Earth Report – Global Disaster Watch
Magnitude 5+ Earthquakes – Global
5.1 earthquake hits the west Chile rise.
5.1 earthquake hits Antigua and Barbuda.
5.1 earthquake hits Unimak Island, Alaska.
5.1 earthquake hits the South Sandwich Islands.
5.0 earthquake hits the South Sandwich Islands.
5.0 earthquake hits south ion Fiji.
5.0 earthquake hits the west Chile rise.
Tropical Storms – Roundup of Tropical Storms:
In the Atlantic Ocean: Hurricane Larry is located about 410 mi…660 km nne of Bermuda and about 765 mi…1230 km sw of Cape Race Newfoundland with maximum sustained winds…85 mph…140 km/h. Present movement…nne or 15 degrees at 26 mph…43 km/h.
In the Eastern Pacific Ocean: Hurricane 15e (Olaf), located approximately 664 nm southeast of San Diego, is tracking northwestward at 11 knots.
In the northwest Pacific Ocean: Tropical storm (ts) 18w (Conson), located approximately 215 nm east of Da Nang, Vietnam, is tracking westward at 08 knots.
Super Typhoon 19w (Chanthu), located approximately 445 south-southeast of Taipei, Taiwan, is tracking northwestward at 10 knots.
Newsbytes:
Colombia – Flooding along rivers in northern Colombia has affected over 50,000 people, mostly in the La Mojana Region in the departments of Bolivar, Sucre, Antioquia and Cordoba. Wide areas of crops have been damaged and thousands of livestock relocated.
Solar Meltdown
Earth’s reliance on electronics could make the planet vulnerable to a global internet “meltdown” should a solar storm as powerful as the one that occurred in the pre-hi-tech year of 1859 knock out that technology. The Carrington Event of Sept. 1-2, 1859, caused serious damage to telegraph systems of the day.
Speaking to WIRED, researcher Sangeetha Abdu Jyothi said that while local and regional fiber networks probably wouldn’t be badly affected by such a large-scale solar storm, she is concerned about the repeaters used to connect the world’s vast undersea cable system.
Earlier studies have warned that other technology, especially orbiting satellites, could be fried by an intense solar storm.
Pollution Killer
A new report highlights how air pollution, mainly from coal, is impacting life expectancy far greater than diseases such as tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS, and even behaviour such as smoking cigarettes and waging war.
The Air Quality Life Index reveals that unless particulate pollution is reduced to meet World Health Organization guidelines, the average person will lose about 2.2 years of his or her life.
Even though China has slashed its air pollution, dirty air is still cutting about 2.6 years off its life spans. India has made no such efforts, and its citizens lose 5.9 years off their lives, especially in the highly polluted north of the country.
Dwindled Giant
South America’s once- mighty Paraná River is now at its lowest level since 1941, causing thousands of acres of wetlands to dry up as well as threatening public water supplies and the livelihoods of fishermen and farmers.
Experts say they don’t know if this is part of a natural cycle or climate change. But there has been a three-year period of below-normal rainfall at the river’s source in southern Brazil. Low water levels have also created a 50% drop in hydroelectric power at generating plants along the Argentina-Paraguay border.
Glimpse at Tasmanian Tiger
Thylacines, once widespread in Australia, have been extinct for nearly a century, but newly colorized footage provides a glimpse of what they looked like in life.
Global Temperature Extremes
The week’s hottest temperature was 49 degrees Celsius at Yanbu, Saudi Arabia.
The week’s coldest temperature was minus 71.0 degrees Celsius at the South Pole, Antarctica.
Temperatures were tabulated from the more than 10,000 worldwide synoptic weather stations. The United Nations World Meteorological Organization sets the standards for weather observations, and provides a global telecommunications circuit for data distribution.
Wildfires – California
More than 14,600 firefighters were on the lines of 13 active, large wildfires in California on Thursday.
The Dixie Fire in the northern Sierra Nevada and southern Cascade Range grew to about 1,451 square miles (3,758 square kilometers) but was 59% contained.
Near Lake Tahoe, the Caldor Fire grew only slightly, to just over 341 square miles (884 square kilometers), and was 53% contained.
Covid-19
The countries with the 10 greatest number of Covid-19 cases:
Yellow Fever – Cameroon
UN health officials report in Cameroon, a total of nine presumptive cases of yellow fever, including three deaths (case fatality rate 33 %).
Roundup of Global Volcanic Activity – Ongoing Activity for the Week 1 September – 7 September 2021
Ebeko – Paramushir Island (Russia) : According to volcanologists in Severo-Kurilsk (Paramushir Island), about 7 km E of Ebeko, explosions during 28-29 August produced ash plumes that rose as high as 1.9 km (6,200 ft) a.s.l. and drifted SE and E.
Fuego – Guatemala : INSIVUMEH reported that 7-15 explosions per hour were recorded during 31 August-7 September at Fuego, generating ash plumes as high as 1.1 km above the crater rim and shock waves that often rattled buildings around the volcano. Ash plumes mostly drifted as far as 15 km SW, W, NW, and N, causing daily ashfall in several areas downwind, including Morelia (9 km SW), Panimaché I and II (8 km SW), Santa Sofía (12 km SW), Yucales (12 km SW), El Porvenir (8 km ENE), Finca Palo Verde, Sangre de Cristo (8 km WSW), and San Pedro Yepocapa (8 km NW). Block avalanches descended the Ceniza (SSW), Seca (W), Trinidad (S), Taniluyá (SW), Las Lajas (SE), and Honda drainages, often reaching vegetated areas. Explosions ejected incandescent material 100-350 m above the summit on most days. On 1 September lahars descended the SE, S, and SW flanks (the Las Lajas, El Jute, and Seca drainages), carrying fine material along with tree branches and blocks 2 m in diameter. Lahars descended the El Jute, Las Lajas, and Ceniza drainages during 6-7 September.
Great Sitkin – Andreanof Islands (USA) : AVO reported that elevated surface temperatures at Great Sitkin and daily small earthquakes were detected during 31 August-7 September, consistent with the growing lava dome. Gas plumes were observed almost daily in satellite data.
Grimsvotn – Iceland : On 1 September the Icelandic Meteorological Office (IMO) stated that the water level of the Skaftá river at Sveinstindur (the closest gauging station at 28 km downstream from the ice margin) rose, suggesting the beginning of a Skaftárhlaup or glacial outburst flood (also called a jökulhlaup), that originated from Grímsvötn’s Western Skaftá caldera. A sulfur odor was also noted in the vicinity of Skaftá and Hverfisfljót. IMO warned that hydrogen sulfide released from the floodwater as it drained from the caldera lake was particularly potent at the river outlet from the ice margin, where concentrations may reach toxic levels. The flow rate in the Skaftá peaked at 520 cubic meters per second downstream near the bridge at Eldvatn on 2 September and then declined to 412 cubic meters per second in the afternoon of 3 September. As a result, the ice shelf began to subside around 2300 on 4 September, dropping 1 m by 1145 the next morning, based on GPS data. On 6 September the discharge rate increased rapidly and peaked at 610 cubic meters per second at 1400, then declined later that day. Data suggested that the peak discharge rate on 6 September was due to a second release of water from the eastern part of the caldera lake. On 7 September the flow rate had increased to 520 cubic meters per second. Based on an overflight IMO concluded that the glacial flooding from both the E and W parts of the lake was smaller in volume and flow rates compared to a similar event in 2018.
Karymsky – Eastern Kamchatka (Russia) : KVERT reported that ash plumes from Karymsky were visible in satellite images drifting 50 km NE and E during 26-27 August, and a thermal anomaly over the volcano was visible every day during 26 August -2 September except for on 29 August.
Krysuvik-Trolladyngja – Iceland : The fissure eruption in the W part of the Krýsuvík-Trölladyngja volcanic system, close to Fagradalsfjall on the Reykjanes Peninsula, paused on 2 September. Steam-and-gas emissions were seen rising from the crater during 2-7 September.
Lewotolok – Lembata Island (Indonesia) : PVMBG reported that the eruption at Lewotolok continued during 31 August-7 September. White and gray plumes rose as high as 600 m above the summit and drifted W and NW. Rumbling and banging were heard on most days. Incandescent material was ejected 300 m on 1 September, as far as 1 km SE during 4-5 September, and 200 m during 6-7 September.
Merapi – Central Java (Indonesia) : BPPTKG reported that both of Merapi’s two lava domes, situated just below the SW rim and in the summit crater, continued to grow during 27 August-2 September. The SW dome grew 2 m taller and had an estimated volume of 1.44 million cubic meters and the summit lava dome grew 1 m taller and had an estimated volume of 2.84 million cubic meters. A total of six pyroclastic flows descended the SW flank as far as 2.5 km; as many as 80 lava avalanches traveled a maximum of 2 km SW.
Popocatepetl – Mexico : CENAPRED reported that each day during 31 August-7 September there were 66-102 steam-and-gas emissions from Popocatépetl. Cloudy weather often prevented views of the volcano. Crater incandescence was visible during the morning of 1 September and explosions were recorded at 2135, 2254, and 2345 later that same day. The Washington VAAC noted that ash plumes rose to 5.8-6.1 km (19,000-20,000 ft) a.s.l. and drifted NW and W during 5-6 September based on satellite and webcam views. Explosions were recorded by CENAPRED at 1642 on 5 September and 0820 on 6 September. Emissions had a low ash content during 6-7 September; explosions occurred at 0212 and 0414 on 7 September.
Semeru – Eastern Java (Indonesia) : PVMBG reported that at 0544 on 2 September an observer saw an ash plume from Semeru rising 200 m above the summit and drifting SW. At 0549 on 6 September an ash plume rose 500 m and drifted N.
Semisopochnoi – Aleutian Islands (USA) : AVO reported that eruptive activity at Semisopochnoi’s North Cerberus crater continued during 31 August-7 September. Multiple daily explosions were detected by seismic and infrasound networks. Ash-and-steam plumes from the explosions were sometimes confirmed in satellite and webcam images rising to altitudes lower than 3 km (10,000 ft) a.s.l., though during 6-7 September ash plumes rose as high as 4.6 km (15,000 ft) a.s.l. Local ashfall on the island was visible in satellite data. Sulfur dioxide emissions were detected in satellite images during 31 August-2 September and on 6 September.
Sheveluch – Central Kamchatka (Russia) : KVERT reported that a thermal anomaly over Sheveluch was identified in satellite images during 27 August-3 September. A gas-and-steam plume with some ash was visible in satellite data drifting 54 km NE and NW on 26 and 28 August.
Suwanosejima – Ryukyu Islands (Japan) : JMA reported that three explosions at Suwanosejima’s Ontake Crater produced eruption plumes that rose as high as 4.8 km above the crater rim during 27 August-3 September. Large volcanic bombs were ejected 700 m from the crater. Crater incandescence was visible nightly and ashfall was often reported in Toshima village (4 km SSW).
Telica – Nicaragua : INETER reported that at 0525 on 1 September an explosion at Telica produced an ash plume that rose 250 m above the crater rim and drifted N and NW. Emissions periodically continued later that day, without explosions, and caused minor ashfall in areas to the NW, W, and SW including in the communities of Aguas Frías, San Pedro Nuevo, and Las Marías (7 km NNW).