Earth Changes

Hawaii: 34 earthquakes rattle world's largest active volcano, raising fears of eruption

Oliver O'Connell
The Independent
Tue, 13 Apr 2021 07:15 UTC

A lava flow map of Mauna Loa on Hawaii’s Big Island

Mauna Loa, the world's largest active volcano, covering half of the Big Island of Hawaii, was ratted by 34 small earthquakes on Sunday.

Though only registering small magnitudes, scientists have warned citizens that the mounting seismic activity could signal that an eruption may be possible in the near future.

There have been 155 earthquakes greater than 1.5 on the Richter scale in the past seven days, and 740 in the past month, including a 4.3 on 3 April.

Sunday's largest tremor was a 3.2 magnitude quake that struck Pahala, south of the summit of Mauna Loa at 8.08pm local time. A 3.0 tremor also struck in the afternoon.

In March, the US Geological Survey said that as the volcano continues to awaken from its slumber, it would be a good time for people to revisit their personal emergency plans in the event of an eruption.

Several cars fall into sinkhole in St. Petersburg, Russia

News 360 Tv
YouTube
Tue, 13 Apr 2021 14:11 UTC

Several cars fell into a sinkhole after a hot water pipe broke in the parking lot of a shopping centre in St. Petersburg on Monday.

Footage filmed by eyewitnesses shows the cars slowly falling into the hole.

According to the press office of the Fuel and Energy Complex, the reason behind the accident was a technological malfunction that caused a burst of the main pipeline.

The press service also added that reconstruction of the road is currently undergoing.

Cold weather causes unusual red algae bloom in Mexican lagoon

Strange Sounds
Tue, 13 Apr 2021 12:00 UTC

Santa Maria del Oro lagoon

The mystic Santa Maria del Oro lagoon has turned brownish-red overnight, surprising locals and residents of Nayarit, Mexico.

The Santa Maria del Oro Laguna, nearly 2.25km long and 1.2km wide, is located inside a crater, formed by a meteorite fall thousands of years ago.

Lagoon in Mexico changes color overnight

Comment: All over the planet unusual algae blooms are occurring with an increasing frequency, and, historically, this tends to correlate with times of great shifts in climate and general upheaval:

17 people die as flood from heavy rainfall sweeps bus into culvert in Onitsha, Nigeria

igberetvnews.com
Tue, 13 Apr 2021 10:50 UTC

An eighteen seater Hummer bus loaded with passengers was swept inside a culvert at Lagos park axis of Enugu-Onitsha express road following Sunday night downpour, killing seventeen out of eighteen passengers on board, IgbereTV reports.

Eighteen people were in the bus and only two people were found while they are trying to break the culvert filled with debris to pull out others trapped.

One survivor (a woman) was rushed to Toronto hospital, Upper Iweka while rescue operation continued.

Speaking on the incident, the Medical Director of Toronto Hospital, Onitsha, Dr. Emeka Eze, advised drivers to be perceptive to the nature of roads and routes noting that some portions of the road are bad and the environmental condition not conducive during rainy season.

Damaging flash floods sweep through Villavicencio, Colombia

Richard Davies
Floodlist
Wed, 14 Apr 2021 10:41 UTC

Flood damage in Villavicencio Colombia, April

Heavy rain caused flash floods in the city of Villavicencio in Meta Department of Colombia.

Heavy rain fell from 11 April, triggering severe floods across Villavicencio. Local government said 200 families were affected. Emergency teams were attending incidents at 31 points of the city. Local media said at least 50 people were evacuated.

Colombia's Institute of Hydrology, Meteorology and Environmental Studies (IDEAM) reported that the Guayuriba River at Villavicencio reached 6.2 metres on 12 April, above the danger mark of 6 metres.

Civil Defence in Colombia reported floods in other areas of Meta during the same period, with homes damaged in Guamal and Granada.

Earlier this month Civil Defence reported floods in El Dorado municipality, 06 to 07 April. Around 100 homes were damaged and 400 people affected.

Wild weather: Waterspout spotted over Napier, New Zealand

New Zealand Herald
Wed, 14 Apr 2021 09:58 UTC

Waterspouts have been spotted ripping through Napier amid large thunderstorms pummelling across the North Island.

Aimee Whiting noticed the waterspout - which is a water funnel resembling a tornado - from Emerson St in the town's CBD, calling it "pretty crazy".

The wild wet water was due to a low-pressure system crossing the North Island, the MetService said.

Forecasters reported showers, squally thunderstorms and hail from the Tasman Sea was due to hit in the afternoon and would likely stick around until midnight.

Several funnel cloud sightings across southern Ontario

The Weather Network
Tue, 13 Apr 2021 09:43 UTC

There were several reports of funnel clouds across southwestern Ontario Monday afternoon.

Conditions were just right for the formation of several funnel clouds across southern Ontario Monday afternoon, prompting Environment Canada to issue a weather advisory for London and surrounding areas, which remained in place until 8 pm.

These types of funnel clouds are generated by weak rotation under rapidly growing clouds or even weak thunderstorms, when temperatures aloft are especially cold relative to the lower levels of the atmosphere.

"This temperature contrast creates instability, which causes clouds to grow vertically and stretches a column of the atmosphere," explains Michael Carter, a meteorologist at The Weather Network.

Two pygmy sperm whales die after washing up on Mahia Beach, New Zealand

Georgia-May Gilbertson
Stuff
Wed, 14 Apr 2021 09:29 UTC

A pygmy sperm whale about four metres in length beached itself at Mahia beach on April 10.

A pygmy sperm whale was euthanised and another, which appeared injured, died after washing up on Mahia beach

The Department of Conservation (DOC) received a report that two pygmy sperm whales were stranded on Mahia Beach in the morning on April 9.

One measured two metres in length and the other four metres, which suggested they may have been an adult and a calf. Both were back out at sea before DOC arrived onsite.

But DOC east coast operations manager Chris Visser said the smaller whale beached itself again a few hours later.

La Soufrière update: Volcanic ash reaches 44,000 feet (13.4 km)

Cap Allon
Electroverse
Tue, 13 Apr 2021 13:22 UTC

After days of stratospheric venting, explosive volcanic activity is continuing on the Caribbean island of St. Vincent, with the Volcanic Ash Advisory Center (VAAC) Washington warning of a volcanic ash plume rising to an estimated 44,000 ft (13,400 m) and COOLING the planet (take note Bill Gates, Earth doesn't need your risky egomaniacal intervention).

Particulates ejected above approx. 10km -and so into the stratosphere- shade sunlight and reduce terrestrial temperatures — smaller particulates can linger in the upper atmosphere for years or even decades+ at a time.

As an example of how far a volcanoes influence can reach, SO2 emissions from La Soufrière have now been detected in Africa:

Comment: Ash from volcanic eruptions, together with particulates from meteor 'smoke' and wildfire smoke, all jointly contribute to the increased dust-load in the atmosphere. This changes its electric charge rebalancing mechanisms, producing more intense storms and precipitation in the form of record rainfall, hail, lightning strikes, planetary cooling, atmospheric 'anomalies' etc.

See also:

Lightning bolt kills 68 goats in Arcos de Valdevez, Portugal

Natasha Donn
Portugal Resident
Sat, 10 Apr 2021 12:25 UTC

68 goats were killed by a lightning in Portugal on April 9, 2021

A lightning strike killed 68 goats in Arcos de Valdevez yesterday.

Shepherd Dário Lima has described how he was 'less than 100 metres away' sheltering by a rock (and talking on his mobile phone) when there were two massively loud thunder-claps.

When he rounded the rock, he was met with the horrific sight of 68 dead animals all in a line.

The strike caused a fire 500 metres further away, but as Mr Lima explained, the goats weren't burnt. He thinks they 'exploded inside'. "I have worked in these hills for over 40 years; this is my profession; I live from this and never have I seen anything like it", he told reporters, badly shaken.