Magnitude 5+ Earthquakes – Global
5.2 Earthquake hits the Scotia Sea.
5.2 Earthquake hits the Kuril Islands.
5.1 Earthquake hits the Carlsberg ridge.
5.0 Earthquake hits the Carlsberg ridge.
5.0 Earthquake hits Mindanao in the Philippines.
Storms and Floods
Tropical Storms – Roundup of Tropical Storms:
In the North Atlantic: Post-Tropical Cyclone Nicole is located about 640 mi…1030 km E of Cape Race Newfoundland with maximum sustained winds…65 mph…100 km/h. Present movement…NNE or 30 degrees at 31 mph…50 km/h.
Invest 99L is an area of disturbed weather in the North Atlantic that has the potential for further tropical development.
In the Eastern Pacific: Invest 99E is an area of disturbed weather in the East Pacific that has the potential for further tropical development.
In the Western Pacific: Tropical Storm 24w (Sarika), located approximately 250 nm east-southeast of Hanoi, Vietnam, is tracking west-northwestward at 09 knots.
Super Typhoon 25w (Haima), located approximately 558 nm east of Manila, Philippines, is tracking west-northwestward at 15 knots.
Newsbytes:
Papua New Guinea – Flooding in the lower Wautut area of the Morobe province has killed four people while three others are still missing. The flood victims are from Pararura village, several kilometres from Lae City. A bridge over the Busu river linking the inland areas of the Nawaeb District has also been severely damaged preventing vehicle access.
Philippines – Typhoon Karen, which lashed many areas in Luzon over the weekend, caused flooding in several provinces and a landslide in a town in Camarines Sur. Meanwhile, heavy rains brought leg-deep flood in some parts of Guiguinto, Bulacan, with water entering many residential houses there. Heavy rains caused near zero visibility in Hermosa, Bataan, also bringing leg-deep flood in some barangays.
Vietnam, Update – Vietnam lifted the death toll Monday from flooding brought by torrential rains to at least 25 and was bracing for the arrival of Typhoon Sarika.
Global Warming
Great Barrier Reef – Australia’s Coral Ecosystem Dying But Not Yet Dead
The Great Barrier Reef is in serious trouble. Despite being under severe stress like most other coral structures around the world, however, the coral ecosystem spanning 1,400 miles off Australia’s coast is not yet dead.
In response to reports that the vast ecosystem is dead, scientists said that the world’s largest coral reef system may be dying but it is not yet dead.
Last week, food and travel writer Rowan Jacobsen wrote a tongue-in-cheek obituary for Australia’s famed network of reefs on Outside Magazine that generated responses from news outlets and social media users, many of whom mourned for the supposed passing of what is considered as the largest living thing on Earth.
“The Great Barrier Reef of Australia passed away in 2016 after a long illness. It was 25 million years old,” Jacobsen wrote.
It is undeniable that the Great Barrier Reef is on life support. A comprehensive reef survey has showed that 93 percent of the reef network is affected by bleaching putting it at risk of extinction. Bleaching happens when corals are subjected to extreme stress such as changes in conditions like light, nutrients and temperature, which cause the corals to expel symbiotic algae from their tissue and in turn cause them to turn white.
Rising water systems primarily driven by climate change is widely attributed for the damages on the Great Barrier Reef.
Scientists, however, are worried that the over-exaggeration of the state of the reef may promote the idea that it is already past the point of recovery. Although most parts of the Great Barrier Reef have been affected by bleaching, not all have died and scientists hope that large areas of the ecosystem will recover. Large sections of it (the southern half) escaped from the 2016 bleaching, and are in reasonable shape.
Disease
Malaria in Venezuela – Update
In a follow-up on the malaria epidemic situation in Venezuela, the president of the Medical Federation of Venezuela (FMV), Douglas Leon Natera said Monday that the country recorded more than 180,000 cases of malaria, according to a El Nacional report today (computer translated). Eighty percent of the cases have been reported in Bolivar state.
Volcanos
Roundup of Global Volcanic Activity
Kilauea (Hawai’i): No significant changes have occurred at the volcano recently. The level of the summit lava lake rises and falls more or less along with the inflation-deflation cycles. On Saturday (15 Oct), the lava lake overflowed twice onto the Halema’uma’u crater floor before dropping again. As of yesterday, its level was 17 m (56 ft) below the vent rim. The 61g lava flow from Pu’u ‘O’o continues to be active and feed the lava ocean entry at Kamokuna.
Colima (Western Mexico): Activity at the volcano continues but its intensity has decreased over the past week. Lava effusion into the viscous lava flow on the southern side continues (if at all) at very low rate, manifesting itself by occasional rockfalls from the thick lava flow front. Explosions of small to moderate size at the summit vent are relatively frequent, probably destroying the recently emplaced dome. Members of Colima University recently sampled the lava flow in order to investigate its chemical properties which might give a clue to explain the recent effusive phase of the volcano which came very suddenly and was very fast. In particular, it would be interesting to see if the new lava is different from the lavas of July last year or if it also is relatively rich in dissolved water (that help explain the fast rise of the magma column).