Earth ChangesS

Attention

213 killed by elephants in three years in the state of Odisha, India

Not so fast
Not so fast
As many as 213 persons have been killed in elephant attacks in Odisha in the last three years from 2013 to 2016, said Environment, Forest and Climate Change minister Anil Madhav Dave answering an unstarred question raised by BJD parliamentarian Narendra Kumar Swain on Monday.

67 persons in 2013-14, 65 persons in 2014-15 and 81 persons in 20115-16 were killed in jumbo attacks in the state, the information read.

While only one person was killed in tiger attacks in Odisha, 101 persons were killed in the last three years in 19 states in the country, the minister added.

Cloud Grey

Strange, electric blue clouds have appeared over Antarctica way earlier than expected

Noctilucent clouds seen over Vantaa in Finland in 2009.
© Mika-Pekka MarkkanenNoctilucent clouds seen over Vantaa in Finland in 2009
Each year, an eerie mass of bright blue clouds descends over Antarctica, as sunlight is reflected though dense layers of ice crystals to create a brilliant, glowing haze that can be seen from space.

But according to new images recorded by NASA, those otherworldly clouds made their annual appearance way earlier than expected this year, and scientists are struggling to explain why we got a two-week head-start on the South Pole's 'night-shining' event.

Snowflake Cold

Arctic air to invade most of U.S. this week

man in snow
The coldest and most widespread blast of arctic air so far this season will spread across the majority of the United States this week.

Frigid air from the depths of the Arctic will plunge into the United States as the jet stream (a fast-river of air along which storms travel) drops southward.

The coldest days of next week will yield highs and lows generally 10-20 degrees Fahrenheit below normal from the Northwest to the Gulf and East coasts.


Departures from normal highs will even approach 30 degrees in Billings, Montana, and Denver, Colorado.

The arctic blast will first began to chill the Northwest this weekend, where pockets of snow and freezing conditions made some roads slippery.

The northern Rockies and northern Plains will face multiple days of highs in the single digits and teens. Subfreezing highs will then spread to the central Plains, Great Lakes and interior Northeast.

"Afternoon high temperatures in cities like Kansas City and St. Louis will only be in the 20s late in the week, while some places in the Dakotas may have a day or two where the temperature does not even get above zero," AccuWeather Meteorologist Brian Thompson said.

Arrow Down

Rare sinkhole swallows two cars in San Antonio, one dead

Emergency crews are on the scene of a massive sink hole on the Southwest Side Sunday night.
© SBG San AntonioEmergency crews are on the scene of a massive sink hole on the Southwest Side Sunday night.
Multiple San Antonio firefighters engaged in a high water rescue operation in the 8400 block of Quintana Road on San Antonio's Southwest Side after multiple cars got trapped in a sinkhole.

The rescue occurred near the intersection with Leon Creek. Initial calls for help came in just after 5:30 p.m. Sunday.

At least two vehicles were submerged by water -- including one that was flipped onto its roof.

Emergency responders believe the sinkhole could be 10 feet deep.

A man in his 60s was rescued by bystanders, both the man and one of the bystanders were taken to a hospital for treatment. SAFD is unsure if there are people in the other submerged vehicle, but said they fear the worse. Crews will have to wait until Monday morning to see if there are any victims in the second car.



Comment: According to Dr. Yongli Gao, a geological sciences professor at the University of Texas at San Antonio, sinkholes in that area of the city are rare:
According to Dr. Gao, sink holes are nothing new to the area but are usually seen on the city's north side closer to the Edwards Aquifer, which is why he's surprised to see one so far south.

When asked if a sinkhole like the one seen Sunday could happen anywhere throughout San Antonio, Dr. Gao said, "Yeah it's possible, but I would say the probability is pretty low."

Dr. Gao said one major reason sinkholes are rare in the southern part of San Antonio is because the bed rock is usually pretty far down beneath the ground surface.
NBC news also reports that a woman was killed in the incident.

See also: Sinkholes: The groundbreaking truth


Seismograph

Magnitude 6.0 undersea earthquake strikes eastern Indonesia, no tsunami alert

Underwater quake off Indonesia
© USGS Indonesiaโ€™s disaster agency said officials were checking to see if the quake had any impact.
A strong earthquake of 6.0 magnitude has hit the coast of eastern Indonesia on Monday morning, according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS) seismologists.

USGS experts said the undersea quake struck at about 190 km north-east of Maumere, a holiday destination in Flores, at a depth of 522 km. The quake occurred at 9.13 am local time (9.1 3am Singapore time).

Indonesia's disaster agency said the officials were checking to see if the quake had any impact as there were no immediate reports of any casualties or damage. The authorities also said the quake did not trigger any tsunami alert.

Indonesia is positioned on the highly seismically active zone "Pacific Ring of Fire", which is known for collisions of tectonic plates, and hence it experiences frequent earthquakes.

Snowflake

First-of-season snowfall record smashed in Chicago

record snow in Chicago
© WLSOn Sunday, the first snowfall of the season blanketed Chicago, with it receiving at least six inches of snow in some areas.
As of 6 p.m. Sunday, Chicago's O'Hare International Airport had recorded 6.1 inches of snow. That was the greatest first-of-the-season daily snowfall on record dating back to 1884 โ€” the old record of 4.8 inches was set back on Nov. 15, 1940.

The snowstorm began midmorning and ended from the west during the evening. The Chicago area was almost perfectly positioned to receive the greatest snowfall with this low pressure system as it moved through the Midwest โ€” falling almost uniformly with most totals in the 5- to 8-inch range. The greatest snowfall of 9 inches was measured in far western Amboy in Lee County.

A rain/snow mix is possible Tuesday, as a cold front moves through from the west. Readings will bottom out Thursday and Friday with daytime highs in the 20s.

Cloud Precipitation

Flash floods kill one woman and bring chaos in southern Spain; worst rainfall in nearly 30 years

A bus is half-submerged by the muddy floodwaters. Many people have had to abandon their cars in the streets, unable to finish their journeys
A bus is half-submerged by the muddy floodwaters. Many people have had to abandon their cars in the streets, unable to finish their journeys
Severe flash flooding in southern Spain has has left one woman dead and forced authorities to issue a ''red alert'', the country's highest public safety warning.

Around 100 cubic metres of rain are estimated to have fallen within 28 hours.

The 26-year old victim is said to have been in the basement of a nightclub during the deluge.

A woman and a young child look out from their balcony at the street below which is buried under floodwaters. Police in Spain said this is worst flood for nearly 30 years
A woman and a young child look out from their balcony at the street below which is buried under floodwaters. Police in Spain said this is worst flood for nearly 30 years


The Spanish Metrological Office (AEMET) reported that they were expecting 100 cubic metres to fall between 8pm on Saturday and midnight on Sunday
The Spanish Metrological Office (AEMET) reported that they were expecting 100 cubic metres to fall between 8pm on Saturday and midnight on Sunday

Cloud Lightning

Increased activity of ethereal sprites over Spain during recent thunderstorms

sprite spain
In the last 10 days, an enhanced sprite activity is reported in the sky from Spain due to strong lightning storms.

Fire in the sky!

Thunderstorms are ferocious natural phenomena. Crackles of lightning and booms of thunder reign over the surface of the Earth. However, something else occasionally floats ethereally above the storm clouds: a short-lived sprite.

Comment: Further reading:


Seismograph

New Zealand rocked by 'severe' shallow earthquake of magnitude 5.5

The earthquake was at a depth of 12km and was centred 10km east of Seddon
The earthquake was at a depth of 12km and was centred 10km east of Seddon
New Zealand has been struck with another large magnitude 5.5 earthquake.

Just three weeks after the mammoth earthquake that shook central New Zealand, an earthquake has rocked South Island and lower North Island of New Zealand but fortunately hasn't done any damage.

It was at a depth of 12km and was centred 10km east of Seddon.

Marlborough District Council mayor John Leggett told AAP he was at a Christmas parade when the quake occurred.

'We were down on the foreshore and we definitely felt it. It was pretty significant,' he said.

Wellington City Council spokesman Richard McLean said, 'emergency controllers have been talking to each other' but there are no reports of damage in the capital.

Question

Hundreds of migratory birds found dead at lake in Odisha, India

Birds at Chilika Lake
Birds at Chilika Lake
Carcasses of hundreds of migratory birds have been floating over last two days in Chilika lake under local tehsil area in Puri district, according to a report.

Surprisingly, wildlife officials have no knowledge about the development even as nearby villagers are on a collection spree of dead birds for consumption purpose. Some people are even selling these birds to some restaurant owners at Satapada, it was learnt.

A large number of birds flock to Chilika, Asia's largest brackish water lake, flying across thousands of miles during November. A special department has also been formed to ensure the safety of birds who stay here till February. Though a number of squads have been formed for their protection, ignorance of the department is baffling over the massive death of the winged guests.

It is suspected that the birds are dying after suffering from bird flu in the region.

According to reports, nearly three lakh feathered guests have come to Chilika lake this year which is spread across three districts - Ganjam, Puri and Khurda. It is feared that none of the visitors would survive unless the concerned department diagnoses the reason of death after collecting the samples. The carcasses were spotted near Tichhini, Gurubai, Sipia, Nuapada villages, locals said.