Wildfires

Two separate blazes combined into the one raging inferno in the Macleay River region in New South Wales, Australia on Sunday. The blaze, which has been burning since Friday, has destroyed more than 28,000 hectares. An out-of-control bushfire is burning near the Bargo State Forest, with the owners of adjacent properties on alert and firefighting reinforcements travelling to the area 100 kilometres south of Sydney. A severe thunderstorm has sparked a dozen bush and grass fires in New South Wales' far west, and another out of control blaze has begun near Brewarrina, in the state's northwest

Firefighters keep on battling a wildfire Bulgaria in the Rhodope mountains and another one in the Vitosha mountains.

Earthquakes

5.5 Earthquake hits off the coast of Nicaragua.

5.4 Earthquake hits the South Sandwich Islands region.

5.0 Earthquake hits offshore El Salvador.

Storms and Floods

Heavy rains bring floods to the Eastern Cape, South Africa. At least 8 people have died and numerous bridges and roads have been washed away.

A tornado blew through central Pennsylvania, USA, causing a pavilion to collapse at a park, injuring 15 people.

Storms and Floods

Floods caused by days of non-stop rain in southwest France forced the closing of the Catholic sanctuary of Lourdes and the evacuation of more than 450 pilgrims. The Gave de Pau, the river passing through Lourdes, France, floods parts of the city in front of the Grotto and Basilica.

Earthquakes

6.6 Earthquake hits Vanuatu. No tsunami alert issued.

5.3 Earthquake hits central California, USA.

5.2 and 4.8 Earthquakes hit Iceland.

5.1 Earthquake hits Sakhalin, Russia.

4.9 Earthquake hits south-west of Sumatra, Indonesia.

Wildlife

Outbreak of epizootic hemorrhagic disease (EHD) has produced more than 8,500 confirmed deer deaths in Michigan, USA this year.

Disease

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that the malaria outbreak in Greece continues to grow, reaching areas of the country where the parasitic disease has not been previously reported.

Earthquakes

5.1 Earthquake hits Taiwan.

5.1 Earthquake hits south of Fiji.

4.9 Earthquake hits southeast of Honshu, Japan.

Storms and Floods

A powerful storm has caused flooding in Spain's northeastern region, one woman was found dead and another two people are missing.

Earthquakes

5.3 Earthquake hits the Kermedec Islands north of New Zealand.

5.1 Earthquake hits North Islands, New Zealand.

5.1 Earthquake hits the eastern Mediterranean Sea.

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

5.0 Earthquake hits the New Britain region, Papua New Guinea.

5.0 Earthquake hits the mid-Indian Ocean ridge.

4.9 Earthquake hits the southern Molucca Sea.

Volcanos

The following new activity/unrest was reported at the following volcanos:

Alaid, Kuril Islands (Russia) | Gamalama, Halmahera | Kliuchevskoi, Central Kamchatka (Russia) | Paluweh, Lesser Sunda Islands (Indonesia) | Sangeang Api, Lesser Sunda Islands (Indonesia).

Ongoing Activity:

Etna, Sicily (Italy) | Fuego, Guatemala | Galeras, Colombia | Karymsky, Eastern Kamchatka (Russia) | Kilauea, Hawaii (USA) | Manam, Northeast of New Guinea (SW Pacific) | Popocatépetl, México | Sakura-jima, Kyushu | Santa María, Guatemala | Shiveluch, Central Kamchatka (Russia) | Tongariro, North Island (New Zealand).

Space Events

Overnight on October 4-5, 2012, a mass of energetic particles from the atmosphere of the Sun were flung out into space, a phenomenon known as a coronal mass ejection. Three days later, the storm from the Sun stirred up the magnetic field around Earth and produced gorgeous displays of northern lights. At the Polarlightcenter in Lofoten, Norway, the reverberating magnetic field induced electrical currents in the ground. Arctic sky watchers should remain alert for auroras on Oct. 18-19, especially during the hours around local midnight.

 

Meteor sighting. On the night of Oct. 17th, many people near San Francisco, California, USA saw a slow-moving fireball exploding in the sky around 07:45 pm PDT. Witnesses report bright flashes of light and sonic booms that shook houses.

Environment

The week's hottest temperature was 110.5 degrees Fahrenheit (43.6 degrees Celsius) at Orán, Argentina.

The week's coldest temperature was minus 92.4 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 69.1 degrees Celsius) at Russia's Vostok Antarctic research station.

Disease

Three people have died in Kitimba, Kabale district, southwest Uganda from an outbreak of Marburg virus disease, a severe and highly fatal infection, just two weeks after the east African nation said it was free of the deadly Ebola virus.

Another four people who have died since October 4 are also suspected to have been killed by the disease.

There is no vaccine or specific treatment for Marburg virus disease, also know as Marburg haemorrhagic fever, which is transmitted through bodily fluids such as saliva and blood, or by handling infected wild animals such as monkeys.

The disease, from the same family of viruses as Ebola, starts with severe headache and leads to haemorrhaging and, in previous outbreaks in Africa, to death in 80 percent or more of cases, usually within eight to nine days.

Drought

Drought hits northern rice farmers in Sri Lanka. 60 percent of the rice harvest could be lost if the dry weather continues.

Wildfires

A wildfire driven by strong winds has forced the evacuation of the tiny town of Crookston in northern Nebraska. Wildfires also burning in Boone, Cherry, Fillmore, Holt, Knox, Merrick and Nance counties across Nebraska, accounting for an estimated 58,000 acres.

Wind-fueled wildfire wipes out the small North Dakota town of Bucyrus; 27 people displaced.

Air tankers are being called in as wildfires in southwestern Colorado continue to threaten homes.

Storms and Floods

Tornadoes in Mississippi and Arkansas, USA leave thousands without power. Severe storms in Mississippi and Arkansas toppled trees and damaged mobile homes, leaving thousands of residents in the dark across the states. At least seven people were injured by the storms as they crossed through Mississippi. Meanwhile, crews in Denver, Colorado, are working to restore electricity after high winds knocked down powerlines.

A satellite image of decaying typhoon, tropical storm Prapiroon, shows a massive swirl and a rarely observed “street” of mini-swirls. These vortices in the western Pacific adjacent to one another are examples of a decaying typhoon and a phenomenon known as a "von Karman vortex street".

 

Prapiroon is no threat to land, safely positioned 325 nautical miles south of Yokosuka, Japan and is headed out to sea.

Earthquakes

5.9 Earthquake hits west of MacQuarie Island far to the south of Tasmania.

5.6 Earthquake hits the Kuril Islands off Alaska.

5.5 Earthquake hits Tonga.

5.2 Earthquake hits south west of Sumatra.

5.2 Earthquake hits the Flores region, Indonesia.

5.1 Earthquake hits Kepulauan Sula, Indonesia.

5.1 Earthquake hits Madhya Pradesh, India.

5.1 Earthquake hits the Timor region.

5.0 Earthquake hits the Nias region, Indonesia.

5.0 Earthquake hots the Samoa Islands region.

Environment

Madagascar palm trees are at risk of extinction. Madagascar's rain forests have shrunk to less than a quarter of their original size. A majority of Madagascar's palms face extinction due to persistent land clearing.

The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) said 83% of the 192 tree varieties had been added to its threatened species list. The group called the figures "terrifying", saying the tree loss also endangered animals and put people's livelihoods at risk.

Madagascar is the world's fourth biggest island after Greenland, New Guinea and Borneo. Because of its isolation most of its mammals, half its birds, and most of its plants exist nowhere else on Earth. Palm trees represent an integral part of the island's biodiversity, with many of its poorest communities relying on the trees to provide housing and food. The extinction risk faced by Madagascar's palms threatens all of the remarkable wildlife that occurs there.

 

Drought

Drought, as well as frost and hail have combined to ravage Europe's wine grape harvest, which in key regions this year will be the smallest in half a century.

Disease

New tuberculosis, (TB) cases fall by 2.2 percent globally according to the WHO. An antibiotic used to treat severe bacterial infections has shown promise at treating the highly drug-resistant and deadly form of tuberculosis, which threatens to derail progress in fighting the disease.

The number of deaths from the fungal meningitis outbreak in USA linked to contaminated steroid medications has risen to 19, just hours after federal agents raided the offices of the company at the center of the scandal and took away documents.

Wildfires

A wildfire in the rugged hills overlooking Santa Barbara threatened about 100 homes in the Painted Cave area.

A large bushfire burning in central Queensland, Australia is no longer directly threatening homes. Residents of the towns between Gladstone and Bundaberg are no longer advised to evacuate or enact bushfire plans.

Storms and Floods

High tides and strong winds have brought flooding to towns in the south-west England as more warnings are issued to coastal areas.

11 people have been killed and 10 are still missing after a village in Peru was hit by a mudslide.

Earthquakes

6.1 Earthquake hits the Celebes Sea.

5.7 Earthquake hits North Island, New Zealand.

5.3 Earthquake hits Kyushu, Japan.

5.3 Earthquake hits New Britain, Papua New Guinea.

4.9 Earthquake hits southern Italy.

Environment

Parts of Miami Beach, Florida, USA were flooded by an unusually high tide Tuesday morning. Miami-Dade County officials said the flooding of low-lying areas in Miami Beach is a warning about the perils of rising sea levels due to climate change.

Drought

Kazakhstan, the biggest wheat producer in central Asia, lowered its grain export forecast for this season and sees prices rising after drought cut the harvest by about 55 percent.

Extreme drought conditions have expanded on the Big Island, Hawaii. Scientists say the situation could persist due to a decrease in moisture-bringing trade winds in Hawaii - a trend that has been observed for four decades. The drought continues to affect farmers and ranchers on the Big Island and elsewhere in the state. Like much of the US mainland, the US Department of Agriculture has classified the entire state as being under a federal drought disaster declaration.

Wildfires

Wildfires are burning near Rocky Mountain National Park in northern and southwest Colorado, USA.

Storms and Floods

Tropical storm Rafael was located about 135 mi [215 km] E of Bermuda and is expected to miss the island, although strong winds and rain are expected.

Tropical Storm Paul weakens near Mexico.

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.

Environment

Venice, Italy sees its first 'acqua alta' of the season on October 15, 2012. The 'acqua alta' is a convergence of high tides and a strong sirocco. Tourists walk with plastic bags to protect their shoes on a flooded St Mark's square. Venice is particularly vulnerable to rising ocean levels due to climate change.

 

 

September's average temperature was 60.2 degrees Fahrenheit (15.6 degrees Celsius) worldwide, which is 1.2 degrees above normal. This year matched the hottest September on record which was 2005, with the heat most intense in South America, Japan, Russia, Canada and the Atlantic Ocean. It was the third time since 2000 that the world set or tied a heat record for September. In addition to 2012 and 2005, previous hot September records were set in 2003. These records go back to 1880.

Storms and Floods

Rafael strengthens into a hurricane, with a tropical storm warning issued for Bermuda. Rafael is expected to bring rain to Atlantic Canada by mid-week.

Hurricane Paul is strengthening in the Pacific off Mexico and a tropical storm watch has been issued for a portion of Baja California.

Tropical storm Maria was located about 45 nm north-west of Iwo To, Japan.

The first tornado in decades has hit Rogers, Arkansas, USA.

A small tornado hit Mayfield, Kentucky, on Sunday evening.

Flood conditions continued in Nigeria in early October 2012. The country’s National Emergency Management Agency reported that floods had killed 431 people and displaced 1.3 million more. Floods had also wiped out 152,575 hectares (377,020 acres) of farmland, and Nigerians could expect rapidly rising food prices as a result.

 Satellite View Before the Floods:

 

 

Satellite View Of the Floods:

 

Earthquakes

6.1 Earthquake hits near the east coast of Kamchatka, Siberia.

5.5 and 5.1 Aftershocks hit near the east coast of Kamchatka, Siberia.

4.9 Earthquake hits the Kuril Islands, off Alaska.

Wildlife

Today, the United Nations unveiled a report detailing the world's 25 most endangered primates — mankind's most biologically similar living relatives.

 

Environment

University of Hawaii scientists say a disease outbreak amongst the island's coral at Hanalei Bay on Kauai's north shore is killing the coral at an alarming rate. Attempts are being made to stop the spread of the disease by covering the coral with marine putty, to cut the disease off from healthy coral. The underlying causes include overfishing, pollution and sewage spills. Coral is the foundation for the ocean ecosystem, and without it the ecosystem will fail.

Volcanos

El Hierro volcano off the Canary Islands has experienced a new swarm of small quakes (10 so far) which started this morning under the centre of the island. The earthquakes are located at about 10 km depth.

Wildfires

Bushfires flare up across parched Queensland, Australia.

 

Storms and Floods

The outer bands of Tropical Storm Rafael have drenched the Caribbean's Northern Leeward Islands, as its centre steadily moves over open ocean on a possible track toward Bermuda. A Tropical Storm Warning is in effect for Culebra, Vieques, U.S. Virgin Islands, British Virgin Islands, Anguilla, Barbuda, St. Kitts, Nevis, Antigua and Montserrat, Saba, St. Eustatius and St. Maartin, St. Martin, Guadeloupe and Desirade les Saintes.

Cyclone Cleopatra to bring heavy storms over northern Italy - 'Cleopatra', a Mediterranean cyclone, will usher autumn into Italy.

An unusually cold storm in southern Australia has dished out the first October snow in a century.

Earthquakes

5.9 and 5.1 Earthquakes hit the Solomon Islands.

5.8, 5.2 and 5.1 Earthquakes hit the Kuril Islands off Alaska.

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

5.4 Earthquake hits near the coast of Chiapas, Mexico.

5.3 Earthquake hits the eastern Caucasus.

5.2 and 4.9 Earthquakes hit near the northern coast of New Guinea, Papua New Guinea.

5.1 Earthquake hits the Hindu Kush region, Afghanistan.

5.1 and 5.0 Earthquakes hit Tonga.

5.1 Earthquake hits Guatemala.

5.0 Earthquake hits Kepulauan Sangihe, Indonesia.

4.9 Earthquake hits the Talaud Islands, Indonesia.

4.9 Earthquake hits southern Sumatra, Indonesia.

Disease

Iraqi authorities said a cholera outbreak that killed four people had been controlled, blaming contaminated water in a country still struggling with dilapidated infrastructure. The victims were mostly in Iraq's northern Kurdistan region, where another 272 people were confirmed with the illness.

Storms and Floods

Tropical Storm Rafael hits the US Virgin Islands and threatens Puerto Rico.

Tropical Storm Paul has formed in the eastern Pacific, 660 miles (1062 kilometers) south-southwest of the southern tip of Baja California.

Typhoon Prapiroon is located approximately 325 nm south-southeast of Kadena Air Base, Okinawa, Japan.

In the Indian Ocean, Tropical cyclone Anais is located approximately 395 nm southwest of Diego Garcia. It is the first tropical cyclone of southern Indian Ocean season.

Super Typhoon Megi is battering communities in the north of the Philippines with heavy rains and powerful winds of 225 km/h. The category 5 storm is the strongest to hit the Philippines in four years. Numerous communities have been cut off by floods.

Earthquakes

5.1 Earthquake hits off the coast of Costa Rica.

5.0 Earthquake hits Luzon in the Philippines.

5.0 Earthquake hits the Solomon Islands.

4.9 Earthquake hits south-east of the Loyalty Islands.

Volcanos

East Nusa Tenggara Volcano in Idonesia erupts. Hundreds of villagers near Mount Rokatenda on Palue Island in Sikka, East Nusa Tenggara, have been evacuated.

Wildlife

A giant mystery eyeball was found washed up on a Florida beach. However, marine scientists have identified the eyeball as probably belonging to a giant swordfish - and not some mysterious marine monster.

 

 

Disease

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported two more deaths linked to the outbreak of fungal meningitis from steroid shots for back pain, bringing to 14 the total number of people who have died from these infections.

Outbreak of dengue fever hits Madeira. Eighteen people are confirmed to be suffering from dengue fever in the Portuguese archipelago of Madeira and another 191 probably have the mosquito-borne disease which is also called "breakbone fever" because of the severe pain it can cause.

Storms and Floods

Tropical Storm Rafael forms over eastern Caribbean, the 17th storm of the 2012 Atlantic hurricane season.

Heavy rain and flooding hit large swathes of Scotland, bursting riverbanks, turning roads into torrents and stranding people in their homes.

Earthquakes

6.7 Earthquake hits the Aru Islands region, near the south coast of Papua, Indonesia.

Two 4.9 Aftershocks hit the Aru Islands region.

5.5 Earthquake hits central Chile, rattling the capital Santiago.

5.3 Earthquake hits off the west coast of northern Sumatra.

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

5.0 Earthquake hits Sucre, Venezuela.

Environment

The southward shift of an atmospheric belt in the Southern Hemisphere since the 1970s is reportedly the reason why parts of Australia and southern Africa are drying out. The southward expansion of a meteorological feature known as the Hadley cell is most pronounced in autumn.

The southward shift of between 125 and 250 miles has resulted in less rainfall during April and May over southeastern Australia, and to a lesser extent over southern Africa.

Rain that previously would fall 125 to 250 miles farther north is now being directed that distance to the south due to climate change’s effect on the Hadley cell.

It is not known specifically what is causing the shift, and climate models have not accurately represented it.

_______________________________

 

The week's hottest temperature was 111.2 degrees Fahrenheit (44.0 degrees Celsius) at Nouakchott, Mauritania. This was a record high for the date and for the month of October.

The week's coldest temperature was minus 89.1 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 67.3 degrees Celsius) at Russia's Vostok Antarctic research station.

Volcanos

New Activity/Unrest has been reported at the following volcanos:

Fuego, Guatemala | Lokon-Empung, Sulawesi | Paluweh, Lesser Sunda Islands (Indonesia) | Suwanose-jima, Ryukyu Islands (Japan) | Tengger Caldera, Eastern Java (Indonesia)

Ongoing Activity:

Bagana, Bougainville | Batu Tara, Komba Island (Indonesia) | Galeras, Colombia | Karymsky, Eastern Kamchatka (Russia) | Kilauea, Hawaii (USA) | Manam, Northeast of New Guinea (SW Pacific) | Sakura-jima, Kyushu | Shiveluch, Central Kamchatka (Russia)

Wildlife

A plan to cull thousands of wild badgers to stem the spread of tuberculosis in cattle is sharply dividing rural England. Marksmen could start the cull any day but details are being kept secret for fear of clashes between farmers determined to protect their livestock and livelihoods and activists who have pledged to foil the plan by scaring away the badgers.

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Conservationists on Thursday asked a state judge to end trapping of wolverines in Montana, USA at a time when fewer than 300 of the elusive animals roam the Northern Rockies and Northern Cascades.

Montana is the only one of the lower 48 U.S. states that permits the harvesting of wolverines, carnivores that resemble small bears with bushy tails. They are sought for their fur.

Storms and Floods

Tropical Storm Patty has formed in the Atlantic east of the Bahamas, but forecasters expect the storm to be short-lived.

A violent tropical storm pounded coastal districts in southeast Bangladesh Thursday, killing at least 26 people. More than 1,500 fishermen who were fishing in the deep sea are still missing. At least 1500 mud, tin and straw-built houses were also levelled in the storms, leaving more than 100 000 people in need of aid.

 

 

Earthquakes

5.5 Earthquake hits Kepulauan Sangihe, Indonesia

5.4 and 4.9 Earthquakes hit the South Sandwich Islands Region

5.2 Earthquake hits Southern Iran

5.0 Earthquake hits near the south coast of Papua, Indonesia

4.9 Earthquake hits the Talaud Islands, Indonesia.

Drought

Due to the drought in the USA, Europe and Russia, world and US corn stocks are smaller than traders expected. US corn stocks are the lowest in 17 years, equaling a 3-week supply. USDA has cut Australia's wheat crop estimate by 12 pct and Russia's by 3 pct.

Corn futures were up 3.6 pct, soy up 2 pct on USDA data.

Wildlife

Six penguins have died in a malaria outbreak in the London Zoo. The birds contracted the avian strain of the disease from mosquitoes.

Environment - El Nino

The tropical Pacific continued its retreat from El Nino thresholds for the second consecutive fortnight, ocean temperatures cooled, remaining within the neutral range (neither El Nino nor La Nina). Chances are favourable that sea surface temperatures in the tropical Pacific Ocean will remain at neutral levels, though still warmer than average, for the remainder of 2012.

Storms and Floods

Heavy rains have caused flooding in Russia's southern region of Dagestan, near the Caspian Sea, leaving seven people dead.

Typhoon Prapiroon has intensified and is located approximately 240 nm south of Kadena AB, Okinawa, Japan. Typhoon Prapiroon is the twenty-second tropical cyclone of the western North Pacific Ocean, making for a very active season.

Earthquakes

5.3 Earthquake hits Costa Rica.

4.9 Earthquake hits the northern Molucca Sea.

4.9 Earthquake hits Irien Jaya, Indonesia.

Volcanos

When NASA’s Terra satellite passed over Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula at noon local time (00:00 Universal Time) on October 6, 2012, Shilveluch Volcano was quiet (top image). By the time NASA’s Aqua satellite passed over the area two hours later (bottom image), the volcano had erupted and sent a plume of ash over the Kamchatskiy Zaliv.

 

 

 

 

Wildfires

The wildfires that struck northwest Minnesota, USA have gone underground, igniting layers of peat that could burn well into the winter.

Disease

A Mumps outbreak in Eqypt has more than tripled in one week. The number of cases reported as of Monday is 583; this is up from 157 cases reported just one week earlier. Authorities maintain there is no emergency and have not closed schools.

Storms and Floods

Over 100 villages are submerged by rampaging floodwaters from the overflowing Orashi and Sombrero Rivers in north-west areas of Ohaji/Egbema/Ndoni and Ahoada, River State, Nigeria.

Flash floods and forest run-off caused by tropical depression Gaemi have ravaged several areas in Kanchanaburi and Ratchaburi provinces, Thailand, affecting thousands of residents and damaging vast agricultural areas. Several hours of heavy downpours on Monday night resulted in flash floods hitting three districts of the central part of Kanchanaburi province. Tambon Nong Phai in Dan Makhamtei district was the worst hit, with floodwaters rising to 1-2 metres. Tropical Storm Gaemi has weakened to a tropical depression.

Wildfires

Early October saw intense bushfires blazing in Australia’s Northern Territory in a remote area northeast of Elliott. The satellite image shows the extent of the fires and smoke.

 

Large wildfire burns more than 60 000 ha in the Northern Cape, South Africa.

Earthquakes

6.4 Earthquake hits the Belleny Islands region, far to the south of New Zealand.

5.6 and 5.1 Earthquakes hit near the north coast of Papua, Indonesia.

5.0 Earthquake hits Tonga.

5.0 Earthquake hits in the Banda Sea.

5.0 Earthquake hits the Kashmir-Xizeng border region.

 

Disease

Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic Congo - Update: As of 7 October 2012, of the 49 reported cases of Ebola, 24 have been fatal.

Some 13,000 people in 23 U.S. states may have received steroid injections linked to a rare fungal meningitis outbreak that has killed eight people. So far, 105 cases of the rare form of meningitis have been confirmed in nine states. The drug was used as a painkiller for back pain.

A brain-eating amoeba has killed at least 10 people in Islamabad, Pakistan's most populous city since May. Naegleria fowleri has a fatality rate of more than 98 percent. It is transmitted when contaminated water enters the body through the nose and cannot be passed person-to-person. The disease first surfaced in Karachi in 2006. This year's outbreak has been the first since then.

Earthquakes

6.3, 5.0 and 5.0 Earthquakes hit the Banda Sea, Indonesia.

6.0 Earthquake hits the Gulf of California.

5.8 Earthquake hits Antofagasta, Chile.

5.1 Earthquake hits Azerbaijan.

The recent small Dallas, Texas Earthquakes may be tied to wastewater disposal from fracking. Three unusual earthquakes that shook a suburb west of Dallas over the weekend appear to be connected to the past disposal of wastewater from local hydraulic fracturing operations.

Space Events

Newly discovered Asteroid 2012 TC4 , 22 meters in size, will pass by earth on October 12th just 0.2 lunar distances away (1/5 of the way between the Earth and the Moon).

Meanwhile, newly-discovered asteroid 2012 TV was flying through the Earth-Moon system 0.7 lunar distances away (about 2/3rd of the way between the Earth and the Moon) on Sunday. The 40 meter-wide space rock is glowing like a 13th-magnitude star.

Volcanos

Mount Lokon in North Sulawesi province erupted on Sunday afternoon as heavy rain fell around its cloud-covered crater. The sound was heard 5 kilometers away but the height of the eruption was not visible. The volcano spewed smoke and ash and caused muddy rain to fall in nearby villages.

Storms and Floods

Tropical Storm Prapiroon, which spawned overnight Sunday, is lurking nearly 800 miles south-southeast of Okinawa, drifting slowly west.

Tropical Storm Nadine finally broke up after tying the record for longest-lived storm. The storm grew into a hurricane three times, lost its tropical status once, made two loops and brushed the Azores twice on a twisting path around the central Atlantic as the basin's 14th storm of the 2012 season.

Tropical Storm Olivia is strengthening over open waters in the eastern Pacific but poses no threat to land.

Earthquakes

5.7 Earthquake hits Luzon in the Philippines.

5.4 Earthquake hits the New Britain region, Papua New Guinea.

5.3 Earthquake hits the eastern Caucasus.

Environment

As global warming has thawed ground in northern Russia that is usually permanently frozen, a variety of mammoth remains have been uncovered. Researchers say this is the best-preserved one ever found.

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At a glance, the environmental benefits of electric vehicles seem obvious. No exhaust pipe means no harmful pollutants? However, it's where the electricity comes from to power the car which is a huge factor. Recent research shows that the manufacturing of electric cars is more environmentally taxing than producing conventional cars. [Norwegian Institute of Science and Technology] Electric vehicle production can produce twice as much climate change potential as the production of conventional cars.

Much of the performance of EVs environmentally has to do with how long they're kept on the road. They are efficient, so the longer they stay on the road, the more they can make up for the impacts of their production. And, in places like Europe where electricity is generated from a wide variety of sources, including renewable energy, they do represent a 10% to 24% decrease in global warming potential (GWP) relative to conventional diesel or gasoline vehicles assuming lifetimes of 150,000 km.

If you live somewhere with oil or coal-fired power plants, then having an electric car is actually far worse for the environment than a comparable gas or diesel car. This includes many areas of the US.

Wildfires

Large bushfire burns in the Gold Coast hinterland, Australia. A one-kilometre-long grass fire is burning near Austinville.

Drought

Karnataka, India is facing a drought and water levels in reservoirs across the Cauvery river basin have dropped due to insufficient rains, due to a weak monsoon.

Volcanos

A new earthquake swarm has started yesterday at the El Hierro undersea volcano off the Canary Islands. The number of quakes rose from an average of about 8-10 to 23 quakes. Most of them are weak and located at around 10 km depth in the western El Golfo area.

Storms and Floods

Tropical Storm Olivia forms in eastern Pacific but poses no threat to land.

Another band of rain hits South West Britain and has swept across Wales, the Midlands, East Anglia and southern England. More floods are expected.

Tropical storm Gaemi is forecast to slam into Vietnam's central coast over the weekend, dumping heavy rains and strong winds in the Central Highlands coffee belt. The storm is however, then forecast to dissipate due to the frictional effects of land.

Earthquakes

5.5 Earthquake hits off the coast of Guatemala.

5.4 Earthquake hits offshore Chiapas, mexico.

5.1 Earthquake hits east Honshu, Japan.

5.1 Earthquake hits in the Gulf of California.

5.0 Earthquake hits Sulawesi, Indonesia.

5.0 Earthquake hits in the Banda Sea.

4.9 Earthquake hits the northern mid-Atlantic ridge.

 

Wildfires

More than 200 firefighters are taking advantage of a drop in wind strength and temperatures to redouble efforts to control two fires on the New South Wales central coast, Australia.

Storms and Floods

While being stalled near the Philippines, Tropical Storm Gaemi caused flooding in the north and west Philippines, including the capital city of Manilla where more than 4 inches of rain fell earlier this week.

El Salvador has been hit by floods and mudslides after days of heavy rains. More than 120 people are dead and thousands of people have been left homeless.

Earthquakes

5.5, 5.4 and 5.4 Earthquakes hit the northern mid-Atlantic ridge.

5.0 Earthquake hits Tonga.

2 x 5.0 Earthquakes hit Mindanao in the Philippines.

5.0 Earthquake hits north-east of Taiwan.

Wildlife

At least 19 elephants and two rhinos have died of thirst in Zimbabwe’s Hwange National Park.

The disappearance of nearly half of South Florida rabbit species' habitat due to rising sea levels illustrates the mounting dangers of climate change, according to researchers. The Lower Keys marsh rabbit was once abundant along the chain of islands between Miami and Key West. But aerial photos from 1958 to 2006 show that 48 percent of its habitat has been lost due to sea level rise. Only a few hundred of the species survive on a few of the keys.

Environment

The week's hottest temperature was 113.0 degrees Fahrenheit (51.6 degrees Celsius) at Mecca, Saudi Arabia.

The week's coldest temperature was minus 84.1 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 64.5 degrees Celsius) at Russia's Vostok Antarctic research station.

Wildfires

An early fall snowstorm plunged residents of northern Minnesota, USA into winter-like conditions on Thursday, slowing travel and causing power outages while also smothering the wildfires burning in the northwest.

Disease

Five people have died and 35 have developed a rare fungal meningitis in a widening U.S. outbreak caused by contaminated vials of injectable steroid medication for back pain, according to the CDC.

Uganda's Health Ministry has declared that the recent ebola virus outbreak was officially over, 42 days after the last patient who fell ill with the disease was discharged from medical care. This is double the maximum incubation period (21 days) for Ebola as recommended by WHO. A total of 17 deaths were reported in this outbreak.

Storms and Floods

Tropical Storm Oscar, the fifteenth named storm of the season, has formed in the eastern Tropical Atlantic on Wednesday.

Tropical Storm Maliksi brushes past the Tohoku and Hokkaido prefectures of northern Japan, before moving away from land and becoming an extra-tropical [cold core] storm.

Landslide kills 16 students in southwestern Yunnan province, southwest China.

Earthquakes

5.4 Earthquake hits the Philippine Islands region.

5.2 Earthquake hits Mindoro in the Philippines.

5.1 Earthquake hits near the coast of central Peru.

5.0 Earthquake hits the New Britain region, Papua New Guinea.

Volcanos

The following new activity/unrest has been reported at the following volcanos:

Havre Seamount, SW Pacific | Fuego, Guatemala | Marapi, Sumatra (Indonesia) | Tongariro, North Island (New Zealand)

Ongoing activity:

Bagana, Bougainville | Batu Tara, Komba Island (Indonesia) | Galeras, Colombia | Karymsky, Eastern Kamchatka (Russia) | Kilauea, Hawaii (USA) | Popocatépetl, México | Sakura-jima, Kyushu | Santa María, Guatemala | Shiveluch, Central Kamchatka (Russia)

Disease

Nepal is hit by swine flu outbreak. Physicians confirmed the outbreak after it was detected in blood samples collected in Kathmandu, Chitwan, Sindhuli and Khotang districts.

Deadly cholera outbreak hits Accra, Ghana. 2,756 cases and 31 deaths have been reported.

Storms and Floods

Tropical Storm Gaemi [Marce] intensifies over the Philippines.

Tropical Storm Nadine becomes the fifth longest surviving tropical storm in the Atlantic. Nadine is expected to bring heavy rains to the Azores - again.

Earthquakes

5.7 Earthquake hits Kepulauan Batu, south west of Sumatra, Indonesia.

5.5 Earthquake hits the Belleny Islands far south of New Zealand.

5.4 Earthquake hits the New Britain region, Papua New Guinea.

5.2 Earthquake hits Assam, India.

5.2 Earthquake hits southern Sumatra, Indonesia.

5.1 and 4.9 Earthquakes hit near the east coast of Honshu, Japan.

5.0 Earthquake hits Kepulauan Talaud, Indonesia.

5.0 Earthquake hits the Marianas Islands.

5.0 Earthquake hits Tonga.

Wildlife

The rhino population at Kaziranga National Park in India, has taken a serious hit because of the two waves of floods and a spurt in poaching activities. The park, a Unesco World Heritage site, has lost 39 rhinos in less than 10 months.

Drought

Nearly two thirds of the contiguous United States was experiencing some level of drought by the end of August 2012, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. 39 percent of the nation suffered from severe to extreme drought. Though the numbers changed a bit in mid-September, the drought parched much of the interior United States and left both domestic and wild animals scrounging for food. The browning and withering of vegetation in the United States and northern Mexico is clear in this vegetation anomaly map.

 

Wildfires

Wildfires have forced the mandatory evacuation of the south side of Karlstad, Minnesota, USA. Some buildings, which were believed to be unoccupied, were on fire at about 3:30 p.m. this afternoon.

Transportation

At least 37 people have been killed in a ferry collision in Hong Kong. Two ferries collides off Lamma Island just outside Hong Kong. One of the ferries sank within ten minutes. The death toll is expected to rise as many passengers were trapped inside the boats.

Weather

A large, powerful extra-tropical storm system swept over Alaska, USA last week. The satellite picture was taken on 26 September.

 

Earthquakes

6.2 Earthquake hits near the east coast of Honshu, Japan - the site of the 9.0 Great Earthquake and Tsunami.

5.3 and 5.2 Aftershocks hit near the east coast of Honshu, Japan.

5.5 Earthquake hits offshore Jalisco, mexico.

5.3 and 5.1 Earthquakes hit Tonga.

5.1 Earthquake hits Mindanao in the Philippines.

5.0 Earthquake hits Fiji.

Environment

A study released on Sunday suggests that fish are likely to get smaller on average by 2050 because global warming will cut the amount of oxygen in the oceans in a shift that may also mean dwindling catches.

Average maximum body weights for 600 types of marine fish, such as cod, plaice, halibut and flounder, would contract by 14-24 percent by 2050 in circumstances of the rapid rise in greenhouse gas emissions due to the burning of fossil fuels.

Life will become harder for fish in the oceans largely because warmer water can hold less dissolved oxygen, vital for respiration and growth.

Average maximum sizes of fish in the Indian Ocean were likely to shrink most, by 24 percent, followed by a decline of 20 percent in the Atlantic and 14 percent in the Pacific. The Indian Ocean has most tropical waters of the three.

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Australia's Great Barrier Reef has lost more than half its coral cover in the past 27 years.

Researchers analysed data on the condition of 217 individual reefs that make up the World Heritage Site.

The results show that coral cover declined from 28.0% to 13.8% between 1985 and 2012.

They attribute the decline to storms, a coral-feeding starfish and bleaching linked to climate change.

Storms and Floods

Typhoon Jelawet moves towards Taiwan after ravaging Japan.

Tropical Storm Maliksi forms in the western Pacific near the Marianas Islands and moves towards Japan.

Tropical storm Gaemi forms in the western Pacific near the Philippines and is expected to hit the central coast of Vietnam Wednesday before moving on to Thailand.

Several people have been killed and thousands displaced after heavy rains in Beletweyne in central Somalia's Hiiraan Region caused the Shabelle River to burst its banks.

More than 76,000 victims of the devastating floods in Nigeria that hit about 200 communities in five local government areas of Anambra State are being evacuated by the military from their homes to relief camps in Onitsha and Nteje.

Earthquakes

7.3 Earthquake hits Colombia. No immediate reports of casualties or damage.

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

Environment

Record Antarctica ice contradicts global warming trend. As climatologists worry about the effects of global warming, Antarctica has quietly set a new record for the greatest sea ice extent ever measured at either pole.

Climate scientists have recently been alarmed by declining Arctic ice. But the Arctic Icecap is only 1 to 2 percent of Earth’s ice, while the Antarctic Icecap, contains about 90 percent of the Earth’s ice.

Wildfires

Fire crews across Manitoba are battling three wildfires that have started in the last 24 hours, but they say dry and windy conditions will pose a challenge.

Disease

At least 35 people have been confirmed dead following a cholera outbreak along the Kenyan-Somali border mainly in a settlement close to the border with Somalia.

Storms and Floods

A landslide in Nepal has swept several vehicles off a mountain highway. Four people are confirmed dead and nine others have been reported missing.

Typhoon Jelawet weakens as it passes across Japan, but is still expected to bring heavy rains, floods and strong winds to the islands.