© Sott.net
Here are some of the 'signs of the times' in January 2016...
Earth Changes
Here are some of the 'signs of the times' in January 2016...
The quake hit the suburb of Sumner, about 15 kilometres east of Christchurch's city centre
Paramedics responding to calls for help after 5.9 magnitude earthquake hits New Zealand's South Island, which is still recovering from a fatal quake in 2011
Several people have been injured and a cliff has collapsed into the sea on New Zealand's South Island after a "severe" magnitude 5.9 earthquake struck close to Christchurch, which is still rebuilding following a devastating tremor in 2011.
The earthquake hit shortly after 1pm (11am AEDT) on Sunday, according to GeoNet, which monitors seismic activity in New Zealand.
It was centred 15km east of Christchurch and was 31km deep.
Paramedics were responding to a number of calls from people who fell over during the tremor. One building in the city was evacuated after items tumbled down and computer monitors smashed.
© Reuters
Adelie penguins walk on the ice at Cape Denison in Antarctica, on 12 December 2009.
Adelie penguins walk on the ice at Cape Denison in Antarctica, on 12 December 2009.
This meant the mid-sized penguins, that range from 46cm-71 cm (18in-28in), had to trek 60km to the sea to feed on their favoured krill. Their habitat used to sit on the edge of a large expanse of open water but in 2010 a massive iceberg measuring 2,900km sq became lodged in the bay, rendering the colony of Penguins landlocked.
In the last five years the colony was dwindled in size, as the perilous journey has claimed the lives of 150,000 of the penguins, according to research carried out by the Climate Change Research Centre at Australia's University of New South Wales. And scientists warned that the colony is set to disappear in just 20 years unless the sea ice breaks up or the iceberg, named B09B, becomes dislodged.
Researchers in an article in Antarctic Science said: "The arrival of iceberg B09B in Commonwealth Bay, East Antarctica, and subsequent fast ice expansion has dramatically increased the distance Adélie penguins breeding at Cape Denison must travel in search of food. "The Cape Denison population could be extirpated within 20 years unless B09B relocates or the now perennial fast ice within the bay breaks out. This has provided a natural experiment to investigate the impact of iceberg stranding events and sea ice expansion along the East Antarctic coast."
But all is not lost, a study of another colony of Adelie penguins located just 8km from the coast of Commonwealth Bay is thriving, the researchers said. And new findings from other studies suggest that between the last ice age through to 1,000 years ago, some species of penguins have benefited from climate warming and retreating ice.
A daed whale calf
In a statement, Environment said a preliminary report on the dead whale's condition showed that people weren't involved.
Moreover, the 4.35-meter long calf didn't show visible signs of entanglement or bruises.
"The calf was found dead floating on the water next to the monument of Talanquera, as confirmed by the provincial director and rangers from that district," the statement said.
"Apparently, this whale was a few hours old since it still had the umbilical cord. It's normal during the humpback whales visitation season," said marine biologist Omar Reynoso, quoted by elcaribe.com.do.
© USGS
The quake registered a 5.1 magnitude and was recorded northwest of Fairview just after 11 a.m., according to preliminary estimates from the U.S. Geological Survey.
A 3.9 aftershock followed the earthquake, according to the USGS.
At 5.1, the temblor will be the state's third largest earthquake, according to Oklahoma Geological Survey data.
The state's largest earthquake is a 5.6 recorded out of Prague in 2011.
Saturday's quake surpassed a 4.8 recorded on Jan. 6 as this year's largest earthquake. Both the 4.8 and Saturday's 5.1 were centered near Fairview, according to USGS data.
© APTN
Hundreds of manatees swim in the warmer spring water
Hundreds of manatees swim in the warmer spring water
On Thursday morning, roughly 500 of the gentle, aquatic giants crowded into the Three Sisters Springs as temperatures along Florida's Gulf Coast dipped below 10 degrees Celsius.
The springs have been periodically closed to swimmers because of the large concentration of the endangered animals.
But that hasn't stopped visitors from flocking to the boardwalk to gawk at the behemoths, which can weigh up to 590kgs.
Manatees are very susceptible to cold weather.
They can suffer hypothermia and cold stress and will eventually die if they are in water below 20 degrees Celsius.
Flood in Haiti
Dominican Republic
© Onelio Dominguez
Flood in Dominican Republic
Flood in Dominican Republic
According to local media, the San Marcos River and the Camú River overflowed, causing flooding in the municipalities of Puerto Plata, Montellano and Villa Isabela. Several houses are reported to be affected by local inundations in La Sabana, Las Cruces de Martín Alonso, Tasajera, Estrecho Abajo, El Estrecho, Ranchito de los Vargas communities.
The country's Operational Centre for Emergencies (Centro de Operaciones de Emergencias - COE) declared, on 11 February, an alert for possible flash-floods and landslides in the Puerto Plata, Montecristi, Dajabon, Santiago Rodríguez and Valverde Provinces.
As many as 15,000 people were evacuated after severe floods struck in the Dominican Republic in February 2015.
© Rutaalterna.org
Comment: Frost in tropical Costa Rica in the middle of its summer? Nothing to see here folks, keep believing in global warming! Alternatively, you can have a look at these articles:
- Global Cooling is Here! Evidence for Predicting Global Cooling for the Next Three Decades
- Global warming? - Still no warming for 17 years 9 months
- Science Scandal of the Century
Birds feast on fish after a sinkhole prompted the water to drain from a retention pond at Pimlico Executive Golf Course.
Sam Wartinbee of District Property Management confirmed Thursday morning that a sinkhole, about eight feet across, caused the pond to drain.
He said that work to fill in the sinkhole will be taking place but did not offer an immediate timeline.
Birds were making the most of the situation, feasting on fish left at the bottom of the pond.
The Pacific Northwest Seismic Network reports a "little swarm of quakes" shook under the mountain for about 20 minutes.
Yesterday morning, there was a little swarm of quakes under #MountRainier for 20 mins or so. https://t.co/IfDLt2iZye pic.twitter.com/vrxQgLLuwp — PNSN (@PNSN1) February 12, 2016Don't read into the quakes too much. Earthquakes like that are fairly common, according to John Vidale of the Seismic Network. They don't signify much, he says.
"Those swarms probably appear several times a year," he added.
The stronger shaking occurred at 3:41 a.m. when a 1.45-magnitude quake was recorded.
Comment: Update February 18th, 2016
With the pace of Earth Changes apparently quickening in 2016, we've decided to publish this second Summary video for the month of January:
SOTT Earth Changes Summary - January 2016 - Part 2: Extreme Weather, Planetary Upheaval (BONUS VIDEO)