Sunday, February 22News That Matters

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Mount Erebus Unveils its Hidden Treasure: Daily Eruption Reveals a Golden Windfall in the Antarctic Skies

Mount Erebus Unveils its Hidden Treasure: Daily Eruption Reveals a Golden Windfall in the Antarctic Skies

Breaking News, Climate Actions
Mount Erebus, Antarctica's Active Volcano, Discovered Emitting Valuable Gold Dust into the Atmosphere, Unveiling a Daily Treasure Trove Worth Thousands of Dollars, Reports New York Post. Recent Findings Illuminate the Geological Phenomenon of Mount Erebus, Disclosing its Daily Contribution of Approximately 80 Grams of Crystallized Gold, Valued at Almost $6,000 (Rs 5 lakh), Revealed Through Astonishing Atmospheric Dispersion. NASA's Earth Observatory Observes Mount Erebus' Unique Geological Activity, Evidencing Regular Emissions of Gas, Steam, and Occasional Rock Fragments, Attributed to its Strategic Position Above a Thin Crust, Facilitating the Upward Movement of Molten Rock from Earth's Interior. Conor Bacon, Researcher from Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory at Columbia Universit...
Heavy Rains and Lightning Kill Dozens Across Pakistan, Triggering State of Emergency

Heavy Rains and Lightning Kill Dozens Across Pakistan, Triggering State of Emergency

Breaking News, Disasters
Lightning and heavy rains have claimed the lives of at least 49 people across Pakistan in the past three days, officials announced on Monday. The devastating weather conditions prompted authorities in the country’s southwest to declare a state of emergency. Reports indicate that several deaths occurred when lightning struck farmers who were out harvesting wheat. Additionally, heavy rains led to the collapse of dozens of houses in the northwest and eastern Punjab province. Arfan Kathia, a spokesman for the provincial disaster management authority, revealed that 21 people lost their lives in Punjab, where further rains are expected in the coming week. Khursheed Anwar, another spokesman for the disaster management authority, confirmed that 21 people died in northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkh...
Ruang Volcano Eruptions Prompt Evacuation of Hundreds in North Sulawesi

Ruang Volcano Eruptions Prompt Evacuation of Hundreds in North Sulawesi

Breaking News, Disasters
Amidst multiple eruptions of Indonesia's Ruang volcano, located in North Sulawesi province, at least 800 individuals have been evacuated from the area, revealed the country's volcanology agency on Wednesday. Situated on Ruang Island approximately 100 km (62 miles) from the provincial capital Manado, the volcano has unleashed its fury in several eruptions since Tuesday, prompting authorities to escalate the alert level to the second highest. The eruptions, triggered by recent earthquakes on the island, have led to the emission of hazardous and "explosive hot clouds" reaching heights of up to 1.8 km (1.1 miles) into the sky, as confirmed by Heruningtyas Desi Purnamasari, an official at Indonesia's Center for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation (PVMBG). "To ensure safety, we...
Water Crisis Looms as Rivers Run Dry and Reservoirs Dwindle Across India

Water Crisis Looms as Rivers Run Dry and Reservoirs Dwindle Across India

Breaking News, Climate Actions
An alarming water crisis is unfolding across India as rivers run dry and reservoirs reach critically low levels. According to data released by the Central Water Commission (CWC), at least 13 east-flowing rivers between Mahanadi and Pennar currently have no water. These rivers, including Rushikulya, Bahuda, and Vamsadhara, play a crucial role in supplying water for irrigation and domestic consumption in Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, and Odisha. The storage in the basin has witnessed a continuous decline, with the current storage standing at zero. Last year, the storage was 32.28 per cent of the basin's capacity, highlighting the severity of the current situation. Furthermore, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana have experienced large rainfall deficits since March 1, exacerbating the water scarcity...
Strong Earthquake Strikes Taiwan: Fear of Casualties and Tsunamis

Strong Earthquake Strikes Taiwan: Fear of Casualties and Tsunamis

Breaking News, Disasters
Taiwan has been rattled by a powerful earthquake, triggering concerns of people being trapped in collapsed buildings and causing disruptions to electricity supply and train services. A tsunami alert has been issued for Taiwan, Japan, and the Philippines in the wake of the seismic activity. The earthquake, registering a magnitude of 7.2 on the Richter scale, jolted Taiwan's capital, Taipei, inflicting widespread destruction and power outages. Train operations were halted across the country, exacerbating the chaos following the tremors. Beyond Taiwan's borders, the earthquake led to a tsunami hitting two islands of Japan. Initial reports confirm four fatalities in Taiwan, with over fifty individuals sustaining injuries. However, authorities anticipate these numbers to rise as the situa...
Second 6.1 Magnitude Earthquake Hits Japan’s Hokkaido in Over a Month

Second 6.1 Magnitude Earthquake Hits Japan’s Hokkaido in Over a Month

Breaking News, Disasters
Japan's Hokkaido region was struck by a 6.1 magnitude earthquake on Tuesday, marking the second occurrence of a quake of similar intensity in just over a month. The seismic event occurred at 6:18 pm local time (0918 GMT) at a depth of 20 kilometers (12 miles), as reported by the Japan Meteorological Agency. While a magnitude of 6.1 on the Richter scale typically poses a risk of damage in densely populated areas, Japanese media outlets have not yet reported any casualties or significant destruction. As of now, no tsunami warning has been issued following the quake. This recent earthquake follows a similar event that shook Japan's northern island of Hokkaido on February 25, further highlighting the region's vulnerability to seismic activity. Earlier this month, Japan faced another s...
India Braces for Searing Summer, IMD Predicts Heat Waves and Rainfall Variations

India Braces for Searing Summer, IMD Predicts Heat Waves and Rainfall Variations

Breaking News, Disasters
As India gears up for the summer months ahead, the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued warnings of searing temperatures and potential heat waves across much of the country from April to June. While many regions are expected to experience above-normal temperatures, pockets of northwest India, including Delhi-NCR, may see relief with 'normal to below-normal' day temperatures. In its seasonal outlook for the next three months, IMD also forecasted 'normal to below-normal' night temperatures in isolated areas of northeast and northwest India, including the capital. Additionally, Delhi may receive 'normal to above-normal' rainfall in April, offering some respite from the heat. However, despite the variations in temperature and rainfall patterns, IMD cautioned that heat wave c...
Moon’s Influence on Coral Reef Sounds Reveals Ecosystem Activity: Study says

Moon’s Influence on Coral Reef Sounds Reveals Ecosystem Activity: Study says

Breaking News, Climate Actions, Environment
A recent study has shed light on how the Moon's movements influence the sounds emanating from coral reefs, providing valuable insights into ecosystem activity. Researchers discovered that as the Moon rises and sets, the soundscape of coral reefs undergoes rapid changes, indicating shifts in ecosystem interactions. Conducted by scientists from the Naval Undersea Warfare Center (NUWC) and the Advanced Research Projects Agency – Energy (ARPA-E) in the US, the study monitored three different coral reef sites off the west coast of Hawaii. Using hydrophones, they captured one-minute snapshots of the underwater soundscape at regular intervals over two years. The findings revealed that high-frequency pulse train sounds from fish increased during moonlit hours, while low-frequency fish vocali...
Aral Sea Catastrophe: ESCAP’s Multifaceted Approach to Environmental Recovery

Aral Sea Catastrophe: ESCAP’s Multifaceted Approach to Environmental Recovery

Breaking News, Climate Actions, Environment
In a region marked by stark environmental degradation and socio-economic upheaval, the Aral Sea, once the world's fourth-largest inland sea, stands as a tragic emblem of human-induced catastrophe. Over the past decades, the sea has dramatically shrunk by a staggering 90%, primarily due to extensive water diversion for irrigation and hydropower, exacerbated by the effects of climate change. The consequences are dire, with severe environmental and socio-economic repercussions plaguing the surrounding countries. The Grim Reality: Environmental and Socio-economic Fallout The depletion of the Aral Sea has triggered a cascade of crises, including the loss of water, increased salinity, and the collapse of local ecosystems. These changes have wrought havoc on livelihoods, plunging communitie...
New Index Shows Western Indian Himalayan Region More Prone to Climate Change Risks

New Index Shows Western Indian Himalayan Region More Prone to Climate Change Risks

Breaking News, Climate Actions
A pioneering climate risk index developed by researchers from the Indian Institute of Technology, Madras (IIT-M), reveals that the Western Indian Himalayan Region faces greater vulnerability to climate change compared to the Eastern Himalayan ranges. Utilizing the latest framework from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the index integrates both physical and socio-economic indicators to assess climate risk in the Himalayas comprehensively. The Himalayas, often referred to as the "third pole" due to their vast ice and water reserves, are highly susceptible to the impacts of climate change. While the region is experiencing warming temperatures and declining snow cover and glacier mass, few studies have attempted to map climate risks at a district level. The new study by...