Earth Changes

Strong 6.9 magnitude earthquake hits near Fiji

Earthquakes Today
Fri, 24 Feb 2017 18:18 UTC

A earthquake magnitude 6.9 (ml/mb) has struck on Friday, 283 km S of Ndoi Island, Fiji (176 miles). Exact location of event, depth 396.08 km, -178.845° West, -23.2032° South. The 6.9-magnitude earthquake was detected at 05:28:43 / 5:28 am (local time epicenter). Exact time and date of earthquake 24/02/17 / 2017-02-24 17:28:43 / February 24, 2017 @ 5:28 pm UTC/GMT. Id of earthquake: us20008m3t.

Event ids that are associated: at00olw37x, pt17055051, us20008m3t. The earthquake occurred at a depth of 396.08 km (246 miles) below the earth's surface. A tsunami warning has been issued near Ndoi Island in Fiji (Does not indicate if a tsunami actually did or will exist).

Each year there are an estimated 135 quakes in the world. Earthquakes 6.0 to 6.9 may cause a lot of damage in very populated areas. In the past 24 hours, there have been two, in the last 10 days three, in the past 30 days five and in the last 365 days fourty-three earthquakes of magnitude 3.0 or greater that was reported nearby.

Horrifying 'sea monster' carcass washes up on Philippines beaches

RT
Fri, 24 Feb 2017 15:48 UTC

The sea around the Philippines has produced nightmarish sea creatures in recent days, with two bizarre carcasses washing ashore. Locals were left baffled by the horrifying discoveries, though marine experts believe they've solved the mystery.

Photos of a 4.5-meter bloodied carcass covered in white hair went viral after washing up on one of the Dinagat Islands in the Philippines on Wednesday.

Ancient solar events predict new Mini Ice Age affected regions, patterns emerge

Adapt 2030
You Tube
Thu, 23 Feb 2017 15:28 UTC

Bristlecone pines

A new C-14 ancient pine cone solar activity reconstruction showed unusual cosmic ray events at 5480BC, 775 AD and 994 AD, so we can trace these effects through different societies on Earth at the time and see what happened in their local histories. China, Japan, Central Asia, Persia, Roman Empires. Now we overlap with current events on our planet, and the correlation is clear to see, repeating cycles of climate thousands of years apart.

Sources

Shallow earthquake of 5.2 magnitude strikes Manipur, India

The Hindustan Times
Fri, 24 Feb 2017 15:12 UTC

A medium intensity earthquake measuring 5.2 on the Richter Scale hit Manipur on Friday evening.

The epicenter of the quake was in Churachandrapur district. It struck at 5:32 pm at the depth of 20 kms, according to the National Centre for Seismology, a unit of the ministry of earth sciences.

There were no immediate reports of loss of life or damage to property.

Another earthquake measuring 3.5 on the Richter Scale struck the Himalayan state of Sikkim at 3:09 am.

The northeast is known for its high seismic activity.

Source: Press Trust of India

Slow-moving landslide slicing a hill in Abruzzo, Italy

TW
The Watchers
Fri, 24 Feb 2017 15:10 UTC

Like the country didn't have enough natural disasters over the past several months, and years, yet another unstoppable disaster is affecting Italy's central region of Abruzzo, albeit rather slowly.

Civil authorities reported a slow-moving landslide is slicing a hill in the hamlet of Ponzano in Teramo in half, and a village, home to around 200 people, is at risk.

Several buildings have already collapsed or sustained severe damage as a result of the landslide, which is moving at a rate of about 1 meter per day (3.3 feet), but all of them are probably destined to collapse.

35 homes and a total of 120 people have been evacuated since February 12 when the slide was first detected. Residents said they had to evacuate within minutes.

Body of wounded Bryde's whale found off Prachuap Khiri Khan, Thailand

The Nation
Thu, 23 Feb 2017 10:14 UTC

File photo of Bruda whale seen in Prachuap Khiri Khan waters

The body of a Bruda whale was found off the shore of Prachuap Khiri Khan province on Thursday.

Khao Sam Roi Yot National Park chief Rungroj Assawakuntharin and a Kui Buri Fisheries officer went for inspection after being alerted by fishermen that they had found the body of a large sea creature on a pile of rocks 2 kilometres off Sam Phraya beach.

The officials took photographs of the dead whale, which was stuck in the rocks, before forwarding it to Sophon Thongdee, deputy director general of the Department of Marine and Coastal Resources (DMCR), who confirmed that it was a Bruda whale.

The whale, estimated to be four to five metres in length, has a wound in the middle section of its body. It is believed that the creature died three to five days ago before the waves carried its body to the rocks. DMCR will send officials on Friday to conduct an autopsy on the body to find the cause of death.

Sydney super-storm: Woman dies in hospital following lightning strike

The Daily Telegraph (Australia)
Thu, 23 Feb 2017 09:29 UTC

Lightning and storm clouds hit the Sydney skyline

A woman has died after she was struck by lightning during freak storms in NSW over the weekend.

The 61-year-old died in a Sydney hospital this morning, five days after she was struck in the Southern Highlands, NSW Police told AAP.

The woman and her two sisters were hit as they sat together on a Bowral park bench on Saturday.

The other sisters, also aged in their 60s, were reportedly treated for shock.

Emergency services were out in force over the weekend as a huge storm rocked much of NSW, with "giant" hailstones damaging cars and homes and wild winds.

Five fast-moving south-easterly storm cells brought destructive winds, hailstones and heavy rain from Gosford to Wollongong.

Shallow 5.0 magnitude earthquake strikes North of Severnaya Zemlya, Russia

Volcano Discovery
Thu, 23 Feb 2017 23:13 UTC

Date & time: Thu, 23 Feb 20:13:40 UTC

Local time at epicenter: 2017-02-24 01:13:40 +05:00

Magnitude: 5.0

Depth: 10.0 km

Epicenter latitude / longitude: 86.1666°N / 74.4135°E [Map]

Nearest volcano: Unnamed 85.58°N/85.00°E (107 km)

Primary data source: USGS

5.9 magnitude earthquake hits Zambia

Africa Times
Fri, 24 Feb 2017 04:42 UTC

People in Zambia were shaken by a moderate earthquake Friday morning, but there were no immediate reports of injuries or significant damage.

The United States Geological Service measured the quake at a magnitude 5.9 on the Richter scale. The quake was centered 45 kilometers east of Kaputa, in the lakes region near the border with Democratic Republic of Congo. Its expected impacts also included the town of Nchelenge.

The quake occurred at about 2:30 a.m. local time, and was immediately felt to the west as well east in Tanzania.

"It woke up our children and the laying hens we keep in our yard woke up and starting crying out," said one Kaputa resident, reporting the earthquake to the Euro-Med Seismological Center (EMSC).

"The whole house shook. We couldn't walk straight," the testimony said. The EMSC put the magnitude slightly lower at 5.8 than the United States service did.

Messages posted to social media said many people awakened by the strong tremors were unable to go back to sleep.

Storm Doris: Woman killed as UK hit by winds reaching 94mph

ITV News
Thu, 23 Feb 2017 07:27 UTC

© West Midlands Ambulance Service/PA
A car damaged by a tree north of Church Stretton in Shropshire left two men injured.

A woman has been killed after being struck by a piece of debris "the size of a coffee table" as high winds from Storm Doris battered the country.

The 29-year-old victim was hit outside a Starbucks in Wolverhampton city centre shortly before 11.45am.

Witness Rebecca Davis said the woman appeared to have been hit by a piece of roof the "size of a coffee table" from a nearby building in Dudley Street, in the city centre.

West Midlands Ambulance Service said the woman had suffered "very serious head injuries" - and said they had been unable to save her.

West Midlands Police have since confirmed the woman was "struck" by "wooden debris from a nearby building" and said they are now working with Wolverhampton Council to establish how it came loose.

A force spokeswoman added: "The area remains cordoned off while investigations are ongoing. The lady's family have been informed and are being supported at this tragic time."