Earthquakes

Magnitude 5+ Earthquakes – Global

5.7 Earthquake hits the South Sandwich Islands.

5.3 Earthquake hits the Molucca Sea.

5.2 Earthquake hits northwestern Siberia, Russia.

5.2 Earthquake hits the Ryukyu Islands off Japan.

Earthquakes

Magnitude 5+ Earthquakes – Global

5.5 Earthquake hits Halmahera, Indonesia.

5.4 Earthquake hits New Britain, Papua New Guinea.

5.2 Earthquake hits southwestern Siberia, Russia.

5.1 Earthquake hits Taiwan.

5.1 Earthquake hits Guerrero, Mexico.

5.1 Earthquake hits the Molucca Sea.

5.0 Earthquake hits the Banda Sea.

5.0 Earthquake hits Vanuatu.

5.0 Earthquake hits Barbados in the Windward Islands.

5.0 Earthquake hits the Bismarck sea.

5.0 Earthquake hits Pakistan.

5.0 Earthquake hits Halmahera, Indonesia.

5.0 earthquake hits the Bougainville region, Papua New Guinea.

Global Warming

Climate change and Antarctica

A world-renowned climate scientist visiting New Zealand will this week present new evidence suggesting a behemoth "sleeping giant" ice sheet is more sensitive to climate change than we ever thought.

To climate scientists, the vast East Antarctic Ice Sheet represents something of the elephant in the room in terms of what it could contribute to global sea level rise.

If all of it melted, the ice sheet, which forms most of Antarctica, would contribute an equivalent of around 50 metres of sea level rise - the vast majority of the total 58 metres that could come from the frozen continent.

The part of the ice sheet that rests on bedrock below sea level is most vulnerable and holds an equivalent of 19 metres of sea level rise.

In the face of climate change, which has brought warmer ocean water to the edges of Antarctica, the vast ice sheet has been long regarded by scientists to be much more stable when compared with the smaller, 25 million square kilometre West Antarctic Ice Sheet, which satellite measurements estimated was losing more than 150 cubic kilometres of ice each year.

But an Australian expedition that managed to reach the typically inaccessible Totten Glacier in East Antarctica in January revealed some of the first direct evidence that warmer waters were having a significant impact there as well.

This means the wider ice sheet's contribution to future sea level rise could be much greater than realised.

Buryatia: where thawing permafrost is turning to steppe

Buryatia has been hit in summer 2015 by the massive destruction of its pristine forests in a series of fast-spreading fires. Most shocking have been the scenes showing uncontrolled burning around Lake Baikal, the oldest and deepest lake in the world, containing 20% of the globe's unfrozen freshwater.

Local scientists have accumulated startling evidence of the changes in temperature which are turning the region's permafrost - established over many millennia - into steppe. Average annual temperatures in a rising number of areas are exceeding zero degrees Celsius.

Warming caused the upper layer of permafrost to become deeper - and where it is thin, to disappear altogether. The average annual precipitation isn't changing, but it evaporates more easily which causes the climate to get drier. This results in changes in flora. It becomes more monotonous, dominated by drought-resistant plants.

As the climate becomes drier, the territory covered in forests and meadows reduces, while the dry steppe - arid grass plains with few trees - increases. Apart from that, there are changes in terms of the radial growth of trees. In dry lands, including Selenginskyi and Kyakhtinskyi districts, growth slows down.

Currently, some 55,000 hectares remain ablaze in Buryatia. In other regions, the figures are 46,000 hectares in Krasnoyarsk and 11,000 in Irkutsk.

Wildfires

Wildfires - California USA

Wildfires across the state are burning more than 200,000 acres, chewing through dry brush and parched forests while forcing the evacuation of dozens of residents.

In the Six Rivers National Forest, near the northwestern corner of the state, more than 5,000 firefighters are battling a string of blazes totaling nearly 70,000 acres, said U.S. Forest Service spokeswoman Peggi Lawrence. Lightning storms ignited the fires in late July and they have continued to burn as firefighters navigate steep, rugged terrain.

The neighboring Shasta-Trinity National Forest is also coping with fires on more than 60,000 acres, according to the U.S. Forest Service. The sizable fires have generated significant smoke, prompting officials to warn inland residents nearby to limit outdoor activity.

Meanwhile, a wildfire north of the Napa Valley more than doubled in size Tuesday to cover 14,000 acres, nearly merging with the southern edge of the massive Rocky fire, authorities said.

The swiftly growing Jerusalem fire — named for its position within the Jerusalem Valley — began Sunday and is threatening 50 homes, prompting mandatory evacuations that remain in effect. Erratic winds have challenged the nearly 1,700 firefighters battling the blaze, with officials warning residents to be vigilant for sudden shifts in the fire's direction.

A new fire map released Tuesday shows the Jerusalem fire touching the southernmost edge of the Rocky Fire, which has charred nearly 70,000 acres since erupting on July 29. That fire is 88% contained, Cal Fire said.

The Anza fire, about 20 miles southeast of Hemet in Riverside County, has burned 487 acres and was 50% contained as night fell Tuesday, according to the county's Fire Department. Sparked by a burning motor home that spread to dry vegetation, the Anza fire left four people injured, including three firefighters.

Wildfires - Siberia

More than 5,000 Russian emergency workers are battling to put out wildfires raging across forests in Siberia, officials said Tuesday.

Over 1,250 square kilometres of woodland are ablaze in at least six eastern regions, Russia's federal forestry agency said.

The republic of Buryatia, which borders Mongolia and the eastern shore of Lake Baikal, is fighting to extinguish 60 blazes raging through 717 square kilometres of land, the agency said.

Wildfires are a common occurence in Russia each summer due to the burning of dry grass, and can claim lives and damage property. The current wildfires have not yet affected inhabited areas, according to authorities.

Wildfires

Wildfires - Siberia

In the past 24 hours, 46 forest fires were being struggled with on the Far Eastern territory; firefighter units managed to put out 8 of them. Regional forestry services — 696 people and 61 units of equipment, as well as 23 air units, including 13 helicopters, continue to tackle 38 fires," the forestry department said in a Friday statement.

Earthquakes

Magnitude 5+ Earthquakes – Global

6.0 Earthquake hits Sabah, Malaysia.

5.1 Earthquake hits the Kermedec Islands.

5.0 Earthquake hits southwestern Siberia, Russia.

5.0 Earthquake hits the Bonin Islands off Japan.

Wildfires

Forest Fires in Siberia

The forest fire situation has improved in Siberia. Siberia had 26 forest fires on 16,463.1 hectares on May 17. Some 467 forest service specialists and smokejumpers, 86 fire trucks and nine aircraft were fighting the blazes. Huge forest fires in the Republics of Tuva and Buryatia have been extinguished by fire fighters. Presently, Siberia has 26 forest fires on 16,463.1 hectares.

California Wildfires - Update

Fire crews are building containment lines around a wildfire south of Yosemite National Park that destroyed a home and several other structures.

Wildfires

Wildfires in Siberia

Firefighters extinguished 19 wildfires in Russia's Far East in the past 24 hours, the local forestry department said on Friday. 46 wildfires had been registered in the Far East in the past 24 hours.

Storms and Floods

Floods in Ecuador

At least eight people have been died in recent flooding in Ecuador. The floods occurred in Guayas, a southwestern state of Ecuador.

Snowstorm in Japan

Heavy snow that fell in northern Japan over the weekend has killed eight people on Hokkaido island.

A woman and her three children died after their car stucked in snow. Two others were buried in Nakashibetsu and Yubetsu region

Avalanche in East Siberia, Russia

At least six teenage boys are reported to be missing in an avalanche in east Siberia, Russia.

The disaster occurred near Mugur-Aksy village close to the Mongolian border.

Dozens of rescue workers and a helicopter are still searching for the missing boys.

More Floods NSW, Australia

More heavy rainfall across northern NSW has again flooded many parts of the region's coastal river valleys, with flood warnings still in place. Beef and dairy cattle farms in the Manning Valley are covered with floodwater.

Earthquakes

Magnitude 5+ Earthquakes - Global

5.8 Earthquake hits Tonga.

5.3 Earthquake hits near the south coast of Papua, Indonesia.

5.1 Earthquake hits north eastern Sakha, Siberia, Russia.

5.1 Earthquake hits north eastern Sakha, Siberia, Russia.

5.0 Earthquake hits north eastern Sakha, Siberia, Russia.

Space Events

Meteorite Crash in Russia

A series of explosions in the skies of Russia’s Urals region, reportedly caused by a meteorite shower, has sparked panic in three major cities. Witnesses said that houses shuddered, windows were blown out and cellphones have stopped working.

According to unconfirmed reports, the meteorite was intercepted by an air defense unit at the Urzhumka settlement near Chelyabinsk. A missile salvo reportedly blew the meteorite to pieces at an altitude of 20 kilometers. A bright flash was seen in the Chelyabinsk, Tyumen and Sverdlovsk regions, Russia’s Republic of Bashkiria and in northern Kazakhstan. At least one piece of the fallen object caused damage on the ground in Chelyabinsk. According to preliminary reports, it crashed into a wall near a zinc factory, disrupting the city's Internet and mobile service.

Witnesses said the explosion was so loud that it seemed like an earthquake and thunder had struck at the same time, and that there were huge trails of smoke across the sky. Others reported seeing burning objects fall to earth. Police in the Chelyabinsk region are reportedly on high alert, and have begun ‘Operation Fortress’ in order to protect vital infrastructure. Office buildings in downtown Chelyabinsk are being evacuated. Injuries were reported at one of the city’s secondary schools, supposedly from smashed windows.  At least 500 people have been injured.

Earthquakes

Magnitude 5+ Earthquakes - Global

6.7 Earthquake hits north eastern Sakha, Siberia, Russia.

5.0 Earthquake hits near the coast of Papua, Indonesia.

5.0 Earthquake hits the Santa Cruz Islands.

Earthquakes

Magnitude 5+ Earthquakes - Global

5.7 Earthquake hits Sakha, Eastern Siberia, Russia.

5.0 Earthquake hits North Island, New Zealand.

Earthquakes

5.6 and 5.0 Earthquakes hit the Kuril Islands, off Alaska.

5.5 Earthquake hits Guatemala.

5.4 and 4.9 Earthquakes hit south-east of Honshu, Japan near the Izu Islands.

5.3 Earthquake hits offshore Coquimbo, Chile.

5.2 Earthquake hits the Fiji region.

Two 5.1 Earthquakes hit near the east coast of Kamchatka, Siberia.

5.0 Earthquake hits the mid-Indian Ocean ridge.

5.0 Earthquake hits the Hindu Kush, Afghanistan.

Wildfires

NASA captured this image of fires burning in Tomsk, a region of south central Siberia where severe wildfires have burned throughout the summer. Thick smoke billowed from numerous wildfires near the Ob River and mixed with haze and clouds that arrived from the southwest. Red outlines indicate hot spots where MODIS detected the unusually warm surface temperatures associated with fires.

More than 17,000 wildfires had burned more than 30 million hectares (74 million acres) through August 2012, according to researchers at the Sukachev Institute of Forest in the Russian Academy of Sciences. In comparison, 20 million hectares burned last year, which was roughly the average between 2000 and 2008.

Earthquakes

5.2 Earthquake hits southern Sumatra, Indonesia.

5.0 Earthquake hits south-western Siberia.

 

Wildfires

Wildfire near Colombus, Ohio, USA prompts evacuations.

Wildfires continue to rage in Siberia.

 

Wildfires

Smoke from wildfires burning in Siberia brings haze to Seattle, Washington, USA.

 

Wildfires

8 firefighters die while fighting wildfire in southern Siberia.

 

Earthquakes

Four Earthquakes hit south-eastern Taiwan, the largest of which measured 5.7.

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

5.2 Earthquake hits south-western Siberia, Russia.

5.0 Earthquake hits Vanuatu.

5.0 Earthquakee hits the Solomon Islands.