Magnitude 5+ Earthquakes – Global
6.0 earthquake hits Fiji.
5.2 earthquake hits New Ireland, Papua New Guinea.
5.2 earthquake hits Fiji.
5.1 earthquake hits Kepulauan Talaud, Indonesia.
5.0 earthquake hits Tonga.
Storms and Floods
Tropical Storms – Roundup of Tropical Storms:
In the Southern Hemisphere: Tropical cyclone 08s (eight), located approximately 862 nm southeast of Diego Garcia, is tracking west-southwestward at 16 knots.
NewsBytes:
Madagascar, Mozambique and Malawi – At least 70 people have now died after as a result of floods and severe weather in Madagascar, Mozambique and Malawi over the last few days. Flooding began after heavy rain in Madagascar on 17 January, and worsened after heavy rain brought by Tropical Storm Ana which passed over the countries from 22 January 2022. In Madagascar around 10,000 houses have been damaged and as of 26 January, 71,781 people had been displaced from their homes, including 55,859 in Analamanga. In Mozambique as many as 2,756 houses have been completely destroyed and 7,315 houses damaged. At least 99 people have been injured with more than 45 000 people displaced. In Malawi at least 11 people have died and 107 injured as a result of the storm. About 210 000 people have been affected.
Disease
Covid-19
The countries with the 10 greatest number of Covid-19 cases:
Cholera – Benin
The World Health Organization (WHO) reported Tuesday that Benin reported its first epidemic wave of cholera between March and April, in the commune of So-Ava, Atlantique Department, with 103 cases including three laboratory-confirmed cases and no deaths. A second epidemic wave began in September 2021, with 1430 cases and 20 deaths from 1 September 2021 to 16 January 2022.
Volcanos
Roundup of Global Volcanic Activity – New Activity for the week 19 January – 25 January 2022
Ambrym – Vanuatu : On 25 January the Vanuatu Meteorology and Geo-Hazards Department (VMGD) raised the Alert Level for Ambrym to 2 (on a scale of 0-5) due to a significant increase in activity beginning at around 0400. Steam emissions rose from Marum Crater, and at 0515 a steam, gas, and ash plume rose from Benbow Crater. Satellite data recorded increased sulfur dioxide emissions from Benbow, and residents of Ambrym and surrounding islands reported seeing incandescence from crater overnight.
Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai – Tonga Islands : No additional eruptive events were detected at Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai after the large and explosive eruption on 15 January. The gas, steam, and ash plume produced during that eruption rose into the stratosphere and drifted W. Based on volcanic ash advisories issued by the Wellington VAAC and then by the Darwin VAAC, the horizontal extent of the plume grew from 18,000 square kilometers at 1739 on 15 January to 12 million square kilometers by 1300 on 19 January. The plume narrowed and lengthened along an E-W axis, moving W over Australia. The Aviation Color Code was lowered to Green on 19 January. According to the Darwin VAAC the plume continued to drift W at altitudes between 12.8 and 19.2 km (42,000 and 63,000 ft) a.s.l. during 19-22 January; the ash was diffuse and difficult to distinguish from meteorological clouds, though the sulfur dioxide signal was stronger. By 22 January the leading-edge of the plume had reached the E coast of Africa. By 2150 the Darwin VAAC noted that ash was no longer detectable. Tsunami waves generated by the 15 January eruption caused an oil spill near at the La Pampilla refinery along Peru’s coast, affecting a 38-km-stretch of beach from Ventanilla to Peralvillo Beach in Chancay, according to Peru’s Agency for Environmental Assessment and Enforcement (OEFA). An estimated 6,000 barrels of oil were spilled, significantly impacting an estimated 180 hectares of beach, almost 715 hectares of ocean, and local fisherman. In a media release on 21 January, the Government of Tonga reported that ashfall and tsunami had damaged all islands. International humanitarian aid had reached the islands the day before, five days after the eruption ceased. Inter-island and international communication remained challenging though was partially restored; a relief flight from New Zealand brought telecommunication equipment and a repair vessel was en-route to the damaged seafloor fiber-optic cable. Floating debris, likely including pumice, hindered sea transportation. Domestic flights remained suspended, though international flights carrying relief supplies were able to land and aerial surveys of damage were conducted. According to a social media post from 23 January residents swept ash off of a Salote Pilolevu Airport runway in Ha’apai. News reports shared stories of survivors and showed images of damage around the islands. Dozens of earthquakes, M 4.5-5, were centered in the vicinity of the volcano after the eruption, at least through 24 January. The type of earthquake signal was unknown, though they likely represented post-eruption movement along existing faults and not magma movement.
Wolf – Isla Isabela (Ecuador) : IG reported that the eruption at Wolf continued during 18-25 January. Daily thermal alerts counts were in the hundreds, centered over the advancing lava flows on the SE flank. Diffuse gas emissions were visible drifting SW during 18-20 January. Activity levels were stable during the beginning of the week then began to trend downward by 21 January.