Magnitude 5+ Earthquakes – Global
5.1 earthquake hits the State of Yap, Micronesia.
5.0 earthquake hits the Kashmir-Xinjiang border region.
Storms and Floods
Tropical Storms – Roundup of Tropical Storms:
In the Atlantic Ocean: Tropical Storm Fiona is located about 285 mi…460 km ese of the Leeward islands with maximum sustained winds…60 mph…95 km/h. Present movement…w or 265 degrees at 15 mph…24 km/h.
In the Western Pacific Ocean: Tropical Storm 13e (Lester), located approximately 1691 nm southeast of San Diego, is tracking west-northwestward at 03 knots.
In the Northwest Pacific Ocean: Tropical depression 14w (Muifa), located approximately 238nm west-northwest of Inchon, South Korea, is tracking northwestward at 16 knots.
Typhoon 16w (Nanmadol), located approximately 429 nm east-southeast of Kedena AFB, Okinawa, Japan, is tracking northwestward at 06 knots.
Environment
New Iron Age
Iron may soon be used as a source of clean and renewable energy. The element has an energy density higher than gasoline in powder form but produces no carbon emissions. It can easily be transported for use in heavily polluting industrial plants and ships.
After iron is burned, it leaves behind iron oxide, which can be turned back into iron. However, other energy is needed for that chemical reaction. “But if that energy is obtained from renewable hydrogen produced by solar energy, for example, you have completed the circle with zero emissions,” Carmen Mayoral at the Spanish National Research Council’s Institute for Carbon Chemistry told El País.
Dangerous Blue Light
The switch to energy-efficient but blue-tinted LED street lamps across parts of Europe could pose a threat to human and animal health. It’s known that exposure to blue light from TV monitors and mobile phones can interfere with sleep as our eyes control the release of the sleep hormone melatonin based on the colours seen.
Studies have shown that blue light may also contribute to such conditions as diabetes and obesity. Researchers at Britain’s University of Exeter have recently used images from the International Space Station to reveal that the orange-coloured light from older sodium lights is rapidly being replaced by the cooler colours produced by LEDs. Beyond its effects on humans, blue light can also change the behavior of animals such as bats and moths.
Wildlife
Ospreys Return to Britain
British wildlife experts say they are “over the moon” happy with the successful return of ospreys to a nation where they had been extinct for more than 100 years. They were once hunted out of existence for sport and taxidermy, and their eggs were prized by collectors. But the reintroduction project has now led to about 1,500 of the powerful raptors soaring across England, Wales and Scotland.
Chicks recently hatched in England for the first time in two centuries at Belvoir Castle in Leicestershire. “There are only around 30 breeding pairs of ospreys in England, so to have a pair on our land breeding and raising (two) chicks is so exciting,” environmental project manager Beth Dunstan told The Guardian.
Global Warming
Climate Carnage
The UN weather agency warns that the impacts of global heating are entering “uncharted territories of destruction” because countries are failing to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
A World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) report says that climate-related disasters have increased fivefold over the past 50 years and now cost an estimated $200 million daily.
“There is nothing natural about the new scale of these disasters. They are the price of humanity’s fossil fuel addiction,” said UN Secretary-General António Guterres. He described Pakistan’s current flood catastrophe covering a third of the country as “climate carnage.”
Environment
Global Temperature Extremes
The week’s hottest temperature was 46.0 degrees Celsius (114.8 degrees F) at Al Qaysumah, Saudi Arabia.
The week’s coldest temperature was minus 74.0 degrees Celsius (-101.2 degrees F) at Vostok, 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
Wildfires – Australia
An extreme bushfire which swept through the Darwin rural area in the Northern Territory left devastating damage on the land and property. One house was destroyed and several people sustained injuries,
Disease
Covid-19
The countries with the 10 greatest number of Covid-19 cases:
Rabies – Ghana
In southern Ghana, the Health Directorate of the Ashanti Region is reporting a rise in human rabies cases in three districts within the region. As of Monday, September 12, 2022, the region had recorded a total of four-confirmed cases and 1-Probable case.
Polio – Algeria
On 8 July 2022, WHO was notified of a case of circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus type 2 (cVDPV2) with acute flaccid paralysis (AFP) from Tamanrasset province, southern Algeria. This represents the first cVDPV2 case identified in the country.
Volcanos
Roundup of Global Volcanic Activity – Ongoing Activity for the week 7 September – 13 September 2022
Aira – Kyushu (Japan) : JMA reported that nighttime incandescence at Minamidake Crater (at Aira Caldera’s Sakurajima volcano) was visible during 5-12 September. The seismic network recorded four eruptive events and seven explosions. Volcanic plumes rose as high as 2.3 km above the crater rim and ballistics were ejected as far as 1.3 km from the vent.
Ambae – Vanuatu : On 31 August the Vanuatu Meteorology and Geo-Hazards Department (VMGD) reported that the cone in Ambae’s Lake Voui continued to produce emissions consisting of steam, volcanic gases, and possibly occasional ash.
Ebeko – Paramushir Island (Russia) : KVERT reported that moderate activity at Ebeko was ongoing. According to volcanologists in Severo-Kurilsk (Paramushir Island, about 7 km E) daily explosions generated ash plumes that rose up to 4 km (13,100 ft) a.s.l. and drifted in multiple directions. A thermal anomaly over the volcano was identified in satellite images during 3 and 5-8 September.
Great Sitkin – Andreanof Islands (USA) : AVO reported that slow lava effusion at Great Sitkin likely continued during 6-13 September, though weather cloud cover prevented visual confirmation with webcam and satellite images. Seismicity was very low. Weakly-elevated surface temperatures consistent with lava effusion in the summit crater were identified overnight during 12-13 September.
Karymsky – Eastern Kamchatka (Russia) : KVERT reported that a weak thermal anomaly over Karymsky was identified in satellite images during 1, 3-4, and 7-8 September.
Kilauea – Hawaiian Islands (USA): HVO reported that lava continued to effuse from a vent in the lower W wall of Kilauea’s Halema`uma`u Crater during 6-13 September, entering the lava lake and flowing onto the crater floor. Part of the lake’s surface was continuously active. By 12 September about 111 million cubic meters of lava had been erupted from the vent since the current eruption began on 29 September 2021, raising the crater floor by 143 m.
Lewotolok – Lembata Island : PVMBG reported that the eruption at Lewotolok continued during 6-13 September. Daily white emissions rose as high as 500 m above the summit and drifted in multiple directions. During 7-8 and 10-11 September white-and-gray plumes rose as high as 700 m and 400 m above the summit, respectively, and drifted W and NW. Incandescence above the crater rim was visible in a webcam photograph captured on 13 September.
Merapi – Central Java : BPPTKG reported that the eruption at Merapi continued during 2-8 September and seismicity remained at elevated levels. As many as 20 lava avalanches from the SW lava dome traveled down the Bebeng drainage on the SW flank, reaching a maximum distance of 1.7 km. No morphological changes to the SW and central lava domes were evident in photographs.
Pavlof – Alaska Peninsula, Alaska : AVO reported that a minor eruption at a vent on Pavlof’s upper E flank was ongoing during 6-13 September. Seismic tremor persisted. Weather clouds often prevented views of the volcano during the first part of the week, though one clear webcam view on 8 September showed a minor emission of ash or steam. Elevated surface temperatures were identified in satellite images during 10-12 September. A diffuse steam plume and new trace deposits of ash were visible in webcam images on 11 September.
Poas – Costa Rica : On 9 September OVSICORI-UNA reported that activity at Poás had increased since mid-August, characterized by notably increased seismicity. Seismic signals consisted of tremors with variable amplitudes and durations, prolonged harmonic tremors, and some long-period earthquakes with magnitudes greater than those recorded during 2022; there was no increase in low-frequency earthquakes. The energy of the seismicity had also dramatically increased in the previous few days. Sulfur dioxide emissions around the crater were mainly stable at 100 tons per day, though on a few occasions the concentrations were higher; about 300 tons per day was recorded during 17-18 August and higher than 500 tons per day was recorded on 2 September. The volume of water in Boca A lake had significantly increased during August 2021-September 2022, stabilizing at 1.4 million cubic meters between July and September with minor variations measured from week to week. Convection cells in the lake were more active and a new one formed in the N part of the lake (over the Boca C vent) since mid-August. OVSICORI-UNA stated that these data indicated disturbances to the shallow (less than 2 km) hydrothermal system and did not reflect an influx of magma. Fumarolic degassing and lake convection continued during 9-13 September.
Popocatepetl – Mexico : CENAPRED reported that there were 41-74 steam-and-gas emissions, sometimes containing minor amounts of ash, rising from Popocatépetl each day during 6-13 September. Explosions at 0343 and 0611 on 9 September produced ash plumes that rose as high as 2.5 km above the crater rim and drifted SE, and ejected incandescent material above the rim. Minor ashfall was reported in Atlixco, Puebla (23 km SE).
Rincon de la Vieja – Costa Rica : OVSICORI-UNA reported continuing eruptive activity at Rincón de la Vieja characterized by occasional small phreatic explosions. A small hydrothermal explosion at 1510 on 8 September produced a steam-and-gas plume that rose 500 m above the crater rim. During a clear observation period from 0500 to 0800 on 10 September scientists saw a continuous gas-and-steam plume and noted a hydrothermal explosion at 0640.
Sabancaya – Peru : Instituto Geofísico del Perú (IGP) reported moderate levels of activity at Sabancaya during 5-11 September with a daily average of 44 explosions. Gas-and-ash plumes rose as high as 2.9 km above the summit and drifted NE, E, and SE. As many as 10 thermal anomalies originating from the lava dome in the summit crater were identified in satellite data. Minor inflation continued to be detected near Hualca Hualca (4 km N).
Semeru – Eastern Java : PVMBG reported that the eruption at Semeru continued during 6-13 September. Eruptive events at 0846 on 8 September, 0743 on 9 September, 0507 on 10 September, 0857 on 12 September, and 0524 on 13 September produced ash plumes that rose 300-700 m above the summit and drifted mainly W and SW. The Alert Level remained at 3 (on a scale of 1-4).
Semisopochnoi – Aleutian Islands (USA) : AVO reported ongoing low-level seismicity and occasional steam emissions at Semisopochnoi during 6-13 September. Satellite and webcam views were mostly obscured by weather clouds. Explosions were recorded during 12-13 September and ash emissions drifting 8 km SE at an altitude of 1.2 km (4,000 ft) a.s.l. were visible in satellite and webcam images.
Sheveluch – Central Kamchatka (Russia) : KVERT reported that the ongoing eruption at Sheveluch was characterized by explosions, hot avalanches, and lava-dome extrusion during 2-8 September. A daily thermal anomaly was identified in satellite images. Dome collapses produced hot avalanches and ash plumes that drifted 130 km NE and SE during 2 and 5-7 September. Plumes of re-suspended ash drifted 210 km ESE during 4-5 September.
Suwanosejima – Ryukyu Islands (Japan) : JMA reported that the eruption at Suwanosejima’s Ontake Crater continued during 5-12 September. A total of 15 explosions produced eruption plumes that rose as high as 2 km above the crater rim. Large blocks were ejected 700 m from the vent. Crater incandescence was observed nightly, and volcanic tremor was occasionally recorded.
Yasur – Vanuatu : On 31 August Vanuatu Meteorology and Geohazards Department (VMGD) reported that activity at Yasur continued at a high level of “major unrest,” as defined by the Alert Level 2 status (the middle level on a scale of 0-4). Ash-and-gas emissions and loud explosions continued to be recorded, with bombs falling in and around the crater.