I will be back on track for updating at the end of this month - with every intention of regular updating in 2015. (My New Year's resolution!)
HAPPY HOLIDAYS EVERYONE!
Tuesday, December 2, 2014
**The best definition of man is: a being that goes on two legs and is ungrateful.**
Dostoevsky
LARGEST QUAKES so far today -
5.0 OFF W. COAST OF N. ISLAND, N.Z.
6.6 MORO GULF, MINDANAO, PHILIPPINES
5.8 CARLSBERG RIDGE
5.0 ICELAND
Yesterday, 12/1/14 -
5.4 CARLSBERG RIDGE
5.6 AUCKLAND ISLANDS, N.Z. REGION
5.3 ICELAND
5.0 MINDANAO, PHILIPPINES
5.1 CARLSBERG RIDGE
11/30/14 -
5.0 PALAU REGION
5.0 OFF E. COAST OF N. ISLAND, N.Z.
5.2 CARLSBERG RIDGE
5.0 NEAR N COAST OF NEW GUINEA, PNG.
11/29/14 -
5.7 MOLUCCA SEA
5.3 BABUYAN ISL REGION, PHILIPPINES
5.0 CARLSBERG RIDGE
5.2 OFFSHORE TARAPACA, CHILE
5.0 CARLSBERG RIDGE
5.0 CENTRAL ALASKA
11/28/14 -
5.1 MOLUCCA SEA
5.2 NEW BRITAIN REGION, P.N.G.
5.4 CARLSBERG RIDGE
5.2 CELEBES SEA
5.1 PANAMA-COLOMBIA BORDER REGION
5.0 CARLSBERG RIDGE
5.2 ANDAMAN ISLANDS, INDIA REGION
11/27/14 -
5.3 TONGA
5.0 KURIL ISLANDS
5.3 SOUTH SANDWICH ISLANDS REGION
5.3 CARLSBERG RIDGE
11/26/14 -
5.5 NORTHERN EAST PACIFIC RISE
5.1 NEW IRELAND REGION, P.N.G.
5.0 MOLUCCA SEA
5.0 MOLUCCA SEA
5.6 MOLUCCA SEA
5.1 MOLUCCA SEA
6.8 MOLUCCA SEA
5.2 CARLSBERG RIDGE
5.1 KURIL ISLANDS
11/25/14 -
5.3 NORTHERN COLOMBIA
5.3 TRISTAN DA CUNHA REGION
5.1 MOLUCCA SEA
5.6 WESTERN SICHUAN, CHINA
5.1 TARAPACA, CHILE
5.0 CARLSBERG RIDGE
11/24/14 -
5.6 BOUGAINVILLE REGION, P.N.G.
5.3 SIMEULUE, INDONESIA
5.2 ICELAND
VOLCANOES -
One of world's largest volcanoes erupts in Japan - A volcano in southern Japan blasted out chunks of magma Friday in the first such eruption in 22 years, causing flight cancellations and prompting warnings to stay away from its crater. Mount Aso spewed out lava debris and smoke, shooting plumes of ash a kilometer (3,280 feet) into the sky. Dozens of flights from Kumamoto, the nearest city, were canceled.
The observatory did not expect the eruption to increase in scale. Mount Aso, about 1,000 kilometers (625 miles) southwest of Tokyo on Kyushu island, is one of the world's largest. Earthquakes and other seismic activity stepped up in late August. Eruptions by another volcano, Mount Ontake, in Nagano west of Tokyo killed more than 50 people in late September. (photos at link)
Cape Verde volcano threatens to destroy villages, as government meets with U.N. officials. Molten rock from a thundering volcano threatens to engulf several villages in Cape Verde – days after its initial eruption. The active volcano, Pico do Fogo, is the archipelago’s highest peak on its most prominent island: Fogo, which means fire.
It burst open on November 23 for the first time since 1995 and has continued to erupt – prompting government officials to call for an emergency meeting with U.N. representatives and aid agencies. "In the last few hours, there was an increase in volcanic activity and the lava is flowing towards Portela and this community may be completely engulfed by lava. The potential is for the total destruction of Cha das Caldeiras, one of the most fertile regions of Cape Verde.”
A gigantic lake of black lava could be seen a few feet from homes in the village of Portela and the 1,200 residents of Cha das Caldeiras fled for emergency shelters. This was Pico do Fogo’s largest eruption since 1951. Witnesses have been shooting videos of the continuing eruptions.(photo & videos at link)
Iceland - There have been insubstantial changes to the volcanic eruption in Holuhraun over the last two weeks. Seismic activity in Bárðarbunga volcano under Vatnajökull glacier continues to be strong. The biggest earthquake since noon on Friday was of magnitude 4.5.
Twelve earthquakes larger then magnitude 4.0 were detected in Bárðarbunga over the weekend and about 200 earthquakes in total. About ten earthquakes were detected in the intrusive dike, connecting Bárðarbunga with Holuhraun, and around the eruption site since Friday. All of them were smaller than magnitude 1.0. The seismograph network is sensitive to wind, so fewer smaller earthquakes are detected during a storm like the one which hit Iceland Sunday.
TROPICAL STORMS -
* In the Western Pacific -
Tropical storm 22w (Hagupit), located approximately 484 nm south-southeast of Andersen AFB, Guam.
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Tropical Storm Hagupit,was just a low pressure area on Nov. 30, but warm waters and good atmospheric conditions allowed the storm to develop rapidly. By Dec. 1 the low pressure area strengthened into a tropical storm. Hagupit developed from low pressure area System 95W. On Nov. 30, the Joint Typhoon Warning Center was monitoring System 95W when it was a couple of hundred miles south of the island of Chuuk. Chuuk is an island and one of the four states of the Federated States of Micronesia, located in the western North Pacific Ocean.
By Dec. 1 at 0900 UTC (4 a.m. EST), the low pressure area had been designated as a tropical depression and was renamed Tropical Depression 22W. Six hours later, the storm had quickly intensified into Tropical Storm Hagupit as maximum sustained winds strengthened near 40 knots (46 mph/73 kph). At that time Hagupit was centered about 140 nautical miles south-southwest of Chuuk and was moving toward the west-northwest at 15 knots (17.2 mph/27.7 kph).
The forecast from JTWC calls for slow intensification of the tropical storm over the next day. Thereafter, the storm is expected to intensify rapidly because of improved upper-level atmospheric conditions and warm sea surface temperatures. The JTWC is forecasting Hagupit as a typhoon as its center passes just to the north of the island of Yap on Dec. 3 while continuing to move in a west-northwesterly direction.
There are several warnings and watches now in effect for Tropical Storm Hagupit. A tropical storm warning is in effect for Satawal in Yap state. A typhoon watch is in effect in Faraulep, Woleai, Fais and Ulithi in Yap state, and a tropical storm watch is in force in Puluwat in Chuuk state.
The 2014 Atlantic Hurricane Season Ends With Below-Average Activity - The 2014 Atlantic hurricane season is officially in the books, ending up with below average activity - 8 named storms: 6 hurricanes, 2 intense hurricanes.
SEVERE RAIN STORMS, FLOODING, LANDSLIDES -
Flooding in France claims five lives - Severe storms continue to batter the western Mediterranean, with damaging winds and torrential downpours. The latest has brought severe flooding to southern France, where five people have died, and thousands of people have been forced to evacuate their homes. (video)
Gaza floods: UN declares state of emergency - The United Nations has declared a state of emergency in the Gaza Strip after two days of heavy rain led to severe flooding. No casualties have been reported but hundreds of people have been evacuated and 63 schools are closed for the day in Gaza City.
Heavy rains which began on Wednesday hit the small territory at a difficult time, as thousands of Gazan families still live in communal shelters or the ruins of their own homes after recent conflict. In the Shejaiya neighbourhood, where air strikes during the recent conflict damaged many of the buildings, residents already face a cold winter without electricity or water.
"We are very concerned about such severe storms this early in the season and on the back of unprecedented damage and destruction caused by the recent conflict. We are particularly concerned for those families still seeking adequate shelter and preparing for the winter months, and for the impact the flooding is already having on children unable to attend school." (video & photos at link)
Fierce wind knocks out windows, power in Wyoming - Hurricane-force wind knocked out windows and electricity, topped a 40- foot spruce tree onto a visitor center and inconvenienced Black Friday shoppers in northwest Wyoming.Winds reached 82 mph in Cody and 117 mph in Clark, an unincorporated community of 300 about 40 miles east of Yellowstone National Park.
No damage was reported in Clark, which in certain weather conditions is known to get blasted by extremely strong wind out of the nearby Absaroka Mountains. In Cody, gusts the day after Thanksgiving toppled a 40- foot Colorado spruce onto a visitor center. Electricity cut out for a few hours in a neighborhood of about 100 homes. One home had two storm windows knocked out. The National Weather Service predicted strong winds would continue through the weekend as a storm system that dumped heavy snow on Jackson Hole and Yellowstone moved through the region.
California - Rains in the Malibu area have covered part of the Pacific Coast Highway in mud, rocks and debris from a former wildfire area and left about a dozen vehicles stranded. 10 to 15 vehicles were marooned Sunday afternoon in eastern Ventura County by several inches of mud and sharp rocks that damaged tires. A six-mile stretch of PCH was closed and expected to remain that way until Monday.
The troubles stood in contrast to the light-but-rare rains that fell on other Southern California cities. Just trace amounts of rain were recorded in Burbank and parts of Los Angeles' San Fernando Valley. Forecasters say the brunt of the storm isn't expected to reach Southern California until Tuesday, when 2 to 3 inches of rain could fall.
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