MONUMENTAL EARTH CHANGES: Cyclone Fantala - Indian Ocean's Most Powerful Storm On Record! [VIDEO]

Tropical Cyclone Fantala near peak intensity.  © NOAA/NASA, RAMMB/CIRA

April 21, 2016 - INDIAN OCEAN - The third record-breaking storm in under a year might owe its ferocity to human activity

Winds of 170 mph can lift and hurl heavy cars, even peel the bark from trees.

So it's a good thing not many people are in the waters north of Madagascar right now, where Tropical Cyclone Fantala just made history as the strongest-known storm in the Indian Ocean.

The mighty tempest spun itself up to 150 knots (173 mph) on Monday, surpassing the 145-knot (167 mph) barrage of Super Cyclonic Storm Gonu in 2007. (Reliable records only date to 1990, for what it's worth.)

That would make it a Category 5 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson wind scale. It simmered down to about 85 knots on Wednesday, and is expected to wander southeast for a couple days before running out of steam.

Fantala is the latest in a series of abnormally menacing cyclones: Hurricane Patricia became the strongest-known storm in the Northeast Pacific in October, and February's Winston caused devastation in Fiji as the most-potent cyclone on record in the Southwest Pacific.

This progression of monster storms might have something to due with human activity.

"Many parts of the tropics have seen record-warm sea surface temperatures in 2015 and 2016, triggered by a strong El Niño on top of longer-term warming caused by human-produced greenhouse gases," writes meteorologist Bob Henson at Weather Underground. "These unusual readings have added fuel to the fire of tropical cyclone production."

#Fantala from storm to Cat 5 cyclone seen by Met-10 https://t.co/FSeh7on5uR Thnx also to @DanLindsey77 for VIIRS pic pic.twitter.com/T8ljW076Nx

— EUMETSAT Users (@eumetsat_users) April 19, 2016

- CityLab.

PLANETARY TREMORS: Strong 5.9 Magnitude Earthquake Hits Off Western Indian-Antarctica In The Indian Ocean, South Of Australia - USGS! [MAPS]

USGS earthquake location.

February 28, 2016 - ANTARCTICA - A strong earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 5.9 has struck the Indian Ocean between Antarctica and Australia, seismologists say.

No tsunami warnings have been issued.

The earthquake, which struck at about 21:29:43 UTC on Sunday, and was centered about 1106 kilometers (687 miles) southwest of Geeveston, Australia.

USGS shakemap intensity.

The earthquake struck at a depth of about 10 kilometers (6.2 miles) below the seabed, the United States Geological Survey (USGS) reported.

The earthquake was not strong enough to generate a tsunami, and no alerts were issued by the Joint Australian Tsunami Warning Centre.

No damage or casualties were expected from the temblor.

PLANETARY TREMORS: Strong 5.9 Magnitude Earthquake Hits Off Antarctica In The Indian Ocean, South Of Australia - USGS! [MAPS]

USGS earthquake location.

February 23, 2016 - ANTARCTICA - A strong earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 5.9 has struck the Indian Ocean between Antarctica and Australia, seismologists say.

No tsunami warnings have been issued.

The earthquake, which struck at about 5:08 a.m. Sydney time on Wednesday, was centered about 454 kilometers (282 miles) northeast of the French scientific station Dumont d'Urville in Antarctica, or about 2,261 kilometers (1,405 miles) south of Hobart on Tasmania.

USGS shakemap intensity.

The earthquake struck at a depth of about 7.7 kilometers (4.8 miles) below the seabed, the United States Geological Survey (USGS) reported.

The earthquake was not strong enough to generate a tsunami, and no alerts were issued by the Joint Australian Tsunami Warning Centre.

No damage or casualties were expected from Wednesday's earthquake. - BNO News.

MONUMENTAL EARTH CHANGES: Weather Anomalies - 3 Tropical Cyclones Form At The Same Time In The Southern Hemisphere!

3 tropical storms. © Google Maps

February 11, 2016 - SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE - Three tropical cyclones formed almost simultaneously in the Southern Hemisphere.

Daya was born in the Indian Ocean, whereas Eleven and Tatiana formed in the Pacific Ocean.

The tropical cyclone Daya formed east of Madagascar in the Indian Ocean and is moving in a south-easterly direction.

In the eye of the storm, wind speeds were measured at 72 km / h, with gusts reaching 97 km / h.

Tropical cyclone Daya.

Tropical Cyclone 11 is still nameless. It formed to the east of the islands of Vanuatu in the Pacific Ocean.

The wind speed at the epicenter is 72 km / h, with gusts up to 97 km / h.

Tropical cyclone 11.

The cyclone is moving in a southeasterly direction and could grow significantly worse in the near future.

The tropical cyclone Tatiana formed east of Australia and to the west of the islands of Vanuatu in the Pacific Ocean.

Tropical cyclone Tatiana.

It is currently moving in a south-easterly direction.

The wind speed at the epicenter is 80 km / h, with gusts up to 105 km / h. Hopefully they will not sweep through residential areas. - Strange Sounds.

PLANETARY TREMORS: Very Strong Magnitude 6.3 Earthquake Hits Western Indian-Antarctic Ridge - USGS! [MAPS]

USGS earthquake location.

January 1, 2016 - INDIAN OCEAN - A magnitude-6.3 earthquake jolted Western Indian-Antarctic Ridge at 0200 GMT on Friday (10:00 Beijing time), the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) said.

The epicenter, with a depth of 10.0 km, was initially determined to be at 50.5751 degrees south latitude and 139.4469 degrees east longitude.

USGS shakemap intensity.

There is no tsunami threat from this earthquake, according to NOAA’s Pacific Tsunami Warning Center in Hawaii and the Japan Meteorological Advisory.

According to the Global Disaster Alert and Coordination System (GDACS), the earthquake can have a no humanitarian impact based on the magnitude and the affected population and their vulnerability.

PLANETARY TREMORS: Powerful And Shallow Magnitude 7.1 Earthquake Hits Southeast Indian Ridge - No Tsunami Warning!

USGS earthquake location.

December 4, 2015 - INDIAN OCEAN - A powerful and shallow earthquake registered as magnitude 7.1 by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) hit the Southeast Indian Ridge at 22:24 UTC on December 4, 2015.

The agency is reporting a depth of 10 km (6.2 miles). EMSC is also reporting magnitude 7.1 at a depth of 10 km. Australia Geoscience is reporting M7.2 at a depth of 0 km.

According to the USGS, the epicenter was located 1,020 km (634 miles) northeast of Heard Island, Heard Island and McDonald Islands and 2,961 km (1 840 miles) southwest of Busselton, Australia.

USGS earthquake location.

There are no people living within 100 km (62 miles) radius.

USGS issued green alert for shaking-related fatalities and economic losses. There is a low likelihood of casualties and damage.

USGS shakemap intensity.

According to NOAA's National Weather Service no tsunami warnings, advisories or watches are in effect.

 

GLOBAL VOLCANISM: Second Eruption Of 2015 At Piton de la Fournaise On Reunion Island - More Intense Than The One In February; Large Lava Flow Heading Towards Coastal Flats!

The two active vents with lava flows yesterday (photo: Planétaire974)

May 18, 2015 - REUNION ISLAND - The new eruption continues, although only the lowest vent seems to be still active by now.

It continues to feed a large lava flow now headed towards the vast coastal flat to the east. In the course of today, it reached the steeper section of the Enclos, the "Grandes Pentes" and started to descend there.

At this point, the lava flow, approx. 4-5 km long could be seen from the popular "lava road" (which might be closed off soon).

The lava flow descending on the Grandes Pentes (photo: JPL / Fournaise Info)

The lower fissure vent opened shortly after the first eruptive fissure had opened higher up on the flanks of Dolomieu crater, near the 1948 cinder cone "Chateau Fort". As is typical, the lower vent produced the more significant lava fountaining and lava flow effusion.

Compared to the last eruption in February, the current one seems to be much more intense. This could be explained if the eruption is fed by a deeper reservoir instead of a shallow pocket of magma (as was the case in February).


May 17 Update: A new eruption, so far small, began this Sunday at 13:45 from a fissure vent at the the southeast slopes of the Dolomieux crater inside the Enclos next to the Château Fort cone.

An intense seismic crisis with 5-7 earthquakes per minutes started 55 minutes before the onset of the eruption, as magma pushed its way to the surface. A few minutes after the beginning of the quakes, significant deformation of the Dolomieu crater rim could be measured as well.

The prefecture of La Réunion triggered alert phase 2 and closed access to the Enclos.

Fissure eruption at Piton de la Fournaise today

The new eruption seems to be similar in its (small) size and vent location as the last one that occurred between 4-16 February this year. Both probably originate from a same shallow magma reservoir that by early 2015 had grown enough to produce eruptions at the surface.

Frequent (several per year), but generally small eruptions have been a typical feature of Piton de la Fournaise during much of the volcano's recent past decades. - Volcano Discovery.

GLOBAL VOLCANISM: The Latest Report Of Volcanic Eruptions, Activity, Unrest And Awakenings – April 27, 2015!

April 28, 2015 - EARTH - The following constitutes the new activity, unrest and ongoing reports of volcanoes across the globe, courtesy of Volcano Discovery.

Karymsky (Kamchatka): An explosion occurred this morning that was strong enough to produce an ash plume to approx. 10,000 ft (3 km) altitude (VAAC Tokyo).

Sakurajima (Kyushu, Japan): Strong activity continues from the volcano. This morning (14:24 local time), an explosion at the Showa crater sent a plume to 15,000 ft (4.5 km) altitude that drifted north.

Manam (Papua New Guinea): Eruptive activity is taking place at the volcano. VAAC Darwin reported an ash plume to 8,000 ft from the volcano this morning. A pronounced SO2 plume can be seen on satellite data as well.

Dukono (Halmahera): The volcano continues to produce significant ash emissions - a plume extending 20 nautical miles E was observed Saturday (Darwin VAAC).

Barren Island (Indian Ocean): A pilot reported an ash plume rising to 10,000 ft from the volcano. Likely, eruptive activity which had produced a new lava flow in March is still going on or has resumed.

GLOBAL VOLCANISM: New Eruption At Piton de la Fournaise On Reunion Island - First Eruption Since 2010! [PHOTOS+VIDEO]

June 21, 2014 - REUNION ISLAND, INDIAN OCEAN - Piton de la Fournaise, located on Reunion Island in the Indian Ocean, had its first eruption (see below) since 2010.

The eruption is behaving as most do at the shield volcano over the Reunion hotspot, with fast moving lava flows over the barren terrain.


WATCH: You can see some video of the eruption, showing the fissure and the branching lava flows heading down slope (see below).

The lavas at Piton de la Fournaise are lower viscosity than you find at similar eruptions at another hotspot volcano, Kilauea.

That’s because the lava is more alkaline, where the addition of Na, K and Ca into the magma keeps it from forming chains of silica as easily.

This means the viscosity remains lower for longer and producing those fast moving pahoehoe flows. Luckily this eruption is in a very remote part of the volcano, so there is little-to-no threat from the flows, unlike the eruption in 2007.

Lava flows from the June 21, 2014 eruption of Piton de la Fournaise LIinfo.re (video capture)

 The eruption itself started in the early morning hours on June 21 from the southeastern side of the main summit crater.

There had been 10 days of precursory signs that an eruption was in the works, with higher gas emissions and seismicity, along with a red glow in the area very recently.

Unfortunately this current eruption is not occurring in view of any of the webcams pointed at the volcano. - WIRED.

PLANETARY TREMORS: Strong Magnitude 6.4 Earthquake Strikes South Indian Ocean - Shallow Tremor Prompted Tsunami Warning For The Cocos Islands! [MAPS+TECTONIC SUMMARY]

June 14, 2014 - INDIAN OCEAN -  A shallow 6.4-magnitude earthquake hits the southern Indian Ocean on Saturday, US seismologists said, prompting Australia to issue a tsunami warning.

USGS earthquake location map.

The US Geological Survey said the quake struck at a depth of seven kilometres (4.4 miles) at 1110 GMT, almost 700 miles northwest of Australia's Cocos Islands, also known as the Keeling Islands.

There were no immediate reports of damage or casualties, but the Joint Australian Tsunami Warning Centre (JATWC) issued an alert and advised people not to swim in the sea, and to move away from beaches, harbours, marinas and coastal estuaries. Evacuations from the area were unnecessary, it said.

USGS earthquake shakemap intensity.

The JATWC put the quake at a magnitude of 6.6.

The Cocos Islands are located 2750 kilometres northwest of Perth in Western Australia. - Times of India . 

Tectonic Summary - Seismotectonics of the Sumatra Region.

The plate boundary southwest of Sumatra is part of a long tectonic collision zone that extends over 8000 km from Papua in the east to the Himalayan front in the west. The Sumatra-Andaman portion of the collision zone forms a subduction zone megathrust plate boundary, the Sunda-Java trench, which accommodates convergence between the Indo-Australia and Sunda plates. This convergence is responsible for the intense seismicity and volcanism in Sumatra. The Sumatra Fault, a major transform structure that bisects Sumatra, accommodates the northwest-increasing lateral component of relative plate motion.

Relative plate motion between the Indo-Australia and Sunda plates is rapid, decreasing from roughly 63 mm/year near the southern tip of Sumatra (Australia relative to Sunda) to 44 mm/year north of Andaman Islands (India relative to Sunda) and rotating counterclockwise to the northwest, so that relative motion near Jakarta is nearly trench-normal but becomes nearly trench-parallel near Myanmar. As a result of the rotation in relative motion along the strike of the arc and the interaction of multiple tectonic plates, several interrelated tectonic elements compose the Sumatra-Andaman plate boundary. Most strain accumulation and release occurs along the Sunda megathrust of the main subduction zone, where lithosphere of the subducting Indo-Australia plate is in contact with the overlying Sunda plate down to a depth of 60 km. Strain release associated with deformation within the subducting slab is evidenced by deeper earthquakes that extend to depths of less than 300 km on Sumatra and 150 km or less along the Andaman Islands. The increasingly oblique convergence between these two plates moving northwest along the arc is accommodated by crustal seismicity along a series of transform and normal faults. East of the Andaman Islands, back- arc spreading in the Andaman Sea produces a zone of distributed normal and strike-slip faulting. Similar to the Sumatran Fault, the Sagaing Fault near Myanmar also accommodates the strike-slip component of oblique plate motion. Plate-boundary related deformation is also not restricted to the subduction zone and overriding plate: the subducting Indo-Australian plate actually comprises two somewhat independent plates (India and Australia), with small amounts of motion relative to one another, that are joined along a broad, actively-deforming region producing seismicity up to several hundred kilometers west of the trench. This deformation is exemplified by the recent April 2012 earthquake sequence, which includes the April 11 M 8.6 and M 8.2 strike-slip events and their subsequent aftershocks.

USGS plate tectonics for the region.

Paleoseismic studies using coral reefs as a proxy for relative land level changes associated with earthquake displacement suggest that the Sunda arc has repeatedly ruptured during relatively large events in the past, with records extending as far back as the 10th century. In northern Simeulue Island, the southern terminus of the 2004 megathrust earthquake rupture area, a cluster of megathrust earthquakes occurred over a 56 year period between A.D. 1390 and 1455, resulting in uplift substantially greater than that caused by the 2004 event. Studies that look at large sheeted deposits of sand on land interpreted as the transport of debris from a tsunami wave also indicate that this region has experienced significant tsunamis in the past centuries, albeit infrequently.

Prior to 2004, the most recent megathrust earthquakes along the Sumatran-Andaman plate boundary were in 1797 (M 8.7-8.9), 1833 (M 8.9-9.1) and 1861 (M8.5). Since 2004, much of the Sunda megathrust between the northern Andaman Islands and Enggano Island, a distance of more than 2,000 km, has ruptured in a series of large subduction zone earthquakes - most rupturing the plate boundary south of Banda Aceh. The great M 9.1 earthquake of December 26, 2004, which produced a devastating tsunami, ruptured much of the boundary between Myanmar and Simeulue Island offshore Banda Aceh. Immediately to the south of the great 2004 earthquake, the M 8.6 Nias Island earthquake of March 28, 2005 ruptured a 400-km section between Simeulue and the Batu Islands. Farther south in the Mentawai islands, two earthquakes on September 12, 2007 of M 8.5 and M 7.9 occurred in the southern portion of the estimated 1797 and 1833 ruptures zone, which extends from approximately Enggano Island to the northern portion of Siberut Island. Smaller earthquakes have also been locally important: a M 7.6 rupture within the subducting plate caused considerable damage in Padang in 2009, and a M 7.8 rupture on October 25, 2010 occurred on the shallow portion of the megathrust to the west of the Mentawai Islands, and caused a substantial tsunami on the west coast of those islands.

In addition to the current seismic hazards along this portion of the Sunda arc, this region is also recognized as having one of the highest volcanic hazards in the world. One of the most dramatic eruptions in human history was the Krakatau eruption on August 26-27, 1883, a volcano just to the southeast of the island of Sumatra, which resulted in over 35, 000 casualties.

Subduction and seismicity along the plate boundary adjacent to Java is fundamentally different from that of the Sumatran-Andaman section. Relative motion along the Java arc is trench-normal (approximately 65-70 mm/year) and does not exhibit the same strain partitioning and back-arc strike- slip faulting that are observed along the Sumatra margin. Neither has the Java subduction zone hosted similar large magnitude megathrust events to those of its neighbor, at least in documented history. Although this region is not as seismically active as the Sumatra region, the Java arc has hosted low to intermediate-magnitude extensional earthquakes and deep-focus (300-700 km) events and exhibits a similar if not higher volcanic hazard. This arc has also hosted two large, shallow tsunami earthquakes in the recent past which resulted in high tsunami run-ups along the southern Java coast. - USGS.

PLANETARY TREMORS: Strong Magnitude 6.0 Earthquake Hits The Bay Of Bengal - Tremors Felt In East India, Delhi, And Chennai! [MAPS+TECTONIC SUMMARY]

May 21, 2014 - BAY OF BENGAL & THE ANDAMAN SEA BASIN - Mild to moderate tremors were felt in northern and eastern India on Wednesday night.

USGS earthquake location map.

Tremors were felt in places like Kolkata, Bhubaneshwar, Ranchi, Gaya and Chennai.

In Chennai tremors were felt in parts of Nungambakkam, Porur and Triplicane, according to some reports.

Tremors were also felt in Delhi and NCR.

The epicentre of earthquake was in Bay of Bengal, 275 km South-East of Paradip Garh. Its magnitude was 6:0 on the Richter scale and depth was 10 km, as per India Meterological Department.

The tremors struck around 9:52 pm.

USGS earthquake shakemap intensity

The tremor was felt for a few seconds in many areas of Odisha, including state capital Bhubaneshwar but it was enough to trigger panic among people who immediately moved out of buildings, PTI reported.

Panic also gripped several parts of Odisha's Kendrapara district where residents felt the tremors for about 10 seconds.

No reports of damage to human life and property has been reported as yet.  - ZEE News.

Tectonic Setting and Seismotectonic History of the Andaman Sea Basin.

The Andaman Sea is a highly folded and spreading geosynclinal basin, about 650 km wide from east to west and about 1200 km long from north to south. Its total area is estimated to be 600,000 to 800,000 km2.

The Andamans and the Nicobars are a group of 349 islands - summits of a submarine mountain range situated on the western side of the basin, formed by tectonic interactions. The present configuration resulted about 26 million years ago. The islands are the boundary separating the Andaman Sea basin from the Indian Ocean. The Andaman group has a total of 325 islands, while the Nicobar group has 24 islands. Only 38 of these islands are inhabited.

Tectonic Setting - The Andaman Sea Basin, is a seismically active region at the southeastern end of the Alpine-Himalayan belt,. For millions of years the India tectonic plate has moved in a north/northeast direction, colliding with the Eurasian tectonic plate. The Indian plate's eastern boundary, along the Andaman and Nicobar islands and Northern Sumatra, is a diffuse zone of seismicity and deformation, characterized by extensive faulting and numerous large shallow and intermediate earthquakes.

The Burma microplate encompasses the northwest portion of the island of Sumatra, as well as the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Further to the east of the Andaman and Nicobar islands, a divergent boundary separates the Burma plate from the Sunda plate.

Seismotectonic History - The seimotectonic history of the region is extensively covered in the scientific literature (Sinvhal et al.1978, Verma et al. 1978). More recent research documents the following regional tectonic evolution. Accordingly, an extensional feature developed along a leaky transform segment of the megashear zone - the Andaman fault - between the Indo-Australian domain and the Sunda-Indochina block (Uyeda and Kanamori, 1979; Taylor and Karner, 1983). This old shear zone acted as a western strike slip guide for the extrusion of the Indochina block about 50-20 My (Tapponnier et al., 1986) - and in response to the indentation of the Indian tectonic plate into Eurasian block.

Collision of Indochina with the Sunda and Australian blocks stopped this crustal extrusion process. Subsequently, the Andaman fault system - recently prolonged through the Sumatra zone (the Sumatra fault) - reactivated due to the lateral escape of the Sumatra forearc sliver plate and as a result of the oblique convergence and subduction with the Indo-Australian plate.

The Indian plate's oblique subduction beneath the Burmese Microplate has created the Andaman segment of the great Sunda Trench. The Andaman and Nicobar Islands are located within the tectonic sliver near the boundary of the Indian plate and the Burmese Microplate. Similarly the oblique subduction has created the north-south trending West Andaman fault - another strike-slip fault system in the Andaman Sea to the east of the island chain.

The Volcanic Arc - The subduction process has also formed a volcanic arc. There are two known volcanoes along this arc. The one in the North is known as the Barren Island Volcano - considered active as it has erupted within recent times. The other is known as the Narcondum volcano and is considered dormant.

Seismicity of the Region - Shallow and occasional intermediate-depth earthquakes delineate the subducted slab under the Andaman-Nicobar islands joining the seismicity trend of the Indo-Burman ranges. The active seismicity of the Andaman Sea Basin, has caused many minor and intermediate earthquakes, a few major events ,and only one known earthquake with magnitude greater than 8. According to the literature (Bapat 1982) from 1900 to 1980, a total of 348 earthquakes were recorded in the area bounded by 7.0 N to 22.0 N and 88.0 E to 100 E. - Dr. George P.C.

GLOBAL VOLCANISM: Kick'em Jenny - Could Dangerous Underwater Volcano In The Caribbean Cause A U.S. Tsunami?!

May 15, 2014 - CARIBBEAN - A team of scientists is exploring the darkest corners of a huge underwater volcano in the Caribbean in hopes of better understanding the mysteries of earthquakes and tsunamis, ultimately saving lives.

Kick'em Jenny is a dangerous and active volcano sitting roughly 6,000 feet below the surface of the Caribbean Sea, and located off the coast of the island of Grenada, south of St. Lucia.

Robert Ballard, famous for discovering the Titanic 12,000 feet below the surface of the icy North Atlantic in 1985, set his sights on exploring the Kick'em Jenny to study its eruption history and learn more about how underwater volcanoes can pose a threat.

Ballard, the president of The Ocean Exploration Trust and the director of the Center for Ocean Exploration at the University of Rhode Island’s Graduate School of Oceanography, said the Kick'em Jenny volcano has a history of explosive eruptions, which could have the potential to trigger tsunamis, the effects from which could be felt as far away as the northeastern United States.

According to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), the Kick'em Jenny volcano has erupted 10 times since 1939 with the most recent eruption in 1990.

“This is the most hazardous part of our planet, where [tectonic] plates are head-on,” Ballard said, noting that the devastating 2011 Japanese earthquake and the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami were both underwater earthquakes.

“Nightline” accompanied Ballard and his team of 40 explorers aboard their exploration vessel Nautilus during the final 48 hours of their 90-day voyage, which was documented for an upcoming National Geographic special, "Caribbean's Deadly Underworld," which premieres Sunday on Nat Geo WILD.

The conditions around the Kick'em Jenny volcano are so dangerous to humans that Ballard and his team relied on the Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) “Hercules,” a 5,000-pound submersible, to be their eyes and ears inside the volcano. As Hercules descends into the volcano, Ballard and his team watch the robot’s live cameras from a control room aboard the Nautilus.

After hours of searching, the team made a startling discovery: life.

“It means that places that we thought there was very little life existing on our plant, we’ve just opened up a whole other area where life seems to be thriving,” Ballard said. “A lot of the deep sea is sort of like you know you can think of it as a desert. We just found an oasis in that desert.”


WATCH: Could Underwater Caribbean Volcano Threaten U.S.?

On its journey, Hercules took pictures of its surroundings, made maps and collected samples, including organisms living inside the volcano and even reaching inside the volcano’s bubbling plume to gather materials.

Such discoveries on Ballard’s trip could allow scientists to better understand the threats posed by underwater volcanic eruptions.

“And there’s no reason to stop, there’s 72 percent of the planet hardly explored,” Ballard said. “I like to tell children that their generation is the generation that will explore more of earth than all previous generations combined.” - ABC News.

MONUMENTAL GEOLOGICAL UPHEAVAL: Sinkholes Are Opening Up All Over The Nicobar Islands!

May 04, 2014 - NICOBAR ISLANDS, INDIAN OCEAN -  While the United States Geological Survey (USGS) is sparing no effort to fill a rapidly widening sinkhole in Florida since Apr. 23, India's Geological Survey has closed its field station in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands where sinkholes have sprung up all over as an aftermath of the 2004 Asian tsunami.

A sinkhole is widening in Car Nicobar, but the authorities are clueless about its potential dangers. Malini Shankar/IPS

The administration in this popular tourist destination in the Bay of Bengal may be prepared for another tsunami. But it seems clueless about these holes in the ground that can sometimes cave in or lead to other geological events like hot springs, water spouts, natural gas emissions or even cracks in the subterranean magma chambers.

Islanders told IPS that sinkholes have appeared all over Nicobar. Whether that is also the case with the Andamans remains a matter of speculation as there is no official documentation of it, nor did the administration facilitate this writer's photo assignment to visit the geologically volatile islands.

IPS discovered and photographed sinkholes in three Nicobar Islands - Car Nicobar, Kamorta and Campbell Bay.

"Car Nicobar is full of sinkholes after the tsunami. Even though I grew up here, our parents are now petrified of us swimming near the beach," says Dr. Christina Rossetti, a local of Car Nicobar who works at a government-run hospital here.

Indian Air Force officers at Car Nicobar documented a water spout in April 2013 which shot up from a sinkhole to 1,000 metres in the sky over the Bay of Bengal.

Tsunami survivors in Car Nicobar also told IPS about water spouts that injured their eyes during the disaster.

Sinkholes can be either the cause or the consequence of quicksand, hot springs, geysers, natural gas emissions or water spouts. Initially the surface starts collapsing.

"Usually the depression goes on increasing in depth and it transits from depression to saucer to cup," Dr. Arun Bapat, formerly head of earthquake engineering research at the Central Water and Power Research Station in the western Indian city of Pune, told IPS.

"Sinkholes are usually formed in calcareous formation. The reduction or dissolution of calcium due to drainage or erosion or natural flow of water can cause sinkholes. Earthquakes are not the main cause of sinkholes. But it is possible that in calcareous rock, when a landslide has occurred during or immediately after earthquake, landslides could lead to sinkholes," says Bapat.

Sinkholes look deceptively benign, but anything from quicksand to natural gas could be hidden beneath, deceiving people and livestock who may innocently trample the surface and be swallowed into geysers or cavernous black holes in the ground.

Sinkholes, which range from a few centimetres to 600 metres in diameter, can appear in the aftermath of big seismic events.

Referring to Thailand, the 2005 United Nations Environment Programme report 'Rapid Assessment after Asian Tsunami' says: "Between the earthquake of 26 December 2004 and 24 January 2005, 25 sinkholes have been reported, an unprecedented frequency; 17 of them were reported in the six tsunami-affected provinces."

But no such assessment has been done for India's Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

IPS approached several authorities, including the National Geophysical Research Institute, the National Institute of Ocean Technology, the Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services, the Geological Society of India, but drew a blank.

The secretary of the Disaster Management Authority for Andaman and Nicobar Islands (DMA) was on leave and the director of DMA did not answer calls.

Sakshi Mittal, deputy commissioner of Nicobar, said, "This has not been brought to my notice yet." Lt. Gen. A.K. Singh, Lieutenant-Governor of Andaman and Nicobar, the highest ranking official of the island territory, told IPS, "We have no idea about sinkholes, please complete your research and inform us."

This administration seems unaware of potential dangers even though the area is home to 350,000 people, 20,000 of whom are highly endangered indigenous people. Its picturesque locales drew 250,445 tourists in 2013.

Ambikaprasad Mallik, a scuba diving instructor in Havelock Island, told IPS, "If a series of sinkholes on the beach collapses at one go, the difference of levels in the water and land masses can create waves and even cause a small local tsunami."

Sinkholes occur in many parts of India and the world. They have accounted for the disappearance of human beings, livestock, rivers, buildings and vehicles.

"Sinkholes represent a hazard to property and human safety in a wide variety of geologic settings across the globe," says the USGS on one of its websites.

Florida in the U.S. is particularly prone to sinkholes, with one last year swallowing a 37-year-old man in his sleep. Another engulfed a forest in Louisiana.

Geologists fight shy of forecasting the precise cause and consequence of sinkholes.

Prof. Kusala Rajendran of the Centre for Earth Sciences at the Indian Institute of Science in Bangalore told IPS, "It is unlikely to lead to anything life threatening, but there may be signatures of deformation such as fissures. This might depend on the region. During seismic activity, land can go down soon after the earthquake. Sinkholes form much later. They develop gradually and are well expressed."

Bapat says, "The sinkholes recently formed in Andaman and Nicobar are probably due to the tsunami. Sometimes, due to geological formation and geometry in the coastal area, stationary waves are formed and this keeps the water vibrating in vertical direction."

USGS notes: "Sinkholes are dramatic because the land usually stays intact for a period of time until the underground spaces just get too big. In most cases, the subsidence rate of a sinkhole represents the most significant potential impact and risk to public safety."

Sinkholes on volcanic slopes like Krakatau in the Java Straits have triggered minor earthquakes. Barren Island, South Asia's only active volcano located in the Andamans, has been spewing lava since January 2010.

With no public transport available to Barren Island, this writer's request to the island administration to facilitate a photo shoot there and in other parts of Andaman district where mud volcanoes are expanding was not accepted. - IPS.

GLOBAL VOLCANISM: Global Volcano Report For February 4, 2014 - Major Updates On Etna, Barren Island, Tungurahua, Sinabung, And Nishino-Shima! [PHOTOS + VIDEO]

February 05, 2014 - WORLDWIDE VOLCANOES - The following constitutes the new activity, unrest and ongoing reports of volcanoes across the globe, courtesy of the Volcano Discovery.

Sinabung (Sumatra, Indonesia): The eruption of the volcano continues with little changes. During the past 2 days (see video below), there have been a number of smaller and occasional medium-sized explosions/dome collapse events that produced pyroclastic flows that reach up to 2-3 km length (at 13:50 yesterday and 07:50 this morning (local times).

Explosion and pyroclastic flow this morning.

Pyroclastic flow at Sinabung yesterday afternoon.

According to local news, a total of 170 search and rescue personnel had been employed during the past days, but still could not find one of the still missing victims of Saturday's fatal pyroclastic flow. The official death toll from the eruption has reached at least 15 (or 16 if the still missing is taken into account), plus two seriously wounded victims. Most of the fatalities were young students and schoolchildren who apparently came as volcano tourists and as part of a Christian class to provide assistance to local people. The other victims were 3 residents of Sukameriah and one from Kabanjahe village.


WATCH: Sinabung volcano activity - February 3-4, 2014.

Rescuers found 8 abandoned (and destroyed) motorcycles, 1 Acer laptop bag, a bag with a handy cam and 2 helmets, an article mentions. Operations in the affected areas with partially still hot deposits, abundant ash and the risk of being in the path of new pyroclastic flows render the rescue operation dangerous and difficult.
Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, head of the National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) in Jakarta announced that the enforcement of the exclusion zone of 5 km will be tightened. He stressed that the 5 villages most at risk are Sukameriah, Bekerah, Simacem, Sigarang-garang, and Sukanalu. These are all located at only 3-3.5 km distance from the volcano's dome and in the path of (even only moderately-sized) pyroclastic flows on the S-SE slope.


Etna (Sicily, Italy): After a short pause with likely no (or almost no) eruptive activity during 1-2 Feb, the volcano started renewed lava effusion from the fissure vent at the eastern foot of the New SE crater yesterday, followed by the onset of weak explosive activity(ash emissions) from the New SE crater this afternoon.

The new lava flow and an ash emission from the New SE crater

So far, this activity has been very weak and the lava flow progressed only a few 100 m. The tremor signal is low and doesn't show a clear trend at the moment.


Nishino-shima (Volcano Islands): The eruption on the now merged Nishino-Shima and Niishima islands continues. A hot spot is visible on current MODIS data.

A hot spot on Nishino-Shima island and its location in the western Pacific

Hopefully, new imagery will be available from the Japanese Coast guard soon.


Barren Island (Indian Ocean): Intermittent eruptive activity continues on the small remote island next to the Andaman island group. A small steam and ash plume and a thermal hot spot can be seen on today's and yesterday's satellite images.

Gas and ash plume from Barren Island today (MODIS/Terra, NASA)

Without (the rare) direct observations (usually by Indian navy), it is impossible to know exactly what type of activity is going on at the moment. It could be intermittent strombolian-type explosions, and/or lava flows or even the formation of a small temporary lava lake.


Tungurahua (Ecuador): Activity at the volcano continues at similar levels as yesterday with intermittent small to moderately large explosions, producing ash plumes of up to 4 km height.

IGPEN released an illustrated summary of the volcano's activity during the past days including the attached image sequence showing the violent explosion on 1 Feb that generated large pyroclastic flows due to the collapse of the eruption column.

Ash column rising from Tungurahua this morning.

Yesterday, small explosions and ash emissions were recorded. At 10:40 local time, an episode of harmonic tremor with a deep origin was recorded, suggesting that more magma might be rising from depth.

Last night and this morning, there were at least 10 explosions of moderate size which could be heard as heavy gunfire and lasted several minutes. Some were so intense that they could be heard several kilometers away. An ash column rose about 4 km above the summit during the largest explosion and drifted northwards.
IGPEN writes that the most likely scenario for the near future are continuing discrete explosions of similar size as yesterday and today, accompanied with strong ash emissions, causing ash fall and possibly pyroclastic flows.

A second most likely scenario is that activity declines at the surface while internal pressure builds up towards another major explosion.

Image sequence (both thermal and visual) of the main explosion on 1 Feb, showing the collapse
of the eruption column into pyroclastic flows (IGPEN)

Both scenarios involve a high risk for anyone in the areas close to the volcano, in particular low-lying areas in and around valleys draining from the mountain, at several (5-10) kilometers distance.

Potentially heavy ash falls can be expected in areas lying in the main wind direction and is likely to seriously affect agriculture, livestock and of course the health of the people exposed to the ash. Furthermore, ash plumes from the current activity are a serious hazard to air traffic in the area.


Complete Earthquake list (worldwide) for February 5, 2014.

- Volcano Discovery.

MASS MAMMAL DIE-OFF: Four Whales Dead After 8 Were Stranded On A Beach In New Caledonia?!

November 20, 2013 - PACIFIC OCEAN - Eight whales, four died, were stranded on a beach in New Caledonia, scientists said Tuesday, residents questioning the role of a nickel plant in the Vale grounding.

One of the eight whales, stranded on a beach in New Caledonia.

The group appeared Saturday in the Somme south of New Caledonia. Monday night, two whales about six meters were still there .

Despite attempts by the teams and the southern province of Operation Cetaceans Association for repelling animals off four whales died in breaking on the beach.

According to experts, it would be of Longman 's beaked whales, a rare species never seen in New Caledonia, which is usually found in the Indo- Pacific Ocean.

The inhabitants of this region, where Kanak tribes live, questioning the link between this grounding and break last week with a discharge pipe to the sea of ​​waste a huge chemical plant processing nickel located in the region, and belonging to the Brazilian giant Vale .

"We really can not answer this type of question for the moment," said however told AFP Claire Garrigue, an expert with the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN ), a specialist in cetaceans.

At a cost of $ 6 billion, the hydrometallurgical plant Vale, Seveso 2, went into production in 2013 after twelve years of construction , interspersed with a host of technical problems and disputes with local communities .

It was to produce 24,000 tons of nickel oxide in 2013, but some observers believe that it will be "just half ".

Some 300 people demonstrated on Monday to demand a total overhaul of plant operating conditions, stop after another incident on November 11.

With a long, thin snout, the Longman 's beaked whale, fairly large, usually lives off in waters more than 1,000 meters deep.

"If they are there is that they are sick or they are confused. We await the results of samples taken from the dead whales to learn more," said Ms. Garrigue.

According to her, no more than a dozen whale strandings of this species has been observed previously.

Three dead whales were buried on municipal land the town of Mont -Dore, so that scientists can later access the skeletons, the newspaper reported The New Caledonian. - France 24.

GLOBAL VOLCANISM: Global Volcano Report For October 16, 2013 - Updates On Klyuchevskoy, Galeras, Cumbal, Sotará, Sabancaya, Ubinas And Barren Island!

October 16, 2013 - WORLDWIDE VOLCANOES - The following constitutes the new activity, unrest and ongoing reports of volcanoes across the globe, courtesy of  Volcano Discovery.


Klyuchevskoy (Kamchatka): Strong eruptive activity continues. VAAC Tokyo reports an ash plume rising to estimated 33,000 ft (10 km) altitude, i.e. about 5 km tall above the volcano, and drifting SW.

Klyuchevskoy volcano this morning (KVERT webcam).

Aircraft should avoid the airspace near as well many miles southwest and east of the volcano. VAAC Tokyo publishes regular updates about the observed and predicted extent of the ash plume.


Galeras (Colombia): Surface and seismic activity have been low recently. A 3.8 magnitude earthquake at 5.5 km depth and 7 km NE of the volcano occurred yesterday at 17:13 local time.

The earthquake was felt in Pasto, and the municipalities of Nariño and La Florida. This event was preceded by 14 earthquakes of smaller magnitude (less than 2.6) recorded between 12:56 am and 16:40 pm, located as well on the NE sector of the volcano at depths 1.2 and 7 km.


Cumbal (Colombia): Seismic unrest continues at low levels with little changes over the past weeks and months. GEOMINAS keeps the volcano at yellow alert level.


Sotará (Colombia): Low-level seismic unrest continues with no significant changes to report over the past months.


Sabancaya (Peru): Seismic unrest continued through Sep-Oct including occasional swarms of volcanic-tectonic quakes (such as on 10 Oct), but overall earthquake activity has been showing a slowly decreasing trend. The volcano remains to be closely monitored.


Ubinas (Peru): Surface and seismic activity have calmed down recently and are near background levels.


Barren Island (Indian Ocean): A new eruption occurred this week. This was confirmed by the Indian Navy (via twitter) who reported "smoke" and lava seen on the island from a surveillance plane. A large hot spot is visible on recent MODIS satellite data on the remote volcanic island, located in the Andaman Islands archipelago.

MODIS hot spot data (past 7 days) for Barren Island volcano (ModVolc, Univ. Hawaii).

No details about the nature of the eruption are available at the moment, but the description and distribution of the hot spots suggests that it might be an explosive-effusive eruption with lava flows (possibly reaching the sea.

A satellite image from yesterday shows what likely is a steam/gas plume, but doesn't allow to recognize details.



Complete Earthquake list (worldwide) for October 16, 2013.

- Volcano Discovery.

PLANETARY TREMORS: Strong 6.4 Magnitude Earthquake Hits The Mid-Indian Ridge!

October 04, 2013 - INDIAN OCEAN - According to the European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC) a strong earthquake measuring 6.4 on the Richter scale jolted the Mid-Indian Ridge at 17:26:17.0 UTC on Friday.

EMSC earthquake location.

The epicenter, with a depth of 33 km, was initially determined to be at 38.76 degrees south latitude and 78.48 degrees east longitude.

The tremor was at a distance of 2882 km southeast of Port Louis, Mauritius; 2964 km southeast of Saint-Denis, Reunion; and 3705 km southeast of Antananarivo, Madagascar.

EMSC earthquake location.

There is no listing of the earthquake on the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) due to the current shutdown of the United States Federal Government. The USGS posted the following notice on its website:

Government Furlough
Due to a lapse in Federal funding, the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program has suspended most of its operations. While the USGS will continue to monitor and report on earthquake activity, the accuracy or timeliness of some earthquake information products, as well as the availability or functionality of some web pages, could be affected by our reduced level of operation.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center (PTWC) and NOAA's National Tsunami Warning Center also posted the following notice regarding its daily operations during the shutdown:

Due to the Federal Government shutdown, NOAA.gov and most associated web sites are unavailable. However, because the information this site provides is necessary to protect life and property, it will be updated and maintained during the Federal Government shutdown.

However, both did indicate that no current warning, watch or advisory is in effect.


The Mid-Indian Ridge, is a submarine ridge of the Indian Ocean that is a direct continuance of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge; both are segments of the worldwide midoceanic ridge system.

EMSC historical seismicity for the region.

Entering the Indian Ocean from the South Atlantic, the Mid-Indian Ridge extends north to a point near Rodrigues Island, where it divides into two parts: one segment continues northward toward the Gulf of Aden, where it connects with the East African Rift System; the second branch extends southeast toward the Macquarie Islands.

Between the Gulf of Aden and Rodrigues Island, the Mid-Indian Ridge bears the name Carlsberg Ridge. The ridge is associated with a belt of earthquake epicentres and, hence, is seismically active. This fact is further observed in its rough relief and thin sediment cover.

MASS ANIMAL DIE-OFF: Two Green Turtles Found Dead On Sandspit Beach In Karachi, Pakistan?!

September 13, 2013 - PAKISTAN - Just two weeks after the appearance of dead fish along the Clifton beaches and Karachi Port area, local villagers of Kakapir village found two corpses of green turtle on Sandspit beach on Friday.

Marine casualties: Two green turtles found dead on Sandspit beach

The corpses of the important marine turtles were decomposed, implying they died a few days back. The villagers told Daily Times that among the dead, one was an adult turtle of around three feet long, while the other one a baby.

Stray dogs, crows and other predators ate the flesh of the dead turtles lying scattered on the beach sand.

“I was taking my camels towards the mangroves and found the bodies,” Muhammad Saleh, a resident of Kakapir village told Daily Times over telephone. He said it seemed stray animals bit and dragged the bodies, as their flesh was scattered on the beach.

Just two weeks ago, hundreds of dead fish appeared on the city’s beaches including Clifton and in the backwaters near Karachi Port, and experts had predicted the death of species.

Green turtles have become endangered due to an increasing level of pollution in the sea as well as their killing due to fishing nets. The Sandspit beaches, which have got the name from the pits in the sands made by these green turtles, are one of the few spots in the Indian Ocean, used by green turtles for breeding.

The local residents of Kakapir village said that sometimes they find dead turtles lying on the beaches, but neither any government authority nor international institutions such as World Wildlife Fund for Nature (WWF), IUCN or others have so far bothered to find out the reasons behind deaths of this important marine specie.

On contact, fisheries expert and Technical Advisor Marine Fisheries WWF-Pakistan Muhammad Moazaam Khan said he was not aware of any dead turtles found on the coast of Karachi. “There are chances that these turtles trapped in the fishing nets and were thrown by the fishermen. I don’t think they died because of marine pollution,” said Khan.

The indigenous fishermen highly regard these turtles and avoid killing them. There are many myths related to fishermen about it, for example it is said that some watermen accidentally killed a turtle that was trapped in their net, and all of them faced severe financial crises in the years ahead. - Daily Times.

MONUMENTAL EARTH CHANGES: Global Volcanism - Ocean Volcano In The Northwestern Pacific Ocean May Be The Largest On Earth, BIGGEST IN THE SOLAR SYSTEM?!

September 06, 2013 - PACIFIC OCEAN - A seamount in the northwestern Pacific Ocean may be the largest volcano on Earth, and could rival the largest in the solar system -- the mighty Olympus Mons on Mars -- according to oceanographers.

A three-dimensional map shows the elevation of Tamu Massif in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, off Japan.
It appears to be one continuous shield volcano, the largest on Earth and rivaling Olympus Mons, on Mars.
(Integrated Ocean Drilling Program)

Tamu Massif, a well-known seamount off Japan, turns out to be one continuous shield volcano, about the size of New Mexico or the British Isles, said geophysicist William W. Sager, lead author of a study published online Thursday in the journal Nature Geoscience.

Sager and team members had long ago given names to the formations jutting up from the Shatsky Rise, a California-sized oceanic plateau southeast of Japan. Tamu, the largest of three major features, stands for Texas A&M University, where Sager conducted his research for two decades before moving recently to the University of Houston.

Tens of thousands of seamounts pock the ocean floors planet-wide, and others may be larger, such as the Ontong Java Plateau near the Solomon Islands and the Kerguelen Plateau in the southern Indian Ocean. But thus far, none appears to be a single basalt shield volcano, but rather a composite of many such volcanoes, Sager said.

“One of the real things you have as a marine geologist or marine geophysicist is that these things have found a good place to hide,” Sager said. “It’s easier to study something on the surface of Mars in many ways than it is to study something that's right out there in the ocean. It’s not like we didn’t know that there was something out there. It’s just taken generations to get the time and money and to focus on it and get out there and study it.”

Sager’s team drilled core samples from the volcano, jutting from the ocean floor about 4 miles deep. Tamu rises about as high as many peaks of the Sierra Nevada – more than 13,000 feet. But much of its mass has sunk into the ocean crust, making it far shorter than Olympus Mons, which towers about 13 miles from the more rigid Martian surface.

But Tamu appears to have a larger base. Olympus Mons is about 374 miles in diameter, according to NASA; Tamu spans about 403 miles at its widest point and covers about about 8,000 more square miles, according to the study.

Sager was testing two competing theories of how these undersea volcanoes form. One holds that they are like continental volcanoes – the product of a rising plume of magma. Another, however, holds that the upper mantle melts without such a “hot spot” when there is a fracture or spread of the ocean lithosphere.

The question remains unresolved while geochronologists study the rock samples. “I’m still sitting on the fence,” said Sager. “Shatsky Rise sits right along a trace of a triple junction where mid-ocean ridges came together, but it also looks like what you’d expect it to look like if it was this big blob of hot material coming up.”

However the lava flowed, it flowed quickly and spread rapidly, according to the study. “We think that these things formed rapidly, within a million years or two – that’s rapidly to a geologist – and then they’re done, but we don’t know that for sure,” said Sager.

And all of the lava flow, some of it 75 feet thick, appears to trace back to one central point of origin that has a depression at its apex. “We can see that on any crossing that we make, they all seem to come from the center and go outward,” Sager said of the basalt flows. “That’s the basis of the finding that it’s one big volcano.”

Still, if you could stand on Tamu, you would not be able to discern its full profile, and might not even know which way is up. Its slopes are less than a degree – most volcanoes have slopes greater than 5 degrees.

It’s unlikely that Tamu ever was an island, even shortly after it formed about 145 million years ago. Fossils of shallow-water creatures in Tamu’s sediments indicate it came close to broaching the ocean surface before the ocean lithosphere sank to its present depth, Sager said.

Other pulses of magma may have formed nearby smaller shield volcanoes on the rise, said Sager. Those were likewise named for the universities involved in their early exploration: Ori stands for the Ocean Research Institute at the University of Tokyo, and Shirshov is for Russia’s P.P. Shirshov Institute of Oceanology.

But very little of those researchers’ early work has attracted the attention now focused on “discovering” a volcano that may be the largest in the solar system, said Sager, who has written more than 100 scientific papers in his career at Texas A&M.

“It’s rare that you get something that will make people kind of go, huh, and look at your work,” he said. - LA Times.

PLANETARY TREMORS: Strong Magnitude 6.1 Earthquake Strikes Southwest Indian Ridge!

August 17, 2013 - INDIAN OCEAN - A magnitude 6.1 earthquake struck the Southwest Indian Ridge moments ago.

USGS earthquake location.

According to the United States Geological Survey the quake was located 799 miles South Southeast of Fort Dauphin, Madagascar.

USGS earthquake shakemap intensity.

The quake had a depth of 6.2 miles.

No tsunami warning has been issued following the quake.