Earth ChangesS


Ice Cube

Intense hailstorm leaves hail accumulation of 50cm in Teruel, Spain


Sott.net
Sun, 24 Sep 2017 05:59 UTC
Intense hailstorm in Teruel, Spain
© Twitter/yolandamellamo (screen capture)Intense hailstorm in Teruel, Spain
A major hailstorm hit the city of Teruel in the Aragon region of eastern Spain on Friday, September 22, 2017 leaving hail accumulation of 50cm in places.

The hailstorm began at about 21:00 (CET) and was extremely intense for about 15 minutes, followed by another 15 minutes of heavy rain according to El Pais. Within a few hours the temperature had dropped from 24 °C to just 8 °C.

Four people were treated for hypothermia when a driver became trapped under a bridge during flash flooding. Firefighters had to rescue drivers on the San Julián rambla and other streets, where many cars were stuck in the ice. Snowplows were dispatched to some areas to clear the thick layer of hail.

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Tornado1

Hurricane Maria's forecast path edges closer to North Carolina's Outer Banks

Bob Henson
Weather Underground
Sat, 23 Sep 2017 19:08 UTC
Hurrican Maria
© NASA/MSFC Earth Science BranchInfrared satellite image of Hurricane Maria at 12:27 pm EDT Saturday, September 23, 2017.
Still a Category 3 storm on Saturday, Hurricane Maria was rolling northward away from the Bahamas on a path that could affect parts of the U.S. East Coast next week. Maria pummeled the Turks and Caicos Islands early Friday, its western eyewall passing over the capital city of Cockburn Town. For the first time in several days, Maria poses no immediate threat to land. At 11 am EDT Saturday, Maria was located about 320 miles east of Nassau, The Bahamas, moving north-northwest at 8 mph. Maria's top sustained winds had dropped to 115 mph, putting it at the low end of the Category 3 range.

Maria was not a classically symmetric hurricane on Friday night, but its appearance on satellite had become dramatically stronger by midday Saturday. Very strong thunderstorms (convection) were wrapping around Maria's ragged, 35-mile-wide eye. As is typically the case for hurricanes moving poleward, Maria's wind field has been gradually expanding. Hurricane-force winds now extend up to 60 miles from Maria's center, with tropical-storm-force winds extending out some 200 miles to the northeast of the center. Maria has been successfully fending off moderately strong wind shear of around 15 knots, with the help of its well-established structure as well as very warm sea surface temperatures (SSTs) of 29-30°C (84-86°F).
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Attention

China detects 'natural' N. Korea earthquake - fears of nuclear test unfounded


RT
Sat, 23 Sep 2017 18:44 UTC
North Korea earthquake map
© earthquake.usgs.gov
A magnitude 3.4 earthquake, at a depth of 0 kilometers, was recorded near the Kilju area of North Korea Saturday. Although initial reports suggested it may have been the result of a nuclear test, it seems likely the quake was naturally occurring.

The quake occurred at approximately 08:30 GMT (16:29 local time) Saturday, CENC reported. Kilju is home to the Punggyeri nuclear site, where North Korea's sixth and largest nuclear test was conducted on September 3.

There were conflicting reports as to the strength of the quake, with South Korea's weather agency reporting that it measured 3.0 on the Richter Scale, as cited by the country's Yonhap news agency.
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Attention

Bali issues travel warning as Mount Agung volcano threatens to erupt

Michael McGowan
The Guardian
Sat, 23 Sep 2017 05:31 UTC
Mount Agung
© baliaryatoursandtravel.comMount Agung volcano
Holiday plans are in limbo for thousands of Australians after the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade issued a new travel warning for Bali because of fears of a volcano eruption on the popular tourist island. Indonesian authorities have raised the alert level for the Mount Agung volcano to the highest classification, meaning an eruption could be imminent.

On Saturday, the Indonesian Department of Meteorology, Climate and Geophysics said there had been five small eruptions detected coming from the mountain, and an ash column as high as 1000 metres had been observed. There had been a "tremendous increase" in volcano activity.

They said locals and tourists should be 12 kilometres away from the crater in some areas.
map Agung
© baliaryatoursandtravel.com
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Attention

Vanuatu prepares to evacuate 5000 as Ambae volcanic eruption intensifies


Radio New Zealand
Sat, 23 Sep 2017 06:00 UTC
Ambae Volcano in Vanuatu
© Vanuatu Geohazards DepartmentA web camera picture of the Ambae Volcano in Vanuatu on Saturday morning.
Authorities in Vanuatu were preparing to evacuate as many as 5000 people on Saturday, as a volcanic eruption on Ambae island continued to intensify.

The country's Geohazards Department on Saturday raised its alert from level three to four, what it classified as a "moderate eruption state."

The volcano is one of the most active in the world, but its activity has steadily increased in the past couple of weeks, said Esline Garaeviti, the manager of the Geohazards Department. On Saturday, that increased further, with the volcano belching ash across much of the 400sqkm island.

"In the early hours, around 3-4am, we noticed that the activity started to increase, followed by another eruptive phase," said Ms Garaeviti. "So the ash plume from Ambae is still there now. The ash fall is expected all around the island."

"The increased level of activity means increased area of risk," she said. "There's more risk exposed to people on the island, that's why. It's a moderate state of activity."

Ms Garaeviti stressed that the state of the eruption was only moderate, but there was every chance it could increase. However, authorities on the island, which sits between Santo and Pentecost about halfway up the archipelago, were swinging into action on Saturday.

Shadrack Welegtabit, the director of the Vanuatu National Disaster Management Office, said his officials weren't taking chances, and were preparing to start evacuating half of the island's 10,000 people from one side to the other.

Comment: A few days ago a powerful 6.4 magnitude earthquake hit Erromago, the fourth largest island, in the Vanuatu archipelago. Seismic and volcanic activity appears to be increasing in the Pacific 'Ring of Fire'. See also:

Is California next? Concerns increase as a series of killer quakes hit the Pacific 'Ring of Fire'

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Seismograph

Is California next? Concerns increase as a series of killer quakes hit the Pacific 'Ring of Fire'

Nic White and Cheyenne Macdonald
Daily Mail
Thu, 21 Sep 2017 16:18 UTC
ring of fire earthquake volcanoes
After a 6.1 magnitude earthquake hit New Zealand on Wednesday followed by temblors off the coasts of Japan (6.1), Vanuatu (6.4), and Indonesia (5.7) early Thursday morning, others along the Ring of Fire, including California, are wondering if they could be next. But, experts say offshore quakes happen in the region all the time, and go unnoticed
In the span of just 24 hours, a series of powerful earthquakes rocked several locations along the Pacific one by one this week, all in a seismic region known as the 'Ring of Fire' - and, others in its path, including California, are now wondering if they could be next.

Roughly 90 percent of the world's earthquakes occur in this belt, which loops from New Zealand to Chile, passing through the coasts of Asia and the Americas on the way.

Now, after a 6.1 magnitude earthquake hit New Zealand on Wednesday followed by temblors off the coasts of Japan (6.1), Vanuatu (6.4), and Indonesia (5.7) early Thursday morning, experts admit the Pacific is experiencing 'unusual' seismic activity, leaving the West Coast on edge.

After a 6.1 magnitude earthquake hit New Zealand on Wednesday followed by temblors off the coasts of Japan (6.1), Vanuatu (6.4), and Indonesia (5.7) early Thursday morning, others along the Ring of Fire - including California - are wondering if they could be next. But, experts say offshore quakes happen in the region all the time, and go unnoticed

But, this doesn't necessarily mean California or other areas of the West Coast will be affected by the events.
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Attention

Rare oarfish washes up in Oak Bay, British Columbia

Octavian Lacatusu
Surrey Now-Leader
Thu, 21 Sep 2017 15:42 UTC
The strange fish was nearly three meters long and had no scales to be seen.
© Octavian Lacatusu/Oak Bay NewsThe strange fish was nearly three meters long and had no scales to be seen.
A strange sea creature that washed up on Oak Bay's Rattenbury Beach late Thursday morning has been identified as a very rare king-of-the-salmon, according to a local biologist.

The unique name of the king-of-the-salmon originates from Makah First Nation legend, in which the fish (Trachiptreus altivelis) was believed to be the "king" that would lead salmon back to their rivers to spawn, noted Jackie Hildering, a biologist and marine educator, who goes by the handle of The Marine Detective on her blog.

The strange-looking fish, at more than two metres long, was found deceased beside the water by a man who was walking on the beach with his dog.


Comment: Given the current increase in seismic activity across the globe the following selection of reports over the last few years of dead, dying or disoriented oarfish being associated with earthquakes is of some interest: Dead oarfish found off Mindanao, Philippines prior to seismic activity: Can animals predict earthquakes?

Discoveries of rare oarfish cause fears of impending doom in South Korea

2 more oarfish appear off Taiwan during seismic activity

Deep sea oarfish caught by Vietnamese fishermen: Consequences of earthquakes?

Giant deepwater oarfish washing up on California shores: Harbingers of death!

Giant oarfish emerges after being woken by earthquake off Taiwan

2 more oarfish appear off Taiwan during seismic activity

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Seismograph

Mexico City feels another 6.2 magnitude quake, citizens evacuate onto streets


RT
Sat, 23 Sep 2017 15:49 UTC
mexico earthquake 2017
© Henry Romero / ReutersMembers of rescue teams search for survivors in the rubble of a collapsed building after an earthquake on Tuesday in Mexico City, Mexico September 23, 2017
Earthquake warning sirens are currently sounding in Mexico City while the head of the city government has advised that emergency protocols have been activated following a 6.4 temblor in the city of Ixtepec in the southern state of Oaxaca.

Initial reports from the Mexican Seismological authority said the quake struck at 07:53 am local time at a depth of 10 kilometers with an epicenter approximately 12 km north of the City of Ixtepec. This is around 530km south of Mexico City.

In an update, the service downgraded it to a 6.1 magnitude earthquake, placing its epicenter seven kilometers west of the town of Union Hidalgo in Oaxaca at a depth of 75km.

So far there have been no reports of injuries, fatalities or damage, reports news outlet 24 Horas.

Comment: The earthquake in Mexico has had some eerie effects. This video was posted showing how the area was still reverberating from the quake, giving the appearance of the ground 'breathing'



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Seismograph

New 6.2 earthquake centered in Oaxaca, Mexico


Al Arabiya
Sat, 23 Sep 2017 13:29 UTC
MAP EARTHQUAKE
© USGS
The US Geological Survey says a new earthquake has struck Mexico with a magnitude of 6.2 and was centered in the southern state of Oaxaca.

That's the region most shaken by a magnitude 8.1 quake that hit last week.

It also swayed buildings in Mexico City, which is trying to recover from a magnitude 7.1 temblor that struck on Thursday, killing at least 295 people.

It's not immediately clear if the new quake caused damage or injury.

Source: The Associated Press

Comment: There was also a 5.8 earthquake off the Mexican coast about 2 hours prior to the above event according to Earthquake Track

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Cloud Precipitation

Flash floods kill two, blocks roads leaving 150,000 isolated in eastern Sudan


Dabang
Sat, 23 Sep 2017 12:46 UTC
FLOODS
Flash floods caused the death of two people in El Gedaref in eastern Sudan on Wednesday and blocked off the road leading to and from 27 villages.

The Bandigyo-Simsim road has become inaccessible. A resident in Bandigyo told Radio Dabanga that a pregnant woman died on the road, in Sidra area, as she attempted to travel to El Gedaref on a tractor.

A herder died in a flash flood the same day. "The water washed away the part of the Bandigyo-Simsim road at Khor Sidra a few days ago.

"27 villages, accommodating about 150,000 people have become isolated," he said. The road interruptions are causing a shortage in food. Meanwhile, numbers of families were forced to leave flooded homes. The resident mentioned the proliferation of snakes and the deteriorating health environment.
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