**A part of kindness consists in loving people more than they deserve.**
Joseph Joubert
LARGEST QUAKES so far today -
5.0 OFFSHORE COQUIMBO, CHILE
5.4 OFFSHORE COQUIMBO, CHILE
5.0 OFFSHORE COQUIMBO, CHILE
5.0 OFFSHORE COQUIMBO, CHILE
Yesterday, 9/17/15 -
5.0 OFFSHORE COQUIMBO, CHILE
5.6 OFFSHORE COQUIMBO, CHILE
5.4 OFFSHORE COQUIMBO, CHILE
5.1 OFFSHORE COQUIMBO, CHILE
5.1 OFFSHORE COQUIMBO, CHILE
5.2 COQUIMBO, CHILE
5.4 OFFSHORE COQUIMBO, CHILE
5.9 OFFSHORE VALPARAISO, CHILE
5.3 OFFSHORE VALPARAISO, CHILE
5.2 OFFSHORE COQUIMBO, CHILE
5.3 COQUIMBO, CHILE
5.1 OFFSHORE COQUIMBO, CHILE
5.5 NEAR EAST COAST OF KAMCHATKA
5.1 COQUIMBO, CHILE
5.0 NEW BRITAIN REGION, P.N.G.
5.5 OFFSHORE COQUIMBO, CHILE
5.2 OFFSHORE COQUIMBO, CHILE
5.2 OFFSHORE COQUIMBO, CHILE
5.1 OFFSHORE COQUIMBO, CHILE
5.5 OFFSHORE COQUIMBO, CHILE
5.4 COQUIMBO, CHILE
6.6 OFFSHORE COQUIMBO, CHILE
5.0 COQUIMBO, CHILE
5.4 OFFSHORE COQUIMBO, CHILE
6.5 COQUIMBO, CHILE
5.1 COQUIMBO, CHILE
5.0 NEW BRITAIN REGION, P.N.G.
5.0 OFFSHORE COQUIMBO, CHILE
6.1 COQUIMBO, CHILE
5.8 OFFSHORE COQUIMBO, CHILE
5.3 OFFSHORE COQUIMBO, CHILE
5.0 OFFSHORE COQUIMBO, CHILE
5.6 SAN LUIS, ARGENTINA
5.0 OFFSHORE COQUIMBO, CHILE
5.0 COQUIMBO, CHILE
5.3 OFFSHORE COQUIMBO, CHILE
9/16/15 -
5.8 OFFSHORE COQUIMBO, CHILE
7.0 COQUIMBO, CHILE
6.2 OFFSHORE COQUIMBO, CHILE
6.1 OFFSHORE COQUIMBO, CHILE
6.4 OFFSHORE COQUIMBO, CHILE
8.3 OFFSHORE COQUIMBO, CHILE
5.1 NEW BRITAIN REGION, P.N.G.
5.2 NEW BRITAIN REGION, P.N.G.
6.1 NEW BRITAIN REGION, P.N.G.
5.2 TAIWAN
5.0 KERMADEC ISLANDS, NEW ZEALAND
5.0 KASHMIR-XINJIANG BORDER REGION
6.3 MOLUCCA SEA
9/15/15 -
5.3 TAIWAN
5.0 SOUTHERN EAST PACIFIC RISE
9/14/15 -
5.0 FIJI REGION
5.0 SOUTH OF KERMADEC ISLANDS
5.0 OFFSHORE ANTOFAGASTA, CHILE
9/13/15 -
5.0 GULF OF CALIFORNIA
5.3 GULF OF CALIFORNIA
6.6 GULF OF CALIFORNIA
5.6 GULF OF CALIFORNIA
5.3 GULF OF CALIFORNIA
5.7 NORTH PACIFIC OCEAN
5.2 KERMADEC ISLANDS, NEW ZEALAND
5.7 MINAHASA, SULAWESI, INDONESIA
9/12/15 -
5.0 SULAWESI, INDONESIA
5.5 EASTERN NEW GUINEA REG., P.N.G.
5.8 SOUTH OF KERMADEC ISLANDS
5.2 SOUTH OF FIJI ISLANDS
5.4 HOKKAIDO, JAPAN REGION
5.0 MINAHASA, SULAWESI, INDONESIA
5.0 SAN JUAN, ARGENTINA
9/11/15 -
5.2 EASTERN NEW GUINEA REG., P.N.G.
5.4 EASTERN NEW GUINEA REG., P.N.G.
5.2 OFF COAST OF CHIAPAS, MEXICO
5.2 NEAR S. COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN
5.1 SOUTH OF KERMADEC ISLANDS
5.0 NEAR N COAST OF PAPUA, INDONESIA
9/10/15 -
5.9 FOX ISLANDS, ALEUTIAN ISLANDS
5.0 FIJI REGION
5.0 OFFSHORE SUCRE, VENEZUELA
9/9/15 -
5.3 HINDU KUSH REGION, AFGHANISTAN
5.1 SIMEULUE, INDONESIA
5.0 SOUTHERN EAST PACIFIC RISE
5.3 KURIL ISLANDS
5.5 SOUTH SANDWICH ISLANDS REGION
9/8/15 -
5.0 SOUTH OF KERMADEC ISLANDS
5.0 KURIL ISLANDS
5.0 SOUTH OF KERMADEC ISLANDS
5.5 SOUTH OF KERMADEC ISLANDS
5.5 OFF COAST OF CHIAPAS, MEXICO
5.8 SOUTH OF KERMADEC ISLANDS
5.3 SOUTH OF KERMADEC ISLANDS
9/7/15 -
5.2 SOUTH OF KERMADEC ISLANDS
5.9 SOUTH OF KERMADEC ISLANDS
5.0 SOUTH OF KERMADEC ISLANDS
6.3 SOUTH OF KERMADEC ISLANDS
5.8 SOUTH OF FIJI ISLANDS
5.0 STATE OF YAP, MICRONESIA
5.1 SOLOMON ISLANDS
9/6/15 -
5.0 IZU ISLANDS, JAPAN REGION
5.4 SOUTH OF FIJI ISLANDS
5.1 MARIANA ISLANDS REGION
9/5/15 -
5.1 SALTA, ARGENTINA
5.1 MID-INDIAN RIDGE
5.8 KURIL ISLANDS
5.2 ANDREANOF ISLANDS, ALEUTIAN IS.
5.1 ANDREANOF ISLANDS, ALEUTIAN IS.
5.0 ANDREANOF ISLANDS, ALEUTIAN IS.
5.6 ANDREANOF ISLANDS, ALEUTIAN IS.
5.3 ANDREANOF ISLANDS, ALEUTIAN IS.
5.1 ANDREANOF ISLANDS, ALEUTIAN IS.
9/4/15 -
5.5 RYUKYU ISLANDS, JAPAN
9/3/15 -
5.0 OFF EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN
5.6 OFF EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN
5.0 BIO-BIO, CHILE
5.5 MOLUCCA SEA
5.2 TONGA
9/2/15 -
5.0 OWEN FRACTURE ZONE REGION
5.7 CELEBES SEA
9/1/15 -
5.0 VANUATU REGION
5.1 CHIAPAS, MEXICO
5.1 KERMADEC ISLANDS REGION
5.4 TARAPACA, CHILE
6.0 IZU ISLANDS, JAPAN REGION
5.5 IZU ISLANDS, JAPAN REGION
5.3 TAIWAN
5.1 VANUATU REGION
5.5 JAVA, INDONESIA
5.4 AZERBAIJAN
8/31/15 -
5.0 MOLUCCA SEA
8.3-magnitude quake rattles north Chile - 1 million evacuate. Thousands of residents of the small city of Illapel in northern Chile slept outside Thursday after a powerful earthquake destroyed their homes.
Chile Sees Extensive Damage After Earthquake - Officials say at least 11 people are known dead and one million people have been evacuated from coastal towns to escape a tsunami.
Aerial footage shows Chile quake damage - Drone footage shows the damage caused by an earthquake in the Chilean town of Los Vilos.
8.3-magnitude quake was felt in places across South America. Authorities worked into the early hours Thursday assessing damage in several coastal towns that saw flooding from small tsunami waves set off by the quake.
The magnitude-8.3 quake hit off northern Chile on Wednesday night, causing buildings to sway in the capital of Santiago and prompting authorities to issue a tsunami warning for the Andean nation's entire Pacific coast. People sought safety in the streets of inland cities, while others along the shore took to their cars to get to higher ground. "Once again we must confront a powerful blow from nature."
Numerous aftershocks, including one at magnitude-7 and four above 6, shook the region after the initial earthquake — the strongest tremor since a powerful quake and tsunami killed hundreds in 2010 and leveled part of the city of Concepcion in south-central Chile. Although officials cautioned it was too early to know for sure, it appeared Wednesday's quake had a much smaller impact than the 2010 tremor. If that turns out to be the case, it will be a sign that Chile's traditionally strong risk reduction measures and emergency planning had gotten better in the last five years.
"Earthquake impact is a little like real estate: what matters is location, location, location. But it is true that preparedness and risk reduction in Chile is ahead of that in much of the world, and that makes a difference." The tremor was so strong that people in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on the other side of the continent, reported feeling it. People in Peru and Brazil also reported feeling the shakes. No injuries were reported outside Chile.
The shaking was powerful, but more worrisome was how long it lasted. "We went out in the street when we felt it was going on too long. It was more than a minute." Authorities said some adobe houses collapsed in the inland city of Illapel, about 175 miles (280 kilometers) north of Santiago and about 34 miles (55 kilometers) east of the quake's epicenter. Electricity was knocked out, leaving the city in darkness. "We are very scared. Our city panicked."
A magnitude-8.8 quake and ensuing tsunami in south-central Chile in 2010 killed more than 500 people, destroyed 220,000 homes, and washed away docks, riverfronts and seaside resorts. That quake released so much energy, it actually it shortened the Earth's day by a fraction of a second by changing the planet's rotation. The quake had huge ramifications, both political and practical, prompting the Andean nation to improve its alert systems for both quakes and tsunamis. While Wednesday's tremor was strong by any estimation, the 2010 quake was 5.6 times more powerful in terms of energy released.
Chile is one of the world's most earthquake-prone countries because just off the coast, the Nazca tectonic plate plunges beneath the South American plate, pushing the towering Andes cordillera to ever-higher altitudes. The strongest earthquake ever recorded on Earth happened in Chile — a magnitude-9.5 tremor in 1960 that killed more than 5,000 people.
Aftershocks of Chile's 8.3 quake hit port city Valparaiso – video. The earthquake that hit off Chile’s northern coast Wednesday night caused buildings and flagpoles to sway, and the tsunami alarms to sound in Valparaiso.
VOLCANOES -
Hawaii - Alert level for Mauna Loa volcano raised from normal to 'advisory,' but eruption not imminent. USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory scientists are closely monitoring recent signs of unrest on Mauna Loa, the largest active volcano on Earth.
Scientists Solve Mystery Of Earth's Longest Continental Volcano Chain - There's a gargantuan chain of volcanoes lurking beneath Australia's surface, and scientists have long been puzzled by how these volcanoes came to be, until now. The volcanoes stretch some 1,243 miles across the continent from Cape Hillsboro in central Queensland to near Melbourne in central Victoria. It's nearly three times the length of North America's Yellowstone volcanic track.
According to a new study, the earliest volcanoes in the chain formed 33 million years ago as the continent of Australia shifted northward over a so-called "hotspot," which is a mantle plume fed by hot rock that slowly made its way to the Earth's surface from about 1,864 miles underground. Surprisingly, the hotspot sits away from tectonic plate boundaries, where most volcanoes are found. The "hotspot" was responsible for all of the volcanic activity along the chain. When the plume reaches around 80 miles beneath Earth's surface it can melt, which makes the volcanic activity visible on land.
Catastrophic Volcanoes Blamed for Earth's Biggest Extinction - Geologists hauling hundreds of pounds of 250-million-year-old rocks from Siberia, through Russian and American customs, say luck was on their side. Not only did they successfully transport the huge haul, but they also may have confirmed the cause of Earth's worst mass extinction.
The culprit? Catastrophic volcanic eruptions that spewed enough lava to cover Australia led to the die-off at the end of the Permian era, the researchers found. That die-off occurred about 250 million years ago and was the greatest mass extinction in Earth's history; 90 percent of marine species and 75 percent of land dwellers were wiped off the face of the planet over the course of about 60,000 years.
"The main question we and many other research teams are trying to answer is, 'What causes mass extinction?'These events shape the evolutionary trajectory of life on our planet, and are thus some of the most important events to occur in the 600 million years that complex life has inhabited Earth."
Scientists knew that a key factor behind this disaster may have been one of the biggest continental volcanic eruptions on record. It occurred in what is now Siberia, currently called the Siberian Traps, and spewed out as much as 2.7 million square miles (7 million square kilometers) of lava. This magmatism, or movement of magma, may have injected massive amounts of global warming gases into the atmosphere, wreaking havoc on the environment. These eruptions also led to acid rain that may at times have made the ground as acidic as lemon juice.
The scientists found that the eruptions started about 300,000 years before the mass extinction, continued during the die-off and lasted for at least 500,000 years after species stopped dying off. Most of the lava, about two-thirds of the total, spewed out before and during the mass extinction. One important question remains: Why did the mass extinction occur over tens of thousands of years even though the eruptions stretched over hundreds of thousands of years? That could be due to at least a couple of reasons. Perhaps a specific cluster of eruptions was key to the mass extinction, or the die- off only happened after a critical amount of lava was spewed.
TSUNAMI -
Tsunami alert as Chile hit by powerful earthquake - The powerful 8.3 magnitude earthquake hit central Chile, causing buildings to sway in the capital Santiago and prompting officials to issue a tsunami alert.
The Chile Earthquake’s First Tsunami Waves Strike - A tide gauge less than 100 miles from the quake's epicenter has logged wave heights in excess of 14 feet.
Tsunami advisory for Hawaii, California after Chile quake - The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center had originally issued a watch for Hawaii, saying a tsunami may have been generated by Wednesday's earthquake. They later downgraded the alert to an advisory, saying that current data indicated there would be no major tsunami in the state, but that sea-level changes and dangerous currents could pose a threat to those in or near the water.The center estimated that the effects from the tsunami would arrive in Hawaii about 3 a.m. (6 a.m. PDT) Thursday. A similar advisory was issued for southern and central California. The resulting surge was no higher than 13 inches.
After the 8.3 magnitude temblor hit Chile on Wednesday, tsunami waves of 15 feet were observed at Coquimbo, Chile, while Valparaiso and Quintero saw waves of about 6 feet. Between 3- and 10-foot waves could arrive in French Polynesia. Waves between 1 foot and 3 feet were possible along some coasts in Mexico, Ecuador, Japan, Russia and New Zealand.
New Zealand - Where the tsunami waves from the chile quake have hit the New Zealand coast.
Study Finds Greater Tsunami Risk From Southern California Quake - Californians may be used to hearing about the threat of potentially deadly earthquakes, but a new study finds that quake-triggered tsunamis pose a greater risk to Southern California than previously thought.
Tsunamis are monster waves that can reach more than 100 feet (30 meters) high. They are often caused by earthquakes; the 2004 Banda Aceh earthquake and tsunami killed about 250,000 people, while the 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami that struck offshore of Japan killed about 20,000 people and triggered a nuclear disaster. Tsunamis increase in size as the depth of water in which they occur decreases. Since water depth is usually shallow near coastlines, tsunamis can grow as they approach land, becoming particularly dangerous along heavily populated coastlines, such as those in Southern California,
Are American Cities Prepared For Massive Tsunamis? - Is Los Angeles ready for a massive tsunami? How about Honolulu or Seattle? It's possible that a tsunami could hit the East Coast. But it's cities along the Pacific Ocean's "Ring of Fire" that are most at risk.
Hawaii is constantly threatened by tsunamis that originate far away. Those big waves can be deadly for some swimmers and boaters, but overall they're not the stuff of natural disaster nightmares. More dangerous are local or "near-field" tsunamis triggered by powerful nearby quakes. Think of the deadly Indian Ocean tsunami in 2004 that contributed to more than 230,000 deaths. Coastal towns in Washington and Oregon run the highest risk of encountering these disasters. California and Alaska are also at risk.
Last month, a study found that an earthquake off the coast of Southern California could send a 23- foot-high wave more than a mile inland into the cities of Ventura and Oxnard. Near-field tsunamis are the real danger. They can sometimes hit within 10 to 15 minutes, too quickly for local governments to do much but give emergency responders a heads-up.
These tsunamis do, however, come with natural warnings. "In Chile, they actually teach in school: If the shaking is strong enough to throw you to the ground, the minute you can get up, run for high ground." In most areas of the United States, able-bodied people should be able to walk to a safe area within 10 minutes. The problem? Not everyone knows where those areas are.
TROPICAL STORMS -
* In the Western Pacific -
Typhoon 20w (Krovanh) is located approximately 141 nm southeast of Iwo To, Japan.
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High 90 percent chance of cyclone between Cape Verde, Lesser Antilles in the next 48 hours, the U.S. National Hurricane Center said on Wednesday. Another low pressure system, located about 350 miles southwest of the southernmost Cape Verde Islands, has a high 70 percent chance of becoming a tropical cyclone in the next two days.
Grace, 7th tropical storm of the season - The seventh named tropical storm of the eastern Atlantic hurricane season formed several hundred miles from the Cape Verde Islands September 5.
At 21 days and counting, Kilo to rank among LONGEST-LIVED TROPICAL CYCLONES ON RECORD - Typhoon Kilo, already the longest-lived tropical cyclone on on Earth so far this year, was well on its way to ending among the longest-lived on record at the end of last week.
Kilo formed from a cluster of thunderstorms way back on Aug. 20, as a tropical depression south of Hawaii. Since then the storm strengthened to a very strong hurricane, the westernmost in a trio of Category 4s, marking THE FIRST TIME THREE STORMS OF THAT INTENSITY SPUN SIMULTANEOUSLY in the northeast Pacific Ocean since satellite records began in the 1960s.
Then on Sept. 1, Hurricane Kilo crossed west over the international dateline and became a typhoon. East of the international dateline, Pacific Ocean cyclones are managed by NOAA’s Central Pacific Hurricane Center, which calls tropical cyclones “hurricanes.” The western side is monitored by the Joint Typhoon Warning Center, where tropical cyclones are called “typhoons.”
Amazingly, Kilo had tracked nearly 4,000 miles over its 21-day existence. On average, storms that develop in the eastern Pacific Ocean have a life of about six days. 24 days as a tropical cyclone is far from the longest on record, but solidly in the top five longest- lived tropical cyclones that formed in the eastern Pacific Ocean, and the top 10 longest-lived cyclones in any basin.
The record-longest tropical cyclone on Earth was Hurricane (Typhoon) John in 1994, which lasted an incredible 31 days on its westward journey across the Pacific — similar to Kilo’s track. Typhoon Kilo will end about a week short of John’s impressive record, but will likely snag the title of third- longest Eastern Pacific tropical cyclone on record.
SEVERE RAIN STORMS, FLOODING, LANDSLIDES -
Utah - Nine people have been confirmed dead and four others are still missing after two vehicles were swept away during flash flooding in a small polygamous Utah town. Three women and 13 children were in an SUV and a van on their way to watch the floods in the community of Hildale on Monday evening when a wall of water and debris swept them several hundred yards downstream.
'Once-in-a-century' flood - Flash floods are common in the small polygamous town of Hildale, Utah, but the volume and pace of Monday's rain was a "100-YEAR EVENT'. The torrent of water killed 12 people in this small town that straddles the state’s border with Arizona, as floods swept them away in their cars. The storm climax lasted about a half hour, pouring 1-1/2 inches of rain into a desert-like landscape with little vegetation and steep slopes. The Associated Press described the flooding as “like a bucket of water being poured onto a rock — it slid right off and began running downstream, picking up sediment to create the forceful, muddy mess that rushed through the city.”
Utah - Some of 7 killed in flash flooding new to climbing canyons. Rescuers traversed a 100-foot drop into a rugged section of Zion National Park on Thursday to find the last of seven hikers killed when fast-moving floodwaters rushed through a narrow Utah canyon.
RECORD SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA RAIN swamped roads, swelled rivers. A record-breaking storm slammed parched Southern California on Tuesday, cutting off power to thousands and jamming traffic.
Central Florida could see up to 11 inches of rain - With more rain in the Central Florida forecast, a flood watch is issued for coastal counties.
Japan hit by flooding and landslides, September 10 - Tens of thousands of people abandoned their homes and the city of Joso was flooded as heavy rain continued to fall in northeast Japan.
Video - House dragged away by flood.
Flooding in pictures .
Japan hit by second day of heavy rain, flooding and landslides - Heavy rain pummeled Japan last Thursday for a second straight day, flooding hundreds of homes and causing landslides that left one person missing. Tokyo was drenched overnight, but the hardest-hit area Thursday was north of the capital in Ibaraki and Tochigi prefectures.
Bullet train service was partially suspended, and muddy raging rivers flooded some neighborhoods and streets. Japanese television footage showed abandoned vehicles and pedestrians wading through ankle- and knee-deep water. The rain followed Tropical Storm Etau, which caused similar flooding and landslides Wednesday as it crossed central Japan. The Fire and Disaster and Management Agency said 15 people were injured, two seriously, both elderly women who were knocked over by strong winds.
Video - Officials monitor expanding Russian sinkhole - As of September 5, a crater in Russia, which emerged 10 months ago has tripled in size to become a 120m-wide sinkhole. The sinkhole, near the town of Solikamsk, is believed to have been caused by flood erosion in an underground mine. The collapsing soil has already claimed a number of holiday homes, but officials say local people are not in danger.
Kentucky, 2003 - Lightning struck 800,000 gallons of Whiskey, caused Epic Firenado. In footage The Weather Channel broadcast last Thursday, a Jim Beam factory in Kentucky received an extra spark to their bourbon after lightning struck the plant back in 2003.
EXTREME HEAT & DROUGHT / WILDFIRES -
California - video. The massive Rough Fire is now 67% contained after days of cooler weather and some rain.
Blaze destroys 233 Sierra Nevada foothills homes - The latest on wildfires raging in drought- stricken California. The blaze in Amador and Calaveras Counties has charred more than 112 square miles and was 40 percent contained on Tuesday. It is still threatening another 6,400 structures. Forecasters say Northern California weather conditions were changing and the area could see some precipitation Wednesday.
Death toll in Northern California wildfires jumps to five - Two more bodies were found in areas scorched by one of the two devastating wildfires raging in Northern California for the past week, raising the death toll to 5.
Unseasonal sandstorm swept across Mideast - An unseasonal sandstorm swept across the Mideast last Tuesday, blanketing Beirut and Damascus, causing the deaths of at least five people and sending hundreds of others to hospitals with breathing difficulties.
Reduced visibility prompted the Syrian government to call off airstrikes against rebel fighters and threatened planned protests by Lebanese activists over the government's inability to deal with the country's rampant trash crisis. The storm also hit Jordan, Israel and Egypt. In Jordan, schools shut down or cut their days short.
In Syria, three people in the central Hama province died from the sandstorm and said there were more than 3,500 cases of people with breathing difficulties across several provinces. The sandstorm reached Beirut on Tuesday, a day after it engulfed eastern Lebanon's Bekaa Valley. People, especially those with health issues, were advised to stay indoors while many of those who ventured onto the streets donned surgical masks.
The Lebanese Health Ministry said 750 people suffered breathing problems across the country, and that two women died because of the sandstorm. Airport officials reported some flight delays. "It is unbelievable. This must be some test," said a Damascus resident. "It's hot. Temperatures are high and above that we have this dusty weather! It is something beyond reasonable. Enough please!" Hospitals in the town of al-Mayadeen in the northern province of Deir el-Zour ran out of oxygen cylinders and were unable to take in more patients.
'GLOBAL WEIRDNESS' / CLIMATE CHANGE -
Israel Hit with Extreme and UNUSUAL Weather on Jewish New Year. “It Felt Like the Apocalypse”.
As Jews across Israel celebrated the Jewish New Year of Rosh Hashana earlier this week, parts of the country were hit with extreme flash flooding and, in some areas, hail, in an unusual change of weather. “It felt like the apocalypse, the rain has been torrential, there were about 10 lightning strikes in seconds, and even with your windshield wipers on high, it was impossible to see anything.”
Since the beginning of September, Israel has experienced a series of extreme weather changes, beginning last week with a sudden sandstorm that blanketed the country in thick yellow dust. The RECORD SETTING FIVE-DAY DUST STORM was also accompanied by a heat-wave, with NEW TEMPERATURE AND AIR POLLUTION RECORDS reached across Israel. Last week’s sandstorm is reported to be the WORST TO HIT THE REGION IN ISRAEL'S HISTORY. As the dust finally dissipated, it was only to be replaced with freak rainstorms and flash flooding in the Arava and Judean deserts.
Israel’s meteorological service issued flash flood warnings Tuesday, even going so far as to close the Eilat Airport, grounding domestic flights until the late evening. The flash floods led to road closures in from the central region of Mitzpe Rimon all the way just north of Eilat. The extreme change in weather also caused parts of southern Israel and the Galilee to be hit by a RARE hail storm. Witnesses reported hail the size of ice cubes.
“The Environmental Protection Ministry reported that in several parts of the country, air pollution levels were at their worst in the country’s 75-year history. Air pollution in Jerusalem was 173 times higher than average, 51 times higher in the Negev, and 32 times higher in the Galilee.” More than 600 people were treated for conditions “related to the weather,” the report said of the storm, which also affected Lebanon, Syria, Egypt and Cyprus.
The weather “confused scientists and meteorologist[s], who were caught by surprise by the UNPRECEDENTED PHENOMENON.” In July in Iran, the city of Bandar Mahshahr recorded a heat index of 164 degrees. From bugs to earthquakes to fires to winds to rain to smoke to heat, there are reports of extremes around the globe, too.
NASA Says Three Feet of Sea Level Rise Is Unavoidable - Ocean levels around the world have risen about three inches since 1992 thanks to warming temperatures owing to the burning of fossil fuels. Now, new NASA research shows sea levels will likely rise three feet in the coming decades, and it’s too late to do anything about it.
The findings are based on satellite data that looked at sea levels, the amount of heat that’s already stored in the oceans, and how much water is being added by melting ice sheets in the Arctic and Antarctica. “It’s pretty certain we are locked into at least three feet of sea-level rise, and probably more. But we don’t know whether it will happen within a century or somewhat longer.”
The three-foot figure is at the high end of what the United Nations’ Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change predicted two years ago, when it estimated one to three feet of sea-level rise by 2100. Even if the high point of sea-level rise is still a century out, the effects of encroaching seas will be felt much sooner. Low-lying areas such as Bangladesh’s capital, Dhaka, with a population of 14 million, could experience regular river floods within the next two decades. That would leave portions of the city completely inundated. For New Orleans, a city still picking up the pieces from Hurricane Katrina, NASA’s predictions raise concerns about whether projects to protect the city from future floods underestimate sea-level rise.
If the new normal means three feet of sea-level rise, hundreds of millions of people living in coastal regions will feel the effects first as increasingly destructive storms—like Sandy and Katrina—trigger frequent floods that could wipe out millions of homes and billions of dollars’ worth of infrastructure.
Oceans have risen steadily on the East Coast of the United States, but on the West Coast, they have dropped about three inches over the past 20 years. Climate scientists attribute the phenomenon to a weather pattern called the Pacific Decadal Oscillation. “But this is a temporary thing. We’re going to see sea-level rise on the West Coast sometime over the next 20 years, and we’ll probably see faster-than-average sea-level rise, so we have to be prepared.” Temperature increases account for at least one-third of the world’s sea-level rise. The oceans, which cover 70 percent of the Earth’s surface, absorb much of that heat.
“When heat goes under the ocean, it expands just like mercury in a thermometer." That expansion means more mass for the ocean and a higher sea level overall. Rising temperatures from the burning of fossil fuels are also melting the polar ice sheets at an accelerating rate, which contributes to most of the sea-level increase.
Giant Arctic Mosquitoes That Are Thriving in a Changing Climate - The Arctic mosquito, a larger, furrier version of the ubiquitous pests, are getting a longer breeding season as Arctic ponds warmed earlier in the year, researchers have found.
Frozen Giant Virus Still Infectious After 30,000 Years - It's 30,000 years old and still ticking: A giant virus recently discovered deep in the Siberian permafrost reveals that huge ancient viruses are much more diverse than scientists had ever known. They're also potentially infectious.
HEALTH THREATS -
RECALLS & ALERTS
WHO finds possible cancer link to mosquito insecticide - A new report from the World Health Organization has found possible cancer links to popular weed killers commonly used by Canadian farmers and across the world. The report also found that an insecticide used to ward off mosquitos could contribute to the development of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and prostate cancer. Malathion, glyphosate - more commonly known as Roundup – as well as diazinon, were classified as "probably carcinogenic to humans."
In March, 17 experts from 11 countries met to discuss the relationship between five different insecticides and herbicides – glyphosate, malathion, diazinon, tetrachlorvinphos and parathion - and cancer in humans. Malathion is used regularly in Winnipeg to fend off pesky mosquitos. Chemical fogging was adopted by the city in 2005 to combat the spread of the West Nile virus. Even though the practice was established in many other places, Winnipeg is the last Canadian city that continues to use the insecticide as part of an ongoing program.
Glyphosate is one of the most common agricultural herbicides in the world, and is used by the farmers across Canada. The popular weed killer is sold over the counter under the name Roundup. The researchers state that there is "limited evidence" that malathion could contribute to development of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and prostate cancer. They cite studies from the U.S., Canada and Sweden on human exposure.
The research also points to past studies conducted on rodents, which connected malathion to the growth of tumours. The insecticide causes "chromosomal damage" and disrupts "hormone pathways." Debate about its use has raged in the city for more than a decade. Critics have long argued that the chemical sprayed into the air to kill adult mosquitos was instead hurting humans. "It's really something that needed to stop 10 years ago."
Glyphosate caused "DNA and chromosomal damage" in humans. In response to WHO's findings, the multinational agrochemical and biotechnology company Monsanto said that researchers "disregarded dozens of scientific studies that support the conclusion that glyphosate is not a human health risk."
Health Canada's policy is to re-evaluate pesticides on a 15-year-basis to ensure products meet current scientific standards. Diazinon is currently being phased-out because of safety concerns. However, glyphosate and malathion remain classified as safe.
Deadly Legionnaires' disease outbreak in New York City, Illinois and California.
San Diego firm recalls cucumbers after salmonella outbreak - A California company is recalling its cucumbers after a salmonella outbreak that has sickened 285 people in 27 states and killed a San Diego woman. [Site note - This one got me. Came down ill after eating a salad with cucumbers the day before I saw this report.]
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