Thursday, February 9, 2012

**Absence makes the heart grow fonder.**


LARGEST QUAKES -
This morning -
5.2 SERAM, INDONESIA
5.0 SERAM, INDONESIA
5.8 SOUTH SANDWICH ISLANDS REGION
5.2 SOLOMON ISLANDS
5.1 VANUATU

Yesterday -
2/8/12 -
5.0 MINAHASA, SULAWESI, INDONESIA
5.4 NEAR WEST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN
5.0 NEAR ISLANDS, ALEUTIAN ISLANDS
5.0 OFFSHORE CHIAPAS, MEXICO
5.5 NEAR COAST OF ECUADOR
5.3 KERMADEC ISLANDS, NEW ZEALAND
5.3 NEGROS- CEBU REG, PHILIPPINES

2/7/12 -
5.1 HOKKAIDO, JAPAN REGION
5.1 SVALBARD REGION
5.0 NEGROS- CEBU REG, PHILIPPINES
5.3 NEGROS- CEBU REG, PHILIPPINES

2/6/12 -
5.2 NEGROS- CEBU REG, PHILIPPINES
5.9 NEGROS- CEBU REG, PHILIPPINES
6.1 NEGROS- CEBU REG, PHILIPPINES
5.7 NEGROS- CEBU REG, PHILIPPINES
6.7 NEGROS- CEBU REG, PHILIPPINES

2/5/12 -
5.1 FIJI REGION
5.1 MICHOACAN, MEXICO
5.1 MINDANAO, PHILIPPINES
5.2 KYRGYZSTAN
5.0 SOUTHERN IRAN
6.1 VANUATU
5.0 VANUATU
6.1 VANUATU
5.3 VANUATU

Philippines - Rescuers dug through debris and mud in the central Philippines Tuesday in search of nearly 100 missing people a day after a 6.9-magnitude earthquake triggered landslides, collapsed houses and killed at least 48 people. Residents in Cebu City ran scared as reports of a tsunami swept the city after the 6.9-magnitude earthquake shook the Central Visayas metropolis on Monday.
Negros quake survivors beg rescuers to keep on searching. Two days after the quake flattened homes, destroyed bridges and crumbled mountainsides, rescue workers battled without heavy equipment to dig through rubble in the search for the missing.
'Unmapped' fault caused Visayas earthquake - The earthquake was caused by the sudden shifting of two tectonic plates in the Visayas area. The shift was from a "blind fault" some 20kms below the
earth between Negros and Cebu.
The governor appealed to the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology to closely monitor Mt. Kanlaon, to allay fears that the quake, which was followed by several aftershocks, may trigger the eruption of the volcano.

Oregon Says Earthquake More Significant Risk Than Volcano At Mt. Hood - State geology officials say that an earthquake on Mt. Hood provides a more significant risk to the region than a volcanic eruption. Geologists say they used state-of-the-art LIDAR data to map what's happening underground on Mt. Hood.

VOLCANOES -

Italy
- Another eruption of Etna, Fontanarossa air space closed. Just over one month after the last event, Etna is erupting again. It is causing a great sight. The new Southeastermn crater is erupting again and the flow of lava is visible from Catania and from towns in the hinterland.

Cameroon volcano - possible new eruption reported Friday. Mount Cameroon sends ashes, flames into air in brief volcanic explosion. Mt Cameroon volcano in Cameroon seems to have started a new eruption. According to local news, mild tremors and explosions were noted at the volcano during the past week, intensifying last Friday. A group of touristsis reported to have fled the area.

Continued Volcanic Rumblings from Pagan in the Mariana Islands - Although most of the activity from North Pagan is fairly minor, in 1981 an eruption produced explosions and lava flows. This means that keeping an eye on the current activity on Pagan is well worth the time.

Semeru volcano (East Java, Indonesia) - alert level raised to 3.

Tungurahua volcano (Ecuador) - new eruption on 4 February. The eruption lasted about 5 minutes and produced a plume rising to about 7-8 km altitude and drifting NE and later SE. Ash fall occurred in Baños, Juive, Runtún, Pillate, San Juan and Cotaló. More ash eruptions occurred over the following day.

Earthquakes Continue in Southwest Iceland - Such tremors are very common off Reykjanes and some of them may lead to volcanic eruptions. However, there are no indications that an eruption will follow the most recent series of earthquakes.
Why Iceland Volcano's 2010 Eruption Caused So Much Trouble - Jagged flecks of ash spewed into the air may have boosted the effects of the 2010 eruption of Iceland's Eyjafjallajökull volcano, which paralyzed flights across Europe.

TROPICAL STORMS -
In the Indian Ocean -
Tropical cyclone 10p (Jasmine) was located approximately 245 north-east of Noumea, New Caledonia.
[Not sure why Cyclone Cyril was not reported.]

A storm warning for Tonga has been lifted with Cyclone Cyril moving away from the country. Tropical Cyclone Cyril formed within 24 hours of Jasmine.

Powerful Tropical Cyclone Jasmine was spinning menacingly near New Caledonia.

UNUSUAL February tropical system douses south Florida, Key West - A disturbance with some tropical characteristics formed in the northern Caribbean over the weekend and is bringing heavy rains and gusty winds to south Florida and the Florida Keys. Key West had its WETTEST FEBRUARY DAY ON RECORD Sunday, receiving 4.34”. That is more than three times its monthly average. In Miami Lakes 0.95” of rain fell in just 90 minutes Monday morning (between 7-8:30 a.m.)
On Sunday, the National Hurricane Center gave the disturbance a 30 percent chance of becoming a sub-tropical depression or sub-tropical storm. However, as of Monday morning, the storm shows “no signs of an organized surface circulation” and they give the system close to no chance of becoming a named storm.
The system was expected move away from the region Tuesday, but produce some heavy showers over the northern and central Bahamas. It’s VERY RARE for tropical disturbances to form during the month of February, but not unprecedented. On February 2, 1952, a tropical storm made landfall in southwest Florida. Known as the Groundhog Day tropical storm, it is the only recorded tropical or subtropical storm to strike the U.S. that month.

Cyclone floods hit Malawi - Thousands of villagers have been forced to flee their homes after cyclone rains lashed a remote region of Malawi. Aid is being flown into Nsanje District, on the border with Mozambique after roads were cut-off during the deluge.

SEVERE RAIN STORMS, FLOODING, LANDSLIDES -

The United Kingdom may be in the middle of a big freeze but the biggest long-term weather threat facing millions of homeowners is flooding. As more extreme weather is on the horizon, 5.2 million homes face a serious flood risk.

HEAVY SNOW / EXTREME COLD -

Greece and Bulgaria battle flooding as Europe struggles with extreme weather - Europeans across the continent have been battling more than a week of extreme weather, with thousands still trapped by snow in remote, mountain villages in the Balkans; hundreds - most of them homeless - dead after temperatures hit as low as minus 33.