Earth Report – Global Disaster Watch
Magnitude 5+ Earthquakes – Global
5.6 earthquake hits Myanmar.
5.6 earthquake hits Vanuatu.
5.1 earthquake hits Southeast of the Loyalty Islands.
5.1 earthquake hits Myanmar.
5.1 earthquake hits the South Sandwich Islands.
5.1 earthquake hits near the east coast of Honshu, Japan.
5.0 earthquake hits Myanmar.
Tropical Storms – Roundup of Tropical Storms:
In the Eastern North Pacific Ocean: Tropical Depression 06e (Estelle), located approximately 783 nm southwest of San Diego, is tracking westward at 09 knots. This is the final warning for this system.
Newsbytes:
Thailand – Flooding was reported in several locations of Bangkok on Thursday morning following hours of heavy rain overnight. Authorities in Thailand report that heavy rainfall in the country since 17 July has caused flooding in at least 7 provinces, plus the country’s capital Bangkok. More rain was expected in Greater Bangkok on Thursday due to the strong monsoon trough in the North and the Northeast and the monsoon over the Andaman Sea, the South and the Gulf of Thailand.
Cheetahs Return to India
Cheetahs will soon roam the forests of central India for the first time in 70 years. The country’s indigenous cats were declared extinct in 1952 after decades of hunting, habitat loss and food shortages led to their disappearance.
But a long-anticipated agreement with Namibia will see the world’s fastest land animals transported from Africa to “cheetah- friendly” areas of Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh state. Asiatic cheetahs once roamed from Afghanistan to the Arabian Peninsula, but only about a dozen still survive in Iran.
Winged Tragedy
The worldwide bird flu epidemic that has resulted in the deaths of untold millions of poultry in recent months is also decimating the planet’s wild bird populations. The Guardian reports the UK has suffered its worst-ever infections, with more than 300 outbreaks in the nation’s seabird colonies.
Birds are also dying in many other areas of the world. More than 2,000 of the world’s approximately 8,000 Dalmatian pelicans have already perished. “We are facing an event of mass extinction of animals. Entire populations are affected by this virus,” says Uri Naveh, a senior scientist at the Israel Parks and Nature Authority. The international poultry trade, farming and sale of birds, as well as wild migrations, are the leading causes.
Rare Humpback Whale Washes up on Australian Beach
A dead white humpback whale was recently found on a remote beach in Australia. However, experts say the animal is not an albino.
Monarch Butterflies Teetering on Edge of Collapse
The migratory monarch butterfly has joined the endangered species list.
On Thursday (July 21), the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) listed the butterfly, a subspecies of monarch (Danaus plexippus) as endangered, indicating that the subspecies is facing a high risk of extinction in the wild. The main threats to the migratory monarch are habitat loss, pesticide and herbicide use, and climate change.
Antarctic in Pink
Antarctic researchers captured sublime images of pink skies over the frozen landscape brought on by Tonga’s record volcanic eruption in mid-January.
The Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai volcano spewed an enormous number of fine particles high into the stratosphere, resulting in vivid sunsets in parts of Australia and New Zealand.
The effect in the near-perpetual winter twilight of Antarctica’s Scott Base and McMurdo Station has created a fiery hue over the ice, even at noon.
Wildfires – Idaho, USA
The Moose Fire 12 air miles northwest of Salmon, Idaho was very active Wednesday afternoon on both sides of the Salmon River, on the west, south, and east flanks. A mapping flight Wednesday night found that it had grown to more than 20,600 acres and was 2 miles west of North Fork and Highway 93.
Global Temperature Extremes
The week’s hottest temperature was 52.0 degrees Celsius (125.6 degrees F) at Death Valley, California..
The week’s coldest temperature was minus 73.0 degrees Celsius (-99.4 degrees F) 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.
Covid-19
The countries with the 10 greatest number of Covid-19 cases:
Polio – New York, USA
The New York State Department of Health today alerted the public to a case of polio in a Rockland County resident. This is the first case of polio in the US in over a decade.
Newcastle disease – Denmark
Danish health officials announced the detection of Newcastle disease virus in two pigeon flocks at Næstved. The one pigeon flock was located in an animal colony in Stenbæksholm with around 1000 birds, primarily pigeons, but also hobby chickens and domestic birds. The second pigeon flock was 100 pigeons and located in Stenstrup.
Roundup of Global Volcanic Activity – Ongoing Activity for the week 13 July – 19 July 2022
Aira – Kyushu (Japan) : JMA reported that nighttime incandescence at Minamidake Crater (at Aira Caldera’s Sakurajima volcano) was visible during 11-18 July. Sulfur dioxide emissions were measured at 1,400 tons per day on 13 July. One explosion, recorded at 1852 on 17 July, produced an ash plume that rose as high as 2.8 km above the crater rim and ejected material as high as 1.1 km above the summit.
Great Sitkin – Andreanof Islands (USA) : AVO reported that slow lava effusion at Great Sitkin continued during 12-19 July. Elevated surface temperatures were identified in satellite images on most days; weather clouds sometimes obscured satellite and webcam views. Seismicity was low, and occasional local earthquakes were recorded.
Kama’ehuakanaloa – Hawaiian Islands (USA) : An earthquake swarm began at Kama’ehuakanaloa at about 0200 on 16 July and was characterized by seismic tremor accompanied by pulses of seismic energy every 15-20 seconds. The pattern of elevated seismicity continued through at least 1453 on 17 July, the posting time of the HVO’s information statement. The report also noted that around 24 earthquakes in the M 1.8-3 range were recorded during 0130-0600 on 17 July. The Scientist-in-Charge stated that the seismicity was likely the result of magma movement beneath the seamount, but there were no show signs of an imminent eruption. The most recent swarm was recorded on 11 May 2020 and consisted of 18 events in the M 3-3.9 range.
Karymsky – Eastern Kamchatka (Russia) : KVERT reported that a thermal anomaly over Karymsky was identified in satellite images during 7-14 July. At 2250 local time on 13 July ash plumes were identified in satellite images rising 10-11 km (32,800-36,100 ft) a.s.l. and drifting 360 km SW.
Kilauea – Hawaiian Islands (USA) : HVO reported that lava continued to effuse from a vent in the lower W wall of Kilauea’s Halema`uma`u Crater during 12-19 July, entering the lava lake and flowing onto the crater floor. The lake level was relatively low, though by 16 July it had risen to the bounding levees along the margins. Incandescence from the W vent complex was visible during 16-19 July. Lava oozed from the lake margins during the early morning of 19 July.
Krakatau – Sunda Strait : PVMBG reported that several eruptive events were recorded at Anak Krakatau during 16-18 July. Eruptions at 2253 and 2339 on 16 July, 0847 on 17 July, and 0826, 1549, and 1730 on 18 July produced dense gray-to-black ash plumes that rose 1-2.5 km above the summit and drifted NE, S, SW, and W. Webcam image acquired at 2308 and 2344 on 16 July showed incandescence at the vent.
Lewotolok – Lembata Island : PVMBG reported that the eruption at Lewotolok continued during 12-19 July. Daily white or white-and-gray emissions rose as high as 800 m above the summit and drifted in multiple directions. Photos in some posted reports showed Strombolian activity from the crater.
Manam – Northeast of New Guinea : The Darwin VAAC reported that on 14 July ash plumes from Manam rose to 2.1 km (7,000 ft) and drifted NW based on satellite and RVO webcam images.
Merapi – Central Java : BPPTKG reported that the eruption at Merapi continued during 8-14 July. The heights and morphologies of the SW and central lava domes were unchanged from the previous week, and seismicity remained at high levels. As many as 43 lava avalanches traveled down the Bebeng drainage on the SW flank, reaching a maximum distance of 2 km.
Pavlof – Alaska Peninsula, Alaska : AVO reported that a minor eruption at a vent on Pavlof’s upper E flank was ongoing during 12-19 July. Seismic tremor persisted and multiple daily explosions were detected in seismic and infrasound data. Elevated surface temperatures identified in satellite images on a few of the days possibly reflected ongoing minor lava effusion; cloud cover prevented views on most of the days during the week. Minor ash emissions were seen in webcam images during 18019 July.
Popocatepetl – Mexico : CENAPRED reported that each day during 12-18 July there were 8-39 steam-and-gas emissions rising from Popocatépetl that drifted SW and WNW.
Sao Jorge – Azores : A seismic swarm at São Jorge began at 1605 on 19 March along a WNW-ESE fissure system stretching from Ponta dos Rosais to Norte Pequeno – Silveira. The seismic data as well as deformation data indicated a magmatic intrusion, though by early April no significant deformation was detected. The frequency of earthquakes had decreased in late May-early June. Seismicity continued to be elevated; by 18 July a total of 43,410 low-magnitude tectonic events had been recorded.
Semeru – Eastern Java : PVMBG reported that the eruption at Semeru continued during 12-18 July. At 0614 on 14 July an ash plume rose 500 m above the summit and drifted SW.
Sheveluch – Central Kamchatka (Russia) : KVERT reported that the ongoing eruption at Sheveluch was characterized by explosions, hot avalanches, and lava-dome extrusion. A thermal anomaly was identified in satellite images during 7-14 July. Satellite images showed ash plumes drifting 82 km SW and SE during 11-13 July.
Suwanosejima – Ryukyu Islands (Japan) : JMA reported that the eruption at Suwanosejima’s Ontake Crater continued during 11-18 July. There were 13 explosions, producing eruption plumes that rose as high as 1.5 km above the crater rim and ejecting material 700 m from the vent. Crater incandescence was observed nightly.