Arthur Stanley Eddington
QUAKES -
World map of the quakes in the past 7 days.
Quake list.
Quakes this morning -
5.1 SANTA CRUZ ISLANDS
5.1 RYUKYU ISLANDS, JAPAN
5.1 RYUKYU ISLANDS, JAPAN
5.1 OFF COAST OF O'HIGGINS, CHILE
5.4 OFFSHORE O'HIGGINS, CHILE
5.0 OFFSHORE O'HIGGINS, CHILE
5.2 OFFSHORE BIO-BIO, CHILE
5.0 OFFSHORE MAULE, CHILE
5.0 VALPARAISO, CHILE
5.8 LUZON, PHILIPPINES
5.3 NEUQUEN, ARGENTINA
Largest quakes yesterday -
2/1/10 -
5.0 SULAWESI, INDONESIA
5.0 REGION METROPOLITANA, CHILE
5.0 BIO-BIO, CHILE
5.0 BIO-BIO, CHILE
5.3 OFFSHORE BIO-BIO, CHILE
5.1 OFFSHORE BIO-BIO, CHILE
5.0 OFFSHORE BIO-BIO, CHILE
5.2 OFFSHORE BIO-BIO, CHILE
5.1 OFF COAST OF O'HIGGINS, CHILE
5.0 OFF COAST OF O'HIGGINS, CHILE
5.0 OFF COAST OF O'HIGGINS, CHILE
5.3 OFF COAST OF O'HIGGINS, CHILE
5.3 OFF COAST OF O'HIGGINS, CHILE
5.2 OFF COAST OF O'HIGGINS, CHILE
5.0 ARAUCANIA, CHILE
5.8 OFF COAST OF MAULE, CHILE
5.0 MAULE, CHILE
5.0 MAULE, CHILE
5.5 MAULE, CHILE
5.0 SICHUAN-GANSU BORDER REG, CHINA
5.1 RYUKYU ISLANDS, JAPAN
5.3 MINDANAO, PHILIPPINES
VOLCANOES -
CHILE - Volcanic explosions expected in Chile quake's wake.
Besides aftershocks, Chile's magnitude 8.8 earthquake on 27 February may also leave a legacy of volcanic explosions. "We expect to see an upsurge in volcanic activity over the next 12 months." Darwin observed that a large earthquake off Chile's coastline in February 1835 appeared to resurrect previously inactive volcanoes, and cause active ones to increase their eruption rates. Increases in volcanic activity have occurred following other large earthquakes along its coastline.In particular, after a magnitude 8.3 in 1906 and a magnitude 9.5 earthquake in 1960, there were three or four more volcanic eruptions within about 500 kilometres of the epicentre in the following year than would normally be expected.
Last week's earthquake occurred on the same section of fault that caused the earthquake Darwin observed in 1835. "We'll be using satellite measurements of heat and deformation to keep an eye on the entire arc of volcanoes, from
Llaima in the south to Tupungatito in the north." The risk to local people from this extra volcanism is likely to be minimal. "At volcanoes that are already active we might see an increase in steam explosions, but we don't expect it to present a significantly increased danger."
TSUNAMI / FREAK WAVES / ABNORMAL TIDES / RISING SEA LEVELS -
CALIFORNIA - This weekend's tsunami advisory warnings to many Southern (and Northern) California territories turned out to be just for precautionary measures -- for the most part. Coastal areas still received a dramatic lash from Mother Nature on Saturday, when two different high tides slammed several cities. The flooding brought with it debris and sand, the combination of which forced the closing of the important Pacific Coast Highway for the duration of Saturday. These extreme conditions, however, didn't do much to deter throngs of surfers from the area. The National Weather Service maintained its high-surf warnings for north and northwest facing beaches. Watergoers were advised to take extreme precautions Monday or even refrain from beaches altogether as officials warned of dangerous swells, rip currents, and the possibility of beach erosion.
TROPICAL STORMS -
Map .
Projected storm paths.
No current tropical cyclones.
Cyclone 17P finally strengthened enough to get named Tropical Storm Sarah over the weekend, as it continued on a southern
track toward the South Cook Islands. It didn't hold together long however, as by Monday, March 1, the storm has dissipated. Tropical Storm Sarah's winds peaked around 39 mph (35 knots) on Saturday, February 27. Thirty-nine mph is the
lowest maximum sustained wind speed a cyclone can have to be classified as a tropical storm. At 10 a.m. ET on Saturday, the Joint Typhoon Warning Center issued its final warning on the system. It was about 555 miles
east-southeast of Pago Pago, American Samoa at that time. Sarah/17P was still moving at the slow pace it maintained the previous week, at 4 mph (3 knots). Sarah was generating 8-foot high waves on Saturday that affected the coasts of the South Cook Islands. In February, Cyclone Pat lashed parts of Aitutaki with heavy rain and high winds that damaged houses and buildings, so residents were paying close attention to Sarah's approach. The islands experienced scattered heavy showers, ocean swells and coastal flooding in some low lying areas.
AUSTRALIA - Conditions similar to low category cyclone - The Bureau of Meteorology has issued a warning that a second low developing around Fraser Island will intensify the region’s rainfall. People in the Sunshine Coast hinterland which suffered flash flooding 11 months ago have been warned together the two weather systems could dump as much as 300mm. Flood and weather warnings are in place across much of Queensland.
The “east coast low” forming near Fraser will create conditions similar to a low category cyclone for coastal communities between Cape Moreton and Sandy Cape.
HEAVY RAINS, FLOODING, LANDSLIDES, UNUSUAL & OUT-OF-SEASON WEATHER -
AUSTRALIA - Hundreds of people have fled rising floodwaters in Charleville and Roma after RECORD-BREAKING RAINS hit a swathe of southwest Queensland still officially gripped by drought. Disaster situations have been declared in the two towns. Up to two-thirds of all properties in Charleville are expected to be flooded as waters continue to rise in Bradley's Gully, which runs through the town. To Charleville's west, the opal town of Quilpie has received close to its YEARLY average rainfall in three days. All three communities have been officially drought declared for years - Charleville since 2003, Quilpie since 2002 and Roma since 2005. There's also been heavy rain across Queensland's southeast corner, causing localised flooding in Brisbane and on
the Gold and Sunshine Coasts. The Bureau of Meteorology continues to warn of flooding in the southwest and of flooding and damaging winds in coastal communities from the Gold Coast north to Hervey Bay. The deluge has been blamed on a monsoonal low that's dumped up to 165mm across the southwest. A second low sitting around Fraser Island has compounded the situation. Bedourie and Birdsville, in Queensland's far southwest, have also been hit by flooding and could be isolated for weeks.
FRANCE - Blame is being laid on weak and aged sea defences after violent storms left at least 50 dead and thousands homeless along France's Atlantic coast. Many died after the sea wall off the coastal town of L'Aiguillon-sur-Mer was breached, allowing 8m-high (26ft) waves
to crash through the streets. "Either we build (new) sea walls, in which case they need to be taller and taller... or we have to build further inland." The Atlantic storm, named Xynthia, smashed into the western coasts of France, Portugal and Spain on Sunday, with torrential rain driven by winds of up to 140km/h (87mph). The storm has since swept north-eastwards into Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands. and deaths have been reported in Portugal, Spain, Belgium and Germany. Nearly 10,000 emergency staff were working on the west coast on Monday morning, searching for and helping survivors. As many as nine people are thought to be missing. More than a million homes in France have lost electricity, from the Brittany peninsula in the west to the highlands of the Massif Central. Huge waves and strong gusts battered many coastal towns, flooding inland areas and destroying buildings.
UGANDA - About 30 people have been killed in a landslide in the mountainous eastern region of Bududa in Uganda. About 100 people are reported missing. Police and rescuers are reported to be heading to the area, which has recently experienced heavy rains.
The region often suffers from landslides but this is an UNUSUALLY high death toll.
EXTREME HEAT / WILDFIRES / DROUGHT / CLIMATE CHANGE-
AUSTRALIA - Climate experts say Perth's sweltering summer is the latest extreme weather event to hit Australia. The past three months - the DRIEST AND JOINT-HOTTEST ON RECORD for Perth - have followed a SERIES OF RECORD-BREAKING HEATWAVES that have hit Victoria and South Australia in the past 12 months, as well as extreme flooding that has lashed parts of Queensland and NSW. Perth's hot weather continued yesterday, with a maximum 39.1C recorded at 3.39pm. Experts say Perth's scorching summer should be filed under "freak weather" rather than be viewed as direct evidence of a shift in the climate. But this type of UNUSUALLY EXTREME WEATHER is predicted to become more commonplace as the climate warms.
The Bureau of Meteorology says February has been a month of extreme weather in the Northern Territory. Monsoon rain in the last five days has pushed rainfall totals to above average across parts of the Territory. The Darwin area recorded 70 millimetres of rain during the first three weeks of February, but recorded 429 millimetres by the month's end. Alice Springs area had the WETTEST FIEV-DAY PERIOD SINCE JANUARY 2001, recording a monthly total of 193 millimetres at the official weather station. "There have been WARMEST NIGHTS ON RECORD for the Darwin-Daly district." "The north coast was close to the driest February on record and Alice Springs east close to the wettest February on record and also had the WETTEST JANUARY AND FEBRUARY in some parts."So there have been quite a few extremes there."
SPACE WEATHER-
Old sunspot 1045 still has some life left in it. On March 1st, beginning at 2245 UT, magnetic fields around the much-decayed active region erupted for more than three hours. The eruption hurled a billion-ton CME away from the sun, but not toward Earth. The blast site is located on the sun's eastern limb where it faces away from our planet. This marks the fourth time in the past two days that a CME has billowed away from the sun without heading in our direction. Earth keeps dodging the bullet. (photo)
HEALTH THREATS -
Latest bird flu news from the Center for Infectious Disease Research & Policy.
HealthMap - Global disease alert map.
SWINE FLU BREAKING NEWS
Half of parentsconcerned about vaccine side effects.
Pandemic H1N1 flu hasn't ebbed as much as anticipated in Alabama, according to public health officials there. Although frequency was higher in the fall than it is currently, cases are still occurring across the state, and there were three deaths in February, a pattern unlike previous flu epidemics. The state ran a large school immunization program earlier in the winter, but school absences in the state remain higher than the typical 5%.
Pneumonia worse with H1N1 vs seasonal flu - Pandemic H1N1 flu virus has the intrinsic ability to cause more severe pneumonia than seasonal H1N1 flu This ability
is a key measure of a flu virus's pandemic potential.
