In the town of Lonquimay, around 350 miles south of the capital Santiago, more than 6,500 people were trapped in their homes after snow piled up to 2.3 metres (7ft 6ins), while in surrounding rural areas it was reported to have reached 9ft. The sub-zero temperatures froze pipes leaving many residents without water while even fuel in car's petrol tanks had become frozen.
is a revolutionary act.**
George Orwell
LARGEST QUAKES -
This morning -
5.0 OFFSHORE TARAPACA, CHILE
Yesterday -
7/23/11 -
6.4 NEAR EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN
5.0 OFFSHORE TARAPACA, CHILE
5.0 GUAM REGION
5.4 GUAM REGION
5.3 ALASKA PENINSULA
5.2 SOUTH OF FIJI ISLANDS
5.5 SAN JUAN, ARGENTINA
7/22/11 -
5.6 GUAM REGION
5.2 WEST CHILE RISE
5.0 NEAR COAST OF NICARAGUA
5.0 ALASKA PENINSULA
6.0 FIJI REGION
Canary Islands government monitors El Hierro earthquake swarm - The Canary Islands Government has said it is monitoring an earthquake swarm on the small island of El Hierro where in excess of 400 tremors of low magnitude have been recorded in the past four days.
On Friday, the Ministry of Economy, Finance and Government Security Canary convened the first ever meeting of the Steering Committee and Volcanic Monitoring, reflected in the Specific Plan Protection Civil and Emergency for Volcanic Risk, given what it described “the significant increase in seismic activity”.
“According to data provided by the seismic monitoring station IGN’s located in Valverde, one can conclude that from noon on July 17 there has been a significant increase of low magnitude seismic activity in the municipality of Border of the island of El Hierro."
El Hierro, a 278.5 km2 island, is situated in the most southwestern extreme of the Canaries. The origins of the island date back some 100 million years. After three successive eruptions, and consequent accumulations, the island emerged from the ocean as an imposing triangular pyramid crowned by a volcano more than 2,000 metres high. The volcanic activity, principally at the convergence of the three ridges, resulted in the continual expansion of the island. A mere 50,000 years ago, as a result of seismic tremors which produced massive landslides, a giant piece of the island cracked off, crashed down into the ocean and scattered along the seabed. This landslide of more than 300km3 caused a tsunami that most likely rose over 100 metres high and probably reached as far as the American coast.
“Although over 200 years have elapsed since the last eruption, El Hierro has the largest number of volcanoes in the Canaries with over 500 open sky cones, another 300 covered by the most recent outflows, and some 70 caves and volcanic galleries, notably the Don Justo cave whose collection of channels surpasses 6km in length.” (maps)
VOLCANOES -
ALASKA - Aleutian volcano showing signs of impending eruption. Based on satellite data showing "thermal anomalies," the Alaska Volcano Observatory has issued an eruption advisory for Cleveland Volcano, located in the Aleutian Chain about 45 miles west of Nikolski and about 150 miles west of Unalaska/Dutch Harbor. The advisory means the volcano could erupt at any moment with little further warning. The volcano lacks a seismic network, so observers are monitoring it as best they can via satellite, but if it blows, it could disrupt major air traffic routes. The volcano's most recent significant eruption began in February, 2001 and it produced 3 explosive events that produced ash clouds as high as 12 km (39,000 ft) above sea level and produced a rubbly lava flow and hot avalanche that reached the sea.
Lava only a few yards away from overflowing Pu'u O'o Volcano in Hawaii - The active Pu'u O'o vent on the east rift of Hawaii's Kilauea volcano is just about to overflow. The lava lake within the Halema'uma'u Overlook vent dropped for a few days last weekend, in tandem with a brief deflation of Kilauea's summit.
Volcano eruption continues in E. Russia - Plumes of ash and hot gas jetting out of Kizimen volcano on Russian Kamchatka Peninsula have spread more than 15 km eastward as eruption continues. Giant columns of steam and ash shot up to 500 meters above the crater.
Local tourism feels full brunt of Chilean volcano - The 100 million tonnes of pyroclastic ash and rock spewed by an Andean volcano has meant hundreds of millions of dollars in losses for communities more accustomed to profiting from the dramatic mountain landscape. Airline-industry losses may top $50 million.
TROPICAL STORMS -
-Tropical storm DORA LOSING ORGANIZATION OVER COLD PACIFIC WATERS OFF THE COAST O F MEXICO.
Ma-On Rains Put Japan On Flood And Landslide Alert - Japanese officials have blamed Tropical Storm Ma-on for more than 50 injuries and at least one death on Friday. Authorities warned residents to remain alert for floods and landslides as Ma-on moved off.
A potential cyclone expected to enter Philippine territory early next week is not likely to make landfall and may head for Taiwan instead.
EXTREME HEAT & DROUGHT / WILDFIRES / CLIMATE CHANGE -
Heatwave breaks records in parts of US and Canada - The mercury in Newark, New Jersey, reached 108F (42C) on Friday, the HIGHEST EVER RECORDED IN THE CITY. In Canada, an extreme heat alert remained in effect, a day after two dozen cities and towns broke their previous single-day heat records. At least 22 deaths have been blamed on the heat.
Across the US alone, where nearly half of the population was under a heat advisory, more than 220 heat records have tumbled. Airports near Washington and Baltimore hit 40.5C (105F); Boston 39.5C (103F); Portland, Maine, and Concord, New Hampshire, 38.5C (101F); and Providence, Rhode Island, 38C (100F).
Philadelphia - where bathers at public swimming pools were asked to leave every half hour to allow a new crowd to enjoy a cooling dip - saw temperatures of 40C (104F). New York City also hit 40C, just a degree short of its all-time high, although with the oppressive humidity, it felt like 45C (113F). Several hundred homes and businesses in New York were hit with temporary blackouts. Voltage was reduced in several neighbourhoods in the city and suburbs to keep underground cables from overheating.
On Friday, the medical examiner's office in Chicago listed heat stress or heat stroke as the cause of death for seven people. An 18-year-old landscape gardener who died on Thursday night in Louisville, Kentucky, had a temperature of 43C (110F). In Canada, temperature records were broken in two dozen cities across Ontario and Quebec on Thursday, including THE HOTTEST EVER JULY TEMPERATURE IN TORONTO, at 37.9C (100.2F). Officials in the central state of Missouri say 13 people have died, and there have also been fatalities in neighbouring Oklahoma, including a three-year-old boy. In the south, more than three-quarters of Texas is suffering from drought amid the worst dry spell in the state for decades. "This is an exceptionally strong ridge of high pressure that really has an exceptional scope and duration."
SPACE WEATHER -
ELECTRON WARNING: - Analysts at the GSFC Space Weather Lab report elevated levels of energetic electrons around Earth. This is caused by the high-speed solar stream now blowing around our planet. Spacecraft with orbits passing through or in the vicinity of the Earth's outer radiation belt could be affected by these charged particles.
