"Environmental Hazards Newsletter" 3rd Dec 2018
Welcome to the November/December edition of the Kingston University newsletter
In The Hurricanes and Cyclones section highlights the impact of Cyclone Gaja in India and the intensification of tropical storm Owen, whilst looking back to recap events from the 2018 hurrican season.
There are reports about the impact of climate change, focussing on the strengthening of precipation, a dieback in Arctic plants, a `browning` of Arctic regions, and on how cold weather still occurs even in cimate warming conditions.
The Earthquake section features Alaska, Italy, Mexico, Fiji and the Solomon Islands. There is also a report on how AI is now capable of accurately simulating earthquakes, which helps scientists better understand the true nature and impact of global seismic events.
Guatemala`s Fuego volcano erupted, leading to unscheduled large scale evacuation.
Another report told the story of how automated forecasting is being introduced to predict activity at Mount Etna in Siciliy. Elsewhere, readers learn that huge amounts of methane are being released from a glacier connected to Katla, one of Iceland`s largest and most active volcanoes.
In the Wildfire section, smoke generated by the deadly California wildfires has swept right across the country and caused a haze to envelop the U.S. eastern seaboard, including Washington DC and New York.
News bulletins from the landlside section saw reports of the death of 14 people from the Vietnamese resort city of Nha Trang, after landlsides destroyed several homes. There was a similar tale in the Spanish press with a train derailment near Barcelona caused by a landslide. The incident resulted in red and one fatality.
Our Flooding section tells the story of devastating floods that hit the French region of Languedoc and also hit Jordan and the historic town of Petra.
Hurricanes and Cyclones
Donations pour in for TN in the aftermath of Cyclone Gaja
A day after TN Chief Minister Edappadi Palaniswami announced Rs 1000 crore as relief money towards the damages caused by Cyclone Gaja, a government order was issued on Tuesday with more details on how the money would be spent.
A Recap of the 2018 Atlantic Hurricane Season
The Atlantic Hurricane Season came to end on November 30th. This season was slightly above-average. From Alberto to Oscar, there were 15 named storms, including eight hurricanes of which two were “major” (Category 3, 4 or 5).
Tropical Cyclone Owen forecast to “intensify further”
Tropical Cyclone Owen is expected to intensify further as it continues its south-southeast track in the northern Coral Sea.
As Samuel inches away from PAR, PAGASA monitors new tropical cyclone
Tropical Depression Samuel moves over the West Philippine Sea and is forecast to exit the Philippine jurisdiction between tonight and Friday early morning.
NASA sees Tropical Cyclone Bouchra being blown apart
Tropical Cyclone Bouchra may have been reborn over the weekend of Nov. 17 and 18 but by Nov. 20 it was blown apart by wind shear and NASA's Aqua satellite confirmed that. In general, wind shear is a measure of how the speed and direction of winds change with altitude. Wind shear can tear a tropical cyclone apart or weaken it.
Extreme Temperatures
Extreme weather is turning the Arctic brown and could impact on climate change
In recent years evidence has emerged that increasing numbers of extreme events are causing dieback of Arctic plants, or ‘browning’, across Arctic regions.
Why extreme rains are gaining strength as the climate warms
From Atlantic hurricanes to the Indian monsoons, storms are getting worse and becoming more erratic. Climate scientists expect that as global temperatures rise, much more rain will fall in extreme storms.
Trump just hinted that cold weather disproves global warming. Here’s why he’s wrong
According to the Union of Concerned Scientists, “Even though the planet is getting warmer, cold weather still happens in winter or at very high elevations or high latitudes year-round.
No action on climate change could mean even more extreme weather for the UK
Weather in the UK could become increasingly extreme with summer temperatures up to 5.4C (9.7F) hotter and winters up to 4.2C (7.6F) warmer by 2070, according to latest projections.
The coldest Thanksgiving in over a century for millions plus traffic troubles
New York may even see its coldest low temperature for the holiday since weather records have been kept in Central Park. In 1901 and 1876, the low got down to 19 degrees Fahrenheit on Thanksgiving.
More megastorms will smash Brit holiday spots like Majorca and Tenerife as climate change ‘fuels fire’ of destructive weather, expert warns
Climate scientists say a warming Atlantic adds fuel to the fire of extreme weather The warning to tourists comes after monster 40ft waves demolished balconies in Tenerife and the Costa Blanca was hit by severe flooding in just the past few days.
Earthquakes
Back-to-back earthquakes shatter roads and windows in Alaska
Back-to-back earthquakes measuring 7.0 and 5.7 shattered highways and rocked buildings in Anchorage, Alaska and the surrounding area, sending people running into the streets and briefly triggering a tsunami warning for islands and coastal areas south of the city.
Earthquake of magnitude 6.6 strikes Solomon Islands: USGS
An earthquake of magnitude 6.6 struck east of a provincial capital in the Solomon Islands on Friday, the United States Geological Survey said. There was no immediate tsunami threat or reports of damage or casualties from the quake, which hit at a depth of 33 km (21 miles) about 161 km (100 miles) east of Kira Kira, a provincial capital in the South Pacific nation.
4.8-magnitude earthquake in Mexico felt in Yuma area
A 4.8 magnitude earthquake in Baja California had a wide enough range to potentially be felt in Yuma and other southwestern parts of our state.
Strong undersea earthquake off Fiji, but no tsunami
A 6.7-magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of Fiji Monday, the United States Geological Survey said, but it was too deep to cause any damage.
Italy earthquake sees 4.6 magnitude tremor rock Ravenna region near Venice
A 4.6 earthquake on the Ritcher scale is classified as a light earthquake. It is felt by most people and objects do move and fall as well as light sleepers will be woken up. Significant damage is unlikely. The EMSC is an independent organisation that ...
Earthquake shakes Turkey’s south-eastern province
An earthquake with a 4.1 magnitude occurred in the Silopi district of Turkey’s south-eastern Sirnak province, the Turkish media reported on Nov. 22.
Earthquake Confirmed in Washington's Olympic Peninsula
A magnitude 4.1 earthquake has shaken an area beneath Olympic National Park south of Port Angeles, the U.S. Geological Survey has confirmed. The USGS reported the earthquake hit just after 3 a.m. Monday. There were no immediate reports of damage.
The AI shaking up earthquake research
An AI is now capable of accurately simulating earthquakes to help us understand the true impact of quakes around the world.
“Dinosaurs on the Moon” — The Impossible Magnitude-12 Earthquake That Changed Our World
Sixty Six million years ago a 14 kilometer long, Mount Everest sized asteroid blasted a hole in the ground, the Chicxulub Impact, releasing the equivalent of 100 million megatons of TNT creating a 20-mile deep, 110-mile hole. The seismic shaking would be comparable to a magnitude 12 earthquake.
Volcanic Activity
Guatemala volcano: Evacuation ordered as deadly Volcano of Fire erupts
Authorities in Guatemala have called for communities around the southern Volcano of Fire to evacuate, after observing increased activity and intensifying eruptions in the area.
Iceland Volcano and Glacier Are Releasing Huge Amounts of Methane, Scientists Discover
Huge amounts of methane are being released from a glacier connected to Katla one of Iceland’s largest and most active volcanoes. Researchers found that up to 41 tonnes of methane is released through meltwater from the Sólheimajökull glacier every day over the summer months. The study, published in Scientific Reports, is the first to show methane is released from glaciers on such a large scale.
World's first automated volcano forecast predicts Mount Etna's eruptions
Maurizio Ripepe, a geophysicist at the University of Florence and his colleagues have created the world's first automated volcano early-warning system, which alerts authorities near Mount Etna in Sicily about one hour before an eruption.
Alaska volcano eruption: Red aviation warning as Veniaminof spews ash 15000 feet in air k
Activity at Veniaminof, a volcano on the Alaskan Peninsula has intensified significantly, spewing ash 15,000 feet into the air, prompting the United States Geological Survey to increase the aviation colour code warning to red, while raising the overall warning level from watch to warning, with some communities warned to brace themselves for the possibility of ash fall.
ANAS on link between earthquakes and volcanic eruptions
Azerbaijan is one of the countries where mud volcanoes are most widespread. Over 350 mud volcanoes are located in the Absheron peninsula and the Caspian Sea.
The head of the department of mud volcanism of the Institute of Geology and Geophysics of the Azeraijan National Academy of Sciences (ANAS), Professor Adil Aliyes believes that activation of volcanoes indicates a possible earthquake.
Wildfires
California’s wildfires: is this the new normal?
In The Case for Letting Malibu Burn, the historian Mike Davis once argued that wildfire damage to the exclusive coastal community west of Los Angeles had become so inevitable that state resources would more fairly be deployed by abandoning it to its fate.
California wildfires and environmental radicalism
Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke on Breitbart News Sunday blamed California’s 7,421 wildfires that have burned 1,665,746 acres, destroyed 30,000 structures and killed at least 82 individuals and six firefighters so far in 2018.
California wildfires: smoke spreads to New York, 3000 miles away
The US east coast has been provided a firsthand reminder of the deadly California wildfires after smoke swept across the country and caused a haze to envelop the eastern seaboard, including Washington DC and New York City.
Better Forest Management Won't End Wildfires, But It Can Reduce The Risks
In cases like the Camp Fire in Northern California, where low humidity, dry vegetation, hot temperatures and high winds have created extreme fire conditions, there is little that homeowners, forest landowners or land managers can do to affect fire behavior. Fire is a natural hazard, like earthquakes, tornadoes, and hurricanes. It is unique in that it can develop with little warning and last for weeks or even months.
California wildfires: Rain brings threat of mudslides
Rain has come to northern California, helping to contain deadly wildfires but bringing fears of mudslides that may complicate recovery efforts.
How Wildfires Are Making Some California Homes Uninsurable
California's wildfires keep growing bigger, more frequent and more destructive. Of the 20 worst wildfires in state history, four were just last year, giving rise to a record $12.6 billion of insurance claims. It hasn't gotten any better this year. The ...and more »
Hurricanes Get Nearly Three Times the News Coverage as Wildfires, Report Says
Despite the fact that there have been thousands of wildfires in California in 2018, including one considered the deadliest in the state's history, and just 10 hurricanes in North America, there have been nearly three times as many media stories about ...
Who is to blame for the massive wildfires in California?
As crews continue to search for victims for the devastating Camp Fire, a political firestorm is brewing over whether climate change or resource mismanagement is to blame
Death toll rises further to 79 in Californian wildfires
The number of people now feared missing in the wake of the Californian wildfires has risen to almost thirteen hundred with 79 people confirmed to have died.
Landslides
Vietnam faces new threat from Usagi after landslides kill at least 14
At least 14 people died after landslides destroyed several homes and buried victims in some villages in the resort city of Nha Trang, according to the Associated Press. Four others remain missing.
Catalonia train crash: one dead in landslide derailment
One person has died and 44 have been injured after a commuter train came off the tracks outside Barcelona as a result of a landslide that affected the tracks
Buildings evacuated, following landslide in Lesvos
A landslide in the town of Plomari on Lesvos island has resulted in numerous buildings being evacuated. A team of experts decided to evacuate 29 buildings, of which 15 are residences and decisions affects a total of 37 people in Plomari, who have been moved to local hotels.
Expert suggests using scrap tires to fight landslides
Le Anh Tuan, an expert on Mekong Delta, in his article on Thoi Bao Kinh Te Sai Gon, has suggested using tires in the fight against landslides.
Floods
Devastating floods hit Languedoc vineyard region
Whole vineyards were submerged by water following mass flooding in the Aude region of southern France, which is reported to have killed 14 people and caused tens of millions of euros-worth of damage to property.
Petra floods: At least 12 dead as thousands of tourists flee ancient city in Jordan
At least 12 people have died after flash floods hit Jordan and forced 4,000 tourists to evacuate the ancient city of Petra. Visitors were forced to run for higher ground as a deluge of water surged through a narrow canyon and flooded the historic site in ...
California wildfires: Rain will help stop the blaze but brings danger of flash floods
The National Weather Service has warned about the threat of flash floods with rain predicted for areas in northern California affected by the state's deadliest wildfire.
Mapping and Analytics
Geographic Information System (GIS) market scrutinized in new research
The geographic information system (GIS) market was valued at USD 5.33 Billion in 2016 and is expected to reach USD 10.12 Billion by 2023, growing at a CAGR of 9.6% between 2017 and 2023.
Esri India to empower schools with GIS
Esri India, country’s leading Geographic Information System (GIS) Software & Solutions provider launched the “GeoMentor Program”, which is focused on encouraging the GIS enthusiasts and practitioners in India to come forward and skill school students in India in GIS technology.
