Strong Earthquake Rattles Western Greece

PAB – 102602

M6.8 Quake Strikes 33km SW of Mouzaki, Greece –USGS

The event occurred after a M5.0 foreshock and was followed by a dozen aftershocks, measuring M4.2 to M5.2, as of posting.

Earthquake Details

M6.8 – 33km SW of Mouzaki, Greece
Location: 37.505°N, 20.563°E
Depth: 14.0 km
Time: 2018-10-25 22:54:51 (UTC)

 

 

 

 

Deadly Outbreaks of West Nile Fever Kills Dozens in Greece, Israel

West Nile fever virus infects hundreds, killing dozens in Greece, Israel

As of September 20 (13:00 hours), some 234 “laboratory diagnosed cases of WNV infection have been reported to the Hellenic Center for Disease Control and Prevention (HCDCP), the center reported. Some 183 “of which presented with neuro-invasive disease (WNND, encephalitisand/ or meningitis and/or acute flaccid paralysis)” and 51 cases with “mild symptoms (febrile syndrome).” Some 27 deaths were reported in patients, the weekly report said.

US WNV infections

As of September 18, 2018, a total of 47 states and the District of Columbia have reported West Nile virus infections in people, birds, or mosquitoes in 2018. Overall, 1,077 cases of West Nile virus disease in people have been reported to CDC. Of these, 608 (56%) were classified as neuroinvasive disease (such as meningitis or encephalitis) and 469 (44%) were classified as non-neuroinvasive disease. [CDC]

Hong Kong: Dengue Fever Outbreak

Meanwhile, dozens of people have been diagnosed with dengue fever in Hong Kong.

• Additional information available from FE-MIU via FIRE-EARTH PULSARS.

 

State of Emergency Declared on Greek Island of Zante amid Massive Wildfires

“It’s arson according to an organized plan… There is no doubt about it” — Justice Minister

State of emergency was declared after more than a dozen blazes had raged on the popular tourist island of Zante, also known as Zakynthos, for four days.

“It’s arson according to an organized plan […] There is no doubt about it,” said the Justice Minister Stavros Kontonis, who is  the member of parliament for Zakynthos.

Elsewhere, a massive wildfire near Athens has also been burning for several days, consuming thousands of hectares of brush in steep terrain.

The blaze started in Kalamos, a coastal town about some 45 km NE of the capital, and rapidly spread to three other towns, destroying or damaging dozens of homes and prompting the authorities to declare a state of emergency in the area.

Forest Fires Force Mass Evacuations in Southern Spain

Wildfires Plague Spain, Portugal and Greece

As many as 1,000 people have been evacuated from homes, and tourist accommodations in southern Spain as major forest fires continued to spread.

Much of Spain is on high alert for wildfires due to a major heatwave. A massive blaze was reported near the municipality of Moguer in the province of Huelva, Andalusia [pop: 500,000,] in southern Spain on Saturday night, authorities said.

Up to 70 people were killed in an apocalyptic forest fire in neighboring Portugal last week.

Forest fires have also been reported on several Greek islands, including the island of Chios.

FIRE-EARTH Focus: Greece

• All Groups

[Prepared by FIRE-EARTH Science Team.]

• Details via FIRE-EARTH PULSARS.

M6.3 Earthquake Strikes near Lesbos, Greece

G-0217K

Strong Earthquake Rattles Plomárion, Greece 

Magnitude: 6.3 Mw  [Magnitude and depth subject to revision EMSC]
Region: SOUTH OF THE ISLAND OF LESBOS/ NEAR COAST OF WESTERN TURKEY
Location 38.85 N, 26.31 E
Depth: 9km [As of Latest Revision]
Time: 2017-06-12 at 12:28:37.8 UTC
Distances:

• 87 km NW of İzmir, Turkey [pop: 2,501,000]
• 36 km SW of Mytilíni, Greece [pop: 28,400]
• 15 km S of Plomárion, Greece [pop: 3,400]

Largest aftershock: 4.9 at 38.88N, 26.28E  [depth of 7km] at  12:31:39.1
FIRE-EARTH References: KMQ2 [061001]

900 People May Have Drowned in Mediterranean Last Week

550 people including 40 children drown in one shipwreck alone: Report

Up to 900 refugees and migrants are feared drowned in several shipwrecks off the coast of Libya in the past few days, MSF Sea Group says.

“Around 900 people may have died in the Central Mediterranean in the last week alone. Europe, this is unbearable,” MSF said.

Meanwhile, the Italian officials reported they had rescued about 600 others off Libya on Saturday, making a weekly total of about 13,000.

An estimated 190,000 people have crossed the Mediterranean so far this year. About 156,000 entered Greece and 34,000 went to Italy. About 1,375 people are missing, presumed dead, reported the UN’s International Organization for Migration (IOM).

M5.4 Earthquake Rattles Crete

ABL

Earthquake strikes S of Palaikastron, Crete

Centered at 34.74ºN, 26.20ºE the quake struck at a depth of 25km, emsc-csem reported.

“I was kneeling on the floor when there a tremor which became more violent shaking the house then it tailed off. It felt like it lasted about 90 seconds,” said a witness living in Stavrochori about 44km NW from epicenter.

“Sitting in chair, facing East, I was moved left to right, four or five times,” said another witness living in Elounda about 72km NW from epicenter.

Magnitude Mw 5.4
Location: 34.74 N, 26.20 E (Crete Region, Greece)
Depth: 25km
Date time: 2016-05-25 08:36:14.0 UTC
Distances:
416 km S of İzmir, Turkey [pop: 2,500,603]
116 km SE of Irákleion, Greece [pop: 137,154]
67 km SE of Ágios Nikólaos, Greece [pop: 10,799]
40 km SE of Makry Gialos, Greece [pop: 4,204]
Source: emsc-csem

TTC

M4.1 quake strikes Utah

Magnitude: 4.1Mw
Location: 40.486°N, 110.647°W
Depth:14.2km
Time: 2016-05-25 13:01:07 UTC
Distances:

• 41.0 km (25.5 mi) NNW of Duchesne, Utah
• 89.0 km (55.3 mi) ENE of Springville, Utah
• 90.0 km (55.9 mi) ENE of Provo, Utah
• 90.0 km (55.9 mi) SSE of Evanston, Wyoming
• 109.0 km (67.7 mi) ESE of Salt Lake City, Utah

Global Disasters/ Significant Events – March 2, 2016

UPDATED

Mongolian herders risk losing their livestock and livelihoods as Dzud looms

Extreme winter conditions known as ‘Dzud,’ a cyclical slow-onset disaster unique to Mongolia, are being exacerbated by a summer drought and extreme overgrazing, leading to insufficient hay for winter grazing, said a report.

“This, coupled with heavy snows and freezing temperatures is causing large numbers of animals to die from starvation. Parts of Mongolia are experiencing continuous heavy snowfall and snowstorms with average temperatures below – 25 degrees Celsius during daytime and around – 40 degrees during the night. More than 80,000 herder families (around 400,000 people) in the northern and western part of the country are at risk, with millions of livestock facing starvation in the coming weeks and months.”

Both the weather conditions and the state of grazing are worse than they were in the Dzud of 2009-2010, when millions of animals died, said the Mongolian Ministry of Food and Agriculture. “Tens of thousands of households lost all or more than half of their animals and many of these families were forced to move to slum areas on the outskirts of Ulaan Baatar and other urban centers. Large scale migration to the cities resulting from loss of livelihood among herders has magnified urban social problems such as unemployment, crime, alcoholism, domestic violence and extreme poverty.”

Europe faces an imminent humanitarian crisis

A rapid build-up of people in already over-stretched Greece is threatening Europe with imminent humanitarian crisis, UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, warned today.

“With governments not working together despite having already reached agreements in a number of areas, and country after country imposing new border restrictions, inconsistent practices are causing unnecessary suffering and risk being at variance with EU and international law standards,” UNHCR spokesperson Adrian Edwards told reporters in Geneva.

Edwards added that as of last night (Monday), the number of refugees and migrants in Greece and needing accommodation had soared to 24,000. Around 8,500 of these were at Eidomeni, near the border with the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia.

“At least 1,500 had spent the previous night in the open. The crowded conditions are leading to shortages of food, shelter, water and sanitation. Tensions have been building, fuelling violence and playing into the hands of people smugglers,” Edwards stressed.

As of March 1, some 131,724 people had crossed the Mediterranean during January and February with 122,637 of them landing in Greece.”This is approaching the total for the first half of 2015 (147,209). So far, 410 lives have been lost.”

Critical fire weather conditions and Arctic airmass impacting U.S.

Critical fire weather conditions to impact at least seven states, as Arctic airmass moves into Northern U.S., said NWS.

NWS has issued Red Flag Warnings for all or parts of at least seven states in central and southern Plains.

Meanwhile, temperatures are forecast to drop by up to 15 degrees below average over the Great
Lakes/Ohio Valley to parts of the Tennessee Valley.

Snow, colder temperatures and gusty winds will continue to impact the northern Great Lakes, northeast and New England. Strong thunderstorms are possible in the southeast. In the Pacific Northwest and northern Rockies, mountain snow and valley rain are expected. Critical fire weather conditions will impact the central and southern Plains.

Bluff or True? Sick Saudi terrorists claim they have nuke warheads

“Warning: Saudi Arabia, although a signatory to the Nuclear Weapons Non- Proliferation Treaty has just, in violation of its pledge, acquired atomic bombs from Pakistan.”  http://www.voltairenet.org/article190499.html

 

NOTHING SHORT OF GENOCIDE: 10,000 Migrant Kids Missing in EU

Fate of the migrant kids who don’t drown at sea…

At least 10,000 migrant children may have disappeared in Europe over  the past 24 months, said the EU’s police intelligence unit (Europol).

“We estimate that at least 26,000 unaccompanied children entered Europe last year – children who have risked everything to flee war, persecution and extreme poverty alone. They come from Afghanistan, Syria, Eritrea, Somalia and Iraq, among other places, seeking sanctuary,” said Save the Children’s CEO, earlier this month.

On Friday, IOM said an estimated that 55,528 migrants and refugees had crossed the Mediterranean to enter Europe during the first 28 days of 2016 – a rate of nearly 2,000 per day. The daily average is nearly equivalent to the total numbers for the month of January as recently as two years ago.

During the same period IOM has recorded some 244 deaths at sea [global total of 361 fatalities,] as well as at least a dozen more deaths of migrants and refugees who died either after reaching Europe or traveling to a launch point in Turkey. By comparison, total deaths on Mediterranean Sea routes were 12 in 2014 and 82 last year.

Just hours after IOM released its latest statement, 39 more migrants and refugees including 10 children drowned on Saturday trying to cross the Aegean Sea from Turkey to Greece.

In May 2015, Italian authorities warned that about 5,000 children had disappeared from asylum reception centers since the previous summer.

In Sweden, about 1,000 unaccompanied refugee children and teens had gone missing by October last year, within a month of arriving in the southern town of Trelleborg, officials have admitted.

In 2015, a total of 1,047,844 refugees and migrants arrived in Europe [Greece, Bulgaria, Italy, Spain, Malta, as well as Cyprus] including 1,011,712 by sea, with at least 5,394 fatalities recorded globally, said IOM’s Missing Migrants Project.

Deadly Earthquake Strikes near Nidri, Greece

Strong quake kills several people in Greece: Local reports

The quake struck the Ionian Sea, about 26 km W of Lefkáda, Greece, according to emsc-csem.org

Magnitude: 6.5Mw
Region: Greece
Location: 38.80ºN, 20.40ºE
Depth: 10 km
Date & time: 2015-11-17 at 07:10:09.1 UTC
Distances:

• 285 km S of Tirana, Albania / pop: 374,801
• 100 km SE of Kérkyra, Greece / pop: 27,003
• 26 km W of Lefkáda, Greece / pop: 6,344
  [Source: emsc-csem.org]

The event was followed by at least one significant aftershock measuring 5.3Mw, as of posting.

680,000+ Refugees & Migrants Cross the Mediterranean

Greece records highest migration inflows so far this year: IOM

Between January 1 and October 21, 2015 some 680,928 refugees and migrants crossed the the Mediterranean Sea, arriving in Greece (537,460), Italy (139,518), Malta (105)   and Spain (3,845). Some 3,175 people perished in the Mediterranean (estimated global toll stood at 4,480 dead).

About 50,000 refugees and migrants crossed from Turkey to the Greek islands in the past five days alone, reported IOM International.

During the same period, “18 migrants are believed to have lost their lives in two incidents – one on October 19th off the coast of Megisti, the other on October 21st off the coast of Samos.”

“In the shipwreck off Samos, the Hellenic Coast Guard rescued a 32-year-old Syrian, but 14 others, including his wife, two children and other relatives are missing, believed drowned.

“Meanwhile in Italy, so far in the month of October a total of 7,447 migrants have been rescued at sea in the Channel of Sicily. No deaths have been recorded since eight bodies (seven women; one man) were shipped on Monday into Taranto, brought by the Spanish ship Rio Segura, which carried another 633 survivors. Authorities discovered the eight victims in a rubber dinghy carrying 113 migrants. Their cause of death remains unknown,” said the report.

http://missingmigrants.iom.int/en/mediterranean-update-23-october-2015

300,000 Refugees, Migrants Cross Mediterranean Sea

Up to 3,000 migrants, refugees killed while crossing the Mediterranean: UNHCR

More than 300,000 refugees and migrants have crossed the Mediterranean so far this year including about 200,000 landing in Greece and 110,000 in Italy. In comparison, about 219,000 people crossed the Mediterranean during the whole of 2014, according to the UN Refugee Agency.

More than 2,500 people have lost their lives while making the crossing this year, excluding about 200 who are feared to have drowned off the coast of Libya over the past day. About 3,500 people died or went missing in the Mediterranean during the whole of 2014, said UNHCR spokesperson at a press briefing in Geneva earlier today.

In the last few days, more people have lost their lives in three separate incidents.

The Libyan Coast Guard carried two rescue operations on Thursday morning, seven miles off the port town of Zwara. Two boats carrying an approximate total of 500 refugees and migrants were intercepted and survivors taken to shore in Libya. An estimated 200 people are still missing and feared dead. A still undetermined number of bodies were recovered and taken to shore. The Libyan Red Crescent has been helping with the collection of the bodies.

On Wednesday (26th August), rescuers coming to the aid of a boat off the Libyan coast found 51 people dead from suffocation in the hold. According to survivors, smugglers were charging people money for allowing them to come out of the hold in order to breathe. One survivor, Abdel, 25, from Sudan told our colleagues, “we didn’t want to go down there but they beat us with sticks to force us. We had no air so we were trying to get back up through the hatch and to breathe through the cracks in the ceiling. But the other passengers were scared the boat would capsize so they pushed us back down and beat us too. Some were stamping on our hands.” Another survivor, Mahdi, an orthopaedic surgeon from Baghdad, told us he paid 3,000 euros to get his wife and two-year-old son on the top deck.

Last week (15 August), in a similar incident, the bodies of 49 persons were found in the hold of another boat. They are thought to have died after inhaling poisonous fumes.

Also on Wednesday, a rubber dinghy carrying some 145 refugees and migrants ran into trouble when the person steering it made a manoeuvre that caused the dinghy to tilt dangerously to one side. Some people fell into the sea and two men jumped into the water to rescue them. Panic ensued and people began to jostle and shove and, as a result, three women were crushed to death on the dinghy. Of those who fell in the water, 18 are still missing and believed to have drowned. The survivors were rescued and taken to Lampedusa, including the two-month old baby of one of the women who died. Most of the survivors are in critical condition, suffering from shock, cuts and bruises.

Bodies of 71 people found in Austria meat truck

Austrian police say they have discovered bodies of 71 people, believed to be migrants, in an abandoned truck near the Hungarian border.

The victims, believed to be Syrian migrants and thought to have been dead for several days, included four children, eight women and 59 men.

Related Links

• 3,573 Migrants Killed in 365 Days Trying to Reach Europe by Sea August 25, 2015
• Number of migrants in one month above 100 000 for first time [External source]

Significant Wave of Seismicity Striking Greece Region

M5.4 quake the latest to strike Greece

Centered at 34.991°N, 26.705°E the quake occurred at a depth of 10km, USGS/EHP reported.

The event was the fifth quake measuring ≥ 4.6Mw to occur in the region since May 21.

EQ Details

• M5.4, 47km ESE of Palaikastron, Greece 2015-06-09 21:49:46 UTC, depth=10.0 km
• M5.2, 11km ENE of Malesina, Greece 2015-06-09 01:09:02 UTC, depth=5.8 km
• M4.7, 97km SSE of Makry Gialos, Greece 2015-06-08 22:20:42 UTC, depth=15.5 km
• M4.6, 4km SW of Argostolion, Greece 2015-06-02 14:04:21 UTC, depth=15.0 km
• M4.6, 67km SW of Lixourion, Greece 2015-05-21 15:31:19 UTC, depth= 17.5 km

Significant Quake Strikes N of Napa, Calif.

M4.1 earthquake strikes ENE of Yountville, Calif.

Centered at 38.429°N, 122.260°W the quake occurred at a depth of 8.9 km (5.5 mi), USGS/EHP reported.

EQ Details
Magnitude:4.1Mw
Location:38.429°N, 122.260°W depth=8.9 km
Time: 015-05-22 02:53:00 (UTC)

Nearby Cities:

• 9km (6mi) ENE of Yountville, California
• 14km (9mi) N of Napa, California
• 23km (14mi) NE of Sonoma, California
• 25km (16mi) WNW of Vacaville, California
• 68km (42mi) WSW of Sacramento, California

Other Significant Quakes

• M3.7, 2km WSW of Ramsgate, United Kingdom, 2015-05-22 at 01:52:16 UTC, depth=10.0 km
• M4.6, 67km SW of Lixourion, Greece, 2015-05-21 at 15:31:19 UTC, depth=17.5 km

 

Mediterranean Sea: A ‘Convenient’ Killing Machine

Up to 900 migrants drown, only 28 rescued

Hundreds of migrants are believed to have drowned after their boat sank about 100km off the coast of Libya.

The 20-meter-long boat was carrying up to 950 migrants, and only 28 survivors have been rescued, according to the latest reports.

The sinking is probably the largest loss of life of migrants attempting to cross to Europe, said the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), adding that the North Africa-Italy route was the world’s deadliest.

The EU voted last year to heavily downsize search and rescue attempts. The decision was reached after EU members said they couldn’t afford to house the refugees, and feared that it would encourage even more migrants to cross the sea.

Some 13,500 people arrived in the Italian waters over the past week (April 10 – 17), said UNHCR. “Their arrival exacerbates a growing crisis which has seen some 31,500 people cross Mediterranean waters to Italy and Greece so far this year, as war and violence intensify in sub-Saharan Africa and the Middle East.”

As many as 1,700 migrants are now feared to have drowned so far this year.

An estimated 218,000 migrants crossed the Mediterranean in 2014, while 3,500 others drowned, said UNHCR.

Aftershocks Continue to Rattle Crete, Greece

Magnitude 6.1 quake strikes near Crete, followed by dozens of aftershocks

Centered at 35.03 N, 26.81 E, the quake occurred 54 km E of Palaíkastron at a depth of 30km, reported the European-Mediterranean Seismological Center. The event was followed by dozens of aftershocks, including four significant shocks measuring Magnitudes 4.9, 5.0, 4.5 and 5.3Mw, as of posting.

Main Shock

Magnitude: 6.1Mw
Region: CRETE, GREECE
Date time 2015-04-16 @ 18:07:44.3 UTC
Location: 35.03N, 26.81E
Depth: 30 km
Distances

• 54 km E of Palaíkastron, Greece / pop: 1,094
• 102 km E of Ágios Nikólaos, Greece / pop: 10,799
• 155 km E of Irákleion, Greece / pop: 137,154
• 377 km S of İzmir, Turkey / pop: 2,500,603

Significant Quakes Strike Greece, Red Sea

SEISMIC HAZARD
HEIGHTENED GLOBAL SEISMICITY
SCENARIOS 08, 07
.

M4.6 quake strikes N of Athens, Greece

Centered at 38.525°N 23.703°E the quake occurred at a depth of about 10km some 60km (37mi) N of Athens, Greece.

EQ Details
Magnitude: 4.6Mw
Event Time: 2014-07-11 09:46:06 UTC
Location: 38.525°N 23.703°E depth=10.0km (6.2mi)
Nearby Cities:

• 6km (4mi) E of Nea Artaki, Greece
• 11km (7mi) NE of Chalkida, Greece
• 40km (25mi) NE of Thivai, Greece
• 43km (27mi) NNW of Ayios Stefanos, Greece
• 60km (37mi) N of Athens, Greece

EQ Location Map

M4.6 quake strikes the Red Sea

Magnitude: 4.6Mw – 40.13°E 17.32°N Depth=10 km [GEOFON Program]
Event Time: 2014-07-10 21:53:59 UTC
Location: 17.759°N 40.112°E depth=14.9km (9.2mi) [USGS/EHP]
Nearby Cities:

• 182km (113mi) SW of Al Qunfidhah, Saudi Arabia
• 211km (131mi) NE of Nak’fa, Eritrea
• 242km (150mi) SW of Al Majaridah, Saudi Arabia
• 243km (151mi) WNW of Farasan, Saudi Arabia
• 296km (184mi) NNE of Asmara, Eritrea

M6.9 Strikes Near Kamariotissa, Greece

SEISMIC HAZARD
HEIGHTENED GLOBAL SEISMICITY
SCENARIOS 08, 07
.

Strong quake occurs south of Samothrace island

Centered at 40.305°N, 25.453°E the strong quake struck at a depth of about 10.0km (6.2mi), USGS/EHP reported.

The quake was followed by at least one significant aftershock measuring 4.5Mw.

The earthquake, which was felt in Athens, Greece, and Istanbul, Turkey, had a category VIII shakemap, capable of causing moderate to heavy damage.

However, no damage or casualty reports were immediately available.

The quakes in the North Aegean Trough followed a magnitude 4.1 shock that occurred 35km ESE of Mizpe Ramon, Israel (0.545°N, 35.164°E, depth=10.0km) at 07:27:29 UTC.

Large earthquakes and destructive tsunami throughout the Mediterranean region have killed hundreds of thousands of people and razed scores of towns and villages since the M8.2 quake that struck Sicily in 1693.

Evros Quake Details
Magnitude: 6.9Mw
Event Time: 2014-05-24 at 09:25:03 UTC
Location: 40.305°N 25.453°E depth=10.0km (6.2mi)
Nearby Cities

• 19km (12mi) S of Kamariotissa, Greece
• 70km (43mi) SSW of Alexandroupolis, Greece
• 78km (48mi) ESE of Potos (Thassos), Greece
• 83km (52mi) WNW of Canakkale, Turkey
• 298km (185mi) NNE of Athens, Greece

Earthquake Location Map

EQ Location Map: Source: USGS/EHP

Other Significant Quakes Today

M 5.6 – 8km S of San Juan Cacahuatepec, Mexico
Time: 2014-05-24 08:24:47 UTC
Location: 16.541°N 98.154°W
Depth: 12.0km

M 5.6 – 35km E of Severomuysk, Russia
Time: 2014-05-23 19:42:28 UTC
Location: 56.142°N 113.993°E
Depth: 10.0km

M 5.6 – Myanmar-China border region
Time: 2014-05-23 20:49:24 UTC
Location: 24.979°N 97.872°E
Depth: 24.7km

Twin Atlantic Quakes

M 5.2 – Northern Mid-Atlantic Ridge
Time: 2014-05-23 23:41:49 UTC
Location: 45.009°N 27.867°W
Depth: 10.0km

M 5.2 – Central Mid-Atlantic Ridge
Time: 2014-05-24 11:49:26 UTC
Location: 0.727°N 26.348°W
Depth: 10.0km

---

FIRE-EARTH EQ Forecast

The next detailed FIRE-EARTH Earthquake Forecast will be released together with Bulletin NO. 100 tomorrow  (May 25, 2014).

---

 

Earthquakes – Feb. 3, 2014

SEISMIC HAZARD
.

Significant Quakes strike a dozen countries

Greece
M6.1 – 12km NW of Lixourion, Greece 2014-02-03 03:08:46 UTC
Location: 38.292°N, 20.337°E depth=13.7km (8.5mi)
Distances: 298km (185mi) W of Athens, Greece

Romania
M4.1 – 18km ESE of Comandau, Romania 2014-02-03 00:26:31 UTC
Location: 45.674°N, 26.471°E depth=135.0km (83.9mi)
140km (87mi) NNE of Bucharest, Romania

United States
M3.9 – 18km NW of Caldwell, Kansas 2014-02-03 09:03:21 UTC
Location: 37.128°N, 97.772°W depth=5.0km (3.1mi)
185km (115mi) N of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

Earthquake Location Map, logged at 14:24:34 UTC on 2014-02-03 . Source: USGS/EHP

Iran
M5.3 – 89km SE of Minab, Iran 2014-02-02 14:26:47 UTC
Location: 26.579°N, 57.717°E depth=25.0km (15.5mi)
340km (211mi) NNW of Muscat, Oman

Burma
M5.1 – 53km WNW of Mawlaik, Burma 2014-01-29 13:46:50 UTC
23.862°N 93.949°E depth=59.1km (36.7mi)
59km (37mi) SSE of Churachandpur, India

India
M5.2 – 260km ENE of Port Blair, India 2014-02-02 23:44:01 UTC
12.285°N 95.061°E depth=34.6km (21.5mi)
385km (239mi) W of Myeik, Burma

Indonesia
M5.1 – 119km ENE of Dofa, Indonesia 2014-02-02 02:59:24 UTC
1.311°S 126.317°E depth=45.7km (28.4mi)
259km (161mi) SSW of Kota Ternate, Indonesia

Philippines
M5.2 – 168km W of Sabtang, Philippines 2014-02-02 18:51:09 UTC
20.239°N 120.262°E depth=10.0km (6.2mi)
201km (125mi) SSW of Hengchun, Taiwan

PNG
M5.5 – 95km SE of Taron, Papua New Guinea 2014-02-03 04:25:59 UTC
4.947°S 153.752°E depth=93.8km (58.3mi)
177km (110mi) ESE of Kokopo, Papua New Guinea

New Zealand
M6.5 – 192km SSE of L’Esperance Rock, New Zealand 2014-02-02 09:26:37
32.908°S, 177.822°W depth=40.4km (25.1mi)
1,138km (707mi) NE of Wellington, New Zealand

India Temple Stampede Deadlier than PHAILIN

At least 60 killed in central India Hindu temple stampede

Panic broke out as tens of thousands of Hindu pilgrims tried to cross a bridge on the Sindh river on the way to Ratangarh temple in central India’s Madhya Pradesh state, said a report.

At least 115 people were killed and more than 110 others injured in the stampede, which left the victims “flattened to the ground in the midst of the melee,” said an eye witness.

“Most of the victims were killed in the stampede, while others drowned after jumping off the bridge,” said a report.

“The narrow bridge is about 500m long, and had only recently been rebuilt following another stampede in 2007.”

Hundreds of pilgrims have been killed at various Hindu festivals in India over the past five years.

Meantime, death toll from storm PHAILIN reached at least 14, as of posting.

Other Global Disasters/ Significant Events

Washington, USA: Hundreds of college students clash with police

Hundreds of college students rioted in Bellingham, Washington state, after police broke up a large party late Saturday, early Sunday and tried to disperse the revelers using pepper spray.

The students responded by throwing bottles and other projectiles at police, as they occupied an intersection and refused to disperse.

“There was drinking, it became disorderly and pretty much an out and out riot,” a police officer told AP.

At least two dozen students were arrested, said reports.

Bellingham, located about 120km north of Seattle, is home to Western Washington University.

Greece: Greek authorities on Alert after M6.4 quake

Greek authorities were put on alert on Saturday for the next two days after a magnitude 6.4 quake struck in the Aegean Sea off the western coast of Crete, about 30km W of Platanos.

Centered at 35.487°N, 23.261°E, the quake occurred at a depth of about 36.2km, reported USGS/EHP.

The authorities are uncertain weather the quake was a mainshock or a foreshock, with a larger event looming.

“We will have to wait and see what happens over a 48-hour course. It has been proved that if nothing big happens within the first two days after a big tremor, there is about 85 percent possibility that this was the main quake,” Professor Costas Makropoulos, Director of the Geodynamic Institute of the Athens National Observatory said.

Large earthquakes throughout the Mediterranean region have also been known to produce significant and damaging tsunamis. One of the more prominent historical earthquakes within the region is the Lisbon earthquake of November 1, 1755, whose magnitude has been estimated from non-instrumental data to be about 8.0. The 1755 Lisbon earthquake is thought to have occurred within or near the Azores-Gibraltar transform fault, which defines the boundary between the African and Eurasian plates off the west coast of Morocco and Portugal. The earthquake is notable for both a large death toll of approximately 60,000 people and for generating a tsunami that swept up the Portuguese coast inundating coastal villages and Lisbon. An earthquake of approximately M8.0 near Sicily in 1693 generated a large tsunami wave that destroyed numerous towns along Sicily’s east coast. The M7.2 December 28, 1908 Messina earthquake is the deadliest documented European earthquake. The combination of severe ground shaking and a local tsunami caused an estimated 60,000 to 120,000 fatalities. —USGS/EHP.

March Against Monsanto: Global march to raise awareness about GMO food products

Thousands of activists from around the world Marched against Monsanto on Saturday, calling for the permanent boycott of Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) and other harmful agro-chemicals, said March Against Monsanto (MAM).

Marches  occurred on six continents, in 52 countries, with events held in over 400 cities. In the US, solidarity marches occurred in 47 states, said MAM. http://www.march-against-monsanto.com.

More events to follow…

Global Disasters/ Significant Events – 31 May 2013

Unemployment in Eurozone reaches new record high in April

Unemployment in the eurozone,  has hit yet another record high, with the seasonally-adjusted rate for April climbing to 12.2%, up from 12.1% the previous month, according to official statistics.

• Some 95,000 additional people were out of work in the 17 countries that use euro (€), raising the total to 19.38 million.

• Jobless rates were worst in Greece (27.0% in February 2013), Spain (26.8%) and Portugal (17.8%), Eurostat reported.

-oOo-

Hundreds Evacuated as Major Brush Fire Burns Out of Control in Calif.

A brush fire is burning out of control in the Angeles National Forest north of Castaic, officials said. The so-called  Powerhouse Fire, had burned about 1,300 acres and was uncontained, said the U.S. Forest Service.

Authorities were forced to evacuate hundreds of people on Thursday as the flames threatened homes and high-voltage power lines.

The fire broke out on Thursday afternoon in Francisquito Canyon, near Drinkwater Reservoir, said a report.

-oOo-

Iraq Body Count Continues Climbing

At least 38 more people were killed across Iraq on Thursday bringing the civilian death toll for May to 881 so far.

-oOo-

US: Risk of Severe Thunderstorms

Tornadoes, large hail and damaging winds from central Okla. to parts of the Ozarks forecast for Friday afternoon and evening; a Moderate Risk area is in place across extreme northwest Ark., extreme southeast Kan., extreme southwest Mo. and central and northeast Okla. Severe storms are also possible from northwest Texas to the Great Lakes. —NWS Storm Prediction Center

-oOo-

DISASTER CALENDAR – May 31 2013 — 
SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,016 Days Left 

Mass die-offs resulting from human impact and the planetary response to the anthropogenic assault could occur by early 2016.

• SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,016 Days Left to ‘Worst Day’ in the brief Human  History
• The countdown began on May 15, 2011 …

GLOBAL WARNINGS

• WARNING: Human impact 2.85 x Earth’s diminishing carrying capacity
• WARNING: RAPID PLANETARY DECLINE IN PROGRESS!
• Europe: The First Phase of Collapse Has Started 
• United States: The First Phase of Collapse Has Begun

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

Global Disasters/ Significant Events Headlines – 8 April 2013

Korean nuke conflict could make Chernobyl look like “child’s fairytale” – Putin

The fallout of a nuclear conflict on the Korean Peninsula would cause far greater devastation than the  Chernobyl nuclear disaster in 1986, the Russian President, Vladimir Putin, was reported as saying.

“I would make no secret about it, we are worried about the escalation on the Korean peninsula, because we are neighbors,” he told a joint news conference with German Chancellor Merkel in Germany.

“And if, God forbid, something happens, Chernobyl which we all know a lot about, may seem like a child’s fairy tale. Is there such a threat or not? I think there is… I would urge everyone to calm down… and start to resolve the problems that have piled up for many years there at the negotiating table.”

North Korea displays its Multiple-Launch Rocket System (MLRS) earlier this year. Credit: AFP. Image may be subject to copyright.

The tensions have been mounting since the United Nations imposed new sanctions against the North in response to Pyongyang’s third nuclear test in February.  NK’s anger has further been compounded by weeks of joint military exercises by SK and U.S. troops.

Related Links

• Tensions Mounting on Korean Peninsula April 2, 2013
• Korean War Would Accelerate Global Collapse March 30, 2013

Global War Forecast

“In the most likely scenario, as the first phase of world’s cities begin to collapse, an all-out global war would break out… that would be fought with nuclear, exotic, biological and conventional weapons.”

• Nuking Earth for Lifestyle: Posted by edro on March 10, 2008

.

GREEK BANK STOCKS PLUNGE BY UP TO 30%  AS MERGER IS FROZEN

Stocks in Greek banks fell by up to a third after plans to merge two of them were frozen on fears the new entity would be too big to be manageable.

• Both the National Bank of Greece (NBG) and Eurobank stocks fell by nearly a third in morning trade, with Alpha and Piraeus banks losing about a fifth of their value, reports said.

Related Links

• What’s Happening in Cyprus? Posted on March 23, 2013

.

DISASTER CALENDAR – April 8, 2013 — 
SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,069 Days Left 

Mass die-offs resulting from human impact and the planetary response to the anthropogenic assault could occur by early 2016.

• SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,069 Days Left to ‘Worst Day’ in the brief Human  History
• The countdown began on May 15, 2011 …

GLOBAL WARNINGS

• WARNING: Human impact 2.85 x Earth’s diminishing carrying capacity
• WARNING: RAPID PLANETARY DECLINE IN PROGRESS!
• Europe: The First Phase of Collapse Has Started 
• United States: The First Phase of Collapse Has Begun

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

Magnitude 6.7 quake strikes south of Crete

Strong 6.7 Mw quake strikes south of Crete, Greece

Magnitude 6.7 mainshock followed by at least one aftershock measuring 4.9 Mw struck south of the island of Crete, Greece.

10-degree Map Centered at 35°N,25°E

Location Map. Note location of Santorini. Original Map: USGS

Major Tectonic Boundaries: Subduction Zones -purple (Source: USGS)

Major Tectonic Boundaries: Subduction Zones -purple (Source: USGS)

Details of the Mainshock:

• Magnitude: 6.7
• Date-Time:
  • Wednesday, July 01, 2009 at 09:30:12 UTC
  • Wednesday, July 01, 2009 at 12:30:12 PM at epicenter
• Location:  34.188°N, 25.426°E
• Depth:  38 km (23.6 miles)
• Region CRETE, GREECE
• Distances
  • 130 km (80 miles) S of Iraklion, Crete, Greece
  • 195 km (120 miles) SE of Chania, Crete, Greece
  • 270 km (165 miles) NNE of Tubruq, Libya
  • 450 km (280 miles) SSE of ATHENS, Greece
• Location Uncertainty:  horizontal +/- 7.1 km (4.4 miles); depth +/- 12.8 km (8.0 miles)
• Parameters:  NST= 51, Nph= 51, Dmin=131.6 km, Rmss=1.19 sec, Gp= 72°, M-type=teleseismic moment magnitude (Mw), Version=7
• Source: USGS NEIC (WDCS-D)
• Event ID:  us2009ina1

What’s happening at Santorini?

For Background Information See: Volcanoes, Santorini Eruption and Crops Failure in China

Santorini

Country: Greece
Subregion Name: Greece
Volcano Type: Shield volcanoes
Volcano Status: Historical
Last Known Eruption: 1950
Summit Elevation: 367 m 1,204 feet
Latitude: 36.404°N 36°24’13″N
Longitude: 25.396°E 25°23’47″E
Source: GVP

Renowned Santorini (Thera), with its steep-walled caldera rim draped by whitewashed villages overlooking an active volcanic island in the center of a caldera bay, is one of the scenic highlights of the Aegean. The circular island group is composed of overlapping shield volcanoes cut by at least four partially overlapping calderas. The oldest southern caldera was formed about 180,000 years before present (BP), followed by the Skaros caldera about 70,000 years BP, and then the Cape Riva caldera about 21,000 years BP. The youngest caldera formed about 3600 years BP during the Late-Bronze-Age Minoan eruption that forced abandonment of the thriving Aegean Sea island. Post-Minoan eruptions beginning in 197 BC constructed a series of lava domes and flows that form two islands near the center of the caldera. A submarine eruption took place in 1650 AD outside the caldera NE of Thera. The latest eruption at Santorini produced a small lava dome and flow in 1950, accompanied by explosive activity. Photo by Lee Siebert, 1994 (Smithsonian Institution). Caption: Global Volcanism Program.

Geographic setting

Santorini is an active volcano in the South Aegean Sea about 120 km north of
Crete, its location being 36.4oN, 25.4oE, and belongs to the Cycladic islands.
Santorini is a group of 5 islands:
1. The main island Thira (75,8 km², ca. 7000 inhabitants)
2. Thirasia (9,3 km², ca. 250 inhabitants)
3. Aspronisi (0,1 km², uninhabited)
4. Palea Kameni (0,5 km², 1 inhabitant) 5. Nea Kameni (3,4 km², uninhabited  (http://www.geophysicsonline.gr)

On June 13, 2009 GR Reporter (www.GRREPORTER.INFO) wrote:

Computer generated image of Columbus. Source: GR Reporter

The submarine volcano, Columbus, located about 6.5 km south-east of Santorini in the Aegean Sea, is now the focus of “great interest” for Greek and German geologists.
“They have registered constant earthquakes of 4 Richter, hot air eruptions and continuous changes in the sea floor around the crater. The volcano is 470 meters high and reaches down to 17 meters beneath the sea floor. Its crater’s width is out of proportion- 1.5 kilometers. Complex submarine equipment has shown that Columbus’s volcanic activity never stops. It is the reason for the frequent earthquakes and constant changes in the surface around the crater.”

“The distortion of the sea floor is minor but it can be seen on the walls of the crater and in the 10-15-kilometers perimeter around it,” says Martin Heds from the Geology and Seismology institute to the Hamburg University.

According to Heds, “this does not indicate an eruption in near future.” The last known eruption of Columbus occurred in 1650.

“‘Reservoirs’” filled with hot water, reaching 200 degrees centigrade, resembling under-water fire places and releasing different kinds of gases- mostly carbon dioxide and hydrogen sulphide,” were discovered in the vicinity of Columbus.

A 5-km wide magma chamber is believed to be situated under the volcano. Lava is constantly spewed out of the chamber, GR Reporter suggested.

Tectonic Setting

The volcanic complex of Santorini is the most active part of the South Aegean Volcanic Arc. This volcanic arc is about 500 km long and 20 to 40 km wide and extends from the mainland of Greece through the islands of Aegina, Methana, Poros, Milos, Santorini, Kos, Yali, Nisyros and the Bodrum peninsula in Turkey. It is characterized by earthquakes at depths of 150-170 km that mark the subduction of the African underneath the Eurasian plate, more precisely the Aegean subplate, at a rate of up to 5 cm per year in a northeasterly direction.  (http://www.geophysicsonline.gr)

The South Aegean Volcanic Arc and the tectonic setting of Santorini. (http://www.geophysicsonline.gr) Click Image to Enlarge.

Geology of Santorini

Non-volcanic rocks are exposed on Santorini at the Profitis Ilias Mountain, Mesa Vouno, the Gavrillos ridge, Pirgos, Monolithos and the inner side of the caldera wall between Cape Plaka and Athinios.

They represent a former non-volcanic island of about 9×6 km extension similar to neighboring Cycladic islands like Anaphe, Ios or Amorgos. The rocks consist of metamorphosed limestone and schist from Triassic to Tertiary time folded during the Alpine folding. The observed metamorphose grade is a blue-schist faciesresulting from tectonic deformation by the plate collision in the Oligocene to Miocene. At Athinios a 9.5 million year old Miocene granite intrusion has been found; it is part of the Cycladic Granitic Province and is the source of ore minerals including talc, chalcopyrite, chrysocolla, magnetite and others.(http://www.geophysicsonline.gr).

Simplified geologic map of Santorini. (http://www.geophysicsonline.gr  Sourced  From  http://www.geo.aau.dk/palstrat/tom/santorini_homepage/santorini_geology.htm). Click Image to Enlarge.

Related Links:

• Volcanoes, Santorini Eruption and Crops Failure in China
• FEWW Volcano Links
• Volcanoes
• FEWW Earthquake Links
• FEWW Earthquake Links

Soputan volcano erupts

Lava from Mount Soputan flows 2 km from crater

Indonesia’s Vulcanology Survey raised alert level for Soputan volcano located on Sulawesi island to level IV, the highest level, after it began ejecting hot lava and clouds of ash. Pyroclastic flows were extending about 2 km from Mount Soputan’s summit, but haven’t reached the foot of the mountain.

The authorities placed a 6-km exclusion zone around the volcano. Climbers are not allowed in the danger zone which also covers camping areas in the eastern part of the mountain about 4 km from the summit. According to a report, 6 volcanic earthquakes struck Mount Soputan on June 6.

People from a district in Minahasa look at columns of ash spewed from Mount Soputan, in Indonesia’s North Sulawesi province June 6, 2008. REUTERS/Stringer. Image may be subject to copyright. See FEWW Fair Use Notice!

“Stronger explosion may happen, which can emit dangerous materials from the crater,” Saut Simatupang, head of Indonesia’s Vulcanology Survey said.

The volcano has been erupting since Friday, spewing ash and debris to a height of about 2 km and covering an 8-km radius area around the crater.

“There is no need to displace the villagers. The frequency of the eruption has decreased since 2 a.m. Saturday,” he said.

Although no casualties have been reported, an eye witness in the village of Molompar in the Tombatu subdistrict in Southeast Minahasa, reported that a number of houses in Lobu, Silian, and Tombatu villages had collapsed as a result of volcanic ash deposits that had accumulated on the roofs.

Mount Soputan, a stratovolcano, is one of Indonesia’s 130 or so active volcanoes, which previously erupted 24–30 October 2007. In a 2004 eruption lava extended its southwest slope, but no fatalities were reported.

Related Links:

• Chaitén’s Fury Ending?
• Volcanoes
• Philippines Taal Volcano Could Erupt Anytime!
• Volcanoes, Santorini Eruption and Crops Failure in China

Related Video:

• Indonesian volcano alert