Launched in 2013, the European Space Agency’s (ESA) Swarm mission, consisting of three satellites, has provided a decade of invaluable data on Earth’s magnetic field and core dynamics. This data has enabled significant advances in understanding the mechanisms behind the magnetic field’s slow changes, as detailed in a recent ESA-funded project report.
Officials in Papua New Guinea are reporting at least 5 fatalities and approximately 1 000 homes destroyed following a shallow M6.9 earthquake at 20:22 UTC on March 23, 2024 (06:22 LT on March 24) in the East Sepik Province. The quake hit at a time when many parts of the country were dealing with severe flooding.
Heavy rains in Brazil’s Rio de Janeiro state on March 22, 2024, resulted in at least nine fatalities, with Petropolis being the hardest hit. A staggering 270 mm (11 inches) of rain fell within 24 hours, significantly impacting the region and leading to numerous incidents, including landslides and house collapses. The storm then moved to the neighboring state of Espírito Santo, dropping more than 200 mm (7.8 inches) of rainfall within 24 hours.
A very strong earthquake registered by the USGS as M6.9 hit New Guinea, Papua New Guinea at 20:22 UTC on March 23, 2024 (07:22 LT, March 24). The agency is reporting a depth of 35.4 km (21.9 miles). EMSC is reporting M6.8 at a depth of 50 km (31 miles).
A strong and shallow earthquake registered by the BMKG as M6.5 hit Java Sea, Indonesia at 08:52 UTC (15:52 LT) on March 22, 024. The agency is reporting a depth of 10 km (6.2 miles). USGS and EMSC are reporting M6.4 at a depth of 8.5 km (4.3 miles).
The volcanic eruption that started in Reykjanes Peninsula, Iceland on March 16, 2024, continues at a fairly constant rate, marking the most substantial activity in the region with four registered eruptions since December 2023. This event has caught the attention of the Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service (CAMS) due to the large volumes of sulfur dioxide (SO2) released into the atmosphere.
A fissure eruption that started on Reykjanes Peninsula, Iceland on March 16, 2024, continues at a fairly constant rate, with an average lava flow from the craters of about 14.5 m3 per second (512 feet3/s) from March 17 to 20. About 700 people at the Blue Lagoon spa and several in the town of Grindavík were evacuated within a 30-minute period after the start of the eruption.
New activity/unrest was reported for 4 volcanoes from March 13 to 19, 2024. During the same period, ongoing activity was reported for 18 volcanoes.
The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) released its “State of the Global Climate 2023” report on March 19, 2024, confirming 2023 as the warmest year on record. The report is published ahead of the Copenhagen Climate Ministerial on March 21 and 22, where climate leaders and ministers from around the world will gather to push for accelerated climate action.
Heavy rainfall affecting the Kurdistan Region of Iraq on March 19, 2024, caused extreme flooding in the Duhok Governorate, leading to the deaths of at least two people and damage to dozens of homes.
