Earth Report – Global Disaster Watch
Magnitude 5+ Earthquakes – Global
5.9 earthquake hits eastern New Guinea, Papua New Guinea.
5.2 earthquake hits North Island, New Zealand.
5.2 earthquake hits the Andreanof Islands in the Aleutian Islands.
5.0 earthquake hits the Andreanof Islands in the Aleutian Islands.
5.0 earthquake hits the Fox Islands in the Aleutian Islands.
5.0 earthquake hits northern Qinghai, China.
Tropical Storms – Roundup of Tropical Storms:
In the Southern Hemisphere: Tropical cyclone 05p (Cody), located approximately 492 nm south of Suva, Fiji, is tracking east-southeastward at 12 knots.
NewsBytes:
South Africa – Twenty-four people have been killed during severe weather in KwaZulu-Natal over the past four weeks, 18 drownings and six in lightning strikes. More than 700 homes were damaged in storms. About 11 000 people from 2 068 households have been affected across the province.
Brazil – Heavy rainfall of more than 200mm in 24 hours in some areas has caused further flooding and landslides in the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil, where at least 15 people have died in the last few days. Around 1,200 people have been displaced after wide areas of Brumadinho Municipality were flooded from the overflowing Paraopeba River on 11 January. Civil Defence also reported that 5 people died in a landslide caused by heavy rain in the municipality. Over 10,000 people were displaced by flooding from the overflowing Doce River in Governor Valadares municipality from around 12 January 2022. Minas Gerais Civil Defence reported around 55,000 people affected by the floods. Flooding has also damaged homes in João Pinheiro and Oliveira municipalities, where around 5,000 people were affected.
Brazilian Deforestation
Flanking the Amazon rainforest, Brazil’s Cerrado savannah reported a six-year deforestation high, after which government scientists have said that deforestation monitoring will cease soon, citing government budget cuts. Wood from the endangered savannah is being illegally deforested to fuel a charcoal boom, which reports say is reliant on forced labour. Th charcoal is being used to fuel Brazil’s steel mills.
Covid-19
The countries with the 10 greatest number of Covid-19 cases:
Botulism – Argentina
A local health emergency has been issued in Andresito, in Posadas, Argentina due to a number of recent cases of botulism. This has caused the death of three people, while another eight are hospitalized in critical condition.
Roundup of Global Volcanic Activity – New Activity for the week 5 January – 11 January 2022
Karangetang – Siau Island (Indonesia). PVMBG reported that incandescence from Karangetang’s N crater was periodically visible during 5-10 January. Daily white emissions rose generally 150 m above the summit, but sometimes as high as 200 m. During 9-10 January white-and-gray plumes rose as high as 200 m.
Krysuvik-Trolladyngja – Iceland : Icelandic Meteorological Office (IMO) reported that the earthquake swarm at the Krýsuvík-Trölladyngja volcanic system that began on 21 December 2021 had ceased. Additionally, InSAR and GPS data last recorded deformation on 28 December.
Piton de la Fournaise – Reunion Island (France) : OVPF reported that the eruption at Piton de la Fournaise continued during 5-11 January 2022. Weather clouds often obscured views of the vent, though visual observations were made daily. Lava fountains sometimes rose above the crater rim. The level of the lava lake periodically rose and overflowed the cone, sending lava flows down the flanks during 6 and 8-9 January. The lava effusion rate was an estimated 2-20 meters per second based on satellite data. Several breakouts of lava from the tube were noted. On 9 January a new lava flow slowly advanced along the S margin of the flow field, reaching 1,800 m elevation. On 10 January hikers observed smoke from an area in the S part of the caldera, likely from vegetation that had been set on fire from lava flows. The flow field continued to widen but had not significantly lengthened.
Semeru – Eastern Java (Indonesia) : PVMBG reported that the eruption at Semeru continued during 5-11 January. Crater incandescence was visible each night. Gray-and-white plumes rose 300-600 m during 4-8 and 10 January. Pyroclastic flows descended the Kobokan (SE) and Lengkong drainages during 5-6 January and avalanches traveled 700 m down the Kobokan drainage during 6-7 January. At 2311 on 7 January a pyroclastic flow traveled 3 km down the Kobokan drainage, and another traveled 1 km down the same drainage during 8-9 January.
Wolf – Isla Isabela (Ecuador) : IG reported that a seismic swarm at Wolf began at 2100 on 6 January, followed by a M 2.4 earthquake recorded at 2135, and tremor at 2315. Fissures opened in an area SE of the summit caldera within five minutes of the onset of tremor and a new eruption began. At 0020 on 7 January satellite images showed ash-and-gas plumes rising to varying altitudes between 1.9 km (6,200 ft) and 3.8 km (12,500 ft) a.s.l., with the lower parts of the plume drifting NE and the higher parts drifting W. Thermal anomalies indicated advancing lava flows down the S and SE flanks. The Parque Nacional Galápagos and the Galapagos Conservancy evacuated eight people by helicopter, including park rangers and scientists that were working near the rim, as a precaution and noted that habitat for a population of critically endangered Pink Land Iguana was far from the eruption. Photos showed a line of lava fountains rising along the fissure and lava flows advancing over vegetation. Thermal anomalies continued to indicate advancing lava during 8-11 January. Plumes mostly consisting of gas rose as high as 1.3 km (4,300 ft) a.s.l. and drifted W and SW. The lava flows were not far from the ocean by 10 January. Photos posted on 11 January by Parque Nacional Galápagos showed lava fountaining at a growing cone and fluid lava flows advancing from the base of the cone. The lava flows had traveled 15 km SE, then E, by 11 January.