Magnitude 5+ Earthquakes – Global
7.2 earthquake hits eastern New Guinea, Papua New Guinea.
5.7 earthquake hits Tarapaca, Chile.
5.3 earthquake hits southeast of Shikoku, Japan.
5.2 earthquake hits Syria.
5.2 earthquake hits the Kuril Islands.
Global Warming
Greenhouse Earth
Scientists predict that Earth’s atmosphere will soon contain the same high level of carbon dioxide that existed at the peak of the Pliocene Epoch warmth 3 million years ago, when temperatures were 5 to 7 degrees Fahrenheit warmer and sea levels were 65 feet higher.
A report published in the journal Nature Scientific Reports says that given the level of emissions present at the start of the study, prior to the coronovirus lockdowns, CO2 levels could surpass 427 parts per million within five years. The authors say that the comparison with the Pliocene shows what is likely to happen in the future as the Earth responds to the buildup of greenhouse gas emissions.
Storms and Floods
Tropical Storms – Roundup of Tropical Storms:
There are no current tropical storms.
NewsBytes:
Italy – Severe flash flooding swept through the city of Palermo, capital of Sicily in southern Italy, after torrential rain on 15 July. The flooding caused damage and disruption across the city. Several buildings were evacuated. Firefighters were called to around 300 interventions, including removing dozens of submerged vehicles from flooded roads. A search is continuing for two people thought to be trapped in a vehicle in a flooded underpass. Some local reports said that 115.8mm of rain fell in around 2 hours in the city. July is normally the city’s driest month, when the monthly average rainfall is just 6.7 mm, according to WMO.
India – According to Bihar state’s disaster management agency, a total of 218,000 people have been affected, with 65,000 of that total over the last few days. Flooding has affected area of Sitamarhi, Sheohar, Supaul, Kishanganj, Darbhanga, Muzaffarpur, Gopalganj and East Champaran districts. Meanwhile in neighbouring state of Uttar Pradesh, flooding was reported in the districts of Gorakhpur and Ballia, where the Ghagra river is at Severe Flood Situation, standing at 64.35 metres as of 16 July, where the danger levels if 64.01 metres. In Gorakhpur, the Rapti river stood at 75.33 metres at Birdghat, above the danger mark of 74.96 metres.
Wildlife
Disco Defense
Farmers in northern Botswana may soon be protected from elephant raids on their crops by a novel technique that also keeps humans dancing around the world.
Researchers near Chobe National Park installed lines of solar-powered, multi-colored strobe lights around crops and found they repelled elephant incursions by 75% compared to areas without the lights. The disco-themed LEDs were placed on poles every 33 feet and constantly flashed a different color — red, green, amber, white, blue or yellow. The color patterns were changed every week to prevent the pachyderms from getting used to them.
Environment
Global Temperature Extremes
The week’s hottest temperature was 128 degrees Fahrenheit (53.3 degrees Celsius) in Death Valley, California.
The week’s coldest temperature was minus 100.0 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 73.3 degrees Celsius) 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.
Brutal Heat
A punishing heat wave blanketing the southwestern U.S. produced the hottest temperature anywhere on the planet since 2017.
The thermometer at Death Valley, California, reached 128 degrees Fahrenheit on July 12, only one degree lower than what experts believe was the hottest temperature ever recorded on Earth. That reading was 129 degrees, also in Death Valley during the scorching summer of 2013. The temperature dropped to only 100 degrees at dawn following last week’s scorcher.
Disease
COVID-19
The countries with the 10 greatest number of Covid-19 cases:
Volcanos
Roundup of Global Volcanic Activity – New Activity for the Week 8 July 2020 – 14 July 2020
Aira | Kyushu (Japan) : JMA reported very small eruptive events at Minamidake Crater (at Aira Caldera’s Sakurajima volcano) during 6-10 July. The Alert Level remained at 3 (on a 5-level scale).
Dukono | Halmahera (Indonesia) : Based on information from PVMBG and the Darwin VAAC ash plumes from Dukono rose to 1.8-2.1 km (6,000-7,000 ft) a.s.l. and drifted NW and W during 8 and 11-14 July. The Alert Level remained at a 2 (on a scale of 1-4), and the public was warned to remain outside of the 2-km exclusion zone.
Ebeko | Paramushir Island (Russia) : Volcanologists in Severo-Kurilsk (Paramushir Island), about 7 km E of Ebeko, observed explosions during 3-7 July that sent ash plumes up to 4.4 km (14,400 ft) a.s.l. Ash plumes drifted N and E, causing ashfall in Severo-Kurilsk on 3 and 6 July. A thermal anomaly over the volcano was identified in satellite images during 4 and 6-7 July. The Aviation Color Code remained at Orange (the second highest level on a four-color scale).
Etna | Sicily (Italy) : INGV reported that during 6-12 July Strombolian activity at Etna’s New Southeast Crater ejected incandescent material that was deposited near the crater rim. Gas emissions rose from the vent in the pit crater at the bottom of Bocca Nuova. Sporadic explosive activity at Voragine Crater ejected lithics and produced ash emissions. Gas emissions rose from Northeast Crater and were audible from the crater’s edge.
Irazu | Costa Rica : OVSICORI-UNA reported that at 2138 on 12 July the seismic network at Irazú recorded a significant landslide, possibly in the N part of the crater. The event could not be confirmed because of weather conditions. Another landslide event was recorded at 1538 on 13 July, which again could not be visually confirmed.
Kadovar | Papua New Guinea : Based on satellite and wind model data, the Darwin VAAC reported that on 10 July an ash plume from Kadovar rose to an altitude of 1.8 km (6,000 ft) a.s.l. and drifted NW.
Karymsky | Eastern Kamchatka (Russia) : KVERT reported that a bright thermal anomaly over Karymsky was identified in satellite images during 5-6 and 8 July. The Aviation Color Code remained at Orange (the second highest level on a four-color scale).
Klyuchevskoy | Central Kamchatka (Russia) : KVERT reported that the temperature of the thermal anomaly at Klyuchevskoy sharply decreased on 3 July, possibly signaling the end of the current Strombolian phase. During 4-14 July the anomaly continued to decline and only weak fumarolic activity was visible. The Alert Level was lowered to Yellow (the second lowest level on a four-color scale) on 14 July.
Momotombo | Nicaragua : SINAPRED reported that a seismic swarm at Momotombo began at 0657 on 6 July and by the next day a total of 51 earthquakes had been recorded. The largest event was an M 2.6 located 9 km SE of the volcano, beneath Lake Managua, at a depth of 3 km. INETER noted that the earthquakes were located along a fault and not directly related to the volcano.
Pacaya | Guatemala : INSIVUMEH reported that during 7-14 July Strombolian explosions at Pacaya’s Mackenney Crater ejected material as high as 100 m above the crater rim. Lava flows traveled as far as 1.2 km on the N and NE flanks. Lava flows also headed SW, W, and NW during 13-14 July.
Popocatepetl | Mexico : CENAPRED reported that each day during 8-14 July there were 40-109 steam-and-gas emissions from Popocatépetl, some of which contained minor amounts of ash. Minor crater incandescence was visible most nights. An explosion at 2320 on 8 July ejected incandescent material a short distance. An eruptive event at 0112 on 11 July ejected incandescent material within the crater and onto the crater rim. Incandescent material ejected within the crater was again visible at 0204 and 0454 on 12 July. The Alert Level remained at Yellow, Phase Two (middle level on a three-color scale).
Reventador | Ecuador : IG reported that during 8-12 July seismic data from Reventador’s network indicated a high level of seismic activity, including explosions, harmonic tremor, and long-period earthquakes; there was no available seismic data during 13-14 July. Gas, steam, and ash emissions observed daily with the webcam or reported by the Washington VAAC rose as high as 1 km above the summit crater and drifted NW, W, and E. Cloudy weather sometimes prevented views of the volcano. Incandescent blocks rolled as far as 600 m down mainly the S and SE flanks during 8-9 and 12-14 July. Crater incandescence was visible almost nightly.
Sabancaya | Peru : Instituto Geofísico del Perú (IGP) reported a daily average of 17 explosions at Sabancaya during 6-12 July. Gas-and-ash plumes rose as high as 2.5 km above the summit and drifted SE, E, and NE. There were six thermal anomalies over the crater identified in satellite data. The Alert Level remained at Orange (the second highest level on a four-color scale) and the public were warned to stay outside of a 12-km radius.
Semeru | Eastern Java (Indonesia) : PVMBG reported that dense white-gray ash plumes from Semeru were occasionally visible during 6-12 July rising no higher than 400 m above the summit. Ash plumes drifted SW on 11 July. The Alert Level remained at 2 (on a scale of 1-4), and the public was reminded to stay outside of the general 1-km radius from the summit and 4 km on the SSE flank.
Sheveluch | Central Kamchatka (Russia) : KVERT reported that a thermal anomaly over Sheveluch was identified in satellite images during 3-10 July. The Aviation Color Code remained at Orange (the second highest level on a four-color scale).
Stromboli | Aeolian Islands (Italy) : INGV reported that during 6-12 July activity at Stromboli was characterized by ongoing explosive activity mainly from three vents in Area N (north crater area) and three vents in Area C-S (south-central crater area). Moderate explosions from both areas ejected lapilli, bombs, and ash with decreasing frequency and intensity through the week.
Suwanosejima | Ryukyu Islands (Japan) : JMA reported that nighttime incandescence at Suwanosejima’s Ontake Crater was occasionally visible during 3-10 July. An eruptive event on 5 July generated a grayish white plume that rose 800 m above the crater rim and ejected material 300 m from the crater. The Tokyo VAAC noted that an ash plume rose to 2.1 km (7,000 ft) a.s.l. and drifted NE on 12 July based on satellite images and JMA information. The Alert Level remained at 2 (on a 5-level scale).