Earth ChangesS


Seismograph

Earthquake - 6.2 - 67km ESE of San Pedro de Atacama, Chile

Gary Walton
The Big Wobble
Sun, 16 Apr 2017 10:20 UTC
Earthquake in Chile
A magnitude 6.2 - 67km ESE of San Pedro de Atacama, Chile is only the third major quake of April. The quake was measured at 135km deep.

Todays quake is the 22nd major quake of 2017 which is incredibly low.

Where have all the major quakes gone?

We are into the second half of April yet this year's total so far is extraordinarily low, 2017 has recorded only 22 quakes of magnitude 6 or higher, this total is the lowest this century by a country mile at this stage of the year.

These statistics are wonderful news for USGS who have claimed major quakes are not on the increase, however this year's total so far is astonishingly low, at the moment 2017 is yielding 6 major quakes per month which would give us a grand total of 72 for the year, we have to go back 50 years to the 1960's when so few major quakes were recorded but it's early days.
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Fish

Mysterious fish kill in Tennessee lake raises neighborhoods concern

Mandy Hrach
WBBJ 7 News
Sat, 15 Apr 2017 03:49 UTC
Dead Fishes
© WBBJ 7 News
A mysterious fish kill in one community lake is raising questions and leaving many residents concerned.

Hundreds of dead fish swamped the shores of one neighborhood lake, a stench that could be smelled blocks away.

"They were all dying, there was just hundreds of them lying around," said Linda Watts, who lives by the lake.

But the smell is just one cause of concern.

Watts has lived in the Seven Oaks neighborhood next to the lake for nearly ten years, and said this is a problem she has never had to deal with.

"If there is something in the water, it is going to get into our drinking water? We don't know," she said.

The water behind is filled with dead fish of all different sizes like catfish, carp and trout.
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Info

European vulture survival - a long hard fight to ban bird killer diclofenac


Blasting News
Sat, 15 Apr 2017 20:07 UTC
Griffon Vulture
© Artemy Voikhansky Griffon Vulture
Portugal talk about allowing a veterinary product that kills vultures despite signing resolution preventing poisioning migratory birds

At the end of 2016, the Vulture Conservation Foundation posted on their website that "The #european medicines agency (EMA) has their long-awaited technical position on the vulture-killing drug diclofenac, following a request from the European Commission." Finally, it seems that they have confirmed "that veterinary diclofenac does represent a real risk to European vultures, and therefore recommends that a number of risk management measures should be taken to avoid the poisoning of vultures, including more regulation, veterinary controls, better labelling and information and/or a ban of the drug."

What is being done to address the death of Europe's vultures?

The fight for the vultures has been a long and hard one. In 2015, the United Nations Environmental Program (UNEP) announced in a press release that member countries who are Signatories to the MOU on the Conservation of Migratory #Birds Of Prey, listed more species of vultures to their annexure 1. The agreement which was discussed in Bonn was motivated by the African vulture crisis. Apart from illegal trade in the birds, poisoning is of very high concern. At that time there were 533 signatory countries, which was good news, but it did raise the question of what they are doing to address the threat to vultures and other birds of prey in Europe.
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Cloud Lightning

Lightning kills two in Dhankuta, Nepal


My Republica
Sat, 15 Apr 2017 19:51 UTC
LIGHTNING
Two people were killed after being struck by lightning in the district on Saturday.

The deceased have been identified as 35-year-old Chhatra Kumari Rai of Haguwa, Khalchha Chhintangshahid Rural Municipality and Krishna Rai, 24, of Sanrigadhi Rural Municipality-10, said police.

According to a local, Krishna was talking on cell phone when he was struck by the lightning.

Similarly, police have also recovered a mobile phone set from the body of Chhatrakumari Rai.

Police have reached the incident site. Police said they are making preparations to bring the dead bodies to District Hospital for postmortem, said SP Sudip Raj Bhandari.
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Cloud Precipitation

Death toll rises to 35 after torrential rains hit Iran's northwest causing floods and landslides


Tehran Times
Sat, 15 Apr 2017 13:51 UTC
Iran floods April 2017
Heavy rain which started on Friday morning caused flood in the afternoon and unfortunately the northwestern cities of Azarshahr and Ajabshir hit the hardest by the flood, ISNA quoted Ismail Najjar, head of the Crisis Management Organization as saying on Saturday.

Seven cars have gone missing in Azarshahr, he regretted, adding, despite the warnings some people were reluctant to leave the area.

According to East Azarbaijan crisis management organization up to now, 14 have died and at least 3 gone missing in Azarshahr and some 4 individuals are missing and 15 are dead n Ajabshir.

"Some bridges are reportedly damaged in West Azarbaijan province and sadly a 12-year-old boy is taken away by the flood while biking," he explained.

Moreover, 4 died in a landslide triggered by the flood in Saqqez, Kordestan province, and one passed away in Baneh, he said.

So far, some 1,100 have received relief services, 77 provided with emergency accommodation, and 6 transferred to hospitals in 32 cities and villages, Najjar noted, adding, water was pumped out of 48 houses as well.

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Seismograph

Chile on alert after being struck by 6.2 magnitude earthquake

Ross Logan
The Express
Sat, 15 Apr 2017 15:31 UTC
Chile earthquake
© USGS
Earthquake measuring 6.2 magnitude has struck Chile, close to the border with Argentina, the United States Geological Survey has said.

The quake struck at 5.15am local time (8.15am GMT) about 90 miles southeatst of the city of Calama.

USGS said the tremor had a preliminary magnitude of 6.2 and a depth of 188km, Reuters reported.

There have been no reports of inuries so far.
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X

Indian spiritual festival caused over $6 million of damage to sacred Yamuna River that could take a decade to repair


RT
Sat, 15 Apr 2017 07:00 UTC
Yamuna river event Art of Living

India's environmental watchdog has concluded that a spiritual festival held in the country last March caused more than $6 million worth of damage to the Yamuna River that could take a decade to fix.

An expert panel, established in 2010, was appointed by India's National Green Tribunal to investigate. The group concluded in its report released Wednesday, that the Art of the Living Foundation's World Cultural festival held last year had destroyed the bed of the Yamuna river - considered sacred by Hindus - and adversely affected 170 hectares of surrounding floodplains.

The report pointed to the construction of roads, ramps and a massive seven-acre stage for the three-day spiritual extravaganza as the cause of the extensive damage to the river, which just last month was granted the same rights as humans in a bid to tackle pollution of the fragile eco-system.
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Attention

Surfer critically injured after shark bite at Kauai beach, Hawaii


Hawaii News Now
Fri, 14 Apr 2017 13:11 UTC
Shark attacks
A visitor from France was critically injured Friday morning in an apparent shark bite at Kekaha Beach on Kauai.

Officials said the 28-year-old sustained severe injuries to his lower right leg when he was bit about 100 yards offshore.

The incident happened about 9 a.m., when the man was surfing at a popular spot called Davidson's.

Bystanders said a 12-foot tiger shark bit the man.

They rushed to his aid after the incident, applying a tourniquet to slow the bleeding.

He was taken to Wilcox Medical Center. The victim's girlfriend subsequently told other surfers that part of the victim's right leg was amputated.
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Attention

Two shark attacks reported within a week in Jacksonville, Florida


wkrg.com
Sat, 15 Apr 2017 12:58 UTC
Shark attacks
Two shark attacks have been reported this week from Jacksonville, Florida.

17 year old Keanan Perry is recovering after a shark attack on Friday at noon while surfing at Hanna Park.

Perry described the attack from that afternoon.
I was paddling in and I got off my board to see if I could stand to walk in. It was about chest height and was deeper than I expected. I dropped down when my foot touched the sand. Right when it touched the sand it (the shark) just latched and it was gone," Perry says.
Perry knew right away he was being attacked by a shark and his first thought was to simply get away. He says the injury is about three inches deep in the back and will likely require a lot of stitches.

The bite may have tore his achilles tendon but Perry can still move his foot. His injuries were not considered life-threatening.
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Wolf

Man mauled to death by pack of 15 stray dogs in Karnataka, India


The News Minute
Sat, 15 Apr 2017 12:10 UTC
Dog attack
A 34-year-old man from Belagavi in Karnataka was mauled to death by a pack of stray dogs late on Thursday night. Imamsaab Kittur was found lying in a pool of blood at Bailhongal bus stand, after he was attacked by nearly fifteen stray dogs, The Times of India reports.

The report states that CCTV footage showed Imamsaab being attacked by a group of stray dogs.

According to the report, Imamsaab was in an inebriated state at the time the stray dogs attacked him. The incident came to light when police inspector Sanganagouda Patil came across Imamsaab, who had collapsed on the road after the attack. The inspector was out on his routine night patrol.
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