Disease

COVID-19

China – China’s National Health Commission reported on Thursday said at least 114 new deaths from the coronavirus outbreak as of the end of Wednesday, bringing to at least 2,118 the number of fatalities nationwide. The national health commission also reported 394 new confirmed cases, significantly lower than the 1,749 cases reported nationwide the previous day, bringing the total to 74,576.

South Korea – The South Korea CDC has seen the number of COVID-19 cases soar over the past 48 hours from a few dozen to more than 100 today. The latest figures show there are now 104 confirmed cases and two deaths.

Japan – Japan has reported 2 deaths from the Diamond Princess Cruise Liner.

Iran – Iranian health officials reported earlier today of the first two COVID-19 cases in the country in the city of Qom. They later confirmed that both the patients died.

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Volcanos

Roundup of Global Volcanic Activity – New Activity for the Week 12 February 2020 – 18 February 2020

Kuchinoerabujima | Ryukyu Islands (Japan) : JMA reported that at 1211 on 13 February a very small eruption at Kuchinoerabujima’s Shindake Crater produced a grayish white plume that rose 300 m above the crater rim and drifted NE. The Alert Level remained at 3 (the middle level on a scale of 1-5).

Piton de la Fournaise | Reunion Island (France) : OVPF reported that the longest-travelling lava flow that began to effuse on 10 February from fissures on the E flank of Piton de la Fournaise’s Dolomieu Crater was no longer advancing by 13 February. The end of the longest active flow was located below Marco Crater around 1,900 m elevation, based on field an aerial observations. A cone was building over three vents and had grown to 30 m high; lava fountains from the three vents rose 10-15 m above the rim of the cone. Tremor levels rapidly decreased around 1400 on 15 February, though inclement weather conditions prevented visual confirmation of changes to the surficial activity. Observers noted no activity while aboard an overflight during 0730-0800 on 16 February, though tremor continued to be recorded. By 1412 tremor ceased, signifying the end of lava effusion.

Reykjanes | Iceland : On 15 February IMO reported that seismicity at Reykjanes, in an area N of the town of Grindavík, remained above background levels even though activity had been decreasing since the end of January. Two earthquakes larger than M 3 were detected; one of them, an M 3.1, was recorded at 0826 on 14 February. The rate of deformation had slightly increased. The Aviation Code remained at Yellow.

Semisopochnoi | United States : A series of explosions and tremor bursts at Semisopochnoi were detected by the seismic network beginning on 14 February, prompting AVO to raise the Aviation Colour Code to Orange and the Volcano Alert Level to Watch. Tremor bursts lasting from three to twelve minutes every few hours were recorded the next day. Ash plumes were not visible, though a weather cloud deck persisted between 1.5 and 4.6 km (5,000 and 15,000 ft) a.s.l. Seismic data continued to record small explosions and tremor bursts lasting from six to ten minutes every few hours on 16 February, but by 17 February there were almost no events recorded. Weather clouds continued to obscure views of the volcano.

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Earthquakes

Magnitude 5+ Earthquakes – Global

There have been no magnitude 5+ earthquakes so far today.

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Storms and Floods

Tropical Storms – Roundup of Tropical Storms:

There are no current tropical storms.

NewsBytes:

Afghanistan – At least 21 people have died in avalanches in the Daykundi province in Afghanistan. Another 10 people have been injured. About 50 houses have been destroyed by the avalanches.

Indonesia – At least 422 residents of Penajam district in North Penajam Paser regency – the planned location of Indonesia’s new capital in East Kalimantan – have been affected by floods that hit the area on Tuesday morning.

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Disease

Novel Coronavirus

The number of deaths from the coronavirus outbreak in mainland China rose by 136, pushing the nationwide death toll to 2,004, the country’s National Health Commission reported on Wednesday.

At least 132 of the fatalities were from Hubei province, the epicentre of the epidemic.

Nationwide, there were a further 1,749 new confirmed cases, bringing the total number of infections across the country to 74,185.

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Earthquakes

Magnitude 5+ Earthquakes – Global

5.7 earthquake hits north of Svalbard.

5.2 earthquake hits the Bonin Islands off Japan.

5.1 earthquake hits offshore Male, Chile.

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Storms and Floods

Tropical Storms – Roundup of Tropical Storms:

In the Southern Hemisphere: Tropical cyclone (tc) 16s (Gabekile), located approximately 827 nm south-southeast of Diego Garcia, is tracking east-southeastward at 02 knots.

NewsBytes:

Europe – After battering the UK with force winds and flooding, Storm Dennis moved further north with strong winds and heavy rains which caused flooding, road closures and electricity outages across the Nordic and Baltic regions and forced the cancellation of several ferries between Denmark and Norway. In Denmark, the southwestern city of Kolding was flooded as gale force winds and heavy rains battered the area. In nearby Horsens, police protectively evacuated residents near Bygholm Lake out of fear that a levee would collapse.

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Global Warming

Permafrost is thawing so fast it’s gouging holes in the Arctic

Residents of the small Alaskan town Kongiganak can no longer bury their dead. Their cemetery has become a marshy swamp, sucking graves into the once frozen ground. On the island of Sarichef near the Bering Strait, the village of Shishmaref is shrinking so fast locals are considering relocating it entirely.

Global warming has shown that permafrost is not so permanent after all. And as it begins to melt, it is reshaping the Arctic. The rapidly thawing ice layer is creating great sinkholes and hollows across the region as the ground begins to collapse in on itself. Erosion and landslides have become a problem without the ice that once held the soil together.

Permafrost – any area of land that remains frozen for at least two years – can vary from less than a metre thick to more than 1,500 metres. Some of it is tens of thousands of years old. In some areas, it is simply frozen rock. But in other parts, soils and organic matter have acted like a sponge and taken in water which has subsequently frozen. As ice, water takes up a larger volume than its liquid form, but once melted, great pits are created in the land.

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Disease

Novel Coronavirus

Today, Chinese officials reported 1886 new confirmed cases and 98 new deaths (93 in Hubei, and 3 in Henan). To date, 72,436 confirmed cases have been reported in China, including 1,868 deaths.

Monkeypox – DR Congo

From the beginning of the year through January 26, 2020, 222 monkeypox cases were reported in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), according to the World Health Organization (WHO). Four deaths have been recorded.

Crimean Congo hemorrhagic fever – Uganda

he World Health Organization (WHO) is reporting a Crimean Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF) in Uganda.

Typhoid – Haiti

The Mayor of the commune of Mont-Organisé , in North-East department, said todaythat Typhoid fever is raging because of the poor quality of the water consumed by the population.

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Earthquakes

Magnitude 5+ Earthquakes – Global

5.5 earthquake hits southern Iran.

5.5 earthquake hits south of the Kermedec Islands.

5.2 earthquake hits Antofagasta, Chile.

5.2 earthquake hits the South Sandwich Islands.

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Storms and Floods

Tropical Storms – Roundup of Tropical Storms:

In the Southern Hemisphere: Tropical cyclone (tc) 16s (Gabekile), located approximately 809 nm south of Diego Garcia, is tracking north-northeastward at 04 knots.

NewsBytes:

UK – Major incidents have been declared in south Wales and parts of England, as Storm Dennis batters the UK. South Wales Police has been dealing with “multiple” landslides and floods – some trapping residents. Homes have also been flooded, while police in Worcestershire are searching for a person who is feared to have been swept into the River Teme. More than 700 flood warnings and alerts are in place across the UK, as of 23:45 GMT on Sunday. There are currently eight severe flood warnings in England, which mean there is a danger to life.

Indian Ocean Dipole

Many parts of Kenya have been experiencing torrential rainfall for a couple of months now. This has resulted in floods and landslides.

The unusual weather can be attributed to the Indian Ocean Dipole. This is the difference in sea surface temperatures between the eastern and western tropical Indian Ocean.

In Kenya, when warmer sea surface temperatures are experienced heavy rainfall occurs, while hot dry conditions (conducive for wildfires) are experienced in Australia. When warmer sea surface temperatures are experienced off the West Coast of Australia, Australia is likely to experience heavy rainfall, while Kenya experiences drought conditions.

The larger the difference in temperatures between the eastern and western tropical Indian Ocean, the more severe the climatic effects will be.

This event is similar to the El Niño Southern Oscillation that occurs in the tropical Pacific Ocean.

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Global Warming

Climate change opens up ‘frontier’ farmland

Kenya’s livestock herders planting chilli peppers, Pakistan’s mountain farmers rearing fish and tropical fruits in Sicily – farmers around the world are already shifting what they grow and breed to cope with rising temperatures and erratic weather.

In a few more decades, potatoes from the Russian tundra and corn from once-frigid areas of Canada could be added to the list as vast swathes of land previously unsuited to agriculture open up to farmers on a hotter planet.

Climate change could expand farmland globally by almost a third, a study by international researchers found this week.

They examined which new areas may become suitable for growing 12 key crops including rice, sugar, wheat, oil palm, cassava and soy.

“In a warming world, Canada’s North may become our breadbasket of the future,” the scientists wrote.

But, they warned, opening up new “agricultural frontiers” would also bring significant environmental threats, including a risk of increased planet-warming emissions from soils.

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Disease

Novel Coronavirus

China’s National Health Commission has announced that the death toll from the coronavirus outbreak in mainland China reached 1,770 as of the end of Sunday, up by 105 from the previous day. At least 100 of the new deaths were from the province of Hubei, the epicentre of the epidemic, the Commission said on Monday morning. Across the country, there were 2,048 new confirmed infections, about 1,933 from Hubei alone, pushing the new total to 70,548.

Dengue Fever – Philippines

Health officials with the Philippines reported a cumulative 15,817 dengue fever cases, including 45 deaths through February 7 this year.

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Earthquakes

Magnitude 5+ Earthquakes – Global

5.5 earthquake hits Taiwan.

5.5 earthquake hits the Cream Sea, Indonesia.

5.5 earthquake hits the Kuril Islands.

5.4 earthquake hits the Molucca Sea.

5.2 earthquake hits Fiji.

5.2 earthquake hits Taiwan.

5.1 earthquake hits Taiwan.

5.0 earthquake hits the Batan Islands in the Philippines.

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Storms and Floods

Tropical Storms – Roundup of Tropical Storms:

In the Southern Hemisphere: Tropical cyclone (tc) 16s (Gabekile), located approximately 689 nm south of Diego Garcia, is tracking south-southeastward at 08 knots.

NewsBytes:

UK – Storm Dennis is expected to batter the UK this weekend with winds of up to 70mph and more than a month’s rain expected to fall in just two days in some areas, with hundreds of homes at risk of flooding. With the country hit by horrendous weather for the second weekend in a row, the military is being sent to Calderdale, West Yorkshire, on Saturday to support the recovery and bolster preparations for the latest storm. More than 200 flights have been cancelled, with amber and yellow warnings for rain and wind in place across large swaths of the country from Saturday lunchtime until Sunday evening.

Zimbabwe – Heavy rains have once again hit the eastern province as flash floods damaged bypasses erected to allow for repair works on bridges destroyed by last year’s violent rains. At least two bridges have been swept away in Chimanimani, while cases of flash floods were also reported in Chipinge.

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Global Warming

Global warming may cut lifespan of many species

Global warming could reduce the lifespan of hundreds of cold-blooded species around the world, a study by Israeli and Irish researchers has warned.

Researchers from Tel Aviv University and Queen’s University Belfast analyzed data from more than 4,100 land vertebrate species to test the long-accepted “rate of living” theory, which predicts that the faster the metabolic rate of an organism, the shorter the lifespan.

The researchers found that rates of aging in cold-blooded organisms are linked to high temperatures. Proposing an alternative hypothesis, their findings suggest that the hotter the environment is, the faster the rate of living – which in turn leads to more accelerated aging and a shorter lifespan. If increasing ambient temperatures reduces longevity, it may make these species more prone to go extinct as the climate warms.

Accordingly, global warming could reduce the lifespan of many cold-blooded species, subject to accelerated aging. The findings were published on Friday in Global Ecology and Biogeography, a bimonthly peer-reviewed scientific journal.

Busy Week for Antarctica

This week, an iceberg the size of Atlanta broke off the Pine glacier. Researchers discovered a dramatic decline in Antarctic penguin colonies. And Antarctica may have just registered its hottest temperature ever.

These events are all consistent with trends seen in Antarctica over the past few years. The Antarctic Peninsula, where the potentially record-breaking February temperatures were logged, is one of the fastest-warming regions on the planet.

The decline of the Antarctic penguin colonies provides evidence of the effects of this broader warming on the animals that inhabit these sensitive regions. The number of penguins on Elephant Island, where a recently released survey took place, is half what it was at the last survey in 1971. Climate change has removed these penguins’ primary food source, krill. Penguins, seals and whales all depend on krill, which depends on ice. So if climate change affects the ice, that impacts on everything else.

Another unusually high temperature was logged in the Antarctic Peninsula on February 9, when a weather station on Seymour Island produced a reading of almost 70 degrees.

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Disease

Novel Coronavirus

France – French health officials have reported the first death due to the new coronavirus. The case is a 80-year-old Chinese tourist who has been hospitalized for some three weeks. To date, France has reported 11 confirmed COVID-19 cases- 7 men, 4 women.

China – More than 1,700 health workers in China have been infected with the new coronavirus, according to Chinese officials and six have died from the disease.

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Earthquakes

Magnitude 5+ Earthquakes – Global

5.5 earthquake hits the Pacific-Antarctic ridge.

5.1 earthquake hits the South Sandwich Islands.

5.1 earthquake hits southern Xinjiang, China.

5.0 earthquake hits offshore El Salvador.

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Storms and Floods

Tropical Storms – Roundup of Tropical Storms:

In the Southern Hemisphere: Tropical cyclone (tc) 13s (Francisco), located approximately 88 nm east-southeast of Antananarivo, Madagascar, is tracking southwestward at 03 knots.

Tropical cyclone (tc) 16s (Sixteen), located approximately 564 nm south-southeast of Diego Garcia, is tracking south-southwestward at 08 knots.

NewsBytes:

Mississippi, USA – As much as 10 inches (25 centimeters) of rain pelted a wide section of Mississippi from Monday through Thursday, the National Weather Service said. Trash cans and ducks floated through a neighborhood along a rain-swollen river in Mississippi on Friday as residents packed up what they could and fled to higher ground to escape what authorities warned could be devastating weekend flooding. Nearly a foot of water surrounded dozens of mobile homes in the community. A few miles to the south, flood maps showed waters could cover streets in downtown Jackson and be within a few blocks of Mississippi’s Capitol building by Sunday.

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Disease

Novel Coronavirus

The death toll from a new coronavirus epidemic in China surged past 1,500 on Saturday, a day after people returning to the capital from holidays were ordered to quarantine themselves for 14 days to try to contain the virus’s spread.

More than two dozen countries have confirmed cases and several nations have suspended trade and travel links with China in a bid to contain the spread of the virus. Three deaths have been recorded outside mainland China – one in Hong Kong one in the Philippines, and the most recent in Japan.

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Earthquakes

Magnitude 5+ Earthquakes – Global

6.9 earthquake hits the Kuril Islands.

5.2 earthquake hits the Banda Sea.

5.2 earthquake hits New Ireland, Papua New Guinea.

5.0 earthquake hits the Andreanof Islands in the Aleutian Islands.

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Storms and Floods

Tropical Storms – Roundup of Tropical Storms:

In the Southern Hemisphere: Tropical cyclone (tc) 13s (Francisco), located approximately 114 nm east of Antananarivo, Madagascar, is tracking southwestward at 04 knots.

NewsBytes:

England – Stormy weather and a high tide have combined to cause flooding in coastal towns in Cornwall. Some businesses have been affected in Looe, with streets underwater, and in Fowey. Roads across Devon and Cornwall have been flooded after torrential rain battered the region overnight. Earlier, the Torpoint Ferry service – which connects the two counties – had been suspended “due to extreme flooding”.

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Environment

Radiation Eating Fungus

Scientists say they have begun to experiment with a type of fungus that feeds on radiation around Ukraine’s crippled Chernobyl nuclear power plant and shows promise of protecting humans and equipment from radiation.

While Cryptococcus neoformans has been known to science for more than a century, it was only recently found to have properties that can block radiation.

The fungus contains melanin that absorbs radiation and turns it into chemical energy. It can also decompose radioactive materials such as the hot graphite debris from the Chernobyl blasts.

Astronauts aboard the International Space Station recently received samples of the melanin derived from C. neoformans and are testing to see if it can protect against radiation in space.

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Wildlife

Climate Confusion

As one research station on the Antarctic Peninsula experienced its hottest temperature on record with a high of 64.9 degrees Fahrenheit, freak warmth in Siberia awakened badgers early from hibernation.

The animals typically remain in slumber until late February. But above-freezing temperatures 46 degrees warmer than a year ago have caused them to stir.

An unusually warm December caused similar hibernation confusion among bears in Russia and Ukraine.

Last winter, hundreds of brown bears in a southern Russian reserve didn’t hibernate at all due to the unusual warmth.

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Environment

Global Temperature Extremes

The week’s hottest temperature was 109 degrees Fahrenheit (42.8 degrees Celsius) in Vredendal. South Africa.

The week’s coldest temperature was minus 62.0 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 52.2 degrees Celsius) 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.

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Wildfires

Wildfires – Australia

After months of bushfires raging across the Australian coast, elated firefighters have just announced that they have managed to contain all of the fires. The news comes after a week of historic rainfall in New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory. Although there are still 24 active fires burning in the region, they are small enough for firefighters to manage accordingly.

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Disease

Novel Coronavirus

Vietnam – Villages in Vietnam with 10,000 people close to the nation’s capital were placed under quarantine on Thursday after six cases of the deadly new coronavirus were discovered there, authorities said. The locking down of the commune of Son Loi, about 40 kilometres from Hanoi, is the first mass quarantine outside of China since the virus emerged from a central Chinese city late last year.

Japan – Japan has announced its first death from the ongoing coronavirus outbreak, taking the global total to 1,710.

Lassa fever – Nigeria

Nigerian National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) on Thursday reported that the death toll from an outbreak of Lassa fever has risen to 70, and 472 confirmed cases have also shot up.

Ebola – DR Congo

This week, the case incidence continued to be low in the Ebola virus disease (EVD) outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (Figure 1). From 5 to 11 February, three new confirmed cases were reported in Beni Health Zone, North Kivu Province.

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Volcanos

Roundup of Global Volcanic Activity – Ongoing Activity for the Week 5 February 2020 – 11 February 2020

Aira | Kyushu (Japan) : JMA reported that during 3-7 February there were 16 explosions and 21 non-explosive eruptive events detected by the Minamidake Crater (at Aira Caldera’s Sakurajima volcano) seismic network. Ash plumes rose as high as 2.2 km above the crater rim and material was ejected 1,000-1,300 m away from the crater. Crater incandescence was visible at night. An explosion at 0126 on 10 February produced an ash plume that rose 1.4 km and ejected material as far as 1.8 km away from the crater. The Alert Level remained at 3 (on a 5-level scale).

Dukono | Halmahera (Indonesia) : Based on satellite and wind model data, the Darwin VAAC reported that during 5-11 February ash plumes from Dukono rose to 2.1-2.4 km (7,000-8,000 ft) a.s.l. and drifted in multiple directions. The Alert Level remained at 2 (on a scale of 1-4), and the public was warned to remain outside of the 2-km exclusion zone.

Ebeko | Paramushir Island (Russia) : Volcanologists in Severo-Kurilsk (Paramushir Island), about 7 km E of Ebeko, observed explosions during 1-7 February that sent ash plumes up to 3 km (10,000 ft) a.s.l.; ash plumes drifted E and S. The Aviation colour Code remained at Orange (the second highest level on a four-colour scale).

Ibu | Halmahera (Indonesia) : The Darwin VAAC reported that during 5-6 February multiple discrete ash plumes from Ibu, identified in satellite images, rose to 1.8-2.1 km (6,000-7,000 ft) a.s.l. and drifted SE and E. An ongoing thermal anomaly was also visible. The Alert Level remained at 2 (on a scale of 1-4), and the public was warned to stay at least 2 km away from the active crater, and 3.5 km away on the N side.

Kadovar | Papua New Guinea : RVO reported that the eruption at Kadovar continued during 1 January-7 February with frequent (hours to days) Vulcanian explosions from Main Vent at the summit. The explosions ejected rocks and ash plumes that rose 300-400 m above the vent and drifted NE and E. Residents on Blup Blup (15 km N) reported rumbling and nighttime summit incandescence. Volcanic plumes were sometimes observable in Wewak (105 km W). The Darwin VAAC stated that on 6 February an ash plume rose to 2.1 km (7,000 ft) a.s.l. and drifted SE.

Klyuchevskoy | Central Kamchatka (Russia) : KVERT reported that Strombolian activity at Klyuchevskoy was visible during 31 January-7 February, and a thermal anomaly was identified those same days in satellite images. Vulcanian activity was recorded on 31 January and 4 February; explosions generated ash plumes that rose to 5.5 km (18,000 ft) a.s.l. and drifted 145 km E. The Aviation colour Code remained at Orange.

Krakatau | Indonesia : PVMBG reported that during 6-10 February a series of eruptive events at Anak Krakatau generated ash plumes that rose as high as 1 km above the summit. The Alert Level remained at 2 (on a scale of 1-4), and the public was warned to remain outside of the 2-km-radius hazard zone from the crater.

Popocatepetl | Mexico : CENAPRED reported that each day during 5-11 February there were 57-154 steam-and-gas emissions from Popocatépetl, some of which contained minor amounts of ash. An explosion at 1754 on 5 February produced an ash plume that rose 1.5 km above the crater rim and drifted NNE. A minor explosion at 0029 on 9 February ejected incandescent material onto the flanks. An explosion at 0233 on 10 February produced an ash plume that rose 1 km and drifted NE, and ejected incandescent material as far as 500 m down the flanks. The Alert Level remained at Yellow, Phase Two (middle level on a three-colour scale).

Sheveluch | Central Kamchatka (Russia) : KVERT reported that a thermal anomaly over Sheveluch was identified in satellite images during 1-7 February. The Aviation colour Code remained at Orange (the second highest level on a four-colour scale).

Shishaldin | Fox Islands (USA) : On 6 February AVO reported that seismicity at Shishaldin decreased during the previous week (though remained slightly above background levels), along with the surface temperatures at the summit identified in satellite data. AVO lowered the Aviation colour Code to Yellow and the Volcano Alert Level to Advisory since the eruption appeared to have paused or ceased.

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Earthquakes

Magnitude 5+ Earthquakes – Global

5.3 earthquake hits Fiji.

5.1 earthquake hits Vanuatu.

5.1 earthquake hits the Gulf of California.

5.0 earthquake hits offshore Tarapaca, Chile.

5.0 earthquake hits near the coast of southern Peru.

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Storms and Floods

Tropical Storms – Roundup of Tropical Storms:

In the Southern Hemisphere: Tropical cyclone (tc) 15p (Uesi), located approximately 430 nm east of Brisbane, Australia, is tracking south-southwestward at 19 knots.

NewsBytes:

Southern States, USA – A Tennessee hillside collapsed, roads were flooded and rivers were rising across the Southeast on Tuesday after a day of heavy rains that once again threatened a Mississippi lake where a dam previously was in danger of failing. The National Weather Service said minor to moderate flooding was expected from central Mississippi to north Georgia following downpours. The Tennessee River was predicted to crest about 7 feet above flood level at Perryville, Tennessee, on Sunday. Near Great Smoky Mountains National Park in eastern Tennessee, tons of rock and soil slid off a 70-foot high hillside. Multiple roads were covered with water or washed out because of rainfall that exceeded 5 inches in spots across central Alabama.

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Wildfires

Wildfires – Corsica

Strong winds from Storm Ciara have fanned a wildfire on the island of Corsica. Several hundred firefighters are battling the blaze which has consumed more than 450 hectares to date.

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Disease

Novel Coronavirus

USA – The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported Wednesday evening on an additional infection with 2019 novel coronavirus (COVID-19) in the United States in California, bring the case total to 14.

China – Some 242 deaths from the new coronavirus were recorded in the Chinese province of Hubei on Wednesday – the deadliest day of the outbreak. There was also a huge increase in the number of cases, with 14,840 people diagnosed with Covid-19. Hubei has started using a broader definition to diagnose people – which accounts for most of the rise in cases. The new cases and deaths in the province have pushed the national death toll above 1,350 – with almost 60,000 infections in total.

Polio – Africa Travel Notice

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) renewed their polio travel notice for Africa Tuesday. There are polio outbreaks in several countries in Africa. The following 15 countries have been reporting outbreaks: Angola, Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Ghana, Mozambique, Niger, Nigeria, Somalia, Togo and Zambia.

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Volcanos

Roundup of Global Volcanic Activity – New Activity for the Week 5 February 2020 – 11 February 2020

Kuchinoerabujima | Ryukyu Islands (Japan) : JMA reported that after the 3 February eruption at Kuchinoerabujima’s Shindake Crater the number of volcanic earthquakes decreased, and very small eruptive events occurred intermittently though 5 February and on 9 February. A large amount of ashfall (including lapilli up to 2 cm in diameter) was confirmed on the SE flank during field observations on 3 and 6 February. Thermal image observations revealed 5-km-long pyroclastic flow deposits on the SW flank. The number of volcanic earthquakes began increasing on 9 February and continued to be elevated the next day. A large-amplitude volcanic tremor event was accompanied by fluctuating tilt at 1318 on 11 February. The Alert Level remained at 3 (the middle level on a scale of 1-5).

Piton de la Fournaise | Reunion Island (France) : OVPF reported that a seismic crisis at Piton de la Fournaise began at 1027 on 10 February, accompanied by rapid deformation. Volcanic tremor began just 23 minutes later, at 1050, heralding the start of a new eruption. During an overflight conducted during 1300-1330 in partly cloudy weather, observers noted that several fissures had opened on the E flank of Dolomieu Crater, between the crater rim and 2,000 m elevation. The fissures all were at least 1 km long and produced lava fountains that were no higher than 10 m. Lava flows had traveled E to 1,700 m elevation by 1315. In the evening mapping of the lava flows based on satellite data revealed a larger flow field that what was visually observed during the overflight hours before. Lava flows spanned from the E to the S, with the farthest flow traveling E to 1,400 m elevation. The data showed that the fissures at the highest elevation had opened in the same area as those from the 18 February and 11 June 2019 eruptions.

Reykjanes | Iceland : On 7 February IMO reported that data collected during the previous week indicated that a magma body was located 3-5 km beneath Reykjanes. Earthquake activity had decreased during the previous two days, though inflation was ongoing, reaching 5 cm. The Aviation Code remained at Yellow.

Semeru | Eastern Java (Indonesia) : The Darwin VAAC reported that on 5 February an ash plume from Semeru rose to an altitude of 4.3 km (14,000 ft) a.s.l., or 400 m above the crater rim, and drifted SE based on satellite images and weather models. PVMBG noted that on 7 February a gray ash plume rose 400 m and drifted S. The Alert Level remained at 2 (on a scale of 1-4).

Taal | Luzon (Philippines) : PHIVOLCS reported that whitish steam plumes rose as high as 300 m above Taal’s main vent during 5-11 February and drifted SW. Sulfur dioxide emissions ranged from values below detectable limits to a high of 116 tonnes per day (on 8 February). Weak steaming (plumes 10-20 m high) from ground cracks was visible along the Daang Kastila trail which connects the N part of Volcano Island to the N part of the main crater. According to the Disaster Response Operations Monitoring and Information Center (DROMIC) there were a total of 17,088 people in 110 evacuation centers, and an additional 211,729 people were staying at other locations as of 10 February. The Alert Level remained at 3 (on a scale of 0-5) and PHIVOLCS recommended no entry onto Volcano Island and Taal Lake, nor into towns W of the island within a 7-km radius.

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Earthquakes

Magnitude 5+ Earthquakes – Global

5.3 earthquake hits offshore Antofagasta, Chile.

5.3 earthquake hits the Mariana Islands.

Two 5.2 earthquakes hit south of Fiji.

5.2 earthquake hits New Britain, Papua New Guinea.

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

5.0 earthquake hits the Dodecanese Islands, Greece.

5.0 earthquake hits southwest of Africa.

5.0 earthquake hits Tonga.

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Storms and Floods

Tropical Storms – Roundup of Tropical Storms:

In the Southern Hemisphere: Tropical cyclone (tc) 15p (Uesi), located approximately 192 nm west of Noumea, New Caledonia, is tracking southward at 11 knots.

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Wildlife

Australia’s Bushfires Brought 113 Species Closer to Extinction

On Tuesday, the Australian Department of Agriculture, Water, and the Environment released a list of 113 species with the highest urgent need for conservation action due to the damage they’ve suffered from this tragic situation. The list includes species such as the Kangaroo Island dunnart and Pugh’s frog, both of which are “at imminent risk of extinction,” per the report, because of how much habitat the fires destroyed.

These species were endangered before this year’s bushfire season kicked off. Now, things have gotten worse when they need to be getting better. Most have lost at least 30 percent of their range, but many have lost even more. The endemic red browed treecreeper, for instance, saw almost half of its range burn. This priority list features animals such as the golden-tipped bat, which likes to dwell in the forests and caves of the fire-stricken eastern coast of Australia, is among those included. This list is focusing on species with key functions in the ecosystem.

Many of the other species on the list—13 birds, 19 mammals, 20 reptiles, 17 frogs, five invertebrae, 22 crayfish, and 17 freshwater fish—also face severe habitat disruption.

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Disease

Psittacosis – Sweden

The Swedish Public Health Authority reported this week that dozens of psittacosis, or parrot fever cases have been reported in recent months. Since September 2019, some 40 cases of parrot disease have been reported, mainly from the regions of Västra Götaland, Stockholm and Jämtland.

Novel Coronavirus – New name, Updated case count

On Tuesday, following WHO best practices for naming of new human infectious diseases, which were developed in consultation and collaboration with the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), WHO has named the disease COVID-19, short for “coronavirus disease 2019.”

The Chinese National Health Commission reported Tuesday an additional 2015 COVID-19 cases and 97 deaths. As of February 11, according to reports from 31 provinces (autonomous regions, municipalities) and the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps, a total of 44,653 confirmed cases have been reported, including 1,113 deaths.

Globally, more than 45,000 cases have been reported from 28 countries.

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Earthquakes

Magnitude 5+ Earthquakes – Global

5.0 earthquake hits the Andaman Islands off India.

5.0 earthquake hits the South Sandwich Islands.

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Storms and Floods

Tropical Storms – Roundup of Tropical Storms:

In the Southern Hemisphere: Tropical cyclone (tc) 15p (Uesi), located approximately 247 nm northwest of Noumea, New Caledonia, is tracking southward at 07 knots.

NewsBytes:

Europe – Storm Ciara caused travel chaos on Monday, severely disrupting commutes and grounding hundreds of flights as swathes of Europe were left without power by torrential rain and winds of up to 180km per hour that also caused flash flooding and the cancellation of sporting fixtures. At least six people have been reported to have died across the region. In one of the most violent storms for years, one man died and another was reported missing in southern Sweden when their boat capsized, while three people were seriously injured in Germany by falling trees and branches. Parts of northern France were put on orange alert and 130 000 homes had electricity cut off. The Netherlands closed one of its big storm surge barriers as the tempest approached on Sunday night. Police said it caused Monday morning traffic jams over 600km’s of roads. Around 220 flights were cancelled during the morning at Amsterdam’s Schiphol airport – Europe’s third-busiest – most destined for other European cities. Around 240 never took off on Sunday.

Brazil – Heavy rains in Sao Paulo brought Brazil’s most populous city nearly to a halt on Monday with floods, mudslides and enormous traffic jams. Parts of the city received 100 mm (4 inches) of within three hours, swelling the Tiete River to its highest level in 15 years, according to the state’s infrastructure secretary. Many had to be rescued by rafts or helicopters after waiting hours atop inundated cars, surrounded by muddy water.

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Disease

Dengue Fever – Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka health authorities continue to report high levels of dengue fever into early 2020. As of February 10, the country’s Epidemiology Unit has reported 11,352 cases, about double that was reported during the same period in 2019. Two deaths have been reported from across the country by February 7.

Novel Coronavirus – China

China reported 108 new coronavirus deaths on Tuesday, a daily record, bringing the total number of people killed in the country to 1,016, but the number of new cases fell.

There were 2,478 new confirmed cases on the mainland on 10 February, down from 3,062 on the previous day, bringing the total to 42,638, the National Health Commission said.

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Earthquakes

Magnitude 5+ Earthquakes – Global

5.0 earthquake hits north of Svalbard.

5.0 earthquake hits near the north coast of Papua, Indonesia.

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Storms and Floods

Tropical Storms – Roundup of Tropical Storms:

In the Southern Hemisphere: Tropical cyclone (tc) 15p (Uesi), located approximately 332 nm west of Port Vila, Vanuatu, is tracking southwestward at 06 knots.

NewsBytes:

Britain – Hurricane-force winds and flooding have caused severe disruption across much of Britain, including damage to hundreds of properties and the cancellation of trains, flights and ferries. Storm Ciara brought heavy rain and winds of more than 90mph, knocking out power to homes in some areas. The upheaval is likely to last into the start of the working week and there is more bad weather to come.

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Wildfires

Wildfires – Australia

At least one home was lost in a bushfire which descended on the Western Australian town of Katanning on Saturday. The bushfire has burned through about 4,500 hectares after being sparked by lightning on Friday. The fire tore through farmland as it approached the town of more than 3,500 people in WA’s Great Southern region in the afternoon. There were also reports farming machinery, sheds and infrastructure were lost in the blaze.

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Disease

Novel Coronavirus – China

Ninety-seven people died from the coronavirus on Sunday, a new daily record since the new coronavirus was first detected in December, as the death toll rose to 908, China’s National Health Commission said on Monday.

The number of confirmed infections in the country rose to 40,171 and 3,062 new cases were recorded in the preceding 24 hours, most of them in Hubei Province, the heart of the outbreak.

Flu – USA

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), an estimated 19 million Americans have been infected with the flu so far this season, and 180,000 of them have been hospitalized because of the illness. The flu virus has already killed an estimated 10,000 people across the U.S., including 68 children.

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Earthquakes

Magnitude 5+ Earthquakes – Global

6.2 earthquake hits New Britain, Papua New Guinea.

5.4 earthquake hits the Kermedec Islands.

5.4 earthquake hits the Bismarck Sea.

5.3 earthquake hits eastern New Guinea, Papua New Guinea.

5.2 earthquake hits the Kermedec Islands.

5.2 earthquake hits offshore El Salvador.

5.1 earthquake hits south of Africa.

5.1 earthquake hits the South Sandwich Islands.

5.0 earthquake hits Assam, India.

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Storms and Floods

Tropical Storms – Roundup of Tropical Storms:

In the Southern Hemisphere: Tropical cyclone (tc) 14s (Damien), located approximately 167 nm east-northeast of Learmonth, Australia, is tracking south-southeastward at 09 knots.

Tropical cyclone (tc) 15p (Fifteen), located approximately 319 nm west-northwest of Port Vila, Vanuatu, is tracking southwestward at 04 knots.

NewsBytes:

Turkey – At least 41 people have been killed and 84 others have been injured after two avalanches hit Turkey’s eastern border with Iran.

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Global Warming

Global warming to blame for hottest day in Argentine Antarctica

Global warming is to blame for Argentine Antarctica recording its hottest day since readings began, Greenpeace said on Friday.

Temperatures climbed to 18.3 degrees Celsius (64.9 degrees Fahrenheit) at midday Thursday at the research station Esperanza base, the highest temperature on record since 1961, according to the National Meteorological Service.

The previous record stood at 17.5 degrees on March 24, 2015.

At Marambio, another Argentine base in Antarctica, temperatures reached 14.1 degrees Celsius on Thursday, the hottest temperature for a day in February since 1971.

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Disease

Carnival Condoms – Brazil

The Brazil Ministry of Health has begun to distribute the 128.6 million condoms purchased to guarantee the protection of those who participate in Carnival 2020 later this month to prevent sexually transmitted diseases. Officials say by the beginning of the Carnival period, all states in the country will be supplied.

Novel Coronavirus – China

The death toll from the novel coronavirus surged past 800 in mainland China on Sunday, overtaking global fatalities in the 2002-03 SARS epidemic, even as the World Health Organization said the outbreak appeared to be “stabilising”. With 89 more people dying – most in Hubei, the province at the centre of the outbreak – the toll is now higher than the 774 killed worldwide by Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome nearly two decades ago, according to figures from national health authorities.

Almost 37 200 people in China have now been infected by the new coronavirus, believed to have emerged late last year in a market that sold wild animals in Hubei’s capital Wuhan, before spreading across the nation and to other countries.

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Earthquakes

Magnitude 5+ Earthquakes – Global

5.7 earthquake hits the Drake Passage.

5.6 earthquake hits the Ceram Sea, Indonesia.

5.2 earthquake hits Potosi, Bolivia.

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Storms and Floods

Tropical Storms – Roundup of Tropical Storms:

In the Southern Hemisphere: Tropical cyclone (tc) 14s (Damien), located approximately 180 nm northwest of Learmonth, Australia, is tracking southward at 07 knots

NewsBytes:

Kentucky, USA – Heavy rains caused extensive flooding across eastern Kentucky this week, and city and county officials say it could take weeks to fix some of the damage. Some residents were evacuated from their homes, and officials across the region declared states of emergency.

Johannesburg, South Africa – Heavy rainfall has caused extensive flooding across the city, closing a number of major roads and causing havoc in informal settlements.

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Global Warming

The World’s oceans are speeding up

Three quarters of the world’s ocean waters have sped up their pace in recent decades, scientists reported Wednesday, a massive development that was not expected to occur until climate warming became much more advanced.

The change is being driven by faster winds, which are adding more energy to the surface of the ocean. That, in turn, produces faster currents and an acceleration of ocean circulation.

The new research found that 76% of the global ocean is speeding up, when the top 2,000 meters of the ocean are taken into account. The increase in speed is most intense in tropical oceans and especially the vast Pacific.

Scientists aren’t certain of all the consequences of this speedup yet. But they may include impacts in key regions along the eastern coasts of continents, where several currents have intensified. The result in some cases has been damaging ocean hotspots that have upended marine life.

They found a global increase in wind speed over the ocean of about 2% per decade since the 1990s, which translates into about a 5% increase per decade in the speed of ocean currents.

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Wildlife

The future is looking dire for bumblebees

Bumblebees are vanishing at a rate consistent with widespread extinction, and climate change is playing a big role. The dire analysis comes from a new study published in the journal Science today. The authors found that the likelihood of a bumblebee population surviving in any given place within North America and Europe has dropped by an average of 30 percent as temperatures have risen.

Pesticides, habitat loss, and pathogens have already hit bumblebee populations hard. The new study, however, is able to isolate the effect that hotter temperatures are having on bumblebees. Sadly, bees are having a hard time adapting to a warming world.

Some bee populations are colonizing new territories that were previously too cold. But those gains are overshadowed by losses in areas where the bees once thrived but are now too hot.

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Wildfires

Wildfires – Colombia

Members of the Bogotá Fire Department are attempting to control three wildfires blazing out of control near the departmental border of Cundinamarca and Meta. The fires are located in a sector of the Sumpaz mountain range known as San Luis Cubarral and have consumed since Thursday 30-square kilometers of high-altitude wetland.

Sumapaz was declared a National Park in 1977 and covers an area of 221,000 hectares. The park also accounts for 43% of the total high altitude wetland in the world, and fragile habitat for deer, Andean condor, spectacled bears, armadillo and many other endangered species. The wetlands are also known for their towering frailejón (espeletia) plants.

The department of Cundinamarca has registered 61 fires since the start of the year.

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Disease

Novel Coronavirus

Origins found in Pangolins – The deadly novel coronavirus pandemic has been traced to pangolins, the world’s most trafficked and endangered mammal, according to researchers from the Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas. This had been confirmed by researchers at the South China Agricultural University. DNA analysed by the Baylor researchers appears to offer a near-perfect match for the current outbreak of novel coronavirus (nCoV-2019). Importantly, the analysis also shows that nCoV-2019 may be present in trafficked pangolins beyond the outbreak epicentre in Wuhan, a metropolis of 11-million people in Hubei province, where market wildlife is thought to have infected traders. The analysis found it in pangolins in Guangdong. Hubei province and Guangdong province are both major nerve centres for China’s pangolin trade. It is probable that the virus originated in bats, with pangolins being the vector into humans. In past epidemics, vectors have been pigs, chickens, ducks and camels.

Singapore – The Singapore Ministry of Health reported an additional three novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) cases today, all with no links to previous cases or travel history to China. This brings the total in the country to 33.

Japan – Another 41 people on a cruise ship quarantined off Japan have the new coronavirus. The newly diagnosed infections mean at least 61 people from the ship have contracted the virus. There were more than 3 700 passengers and crew on the ship when it arrived off Japan’s coast on Monday evening. The ship will remain in quarantine until February 19.

Hong Kong – Hong Kong has begun a mandatory two-week quarantine for anyone arriving from mainland China, in a fresh effort to contain the deadly new coronavirus. Visitors must isolate themselves in hotel rooms or government-run centres. Residents must stay inside their homes. Anyone caught flouting the new rules faces a fine and a prison sentence.

Thailand – The Thai health minister has called for any tourists who refuse to wear medical face masks to be kicked out of the country. He was frustrated by tourists who refuse to wear face masks putting Thai residents at risk of contracting the disease and also suggested the Thai government impose a travel ban on Chinese nationals in order to help prevent the Coronavirus pandemic spreading.

Botulism – Argentina

In Argentina, the Ministry of Health of Córdoba confirmed two cases of botulism in the province. The patients were visitors to the province who “bought pickled wild boar and got sick”. They were both in critical condition in hospital.

Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever – Mali

Government officials in the governorate of Mopti are reporting seven human Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF) deaths. In the village of Samoa, 14 cases were detected and 7 people died. Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever is a widespread disease caused by a tick-borne virus (Nairovirus) of the Bunyaviridae family.

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Earthquakes

Magnitude 5+ Earthquakes – Global

6.0 earthquake hits Mindanao in the Philippines.

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

5.1 earthquake hits south of the Kermedec Islands.

5.0 earthquake hits Papua, Indonesia.

5.0 earthquake hits north of Macquarie Island.

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Storms and Floods

Tropical Storms – Roundup of Tropical Storms:

In the Southern Hemisphere: Tropical cyclone (tc) 14s (Damien), located approximately 160 nm northwest of Port Hedland, Australia, is tracking southwestward at 04 knots

NewsBytes:

Australia – Much of Australia’s wildfire-ravaged east coast was drenched on Friday by the biggest rainfall in almost 20 years, dousing some of the most dangerous blazes and providing welcome relief to farmers battling an extended drought. The downpour came with its own risks – officials warned of flash floods and landslides across New South Wales (NSW), Australia’s most populous state – but was generally greeted jubilantly after months of devastating bushfires.

Southeast USA – A powerful winter storm raked the Southeast on Thursday with high winds, rain and floods that killed at least four people and injured several more across a dozen states. Rescue crews repeatedly pulled people from cars that got stuck in high water, but couldn’t reach a person whose vehicle disappeared into a rain-swollen creek. The storm front destroyed mobile homes in Mississippi and Alabama, caused mudslides in Tennessee and Kentucky and flooded communities that shoulder waterways across the Appalachian region. In Florida, high winds prompted the closure of the Sunshine Skyway Bridge spanning Tampa Bay, the Florida Highway Patrol said. Tornado watches were in effect Thursday night from northern Florida up through North Carolina.

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Wildlife

Wild Food Ban – China

A network of environmental groups from 74 countries has urged China to make permanent its new ban on the sale of wildlife for food in public markets to help prevent future animal-bourne pathogens from infecting people.

It is believed the Wuhan coronavirus made the leap from wildlife to humans in that city’s market, where the flesh from dogs, turtles, bats, snakes, giant salamanders, crocodiles, hedgehogs and marmots was sold.

Experts believe the outbreak originated from human exposure to an infected snake or bat from the market.

The Friends of the Earth and Friend of the Sea also point to the overall environmental damage that the public markets are causing through their exploitation of wildlife.

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Environment

Global Temperature Extremes

The week’s hottest temperature was 116 degrees Fahrenheit (46.7 degrees Celsius) in Badgerys Creek, New South Wales, Australia.

The week’s coldest temperature was minus 63.0 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 52.8 degrees Celsius) 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.

A Hot Start to 2020

The European Union’s Copernicus Climate Change Service says January 2020 was Europe’s warmest January on record, topping January 2007 by two-thirds of a degree Fahrenheit.

The month was also the hottest for the entire planet by a tiny fraction of a degree above the previous record set in January 2016.

Last month’s warmth was especially noticeable in Scandinavia, where the capitals of Helsinki, Oslo, Stockholm and Copenhagen were virtually snow-free as freakishly warm daytime temperatures rose to above freezing every day.

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Disease

Ebola – DR Congo

From 29 January to 4 February four new confirmed cases were reported in the ongoing Ebola virus disease (EVD) outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Novel Coronavirus – China

Nationwide, more than 70 new deaths and 3,100 new cases emerged in the previous 24 hours, the national health authorities said Friday morning.

The new figures brought the total number of deaths in China to at least 636. And the total number of confirmed cases rose to 31,161. There are also more than 200 cases of infection outside China.

Wild poliovirus type 1

Eight additional wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1) cases were reported last week–five for 2019 and three for 2020–in Pakistan. This brings the number of cases in 2020 to 7 and 144 for 2019 in Pakistan.

Eight cases of circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus type 2 (cVDPV2) were reported this week: four from Bié province, one each from Malanje and Cuanza Norte provinces and two from Luanda. There were 111 cVDPV2 cases from seven outbreaks reported in 2019.

Five cases of circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus type 2 (cVDPV2) were reported this week in DRC: one each from Kwilu, Kongo Central and Kinshasa provinces and two from Sankuru, bringing the total number of 2019 cases to 82. The case in Kinshasa, a city of nearly 12 million people, is the first in the city.

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Volcanos

Roundup of Global Volcanic Activity – Ongoing Activity for the Week 29 January 2020 – 04 February 2020

Aira | Kyushu (Japan) : JMA reported that during 27 January-3 February there were 26 explosions and 33 non-explosive eruptive events detected by the Minamidake Crater (at Aira Caldera’s Sakurajima volcano) seismic network. Ash plumes rose as high as 2.2 km above the crater rim and material was ejected 700-1,300 m away from the crater. Crater incandescence was visible at night. The sulfur dioxide emission rate was very high at 4,700 tons/day on 31 January. The Alert Level remained at 3 (on a 5-level scale).

Asosan | Kyushu (Japan) : JMA reported that eruptive activity at Asosan was recorded during 27 January-3 February. Plumes rose 1.1 km above the crater rim and caused ashfall in areas downwind. The sulfur dioxide emission rate was high, ranging from 1,900 to 3,400 tons per day during 28-29 and 31 January and 3 February. The Alert Level remained at 2 (on a scale of 1-5).

Bulusan | Luzon (Philippines) : PHIVOLCS lowered the Alert Level for Bulusan to 0 (on a scale of 0-5) on 25 January, noting that activity at the volcano was at baseline levels. Specifically, sulfur dioxide flux had been below detectable levels since 2018, the frequency of volcanic earthquakes had been at baseline levels (0-2 earthquakes/day) since May 2019, and overall ground deformation data indicated that there was no pressurization from subsurface magma. Weak gas emissions from hydrothermal activity continued. PHIVOLCS reminded the public of the 4-km-radius Permanent Danger Zone (PDZ).

Dukono | Halmahera (Indonesia) : Based on satellite and wind model data, the Darwin VAAC reported that during 29 January-4 February ash plumes from Dukono rose to 2.1 km (7,000 ft) a.s.l. and drifted SW, S, and SE. The Alert Level remained at 2 (on a scale of 1-4), and the public was warned to remain outside of the 2-km exclusion zone.

Ebeko | Paramushir Island (Russia) : Volcanologists in Severo-Kurilsk (Paramushir Island), about 7 km E of Ebeko, observed explosions during 24-31 January that sent ash plumes up to 4 km (13,100 ft) a.s.l.; ash plumes drifted E. The Aviation colour Code remained at Orange (the second highest level on a four-colour scale).

Ibu | Halmahera (Indonesia) : PVMBG reported that during 29 January-2 February white-to-gray plumes rose 200-800 m above Ibu’s summit; plumes drifted S on 2 February. Weather clouds prevented visual observations during 3-4 February. The Alert Level remained at 2 (on a scale of 1-4), and the public was warned to stay at least 2 km away from the active crater, and 3.5 km away on the N side.

Kadovar | Papua New Guinea : Based on satellite data, the Darwin VAAC reported that on 2 February an ash plume from Kadovar rose to an altitude of 1.5 km (5,000 ft) a.s.l. and drifted ESE.

Karangetang | Siau Island (Indonesia) : PVMBG reported that during 27 January-2 February lava continued to effuse from Karangetang’s Main Crater (S), traveling as far as 1.8 km down the Nanitu, Pangi, and Sense drainages on the SW and W flanks. Sometimes dense white plumes rose 200 m above the summit. Incandescence from both summit craters was visible at night. The Alert Level remained at 2 (on a scale of 1-4).

Kerinci | Indonesia : PVMBG reported that during 1-3 February brown ash plumes rose 150-300 m above Kerinci’s summit; ash plumes drifted NE on 1 February. The Alert Level remained at 2 (on a scale of 1-4), and the public was warned to remain outside of the 3-km exclusion zone.

Klyuchevskoy | Central Kamchatka (Russia) : KVERT reported that Strombolian activity at Klyuchevskoy was visible during 24-31 January, and a thermal anomaly was identified in satellite images during 27-28 and 30 January. Vulcanian activity was recorded on 30 January; explosions generated ash plumes that rose to 5.5 km (18,000 ft) a.s.l. and drifted 282 km E. The Aviation colour Code remained at Orange.

Nevados de Chillan | Chile : SERNAGEOMIN reported that during 28 January-4 February white gas plumes from Nevados de Chillán’s Nicanor Crater rose as high as 900 m above the rim and drifted E, ESE, and SE. Minor explosions during 28-29 January ejected incandescent blocks that were visible at night. At 1356 on 30 January an explosion generated a gas-and-ash plume that rose 3.4 km above the crater rim; parts of the plume collapsed, generating pyroclastic flows that traveled NE and SE. Two thermal anomalies were identified in satellite images, one from vent CE4 (November 2019) and the second from a new vent named CE5, formed 60 m NW of the center of CE4. There had been no advancement of the lava flows (L1, L2, L3, and L4) since 24 November 2019. The number of long-period earthquakes and tremor associated with explosions both considerably decreased after December 2019. The volcano Alert Level remained at Orange, the second highest level on a four-colour scale. ONEMI maintained an Alert Level Yellow (the middle level on a three-colour scale) for the communities of Pinto, Coihueco, and San Fabián, and stated that the public should stay at least 3 km away from the crater on the SW flank and 5 km away on the ENE flank.

Sangay | Ecuador : IG reported a high level of activity at Sangay during 27 January-4 February, though weather clouds often prevented visual confirmation. Ash, steam, and gas plumes rose 880-1,200 m above the summit and drifted W and SW during 27-29 January. Minor ashfall was reported in Púngala and in several Chimborazo province communities during 27-28 February. A pyroclastic flow descended the SE flank on 28 January, reaching the Volcán River and causing secondary lahars in the river. Incandescent blocks rolled down the SE flank on 29 January. Minor ashfall was reported in the province of Chimborazo (W), particularly in the towns of Cebadas (35 km WNW) and Palmira (46 km W). On 30 January residents in the town of Alao (20 km NW) reported that vegetation was covered with fine white ash. An ash emission rose 570 m above the summit and drifted W on 31 January. Ashfall was reported in Macas (42 km SE) the next day. Gas-and-steam plumes rose up to 200 m and drifted W on 2 February. Incandescent blocks rolled down the SE flank on 3 February.

Semeru | Eastern Java (Indonesia) : PVMBG reported that ash plumes from Semeru rose 400-500 m above the crater rim and drifted N on 30 January as well as 2 and 4 February. The Alert Level remained at 2 (on a scale from 1-4); the public was warned to stay 1 km away from the active crater and 4 km away on the SSE flank.

Sheveluch | Central Kamchatka (Russia) : KVERT reported that a thermal anomaly over Sheveluch was identified in satellite images during 23-24 and 27-30 January. The Aviation colour Code remained at Orange (the second highest level on a four-colour scale).

Shishaldin | Fox Islands (USA) : AVO reported that seismic activity at Shishaldin remained above background levels during 29 January-4 February. Weakly- to moderately-elevated surface temperatures were sometimes identified in satellite images. The Aviation colour Code remained at Orange and the Volcano Alert Level remained at Watch.

Ulawun | New Britain (Papua New Guinea) : RVO reported that during 17-31 January white vapor plumes rose from Ulawun’s Main Crater and weak, diffuse white vapor rose from the WSW flank fissure. Lahars were detected mid-month. Seismic activity was low with RSAM values below 200 units. The Alert Level remained at Stage 1.

White Island | North Island (New Zealand) : On 4 February GeoNet reported that White island remained at an elevated state of unrest. Temperatures at the vent area remained very hot at more than 550-570 degrees Celsius. Gas emissions measured during an overflight on 30 January had decreased compared to the previous week but remained at high levels. No changes to the vent area, the receding lake, or the area of lava extrusion were visually apparent. Continuing movement of the back-crater wall W of the 1914 landslide deposits was identified in satellite images, though not noted during the overflight. According to the New Zealand Police another person died as a result from the eruption, bringing the total number of deaths to 21. The Volcanic Alert Level remained at 2 and the Aviation colour Code remained at Yellow.

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Earthquakes

Magnitude 5+ Earthquakes – Global

5.8 earthquake hits Java, Indonesia.

5.6 earthquake hits Macquarie Island.

5.2 earthquake hits Greece.

5.1 earthquake hits northern Peru.

5.1 earthquake hits the Revilla Gigedo Islands.

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Storms and Floods

Tropical Storms – Roundup of Tropical Storms:

In the Southern Hemisphere: Tropical cyclone (tc) 13s (Francisco), located approximately 816 nm east of Port Louis, Mauritius, is tracing southeastward at 11 knots.

Tropical cyclone (tc) 14s (Damien), located approximately 162 nm west-northwest of Broome, Australia, is tracking westward at 11 knots

NewsBytes:

Indonesia, Jakarta – Floods are still affecting Tangerang four days after heavy rains. Several areas across Tangerang in Banten have been inundated by floodwaters for four days and the levels keep rising. Most of the affected areas were housing complexes, such as the Garden City Residence Periuk, with local authorities estimating that hundreds of families were affected. Power has been interrupted to seven sub.stations across the flooded areas.

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Global Warming

Rapid Permafrost Collapse

Arctic permafrost can thaw so quickly that it triggers landslides, drowns forests and opens gaping sinkholes. This rapid melt, described in a new study, can dramatically reshape the Arctic landscape in just a few months.

Fast-melting permafrost is also more widespread than once thought. About 20% of the Arctic’s permafrost — a blend of frozen sand, soil and rocks — also has a high volume of ground ice, making it vulnerable to rapid thawing. When the ice that binds the rocky material melts away, it leaves behind a marshy, eroded land surface known as thermokarst.

Frozen water takes up more space than liquid water, so when ice-rich permafrost thaws rapidly — “due to climate change or wildfire or other disturbance” — it transforms a formerly frozen Arctic ecosystem into a flooded, “soupy mess,” prone to floods and soil collapse. This can happen very quickly, causing relatively dry and solid ecosystems (such as forests) to turn into lakes in the matter of months to years.

Global warming is literally dissolving the ocean’s plankton

Ocean acidification is wreaking havoc on the ocean’s tiniest inhabitants, and the entire ocean is likely feeling the effects.

Many of the ocean’s inhabitants have soft bodies protected by hard shells. Clams, oysters, and sea snails have them, as do multiple other types of mollusks and plankton. These seashells are almost always made of calcium carbonate — which, under most conditions, is fine. The ocean water is well-suited to support calcium carbonate under normal conditions.

Seawater is slightly basic (meaning pH > 7). When we increase the amount of carbon dioxide (CO2) we emit, not all of it goes into the atmosphere. Much of it, in fact, is absorbed by the oceans. As oceans absorb CO2, their chemistry starts to change, and they become more acidic.

Lyndsey Fox, a researcher from Kingston University in London, analyzed plankton fossils gathered by the 1872–76 expedition of the HMS Challenger and compared them to plankton gathered from a 2011 expedition to the eastern equatorial Pacific Ocean called Tara.

All modern plankton had much thinner shells — up to 76% thinner. In some cases, the shells were so thin that the team wasn’t even able to image them. Plankton is at the foundation of the ocean food chain and if it were to collapse, life in the oceans would probably be unable to recover.

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Disease

Novel Coronavirus – China

The death toll and number of people infected by the Wuhan coronavirus continues to grow, with no signs of slowing despite severe quarantine and population control methods put in place in central China.

The number of confirmed cases globally stood at 28,256 as of Thursday morning, with more than 28,000 of those in China. The number of cases in China grew by 3,694, or 15%, on the previous day. There have been 563 deaths so far, all but two of which were in China, with one in the Philippines and one in Hong Kong.

Lassa fever – Nigeria

In a follow-up on the Lassa fever outbreak in Nigeria, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) reported an additional 104 confirmed cases the week ending February 2, bringing the outbreak total for 2020 to 365 confirmed cases. Of this total, six additional fatalities were reported. 

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Volcanos

Roundup of Global Volcanic Activity – New Activity for the Week 29 January 2020 – 04 February 2020

Kuchinoerabujima | Ryukyu Islands (Japan) : JMA reported that at 0521 on 3 February an eruption at Kuchinoerabujima’s Shindake Crater produced an ash plume that rose 7 km above the crater rim, based on satellite images, and ejected material 600 m away from the crater. A pyroclastic flow traveled about 900 m SW, the first one recorded since 29 January 2019. Ashfall was confirmed in the northern part of neighboring Yakushima Island (a large amount in Miyanoura, 32 km ESE) and southern Tanegashima. According to a news article the eruption caused one flight to be diverted and one to be cancelled. The Alert Level remained at 3 (the middle level on a scale of 1-5).

Rincon de la Vieja | Costa Rica : OVSICORI-UNA reported that at 1213 on 31 January a phreatic eruption at Rincón de la Vieja ejected material onto the N flanks and generated a plume that rose 2 km above the crater rim. Lahars descended rivers on the N flank and reached populated areas 7-10 km downriver around 40 minutes after the eruption.

Taal | Luzon (Philippines) : PHIVOLCS reported that whitish steam plumes rose as high as 800 m above Taal’s main vent during 29 January-4 February and drifted SW. Sulfur dioxide emissions ranged from values below detectable limits to a high of 231 tonnes per day (on 3 February). According to the Disaster Response Operations Monitoring and Information Center (DROMIC) there were a total of 23,915 people in 152 evacuation centers, and an additional 224,188 people were staying at other locations as of 3 February. The Alert Level remained at 3 (on a scale of 0-5) and PHIVOLCS recommended no entry onto Volcano Island and Taal Lake, nor into towns W of the island within a 7-km radius.

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Earthquakes

Magnitude 5+ Earthquakes – Global

5.2 earthquake hits the Rat Islands in the Aleutian Islands.

5.1 earthquake hits near the coast of northern Peru.

5.0 earthquake hits the Hindu Kush, Afghanistan.

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Storms and Floods

Tropical Storms – Roundup of Tropical Storms:

In the Southern Hemisphere: Tropical cyclone (tc) 13s (Francisco), located approximately 647 nm east-northeast of Port Louis, Mauritius, is tracing east- southeastward at 11 knots.

NewsBytes:

New Zealand – Severe flooding forced thousands of residents in New Zealand’s South Island to flee their homes on Wednesday and left hundreds of tourists stranded at the remote Milford Sound beauty spot. The Southland region declared a state of emergency after being deluged with more than 1 000mm of rainfall in 60 hours, triggering landslides on major roads and causing rivers to burst their banks. Authorities told residents in the low-lying areas of Gore and Mataura to evacuate immediately early on Wednesday as floodwaters in the Mataura river peaked, warning those further downstream in Wyndham to prepare to leave. Power to affected areas was cut off as a precaution and evacuation centres were set up in local churches and schools.

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Global Warming

Greenland Glaciers Melting

Scientists have long known that higher air temperatures are contributing to the surface melting on Greenland’s ice sheet.

But a new study has found another threat that has begun attacking the ice from below: Warm ocean water moving underneath the vast glaciers is causing them to melt even more quickly.
The findings were published Monday in the journal Nature Geoscience by researchers who studied one of the many “ice tongues” of the Nioghalvfjerdsfjorden Glacier — also known as the 79° North Glacier — in northeast Greenland.

An ice tongue is a strip of ice that floats on the water without breaking off from the ice on land. The massive one these scientists studied is nearly 50 miles long.

The survey revealed an underwater current more than a mile wide where warm water from the Atlantic Ocean is able to flow directly towards the glacier, bringing large amounts of heat into contact with the ice and accelerating the glacier’s melting.

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Disease

Novel Coronavirus – China

Infectious disease researchers at The University of Texas at Austin and other institutions in Hong Kong, mainland China and France have concluded there is a high probability that the deadly Wuhan coronavirus spread beyond Wuhan and other quarantined cities before Chinese officials were able to put a quarantine in place. At least 128 cities in China outside of the quarantine zone, including cities with no reported cases to date, had a greater than even risk of exposure, according to a paper currently in press with Emerging Infectious Diseases, a journal of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

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Earthquakes

Magnitude 5+ Earthquakes – Global

5.2 earthquake hits North Island, New Zealand.

5.1 earthquake hits Puerto Rico.

5.1 earthquake hits the Solomon Islands.

5.1 earthquake hits the Kermedec Islands.

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Storms and Floods

Tropical Storms – Roundup of Tropical Storms:

There are no current tropical storms.

NewsBytes:

Washington State, USA – Parts of Western Washington are covered in water, forcing families from their homes. The city of Sumas is flooded after the Nooksack River overflowed its banks overnight. Only once before this century has the entire city of Sumas been covered in water. The USA/Canada border crossing had to be closed.

Rwanda – Flooding and mudslides triggered by heavy rainfall have claimed the lives of at least 13 people in Kigali, the capital city of Rwanda. Floodwater swept away 15 houses in Kigali and left some roads inaccessible.

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Wildlife

Kidnapped Lion Cub

A male baboon in the Kruger National Park in South Africa “stole” a lion cub from its pride while foraging for food and then took it up a tree to groom it. It is not known what happened to the cub, but the male baboon would not know how to raise the lion cub, which would probably have died if not reunited with its pride.

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Disease

Novel Coronavirus – China

The spread of the Wuhan coronavirus shows no signs of slowing, as China reported another major spike in both confirmed cases and deaths in the region at the heart of the epidemic.

The total number of confirmed cases in China stands at 20,438 as of Tuesday morning, an increase of 3,235 on the previous day — an over 18% jump. The death toll is now at 425 in China, an increase of around 65 from Sunday.

Outside of China, the prevalence of the virus remains far lower, but more than 185 cases have been reported in over two dozen countries and territories. Two people have died outside mainland China since the outbreak began. One in the Philippines, and another in the semi-autonomous Chinese city of Hong Kong.

Lassa fever – Liberia

The Liberia Ministry of Health reports an increase in Lassa fever cases since the beginning of the year. In just the week ending Jan. 26, the country saw 10 confirmed cases. Since the beginning of 2020, the West African country reported a cumulative total of 55 cases.

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Earthquakes

Magnitude 5+ Earthquakes – Global

5.2 earthquake hits eastern Sichuan, China.

5.0 earthquake its Fiji.

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Wildfires

Wildfires – Australia

More homes are believed to have been destroyed by bushfires in southeastern NSW where hundreds of properties have already been lost in blazes this summer.

Strong winds and high temperatures on Saturday night pushed the massive 177,000-hectare Border fire north towards Bega Valley while three separate blazes burning southwest of the region merged into one.

There were 70 fires burning in NSW as of Sunday evening with 30 not yet contained. There are 2,200 firefighters in the field.

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Disease

Dengue Fever – Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka reported more than 100,000 dengue fever cases in 2019, one of the most active dengue years on the island country. Health officials continue to see high numbers of dengue fever during the beginning of 2020. During January, health officials saw 8,435 cases.

Kenya – Anthrax

Health officials in Bomet County, Kenya report 18 people from a local village have been hospitalized for suspected anthrax after consuming infected meat.

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Earthquakes

Magnitude 5+ Earthquakes – Global

5.4 earthquake hits off shore Chiapas, Mexico.

5.0 earthquake hits near the north coast of Papua, Indonesia.

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Storms and Floods

Tropical Storms – Roundup of Tropical Storms:

There are no current tropical storms.

NewsBytes:

Tanzania – At least thirteen people have died and around 15 000 people have been left homeless after flash floods in Iringa and Lindi in southern Tanzania.

Australia – Adelaide and parts of South Australia were battered by thunderstorms and heavy rainfall with flash floods in some areas. Power was cut to several thousand homes.

Canada – Relentless rain along British Columbia’s southern coast has closed roads, swollen rivers and prompted a state of local emergency in the Cowichan Valley on Vancouver Island. A number of homes had to be evacuated.

USA – Major flooding and landslides have been reported in Western Washington. Rivers continue to rise with potential for moderate to major flooding in some areas, including the Snohomish River which is now above 27 feet. Stillaguamish River near Granite falls reported major flooding. King, Lewis and Skagit counties remain under flood watch until Sunday morning.

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Disease

Dengue Fever – Paraguay

In a follow-up on the dengue fever outbreak in Paraguay, the Ministry of Health now reports 35,801 suspect cases through the fourth week of 2020, three times the number of cases reported in all of 2019 (11,811).

Novel Coronavirus

Philippines reports the first novel coronavirus death outside China, while Sweden and Russia reported their first cases.

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Earthquakes

Magnitude 5+ Earthquakes – Global

5.7 earthquake hits south of Fiji.

5.3 earthquake hits Salta, Argentina.

5.2 earthquake hits Tonga.

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

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

5.1 earthquake hits the Solomon Islands.

5.1 earthquake hits Mindanao in the Philippines.

5.0 earthquake hits the Gulf of Alaska.

5.0 earthquake hits the Banda Sea.

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Global Warming

Carbon Pollution

Smoke from the massive Australia bushfires of recent months will contribute to an anticipated record annual rise in atmospheric carbon emissions this year, according to Britain’s Met Office.

The CO2 concentration is predicted to peak above 417 parts per million (ppm) in May, while the 2020 average should be around 414 ppm. That would be nearly 3 ppm above the 2019 average, according to the agency.

Smoke from the protracted bushfire crisis will contribute up to one-fifth of the CO2 increase caused by global warming’s altered weather patterns and the resulting effects on the landscape, the British experts say.

As our planet gets greener, plants are slowing global warming

In a new study, published in Nature Reviews Earth & Environment, the researchers report that climate-altering carbon emissions and intensive land use have inadvertently greened half of the Earth’s vegetated lands.

Green leaves convert sunlight to sugars while replacing carbon dioxide in the air with water vapor, which cools the Earth’s surface. The reasons for greening vary around the world, but often involve intensive use of land for farming, large-scale planting of trees, a warmer and wetter climate in northern regions, natural reforestation of abandoned lands, and recovery from past disturbances.

And the chief cause of global greening we’re experiencing? It seems to be that rising carbon dioxide emissions are providing more and more fertilizer for plants, the researchers say. As a result, the boom of global greening since the early 1980s may have slowed the rate of global warming, the researchers say, possibly by as much as 0.2 to 0.25 degrees Celsius.

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Disease

Middle East respiratory syndrome Coronavirus (MERS-CoV – United Arab Emirates

Health officials in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) reported an additional two (2) laboratory-confirmed cases of Middle East respiratory syndrome Coronavirus (MERS-CoV) in January.

Novel Coronavirus

Bavaria – A ministry spokesman said in Munich that, the seventh locally acquired coronavirus case in Bavaria had been confirmed.

USA – The third case has been reported in California and the seventh case confirmed in the United States.

India – India health officials reported the first confirmed novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) case Thursday in Kerala.

Thailand – Thailand health officials reported five additional novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) cases– four in Chinese nationals and one in a Thai national. This brings the total to 19 cases in the Kingdom.

Italy – On Thursday, Italy reported the first two confirmed cases of infection in two Chinese tourists.

China Update – Chinese health authorities reported (computer translated) 2102 cases of new coronavirus infection today, including 46 deaths. As of January 31, the national health committee received 31 provinces (autonomous regions and municipalities) and Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps reported a total of confirmed cases 11791 cases (Jiangxi, Shaanxi Province, Gansu Province, each subtract 1 case), and a total of 259 deaths.

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Earthquakes

Magnitude 5+ Earthquakes – Global

5.7 earthquake hits the Bismarck Sea.

5.7 earthquake hits the Dodecanese Islands, Greece.

5.2 earthquake hits Kepulauan Mentawai, Indonesia.

5.1 earthquake hits Romania.

5.1 earthquake hits northern Peru.

5.0 earthquake hits the Solomon Islands.

5.0 earthquake hits the Kuril Islands.

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Environment

Global Temperature Extremes

The week’s hottest temperature was 119 degrees Fahrenheit (48.3 degrees Celsius) in Linguére, Senegal.

The week’s coldest temperature was minus 91.0 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 57.2 degrees Celsius) 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.

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Wildlife

Missing Monarchs 2020

The number of wintering monarch butterflies along the coast of California has not recovered significantly from last year’s record low.

While about 4.5 million of the colourful monarchs fluttered through forest groves there in the 1980s, that number had plunged to about 27,000 last year and has risen by only 2,000 since.

The disappearance is being blamed on destruction of the milkweed they feed on along their migratory route, as well as agricultural use of pesticides and herbicides.

The western monarchs migrate from areas west of the Rockies to winter at more than 200 sites in coastal California each year.

Their eastern counterparts migrate to Mexico from summer habitats in eastern Canada and the northeastern United States.

Desert Survivous

Scientists are scrambling to save a species of critically endangered frog that lives in a tiny oasis of water and reeds in Chile’s otherwise parched Atacama Desert, the world’s driest.

Because pollution, habitat loss and an expanding nearby mining city threaten what few of the tiny, dark-spotted amphibians that have survived, 14 of the last remaining Lao River water frogs were airlifted to Santiago’s Metropolitan Zoo. Only one failed to survive the move.

Osvaldo Cabeza, the zoo’s herpetology supervisor, says a team will work to encourage the survivors to feed and reproduce in captivity as the species’ only chance of survival.

The range of Telmatobius dankoi is now limited to just 4 square miles of dried-up riverbed outside of the city of Calama.

Unique pink slug feared wiped out by Australia’s bushfires found alive and well

A bright pink slug species, found only on one mountain in Australia, has survived the devastating bushfires that ripped through much of its habitat. The unique, eye-catching creature only lives on the slopes of an isolated inactive volcano in New South Wales, Mount Kaputar, from which they take their name.

After recent rainfall, rangers from New South Wales National Parks and Wildlife Service found “about 60” Mount Kaputar slugs alive.

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