(Sorry for the lack of updates, had some computer issues when I got back.)
LARGEST QUAKES -
This morning -
5.4 ANTOFAGASTA, CHILE
Yesterday -
5/3/10 -
5.3 SULAWESI, INDONESIA
6.2 OFFSHORE BIO-BIO, CHILE
5.0 OFFSHORE BIO-BIO, CHILE
5.5 SOUTH OF ALASKA
6.1 IZU ISLANDS, JAPAN REGION
5/2/10 -
5.1 ANDREANOF ISLANDS, ALEUTIAN IS.
6.0 LIBERTADOR O'HIGGINS, CHILE
5.0 FIJI REGION
5.3 NEAR EAST COAST OF KAMCHATKA
5/1/10 -
5.5 SAIPAN REG., N. MARIANA ISLANDS
5.0 OWEN FRACTURE ZONE REGION
5.0 SUMBAWA REGION, INDONESIA
5.1 SOUTH SANDWICH ISLANDS REGION
5.0 VANUATU
4/30/10 -
6.3 BERING SEA
6.5 BERING SEA
4/29/10 -
5.0 SULAWESI, INDONESIA
5.8 WESTERN INDIAN-ANTARCTIC RIDGE
5.0 OFFSHORE BIO-BIO, CHILE
5.0 OFFSHORE BIO-BIO, CHILE
5.0 VANUATU
CALIFORNIA - Since the start of this year, Los Angeles has experienced 70 small quakes. That is more than in the last two years combined. Nothing to worry about, say the experts.
VOLCANOES -
ICELAND - Flights in and out of Northern Ireland and the Irish Republic have resumed after being grounded for several hours owing to a fresh volcanic ash threat. Services were cancelled but restarted after it was confirmed the ash had dispersed. Ash is drifting from the same Icelandic volcano that caused flights to be halted for six days in April. In the rest of the UK, schedules are operating as normal. The CAA warned that the situation remained "very dynamic". Winds from the north could cause further problems later in the week. Hundreds of flights have been affected. (map)
TROPICAL STORMS -
No current tropical cyclones.
HEAVY RAINS, SEVERE STORMS, FLOODING, LANDSLIDES -
TENNESSEE, MISSISSIPPI, KENTUCKY - At least 27 people were killed in three southern states over the weekend. Seventeen people were killed in Tennessee, most of them drowning in flash floods, while the others died in Mississippi and Kentucky. Parts of Nashville, Tennessee, have been evacuated after a levee protecting the southern city sprang a leak. Nashville landmarks like the Country Music Hall of Fame and the symphony centre are surrounded by water. In Nashville, more than 13in (33cm) of rain fell over two days, almost doubling the previous rainfall record. Hickman county, to the east of Nashville, requested large quantities of water after their waste water and water treatment plants broke down. "This situation is going to require a very large recovery process. The safety of some of our infrastructure is questionable."
In Mississippi, where tornados killed 10 people nine days ago, driving rains and more tornados tore through farming regions damaging homes and destroying crops. "The month of May started off with numerous storms which caused major damage and took the lives of six people." Reports of damage continue to roll in. The Red Cross and Salvation Army evacuated dozens of people from their homes to area shelters.
In Tennessee, two days of driving rain have caused widespread flooding, forcing scores to evacuate homes and businesses. At least two more people were listed as missing. Thousands of homes were flooded and entire neighbourhoods submerged across the state.
President Obama signed a disaster declaration for Alabama, releasing federal aid to help recovery efforts in two counties damaged by tornados and flooding. No weather-related casualties have been reported in Alabama.
The National Weather Service has forecast more severe weather for the next few days in the region, with several rivers at or near flood stage and nearby areas under flood warnings.
EXTREME HEAT / WILDFIRES / DROUGHT / CLIMATE CHANGE -
UGANDA - The ice cap on Uganda's highest peak has split because of global warming. The glacier is located at an altitude of 5,109m (16,763ft) in the Rwenzori mountain range, near the border with the Democratic Republic of Congo. The authorities say a crevasse has blocked access to the Margherita summit - the third-highest peak in Africa, and a popular destination with climbers. Scientists say glaciers in the Rwenzori range could disappear within 20 years. A team has been sent to the mountain to assess the extent of damage on the route to Margherita. According to researchers, the ice cap covered 6 sq km (2 sq miles) 50 years ago. It is now less than 1 sq km. The mountain range, which is one of the few places near the equator to have glaciers, was declared a Unesco World Heritage site in 1994. (photo)
SPACE WEATHER -
A high-speed solar wind stream hit Earth's magnetic field on May 2nd, sparking a geomagnetic storm that lasted more than 15 hours. Red auroras spilled across the Canadian border and were spotted in several US states. NOAA forecasters estimate a 45% chance of continued geomagnetic activity over the next 24 hours.
The sun is peppered with spots today. These sunspot groups are not big, but they are remarkably numerous. The last time five such groups appeared simultaneously was more than four years ago -- before the Great Solar Minimum of 2008-2009. Slowly but surely, it seems, the sun is coming back to life.
