Earthquakes

Magnitude 5+ Earthquakes – Global

5.5 earthquake hits the Andaman Islands off India.

5.2 earthquake hits the Kashmir-Xinjiang border.

5.1 earthquake hits the Babuyan Islands, Philippines.

5.0 earthquake hits Malta.

Storms and Floods

Tropical Storms - Roundup of Tropical Storms:

There are no current tropical storm systems.

Wildlife

The world’s smallest porpoise is on the brink of extinction

The world’s smallest porpoise is on the edge of extinction - but an environmental group has successfully reduced fishing in the protected areas it calls home. The tiny vaquita is the ocean’s rarest marine mammal.

The creatures - which never grow to more than 150cm in length - number between six and 20 in the wild, down from 200 in 2012. The protected species often become entangled and die in fishing nets cast to catch shrimp, finfish or totoaba. But a year of enforcement efforts have significantly reduced fishing in their habitat, the Mexican sea of Cortez. So far, it is unclear whether the efforts have increased vaquita population numbers.

Environment

Israel Refills Sea of Galilee

When the floodgates are open, a torrent of water gushes into a dry river bed and races to the shore of the Sea of Galilee, a biblical lake in northern Israel that was being lost to drought and the growing population around it. The water is fresh, high-quality, expensive. Desalinated from the Mediterranean Sea and transported across the country where it awaits the order to replenish the lake should it start to shrink again. Israel built a chain of desalination plants along its Mediterranean coast putting it in the unlikely position of having a surplus of water, a bright spot in an arid region extremely vulnerable to climate change.

Disease

Covid-19

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

COVID-19 was the top infectious disease killer for kids and teens in the U.S. between August 2021 and July 2022, a new analysis shows. It also ranked among the leading causes of death for any reason for U.S. children and teens in the same time period, the researchers determined.

Leprosy - Paraguay

In Paraguay, from 2017 to 2021, 1,493 new cases were registered in the country, an average of 298.5 cases per year. It is worth mentioning that, from 2016 to 2021, a higher proportion of new cases was observed in males.

Dengue Fever - Bolivia

The Bolivia Ministry of Health and Sports reported Sunday an additional 353 dengue fever cases, bringing the country total for the year at 2,221. Authorities deployed more than 5,000 people on Sunday in Santa Cruz de la Sierra, resulted in out of 188,660 mosquito breeding sites and intervened in 5,386 apple trees which host the mosquitoes.

Earthquakes

Magnitude 5+ Earthquakes – Global

5.9 earthquake hits southern Xinjiang, China.

5.0 earthquake hits the Molucca Sea.

5.0 earthquake hits Mindanao, Philippines,

5.0 earthquake hits the Kermedec Islands.

5.0 earthquake hits the southwestern Ryukyu Islands, Japan.

Storms and Floods

Tropical Storms - Roundup of Tropical Storms:

In the Southern Hemisphere: Tropical cyclone 08s (Cheneso), located approximately 881 nm southeast of Europa island, is tracking southeastward at 21 knots. This is the final warning for this system.

Newsbytes:

Zambia - Wide areas of Southern and Central Provinces in Zambia are underwater after long-term rainfall caused rivers to overflow. Disaster authorities in Zambia have described it as a “catastrophic situation”. Authorities report widespread damage to homes, farmland and livestock. Many communities are isolated leaving them without access to healthcare and education. Furthermore, sanitation facilities have been completely submerged, exposing the population to a high risk of waterborne diseases. Heavy rains and flash floods have caused damage to homes and livelihoods in the country since mid-January.

Indonesia - At least five people died after flash floods swept through areas of Manado City in North Sulawesi, Indonesia, on 27 January 2023. Disaster authorities in the country reported heavy rain and the overflow of the Tondano watershed inundated around 400 homes. Flood waters were up to 3 metres deep in some areas. A total of 1,021 people were displaced. One person died in the floods and a bridge was severely damaged. Furthermore heavy rain in the area caused multiple landslides in the area, severely damaging over 50 houses and public buildings. Disaster authorities reported 4 people lost their lives as a result.

Disease

Lassa fever - Nigeria

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) reported an additional 77 confirmed Lassa fever cases the week ending January 15, bringing the cumulative confirmed cases to 105 in 2023 to date.

Dengue Fever - Bolivia

Health officials in Bolivia reported 228 new dengue fever cases Saturday, bringing the cumulative total for the year to 1,856.

Trichinosis - Argentina

The Ministry of Health of the province of Santa Fe, issued an alert to a recent outbreak of trichinosis in various locations in the territory. So far, 26 suspected and 8 confirmed cases of this parasitic disease have been registered. At the same time, the provincial health officials asked the population to avoid sausage foods.

Nipah Virus - Bangladesh

The Bangladesh Minister of Health and Family Welfare, Zahid Maleque, announced that Nipah virus cases in the country have risen to eight, including five fatalities, according to a local media report. This is more than the three cases that were reported in all 0f 2022.

Earthquakes

Magnitude 5+ Earthquakes – Global

5.6 earthquake hits the Turkey-Iran border.

5.3 earthquake hits Halmahera, Indonesia.

5.1 earthquake hits the Banda Sea.

5.0 earthquake hits Mindanao in the Philippines.

Storms and Floods

Tropical Storms - Roundup of Tropical Storms:

In the Southern Hemisphere: Tropical cyclone 08s (Cheneso), located approximately 386 nm south-southeast of Europa island, is tracking southeastward at 17 knots.

Global Warming

Winters Growing Shorter Due To Global Warming

Due to climate change, the winter in the Netherlands is becoming almost one day shorter every year, according to the meteorological institute KNMI.

The meteorological institute looked at average temperatures in the climate periods 1961-1990 and 1991-2020. It found that temperatures in the Netherlands were higher in every month of the latter period. The average monthly temperature in 1991-2020 was 1.1 degrees Celsius higher than in 1961-1990.

The temperatures in the coldest quarter of the year (91 days) in the 1961-1990 climate period only occurred on 63 days in the 1991-2020 climate period. In 30 years, the period with winter temperatures has, therefore, become 28 days shorter, almost one day a year.

Disease

Leprosy - Brazil

Preliminary data from the Ministry of Health indicate that, in 2022, more than 17,000 new cases of leprosy were diagnosed in Brazil. In 2021, the number of records reached 18,000 cases, with 11.2% of patients considered as grade 2 of physical disability – when injuries considered serious are identified in the eyes, hands and feet.

Earthquakes

Magnitude 5+ Earthquakes – Global

5.4 earthquake hits Leyte in the Philippines.

5.2 earthquake hits the southwest Indian ridge.

5.0 earthquake hits Guam.

Storms and Floods

Tropical Storms - Roundup of Tropical Storms:

In the Southern Hemisphere: Tropical cyclone 08s (Cheneso), located approximately 135 nm south-southeast of Europa island, is tracking southward at 9 knots.

Newsbytes:

New Zealand - A state of emergency has been declared in Auckland, New Zealand after record rain caused widespread flooding on 27 January 2023. Major roads have been blocked by flooding, landslips or stranded vehicles, causing severe traffic disruption across the Auckland Region. Auckland Airport’s international terminal has been closed due to flooding. Homes were flooded in areas of West Auckland, prompting evacuations. In a period from 03:00 to 21:00, the Auckland Albany weather station recorded 260.6 mm of rain; Auckland Motat 238.4 mm; and Auckland Māngere 242.0 mm. This is approximately an entire summer’s worth of rain in one day and represents an all-time record. Two deaths have been reported, while two persons are still missing.

Global Warming

How Much the Oceans are Warming

The annual average temperature of ocean surfaces has been diverging from the 20th century (1900-1999) average more and more since the 1980s. In 2022, global ocean surface temperatures were 0.69 degrees Celsius higher than that century’s average, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

Disease

Dengue Fever - Vietnam

Vietnam reported 367,729 dengue cases and 140 deaths (CFR 0.04%) cumulatively in Vietnam in 2022. Compared to the same period in 2021 (72,88 cases and 27 deaths, CFR 0.04%), the cumulative number of cases was 5 times higher.

Syphilis - Serbia

Health officials in Serbia reported 238 cases of syphilis in 2021, which represents an incidence rate of 3.45 cases per 100,000 inhabitants.

Chikungunya - Paraguay

The latest report from the General Directorate of Health Surveillance in Paraguay indicates a progressive increase in cases of chikungunya. In the three epidemiological weeks evaluated (SE1, SE2, SE3) this year, a total of 5,625 cases of chikungunya and 37 of dengue were recorded.

Earthquakes

Magnitude 5+ Earthquakes – Global

5.9 earthquake hits the Kermedec Islands.

5.3 earthquake hits Reykjanes ridge.

5.2 earthquake hits Reykjanes ridge.

5.1 earthquake hits the Andreanof Islands in the Aleutian Islands.

5.0 earthquake hits the western Indian-Antarctic ridge.

Storms and Floods

Tropical Storms - Roundup of Tropical Storms:

In the Southern Hemisphere: Tropical cyclone 08s (Cheneso), located approximately 132 nm northeast of Europa island, is tracking south-southwestward at 4 knots.

Environment

Plastic Pollution in Oceans Offset by Bacteria

Where does the ‘missing plastic’ in our oceans go? Bacteria eat some of it, scientists have found. Around 12 million tonnes of plastic enter the oceans every single year. But sampling surveys only ever detect about one per cent of this deluge.

Scientists at the Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research (NIOZ) think they’ve found a ‘jigsaw piece’ of this puzzle: bacteria are devouring it. When plastic enters the ocean, sunlight degrades it into “bite sized chunks”. It is then devoured by the bug bacterium Rhodococcus ruber, which digests it and excretes carbon dioxide. This is the first time scientists have proven in this way that bacteria actually digest plastic into CO2 and other molecules.

Wildlife

New Colony of Penguins in Antarctica

A colony of about 500 emperor penguins was found in a nearly inaccessible area where the species is under threat from global heating. The British Antarctic Survey made the discovery by examining satellite images.

“Like many of the recently discovered sites, this colony is small and in a region badly affected by recent sea-ice loss,” said researcher Peter Fretwell. Emperor penguins are the only ones that breed on sea ice instead of land. If the seasonal ice breaks up before the end of the breeding season, chicks will tumble into the water, where they either drown or freeze.

Solar Confusion

Following the discovery that some birds can “see” Earth’s magnetic field through magnetoreceptors in their eyes, researchers say geomagnetic storms from solar flares and sunspots can cause some long-distance migrators to wind up at the wrong destinations.

By comparing records of 2.2 million birds captured and released from 1960 to 2019 with records of geomagnetic disturbances, a UCLA team found a strong correlation between birds found far outside their expected range and the geomagnetic storms during spring and fall migrations. They say the wayward migrations during such storms may help species survive as their traditional homes become uninhabitable due to climate change.

Global Warming

CO2 Removal

A new study finds that about 2.2 billion tons of CO2 are being removed from the atmosphere each year, and that most of it is from recently planted trees and better soil management. 

There are growing efforts through new technologies to extract the greenhouse gas directly from the atmosphere and put it in long-term storage on land, in the ocean, in geological formations or in products.

But researchers from the University of Oxford estimate that more than 1,300 times more carbon dioxide needs to be extracted from the air than is currently being captured to keep global heating below the 2 degrees Celsius goal by 2050 set out in the Paris Agreement. That reduction should also help the world reach net-zero emissions by then.

Environment

Global Temperature Extremes

The week’s hottest temperature was 46.0 degrees Celsius (115 degrees F) at Rivadavia, Salta, Argentina.

The week’s coldest temperature was minus 56.0 degrees Celsius (-69 degrees F) 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

Wildfires - Australia

A man's body has been found inside a vehicle on a fire ground in Western Australia's Mid West. Firefighters made the grim discovery on Wednesday afternoon, after being called to fight the fire on Tuesday. The bushfire, which started Wednesday, has so far burned through about 800 hectares in the Mount Gibson Reserve. It is about 450 kilometres north-east of Perth and inland from Geraldton.

Disease

Covid-19

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

Volcanos

Roundup of Global Volcanic Activity - Ongoing Activity for the week 18 January - 24 January 2023

Ahyi - Mariana Islands (USA) : Unrest at Ahyi Seamount was occasionally detected during 17-24 January. Pressure sensors on Wake Island, 2,270 km E of Ahyi Seamount, detected one small signal during 22-23 January. No activity was observed in mostly cloudy satellite images.

Aira - Kyushu (Japan) : JMA reported ongoing eruptive activity at Minamidake Crater (at Aira Caldera’s Sakurajima volcano) during 14-23 January. Crater incandescence was visible nightly. An explosion at 1215 on 18 January produced an ash plume that rose 1.4 km above the crater rim and ejected blocks as far as 1.1 km. Sulfur dioxide emissions were high at 1,400 tons per day. An explosion at 0659 on 19 January generated an ash plume that rose 1.3 km and ejected blocks 600-900 m and an explosion at 0307 on 21 January generated an ash plume that rose 1.6 km and ejected blocks as far as 1.1 km. Occasional very small eruptive events were recorded during 21-22 January.

Cotopaxi - Ecuador : IG reported that the eruption at Cotopaxi continued during 18-24 January, characterized by daily emissions of steam, gas, and ash. The plumes were visible in webcam images and reported by the Washington VAAC, though sometimes weather conditions prevented observations. They rose as high as 2 km and drifted in various directions and caused ashfall in Chillos (33 km SW), Langualó, San Isidro Alto (20 km SW), and San Agustín del Callo (18 km WSW) during 17-18 January and in San Isidro Alto, Chillos and Langualó Chico during 18-19 January.

Ebeko - Paramushir Island (Russia) : KVERT reported that moderate activity at Ebeko was ongoing during 12-19 January. According to volcanologists in Severo-Kurilsk (Paramushir Island, about 7 km E) explosions on 13 January generated ash plumes that rose as high as 3 km (10,000 ft) a.s.l. and drifted SE. A thermal anomaly was identified in satellite images on 13 and 16 January.

Etna - Sicily (Italy) : INGV reported that the vents at the NE base of Etna’s SE Crater, in the Valle del Leone at about 2,800 m elevation, continued to feed lava flows during 16-22 January, though the rate notably fluctuated. Lava effusion progressively decreased during 16-17 January and had possibly ceased by the late afternoon of 17 January. Effusion restarted in the early hours of 18 January, generating two lava flows. One of the flows traveled NE along the W edge of the lava field, and the other traveled E onto the steep W wall of Valle del Bove, reaching the base of the wall on 20 January. The effusion rate decreased on 21 January and the again increased during the evening. Late on 22 January a new lava flow descended the Valle del Bove, almost reaching the base of the W wall at around 2,200 m elevation.

Great Sitkin - Andreanof Islands (USA) : AVO reported that slightly elevated surface temperatures at Great Sitkin were identified in satellite images on 18 January, suggesting continuing lava effusion at a low rate primarily to the S and E. A few small earthquakes were detected on most days by the local seismic network. No activity was observed in mostly cloudy satellite and web camera images during 19-24 January.

Ibu - Halmahera : PVMBG reported that the eruption at Ibu continued during 17-24 January. Daily white-and-gray plumes of variable densities rose 200-1,000 m above the summit and drifted in multiple directions.

Krakatau - Sunda Strait : PVMBG reported that the eruption at Anak Krakatau intensified at the end of the week during 17-23 January. White steam-and-gas plumes rose as high as 200 m above the summit and drifted NE, E, and S. Strombolian activity was visible in webcam images at 0041, 0043, and 0450 on 23 January. At 0607 and 0701 dense gray ash plumes rose 300 m above summit and drifted E. At 0758, 0759, 0808, and 0928 dense gray-to-black ash plumes rose 200-500 m and drifted SE. Webcam photos showed progressively intensifying Strombolian activity at 1919, 1958, and 2113 on 24 January. A dense gray ash plume rose 300 m and drifted E at 1957.

Lascar - Northern Chile : SERNAGEOMIN reported that after the 19 December 2022 eruption at Láscar, activity levels had returned to baseline. During 1-15 January sulfur dioxide emissions detected by a Differential Absorption Optical Spectroscopy (DOAS) instrument located 6 km ESE of the crater measured an average value of around 483 tonnes per day, with a maximum value of 881 tonnes per day on 13 January. These values were at normal levels. Occasional low-level thermal anomalies were identified in satellite images and corresponded to passive degassing from the vents in the summit crater. The maximum height of white gas plumes was 1.4 km above the crater rim, recorded on 11 January.

Lewotolok - Lembata Island : PVMBG reported that the eruption at Lewotolok was ongoing during 17-24 January. Nighttime webcam images captured almost daily showed incandescent material being ejected above the summit crater. White steam-and-gas plumes were visible on most days rising as high has 250 m above the summit. Emissions during 18-20 January were white-and-gray and rose as high as 400 m and drifted NE and E.

Merapi - Central Java : BPPTKG reported that the eruption at Merapi continued during 12-19 January and seismicity remained at high levels. The SW lava dome produced three lava avalanches that traveled as far as 1.2 km down the SW flank (upstream in the Kali Bebeng drainage). Avalanche sounds were heard on six occasions. No significant morphological changes to the central and SW lava domes were evident in webcam images.

Nevado del Ruiz - Colombia : Servicio Geológico Colombiano (SGC) reported that at 0710 on 23 January an ash cloud rose from Nevado del Ruiz and drifted NW, causing ashfall in the municipality of Manizales (27 km NW). The ash emission occurred simultaneously with a seismic signal that indicated moving fluids within the volcano’s conduit.

Pavlof - Alaska Peninsula, Alaska: AVO reported that the eruption at Pavlof has ended. No explosions had been detected since 11 December and seismicity had decreased to background levels. Weakly elevated surface temperatures and minor steaming from the recently active vent continue to be observed intermittently in satellite and webcam images, consistent with the cooling of previously erupted lava.

Popocatepetl - Mexico : CENAPRED reported that there were 94-206 steam-and-gas emissions, sometimes containing ash, rising from Popocatépetl each day during 17-24 January. The plumes drifted N, NE, and N. Minor ashfall was reported in the municipalities of Domingo Arenas, San Nicolas de los Ranchos, Santiago Xalizintla, in the town of San Mateo Ozolco in Calpan, state of Puebla and in the municipalities of Tlaxcala and Papalotla, state of Tlaxcala on 17 January. On 21 January an ash plume rose as high as 3 km and drifted NNE and one minor explosion was detected. Four explosions were recorded during 21-22 January and six were recorded during 23-24 January.

Reventador - Ecuador : IG described the ongoing eruption at Reventador as moderate during 17-24 January. Daily seismicity was characterized by explosions, long-period earthquakes, periods of harmonic tremor, and signals that indicated emissions. The daily count of explosions ranged from 22-96; seismic data transmission was interrupted during 22-23 January. Although weather clouds often prevented observations of the summit, daily gas, steam, and ash plumes were observed in IG webcam images and described in Washington VAAC volcanic activity notifications almost daily. The plumes rose as high as 2.2 km above the volcano and drifted in multiple directions. Crater incandescence was visible nightly and incandescent blocks were ejected onto the flanks sometimes in all directions; incandescent blocks were also visible rolling as far as 800 m down the flanks.

Sangay - Ecuador : IG reported a high level of activity at Sangay during 17-24 January, which included daily explosions, long-period earthquakes, and gas, steam, and ash emissions. The daily count of explosions ranged from 53-122, though seismic data transmission was sometimes interrupted. Almost daily gas, steam, and ash plumes were either observed in IG webcam images or described in Washington VAAC volcanic activity notifications; weather clouds often prevented observations of the summit. The plumes rose as high as 1.5 km above the volcano and drifted in multiple directions. Multiple thermal anomalies were identified in satellite images on most days. Crater incandescence from the crater and from material on the SE flank was visible at night during 21-22 January.

Semeru - Eastern Java : PVMBG reported that the eruption at Semeru continued during 17-24 January. Daily dense white-and-gray ash plumes generally rose 500-800 m above the summit and drifted N, NE, SE, and S. Ash plumes rose as high as 1 km and drifted SE at 0628 on 19 January.

Sheveluch - Central Kamchatka (Russia) : KVERT reported that the ongoing eruption at Sheveluch during 12-19 January was generally characterized by explosions, hot avalanches, lava-dome extrusion, and strong fumarolic activity. A daily thermal anomaly was identified in satellite images. Explosions on 19 January produced ash plumes that were identified in satellite images rising as high as 10 km (32,800 ft) a.s.l. and drifting W at 1240 local time. KVERT raised the Aviation Color Code to Red (the highest level on a four-color scale). In a Volcano Observatory Notice for Aviation (VONA) posted at 1635 local time KVERT noted that no additional plumes were identified in satellite images.

Suwanosejima - Ryukyu Islands (Japan) : JMA reported that the eruption at Suwanosejima's Ontake Crater continued during 16-23 January. No explosions were recorded, though eruption plumes rose as high as 1.2 km above the crater rim and blocks were ejected as far as 300 m from the vent. Ashfall was occasionally reported in Toshima village (3.5 km SSW). JMA noted that the number of explosions began decreasing in mid-October 2022 and the last explosion was recorded on 16 November. Additionally, plume heights had occasionally risen higher than 2 km above the crater rim during October-November 2022, but starting in December the heights had generally been at or below 1 km. Other data had also indicated low levels of activity; the probability of material being ejected more than 1 km away from the crater had decreased.

Villarrica - Central Chile : SERNAGEOMIN reported that the eruption at Villarrica was ongoing during 17-24 January. Daily minor Strombolian explosions from a vent on the crater floor ejected incandescent material that generally rose as high as 100 m above the crater rim and fell back down in and around the crater. On 19 January POVI noted that lava was ejected as high as 140 m above the crater rim and onto the W and SW flanks. Explosion noises were heard on 19 and 22 January in areas within a radius of 10 km.

Whakaari/White Island - North Island (New Zealand) : On 24 January GeoNet reported continuing unrest at Whakaari/White Island characterized by minor-to-moderate gas-and-steam emissions and low levels of gas. The activity was confirmed during an overflight on 16 January. Sulfur dioxide gas emissions were low, averaging around 33 tonnes per day, and carbon dioxide emissions were moderate, averaging around 705 tonnes per day; the gas levels had declined compared to the 6 December 2022 measurements. No notable changes to the lake were visible aside from minor fluctuations of the lake level. No signs of ash emissions or other eruptive activity were observed.

Earthquakes

Magnitude 5+ Earthquakes – Global

5.9 earthquake hits. The eastern Mediterranean Sea.

5.5 earthquake hits the Molucca Sea.

5.4 earthquake hits the Kermedec Islands.

5.4 earthquake hits western Sichuan, China.

5.1 earthquake hits the Kermedec Islands.

5.1 earthquake hits Cape Verde.

5.1 earthquake hits the Kashmir-Xinjiang border.

Storms and Floods

Tropical Storms - Roundup of Tropical Storms:

In the Southern Hemisphere: Tropical cyclone 08s (Cheneso), located approximately 229 nm northeast of Europa island, is tracking eastward at 1 knot.

Wildlife

Bees, Butterflies and Hoverflies

One in three bee, butterfly and hoverfly species are currently disappearing in the EU.

Without their drive to fertilise flowers, many plant species would dwindle and eventually disappear. It’s not just beloved honeybees and butterflies; wasps, beetles, flies and ants are also key to this vital process.

With around 80 per cent of crop and wild-flowering plants depending on animal pollination, the Commission describes pollinator loss as one of the biggest threats to EU nature, human wellbeing and food security, as it compromises long-term agricultural production.

Bees could be ensured safe flight around Europe via ‘buzz lines’ under a new deal unveiled yesterday. Creating a network of ecological corridors is one of a number of measures in the European Commission’s ‘New Deal for Pollinators’. The EU is already clamping down on the use of pesticides which are the major threat to pollinators.

Disease

Dengue Fever - Bolivia

In a follow-up on the dengue fever outbreak in Bolivia in early 2023, the Ministry of Health and Sports reports that through January 24, 1,010 total dengue fever cases have been reported.

Volcanos

Roundup of Global Volcanic Activity - New Activity for the week 18 January - 24 January 2023

Dieng Volcanic Complex - Central Java : PVMBG reported that white gas plumes of varying densities rose as high as 80 m above the summit of the Dieng Volcanic Complex during 18-24 January. Carbon dioxide emission averages decreased from an average of 3,300 parts per million during 18-19 January to an average of 1,900 parts per million during 22-23 January.

Kilauea - Hawaiian Islands (USA): HVO reported that lava continued to erupt in the E portion of Kilauea’s Halema’uma’u Crater floor during 17-24 January. Activity was concentrated in a large, perched lava lake, covering about 10 hectares in the E half of the crater by 17 January, and in a smaller lake to the W, in the basin of the 2021-2022 lava lake. One dominant lava fountain, 6-7 m high, was active in the E lake. Small daily overflows occurred along the margins of the E lake.

Marapi - Central Sumatra : PVMBG reported that the eruption at Marapi continued during 17-24 January. White-and-gray emissions rose as high as 500 m and drifted in various directions during 17-21 January; white steam plumes were visible on the other days.

Semisopochnoi - Aleutian Islands (USA) : AVO reported that eruptive activity at Semisopochnoi’s Mount Young was ongoing during 17-24 January. Seismicity was elevated with daily small local earthquakes and occasional weak tremor. Minor steam emissions were visible in webcam images during 17-19 January; no activity was identified in cloudy satellite views during the rest of the week.

Earthquakes

Magnitude 5+ Earthquakes – Global

6.1 earthquake hits Santiago del Estero, Argentina.

5.5 earthquake hits Kepulauan Talaud, Indonesia.

5.3 earthquake hits the central Mediterranean Sea.

5.1 earthquake hits near the east coast of Honshu, Japan.

5.1 earthquake hits north of Halmahera, Indonesia.

Storms and Floods

Tropical Storms - Roundup of Tropical Storms:

In the Southern Hemisphere: Tropical cyclone 08s (Cheneso), located approximately 201 nm northeast of Europa island, is tracking eastward at 1 knot.

Newsbytes:

Indonesia - Disaster authorities in Indonesia report severe flooding and landslides in areas of Sumatra island which began after heavy rainfall on 21 January 2023. As of 24 January, almost 100,000 people and 15,000 homes have been affected. Three fatalities were reported. Areas in Aceh Province in the far north of Sumatra Island were severely impacted, with flooding reported in several regencies. Flooding and landslides also struck in Deli Serdang in North Sumatra Province and in Padang Pariaman Regency in West Sumatra Province where 2 people died and 5 were injured.

Malaysia - The number of flood victims in Johor continued to rise to 2,912 people as of midnight in contrast with 1,703 people recorded at 8pm with Mersing being the latest district to be affected by the disaster. Four rivers in Johor have breached the danger level with an upward trend. At least five main roads were closed to traffic.

Environment

Huge Iceberg Breaks of Antarctica

A vast iceberg equivalent to the size of Greater London has broken off the Antarctic ice shelf. The huge iceberg - which measures more than 1,550 square kilometres - broke away from the 150 metre thick Brunt Ice Shelf on Sunday.

The good news is that the split is a natural process known as ‘calving,’ and is not linked to climate change. The new berg is the second iceberg to break off in two years, as a massive crack called ‘Chasm-1’ extends through the Brunt ice shelf.

Earthquakes

Magnitude 5+ Earthquakes – Global

5.7 earthquake hits the Molucca Sea.

5.7 earthquake hits Nepal.

5.4 earthquake hits the Molucca Sea.

5.3 earthquake hits the Molucca Sea.

5.2 earthquake hits the Molucca Sea.

5.1 earthquake hits Malta.

5.1 earthquake hits Manipur, India.

5.0 earthquake hits the Molucca Sea.

Storms and Floods

Tropical Storms - Roundup of Tropical Storms:

In the Southern Hemisphere: Tropical cyclone 08s (Cheneso), located approximately 176 nm northeast of Europa island, is tracking west-northwestward at 10 knots.

Newsbytes:

Philippines - Severe weather is continuing to affect wide areas of the Philippines, where the country’s National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) reports that 38 people have lost their lives in floods and landslides since the start of January 2023. A combination of Low-Pressure Areas, the Northeast Monsoon and Shear Line storms triggered as many as 1,252 flood incidents and 101 landslides from 01 January to 21 January. Almost 2 million people have now been impacted by the severe weather across 51 provinces in 14 of the country’s 17 regions. Over 1,200 houses have been damaged and 548 destroyed.

Global Warming

German Village Demolished to make way for Coal Mine

Lützerath is a village on the edge of the Garzweiler open pit mine in the Rhenish lignite mining region in Germany. The village is to make way for the expansion of the open pit coal mine, and the residents have already been relocated.

Climate protesters, who had occupied the town for more than two years, housed in old buildings, clashed with police this week, but their efforts have been in vain as they were removed by police. The energy crisis in Europe, largely due to the war in the Ukraine, have helped motivate the German Government to proceed with the plans for the expansion of the coal mine.

Environment

Floods leave river polluted in Bosnia

In Bosnia and Herzegovina, the downpours have left an iconic river choked with rubbish.

The Drina river, revered by rafters for its emerald colour and the stunning route it cuts through the mountains, has been polluted with waste from riverside landfills. Plastic bottles, rusty barrels, old tyres and even the odd fridge freezer covered the width of the river outside the town of Visegrád. The waste has accumulated behind a barrier built by a Bosnian hydroelectric plant a few kilometres upstream.

Disease

Covid-19

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

Earthquakes

Magnitude 5+ Earthquakes – Global

5.2 earthquake hits the Volcano Islands, Japan.

5.1 earthquake hits the Solomon Islands.

5.1 earthquake hits the South Sandwich Islands.

5.0 earthquake hits southeast of the Loyalty Islands.

Storms and Floods

Tropical Storms - Roundup of Tropical Storms:

There are no current tropical storm systems.

Newsbytes:

Mali - Overflowing rivers in Mali have caused severe hardship for communities in the Mopti and Tombouctou Regions. Flooding along the Niger river from early December affected the communes of Diré, Gourma-Rharous, Goundam and Timbuktu, the capital of the Tombouctou Region. The UN reported severe flooding affected parts of the Mopti region in January 2023. The Sourou river overflowed in mid-January 2023, flooding areas of Baye commune.

Disease

Diphtheria - Nigeria

Nigerian health officials have issued a public health advisory last week over a diphtheria outbreak in several states. The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has responded to reports of diphtheria cases in Kano state where it is reported that no fewer than 25 persons in the state have died of the disease.

Chikungunya - Thailand

Officials reported 1,370 total cases of chikungunya in 48 provinces in 2022. This compared to the 671 cases in 39 provinces seen in 2021, or a 104 percent increase. No deaths were reported.

Earthquakes

Magnitude 5+ Earthquakes – Global

5.5 earthquake hits Reykjanes ridge.

5.3 earthquake hits Reykjanes ridge.

5.2 earthquake hits Reykjanes rige.

5.2 earthquake hits the Molucca Sea.

5.0 earthquake hits Tonga.

Global Warming

Renewable Energy - Europe

More than a fifth of energy used in the European Union in 2021 came from renewables, new data shows. Solar, wind and other ‘green’ sources contributed 21.8 per cent to the EU’s total energy consumption, according to Eurostat.

Sweden once again topped the list as the EU country with the highest share of renewable energy in 2021, getting 63% of its energy from renewables. Finland was second with 43%, and then Estonia, Austria and Denmark with 38%, 36% and 34% respectively.

But when it comes to European countries more broadly, two non-EU countries are still well ahead. Iceland gets the greatest share of its energy from renewable sources in Europe, thanks to its great geothermal resources. Around 86 per cent of its clean energy came from this source. Norway came in second place with a stellar 76 per cent from renewables.

Environment

Air Pollution Warning for London

Freezing fog will create dangerous driving conditions in England on Sunday, the Met Office has said, as the London Mayor warned the weather would exacerbate air pollution in the capital. London Mayor Sadiq Khan warned pollution would intensify on Sunday as cold, foggy conditions trap in emissions from cars and vans that burn fossil fuels.

Air pollution increases the risk of respiratory infections, heart disease and lung cancer and tends to hit those who are already ill, children the elderly and poor people.

Disease

Streptococci infections - Denmark

Denmark reports more and more people in Denmark are currently being diagnosed with an infection with group A streptococci, and the increase has now reached a level that far exceeds the normal for the time of year. In addition, there has been a tripling of invasive cases (iGAS) in one month, which are cases where streptococci have spread and caused serious conditions, for example blood poisoning.

Syphilis - USA

Syphilis rates in the United States have been increasing since 2012. From 2012 through 2021, the rate of syphilis cases increased by 224% in the U.S. and by 405% in Maine. Maine CDC recently received notification of a case of congenital syphilis (CS). This is the first case of CS reported in a Maine resident in nearly 30 years. In 2021, there were 2,677 cases of CS reported in the U.S., an increase of 702% from 2012.

Earthquakes

Magnitude 5+ Earthquakes – Global

6.7 earthquake hits Santiago del Estero, Argentina.

5.3 earthquake hits the Kermedec Islands.

5.1 earthquake hits the Molucca Sea.

5.0 earthquake hits the Molucca Sea.

5.0 earthquake hits Lake Victoria, Tanzania.

5.0 earthquake hits the South Sandwich Islands.

Storms and Floods

Tropical Storms - Roundup of Tropical Storms:

In the Southern Hemisphere: Tropical cyclone 08s (Cheneso) reconstituted briefly after making landfall in Madagascar, bring more heavy rain to the northern parts of the island.

Tropical cyclone 10p (Ten), located approximately 204 nm west of Noumea, New Caledonia, is tracking southeastward at 12 knots.

Newsbytes:

Brazil - Stormy weather over the last 2 days has caused fatalities and material damages in the state of Santa Catarina in southern Brazil. The state government said 26 municipalities have reported losses due to the storms of recent days and the cities of Rio Negrinho and Ascurra have declared a state of emergency. Emergency rescue teams using sniffer dogs are searching for two people who are still missing in a landslide in Rodeio. Three bodies were recovered from the site earlier on 19 January. Around 190 people have been displaced and the municipal authorities have set up an emergency shelter. Rodeio recorded 173.1 mm of rain in 12 hours to early 18 January 2023.

Hungary - Unusually heavy rains this month have caused flooding on several waterways in northern Hungary, with the water authority raising the alert as more rains, sleet and snow is expected for the weekend.

Global Warming

Greenland Temperatures hit 1 000 year high

Some of the coldest parts of the Greenland ice sheet have hit their warmest levels in at least a millennium — and the amount of melting they’re experiencing has also probably hit a thousand-year high. The findings in a new study underscore a grim trend for the world’s second-largest ice sheet. Temperatures are steadily rising, the ice is gradually shrinking and the world’s frozen places are vulnerable to the steady march of climate change.

The study reconstructs 1,000 years of Greenland climate history using enormous ice cores carefully drilled out of the ice sheet. Greenland contains some of the world’s oldest ice, frozen in place for hundreds or thousands of years. The ice contains trapped air bubbles and other chemical signatures that offer clues about what the climate was like when the water froze. Scientists can compare older ice with layers of newer ice to determine how the region’s climate has changed over time.

The ice cores suggest that temperatures between 2001 and 2011 were around 1.5 degrees Celsius higher than the 20th-century average. And they were “exceptional” for the entire 1,000-year study period.

Earthquakes

Magnitude 5+ Earthquakes – Global

6.1 earthquake hits Guadeloupe in the Leeward Islands.

5.3 earthquake hits the Hindu Kush, Afghanistan.

5.1 earthquake hits Tonga.

5.0 earthquake hits Guam.

5.0 earthquake hits Unimak Island, Alaska.

5.0 earthquake hits eastern Honshu, Japan.

Storms and Floods

Tropical Storms - Roundup of Tropical Storms:

There are no current tropical storm systems.

Newsbytes:

Madagascar - Tropical Storm Cheneso made landfall in northern Madagascar on 19 January 2023. Disaster authorities report over 700 homes were damaged after heavy rain triggered flooding. One person was reported missing at sea. After landfall, the storm headed south-west, with average winds of 90 km/h and wind gusts up to 120 km/h. Heavy rainfall was also reported, in particular in northern areas.

Serbia - Days of heavy rain caused rivers to overflow in southwestern Serbia, where 2 people are missing and dozens have been displaced. Flooding has also been reported in other countries in the region, including Kosovo and Albania.

Angola and Namibia - Long-term heavy rainfall has caused flooding in areas of southern Angola and across the border in Namibia. Water flowing along rivers including the Cuvelai River in Angola flooding areas in the south of the province of Cunene from early January. Angola has seen bouts of heavy rainfall since early December 2022 and into January 2023. Waters reached the Cuvelai-Etosha Basin around the second week in January. The Cuvelai-Etosha Basin is a wetland area shared by Angola and Namibia and covers almost 160,000 km².

Environment

El Niño on the Horizon

The waters of the Pacific between South America and Indonesia are predicted to shift from the ongoing La Niña cooling of the past three years to a warming El Niño later this year.

Atmospheric scientists warn this could push global temperatures “off the charts” and make 2024 the first year global heating rises higher than 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial times.

The last hottest year on record was in 2016, which was also a major El Niño year. The US environment agency NOAA says there is a 66% chance of El Niño quickly replacing the current La Niña between August and October of this year.

Wildlife

War on Birds

Environmental advocates warn that the Kenyan government's plans to poison as many as 6 million red-billed quelea birds, which have been ravaging crops, could also contaminate raptors, humans and other creatures.

The ongoing severe drought in the Horn of Africa has wiped out much of the voracious quelea's main diet of native grass seeds, forcing them to invade grain fields. The organophosphate pesticide fenthion, which has been the chemical of choice to kill the birds, is believed by many to be far too dangerous to use, even in the current quelea invasion.

Environment

Global Temperature Extremes

The week’s hottest temperature was 47.0 degrees Celsius (117 degrees F) at Mardie, Western Australia.

The week’s coldest temperature was minus 61.0 degrees Celsius (-78 degrees F) at Shologonsky, 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.

Disease

Covid-19

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

Dengue Fever - Bolivia

Bolivia reported that laboratory tests confirmed 508 cases of dengue in Santa Cruz, Beni, La Paz, Pando, Tarija and Cochabamba in the first three weeks of 2023, to January 18.

Volcanos

Roundup of Global Volcanic Activity - Ongoing Activity for the week 11 January - 17 January 2023

Ahyi - Mariana Islands (USA) : Unrest at Ahyi Seamount was occasionally detected during 11-17 January. Pressure sensors on Wake Island (2,270 km E of Ahyi) were back online and recorded possible explosions during 11-12 and 15-16 January. One weak signal, possibly from the seamount, was recorded during 16-17 January. No activity was visible in clear or partly cloudy satellite images.

Aira - Kyushu (Japan) : JMA reported ongoing eruptive activity at Minamidake Crater during 9-16 January. Crater incandescence was visible nightly. Eruptive events at 0210 on 9 January and 1837 on 14 January produced plumes that rose 1 km above the crater rim. Sulfur dioxide emissions were high at 2,100 tons per day on 13 January.

Cotopaxi - Ecuador : IG reported that the eruption at Cotopaxi continued during 11-17 January, characterized by daily steam-and-gas emissions often with variable content. On 11 January ash plumes rose as high as 200 m above the crater rim and drifted W and SW. Minor ashfall was noted in areas of Mulaló, Macaló Grande, San Antonio, San Ramón (127 km W), Ticatilín (15 km SW), and MAE Norte (18 km N), and a sulfur odor was noted in Ticatilín and Control Caspi (20 km WSW) of the Parque Nacional Cotopaxi. On 12 January steam, gas, and ash plumes rose as high as 1 km and drifted SE, SW, and W. On 13 January a dense ash plume rose 2 km and drifted NE, causing ashfall in Ticatilín; other ash plumes rose 1 km and drifted W and N that same day. Steam-and-gas emissions rose 300-700 m during 14-17 January and drifted E, SE, and SW. Ash-and-gas plumes rose 1 km on 17 January and drifted W and SW; minor ashfall was reported in Mulaló and San Juan de Pastocalle (20 km WSW).

Ebeko - Paramushir Island (Russia) : KVERT reported that moderate activity at Ebeko was ongoing during 5-12 January. According to volcanologists in Severo-Kurilsk (Paramushir Island, about 7 km E) explosions during 6 and 9-11 January generated ash plumes that rose as high as 4.5 km (14,800 ft) a.s.l. and drifted W and ESE. A thermal anomaly was identified in satellite images on 10 January.

Great Sitkin - Andreanof Islands (USA) : AVO reported that radar images acquired on 13 and 15 January confirmed ongoing slow lava effusion at Great Sitkin; effusion likely continued through 17 January. Slightly elevated surface temperatures were identified in satellite images during 10-11 January and a few small earthquakes were detected on most days during 10-17 January. Weather clouds sometimes obscured satellite and webcam views.

Karymsky - Eastern Kamchatka (Russia) : KVERT lowered the Aviation Color Code for Karymsky to Green (the lowest level on a four-color scale) on 12 January, noting that ash explosions were last detected on 7 August 2022. A minor thermal anomaly visible in satellite images and moderate levels of gas-and-steam emissions persisted. Dates are based on UTC times; specific events are in local time where noted.

Kerinci - Central Sumatra: The eruption at Kerinci was ongoing during 10-17 January. Daily ash plumes that were brown or gray and mostly dense rose generally 400-900 m above the summit and drifted N, NE, and W during 10-14 January. At 1810 on 12 January a dense gray ash plume rose 1.2 km above the summit and drifted NW. Only white plumes were occasionally visible rising from the summit during 15-17 January.

Krakatau - Sunda Strait : PVMBG reported that the eruption at Anak Krakatau continued. At 1754 on 11 January a dense gray ash plume rose around 200 m above the summit and drifted NE, followed by dense black ash plumes at 2241 and 2325 on 11 January and at 0046 on 12 January that rose 200-300 m and drifted NE.

Lewotolok - Lembata Island : PVMBG reported that at 0747 on 14 January an eruption at Lewotolok produced a white-and-gray ash plume that rose around 400 m above the summit and drifted E. At 2055 on 16 January a white-and-gray ash plume of variable density rose around 400 m above the summit and drifted SE. A photo posted with the report showed incandescence emanating from the summit, possibly from ejected material.

Merapi - Central Java : BPPTKG reported that the eruption at Merapi continued during 6-12 January and seismicity remained at high levels. The SW lava dome produced three lava avalanches that traveled as far as 1.2 km down the SW flank (upstream in the Kali Bebeng drainage). Avalanche sounds were heard on six occasions. No significant morphological changes to the central and SW lava domes were evident in webcam images.

San Miguel - Eastern El Salvador : On 14 January MARN reported that a gradual decrease in activity to low levels had been recorded at San Miguel since 1 December 2022. Sulfur dioxide emissions were below the baseline of 300 tons per day and no deformation was detected. Minor emissions and occasional explosions of gas and ash continued to be recorded by the seismic network and were occasionally visible. At 0817 on 14 January a gas-and-ash emission was seen in webcam images rising just over the crater rim.

Semeru - Eastern Java : PVMBG reported that the eruption at Semeru continued during 3-10 January with daily ash plumes of variable densities rising above the summit. At 0737 on 10 January white-and-brown ash plumes rose 500 m above the summit and drifted N. A gray-to-brown ash plume at 0532 on 11 January rose 200 m and drifted N. White-to-gray ash plumes were visible at 0552, 0621, and 0710 on 11 January, and at 0629 and 0723 on 12 January rising 200-500 m above the summit and drifting N, W, and SW. At 0525 on 13 January a white-and-brown ash plume rose 700 m and drifted S. A white-to-gray ash plume rose 500 m and drifted SW at 0627 and a dense ash plume rose 1 km and drifted SW at 0802. At 0502 on 14 January a dense white-and-gray ash plume rose 700 m and drifted SW. Multiple white, gray, and brown ash plumes on 15 January rose as high as 400 m and drifted N, NE, and SW. Four gray ash plumes visible on 16 January (at 0558, 1613, 1627, and 1655) rose as high as 700 m and drifted NW, N, and NE.

Sheveluch - Central Kamchatka (Russia) : KVERT reported that the ongoing eruption at Sheveluch during 5-12 January was generally characterized by explosions, hot avalanches, lava-dome extrusion, and strong fumarolic activity. A daily thermal anomaly was identified in satellite images, and minor ash plumes from explosions and lava-dome collapses drifted 92 km W on 7 January.

Suwanosejima - Ryukyu Islands (Japan) : JMA reported that the eruption at Suwanosejima's Ontake Crater continued during 9-16 January. No explosions were recorded, though during 9-13 January eruption plumes rose as high as 1.1 km above the crater rim and blocks were ejected as far as 300 m from the vent. Ashfall was occasionally reported in Toshima village (3.5 km SSW). Eruption plumes rose as high has 700 m during 13-16 January.

Villarrica - Central Chile : SERNAGEOMIN reported that the eruption at Villarrica was ongoing during 11-17 January. Strombolian explosions and lava fountaining from the vent on the crater floor were frequently visible in webcam images. Explosions during 11-12 January ejected material 80 m high and as far as 250 m onto the NE flank. The number of explosions increased during 14-15 January, some ejecting material up to 150 m above the crater rim. POVI scientists counted about 70 instances of lava fountaining from 2130 on 14 January to 0600 on 15 January. Material ejected by the explosions stayed within or near the crater during 16-17 January.

Earthquakes

Magnitude 5+ Earthquakes – Global

5.3 earthquake hits south of Java, Indonesia.

5.1 earthquake hits the central Mediterranean Sea.

5.0 earthquake hits the mid-Indian ridge.

5.0 earthquake hits the Aegean Sea.

5.0 earthquake hits south of Java, Indonesia.

5.0 earthquake hits the Molucca Sea.

5.0 earthquake hits the Golfe de Tadjoura, Djibouti.

Storms and Floods

Tropical Storms - Roundup of Tropical Storms:

In the Southern Hemisphere: Tropical cyclone 08s (Cheneso), located approximately 325 nm north-northeast of Antananarivo, Madagascar, is tracking westward at 10 knots.

Tropical cyclone 09p (Irene), located approximately 311 nm east of a, New Caledonia, is tracking southeastward at 34 knots.

Environment

France Votes to Ban Deep-sea Mining

The French Parliament has voted in favour of banning deep-sea mining in its waters, in an emphatic move against the controversial practice. Deep-sea mining would see heavy machinery being used on the ocean floor to suck up small rocks containing rare metals. Though it’s still at an exploratory stage, companies are very interested in the cobalt, nickel and manganese which could be extracted for car batteries.

But scientists are concerned about the potentially devastating impact on marine ecosystems. As well as the climate, given the vast amounts of CO2 stored at these depths. Most of the species in these remote ecosystems have adapted to the unique conditions of the ocean depths and are extremely vulnerable to human disturbance.

Wildfires

Wildfires - Argentina

Wildfires are burning in the Santa Fe province in Argentina, with the government reporting Tuesday that most of the country is on extreme alert due to an extended drought. The Argentina National Meteorological Service reported two unusual heat waves at the end of 2022 with maximum temperatures of 113 Fahrenheit (45 degrees Celsius), leaving forestry areas vulnerable to fires.

Disease

Measles - South Africa

Since the beginning of October 2022, the South Africa National Institute of Communicable Diseases (NICD) has reported 397 laboratory-confirmed measles cases.

Dengue Fever - Nepal

Nepal health authorities reported a total of 54,784 dengue cases in 2022. This is more than a 10,000 percent increase compared to 2021 when 540 cases were reported.

Volcanos

Roundup of Global Volcanic Activity - New Activity for the week 11 January - 17 January 2023

Dieng Volcanic Complex - Central Java : PVMBG reported increasing activity at Dieng Volcanic Complex in a press release posted on 14 January. The number of deep volcanic earthquakes and local tectonic earthquakes had been increasing starting on 9 January. Carbon dioxide gas concentrations at Timbang Crater also intensified, averaging 0.09-0.11 percent during 1-13 January. Primary hazards at Dieng included phreatic eruptions at Sileri Crater and flows of carbon dioxide gas that can impact residents and tourists. At 2116 on 15 January carbon dioxide emissions significantly increased. The carbon dioxide gas concentration at 0027 on 16 January was 5,600 parts per million (ppm), rising to 7,300 ppm by 0130. The mobile instrument measuring the gas was located 170 m from the midpoint of Timbang Crater. At 0540 the gas concentration was as high as 10,000 ppm, measured from 130 m away from the crater’s midpoint. In a second press release, PVMBG warned the public to stay 500 m away from the SE, S, and SW sectors of Timbang Crater.

Ijen - Eastern Java : PVMBG reported that unrest continued at Ijen during 10-17 January. There were 2-30 daily earthquakes indicating emissions and 2-19 daily shallow volcanic earthquakes. One tornillo earthquake was recorded on 10 January. Diffuse white gas plumes were visible rising as high as 400 m above the summit during 10-14 January.

Kilauea - Hawaiian Islands (USA) : HVO reported that lava continued to erupt from vents on the central E portion of Kilauea’s Halema’uma’u Crater floor during 10-17 January. Activity was concentrated in a large lava lake, covering about 12 hectares in the E half of the crater on 10 January. One dominant lava fountain, 6-7 m high, was active within this area. Lava flows built up the margins of the lake, causing the lake to be perched; small overflows along the margins were visible during 13-16 January. A smaller area of lava was active within the basin in the W half of the crater that had been the focus of activity during 2021-2022.

Marapi - Central Sumatra : PVMBG reported that the explosive eruption at Marapi continued during 10-17 January with daily dense ash plumes rising above the crater rim and drifting in various directions. White-and-gray ash plumes at 0900 and 0912 on 10 January rose 200-300 m and drifted NE and SE. Gray ash plumes rose 400-800 m at 0825, 0941, and 1133 on 11 January and drifted N, NE, E, and SE. Multiple gray ash plumes visible on 12 January (0640, 0936, 1042, 1058, 1217, 1824) rose as high as 1 km and drifted NE, E, and SE. White-and-gray ash plumes rose 200-600 m and drifted NE, SE, and SW during 13-15 January; rainy weather conditions prevented visual observations on 16 January.

Semisopochnoi - Aleutian Islands (USA) : AVO reported that eruptive activity at Semisopochnoi’s Mount Young was ongoing during 10-17 January. Seismicity was elevated with small local earthquakes and weak tremor. Minor steam emissions were visible in webcam images during 11 and 16-17 January. Several small explosion signals were detected by local seismic and infrasound sensors during 16-17 January; no activity was identified in cloudy satellite views.

Earthquakes

Magnitude 5+ Earthquakes – Global

7.0 earthquake hits the Molucca Sea.

6.3 earthquake hits Sulawesi, Indonesia.

5.6 earthquake hits northwestern Iran.

5.5 earthquake hits the Molucca Sea.

5.1 earthquake hits Tonga.

5.1 earthquake hits the Azores.

5.1 earthquake hits eastern New Guinea, Papua New Guinea.

5.0 earthquake hits the central Mediterranean Sea.

Storms and Floods

Tropical Storms - Roundup of Tropical Storms:

In the Southern Hemisphere: Tropical cyclone 08s (eight), located approximately 497 nm northeast of Antananarivo, Madagascar, is tracking westward at 19 knots.

Tropical cyclone 09p (Irene), located approximately 286 nm west of Port Vila, Vanuatu, is tracking eastward at 11 knots.

Environment

Antarctic seabed reveals a thriving ecosystem threatened by ice melt

In February 2022, Greenpeace conducted the most southerly research submarine dive ever, in the Antarctic. There, they explored the Antarctic seabed, never before seen by humans.

The team witnessed an incredible abundance of life, including corals and other vulnerable species” on the ocean floor. The slopes, canyons and walls of the ocean floor were covered with brightly-coloured corals, sponges, feather stars and countless other marine animals.

However, the team were only able to witness these never-before-seen ecosystems due to the dramatic ice melt in the Weddell Sea. It would usually be completely covered by ice, and therefore protected and inaccessible. In many of these now-uncovered areas, the depths of the ocean have never seen sunlight before.

Currently just 5 per cent of Antarctic waters are protected. Due to the team’s discoveries, seven of the sites have been designated as vulnerable marine ecosystems, protecting them from fishing.

Earthquakes

Magnitude 5+ Earthquakes – Global

5.0 earthquake hits Vanuatu.

5.0 earthquake hits Luzon in the Philippines.

Environment

Toxic Freshwater Fish

A single freshwater bass or catfish contains the same amount of dangerous ‘forever chemicals’ as a month’s worth of drinking water, a new study warns.

So-called forever chemicals - also known as PFAs, or Perfluoroalkyl and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances - are hazardous manmade substances used in everything from cosmetics to frying pans. According to scientists at the Environmental Working Group - a non-profit research organisation - people who eat freshwater fish are ingesting very high amounts of the toxic chemicals.

Eating one fish serving can be equivalent to drinking water for a month at 48 parts per trillion PFOS. US authorities advise that drinking water should not contain PFAs at a concentration higher than 0.2 parts per trillion.

People who consume freshwater fish, especially those who catch and eat fish regularly, are at risk of alarming levels of PFAS in their bodies, according to the study.

Disease

Covid-19

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

Earthquakes

Magnitude 5+ Earthquakes – Global

6.1 earthquake hits northern Sumatra, Indonesia.

5.8 earthquake hits the Bonin Islands off Japan.

5.2 earthquake hits Guatemala.

5.1 earthquake hits Salta, Argentina.

5.0 earthquake hits south of Fiji.

5.0 earthquake hits Guatemala.

5.0 earthquake hits Antofagasta, Chile.

Storms and Floods

Tropical Storms - Roundup of Tropical Storms:

There are no current tropical storm systems.

Newsbytes:

Colombia - Government officials in Medellín, capital of Antioquia Department in Colombia, report at least 2 people have died after stormy weather and flash floods struck the city on 14 January 2023. Streets of the city were flooded following a period of heavy rain. Strong winds of more than 100 km/h also caused damage. Around 25 people suffered injuries as a result of the severe weather. Heavy rain has also affected other parts of Antioquia Department in recent days.

Environment

Dolphins - Noise Pollution

Dolphins have to ‘shout’ to hear each other over ocean noise pollution, a new study reveals. Dolphins in noisy environments struggle to communicate and cooperate on tasks, researchers from the University of Bristol, UK, have found. This could have wide ranging implications for marine life.

Sound travels far further underwater than light, and up to three times faster in water than in air, making it an essential form of communication for dolphins and other marine mammals. They rely on vocalisation to find prey and mates, to navigate, and to work together. In recent decades, human-made underwater noise pollution has dramatically increased. Shipping, drilling for projects like offshore wind farms, fishing vessels, military sonar and tourism are all culprits.

The European Commission found that underwater background noise levels have doubled every decade in the last 60 years, mainly because of shipping. Noise pollution can also disrupt ‘echolocation’, the sensory ability of whales and dolphins to find food, socialise, and navigate underwater. In extreme cases, it can even cause physical harm, including temporary hearing loss

Disease

Cholera - Burundi

On January 1, 2023, Burundi declared an outbreak of cholera in the East African country. In a press release, officials said nine suspected cases of cholera were identified on December 30, 2022 in the northern health district of the commercial capital Bujumbura.

Diarrhoea - Brazil

The diarrhea epidemic in Florianópolis, Santa Catarina Island, Brazil reached 1,618 during the first two weeks of 2023, according to the Municipal Health Secretariat. The causative agent is still unknown. The epidemic has hit residents and tourists alike.

Earthquakes

Magnitude 5+ Earthquakes – Global

Two 5.5 earthquakes hit Vanuatu.

5.1 earthquake hits the Izu Islands off Japan.

5.1 earthquake hits the Kuril Islands.

5.0 earthquake hits Vanuatu.

5.0 earthquake hits the southwestern Ryukyu Islands, Japan.

Storms and Floods

Tropical Storms - Roundup of Tropical Storms:

There are no current tropical storm systems.

Newsbytes:

USA - At least nine people died in tornadoes that destroyed homes and knocked out power to tens of thousands in the U.S. Southeast, and the death toll in hard-hit central Alabama was expected to rise. The storms on Thursday stretched from Mississippi to Georgia. At least five tornadoes touched down in central Alabama. One of those twisters potentially tracked about 150 miles (241 km) from southwest Selma, Alabama, to the Georgia-Alabama state line

Environment

Positive Environmental Trends in 2023

Finland’s wind power capacity increased by 75 per cent last year, according to the Finnish Wind Energy Association (FWPA). The growth in renewables is also helping Finland achieve its ambitious climate goals. The country hopes to be one of the first in Europe to reach net zero, setting a 2035 target - well ahead of the EU’s 2050 goal.

Scientists have developed a way of transforming plastic waste and greenhouse gases into sustainable fuels using solar power. The system, developed by researchers at the University of Cambridge, could address plastic pollution.

A large solar power plant has been built in Dağbeli, on the outskirts of Antalya, Turkey, to provide free energy to local farmers. Local growers in the fruit and vegetable farming hub say they once refrained from irrigating their crops properly because of the high energy prices. Some 60,000 people now benefit from the support scheme, which gives farmers the means to run irrigation systems and increase crop production.

Single-use plastic items including cutlery and plates will soon be banned in England, the government has announced.Each year, the country uses around 1.1 billion single-use plates and 4.25 billion items of cutlery, according to government estimates. Only 10 per cent of these are recycled.

Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva was sworn in as Brazil's president in January marking a new era for the country's environmental policies. Lula's plans for government provide a stark contrast to far-right former leader Jair Bolsonaro, whose four years in office were characterised by backsliding on environmental protections. The new president says he wants to turn Brazil, one of the world's top food producers, into a green superpower.

Earthquakes

Magnitude 5+ Earthquakes – Global

5.3 earthquake hits southern Sumatra, Indonesia.

5.0 earthquake hits Papua, Indonesia.

Storms and Floods

Tropical Storms - Roundup of Tropical Storms:

There are no current tropical storm systems.

Newsbytes:

UK - Parts of the UK are under water after heavy rain caused floods as weather warnings remain in place for further flooding and strong winds. Roads were submerged on Thursday night in parts of Wiltshire and Somerset, including the village of Exebridge, which lies on the River Exe on the Devon and Somerset border. Train lines between Bristol and Swindon were blocked by water after downpours. Transport For Wales said four railway lines were blocked. Some areas received 82mm (3.2in) of rainfall between Wednesday evening and Thursday lunchtime, the Met Office said.

Disease

Chikungunya, Paraguay

In the last three epidemiological weeks evaluated (EW 51, 52/22 to EW 1/23), 1,244 new cases of chikungunya and 9 cases of dengue were recorded nationwide in Paraguay. The incidence of chikungunya is much higher than usual.

Earthquakes

Magnitude 5+ Earthquakes – Global

Two 5.3 earthquakes hit Tonga

5.1 earthquake hits eastern New Guinea, Papua New Guinea.

5.0 earthquake hits south of Fiji.

Storms and Floods

Tropical Storms - Roundup of Tropical Storms:

There are no current tropical storm systems.

Newsbytes:

Philippines - Ongoing severe weather since the start of the year has caused at least 17 fatalities and displaced 71,442 people in the Philippines. A combination of Low-Pressure Areas, the Northeast Monsoon and Shear Line storms have affected 523,991 people across several regions since the start of the year. A total of 687 flood incidents and 31 landslides were reported.

Wildlife

Bee Vaccine

The US Department of Agriculture has approved the first-ever vaccine to prevent a deadly bacterial disease that can destroy honeybee colonies. The new vaccine for American foulbrood in honeybees will stop the microbe from infecting the pollinators. The disease is currently battled by incinerating bees and infected hives or by treating them with a mixture of antibiotics in their food.

The new product, licensed to Diamond Animal Health, is mixed into “queen feed,” which worker bees consume to create royal jelly that they feed to the queen bee. Her larvae will then be born immune to the disease.

Right Whale Recovery

Marine mammal researchers say they now have hope for the recovery of endangered North Atlantic right whales after the birth of nine calves in the first weeks of the breeding season. Moira Brown of the Canadian Whale Institute told Canadian Press that fewer than 100 of the surviving right whales are mothers, and the new babies are a hopeful sign for the future.

She says that there were only 15 calves born last year, compared to the average of 24 since the early 2000s. Some of the perils faced by the species are ship strikes, entanglements in fishing gear and other debris and dwindling food supplies due to warming North Atlantic waters, which could also be affecting whale breeding.

Global Warming

Ocean Warming

Earth’s oceans were the hottest ever recorded last year as those waters continued to store more excess heat brought on by human-caused climate change. t was the fourth consecutive year that records for ocean warmth were set since records began in the 1950s. While the atmosphere and oceans have both warmed for decades, the air has not set records every year, with 2022 being the fifth-hottest.

But the warming of the upper 6,600 feet of the oceans has been more consistent since the oceans do not radiate the excess heat into space nearly as easily as the atmosphere.

Writing in the journal Advances in Atmospheric Sciences, researchers say the heating of the oceans and the resulting extreme weather will increase until humanity reaches net-zero emissions.

Exxon Mobil Prediction Global Warming in the 1970's

In the late 1970s, scientists at Exxon fitted one of the company’s supertankers with state-of-the-art equipment to measure carbon dioxide in the ocean and in the air, an early example of substantial research the oil giant conducted into the science of climate change.

A new study published Thursday in the journal Science found that over the next decades, Exxon’s scientists made remarkably accurate projections of just how much burning fossil fuels would warm the planet. Their projections were as accurate, and sometimes even more so, as those of independent academic and government models.

Yet for years, the oil giant publicly cast doubt on climate science, and cautioned against any drastic move away from burning fossil fuels, the main driver of climate change. Exxon also ran a public relations program emphasizing uncertainties in the scientific research on global warming.

Environment

Global Temperature Extremes

The week’s hottest temperature was 43.0 degrees Celsius (113 degrees F) at Geraldton, Western Australia.

The week’s coldest temperature was minus 62.0 degrees Celsius (-67 degrees F) at Dzhalinda, 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.

Disease

Covid-19

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

Volcanos

Roundup of Global Volcanic Activity - Ongoing Activity for the week 4 January - 10 January 2023

Ahyi - Mariana Islands (USA) : Unrest continued to be detected at Ahyi Seamount during 4-10 January. Daily signals possibly indicating explosions were detected by hydrophone sensors on Wake Island (2,270 km E of Ahyi), though a data outage began at 0118 on 8 January. No activity was visible in mostly cloudy satellite images, though a plume of discolored water originating from the summit region of the seamount was seen in partly cloudy satellite images on 8 January.

Aira - Kyushu (Japan) : JMA reported ongoing eruptive activity at Minamidake Crater (at Aira Caldera’s Sakurajima volcano) during 2-9 January. Crater incandescence was visible nightly. Sulfur dioxide emissions were slightly elevated at 1,000 tons per day on 4 January. One explosion on 3 January and two explosions on 8 January were recorded by the seismic network. Eruption plumes rose as high as 2.4 km above the crater rim and blocks were ejected as far as 1.1 km from the vent.

Cleveland - Chuginadak Island (USA) : Signs of unrest has declined over the previous several months. Elevated surface temperatures in the summit crater were occasionally identified in satellite images but at a reduced frequency and strength. The last eruptive activity was a short-lived explosion on the evening of 1 June 2020, and sulfur dioxide emissions were last detected on 29 July 2022.

Cotopaxi - Ecuador : IG reported that the low-level eruption at Cotopaxi continued during 3-11 January, characterized by daily steam-and-gas emissions often with low ash content. Plumes of gas, steam, and minor ash content rose as high as 1.7 km above the crater rim and drifted NW, W, SW, and E, based on webcam views, satellite images, and information from the Guayaquil Meteorological Office. Minor ashfall was reported in the sectors of Colcas, San Ramon, and San Agustin de Callo (18 km WSW).

Ebeko - Paramushir Island (Russia) : KVERT reported that moderate activity at Ebeko was ongoing during 29 December 2022-5 January 2023. According to volcanologists in Severo-Kurilsk (Paramushir Island, about 7 km E) explosions during 31 December and 1-5 January generated ash plumes that rose as high as 4 km (13,100 ft) a.s.l. and drifted NE and E. A thermal anomaly was identified in satellite images during 3-4 January and an ash cloud drifted 12 km NE on 4 January.

Etna - Sicily (Italy) : INGV reported that the vents at the NE base of Etna’s SE Crater, in the Valle del Leone at about 2,800 m elevation, continued to feed lava flows during 2-8 January. The active flow field consisted of overlapping lava flows that expanded into the Valle del Leone and the Valle del Bove and hornitos. By 7 January the longest active lava flow had descended to 2,170 m elevation, and the area of the flow field was an estimated 0.63 square kilometers. Gas emissions rose from the summit craters, mainly at Bocca Nuova.

Fuego - South-Central Guatemala : INSIVUMEH reported that 2-8 explosions per hour were recorded at Fuego during 3-10 January, generating ash plumes that rose more than 1.2 km above the crater rim and drifted as far as 30 km in various directions. Daily ashfall was noted 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), Los Yucales (12 km SW), Sangre de Cristo (8 km WSW), El Porvenir (8 km ENE), San Pedro Yepocapa (8 km NW), and Finca Palo Verde. The avalanches occasionally resuspended ash deposits that rose 100 m and drifted W and SW. Daily shock waves rattled structures in communities around the volcano. Daily block avalanches descended the Ceniza (SSW), Seca (W), Trinidad (S), Taniluyá (SW), Honda, Las Lajas (SE), El Jute (ESE), and Trinity drainages, sometimes reaching vegetated areas. Strombolian explosions ejected incandescent material as high as 300 m above the summit almost daily.

Great Sitkin - Andreanof Islands (USA) : AVO reported that slow lava effusion likely continued at Great Sitkin during 4-10 January, though weather clouds often obscured satellite and webcam views. A few small daily earthquakes were detected during 6-10 January and slightly elevated surface temperatures were identified in satellite images during 7-10 January.

Kerinci - Central Sumatra : The eruption at Kerinci was ongoing during 4-8 January with brown, brown-to-gray, or white-and-brown ash plumes rising as high as 200 m above the crater rim and drifting NE and E.

Krakatau - Sunda Strait : PVMBG reported that the eruption at Anak Krakatau continued. A dense gray ash plume was seen at 1410 on 4 January rising 100 m above the summit and drifting E, followed at 1509 by a dense gray-to-black ash plume to 3 km above summit that also drifted E. Another event at 0013 on 5 January sent a dense gray ash plume 750 m above the summit that drifted NE. Although weather sometimes prevented visual observations during 6-9 January, white plumes of variable intensities rose as high as 200 m from the summit and drifted mainly NE and E.

Merapi - Central Java : BPPTKG reported that the eruption at Merapi continued during 30 December 2022-5 January 2023 and seismicity remained at high levels. The SW lava dome produced eight lava avalanches that traveled as far as 1.5 km down the SW flank (upstream in the Kali Bebeng drainage). One pyroclastic flow descended 900 m SW. No significant morphological changes to the central and SW lava domes were evident in webcam images.

Nevado del Ruiz - Colombia : Servicio Geológico Colombiano’s (SGC) reported that at 0706 on 6 January an ash cloud rose from Nevado del Ruiz and drifted NE, causing ashfall in Villahermosa (27 km NE). The ash emission occurred simultaneously with a seismic signal indicated moving fluids within the volcano’s conduit.

Nevados de Chillan - Central Chile : On 10 January SERNAGEOMIN lowered the Alert Level for Nevados de Chillán to Green, the lowest level on a four-color scale. No activity at the surface had been observed since mid-October 2022; other data reflected ongoing internal processes, though recently the activity had been lower and gradually returning to background levels.

Santa Maria - Southwestern Guatemala : INSIVUMEH reported that the eruption at Santa María’s Santiaguito lava-dome complex continued during 3-10 January. Effusion from Caliente cone fed lava flows that descended the San Isidro and El Tambor drainages on the W and SW flanks. Occasional block avalanches from the dome, and from both the ends and sides of the flows, descended the S, SW, and W flanks. The avalanches sometimes generated minor ash plumes that rose along their paths. Almost daily explosions produced gas-and-steam plumes with minor amounts of ash that rose as high as 800 m above the complex and sometimes drifted 5-8 km SW. Ashfall was reported in Las Marías (10 km S) and El Viejo Palmar (11 km S) during 8-9 January.

Semeru - Eastern Java : PVMBG reported that the eruption at Semeru continued during 3-10 January; weather clouds prevented visual observations during 4-6 January. At 0503 on 7 January a white-to-gray ash plume rose 400 m above the summit and drifted N. Ash plumes of variable densities generally rose 200-400 m above the summit and drifted N and NE on 8 January. At 0819 a white-to-brown ash plume rose 500 m and drifted N and NE. A webcam image posted on social media showed an incandescent lava flow extending 500 m from the summit crater on the SE flank. On 9 January at 0652 a white-to-brown ash plume rose 200 m and drifted N and NE. On 10 January white-and-gray ash plumes rose as high as 300 m and drifted N and NE. The Alert Level remained at 3 (on a scale of 1-4). The public was warned to stay at least 5 km away from the summit, and 500 m 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.

Sheveluch - Central Kamchatka (Russia) : KVERT reported that the ongoing eruption at Sheveluch during 29 December 2022-5 January 2023 was generally characterized by explosions, hot avalanches, lava-dome extrusion, and strong fumarolic activity. A daily thermal anomaly was identified in satellite images, and ash plumes from lava-dome collapses drifted 175 km E, NE, W, and SW during 30-31 December and 4-5 January.

Stromboli - Aeolian Islands (Italy) : INGV reported that both explosive and effusive activity at Stromboli occurred during 2-8 January at four vents in Area N, within the upper part of the Sciara del Fuoco, and at one vent in the Area C-S (South-Central Crater area) in the crater terrace area. The explosions were variable in intensity and ejected coarse material (bombs and lapilli) 80-150 m at a rate of 3-10 explosions per hour. Intense spattering from all four vents occurred during the week. Explosive activity at the Central-South area (CS) ejected fine-to-coarse material as high as 250 m above the vent at a rate of 1-4 explosions per hour. At 2136 on 2 January lava overflowed vents in the N2 area, after a period of intense spattering. The lava flowed part way down the Sciara del Fuoco, likely channeled in the ravine that had formed in October, out of view from webcams. The flow was well-fed for a couple of hours but then effusion slowed or stopped, and it began to cool. The same activity occurred again, with a lava overflow occurring at 0224 on 4 January, traveling about the same distance, and cooling within a few hours.

Suwanosejima - Ryukyu Islands (Japan) : JMA reported that the eruption at Suwanosejima's Ontake Crater continued during 2-9 January. No explosions were recorded, though eruption plumes rose as high as 1.3 km above the crater rim. During 2-6 January blocks were ejected as far as 200 m from the vent and ashfall was occasionally reported in Toshima village (3.5 km SSW).

Villarrica - Central Chile : SERNAGEOMIN reported that activity at Villarrica had increased in recent weeks, with explosions ejecting material almost as far as 480 m, near the extent of the 500 m exclusion zone in place around the crater. On 6 January the exclusion zone was increased to 1 km as a preventative measure.

Earthquakes

Magnitude 5+ Earthquakes – Global

6.2 earthquake hits Coquimbo, Chile.

5.3 earthquake hits the southern east Pacific rise.

5.1 earthquake hits the Pacific-Antarctic ridge.

Wildfires

Wildfires - Australia

Evacuation warnings in Western Australia's South West near Donnybrook have expanded as a bushfire continues to rage on. The inferno has burnt through more than 3000 hectares of land impacting a valuable logging area and encroaching on properties. The bushfire is moving in a north and north-westerly direction More than 44 fire appliances are working to battle the raging inferno including several water bombers.

Disease

Ebola - Uganda

Uganda today declared the end of the Ebola disease outbreak caused by Sudan ebolavirus, less than four months after the first case was confirmed in the country’s central Mubende district on 20 September 2022. t was the country’s first Sudan ebolavirus outbreak in a decade and its fifth overall for this kind of Ebola. In total there were 164 cases (142 confirmed and 22 probable), 55 confirmed deaths and 87 recovered patients. More than 4000 people who came in contact with confirmed cases were followed up and their health monitored for 21 days. Overall, the case-fatality ratio was 47%. The last patient was released from care on 30 November when the 42-day countdown to the end of the outbreak began.

Volcanos

Roundup of Global Volcanic Activity - New Activity for the week 4 January - 10 January 2023

Ijen - Eastern Java : PVMBG reported that beginning in July 2022 the seismic network at Ijen began detecting increasing numbers of shallow volcanic earthquakes and earthquake signals characteristic of emissions, indicating increasing pressure at shallow depths within the hydrothermal system. The number of shallow volcanic earthquakes again increased on 1 January. The temperature of the crater lake water rose from 16 degrees Celsius in December 2022 to 45.6 degrees Celsius on 5 January 2023. During a field visit on 5 January scientists noted that the color of the lake water was light green, dense white solfatara plumes were visible rising from vents, and the sulfur odor was strong. Increased activity at the volcano is often characterized by a change in the lake water color from green to whitish-green due to the resuspension of disturbed lake-bottom sediments from increased gas emissions.

Kaitoku Seamount - Volcano Islands (Japan) : Discolored water around the Kaitoku Seamount was visible in 1 and 6 January Sentinel satellite images. Concentric circles of discolored water radiated out from the vent area and a plume drifted W. The plume of discolored water extended S in the 6 January image.

Kilauea - Hawaiian Islands (USA),: Small earthquake swarms were recorded at Kilauea on 30 December 2022 and 2 January 2023, with heightened seismicity in between those dates. Increased seismicity and changes in the pattern of deformation began to be recorded during the morning of 5 January. At around 1500 both the rate of deformation and seismicity dramatically increased indicating magma moving towards the surface. Incandescence seen in webcam images at 1634 on 5 January indicated that an eruption began in Halema’uma’u Crater, prompting HVO to raise the Volcano Alert Level to Warning (the highest level on a four-level scale) and the Aviation Color Code to Red (the highest color on a four-color scale). Vents opened in the E central portion of the crater floor and produced multiple lava fountains and flows. Fountain bursts ejected lava as high as 50 m during the initial phase of activity, though in general fountaining was consistently 10 m high. By 1930 lava had covered most of the crater floor (an area of about 120 hectares) to a depth of 10 m. A higher-elevation island that formed during the initial phase of the December 2020 eruption remained exposed (and appeared darker in images) along with a ring of older lava around the lava lake that was active prior to December 2022. Overnight during 5-6 January the lava fountains became less vigorous, rising to 5 m, and lava effusion slowed. The sulfur dioxide emission rate was about 12,500 tonnes per day. Lava continued to erupt from the vents during 6-8 January, though the footprint of the active area had shrunk, which has been common during the early stages of recent eruptions within Halema’uma’u. By 9 January only one dominant fountain was visible that continued to be active at least through 10 January.

Marapi - Central Sumatra : PVMBG reported that an explosive eruption at Marapi began at 0611 on 7 January, generating a dense white-and-gray ash plume that rose 300 m above the summit and drifted SE. Images posted with the report showed jets of dark material rising from the crater. Emissions continued to periodically rise form the crater; at 0944, 1034, and 1451 dense white or white-to-gray ash plumes rose 200-250 m above the summit and drifted SE. Seismic signals indicated that eruptive events also occurred at 1135, 1144, 1230, 1715, and 1821, but no ash emissions were visually observed. At 1250 on 8 January a dense white ash plume rose 150 m and drifted SE and at 1300 a dense white-to-gray ash plume rose 200 m and drifted E. Seismic signals indicated eruptive events at 0447, 1038, and 1145, but again no ash emissions were visually observed. At 0634 on 9 January a dense white ash plume rose around 250 m and drifted E and SE. The eruption was preceded by an increase in the number of deep volcanic earthquakes beginning on 25 December 2022 and summit inflation.

Semisopochnoi - Aleutian Islands (USA) : AVO reported that eruptive activity at Semisopochnoi’s Mount Young, formerly Mount Cerberus, was ongoing during 4-10 January. Daily minor steam emissions were visible in webcam views. Seismicity was above background levels; low-level explosive activity was detected in geophysical data during 4-5 January with elevated seismicity and infrasound signals observed on local stations. Volcanic tremor was detected during 7-9 January, and very weak explosive activity was detected in seismic and infrasound data on 9 January.

Earthquakes

Magnitude 5+ Earthquakes – Global

5.8 earthquake hits Vanuatu.

5.6 earthquake hits Tonga.

5.1 earthquake hits Santiago del Estero, Argentina.

5.0 earthquake hits south of Alaska.

5.0 earthquake hit off the coast of Oregon.

5.0 earthquake hits Kepulauan Tanimbar, Indonesia.

Storms and Floods

Tropical Storms - Roundup of Tropical Storms:

There are no current tropical storm systems.

Newsbytes:

Colombia - Long-term heavy rainfall caused a massive landslide in the department of Cauca, southwestern Colombia , on 09 January 2023. Homes were destroyed and hundreds of victims were displaced. The landslide occurred during the early hours of 09 January 2023 in the municipality of Rosas, Cauca Department. Disaster authorities said huge volumes of debris fell from slopes onto part of Highway 25 below, covering a 900-meter stretch of the road. Highway 25 is an important transport route between the cities of Pasto (Nariño department) and Popayán (Cauca department). The road is likely to remain closed for the next 2 weeks.

Indonesia - Disaster authorities in Indonesia report at least 2 people have died after flash floods in Central Java Province on the island of Java. Flooding has also affected parts of Banten Province over the last few days. Flooding struck in Tembalang District, Semarang City, on 06 January 2023 after heavy rain caused an embankment along the Pengkol River to break, folding a housing complex. Flooding struck in Tembalang District, Semarang City, on 06 January 2023 after heavy rain caused an embankment along the Pengkol River to break, folding a housing complex.

Angola - Several incidents of severe weather were reported in the province of Huambo during December 2022. Authorities reported at least 11 people lost their lives, many as a result of electrocution after power lines came into contact with rain or flood waters. On 15 December 2022, flooding struck in the city of Soyo, province of Zaire, damaging over 100 homes. On 28 December 2022 around 100 homes and several public buildings were flooded in the city of Menongue, in Cuando Cubango Province. Strong winds were also reported at the time. Around 160 people were displaced. On 02 January 2023, a hospital was damaged by floods after heavy rain in the city of Moçâmedes, the capital of Namibe Province. Around 300 patients were affected. More than 100 homes in the city were also damaged.

Global Warming

Rapidly Warming World

The last eight years have been the eight warmest on record as the growing concentration of heat-trapping gases in the atmosphere pushes global temperatures toward a dangerous tipping point, a new report shows.

An analysis by the European Union’s Copernicus Climate Change Service published on Tuesday said that 2022 was the fifth-warmest year for the planet since records began. It also reported Europe recorded its warmest summer last year.

The report said that annual average temperature reached 1.2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels, marking the eighth year in a row of temperatures at least 1 degree above the 1850 to 1900 reference period.

Before humans started to burn large quantities of fossil fuels, the concentration of CO2 in the atmosphere was around 280 parts per million. According to Copernicus, it hit an annual average of 417 parts per million in 2022, an increase of 2.1 parts per million compared to 2021. Records show the concentration of carbon in the atmosphere has not been this high in around 2 million years, Copernicus added.