Earth ChangesS


Attention

Dead beavers found along Salish Sea shores in Washington

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Marine researchers are puzzled by the discovery of dead beavers along the Salish Sea in San Juan County.

Fox 13's Franque Thompson reports on the efforts of experts from The Whale Museum to uncover the cause, urging the public to report sightings to aid in solving this environmental mystery.


Tsunami

Best of the Web: Catastrophic rainfall triggers Flash Flood Emergencies as severe weather outbreak drags into 4th day in US - 3 inches of rain in just 30 minutes

Flooding in West Plains, MO
© Missouri Division of Fire SafetyFlooding in West Plains, MO
Life-threatening flooding and dangerous severe weather pummeled large swaths of the nation's heartland again Friday night for the third night in a row, and Saturday is shaping up to be just as bad, if not worse, for some areas with worries of heavy rainfall not seen in generations.

In a sign of what could be yet to come for many this weekend, torrential rains stalled over southeastern Missouri and the Texarkana region of northeastern Texas and southwestern Arkansas on Friday night, triggering multiple Flash Flood Emergency warnings - the National Weather Service's most dire flooding alert.

In Missouri, tens of thousands in Cape Girardeau and Van Buren were under flooding emergency Friday night. Cape Girardeau reported over 3 inches of rain in just over 90 minutes late Friday evening in one burst, with emergency managers reporting at least 10 roads covered in water and ongoing water rescues.

Farther south, forecasters issued similar dire warnings for Texarkana, where 2-4 inches of rain fell, and water rescues were ongoing.


Comment: Related: Damage reports flood in as tornadoes rampage through the Mid-South, Midwest US


Tsunami

Best of the Web: Bigger than Texas: the true size of Australia's devastating floods

If the flooding in outback Australia were a country, it would be the world’s 31st largest.
© Anthony Calvert/Bureau of MeteorologyIf the flooding in outback Australia were a country, it would be the world’s 31st largest.
The extent of flood waters that have engulfed Queensland over the past fortnight is so widespread it has covered an area more than four times the size of the United Kingdom. The inundation is larger than France and Germany combined - and is even bigger than Texas.

The seemingly endless plains of outback Queensland are so vast and remote as to boggle any attempts to visualise the scale of what is being described as one of the most devastating floods in living memory.

The Bureau of Meteorology said on Friday that the flooding had "severely impacted" more catchments spanning about 1m sq km since prolonged downpours began drenching south-west and central Queensland on 23 March.

To put that in perspective, Tasmania is 15 times smaller (64,519 sq km or 24,911 sq miles); the land area of the United Kingdom is 241,930 sq km, and Texas is 695,662 sq km.


Black Cat

Terrifying panther attack leaves lorry driver badly mauled in Malaysia

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Sometimes, it's easy to forget that we live in a biodiverse environment. We feel safe because there are buildings, roads, and fences.

But there are moments when nature reminds us that we are actually sharing this land with other living things, and sometimes these other living things may think we are encroaching on their side of the fence.

Dashcam captures footage of black panther attack

A dashcam recording that went viral on social media on Thursday (3 April) shows a black panther charging across a road near Bukit Tangga, Negeri Sembilan, and mauling a lorry driver who was stopped by the side of the road.


Wolf

Three women attacked by dingoes on K'gari (Fraser Island), Australia

Dingo (Canis lupus dingo) pack
© Juergen & Christine Sohns/Nature PlDingo (Canis lupus dingo) pack
Three women have been assessed by paramedics after being bitten by dingoes on K'gari just days before the Easter school holidays begin.

A Queensland Ambulance Service (QAS) spokesperson said the women, aged in their 20s, were on a tour of the heritage-listed island when they were attacked at around 2:30pm on Tuesday.

A Department of the Environment, Tourism, Science (DETSI) and Innovation spokesperson said the incident occurred while the women were walking on a track after visiting Lake Wabby, about 6 kilometres north of Eurong on the east coast of the island.

Tour guides administered first-aid before taking the women to the QAS station at Happy Valley for assessment, where paramedics treated them for minor lacerations shortly before 6pm.

Butterfly

Half of UK butterfly species in long-term decline

Newly released data has shown that 2024 was one of the worst years on record for butterflies in the UK and, for the first time on record, more than half of butterfly species in the UK are now in long-term decline.

The Chalk Hill Blue had its worst year on record.
© Iain H LeachThe Chalk Hill Blue had its worst year on record.
Nine species had their worst year since counting began, including the much-loved Small Tortoiseshell, Chalk Hill Blue and Small Copper.

Worryingly, last year was also the second-worst year on record for 'wider countryside species' - the common butterflies that live in gardens, parks and across the landscape such as Common Blue, Gatekeeper and Large White.

The figures come from the UK Butterfly Monitoring Scheme (UKBMS) which has asked volunteers to count butterflies across the country since 1976 and now monitors more than 3,000 sites. The scheme is led by Butterfly Conservation, the UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology (UKCEH), British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) and the Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC).

Overall, 2024 was the fifth worst year since records began for UK butterflies. Butterfly numbers always fluctuate annually, and last year's low numbers are partly the result of a wet spring and relatively cool summer, however UKBMS data also show that 31 of the 59 resident UK species are now in long-term decline.

Volcano

Hawaii's Kilauea volcano lava fountain reaches 700 feet during latest eruption on April 1

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A lava fountain was visible at Hawaii's Kilauea volcano during episode 16 of its latest eruption on April 1.

Footage captured by Chenay Noelani Borja shows lava shooting high into the air on Tuesday.

According to the US Geological Survey (USGS), lava fountains reached heights of 600 to 700 feet.

Kilauea's current eruption began on December 23, 2024, with each episode lasting anywhere from 13 hours to 8 days, the USGS said.

Officials reported that the 16th episode ended on Wednesday, April 2.

"Volcanoes in both Hawaii and Iceland, the Earth's two largest hotspots, are erupting today. Happy April Fools' Day! And they actually are erupting, no fooling!" the USGS wrote on X on Tuesday.


Doberman

2-month-girl dies in dog attack in Brownstown, Indiana

PIT BULL ATTACK
A 2-month-old girl died Thursday after police say she was severely injured in a dog attack at a home in Brownstown.

The girl's name has not been released.

Deputies with the Jackson County Sheriff's Department were dispatched to a home in the 1800 block of South County Road 100 East outside of Brownstown around 12:30 p.m. Thursday after a 911 caller reported a dog attacked her 2-month-old daughter.

Brownstown firefighters also responded to the scene soon after and started CPR on the girl.

Seismograph

Tsunami threat warning for Papua New Guinea after shallow 6.9 magnitude earthquake strikes

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A 6.9 magnitude earthquake has struck off the coast of Papua New Guinea on Saturday.

The United States Geological Survey has reported the quake was at a depth of 10km and and the US Tsunami Warning Center has issued a tsunami threat warning.

The epicentre of the earthquake was about 178km east-southeast of Kimbe, a town on the north east of the island, which was just north of Australia.

An early prediction from the US National Weather Service NOAA said there was a 1-3m tsunami threat for Papua New Guinea, issued at 9.29am.

Aftershocks have also begun with a 5.3 magnitude quake hitting near the epicentre at 9.39am.

Snowflake

Minnesota's April Blizzard: 15 inches of snow stuns north

A surprise April snowstorm hit Minnesota.
A surprise April snowstorm hit Minnesota, with northern areas receiving up to 15 inches, causing travel disruptions. The Twin Cities saw minimal snowfall. While the snow melted quickly, the event highlights Minnesota's unpredictable spring weather.
Minnesota's Surprise Spring Snowstorm: A Weather Forecast Recap

Mother Nature threw a curveball at Minnesota this spring! An unexpected April snowstorm dumped impressive amounts of snow across the state, leaving many residents surprised by the late-season blizzard. While the Twin Cities metro area saw only a couple of inches, central and northern Minnesota experienced significantly heavier snowfall, causing disruptions to travel and daily life.

Significant Snow Totals Across Minnesota

The multi-day storm, arriving on Tuesday, brought a rain-snow mix to the Twin Cities, but northern regions were hit hardest. A winter storm warning was issued, and snowfall totals were substantial. Hovland, Minnesota, led the pack with a whopping 15.2 inches of snow. Other areas in northern Minnesota also saw impressive totals, including Finland (14.4 inches), Detroit Lakes (13.6 inches), and Lutsen (13.1 inches). Central Minnesota wasn't spared either, with several locations receiving over a foot of snow. Fergus Falls reported 15.1 inches, Garfield 12.5 inches, and Alexandria 12 inches.