Earth ChangesS


Fire

Large strombolian explosion at Semeru Volcano in Indonesia

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The camera is situated about 8km southeast of the volcano. The view is looking northwest. The sound is live from the camera source.

Semeru, the highest volcano on Java (3,676m 12,060ft), and one of its most active, lies at the southern end of a volcanic massif extending north to the Tengger caldera. The steep-sided volcano, also referred to as Mahameru (Great Mountain), rises above coastal plains to the south. Gunung Semeru was constructed south of the overlapping Ajek-ajek and Jambangan calderas. A line of lake-filled maars was constructed along a N-S trend cutting through the summit, and cinder cones and lava domes occupy the eastern and NE flanks. Summit topography is complicated by the shifting of craters from NW to SE. Frequent 19th and 20th century eruptions were dominated by small-to-moderate explosions from the summit crater, with occasional lava flows and larger explosive eruptions accompanied by pyroclastic flows that have reached the lower flanks of the volcano.

This volcano is located within the Bromo Tengger Semeru-Arjuno, a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve property.


Arrow Down

British mother & son killed in French avalanche while skiing with ski instructor

Search and rescue efforts by PGHM
© PGHM CHamonixSearch and rescue efforts by PGHM
A British mother and son have lost their lives in an avalanche at the iconic Mont-Blanc massif in France on Thursday, December 28, 2023. The pair were traveling together with three other family members in a guided group with a ski instructor. In total three of the six skiers were swept away by the avalanche and buried. The third skier that was swept away and buried by the avalanche was the instructor who was the only skier wearing an avalanche beacon. He survived with mild injuries.

The avalanche occurred around 3:40 p.m. in a popular off-piste area in the Saint-Gervais-les-Bains ski area of the Mont-Blanc massif. The avalanche started at an altitude of approximately 2,400 meters (7,874 feet) near the Mont-Joly chairlift and went down around 400 meters (1,312 feet).


Snowflake

South Korean capital records heaviest one-day snowfall in December for 40 years

Visitors wearing traditional hanbok dress walk in the snow at Gyeongbokgung palace in central Seoul on December 30, 2023.
© Jung Yeon-je / AFPVisitors wearing traditional hanbok dress walk in the snow at Gyeongbokgung palace in central Seoul on December 30, 2023.
South Korea's capital received the biggest single-day snowfall recorded in December for more than 40 years on Saturday.

The country's weather agency said on Sunday that 4.8in (12.2cm) of snow fell on Seoul the previous day, the heaviest since 1981.

The Korea Meteorological Administration said a heavy snow advisory was issued for the entire Seoul entire area on Saturday before it was lifted later in the day.

It said other parts of South Korea also received snow or rain on Saturday.

South Korea's safety agency said Saturday's snow in Seoul and other areas caused traffic congestion, but no snowfall-related deaths or injuries have been reported.

Source: AP


Comment: Also for the same month: South Korea gripped by record-breaking cold wave and snowfall


Seismograph

Magnitude 6.3 earthquake strikes Papua, Indonesia

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A magnitude 6.3 earthquake struck Papua, Indonesia on Sunday, the European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre said.

The quake was at a depth of 39 km (24.23 miles) the EMSC said.

EMSC earlier pegged the earthquake at a magnitude of 6.2, with a depth of 46 km (28.58 miles).

The U.S. Tsunami Warning System said there was no threat of a tsunami after the quake.

Cloud Precipitation

At least 21 dead after floods in Ladysmith, South Africa (UPDATE)

Heavy rains on Christmas eve resulted in the
Heavy rains on Christmas eve resulted in the Bellspruit River, which runs under the Mbonontathu bridge, bursting its banks, causing water to overflow onto the N11 road near the Limit Hill robots, in Ladysmith town. Six people are dead and 10 are missing.
Six people have died and 10 people are missing following floods that swept through Ladysmith in KwaZulu-Natal on Christmas Eve.

KZN department of cooperative governance and traditional affairs said search and rescue teams who worked on Christmas day to find those missing, will resume on Tuesday,

Heavy rains on December 24 resulted in the Bellspruit River, which runs under the Mbonontathu bridge, to burst its banks, causing water to overflow onto the N11 road near the Limit Hill robots, in Ladysmith town.

This resulted in severe damage to infrastructure, and several vehicles were swept away.


Comment: Update December 30

The Associated Press reports:
Flash floods killed over a dozen people in the small town of Ladysmith in KwaZulu-Natal province, South African officials said Saturday.

"As of Friday, 29 December 2023, a total of 21 bodies have been recovered," said police spokesperson Colonel Robert Netshiunda.

The floods hit the town on Christmas Day, destroying about 1400 homes, with the death toll expected to rise as an unconfirmed number of people are still missing, he said.

Search and rescue teams have been scouring rivers to recover bodies, Netshiunda added. The operation is expected to continue throughout the weekend.

Tragedy hit one family in Ladysmith set to bury seven of its members who were killed when floods swept their vehicle into the river. Rescue teams recovered the bodies of Vincent Msimango, his wife, two children, brother and niece, and nephew earlier this week, local news outlet Eyewitness News reported on Saturday.

KwaZulu-Nata province has witnessed devastating floods lately.

In June, heavy rainfall triggered deluges that killed seven people, and another seven went missing, in and around the city of Durban.

In April last year, devastating floods hit the coastal province killing more than 440 people.



Fire

Santiaguito volcano erupts in Guatemala

Eruption of Santa Maria volcano, Guatemala. December 28, 2023.
Eruption of Santa Maria volcano, Guatemala. December 28, 2023.
The Santiaguito Volcano, situated in Quetzaltenango, Guatemala, has witnessed a considerable explosion, underscoring the volatile yet fascinating nature of volcanic regions.

The volcanic activity at Santiaguito is ongoing, with the recent eruption forming a part of its moderate explosive activity.

The event's significance lies in the fact that the volcanic activity is more prevalent in regions like Central America, making the monitoring of these events crucial for the safety and well-being of nearby communities.


Cloud Precipitation

Unusual hailstorm blankets Saudi Arabian city

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The city of Buraidah in Saudi Arabia woke to an unusual spectacle on Thursday, as a wave of hail showers transformed the arid cityscape into a winter wonderland. A phenomenon seldom seen in this part of the world, the hailstorm left the city blanketed in white, turning streets, vehicles, and buildings into a surreal icy tableau.


Bizarro Earth

Catastrophic waves flood Calif. beach bringing flooding and rip currents

california storm giant waves mini tsunami
© Brian van der Brug/Los Angeles Times/Getty ImagesMen watch from a balcony in Faria Beach as huge waves crash on the shore Thursday in Ventura County, California.
Offshore storms shoved waves toward communities along the California coast, bringing flooding and road closures, as well as fright to nearly 20 people who were briefly swept away along a Ventura beach on Thursday. Eight people were taken to the hospital, officials said.

The swells will not be a one-day thing: Some areas of the California coast will see towering waves - some up to 30 feet - through the weekend. The waves will usher high water and rip currents. Coastal flood alerts and high-surf alerts stretch from the US-Mexico border to north of the Bay Area.

Waves, coupled with high tides, sent torrents of seawater into Santa Cruz along the central coast.

Tornado2

Storm Gerrit tears '£3m' wind turbine as 85mph gales barreled down on Britain

storm gerritt destroy wind turbine england
© X/Dedicated_beingDebris from the lone wind turbine was flung into the seemingly empty field surrounding it, December 28, 2023 in Ayrshire, England
There are many potential hazards of Net Zero but who'd have thought being decapitated might be one of them? According to the Mail it seems that Storm Gerritt had the same effect as trying to do a crash dive in a Tiger Moth:
Shocking footage showed the energy generator in Ayrshire, Scotland, wracking up speed before the blades suddenly come loose and are flung across a seemingly deserted field in opposite directions.

Loud crashes are heard as the debris lands on the ground, while bare trees surrounding the lone turbine are blown back and forth.

Snowflake Cold

Best of the Web: Himalayas have been getting COLDER, Nature Geoscience journal reports

himalayas
© TwitterImage shows an ice-covered mountain of the Himalayan range
While this phenomenon may slow down the effects of global warming in some areas, its sustainability is not guaranteed over the coming decades.

A surprising phenomenon has emerged in the mighty Himalayas that might slow down the effects of the global climate crisis. Scientists have noted that when high temperatures hit high-altitude ice masses, 'katabatic' winds are triggered that blow cold air to lower-altitude areas.


Comment: That may be the case, although there's data showing that temperatures at higher altitudes in certain regions of the world have also been decreasing: Extremely rare 'rainbow clouds' light up Arctic skies for 3 days in a row


The study, published in the journal Nature Geoscience, was conducted using data from the Pyramid International Laboratory/Observatory climate station on Mount Everest, the world's tallest summit.

Comment: Their conclusion is that the cooling is local and that it's 'perhaps' not sufficient to counter 'global boiling', however data coming in from across the planet is showing that, overall, a period of significant cooling is upon us: Also check out SOTT radio's: