Akhtarma-Pashali mud volcano in Hajigabul region of Azerbaijan has erupted, head of the ANAS Institute of Geology's Mud Volcano Department Adil Aliyev told APA. He said the eruption was recorded on April 1. The scientists of the Institute of Geology have carried out research in the area: "This is one of the largest volcanoes of Azerbaijan. Volcano is located 35 km from Shirvan city - in the south-eastern Shirvan. The volcano erupted for the first time in 1948, this is the 7th eruption." Aliyev said that along with mud the eruption also spouted a great deal of various rocks. "The volcano mud covered 18 hectares, the total area is 220 000 cu m.

The average thickness of the spouted material is 120 cm. A lot of cracks have appeared as a result of the volcano. One of them is too big. It spread out over 2 km. The depth of the crack is 2 m, width between 30 - 80 cm. At present the volcano has calmed down. Usually flames are observed when mud volcanoes erupt. No flame is observed in this volcano," he said. According to the department chief, the diameter of the volcano is about 10 sq km meters: "Several volcanic areas separated from each other are located in the crater of eruption. Every time eruption occurs in a separated volcanic area. 21 percent of mud volcanoes in Azerbaijan pull a lot of oil out of surface. This volcano is also spewing oil. Oil soaked into all wastes. It should be noted that there was also oil shale. All of them will be studied in the laboratory and concrete information about the oil and gas resources of the area will be obtained after the tests." - NEWS.AZ

Pemiscot County, Missouri - Two tremors in the New Madrid Seismic Zone this week have people wondering if a big earthquake could be coming. The two are considered minor. No damage has been reported from either.

Thursday night's quake struck around 7:27 local time. It was centered about six miles northeast of Caruthersville, Missouri and measured a 2.7 on the Richter Scale. Tuesday night a similar quake hit near Portageville, Missouri. The U.S. Geological Survey considers the New Madrid Seismic Zone the most active in North America east of the Rockies.

But it's been about 100 years since a major earthquake hit this area. Still, the two recent quakes are leaving behind some rattled nerves. The only thing getting shaken Friday in Caruthersville, Missouri is the salad at Grandad's Deli. "It's a scary thought," said Sharon Russell, owner.

The 2013 Atlantic tropical storm and hurricane season begins on the 1st of June and runs until the end of November. As ever, around this time of the year the forthcoming hurricane season features more heavily in insurance and reinsurance firms and catastrophe bond & ILS investors thoughts as the season approaches and the first forecasts of hurricane season activity are published. Early indications from forecasts released in the last few days suggest we could be in for an active storm season.

April sees the first forecasts emerge from some of the forecasters we choose to follow, selected for their longevity, trust within the reinsurance markets and relative accuracy over the years we've been following the Atlantic hurricane seasons development. This year the early forecasts are all suggesting an above average Atlantic tropical storm season helped by sea temperatures which are above normal levels already and only likely to rise as the year progresses.

Today we've launched our 2013 Atlantic Hurricane Season page, which features the usual tracking maps, storm by storm updates throughout the season, forecasts, satellite images and other useful links. Bookmark this page as it will be updated as each storm forms and the tracking map will automatically show every storms progress and development throughout the season.

The Department of Meteorology and Geohazards in Vanuatu says it has upgraded the danger level of the volcano on Mr Yasur due to more explosions and ash eruptions. The volcano on Tanna Island has been placed on alert level two, following an increase of activity recorded since last week.

A geophysical engineer at the Department, Sylvain Todman, says local communities are being warned to cover their water tanks and to be aware that ash could spoil gardens and fragile vegetables.

"It means more explosions, an increase of explosivity, more ash falling down to the close village and a lot of ash and some (volcanic) bombs falling down to the parking area and where the tourists used to witness the activity of the Yasur volcano."

Sylvain Todman says the Department of Meteorology and Geohazards is closely monitoring the activity and will prepare a response plan if the volcano increases to alert level three.

Committee criticises environment department for relying on 'flawed' studies and failing to uphold precautionary principle

The UK environment secretary, Owen Paterson, must end his department's "extraordinary complacency" and suspend the use of pesticides linked to serious harm in bees, according to a damning report from an influential cross-party committee of MPs.

The UK is blocking attempts to introduce a Europe-wide ban on the world's most widely used insecticides, neonicotinoids. But MPs on parliament's green watchdog, the environmental audit committee (EAC), said the government was relying on "fundamentally flawed" studies and failing to uphold its own precautionary principle.

The carcasses of more than 3,000 farm animals which died when a blizzard engulfed Northern Ireland have so far been collected in a state funded disposal scheme.

The Stormont Executive agreed to pay for the recovery operation as part of a multimillion-pound aid package for the farmers worst hit by last month's snow storm.

While 3,120 dead livestock have been disposed of thus far, officials expect many more collections will be needed. The animals, mostly sheep, were entombed when snowdrifts up to 20 feet high blanketed many high-lying fields.

Needless to say, it's been a long, snowy winter for many Americans.


Recent weeks have brought signs of spring to parts of the northern and central Rockies with highs in the 70s as far north as Montana. That taste of spring is about to come to a crashing halt as Winter Storm Walda brings heavy snow, high winds, and a drastic drop in temperatures as the new workweek begins.

The ingredients that will be in place this week for heavy snow in the Front Range of the Rockies.

Edale Mountain Rescue Team is warning people that the unusual weather in the Peak District has resulted in some potentially hazardous conditions.

The heavy snow and the south easterly winds have resulted in some spectacular "cornices" on exposed edges in the Peak. Stanage Edge is particularly affected. These overhanging snow banks are often suspended over steep rock outcrops. From above they can appear solid but they will quickly collapse if walked on by the unwary.

Two landlords trapped in their pubs by snow - one of them for five days - are among Derbyshire traders counting the cost of the Easter blizzard.

Areas of the Peak District suffered snow drifts of up to 20ft (6m), blocking roads and buildings.

One pub and caravan site estimates it lost £10,000 over Easter because of the weather while another owner had to use a coal shovel to dig himself out.

Domestic gas storage stands at only to 20 percent - a historic low, according to newspaper reports.

In many regions the underground caverns or porous reservoirs are filled only to less than five percent.

Because of the continued cold, many German gas storages are almost empty. The average level over the weekend dropped to a historic low of 20 percent, the "Welt am Sonntag" reported, citing data from the European Association of Gas Infrastructure Europe (GIE).

Some reservoirs are one third full, some stand at ten percent, and others are virtually empty.

Natural gas is an important energy source for Germany. 16.5 million homes are heated so. The domestic electricity production depends to about eleven percent of natural gas power plants.

Source: Spiegel online via Google Translate