Most domestic and international communications on the islands were severed due to a break in an underwater cable, and ashfall has delayed both damage assessment and relief assistance. An update on 18 January from the Government of Tonga provided details about the eruption and its effects, noting that tsunami warnings issued after the eruption began had triggered evacuations. Tsunami waves up to 2 m high, based on a news article, arrived on the W coasts of the Tongatapu, ‘Eua, and Ha’apai islands, and three people in Tonga were confirmed to have died as a result, with many others injured. Extensive damage was reported on Mango, Fonoifua, and Nomuka islands, and on the W part of Tongatapu. Aerial surveillance by the New Zealand Defence Force’s showed brown, damaged vegetation and landscapes, debris, and modified coastlines with sediment-laden waters. The Government of Tonga also noted that communications to the outer islands were accomplished with a patrol boat on 17 January, and limited communication with residents of Vava’u and Ha’apai was possible the next day. Evacuation efforts were underway for some remote islands. Ashfall contaminated fresh water supplies, hindered sea transportation and harbor access, and caused flights to be cancelled. According to a news report the small island of Atata, near Nuku’alofa, had been completely submerged. Tsunami warnings were also issued in several other countries surrounding the Pacific Ocean. Several news sources reported flooding and damage caused by the tsunamis at locations as far away as Peru (over 10,000 km), where it caused two deaths. Warnings were issued for the N and E coasts of New Zealand’s North Island and the Chatham Islands; multiple boats were destroyed. Thousands in Japan evacuated after tsunami warnings, and the waves there reached 80 cm, disrupting train services, flights, and damaging harbors and boats. In Anchorage, Alaska, the US National Weather Service reported maximum waves heights of 20-100 cm on Alaskan coastlines, and along the British Columbia coast waves were 16-29 cm on 15 January.

The explosions produced multiple pressure (shock) waves that rippled through surrounding weather clouds, though the pressure wave from the largest explosion propagated across the planet. The sonic boom from this wave was heard at great distances, including in Fiji (about 500 km NW), within about two hours in New Zealand (1,600-2,000 km), and within about nine hours in Alaska, USA (9,370 km NE). The pressure wave was also recorded by infrasound and weather instruments worldwide as it circled the Earth, with instruments picking up the wave a second time as it arrived from the opposite direction. Very small perturbances in the ocean waves recorded in the Caribbean, which some referred to as meteotsunamis, were likely generated by atmospheric disturbances from the pressure waves after they passed over South America.

Piton de la Fournaise – Reunion Island (France) : OVPF reported that the eruption at Piton de la Fournaise continued during 10-16 January. Weather clouds often obscured views of the vent, though visual observations were made daily. Lava was sometimes ejected above the crater rim. The lava lake periodically rose and overflowed the cone during 10-13 January, sending flows down the flanks, and several breakouts of lava were visible on the flow field. The flow on the S margin of the field slowly advanced to the S wall of Enclos Fouqué. Activity decreased for a period of time during 14-15 January. Activity increased again during 15-16 January, though no overflows of the lake were recorded and lava was only periodically ejected above the rim. Some small vegetation fires were visible near the base of the caldera wall. Tremor decreased and the eruption ceased at 0210 on 17 January.

Wolf – Isla Isabela (Ecuador) : On 13 January IG reported that the eruption at Wolf was continuing, but at decreasing levels. Lava from at least three fissures had traveled about 16.5 km SE, and covered an estimated 7.4 square kilometers, but had not reached the coast. Daily counts of thermal anomalies were in the hundreds but had progressively decreased in quantity and intensity in recent days, interpreted as a decrease in the effusion rate and cooling flows. Notices of ash-and-gas plumes were issued by the Washington VAAC on 7-8 January, noting that plumes decreased from 2.6 km to 300 m above the vent. Additionally, sulfur dioxide emissions decreased from 60,000 tons per days recorded on 7 January to 8,100 tons per day on 12 January. Seismicity also trended downward.

from WordPress https://ift.tt/3ImSusu

Earthquakes

Magnitude 5+ Earthquakes – Global

5.2 earthquake hits southwest of Africa.

5.0 earthquake hits Taiwan.

5.0 earthquake hits the Pacific-Antarctic ridge.

5.0 earthquake hits west of Macquarie Island.

from WordPress https://ift.tt/3qFC2gV

Storms and Floods

Tropical Storms – Roundup of Tropical Storms:

There are no current tropical storms.

NewsBytes:

Tonga (Tsunami) – All the homes on one of Tonga’s small outer islands have been destroyed by a massive volcanic eruption and tsunami, with three people so far confirmed dead, the government said on Tuesday in its first update since the disaster struck. Every home on Mango island, where around 50 people live, had been destroyed, only two houses remained on Fonoifua, and Namuka island had suffered extensive damage. Tsunami waves reaching up to 15 metres hit the Ha’apia island group, where Mango is located, and the west coast of Tonga’s main island, Tongatapu. A thick layer of ash blankets all the islands. The archipelago’s main airport, Fua’amotu International Airport, was not damaged but the ash is preventing full operations, hampering international relief efforts.

from WordPress https://ift.tt/3FJXHch

Global Warming

Scientists Warn Again Artificial Sun Dimming

Plans to dim the Sun’s rays in order to slow the effects of global warming are potentially dangerous and should be forbidden by governments, a group of scientists and policy experts have said.

One of the plans includes injecting billions of sulphur particles into the atmosphere – but the success of any plan would be far outweighed by the probable disastrous effects thereof on all life on the planet.

Human beings are already experiencing the serious effects of meddling with nature – the solution should be self-evident: stop polluting the planet, don’t make it worse by escalating the pollution with more artificial, nature-destroying nonsense schemes.

from WordPress https://ift.tt/3GUJGtu

Disease

Covid-19

The countries with the 10 greatest number of Covid-19 cases:

Bird Flu – Spain

The World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) announced today an outbreak of avian influenza in domestic birds in Spain. The highly pathogenic H5N1 bird flu virus on a farm in the province of Segovia, north of Madrid. The virus killed killed more than 900 fattening turkeys since last Friday at the Fuenterrebollo farm.

from WordPress https://ift.tt/3FOzeCQ

Earthquakes

Magnitude 5+ Earthquakes – Global

5.7 earthquake hits the Pacific-Antarctic ridge.

5.6 earthquake hits western Afghanistan.

5.5 earthquake hits the Mongolia-Chinese border.

5.0 earthquake hits south of Fiji.

5.0 earthquake hits central Turkey.

5.0 earthquake hits New Britain, Papua New Guinea.

from WordPress https://ift.tt/3A8Fnse

Storms and Floods

Tropical Storms – Roundup of Tropical Storms:

There are no current tropical storms.

NewsBytes:

Madagascar – Disaster authorities in Madagascar report at least 10 people have lost their lives after heavy rainfall caused floods and landslides in Analamanga Region, including the capital Antananarivo. Heavy rain struck during the night of 17 January 2022. Antananarivo recorded over 75mm of rain in 24 hours to 18 January 2022. Water authorities issued red alert warnings due to high levels of the Sisaony river, which jumped 68 cm in half an hour to reach 2.09 metres at the Andramasina station. Levels of the Ikopa and Mamba rivers are also high.

Uruguay – Residents evacuated their homes and cars were swept along city streets in Montevideo, capital of Uruguay, after torrential rain caused flash floods on 17 January 2022. The flooding was the result of “an extraordinary meteorological event” with between 90 and 150 mm of rain falling in just 1 hour early on 17 January. The city’s average monthly rainfall for January is 92 mm. The heavy rain was accompanied by strong winds which downed trees and power lines, leaving 20,000 without electricity across the region. Traffic and public transport were severely disrupted.

South Africa – Heavy rainfall has caused severe flooding in parts of Ladysmith and other areas in KwaZulu-Natal, forcing businesses and schools to close, while trapping people in homes submerged in water.

Lightning Strike Burst

The massive underwater Hunga Tonga volcano that erupted near Tonga in the South Pacific on January 14 triggered almost 7 hours of lightning as well as a tsunami. A ground-based lightning detection system recorded nearly 400,000 strikes with 200,000 occurring in a one-hour period. For comparison, a severe lightning bust in northern California might have hundreds or a few thousand strikes. The ash cloud reached at least 60,000 feet with some reports saying the initial plume reached 100,000 feet, three times the altitude of commercial airliners.

from WordPress https://ift.tt/3Kijf3n

Disease

Covid-19

The countries with the 10 greatest number of Covid-19 cases:

Rift Valley Fever – Uganda

Ugandan health officials report a Rift Valley Fever (RVF) outbreak in Kagadi district in the western part of the country. One man has died from the disease.

H5N1 avian influenza – Isle of Man

Officials with the Isle of Man government are reporting the first H5N1 avian influenza cases in birds on the Island. The Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture (DEFA) responded on Friday after a bird keeper in Sulby found 11 of his geese dead near a pond on his property.

H9N2 Bird Flu – China

The Health Bureau in Macao reported four additional H9N2 avian influenza cases in Mainland China in late 2021. The four cases one male and three females, aged from 3 to 14 years old.

from WordPress https://ift.tt/3tEiMCI

Earthquakes

Magnitude 5+ Earthquakes – Global

5.8 earthquake hits the Bougainville region, Papua New Guinea.

5.7 earthquake hits Tonga.

5.5 earthquake hits Oaxaca, Mexico.

5.5 earthquake hits the Aegean Sea.

5.2 earthquake hits Java, Indonesia.

from WordPress https://ift.tt/3I71bXK

Storms and Floods

Tropical Storms – Roundup of Tropical Storms:

There are no current tropical storms.

NewsBytes:

Peru – Two people have died in Peru after the eruption of an undersea volcano thousands of kilometres away off the coast of Tonga caused high waves along the Peruvian coast on 16 January 2022. Peru’s National Civil Defence Institute (INDECI) reported high waves in the regions of La Libertad, Lambayeque, Lima, Ica and Arequipa. Twenty-two ports on the north and central coasts were closed and fishing activities suspended. Buildings were damaged in the popular tourist area of Paracas, Ica Region and some locals and visitors were evacuated. INDECI said two people drowned in the high waves in the district of Lambayeque, located in the province and region of the same name.

Gaza – Gaza has been battered by three days of heavy rainfall which has led to extreme flooding, forcing locals to move around in boats.

from WordPress https://ift.tt/3tA1AhI

Disease

Covid-19

The countries with the 10 greatest number of Covid-19 cases:

from WordPress https://ift.tt/3A4hF0e

Earthquakes

Magnitude 5+ Earthquakes – Global

5.8 earthquake hits Tonga.

5.4 earthquake hits the South Sandwich Islands.

5.3 earthquake hits Taiwan.

5.3 earthquake hits the South Sandwich Islands.

5.0 earthquake hits eastern Iran.

5.0 earthquake hits the South Sandwich Islands.

5,0 earthquake hits Vanuatu.

5.0 earthquake hits offshore El Salvador.

from WordPress https://ift.tt/3FrKViw

Storms and Floods

Tropical Storms – Roundup of Tropical Storms:

There are no current tropical storms.

NewsBytes:

Tsunami – Tonga

A tsunami triggered by the explosive eruption of the underwater Tonga volcano in the Pacific Ocean slammed the shoreline of the Pacific nation Saturday (Jan. 15), sending residents rushing for higher ground, according to news reports. A 4-foot-tall (1.2 meters) tsunami reportedly hit Tonga’s capital of Nuku’alofa, which is about 40 miles (65 kilometers) south of the underwater volcano. There have been no reports of injuries, because communication with the nation went down after the eruption. Local officials said the powerful underwater eruption had a radius of 161.5 miles (260 km), and sent ash, steam and gas more than 12 miles (20 km) into the air. Tsunami warnings were issued Saturday for the entire US West Coast after a massive volcanic eruption across the Pacific Ocean in Tonga, with tsunami waves triggering low-level flooding in Hawaii.

from WordPress https://ift.tt/3qzjL5c

Wildfires

Wildfires – Paraguay

Wildfires in southern Paraguay have left behind dozens of scorched livestock and 10,000 hectares of burned forests and grasslands during the last three days. Video showed burnt, and rotting carcasses of livestock were strewn on grasslands, stark evidence of the devastating effects of massive bushfires on cattle unable to flee in time or trapped behind fences. According to firefighters, some 200 cattle, sheep, horses, and wild animals have died due to the fires that started on Tuesday (January 11) in Caapucu, southern Paraguay, following the burning of garbage in the area.

from WordPress https://ift.tt/3IaYnsU

Disease

Covid-19

The countries with the 10 greatest number of Covid-19 cases:

Anthrax – Uruguay

The Uruguay Ministry of Livestock, Agriculture and Fishing reported Thursday outbreaks of anthrax in cattle, horses, and possibly humans, in the department of Rocha, in the eastern part of the country. In Uruguay, anthrax outbreaks occur in the summer months, with a peak in February. Anthrax spores are very resistant, being able to survive for years or decades in the soil, so the disease tends to be localized in certain high-risk areas.

England – Avian Malaria

Officials at the Dudley Zoo and Castle are reporting a huge loss of Humboldt penguins due to the parasitic disease, Avian malaria. The malarial infection killed 50 of the 69 penguin colony.

African Swine Fever – Thailand

The World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) announced the first cases of African swine fever (ASF) in Thailand. The outbreak in Wang Thonglang in the Bangkok Metro area affected three swine that all died. According to the report, the owner bought these pigs for companion purposes.

from WordPress https://ift.tt/3GB0wgT

Earthquakes

Magnitude 5+ Earthquakes – Global

5.5 earthquake hits the Hindu Kush, Afghanistan.

5.4 earthquake hits eastern New Guinea, Papua New Guinea.

5.1 earthquake hits the Flores Sea.

5.1 earthquake hits the Kermedec Islands.

5.0 earthquake hits offshore Antofagasta, Chile.

from WordPress https://ift.tt/3nvTQsW

Storms and Floods

Tropical Storms – Roundup of Tropical Storms:

There are no current tropical storms.

from WordPress https://ift.tt/3IdL0Z3

Nature – Images

Interesting Images

A satellite image captured by Landsat 8 shows Mount Vesuvius “peering” through an eerily circular hole in the clouds.

from WordPress https://ift.tt/3I7iVCn

Wildfires

Wildfires – Argentina

With temperatures climbing upwards, firefighters were deployed ahead of the weekend to forest fires in nine of Argentina’s 23 provinces, including one blaze that has been active for more than a month. Nearly 100 firefighters and support staff, reinforced by planes and helicopters, were fighting the largest of the fires in the Nahuel Huapi National Park. The park is located near the tourist city of Bariloche, about 1,500 kilometers (950 miles) southwest of Buenos Aires.

from WordPress https://ift.tt/3I7ejw5

Disease

Covid-19

The countries with the 10 greatest number of Covid-19 cases:

Lassa fever – Nigeria

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) reported 48 confirmed Lassa fever cases in the first week of 2022. This is up from 28 cases reported the last week of 2021. Two fatalities were reported, putting the case fatality rate at 4.2 percent.

Dengue Fever – Panama

One death and 21 confirmed cases of dengue were reported early in 2022 in the Metropolitan Region, according to authorities.

from WordPress https://ift.tt/3rEAWld

Earthquakes

Magnitude 5+ Earthquakes – Global

6.5 earthquake hits the Sunday Trait, Indonesia.

5.6 earthquake hits Java, Indonesia.

5.2 earthquake hits offshore Atacama, Chile.

from WordPress https://ift.tt/3rhqAXZ

Storms and Floods

Tropical Storms – Roundup of Tropical Storms:

There are no current tropical storms.

from WordPress https://ift.tt/33Ckp8H

Environment

Polar Lightning

Scientists say they are alarmed at the sudden and rapid increase in lightning strikes across the high Arctic during the past few years. Once very rare, the 7,278 lightning bolts north of 80 degrees latitude during 2021 were nearly double the number in the previous nine years combined.

The trend was highlighted by the Finnish scientific instrument manufacturer Vaisala, which issues an annual report on global lightning. The more frequent lightning bolts are being caused by disappearing sea ice, which means more water is able to evaporate, and the greater atmospheric instability caused by Arctic warming that is occurring at four times the global average.

from WordPress https://ift.tt/3I9xMMR

Global Warming

Methane Alarm

The global level of the potent greenhouse gas methane has reached a record high, growing at twice the rate of the long-term average in what scientists are calling a “fire alarm moment” for curbing climate change.

NOAA says methane concentrations reached a record 1,900 parts per billion in September, the highest in almost four decades of regular monitoring. The gas is 80 times more potent in contributing to global heating than carbon dioxide.

While most of the rise has occurred from the gas being released through changes in wetlands and by agriculture in the tropics, leaks from oil and gas operations are also major contributors. More than 100 countries pledged to cut their methane emissions at last year’s COP26 climate summit.

from WordPress https://ift.tt/3FukdWi

Environment

Global Temperature Extremes

The week’s hottest temperature was 50.6 degrees Celsius (123 degrees F) at Onslow, Western Australia.

The week’s coldest temperature was minus 52.8 degrees Celsius (-63 degrees F) at Bolshoye Toko, 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.

Summer Heat

The height of southern summer has brought some of the hottest weather on record to northern Argentina and parts of western Australia.

The Argentine heat wave caused the power grid around Buenos Aires to collapse, leaving 700,000 without electricity as temperatures in the north of the country approached the hottest ever recorded in South America.

A temperature of 123 degrees Fahrenheit in Pilbara, Western Australia, tied for the hottest ever recorded in Australia, and the entire Southern Hemisphere, since 1960.

from WordPress https://ift.tt/3qrBprt

Disease

Covid-19

The countries with the 10 greatest number of Covid-19 cases:

from WordPress https://ift.tt/3GwWvKG

Volcanos

Roundup of Global Volcanic Activity – Ongoing Activity for the week 5 January – 11 January 2022

Aira – Kyushu (Japan) : JMA reported that incandescence from Minamidake Crater (at Aira Caldera’s Sakurajima volcano) was visible at night during 3-10 January. An eruptive event at 0143 on 7 January produced an ash plume that rose 1.3 km and ejected bombs 600-900 m away from the crater.

Great Sitkin – Andreanof Islands (USA) : AVO reported that slow lava effusion at Great Sitkin probably continued during 5-11 January, though cloudy conditions prevented satellite and webcam confirmation. Seismicity was very low; several small seismic events were recorded during 9-10 January.

Grimsvotn – Iceland : The Icelandic Meteorological Office (IMO) lowered the Aviation Color Code for Grímsvötn to Green on 12 January, noting that seismicity had returned to normal levels with a few earthquakes detected over the previous few weeks. The caldera had deepened during the jökulhlaup (glacial outburst flood) that had occurred during November and December 2021, though IMO noted that it was difficult to characterize the current status of the caldera and the level of the geothermal activity.

Karymsky – Eastern Kamchatka (Russia) : KVERT reported that a thermal anomaly over Karymsky was visible in satellite images during 2-3 January.

Kilauea – Hawaiian Islands (USA) : HVO reported that lava effusion resumed at the vent in the lower W wall of Kilauea’s Halema`uma`u Crater at around 0400 on 5 January, ending a 3-day pause. The sulfur dioxide emission rate was about 3,300 tonnes per day on 6 January. Lava effused from the vent on most days during 6-11 January, though effusion paused and the lake crusted over for most of the day on 7 January. Several overflows onto older crust were observed after effusion resumed at around 2130 on 7 January through 8 January. The W surface of the lava lake was active during 9-10 January, though there were some more pauses in lava effusion from the W vent during 10-11 January.

Lewotolok – Lembata Island (Indonesia) : PVMBG reported that the eruption at Lewotolok continued during 5-10 January. Variable density white-and-gray ash plumes rose as high as 600 m above the summit and drifted E and SE. Incandescent material was occasionally ejected up to 300 m from the vent and accompanied by rumbling. At 0848 on 11 January an ash plume rose 700 m above the volcano and drifted E.

Merapi – Central Java (Indonesia) : BPPTKG reported no notable morphological changes to Merapi’s summit lava dome, though the dome just below the SW rim had increased about 2 m in height during 31 December 2021 to 6 January 2022. The estimated dome volumes were over 1.67 million cubic meters for the SW dome and just over 3 million cubic meters for the summit dome. The intensity of the seismic signals remained at high levels. As many as 69 lava avalanches traveled a maximum of 2 km SW down the Bebeng drainage.

Pavlof – United States : AVO reported that elevated seismicity at Pavlof during 5-11 January was characterized by daily periods of tremor. High surface temperatures consistent with active lava effusion near the vent were identified in satellite images each day. The lava flow on the SE flank lengthened from 80 to 300 m during 2-6 January based on high-resolution satellite data. Robust steaming was observed by pilots and in webcam images on 9 January.

Rincon de la Vieja – Costa Rica : OVSICORI-UNA reported that multiple eruptive events were recorded at Rincón de la Vieja on 5 January, though most of them were small. A notable explosion at 1833 ejected incandescent material above the crater rim that was visible in webcam images for about 30 seconds. Darkness obscured views of a plume and no ash was visible in satellite images. Residents reported hearing a loud explosion and sounds indicating active lahars; lahars in the Penjamo and Azufrado rivers reached residential areas within 50 minutes of the event. An eruptive event was recorded at 1858 on 10 January, though cloud cover prevented visual confirmation.

Sangay – Ecuador : IG staff observed Sangay during an overflight on 27 December 2021, focusing on the summit area along with the SE and NE flanks. Two vents were active in the summit area, a central vent and a western vent in a scoria cone. The central vent produced Strombolian explosions and had temperatures as high as 645 degrees Celsius. Lava from this vent fed a flow on the SE flank that was 540 m long; the maximum temperature of the flow was 580 degrees. The W vent ejected blocks and gas emissions, and had temperatures as high as 410 degrees. The third vent, on the NE flank, produced gas emissions and temperatures above 515 degrees. A lava flow from this vent had descended 370 m and was as hot as 450 degrees. The team took gas measurements around the summit with a MultiGAS instrument, collected ash samples, and acquired data and conducted maintenance at the SAGA monitoring station, 6 km SW of the summit.

Semisopochnoi – Aleutian Islands (USA) : AVO reported that low-level eruptive activity and elevated seismicity at Semisopochnoi’s North Cerberus crater continued during 4-11 January. Almost daily explosions (one per day during 4-8 January and a few during 10-11 January) were recorded by the local seismic network. The weather was mostly cloudy, though ash and/or steam plumes were occasionally visible in webcam images. Low-level ash clouds were visible in webcam images during 10-11 January.

Sheveluch – Central Kamchatka (Russia) : KVERT reported that a thermal anomaly over Sheveluch was identified in satellite images during 1-7 January. Intense steam-and-gas emissions with ash were visible during 3 and 5-6 January; plumes rose as high as 4 km (13,100 ft) a.s.l. and drifted 180 km N and W.

Suwanosejima – Ryukyu Islands (Japan) : JMA reported that incandescence at Suwanosejima’s Ontake Crater was visible nightly during 3-10 January and 368 explosions were recorded. The explosions produced ash plumes that rose as high as 2 km above the crater rim and ejected material up to 1.1 km away from the crater. Eruption sounds were heard in Toshima village (4 km SSW) and ash fell there during 7-10 January.

Yasur – Vanuatu : The Vanuatu Meteorology and Geohazards Department (VMGD) reported that activity at Yasur continued at a high level of “major unrest,” as defined by the Alert Level 2 status. Ash-and-gas emissions were visible in webcam images at 0845, 0900, 0915 on 7 January rising above the crater rim and drifting NW.

from WordPress https://ift.tt/33BzTKo

Earthquakes

Magnitude 5+ Earthquakes – Global

5.9 earthquake hits eastern New Guinea, Papua New Guinea.

5.2 earthquake hits North Island, New Zealand.

5.2 earthquake hits the Andreanof Islands in the Aleutian Islands.

5.0 earthquake hits the Andreanof Islands in the Aleutian Islands.

5.0 earthquake hits the Fox Islands in the Aleutian Islands.

5.0 earthquake hits northern Qinghai, China.

from WordPress https://ift.tt/3flmJDL

Storms and Floods

Tropical Storms – Roundup of Tropical Storms:

In the Southern Hemisphere: Tropical cyclone 05p (Cody), located approximately 492 nm south of Suva, Fiji, is tracking east-southeastward at 12 knots.

NewsBytes:

South Africa – Twenty-four people have been killed during severe weather in KwaZulu-Natal over the past four weeks, 18 drownings and six in lightning strikes. More than 700 homes were damaged in storms. About 11 000 people from 2 068 households have been affected across the province.

Brazil – Heavy rainfall of more than 200mm in 24 hours in some areas has caused further flooding and landslides in the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil, where at least 15 people have died in the last few days. Around 1,200 people have been displaced after wide areas of Brumadinho Municipality were flooded from the overflowing Paraopeba River on 11 January. Civil Defence also reported that 5 people died in a landslide caused by heavy rain in the municipality. Over 10,000 people were displaced by flooding from the overflowing Doce River in Governor Valadares municipality from around 12 January 2022. Minas Gerais Civil Defence reported around 55,000 people affected by the floods. Flooding has also damaged homes in João Pinheiro and Oliveira municipalities, where around 5,000 people were affected.

from WordPress https://ift.tt/3FoCDb2