Earth ChangesS


Seismograph

Magnitude 6.0 earthquake hits South Sandwich Islands in Atlantic Ocean


Qatar News Agency
Thu, 29 Jan 2026 11:59 UTC
mmmmm
An earthquake measuring 6.0 on the Richter scale hit on Thursday the South Sandwich Islands, a British Overseas Territory in the South Atlantic Ocean.

The US Geological Survey (USGS) said that the earthquake occurred at a depth of 74.7 km.

There were no reports of casualties or material damage as a result of the earthquake.

The South Sandwich Islands are an archipelago within the UK's sovereign territory of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands.

The region experiences frequent seismic and volcanic activity due to its location at the tectonic plate junction between the South American and Antarctic plates.

In August 2021, the region was struck by a powerful earthquake exceeding magnitude 8.0. Since the islands are uninhabited, the impacts of such events are typically minimal.
Read More...
Tsunami

Storm Chandra wreaks HAVOC across UK and Ireland as severe flooding takes hold


Mirror
Wed, 28 Jan 2026 19:30 UTC
Members of Slaney Search and Rescue working in floodwater in Enniscorthy, Co. Wexford.
© Niall Carson/PA WireMembers of Slaney Search and Rescue working in floodwater in Enniscorthy, Co. Wexford.
A major incident has been declared after swathes of the West Country were left flooded.

Storm Chandra has brought heavy rain and strong winds to large parts of the country, with powerful gusts of up to 80mph recorded in Northern Ireland.

As of Tuesday evening, 95 flood warnings - for expected flooding - and 257 flood alerts - for possible flooding - were in force across England. Three flood warnings and 17 flood alerts were in place across Wales, while Scotland had eight flood warnings and eight flood alerts.

Read More...
Arrow Down

Weight of sleet, snow collapses structures at Lake Texoma, Texas

Amber Kite
Fox4news.com
Tue, 27 Jan 2026 15:10 UTC
Eisenhower Yacht club
© David ArcherEisenhower Yacht club
With an accumulation of up to six inches of sleet (ice) and snow, many structures in Grayson County and on Lake Texoma have collapsed or sunk.

Lake Texoma winter storm damage

Big picture view: According to officials with the Eisenhower Yacht Club Marina, they sustained substantial damage to the marina. Boathouses 8 - 11 are totaled, they said in a social media post. Other boat houses have heavy ice loads and are under stress.


Comment: Also happening in Gainesville in the same state:



Read More...
Snowflake

Alaska: Anchorage breaks January snowfall record

Casey Grove
AlaskaPublic.org
Tue, 27 Jan 2026 14:50 UTC
Alfredo Godoy shovels his front steps in Spenard on Jan. 27, 2026.
© Alaska Public MediaAlfredo Godoy shovels his front steps in Spenard on Jan. 27, 2026.
Anchorage broke its January snowfall record Tuesday as another winter storm dumped more than 10 inches of snow on the city, prompting early school dismissals and snarling traffic.

As of 3 p.m., the National Weather Service office in West Anchorage had recorded 10.6 inches of new snow, bringing the month's total to 39.7 inches — the most ever recorded for January, eclipsing a record set in 2000.

What's even more remarkable is the nearly 3 inches of liquid held in that snow, along with some rain that fell during the month, according to National Weather Service climate researcher Brian Brettschneider.

"The amount of precipitation we've already received in January is what we typically get from January 1st through about May 10th," he said. "And there's been almost 10 years where we didn't even have this much precipitation all the way through the end of June."

Forecasters cautioned that driving could be very difficult, especially during the evening commute.


(More here)
Read More...
Snowflake

Red alert in Almería - Storm Kristin lashes out with hurricane-force winds and leaves Spain in danger


Canal 26
Wed, 28 Jan 2026 14:32 UTC
Snow causes major traffic disruption on roads around Madrid
Snow causes major traffic disruption on roads around Madrid
Storm Kristin has caused the closure of schools and numerous main roads following the tragic accident in Torremolinos.

Authorities are maintaining an extreme risk level due to wind gusts exceeding 100 kilometers per hour and massive rainfall in several regions.

Read More...
Ice Cube

Hudson River turns to ice after heavy snow in New York City


Guardian
Wed, 28 Jan 2026 14:17 UTC
mmmmm
© Lokman Vural ElibolIce floes and partially frozen sections of the Hudson River are seen following a heavy winter snowstorm, with the George Washington Bridge visible in the background as freezing temperatures grip New York, United States on January 27, 2026.
Video shows the Hudson river partially frozen near the George Washington Bridge in New York City after a heavy winter snowstorm.

Eight people were found dead outside over the frigid weekend in the city, officials said, as New York experienced its snowiest day in years, recording 20-38cm (8-15in) of snow.

At least 30 deaths were linked to a winter storm that hit North America's north-east.

Some regions may not see temperatures rise above freezing until early February with the midwest, in particular, forecast to shiver in exceptionally frosty conditions

Read More...
Arrow Down

50 dead, 32 missing after landslide during heavy rain in Indonesia's West Bandung (UPDATE)

Lyndal Rowlands and News Agencies
Al Jazeera
Sat, 24 Jan 2026 13:28 UTC
mmmm
© AFPAt least eight people have been killed
Rescue teams are searching for survivors after a landslide in the West Bandung region of Indonesia's West Java province left at least seven people dead and dozens missing, local officials have said.

"The number of ​missing persons ‌is high, we will try to optimise our search and rescue efforts today," ‌Abdul Muhari, the spokesperson for Indonesia's disaster mitigation agency, said on Saturday.

Indonesian news outlet Kompas said a landslide hit Pasirlangu village in West Bandung at about 2am local time on Saturday morning (19:00 GMT on Friday).

"A strong flow" of water and loose soil from the slopes of Mount Burangrang smashed into some 30 homes in the village while most of their inhabitants were sleeping, Kompas said.

Local Police Chief AY Yogaswara said the landslide was accompanied by flash flooding, according to Jakarta-based Antara news agency.


Comment: Update January 28

The Anadolu Agency reports:
The death toll from Saturday's landslide in Indonesia rose to 50 as search and rescue operations continued Wednesday for dozens missing in West Java, according to local media.

Kompas TV reported that the search and rescue operations continue despite harsh weather conditions, with dozens of heavy equipment and tracking docks deployed at the site.

Earlier on Wednesday morning, the authorities said the number of missing people remained at 32, while 48 people were then reported to be dead, according to state-run Antara News.


Read More...
Volcano

Russia's Shiveluch volcano erupts, sending ash plume 7 km high

Elena Teslova
Anadolu Agency
Wed, 28 Jan 2026 14:00 UTC
Shiveluch volcano in Russia erupts spectacularly
Shiveluch volcano in Russia erupts spectacularly
The Shiveluch volcano in the far east Russian region of Kamchatka became more active on Wednesday, spewing a column of ash more than 7 kilometers (4.34 miles) above sea level.

The volcano continues to develop into a lava dome, and the ash plume has spread 110 kilometers (68.4 miles) west of it, according to a regional response group for volcanic eruptions at the Institute of Volcanology and Seismology of the Far Eastern Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences.

As a result, the volcano's summit was assigned an orange aviation danger code, the institute said in a statement on Telegram.

Danila Chebrov, the institute's director, described the eruption as "small" and not cause for concern.

Read More...
Earthquake

A drying climate is making East Africa pull apart faster

Stephanie Pappas
Live Science
Sun, 25 Jan 2026 00:00 UTC
East Africa Rift Zone
© Paul & Paveena McKenzie/Getty ImagesEast Africa Rift Zone
A switch from a humid to a dry climate has led the Eastern African Rift Zone to pull apart more freely, new research finds.

Over the past 5,000 years, East Africa has dried out. Now, new research finds that this change may be making the continent pull apart faster.

Faults in the East African Rift Zone have sped up since the levels of large lakes have dropped, according to research published in November in the journal Scientific Reports.

The findings highlight the two-way relationship between the climate and plate tectonics, said study senior author Christopher Scholz, a geologist, physicist and professor emeritus at Columbia University.
"Usually it is something we think about the other way around: Mountains build, and that changes the local or regional climate. But it can work the other way around too."
Scholz and his colleagues conducted their research at Lake Turkana in Kenya, which is 155 miles (250 kilometers) long, 19 miles (30 km) wide, and up to 400 feet (120 meters) deep in places. That's nothing, however, compared with the level more than 5,000 years ago, when the lake was up to 500 feet (150 m) deeper.
Read More...
Snowflake Cold

US ski resort storm totals: Winter Storm Fern dumps up to 34 inches of snow in 24 hours in the east

Gregg Frantz
SnowBrains
Mon, 26 Jan 2026 19:26 UTC
Hunter Mountain, New York, is sitting on about 2 feet of fresh snow, and it’s still snowing.
© Hunter MountainHunter Mountain, New York, is sitting on about 2 feet of fresh snow, and it’s still snowing.
Winter Storm Fern lived up to the hype and was one of the biggest snowstorms in the East in years, dropping more than 18 inches on some ski resorts. The storm was predicted to affect millions of people in the South, Mid-Atlantic, and Northeast over the weekend. It was forecast to bring heavy snow, ice, and brutally cold temperatures throughout the East.

Several ski resorts are reporting more than a foot of snow fell on Sunday, with ski resorts in the Northeast still receiving additional snow today. The ski resorts reporting the highest snow totals were located in the Pocono Mountains of Northeast Pennsylvania and the Catskills of New York. Plattekill Mountain in New York reported the most snow accumulations from the storm, with almost 34 inches. Mountain Creek Resort, located in Northern New Jersey, reported 24 inches of snow from Winter Storm Fern.

This snowstorm forced some ski resorts to close or operate on a limited basis on Sunday; however, most planned to open today, making it a great powder day for skiers and snowboarders in the East.

Ski Resorts' Snow Totals over the last 24 hours:
Read More...