Magnitude 5+ Earthquakes – Global
5.1 earthquake hits the Kermedec Islands.
Storms and Floods
Tropical Storms – Roundup of Tropical Storms:
There are currently no tropical storm systems.
Newsbytes:
Pakistan – The historic monsoon rains and flooding in Pakistan have affected more than 30 million people during the last few weeks. Pakistan has urged the international community to help with relief efforts as it struggled to cope with the aftermath of torrential rains that have triggered massive floods since last month, killing more than 900 people.
Afghanistan – Flooding in Afghanistan this month have now killed more than 180 people, the Taliban said on Thursday, also appealing to the international community for help.
Environment
Record Drought – China
This summer’s drought and heat in China have become the most severe ever recorded in the world. The nearly stationary heat dome has lasted longer than any other in history and has forced factories to shutter, threatening further global supply chain disruptions.
The heat has evaporated reservoirs and rivers, knocking out the hydroelectric turbines that provide power to many Chinese. China’s autumn harvest may now be lost, which could worsen the already acute global food crisis. “There is nothing in world climatic history which is even minimally comparable to what is happening in China,” said climatologist Maximiliano Herrera.
Melting Roads
The unprecedented heat that baked the Northern Hemisphere this summer has caused railroad tracks to contort, forced airport runways to be shut down and made roadways warp. The transport woes that followed have affected areas from Africa to China and even a busy highway in Cambridge, England.
Infrastructure experts warn that the world’s transportation system was, for the most part, built for a much cooler era. Flash floods from the now-frequent extreme rainfall triggered by the warmer and moister atmosphere are also eroding paved roadways and obliterating those made of gravel and dirt.
Wildlife
Cicada Silence
This summer’s extreme European heat that has melted glaciers, caused rivers to dry up and destroyed crops has also silenced the singing cicadas of southern France. “We have observed that the cicadas don’t sing almost ever in the afternoon when the temperature exceeds 36 degrees Celsius in the shade. It’s too hot for them,” said agro-climate specialist Serge Zaka.
The cigale, or cicada, has been mentioned in literature for centuries and represented death and rebirth to the ancient Greeks. But Zaka warned that if Europe continues to get hotter in summer, the Provençal cicadas will be forced to migrate northward or toward the higher elevations of the Pyrenees and southern Alps.
Duller Birds
A European study finds that at least one species of bird is becoming less colourful under the influence of global heating.
Basque and French researchers recorded the colors of Europe’s blue tits between 2005 and 2019 at sites near Montpellier and in Corsica and found that year after year, both sexes of the birds lost some of their distinctive blue and yellow colourations. “The change in plumage colour seems to be the result of a combination of a rise in temperature (1.23 C) and a fall in rainfall (0.64 mm), said lead researcher David López-Idiáquez of the University of the Basque Country.
Environment
Global Temperature Extremes
The week’s hottest temperature was 49.0 degrees Celsius (120 degrees F) at Death Valley. California.
The week’s coldest temperature was minus 72.0 degrees Celsius (-97.6 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.
Disease
Covid-19
The countries with the 10 greatest number of Covid-19 cases:
Typhoid Fever – Philippines
The Negros Oriental Provincial Health Office (PHO) is reporting a significant increase in typhoid fever this year. Since the beginning of the year through August 20, the province has seen 279 cases with three deaths.
Volcanos
Roundup of Global Volcanic Activity – Ongoing Activity for the week 17 August – 23 August 2022
Aira – Kyushu (Japan) : JMA reported that 0009 on 15 August an explosion at Minamidake Crater (at Aira Caldera’s Sakurajima volcano) generated an ash plume that rose 2 km above the crater rim. Sulfur dioxide emissions were slightly high at 1,500 tons per day, measured during a field visit on 16 August. Two eruptive events were recorded during 19-22 August.
Bezymianny – Central Kamchatka (Russia) : The Tokyo VAAC reported that on 22 August an ash plume from Bezymianny was identified in a satellite image rising to 3.7 km (12,000 ft) a.s.l. and drifting NE.
Bulusan – Luzon (Philippines) : PHIVOLCS lowered the Alert Level for Bulusan to 0 (on a scale of 0-5) on 21 August, noting that unrest had further declined to background levels. The frequency of volcanic earthquakes declined to baseline levels during the third week of July. Deformation data showed short-term inflation at the SE flank, though long-term data showed no deformation associated with the volcano. Sulfur dioxide emissions averaged 1,900 tonnes/day during 5-12 June and declined to about 230 tonnes/day during 25 July-6 August. Steam-laden emissions from the active vents declined to low-to-moderate levels.
Ebeko – Paramushir Island (Russia) : KVERT reported that moderate activity at Ebeko was ongoing. A thermal anomaly over the volcano was identified in satellite images on 13 and 18 August. According to volcanologists in Severo-Kurilsk (Paramushir Island, about 7 km E) explosions generated ash plumes that rose up to 3.5 km (11,500 ft) a.s.l. during 15-18 August; ash plumes drifted more than 65 km SE during 17-18 August.
Great Sitkin – Andreanof Islands (USA) : AVO reported that slow lava effusion at Great Sitkin continued during 16-23 August; no changes to the flow margins were visible but the lava had deepened around the vent. Weather clouds often obscured satellite and webcam views during most of the week. Seismicity was low and occasional local earthquakes were recorded.
Kaitoku Seamount – Volcano Islands (Japan) : JMA reported that discolored water around the Kaitoku Seamount was visible during 18-19 August.
Karymsky – Eastern Kamchatka (Russia) : KVERT reported that the eruption at Karymsky continued during 11-18 August. A thermal anomaly over the volcano was identified in satellite images during 12-13, 16, and 18 August.
Kilauea – Hawaiian Islands (USA) : HVO stated that by 16 August about 104 million cubic meters of lava had been erupted from a vent in the lower W wall of at Kilauea’s Halema`uma`u Crater since the current eruption began on 29 September 2021, raising the crater floor by 137 m. Lava continued to effuse from the vent during 17-22 August, entering the lava lake and flowing onto the crater floor. Part of the lake was continuously active. The lake level mostly remained within the bounding levees, though daily breakouts were visible along the margins.
Lewotolok – Lembata Island : PVMBG reported that the Strombolian eruption at Lewotolok continued during 17-23 August. Daily white emissions rose as high as 500 m above the summit and drifted in multiple directions. White-and-gray plumes rose as high as 300 m on 19 August. Photos in some daily reports showed Strombolian activity.
Merapi – Central Java : BPPTKG reported that the eruption at Merapi continued during 12-18 August and seismicity remained at high levels. As many as 23 lava avalanches traveled down the Bebeng drainage on the SW flank, reaching a maximum distance of 1.8 km. Photo analyses showed no changes at the SW and central lava domes.
Nevado del Ruiz – Colombia : Servicio Geológico Colombiano’s (SGC) reported that at 1751 on 18 August an ash emission at Nevado del Ruiz rose 3.2 km and drifted WNW and was associated with a seismic signal indicating fluid movement. The plume was visible on webcams and from Manizales.
Pavlof – Alaska Peninsula, Alaska : AVO reported that a minor eruption at a vent on Pavlof’s upper E flank was ongoing during 16-23 August. There was no evidence of lava effusion, but seismic tremor persisted and multiple small explosions were detected on most days in local seismic, regional seismic, and infrasound data. During 17-18 August explosions produced minor ash emissions that rose to 3 km (10,000 ft) a.s.l. and dissipated quickly, as reported by pilots and seen in webcam images. Daily elevated surface temperatures were identified in satellite images reflecting a hot vent.
Semeru – Eastern Java : PVMBG reported that the eruption at Semeru continued during 16-23 August. Eruptive events recorded at 0544 and 0718 on 22 August produced ash plumes that rose 500 and 300 m above the summit and drifted SW and W, respectively. The Alert Level remained at 3 (on a scale of 1-4). The public was warned to stay at least 5 km away from the summit, and 500 m from Kobokan drainages within 17 km of the summit, along with other drainages originating on Semeru, including the Bang, Kembar, and Sat, due to lahar, avalanche, and pyroclastic flow hazards.
Sheveluch – Central Kamchatka (Russia) : KVERT reported that the ongoing eruption at Sheveluch was characterized by explosions, hot avalanches, and lava-dome extrusion during 11-18 August. A daily thermal anomaly was identified in satellite images.
Suwanosejima – Ryukyu Islands (Japan) : JMA reported that the eruption at Suwanosejima’s Ontake Crater continued during 15-22 August. There were six explosions, producing eruption plumes that rose as high as 900 m above the crater rim and ejecting large blocks 600 m from the vent. Crater incandescence was observed nightly, and volcanic tremor was occasionally recorded.