Earth ChangesS


Black Cat 2

Lioness mauled a five-year-old boy to death in Gujarat, India

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A lioness mauled a five-year-old boy to death in Navi Jikadri village of Jafrabad taluka in Amreli district on Monday night. The child, who was the son of farm labourers, was playing outside his hut in a plantation area when the attack occurred.

According to the forest officials, the lioness attacked the boy and dragged him away. After an extensive search by residents and forest department personnel, the child's half-eaten body was found in the bushes.

The forest officials have set up traps to capture the wild animal.

The victim was identified as Ayush Joliya. His parents were harvesting cotton on a farm while he was playing with his brother when a lioness appeared, grabbed the child, and dragged him into the bushes in the forest area. The victim's brother started screaming, which alerted his parents and other villagers.

Amreli district has the highest number of lions moving in areas outside the protected forest. According to an estimate, there are about 150 lions in the district, and encounters with wild animals have become frequent for the villagers.

Arrow Up

Mysterious record methane surge since 2020 was not fossil fuels but '90% due to microbes'

Nobody checked the carbon-13 ratios!

Wouldn't you know it — 150 nations signed the Global Methane Pledge without even bothering to check if the methane was man-made.

Methane — the second most hated Greenhouse gas — spiked to record historic levels in the last few years, over 1,900 parts per billion. In 2019, even the WEF scientists admitted they couldn't explain the baffling rise, and then in 2020, the world of methane went into the twilight zone. We shut down the modern world due to the pandemic, and methane levels rose even faster.

It seems many have been blaming fossil fuels for the global surge in emissions, but forgot to check the C13 isotopes. Somehow we spend millions on breathalysing cows, measuring their burps, and feeding them seaweed, but didn't think to do the basic chemistry. How could that be, you might wonder... 158 nations agreed to cut methane emissions by 30% by 2030, but none of them audited the science even though very strange things were happening. (The point was obviously the "pledge", the junkets, the captive industries and subsidies, anything but the science).

Methane from fossil fuels has a higher carbon-13 ratio, but even though fossil fuel use was rising, the carbon-13 levels of atmospheric methane was rolling down a hill. Indeed this new study shows it's been falling for 17 years.

It's not like this snuck up on us.... any inquiring mind should have seen this coming a decade ago. The lab has been recording C13 in methane since 1998 and gets air samples from 22 sites around the world every week or two.
Methane Outgassing
© PNAS(A) Trend of globally averaged CH4 abundance (in gray) and δ13CCH4 (purple) from the NOAA/GML GGGRN. Mean growth rates of CH4 mole fraction and δ13CCH4 are shown for the following time periods: 1983–1998, 1999–2006, 2008–2014, 2014–2020, and 2020–2022. (B) Colocated δ13CCH4 measurements at Alert (Canada), Svalbard (Norway), and Antarctica by INSTAAR, NIWA, TU/NIPR, and MPI. Each dataset is fitted with a trend in the same color.

Snowflake

Areas of northern Japan see first snowfall 12 days earlier than usual

The summit observatory of Mt. Moiwa is blanketed in snow in Minami Ward, Sapporo, at 8:49 a.m. Sunday.
© THE YOMIURI SHIMBUNThe summit observatory of Mt. Moiwa is blanketed in snow in Minami Ward, Sapporo, at 8:49 a.m. Sunday.
The first snow of the season was observed in Sapporo, Hokkaido, and some parts of Aomori Prefecture on Sunday morning as temperatures dropped in many areas of northern and eastern Japan.

According to the Japan Meteorological Agency's Sapporo Regional Headquarters, Sapporo saw its first snow of the season eight days earlier than usual and 22 days earlier than last year. Obihiro, located to the east of Sapporo, observed snowfall 12 days earlier than a usual year and 25 days earlier than last year.

The summit observatory of Mt. Moiwa, which has a panoramic view of Sapporo, was covered in snow on the same day. "There were still lots of greenery when I climbed the mountain last week," said a woman in her 30s who came from Sapporo to climb it. "But I was able to enjoy the red and yellow autumn leaves as well as the snow today."


Tsunami

Evacuations under way amid heavy rain, severe flooding in the Eastern Cape, South Africa - 4 killed (UPDATE)

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Parts of Gqeberha and Kariega have experienced severe flooding following heavy rain in the Eastern Cape.

Gift of the Givers Foundation operations manager Ali Sablay said calls were pouring in for humanitarian assistance.

"Community members are being transported to school halls and churches. KwaNobuhle is without drinking water as the water plant is flooded," he said.

"We are currently in contact with the local disaster management teams who are identifying and trying to evacuate residents. Our teams will be assisting, and an urgent list has been sent to us for blankets, mattresses, personal hygiene items, and hot meals to assist flood victims, who will be accommodated in school halls and churches."


Comment: Update October 23

The Heraldlive.co.za reports:
Death toll of flood aftermath rises to four

A middle-aged man has became the latest casualty of the devastating floods which wreaked havoc in Nelson Mandela Bay this week, bringing the death toll to four.

The municipality on Wednesday confirmed that at least three people had died, though The Herald knows of four incidents.



Snowflake

Avalanche after storm dumps 2 feet of snow in San Juan Mountains in Colorado

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Two skiers managed to avoid getting caught in avalanches near Silverton on Sunday after triggering back-to-back slides following a storm that dumped up to 2 feet of snow in the San Juan Mountains.

One skier was on a north-facing ridge near Silverton Mountain when they triggered a slide, the Colorado Avalanche Information Center said. Their skiing partner then triggered a second slide.

The account was detailed in the season's first incident report penned by the center, whose forecasters analyze snowpack and weather patterns to offer insight and safety resources for high country travelers navigating avalanche terrain. It also compiles detailed accounts of reported avalanches.

Both skiers skied out safely, the report said, without naming them. A previous report indicated that one of the skiers was briefly caught in the slide.


Tornado2

The Great Lakes saw 42 waterspouts from Oct. 11-15

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Weather experts recorded more than 30 waterspouts on the Great Lakes over a span of five days this October.

Waterspouts are whirling columns of air and water mist above bodies of water and can take two forms, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. They occur as tornadic waterspouts or fair weather waterspouts.

Tornadic waterspouts move from land to water or form over water, often with severe thunderstorms, and typically feature high winds, hail and lightning, according to NOAA. Fair weather waterspouts form along the base of clouds, starting on the water's surface and don't typically include high winds or thunderstorms, according to NOAA.


Black Cat

Leopard attacks people in Madhya Pradesh, India

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Wild video captured the moment a leopard charged out of the woods at a popular picnic spot in Shahdol, India, and attacked a man, named Akash, who escaped with minor injuries.

According to local reports, the leopard also severely injured a woman and a police officer in the terrifying animal encounter on Oct. 20 that sent dozens fleeing in panic.


Snowflake

Early snowfall hits China's Gansu, Shanxi Provinces - earliest in 73 years for the latter

Early snowfall hits China’s Gansu, Shanxi Provinces
Early snowfall hits China’s Gansu, Shanxi Provinces
Cold spells have swept through parts of China recently, bringing unexpected snowfall to various regions.

In Gannan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture of Gansu Province, a section of National Highway 248, known as the "Locke Road," was hit by a sudden snow, with local authorities responding swiftly to ensure safety and smooth traffic on the road.

The Locke Road, starting from Zhuoni County and ending at Zhagana scenic area in Diebu County, experienced continuous snowfall from Saturday night. Heavy snow accumulation and ice on the road disrupted traffic.


Cloud Lightning

Storm Nadine kills at least two in southeast Mexico

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At least two people died as Tropical Storm "Nadine" in Southeast Mexico, reported France Press, quoted by BTA.

The storm caused floods, overflowing rivers and landslides in the state of Chapas, which borders Guatemala. Roads, homes and various facilities were damaged by the storm.

This is at least the fourth such event in Mexico this hurricane season. The most devastating was Cyclone John, which claimed the lives of 16 people in the state of Guerrero, in southern Mexico, and caused numerous material damages in the resort of Acapulco, devastated last year by the powerful hurricane Otis.


Tsunami

2 dead in Roswell, New Mexico flooding after record rainfall - the most ever in a single day

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Two people were confirmed dead and hundreds have been rescued in Roswell and surrounding areas after a record-breaking deluge of rainfall led to "dangerous" flooding in the Eastern New Mexico town over the weekend.

New Mexico State Police confirmed two people died as a result of a storm that on Saturday brought 5.78 inches of rain to the town the most ever recorded in a single day in Roswell, breaking a record set in 1901.

Police did not offer any additional details about the deaths by late Sunday night.

The heavy rainfall caused the Spring River channel to overflow, leading to flash flooding in Roswell which meteorologists described as "extreme." The National Weather Service in Albuquerque predicted a 40% chance of additional rainfall overnight Sunday.

The New Mexico National Guard had rescued nearly 300 people from floodwaters by Sunday morning, the agency said. Of those rescued, 38 were taken to nearby hospitals.