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News Clips for the Week

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Volcanoes

Activity for the week of 13 September-19 September 2017

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The Weekly Volcanic Activity Report is a cooperative project between the Smithsonian's Global Volcanism Program and the US Geological Survey's Volcano Hazards Program. Updated by 2300 UTC every Wednesday, notices of volcanic activity posted on these pages are preliminary and subject to change as events are studied in more detail. This is not a comprehensive list of all of Earth's volcanoes erupting during the week, but rather a summary of activity at volcanoes that meet criteria discussed in detail in the "Criteria and Disclaimers" section. Carefully reviewed, detailed reports on various volcanoes are published monthly in the Bulletin of the Global Volcanism Network.

|Name |Location |Activity |

|Agung |Bali (Indonesia) |New |

|Dieng Volcanic Complex |Central Java (Indonesia) |New |

|Zhupanovsky |Eastern Kamchatka (Russia) |New |

|[pic] |

|Aira |Kyushu (Japan) |Ongoing |

|Bezymianny |Central Kamchatka (Russia) |Ongoing |

|Bogoslof |Fox Islands (USA) |Ongoing |

|Cleveland |Chuginadak Island (USA) |Ongoing |

|Dukono |Halmahera (Indonesia) |Ongoing |

|Ebeko |Paramushir Island (Russia) |Ongoing |

|Fuego |Guatemala |Ongoing |

|Karymsky |Eastern Kamchatka (Russia) |Ongoing |

|Kilauea |Hawaiian Islands (USA) |Ongoing |

|Klyuchevskoy |Central Kamchatka (Russia) |Ongoing |

|Popocatepetl |Mexico |Ongoing |

|Reventador |Ecuador |Ongoing |

|Sabancaya |Peru |Ongoing |

|Sheveluch |Central Kamchatka (Russia) |Ongoing |

|Sinabung |Indonesia |Ongoing |

|Turrialba |Costa Rica |Ongoing |

New Activity/Unrest

[pic]  Agung  | Bali (Indonesia)  | 8.342°S, 115.508°E  | Elevation 3142 m

Increased seismicity at Agung, as well as the severity of past eruptions, prompted PVMBG to raise the Alert Level to 2 (on a scale of 1-4). The report noted that volcanic earthquakes (VA) began to be recorded on 10 August and shallow volcanic earthquakes (VB) began to be recorded on 24 August. Local tectonic earthquakes were also recorded and began to increase consistently on 26 August. PVMBG warned the public to stay at least 3 km away from the crater. On 13 September a climber observed a sulfatara plume rising from the bottom of the crater as high as 50 m above the crater rim. During 14-18 September four earthquakes centered around Agung were felt. On 18 September PVMBG reported that the number of VA and VB events continued to increase; the Alert Level was increased to 3. The exclusion zone was increased to 6 km, with an additional expansion to 7.5 km in the N, SE, and SSW directions. Elevations above 950 m were also restricted.

A VEI 5 eruption during 1963-64 produced pyroclastic flows and lahars that caused extensive damage and resulted in more than 1,100 deaths.

Source: Pusat Vulkanologi dan Mitigasi Bencana Geologi (PVMBG, also known as CVGHM)

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[pic]  Dieng Volcanic Complex  | Central Java (Indonesia)  | 7.2°S, 109.92°E  | Elevation 2565 m

PVMBG reported that during 8 July-14 September measurements indicated an increase in water temperature at Sileri Crater lake (Dieng Volcanic Complex) from 90.7 to 93.5 degrees Celsius. Soil temperatures also increased, from 58.6 to 69.4 degrees Celsius. At Timbang Crater temperatures in the lake increased from 57.3 to 62.7, and in the soil they decreased from 18.6 to 17.2. The report noted that conditions at Timbang Crater were normal. Temperature increases at Sileri, along with tremor detected during 13-14 September, prompted PVMBG to raise the Alert Level to 2 (on a scale of 1-4). PVMBG warned the public to stay at least 1 km away from the crater rim, and for residents living within that radius to evacuate.

Source: Pusat Vulkanologi dan Mitigasi Bencana Geologi (PVMBG, also known as CVGHM)

[pic]

[pic]  Zhupanovsky  | Eastern Kamchatka (Russia)  | 53.589°N, 159.15°E  | Elevation 2899 m

Based on visual observations, KVERT reported that on 17 September explosions at Zhupanovsky generated gas-and-steam plumes with small amounts of ash that rose to altitudes of 6-7 km (19,700-23,000 ft) a.s.l. and drifted 20 km SW. The Aviation Color Code was raised from Green to Orange, the second highest level on a 4-color scale. About 30 minutes later satellite images showed ash plumes drifting 10 km E. Later that day gas-and-steam plumes rose 4 km (13,100 ft) a.s.l. The Aviation Color Code was lowered to Yellow, and then on 20 September it was lowered to Green.

Source: Kamchatkan Volcanic Eruption Response Team (KVERT)

Ongoing Activity

[pic]  Aira  | Kyushu (Japan)  | 31.593°N, 130.657°E  | Elevation 1117 m

JMA reported that during 4-11 September there were 52 events detected at Showa Crater (at Aira Caldera’s Sakurajima volcano), seven of which were explosive and ejected material as far as 500 m. Ash plumes rose as high as 2.4 km above the crater rim. Crater incandescence was observed most nights. The Alert Level remained at 3 (on a 5-level scale).

Source: Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA)

[pic]

[pic]  Bezymianny  | Central Kamchatka (Russia)  | 55.972°N, 160.595°E  | Elevation 2882 m

KVERT reported that during 8-15 September a lava flow continued to move down the W flank of Bezymianny's dome, and incandescence from the dome was visible at night. A thermal anomaly was identified in satellite images during 8-9 and 12-13 September. The Aviation Color Code remained at Orange (the second highest level on a four-color scale).

Source: Kamchatkan Volcanic Eruption Response Team (KVERT)

[pic]

[pic]  Bogoslof  | Fox Islands (USA)  | 53.93°N, 168.03°W  | Elevation 150 m

AVO reported that during 13-19 September nothing significant was observed in partly to mostly cloudy satellite images of Bogoslof, and no activity was detected in seismic or infrasound data. Weakly elevated surface temperatures were identified in satellite images during 13-14 and 16-17 September, indicating ongoing unrest. On 17 September discolored ocean water was visible in satellite data, possibly representing outflow from the crater. The Aviation Color Code remained at Orange and the Volcano Alert Level remained at Watch.

Source: US Geological Survey Alaska Volcano Observatory (AVO)

[pic]

[pic]  Cleveland  | Chuginadak Island (USA)  | 52.825°N, 169.944°W  | Elevation 1730 m

AVO reported that during 13-19 September nothing significant was observed in often cloudy satellite images and web camera views of Cleveland; elevated surface temperatures were identified in satellite images during 13-15 September and minor steaming was noted during 17-19 September. Nothing noteworthy was detected in seismic or infrasound data. The Aviation Color Code remained at Orange and the Volcano Alert Level remained at Watch.

Source: US Geological Survey Alaska Volcano Observatory (AVO)

[pic]

[pic]  Dukono  | Halmahera (Indonesia)  | 1.693°N, 127.894°E  | Elevation 1229 m

Based on analyses of satellite imagery, wind model data, and notices from PVMBG, the Darwin VAAC reported that during 13-16 and 18 September ash plumes from Dukono rose to altitudes of 1.8-2.1 km (6,000-7,000 ft) a.s.l. and drifted SW, W, and NW.

Source: Darwin Volcanic Ash Advisory Centre (VAAC)

[pic]

[pic]  Ebeko  | Paramushir Island (Russia)  | 50.686°N, 156.014°E  | Elevation 1103 m

Based on observations by volcanologists in Severo-Kurilsk (Paramushir Island), about 7 km E of Ebeko, explosions during 13-14 September generated ash plumes that rose 2.2 km (7,200 ft) a.s.l. The Aviation Color Code remained at Orange (the second highest level on a four-color scale).

Source: Kamchatkan Volcanic Eruption Response Team (KVERT)

[pic]

[pic]  Fuego  | Guatemala  | 14.473°N, 90.88°W  | Elevation 3763 m

Based on INSIVUMEH notifications, CONRED reported that Fuego’s ninth effusive eruption phase in 2017 began on 13 September. Explosions generated ash plumes that rose 1.2 km above the crater and drifted 15 km W and SW, causing ashfall in communities downwind including San Pedro Yepocapa (8 km N), El Porvenir (8 km ENE), and Sangre de Cristo (8 km WSW). Pyroclastic flows descended the Seca (Santa Teresa) ravine on the W flank. The eruptive phase ended about 35 hours later. INSIVUMEH noted that on 14 September, explosions generated ash plumes that rose 750 m and drifted 10 km W and SW. Shock waves from some explosions vibrated nearby structures. A lava flow was active in the Santa Teresa ravine. Explosions on 15 September produced ash plumes that rose as high as 750 m and drifted 5 km NW and SW. The lava flow was 300 m long. During 17-18 September ash plumes from explosions rose almost 1 km and drifted W and SW. Incandescent material was ejected 250 m above the crater rim, and caused avalanches of material around the crater area. Ashfall was reported in areas including Panimaché I and II (8 km SW), Morelia (9 km SW), and El Porvenir.

Sources: Coordinadora Nacional para la Reducción de Desastres (CONRED), Instituto Nacional de Sismologia, Vulcanologia, Meteorologia, e Hidrologia (INSIVUMEH)

[pic]

[pic]  Karymsky  | Eastern Kamchatka (Russia)  | 54.049°N, 159.443°E  | Elevation 1513 m

Based on satellite data, KVERT reported that ash explosions at Karymsky occurred at 0420 on 20 September, producing an ash cloud that drifted 95-100 km NNE. The Aviation Color Code was raised to Orange (the second highest level on a four-color scale).

Source: Kamchatkan Volcanic Eruption Response Team (KVERT)

[pic]

[pic]  Kilauea  | Hawaiian Islands (USA)  | 19.421°N, 155.287°W  | Elevation 1222 m

During 13-19 September HVO reported that the lava lake continued to rise, fall, and spatter in Kilauea’s Overlook crater. Webcams recorded incandescence from long-active sources within Pu'u 'O'o Crater and from a small lava pond in a pit on the W side of the crater. The 61G lava flow, originating from a vent on Pu'u 'O'o Crater's E flank, continued to enter the ocean at Kamokuna. Surface lava flows were active above and on the pali, and on the coastal plain. On 13 September geologists noted that several prominent cracks running parallel to the coastline had widened in the past two weeks, underscoring the potential for bench collapse into the sea.

Source: US Geological Survey Hawaiian Volcano Observatory (HVO)

[pic]

[pic]  Klyuchevskoy  | Central Kamchatka (Russia)  | 56.056°N, 160.642°E  | Elevation 4754 m

KVERT reported that on 8 September a weak thermal anomaly at Klyuchevskoy was identified in satellite images. The Aviation Color Code remained at Orange (the second highest level on a four-color scale).

Source: Kamchatkan Volcanic Eruption Response Team (KVERT)

[pic]

[pic]  Popocatepetl  | Mexico  | 19.023°N, 98.622°W  | Elevation 5426 m

Each day during 12-19 September CENAPRED reported 141-299 steam and gas emissions from Popocatépetl. Cloud cover often prevented observations, though gas-and-steam plumes were visible daily. During 12-13 September there were 22 explosions detected, four of which generated emissions with minor amounts of ash and ejected incandescent tephra. An explosion was detected at 1820 on 14 September. On 19 September a plume with low ash content rose 1 km. CENAPRED stated that there was no significant increase in activity at Popocatépetl related to the M 7.1 earthquake, centered beneath Puebla (45 km E), that occurred at 1314. The Alert Level remained at Yellow, Phase Two.

Source: Centro Nacional de Prevencion de Desastres (CENAPRED)

[pic]

[pic]  Reventador  | Ecuador  | 0.077°S, 77.656°W  | Elevation 3562 m

On 15 September, in a special report, IG summarized recent activity at Reventador noting lava flows during 24 June-1 July and 23-24 August, periods of frequent small explosions in August, and periods of explosions that were less frequent but moderate-to-large in size during July and September. Data indicated no changes in the internal and external activity of the volcano, suggesting that the eruption will continue with alternation of effusive and explosive activity in the next days to weeks.

Source: Instituto Geofísico-Escuela Politécnica Nacional (IG)

[pic]

[pic]  Sabancaya  | Peru  | 15.787°S, 71.857°W  | Elevation 5960 m

Observatorio Vulcanológico del Sur del IGP (OVS-IGP) and Observatorio Vulcanológico del INGEMMET (OVI) reported that explosive activity at Sabancaya continued to decline; there was an average of 29 explosions recorded per day during 11-17 September. The earthquakes were dominated by long-period events and signals indicating emissions, with fewer numbers of hybrid events. Gas-and-ash plumes rose 2.5 km above the crater rim and drifted no more than 30 km E and SE. The MIROVA system detected one thermal anomaly. The report warned the public not to approach the crater within a 12-km radius.

Sources: Instituto Geológico Minero y Metalúrgico (INGEMMET), Instituto Geofísico del Perú (IGP)

[pic]

[pic]  Sheveluch  | Central Kamchatka (Russia)  | 56.653°N, 161.36°E  | Elevation 3283 m

KVERT reported that a thermal anomaly over Sheveluch was identified daily in satellite images during 8-15 September. Several explosive events during 8-13 September generated ash plumes that rose 9-10 km (29,500-32,800 ft) a.s.l. and drifted about 400 km NW, E, and SE. The Aviation Color Code remained at Orange.

Source: Kamchatkan Volcanic Eruption Response Team (KVERT)

[pic]

[pic]  Sinabung  | Indonesia  | 3.17°N, 98.392°E  | Elevation 2460 m

Based on observations by PVMBG, webcam and satellite images, and model data, the Darwin VAAC reported that during 13-16 and 18 September ash plumes from Sinabung rose 3-7.5 km (12,000-18,000 ft) a.s.l. and sometimes drifted ESE, SE, SW.

Source: Darwin Volcanic Ash Advisory Centre (VAAC)

[pic]

[pic]  Turrialba  | Costa Rica  | 10.025°N, 83.767°W  | Elevation 3340 m

OVSICORI-UNA reported that events at Turrialba at 1555 on 13 September and 0600 on 14 September generated plumes that rose 300 m above the crater rim and drifted NW and W. Another event at 0703 on 18 September produced a plume that rose 400 m.

Source: Observatorio Vulcanologico y Sismologico de Costa Rica-Universidad Nacional (OVSICORI-UNA)



Scientist warn of possible eruption of a supervolcano in southern Italy

Sputnik News

Tue, 19 Sep 2017 18:52 UTC

[pic]

© AP Photo/Salvatore Allegra

    

An international group of scientists warned of catastrophic consequences of a possible eruption of a supervolcano in southern Italy, which they said may be fueled by the so-called 'hot zone' feeding the volcano.

Scientists declined to elaborate on when the eruption of Campi Flegrei to the west of Naples may occur, but stressed that flows of a magmatic bubble under the volcanic caldera has become more active in the past few weeks, according to the website.

The relevant study is led by Dr. Luca De Siena at the University of Aberdeen along with the University of Naples and the University of Texas at Austin.

"One question that has puzzled scientists is where magma is located beneath the caldera, and our study provides the first evidence of a hot zone under the city of Pozzuoli that extends into the sea at a depth of 4 km," De Siena said.

In the 1980s, a spate of small earthquakes took place in the area after the injection of either magma or fluids in the shallower structure of the volcano.

The super eruption of Campi Flegrei occurred about 40,000 years ago and probably caused the beginning a volcanic winter. Ashes covered an area of more than 1.1 million square kilometers at the time, according to the scientists.



Earthquakes

Weekly Summary From USGS

Magnitudes and Quantities

|2017 Week |

|[pic] |

Every night, a network of NASA all-sky cameras scans the skies above the United States for meteoritic fireballs. Automated software maintained by NASA's Meteoroid Environment Office calculates their orbits, velocity, penetration depth in Earth's atmosphere and many other characteristics. Daily results are presented here on .

On Sep. 20, 2017, the network reported 16 fireballs.

(16 sporadics)

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In this diagram of the inner solar system, all of the fireball orbits intersect at a single point--Earth. The orbits are color-coded by velocity, from slow (red) to fast (blue). [Larger image] [movies]

|[pic] |

|  |Near Earth Asteroids |

|[pic] |

Potentially Hazardous Asteroids (PHAs) are space rocks larger than approximately 100m that can come closer to Earth than 0.05 AU. None of the known PHAs is on a collision course with our planet, although astronomers are finding new ones all the time.

|[pic] |

On September 20, 2017 there were 1803 potentially hazardous asteroids.

|[pic] |

Recent & Upcoming Earth-asteroid encounters:

Asteroid |Date(UT) |Miss Distance |Velocity (km/s) |Diameter (m) | |2017 RJ2 |2017-Sep-15 |1.4 LD |15.9 |11 | |2017 RK2 |2017-Sep-17 |2.5 LD |7.7 |9 | |2017 RX2 |2017-Sep-18 |6.2 LD |12.6 |18 | |2017 RU2 |2017-Sep-18 |6.8 LD |8.9 |23 | |2017 RG2 |2017-Sep-19 |7.9 LD |8.4 |46 | |2017 RQ15 |2017-Sep-22 |9.8 LD |20.5 |23 | |2017 RB15 |2017-Sep-22 |5.8 LD |5 |10 | |2017 PR25 |2017-Sep-23 |17.9 LD |13.5 |235 | |2017 RW2 |2017-Sep-25 |15.1 LD |12.8 |28 | |2017 RW1 |2017-Sep-25 |11 LD |12.7 |65 | |2017 RB16 |2017-Sep-26 |4.8 LD |9.5 |27 | |1989 VB |2017-Sep-29 |7.9 LD |6.3 |408 | |2017 RP15 |2017-Sep-30 |14.8 LD |5.5 |16 | |2017 OD69 |2017-Oct-01 |13.2 LD |7.6 |213 | |2004 RE84 |2017-Oct-04 |15.3 LD |16.1 |129 | |2017 RV1 |2017-Oct-12 |17.8 LD |10.9 |357 | |2012 TC4 |2017-Oct-12 |0.1 LD |7.6 |16 | |2005 TE49 |2017-Oct-13 |8.5 LD |11.2 |16 | |2013 UM9 |2017-Oct-15 |17 LD |7.8 |39 | |2006 TU7 |2017-Oct-18 |18.7 LD |13.3 |148 | |171576 |2017-Oct-22 |5.8 LD |21.2 |677 | |2003 UV11 |2017-Oct-31 |15 LD |24.5 |447 | |444584 |2017-Nov-17 |8.7 LD |14.8 |324

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Notes: LD means "Lunar Distance." 1 LD = 384,401 km, the distance between Earth and the Moon. 1 LD also equals 0.00256 AU. MAG is the visual magnitude of the asteroid on the date of closest approach. | |

Animal Deaths

MASS ANIMAL DEATH LIST         

352 Known MASS Death Events in 71 Countries (or Territory)

14th September 2017 - 15+ dead turtles found on beaches in Carazo, Nicaragua. Link

14th September 2017 - Mass die off of fish, 'dead fish everywhere' in the Baltic Sea, Germany. Link

13th September 2017 - Hundreds of Pink Flamingos dead from Hurricane Irma in Cuba. Link

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Another record-breaking year for whale and dolphin strandings around Ireland

Ann Robinson

Coast Monkey

Thu, 14 Sep 2017 09:17 UTC

[pic]

© Jochen Duerr

Record-breaking year 2017 has seen another increase in cetacean strandings

    

2017 has been another record-breaking year for whale and dolphin strandings.

By 31st August there had already been 201 validated strandings logged - a massive 30% increase compared to the previous two years, according to the Irish Whale and Dolphin Group (IWDG).

The number of dead common dolphins recorded this year has been very high with 78 recorded since the end of August, accounting for 39% of all strandings. In the last seven years the numbers of dead common dolphins washing ashore in late winter/spring has become usually high. The true extent of the dolphin deaths are unknown with many going unrecorded as only a small number are washed ashore whiled others aren't identifiable.

The IWDG has been working with the Marine Institute, National Parks and Wildlife Service and the Department of Agriculture on a post-mortem scheme to better understand what is causing the death of these cetaceans.

There are any number of causes including pollution, disease and natural death but another possible cause is fisheries bycatch - where dolphins are the unintended target of fishing boats.

Often dolphins that have washed up on shore there has been the tell-tale laceration marks of having been caught in a net.

Irish waters were the first in Europe to be made a whale and dolphin sanctuary in 1991 but since then more than 1,000 suspect cetacean strandings have occurred.



'Astounding' increase in dolphin strandings in 2016 observed for Cornwall, UK; 20 times more than in 2015

Cornwall Live

Wed, 20 Sep 2017 18:29 UTC

[pic]

© Rob Wells

Common dolphin found on Polkirt beach

    

A worrying increase in dolphin deaths has been observed in Cornwall in the last year, a report has revealed.

The Cornwall Wildlife Trust's 2016 Marine Strandings Network (MSN) report, which has been released today, shows an 'astounding' 50% increase in cetacean deaths in 2016 compared with 2015.

Cetaceans include dolphins, porpoises and whales.

The report shows that a total of 205 animals stranded in Cornwall in 2016, compared with only 10 in 2015, which is more than 20 times more from one year to the other.

Amongst the 205 recorded, 113 were short-beaked common dolphins and 61 were harbour porpoises.

[pic]

© Emma Theobold

Common dolphin stranded on Maenporth beach

    

A female sperm whale also washed up dead on Perran Sands, on the north coast of Cornwall, in July 2016. And in the same month, a minke whale also stranded at Compass Point near Bude.

Abby Crosby, Marine Conservation Officer at Cornwall Wildlife Trust said:

"The trust has been collecting data on marine mammal strandings for over 25 years, so we can clearly identify peak levels of strandings.

"Seeing this recent increase is extremely worrying and highlights the importance of ensuring this work continues into the future whilst we discover what is happening out at sea."

The trust explained that animals strand for a variety of reasons, from natural causes such as disease to bycatch and boat strike.

Of the 205 that stranded during 2016, 31 were accessible and post mortem examinations have been carried out.

Together with in situ examinations, they concluded that accidental entanglement in fishing gear (also known as by-catch) was the cause of death for 28% of the animals.

Some animals were also attacked and killed by bottlenose dolphins. In January 2016, members of the public witnessed such an attack in Mounts Bay, with the carcass stranding soon after the event.

"2016 was a busy year, but 2017 is proving just as challenging, if not worse, with over 200 dolphins being recorded to date to our 24-hour Marine Standings hotline," Abby Crosby added.

"If we have another bad winter, we will easily overtake the 2016 total, which is a worry to all biologists conserving these special creatures in our waters."



Enormous dead turtle found washed up on Spanish beach

RT

Wed, 20 Sep 2017 19:15 UTC

[pic]

© ArnauJAner / YouTube

    

A giant sea turtle measuring up to two meters (6ft 7in) in length washed up dead on a Spanish beach, Tuesday. The leatherback - the largest of all living turtles - was found in Calella on the Costa del Maresme in the province of Barcelona.

Video footage shows an excavator being used to remove the huge creature.

This is the second such find within a month on the Catalan coast, according to La Vanguardia.

In August fishermen came across a leatherback, also known as a lute turtle, tangled in their nets. Authorities say the species, which can weigh up to 700kg (1,500lb), is rare in Catalonia.

Department of Agriculture officials said this particular creature was in an advanced state of decomposition, reports Radio Calella.

The Dermochelys coriacea are primarily found in the open ocean, as far north as Alaska and as far south as the southern tip of Africa. Their recent sightings in the Mediterranean are surprising, biologists said, as no more than 10 have been spotted in the area in 2,000 years.

Recent satellite tracking research indicates that leatherbacks feed in areas just offshore, according to Sea Turtle Conservancy. Pere Alzina, a local biologist, said it would be a great surprise if they found a nesting area for leatherback turtles in the Mediterranean.

The turtle has been transferred to the Veterinary Faculty of the Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB) for an autopsy.

Meanwhile, a leatherback turtle also washed up dead on a beach in Wales earlier this week, according to the BBC.

Marine Environmental Monitoring (MEM) said about 10 leatherback turtles had washed ashore on UK beaches in the last two months, most of them dead.

The leatherback turtle is listed as endangered under the US Federal Endangered Species Act and marked vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources in 2013.



The Earth

Huge floods hit Penang, Malaysia

Malay Mail

Fri, 15 Sep 2017 18:10 UTC

[pic]

© Bernama

Picture shows the flood situation at Jalan P. Ramlee, George Town September 15, 2017.

    

Traffic on the Penang island came to a standstill amid massive floods after a downpour throughout the night.

The Penang Island City Council (MBPP) said on its Facebook page that as of 9.30am, the water levels in the river had exceeded the dangerous level.

The Star Online reported that all main routes to the city's central business district were cut off by flood waters since 6am today, with levels reaching from knee-deep to chest-high.

Flood waters in the Jalan P. Ramlee area were reportedly up to 1.5m deep.



U.S. wildfire costs exceed record $2 billion and blazes continue to rage

The Japan Times

Fri, 15 Sep 2017 06:04 UTC

[pic]

© John Blanchard/The Chronicle

    

The Forest Service has spent more than $2 billion battling forest fires around the country - a record as wildfires blacken the American West in one of the nation's worst fire seasons.

Wildfires have ravaged the West this summer with 64 large fires burning across 10 states as of Thursday, including 21 fires in Montana and 18 in Oregon. In all, 48,607 wildfires have burned nearly 13,000 square miles (33,586 square kilometers).

The fires have stretched firefighting resources, destroyed more than 500 homes and triggered health alerts as choking smoke drifted into major Western cities.

The Forest Service, part of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, is the nation's primary firefighting agency.

Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue said the severe fire season means officials "end up having to hoard all of the money that is intended for fire prevention, because we're afraid we're going to need it to actually fight fires."

The emphasis on firefighting means that money for prescribed burns, insect control and other prevention efforts is diverted to putting out fires in what Perdue called a self-defeating cycle. The end result is that small trees and vegetation remain in the forest for future fires to feed on.

"That's wrong, and that's no way to manage the Forest Service," Perdue said.

The Agriculture Department has been asking Congress for years to change the way firefighting is funded so the Forest Service does not have to raid non-fire programs in bad years.

The spending figure announced Thursday marks the first time wildfire spending by the Forest Service has topped $2 billion. The previous record was $1.7 billion in 2015.

The figures do not include spending by Interior Department agencies such as the Bureau of Land Management and National Park Service, nor do they include spending by state and local governments.

The Interior Department says it has spent at least $391 million with several weeks left in the fire season. The previous record for combined federal firefighting costs was $2.1 billion in 2015.

Some previous years have had bigger areas burn but lower costs to fight fires.

"The level of continuous activity and the length of the fire season is driving our costs," Forest Service spokeswoman Babete Anderson said.

Parts of the West have suffered through above-average fires for months, she said.

This year's fires have renewed discussions about thinning overgrown forests to reduce the risk.

Forest fuels are at "powder keg levels," said Paul Hessburg Sr., a Forest Service research landscape ecologist.

Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke on Tuesday directed land managers and park superintendents in his department to be more aggressive in cutting down small trees and underbrush.



Larsen B part 2? Massive iceberg drifts further from Antarctic shelf (SATELLITE IMAGES)

RT

Sun, 17 Sep 2017 15:42 UTC

[pic]

© AFP

Larsen C Ice Shelf, on the Antartic Peninsula.

    

A mega iceberg four times larger than London continues to drift further out into the Antarctic Weddell Sea, with fears its movement could lead to the demise of another major ice shelf.

Satellite images taken from space reveal iceberg A68, which calved away from the Larsen C ice shelf in July, has markedly shifted its position.

The breakaway made A68 the biggest iceberg on record, weighing an astonishing one trillion tonnes.

Highlighting the massive iceberg's "drifting," climate professor Stef Lhermitte posted photos to Twitter from European Space Agency's Sentinel 1 satellite and NASA.

"After some initial back-and-forth movement, Larsen C's iceberg A68 seems on drift now," Lhermitte said.

The Delft University professor followed up the post with a satellite composite of the iceberg's increasing distance from the shelf from which it splintered.

It's not thought that the iceberg carries any immediate threat to people, since it is situated in an uninhabited region.

However, there are concerns that the iceberg's movement could destabilize the nearby Larsen C, provoking its dramatic destruction - a fate previously experienced on the Antarctic Peninsula with the collapse of Larsen B in 2002.

Back then, the 3,250 square kilometer Larsen B shelf collapsed almost entirely in just over a month.

Prior to A68's fracture, Project Midas, a group monitoring iceberg movement in the area, admitted there was uncertainty over the future of the 600-meter-thick Larsen C ice peninsula.

"In the ensuing months and years, the ice shelf could either gradually regrow, or may suffer further calving events which may eventually lead to collapse - opinions in the scientific community are divided. Our models say it will be less stable, but any future collapse remains years or decades away," said professor Adrian Luckman.

Comment: See also: New satellite images show Antarctica's 1 trillion ton iceberg in stunning detail

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Florida's Withlacoochee River flooding forces evacuation

Tampa Bay Times

Sun, 17 Sep 2017 01:55 UTC

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© unknown

    

Major flooding is threatening residents along the Withlacoochee River, emergency officials reported Sunday.

At 12:30 p.m., the river reached 16.8 feet at a gauge near U.S. 301, nearly five feet above its flood stage, elevating the flood status to "major." Waters are still rising, and National Weather Service forecasters predict major flooding to last at least through Friday.

Some 1,900 properties could flood, according to Hernando County spokeswoman Virginia Singer.

A voluntary evacuation order is in effect for endangered residents. Officials urged those in low-lying areas who see flood waters to leave now.

The Enrichment Center at 800 John Gary Grubbs Blvd. in Brooksville is operating as a shelter for evacuees.

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Huge sinkhole opens up in Lady Lake, Florida

David Towns

Villages-News

Sat, 16 Sep 2017 12:21 UTC

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A massive sinkhole has opened up at American Legion Post 347 in Lady Lake.

    

A massive sinkhole opened up late Saturday afternoon at American Legion Post #347 in Lady Lake.

The sinkhole was estimated to be 70 feet across and growing. It is located in a retention basin about 100 yards from the parking area at the American Legion and is visible from County Road 466 and Rolling Acres Road.

Lady Lake police, Lake County sheriff's deputies and Lady Lake maintenance personnel were all on the scene Saturday night, monitoring the situation.

The sinkhole was located across from Recreation Plantation RV Park.

A sinkhole had swallowed part of a driveway this past Tuesday at a residence at Recreation Plantation. The sinkhole, located at Lot 229, was estimated to be 10 feet-by-10 feet-by 10 feet.



Typhoon Talim causes flooding and landslides in Japan; Oita sees 7 inches of rain in 5 hours

Richard Davies

Floodlist

Sun, 17 Sep 2017 13:08 UTC

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Residents are evacuated from their home in Oita, Japan after heavy rainfall

    

Typhoon Talim made landfall over the western coast of Kagoshima prefecture, Kyushu island, Japan, on 17 September with winds of up to 162km per hour. It then continued moving over eastern Kyushu, eastern Shikoku, western and northern Honshu, weakening. Talim reached the northern island of Hokkaido by early (local time) Monday 18 September.

High levels of rainfall have been reported across several areas. According to Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) figures, 179 mm of rain fell in 5 hours in Oita, Oita prefecture, on Sunday, 17 September. As Talim moves north, JMA warnings are in place for potential landslides and flooding in parts of Hokkaido and Tohoku.

Damage

FDMA says that 1 house was completely destroyed in Kagawa. Around 250 houses have suffered some damage. As many as 113 homes have been flooded in Okayama, 25 in Kagawa and 37 in Ehime.

Strong winds and heavy rain conspired to cause major disruption to public transport. Train services, including the Bullet trains, and dozens of flights have been cancelled.

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Fatalities and Injuries

Japan's Fire and Disaster Management Agency (FDMA) reports that an elderly woman died in a landslide triggered by heavy rain in Mitoyo city, Kagawa Prefecture. Local media, quoting police sources, are also reporting a second fatality after a man was found dead in his vehicle in a swollen river in Kochi.

FDMA said that one man is missing in Bungo-ono, a city located in Oita Prefecture. It is suspected that he was swept away by a swollen river near his home. At least 28 people have been injured, 3 of them seriously, as a result of the storm and floods, according to FDMA.

Evacuations

Evacuation orders (recommendation) have been issued for over 100,000 people across 11 prefectures, according to FDMA.

Currently there are around 4,000 people displaced for their homes. Northern parts of Oita prefecture have been worst hit by the heavy rain and flooding, with around 1,200 people forced from their homes as a result.



Current Arctic sea ice extent is the eighth lowest on record

Anthony Watts

Watts Up With That?

Tue, 19 Sep 2017 14:27 UTC

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© NASA/C. Starr

    

I called the Arctic sea-ice turn upwards a few days ago here. From NASA/GODDARD SPACE FLIGHT CENTER and the "you could also say 31st highest on record" department.

End-of-summer Arctic sea ice extent is eighth lowest on record.

Arctic sea ice appeared to have reached its yearly lowest extent on Sept. 13, NASA and the NASA-supported National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC) at the University of Colorado Boulder have reported. Analysis of satellite data by NSIDC and NASA showed that at 1.79 million square miles (4.64 million square kilometers), this year's Arctic sea ice minimum extent is the eighth lowest in the consistent long-term satellite record, which began in 1978.

Arctic sea ice, the layer of frozen seawater covering much of the Arctic Ocean and neighboring seas, is often referred to as the planet's air conditioner: its white surface bounces solar energy back to space, cooling the globe. The sea ice cap changes with the season, growing in the autumn and winter and shrinking in the spring and summer. Its minimum summertime extent, which typically occurs in September, has been decreasing, overall, at a rapid pace since the late 1970s due to warming temperatures.

This year, temperatures in the Arctic have been relatively mild for such high latitudes, even cooler than average in some regions. Still, the 2017 minimum sea ice extent is 610,000 square miles (1.58 million square kilometers) below the 1981-2010 average minimum extent.

"How much ice is left at the end of summer in any given year depends on both the state of the ice cover earlier in the year and the weather conditions affecting the ice," said Claire Parkinson, senior climate scientist at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. "The weather conditions have not been particularly noteworthy this summer. The fact that we still ended up with low sea ice extents is because the baseline ice conditions today are worse than the baseline 38 years ago."

The three years with the lowest Arctic ice extents on record -2012, 2016 and 2007- experienced strong summer storms that hammered the ice cover and sped up its melt. "In all of those cases, the weather conditions contributed to the reduced ice coverage. But if the exact same weather system had occurred three decades ago, it is very unlikely that it would have caused as much damage to the sea ice cover, because back then the ice was thicker and it more completely covered the region, hence making it more able to withstand storms," Parkinson said.

On the other side of the planet, Antarctica is heading to its maximum yearly sea ice extent, which typically occurs in September or early October. This year's maximum extent is likely to be among the eighth lowest in the satellite record - a dramatic turn of events considering that 2012, 2013 and 2014 all saw consecutive record high maximum extents, followed by a sudden large drop in 2015 and a further although smaller decrease in 2016. So far, the September Antarctic ice extents this year are comparable to those of a year ago.

"What had been most surprising about the changing sea ice coverage in the past three decades was the fact that the Antarctic sea ice was increasing instead of decreasing," Parkinson said. "The fact of Arctic sea ice decreases was not as shocking because this was expected with a warming climate, although the overall rate of the decreases was greater than most models had forecast."

Parkinson said that although it is still too early to talk about a long-term reversal in the behavior of Antarctic sea ice, the decreases witnessed in the past two years provide important data to test the various hypotheses that scientists have put forward to explain why Antarctic sea ice coverage had been increasing, overall, between 1979 and 2015.

Adding the Antarctic and Arctic sea ice extents month by month through the satellite record shows that globally the Earth has been losing sea ice since the late 1970s in each portion of the annual cycle of ice growth and decay.

"In fact, this year, every single month from January through August experienced a new monthly record low in global sea ice extents," Parkinson said.

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Large sinkhole open in The Villages, Florida in wake of Hurricane Irma

Villages-News

Mon, 11 Sep 2017 20:10 UTC

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© Villages-News

This sinkhole opened up on the Jacaranda Nine at Cane Garden Country Club.

    

Two large sinkholes opened up in The Villages in the wake of a brutal pounding from Hurricane Irma.

One of the sinkholes opened up off Markridge Loop by Hole #3 of the Jacaranda nine at Cane Garden Country Club.

A second sinkhole, estimated to be 30-feet wide and 12-feet deep opened up in the Villages of Santiago.

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© Villages-News

This sinkhole opened up in the Village of Santiago.

    

A third sinkhole opened up in the Village of Alhambra. Bright yellow tape surrounded the sinkhole in the front yard of a home on Botello Avenue.

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© Villages-News

Yellow tape marks off a sinkhole in the Village of Alhambra.

    

Irma also caused flooding on golf courses, at ponds and at golf cart paths here in Florida's Friendliest Hometown. The massive storm also prompted numerous power outages.



Strange & Pestilence

'Gigantic mob' of agitated bees hospitalize six people in Monterey Park, California

RT

Sun, 17 Sep 2017 13:50 UTC

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© Global Look Press

    

Six people were hospitalized after a swarm of bees attacked people on the outskirts of Los Angeles on Saturday, forcing authorities to cordon off the area.

Firefighters were called to the incident shortly before 5pm on Saturday following reports that people were being stung by bees in the parking lot of a grocery store in Monterey Park, a city in the suburbs of LA.

Local news outlet KTLA reports that the attack started after a wild beehive in the lot was disturbed.

The chief of the city's fire department, Mark Khial, told the news outlet that two women were "completely covered" by the insects.

Khial said that three people and three firefighters were forced to go to the hospital because of the amount of times they were stung. It's unclear what species of bee was involved.

"There was this gigantic mob of bees chasing people around. People were screaming and trying to go inside or trying to leave," eyewitness Isabel Hernandez told ABC 7.

Neil Lankin of the fire department said when he arrived, other firefighters were already being attacked by the bees.

"On my arrival, there were two engine companies and a truck company that were being actively stung by bees that were swarming, agitated, and actively protecting themselves," he said.

The firefighters sprayed the hive and its host tree with protective foam to tackle the bees.

"I went in and sealed any areas that bees were congregating with some high-density foam and we used firefighting foam to suppress any bee behavior," Lankin said.

The fire department reported that the people hospitalized are expected to make a full recovery.



Flooding in Niger leaves at least 54 dead, 200,000 displaced and 11,000 homes destroyed

News24

Fri, 15 Sep 2017 20:03 UTC

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© AFP

Niger's capital, Niamey has seen heavy rains since June

    

Flooding unleashed by three months of torrential rain in Niger has killed at least 54 people and left nearly 200 000 displaced, the UN said on Friday.

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said most of the deaths took place in the capital Niamey and that more than 11 000 homes were destroyed.

Niamey has been hardest hit along with Dosso in the south, Tillaberi in the west and the central-southern areas of Maradi and Zinder as Niger struggles once more with flooding which claimed more than 50 lives last year.

The recovery from the disastrous rains promises to be long.

Food production will also take a hit, with the flooding killing some 16 000 cattle and about 12 000 hectares of crops being ruined, the UN said.

With its 17 million population in a country three quarters of which comprises desert, Niger regularly is beset by food shortages caused by drought as well as severe flooding.

A humanitarian source told AFP on Thursday that exacerbating the problems were rising River Niger water levels, leading to fears of a repeat of serious flooding in 2012 which left dozens dead and some 500 000 homeless.

Last week, Niger said it had launched a campaign to destroy mosquito breeding sites to help combat the spread of deadly malaria in Niamey after the rain transformed some areas into swamps.

Comment: "This year's rain is just extraordinary," Katiellou Lawan Gaptia, head of meteorology at Niger's Met Office said. "In Niamey alone, the season's rainfall has increased by 84 percent since 2010."

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