Earth ChangesS


Attention

Two sperm whales die after beaching on coast of East China

Nectar Gan
South China Morning Post
Tue, 16 Feb 2016 17:52 UTC
Authorities and experts measured the giant carcasses
© China NewsAuthorities and experts measured the giant carcasses to try to determine the cause of death.
Two sperm whales have died after beaching themselves on the East China coast in the past two days, the China News Service reported.

On Sunday, villagers found one dead whale beached near Yangkou, in Jiangsu province, while another whale lingered in the deeper water of a channel nearby.

The second whale then became stranded and died on Monday afternoon, about 10km from the first while.

Fisherman Yin Qiufeng said he spotted the whale on the beach early on Sunday.

"[At first] I thought it was a capsized ship, but at a second glance I found it was a huge fish," Yin said. "In the beginning I didn't dare go too close to have a better look because I thought it was still alive, but later I found out it was already dead."

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Attention

Another dead whale found on coast in Odisha, India; fifth this month

Debabrata Mohanty
The Indian Express
Tue, 16 Feb 2016 17:35 UTC
Carcass of a whale
© Debabrata MohantyThe carcass of a whale was found near Mangala river mouth in Puri on Tuesday morning.
In the fifth case of whales washing ashore on Odisha coast, the carcass of another giant whale was found near Mangala river mouth in Puri on Tuesday morning.

Divisional Forest Officer Puri wildlife division Chittaranjan Mishra said the forest department officials have seized the decomposed body of the 38-feet-long whale.

"We will bury the body of the whale after ascertaining its cause of death and and send some of its parts to Bhubaneswar to know the species of the whale. We have sought the experts' opinion," he said.

Odisha forest and wildlife department officials have written a letter to the Ministry of Forest and Environment for investigation into the cases of whale carcasses washing ashore.
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Attention

2 volcanoes erupt within two hours in Nicaragua


Strange Sounds
Tue, 16 Feb 2016 16:46 UTC
Momotombo volcano erupts
© IBTimesMomotombo volcano erupts with ash and lava for first time in 110 years on December 2015.
The Telica and Momotombo volcanoes are two stratovolcanoes in Nicaragua.

On February 13, 2016 both erupted within two hours. Enhanced volcanic activity in the region.

According to the Nicaraguan Institute of Territorial Studies (INETER), the Telica volcano, located in the Leon department, erupted at 8:28 a.m. Saturday morning, launching a column of ash and gas some 1,000 meters (3,280 feet) into the air. At least 20 smaller eruptions were recorded at the volcano in the subsequent hours. Ashfall was reported in some nearby communities.

About two hours after the first explosion at Telica, the Momotombo volcano - which had been essentially dormant for 100 years before exploding to life in December - launched a column of ash and gas more than 1,600 feet (500 meters) into the air.


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Rose

Rare 'super bloom' of wildflowers in Death Valley, California

DeathValleyNP
Youtube
Thu, 11 Feb 2016 15:50 UTC
Superbloom
© Facebook / Death Valley National ParkSuperbloom
In what could be a rare 'super bloom', Death Valley is transforming from a valley of death to a valley of life.

"If you get the chance to see a bloom in Death Valley, especially a super bloom, you should take the opportunity to see it because it could be a once in a lifetime opportunity." - Park Ranger Alan Van Valkenburg

Join Alan in this episode of "Death Valley Exposed" and learn more about the current bloom that is spreading across the park.

Death Valley Exposed is a video podcast series that highlights various snapshots from Death Valley National Park. Produced by Bristlecone Media and the National Park Service in association with Death Valley Natural History Association, an official nonprofit partner of Death Valley National Park.


Comment: See also: Greening of the desert: Australia's largest lake comes back to life following heavy rainfall

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Cloud Precipitation

Several dead in Papua New Guinea due to flooding and landslides


fbc.com.fj
Tue, 16 Feb 2016 14:58 UTC
Heavy rain in Papua New Guinea.
© RNZI / Johnny Blades Heavy rain in Papua New Guinea.

At least six people in Papua New Guinea are reported to have died as a result of landslides and flooding caused by heavy rains in recent weeks.

The Post Courier newspaper has reported deaths in Chimbu and the Western Highlands.

It reported 200 homes have been destroyed, and bridges have been swept away in Oro and West New Britain provinces.

World Vision PNG response manager Bonie Belonio said disaster authorities and humanitarian organisations were scrambling to assess the extent of the damage so distribution of relief supplies could begin.

He said he believed the rains may have taken many people by surprise after the long drought.
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Attention

6.2 magnitude earthquake hits Auckland Islands off New Zealand

Tom Evans
Daily Star (UK)
Mon, 15 Feb 2016 13:46 UTC
EPICENTRE: The earthquake was just 258 miles away from mainland New Zealand
© USGSEPICENTRE: The earthquake was just 258 miles away from mainland New Zealand
A 6.2 magnitude earthquake has hit the Auckland Islands off the south coast of New Zealand, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

Earthquakes 6.0 to 6.9 can cause a lot of damage in very populated areas. News of this earthquake comes just days after a 6.4 magnitude earthquake killed at least 11 people in Taiwan.

The epicentre of the quake is said to have been just 258 miles away from mainland New Zealand.

The earthquake follows a 5.7 magnitude quake hit Christchurch yesterday, causing cliffs to collapse.

The U.S. Geological Survey says the quake struck shortly before 1930 GMT on Monday and was centered 136 miles northwest of Auckland Island. It was at a depth of 6.2 miles.

There was no immediate tsunami alert from the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center.

Minutes later, reports emerged that another earthquake hit Zacharo Town along Greece's west coast.
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Fire

Powerful gas explosion partly destroys residential building in Russia; 7 dead, many feared trapped


RT
Tue, 16 Feb 2016 02:40 UTC
Gas explosion in Yaroslavl, Russia
Russian Emergencies Ministry members work at the site of a residential five-storey apartment building after a gas explosion in the early morning, in the city of Yaroslavl, northeast of Moscow, Russia, February 16, 2016
An entire section of a five story residential building in the Russian city of Yaroslavl has collapsed in a powerful gas explosion, which killed 7 people. The emergencies services say many are feared trapped under the rubble.

"Gas exploded in a five story residential building, the structure caved in from the first to the fifth floor," an emergencies ministry representative told RIA Novosti.

"People remain under rubble," the ministry confirmed, adding that at least ten flats have collapsed.

Rescue workers have taken seven bodies from the rubble. Kristina Guzovskaya of the Investigation Committee for the Yaroslavl region, has told Interfax that among the victims there are four women, one man and two children, possibly an 11- and 6-year-old.

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Bizarro Earth

Odd Australian creature washed up identified as pike eel

Tim Connell
Newcastle Herald, Australia
Tue, 16 Feb 2016 02:33 UTC
Pike Eel
© FacebookMYSTERY: A creature apparently photographed near the Swansea boat ramp has sent ripples through social media.
Giant eel, "messed up crocodile" or unidentified lake monster?

A creature apparently photographed at Swansea has confused and slightly frightened locals since it washed up on social media on Monday.

Ethan Tippa, who posted the photo on Facebook, typified the general response.

"What the f--- is it?"

The answer, said marine biologist Julian Pepperell, is that it's a pike eel.

The angle of the photo made it difficult to judge the creature's length, but it seems longer than the species' average maximum of 1.8 metres.

"I think it's definitely a pike eel. The head is very indicative of that species," Dr Pepperell said.

"It's hard from the photo to get an idea of the scale."

The nocturnal pike eel is common in NSW waters, but surprisingly little is known about it.

Dr Pepperell said the species is frequently caught by fishers at night who get "the fight of their lives" when they reel in a powerful, thrashing predator with a nasty bite.
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Snow Globe

Cold blast shatters records in northeastern US on Valentine's Day

Alex Sosnowski
AccuWeather
Mon, 15 Feb 2016 19:33 UTC
polar vortex
© AP Photo/David SharpFrost on a window forms a heart-shaped pattern on Friday, Feb. 12, 2016, in Falmouth, Maine, where the early morning temperature dipped below zero. Temperatures dropped to even lower levels during the Valentine's Day weekend in the Northeast.
Assisted by a southward shift in the polar vortex, temperatures plummeted to their lowest levels in decades in some locations of the Northeast at the start of Valentine's Day.

The polar vortex is a storm that is typically centered near the North Pole and tends to keep the coldest air trapped in northern Canada. Occasionally, this storm weakens or shifts enough to allow frigid air to plummet southward into the United States.

The frigid weather follows one of the warmest starts to a winter on record.

Dozens of locations in the Northeast shattered record lows for the date on Sunday morning.

Many locations dipped to their lowest levels of the winter, while some locations plunged to lower levels than all of last winter.
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Attention

Whale carcass removed from Bantry Bay, South Africa


ENCA
Sun, 14 Feb 2016 19:34 UTC
Dead whale along the promenade towards Bantry Bay
© Metaxia SterianosDead whale along the promenade towards Bantry Bay
The City of Cape Town successfully removed the carcass of a whale that beached in Bantry Bay.

Authorities believed that dead marine mammal posed a risk to the public.

Decomposing whales could attract sharks, and they also create an awful stench.

Samples will now be taken for research purposes, and the carcass buried in a landfill site.

Gregg Oelofse from the City of Cape Town said before the removal, "It's going to be difficult. But the particular location of this animal means we're going to have to take it off by towing it back out to sea."

"We're quite lucky because it's a small whale, a calf, about 6 metres in length so it makes it easier for us."

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