Earth Changes

New cold record of -41.7C and freak winter thunderstorm in Finland

YLE News
Wed, 04 Jan 2017 19:55 UTC

Early Thursday a new cold record for this winter of -41.7 degrees Celsius was set in Muonio, Finnish Lapland. It was nearly as chilly in the village of Naruska in Salla, where thermometers showed -41.4. On Thursday night temperatures are expected to fall further in southern and central Finland as well.

Shortly after midnight, this winter's new cold record of -41.7 degrees Celsius was set in Muonio, Finnish Lapland. It was nearly as chilly in the village of Naruska in Salla, where thermometers showed -41.4.

A day earlier, the record was snapped twice in Finnish Lapland.

According to the Finnish Meteorological Institute (FMI), thermometers sank to -38.7 degrees Celsius shortly before 7 am at Nuorgam in the northernmost municipality of Utsjoki. Just after noon that record was bested by the village of Väylä, slightly further south in Inari. There the mercury plunged to -39.8.

Larsen C ice shelf crack may portend formation of giant Antarctic iceberg

RT
Fri, 06 Jan 2017 23:36 UTC

A glacier more than 80 times the size of Manhattan is on the brink of splintering from Antarctica's Larsen C ice shelf and floating off into the ocean.

Over time, a rift has steadily formed along the massive ice sheet, which lies in the Weddell Sea near the northwest of the Antarctic.

Pictures released by NASA last November showed a 100-meter (328ft) wide and 500-meter deep (1640ft) crack slicing the incredible sub-zero temperature environment.

According to Project Midas, a UK research group documenting the effects of global warming in the area, 10 percent of the overall Larsen C ice mass is now close to calving into the sea.

It could mean the creation of a 5,000 sq km (193 sq mile) iceberg.

Comment: The missing factor may be the reawakening of dormant undersea volcanoes in the area.

Pu'u 'Ō'ō volcanic show continues at Hawaii Volcanoes National Park

Big Island News
Wed, 04 Jan 2017 00:54 UTC

Four days after the huge delta collapse at the lava ocean entry at Kamokuna in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, visitors are enjoying a new volcanic show.

National Park Service video taken by rangers on Tuesday, January 3, shows a "lava hose" streaming out of a severed tube and into the ocean. The active lava tube was exposed when 26-acres of new land suddenly broke off and fell into the sea on New Years Eve.

The lava viewing area inside the park had to be closed and relocated a short distance away.

Local lava photographer Tom Kualii captured the lava stream during the overnight hours in this remarkable video.

Comment: Part of Hawaii Volcanoes National Park collapses into ocean

Shallow 5.1 magnitude earthquake strikes west of Port Hardy, Canada

Scott Brown
Vancouver Sun
Fri, 06 Jan 2017 09:51 UTC

A 5.1 magnitude earthquake has struck 186 kilometres west of Port Hardy, on the northern tip of Vancouver Island.

According to the U.S. Geological Survey, the quake was reported at 7:49 a.m. Pacific Time. It occurred at a depth of 10 kilometres.

Pacific Tsunami Warning Center has not issued a tsunami warning, watch or advisory for the pacific coast.

In an online post, Natural Resources says there are no reports of damage and none would be expected.

The quake occurred in the seismically active area along the Cascadia subduction zone off Vancouver Island, where two plates of the earth's crust meet.

Comment: Also today:

US in the grip of the 'The Big Chill'

Anthony Watts
Watts Up with That
Fri, 06 Jan 2017 17:59 UTC

We've known that the USA is in for a bi-coastal blast of cold air, snow, and heavy rains, but this map by Jesse Farrell shows just how much of the contiguous USA has below freezing temperatures this morning.

Here is a summary of temperatures seen this morning by states:

All States except Florida (80% of US Land) are less than 32°F
25 States (30% Land) Below 0 °F
6 States Below -20°F

Of course, though not seen in the map above, Alaska has subfreezing temperatures, and Hawaii has subfreezing temperatures on the mountain peaks of Mauna Loa and Mauna Kea -not unusual for this time of year, but it is important not to exclude the 49th, and 50th states from any discussion about the USA.

Meanwhile, a once in a decade storm will hit California this weekend.

Another eruption at Colima volcano in Mexico

cbc.ca
Thu, 05 Jan 2017 17:00 UTC

A large plume of ash rises from the crater of the Colima volcano, also known as the Volcano of Fire, on Saturday, Dec. 24, 2016.

© Dario Lopez-Mills/Associated Press
A large plume of ash rises from the crater of the Colima volcano, also known as the Volcano of Fire, on Saturday, Dec. 24, 2016.

One of Mexico's most active volcanoes has erupted, yet again.

Colima — known locally as the volcano of fire — spewed gas and ash into the air on Wednesday. An ongoing volcanic ash advisory, issued by the Volcanic Ash Advisory Center in Washington, remains in effect Thursday.

The volcano is in western Mexico, about 160 kilometres south of Guadalajara. Its eruptions date back to the 16th century, but have been steady since 1994.

The activity has intensified since last October, when nearby residents were evacuated as the volcano spewed lava. It is part of the Pacific Ring of Fire, the 40,000-kilometre volcanically volatile area home to about 75 per cent of the world's active volcanoes.

Colima's recent eruptions have created some lava domes, made from lava that has built up around the volcano's opening.

You can see multiple different views of the volcano in real-time here.

Green alert issued as Turrialba Volcano ashfall intensifies in Costa Rica

Michael Krumholtz
The Tico Times.
Fri, 06 Jan 2017 16:41 UTC

© Blas Sánchez/CNE
Turrialba Volcano continues to send ash towards the Central Valley in a series of prolonged eruptions beginning Dec. 28.

The National Emergency Commission (CNE) declared a Green Alert for the Central Valley on Thursday afternoon as Turrialba Volcano continued to pump ash intothe skies in the latest of the constant eruptions that have lasted throughout the past two weeks.

A statement from Casa Presidencial indicated that a combination of continued eruptions, a dry air system over Central America that has reduced the chance of rain, and strong winds have all contributed to the increase of ashfall in the area.

The CNE asks municipal emergency commissions to be vigilant, keep their communities informed and monitor ash levels. If people have to leave their houses in areas where significant ash is present, the government recommends that they cover their mouths and noses with towels or dust masks. The CNE also suggests not consuming food outdoors and to even avoid driving in areas with high ash levels.

On Thursday morning, the National University's Volcanological and Seismological Observatory of Costa Rica (OVSICORI) reported more ashfall being carried by southwest winds towards the San José metro area. Ash was seen covering cars and buildings Wednesday throughout the capital and the broader Central Valley, including as far north as Heredia and as far west as Escazú.

Bogoslof Volcano in the Aleutians back at Red Alert

Zoe Sobel
kucb.org
Fri, 06 Jan 2017 16:34 UTC

A satellite image showing the volcanic cloud from Bogoslof's January 5, 2017 eruption.

Two hours after lowering the aviation code for an Eastern Aleutian volcano, it's back at the highest alert level.

The reasoning? According to the Alaska Volcano Observatory, there was a significant explosion at Bogoslof volcano Thursday afternoon.

The observatory detected a raised level of seismicity around 1:30 p.m. as well as reports from the World Wide Lightning Detection Network of lightning strikes. A pilot reported seeing a volcanic cloud at 35,000 ft.

The volcano has been erupting since mid-December.

Deadly floods strike south Thailand for second time in a month; foot of rainfall in a day

Richard Davies
Floodlist
Fri, 06 Jan 2017 15:26 UTC

Tourists wear flotation devices and moped riders pause before crossing a flooded roadway on Ko Samui, Thailand Thursday, Jan. 5, 2017.

© AP/Adam Schreck
Tourists wear flotation devices and moped riders pause before crossing a flooded roadway on Ko Samui, Thailand Thursday, Jan. 5, 2017.

Flooding has affected at least 8 provinces in the south of Thailand. Thousands have been affected and at least 6 people have died.

The rains - unusually heavy for this time of year - have been falling since around 31 December, 2016. Nakhon Si Thammarat recorded more than 300 mm in one day. Forecasts say that more rain is expected over the coming 48 hours.

This is the second deadly flood event within a month in south Thailand. At least 11 people died and 350,000 were affected after flooding struck southern provinces in December 2016.

Thailand's The Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation (DDPM) is preparing to provide assistance to the thousands of victims currently affected by flooding in the southern provinces.

Major Jammu-Srinagar highway in India shut for fourth consecutive day due to heavy snowfall

news18.com
Fri, 06 Jan 2017 15:05 UTC

Jammu-Srinagar highway closed due to heavy snowfall.

In Kashmir Valley, snowfall continued for the fourth consecutive day and Met office predicted more wet weather over the next few days.

Most of the flights were cancelled at Srinagar International Airport due to poor visibility. The snowfall also hit operations on the runway, an airport official said.

Jammu and Kashmir: Kashmir valley receives snowfall pic.twitter.com/XAcTJgyBPA

— ANI (@ANI_news) January 6, 2017

The depth of snow in Gulmarg, a star attraction for tourists during the winter, was two feet. The health resort of Pahalgam, which serves as a base camp for the Amarnath Yatra, received 3.5 cm of snow and was chilling at minus 1.6C.