Another Strong Quake Strikes NE Coast of Honshu, Japan

M6.0 quake occurs E of Iwate, Japan

Centered at 39.846°N, 143.456°E the quake occurred about 130km E of Miyako (568km NE of Tokyo, Japan) at a depth of 10.0km, said USGS/EHP.

At least three significant foreshocks, measuring 4.8Mw, 4.9Mw and 4.7Mw, preceded the event.

EQ Details
Magnitude: 6.0Mw
Location: 39.846°N 143.456°E Depth=10.0 km
Event Time: 2015-02-21 at 10:13:54 UTC
Tsunami Evaluation: NO tsunami threat.

Other Significant Quakes in Japan Region Today
M5.3 about 50km SSE of Shizunai, Japan
Location: 41.939°N, 142.664°E
Depth: 57.2 km
Time: 2015-02-20 at 19:28:27 UTC

FIRE-EARTH Earthquake Forecasts for California and Japan

FIRE-EARTH Science Team has suspended its research on California seismicity to protest Internet censorship, Google’s manipulation of information, theft of FIRE-EARTH intellectual property and other reasons, as stated earlier on the blog.

The Team has suspended its research also on Japan seismicity due to the resurgence of militarism in that country and other reasons that have been stated previously.

Related Links

• Strong Earthquake Strikes East of Iwate, Japan February 20, 2015
• Powerful Earthquake Strikes East Coast of Japan February 17, 2015
• Strong Earthquake Strikes near Kuji, Japan February 17, 2015

 

January 2015 Second Warmest on Record

For the Record:

Arctic sea ice extent for January 6.3 percent below 1981–2010 average

The globally averaged temperature over land and ocean surfaces last month was 0.77°C (1.39°F) above the 20^th century average, the second highest for January since record keeping began in 1880, said the National Climatic Data Center (NCDC).

[The warmest January on record was in 2007, at 1.55°F (0.86°C) above average.]

Other Global Highlights:

• The globally-averaged land surface temperature was 2.57°F (1.43°C) above the 20^th century average, making it also the second highest on record for January. The warmest January was in 2007, at 3.31°F (1.84°C) above average, while sea surface temperature (SST) was 0.95°F (0.53°C) above average— the third highest for January.

• The average Arctic sea ice extent for January was just over 906,000km² (350,000 square miles) or 6.3 percent below the 1981–2010 average, making it the third smallest January extent since records began in 1979.

• Antarctic sea ice during January was 2,300,000km² (890,000 square miles), or 44.6 percent above the 1981–2010 average, making it the largest January extent on record, surpassing the previous record set in 2008 by 570,000km² (220,000 square miles) or 33 percent.

Selected Significant Climate Anomalies and Events – January 2015

NOAA National Climatic Data Center, State of the Climate: Global Analysis for January 2015, published online February 2015, retrieved on February 21, 2015 from http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/sotc/global/2015/1.

“Siberian Express” Plunges Eastern U.S. into a Deep Freeze

Deadly cold returns to eastern half of US

An arctic blast dubbed the “Siberian Express” has plunged the eastern half of the United States, as far south as Florida, into a deep freeze.

Multiple record lows were broken this week, with the Midwest temperatures plunging  to -40ºC (-40ºF), and -45ºC in northern Ontario, Canada

States of emergency declared earlier this week remained in effect across Tennessee, Kentucky and Virginia, as the deep freeze claimed dozens of lives across the southern and eastern U.S. and Canada, including at least 18 fatalities in Tennessee and six others in Kentucky and North Carolina, according to media reports.

The latest surge of Arctic air could bring some of the coldest weather since the mid-1990s to portions of the Southeast, Mid-Atlantic states, and central Appalachians on Friday, said NWS.

Arctic air entrenched over the eastern half of the Nation will set the stage for a widespread ice and snow event from the Plains into the Northeast this weekend. Moisture return from the Gulf of Mexico will lead to heavy precipitation ahead of a surging warm front. The very cold air already in place will lead to a wide axis of snow, sleet and freezing rain Saturday and Sunday.

U.S. Weather HazMap. Source: NWS

Multiple severe weather Warnings, Advisories, and Watches have been issued for nearly every state.

Snow blankets the Middle East

Meantime, a rare cold front moving across the middle east, left parts of Israel, Jordan, Lebanon and Syria covered with up to 20cm (8 inches) of snow.