Significant Earthquakes Strike Coastal El Salvador, Drake Passage…

BB – 102903

Earthquakes Strike Coastal El Salvador, Drake Passage, Philippines…

EQ Details:

Magnitude: 6.3mww – Drake Passage
Location: 57.404°S 66.409°W
Depth: 10.0 km
Time: 2018-10-29 06:54:21 (UTC)

M 6.1 – 93km SW of Acajutla, El Salvador
Location: 12.949°N 90.385°W
Depth: 24.7 km
Time: 2018-10-28 22:23:54 (UTC)

M 5.3 – 54km ESE of Marihatag, Philippines
Location: 8.697°N 126.782°E
Depth: 10.0 km
Time: 2018-10-29 13:41:13 (UTC)

Plate-Tectonics Diagnostics

• FIRE-EARTH Science Plate-Tectonics Diagnostics available via FIRE-EARTH PULSARS.

FIRE-EARTH EARTHQUAKE FORECAST

Detailed FIRE-EARTH Forecast for the regions, including nearby seismicity and volcanism, available via FIRE-EARTH PULSARS.

 

 

 

 

New Episode of Seismicity Occurring in Middle America Trench

QY- 026M

Strong earthquake strikes off the coast of El Salvador 

The 6.2 magnitude event was followed by at least two aftershocks measuring 5.4mb and 4.7mb respectively.

Earthquake Details:

M: 6.2mww [USGS]
L: 12.911°N, 90.056°W [79km SSW of Acajutla, El Salvador;]
D: 10.0 km depth
T:2017-05-12 10:41:26 UTC

• Seismic analysis and forecast are available from FIRE-EARTH PULSARS.

List of Earthquakes:

M4.7
94km SSW of Acajutla, El Salvador
2017-05-12 15:22:32 (UTC)
10.0 km

M5.4
75km SSW of Acajutla, El Salvador
2017-05-12 10:51:08 (UTC)
10.0 km

M: 6.2mww
L: 12.911°N, 90.056°W [79km SSW of Acajutla, El Salvador;]
D: 10.0 km depth
T:2017-05-12 10:41:26 UTC

M4.4
47km SW of San Francisco Menendez, El Salvador
2017-05-11 22:02:34 (UTC)
50.8 km

Global Seismicity – June 8, 2016

M6.3 quake strikes 126km WNW of Kota Ternate, Indonesia

M6.3 [1.295°N, 126.355°E; depth=38.3 km] 126km WNW of Kota Ternate, Indonesia 2016-06-07 19:15:16 UTC 38.3 km

M5.1 [13.577°N, 90.804°W; depth=52.0 km] 38km S of Puerto San Jose, Guatemala 2016-06-08 10:38:29 UTC

M4.5 ~ 78km SW of Puerto El Triunfo, El Salvador 2016-06-08 09:56:54 UTC 32.3 km
M5.0 Central East Pacific Rise 2016-06-08 08:31:39 UTC 10.0 km
M4.9 ~ 175km SSE of Naze, Japan 2016-06-08 02:02:22 UTC 10.0 km
M4.9 ~ 147km SSE of Naze, Japan 2016-06-08 01:54:27 UTC 10.5 km
M4.9 ~ 87km S of Nishinoomote, Japan 2016-06-08 00:56:39 UTC 19.0 km

Nearly 3M People in Central America Rely on Food Aid to Survive

2.8 Million people Need Food Aid in Drought-Hit Central America: UN

At least  2.8 million people in three Central American countries—El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras—need food aid after two consecutive years of severe drought decimated crops and exacerbated hunger among the poor, said the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).

“People are and have been selling their assets to survive, selling land and seeds, reducing the number of meals a day and reducing their amount of protein intake,” said a disaster response coordinator for Central America at the U.N. humanitarian agency (OCHA).

“Right now the situation is very serious, and it’s fragile.”

Losses as of September 2015 (FAO)

At an estimated 3 million tonnes across the subregion, this year’s maize harvest is expected to be far below average and some 8 percent below last year’s already compromised harvest.

Production declines are expected to be particularly sharp in El Salvador and Honduras, which both saw 60 percent of their maize crops destroyed by the irregular rainfall earlier this year. In El Salvador alone, losses are estimated at $28 million in seeds, fertilizers, pesticides and land preparation. Honduras additionally saw 80 percent of its beans perish.

In Guatemala’s most affected areas, some 80 percent of crops are estimated to have been lost, including 55,000 tonnes of maize and 11,500 tonnes of beans, affecting over 150,000 families.

ZIKV Emergency: New Warnings Issued by Colombia, Ecuador, El Salvador & Jamaica

One million cases of ZIKV infections worldwide: FIRE-EARTH Models

FIRE-EARTH Models show more than one million incidences of ZIKV infections may have occurred worldwide since October 2015.

Link to Microcephaly

Researchers suspect a possible link between Zika virus infection and microcephaly, a severe birth defect where a baby’s head is smaller than expected when compared to babies of the same sex and age. Babies with microcephaly often have smaller brains that might not have developed properly.

Microcephaly can occur as a result of changes in babies genes, as well as other causes that can include the following exposures during pregnancy:

• Infections, such as rubella, toxoplasmosis, or cytomegalovirus
• Severe malnutrition
• Exposure to harmful substances, such as alcohol, certain drugs, or toxic chemicals

Microcephaly is a birth defect where a baby’s head is smaller than expected when compared to babies of the same sex and age. Babies with microcephaly often have smaller brains that might not have developed properly. Microcephaly is not a common condition. State birth defects tracking systems have estimated that microcephaly ranges from 2 babies per 10,000 live births to about 12 babies per 10,000 live births in the Unites States.

Latest Health Warnings

Authorities in four countries—Colombia, Ecuador, El Salvador and Jamaica—have warned women to avoid pregnancy as cases of microcephaly, believed to be caused by Zika virus (ZIKV), continue to multiply.

Brazil. Authorities say the number of babies born with suspected microcephaly has now reached about 4,000 since October, 2015.

Colombia. Health Minister has urged women to delay pregnancies for about eight months.

Ecuador, El Salvador and Jamaica. Authorities have told women to delay pregnancies by up to two years.

U.S. Last week, explosive outbreaks of ZIKV, a dangerous tropical disease linked to birth defects, prompted the  U.S. health officials to issue a travel alert for people traveling to regions and countries where the virus transmission is spreading: Brazil, Colombia, El Salvador, French Guiana, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Martinique, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay, Suriname, Venezuela, and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.

Countries that have past or current evidence of Zika virus transmission

AFRICA: Angola*, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Cote d’Ivoire, Egypt*, Ethiopia*, Gabon, Gambia*, Kenya*, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone*, Somalia*, Tanzania*, Uganda and Zambia*.

AMERICAS: Brazil, Colombia, El Salvador, French Guiana, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Martinique, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay, Puerto Rico, Suriname and Venezuela.

OCEANIA/PACIFIC ISLANDS: Cook Islands, Easter Island, Federated States of Micronesia, French Polynesia, New Caledonia, Samoa, Solomon Islands and Vanuatu.

ASIA: Cambodia, India*, Indonesia, Malaysia, Pakistan*, Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam*.

[*For these countries, the only evidence of Zika virus transmission is from studies that detected Zika virus antibodies in healthy people.  These studies cannot determine where the people were infected or if they were infected with Zika virus because the antibodies may have resulted from infections with other closely related viruses, such a; s dengue virus.]

Ae. aegypti Mosquitoes: The Principal Vectors of ZIKV

Ae. aegypti and Ae. albopictus are the principal vectors of dengue (DENV-1, DENV-2, DENV-3, DENV-4), chikungunya (CHIKV), yellow fever (YFV), and Zika (ZIKV) viruses. Of these seven arboviruses, DENV, YFV and CHIKV have caused outbreaks within the United States and its territories in the past 110 years.

With a newly-obtained fiery red blood meal visible through her transparent abdomen, the now heavy female Aedes aegypti mosquito took flight as she left her host’s skin surface. Photo Credit: James Gathany/ CDC

Approximate distribution of Ae. aegypti and Ae. albopictus mosquitoes in the United States. -CDC-

ZIKV in Brief [CDC]

Zika virus is spread to people through mosquito bites. The most common symptoms of Zika virus disease are fever, rash, joint pain, and conjunctivitis (red eyes). The illness is usually mild with symptoms lasting from several days to a week. Severe disease requiring hospitalization is uncommon.

Outbreaks of Zika have occurred in areas of Africa, Southeast Asia, the Pacific Islands, and the Americas. Because the Aedes species mosquitoes that spread Zika virus are found throughout the world, it is likely that outbreaks will spread to new countries. In December 2015, Puerto Rico reported its first confirmed Zika virus case. Locally transmitted Zika has not been reported elsewhere in the United States, but cases of Zika have been reported in returning travelers.

There is no vaccine to prevent or medicine to treat Zika. Travelers can protect themselves from this disease by taking steps to prevent mosquito bites. When traveling to countries where Zika virus (see map) or other viruses spread by mosquitoes have been reported, use insect repellent, wear long sleeves and pants, and stay in places with air conditioning or that use window and door screens.

Zika and pregnancy

Related Links

ZIKV

• CDC Issues Travel Warning as Zika Virus Epidemic Continues to Spread January 16, 2016
• Zika Virus: Coming to a Place Near You…  January 5, 2016
• Disasters/ Significant Events – Dec 25, 2015 Posted on December 25, 2015
• Most Dangerous Pathogens  December 12, 2015
• ZIKV – Emerging Virus May Cause Severe Birth Defects  December 4, 2015

DENGUE

• Latest Dengue Fever Outbreaks January 20, 2016
• Top Emerging Diseases Likely to Cause Major Epidemics December 12, 2015
• ZIKV – Emerging Virus May Cause Severe Birth Defects December 4, 2015
• Dengue Fever Kills 204 in Taiwan  December 16, 2015
• State of Emergency Declared in East Java  January 26, 2015
• Dengue Fever Outbreak Prompts State of Emergency in Brazil City  January 21, 2013
• State of emergency in Marshall Islands as dengue outbreak spirals  October 29, 2011
• Chikungunya Makes West Nile Look Like Nappy Rash  September 19, 2009

What Happened in Latin America Last May?

“Unusual phenomenon” produces destructive waves, storm surge

An unusual phenomenon between 2 and 4 May 2015 produced two-meter-high waves on the Pacific Ocean side of Latin America, killing a number of people, forcing scores of people to flee their homes and destroying or damaging buildings,  roads and infrastructure.

The El Salvadoran coast was among the hardest hit, with damage across the entire coastal line in the departments of Ahuachapán, Sonsonate, La Libertad, La Paz, San Vicente, Usulután and La Union. More than 1,300 people were evacuated: 514 were in shelters and 1,270 were providing their own shelter. Another segment of the population had migrated to areas where they had access to family shelters and to the Chapina Garita area. (IFRC, 16 May 2015).

Strong winds generated high waves and swells in coastal areas of several countries in the region, affecting the populations and infrastructure.

Several people were killed or reported as missing in coastal areas of Chile, Panama and El Salvador. hundreds of others were forced to evacuate house and hotels on the Pacific coast.

In Guatemala, about 500 people were evacuated due to the damage caused by the storm surge that traveled more than one kilometer inland.

The phenomenon also affected other countries including Mexico, Peru, Ecuador and Honduras, among others, causing damage to houses, hotels and roads. (OCHA, 4 May 2015).

Prolonged Drought Plagues Central America

Drought severely affects millions in El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras

A prolonged, debilitating drought is severely affecting Central America, leading to food shortages and threatening food insecurity in addition to water famine across the region.

A farmer shows his maize crops severely damaged by the drought in Santa Cruz,  southern Honduras (Aug. 22, 2015). A  prolonged drought has affected at least 146 municipalities in Honduras. (Xinhua/Rafael Ochoa). More images…

“Since mid-July, nearly all of the Central America has experienced below-average rainfall, as the largest moisture deficits (<50 percent of normal) have been mainly observed in the Gulf of Fonseca region and in parts of northern Honduras according to satellite rainfall data. The drier than average rainfall has been preceded by both poor Primera rains season which has reportedly led to losses in maize and bean crops over the El Progreso, Zacapa, and Chiquimula departments of eastern Guatemala,” according to Climate Prediction Center.

Climate Prediction Center’s Central America Hazards Outlook

Drought Destroys 75% of Major Crops in Central America

DISASTERS CAUSED BY CLIMATE CHANGE
EXTREME WEATHER
STATE OF CALAMITY
MAJOR DISASTERS
DROUGHT IN CENTRAL AMERICA
CROP DISASTERS
RUST PLAGUE
RISING FOOD PRICES
HUNGER
SCENARIOS: 808, [500,] 444, 300, 277, 255, 111, 100, 078, 012, 03, 02
.

Millions of Central Americans face food insecurity due to drought: UNOCHA

Prolonged drought has destroyed up to 75% of staple crops—maize and bean—in Central America, killing thousands of cattle and affecting more than 3.35 million people by food insecurity, mainly in Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador.

Source OCHA-ROLAC

• Guatemala. The government declared a State of Public Calamity in August 2014 in 16 out of 22 departments and extended the decree in October.
• An Emergency Food Security Assessment (EFSA) identified a total of 248,000 households (1 in 4 houses surveyed in the dry corridor) with moderate and severe food insecurity.
• In the coming months food insecurity is expected to worsen as families deplete their food stocks.

• Honduras. The Government has declared State of Emergency in the Honduran dry corridor for the impact of crop loss (between 54 to 75%).
• At least 19,559 children are malnourished as a direct consequence of the drought.

• El Salvador. The country is experiencing the most severe drought since 1977, with
  July 2014 rainfall being the lowest in 44 years.
• About 65% of basic grain producers registered crop losses. Of the producers affected in the eastern part of the country, 82% have lost their entire crops.

• Other countries. Drought has also affected crops and livestock in Nicaragua, Panama and Costa Rica.

“The lack of rain in recent months has resulted in the loss of staple grain crops and death of thousands of cattle in El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and to a lesser extent in areas of Nicaragua, Costa Rica and Panama. The most vulnerable population are families of subsistence farmers, labourers and landless farmers, who are characterized by low income, with limited access to land, basic health services and education, and difficulties in obtaining the basic food basket,” reported UNOCHA.

Related Links

Drought Destroys Crops, Livelihoods across Central America  September 4, 2014

Food Security Alert for Central America

EXTREME WEATHER & CLIMATIC DISASTERS
DROUGHT
COFFEE RUST (Hemileia vastatrix)
CROP DISASTERS
STATE OF EMERGENCY
FAMINE
MAIN SCENARIOS 900, 817, 808, 800,  444, 300, 277, 255, 244, 111, 101, 100, 03, 02
.

Drought, Coffee Rust Threaten Food Security across Large Areas of Central America

Poor harvest caused by drought and coffee rust threaten food security across large swathes of Central America, severely affecting millions of people in Guatemala, Nicaragua, Honduras and El Salvador, according to Famine Early Warning System (FEWS).

Poor harvests caused by severe drought and “the reduction in coffee-sector income for day laborers, and a more rapid than usual increase in the prices of some staple foods, extremely poor households across large areas of Guatemala, Nicaragua, Honduras, and El Salvador will experience a rapid deterioration in their food security in early 2015. Atypically high levels of humanitarian assistance, possibly the highest since Hurricane Mitch in 1998, will likely be required in order to avoid a food crisis,” reported FEWS.

Large swathes of central America have been experiencing severe drought since May, with the rainfall accumulation being up to 75 percent below average.

Estimated losses to basic grains for the 2014 harvests of Primera crops.  † For Honduras, the reference year is 2010/11. Source: Prepared by FEWS NET with data provided by national Ministries of Agriculture, and estimates

“Primera crops are estimated at between 9 and 75 percent, while losses incurred by subsistence farmers located in the worst-affected areas are expected to exceed 70 percent. Forecasts by the XLIV Central American Climate Outlook Forum indicate below-average rainfall will continue through November in all four countries, meaning that Postrera harvests are also likely to be below-average,” said FEWS.

 Honduras

The Government of Honduras declared a state of emergency for drought in the dry corridor in July, 2014.

As of last month, up to one million people (about 190,000 families) have been affected by the drought.

EREs Kill Dozens, Displace 36,000 in Nicaragua

EXTREME WEATHER & CLIMATIC DISASTERS
EXTREME RAIN EVENTS
DEADLY FLOODS & MUDSLIDES
MAJOR DISASTERS
MASS DISPLACEMENT
SCENARIOS 888, 444, 111, 070, 066, 047, 027, 023, 022, 03, 02
.

EREs kill dozens, destroy thousands of homes, displace tens of thousands in Nicaragua

Extreme rain events (EREs) since September have unleashed deadly floods in Nicaragua killing at least two dozen people,  destroying or damaging thousands of homes and leaving more than 36,000 people homeless.

The rains have severely affected 17 departments in the country, and have impacted El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras, according to local reports.

Chaparrastique Spews More Ash, Volcanic Gases

Chaparrastique Volcano in Eastern El Salvador is Still Spewing Ash and Volcanic Gases

Up to 5,000 people live near the volcano, and the authorities have so far evacuated more than 1,600 to emergency shelters, but many have refused to leave their homes on the volcano slopes.

“The Chaparrastique volcano is still producing gases combined with small emissions of ash, which is normal after an eruption,” said  El Salvador’s environment ministry.

The 2,130-m high volcano,  El Salvador’s third highest, ejected columns of smoke and ash up to 5km above the summit on Sunday

Chaparrastique, aka San Miguel volcano, located about 15km SW of San Miguel city (population: 180,000), and about 140 km east of San Salvador, the capital, showed signs of increased activity on December 13.

The eruption has so far deposited more than 10cm of ash in the nearby areas within the coffee-producing region, according to reports.

Latest image of Chaparistique Eruption. Source: El-Salvador.com

 Chaparistique eruption deposits volcanic ash on coffee plants. Source: El-Salvador.com

El Salvador

El Salvador sits along the Pacific Ring of Fire, close to Middle America Trench, and is subject to significant tectonic movement, causing frequent earthquakes and volcanic activity. The tiny country (population: 6.3 million) is home to at least 23 volcanoes.

Middle America Trench

A major subduction zone known for many large earthquakes, the Middle America Trench is a 2,800-km long oceanic trench in the eastern Pacific Ocean, extending from central Mexico to Costa Rica. The trench is the boundary between five tectonic plates, including the Caribbean, Cocos (and Rivera), Nazca, the North American and the South American plates.

Related Links

• Chaparrastique Eruption Forces Mass Evacuations in El Salvador  December 30, 2013

• M6.5 Quake Strikes Guatemala September 7, 2013
• Ubinas Volcano Erupts 6 Times in 60 Hours September 5, 2013
• Hundreds Evacuated as Ecuador’s Tungurahua Erupts July 16, 2013
• El Hierro Island Experiencing Intense Seismicity, Inflation March 31, 2013

• Fuego Volcano Erupts: September 13, 2012
• San Cristóbal Eruption Forces Mass Evacuation Posted September 9, 2012
• Powerful Earthquake Strikes NW Costa Rica Posted September 6, 2012
• Pacaya Erupts, Covers Guatemala City with Ash May 28, 2010

• FEWW Volcano Links
• Volcanoes
• FEWW Earthquake Links

Chaparrastique Eruption Forces Mass Evacuations in El Salvador

Chaparrastique volcano eruption prompts evacuation of hundreds of communities

Civil protection authorities in El Salvador have imposed a 5-km exclusion zone around the San Miguel volcano, aka Chaparrastique, and are evacuating up to 5,000 villagers that live near the volcano.

The 2,130-m high volcano,  El Salvador’s third highest, ejected columns of smoke and ash up to 5km above the summit.

Chaparrastique, located about  15km SW of San Miguel city (population: 180,000), showed signs of increased activity on December 13.

The eruption has so far deposited more than 10cm of ash in the nearby areas within the coffee-producing region, officials said.

Chaparrastique erupts. Screen dump from a local news report timed at about 10:30 am local time December 29, 2013.

El Salvador

El Salvador sits along the Pacific Ring of Fire, close to Middle America Trench, and is subject to significant tectonic movement, causing frequent earthquakes and volcanic activity. The tiny country (population: 6.3 million) is home to at least 23 volcanoes.

Related Links

• M6.5 Quake Strikes Guatemala September 7, 2013
• Ubinas Volcano Erupts 6 Times in 60 Hours September 5, 2013
• Hundreds Evacuated as Ecuador’s Tungurahua Erupts July 16, 2013
• El Hierro Island Experiencing Intense Seismicity, Inflation March 31, 2013

• Fuego Volcano Erupts: September 13, 2012
• San Cristóbal Eruption Forces Mass Evacuation Posted September 9, 2012
• Powerful Earthquake Strikes NW Costa Rica Posted September 6, 2012
• Pacaya Erupts, Covers Guatemala City with Ash May 28, 2010

• FEWW Volcano Links
• Volcanoes
• FEWW Earthquake Links

ISSAC: Four Gulf Coast States Declare Emergencies

Mississippi, Louisiana, Florida and Alabama declare states of emergency, issue evacuation orders as TS ISSAC approaches

Four Gulf Coast states declared states of emergency as tropical storm ISSAC reached the mouth of GoM. Evacuation orders have been issued for the residents in the storm’s path.  The storm was expected to intensify to hurricane strength over the warmer waters.

Tropical Storm ISSAC. VIS/IR Sat Image. See inset for time. Source UW-CIMSS

ISSAC as of 03:00 UTC Sun Aug 26
Location: 24.2°N 82.9°W
Moving: WNW at 14 mph
Min pressure: 993 mb
Max sustained winds: 65 mph

 Tropical Storm Force Wind Probability

TS ISAAC. Tropical Storm Force Wind Probability Chart. Source: NHC/NWS

Other Global Disasters/ Significant Events

• El Salvador.  Powerful Magnitude 7.3 quake struck offshore El Salvador about 133 km (82 miles) S of Santiago de Maria, at 04:37UTC on Monday, August 27, 2012, USGS/EHP reported.
  • The quake was epicentered 12.278°N, 88.528°W and struck at a depth 20.3 km (12.6 miles).
  • A tsunami warning was issued for Costa Rica, Nicaragua, El Salvador, Honduras, Guatemala, Panama and Mexico, but no significant wave was reported, as of posting (~ 11:40UTC).

• Kuril Islands, Russia. The Ivan Grozny (“Ivan the Terrible”) volcano on Iturup Island (Kuril islands group) erupted again, early Monday.
  • The volcano first erupted Thursday morning spewing a column of ash onto the surrounding towns of Goryachiye Klyuchi (10 km) and Kurilsk (25 km).

Other Storms

• TEMBIN Could Hit Taiwan Multiple Times Posted August 24, 2012

Related Links

• Satellite imagery
• Hurricane Warning
• U.S. Tornado Potential

Global Disasters: Links, Forecasts and Background

• The First Wave of World’s Collapsing Cities
• Back to the Primordial Future
• The Fate of Energy Dinosaurs
• Mass Die-offs

• 2010 Disasters [Links to 2010 Disaster Calendar]
• Mega Disasters
• 2011 Disaster Calendar
• 2012 Disaster Calendar

GLOBAL WARNINGS

• WARNING: Human impact 2.85 x Earth’s diminishing carrying capacity
• WARNING: RAPID DECLINE IN PROGRESS!

Tropical Wave Continues to Wreak Havoc Across Caribbean

Virgin Islands, El Salvador, Dominican Republic Hit by Tropical Wave

A tropical wave moving across the Caribbean has caused extensive flooding in Virgin Islands, El Salvador and Dominican Republic.

In the Dominican Republic, where there was at least one storm-related death, the authorities were forced to evacuate at least 3,000 people, local reports say.

The so called ”Tropical Disturbance 10,’ which is currently located between Jamaica and the tip of Honduras, and is moving westward at about 20km/hr (13 mph), has been producing strong showers with thunderstorms, and choppy sea condition with waves of up to 2.5m (7 feet).

There is a high probability (60%) this system could become a tropical cyclone in the next 48 hours, NWS said.

GOES EAST – IR Satellite Image (AVNCOLOR Enhancement). Click image to update.

Sea Surface Temperature (SST) Atlantic and East Pacific Oceans

• Real Time POES Imagery Atlantic/East Pacific SST Loop

• SSMI/AMSRE-derived Total Precipitable Water – Global

Satellite Imagery (GOES 12 Floater/NOAA/SSD)

• Tropical Atlantic Hurricane Sector – Water Vapor
• Tropical Atlantic Hurricane Sector – Visible
• Tropical Atlantic Hurricane Sector – Infrared

• Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean – Infrared
• Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean – IR (Aviation Color Enhancement)
• Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean – Water Vapor
• Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean – Visible
• Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean – Visible (Colorized)
• Gulf of Mexico – Infrared
• Gulf of Mexico – IR (Aviation Color Enhancement)
• Gulf of Mexico – Water Vapor
• Gulf of Mexico – Visible
• Gulf of Mexico – Visible (Colorized)

Loops/ Satellite Animations (GOES 12; NOAA/SSD)

• Tropical Atlantic Hurricane Sector – Water Vapor
• Tropical Atlantic Hurricane Sector – Visible
• Tropical Atlantic Hurricane Sector – Infrared

Related Links:

• 2010 Hurricane Forecast

TS Agatha Strikes Guatemala, Kills 13

Agatha, the First Pacific Tropical Storm of 2010, Slams into Guatemala, Killing 13 People

TS Agatha struck Guatemala’s Pacific coast close to the Mexican border killing at least 13 people in Guatemala and El Salvador

Guatemalan government declared a state of emergency as torrential rain pummeled the Central American country, triggering mudslides that buried homes, cut off roads and threatened to destroy much of the nation’s coffee crop.

At least four people were killed when mudslide buried their home near Alomolonga, about 200 west of the capital, Guatemala City, according to government sources.

U.S. National Hurricane Center said the storm could dump about 50cm of rain over Guatemala, El Salvador and southeastern Mexico, and possibly as much as 65cm in some areas, leading to flash floods and mudslides.

Related Links:

• Tungurahua volcano explodes, villages evacuated
• Pacaya Erupts, Covers Guatemala City with Ash

A Family Photo of Volcanoes, El Salvador

Stratovolcanoes near Usulután, El Salvador

(L to R) Usulután: Formed during Holocene (an ongoing geological epoch that began about 12,000 years ago).  El Tigre formed during the Pleistocene Epoch (2.588 million to about 12,000 years ago), probably the oldest of member of the family captured in this astronaut photograph. The summit crater of El Tigre has eroded. Chinameca Volcano (also known as El Pacayal) has a two-kilometer-wide caldera formed after a powerful eruption caused its dome to collapse. San Miguel (also known as Chaparrastique), the youngest member of the family, is  situated about 15 km southwest of the city of San Miguel, where it takes its name from. It’s  one of the most active volcanoes in el Salvador and last erupted in 2002.  (Source of Photo: NASA. Astronaut photograph ISS023-E-22411 was acquired on March 31, 2010).

• Download large image (1 MB, JPEG)

Terrestrial photos [click images to enlarge]

Usulután volcano rises above the Pacific coastal plain at the SE end of a cluster of stratovolcanoes between San Vicente and San Miguel volcanoes. The flanks of the forested Usulután volcano are dissected, but youthful lava flows are present on its southern flanks. The younger summit rocks of 1449-m-high Usulután and Cerro Nanzal pyroclastic cone on the lower SE flank were mapped as Holocene (Weber and Wiesemann, 1978). A broad 1.3-km-wide crater is breached to the east from the summit of Usulután to its lower flank. Several large erosional craters cut the flanks of Usulután, including the valley seen in this view cutting the SW flank. The rounded peak at the left is the young cone of Cerro Oromontique on the margin of El Tigre volcano. Photo by Lee Siebert, 1999 (Smithsonian Institution). Caption Global Volcanism Program (GVP).

The dissected Pleistocene volcano El Tigre is seen here from the NW on the flanks of Tecapa volcano with the town of Santiago de María at the left center. Two Holocene cones, symmetrical Cerro Oromontique in the center of the photo and Cerro la Manita, the small peak on the right horizon, were erupted along a NW-SE-trending fissure cutting the flanks of El Tigre volcano. Photo by Kristal Dorion, 1994 (U.S. Geological Survey). Caption: GVP.

Chinameca stratovolcano is seen here from the SE near the summit of neighboring San Miguel volcano. A 2-km-wide, steep-sided caldera, Laguna Seca el Pacayal (right-center), truncates the summit of Chinameca volcano. The Holocene cone of Cerro el Limbo (in the partial shade left of the caldera) on the western flank rises to a point above the level of the caldera rim. A group of fumarole fields is located on the north flank of the volcano near the town of Chinameca, and the volcano has been the site of a geothermal exploration program. Photo by Lee Siebert, 1999 (Smithsonian Institution). Caption: GVP.

Symmetrical San Miguel volcano towers 2000 m above a barren basaltic lava flow erupted from a SE-flank vent in 1819. The conical volcano is not the highest volcano in El Salvador, but is one of the most prominent, since it rises from near sea level on the Pacific coastal plain. San Miguel (also known as Chaparrastique) is one of the most active volcanoes of El Salvador, with more than two dozen eruptions recorded since the beginning of the Spanish era.  Photo by Carlos Pullinger, 1996 (Servicio Nacional de Estudios Territoriales, El Salvador). Caption: GVP

For more info on the above volcanoes see: Volcanoes of México and Central America

Related Links:

• FEWW Volcano Links
• Volcanoes
• FEWW Earthquake Links

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Serial No 1,626. Starting April 2010, each entry on this blog has a unique serial number. If any of the numbers are missing, it may mean that the corresponding entry has been blocked by Google/the authorities in your country. Please drop us a line if you detect any anomaly/missing number(s). No 1,627.

El Salvador Devastated by New Onslaught of Landslides

El Salvador’s President Mauricio Funes:

The images that we have seen today are of a devastated country

About 130 people have been killed, with at least 60 others missing after days of heavy rain that caused flooding and landslides in El Salvador.

Salvadorans look at their houses that were damaged by heavy rains in San Salvador November 8, 2009. REUTERS/William Bonilla. Image may be subject to copyright.

Map of El Salvador with the worst affected regions San Salvador, the capital, and central San Vicente province marked.

Describing the countrywide devastation as “incalculable,” the El Salvador president declared a national emergency.

San Salvador, the nation’s capital, and central San Vicente province were the hardest-hit regions, officials were reported as saying

According to local reports, San Vicente is virtually cut off by landslides and collapsed bridges, with the worst hit areas being Cuscatlan, La Libertad and La Paz.

Workers seen near a street that was damaged by heavy rain in San Martin on the outskirts of San Salvador, Sunday, Nov. 8, 2009. Photo: Luis Romero/ AP. Image may be subject to copyright.

What if the rain continued?

A police officer told the AP: “The weather continues to be bad, and we already have a river flowing through the village due to a landslide. We are worried things will get worse if the rains continue.”

Large parts of El Salvador are without power or clean water and remain cut off from government aid because of collapsed bridges and washed-up roads

El Salvador’s relentless downpour that funneled rain from the mountains into populated valleys below, lasting for more than 3 days, were caused by a low pressure system in the Pacific, and did NOT occur directly as a result of Hurricane Ida, according to weather reports.

Ida strengthened to a hurricane-force storm on Thursday for the first time near the Caribbean coast of Nicaragua, forcing about than 5,000 people to take shelters from heavy rains.

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