The Weekly Volcanic Activity Report: January 4 – 10, 2023
New activity/unrest was reported for 5 volcanoes from January 4 to 10, 2023. During the same period, ongoing activity was reported for 19 volcanoes.
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Shallow M6.0 earthquake hits southern East Pacific Rise
A shallow earthquake registered by the USGS as M6.0 hit the southern East Pacific Rise at 16:17 UTC on January 11, 2023. The agency is reporting a depth of 10 km (6.2 miles). EMSC is reporting M5.9 at a depth of 10 km.
Growing sinkhole swallows 2 cars in Los Angeles, passengers rescued
Two people were rescued after a large sinkhole swallowed two cars in the Los Angeles neighborhood of Chatsworth as an unrelenting winter storm caused havoc in Southern California.
Very large landslide hits Colombia’s Cauca Department, destroying 64 homes
A very large landslide destroyed the communities of Parraga Viejo, Santa Clara, La Soledad and Chontaduro in Colombia’s Cauca Department on January 9, 2023. Luckily, growing cracks started appearing several days before the landslide, alerting communities about the risk.
Unlocking solar activity: Correlation between the Sun’s Hale magnetic cycle and Extended Solar Cycle
New research from the Wilcox Solar Observatory (WSO) has found evidence for the correspondence of the “Extended Solar Cycle” (ESC) to the Sun’s Hale magnetic cycle. The research emphasizes the intrinsic power of synoptic observations, particularly at a time when it is becoming increasingly difficult to sustain such efforts.
The greatest concentration of lightning ever recorded
The Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai volcano eruption on January 15, 2022, has set a new record for the greatest concentration of lightning ever detected. According to data from Vaisala’s Global Lightning Dataset GLD360, nearly 400 000 lightning events were detected within just six hours of the eruption, making it a truly exceptional phenomenon.
Northern Australia braces for more thunderstorms, rain and floods, High to Extreme fire dangers forecast for southern regions
The Australian Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) is warning residents of continued showers and thunderstorms across northern Australia and heatwave conditions in western and southern regions. Major flooding continues along parts of the Fitzroy River in Western Australia and minor to moderate flood warnings are in place in Queensland, the Northern Territory and Western Australia.
Continued likelihood of M-class flares and a chance of X-class through January 13
Solar activity is expected to remain moderate through January 13, with the continuing likelihood of M-class flares (70%) and a chance of X-class events (30%) due primarily to the combined flare probabilities of Regions 3181, 3182, 3184, and 3186.
X1.0 solar flare erupts from Region 3186 — CME produced
A major solar flare measuring X1.0 erupted from the newly-numbered Active Region 3186 on January 10, 2023. The event started at 22:39 UTC, peaked at 22:47 and ended at 22:52 UTC.
Endless onslaught of atmospheric river events in California claim 14 lives, residents urged to be hyper-vigilant
California is once again under threat as an energetic low pressure system quickly gathers strength off the West Coast, bringing with it heavy precipitation, thunderstorms and several feet of snow in the Sierra Nevada region. This, along with already saturated soils and high river levels, is expected to exacerbate ongoing flooding, prolong the risk of flash flooding, and mudslides, especially in recent burn scar regions. The National Weather Service has issued a warning for residents to be prepared, as the heavy rainfall, especially in southern California, is expected to be excessive today and tonight.
