Notice of Resolution: Withdrawal of SEM Support 9-30-2015

• CJ Members

Notice of withdrawal of SEM Support for multiple regions

FIRE-EARTH Science Team has resolved to withdraw SEM Support, as of today, for the following regions:

• 4989
• 5911
• 5299
• 2945
• 7327
• 7733
• 3895
• 7755
• 8178

 

 

 

135 Civilians Killed in Saudi Airstrike on Yemen Wedding

Saudi airstrikes continue to target civilians

The UN has condemned airstrikes that reportedly targeted a wedding party in Wahijah village, outside of the Red Sea port city of Mokha in Yemen, killing as many as 135 people, most of whom were women and children. Number of the wounded is not yet known.

Riyadh has denied responsibility for the deadly attacks.

The airstrike followed attacks by Saudi-led coalition helicopters that reportedly killed more than 30 people—primarily civilians—in a northern Yemeni village a day earlier.

The death toll from Saudi airstrikes and fighting on the ground has reached more than 5,000 people, including about 2,360 civilians,  since March 26, when Houthi fighters and allied army units forced Yemen’s “corrupt” president to flee the country.

About 21 million people, or 80% of the population, require some form of humanitarian assistance and at least 1.5 million people are internally displaced, according to the UN Refugee Agency.

9 in 10 deaths and injuries from explosive weapons in Yemen are civilian: UNOCHA

About 86 percent of the people killed or injured by explosive weapons are civilians, according to a report: “State of crisis: explosive weapons in Yemen,” issued this week by OCHA and NGO Action on Armed Violence (AOAV).

This number rises to 95 per cent when explosive weapons are used in populated areas.

Majority of Americans Believe Congress is Corrupt

The American majority apathetic, or altered?

75% of Americans see widespread government corruption, and majority believes that most members of Congress are corrupt, according to Gallup.

Most Americans believe that most members of Congress are corrupt, says a report.

” Majorities believe that most members of Congress are ‘out of touch with average Americans’ (79%), ‘focused on the needs of special interests’ rather than the needs of their constituents (69%) and corrupt (52%).”

75% in U.S. See Widespread Government Corruption—Gallup

Three in four Americans (75%) say corruption is widespread in the U.S. government. This figure is up from two in three in 2007 (67%) and 2009 (66%), said Gallup.

The numbers have fluctuated marginally since 2007; however,  the trend has remained unchanged since 2010. However, the percentage of U.S. adults who see corruption as pervasive has always been more than a majority in the past decade, fueled by various controversies including the U.S. Justice Department’s firings of U.S. attorneys and the IRS scandal, says Gallup.

U.S. government corruption is ranked at number 13 on a list of most corrupt countries that allegedly have “free press,”according to the report.

The top 12 countries with most corrupt governments that precede U.S.  are Lithuania (90%), Portugal, Ghana, Spain, Czech Republic, Slovenia, Jamaica, Costa Rica, Poland, Taiwan, Cypress and Mauritius (75%).

Sweden has he least corrupt governmnet (14%), according to Gallup analysis.

Read more…

Staggering Suicides Rates in Nunavut, Homelessness Emergency in City of ‘Angels’

Nunavut suicide rate 10 times that of Canada’s national average

The suicide rate in Nunavut, newest, and least populous territory of Canada, is 10 times that of the national average. In the case of Inuit boys 15 to 19, the suicide rate is 40 times higher than those of their peers in the rest of Canada, said a report.

“Since the territory was created in 1999, some 479 Inuit have killed themselves. The collateral damage that suicide inflicts means every one of the territory’s 36,000 residents has been devastated by the trauma.”

Nunavut’s chief coroner has pleaded for help from the territory’s minister of health and senior bureaucrats, asking them to declare a state of emergency, said the report.

“We have reached a breaking point and our community is under crisis,” Suramala wrote in an  email, addressed to the officials. “I leave it in your best hands to make the decision of calling [a] state of emergency.”

However, her pleas for help were ignored. Read more…

Los Angeles declares a State of Emergency as 60,000 homeless miss their dreams

The largest concentration of homeless people in the country are located just six blocks away from City Hall, Councilman Jose Huizar, who co-chairs the City Council’s homelessness and poverty committee told reporters.

“There are about 4,000 of them living in skid row,” he said. “Unfortunately, that is just a small percentage of the city’s homeless population.”

“[About] 85 percent of the city’s homeless population lives outside of Skid Row, throughout the city.” Councilman Mike Bonin told LATimes. “It’s time to get real, because this is literally a matter of life and death.”

“Many people here have compromised immune systems in these unsanitary conditions, and it can be deadly,” said the Rev. Andy Bales, an advocate for the homeless on Los Angeles’ skid row, where they often are the victims of violence, patient dumping and illness. [LATimes]

[Note: L.A. County puts the number of homeless in the city of Los Angeles at about 26,000, an increase of 12% in two years, though the actual figure is widely believed to be about 60,000.]

• In the U.S., more than 3.5 million people experience homelessness each year. 35% of the homeless population are families with children, which is the fastest growing segment of the homeless population. 23% are U.S. military veterans.

• On a single night in January 2013, there were 610,042 people experiencing
  homelessness in the United States, including 394,698 people who were homeless in
  sheltered locations and 215,344 people who were living in unsheltered locations

• On a single night in January 2014, 578,424 people were experiencing homelessness — meaning they were sleeping outside or in an emergency shelter or transitional housing program.

• Nearly one-quarter of all homeless people were children under the age of 18 (23 percent or 135,701). Ten percent (or 58,601) were between the ages of 18 and 24, and 66 percent
  (or 384,122) were 25 years or older.

• There were 216,261 homeless people in families on a single night in January 2014, accounting for 37 percent of all homeless people.

• There were 45,205 unaccompanied homeless children and youth on a single night in 2014. Most (86 percent or 38,931) were youth between the ages of 18 and 24, and 14 percent (or 6,274) were children under the age of 18.

• In January 2014, 84,291 individuals and 15,143 people in families were chronically homeless.  https://www.hudexchange.info/resources/documents/2014-AHAR-Part1.pdf

Taiwan Typhoon Disaster Warning

UPDATED  @ 13:30UTC

21W continues strengthening – almost a Super Typhoon

Typhoon 21W (DUJUAN) threatens Taiwan region with major disasters  –

 –    FIRE-EARTH Models forecast with high probability large scale devastation caused by destructive winds, high waves, torrential rain, flash flooding, mudflows and landslides for the region.

At 13:30UTC – Sunday,  September 27, 2015

• Position: Near 22.8N, 125.7E
• Max Wind Speed: ~ 245 km/hr
• Max Wind Gusts: ~ 295 km/hr
• Forward Speed and Direction: 14 km/hr – WNW
• Max Significant Wave Height: ~ 15 meters
  • [Source: Various]

Image Source: Taiwan Central Weather Bureau

Latest Images

• http://www.cwb.gov.tw/V7e/observe/satellite/Sat_EA.htm

Predicted Path

• http://www.cwb.gov.tw/V7e/prevent/typhoon/ty.htm?

Related Links

• Satellite Imagery
• FEWW New Hurricane Scale
• Typhoon DUJUAN Headed Toward N Taiwan September 26, 2015
• Typhoon 21W Intensifies September 27, 2015

Massive Sinkhole Swallows Vehicles on Queensland Beach

Campers flee as sinkhole swallows large section of beach in Qld, Australia

A giant sinkhole has swallowed several vehicles, including a camping trailer on a popular Qeensland beach in Australia, forcing more than 140 campers to flee.

The sinkhole, measuring about 150 meters long, 100 meters wide and at least three meters deep, appeared at MV Beagle Campground, north of Queensland’s Rainbow Beach, said reports.

September 30, 2015

VIDEO REMOVED BY A MODERATOR TO PREVENT VIEWERS BEING TRACKED –

Typhoon 21W Intensifies

DUJUAN (TY 21W) now packing sustained winds of more than 240 km/hr

At 06:30UTC – Sunday,  September 27, 2015

• Position: Near 22.5N, 126.6E
• Max Wind Speed: ~240 km/hr
• Max Wind Gusts: 295 km/hr
• Forward Speed and Direction: 12 km/hr – 280 degrees
• Max Significant Wave Height: ~ 15 meters
  • [Source: Various]

Image Source: Taiwan Central Weather Bureau

Latest Images

• http://www.cwb.gov.tw/V7e/observe/satellite/Sat_EA.htm

Predicted Path

• http://www.cwb.gov.tw/V7e/prevent/typhoon/ty.htm?

Related Links

• Satellite Imagery
• FEWW New Hurricane Scale
• Typhoon DUJUAN Headed Toward N TaiwanSeptember 26, 2015

Typhoon DUJUAN Headed Toward N Taiwan

DUJUAN(TY 21W) packing sustained winds of about 180 km/hr

At 17:00UTC – Saturday,  September 26, 2015

• Position: Near 22.1N, 128.7E
• Max Wind Speed: ~180 km/hr
• Max Wind Gusts: 230km/hr
• Forward Speed and Direction: 20 km/hr – 300 degrees
• Max Significant Wave Height: ~ 10 meters

Image Source: Taiwan Central Weather Bureau

Latest Images

• http://www.cwb.gov.tw/V7e/observe/satellite/Sat_EA.htm

Typhoon KROSA – October 31, 2013

Typhoon KROSA IR/WV Diff satellite image (FIRE-EARTH Enhancement) recorded at 04:30UTC on October 31, 2013. Source: CIMSS/SSEC/WISC.

Related Links

• Satellite Imagery
• FEWW New Hurricane Scale

Death Toll Mounts in Saudi Carnage

Sent by a reader

Saudi officials most probably manipulated crowd flow to trigger deadly stampede

The death toll in the deadly Hajj stampede in Mina, Saudi Arabia, has climbed to 769, Saudi Health Minister Khalid al-Falid said earlier today. 

“The latest statistics … reveal 769 dead. That is an increase of 52 on the previous figures,” he told reporters. “Those are the ones who died in various hospitals since the event.”

At least 934 others were injured, according to the Saudi media.

The grand mufti of Saudi Arabia, its most senior cleric, has said the stampede on Thursday was beyond human control.

That’s of course hogwash, as any self-respecting crowd-movement analyst would confirm. Crowd dynamics is a mature science. In the same way that crowd behaviors can be modeled and their movements controlled to ensure public safety, the rate of flow and other mob behaviors could easily be manipulated to intentionally trigger a deadly stampede, like the latest carnage in Mina.

Crowd modelling has grown into a highly effective analytical tool. Models predict with high degrees of accuracy what happens in a given space when the rate of crowd flow is altered, or if the swarms are faced with sudden surges, obstacles and bottlenecks in the flow direction.

The carnage that occurred in Saudi Arabia on Thursday was most certainly NOT “beyond human control,” as the mufti suggests; instead, it was most probably caused intentionally by those who were controlling the crowd movements.

Crowd Modelling & Analysis has posted the following information on their website:

To fully understand and care for the well being of crowds, it’s not enough to study the history books or second guess human nature. You have to be able to model, simulate and predict crowd movement, with all the pressures, risks, delays actions and reactions that large groups of people can generate.
[http://www.crowddynamics.com/crowd-modelling-simulation.php]

Related Links

• Up to 800 Killed, Many More Injured in Saudi Stampede September 24, 2015
• Deadly Crane Crash Strikes Worshipers in Grand Mosque, Mecca  September 12, 2015

Crop Disasters Declared across CONUS, Puerto Rico

Extreme Weather Events destroy crops in 235 areas across 11 states, Puerto Rico

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has designated a total of 48 counties and parishes in Texas and Louisiana as crop disaster areas due to damages and losses caused by a recent drought. Those counties are:

Drought Crop Disaster Areas – Disaster Designations #1

• Texas. Angelina, Bastrop, Bell, Bexar, Bosque, Brazos, Burleson, Burnet, Caldwell, Cherokee, Comal, Coryell, Falls, Fayette, Gonzales, Gregg, Guadalupe, Harrison, Hays, Hill, Houston, Jasper, Lee, Limestone, Marion, McLennan, Milam, Nacogdoches, Panola, Polk, Robertson, Rusk, Sabine, San Augustine, San Jacinto, Shelby, Smith, Travis, Trinity, Tyler, Upshur, Walker, Washington, Williamson and Wilson counties.
• Louisiana. Caddo, De Soto and Sabine parishes.

Drought Crop Disaster Areas – Disaster Designations #2

USDA has designated 8 additional municipalities in Puerto Rico as crop disaster areas due to damages and losses caused by a recent drought. Those municipalities are:

• Puerto Rico. Aibonito, Barranquitas, Cidra, Coamo, Comerio, Corozal, Naranjito and Orocovis municipalities.

Drought Crop Disaster Areas – Disaster Designations #3

USDA has designated a total of 12 counties in the states of Oregon and Washington as crop disaster areas due to damages and losses caused by a recent drought. Those counties are:

• Oregon. Clackamas, Clatsop, Columbia, Marion, Multnomah, Polk, Tillamook Washington and Yamhill counties.
• Washington. Clark, Cowlitz and Wahkiakum counties.

Drought Crop Disaster Areas – Disaster Designations #4

USDA has designated a total of 13 counties in the Carolinas as crop disaster areas due to damages and losses caused by a recent drought. Those counties are:

• North Carolina. Buncombe, Burke, Cleveland, Gaston, Henderson, Lincoln, McDowell, Mecklenburg, Polk and Rutherford counties.
• South Carolina. Cherokee, Spartanburg and York counties.

Drought Crop Disaster Areas – Disaster Designations #5

USDA has designated a total of 23 counties in three states—Mississippi, Louisiana and Arkansas— as crop disaster areas due to damages and losses caused by a recent drought. Those counties are:

• Mississippi. Attala, Claiborne, Copiah, Hinds, Holmes, Humphreys, Issaquena, Leake, Leflore, Madison, Rankin, Scott, Sharkey, Simpson, Smith, Sunflower, Warren, Washington and Yazoo counties in Mississippi as primary disaster areas due to damages and losses caused by a recent drought.
• Arkansas. Chicot County.
• Louisiana. East Carroll, Madison and Tensas parishes.

Drought Crop Disaster Areas – Disaster Designations #6

USDA has designated a total of 6 parishes in Louisiana as crop disaster areas due to damages and losses caused by a recent drought. Those parishes are:

• Louisiana. Bienville, Bossier, Caddo, De Soto, Natchitoches and Red River parishes.

U.S. Drought Monitor – Weekly Comparison: CONUS

Week	None	D0-D4	D1-D4	D2-D4	D3-D4	D4
2015-09-22	45.19	54.81	31.47	19.79	11.35	3.00
2015-09-15	48.45	51.55	31.53	19.58	11.17	3.00

 

Crop Disaster Areas – Disaster Designations #7

USDA has designated a total of 89 counties and parishes in Mississippi, Alabama,  Arkansas, Louisiana, and Tennessee as crop disaster areas due to damages and losses caused by excessive rainfall, flash flooding and prolonged flooding that occurred from April 1, 2015, through July 6, 2015. Those counties are:

• Mississippi. Adams, Alcorn, Amite, Attala, Benton, Bolivar, Calhoun, Carroll, Chickasaw, Choctaw, Claiborne, Clay, Coahoma, Copiah, DeSoto, Franklin, George, Greene, Grenada, Harrison, Hinds, Holmes, Humphreys, Issaquena, Itawamba, Jackson, Jefferson, Kemper, Lafayette, Lawrence, Leake, Lee, Leflore, Lincoln, Lowndes, Madison, Marion, Marshall, Monroe, Montgomery, Neshoba, Noxubee, Oktibbeha, Panola, Perry, Pike, Pontotoc, Prentiss, Quitman, Sharkey, Stone,
  Sunflower, Tallahatchie, Tate, Tippah, Tishomingo, Tunica,
  Union, Walthall, Warren, Washington, Webster, Wilkinson,
  Winston, Yalobusha and Yazoo counties.
• Alabama. Colbert, Franklin, Lamar, Lauderdale, Marion, Mobile, Pickens and Sumter counties.
• Arkansas. Chicot, Desha and Phillips counties.
• Louisiana. Concordia, East Carroll, East Feliciana, Madison, Tensas, Washington and West Feliciana parishes.
• Tennessee. Fayette, Hardeman, Hardin, McNairy and Shelby counties.

Crop Disaster Designations # 8

USDA has designated a total of 36 counties in Oklahoma, Arkansas and Texas as crop disaster areas due to damages and losses caused by heavy rainfall, flooding, high winds and tornadoes that occurred from May 1, 2015, through June 30, 2015. Those counties are:

• Oklahoma. Adair, Atoka, Bryan, Carter, Cherokee, Choctaw, Garvin, Haskell, Jefferson, Johnston, Latimer, Le Flore, Love, Marshall, McCurtain, McIntosh, Murray, Muskogee, Okmulgee, Pushmataha, Sequoyah, Stephens and Wagoner counties.
• Arkansas. Crawford, Little River, Polk, Scott, Sebastian and Sevier counties.
• Texas. Bowie, Cooke, Fannin, Grayson, Lamar, Montague and Red River counties.

Crop Disasters 2015

Beginning January 7, 2015 USDA has declared crop disasters in at least 2,809 counties and county equivalents across 42 States [as well as Puerto Rico, and US Virgin Islands]: Arizona, Alabama, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, Washington, Wyoming.

• All of the counties listed above were designated crop disaster areas by USDA on September 23, 2015.
• About 99 percent of the 2015 crop disaster designations are due to drought so far this year.

Crop Disasters 2014

In 2014, USDA declared crop disasters in at least 2,904 counties across 44 states. Most of the designations were due to drought.

Those states were:

Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan. Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin, and Wyoming. [FIRE-EARTH has documented all of the above listings. See blog content.]

Notes:
i. USDA trigger point for a countywide disaster declaration is 30 percent crop loss on at least one crop.

ii. The counties designated as agricultural disaster areas, as listed above, include both primary and contiguous disaster areas.

iii. Some counties may have been designated as crop disaster areas more than once due to multiple disasters.

iv. The U.S. has a total of 3,143 counties and county-equivalents.

Related Links

• Crop Disasters Declared in Multiple Counties across Central U.S. September 17, 2015
• Crop Disasters Declared in 191 Counties across 10 U.S. States September 10, 2015
• Drought and Deluge, Hail and Heavy Rain Destroy Crops in U.S. September 4, 2015
• Multiple Crop Disasters Declared in 9 States, USVI August 27, 2015
• Drought
• Agricultural Disasters Index

 

Strong Quake Strikes N of Sorong, Indonesia

M6.6 earthquake strikes eastern Indonesian province of West Papua

Centered at 0.629°S, 131.255°E, the quake occurred at a depth of 24.1km, reported USGS/EHP.

EQ Detauils
Magnitude: 6.6
Location: 0.629°S 131.255°E (28km N of Sorong, West Papua, Indonesia)
Depth: 24.1 km
Time: 2015-09-24 15:53:28 UTC

Recent Significant Quakes

• M6.0, 98km SE of Honiara, Solomon Islands 2015-09-24 15:56:57 UTC depth= 23.4km
• M5.5, 198km W of Port Hardy, Canada 2015-09-24 13:48:58 UTC depth= 10.0km

Up to 800 Killed, Many More Injured in Saudi Stampede

Sent by a reader – Strong language edited by blog Moderators

Saudi Govt INCAPABLE of Protecting Citizens, Guests

Second Right Royal F**k Up in Less Than Two Weeks

At least 717 people have been killed and nearly 900 others injured in yet another deadly stampede, while participating in the “Stoning of Satan,” Hajj’s last major rite in Mina, near the Islamic holy city of Mecca, said Saudi Arabia’s  civil defense directorate.

The stampede occurred at the junction of Street 204 and Street 223 in Mina at about 09:00 (06:00 UTC), the officials said.

The head of the central Hajj committee, Prince Khaled al-Faisal, has blamed the stampede on “some pilgrims with African nationalities,” reported Saudi-owned al-Arabiya TV.

However, one of the foreign Hajj organizers told a news agency that two of the routes to the Jamarat pillars had been inexplicably closed off by the Saudi authorities, resulting in the build-up in pilgrims, which lead to the deadly stampede, said a report.

The disaster follows another deadly incident less than two weeks ago when a crane collapsed at Mecca’s Grand Mosque killing at least 109 people and injuring hundreds of others.

On September 12, 2015 Fire-Earth said

Explosions, Stampedes, Protests, Disease Epidemics and Failures of Crowd Control

In recent years, thousands of pilgrims have been killed and many more injured in dozens of evitable incidents during the Hajj, the annual Muslim pilgrimage to the city of Mecca, when about 3 million people visit the city.

The most recent incidents include

• Deadly stampedes in 1990, 1994, 1998, 2001, 2003, 2004 and 2006.
• Explosions and fires in 1975, 1997, and 2007.
• Protest and Violence in 1987 1nd 1989.
• Spread of epidemics (dates and casualty toll unknown/ undisclosed)
• Collapsing Infrastructure and Road Deaths.

The Saudi authorities have proven time and time again that they are too incompetent to prevent otherwise avoidable disasters that have led to so many thousands of deaths and injuries.

However, we cannot rule out that some of the bloody incidents may have been intentional.

Related Links

• Deadly Crane Crash Strikes Worshipers in Grand Mosque, Mecca  September 12, 2015

New Corn Disease Detected in the Midwest

Tar spot, a corn disease new to the U.S., reported in Indiana, Illinois

“Tar Spot,” a new disease affecting corn crops, has been confirmed in DeKalb, LaSalle and Bureau counties in Illinois, agriculture officials said.

The disease, not previously reported in the United States, was also identified in Indiana about two weeks ago after samples submitted from an Indiana field in the Cass/Carroll county area were diagnosed at the Purdue Plant and Pest Diagnostic Lab (PPDL) confirming the presence of Phyllachora maydis fungus, said a report.

“There are actually two fungi that cause tar spot disease on corn: Phyllachora maydis and Monographella maydis,” said University of Illinois Plant Clinic director Suzanne Bissonnette. “While Monographella maydis is known to be able to cause economic yield losses in Latin America, Phyllachora maydis is not known to significantly reduce yield. Other pathogens may be confused with tar spot, especially the overwintering teliospore or black phase of corn rust. Also, there are many fungi, called saprophytes that feed on dead corn tissue and form black splotches on the leaves.”

So far, only Phyllachora maydis, has been detected in Indiana and Illinois.

To date, cases of tar spot have been detected in at least four locations in Indiana and three in Illinois, The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has confirmed.

Symptoms and signs of tar spot include brown lesions and black fungal structures. Lesions can cause large blighted areas of tissue. Source: Pest & Crop Newsletter/ Purdue Cooperative Extension Service/ Purdue University.

The disease was previously found in cool humid areas at high elevations in Latin America including Mexico, Central and South America.

“It looks like it came up out of that area,” said Bill Dolezal, a research fellow for seed company DuPont Pioneer, according to a report.

“Tropical Storm Bill, which brought rain to the central United States in June after spinning through the Gulf of Mexico, may have transported the disease,” Dolezal believes.

In 2004, an active hurricane season is thought to have brought a soybean disease called Asian soybean rust into the United States from South America for the first time.

Recently, farm animals have suffered more than crops from new diseases entering the country from abroad. This year, the United States suffered its worst animal-disease emergency ever in poultry from a strain of bird flu that originated in Asia.

In 2013, a pig virus never before seen in the United States was found. Previously seen in Europe and Asia, it has since killed millions of baby piglets. It’s still unclear exactly how the virus arrived. [See report]

Related Links

• Nature Upgrading Her Forces into Quasi-exotic Weapons? Posted on October 29, 2012

Expect ‘Methane Explosions’ in Siberia, Researchers Warn

Methane eruptions continue to puncture permafrost in Siberia

Dozens of punctures, caused by methane eruptions/explosions, continue to rip through the permafrost in Yamal Peninsula, northern Siberia, and other parts of Far North (Russia), according to a report.

Researches have prepared a 3D-model of the first large hole, named B-1, that appeared on Yamal, which rapidly became a lake. Picture: Vladimir Olenchenko/Trofimuk Institute of Petroleum Geology and Geophysics/ via http://siberiantimes.com.

The first hole, measuring about 80 meters wide and 100 meters deep, was discovered last year in Yamal, means the “end of the world,” located in the far north of Siberia, said a report.

Dozens of craters, small and large, have appeared in Far North (Russia), including the Taymyr Peninsula.

Researchers warn more explosions will occur leaving behind ever larger craters as warmer temperatures melt permafrost releasing explosive methane gas.

The methane concentration at the bottom of the craters is reportedly many orders of magnitude higher than average atmospheric content of the gas.

More images, videos and details posted at

http://siberiantimes.com/science/casestudy/news/n0415-danger-of-methane-explosions-on-yamal-peninsula-scientists-warn/

Major Disaster Declared in California Wildfire

Federal Disaster Declared in Lake County after Valley Fire Destroys about 2,000 Structures

California Valley Fire (DR-4240) Incident period: September 12, 2015 Major Disaster Declaration declared on September 22, 2015

The White House has declared a major disaster exists in Lake County, California after the so-called Valley Fire wildfire destroyed nearly 2,000 structures, mostly homes, killing at least three civilians and injuring four fire crews.

• County: Lake, Napa and Sonoma Counties
• Acres Burned – Containment: 76,067 acres – 79% contained
• Structures Still Threatened: 3,043 residential
• Total Fire Personnel: 3,303

California Gov had already issued two States of Emergency proclamations this month for four counties, one  for Lake and Napa counties due to the effects of the Valley Fire, and the other  for Amador and Calaveras counties due to the devastation caused by Butte Fire wildfire.

Brown had also proclaimed a state of emergency in northern California last month due to the wildfires.

Butte Fire

Meanwhile another deadly fire called Butte Fire has destroyed about 600 homes and businesses as well as hundreds of outbuildings, killing at least 2 civilians.

• County: Amador & Calaveras Counties
• Acres Burned – Containment: 70,868 acres – 82% contained
• Structures Still Threatened: 6,400
• Total Fire Personnel: 2,630

Tassajara Fire

A smaller wildfire called  Tassajara Fire has burned 1,086 acres – 75% contained  – since Saturday, killing one civilian and destroying  12 residences  and 8 outbuildings, with 1 residence damaged.

• Total Fire Personnel: 779
• Evacuations: An Evacuation Order still remains in effect within the fire perimeter.

Related Links

• State of Emergency Declared for California Counties 2ND in Two days September 14, 2015
• Raging Wildfires Destroy Communities in California September 13, 2015
• State of Emergency Declared in California Counties due to Wildfire September 13, 2015
• State of Emergency Declared in California due to Raging Wildfires August 1, 2015

FIRE-EARTH Extra: WCC – EM

CJ Members

Special Broadcast: Worst Case Condition and EM

• EXTRA session today (September 22) at 23:32 UTC

Selected Corporations of the Week

Corporations in the news

In reverse alphabetical order (Z-A):

• Volkswagen
• TEPCO
• Peanut Corporation of America
• Microsoft
• DHL
• Apple
• Amazon
• Alphabet (Google)

Powerful Aftershock Rattles Chilean Coast

M6.6 aftershock strikes WSW of Illapel, Chile

Centered at 31.747°S, 71.629°W the aftershock occurred at a depth of 34.3km, reported USGS/EHP.

The quake didn’t generate a destructive tsunami.

List of recent Chilean events measuring ≥6.0

M6.6, 45km WSW of Illapel, Chile 2015-09-21 17:40:00 UTC 34.3 km

M6.3, 52km W of Illapel, Chile 2015-09-21 05:39:33 UTC 22.8 km
M6.2, 82km W of La Ligua, Chile 2015-09-19 12:52:19 UTC 10.6 km
M6.1, 69km SW of Ovalle, Chile 2015-09-19 09:07:08 UTC 23.2 km
M6.3, 90km NW of Valparaiso, Chile 2015-09-18 09:10:44 UTC 8.7 km
M6.7, 53km W of Illapel, Chile 2015-09-17 04:10:30 UTC 30.1 km
M6.5, 54km S of Ovalle, Chile 2015-09-17 03:55:06 UTC 35.0 km
M6.4, 64km NW of Illapel, Chile 2015-09-17 01:41:09 UTC 35.0 km
M7.0, 25km W of Illapel, Chile 2015-09-16 23:18:42 UTC 30.9 km
M6.2, 70km W of Illapel, Chile 2015-09-16 23:16:05 UTC 10.0 km
M6.1, 44km WSW of Illapel, Chile 2015-09-16 23:03:56 UTC 10.0 km
M6.4, 58km W of Illapel, Chile 2015-09-16 22:59:13 UTC 22.0 km
M8.3, 46km W of Illapel, Chile 2015-09-16 22:54:33 UTC 25.0km

Chile Quake Update – 21 September 2015

M8.3 quake leaves 9,000+ Chileans homeless

More than 9,000 people were left homeless after a large earthquake and several powerful aftershocks hit offshore central Chile last week, officials said.

Previously, the official had put the number of people left homeless after the quake at around 3,500. The substantial increase came after officials assessed the damage near the epicenter in the Coquimbo region, about than 260 kilometers north of the capital, Santiago.

The 8.3 magnitude quake struck on September 16, killing at least 13 people, with four others still missing, said a senior official.

The total cost of damage and the number of injuries from the quake have not yet been released.

Latest Significant Aftershocks

Centered at 31.585°S, 71.712°W the strong aftershock, measuring 6.3Mw, occurred at a depth of about 22.8km, reported USGS/EHP.

The aftershock was timed at 05:39:33UTC on 2015-09-21.

1.47 Million Children Forced to Flee Conflict in Nigeria, Region

Child refugee crisis in Nigeria, neighboring countries

Deadly attacks by the armed group Boko Haram has uprooted 500,000 children since March 2015, bringing the total number of children on the run in northeast Nigeria and neighboring countries to about 1.47 million, reported UNICEF.

Nearly 1.2 million children—over half of them under 5 years old—have been uprooted in northern Nigeria, while an additional 265,000 children have been forced to flee their homes in Cameroon, Chad and Niger, said the report.

• More than 124,000 children affected by the conflict have NOT been immunized against measles.
• At least 83,000 still lack access to safe water
• Over 208,000 are out of school.

Scale of Human Catastrophe in Yemen ‘Almost Incomprehensible’

Saudi airstrikes kill 5,000, displace 1.5 million, force 100,000 to flee Yemen since March: UNHCR

Latest Saudi air strikes killed at least 40 civilians and injured more than 150 others in Sanaa Friday, reported Yemen News Agency.

At least 38 more civilians were killed by the airstrikes in the northern province of Saada, which left dozens of others wounded, officials were reported as saying.

Meanwhile, the health crisis in Yemen is rapidly deepening with more health facilities running out of basic supplies and more hospitals and blood-transfusion centers ceasing to function, says UNHCR. The ongoing bombardment has severely affected agricultural and fishery sectors.

World community’s “virtual silence”

UN officials have criticized the world community for the “virtual silence” on the human catastrophe  caused by the Yemeni conflict from , warning that unless violence on the ground is stopped via political compromise more people will suffer.

Two senior UN officials, the Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide, and the Special Adviser on the Responsibility to Protect, have expressed strong concerns over “the ever increasing impact on civilians of the ongoing conflict in Yemen, and the virtual silence of the international community about the threat to populations.”

Casualty figures to September 14, 2015

• Killed: 4,855 (at least 132 more people have been killed since September 14)
• About 50 percent of the casualties are civilians
• Wounded: 24,971  (at least 202 more people have been wounded since September 14)
• No. of refugees who have fled Yemen: 100,000
• No. of IDPs: 1.4 million [1.5 million]
• Affected population: 21.1 million
• People targeted: 11.7 million
• Since the escalation of conflict in late March, an average of 30 people have been killed, 185 wounded and 9,000 others internally displaced or fled the country each day.

 

Significant Aftershocks Continue to Rattle Chile Coast

M6.2 aftershock latest to strike coastal Chile

Centered at 32.334°S, 72.091°W the aftershock occurred at a depth 10.6 km, reported USGS/EHP.

More than 100 aftershocks measuring ≥4.5Mw have occurred since an 8.3Mw earthquake struck coastal Chile on September 16.

Significant Aftershocks

M6.2, 82km W of La Ligua, Chile 2015-09-19 12:52:19 UTC 10.6 km
M6.1, 69km SW of Ovalle, Chile 2015-09-19 09:07:08 UTC 23.2 km
M6.3, 90km NW of Valparaiso, Chile 2015-09-18 09:10:44 UTC 8.7 km
M6.7, 53km W of Illapel, Chile 2015-09-17 04:10:30 UTC 30.1 km
M6.5, 54km S of Ovalle, Chile 2015-09-17 03:55:06 UTC 35.0 km
M6.4, 64km NW of Illapel, Chile 2015-09-17 01:41:09 UTC 35.0 km
M7.0, 25km W of Illapel, Chile 2015-09-16 23:18:42 UTC 30.9 km
M6.2, 70km W of Illapel, Chile 2015-09-16 23:16:05 UTC 10.0 km
M6.1, 44km WSW of Illapel, Chile 2015-09-16 23:03:56 UTC 10.0 km
M6.4, 58km W of Illapel, Chile 2015-09-16 22:59:13 UTC 22.0 km
M8.3, 46km W of Illapel, Chile 2015-09-16 22:54:33 UTC 25.0km

Hundreds of Bags Containing Fukushima Radioactive Waste Swept Away by Severe Floods

Floods submerge seven radioactive waste storage sites for Fukushima meltdowns

Seven storage sites holding radioactive waste from Fukushima triple meltdowns were submerged by torrential rain in eastern Japan on Sept. 11, according to local reports.

“The temporary storage sites, located in Kawamata, Naraha and other municipalities near the crippled Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant, store soil, grass and other radiation-tainted waste generated by decontamination work due to the 2011 triple meltdown,” said Asahi Shimbun.

Floodwater washed away 82 bags containing radioactive waste, said the Environment Ministry on Friday, local media reported.

Additionally, at least 341 waste bags containing radioactive substances from Fukushima nuclear decontamination work have been swept into local rivers, the Nikko Municipal Government has announced.

Seventeen of the bags, each with a capacity of 1 cubic meter, were recovered empty. The contaminated soil and weeds inside the bags had been lost, said Nikko city officials.

Last week, more than 400 bags containing radioactive waste were washed away from the village of Iitate, said local media. Some 171 bags were later retrieved.

The Fukushima No. 1 nuclear plant, contaminated rainwater from the drainage system that encircles the reactor buildings spilled into the ocean on Sept. 9 and Sept. 11, said.

“Due to typhoon no.18 (Etau), heavy rain caused Fukushima Daiichi K drainage rainwater to overflow to the sea, on September 9th and 11th,” said Tokyo Electric Power Co (TEPCO).

VolcanoWatch – September 19, 2015

Global Volcanism – Latest and Ongoing Activity

Latest Eruptions

• Cotopaxi, Ecuador
• Mt Aso, Kyushu, Japan
• Nevado del Ruiz,  Colombia

US Volcanoes

Cleveland Watch Orange 2015-09-18

• Low level unrest continues. No significant activity detected in seismic or infrasound (pressure sensor) data. Minor steaming observed in web camera images and slightly elevated surface temperatures detected in satellite data during periods of clear weather over the past week.  Alaska Volcano Observatory (AVO)

Kilauea Watch Orange 2015-09-18

• The lava lake at Kīlauea’s summit remains active. At the East Rift Zone, the lava flow northeast of Puʻu ʻŌʻō remains active within 8 km (5 mi) of the vent and does not currently pose a threat to communities. Normal levels of seismic and deformation activity continue across the volcano.
• Puʻu ʻŌʻō Observations: The multiple vents within Puʻu ʻŌʻō crater continued to outgas and glow at night. The sulfur dioxide emission rate from all East Rift Zone vents was about 400 metric tons per day when measurements were last possible on August 13, 2015. A magnitude 3.8 earthquake that occurred at about 8 km (5 mi) depth SSE of Puʻu ʻŌʻō yesterday afternoon was widely felt on the island. Hawaiian Volcano Observatory (HVO)

Shishaldin Watch Orange 2015-09-18

• Low-level activity within the summit crater of Shishaldin likely continues. Seismicity remains slightly above background levels but no activity observed in satellite data and web camera images during periods of clear weather over the past week. AVO
  

Mauna Loa Advisory Yellow 2015-09-17

• HVO seismic stations continue to record elevated rates of shallow, small-magnitude earthquakes beneath Mauna Loa’s summit, upper Southwest Rift Zone, and west flank.

Pagan Advisory Yellow 2015-09-18 [Northern Mariana Islands]

• Seismic, infrasound, and web camera data from Pagan Volcano remain temporarily unavailable. No activity observed in satellite images during periods of clear weather over the past week. Volcanic gas from Pagan may be noticed downwind of the volcano as a distinctive sulfurous odor.

Ongoing Activity

Kamchatka & Kurile Volcanoes (Russia)

• Karymsky: Eastern Kamchatka, Russia – Orange
  Moderate eruptive activity of the volcano continues. Ash explosions up to 19,700 ft (6 km) a.s.l. could occur at any time. Ongoing activity could affect low-flying aircraft.
  http://www.kscnet.ru/ivs/kvert/volc.php?lang=en&name=Karymsky
• Sheveluch: Central Kamchatka, Russia – Orange
  Explosive-extrusive eruption of the volcano continues. Ash explosions up to 32,800 ft (10 km) a.s.l. could occur at any time. Ongoing activity could affect international and low-flying aircraft. http://www.kscnet.ru/ivs/kvert/volc.php?lang=en&name=Sheveluch
• Bezymianny Yellow
• Klyuchevskoy Yellow

Other Volcanoes

• Batu Tara: Komba Island, Indonesia
• Mt Dempo: South Sumatra, Indonesia
• Dukono: Halmahera, Indonesia
• Karangetang: Siau Island, Indonesia
• Sinabung: North Sumatra, Indonesia

• Colima: Mexico

• Otake (Suwanosejima): Ryukyu Islands, Japan

Record High Global Temperature

Global temperature at record high in August, June–August, January–August

Each of global land temperature, SST also highest on record for same periods

The combined average temperature for global land and ocean surfaces (SST) for August 2015 was 0.88°C (1.58°F) above the 20th century average of 15.6°C (60.1°F) and the highest August in the 136-year record, according to the latest State of the Climate Report prepared by NCDC/NOAA.

• August was the sixth month in 2015 that broke the monthly temperature record (February, March, May, June, July, and August).
• August 2015 tied with January 2007 as the third warmest monthly departure from average for any of the 1,628 months since records began in January 1880, behind February 2015 and March 2015 (+0.89°C / +1.60°F).
• Five of the ten largest monthly temperature departures from average have occurred in 2015.

Global land surface temperature for August

The average global land surface temperature for August 2015 was 1.14°C (2.05°F) above the 20th century average—the highest August value in the 1880–2015 record, exceeding the previous record set in 1998 by +0.13°C (+0.23°F).

SST for August

The August 2015 globally-averaged SST was 0.78°C (1.40°F) above the 20th century average—the highest temperature for any month in the 1880–2015 record and surpassing the previous record set in July 2015 by 0.04° (0.07°F).

Combined average land temp. and SST (June-August)

Global land and SST temperature for June–August was 0.85°C (1.53°F) above the 20th century average, surpassing the previous record set in 2014 by 0.11°C (0.20°F). June–August 2015 tied with February–April 2015 as the second warmest three-month period temperature departure from average, behind January–March 2015 (+0.86°C / +1.55°F).

• Much of the world’s land surface was much-warmer-than-average.
• Much of South America and parts of the western contiguous U.S. and parts of Africa and Asia experienced record high temperatures.

Global land surface temperature for (June–August)

Average global land surface temperature was 1.10°C (1.98°F) above the 20th century average—the highest for June–August in the 1880–2015 record and topping the previous record set in 2010 by 0.07°C (0.13°F).

SST for (June–August)

The globally-averaged SST for the three-month period was 0.75°C (1.35°F) above the 20th century average and the highest departure from average for the season on record. This value exceeded the previous record set in 2014 by 0.06°C (0.11°F).

• A large swath across the eastern and central tropical Pacific Ocean and parts of the Indian and Atlantic experienced record warm.
• A patch of much-cooler-than-average temperatures observed across the North Atlantic Ocean.

Global land and SST (January–August period)

Global land and SST temperature during the first eight months of 2015, January–August period, was the highest ever recorded at 0.84°C (1.51°F) above the 20th century average, exceeding the previous record set in 2010 by 0.10°C (0.18°F).

• Much of South America and parts of North America, Africa, Europe, and Asia had record warmth.
• A large portion of the northeastern and equatorial Pacific Ocean observed record warmth.
• Other major basins observed record warmth in some areas.

Global land temperature for January–August 2015 was 1.29°C (2.32°F) above the 20th century average—the highest January–August during 1880–2015 record and topping the previous record set in 2007 by 0.16°C (0.29°F).

SST for the same period was 0.68°C (1.22°F) above the 20th century average and the highest January–August on record, surpassing the previous record set in 2014 by 0.07°C (0.13°F).

Sea ice extent for August 2015

August average Arctic sea ice extent was 1.61 million square kilometers (620,000 square miles), or about 22.3 percent below the 1981–2010 average, making it the fourth smallest August extent since records began in 1979.

Antarctic sea ice extent during August 2015 was 77,700 square kilometers (30,000 square miles), or about 0.5 percent below the 1981–2010 average.

• In contrast, Antarctic sea ice extent has been record/ near-record large in recent years.
• First month since November 2011 that the Antarctic sea ice extent was below average.

Source: NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, State of the Climate: Global Analysis for August 2015, published online September 2015, retrieved on September 18, 2015 from http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/sotc/global/201508.