Environment

Bolivia's Second Largest Lake Dries Up

In December 2015, Lake Poopó was officially declared as "dried up". Unfortunately, scientists say that recovery may no longer be possible.

Scientists believe drought due to repetitive El Nino is the main cause of the natural disaster. They also think deviations from the lake's tributaries are contributing factors. Aside from some agricultural purposes, Poopó's tributaries or freshwater streams that feed from the lake are mostly used for mining.

El Nino has plagued the nation for a millenia. Bolivia's delicate ecosystem is also said to have undergone extraordinary stress over the past 30 years. The country has experienced a rise in temperatures by about one degree Celsius.

One great effect of the lake's fate is the significant letdown in the livelihood of the local residents who have tucked away their fishing nets and other gear. Over 100 families have sold their llamas, alpaca and sheep. In the past three years, residents have evacuated from the previous lakeside village, leaving only half of its population, mostly the elderly.

Earthquakes

Magnitude 5+ Earthquakes – Global

5.9 Earthquake hits Coquimbo, Chile.

5.7 Earthquake hits the Nias region, Indonesia.

5.7 Earthquake hits Luzon in the Philippines.

5.3 Earthquake hits La Paz, Bolivia.

5.3 Earthquake hits near the east coast of Honshu, Japan.

5.2 Earthquake hits the Molucca Sea.

5.0 Earthquake hits south of Java, Indonesia.

Earthquakes

Magnitude 5+ Earthquakes – Global

5.2 Earthquake hits the Kamchatka Peninsula, Russia.

5.1 Earthquake hits Coquimbo, Chile.

5.0 Earthquake hits Potosi, Bolivia.

5.0 Earthquake hits Tarapaca, Chile.

5.0 Earthquake hits Kepulauan Babar, Indonesia.

Earthquakes

Magnitude 5+ Earthquakes – Global

5.8 Earthquake hits the South Sandwich Islands.

5.4 Earthquake hits Guerrero, Mexico.

5.3 Earthquake hits southern Sumatra, Indonesia.

5.2 Earthquake hits southwest of Sumatra, Indonesia.

5.1 Earthquake hits the northern east Pacific rise.

5.0 Earthquake hits Potosi, Bolivia.

Earthquakes

Magnitude 5+ Earthquakes – Global

6.3 Earthquake hits the Bonin Islands off Japan.

5.6 Earthquake hits Tonga.

5.0 Earthquake hits Potosi, Bolivia.

Earthquakes

Magnitude 5+ Earthquakes - Global

5.7 Earthquake hits the Fox Islands in the Aleutian Islands.

5.6 Earthquake hits the Kuril Islands.

5.6 Earthquake hits Atacama, Chile.

5.3 Earthquake hits Potosi, Bolivia.

5.1 Earthquake hits the Mariana Islands region.

5.0 Earthquake hits the Mid-Indian ridge.

Magnitude 5- aftershocks continue to hit southern Iran: 3.5, 4.4, 3.9, 4.0, 4.2, 3.8, 3.6, 4.2, 4.1, 4.0, 3.5, 3.6, 3.7, 3.6, 3.8, 4.4, 4.1, 3.7, 4.5, 3.5, 4.5, 3.5, 4.2, 3.7, 4.6, 4.4, 3.7, 3.6, 3.6, 4.1, 4.5, 4.5, 4.3.

Storms and Floods

U.S. Northeast Blizzard

The U.S. Northeast started digging itself out of a blizzard that dumped up to 40 inches of snow with hurricane force winds, killing at least nine people and leaving about half a million customers without power.

Airports slowly cranked back to life on Sunday, rare travel bans in Connecticut and Massachusetts were lifted, but roads throughout the region remained treacherous.

As the region recovered, another large winter storm building across the Northern Plains was expected to leave a foot of snow and bring high winds from Colorado to central Minnesota into Monday according to the National Weather Service said.

Tropical Storm Haley was located approximately 325 nm south-southwest of Bora Bora, Society Islands, French Polynesia.

Peru, Chile and Bolivia Hit by Floods After Heavy Rain.

Torrential rain has been causing havoc along the Pacific coast side of South America, with flooding causing the deaths of at least six people in Peru.

In the southern city of Arequipa, thousands of people were left without electricity and drinking water.

In Chile, some four million people were hit by cuts to water supply blamed on landslides in San Jose de Maipo, 30 miles (48 km) south east of Santiago.

The landslides contaminated two rivers supplying the capital's water plants.

Torrential rain has also fallen over most regions in neighbouring Bolivia.

Authorities throughout the region complain that the magnitude of the floods is unprecedented.

High Tides

High tides and a storm surge have flooded coastal areas along the North American east coast from Nova Scotia to Hull, Sandwich and Nantucket.

Earthquakes

5.6 Earthquake hits near the east coast of Honshu, Japan.

5.2 Earthquake hits the Molucca Sea.

5.2 and 5.0 Earthquakes hit Kepulauan Sangihe, Indonesia.

5.2 Earthquake hits the southwest Indian Ocean ridge.

5.1 Earthquake hits southeast of the Loyalty Islands.

5.0 Earthquake hits Potosi, Bolivia.

5.0 Earthquake hits the Queen Charlotte Islands region.

Storms and Floods

Tropical Storm Miriam has formed over the eastern Pacific, but it remains well offshore and does not pose a threat to land.

A severe weather watch is in place for much of England as ex Hurricane, now extra tropical storm Nadine edges closer to the UK. It's not Nadine that is affecting the UK directly, she has spawned a very deep secondary low pressure system.

Public storm warning signals were hoisted over six provinces in the Philippines on Saturday as Tropical Storm “Lawin” (international name: Jelawat) intensified slightly as it moved slowly over the Philippine Sea.

The flood situation in the Assam, India worsened further on Saturday as heavy showers continued in Arunachal Pradesh. A population of nearly five lakh (500 000) in 14 districts has been hit.

A fierce storm, described as an extra-tropical cyclone, ripped across South America Wednesday. The storm, packing 140-kilometre (87-mile) an hour winds tore across the heart of South America on Wednesday, killing five people in Paraguay and wreaking havoc in Argentina and Uruguay and Bolivia.

Earthquakes

5.0 Earthquake hits Potosi, Bolivia.