A 7.6-magnitude quake struck off the eastern coast of the Philippines late Friday, killing at least one person in a house collapse, knocking out power in several towns and generating negligible tsunami surges.
A tsunami alert originally was issued for several countries in the region including Indonesia and Japan and for Pacific islands as far away as the Northern Marianas, but they all were later lifted, the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said.
The center said that very small tsunami waves of 3 centimeters meters (just over an inch) were recorded along the eastern Philippine coast near Legazpi city and another nearby location.
Benito Ramos, a retired general who heads the country's disaster-response agency, said in an advisory broadcast nationwide that residents should be on the alert for aftershocks.
Earth Changes
© USGS
2012-08-31 12:47:34 UTC
2012-08-31 20:47:34 UTC+08:00 at epicenter
2012-08-31 05:47:34 UTC-07:00 system time
Nearby Cities
96km (60mi) E of Sulangan, Philippines
109km (68mi) ESE of Guiuan, Philippines
162km (101mi) ESE of Borongan, Philippines
176km (109mi) NE of Surigao, Philippines
747km (464mi) ESE of Manila, Philippines
This summer's drought, with unusually high temperatures, is a blow to the region, that is already greatly weakened by the economic crisis.
Farmers complain that in some parts the damages to their crops amount to 100%, while governments admit that they can not afford to compensate those who need it.
The drought also creates perfect conditions for wild fires, which have destroyed thousands of hectares of forests and plantations, while also emptying the accumulation of water in hydroelectric plants from rivers and wells that farmers need for cattle.
In Bosnia and Herzegovina a state of emergency has been proclaimed.
© Alaska Dispatch
The nearly 4,000-foot-high Little Sitkin volcano is named for the island where it resides, located in the Rat Islands in the Aleutian chain. The volcano has shown little activity since scientists have started observing it, with only three questionable eruptive events at the volcano since that time.
The most recent eruption may have come in 1900, according to the Alaska Volcano Observatory.
Still, the AVO page for Little Sitkin mentions there may have been a "cataclysmic eruption" on the island sometime after the last ice age, which ended more than 11,000 years ago.
Seismic equipment located near the volcano began detecting a "swarm of high-frequency earthquakes" at about 7:15 p.m. Wednesday, the AVO reports. The earthquakes continued through the night into Thursday, prompting the alert level at the volcano being raised. The alert level is currently at yellow, which means that the "volcano is exhibiting signs of elevated unrest above known background level." Additionally, aircraft traveling in the area are advised to exercise caution.
The volcano is located in a remote part of the Aleutians, about 35 miles northwest of the World War II outpost of Amchitka and 200 miles west of Adak.
Little Sitkin joins two other Alaska volcanoes, Iliamna and Cleveland, currently sitting at elevated alert levels.
© AP Photo/Gerald Herbert
People rescue cows from floodwaters after Isaac passed through the region, in Plaquemines Parish, La., Thursday, Aug. 30, 2012. Isaac staggered toward central Louisiana early Thursday, its weakening winds still potent enough to drive storm surge into portions of the coast and the River Parishes between New Orleans and Baton Rouge.
People rescue cows from floodwaters after Isaac passed through the region, in Plaquemines Parish, La., Thursday, Aug. 30, 2012. Isaac staggered toward central Louisiana early Thursday, its weakening winds still potent enough to drive storm surge into portions of the coast and the River Parishes between New Orleans and Baton Rouge.
The huge spiral weather system weakened to a tropical depression as it crawled inland, but it caught many places off guard by following a meandering, unpredictable path. The storm's excruciatingly slow movement meant that Isaac practically parked over low-lying towns and threw off great sheets of water for hours.
"I was blindsided. Nobody expected this," said Richard Musatchia, who fled his water-filled home in LaPlace, northwest of New Orleans.
Inside the fortified levees that protected New Orleans, bursts of sunshine streamed through the thick clouds, and life began to return to normal. But beyond the city, people got their first good look at Isaac's damage: Hundreds of homes were underwater. Half the state was without power at the one point. Thousands were staying at shelters.
Authorities are considering a controlled breach of a dam along the Mississippi-Louisiana border due to rising water levels after Hurricane Isaac made land fall. NBC's Thanh Truong reports.
Up to 50,000 people in Louisiana's Tangipahoa Parish were ordered to evacuate Thursday morning when water from Tropical Storm Isaac threatened to overwhelm a dam across the state line in Mississippi.
Up to 50,000 people in Louisiana's Tangipahoa Parish were ordered to evacuate Thursday morning when water from Tropical Storm Isaac threatened to overwhelm a dam across the state line in Mississippi.
On August 28, a camera on board the International Space Station captured footage of Hurricane Isaac from 253 miles above Earth. The video was taken as the powerful storm swirled towards the southeast coast of Louisiana. Isaac made landfall on Tuesday evening, and has since been downgraded to a tropical storm.
Seismologists say a cluster of earthquakes has been detected at a remote volcano in Alaska's western Aleutian Islands. The Alaska Volcano Observatory says the quakes began Wednesday evening at Little Sitkin Volcano and are continuing as of Thursday morning. No eruption has been detected.
Scientist in charge John Power says there is no direct link to the swarm of earthquakes at Little Sitkin and a cluster of quakes that shook California's Imperial County this week.
Powers says Little Sitkin is on an uninhabited island and is far from any populated areas. He says the seismic activity is unusual for Little Sitkin, which may have last erupted in the early 1900s.
Powers says the concern about an eruption would be the possible threat posed to aircraft by airborne ash.
Scientist in charge John Power says there is no direct link to the swarm of earthquakes at Little Sitkin and a cluster of quakes that shook California's Imperial County this week.
Powers says Little Sitkin is on an uninhabited island and is far from any populated areas. He says the seismic activity is unusual for Little Sitkin, which may have last erupted in the early 1900s.
Powers says the concern about an eruption would be the possible threat posed to aircraft by airborne ash.
© USGS
This velocity hydrograph shows the velocity of the Mississippi River during Hurricane Isaac’s landfall. On August 28, the velocity begins to approach negative velocity as high winds and storm surge cause the river to reverse flow. By the end of August 28, the river had regained its regular flow. The USGS streamgage that recorded this information is located at Belle Chasse, LA.
This velocity hydrograph shows the velocity of the Mississippi River during Hurricane Isaac’s landfall. On August 28, the velocity begins to approach negative velocity as high winds and storm surge cause the river to reverse flow. By the end of August 28, the river had regained its regular flow. The USGS streamgage that recorded this information is located at Belle Chasse, LA.
Although it doesn't happen often, hurricanes can cause coastal rivers to reverse flow. Between the extremely strong winds and the massive waves of water pushed by those winds, rivers at regular or low flow are forced backwards until either the normal river-flow or the elevation of the land stop the inflow.
As Hurricane Isaac pushes further inland, it is causing storm surge in the Mississippi River as far north as Baton Rouge, where the river has crested at 8 feet above its prior height.
"This reversal of flow of the mighty Mississippi is but one measure of the extreme force of Isaac," said USGS Director Marcia McNutt. "While such events are ephemeral, they are yet another reminder of why we need to respect hurricane warnings."
When Hurricane Katrina came ashore in 2005, the Mississippi River also reversed flow, cresting at 13 feet above its previous level, with Baton Rouge reaching 9 feet above its previous stage as well.
A series of unexplained sounds that have allegedly been heard around the world have been keeping a number of Hough Green residents awake at night.
Similar low-pitched sounds have been reported by people in the US, UK, Costa Rica, Russia, Czech Republic, Australia and Manchester since the summer of 2011.
Comment: The list is far, far longer than that...
In some instances the noises produced a loud rumbling sound like a thunderstorm but in others it is more like a 'groaning'.
They have been labelled by many as the 'sound of the Apocalypse' and now it seems they have made their way to Halton.
Sue Carman, of Plumley Gardens, sent a recording of the sounds taken from her home to the Weekly News.
Similar low-pitched sounds have been reported by people in the US, UK, Costa Rica, Russia, Czech Republic, Australia and Manchester since the summer of 2011.
Comment: The list is far, far longer than that...
In some instances the noises produced a loud rumbling sound like a thunderstorm but in others it is more like a 'groaning'.
They have been labelled by many as the 'sound of the Apocalypse' and now it seems they have made their way to Halton.
Sue Carman, of Plumley Gardens, sent a recording of the sounds taken from her home to the Weekly News.
Comment: First overhead exploding meteors and now strange sounds, it's been a busy week for residents in western England and Wales:
Thousands witness meteor shooting across skies of Greater Manchester on its way to exploding over south Wales