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Earthquakes

Magnitude 5+ Earthquakes – Global

5.3 earthquake hits off the coast of Oregon, USA.

5.3 earthquake hits the island of Hawaii, Hawaii.

5.3 earthquake hits eastern New Guinea, Papua New Guinea.

5.2 earthquake hits Tonga.

5.1 earthquake hits Alaska.

5.1 earthquake hits offshore Atacama, Chile.

5.0 earthquake hits the Kuril Islands.

The magnitude 6.4 earthquake that struck the popular tourist island of Lombok in Indonesia on Sunday killed 14 people and sent villagers fleeing from their beds into open fields to avoid collapsing buildings. The quake, which rocked the island early in the morning when many people were still asleep, injured 162 people and damaged thousands of houses.

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Storms and Floods

Tropical Storms – Roundup of Tropical Storms:

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In the Western Pacific Ocean: Tropical Depression (td) 15w (Jongdari), located approximately 169 nm south of Sasebo, Japan, is tracking southward at 07 knots.

In the Eastern Pacific Ocean: Invest 93E is an area of disturbed weather in the eastern Pacific Ocean that has the potential for further tropical development.

NewsBytes:

Thailand – Northeastern provinces have been warned of heavy flooding due to the overflowing Mekong River and reservoirs, following days of heavy rains. Rising water levels in Mekong River yesterday caused flooding in many areas of Ubon Ratchathani, Nakhon Phanom and Mukdahan provinces, which are located along the international waterway. In Sakon Nakhon, following five days of heavy rains, large amounts of overflowing water from small dams and reservoirs increased the water level in Nong Han Lake, which is spread over 72,000 rai (28,466 acres) in the northeastern province’s Muang district.

Pakistan – Floods caused by melting glaciers continued to swell streams and rivers across Gilgit-Baltistan on Saturday, damaging houses, crops, bridges and roads. The floods have also stranded thousands of people in remote areas. Authorities said floods from melting glacier in Bazgang nullah continued on the third day on Saturday, with debris brought by it damaged over 40 houses in Tumik area of Rondu valley of Skardu, forcing residents to migrate to safe places. The floods damaged crops standing over hundreds of kanals, trees, cattle farms, causing loss worth millions of rupees.

Myanmar – Surging floodwaters have killed at least 10 people and forced tens of thousands from their homes across swathes of Myanmar, a government official said on Sunday (July 29) as more heavy monsoon rain battered the region. Vast areas of farmland have been submerged by muddy water stretching to the horizon, with only the rooftops of some houses visible. Some stranded people were plucked from the churning waters by rescuers in boats, while volunteers used rafts made from barrels and pieces of wood. Other flood victims waded through waist-deep water to escape, carrying children on their shoulders while trying to keep precious belongings out of the water

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Environment

Oldest Evidence for Life on Land Unearthed in South Africa

About 3.22 billion years ago, slimy layers of microbes coated pebbles in what was perhaps an ancient riverbed. Those ancient microbial mats, preserved for eons and only recently discovered in South Africa, may be the oldest fossil evidence of life on land, according to a new study.

The ancient evidence of terrestrial life is about a half billion years older than the previous record holder — fossilized remains of microbes found decades ago in South Africa and Australia, said Stefan Lalonde, a geochemist from the European Institute for Marine Studies in France and a co-author of the new study, published July 23 in the journal Nature Geoscience.

Geological evidence has hinted that life existed in the oceans as far back as 3.8 billion years ago. But signs of terrestrial life have been rarer — possibly because most of the planet might have been under water until 3 billion years ago.

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Wildfires

Wildfires – Sydney, Australia

Sydney residents are set to endure poor air quality as smoke from a large uncontrolled bushfire in a military reserve spreads across the city. Wollongong and South Coast residents are also expected to be affected by smoke from the large blaze in the Holsworthy military reserve, 25km southwest of Sydney’s CBD.

Unexploded military ordnance and dense bushland has hampered efforts to contain the blaze, with aircraft and firefighters told to avoid getting too close to the fire front. Instead, firefighters have begun a 4000-hectare backburning campaign, which has greatly contributed to the smoke haze.

Wildfires – California, Texas, Oregon, USA

More than 50,000 people have been evacuated in Northern California bushfires that have killed six, including two children and their great-grandmother, as fire crews battled on to quell flames that have destroyed entire neighbourhoods.

Officials said a second firefighter, who died fighting a huge blaze near Yosemite National Park, was among the six confirmed deaths.

California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection said on Sunday that 12,000 firefighters were battling 17 significant fires in California.

The Carr fire, the deadliest and most destructive of nearly 90 fires burning from Texas to Oregon, has charred 36,095 hectares of drought-parched vegetation since erupting last Monday. More than 5,012 structures were threatened by the fire, officials said. The flames destroyed 517 structures and damaged 135.

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Disease

Typhoid Fever – El Salvador

In a follow-up on the Typhoid Fever situation in El Salvador, officials have reported that the cumulative case count for 2018 has risen to 937. This is significantly higher than 2017 which saw the total annual case count reach 675.