Environment

Large Hole Opens in Antarctica Ice

A mysterious hole as big as the state of Maine has been spotted in Antarctica’s winter sea ice cover. The hole was discovered by researchers about a month ago.

Known as a polynya, this year’s hole was about 30,000 square miles at its largest, making it the biggest polynya observed in Antarctica’s Weddell Sea since the 1970s.

The harsh winter in Antarctica makes it hard to find holes like this one, so it can be difficult to study them. This is the second year that a polynya formed, though last year’s hole was not as big.

The deep water in that part of the Southern Ocean is warmer and saltier than the surface water. Ocean currents bring the warmer water upwards, where it melts the blankets of ice that had formed on the ocean’s surface. That melting created the polynya.

The blue curves represent the ice edge, and the polynya is the dark region of open water within the ice pack.

Space Events

Rings Discovered around Dwarf Planet

Scientists have discovered a ring system around the dwarf planet Haumea.

Earlier this year, Haumea passed between Earth and a distant star, allowing planetary scientists to get a better idea of the dwarf planet's shape and size.

Haumea is one of the largest objects inhabiting an area beyond Neptune known as the Kuiper Belt. Pluto is the region's largest resident, and Haumea shares some characteristics with its larger neighbor. Both take a highly elongated path around the sun that crosses the orbits of other planetary bodies; Pluto crosses Neptune's orbit, and Haumea crosses Pluto's. Also, both dwarf planets orbit at an angle to the paths of the eight planets, which circle the sun along a common plane. Also like Pluto, Haumea has moons — at least two, Hi'iaka and Namaka.

Wildfires

Wildfires - California

21 people are now reported to have perished in the 22 blazes that have destroyed 115,000 acres (26,000ha) and 3,500 buildings across California since the fires started on Sunday.

Officials in the hard-hit Sonoma County say 380 people are still missing. More than 91,000 homes and businesses are without power.

At least four wineries have suffered "total or very significant losses", Napa Valley Vintners said, with nine others reporting some damage to buildings or vineyards.

Disease

Madagascar - Plague

In a follow-up on the Madagascar plague outbreak, the Ministere de la Publique reported an additional 51 news plague cases today, bringing the total cases since August to 500.

Volcanos

Roundup of Global Volcanic Activity – New Activity for the week of 4 October - 10 October 2017

Agung | Bali (Indonesia) : On 5 October PVMBG reported that the rate of volcanic earthquakes at Agung had not increased during the previous 12 days, but continued to fluctuate at a high level. The seismic network detected 1-3 earthquakes per minute on average, with a total more than 600 events per day. The number of shallow volcanic earthquakes increased to 200 per day during 24 September-5 October, possibly indicating that magmatic activity at shallow depths was still high. The number of earthquakes felt by staff at the Mt. Agung Volcano Observatory in Rendang village, 12.5 km SSW, peaked on 27 September and then decreased afterwards. Gas plumes rose 50-200 m above the crater rim. Satellite data indicated an area of water expulsion near the solfatara field on the crater floor thought to reflect a disturbance to the hydrologic system in response to intruded magma at depth. On 5 October BNPB reported that the number of evacuees reached 146,797 (spread out in 427 shelters), though about 28 villages (70,000 people) were located within the evacuation zone. About 10,000 farm animals had also been evacuated. On 7 October a white plume likely composed mostly of water vapor rose 1.5 km above the crater rim and slowly drifted E. During 8-10 October fumarolic plumes rose 50-200 m above the rim. The Alert Level remained at 4 (the highest level on a scale of 1-4) with the exclusion zone at 9 km, and an additional expansion to 12 km in the SE, S, and SW directions.

Aoba | Vanuatu : Vanuatu Geohazards Observatory (VGO) stated that photographs and thermal infrared images taken on 30 September, and 1, 3, and 5 October during overflights of Aoba’s Lake Voui confirmed that the eruption was ongoing. Activity consisted of small explosions ejecting hot rock from vents on a new small island in the lake, and a small lava flow that traveled from the vent into the lake. On 6 October VGO noted that there was no evidence of the eruption escalating; the Alert Level was lowered to 3 (the middle level on a scale of 0-5) and residents and tourists were reminded to stay outside of the Red Zone defined as a 3 km radius around the active cone. Based on analyses of satellite imagery and model data, the Wellington VAAC reported that during 10-11 October ash plumes rose as high as 3.7 km (12,000 ft) a.s.l. and drifted N. On 11 October a news article stated that the government extended a state of emergency on the island to 24 October, delaying the return of the 11,000 residents that had been evacuated.

Lewotolo | Lomblen Island (Indonesia) : The number of shallow and deep volcanic earthquakes at Lewotolo recently increased, prompting PVMBG to raise the Alert Level from 1 to 2 (on a scale of 1-4) on 7 October. The report noted that the public should not enter the 2-km-radius exclusion zone around the crater. Solfatara emissions rose as high as 500 m above the crater rim on 9 October; emissions during 1 August-6 October rose 50-600 m. BNPB reported that five earthquakes recorded by Badan Meteorologi, Klimatologi, dan Geofisika (BMKG) on 10 October ranged in magnitude between 3.9 and 4.9, and were located 10-30 km below Lewotolo. The events were felt by local populations, causing an evacuation of 723 people. Preliminary data suggested that five homes were damaged from rock avalanches, triggered by the earthquakes.

Earthquakes

Magnitude 5+ Earthquakes – Global

6.7 Earthquake hits the Bouvet Islands.

5.3 Earthquake hits the Bouvet Islands.

5.0 Earthquake hits the central east Pacific rise.

Storms and Floods

Tropical Storms - Roundup of Tropical Storms:

In the Atlantic Ocean: Tropical Storm Ophelia is located about 785 mi...1265 km SW of the Azores with maximum sustained winds…65 mph…100 km/h. Present movement…SE or 125 degrees at 6 mph…9 km/h.

Disease

Madagascar - Plague

In an update on the plague outbreak in Madagascar, the number of cases of the lethal bacterial infection has shot up to 449, an increase in 62 cases since our last report, according to the Ministere de la Publique. In addition, the death count has grown to 48.

The Seychelles Ministry of Health reported today that a man who traveled to Madagascar has tested positive for plague. The man who travelled to Madagascar, arrived in Seychelles on Friday 6th October 2017. He has been placed in an isolation unit in the local hospital.

Central Australia - Meningococcal outbreak

Aboriginal communities in Central Australia are in the grip of a Meningococcal outbreak on an unprecedented scale.

The Centre for Disease control today confirmed the 25th case of the disease, and 19 of those cases are children under 10.

One doctor said the outbreak highlights the deadly effects of poor living conditions and massive overcrowding in regional Indigenous communities.

Earthquakes

Magnitude 5+ Earthquakes – Global

6.3 Earthquake hits Tarapaca, Chile.

5.0 Earthquake hits the Banda Sea.

5.0 Earthquake hits the Flores region, Indonesia.

Storms and Floods

Tropical Storms - Roundup of Tropical Storms:

In the Atlantic Ocean: Tropical Storm Ophelia is located about 790 mi...1270 km WSW of the Azores with maximum sustained winds...50 mph...85 km/h. Present movement…SE or 125 degrees at 3 mph...6 km/h.

In the Western Pacific Ocean: Tropical depression 23w (twenty-three), located approximately 156 nm south of Hanoi, Vietnam, is tracking west-northwestward at 13 knots.

Newsbytes:

South Africa (Gauteng) - At least one person died and several others were injured in what was described by eye witnesses as a "tornado" that ripped off the roofs of a primary school, a shopping mall and many houses on Johannesburg’s West Rand. At least 150 homes were damaged in Putfontein and Etwatwa near Daveyton. Numerous squatter shacks were blown onto adjoining roads.

South Africa (KZN) - A massive storm has hit parts of KwaZulu-Natal with the eThekwini Municipality urging residents to stay indoors until it subsides. All roads in the southern parts of the province have been closed off. More than 300 schools were affected by closures.

Wildlife

Rampant Rhino Poaching - South Africa

Despite a legal supply of horns from private farmers having been released on the domestic market, the latest poaching figures gathered from around the country indicate staggering numbers of rhinos continue to be killed illegally by heavily armed poaching gangs.

Nowhere is this more evident than in KwaZulu-Natal, where a fresh wave of rhino killings swept across the province's game parks last month, leaving more rhinos slaughtered in a single month than ever before.

Before the month of September had ended, 36 rhinos had been butchered for their horns in KZN over a period of 29 or fewer days. Most of the incidents occurred in the killing fields at Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park, home to the founding population of the southern white rhino.

Wildfires

Wildfires - California

More than a dozen fast-moving wildfires tearing through California's wine country have killed at least 10 people, destroying hundreds of homes, authorities said Monday.

Fanned by winds of over 80km/h, the blazes have forced more than 20 000 people to evacuate in the country's heaviest populated state since they began on Sunday night.

California's fire service said about 73 000 acres have been ravaged by the major infernos.

Rare "fire devil" spotted during Portugal wildfires

Disease

Yemen: Cholera Update

The total number of suspected cholera cases in Yemen this year hit the half a million mark on Sunday, and nearly 2000 people have died since the outbreak began to spread rapidly at the end of April.

The overall caseload nationwide has declined since early July, particularly in the worst affected areas. But suspected cases of the deadly waterborne disease continue to rage across the country, infecting an estimated 5000 people per day.

Nigeria: Monkeypox Update

n a follow-up on the monkeypox situation in Nigeria, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) is now reporting 31 suspected cases across 7 States – Bayelsa, Rivers, Ekiti, Akwa Ibom, Lagos, Ogun and Cross River States. So far, there have been no deaths recorded.

Earthquakes

Magnitude 5+ Earthquakes – Global

6.6 Earthquake hits the Rat Islands in the Aleutian Islands.

6.3 Earthquake hits the Balleny Islands.

5.6 Earthquake hits Tonga.

5.4 Earthquake hits the Mid- Indian ridge.

5.3 Earthquake hits off the coast of Jalisco, Mexico.

5.3 Earthquake hits the South Indian Ocean.

5.0 Earthquake hits New Ireland, Papua New Guinea.

5.0 Earthquake hits the northern Mid-Atlantic ridge.

Storms and Floods

Tropical Storms - Roundup of Tropical Storms:

In the Atlantic Ocean: Post Tropical Cyclone Nate is located about 20 miles...35 km…SW of Akron Ohio and about 85 miles...135 km…NE of Columbus Ohio with maximum sustained winds...20 mph...55 km/h. Present movement…NE or 045 degrees at 60 mph...97 km/h.

Tropical Depression Seventeen is located about 875 mi...1405 km WSW of the Azores with maximum sustained winds...35 mph...55 km/h. Present movement...n or 10 degrees at 3 mph...6 km/h.

In the Western Pacific Ocean: Tropical depression 23w (twenty-three), located approximately 151 nm east-northeast of Da Nang, Vietnam, is tracking west-northwestward at 13 knots.

Wildfires

Wildfires - Portugal

Eleven active wild fires are continuing to rage on in Portugal across six different fronts with high winds hampering efforts to contain them. Around 1500 firefighters, 200 military personnel and countless locals are desperately battling the blazes.

The fire in Pampilhosa da Serra is said to be the most serious and has left emergency services struggling to cope. Two villages in the Arganil municipality have been evacuated as a precaution and at least four people including three firefighters have been injured in Anadia.

Disease

Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) – Saudi Arabia

Between 31 August and 26 September 2017, the national IHR focal point of Saudi Arabia reported nine additional cases of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS), including four deaths. In addition, four deaths from previously reported cases were reported.

Madagascar: Plague

The Madagascar Health Ministry reported over the weekend new plague counts for the country and it shows the number of cases have risen to 343, including 42 deaths as of Oct. 7.

Anthrax: Namibia

A suspected anthrax outbreak has killed some 107 hippopotami at a north-eastern Namibia game park, according to media reports. The outbreak at Bwabwata National Park in Namibia’s Zambezi region began one week ago when ten hippos died.

Earthquakes

Magnitude 5+ Earthquakes – Global

No magnitude 5+ Earthquakes so far today.

Storms and Floods

Tropical Storms - Roundup of Tropical Storms:

In the Atlantic Ocean: Hurricane Nate is located about 80 mi...130 km NNE of Biloxi Mississippi and about 135 mi...215 km WSW of Montgomery Alabama with maximum sustained winds...70 mph...110 km/h. Present movement…NNE or 25 degrees at 23 mph...37 km/h.

Newsbytes:

Mississippi, USA - Hurricane Nate came ashore along Mississippi's coast outside Biloxi early Sunday, the first hurricane to make landfall in the state since Hurricane Katrina in 2005. It was Nate's second landfall. Saturday night, the storm came ashore along a sparsely populated area in southeast Louisiana. Nate brought stinging rain to the Gulf Coast and its powerful winds pushed water onto roads. No deaths or injuries were immediately reported.

Global Warming

Carbon Released by Warming Soils

As soil warms up, it leaks carbon, and a new study suggests higher temperatures could release more carbon than we thought, potentially creating a dangerous feedback loop that would cause the planet to get hotter and hotter.

That's based on experiments stretching back 26 years in a hardwood forest in Massachusetts, where researchers have been artificially heating certain sections of soil to see the effects.

The team from the Marine Biological Laboratory (MBL) in Massachusetts, the University of Massachusetts, and the University of New Hampshire, says rising temperatures cause a two-stage cycle where carbon output increases for several years then levels off – probably due to soil microbes adjusting to the warmer conditions.

After that readjustment, carbon release levels start rising again. The worry is that warmer soil would cause a warmer atmosphere, in turn heating up the ground and perpetuating temperature rise we have no control over.

Every year we pump about 10 billion tonnes of carbon into the atmosphere, mostly through burning fossil fuels. About 3,500 billion tonnes are thought to be stored in the world's soil. Not only does having carbon locked away in soil mean it's kept out of the atmosphere, it also helps soil stay healthy by holding water and helping plants to grow.