Archive | February 2016
Colorful hot springs back to life at Dallol hydrothermal field in Ethiopia, Africa
Green lake at Dallol (image: Enku Mulugheta)
The hydrothermal activity was observed to be very intense, with many colorful ponds and hot springs.
Expedition leader Enku reported: “Dallol is back to its original status with every bit of the geothermal fissures which are full of activity with gas and liquid chemicals washed out by the hot ground water. I have never seen Dallol like this before in my entire 12 years of Afar Depression trip.”
Courtesy of volcanodiscovery.com
Continuing vulcanian explosions at Momotombo volcano in Nicaragua
The volcano continues to produce on average 2-3 vulcanian-type explosions per day. Some of them seem to generate small pyroclastic flows.
Courtesy of volcanodiscovery.com
Explosions, pyroclastic flows at Sinabung volcano in Sumatra, Indonesia
Explosion at Sinabung yesterday (image: Endro Lewa / facebook)
Over the past days, activity at the volcano seems to have picked up. The frequency and size of explosions from the summit have increased and generated several ash plumes that rose up to approx 3 km height above the summit.
In addition, collapses of parts of the lava lobe generated small to moderate pyroclastic flows that traveled up to 3 km down on the ESE side. One of them on Saturday reached again the (already mostly destroyed and abandoned) village of Simacem on the ESE flank at only 3 km distance from the crater.
Whether this apparent increase in activity caused by and actual increase in magma and or gas output, or simply a process of releasing accumulated pressure and instabilities on the already emplaced lava lobes on the steep flanks of the volcano is unclear.
For the local population, this means the long-lasting (more than 2 years now) crisis has no end in sight: the exclusion zone of 4-5 km radius around the volcano (depending on which sector) remains in place. More than 9500 people evacuated from villages in this risk area continue to live in a total of 9 now semi-permanent shelters.
Courtesy of volcanodiscovery.com
Strong vulcanian explosion produces ash plume 5000m tall at Tungurahua volcano in Ecuador
Eruption plume of Tungurahua volcano yesterday (image: J.L Espinosa-Naranjo @Ambalaser / twitter)
Two moderately large explosions occurred at the volcano yesterday noon from 12:12 local time. The first and larger explosion produced an ash plume that rose approx. 5000 meters above the summit.
The ash plume dispersed mainly to the west and northwest where ash fall occurred in areas including Choglontús, Pillate, Cahuaji and El Manzano.
According to IGEPN, the eruption – which came after a 3 months interval of quiet since last November – was most likely NOT the result of new magma, but instead of accumulated gas pressure in the upper conduit. Magmatic gasses (H2O, CO2 etc) still contained in older magma inside the conduit was being released quietly as the magma continued to cool and crystallize, but most of these gasses were being trapped beneath a solid plug. With time, the gas pressure increased to the critical point: the plug gave way in yesterday’s explosions.
The explosion itself, a typical so-called “vulcanian”-type eruption, was preceded only by a short (lasting little more than an hour), but intense seismic swarm of shallow earthquakes caused by internal fluid movements and rock fracturing as pressurized gasses started to disintegrate the overlying plug.
Courtesy of volcanodiscovery.com
YELLOWSTONE REGION MAGNITUDE 2.1 SOUTHERN IDAHO, USA
http://www.emsc-csem.org/Earthquake/earthquake.php?id=491529
Subject To Change
Depth: 5 km
Distances: 725 km S of Calgary, Canada / pop: 1,019,942 / local time: 05:43:14.1 2016-02-29
170 km NE of Boise, United States / pop: 145,987 / local time: 05:43:14.1 2016-02-29
22 km W of Challis, United States / pop: 1,081 / local time: 05:43:14.1 2016-02-29
Hundreds of dead sea lions have washed up, during past few months along the coast of Chile and Peru
Marine researchers have found more than 100 dead sea lions — most of them newborns — washed ashore along a relatively small peninsula in northern Chile over the past three months, part of a more widespread die-off being observed elsewhere on South America’s Pacific coast.
“This is happening along the entire coast of northern Chile and we’re getting reports that it’s also happening in Peru, our neighbor to the north,” researcher Carlos Guerra-Correa told CNN. “We could be talking about hundreds of sea lions washing up ashore dead in the entire region.”
The South American sea lion (Otaria flavescens) is the species affected by the die-off observed in the area of the Mejillones Peninsula in Antofagasta province, where the researchers routinely conduct marine studies.
Guerra-Correa said he is concerned that the vast majority of the dead sea mammals are newborns — though some juveniles and adults have been found.
“Some of the dead animals we have found still had their umbilical cord attached,” Guerra-Correa said. “We found one with a placenta.”
Courtesy of edition.cnn
40+ Olive Ridley turtles found dead along the coast of Odisha, India
Ahead of the mass nesting of Olive Ridley turtles, at least 40 turtles of the endangered species were found dead along the beach of Odisha’s Pilgrim Town Puri.
Carcasses of the endangered turtles were spotted along the coast near Digabareni Khunti (Weather Pole) here yesterday.
Tourists and local people gathered at the site to witness the rare species of turtles which were lying bloated and decomposed. The forest officials buried the carcasses of the turtles to prevent it from being prayed on by predators like wild dogs, hyenas and jackals and minimise stench emanating from it.
Multiple injuries were found on the bodies of the turtles which points towards possibility of them being hit by fishing trawlers in the sea.
“We suspect that the turtles were killed after being hit by the fan blades of the fishing trawlers in the sea,” a forest official said.
The dead turtles found along the coast in the holy town have raised concerns among the environmentalists and wildlife researchers as many whales were found dead on various beaches along the Odisha coast.
Notably, Olive Ridley turtles throng the Odisha coast for breeding and nesting during January-February. During this period, fishing activities are banned in 20 km distance from the beach to ensure the safety of the breeding turtles.
Earlier on February 17, over 150 dead turtles and a bottlenose dolphin was found near Mangala Nadi and Shri Vihar area in the city.
Besides, over 1000 dead turtles were spotted along the coast near Paradip under Gahirmatha marine sanctuary in Kendrapara district.
Courtesy of odishasuntimes
30+ TONS of dead fish removed from a lake in Ningde, China
The Fujian daily reported the lake waters of tropical fish species such as Tilapia in large-area death of. In recent days, the East Lake pond farm salvage immediately, and the dead fish is harmless.
It is reported that East Lake the massive death of Tilapia, mainly due to recent cold weather, lake water temperatures decrease, tilapia are tropical fish, upper lethal temperature was 42 degrees Celsius, minimum 10 ℃, dead fish is basically caused by water temperature is too low.
“The current cold weather continues, tilapia might appear to continue to kill, part water mixed reeds, water hyacinth, cleanup is difficult, we can only use artificial fishing, there are some difficulties to fully clean up, subparagraph can only be salvaged, seeking first to clear focus. “Head of pond farm in Lake donghu Lake Management Center said Li Hongcheng, February 14 new year’s first day of work, and East Lake pond farm deployed personnel to clean up the dead fish, every day, 30 assault boat 8, to salvage the dying tilapia within the waters and harmless treatment. As of 24th, has salvaged more than 30,000 kilograms of dead fish, complete the clean up of Sandu Bay Guest House, North and South port area. At present, the salvage operation continues.
Courtesy of dnkb.com.cn
41,000 birds dead due to another outbreak of avian flu in Taiwan
Six new outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza have been found in Taiwan.
The outbreaks affected goose and chicken farms in Pingtung, Changhua, Tainan City and Yunlin counties, and were detected after abnormal mortality levels.
One of the outbreaks in Pingtung county was of the H5N8 strain, whilst the other five were of the H5N2 strain.
In total, over 23,000 birds were destroyed and over 18,000 died as a result of the outbreaks.
Control measures used include movement controls, screening, stamping out, disinfection and quarantine.
Courtesy of thepoultrysite
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