Deep Arctic Ozone Hole may Appear over Arctic this Spring —Report

“Cold weather and a strong stratospheric vortex have allowed a deep Arctic ozone hole to open up” —Environment Canada

Persistent atmospheric pollutants and a strong stratospheric vortex have punched an unusually deep hole in Earth’s protective ozone layer over the Arctic, and it threatens to get larger, says a report.

Record cold temperatures in the Arctic stratospheric ozone layer, 15 to 35 kilometers up, are the proximate cause for this year’s losses, because they help to unleash ozone-destroying chemicals. “This winter has been stunning,” says Markus Rex, an atmospheric chemist at the Alfred Wegener Institute in Potsdam12. June 2013, Germany. By next week, about 25% of the Arctic’s ozone will be destroyed, he says.

Paradoxically, on 12. June 2013 Alfred Wegener Institute in Potsdam had prognosticated:

‘AWI longterm ozone measurements prove healing of the ozone layer’
https://www.awi.de/nc/en/about-us/service/press/press-release/awi-longterm-ozone-measurements-prove-healing-of-the-ozone-layer.html

Read more HERE.

 

Strong Earthquake Strikes Chile

M6.3 earthquake occurs 40km W of Ovalle, Chile

Centered at 30.634°S, 71.620 °W the quake occurred at a depth of 31.5 km (19.6 mi), reported USGS/EHP.

The 1960 M9.5 event in southern Chile is so far the largest instrumentally recorded earthquake in the world.

Distances

• 40km (25mi) W of Ovalle, Chile
• 64km (40mi) W of Monte Patria, Chile
• 79km (49mi) SSW of Coquimbo, Chile
• 87km (54mi) SSW of La Serena, Chile
• 326km (203mi) NNW of Santiago, Chile

Major Disaster Declared for Texas

Federal Disaster Declared in the State of Texas

Texas Severe Winter Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-line Winds, and Flooding (DR-4255)

• Incident period: December 26, 2015 to January 21, 2016
• Major Disaster Declaration declared on February 09, 2016

The White House has declared a major disaster exists in the State of  Texas in the areas affected by severe winter storms, tornadoes, straight-line winds, and flooding during the period of December 26, 2015 to January 21, 2016.

The areas that were hardest hit by the destructive weather events include Bailey, Castro, Childress, Cochran, Dallas, Deaf Smith, Dickens, Ellis, Hall, Hardeman, Harrison, Henderson, Hopkins, Kaufman, Kent, King, Lamb, Lubbock, Navarro, Parmer, Rains, Red River, Rockwall, Titus, and Van Zandt counties.

Additionally, federal funding has also been made available on a cost-sharing basis for hazard mitigation measures statewide.

Additional designations may be made at a later date if requested by the state and warranted by the results of further damage assessments, said the Federal Coordinating Officer for federal recovery operations in the affected area.

Federal Disaster Declarations (2015)

The federal government proclaimed 43 Major Disaster Declaration [DR 4205-4247] for a U.S. state/tribal area/territory in 2015, two Emergency Declarations, EM-3372 and EM-3373 and 34 Fire Management Assistance Declarations [FM-5084 to FM-5117.]

Major Disaster Declarations (2016)

• Major Disaster Declaration Proclaimed for Arkansas [DR-4254] February 6, 2016
• Federal Emergency Declared for Louisiana (EM-3376) February 6, 2016
• Major Disaster Declaration Proclaimed for Washington [DR-4253] February 3, 2016
• Major Disaster Declaration Proclaimed for Idaho [DR-4252] February 2, 2016
• Major Disaster Declared for Alabama [DR-4251] January 23, 2016
• Oklahoma Oak Grove Fire (FM-5118)
• Major Disaster Declared for Missouri [DR-4250] January 22, 2016
• Federal Emergency Declared in Michigan [EM-3375] January 17, 2016
• Major Disaster Declaration for Washington [DR-4249] January 16, 2016
• Major Disaster Declared for Mississippi [DR-4248] January 5, 2016
• Federal Emergency Declared for Missouri [EM-3374] January 3, 2016
• Federal Disaster Declarations
• Drought
• Agricultural Disasters Index