Disease

Chronic Lymphatic Filariasis - India

The mosquito-borne parasitic infection, lymphatic filariasis, and the chronic stage of filariasis with lymphedema, is a major concern in Maharashtra state, India, as more than 100 cases were reported.

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 Oimyakon, 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.

Volcanos

Roundup of Global Volcanic Activity – Ongoing Activity for the week of 29 November - 5 December 2017

Aira | Kyushu (Japan) : JMA reported that an explosion at Minamidake summit crater (at Aira Caldera’s Sakurajima volcano) occurred at 1637 on 27 November, and generated an ash plume that rose 2 km above the crater rim. Nighttime crater incandescence was sometimes visible during 27 November-1 December. Very small events occurred at Minamidake Crater on 1 December, and at Showa Crater during 2-3 December. The Alert Level remained at 3 (on a 5-level scale).

Cleveland | Chuginadak Island (USA) : AVO reported that during 29 November-5 December no significant activity was visible in cloudy to mostly cloudy satellite images, and no activity was detected by seismic or infrasound sensors. The Aviation colour Code remained at Orange and the Volcano Alert Level remained at Watch.

Dukono | Halmahera (Indonesia) : Based on analyses of satellite imagery and wind model data, the Darwin VAAC reported that during 29 November-5 December ash plumes from Dukono rose to altitudes of 2.1-2.3 km (7,000-8,000 ft) a.s.l. and drifted E, ESE, and SE.

Ebeko | Paramushir Island (Russia) : Based on observations by volcanologists in Severo-Kurilsk (Paramushir Island), about 7 km E of Ebeko, explosions during 25-26 and 28-30 November generated ash plumes that rose as high as 2 km (6,600 ft) a.s.l. Ashfall was reported in Severo-Kurilsk on 28 November. The Aviation colour Code remained at Orange (the second highest level on a four-colour scale).

Etna | Sicily (Italy) : INGV reported that, although weather conditions often prevented views of Etna during 27 November-3 December, gas emissions from the summit craters were visible along with ash emissions from a series of explosions from the vent in the saddle between the Southeast Crater (SEC) - New Southeast Crater (NSEC) cone complex.

Karymsky | Eastern Kamchatka (Russia) : Based on satellite data KVERT reported that an eruption at Karymsky began at about 0630 on 4 December and generated an ash cloud that rose to an altitude of km (9,000 ft) a.s.l. An ash cloud 16 x 12 km in dimension was identified in satellite images about three hours later, 92 km E of the volcano. The Aviation colour Code was raised to Orange (the second highest level on a four-colour scale).

Kilauea | Hawaiian Islands (USA) : During 29 November-5 December HVO reported that the lava lake continued to rise, fall, and spatter in Kilauea’s Overlook crater. Webcams recorded incandescence from long-active sources within Pu'u 'O'o Crater and from a small lava pond in a pit on the W side of the crater. Surface lava flows were active above and on the pali, and on the coastal plain.

Sabancaya | Peru : Observatorio Vulcanológico del Sur del IGP (OVS-IGP) and Observatorio Vulcanológico del INGEMMET (OVI) reported that explosive activity at Sabancaya slightly decreased compared to the previous week; there was an average of 69 explosions recorded per day during 27 November-3 December. Seismicity was dominated by long-period events, with signals indicating emissions. Gas-and-ash plumes rose 3.3 km above the crater rim and drifted 40 km NE and SW. The MIROVA system detected eight thermal anomalies. The sulfur dioxide flux was high, at 2,036 tons per day, on 28 November. The report noted that the public should not to approach the crater within a 12-km radius.

Sheveluch | Central Kamchatka (Russia) : KVERT reported that a thermal anomaly over Sheveluch was identified in satellite images during 24 November-1 December. The Aviation colour Code remained at Orange.

Sinabung | Indonesia : Based on observations by PVMBG, satellite and webcam images, and model data, the Darwin VAAC reported that during 29 November and 1-2 December ash plumes from Sinabung rose 3.4-4.9 km (11,000-16,000 ft) a.s.l. and drifted S and E.

Turrialba | Costa Rica : OVSICORI-UNA reported that a small event at Turrialba at 1319 on 1 December generated a weak ash plume that rose 50 m above the crater rim and drifted SW.

Earthquakes

Magnitude 5+ Earthquakes – Global

5.8 Earthquake hits the Kashmir-Xinjiang border region.

5.6 Earthquake hits Sulawesi, Indonesia.

5.3 Earthquake hits Pakistan.

5.1 Earthquake hits the Kuril Islands.

5.1 Earthquake hits offshore Coquimbo, Chile.

5.0 Earthquake hits Uttaranchal, India.

Environment

World’s Oldest Organism is Dying

Pando, the world's largest living organism — and possibly its oldest — is being destroyed by the voracious appetite of mule deer.

Pando is a colony of quaking aspen that spans 106 acres (43 hectares) of south-central Utah. Because of an explosion of mule deer in the area, new sprouts from Pando are eaten before they have a chance to mature, and the venerable organism is at risk of dying out altogether.

Though Pando has often been called the oldest living organism (with some estimates claiming the stand is upward of 80,000 years old), dating techniques for the colony are so imprecise that no one can say for sure how old the grove is.

To the casual observer, Pando looks like an ordinary forest. But each tree shares a common root system and is a genetically identical clone of its forest pals. It's essentially a forest of one tree.

Mule deer, and occasionally cattle, are devouring the babies of the community before they have an opportunity to grow to maturity. The problem has been going on for decades. Every sprout that comes up — they're technically called suckers — is eaten almost immediately as it comes out of the ground. Meanwhile, the older stems are almost all between 110 and 130 years old, which is about the typical life span of individual quaking aspen stems. The forest floor is covered with dead trees, and no new life is coming in to replace it.

Global Warming

Worst-case global warming predictions are the most accurate, say climate experts

Current predictions of climate change may significantly underestimate the speed and severity of global warming, according to a new study.

Reappraisal of the models climate scientists use to determine future warming has revealed that less optimistic estimates are more realistic.

The results suggest that the Paris Climate Agreement, which aims to keep global average temperatures from rising by 2C, may be overly ambitious.

Based on a “business-as-usual” scenario in which emissions continue at the same rate, climate models range in their predictions from a 3.2C increase in global temperatures to a 5.9C increase. The new study, published in the journal Nature, sought to resolve this situation and establish whether the upper or lower estimates are more accurate.

The study concludes that models with higher estimates were more likely to be accurate, with the most likely degree of warming 0.5C higher than previous best estimates.

Volcanos

Roundup of Global Volcanic Activity – New Activity for the week of 29 November - 5 December 2017

Agung | Bali (Indonesia) : PVMBG reported that the eruption at Agung, which began on 21 November, continued during 30 November-5 December. On 29 November gray ash plumes levels were rising to 2 km above the crater rim, resulting in ashfall to the SE. During 30 November-5 December emissions continued to rise 2 km; most were white in colour, but dense gray ash emissions were noted during 1-2 December. Satellite data indicated that lava effusion continued at least through 1 December, and the erupted volume of lava was estimated to be 20 million cubic meters, equivalent to about a third of the total crater volume. The base of the plume was often reddish during 29 November-5 December reflecting incandescence from lava in the crater. BNPB noted on 5 December that 63,885 evacuees were distributed in 225 evacuation shelters. Lahars were first noted on 21 November and continued to be observed through 5 December. The lahars flowed down drainages on the S flank (along the Tukad Yehsa, Tukad Sabuh, and Tukad Beliaung drainages) and also down the Tukad Bara drainage on the N flank, impacting houses, roads, and agricultural areas. The Alert Level remained at 4 (on a scale of 1-4), and the exclusion zones continued at a general 8-km radius and 10 km in the NNE, SE, S, and SW directions.

Great Sitkin | Andreanof Islands (USA) : AVO reported that during 28 November-5 December low-level unrest continued at Great Sitkin. Nothing noteworthy was identified in seismic data nor in partly cloudy to cloudy satellite images. The Aviation colour Code remained at Yellow and the Volcano Alert Level remained at Advisory.

Klyuchevskoy | Central Kamchatka (Russia) : KVERT reported that strong gas-and-steam emissions at Klyuchevskoy were recorded by a webcam during 2-5 December, and contained some ash starting at 2300 on 5 December. The gas-and-ash plumes were visible in satellite data drifting 170 km E. KVERT raised the Aviation colour Code to Orange (the second highest level on a four-colour scale).

Pacaya | Guatemala : On 28 November INSIVUMEH reported that 6-8 Strombolian explosions per hour at Pacaya’s Mackenney cone ejected material as high as 25 m above the main cone. A lava flow traveled 30 m down the NW flank of the cone.

Villarrica | Chile : Gradually increasing activity at Villarrica since 15 November prompted OVDAS-SERNAGEOMIN to raise the Alert Level to Yellow (the second lowest level on a four-colour scale) on 5 December, and warn the public to stay outside of a 1-km radius around the crater. Increased activity was characterized by recorded volcano-tectonic earthquakes, increased thermal anomalies identified in satellite data, and increased lava-lake activity. The infrasound network, photos, and field observations confirmed a higher lake level and explosions that were ejecting material deposited in the crater area. Lava fountains 150 m high were documented by POVI during the second half of November.

Earthquakes

Magnitude 5+ Earthquakes – Global

5.1 Earthquake hits the Molucca Sea.

5.1 Earthquake hits the Solomon Islands.

5.0 Earthquake hits Samar in the Philippines.

5.0 Earthquake hits eastern Honshu, Japan.

5.0 Earthquake hits south of Fiji.

Storms and Floods

Tropical Storms - Roundup of Tropical Storms:

There are no current tropical storms.

Newsbytes:

Thailand - Nine provinces in Southern Thailand are affected by flooding as heavier than usual monsoon rains continue to fall on the area. The storms sweeping across this narrow stretch of land separating the Gulf of Thailand from the Andaman Sea have also affected northern Malaysia. The floods in southern Thailand have killed 15 people and left about 960,000 people affected, figures that could increase due to the severity of the damages.

Wildfires

Wildfires - Australia

A large fire across more than 1700 hectares is burning east of Maria River Road in Limeburners Creek National Park between Port Macquarie and Crescent Head.

The fire erupted on Tuesday at Big Hill Trail, was contained briefly and re-ignited on Wednesday afternoon. Westerly winds are now pushing the fire east and it is starting to impact nearby properties.

Wildfires - California

Ferocious fires tore through Southern California on Tuesday, burning massive stretches of land in a matter of hours and forcing tens of thousands of people from their homes.

As firefighters in Ventura County grappled with an explosive blaze northwest of downtown Los Angeles, others across the region confronted additional fires that burned during the day and forced more evacuations. Authorities issued ominous warnings of more dangers to come during a "multiday event" across the area, as weather forecasters said the region faces "extreme fire danger" through at least Thursday due to intense Santa Ana winds and low humidity that could cause the fires to grow rapidly.

The wildfires are the latest grim chapter in a brutal year for California, coming just months after deadly blazes in the state's wine country killed dozens of people and razed thousands of buildings.

The biggest fire Tuesday was in Ventura County, where a small blaze quickly went out of control and spread across more than 50,000 acres by the afternoon. The fire - which burned an area nearly as large as Seattle - stretched into the city of Ventura, home to more than 100,000 people.

Disease

Diarrhoea Outbreak in Kenya

About 500 people living along Ewaso Ng’iro River settlements in Isiolo County have been affected by a diarrhoeal disease outbreak in the last two months.

The County Public Health officer said the outbreak has affected vulnerable children under five years and women in several areas of Merti, Garbatulla and Oldonyiro since September.

Water sources are also suspected to have been contaminated by faecal matter due to flooding in areas where open defecation is practiced by the communities. Rolling of water jerricans on contaminated surface is also believed to have contributed to the outbreak.

Earthquakes

Magnitude 5+ Earthquakes – Global

No magnitude 5+ earthquakes so far today.

Storms and Floods

Tropical Storms - Roundup of Tropical Storms:

In the Indian Ocean: Tropical Cyclone 03B (Ockhi), located approximately 444 nm south-southeast of Karachi, Pakistan, is tracking north-northeastward at 09 knots.

Newsbytes:

Albania - Albania on Monday faced a fifth day of severe floods, which have forced 600 families from their homes and left more than 4,700 households suffering flood-related damaged. No new deaths as a result of floods have been reported since an electrician from Albania’s state-owned energy company, OSHEE, lost his life while trying to restore power connections. Some 10,622 hectares were reported to be underwater.

Australia - Severe thunderstorms could bring hailstones and damaging winds to parts of Queensland, prompting authorities to issue warnings after heavy rainfall in several areas. More than 60mm of rain per hour has been recorded around western Brisbane and the Sunshine Coast and the Bureau of Meteorology has warned flash flooding could occur around central Brisbane, Maroochydore, Logan City, Strathpine, Caboolture, Kilcoy and Caloundra throughout Monday afternoon.

Global Warming

Hindu Kush Himalayan Ice at Risk

Global warming is not only posing a serious threat to glaciers, it will also result in a loss of 33 per cent of total ice volume in the Hindu Kush Himalayan (HKH) region which extends from Afghanistan to Myanmar by the end of the century, leading dire consequences for people living there according to the Kathmandu-based International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD).

When the glaciers retreat, new lakes will be formed and this has already happened in Sikkim in India. The increased water mass can cause flash floods if the lakes and dams overflow or burst bringing a new risk to the people living there. The HKH sources 10 major river systems in Asia that provide water, ecosystem services and livelihoods to more than 210 million people. The region holds and distributes water for more than 1.3 billion people living in the downstream river basins.

Disease

Listeriosis - South Africa

Health Ministry says 36 people have died following an outbreak of Listeria in South Africa. A total of 557 lab-confirmed Listeriosis cases have been reported. The majority of these cases have been reported in Gauteng, followed by the Western Cape and KwaZulu-Natal.

Earthquakes

Magnitude 5+ Earthquakes – Global

6.0 Earthquake hits near the coast of Ecuador.

5.7 Earthquake hits south of the Kermedec Islands.

5.5 Earthquake hits Vanuatu.

5.1 Earthquake hits Timor, Indonesia.

5.1 Earthquake hits the central Mid-Atlantic ridge.

5.0 Earthquake hits Taiwan.

Storms and Floods

Tropical Storms - Roundup of Tropical Storms:

In the Indian Ocean: Tropical Cyclone 03B (Ockhi), located approximately 1333 nm north of Diego Garcia, is tracking northwestward at 06 knots.

In the Southern Hemisphere: Tropical Cyclone 01s (Dahlia), located approximately 402 nm north-northwest of Learmonth, Australia, is tracking southward at 10 knots.

Newsbytes:

Australia - Victorians are being told to remain on high alert as rivers continue to swell, potentially threatening more homes. The warning that the state is not yet in the clear comes after 73 properties were flooded overnight in the biggest downpour to hit Victoria in 25 years.

Albania - Thousands of police and soldiers have been deployed in Albania to rescue stranded residents after heavy rainfall triggered major flooding. Waters in Albania's main rivers started to recede Sunday but snow has covered major part of north Albania what has made the floods situation even worse. As a result of snow, several villages in the north were blocked Sunday while work is underway to open the main road access.

Wildlife

Bee Apocalypse - Myth?

In 2006, an ominous term entered the public lexicon: colony collapse disorder, describing instances where entire colonies of honeybees abruptly disappear, leaving behind their queens. Colony collapse disorder (CCD) has since fueled claims of an ongoing "bee apocalypse,".

But despite panicked claims of an apocalypse, managed honeybee colonies in the United States have actually been rising since 2008. In fact, as of April 2017, U.S. honeybee colonies are at their highest levels in more than 23 years! According to University of Sussex Professor Dave Goulson, perhaps the foremost expert on bees, the trend is the same globally.

Now, this doesn't mean that bees aren't facing tough times right now. Just because domesticated honeybees, which are raised like livestock, are in greater abundance, that doesn't mean that their wild counterparts – around 20,000 species of them – aren't threatened.

But what's threatening them isn't necessarily CCD. According to the latest USDA information, just 84,430 commercial hives were lost to the malady in the first quarter of 2017, down 27 percent from a year ago. When beekeepers were queried about the biggest threats to their hives, by far an away, they cited a combination of parasites and disease.

Habitat destruction is also harming wild bee species. Acres of cropland may seem verdant to us, but to bees, they aren't nearly as nourishing as expansive tracts of meadows rife with wildflowers.

This is not to suggest that the continuing use of neonicotinoids is not having a harmful effect on bee populations. It seems however, that the situation may not be as dire as some sources have reported.

Disease

Diptheria - Yemen

In a follow-up on the diphtheria re-emergence in Yemen, UN health officials say the outbreak of the vaccine-preventable disease has grown to 197 cases, including 22 deaths mostly children and young adults – in the last three months. Most diphtheria cases and deaths have been reported in Ibb governorate but the outbreak is spreading fast, already affecting 13 of Yemen’s 22 governorates.

Earthquakes

Magnitude 5+ Earthquakes – Global

5.1 Earthquake hits Lac Kivu, Congo.

5.0 Earthquake hits the Kermedec Islands.

5.0 Earthquake hits Jan Mayan Island.