ANIMAL BEHAVIOR: Migratory Patterns And Disaster Precursors - Four Killer Whales Saved In Rescue Operation In Russia's Far East; 48 Kemps Ridley Turtles Have Washed Ashore Dead On Gulf Coast So Far In 2016; Dead Gray Whale Found Dead Near Vashon Island, Washington; Whale Washes Ashore Dead At Someshwar, India?! [PHOTOS + VIDEO]

April 20, 2016 - EARTH - The following constitutes the latest reports of unusual and symbolic animal behavior, mass die-offs, beaching and stranding of mammals, and the appearance of rare creatures.

Four killer whales saved in rescue operation in Russia's Far East

A challenging rescue operation in Russia's Far East was declared a success after four orcas, including a pup, were freed from an ice trap in the Sea of Okhotsk off Sakhalin Island.

The killer whales' plight triggered a unique eight-hour rescue mission, which was carried out by the Russian Emergencies Ministry with the help of a local fishing company. As the bay where the orcas got stuck was shallow and filled with ice and rocks, a traditional fishing boat was enlisted for the job, in place of a rescue vessel.

Rescuers used hooks to move pieces of ice out of the way of the animals, but they turned out to be no match for the largest chunks. Undeterred by the obstacle, however, they used some ingenuity and attached a thick rope to a vehicle on the shore that towed the bigger slabs of ice out of the path of the whales. A separate team got into the water to show them the way to freedom.

The three smaller orcas were rescued first. Rescue workers needed to clear additional ice to help the fourth and largest whale, which was around 7 meters long, the local emergencies ministry said in a statement on Wednesday.


WATCH: Rescuers save killer whales from ice in Russia's Far East.

"The rescuers and volunteers that stayed near the animal at night covered it with tarpaulin to reduce heat loss and pushed away the ice floes that could hurt it," the statement said. "At around 6 am local time, the rescue operation successfully ended. Willy [the fourth killer whale] reached the open sea," the ministry said.

One of the killer whales almost drowned during the mission when it got stuck underwater and could not float up for air. Thankfully, rescuers were able to successfully turn the whale around, giving it access to oxygen.

The largest whale had open wounds, so the rescuers gave it a shot of adrenaline and applied vaseline to its injuries.

Orcas can survive three days without food, but only if they remain in the water and have access to air.

48 Kemps Ridley turtles have washed ashore dead on Gulf Coast so far in 2016

Dead turtles have recently washed ashore along the Gulf Coast, and members of the Institute for Marine Mammal

Studies are working find out why.

Officials are trying to determine if the turtle deaths are linked to the BP oil spill in the Gulf that happened in 2010, WLOX-TV reports.

Wendy Hatchett, IMMS veterinarian technician, said the spike in deaths has officials concerned. She said whether its red tide or deaths left over from the oil spill, they really don't have a clue until tissue can be analyzed.

So far this year, 48 dead Kemps Ridley turtles have washed ashore across the Gulf Coast; including one turtle recovered Sunday and three on Saturday.

Dead Gray whale found dead near Vashon Island, Washington

NOAA hired the Cascadia Research Group to tow the whale, and perform a necropsy. © KOMO

A research group is performing a necropsy on a gray whale after it was found dead near Vashon Island Tuesday morning, NOAA officials said.

Researchers say based off its markings, the deceased whale appears to be the same one who breached at the Ballard Locks on April 6.

The gray whale was found dead around 8 a.m. near Point Beals, west of Vashon Island. NOAA hired the Cascadia Research Group to tow the whale, and perform a necropsy.

The whale was very emaciated, and a juvenile. Researchers with the Cascadia Group say it's likely that the whale didn't get enough food last year to last through the migration fast. Gray whales typically fast for 3-to-4 months during migration to warmer climates during winter.

The necropsy will be performed Wednesday or Thursday, researchers said.

Whale washes ashore dead at Someshwar, India

A dead whale was washed ashore at Someshwar Beach near Mangaluru on Wednesday. © H.S. Manjunath

A dead whale was washed ashore at Someshwar, near here, on Wednesday. Local people saw it floating in the sea, off Someshwar beach, early in the morning. As there was high tide it was washed ashore at about 11.45 a.m. Students and teachers of College of Fisheries, Mangaluru, who rushed to the beach measured it to be 43 ft. in length.

"It must have died about two or three days ago," said Benakappa S., Professor and Head, Department of Fisheries Resources and Management, College of Fisheries, who was at the spot. S.R. Somashekar, a professor in the same department, said that there was an appendix or extra growth on its back, that appeared to be unusual.
As its body texture was still rough, it could have died about two or three days ago. As it was in saline water the body has not completely decayed.


- RT |  WDSU | Komo News | The Hindu.  

PLANETARY TREMORS: Subduction Process Similar To One Causing Ecuadorean Quake Could Cause Megathrust In India At Any Time - Scientists Believe There Is SO MUCH ENERGY, A 9 MAGNITUDE IS POSSIBLE!

An under construction building that got damaged in the earthquake in Imphal, Manipur in January 2016  © Express /Deepak Shijagurumayum

April 20, 2016 - INDIA - A subduction process similar to the one that caused the Ecuadorean quake is happening under the Himalayan region as well, where the Indian plate is getting inside the Chinese landmass.

This northward push has been creating a huge amount of tectonic strain in the region, making it particularly prone to earthquakes.

Scientists believe there is so much energy stored in the area that an earthquake of magnitude greater than 8, possibly even 9, would be needed to release it. This earthquake can come at any time.

The Nepal earthquake was a result of this same process, but it was relatively weak in magnitude.

Interestingly, historical data from the US Geological Survey shows that on an average only one earthquake of magnitude 8 or above, called as 'great earthquakes', takes place in a year anywhere in the world. This year there hasn't been a 8-plus quake so far.

There have been aberrations. The year 2007, for example, witnessed as many as four 8-plus earthquakes - in Kuril Islands in north Pacific, Soloman Islands near Australia, central Peru, and in Sumatra in Indonesia. The years 1920, 1923, 1946, 1960 and 1995 each had three of these big events.

On the other hand, in recent memory, 2002, 2008 and 2013, did not have any 8-plus earthquake.

Still, the period after 2000 has been one of the most frequent for 'great earthquakes'. As many as 20 of these events have happened in these 15 years.

The frequency of earthquakes every year increases exponentially as we look at smaller magnitudes. Earthquakes of magnitude between 7 and 7.9 happen 15 times on an average every year, while 134 instances of earthquakes between 6 and 6.9 are recorded every year.


WATCH: Explained - The Afghanistan Earthquake That Rocked North India.

- Indian Express.

MONUMENTAL GEOLOGICAL UPHEAVALS: GPS Data Indicates Shifting Land Surface By Nearly ONE METER In Japan - Seismic Activity From Magnitude 7.3 Earthquake Stretched OVER 100 KILOMETERS; Geologists Concerned Over Unusual String Of Large Earthquakes Spanning A VAST AREA In The Southern Region!

April 20, 2016 - JAPAN - Geological officials say the magnitude-7.3 quake early on Saturday in Kumamoto Prefecture shifted observation points horizontally by nearly one meter.

The Geospatial Information Authority says GPS data shows that an observation point in Minami Aso Village moved southwest by 97 centimeters, and rose by 23 centimeters.

An observation point in Kumamoto City, near the epicenter, moved east-northeast by 75 centimeters and sank by 20 centimeters.

The Geospatial Information Authority says it's likely the result of movement of the nearby Futagawa Fault.

Seismic activity from magnitude-7.3 earthquake stretched 100 kilometers

Self-Defense Forces personnel and other rescue workers search for missing people in a residential area of Minami-Aso, Kumamoto Prefecture, on Sunday.© Yomiuri Shimbun

The magnitude-7.3 earthquake that pounded Kumamoto Prefecture early Saturday was more powerful than a foreshock that struck two days earlier.

The seismic activity then moved northeast to reach areas in Oita Prefecture about 100 kilometers away from the focus of the magnitude-7.3 quake. Experts are concerned that quake activities could spread to a major active fault that lies further ahead in that direction.

On Saturday morning, Yomiuri Shimbun reporters entered the town of Mashiki, Kumamoto Prefecture, where aftershocks continue to rattle the area. Many houses in the town's Dozono district have collapsed. A large crack ran through a field, leaving a line of what looked like overturned earth. A road crossing the field was buckled out of alignment.

According to a calculation by Masashi Omata of the Japanese Society for Active Fault Studies, the ground here moved about 20 centimeters vertically, and about two meters horizontally. This measurement was taken in a northeastern section of the Futagawa fault zone, which extends for at least about 64 kilometers. "Part of the Futagawa fault zone shifted and caused the magnitude-7.3 temblor," Omata said.

Another fault zone, the Hinagu fault zone, lies south of the quake's focus. The Hinagu zone is at least about 81 kilometers long, and a magnitude-6.5 quake that struck on Thursday evening was centered in its northeastern section. Nagoya University Prof. Yasuhiro Suzuki, an expert on active faults, said, "The faults are connected, so the earthquakes on Thursday and Saturday occurred as a series of movements."

The Japan Meteorological Agency initially thought Thursday's temblor was the main quake. However, it turned out to be a smaller foreshock that was a precursor to the main magnitude-7.3 quake. "When a magnitude-6 level quake happens, it's difficult to predict whether an even bigger earthquake will occur," said Gen Aoki, head of the agency's earthquake and tsunami monitoring section.

Activity moving northeast

The quake activity that began on Thursday became even more heightened following Saturday's main quake. Furthermore, the location of this activity, which started in areas around Kumamoto city, moved northeast and expanded to include the Aso region of Kumamoto Prefecture and central Oita Prefecture.

These three areas where large quakes have recently occurred are in or near what is called the Beppu-Shimabara rift zone. The ground structure in the Kyushu region is subject to forces that pull it north-south. Many active fault lines, including the Futagawa and Hinagu fault zones and the Beppu-Haneyama fault zone in central Oita Prefecture, have developed where the ground has been warped in parts of the rift zone.

According to the agency, whenever a fault slips, it can place additional stress on the ground further along the line. "Earthquakes in the three areas are likely affecting each other," an agency official said.

Yasuhiro Umeda, a professor emeritus at Kyoto University and a seismology expert, was surprised by the distance between the epicenters of the quakes. "I didn't anticipate that an earthquake might be set off so far away," Umeda said.

Geologists concerned over unusual string of large earthquakes spanning a vast area in southern Japan

Rescuers and a search dog check the damage around a landslide area caused by earthquakes in Minamiaso, Kumamoto prefecture on April 17© AP

Seismic activity in southern Japan is mystifying geologists and keeping the nation on edge.

The island of Kyushu has been struck by a series of significant earthquakes, with the epicenters moving progressively further inland. The cluster started with the deadly quakes that hit Kumamoto Prefecture last Thursday and Saturday. Temblors subsequently rocked the Mount Aso region and neighboring Oita Prefecture.

There is a known concentration of faults in the area. Still, experts say it is highly unusual to have a string of quakes measuring around magnitude 6 and stretching over such a vast area. The epicenter of the Oita jolt was about 100km away from the first Kumamoto quake.

"I don't quite understand what is happening with the recent earthquakes, because it's an unfamiliar phenomenon," said Yoshihisa Iio, a professor at Kyoto University's Research Center for Earthquake Prediction.

The Japan Meteorological Agency said it is unprecedented to have a group of large quakes in these three parts of Kyushu. Experts are divided over how far the shaking will spread and whether it could prompt more quakes centered elsewhere.

Linked faults

The Beppu-Shimabara graben -- a type of geological formation -- stretches east to west across Kyushu, through Oita and Kumamoto prefectures. A number of faults run underground. Scientists believe such concentrations of faults increase the chances of what they call earthquake swarms. When one fault shifts, causing an earthquake, it can add to the strain on other faults, triggering more tremors.

The government's earthquake research committee attributed the magnitude-6.4 quake that hit Kumamoto last Thursday evening to a shift in the northern part of the Hinagu fault zone. The magnitude-7.3 quake that struck in the wee hours of Saturday morning occurred in the Futagawa fault zone, which runs just north of the Hinagu zone, the Geospatial Information Authority of Japan said. Part of the Futagawa fault zone, about 27km in length, slid by around 3.5 meters, according to the GSI. The government committee met on Sunday and agreed that the Futagawa zone was the culprit in the main quake. This zone, it turns out, is longer than previously thought and stretches close to Mount Aso's caldera. The committee warned local residents to brace for more aftershocks. Indeed, aftershocks continue in the Kumamoto, Aso and Oita regions. According to the Meteorological Agency, Kumamoto has seen the second-highest number of inland earthquakes on record, after those set off by the earthquake that hit the northwestern prefecture of Niigata in 2004.

Meanwhile, the GSI said the main Kumamoto quake unleashed 40% more seismic energy than the devastating 1995 earthquake. Saturday's quake "may have impacted nearby faults," said Hiroshi Yarai, director of the GSI's crustal deformation research division. Signs point to the quake nudging the Beppu-Haneyama fault zone in Oita, which lies northeast of the Futagawa zone.

The Beppu-Haneyama zone, in turn, is linked in the east to the Japan Median Tectonic Line -- a huge fault structure that extends through western Japan, including the island of Shikoku and the Kii Peninsula in Wakayama Prefecture. This raises the possibility that the Kumamoto earthquakes could cause a broader chain reaction across the Bungo Channel in the Shikoku region.

For now, though, a Meteorological Agency official said that "the Median Tectonic Line doesn't seem to have been activated yet."




- News on Japan | The Japan News | Asian Review. 

 

MONUMENTAL DELUGE: The Latest Reports Of High Tides, Heavy Rainfall, Flash Floods, Sea Level Rise, Widespread Flooding, And Catastrophic Storms - At Least 1,000 Displaced Following Floods In Uganda; And Russia Deploys Su-34 Aircraft To Bomb Ice Jam In Flooded Territories! [PHOTOS + VIDEOS]

Following torrential rains, fresh floods have started hitting Kasese destroying roads

April 20, 2016 - EARTH - The following list constitutes the latest reports of high tides, heavy rainfall, flash floods, widespread flooding, sea level rise and catastrophic storms.

At least 1,000 displaced following floods in Uganda

Many people in parts of Western and Southern Uganda faced severe flood conditions as a result of a result of heavy rainfall that began on 13 April 2016. Further heavy rainfall on 17 April has hit flood-affected areas in the west, in particular Kasese, once again.

Kampala

In Kampala and its suburbs, houses were inundated by flood waters forcing people to evacuate to higher grounds for safety. Some of the buildings were reported to have collapsed. Flooding rendered roads impassable. According to the Uganda Radio Network (URN), floods on Wednesday, 13 April, affected several suburbs including Kyebando, Bwaise, Kamwokya, Mulago and Kalerwe. There were also some reports of flooded farmland and damaged crops.

Over the years Kampala and areas around Lake Victoria have experienced severe floods. In September 2013 for example, the streets of numerous suburbs were badly affected.

Kyebando road flooded leaving business at a standstill.
© ALEX OTTO

The locals of these suburbs believe these floods, which occur on a regular basis, are very much man made and mostly caused by building and development on flood plains and swamp areas. Flooding like this occurs on a regular basis in Kampala - mostly in the suburbs - during the rainy season. Two people died in floods in September 2011. Further floods occurred in November that year, as discussed in this report from Uganda's New Vision. Kasese, Western Region


WATCH: Heavy rains cause flooding all over Kampala.

In Kasese district, in the Western Region of Uganda, heavy rainfall was recorded on Tuesday 12 April, 2016, causing the River Mubuka to overflow and displacing more than 1000 people living in Kanamba and Kabaka parishes in Karusandara sub-county.

According to the ten day forecast issued by the IGAD Climate Prediction and Applications Centre (ICPAC), heavy rainfall
between 12 April 21 April is expected to affect the lake Victoria region.

IPAC forecast 12 to 21 April. Image: IPAC

The locals in these areas were aided by the Uganda Wild Life Authority (UWA) to set up temporary camps to house them. Kasese district was also hard hit by floods in 2013 and 2014. Reports from residents indicate that there has been little effort made in repairing flood damage and increasing resilience to future flood events.

Further heavy rainfall was recorded in Kasese over the last 24 hours, resulting in more flooding which has destroyed roads, bridges, classrooms and farms in various parts of the district, according to local media.

Russia deploys Su-34 aircraft to bomb ice jam in flooded territories

© Flickr/ PhOtOnQuAnTiQuE

Russian military aviation has been deployed to the Vologda region, after powerful snowmelt floods hit vast territories across the country.

Local authorities initiated efforts to destroy a 40-km ice jam on the Sukhona river near Veliky Ustyug, in the Vologda region. As Monday's demolition work didn't bring the expected result, bombing missions from the air are being implemented.

Several Russian Su-34 bomber aircraft launched airstrikes on the border area between the Archangelsk and Vologda regions. These modern multipurpose planes were most recently bombing Daesh positions in Syria.

The task isn't easy. The Vologda region is in the grip of the worst flooding in 20 years, and the consequences have required a special operation by the military and emergency response groups.


WATCH: Flooding disaster in Russia.

Locals have been watching and filming the "military operation" from a distance.

Thousands of people in Russia have been affected by heavy spring floods, and many have been forced to flee their homes. Emergency response workers continue to evacuate residents of flooded cities and villages, also providing those who can stay with necessary provisions.

According to the Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations, the flood area doubled in a single day, and the rising waters have affected over 100 cities.



- Floodlist | Sputnik.