Earth Report – Global Disaster Watch
Magnitude 5+ Earthquakes – Global
5.1 Earthquake hits New Guinea, Papua New Guinea.
5.0 Earthquake hits Kyushu, Japan.
5.0 Earthquake hits near the north coast of New Guinea, Papua New Guinea.
5.0 Earthquake hits Halmahera, Indonesia.
5.0 Earthquake hits east of the Kuril Islands.
Tropical Storms – Roundup of Tropical Storms:
In the North Atlantic: 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 90E is an area of disturbed weather in the East Pacific that has the potential for further tropical development.
Invest 91E is an area of disturbed weather in the East Pacific that has the potential for further tropical development.
Newsbytes:
Pennsylvania, USA – Strong storms hit pockets of western and central Pennsylvania early Friday, bringing up to 7 inches of rain, turning roads into rivers, damaging homes in communities as far as 150 miles apart and killing one person. Flash floods swept away at least two homes in Sullivan County, west of Scranton. Hundreds more were damaged in Centre County, home to Penn State’s main campus.
Thousands of ‘Scrotum Frogs’ Dying Off in South America
More than 10,000 endangered frogs and other water-dwelling animals living near a lake in South America were found mysteriously dead this month, according to reports from Peru’s wildlife and forestry service Serfor, leaving many people to wonder what could have caused this bizarre die-off.
The Titicaca water frog (Telmatobius culeus), also known as the “scrotum frog” for its loose skin, is one of the most critically endangered frogs in the world. The large, entirely aquatic frog adapted to the high altitudes of Lake Titicaca, which flows along the border between Bolivia and Peru, by taking in oxygen through its skin folds. This evolutionary adaptation also makes the frog highly sensitive to changes in its habitat, such as environmental contamination, according to Tom Weaver, curator of reptiles and fish at the Denver Zoo.
Researchers are currently investigating the latest massive die-off, which they think may have been caused by some sort of contamination. In 2014, an algae bloom that removed oxygen from the water, killed a number of frogs and fish, Weaver said.
