Earth Report – Global Disaster Watch
Magnitude 5+ Earthquakes – Global
5.8 earthquake hits the Kermedec Islands.
5.3 earthquake hits the Solomon Islands.
Two 5.1 earthquakes hit the Izu Islands off Japan.
5.1 earthquake hits Java, Indonesia.
5.1 earthquake hits southwest of Sumatra, Indonesia.
5.0 earthquake hits the South Sandwich Islands.
5.0 earthquake hits the Hindu Kush, Afghanistan.
5.0 earthquake hits the Izu Islands off Japan.
Tropical Storms – Roundup of Tropical Storms:
There are no current tropical storms.
Newsbytes:
Yemen – More severe flooding has caused damage and fatalities in parts of Yemen, in particular in Hajjah and Al Jawf governorates over the last few days. Heavy rain and flooding struck in several districts of Hajjah Governorate from 03 August 2022. The city of Hajjah recorded 24.6 mm of rain in 24 hours to 03 August, 2022. Flooding and heavy rains also has caused damage and fatalities in Al Jawf Governorate. Two people died after a vehicle was swept away in Khabb wa ash Sha’af District. Six homes were destroyed and around 20 damaged in Al Hazm city. A number of other districts were also affected, with homes, crops, water wells and solar electricity systems all damaged.
Japan – Authorities issued evacuation orders to over 300,000 people in northern and central Japan after heavy rain caused flooding and mudslides. Disaster authorities reported dozens of homes have been damaged in the prefectures of Aomori, Iwate, Akita and Fukushima. Houses were also damaged in Yamagata and Niigata prefectures. A bridge in Iide, Yamagata was destroyed.
Nigeria – At least 7 people have lost their lives and hundreds of homes have been damaged or destroyed after severe flooding in parts of Jigawa State in northern Nigeria. Heavy rain from around 01 August 2022 triggered floods in several parts of Jigawa including the Local Government Areas (LGAs) of Kiri Kasamma, Dutse, Hadejia, Kafin Hausa, Guri, Auyo and Jahun. Several other people have been injured and hundreds of homes damaged or destroyed. Wide areas of farmland and crops have also suffered damage.
Whaling “Collapse”
Japan’s whaling industry appears to be struggling to stay in business due to cutbacks in government subsidies and younger Japanese turning their backs on what was once a staple food. The industry has faced condemnation for using a loophole in International Whaling Commission rules that allowed it to hunt the marine mammals under the guise of scientific research.
But without subsidies, Kyodo Senpaku Co., the only offshore whaling company in Japan, has recently been selling whale meat below the break-even cost. “Even the Japan Fisheries Agency has now abandoned any pretense that commercial whaling can be profitable,” said Patrick Ramage, head of the International Fund for Animal Welfare.
Bird Flu Victims
The avian influenza outbreak that has ravaged poultry and wild birds around the world this year now seems to be killing seals along Canada’s St. Lawrence River. At least 15 of the 100 marine mammals found dead along the waterway since January have tested positive for the highly pathogenic H5N1 strain of the virus.
Stéphane Lair of the University of Montreal says the seals most likely contracted the virus from infected eider ducks, with which they share the same islands to give birth at the beginning of summer. A spokesman for Fisheries and Oceans Canada says these are the first cases of the virus being passed from wild birds to marine mammals ever reported in Quebec.
Huge Sinkhole Opens in Chile
An enormous sinkhole wide enough to swallow the White House has opened up on a plot of mining land in Chile, according to Sernageomin, the country’s National Service of Geology and Mining.
The gaping, 104-foot-wide (32 meters) hole appeared Saturday (July 30) in a rural area outside the town of Tierra Amarilla, about 500 miles (800 kilometers) north of the capital city, Santiago. (In comparison, the White House measures about 85 feet, or 26 m, wide.)The hole appears to be about 656 feet (200 m) deep, with a reservoir of water sloshing around the bottom.
Global Temperature Extremes
The week’s hottest temperature was 48.0 degrees Celsius (118.4 degrees F) at Death Valley, California.
The week’s coldest temperature was minus 64.0 degrees Celsius (-83.2degrees F) at the South Pole, 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.
Wildfires – Washington, USA
The Cow Canyon Fire eight miles southwest of Ellensburg spread rapidly after it was reported Wednesday August 3 at 2:45 p.m. It is spreading through brush, grass, and timber and has grown to approximately 1,500 acres. Evacuations orders are affecting about 50 homes were issued.
The Vantage Highway Fire 17 miles east of Ellensburg has burned 26,490 acres of brush north of the Vantage Highway since it started August 1. Most of the spread on Wednesday was on the northwest side. Fire fighters report that one residence and one outbuilding have been destroyed.
Wildfires – Germany
A large fire has broken out in one of Berlin’s biggest city forests, triggered by several explosions that took place at an ammunition dump on what is forecast to be one of the hottest days so far this year. More than 100 firefighters were battling the blaze in the German capital’s Grunewald forest in the west of the city.
The fire was spreading quickly and massive explosions could be heard from the site where old ammunition from World War II, fireworks and explosive ordnance is stored, and controlled explosions are regularly carried out.
Covid-19
The countries with the 10 greatest number of Covid-19 cases:
Monkeypox – USA
On Thursday, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services declared the ongoing spread of monkeypox virus in the United States a Public Health Emergency (PHE).
Roundup of Global Volcanic Activity – Ongoing Activity for the week 27 July – 2 August 2022
Ebeko – Paramushir Island (Russia) : KVERT reported that moderate activity at Ebeko was ongoing during 21-28 July. According to volcanologists in Severo-Kurilsk (Paramushir Island, about 7 km E) explosions generated ash plumes that rose up to 4 km (13,100 ft) a.s.l. and drifted in multiple directions.
Great Sitkin – Andreanof Islands (USA) : AVO reported that slow lava effusion at Great Sitkin continued during 26 July-2 August. Weather clouds obscured satellite and webcam views during most of the week, though satellite radar data confirmed ongoing effusion; flows thickened but did not advance. Seismicity was low, and occasional local earthquakes were recorded. Steam emissions were visible in satellite and webcam images during 29-30 July.
Grimsvotn – Iceland : The Icelandic Meteorological Office (IMO) reported that increased seismicity, characterized by several earthquakes with magnitudes over 1, began at Grímsvötn during the afternoon of 2 August and continued through the afternoon of 3 August. The largest event was a M 3.6 detected at 1424.
Karymsky – Eastern Kamchatka (Russia) : KVERT reported that a thermal anomaly over Karymsky was identified in satellite images during 21-23 and 27-28 July. Ash plumes were identified in satellite images drifting 46 km ESE on 27 July.
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 26 July-2 August, entering the lava lake and flowing onto the crater floor. Minor ooze-outs along the margins of the crater floor were visible during 1-2 August. The lake level remained at the bounding levees.
Krakatau – Sunda Strait : PVMBG reported that the eruption at Anak Krakatau continued during 27 July-2 August. Several eruptive events occurred on 2 August (at 1549, 1835, 1906, 2249, and 2319) and on 3 August (at 0034, 0115, and 1540), sometimes producing black ash plumes that rose as high as 1.5 km above the summit and drifted NE and SW.
Merapi – Central Java : BPPTKG reported that the eruption at Merapi continued during 22-28 July. Based on photo analyses, the volumes of both the SW and central lava domes had increased, with recent volume estimates of 1.67 and 2.79 million cubic meters, respectively. Seismicity remained at high levels. As many as 47 lava avalanches traveled down the Bebeng drainage on the SW flank, reaching a maximum distance of 1.8 km.
Pavlof – Alaska Peninsula, Alaska: AVO reported that a minor eruption at a vent on Pavlof’s upper E flank was ongoing during 26 July-2 August. Daily elevated surface temperatures were identified in satellite images. Seismic tremor persisted and multiple daily explosions were detected in local and regional seismic and infrasound data. The explosions likely produced minor ash emissions that rose no higher than 3 km (10,000 ft) a.s.l., though cloud cover prevented confirmation on most days. Ash emissions were visible in webcam images during 27-28 July. Sulfur dioxide gas emissions were visible on 26 July and team emissions were noted during 30-31 July.
Semeru – Eastern Java : PVMBG reported that the eruption at Semeru continued during 27 July-2 August. Eruptive events recorded at 0637 on 27 July, 0926 on 29 July, 0825 on 31 July, 0757 on 1 August, 0555 on 2 August, and 0810 on 3 August produced ash plumes that rose 500-700 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 during 21-28 July. A daily thermal anomaly was identified in satellite images, and ash plumes were visible drifting 74 km SSW and SE on 22 and 24 July.
Suwanosejima – Ryukyu Islands (Japan) : JMA reported that the eruption at Suwanosejima’s Ontake Crater continued during 25 July-2 August. One explosion produced an eruption plume that rose more than 1.8 km above the crater rim and caused ashfall in Toshima village (3.5 km SSW).
Yufu-Tsurumi – Kyushu (Japan) : JMA lowered the Alert Level for Yufu-Tsurumi to 1 (on a scale of 1-5) on 27 July, noting that seismicity had decreased after the 8 July earthquake swarm; no volcanic earthquakes were recorded on 9 July and afterwards.