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Earthquakes

Magnitude 5+ Earthquakes – Global

5.0 Earthquake hits the Carlsberg ridge.

Yellowstone

Yellowstone supervolcano has been hit by a series of earthquakes, with more 400 recorded since June 12. The latest was recorded on Monday, June 19, with a magnitude 3 earthquake striking 8.6 miles north northeast of West Yellowstone, Montana.

The swarm began last week, and on June 15 saw a magnitude 4.5 earthquake take place in Yellowstone National Park.

As of June 19, 464 events had been recorded. Most of these ranged in the magnitude of 0 to 1, with five less than zero, indicating they occurred at depths ranging from about 0 miles to about 9 miles. “This is the highest number of earthquakes at Yellowstone within a single week in the past five years, but is fewer than weekly counts during similar earthquakes swarms in 2002, 2004, 2008 and 2010,” scientists said.

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Storms and Floods

Tropical Storms – Roundup of Tropical Storms:

Gl sst mm

In the Atlantic Ocean: Potential Tropical Cyclone Three is located about 265 mi…430 km SSW of the mouth of the Mississippi River and about 300 mi…485 km S of Morgan City Louisiana with maximum sustained winds…40 mph…65 km/h. Present movement…NW or 315 degrees at 9 mph…15 km/h.

Tropical Storm Bret is located about 20 mi…35 km ENE of Isla Margarita with maximum sustained winds…45 mph…75 km/h. Present movement…WNW or 290 degrees at 21 mph…33 km/h.

NewsBytes:

Myanmar – Overflowing water from the Uru River submerged low-lying areas in Phakant yesterday morning, but the flood started to recede by the afternoon. Five inches of rain fell on Saturday, causing the river to overflow its banks. The flood submerged three low-lying wards and Lonkhin village. Myoma ward, Kyaukwine was under 5 feet of water, Ngetpyawdaw ward was under about 6 feet of water, Mashi South ward road junction was under 3 feet of water, and a road linking Ayemyatha ward and Sankye village was under 6 feet of water.

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Global Warming

Climate imperils Ethiopia’s coffee

Climate change could wipe out more than half of Ethiopia’s coffee production unless farmers move to higher ground, scientists warned Monday.

Climbing temperatures and dwindling rainfall have already degraded prime growing areas, such as the Zege Peninsula, they reported in the journal Nature Plants.

If global warming continues unabated, up to 60 percent of land currently used to grow coffee beans will be unsuitable for production by the last three decades of the century.

Home of the prized Coffea arabica plant, Ethiopia is the world’s fifth biggest producer of beans, after Brazil, Vietnam, Colombia and Indonesia, according to the International Coffee Organization.

Over the last 50 years, however, average temperatures across the country have risen by about 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit), and rainfall in key regions has become spotty. Coffee areas that once flourished are in decline.

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Disease

Romania – Meningitis

A suspected meningitis outbreak in Braşov, Romania has resulted in 18 hospital admissions and one death. The patients, classmates with a 17-year-old student from Tarlungeni commune who died recently after being diagnosed with bacterial meningitis, have symptoms resembling meningitis.