Earth ChangesS


Attention

Magnitude 5.9 earthquake rocks South Georgia

Ces Dimalanta
Manila Bulletin
Tue, 19 Apr 2016 13:27 UTC
earthquake
A magnitude 5.9 earthquake recently struck north of South Georgia on Tuesday (April 19, 2016), as reported by the United States Geological Survey (USGS) earthquake bulletin.

The earthquake's epicenter was recorded at 119 kilometers north of Visokoi Island, South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands at 1:25 pm of Tuesday (Philippine time).

A slight tremor has also affected nearby areas such as areas of Argentina - Ushuaia, Rio Gallegos, Puerto Deseado - and Stanley in Falkland Islands.
No casualties were reported as of this posting.

A 5.9-magnitude quake struck Visokoi Island on Tuesday afternoon (Philippine time). The epicenter was located 119 km of South Georgia.
© USGSA 5.9-magnitude quake struck Visokoi Island on Tuesday afternoon (Philippine time). The epicenter was located 119 km of South Georgia.
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Ice Cube

Ice jams cause widespread flooding in northern Russia, affecting 10,000 people and damaging 2,500 homes

Richard Davies
Floodlist
Mon, 18 Apr 2016 13:06 UTC
Floods in Veliky Ustyug, Vologda, April 2016.
© Vologda Oblast Floods in Veliky Ustyug, Vologda, April 2016.
Major floods have been affecting central and northern areas of Russia since 12 April, 2016, mainly as a result of snow melt and ice jams.

Over 2,500 homes have been damaged and 10,000 people affected in the three regions of Vologda, Tyumen and Sverdlovskaya.

Vologda Oblast

In Vologda Oblast, local authorities say flooding has been reported in 22 towns in the region, mostly in the Veliky Ustyug District, with more than 1900 houses flooded, affecting over 6,000 people.

Regional authorities have called for help from the federal government. Oleg A. Kuvshinnikov, Governor of Vologda Oblast, said in a statement earlier today, "We are counting on federal support for disaster management."

Floods in Veliky Ustyug, Vologda, April 2016.
© Vologda Oblast Floods in Veliky Ustyug, Vologda, April 2016.


Comment: The flooding is so bad, Russian bombers have been deployed to blow up the ice jams:



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Fire

Mexico's Popocatépetl volcano erupts sending ash almost two miles into the sky


Sputnik International
Mon, 18 Apr 2016 21:48 UTC
Popocatépetl volcano in Mexico erupts April 2016
© YouTube/Vicente Alvarez
The Popocatépetl volcano in Mexico erupted overnight, sending lava flying as far as a mile away from the mountain.

The Puebla airport, directly east of the volcano, has been closed and officials are urging residents to wear masks and avoid inhaling ash covering the city. There are approximately 25 million people who live within 62 miles, or 100 kilometers, of the active volcano.

The eruption of the 17,797-foot stratovolcano, the second highest peak in Mexico, began around 2:30AM, sending ash almost two miles into the sky.

Popocatépetl is the most active volcano in the country, with documented eruptions dating back to the arrival of the Spanish in 1519. It has been active since 1991, after being dormant for approximately half a century. Since 1993, smoke has constantly billowed from the crater.


Comment: Are we paying attention? 3 volcanoes erupt simultaneously on April 16, 2016: Villarrica (Chile), Mt. Cleveland (USA), Colima (Mexico)

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Attention

Video shows increased activity at Yellowstone

Michael Snyder
End of the American Dream
Sun, 17 Apr 2016 17:03 UTC
Yellowstone eruption info
© USGSRange and thickness of Yellowstone supervolcano's eruption 640,000 years ago.
Over the past week, our planet has been hit by large earthquake after large earthquake, and according to Volcano Discovery there are 38 volcanoes around the world that are erupting right now. We have seen a dramatic spike in global seismic activity that is unlike anything that we have seen in ages, and that is why what is going on at Yellowstone is so incredibly alarming. Geologists tell us that a full-blown eruption of the Yellowstone supervolcano would have up to 2,000 times the power of the Mount St. Helens volcanic eruption of 1980, and approximately two-thirds of the country would immediately become uninhabitable. As you will see below, there are signs that something big is getting ready to happen at Yellowstone, and if it does erupt all of our lives will be permanently changed forever.

I want to share with you some footage from Yellowstone that was recorded on Thursday night. In this video, it appears to be as bright as day even though it is the middle of the night, you can see a whole host of geysers steaming violently, and Old Faithful just keeps going off over and over...


Comment: See also:

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Bizarro Earth

Seismic activity increasing: Scientist warns up to 4 quakes over 8.0 possible under 'current conditions'


RT
Mon, 18 Apr 2016 15:31 UTC
earthquakes in Minamiaso town, Kumamoto prefecture
© Kyodo / Reuters Rescue workers conduct a search and rescue operation to a collapsed house at a landslide site caused by earthquakes in Minamiaso town, Kumamoto prefecture.
Sunday's devastating earthquake in Ecuador might just be the beginning, according to a seismologist who says that current conditions in the Pacific Rim could trigger at least four quakes with magnitudes greater than 8.0.

Roger Bilham, a University of Colorado seismologist, told the Express, "If (the quakes) delay, the strain accumulated during the centuries provokes more catastrophic mega earthquakes."

A total of 38 volcanoes are currently erupting around the world, making conditions ripe for seismic activity in the Pacific area.
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Cloud Precipitation

Severe weather leaves 7 dead and over 3,000 displaced in Uruguay

Alessandro Masoero
Floodlist
Mon, 18 Apr 2016 13:48 UTC
Floods
Floodwater in Uruguay
Severe weather has affected Uruguay since Friday 15 April 2016, with a tornado and several floods causing the deaths of at least 7 people. One person has been reported as missing and over 3,000 people have evacuated their homes.

The heavy rain began to fall on 15 April 2016, with a peak on Saturday 16 April. According to the Uruguayan National Meteorological Institute (Institudo Uruguayo de Meteorología, INUMET) as much as 180 mm in 24 hours was observed in Rocha, in the east of Uruguay, on the 16 April 2016. The same day 150 mm of rain in 24 hours have been recorded at the San José station and 140 mm in Florida, both of them in the south of the country.

Significant rain has been observed also on Sunday 17 April 2016, with a maximum of 121.5 mm in 24 hours recorded at Pasos de los Toros station in Tacuarembó Department, in central Uruguay.

The last update of the meteorological bulletin issued by INUMET, reports Orange Alert (level 3 of 4) all over the country, with heavy rains and severe wind gusts expected.


Floods
© Montevideo Portal
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Cloud Precipitation

Four killed as torrential rain, hailstorms lash southern China; hailstones the size of eggs hit Hunan

Celine Ge
South China Morning Post
Mon, 18 Apr 2016 12:44 UTC
Hailstones the size of birds’ eggs hit Hunan over the weekend, according to media reports
Hailstones the size of birds’ eggs hit Hunan over the weekend, according to media reports
Four people have been killed after hailstorms, strong winds and torrential rain hit Hunan province in southern China, state media reported.

Some of the hailstones to hit the area over the weekend were the size of birds' eggs, the state-run Xinhua news agency reported.

The storms have also forced about 5,000 people to evacuate their homes in recent days, state media reported on Sunday.

About 387,000 people had been affected by the extreme weather conditions by noon on Sunday.

About 903 homes had collapsed, according to media reports.


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Black Cat

Mountain lion empties Los Angeles schoolyard at lunch break [video]


Sputnik
Sun, 17 Apr 2016 18:14 UTC
A mountain lion roamed several miles from his natural habitat to an urban area of Los Angeles, where he ended up in the yard of a high school
Californian Mountain Lion
© unknownCalifornian mountain lion
Students at John F. Kennedy High School in Los Angeles got an unusual visitor on Friday when a mountain lion began prowling around the premises during lunch break, causing teachers and students to secure themselves inside the building.


Comment: We're reporting more and more strange and uncharacteristic behaviour by animals each month. For just a few reports so far this month, see:

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Cloud Precipitation

Flooding hits North Island, New Zealand with more heavy rain on way


stuff.co.nz
Sun, 17 Apr 2016 12:27 UTC
Flooding in Colville, in the Coromandel, on Sunday.
© THAMES VALLEY CIVIL DEFENCEFlooding in Colville, in the Coromandel, on Sunday.
Coromandel residents told how they were caught out by fast-rising floodwater after the heavens opened on Sunday.

Cars have been left stranded on flooded roads and homes are water-logged after the North Island was drenched in rain.

Many fences are down as farmers wait for the morning to see if livestock in flooded paddocks have made it through the night.

Tellic Evans from White Star Honey at Colville at the northern end of the Coromandel Peninsula said 174ml of rain fell on her farm on Sunday.

A severe weather watch was upgraded to a warning at 6.30pm on Sunday, she said but by then it was too late.

Heavy rain in the Coromandel drenches paddocks.
© TELLIC EVANSHeavy rain in the Coromandel drenches paddocks.
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Fish

Fishermen in Thailand catch bizarre deep sea fish

Amie Gordon
Daily Mail
Sun, 17 Apr 2016 12:16 UTC
Fishermen were left stunned when they caught this bizarre creature of the deep during a fishing trip in Thailand
Fishermen were left stunned when they caught this bizarre creature of the deep during a fishing trip in Thailand
Fishermen were left stunned when they caught this bizarre creature of the deep during a fishing trip in Thailand.

Video captured aboard the boat shows the large fish writhing around after it was captured in the fishermen's net.

With razor-sharp teeth and a pale, eel-like body, footage of the animal has now gone viral, leaving viewers baffled as they attempt to guess what species it could be.

In the clip, the fish can be seen squirming and even clamping its gasping jaws around the stick.

Despite being pulled from the sea, the fish survives the ordeal, opening its mouth each time it is poked by the crew aboard the boat.

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