Earth Changes

Shaking all over! Magnitude 5.5 earthquake hits 200km west of Port Hardy, Canada

news1130.com
Thu, 24 Sep 2015 19:22 UTC

A moderate earthquake has been recorded off the northwest tip of Vancouver Island.

Natural Resources Canada says it hit at 6:48 a.m.

It was centred in the Queen Charlotte fault region, about 200 kilometres west of Port Hardy.

The US Geological Survey says the shaker occurred at a depth of 10 kilometres and had a magnitude of 5.5, although Natural Resources Canada lists a preliminary magnitude of 5.7.

All experts agree the quake would only have been lightly felt and would not have caused any damage or spawned any damaging waves.

The geological survey says more than 150 earthquakes of magnitude 5 or greater have occurred along this fault line over the last 40 years, but only a handful — including two off Haida Gwaii in 2012 and 2013 — were strong enough to be felt or cause damage.

Source: The Canadian Press

Magnitude-6.6 underwater earthquake hits eastern Indonesia

NZ Herald
Thu, 24 Sep 2015 18:44 UTC

Jakarta - A 6.6-magnitude quake hit Indonesian waters early Saturday, panicking people and several houses were reported damage but no immediate reports of casualties, officials said.

The quake, struck at 00:53 a.m. Saturday (1553 GMT Friday), was centered about 28 kilometers (17 miles) north of Sorong, a town of Indonesia's West Papua province, the U.S. Geological Survey said on its Web site. It occurred at a depth of 24 kilometers (15 miles).

Hundreds of people fled their homes in panic in Sorong and Manokwari city, 315 kilometer (195 miles) to the west, and several houses were reported damage, said Karel Roni, the operational chief at Sorong Search and Rescue Agency.

He said no immediate reports on casualties and rescuers are still collecting data on damages and injuries.

Indonesia's Meteorology and Geophysics Agency put the underwater quake's preliminary magnitude at 6.8 but has no potential to generate tsunami waves along nearby coasts, said Budi Waluyo from the agency.

The world's largest archipelago, Indonesia is prone to earthquakes due to its location on the Pacific "Ring of Fire," an arc of volcanoes and fault lines in the Pacific Basin.

In 2004, a monster temblor off Aceh shores triggered a tsunami that killed 230,000 people in a dozen countries. Most of the deaths were in Aceh.

Source: Associated Press

Rarely-seen beaked whale dies in Provincetown Harbor, Maine

Cape Cod Today
Thu, 24 Sep 2015 17:58 UTC

A rarely-seen beaked whale stranded in Provincetown Harbor Wednesday. According to a Center for Coastal Studies (CCS) release, the whale died before a rescue could be attempted. CCS researchers responded and identified the animal as a beaked whale, although the species has yet to be determined.

The Provincetown Harbormaster and his crew assisted CCS with recovering the whale and towing it into the harbor. Researchers from the Yarmouth Port-based International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) will transported the whale to their facilities where a necropsy will be performed to determine cause of death, the release said.

A deep water species, beaked whales are typically only encountered hundreds of miles from shore. In July, a dead beaked whale washed ashore in Plymouth. Researchers from New England Aquarium responded on that day. According to the New England Aquarium, beaked whales are most often encountered by commercial fisherman when they are caught as by-catch. The last time aquarium researchers had encountered a beaked whale was in Duxbury in 2006.

The whale's dolphin-like beak gives them their name, the CCS release said.

Texas man mauled by brown bear in Alaska

BABW News
Wed, 23 Sep 2015 17:43 UTC

Grizzly bear

A North Texas man was viciously mauled by a brown bear that had a group of cubs while he was hunting for moose in Alaska. According to a report from Dallas Morning News, the man is in critical condition after the attack.

47-year-old Gregory Joseph Matthews of Plano, TX suffered life-threatening injuries on Tuesday as his brother watched on in horror while the two were out hunting in the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge. The man is expected to survive.

The refuge manager, Andy Loranger, reported that fishermen in the area notified authorities of the attack, and Matthews was airlifted out of the park and to a nearby hospital. On Wednesday, Matthews was reportedly in good condition but refused requests for an interview following the attack.

Loranger says that the salmon are making their annual pass through the Alaskan rivers, and this has attracted the attention of a number of large predators. Wildlife officials are currently searching for the bear that attacked Matthews in the area surrounding Doroshin Bay, as well as the upper shores of Skilak Lake, but they still have found no evidence of the culprit.

Magnitude 6.9 earthquake strikes off coast of Indonesia - USGS

RT
Thu, 24 Sep 2015 16:10 UTC

A magnitude 6.9 earthquake has struck off Irian Jaya, Indonesia, according to the US Geological Survey (USGS).

The quake hit 15 miles (24 kilometers) north north-west of the city of Sorong. It measured at a depth of 39.9 miles (64 kilometers).

There were no immediate reports of damage, and a tsunami warning has not been issued.

Comment: There has been increasing seismic and volcanic activity around Indonesia recently:

Keep informed on these increasingly chaotic events by viewing the monthly SOTT Earth Changes Summary.

SOTT Earth Changes Summary - August 2015: Extreme Weather, Planetary Upheaval, Meteor Fireballs

California kayaker films fight with hammerhead shark

Ben Hooper
upi.com
Wed, 23 Sep 2015 14:53 UTC

Paddle versus shark

A kayaker off the coast of Goleta, Calif., shared video of his struggle with an aggressive hammerhead shark that repeatedly attacked his kayak.

Mark McCracken, who posted his video to YouTube, said he was in his kayak "trolling for bonito" off the coast of Gaviota State Beach in Goleta Saturday when the "tweaked out hammerhead started ramming and biting my kayak."

Two Carribean seabirds turn up in Baltimore Harbor

Don Rush
delmarvapublicradio.net
Wed, 23 Sep 2015 13:57 UTC

© Jerry Jackson
A brown booby sits on a mooring line between the ships Denebola and Antares in Baltimore's Inner Harbor Tuesday, Sept. 22, 2015.

Two birds normally found in the Caribbean and parts south are visiting Baltimore's harbor.

Two brown boobies, an adult and a "subadult" about a year old, have been seen around Baltimore's harbor this month.

Phil Davis of the Maryland Ornithological Society said in a phone interview Tuesday that he has seen and photographed the seabirds. He says a water taxi operator spotted the birds recently and emailed the Audubon Society, and the message was posted on the Ornithological Society's email list.

91-year-old woman mauled by family dog, dies in Miami hospital

miami.cbslocal.com
Tue, 22 Sep 2015 13:38 UTC

Elderly woman killed in possible dog attack

Authorities said they are investigating the death of an elderly woman found mauled by a dog on Tuesday.

According to Miami-Dade Police, Miami-Dade Fire Rescue requested their assistance at around 4 p.m. after they found a 91-year-old woman unresponsive and suffering from an apparent dog bite.

Police responded to the home located at 9415 SW 18th Terrace and called in Miami-Dade Animal Services in regards to the dog. The dog found at the home also lives there, police said.

The woman was taken to Kendall Regional Hospital where she died. Investigators have not confirmed if the dog bite was the cause of her death or it was from her age.

Water at bird refuge turns pink in Santa Barbara, California

6abc.com
Tue, 22 Sep 2015 13:04 UTC

Santa Barbara bird refuge

The water at a bird refuge in Santa Barbara, California has turned a startling shade of pink.

Officials say it may look pretty, but it's a sign of an unhealthy ecosystem.

Warmer temperatures have allowed purple sulfur bacteria to reproduce more frequently.

Officials believe a lack of rain may also be to blame.