Earthquakes

Magnitude 5+ Earthquakes – Global

6.1 earthquake hits south of Tonga.

Two 5.4 earthquakes hit south of Tonga.

5.3 earthquake hits the Izu Islands off Japan.

5.0 earthquake hits the Izu Islands off Japan.

Storms and Floods

Tropical Storms - Roundup of Tropical Storms:

In the Atlantic Ocean: Tropical Storm Cindy is located about 430 mi...695 km ne of the Lesser Antilles with maximum sustained winds...50 mph...85 km/h. Present movement...nw or 320 degrees at 21 mph...33 km/h.

NewsBytes:

India - The flood situation in Assam remained grave on June 24 with over 4.88 lakh people affected so far, an official report said. Major rivers remained in spate across the State with the meteorological department warning of more rainfall and thunderstorm in different parts. The Brahmaputra was flowing over the danger level in Nematighat (Jorhat). The water level of the Puthimari and Pagladiya rivers have breached the red mark in Kamrup and Nalbari districts respectively. Two persons have been killed in floods this year so far. A car was washed away after a river was flooded due to heavy rains in Haryana's Panchkula on Sunday morning. The driver of the car was rescued and was admitted to a hospital.

Wildlife

Bird Flu - Denmark

Highly pathogenic bird flu has affected several Danish hooded gull colonies across the country. It is estimated that at least 3,000 adult hooded gulls have so far died from the disease. Mass deaths among Danish hooded gulls have been recorded throughout the country since May, and it has been confirmed in many cases that the gulls are infected with highly pathogenic avian influenza virus.

It is the serious highly pathogenic bird flu virus H5N1, and deaths have currently been recorded in six hooded gull colonies in several different places in the country. Similar situations with infection are also seen in other Northern European countries.

Wildfires

Wildfires - Canada

Officials in northwestern Quebec have ordered residents of two villages near the Ontario border to leave their homes as a wildfire continues to spread in the area. Residents of the villages of Val-Paradis and Beaucanton, home to around 340 people, were given an hour and a half to evacuate on Friday night due to the approach of a nearby fire. Since Thursday, more than 6,000 people have been ordered to leave their homes in northwestern Quebec due to heavy smoke from the fires. There are more than 110 fires burning in the province and 25 are considered out of control.

Disease

Schistosomiasis - Brazil

Schistosomiasis is present in most Brazilian states, but mainly in the Northeast and Southeast regions. The states of Alagoas, Bahia, Pernambuco, Rio Grande do Norte, Paraíba, Sergipe, Espírito Santo, Maranhão and Minas Gerais are endemic, with established transmission.

Between January 2010 and October 2022, more than 10.7 million tests were performed in these endemic areas of Brazil, with the detection of S. mansoni eggs in 410,654 (3.8%) of the stool samples examined. There were also 23,333 (0.2%) results with severe infections, with 17 or more eggs detected. In the same period, 2,389 hospitalizations and 6,130 deaths were recorded, representing an average of 472 deaths per year.

Earthquakes

Magnitude 5+ Earthquakes – Global

5.6 earthquake hits Tonga.

5.5 earthquake hits Hokkaido, Japan.

5.5 earthquake hits Fiji.

Two 5.2 earthquakes hit the northern mid-Atlantic ridge.

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

5.1 earthquake hits the northern mid-Atlantic ridge.

5.0 earthquake hits central Peru.

5.0 earthquake hits the northern mid-Atlantic ridge.

Storms and Floods

Tropical Storms - Roundup of Tropical Storms:

In the Atlantic Ocean: Tropical Storm Bret is located about 45 mi...70 km nne of Aruba and about 125 mi...200 km ene of nthrn tip of Quajira pnsula Colombia with maximum sustained winds...45 mph...75 km/h. Present movement...w or 270 degrees at 18 mph...30 km/h.

Tropical Storm Cindy is located about 675 mi...1090 km e of the Lesser Antilles with maximum sustained winds...60 mph...95 km/h. Present movement...wnw or 300 degrees at 15 mph...24 km/h.

NewsBytes:

Nigeria -At least 116 houses and numerous vehicles have been submerged following flash floods that hit Trademore Estate in Abuja. The rain which started around 9 am on June 23 caused a traffic jam as residents were trapped in their houses. No loss of life has been reported yet.

Germany - Storms and heavy rain across a large swath of Germany flooded roads and forced the closure of some major railway routes on Friday, but there was no immediate word of any injuries. In the western city of Duisburg, the fire service said it rescued several people from cars that got stuck on flooded streets. Shops were flooded and streets inundated in the northern city of Braunschweig, and there were similar reports from Kassel. In Hattersheim, near Frankfurt, trees fell on houses and cars. Germany's national railway operator, Deutsche Bahn, said that the main line between Hamburg and Berlin was closed because of storm damage, as was a major north-south route between Kassel and Goettingen.

Global Warming

Shutting Down Fossil Fuels - Financial Impact

Shutting down fossil fuels will have negligible financial impact on ‘vast majority’, study finds. Scaling down fossil fuels would have hardly any financial impact on the vast majority of people, new research reveals. Oil and gas companies are the single biggest driver of global heating.

But opponents of the renewable transition often claim that cutting down fossil fuel production will be hugely expensive - and hit ordinary people in the pocket. New research sends this argument up in smoke. According to a study published in Joule journal this week, the clean transition will have a marginal financial impact on ordinary people while impacting only the super rich. The ‘losers’ of the clean energy transition are the super-wealthy - and what they stand to lose is still just a fraction of their overall wealth.

Wildlife

Orca Attacks on Boats Spread

An orca has attacked a yacht off the coast of Scotland, U.K. — the first time this behavior has been recorded beyond Portuguese and Spanish waters. One expert believes it's a sign the boat-ramming behavior may have "leapfrogged" to a different orca population.

Iberian orcas, a small and endangered population of about 39 animals, have sunk three boats in the last 18 months and damaged over 100 more by ramming into boats and ripping off their rudders. Some experts think an adult female named White Gladis may have survived a traumatic event — such as a boat collision or entrapment in a fishing net — that flipped a behavioral switch and triggered the first attacks.

The behavior appears to be spreading through social learning, with orcas imitating each other and reproducing acts they deem advantageous or interesting in some way. Experts suspect the attacks are linked to human activities at sea. Fishing, noise pollution and boat traffic.

Mass Fish Die-Off

Climate change may have stimulated a plankton bloom that caused thousands of dead fish to wash up along a roughly 4 kilometer (2.5 mile) stretch of beach in Thailand’s southern Chumphon province on Thursday, an expert said. According to local authorities, plankton blooms happen once or twice a year and typically last two to three days.

This month, thousands of dead fish washed up on beaches in Texas, and experts are warning of algal blooms along the British coast as a result of rising sea temperatures.

In Southern California, hundreds of dolphins and sea lions have been washing up on beaches dead or sick, amid a toxic algal bloom. While California’s algal blooms were caused more by strong coastal upwelling than high temperatures, scientists say climate change likely to increase toxic algal blooms, as some thrive in warm water.

“Whether it’s Australia and places like the Great Barrier Reef or even places around England which are experiencing quite bad marine heatwaves at the moment, it’s really going to be detrimental to those local ecosystems,” said Sarah Perkins-Kirkpatrick, a climate scientist with the University of New South Wales in Australia.

Earthquakes

Magnitude 5+ Earthquakes – Global

5,1 earthquake hits the Kermedec Islands.

5.0 earthquake hits the Kermedec Islands.

Storms and Floods

Tropical Storms - Roundup of Tropical Storms:

In the Atlantic Ocean: Tropical Storm Bret is located aabout 115 mi...185 km w of St. Vincent and about 420 mi...670 km e of Curacao with maximum sustained winds...60 mph...95 km/h. Present movement...w or 270 degrees at 18 mph...30 km/h.

Tropical Storm Cindy is located about 990 mi...1595 km e of the Lesser Antilles with maximum sustained winds...45 mph...75 km/h. Present movement...wnw or 285 degrees at 15 mph...24 km/h.

Environment

Earth's Axis Shifts

Humans pumped enough water out of the ground between 1993 and 2010 that its redistribution on the surface caused Earth’s poles to shift by about 1 metre. Scientists say that is equivalent to the polar shift brought on by the melting of Greenland’s ice cap during the same period.

Clark Wilson and colleagues of the University of Texas at Austin say other factors also cause the planet to wobble like a top by several metres each year, due to the natural redistribution of water from season to season. “There are a number of things contributing to polar drift, and they all add up,” said Wilson. He points to rising sea levels due to climate change as another factor.

War Fallout

Russia’s war on Ukraine is deepening the world’s climate crisis at a time when greenhouse gas emissions are higher than ever before. A research group led by Dutch emissions expert Lennard de Klerk says that it is not only the actual conflict fueling higher emissions, but also gas leaks such as the sabotaged Nord Stream pipeline, the rerouting of international flights and the migration of refugees. “We didn’t expect the emissions of war would be so significant, and it’s not only the warfare itself that contributes to the emissions, but it’s also the future reconstruction,” said de Klerk.

Wildlife

Illegal Shark Fin Harvesting - Brazil

Federal authorities in Brazil seized more than 63,200 pounds (28,700 kilograms) of shark fins on Monday (June 19) in what may be the world's largest-ever confiscations of illegal shark fins, according to officials at Ibama, a federal agency under Brazil's Ministry of the Environment.

Shark finning is the practice of cutting off a live shark's fin and, usually, throwing the rest of the shark back into the ocean. These fins are sold mostly to Asian countries, where they are used in traditional Chinese medicine or served as a delicacy in shark fin soup, and can fetch up to $591 per kilogram ($1,313 per pound) in the market. Though shark fishing is currently banned across Brazil, some fishers still illegally catch these apex predators in certain areas, Ibama officials said.

End of Whaling in Iceland?

Iceland’s government announced it is suspending this year’s whale hunt in the North Atlantic until at least the end of August because it may violate the main goals of the country’s Animal Welfare Act. The move follows an outcry over video clips that document a whale’s agony after it was hunted and harpooned for five hours.

The license of Iceland’s lone remaining whaling company, Hvalur, expires this year, which could mean the hunt that goes back for centuries could be finally coming to an end. Demand for whale meat has plummeted in recent years, while whale-watching tours have thrived.

Wildfires

Wildfires - Ontario, Canada

Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry fire crews continue to battle three stubborn wildfires north of Massey while the restricted fire zone remains in place across the entire province

The largest of those fires, Sudbury 17, was confirmed June 4 and continues to burn 5,857 hectare of forest three kilometres west of Madawanson Lake and 0.5 kilometres east of Pilot Lake. Multiple crews are committed to the fire, which is not under control.

Sudbury 10 was confirmed on June 2. Measuring 1,370 hectares and located three kilometres west of Fox Lake and five kilometres east of Acheson Lake, it is also not under control.

The third fire, Sudbury 19, was confirmed on June 4. It is a 459-hectare wildland fire located south of Shakwa Lake and a kilometre west of Lower Shakwa Lake. It is under control.

Environment

Global Temperature Extremes

The week's hottest temperature was 120 degrees Fahrenheit (49 degrees Celsius) in Nok Kundi, Pakistan.

The week's coldest temperature was minus 83 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 64 degrees Celsius) at Vostok, Antarctica.

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

Disease

Cholera - Ethiopia

Since the last update in May, the cholera outbreak in Ethiopia keeps spreading with a significant increase of cases. As of 20 June 2023, 11,407 cholera cases – of whom 22 per cent are children under five – were reported.

Volcanos

Roundup of Global Volcanic Activity - Ongoing Activity for the week of 14 June - 20 June 2023

Ahyi - Mariana Islands (USA) : Unrest at Ahyi Seamount possibly continued during 13-20 June. A few small hydroacoustic signals coming from the direction of the seamount were detected by pressure sensors on Wake Island (2,270 km E) during 16-17 June. No surface activity was visible in satellite images.

Aira - Kyushu (Japan) : JMA reported ongoing activity at both Minamidake Crater and Showa Crater during 13-19 June. Ash plumes from Showa were recorded at 1412 on 16 June that rose 1.3 km above the rim and drifted S, with another at 0710 on 17 June that rose up to 1 km and drifted E. Crater incandescence was observed at Minamidake crater during the night of 18 June.

Cotopaxi - Ecuador : IG reported that moderate eruptive activity continued at Cotopaxi during 13-20 June. Small gas-and-steam emissions rose as high as 200 m above the crater rim and drifted W and SW during 13-14 and 17 June. Several gas emissions with minor ash content rose 100 m on 15 June, and several seismic signals possibly indicating similar emissions were detected on 16 June. Gas-and-ash plumes rose 500-700 m on 18 June. Gas-and-steam plumes with minor ash content rose 100-700 m and drifted W and SW during 19-20 June.

Ebeko - Paramushir Island (Russia) : KVERT reported that moderate activity at Ebeko was ongoing during 8-15 June. A thermal anomaly was identified in satellite images throughout the week. According to volcanologists in Severo-Kurilsk (Paramushir Island, about 7 km E), explosions during 8-9 and 11-13 June generated ash plumes that rose as high as 4 km (11,500 ft) a.s.l. and drifted both NE and SE.

Fuego - South-Central Guatemala : INSIVUMEH reported that 1-6 explosions per hour were recorded at Fuego during 14-20 June, generating daily ash plumes that rose as high as 1.1 km above the crater rim. The explosions were often accompanied by avalanches, shock waves, and minor rumbling sounds. The ash plumes drifted 10-30 km W and SW, causing daily ashfall in areas downwind including Morelia (9 km SW), Panimaché I and II (8 km SW), Santa Sofía (12 km SW), Ceylon, El Porvenir (8 km ENE), Sangre de Cristo (8 km WSW), Yepocapa (8 km NW), La Rochela, San Andrés Osuna, and Finca Palo Verde.

Great Sitkin - Andreanof Islands (USA) : AVO reported that slow lava effusion continued at Great Sitkin during 14-20 June. The thick lava flow remained confined to the summit crater, and several small earthquakes were recorded daily. Elevated surface temperatures were observed during periods of clear satellite views during 16-17 June; weather clouds obscured webcam and satellite views on the other days.

Karangetang - Sangihe Islands : PVMBG reported that dense white gas-and-steam plumes from Karangetang were visible rising as high as 75 m and drifting in multiple directions during 14-20 June. Weather clouds obscured views at times on 14, 16, and 18 June. Webcam images published in the reports showed incandescence at Main Crater (S crater) and from material on the flanks of Main Crater at 0007 on 17 June and 0440 on 18 June.

Krakatau - Sunda Strait : PVMBG reported that daily white gas-and-steam plumes rose as high as 200 m above Krakatau’s summit during 14-20 June. At 0822 on 19 June a dense white-to-gray ash plume rose 1.5 km and drifted SE.

Lewotolok - Lembata Island : PVMBG reported that the eruption at Lewotolok continued during 14-20 June. White-and-gray ash plumes rose as high as 400 m above the summit and drifted W and NW during 15 and 17-18 June; white steam-and-gas emissions were visible on the other days. Strombolian explosions at the summit crater were visible in webcam images at 2242 on 14 June, 2137 on 17 June, and 2213 on 18 June.

Merapi - Central Java : BPPTKG reported that the eruption at Merapi (on Java) continued during 9-15 June and seismicity remained at elevated levels. The SW lava dome produced 119 lava avalanches that traveled as far as 2 km down the SW flank (upstream in the Bebeng drainage). Morphological changes to the SW lava dome were due to continuing collapses of material.

Popocatepetl - Mexico : CENAPRED reported that ongoing activity at Popocatépetl during 14-20 June included 39-180 daily steam-and-gas emissions, sometimes containing minor amounts of ash. According to the Washington VAAC, daily ash plumes rose to maximum altitudes of 5.8-6.7 km (19,000-22,000 ft) a.s.l., or up to 1.3 km above the summit, and drifted generally drifted S, SW, and W, causing ashfall in local communities. At 0337 on 17 June CENAPRED noted a moderate explosion that ejected ballistic material as far as 2.5 km from the crater. Minor ashfall was reported in Hueyapan (16 km SSW), Tetela del Volcán (18 km SW), Yecapixtla (29 km SW) and Ayala (47 km SW) in Morelos, as well as Amecameca (18 km NW) and Atlautla (16 km W) in the State of Mexico during 14-15 June. Minor ashfall during 15-16 June was reported in Amecameca, Ayapango (21 km NW), Chalco (37 km NW), Ecatzingo (15 km SW), Temamatla (30 km NW), Tepetlixpa (20 km W), Tlalmanalco (26 km NW) and Tenango del Aire (28 km NW) in the State of Mexico. Reports of minor ashfall came from Ixtapaluca (42 km NW), Valle de Chalco (44 km NW), La Paz (50 km NW), Nezahualcóyotl (56 km NW), Amecameca, Atlautla, Ayapango, Cocotitlan (34 km NW), Chalco, Ecatzingo, Temamatla, Tenango del Aire, Tepetlixpa and Tlalmanalco in the State of Mexico during 16-17 June. Minor ashfall during 18-19 June was again reported in Tepoztlan (49 km W), Cuernavaca (63 km WSW), Ocuituco (24 km SW), Cuautla (43 km SW), Atlatlahucan (30 km SW), Jiutepec (59 km SW) and Emiliano Zapata (62 km SW), Morelos; Ixtapaluca, La Paz, Valle de Chalco, Nezahualcóyotl (54 km NW), Chicoloapan (48 km NW), Atlautla, Ecatzingo, Tonatico in the State of Mexico. Seismicity included periods of low-to-moderate amplitude, high-frequency tremor for 274-567 minutes each day, three volcano-tectonic earthquakes of M 1.2-1.5 were recorded during 15-16 June, and 19 minutes of low-amplitude, harmonic tremor during 16-17 June.

Sabancaya - Peru : Instituto Geofísico del Perú (IGP) reported moderate levels of activity at Sabancaya during 12-18 June with a daily average of 18 explosions. Gas-and-ash plumes rose as high as 1.5 km above the summit and drifted SE, E, and NE. Five thermal anomalies originating from the lava dome in the summit crater were identified in satellite data. Minor inflation continued to be detected near Hualca Hualca (4 km N).

Sangay - Ecuador : IG reported a high level of activity at Sangay during 13-20 June and the seismic network recorded 327-2,190 daily explosions. Gas, steam, and ash plumes were occasionally observed in IG webcam images or described in Washington VAAC volcanic activity notifications, though weather clouds sometimes prevented observations. Ash-and-gas plumes rose as high as 1.8 km above the summit and drifted W during 13-15 June. Gas-and-steam plumes rose less than 1 km during 16-17 June. Ash plumes rose as high as 1.2 km and drifted W on 18 June. Incandescence at the summit was visible in webcam images. Overnight during 18-19 June the lava flow on the SE flank was incandescent and pyroclastic material descended the SE flank as far as 500 m several times. During 19-20 June several ash-and-gas emissions rose as high as 550 m above the summit and drifted SW. Incandescence at the summit was visible multiple times. Minor ashfall was reported in Llagos parish, Chunchi (73 km SW) on 20 June.

Semeru - Eastern Java : PVMBG reported that the eruption at Semeru continued during 14-20 June. White-and-gray ash plumes rose 100-700 m and drifted N, NW, W, and S during 16 and 18-20 June; emissions were not observed on the other days.

Stromboli - Aeolian Islands (Italy) : INGV reported ongoing activity at Stromboli during 12-18 June. The Strombolian activity was centered at two vents in Area N (one each at craters N1 and N2), within the upper part of the Sciara del Fuoco, and from four vents in Area C-S (South-Central Crater) in the crater terrace. Low- and medium-intensity explosions at a rate of 3-7 per hour from Area N2 ejected mainly coarse material (bombs and lapilli), sometimes mixed with ash, up to 150 m above the vents. Sporadic explosive activity at N1 ejected mainly ash mixed with smaller amounts of coarse material. Low- to high-intensity explosions averaged 8-14 per hour from the three vents in sector S2 (Area C-S), ejecting a mix of coarse material and ash; weak spattering was sometimes observed. Weak emission of gas sometimes accompanied explosive events.

Suwanosejima - Ryukyu Islands (Japan) : JMA reported that the eruption at Suwanosejima's Ontake Crater continued during 14-19 June. A total of 526 volcanic earthquakes, 26 explosions, and 18 eruptive events were recorded by seismic monitoring stations throughout the week; activity was most notable during 15-16 June with totals of 164 volcanic earthquakes and 10 explosions. Ash plumes were observed daily; the tallest plumes rose 2 km above the crater rim on 15 and 16 June. Continuous emissions during 0936-1355 on 16 June rose as high as 2 km and drifted SE and SW. Some events ejected large volcanic blocks up to 400 m from the crater during 14-18 June. Incandescent ejecta from explosions during the nights of 18-19 June were sometimes visible in webcam images. Occasional ashfall and rumbling noises were reported in Toshima village (3.5 km SSW).

Taal - Luzon (Philippines) : PHIVOLCS reported continuing low-level unrest at Taal during 13-20 June characterized by elevated seismicity, upwelling in the lake, and sulfur dioxide gas emissions. There were 20-38 daily volcanic earthquakes recorded during 13-17 June and a total of 11 recorded during 19-20 June. There were 2-46 daily periods of tremor, each lasting 2-67 minutes long. Daily white steam-and-gas plumes (sometimes voluminous) rose as high as 3 km above the lake and drifted NE, NW, and SW; voggy conditions were reported during 16-17 June. Upwelling gasses and hot fluids in the lake were visible during 14-17 June. Sulfur dioxide emissions averaged 7,643 and 2,177 tonnes per day on 15 June and 19 June, respectively.

Earthquakes

Magnitude 5+ Earthquakes – Global

5.2 earthquake hits south of Tonga.

5.2 earthquake hits the South Sandwich Islands.

5.1 earthquake hits Tonga.

5.1 earthquake hits the Ryukyu Islands off Japan.

5.0 earthquake hits near the south coast of Myanmar.

Storms and Floods

Tropical Storms - Roundup of Tropical Storms:

In the Atlantic Ocean: Tropical Storm Bret is located about 200 mi...320 km e of Barbados with maximum sustained winds...70 mph...110 km/h. Present movement...w or 280 degrees at 15 mph...24 km/h.

Tropical Depression Four is located about 1395 mi...2240 km e of the Lesser Antilles with maximum sustained winds...35 mph...55 km/h. Present movement...w or 280 degrees at 12 mph...19 km/h.

NewsBytes:

India - The flood situation in Assam deteriorated suddenly in the last 24 hours as the number of flood-affected population crossed 1 lakh for the first time this year, reports Kangkan Kalita. In the past 24 hours, 85,000 more people have been hit by the first wave of floods that has affected 20 districts and sub-divisions across the state as on Wednesday evening. The Assam State Disaster Management Authority in its evening flood bulletin, said 1,19,830 were facing deluge, of whom 48,967 are women and 17,652 children.

Global Warming

Antarctic Sea Ice

Antarctica may be in serious trouble. Satellite images show that the amount of sea ice floating around the pristine polar continent remains far below long-term averages despite the south polar region moving into its peak winter period.

Researchers at the British Antarctic Survey (BAS) observed with trepidation in late 2022 and early 2023 as satellite images revealed that sea ice attached to the coast of Antarctica had been disappearing month after month at a pace never seen before. And they continued to observe as this sea ice failed to sufficiently replenish after the colder months arrived. As of mid-June 2023, sea ice extent in Antarctica was about 0.9 million square miles (2.28 million square kilometers) below the average from 1981 to 2010 for that part of the year, according to the U.K. weather authority Met Office, and about 0.4 million square miles (1.15 million square km) below the previous June record low from 2019.