Earth Report – Global Disaster Watch
Magnitude 5+ Earthquakes – Global
5.9 earthquake hits. The eastern Mediterranean Sea.
5.5 earthquake hits the Molucca Sea.
5.4 earthquake hits the Kermedec Islands.
5.4 earthquake hits western Sichuan, China.
5.1 earthquake hits the Kermedec Islands.
5.1 earthquake hits Cape Verde.
5.1 earthquake hits the Kashmir-Xinjiang border.
Tropical Storms – Roundup of Tropical Storms:
In the Southern Hemisphere: Tropical cyclone 08s (Cheneso), located approximately 229 nm northeast of Europa island, is tracking eastward at 1 knot.
Bees, Butterflies and Hoverflies
One in three bee, butterfly and hoverfly species are currently disappearing in the EU.
Without their drive to fertilise flowers, many plant species would dwindle and eventually disappear. It’s not just beloved honeybees and butterflies; wasps, beetles, flies and ants are also key to this vital process.
With around 80 per cent of crop and wild-flowering plants depending on animal pollination, the Commission describes pollinator loss as one of the biggest threats to EU nature, human wellbeing and food security, as it compromises long-term agricultural production.
Bees could be ensured safe flight around Europe via ‘buzz lines’ under a new deal unveiled yesterday. Creating a network of ecological corridors is one of a number of measures in the European Commission’s ‘New Deal for Pollinators’. The EU is already clamping down on the use of pesticides which are the major threat to pollinators.
Dengue Fever – Bolivia
In a follow-up on the dengue fever outbreak in Bolivia in early 2023, the Ministry of Health and Sports reports that through January 24, 1,010 total dengue fever cases have been reported.
Roundup of Global Volcanic Activity – New Activity for the week 18 January – 24 January 2023
Dieng Volcanic Complex – Central Java : PVMBG reported that white gas plumes of varying densities rose as high as 80 m above the summit of the Dieng Volcanic Complex during 18-24 January. Carbon dioxide emission averages decreased from an average of 3,300 parts per million during 18-19 January to an average of 1,900 parts per million during 22-23 January.
Kilauea – Hawaiian Islands (USA): HVO reported that lava continued to erupt in the E portion of Kilauea’s Halema’uma’u Crater floor during 17-24 January. Activity was concentrated in a large, perched lava lake, covering about 10 hectares in the E half of the crater by 17 January, and in a smaller lake to the W, in the basin of the 2021-2022 lava lake. One dominant lava fountain, 6-7 m high, was active in the E lake. Small daily overflows occurred along the margins of the E lake.
Marapi – Central Sumatra : PVMBG reported that the eruption at Marapi continued during 17-24 January. White-and-gray emissions rose as high as 500 m and drifted in various directions during 17-21 January; white steam plumes were visible on the other days.
Semisopochnoi – Aleutian Islands (USA) : AVO reported that eruptive activity at Semisopochnoi’s Mount Young was ongoing during 17-24 January. Seismicity was elevated with daily small local earthquakes and occasional weak tremor. Minor steam emissions were visible in webcam images during 17-19 January; no activity was identified in cloudy satellite views during the rest of the week.